Amy M. Schaefer
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From the Front Porch

I am an "accidental blogger". When I launched my writing career in March of 2014, one of the things that I decided to include was my journaling, which I have always found to be a comforting and therapeutic endeavor.  It was a big risk to open myself up in such a public forum, but it has taught me that, for the most part, we share far more experiences than we think. It's comforting to know I'm not alone!  (*the "Button Text" is the link to my first novel)
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The Flavor of Goodbye

7/24/2014

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Picture
Vintage Apple Crate Label from thelabelman.com
Wenatchee, Washington is a small town whose claim to fame is apples...orchards full of them! Mom probably knew more than a hundred ways to cook or include apples in a recipe. My office is full of various apple-themed items given to me as gifts by my students over the years while I was teaching, and when I see them now, I think of Mom. I think of saying goodbye to a career I dearly loved and a woman I could not have lived without. I relish this blending--my life with her life, in big and little ways, but it is also bittersweet. It is fitting that apples are representations of teaching, i.e. a fruit of knowledge, and Mom, from the land of apples, was in many ways one of my greatest teachers...not of things found in academic books, but of life and ways to live it. I wouldn't have made it this far without her. And as long as I draw breath, one of the flavors of my own life with always be---apples.

Mom's Washington Apple Sauce
From the kitchen of Shirley Schaefer

8 apples, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
4 c. water (if you have apple juice or cider, replace one c. of water with one c. of that)
1/2 c. sugar or 6 Tbsp. of honey
1 cinnamon stick or 1 tsp. of cinnamon powder
a pinch of brown sugar
a dash of ground cloves


Mix all ingredients together in a pot with a lid. Bring to a boil (uncovered), then reduce heat to a simmer, cook and cover for 15 min. Uncover and check for softness, cooking up to 5 min. more. Remove from heat & mash if desired. Serve with a

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    About The Author

    I grew up in rural North Carolina. When I was only nineteen, I moved away and became a military wife. My only aspiration at that tender time in my life was to create an adult life that "fixed" all of the "injustices" of my childhood. Secretly, however, I wanted to reach for the sky! I wanted to be a writer and find ways to "save the world" (my mother used to say, "You have Save the World Syndrome".). Mostly, I wanted to matter.

    Since then, I have learned to reach well beyond what I ever dared to think was possible. I've learned not to allow fear to stop me from whatever future I want to create!

    What keeps me grounded? My Tribe! What provides the wind beneath my wings? A well of reserves filled with unstoppable passion!

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  • Amy M. Schaefer, Writer
  • Blog: From the Front Porch
  • Novels
  • Short Stories
    • Children's Books
  • About the Author
  • Contact
  • Photo & Art Gallery