Raise your hand if you had a charm bracelet. Can’t you just hear the jingle jangle of family vacations, school activities, hobbies, and religious celebrations? Chances are, if you were a woman raised in the 50-70’s, you may have had a charm bracelet. According to my research, they surged post-World War II, and peaked in the early 1960’s, yet I recall their popularity in the late 60’s-early 70’s. “The charm bracelet has evolved over the decades, but still retains its basic concept…a bracelet Continue Reading
Escaping the heat, Part 1
I just recently returned from a seven-day cruise with my friend, Kathy. It took us from Boston to Montreal via the St Lawrence Seaway. As a result, I have produced Pam’s Cruise Rules. 1. Unless you are a high-stakes gambler, fly into your departure port the day ahead of time. Sure, the hotel is expensive, but not as costly as potentially missing the cruise. No one wants to hear “your upcoming flight has been delayed” knowing you'd miss a connecting flight. We had gambled, booked a red-eye, Continue Reading
Hiking in Nevada
Growing up in the lush green hills of Wisconsin, I never knew much about the desert. It was brown, dry, and covered with cactus. When I moved to the Phoenix area in the Sonoran Desert, I realized how I never understood the beauty that can be found here and in other deserts. Last week, my friend, Kathy, and I made the four-hour drive to Las Vegas. Our goal wasn’t to hear any concert or see any of their famous shows, but rather to explore two parks in the *Mojave Desert that offered plenty of Continue Reading
By the skin of my teeth – thank you
Did you know the traditional gift theme for the second anniversary is cotton? I didn’t until I looked it up last week. I love that kind of research that is generally useless unless you’re on a trivia team. But why did I need to know? Last week, I celebrated the two-year anniversary of the publication of my first book, Carrie’s Quest. I celebrated by buying more cotton quilting fabric. I launched the book at the start of the pandemic, with extravagant plans for a book tour, aware that Continue Reading