News from My Corner
Summer, 2022
As I write this at about three in the afternoon on July 14th, it’s hot. We got up to a hundred earlier today, but now, it’s down to 96 degrees. I’m thankful for the window air conditioner and ceiling fans that keep my house relatively cool.
So far, this year has been pretty busy. In January, I was interviewed on the In Perspective podcast, where hosts Bob Branco and Peter Altschul talk to writers and other persons of interest on Zoom in front of an audience. After Bob and Peter talked to me about my work, the floor was opened for questions, and we had a fun discussion.
In February, Behind Our Eyes, a writers’ organization to which I belong, held a book launch for me. Fellow author Carol Farnsworth interviewed me about my work and other things in front of another audience on Zoom. Afterward, there was more lively discussion.
At the end of February, I performed at the First Congregational Church here in Sheridan as part of a monthly music series they call Last Friday at First. Accompanying myself on the piano, I sang for about twenty minutes. At the end of March, my singing group, Just Harmony, also performed there.
In April, I participated in a variety of events to commemorate National Poetry Month on Zoom through Behind Our Eyes and other organizations. At the end of the month, I attended the WyoPoets annual workshop, which was held this year in Douglas, Wyoming, about a six-hour drive south of Sheridan. As always, I renewed acquaintances with other poets across the state, made new friends, and wrote a poem.
In May and June, I took an online class in memoir-writing. It met on Zoom and was taught by Glenda Beall, a fellow blogger I’ve known for years. I took a similar class last fall and enjoyed writing short creative nonfiction pieces that have been published. This class was no different, and I enjoyed it.
In June, I attended the Wyoming Writers Conference, which, to my delight, was held this year here in Sheridan at the local college. Craig Johnson, author of the Longmire series, who lives in Ucross, Wyoming, about twenty miles east of Sheridan, was the keynote speaker at the Saturday night banquet. He also did a question and answer session earlier that day. Although I’m not a fan of his books, I always enjoy hearing from local authors, and Craig Johnson’s presentations didn’t disappoint me.
Also in June, Just Harmony sang at a memorial service for Lou, one of our members who passed away last year after a lengthy battle with cancer. We joined forces with Patchwork, another local group to which many of us belonged and from which we separated to form our own group several years ago. Despite bad feelings between people in both groups, we put aside our differences to give Lou the best send-off we possibly could.
I also performed on my own in June, playing the piano and singing in our local senior center’s dining room as part of its Lunchtime Livestream program. The event was broadcast on Facebook. My performance went well, and afterward, I got a free meal. Talk about singing for your supper and getting breakfast. Well, it was lunch. I’ll be doing a similar performance this month at the First Congregational Church as part of its last Friday concert series.
As usual, I’ve been performing regularly twice a month at a nursing home on the last Tuesday and an assisted living facility on the second Friday with occasional gigs at our local senior center’s adult day care program. But several times in the past few months, I was exposed to COVID and felt compelled to cancel performances in order to keep people safe. The good news is I never got sick, and I’m now fully vaccinated.
Well, as they say, “That’s all she wrote.” I hope you have a safe and enjoyable summer.
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And now, I’m pleased to announce that until the end of the month, all my books on Smashwords can be downloaded ABSOLUTELY FREE as part of the Smashwords summer/winter sale. You can visit my Smashwords author page here to download these books. Happy reading!
Copyright 2021 by Abbie Johnson Taylor.
Independently published with the help of DLD Books.
Sixteen-year-old Natalie’s grandmother, suffering from dementia and confined to a wheelchair, lives in a nursing home and rarely recognizes Natalie. But one Halloween night, she tells her a shocking secret that only she and Natalie’s mother know. Natalie is the product of a one-night stand between her mother, who is a college English teacher, and another professor.
After some research, Natalie learns that people with dementia often have vivid memories of past events. Still not wanting to believe what her grandmother has told her, she finds her biological father online. The resemblance between them is undeniable. Not knowing what else to do, she shows his photo and website to her parents.
Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.
Her younger sister, Sarah, senses their parents’ marital difficulties. At Thanksgiving, when she has an opportunity to see Santa Claus, she asks him to bring them together again. Can the jolly old elf grant her request?
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