Nicki Chen's Blog, page 16
August 25, 2019
Rhododendrons, Love in the Off-Season
In Washington State we love our rhododendrons–the pale pink rhodies, the deep red, the white, lavender, blue, and cream. The rhododendron is our state flower. They don’t bloom in August, but I figure if you love something, you love it … Continue reading →
August 12, 2019
Mixing It Up
I was looking around for something to read. I’d just finished reading a new thriller by Robert Dugoni, an author whose writing I knew from earlier books. Before that, I read The Wife by Meg Wolitzer. I knew her writing … Continue reading →
August 11, 2019
Mixing It Up
I was looking around for something to read. I’d just finished reading a new thriller by Robert Dugoni, an author whose writing I knew from earlier books. Before that, I read The Wife by Meg Wolitzer. I knew her writing … Continue reading →
August 4, 2019
Anyone Can Have a Rat Infestation
Rat infestations have been in the news lately, so I decided to bring back an old post. First, though, I thought it would be useful to find out which US cities were the most “rat-infested”. Here are the top five: … Continue reading →
July 28, 2019
The Chickens of Kauai
If you’ve ever been to Kauai, you know about the chickens. They were a surprise to me, though. The first chicken I saw was just outside our condo. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. I’d been places … Continue reading →
July 21, 2019
Not Writing in Kauai
Recently I took time off from writing (and other things) to vacation with my family in Hawaii. The whole time I was there, I didn’t write a single word, which is not unusual for me. I’m not a dedicated write-every-day … Continue reading →
June 30, 2019
The Silent Generation
I knew what generation my parents belonged to: The Greatest Generation. They lived through the Great Depression. My dad, like so many members of his generation, fought Hitler. From North Africa to the landing at Salerno, to the epic, bloody … Continue reading →
June 16, 2019
Oklahoma! Nostalgia for a Time That Never Was
The big red banner in the theater lobby declared: “Oklahoma never was OK.” I should have been forewarned. But this was Oklahoma!, the rollicking Rogers and Hammerstein musical I remembered from my school days. (I saw the movie version). So, … Continue reading →
June 9, 2019
Alternative Scenes from a Graduation
It wasn’t a graduation that lent itself to picture taking. With the Commencement ceremony taking place on the lawn with no risers, with 1282 seniors and 562 graduate students graduating, each of them able to invite five guests, it was … Continue reading →
May 26, 2019
Graduations–Meaningful Ceremonies or No Big Deal?
When our son-in-law finished his doctorate, my husband and I packed our bags and prepared to fly down to Berkeley to attend the graduation ceremony. D would be the first person I knew (excluding medical doctors) to earn a doctorate. … Continue reading →
