My cousin Carolyn Compton will head south with me tomorrow for my book signing and reading at Bloomsbury Books in Ashland. Carolyn taught school in Ashland for many years, and I lived there for a while in the late 90’s. We’re looking forward to a fun day checking out old haunts and enjoying the event at the lovely Bloomsbury store from 7 to 8 pm.
Look for the Wagon ~ Soon
The first post in my new category, “Backtracking the Oregon Trail,” should be ready within the next 2 or 3 days. I’ve collected some quotes from diaries of women who traveled over that trail in the mid-1800s. Putting those together with quotes from Martha’s story, I hope to offer a few brushstrokes of color to show moments of their journeys as I describe highlights of our own trip retracing their footsteps. I hope you’ll join us.
Book Club Invite
I had my first Book Club invitation and happily joined this wonderful group to discuss my book A Place of Her Own: The Legacy of Oregon Pioneer Martha Poindexter Maupin. This Book Club for Chapter CU of the P.E.O. Sisterhood met at the lovely Roseburg home of Shug and Julie Wathen, where the group meets regularly. Julie is behind the counter, second from the right, and Shug kindly took the picture for us. My friend Judy Emmett (behind the counter on the right) arranged for me to visit the club for this meeting. My thanks to Judy. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Because Book Club meetings are private, I don’t advertise them on my events calendar, and won’t generally write followups. But everyone in this group agreed that they would be happy to have me report on our gathering today and post the picture.
We had a lively discussion. Lots of good questions. I felt quite gratified by the depth of their appreciation of the book and its nuances.
I look forward to meeting with other book clubs.
Portraits of a Century Farm ~ Making Scents
Many beings large and small live on our farm Martha Maupin bought years ago. I couldn’t resist adding this to “Portraits of a Century Farm,” the new series combining Robin Loznak’s photos with my words. This busy family surprised Robin one day when he was out taking pictures on the hill road. He held very still when they ambled near. I wondered how he had the presence of mind to get such clear focus of his subject, but he said he just let the camera focus. The little fellows never expressed alarm. Only curiosity. One even left nose prints on the camera lens.
Making Scents
Photo by Robin Loznak
Dust lingers on the air like a memory of rich, loamy soil,
While crackling leaves recall lush spring days
And the sweet bouquet of their youth.
But what is this?
Something smells different.
“Something big, Mamma. And it’s looking at me. What is it?”
Whiffs of blackberry and wild mint ride past on a quiet breeze,
And grasses, thirst long unquenched, add a pinch of must.
I know those smells, but not this one.
Put my nose on it. Sniff it.
M-m-m. Smooth. Very smooth. And cool.
“What is it, Mamma? I can’t make any sense of it. But I won’t be afraid. Not today.”
Emma Keeps Watch at J. Michaels
Emma took up a post at my signing desk at J. Michaels Books in Eugene Friday, keeping watch. Or taking a quick snooze. She seemed comfortable with the arrangement.
Apparently satisfied, she finally resumed her perch behind the counter, where she keeps tabs on the store’s business for proprietor Jeremy.
She does a very good job in this lovely store on E. Broadway in Eugene. The place is packed with temptations for book lovers.
Many people who came in the store had seen the story about my book A Place of Her Own in the Eugene Register-Guard. Others delighted in telling stories of their own pioneer ancestors, which I always enjoy hearing.
But Jeremy and I discovered our 5 to 7 schedule for the signing was a little off. The 7 o’clock end time proved too early, and the start time too early as well for this First Friday ArtWalk event. Buyers trickled in during the two-hour period. Then suddenly after 7 o’clock more customers for my books showed up, some after I had packed everything away. But Jeremy quickly pulled out more copies, and I happily signed them.
It all worked out. Emma was never worried. She has, by the way, the softest curls I have felt in a long time.
Look for the Wagon
I’m putting together a new series called “Backtracking the Oregon Trail.” I went east from Oregon to Missouri, in August with my daughter and granddaughter, when they moved to the Kansas City area for my daughter’s new job. So we retraced Martha’s footsteps along that historic trail as close as roads and time allowed.
I hope to get the first entry posted in a week or so. Look for this picture of the wagon for updates.
In the Press
Martha’s book made the short list of recent books by University of Oregon alumni that “captured our imaginations,” as presented in the Autumn 2014 edition of Oregon Quarterly, the U of O magazine.
Just happened to pick it up from the pile of magazines that came while I was gallivanting off to Kansas and Missouri. Began thumbing through and there we were. Nice surprise.
The press has been good to us with big stories this summer in the Eugene and Roseburg papers.
