Writing Endeavors

Each Wednesday I'll update my progress with my writing.

No one ever said it was easy. In 2000 I took a writing course from ICL and graduated in 2002. I enjoyed the course and began a children's book for the middle grade age, based loosely on my Grandma Helena's life in Russia over 100 years ago.

You all know my greatest weakness in life is procrastination, and of course the book is far from finished. However, at the beginning of 2010 I dusted off the outline, re-read it, took it to my local SCBWI writer's group, and they encouraged me to finish it this year.

A few weeks ago I went to the downtown branch of the Vancouver Library and discovered the 6th floor is devoted to History. I borrowed quite a few books about Ukraine and have been reading them and taking notes. This isn't a job for the faint hearted. Ukraine's people are made out of iron! Their spirit is indomitable. I admire them with all my heart. But I'm so glad my ancestors escaped that country when they did! It belonged to Russia for hundreds of years.

But my ancestors are Polish/German, who had migrated across Europe maybe from the Netherlands if you go back far enough, and settled in the Volyhnia Highlands of Russia (now Ukraine) in the 19th century. The picture above shows my Mom's family:

From left to right: Emma, Adolph Brutke, Walt, Robert and Frieda in the front.

They're hard at work, picking hops.
By Loretta Houben