Welcome to Family Matters!
I’m so glad you are here.
At last, the world is opening up again, and I’m beginning to schedule visits to bookstores and book groups. My latest book, Back to the Land in Silicon Valley, is now available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble and by order from independent bookstores everywhere.
If you belong to a book group and would like me to visit, virtually or in person, please contact me using the Contact or Events tab, or at marlenebumgarner@gmail.com. If you scroll to the bottom of the page you can see what I’ve posted lately on my blog, Look around, and please leave a comment so I know you’ve been in the building.
Back to the Land in Silicon Valley (Paper Angel Press).
My forthcoming book, Organic Cooking for (not-so-organic) Families, will be out soon. Meanwhile, I am researching a new book, Grandparenting Matters: Strengthening Relationships in the Modern Family. (Are you a grandparent? Join my Facebook group!) I’m also working on a cozy mystery novel Death on a Sunny Morning. The main character is a grandmother!
Marlene
MY BOOKS
My first book, The Book of Whole Grains (St. Martin’s Press, 1976), grew out of teaching cultural history to fourth graders. After opening a natural food store, I wrote a food column for the San Jose Mercury News and a feature for Mothering Magazine, where I was a contributing editor. A series of cooking classes followed, and a second book, Organic Cooking for (not-so-organic) Mothers (Chesbro Press, 1982). In 1997, St Martin’s Press revised and republished my first book as The New Book of Whole Grains. While teaching developmental psychology to undergraduates, I wrote Working With School-Age Children, (Pearson, 2013, 2017). My most recent book, Back to the Land in Silicon Valley (Paper Angel Press, 2020), is a memoir of the decade my family and I lived on the land in the 1970’s in California’s Silicon Valley then known as The Valley of Heart’s Delight.
RECENT ADVENTURES
Before the COVID-19 Pandemic I purchased a Mercedes Benz Sprinter-based Class B Motorhome. I call her Sheila. I planned a journey to 25 states and at least as many bookshops. That’s now on hold, but let me know if you want me to stop in your town when I’m able to reschedule it.
Each time I return from an adventure, I transcribe my travel journal and post excerpts on my blog, so be sure to check back for updates (or subscribe to my newsletter if you want to receive articles by email.)
These web pages are where I post excerpts of my latest work, share peeks at new projects, and connect with my readers. I still teach Child Development online, and occasionally do some consulting and public speaking, but mostly I write about my experiences as a teacher, mother, grandmother, gardener, and cook. Please check out my blog, subscribe to my newsletter, buy my books, and drop in often.
Marlene
Meet Kismet
Meet Kismet. She turned shy when we asked a professional photographer to capture her smile, but did a great job during her session. Click here to open the video in another window!
Same Boxes — New Home — Downsizing 101
The Move Well, Kismet and I have survived the downsizing, packing and driving phases of this move, only barely. After watching Meathead Movers (honest - that's their name) load all my boxes and furniture into their truck, I drove six hours south, arriving at my son's...
Musings on Highway 101
Back to Normal? Sitting in a rest stop last week, two hours south of Santa Cruz and a third of the way to my destination, I was overwhelmed with the beauty of it all. People coming and going, politely walking around one another, everyone masked, the hot breeze...
Are Your Pets Acting Strangely? Pandemic Pet Behavior
Kismet, my Border Collie, is lying on my feet. Since the pandemic, that is her favorite place to be while I write. My study is the warmest room in the house, and for most of her life, Kismet has spent the daylight hours there, sleeping on the soft rug under my large...
