by LibbyAtwater | Apr 20, 2016 | Blog, The Spirit of Villarosa, What Lies Within
I’m convinced that there are no coincidences. Lately I’ve experienced enough chance occurrences to support my belief.
Only yesterday I encountered a friend on her morning walk when I went to get our newspaper. Her mother died recently, and although I’d sent a card, I hadn’t seen her. We talked for a few minutes, and tonight I’m accompanying her to a grief support group. I think the time together will benefit us both. But I can’t help thinking about the timing of our encounter. We were meant to meet at that moment. (more…)
by LibbyAtwater | Apr 15, 2016 | Blog, Events, The Spirit of Villarosa, What Lies Within
Can you think of a better way to spend a spring Saturday than visiting Ventura’s Harbor Village and browsing through a shop called The December Store & More? On Saturday, April 16, 2016, this quaint business will feature local artists showing their wares and local authors reading from their books. (more…)
by LibbyAtwater | Apr 12, 2016 | Blog, Events, The Spirit of Villarosa, What Lies Within
American writer Willa Cather said, “The history of every country begins in the heart of a man or a woman.” That is why each person’s life story contributes to history as a whole.
For nearly four years I chaired the Oral History Program at the Museum of Ventura County, and my mission was to capture the stories of individuals who had made a significant difference in the county. I recruited many volunteers to help me, and together we gathered stories.
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by LibbyAtwater | Mar 28, 2016 | Blog, Memoirs, The Spirit of Villarosa, What Lies Within
In 2003 I began writing The Spirit of Villarosa as a ghostwriter for another personal historian. The manuscript I created was based on interviews with my current co-author, Marc Ashton, whose story forms the basis of the book, and transcripts his father, Horace Dade Ashton, left behind. After I began writing this father-son story, my employer asked me to add a third narrative about the son’s kidnapping. The assignment to weave three different narratives into a single story became the most challenging I’d encountered in my years as a writer. I did my best, but the completed book did not meet the son’s expectations. (more…)
by LibbyAtwater | Mar 18, 2016 | Blog, The Spirit of Villarosa, What Lies Within
Writing a book is not an easy task. But the more books you write, the less daunting it becomes. I recall being approached to write my first family history and feeling anxious. I’d written numerous profiles, but I’d never written an entire book. I thought about what was involved, convinced myself to write a series of features, and transform them into a book. That’s exactly what I did.
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by LibbyAtwater | Mar 5, 2016 | Blog, Memories, What Lies Within
The year 1960, which commenced on a high note, began nearly a decade of decline as our family secrets slowly revealed themselves. With each new revelation, I lost a bit of my childhood. By the time I was twelve, I had to behave like an adult and accept grown-up responsibilities, although my emotional maturity remained that of a teenager. (more…)
