Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

Devil’s Food Cake and White Lies

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  Those nasty box cakes My mother had an electric mixer with a rotating bowl that blended her cakes into creamy smoothness, and she always let me lick the bowl clean. All that yummy raw batter *shudder* She had nothing but contempt for what she called box cakes: "Mrs. So-and-So made one of those cakes from a box for the party. It tasted terrible." I asked her what terrible tasted … [Read more...]

Chalkboard Messages

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The Start Last year, as the pandemic slowed life down and caused us to physically withdraw from one another, I dragged out a cheap chalkboard I'd bought for book shows a few years ago. On it I wrote messages for my neighbors and others who walked past our house, and put it on my front porch. I hoped to create a sense of camaraderie while we hunkered down. I believe in the power of small … [Read more...]

Creative Pursuits

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My friend Desiree Cooper shared this post on Facebook. What memories it brought back to me! Without doubt, my creative pastimes as a child shaped who I am today. Solitary Play For hours, I would lay on the living room floor and stare at our stucco ceiling. I conjured an old man's face, a horse's head, a fish jumping out of its bowl.... It's a wonder my mother didn't ask me what I was doing, … [Read more...]

What’s so special about Howard Street?

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This year, riding a bike on unpaved Howard Street was precarious because of the deep ruts. Many homes on Ocracoke are still under reconstruction after Hurricane Dorian devastated the island in 2019, so I'm sure the truck traffic doesn't help the condition of the street. Calling it a street is misleading, though. It's really a one-way lane, and it holds a rich history. Ocracoke For … [Read more...]

New Release: Children’s Picture Book

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The inspiration Many times my late mother suggested I write and illustrate a children's book. Every time, for whatever reason, I resisted. Until inspiration hit me. The scurrying ghost crabs spooked my grandson, Oliver, then three, when we were vacationing at Cape Hatteras on the Outer Banks of North Carolina several years ago. My daughter and I unsuccessfully tried to find him a book … [Read more...]