Miles, Memories & a Few Mishaps
The grand road trip was a success. It had its moments. Bronchitis in Bismarck. Pneumonia in Minnesota. Better was a successful writing class taught despite my coughing, and a fabulous turnout for a presentation I made in honor of my hometown library’s splendid new library in Mondovi, WI. Some former classmates showed up making it like a class reunion. A defective microphone turned out to be a character in my presentation. Then my travel road partner and husband looked after me for a week letting me sleep. I also (hopefully) encouraged my brother in the hospital after he had a heart attack on the 4th of July. Genetics. He’ll remember his celebration of the 250th! (He’s doing well!). I also visited my publisher’s marketing offices in Minneapolis and didn’t get lost driving there. Good conversations and I walked away with free books!
Family Ties
My nephew and his family (two children I had never met) invited me for the 4th of July with the offer of a dip in Hay Creek, good food and my sharing Jerry-stories they said they loved hearing. Once my coughing stopped, I visited my other nephew and held the newest member of the family, Declan, born the day before I arrived. His big sister referred to as “miss Fierce” for her having survived a surprise delivery early almost three years ago, welcomed me into their home. My cousin/sister traveler and I got along famously. Rupie fell in love with Linda and even betrayed me one night by choosing to sleep with her in our motel instead of me!
A Legacy That Remains
Returning had its sadness when I learned our homestead built with love and sweat and faith – the adventure that started my writing career — succumbed to a lightning caused wildfire. Nothing left of the house and barn but the stories. But our loss is nothing compared to so many in Spokane and Sisters and in towns around the country battling wildfires. My heart goes out to them.
Since we weren’t far from the ranch traveling home, my cousin and I drove down the reptile road. The sign on the gate mostly melted so it no longer says, “We seek neither convenience nor ease, but to live at the edge of possibility.” And so we did. I was grateful that we’d been there in May to spread some of Jerry’s compost. The trees where I spread mine still stand. My facebook page tells a longer story and has pictures for those interested. Breaks my heart to look at them so I’m not including them all here, but the outpouring of condolence from around the world – Homestead readers, friends and family – gave a lift to my spirit. Thank you.
After visiting the homestead we stopped in the town of Moro to visit the award-winning Sherman County Museum. Jerry helped build the addition on that wonderful structure. He also crafted those special museum cabinets with drawers that hold arrowheads and spoons or buttons found on the Oregon Trail that runs through Sherman County. Jerry was on the board of the museum then and while the addition was being built, I called it “the other woman” as he was there so often. A plaque honors his efforts.
Our stop took me to a better emotional place than the lost homestead. In that museum I saw another project of labor and love that still stands. A place that celebrates history that we both loved. Jerry’s legacy, his presence, is alive and well in that historical story. Our story is alive as well. Recognizing that made me happy. Healing will surely follow. A quote from Amanda Dykes’ book All the Lost Places has brought me comfort. I hope it will be a boon to you wherever your life is challenged: “Courage, keep; hope beget. The story isn’t finished yet.”
With the Enduring Tides - Bestseller
With the Enduring Tides made the Bestseller list on the EPCA publishers list for new release and sales. Thank you all! Readers are sending emails with questions to be answered in book three Beyond the Breaking Waves. They will be answered. Meanwhile, I have two large print copies. The cover is different but the text inside is the same. Reply to this Story Sparks with “Large Print Please.” I’ll pick a name at random and contact you for your snail mail address. US residents only (so sorry. Postal rates are high!). I’m also finishing final edits on Beyond the Breaking Waves. You’ll see the results next March.
An Open Book
I love visiting book groups in person or Zoom. Baker publishing, the parent company of Revell, sponsors a fiction book club program titled An Open Book. It has a free on-line newsletter, offers subscriber give-aways, and reader guides while sharing an array of titles to choose from for your bookgroup. The publisher has substantial discounts as you know when you preorder titles like Beyond the Breaking Waves. To sign up and find out more about the book groups, visit their bookclub page here.
The Firsts
The year of hard firsts is over. The first birthday without Jerry. First anniversary of Jerry’s death. The first anniversary of our wedding anniversary. (It would have been 50 years). The first time I went somewhere knowing he wasn’t at home waiting for me. The first book release without him there to say, ‘Good job, Babe.” Getting through them and many more is a huge relief. I’m still standing and go whole days without crying. The hole in my heart is still there and will always be but if it went totally away, so would he.
