Amy's News

Best free patterns for sewing baby booties

2011-06-12T07:59:00.002-07:00

I'm linking to two sewing patterns for baby booties. Both are adorable and pretty easy to sew. Both include an elasticized heel to help keep the slipper on the foot.Three-seam baby footies: Begin with this one, since it makes it easy to grasp the basic concept. The only downside is that the booties will have a seam inside, where it can rub against baby's feet. If you use flannel fabric and cotton

Summer Readings of a Jr. High/High School English Teacher

2011-06-10T19:30:00.002-07:00

Finished reading:The Black Stallion by Walter Farley: Reading level below 7th grade. Not a lot of advanced vocabulary to challenge the reader. Still, horse lovers and reluctant readers would do well with it.Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan: Inspiring historical novel that captures the imagination and isn't predictable. Smoothly introduces Spanish words in the flow of the dialogue and narrative.

Child's Sun Dress Sewing Pattern Link

2011-06-01T19:00:00.002-07:00

Here's the link for a cute sun dress sewing pattern. I sewed the dress for my daughter in just a few hours. The sizes range from 6 mo. to 8 years. Modifications I made: adding a coordinating border to the hem, shortening the arm slit, and using a ribbon for the sash.

Sweeping up the Year

2011-05-31T14:56:00.003-07:00

At the close of another school year, I am thankful for many blessings. I look back at this same time a year ago and remember that the stress of the year continued through the whole month of June. This year went so much more smoothly. Maybe this fall I'll feel like I'm not a first year teacher, for once!How many years has it been? One-and-a-half teaching K-4 at a Christian school, then two years

My Favorite Hymn: O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go

2010-08-13T08:08:00.003-07:00

I recently came across the story behind the hymn, "O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go", by blind preacher George Matheson (left). After further reading, the one I read first appears to be apocryphal, but Matheson's own account reminds me how God leads us through our every personal trial and promises that "morn shall tearless be." Read the story here.

Megan Elaine Cullen's latest article

2010-07-22T15:53:00.002-07:00

My sister, Megan Elaine Cullen, also has the writing gene in the family (actually, we all seem to have it!). Her latest article is a fun one, especially if you're a science teacher or are just interested in roller coasters. Here's the link to Teaching Physics Through Roller Coasters on funderstanding.com.

Susan Page Davis--Now on Facebook

2010-07-22T14:22:00.008-07:00

During a recent visit to my mother, inspirational fiction author Susan Page Davis, I helped her launch her official page on facebook. There are lots of links to interviews with book giveaways, so stop by and check it out! There's even a discussion thread about codes, which feature prominently in her latest book, The Crimson Cipher. You don't have to be on facebook yourself to view the page. If

Yes, my sister is right

2010-01-29T15:48:00.005-07:00

It is high time I updated my blog. This is the day to do it, too, since I'm working from home. The rest of NVA is painting, lifting, hauling, and running network cable in the new building, but I got my moving done yesterday and felt the need to get some serious planning done in a less chaotic environment. Knowing me, I'll probably go in Sunday afternoon to help finish up the moving process.

Back to work after sick days for all

2009-10-13T19:04:00.003-07:00

Sometimes you get lucky and the day you decide you're calling in sick tomorrow, school is canceled for three days. With a weekend sandwiched in between, I've been able to recover from my cold (not H1N1, as all the students believed they had). I hope everyone else was also able to recharge, and that my 10th graders will be ready for their massive test on the first theme in their lit book. Okay,

First week of school leaves me. . .grading papers

2009-09-11T19:54:00.002-07:00

Having passed my ABCTE with a "distinguished" score, I began my school year at North Valley Academy on Tuesday. Our history teacher also just passed his World History ABCTE, and he, too, received a "distinguished" mark.I teach about 100 students in grades 7-12. I have English and Journalism. The latter class has been an enormous thrill, partly because you might say I've been preparing for that

Moss Mountain mice featured on blog

2009-08-24T12:45:00.003-07:00

My sister Meg makes these adorable felt creatures which were just featured on a craft blog, Creative with Clay. The featured mice are the exquisite Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett. I've ordered a custom wolf and chicken for my daughter's birthday. These critters make great gifts! Visit Moss Mountain here.

