Julie Yates
Writer / Julie Yates
Photography Provided
Everyone does have a tale to tell! I truly enjoy interviewing and talking to people, whether they are telling me about developing a new business, overcoming a challenge or working for a cause. Later, when I reflect on our conversations, I delight in finding the right way to tell the story.
Writing articles for the Towne Post Network of regional magazines is my fun, after-retirement job. I grew up on the northeast side of Indianapolis, but I had great aunts and uncles and several second cousins that lived in Kokomo. I have great memories of getting together with family at weddings and other events held at their homes. These days I live less than a half hour from downtown Tipton. Shopping there with a girlfriend or two is an activity I never get tired of, especially now that I know the owners behind the stores and boutiques.
I began writing in 2012 after I retired from teaching. To keep myself busy, I jumped into the food blogging world. Back then it was a lot less technical without the huge, monetized scene of today. My little blogs, Oranges & Almonds and Yates Yummies, each had Facebook pages. The Oranges & Almonds page grew to have over a couple thousand followers, which was substantial back in those days. It attracted the attention of some food writing businesses. For a while I contributed to the Christian Science Monitor, a company called Cooking PlanIt and two no-longer-existing publications located in Greenwood.
A couple years later my husband and I bought a motor home. Our travels all over the United States became my focus. Instead of food photography, I was absorbed in documenting the scenery of our gorgeous country. I occasionally wrote for Towne Post, but my blogging all but fell by the wayside. When my husband unexpectedly passed away in December of 2020, my world turned upside down.
Instead of being bitter, I made the choice to make my life count. I knew that being depressed and continuing to mourn would not bring my husband back. I dove into family, volunteering and writing. My three grown daughters, Caroline, Jennifer and Allison, all live in the Chicago area. Caroline and her husband, Adam, now have two daughters of their own. It was the thrill of a lifetime to see the youngest take her first steps this Thanksgiving! I devote a lot of time to Assistance League of Indianapolis, which seeks to improve the lives of adults and children. Its arms reach into Howard and Tipton counties, working with partner agencies and hospitals.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to share the stories of Kokomo and Tipton. The amount of community spirit is wonderful to see. It’s evident that if a need arises, people come forward to meet it. That’s a testimony to the goodness of individuals living in a place with a heart.
