Sue Fagalde Lick's Blog

My poor Unleashed readers, I have neglected you. I could blame having four books published in one year and all the effort that has taken. I have also edited a poetry book for AlzAuthors and contributed to three different anthologies coming out this year. But the real reason is that I have taken a lot … Continue reading "I’ll Bet You’re Wondering Where I’ve Been"

This year is nuts. I have published four books in three different genres. Not to mention two anthologies, one of which I edited. Plus my Childless by Marriage blog and a Substack newsletter called “Can I Do It Alone,” which has gone berserk since I started it on April 1. Too much! At least I can die knowing I have published … Continue reading "Books, Books, and More Books!"

Everyone says audiobooks are the thing. You gotta do an audiobook. I don’t listen to recorded books myself. They put me to sleep. Maybe that’s conditioning from falling asleep while being read to as a child. Also, I just don’t have time to listen. When I go for a walk or exercise, I want a … Continue reading "Dipping My Toe in the Audiobook Stream"

A few days before my birthday (Saturday, March 9), I posted on Facebook that I was worried about spending the day alone. As comments started flying in, I regretted the post. A) I sounded pitiful and B) most of the comments were along the lines of “throw yourself a party.” What I really wanted was … Continue reading "Sometimes You Need to Make Your Own Birthday Party"

I sit way too much, and my back is paying the price. Where can I buy a desk chair that ejects me after a set amount of time and will not let me sit again until I move around for a while? I don’t want to fly up through the ceiling like the guy in the … Continue reading "I Need an Ejector Chair–and Other News"

It’s Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday. What an odd combination. The stores are full of candy and flowers. Facebook is loaded with messages about love and romantic celebrations. But I’m walking around with a black smudge of ashes on my forehead from this morning’s early Mass, where I played the piano with the choir. It’s … Continue reading "The Strange Valentine’s Day/Ash Wednesday Mashup"

Ona Beach, about two miles south of where I live on the Oregon coast, was barely recognizable yesterday, with flooded trails, fallen trees, and other trees that had been chopped off up high so they looked telephone poles or maybe totem poles. On this rare day without rain, snow, or ice, I needed out, but … Continue reading "Splish-Splashing My Way to Ona Beach"

What a luxury it is to touch a switch and make light. To turn a knob and make heat. To keep food safe in a refrigerator for days, weeks or even months. To type a question on my computer and have an immediate answer. We forget how blessed we are, but many Oregonians got a … Continue reading "Praise the Blessings of Light, Heat, and Internet"

PD is walking up Beaver Creek Road with her dog Rocky when he runs off into the trees. She splashes over the mud and across the creek calling for him, but the big, dopey golden retriever doesn’t come. She has never been in this part of the forest before and worries about getting lost. Then … Continue reading "New Beaver Creek Novel Almost Here"

The elk came back Monday night. The mail was late, it had been an overloaded day, and I was ready to crash for the night, so I wasn’t paying attention when I walked out the front door and down the driveway—until I heard the pounding of hooves on the pavement as a herd of elk … Continue reading "When What to My Wondering Eyes Did Appear . . . Elk?"