Nicki Chen's Blog, page 11

Looking for Beauty Close to Home

Almost three weeks ago I dropped something heavy on a toe. No big deal, just what seemed to be a small break in my middle toe, right foot. But it hurt like heck! And for weeks, though it was getting better, it still hurt … all day long. So I hobbled around the house and […]

Youthful Dreams, Do They Remain?

What did you want to be when you grew up? My mom’s dream was to become an artist. I don’t know when that dream began for her, but by the time she was in high school, she was filling scrapbooks with her drawings. He stylish fashion drawings were especially stunning. She had her heart set […]

The Return of Strangers

Much has been said about how much we missed our friends and relatives during the pandemic shutdown. Then, when we were finally able to hug them again after months of isolation, we celebrated. It was wonderful, wasn’t it? But I’ve also been noticing how much I enjoy my contacts with strangers now that I’m safely […]

We Love Our Mountains

I like living near the water. I don’t have a sea view from my house, but I can smell the seaweed at low tide. If I walk three houses down the street, I can see it. If I go to Starbucks or the supermarket or the eye doctor or almost anywhere else, it’s there. I […]

What They Ate

When I started getting reviews and comments back from early readers of When in Vanuatu, there was one thing that surprised me–the interest some of them had in the food my characters ate. Here are some of what they said: A comment by She Just Loves Books was the most enthusiastic: “The food … THE […]

Rhododendrons & a Post-Vaccination Outing

We knew there’d be a crowd at the Rhododendron Garden on Mother’s Day. But–Hey!–we were all vaccinated: my sister, my daughter and I. Besides, the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden in Federal Way, WA, is huge, 22 acres with trails snaking in and out and around. We wouldn’t exactly be stepping on each other’s heels. The […]

What If You Threw a Party & Nobody Came?

Before a party some people worry that no one will come–or so I’ve been told. Personally, I’ve always been too busy worrying about the menu, and about cleaning the house, having the right dishes and cooking implements, arranging enough seating for everyone, and choosing a tablecloth and napkins. In fact, in the past, I’d never […]

When Does the Past Become History?

Is yesterday history? Or do you have to go farther back … 20 years, 30, 100? More than that? What about the attack of 9-11? Was that a historic event? If so, when did it start being historic? Has January 6, 2021 already become part of history? But wait! Does something have to be important […]

Souvenirs from Vanuatu

When we lived in Vanuatu, we bought a few souvenirs, but not many. There were a couple of shops on Port Vila’s main street with items designed to attract tourists, especially the Aussies who sailed in every few weeks on a big cruise ship. The stores’ specialty was T-shirts with humorous or obscene images on […]

Early Spring … Time to Pre-order

Although early spring here is a little cold for my taste, it’s a lovely time, a season of promise. That’s what pre-ordering a book is: a promise. It’s the promise of a book you’ll soon be able to read. I pre-order a book every now and then, especially when I see that a favorite author […]