Travels
Just Do What You Want To Do
There are two kinds of people in the world. Actually there are almost seven billion kinds of people in the world, but for our purposes today, I’ll simplify. There are two kinds of people. The kind who fall neatly into slots other people choose for them, and the kind who make their own slots. I…
Read MoreHobbits and Elves and Wizards, Oh My
Years ago when my husband read Lord of the Rings to our children, I figured that was “their” time together. After all, hobbits and elves and wizards? Not my thing. Then, the movies arrived. Although I wasn’t dragged to the first one, neither did I go with much enthusiasm. And then, the magic. At one…
Read MoreThe Wild Blue Yonder–New Zealand, Blizzards, Movies, and My Novels
We take so many things for granted. You know that already, I’m sure, but recently I’ve had the lesson significantly reinforced. For instance, hopping a plane and arriving on time. Or at least on the right day. Or at worst, the right week. Those of you who visit my Facebook page know that after two…
Read MoreBrainstorming in Sunny Climes–Five Authors and a Blizzard of Ideas
As I’ve told you before, I’m a confirmed Brainstormer, or BSer, as my group fondly calls itself. I just finished a week in Sarasota, Florida with my brainstorming friends working on ideas for our upcoming novels. Please remember, the plans for this event were laid months ago. We didn’t check weather maps or consult a…
Read MoreEveryone Smiled at This Crocodile–In Memoriam
For two months I’ve enjoyed staying on Sanibel Island, one of Florida’s most beautiful barrier islands. There are so many things to love about this special place, not the least of which is the attention to wildlife and it’s preservation. In December my husband came home from an Audubon Society bird walk and told me…
Read MoreRiver, Take Me Away (And it did)
Maybe I take my own blogs too seriously. When Southern Exposure first saw the light of day, I wrote a blog entitled “River, Take Me Away,” using the title of a song my family learned at summer camp when our children were still living at home. Maybe that song or that blog was there, in…
Read MoreTravels With Emilie–or Breakfast in the Middle of the Rhine
By the time you read this, I’ll be in Europe. As part of my husband’s sabbatical, we’ll be cruising the Rhine for two weeks, exploring countries we’ve always wanted to visit. Somehow in our travels we’ve missed Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. We have been to France, but only (only?) Paris. So now we’ll…
Read MorePatrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson and The Man Who Was Left Standing
There we were, listening to Thomas Jefferson (seen here in a download from the Colonial Williamsburg website) and Patrick Henry debate the merits of funding religion and religious leaders from a special tax levied by the state of Virginia. No, we aren’t time travelers. We were watching the fabulous re-enactors of Colonial Williamsburg here at Chautauqua…
Read MoreLetting Go–the fine art of recharging your personal batteries
Right this moment are you 1) Frantically trying to do at least two things at once? (And yes, yelling at the children or the dog does count as one.) 2) Leisurely planning a leisurely day? 3) Wondering who those lazy people who said yes to #2 think they are? 4) Trying to remember the meaning of…
Read MoreThe Kindness of Strangers
My husband is about to go on sabbatical. This is one of the perks of his profession, a chance to study and think for months every so many years. He’s done some wonderful things; we’ve done some wonderful things together, but I’ve always written while we’ve been away. There are no sabbaticals for writers. We…
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