Saturday, February 22, 2025

Adventure at a Book Fair

I arose at 6:00 am and left my home at 8:00.  My car was loaded with boxes of the two books I have written, a folding table, painted metal scraps, my purse, and lunch bag. In the large hall there were 42 authors with books in a wide range of genres. I set up my table. By 10:00 readers were filtering into the Lebanon Senior Center.

I meandered through the rows of tables looking at other books--an endless variety. All the authors enthusiastically shared about their writings. Fantasy seemed to be a very popular genre.

In addition to my books, I had some rescued scraps of metal from the burned Wilco bulding in Mount Angel. Tammy Bakken Plummer, a Mount Angel artist had painted the U.S. flag on them. We sell them as a fundraiser for a school.

I was pleased that I sold an equal number of my two books, which are quite different. The first being, The Seamstresss of Jamestown, an historical fiction novel set in a California gold mining town in 1870. The second book, The Woman in the Well, is a memoir of my descent into the earth unexpectedly and unpleasantly!

These book fairs are enjoyable because the type of person who reads and attends these are fascinating to speak with. They all have their own joys and benefits they receive from reading. They relate to my books and share some similar stories. It is a wonderful experience to interact with authors and readers for five hours. I truly enjoy these events.

Saturday, December 21, 2024

Another Radio Adventure!

I was recently interviewed by KSLM.news, a local  radio station in Salem, Oregon. It was fun because I went into the studio. My previous interview in October was by phone. The KSLM interviewers, Amanda & Baron, were enthusiastic and truly interested in my story. Check it out at  https://share.transistor.fm/s/4c3d9c21


Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Woodland Adventure


     During a recent visit from my 9 year old granddaughter, we took a stroll in the woods behind my home. 

 

While there were still a few wildflower blooms clinging to their stems despite the frosty morns,

there were an abundance of fungi! Since I don't know anything about mushrooms, I just took photos. We didn't touch or taste!

We were expecting to find little fairy princesses under some caps or sitting upon their mushroom thrones. But, alas, our imaginations had to suffice.

There is a Fairly Ring in our lawn between our house and the clothesline. Those grow in a circle! A few years ago, it was a perfect circle about 12' in diameter. This year, it was only a half circle attempting to be 20' across!

                      Enjoy your Fall adventures!


 

 

 

 





 

Saturday, October 26, 2024

Radio Adventure

 Listen to the radio interview about my "Well" experience. 

https://materdeiradio.com/captivate-podcast/the-woman-in-the-well-barbara-hettwer/

Artwork for podcast The Morning Blend


Thursday, September 26, 2024

Adventures From the Simple to the Sublime

Adventures don't have to be exhilarating or expensive, although they can be. In August, I visited some relatives near Denver for five days. We had a wonderful time with homemade breakfasts, delicious restaurant fare, walking the dog, swimming, and late-night movies. Some of the most fun was had playing mini-golf and racing go-carts. 

There were some high points. We attended a Denver Bronco pre-season game where they beat the Arizona Cardinals 38 to 12. The  Denver fans are wildly crazy for the Broncos! Our experience was exceptional because we had Field Passes to be on the field before the game and watch the team warming up. We sat in the iHeart Radio Suite to watch the game. It was definitely a memorable day. 

This was followed the next day by our attending a Colorado Rockies baseball game. Although I heard  rumors that neither team was at the top of the league, the game was quite exciting (as baseball games go). I actually like baseball, having grown up in a baseball family with a dad who had played college baseball and played in the Catholic league. His father was on a semi-pro team back when every town had their own team. 

Amidst all this excitement, we attended Mass on Sunday morning at the old church in downtown Denver, The Church of the Holy Ghost. It was an hour of sublime peace. Music wafted down from the choir loft that seemed to be gorgeous voices of angels.

Life is good when we appreciate the simple, the exciting, and the sublime. May you enjoy whatever adventure comes your way this day.


Monday, September 9, 2024

The Adventure Deep in the Bowels of the Earth

 

I have had many adventures in life, which I plan to post on this site. This photo reveals one of the more recent and most traumatic ones. The 2 red dots in the photo are the helmets on the heads of neighbor Pete and myself 40' down in an old well! The story will keep you intrigued. I do NOT recommend this adventure to anyone. You can read about it in The Woman in the Well available through amazon.com, powells.com, booksamillion.com and eBook versions. There are more pictures in the book and also answers to your curiosity questions, such as:

How long were you in the well?

Did you hit your head?

Who found you?

Where was the well?

Be patient. So many friends and relatives have ordered the book that the printer is a little backed up in delivery. It would be greatly appreciated if each person who finds something positive in the book would write a review on amazon.com and/or goodreads.com. The more reviews, the better my book shows up in searches. You can also order from Ingram (the printer) at https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?B6KdXaMwcXLfM1h1uTYh8rjoD2aYGVtuQk1BNrYeD2F&fbclid=IwY2xjawFMn6BleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHUBWwE70W5X236oBC4P_U2RsZqjjpSbxT_ybq_A3fegpC7PLn1PXecEpaA_aem_uxsImjmSod7JDsKI2_EBig