ABCTE test date looms on horizon

2009-07-23T13:38:00.004-07:00

The big day is August 11, though you wouldn't know it to look at me. I'm doing everything but studying: sorting used books for my bookseller husband, experimenting with my new laptop, hopping in the wading pool with the kiddies. . .It's 90 degrees out there!I'm procrastinating other project deadlines as well. One is a presentation on Great Expectations, a character education curriculum based in

ABCTE reading list

2009-05-27T18:31:00.003-07:00

Before school starts I plan to take the ABCTE's secondary English test so I'll have my certification in that area. As of now I have my elementary certificate (through the American Board for the Certification of Teacher Excellence) and a 9th-grade English endorsement from the State of Idaho. If you're not familiar with ABCTE, it allows college graduates who didn't major in Education to become

Back to School

2009-05-13T11:12:00.003-07:00

My blog may shift gears a bit here because I've just accepted a job teaching 7th through 12th grade English for the 2009/2010 school year. Really it's not a huge leap--I've wanted to do this since my senior year of college. I can't wait to begin teaching writing, grammar and literature! There's a lot to do in the meantime, though, such as jumping through a few hoops to get my high school

Beulah Baldwin shares her heirloom quilts

2009-04-13T15:05:00.007-07:00

This Lone Star quilt from the early 1940s belongs to Beulah Baldwin of Fairfield, Idaho. In a recent interview she shared stories of her life as a young teacher on the Camas Prairie--and displayed several gorgeous quilts made by members of her family. Beulah said the material in the Lone Star quilt is not color fast because during WWII good fabric was scarce, though not rationed.The second quilt

Fire marshal says ski lodge fire accidental

2009-03-31T14:15:00.003-07:00

Visit magicvalley.com, the Times-News' Web site, for my latest article on the Soldier Mountain Ski Area fire.My Web site, amyballard.com, has more photos from the scene.Photo by Amy Ballard2009

Ski lodge fire

2009-03-30T13:24:00.004-07:00

Visit the Times-News online for breaking news about this morning's fire at Soldier Mountain Ski Area north of Fairfield. The photo currently posted is mine. The story is a compilation of news gathered by me and other correspondents and reporters.

Contests

2009-03-16T14:40:00.002-07:00

Today I submitted my entry in the Daphne du Maurier contest--just in time for the deadline. Phew! Now I have my eye on another contest that deadlines at the end of the month. I plan to send two entries to that one, so I still have my work cut out for me! All of which, I hope, will distract me from the waiting game of my novel submission. Yeah. That's the idea.

Camas Prairie History Links

2009-02-24T17:01:00.002-07:00

I finally got around to posting several Camas Prairie History links on my Web site. Go to amyballard.com and check out the right column. If you know of other helpful sites on the topic, send them to me. I'd love to add to this list!

The novel is done

2009-02-23T13:01:00.002-07:00

he novel I've been working on for several months is finally finished at 45,000 words. It feels wonderful to have accomplished that feat. Before I wrote Harvest Moon it seemed I would never get to type the words, "The end." Now that I've finished the book, I can't believe it took me so long to do it. Granted, it's a huge undertaking. But when you love writing, it's the most enjoyable kind of

Article on Camas County Library's move

2009-01-29T16:52:00.002-07:00

On Monday the Camas County Library will reopen in its new Soldier Road location. Check out my article in the Times-News for more information and a link to the library's Web site.I also recently joined American Christian Fiction Writers. The group has a lot to offer writers, and I'm enjoying exploring the Web site.

