One of the questions I'm asked most often is, "Where do you get your ideas?"  Some of the answers must be here, somewhere on on this page.  My journey began in 1947 in Virginia.  I'm the wee one in this precious picture of four generations of women, which was taken at Gamma's house in Colonial Beach, VA.  As time passes I become more fascinated with "the hand that rocks the cradle," women's hands, wisdom, experience, loves and losses, and how those things influence us from one generation to the next.

Not that the men in a woman's life don't intrigue me as well.  In my case, men in the military contributed enormously to my education and social growth.  That's me with Granddaddy Pierson (left) who immigrated from Sweden, became a captain in the U.S. Cavalry, served in the Spanish American War and "Indian campaigns" on what was left of the early 20th century frontier, and was retired by the time my father, the baby of the family, was born.  Daddy was a WWII veteran and became an Air Force pilot.  We celebrated my 10th and my sister's 4th birthday with a party at the Officer's Club on Guam.  My brother (middle child in the middle of the middle picture) is a Vietnam vet.  From Guam, we Piersons moved to western MA, where I graduated from high school and college (Mount Holyoke).  Notice the Francie Doll coif in my senior (Class of '66) picture.  College photo, 4 years later, was much the same minus bangs.

And then came Clyde.  It was 1969--man, these pictures are faded!  I met my Indian cowboy during my flower child "save the world" summer in SD.  Notice the paperback books.  Clyde's passions were horses and reading.  But I managed to get him to notice me, and the rest is Eagle history.  Our firstborn, David, allowed me to take this picture on his first day of kindergarten, but he was a little impatient with all the fuss.  Christopher, our younger son, is the devoted father of our gorgeous grandson.

Three women, three weddings.  Clyde and I were married between boot camp and his tour in Korea.  I made my dress, his family put on a traditional feed at the community center in Wakpala, SD, and the only photographer was my best friend, Andrea.  Our daughter Elizabeth had "the works" for her wedding (center) as did my little sister, whom I proudly served as matron of honor.  Elsewhere on this site you can find more about Elizabeth's wedding as well as pictures of Christopher's wedding.  We're all living happily ever after.

A milestone anniversary and just for fun.  Here we are celebrating our silver anniversary on the "Minnesota Zephyr," a 1940's-era train.  We also went to Hawaii.  (Our honeymoon was one night spent at the Wrangler Motel in Mobridge, SD.)  In 2005 we'll celebrate our 35th anniversary in Hawaii and Maui.  This time, we're not taking any kids!  I found the "olde tyme" photos in THE TRUNK when I was searching for just the right pictures for this page.  Both photos were taken in Deadwood, SD, about 20 years apart.  Saloon girls and gunslingers.  Like mother, like daughter....

And about THE TRUNK...I need to get its picture up here, too.  It's about 150 years old, and it has played key roles in at least two of my books, most recently A VIEW OF THE RIVER.  I'll be sure to show it off soon on another page.