About
Essays and musings from Beatrice Marvella Hogg. I’m a freelance writer and social services worker living in Sacramento, CA, available for editorial and creative writing work and consultations. I have been a published freelance writer for over 20 years, writing mostly about rock music, books, fashion, cultural issues, and my life. Life as an African American middle aged female rocker/social worker creates its own stories! I grew up in a coal mining town in western Pennsylvania, the adopted daughter of an illiterate coal miner. I have lived in northern California for over twenty years, working for the government, at a homeless shelter, and for an association, among other adventures. I’ll be sharing some of my favorite short essays and stories, some of which are adapted from my (as-yet) unpublished memoir essay collections, The Colordeaf Chronicles and Montour Four.
Marvellaland 
beatrice, in your wordpress dashboard see if there’s a widget called Follow, and drag it to your sidebar. that way, people can put in their email address and follow your posts. they’ll get an email of each post when you write something new. i’ll definitely follow you!
thanks, i’m following you now!
All I can say is wow and Amen!!!
Thank you and thanks for reading!
Always and thank you for the good reading.
I enjoy reading everything you write and I don’t have to get up and get dressed to do it either.
Glad I’m able to provide undressed reading for you, Doro!
I see in this post, https://marvellaland.wordpress.com/tag/aluminum-christmas-trees/, you mention my grandma’s store. My grandma was Angelina (Angeline to many). My mom is Peanuts. I’m wondering where the full essay is and what other info you can share. I enjoyed this much. I miss her today so much and Hills Station has changed so much.
Hi Angela! I do have another essay that mentions your grandmother. I’ll have to look for it, as I’m not sure where it is. My senior manuscript for my MFA was stories about Hills Station. I wanted to get it published, but no publishers were looking for stories about small town life. Maybe one day, I will self publish it.
Hi Beatrice,
I came across your blog when on a search for more information about my late grandfather Robert Conway, owner of the Covent Garden General store.
Your article about your travels to London visit to buy gifts from his shop in the 1980s have brought me great joy. Thank you.
In your article you include a picture of a branded Merry Christmas bag. I wondered if you might still have this? It was over one of these very bags that my mother, a window dresser at the Covent Garden General store and my father, Robert Conway Jr, first met.
I would really appreciate if you might be able to email me should this still be in your existence as I’d love to see a few more pictures and ask a couple of questions about the store.
Thanks so much,
Robynn Conway
Hello Robynn,
Yes, I still have the bag. I hang it up every year as part of my holiday decorations. Currently, it is in my storage unit, but I would be happy to send you more photos. In fact, if you want it I can send it to you, as it would have more sentimental value for you and your family than it does for me. I don’t remember much about the store, as that visit was almost 35 years ago. I was alone in London and it was the holidays. The Covent Garden decorations always cheered me up, so I would visit there often.
Thank you for enjoying my essay. I’m serious about the bag. I don’t have any close family, so when I am gone, all of my crazy collections will probably get thrown away. It sounds like the bag would give you great joy. Just let me know where you would like me to send it and I can mail it later this month.
Take care,
Beatrice