Resolutions, Anyone?

November 30, 2014October 28, 2015 ~ Writer Jenny Berlin ~ Leave a comment

The new year is almost here and for many people that means adopting new year’s resolutions.

I’ve never been much for making resolutions at the beginning of the year, but I understand the lure. A new year means new opportunities and a new slate on which we can write the stories of our lives. People use it as a time to set goals and resolve to make a real change in their lives.

The reason I don’t do new year’s resolutions is that I set goals all the time. Every day, every week, every month I know what I need to accomplish in order to achieve what I want. From time to time my goals may change, and I roll with the punches, but my discipline is still the same.

Some days I’m more successful at checking a task off my list than other days. Some days I abandon my goals in favor of binge-watching Hallmark Channel movies with a half-gallon of Haagen Dazs. But those indulgent days are few, and they’re only temporary set-backs. The next day I’m right back at my to do list, anxious to check off the next goal I want to accomplish.

So here are a couple of my personal goals for the month of January:

By January 15 identify the birth date of my great-grandfather so I can order a copy of his birth certificate and document it in on my family tree
Over the next ten days, write a minimum of 250 words a day on my new book

Easy-peasy, right? They sound so do-able. And I have every confidence I can get these things (and a few others) done. As long as I don’t get distracted by the Hallmark Channel and ice cream.

The Widow of Larkspur Inn by Lawanna Blackwell

November 21, 2014October 28, 2015 ~ Writer Jenny Berlin ~ Leave a comment

Here’s what I’m reading today. I’ve been a big fan of Lawanna Blackwell’s books for many years and this one is in my “keeper” pile.

Want to read some sample pages? Click here.

Searching My Roots

November 13, 2014October 28, 2015 ~ Writer Jenny Berlin ~ Leave a comment

I love puzzles of all kinds. Sudoku, crossword, jigsaw — you name the puzzle and I’ll work it. My new favorite puzzle challenge is ancestor hunting.

A few months ago I started researching my family tree on the paternal side of my family where we really don’t have any info about where we came from or how we got here. I have to confess, I’ve even wondered sometimes if our last name was real or adopted in the 1940s as a tribute of some kind to a certain “God Bless America” composer. Using FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com, I’ve already learned so much about my family — a piece here and a little nugget of info there. I’m excited to uncover even more puzzle pieces in the next few months.

How about you? Do you know the story of your family’s history in America? Have you ever wondered where your family lived before they journeyed to this country?

Vote!

November 4, 2014October 28, 2015 ~ Writer Jenny Berlin ~ Leave a comment

I voted today. Have you?

Spooky Denver

October 30, 2014October 28, 2015 ~ Writer Jenny Berlin ~ Leave a comment

It’s Halloween and there’s plenty of scary stuff in Denver to get you in the trick-or-treat mood. Most people know about the Stanley Hotel, which served as the model for the hotel in Stephen King’s book The Shining. But another Denver location inspired the 1980s movie, the Changeling.

The first time I heard the story of Russell Hunter’s experiences in the house the hairs on my arms actually stood up. Whether you think Hunter’s experiences are real or not, the story is pretty creepy.

It’s a classic haunted house story, complete with bumps in the night, bulging walls, hidden passages, and greedy relatives.

The Denver Public Library website has the complete Russell Hunter story, which you can read by clicking here.

Denver Sunsets

October 23, 2014October 28, 2015 ~ Writer Jenny Berlin ~ Leave a comment

This photo was taken from the parking lot at work. I think this is a good omen for tonight’s game.

As we say in Denver, if God isn’t a Bronco’s fan, why did he make sunsets orange?

Brrr!

December 4, 2013October 28, 2015 ~ Writer Jenny Berlin ~ Leave a comment

Yikes! It’s 7 degrees in Denver this morning but the temps will climb to 10 degrees (if you call that climbing). It’s a good day to stay inside and try to make a dent in my TBR pile.

My Love for the Denver Public Library

November 16, 2013October 28, 2015 ~ Writer Jenny Berlin ~ Leave a comment

I just returned from my monthly pilgrimage to my favorite book Mecca: The Denver Public Library. I love libraries of all kinds, but the DPL has a special place in my heart. I spend hours there every month, browsing stacks and enjoying the discovery of new and antiquarian books that strike my fancy.

Today I came home with my book bag so full, I had to support the weight by carrying it in my arms up against my chest, instead of dangling it by the handles. Here’s the conversation when I got home:

He: How was the library?

Me: Wonderful! I got some great books on late-nineteenth-century Colorado and the librarian helped me search the rare books collection to find just what I was looking for.

He (watching me extract one book after another from the bag and carefully stack them in an order that makes sense to me on the dining table): Those books are old. You don’t even know who touched them before you. They’re probably covered with germs.

Me: There are no germs on books. Only cooties. And all book cooties are good cooties.

He didn’t say anything else so I’m assuming he thinks my response is either nuts or scientifically accurate. Either way, I was glad the discussion ended because it’s too hard to explain to a non-book-lover that handling and holding a book is a large part of the allure of reading.

Don’t get me wrong; I love the digital age and the convenience of an e-book reader, but for me there’s no substitute for holding a book in my hands . . . even if I get to hold them only until the due date when they go back to the library, where they happily live with the other book cooties.