The Black Forest is a densely wooded area in southwestern Germany, that has been around since the Middle Ages. The road was narrow with sharp curves that wound through tall straight fir trees stretching for the sky and blocking out the sun. Over the centuries, areas have been cleared and I’m...
I thought I would share some of my adventure to the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany with you. I start with our last day simply because it was so amazing. The windmills built in 1740 were awe-inspiring, the clouds fluffy and domineering, the weather cool and brisk. Windmills are an innovative...
One month ago, last night, I raced up I-95 from Fredericksburg to Richmond because my mother had fallen and spent one and one-half hours in the sweltering heat trying to get back into the house. I was meeting with my writers’ group but when my brother-in-law called, I immediately packed my laptop...
No one understands a writer better than another writer. We know the time required to plot a story, create the perfect scene, schedule its release and then promote it. Creative writing can’t be done an hour here or an hour there. It requires long blocks of quiet, focused time. Promotion isn’t...
A friend posted this poem on her Facebook the other day and it brought back parenting memories. I wish I’d had it to share with my children way back when. I always told them to smile at everyone they met. It let people know they were friendly and sociable. More importantly, I said, “the other...
Have you ever noticed when you are anxious to get something done, time seems to stand still? Minutes drag and you tell yourself you’ll NEVER get it done. I am usually pretty laid back about time. Granted, I’m retired, and whenever I have an appointment, I calculate when I need to leave the house...
Boonsboro, Maryland is a small town nestled in the foothills of the South Mountain. I always feel like I’ve traveled back in time whenever I drive past the hundred, hundred-fifty-year-old clapboard and brick buildings that line the six blocks of Main Street. Boonsboro is also the location of a...
I had lunch with some of my Patrick Henry High School classmates last week. Now that we’re older and most of us are retired, we try to get together on a quarterly basis. I attended our 10-year Class Reunion but family, busy schedules and the wine shop prevented my attending others. This was my...
Remember the days when almost every other word out of a child’s mouth was why? “Why are some apples red and some green?” “Why do I have to clean up my toys?” “Why do I have get those shots so I can have fun at camp?” Sometimes it was a toss-up between why and no. The why’s change in the teenage...