Soldier Mountain in the snow

2009-01-28T17:00:00.000-07:00

View of Soldier Mountain from the southeast, January 2009

Mainely Murder books

2009-01-04T15:24:00.003-07:00

Now you can purchase the Mainely Murder series by Susan Page Davis and Megan Elaine Davis (my mom and sister) through my Web site. The third novel in the series, Impostors at Blue Heron Lake, is on pre-order until April. Take it from a Maine native, you can almost smell the pine!

Video trailer for Susan Page Davis' new book

2008-11-19T19:50:00.002-07:00

Visit the Suspense Zone and play a cool video trailer for my mom's new book, Inside Story. The book follows Frasier Island and Finding Marie. I can't wait to read it!

Sustainability article in the Times-News

2008-11-15T08:23:00.002-07:00

Here's my latest article in the Times-News:Using the past to mold the future Sustainability project launched in Camas Co.Meanwhile, I'm researching early 20th-century Idaho for a fiction project.Thanks for visiting!

The Whistle Stop is in print

2008-11-04T12:54:00.004-07:00

Since joining the board of the Camas County Historical Society several months ago I've been working on putting out a biannual newsletter for the organization. We decided on the title "Whistle Stop" to commemorate the historical museum's past life as a train depot. The Fall/Winter issue is finally here, just in time for our Fall Membership Drive. To sign up for our mailing list you need to

Marching On

2008-10-16T12:07:00.002-07:00

Here's a link to an article by Mike Cothern in the Outdoors section of today's Times-News. Mike quotes me on the origin of the name "Soldier" for the mountains in northern Camas County, Idaho. To clarify, I never use the term "military personnel." Oh, well! It's nice to give some publicity to the Camas County Historical Society.

You may congratulate me...

2008-10-04T20:44:00.002-07:00

Just kidding. But I did get elected to serve on the board of directors of the Idaho chapter of the Oregon-California Trails Association this morning. This is a great group of people who love history and have some great stories to tell about the people who emigrated west across the Oregon Trail system in days gone by. I hear my duties are minimal, so I'll just put up my feet...

Interviews with Megan and Susan

2008-09-22T09:07:00.003-07:00

Here's a link to an interview with my sister, mystery author Megan Elaine Davis, from the blog Keep Me in Suspense. The previous interview (just scroll down!) is with her co-author, my mom, Susan Page Davis. Megan tells about her new life in Liverpool, England!

Outing at Castle Rocks

2008-09-15T12:23:00.003-07:00

Yesterday after church my family went to Castle Rocks in Elmore County (just west of Camas County) for a picnic. Afterwards, we followed directions provided by an OCTA contact to the site of an Indian attack on a small wagon train in the 1850s. As it turns out, I had been to the site this spring with Jim and Patti McGill to mark the Jeffrey-Goodale Cutoff trail portion that runs through the area.

Video on Oregon Trail section

2008-09-03T07:14:00.002-07:00

Idaho OCTA's Web site now links to a video clip from KBCI Boise channel 2 news on the Oregon Trail section that became visible after a recent fire. The man in the interview, William Wilson, has been a big help to me in my historical research on cattle drives across the Camas Prairie. Check it out!

Idaho Statesman article on Oregon Trail

2008-09-02T15:15:00.003-07:00

Here's an interesting article on portions of the Oregon Trail that were cleared to view after a fire devastated a subdivision in Boise recently. The OCTA people quoted are acquaintances of mine.

Presentiment in the form of Google

2008-08-31T13:30:00.003-07:00

I was delighted to receive an e-mail yesterday from Ted, a Ballard relative on the East coast who had stumbled upon my blog while searching for Internet references to the Camas County Courier. Up popped my post entitled "Presentiment," which tells of my meeting two Ballard relatives at a restaurant here this past spring. In his e-mail, Ted shared some stories and ancestry information that will

An interview with Country Singer Jason Aldean

2008-08-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

While in Maine, I got to interview country singer Jason Aldean about playing the Twin Falls County Fair this weekend. The following article first appeared in the Times-News of Twin Falls, Idaho.JASON ALDEAN RELENTLESS IN PURSUIT OF GREAT MUSIC By Amy Ballard The last time Jason Aldean played in Idaho, he packed the