Now I will have new firsts to celebrate. I got the child-proof laundry detergent open without having to bother the neighbor. I asked the cashier to open my dairy-free Talenti ice cream container before I left the store. (People seem happy to help!) I’m going to keep track of those too.
Word Whisperings - Double Pleasure this month
The Brothers Mckay
by Craig Johnson
Viking Publisher, 2026
Once again, a scampering story with Russian assassins, a murder or two, many suspects and a wildfire that threatens Sheriff Walt Longmire’s life. He is the Energizer bunny, always surviving, thank goodness. This novel, holds a bit of cliff hanger while wrapping up the murders. In a presentation at Sunriver, OR sponsored by the Sunriver Books and Music independent bookstore, Craig Johnson said he already had the sequel finished. It’ll be out next year.
But on November 3, 2026, you can read a collection of short stories titled Have Courage Longmire Stories (A Longmire Mystery) Viking Publishers. All unfinished questions from The Brothers McKay will be answered in his sequel next year. Craig is a fun entertainer as well as a smashing writer and a kind and gentle man. In this latest, the author of the popular Netflix Longmire series weaves Dostoyevsky with Wyoming and the result is a fabulous story.
This Sucks. For caregivers living through the things they never thought they’d feel
By Meg Richter
Published by Best I Can, 2026
A friend of a friend rushed over to share this book written by her niece, a new widow. She wrote the book because all the grief/caregiving books she’d read didn’t speak to her in the way she hoped. So she wrote her own. It’s a fast read but empathic. Made me laugh and cry. Her chapter titles alone are inventive.
“Laughter: This probably shouldn’t be funny” sings “I’ve been there” to most caregivers. And widows. I remember when the Earth Funeral representative came to move Jerry’s body the day he died, I asked him if he’d ever seen the movie “Plots with a View” about two competing funeral homes. He had. We laughed and laughed about a film Jerry and I had loved. It occurred to me that the moment of my husband’s removal to be composted probably wasn’t the time to smile. This author makes such moments beyond the realm of judgment. I think Jerry laughed with us.
Events
follow Jane on Facebook author Jane Kirkpatrick for events and other news in between Story Sparks issues.
The Dalles Wasco County Library – Presentation & Signing
August 22 – 3:00-4:00pm. Jane will return to a library that helped her research and write A Sweetness to the Soul. She’ll talk about that book and With the Enduring Tides. 722 Court Street.
Rupie's Renderings
It was quite the road trip for me too! Mostly I slept. My mom and her cousin would sometimes wake me up with their laughter and I learned to read the blue and white signs that say “Rest Stop” because we always turned off the road for those. Lots of new sniffs for me! I loved the big yard in Minnesota and walking near my mom’s cousin’s place in Wisconsin. On the way home I met Ragdoll Cats. It wasn’t pretty, but all is well. My favorite town is Billings, MT. We stayed an extra day there so my mom could visit Massage Envy, whatever that is. While my mom and cousin were there, I stayed in a kennel on the porch of my mom’s cousin’s daughter (got that?) and her husband Dan, who loves me. He even came to let me out of the kennel which was good of him.
He’s blind so he didn’t see me dart out before he could stop me. I was looking for my mom’s car across the street. It wasn’t there! But another car rolled up and opened her door and I jumped in! Oops! I heard Dan calling me but it was too late! I got picked up by a very pretty lady.
Happy ending. The pretty lady driving the car was Dan’s daughter, my mom’s cousin’s granddaughter. She heard her dad calling and knew he couldn’t see where I was and couldn’t recognize her car either so she let him know all was well. I ended back in the kennel. Also in Billings near our motel was what my mom called a billboard (named for someone named Bill? Who was bored?) It had a picture of a giant squirrel (Bill?) and a bunch of words. My mom and cousin laughed and laughed. I don’t know what was so funny. I thought the squirrel was cute.
But most of all, it’s good to be home. Until next time…Woof! Woof!
The Geese
On what would have been our 50th wedding anniversary, three Canada geese landed in the field behind our house. We used to watch these impressive birds heading south (or north) at the homestead, circling, circling, calling out to those in the field as they rose up as others settled down. We stopped what we were doing to pay attention as Mary Oliver the poet would say. “Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” Canada geese mate for life. I took the arrival of one without a mate but traveling with friends as a visit from Jerry. On our anniversary. I was astonished. Happy to tell you about it.
Don’t forget to reply to put your name into the pool for a large print copy of With the Enduring Tides. And make the most of your summer. Thanks for sharing a few moments of it with me.
