Isle la Cache is a gem for history buffs. This is where I started to immerse myself in my French Canadian roots. Located on an island in the DesPlaines River, Isle La Cache was likely a rendezvous point for French voyageurs and their Indian trading partners. The Will County Forest Preserve District maintains 107 acres, … Continue reading Friday Finds – French Voyageurs
Category: My Blog
Write as if You’re the Last Human Author on Earth
Will AI take over the world? I don’t know, but for now, Chatgpt.com is my new best friend. We’ve become very familiar as I research French history, peasant life, clothing, food, etc etc for my new historical fiction novel. We, as writers, know that we must not use AI to create our stories and novels. … Continue reading Write as if You’re the Last Human Author on Earth
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Where the Wild Things Grow
My research into how peasants and habitants supplement their diets by foraging made me want to try it myself. Right in my backyard—in the wild marshy area—I discovered blackberries. I picked as many ripe berries as I could reach without getting trapped in brambles. I have the scratches to prove it and will don long … Continue reading Where the Wild Things Grow
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Time Travel Tuesday – What’s This??
Every peasant woman in the seventeenth century would have been familiar with this household item. Need a clue? Read more: Laundry Day in 1650 Rural France: A Back-Breaking Chore In 1650s rural France, doing the laundry was a full-day affair. Without running water or soap as we know it, peasant women relied on rivers, streams, … Continue reading Time Travel Tuesday – What’s This??
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Are You a Forager?
My work-in-progress historical fiction novel begins in 1650 in France where peasants or habitants live at subsistent levels, especially after droughts and crop failures. To stave off starvation and supplement what they have, they learn from a young age to forage for food. Eleven-year-old, Marie Rochon, also learned the medicinal uses of herbs from her … Continue reading Are You a Forager?