Back from Maine and Writing Again

2008-08-23T12:26:00.000-07:00

After 10 days in Maine with my son for my sister's wedding, I'm back in writing mode. Almost! I was able to write one poem on the flight home while Axel napped, and I've since sent the finished piece to a magazine. Now to read all the memos from my editor at the newspaper that have accumulated in my inbox.Visit my Web site for more on Megan Elaine Davis' wedding and a few new photos.Above: Axel

Updates on OCTA convention and off to Maine we go

2008-08-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

Check out my Web site for notes on the Oregon-California Trails Association convention in Nampa this past week. I had a wonderful time and met a lot of people who share my interest in Western history. I plan to add to my notes later, so keep checking back if Oregon Trail stuff interests you.Now I shift gears--and switch to a larger suitcase--and fly to Maine tomorrow morning with

Nampa or bust!

2008-07-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

This article ran first in the Camas Courier. Thank you to Eric Larson, my editor at the Times-News, who worked on it with me first. I'm happy to report that several wagons have since rejoined Dell, and a few outriders have saddle up, too.Wagon train down to one wagon, for now By Amy Ballard FAIRFIELD — A wagon train that left Montpelier July 9 with six wagons and 10 outriders had shrunk to

Web site updates

2008-07-16T05:53:00.000-07:00

Stop by amyballard.com for my long over-due updates including events, three book picks, and two new article links. The story featuring equine therapy is about a family in my church, the Schofields.

Latest article: Equine Therapy

2008-06-26T08:24:00.000-07:00

Here's the link to my latest article in the Times-News. The Schofields go to my church, and it was great to get to know them better.http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2008/06/26/news/local_state/139275.txtComing soon is my first article for the religion page!

Camas Lily Day

2008-05-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

Visit amyballard.com for a link to the 2008 top 101 Web sites for writers from Writer's Digest.The weekend of June 1, members of the Shoshone-Bannock and other tribes will visit the Camas Prairie for Camas Lily Day. It's a time to harvest and roast camas, learn about Indian culture, and enjoy springtime in Camas County. I'm excited to see friends I met last year and meet new people. It's a great

Iconoclast Books owner Gary Hunt dies

2008-05-13T06:55:00.000-07:00

The Wood River Valley and the literary community lost a patron and friend early Saturday morning. Gary Hunt, owner of Iconoclast Books in Ketchum and Sun Valley, died in cardiac arrest while being LifeFlighted to medical care in Boise following a car accident. Gary was my husband's boss and our friend. Everyone who knew him loved him for his big heart, humor, wit, knowledge and his radiant spirit

Doris Cox Remembers School Days

2008-05-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

Check out a review of Ben Holladay, the Stagecoach King at amyballard.com.The following article first appeared in the Camas Courier.DORIS COX REMEMBERS SCHOOL DAYS ON THE CAMAS PRAIRIEDoris Cox grew up on the Camas Prairie, and has lots of good memories of the old days. She and husband Don raised five children, four of whom still live here. They have 13 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Adventures in Oral History

2008-04-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

Next week's Camas Courier will feature an interview I did with Doris Cox. She shared about attending the Corral Creek and Washington Avenue Schools on the Camas Prairie in the 1930s. I also had the chance to talk to my husband's uncle, Claude Ballard, about some of his memories and the stories his father handed down to him. Charlie Gaskill, my father-in-law's uncle, recently reminisced about

Interview with Mom; My article in Sho-Ban News

2008-04-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

Read this latest interview with my mom, Susan Page Davis.Click here to read my beadwork article reprint in the Sho-Ban News. This article first appeared in Bead & Button magazine.My site has a new writing prompt--check it out!

