California Landscapes of Women, Words and Wonder.
It’s five in the morning and this is my first entry. It’s also the dark of night, my best time for writing. Like slipping between the covers of dreamtime and daylight – a very thin space where the two relax into each other and birth words that neither could have done alone.
What will you find on these pages? You’re probably as curious as I am. If you know me personally, you may have come here as a friend to touch base, see what’s up. Or you may be someone who’s heard about my novel-in-progress, The Desk, or have read sections from it and return to feel its texture. I was approached recently by two casual acquaintances who asked when the book would be ready. They wanted to read more. Derelyn and Michelle, this blog’s for you!
I anticipate this blog will be my way of telling a fuller story. Originally, my novel was just that – a historical fantasy of what it might have been like to have lived my Great-Grandmother Emily Hoppin’s life. Though I never met her, she’s my family heroine – arriving in California soon after the 1849 Gold Rush, settling in the small farming town of Yolo near Sacramento. Emily was widely known as a woman of principal whose articulate words, both written and spoken, influenced the future of women and the land in turn-of-the-century California. I have her scrapbook filled with speeches and newspaper articles about her. I feel her in my blood.
In future blogs, I’ll describe how her personal life morphed into a fictional story, then morphed again into a fantasy that spans three generations of women, all interconnected by a secret held within the family desk. Present, past and future, if you will.
This blog is my three-dimensional tic-tac-toe game where I can play with time, history (real and imagined) and see the world as it could be.
If you’re interested in History, there will be sections on early California. Geneology? I’ll post what I have about the real lives my book is based on. California Landscape: I’ll have photos and descriptions of nature’s wonders and their changes over time. Concern for the Future: I’ll not only describe my own impressions, but will link to other projections of where the earth is headed based on our past and current practices. Collective Power of the Feminine: Here’s a place where I take heart that the growing bonds of feminine (not just women’s) energy will bring a powerful caring and protection for our earth. And last, Creative Writing. I’ll include sections of The Desk and write about how I pull all this together.
I’m looking forward to your feedback – tell me what works for you, suggest nooks and crannies to explore, share your own thinking and keep me moving forward!
Shirley DicKard 
Interesting, I started blogging some thoughts, that morphed from family facts, into sort of a novel roaming my brain, back to random snippets of the stories behind my ancestors lives. Following you in delight!
Hi, I read your mail in reverse! I imagine if you keep playing with the snippets of stories, pulling threads together, you’ll find some common themes that will create a good story. If you scroll through all the documents I collected of my great-grandmother’s life, you can see how I had a lot of material to work with. Fiction made it more fun to play with, but I was true to her in the underlying story. Just keep at it!
Wonderful beginning Shirley, I’m looking forward to more. I have just discovered the sensual pleasure of sitting in the dark of the night and collecting some of my thoughts. It is a good quiet time for me to make sense of the day.
Yes. Dark, quiet. Good for listening.
This sounds like fun. i’ll be watching/reading often. Jeff
Nice. I’m also drawing from our side of the family that also shares a rich gold rush history.
I’m so pleased to see you online, Shirley. The site and your words are inspiring! Keep up the good work; your story is both fascinating and important.