This site began as a personal project to preserve letters for my granddaughter.I’ve moved ongoing writing to Substack, where new letters will be published going forward. You can continue reading at: letterstoamermaid.substack.com This site remains READ MORE
Stranded in Istanbul: My 9/11 Story from the Grand Bazaar to Home
Dear Mermaid O, The glitter of gold jewelry in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar suddenly lost its luster as I stared in disbelief at a small TV screen. Thousands of miles from home, I watched as the READ MORE
A Farm Kid’s Halloween
Dear Mermaid O, As you slide on your black lipstick and don your witch hat for Halloween 2023, I remember my Halloween experiences during the 1950s and 60s. The Halloween festivities of my youth were READ MORE
Remembering the Real Heros
On this Memorial Day, I’m honoring a real hero, my Godfather, and greatest uncle any kid could have, James Foster Morgan. Uncle Jim, married to my Aunt Helen Ade, from Otterbein, IN, enlisted in the READ MORE
The day Dan was born
Dear Mermaid O, October 3, 1984, started out as any normal work day for Poppa and me. He was working as Deputy Director for the Indiana Division of Agriculture, and I was Editor of the READ MORE
My Body, My Choice!
Dear Mermaid O, Today, on the eve (8/4/22) of the vote on SB1 in the Indiana General Assembly, I want to talk to you about one of the most critical decisions made by our READ MORE
A death, a birth, and cancer
Dear Mermaid O, What was I doing on the day you were born? Well, that day was an emotional roller-coaster day for me. Three big events happened in 24 hours that would change those I READ MORE
Title IX and Knitting in PE Class
Title IX…”No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving READ MORE