Storm Coming In
I think we're in for a dandy lightning storm tonight, here in Virginia. I do love a rollicking good storm. 🙂 Last night, the whole sky lit up. Call me crazy, because I hope it happens again.I promised an update on the day's activities, and here it is. We visited two...
Sunday in Chester, VA
I'm writing this on my laptop, on Jim and Gladys Lael's screened sunporch. Doris and I drove down from Manassas yesterday, after stopping off to mail home all my new Civil War books. THAT was, literally, like losing a hundred pounds!Of course it's Father's Day, so Dad...
Antietam/Sharpsburg
Different names for the same battle--which took place in Maryland.Today was an easier day, in terms of hiking and heat, but it sure seemed long. Cousin Doris and I leave the hotel with the tour group at 7:30 am, and tonight was typical: we didn't get back until around...
June 11 and Gettysburg
A year ago today, I lost my beloved father, so he was on my mind all day today, as I explored Gettysburg with the tour group. The weather was slightly cooler than yesterday's, so that was good.Although all the other battlefields on this trip are new to me, I've been...
The Wilderness and Spotsylvania
Those are the battlefields we visited today. It is VERY hot in Virginia, and my hair and t-shirt were absolutely soaked. I had to sit a couple of the sites out on the air-conditioned bus-tomorrow is Gettysburg, and I want to be in top form for that. Here's my secret...
Notes from a tour bus!
I have finally managed to get online! Yeehaw, I am one persistent cowgirl! It wouldn't work in the room, but I'm picking up a signal on this bus headed for the Wilderness and Spotsylvania battlefields. 🙂 Go figure.Suffice it to say, I am having a wonderful time. I...
The Dixie Tour
Thanks to United Airlines, I don't have to 'wish I was in Dixie'--I'm headed there, to the land of my ancestors, on the Lael side anyway. The Bleeckers, Mom's side, were Yankees.The British have a term for this hour of the morning--sparrowfart. As in, "I was up at...
Another Getting Ready Day
I had to have bloodwork this morning, so it was no coffee for me. Yeesh. I need coffee by IV when I wake up. Someone once said writers have java in their veins instead of blood (with Hemingway and Fitzgerald, it was booze), so maybe my test will come back with a high...
A Getting-Ready Day
Sunshine! YES!!The peonies are blooming--big, fat pink blossoms. Most of my plants are too young to produce much, but every year, it gets better. My goal is to have a yard full of them, and carry the blossoms into the house by the armload. I cannot get enough...
Book Expo America (BEA)
I had a FABULOUS time in L.A.!!!Imagine the thrill I felt when I walked into the Harlequin booth at this massive, sprawling trade show, and saw LIFESIZE posters of my Creed cowboys, Logan, Dylan and Tyler. Honey, the word WOW just doesn't cover it! These guys are My...
Dazzling Sunrise
I saw it this morning--the sky ablaze with the beginnings of a fresh, new day--but not to worry. I had a good night's sleep, and I'm over the jet lag. As many of you know, getting up very early is normal behavior for me. Journal time. Quiet time with the dogs. And...
Isle of Flags
Yesterday, I drove to Grand Coulee, Washington, to attend the annual Memorial Day flag ceremony at the local cemetery, along with a significant number of family members, including my stepmother, Edith Lael, aunts Donna and Wanna, brother Jerry and wife Anna, and their...