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National Football League vs. National Football League Players Association
Knowledge is a tricky thing and often develops a life of its own. It led to researching a subject I knew very little about. And all of this was made possible because Mom had this amazing talent of hanging onto documents, appreciating their historical significance and hoping someone would come along and discover these breadcrumb…
Read MoreHidden Gems
Have you ever uncovered hidden gems about your parents after they passed away? What did you do? Did you open a love letter and read it? Did you blush or laugh at reading your father’s term of endearment for your mother? I did as I read my father addressing my mother as “Sweetie Face” and…
Read MoreWomen’s Perspective on Reading “The Dutchman”
I am pleasantly surprised by the responses I’ve received from women readers of “The Dutchman.” I anticipated women would be drawn to the evolving love story of Norm and Gloria and attracted to the historical context of everyday challenges that post-WWII brought, but I am intrigued they enjoyed the football scenes. And as I type…
Read MoreMen’s Perspective on Reading “The Dutchman”
When I began to write The Dutchman and Portland’s Finest Rose, I wasn’t sure which point of view to use. At first, I wrote from my father Norm’s perspective. After all, he was the one whose love letters I used as inspiration to create the story line and narrative. Also, he was a football legend…
Read MoreGratitude to Herb Yamanaka: Integral Inspiration for “The Dutchman”
Dad once told me to consider myself a lucky person if at the end of my life I could count on one hand my true friends. I am proud to claim Herb Yamanaka, aka Herbie, from the University of Oregon, as one of them. In Fall 2011, Mary Jo Byrnes, a mutual friend in Eugene,…
Read MoreOver the Rainbow Bridge
My favorite season of the year used to be Fall. I loved the crisp breezes, the brilliant clarity of blue skies, and the bittersweet scent of burning leaves and chimney smoke. I loved eating freshly picked apples and watching a dazzling palate of yellow, orange, and red leaves drifting slowly downward as the wind playfully…
Read More2020 Ducks Football Trade-off: Health vs. Sport
I learned the other day the PAC-12 cancelled the 2020 football season. No games for the Ducks this Fall. This led me to reflect on the connections between now and my parent’s college days, though seventy years separate the two. My parent’s story began in the spring of 1946, just as Vets were returning to…
Read MoreGuided by Dad’s Love Letters, Vanderyt Pens “The Dutchman”
A guest post by Karen’s editor, Wayne South Smith, on her process with him from inspiration to publication. The Dutchman and Portland’s Finest Rose takes place in 1946-49 when young men and women were questioning their roles after WWII ended while endeavoring to make themselves and their country a better place,” shared author Karen J.…
Read MoreA Chapter from The Dutchman and Portland’s Finest Rose
As spring turned into summer, they slowly eased into a routine that seemed to work for both of them. Stub continued to have two-a-day practices and attended classes during the week while Gloria began to gain confidence running the household. They discussed finances and agreed that, just as Stub’s and Gloria’s mothers managed their own…
Read MoreNational Brain Tumor Society Continues the Mission of Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure
I have proudly supported both Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure (ABC2) and National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS) with the proceeds from the sale of my first two books, Afterglow and Obsidian Rose. This was in honor of my husband, William J. Vanderyt, who passed away from Glioblastoma in 2009. For eighteen years, ABC2 raised funds and…
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