My husband and I looked down at our sad miniature rose. "I don't think it's going to make it," Peter said. When Peter gave me the little...

Is it because I grew up in the desert? My imagination has always harbored a fascination for islands and lighthouses. I think whatever is...

How do memories transform creativity and imagination? For artist and poet Kate Greenaway, childhood memories created a swirl of color,...

What I'll Never Know Have you ever browsed in a used bookstore and wondered about an inscription? I still remember one I found inside a...

It starts with a low rumble. As the noise grows louder, I shade my eyes and look up at the blue sky. Overhead, the roar approaches and its source comes into view—half plane and half boat. Floatplane near Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands I grew up in the California desert, and I still find floatplanes surprising. These amphibious planes often fly to the San Juan Islands near my home now in the Pacific Northwest. And whenever I see floatplanes, I think of a storied name in light

Credit: Charlotte Brontë by Evert A. Duyckinck, courtesy of the University of Texas at Austin The Possibilities of a Handwritten Name...

(New) Cape Tryon Lighthouse, Prince Edward Island. Credit: William Li CC BY-SA 4.0 When L. M. Montgomery published Anne's House of Dreams...

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need . — Cicero Lush gardens and books are delights that never grow old. The...

For those who love reading, the busy December holidays can be a challenge. No matter what the season, book lovers always find a few...

Autumn on Prince Edward island My husband and I started out married life in an apartment near the University of California, Berkeley....

My husband and I can never resist a sign that reads “Library Book Sale.” On an autumn afternoon filled with brilliant colors and...

After a week of what we call "Junuary" in the Pacific Northwest—a week filled with cloudy gray skies—I woke up to the summer sun...

Painting by Helen Allingham What can the height of a table tell you? If you walked into a special children's library of long ago, a...

On a cool autumn evening , Christie Edwards faces a life-altering decision. She is attending an awards ceremony at the 1893 Chicago...

Golden-crowned Kinglet The temperature had dipped to 7° F, and I was concerned. On winter walks, I always watch for one of my favorite...

First Freedom: Escape into the Night She prayed that the night would be kind. Touching her daughter's shoulder one last time, her...

"Each of us has something to give that no one else has." ​ As I took a walk around my favorite lake, I snapped a quick picture. When I...

Mary Stewart (1916-2014) Mary Stewart Moment # 1 I had a delightful and unexpected “Mary Stewart" moment this week—a perfect way to...

A Story Without an End Have you heard this beautiful song , a favorite of mine, performed by teacher and musician Earl Grant? As the...

Actress Gloria Cayvan (left) and Infanta Eulalia of Spain Cinderella's fairy godmother created glass slippers with just a flick of her...

As I drove my car back to Portland, Oregon after a job interview, I wrestled with a decision. At each turn of the road, trees and...

A strange thing happens every time I face a blank computer screen. A heavy weight of uneasiness settles inside me—a feeling of inadequacy...

Discovering Narnian Treasure I walked into the fragrance of a hundred Christmas trees. On my way to my cluster mailbox about a half-mile...

Please welcome Mary Elizabeth Brown, our guest blogger today. Mary is a musician and writer who is currently working on an historical...