When people came to my booth at Fort Umpqua Days in Elkton last weekend, many commented they’d read about my book in the paper, and I had to ask which one.
The Roseburg News-Review did a nice big story, written by Garrett Andrews with a photo by Michael Sullivan.
And the Eugene Register-Guard gave the book a huge spread, written by Randi Bjornstad with photos by Paul Carter.
Sometimes people had seen one, sometimes the other. And a few heard one of the “As It Was” segments about Martha on Jefferson Public Radio. What fun!
I’m delighted and thankful for the attention the book has received. Wouldn’t Martha be thrilled?
Signing at Eugene’s Friday ArtWalk
Remember my excitement last May when I visited Eugene bookstores right after my book came out? And I was planning to tell the folks at J. Michaels Books about it? And there the book was already? Right in their window? My blog post about my surprise, “Happy Discoveries,” even got a mention in Brian Juenemann’s Eugene Register-Guard column. Brian writes about the local book scene as marketing director for the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association.
So, it’s a pleasure to tell you I’m going back to J. Michaels Books this coming Friday, September 5, to do a book signing event during Eugene’s First Friday ArtWalk. I’ll be there from 5 to 7 pm signing my book, A Place of Her Own: The Legacy of Oregon Pioneer Martha Poindexter Maupin.
If you’re in the Eugene area I hope you’ll stop by. The bookstore is located at 160 E. Broadway. That’s between Pearl and Oak. It’s a great street for meandering in and out of cool shops, taking a few minutes for a sidewalk snack or dinner, nice trees to offer shade.
Looking forward to a happy return. 🙂
Portraits of a Century Farm ~ Grace With Lace
Robin Loznak’s photographic portraits on our family farm are often of very small critters. He has an eye for their personalities sometimes missed by the rest of us. I particularly like this new photo that made me want to imagine how the world might appear to this graceful mantis in its whimsical pose. So here is “Grace With Lace,” the second in our “Portraits of a Century Farm” category combining a little poetic prose and select photos taken by Robin on the Martha A. Maupin Century Farm.
Grace With Lace
Sometimes I like to recline while I eat,
Sigh, and enjoy something sweet.
When the world’s upside down
I wear a frivolous green gown,
Flick my long, slim fingers this way and that,
A picture of grace, don’t you see?
And I really don’t care
If the ground’s up there
And the sky’s down below,
When the dappled shade of a lacy umbrella
Makes me the coolest creature
You could ever know.
Fun at Fort Umpqua Days
Elkton history enjoyed a dash of fun at the annual Fort Umpqua Days celebration Saturday and Sunday. From the parade Saturday morning until the final show of the pageant in the ECEC Amphitheater in the Park, history echoed through the festivities with this year’s theme, “Woods to Wine.”
In my booth there I enjoyed presenting my own bit of local history with my book, A Place of Her Own: The Legacy of Oregon Pioneer Martha Poindexter Maupin. Robin Loznak took this picture of me.
Right next door to me was Leta Lovelace Neiderheiser with her history of her famous pioneer ancestor, Jesse Applegate: A Dialogue With Destiny. Nice meeting her.
I was also pleased to meet another cousin, Cheryl Miller, a third cousin whose line runs through Martha’s son Cap and Cap’s daughter Lois. Cheryl and her husband live in Cottage Grove, where she works in Safeway. During my years in Cottage Grove I had no idea I lived near cousins. I’ve met so many since this book came out, it’s one of the pleasures I hadn’t expected.
While people in the booths kept busy on the hill, down at the old Fort Umpqua replica near the river, kids were delighting in getting a taste of history, pumping water to wash clothes, cooking in a Dutch oven over an open fire, and other activities.
Then each evening we gathered at the amphitheater for the pageant “Echoes of the Umpqua 2014: Woods to Wine.” The theme recognized the shift in the local economy from one based on timber and logging to one highlighted by the winery business. Just last year the federal government designated Elkton an American Viticulture Area (AVA) in recognition of the high quality cool climate wine grapes produced by local wineries and vineyards. As usual, the pageant presentation had some fun with the history. I enjoyed being on the writing committee for the play–although we’re sworn to secrecy on who wrote which part. 🙂
A right sassy granny enjoys a taste of the local wine and reminisces about the good old days when loggers ruled. Did somebody mention lady loggers?
We flash back to those early days when a new teacher comes to town and struggles with an unfamiliar culture of loggers and farmers who expect their kids to skip school while helping out with the harvests. How can she possibly teach them?
But a square dance is fun. And she can’t help noticing the charming young logger who enjoys a bit of Shakespeare.
The band offers some good old-time music. And as the saying goes, a good time was had by all. 🙂
