Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Grampa Joe


These coat hooks hung in the flour mill that my grandfather opened in Golden, Colorado in about 1925. When bagged flour became common in grocery stores, the mill closed, then reopened as a feed store that served ranchers and poultry farmers and horse breeders for another 30 years. Millet, a common feed grain, is about the size of a ball bearing. Scattered evenly across 20-30 feet of a smooth cement floor, in an enormous room that provides a long approach run, it allows a child to slide/roll/fly/rocket along until she runs out of millet.
Yesterday, on a whim, I tested this general procedure using an old asphalt driveway and a zillion pea-sized drought-year- olives that had fallen from the trees that overhang it. It worked. And it reminded me of these hooks, now on the back of my office door. So they hold Sadima's old shawl now. And her new keys.

4 comments:

Janelle said...

What a great example of pulling reality into your fiction, Kathleen! I'm glad to hear that Sacred Scars is moving along so well. Of course, I'm still concerned for the well-being of Hahp... Looking forward to reading it! - Janelle Bitikofer

kathleen duey said...

Janelle,
Thanks for caring about Hahp..

I have three or so days of hard writing to get to the end. I have been revising behind myself as I go, so if I don't eat or sleep much over the next three weeks or so, I will make the deadline.

This book has surprised me every step of the way, which is usually a good sign. We'll see....!

the dragonfly said...

I so can't wait to read this book!!!

What wonderful memories you have..

kathleen duey said...

Dragonfly,

Thanks for looking forward to the next book...!!

Grampa Joe was a lovely man. His little house and land bordered Clear Creek, one of the prettiest little rivers in Colorado. He bought it from a man named Adolph Coors who was moving into a bigger place because townfolks were starting to buy his home made beer and he needed a bigger root cellar.

Researching all my historical novels(for kids 7-13)I learned one big thing: History is just family stories--braided.