I enjoy stories about community. I’m fascinated with people working together to build or maintain society. When I think about my life, I realize that many of the courses I took in college, whether government, history or sociology, reflected themes of cities and communities. In the eighties, I was president of a local group. All of my images and themes that year related to serving in community. When I look at my past, it is not surprising I’ve settled on this concept about writing about community.  It seems like home, to develop my stories around this little town of Sage. 

If you look back on your life, is there a specific theme you see yourself carrying out?

Have you ever experienced a time of such distrust? 

It is hard to find anyone or any group you can trust?

After a holiday weekend and they start of football, it is easy to list the things we miss from before COVID. 

What are you missing the most?

In these days of COVID, one of main jobs the Mayor of Sage is confronted with is balancing for the community fear and encouragement. Although, the community embraced this time knowing they would all take part in this balancing act, and some days would be harder on some more than others, the Mayor needs to always have the right words to pick up any Citzen on any given day.

Residents of Sage, carefully detailed what happened during the Spanish Flu in their community. The heroic actions of the Mayor and many citizens became deeply ingrained in the folklore of the city. Sage holds an Angus McLeash Festival every year to memorialize those who were lost in the days of the Spanish Flu and be reminded of Angus; last words in his journal, “Don’t let this happen to Sage again.”

The leaders of Sage studied news reports from China in December. They saw two things were happening in the community, people were wearing masks and their temperatures were taken every time they entered anywhere. 

The president of the Sage College student body, who is studying Chinese, saw a watch which takes your temperature. 

My heroine is the mayor of Sage and it is the week of Thanksgiving. When the story begins with a phone call, she is researching her contribution to the upcoming Founder’s Cousin Thanksgiving Dinner. A large gathering of almost family members they draw names for the dishes each year. The order of importance is turkey, dressing, gravy and sweet potatoes. She drew sweet potatoes. She wants to create the most amazing sweet potatoes, the group has been so anxious. This isn’t a driving force in the story, but it will show somethings about the actors. 

She’s asking you for your help. They could be baked, made into a casserole, pie, or any way of preparation, as long as it is sweet potatoes. 

Welcome to my first newsletter. 

My current work in progress is a story of how the community of my town, Sage, Texas is responding to the COVID virus.