Link to Author Interviews

2008-04-18T09:04:00.000-07:00

http://keepmeinsuspense.blogspot.com/Follow this link to interviews with Darlene Franklin and my mom, Susan Page Davis. Darlene is a writer-friend of my mom's who has allowed me to critique some of her work. You won't want to miss this interview. Scroll down to my mom's to read about her new book, Witness.Having tried out my new Sony voice recorder yesterday, I can't believe how long I got by

Clarice Frostenson Remembers

2008-04-10T06:34:00.000-07:00

This article first appeared in the Camas Courier Apr. 9.CLARICE FROSTENSON REMEMBERS THE OLD DAYS AT WILLOW CREEK By Amy Ballard Willow Creek in pioneer times was not nearly as populous as it is now, Clarice Frostenson recalled in an interview April 31st. Her family used to take the buggy to Sunday

Presentiment

2008-04-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

Corral SchoolhousePresentiment: a feeling that something will or is about to happen : premonitionThis was yesterday's word of the day from Merriam-Webster, but I didn't read it until this morning. Lo and behold, this afternoon I felt restless and I was certain that if I left the house with my camera, I'd find something of relevance to my research. The kids were up for a jaunt around the prairie

Healing on a Prairie

2008-04-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

Read my poem, Healing on a Prairie, in Words-Myth, an online poetry journal.Thanks to all who have helped out with my book so far! It's great to have critique partners, experts, and of course supportive family and friends to keep my momentum up.Part of my research includes interviewing current residents of the Camas Prairie. I'm learning a lot about the old days, and have even started baking

New non-fiction project

2008-03-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

Since moving to Idaho eight years ago, I've been researching the local history and making notes. There are a handful of books on the history of the Camas Prairie ("Little Camas Prairie," not the northern "Big Camas Prairie" near Lewiston). They lack the scope and accuracy I wanted, though. As I interviewed the old-timers for various news articles in my career as a stringer, I unearthed many

Latest on amyballard.com

2008-03-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

I'd like to invite you to visit my writing Web site! It's been up for a few weeks, but it's looking more finished now. The latest addition is a list of five of my favorite novels by women writers I think will appeal to both men and women readers. My sister Megan also has a Sister Site with her publishing news. To keep up with our latest on the site, please subscribe to this blog (see the link at

Ina Krahn remembers the old days on the Camas Prairie

2008-03-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

I recently visited with Ina Krahn, a friend who recently turned 97, about her life on the Camas Prairie. She had lots of great stories to share. My article first appeared in the Camas Courier. Enjoy!INA KRAHN RECALLS FARMING, LIFE ON THE CAMAS PRAIRIEby Amy Ballard One of Fairfield’s matriarchs turns 97 this week. Ina Krahn was born in

Joined by my Sister

2008-03-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

My sister, Megan, now has a page on my Web site, amyballard.com. She's co-author (with our mom) of Homicide at Blue Heron Lake. Megan is two years younger than I, which means she's fahhh too young to have a novel out. She's also engaged to a guy from England! I'm very happy for her. When she changes her name she might decide to have her own Web site, but for now I'm delighted to share. Stop by

amyballard.com

2008-02-11T17:31:00.000-07:00

Check out my new professional website, www.amyballard.com. There's a writing prompt to finish, and plenty of links to my articles. It's still under construction but please stop by!

My Bead & Button article is here

2007-12-30T12:57:00.000-07:00

You can view my article, "A People's Pride," in the February 2008 issue of Bead & Button Magazine here: http://www.beadandbutton.com/BNB/default.aspx?c=a&id=2776. Click on the link, then click on the pdf link. I learned so much about beadwork, the Shoshoni-Bannock tribe, and article writing while doing this piece. Editor Ann Dee Allen has been great to work with. The print edition of the magazine

My Favorite Author

2007-12-08T20:50:00.000-07:00

If I had to pin it down, I'd say my favorite author, certainly of nonfiction, is Elspeth Huxley. I read The Mottled Lizard a few years ago--it was a crumbling paperback that probably had to be discarded when I returned it to the library--and fell in love with Huxley's easy style that vividly conveyed the realities of life in Kenya circa WWI. Now I'm in the middle of On the Edge of the Rift. Oh,