This and That

Have Fun . . . Stay Safe!

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Hello, everyone!
I was telling my favorite travel agent about my book club gals’ recent getaway to Branson, and she offered to send along some expert travel tips for women. So if a girls’ getaway is in your plans this summer (and I hope so!), here are a few reminders for having fun and staying safe. Happy travels to all!

1. Staying Healthy — advance planning is key. I always gather up a small bag of supplies as sort of an “emergency kit” with items such as a packet of Kleenex, some cough drops, tube of Dramamine pills, sheet of Pepto-Bismol tablets, tiny bottle of hand sanitizer, handful of Band-aids, tube of Neosporin, and some sort of headache remedy.
Get your prescriptions filled, too, and keep all of these items in your carry-on. Since you can’t carry onto a plane liquid items of more than three ounces, be sure to pack in your check-bag some sunscreen and insect repellant as well.
These are especially important for international travel, because you don’t know how easy/difficult it might be to find such items at your destination and they will certainly cost a lot more (on my last trip with friends someone had to buy cough drops and they were four Euros for a pack of 8!).
In most places, quality hotels, resorts, and restaurants are going to have water and tea that you can safely drink, but do purchase bottled water from the hotel or at a store (not from street vendors) to have while you’re out. But don’t avoid water, because letting yourself get dehydrated will make you feel sick. Go easy on the alcohol. Eat meals and snacks when you get a chance and resist the urge to worry about your weight! You need energy! Feeling too-hungry in the middle of the day will zap the fun right out of you and make you feel queasy.
And I must mention: never, ever approach an animal, either wild or domesticated.

2. Personal Security — let someone know your itinerary – what are your flights, where are you supposed to be and when, hotel names, etc. Working with a travel agent is a good idea, too, for smooth coordination of logistics and records of each reservation detail. I wouldn’t put all this information in your check-bag, but a note with your name and the phone number of your next stop inside would be helpful to your airline/tour operator/cab company if your bag were to be misplaced.
Everyone knows about safeguarding your room keys, not disclosing your room information to anyone outside of your group, and using in-room safes for jewelry, small electronics, and travel documents that you don’t want to carry with you while you’re “out and about.” Never leave your purse, camera, or phone unattended. A cross-body bag that you can hold in front of you is the best accessory to take.
Stay together as best you can, and wear comfortable shoes that you could run in to escape a mugger or pickpocket. People romance about the idea of getting “off the beaten path,” but seriously, it is much better for your sightseeing value and for your safety to stick with the “touristy” areas.

3. Security of Possessions — file a report with your airline immediately, before you leave the airport, if your bag doesn’t show up on the carousel! You are entitled to certain expense reimbursements in the event of delayed or lost luggage, so look up those policies on their website and be prepared to stand firm for your rights just in case. Also on that website – information on restricted items, which will certainly be confiscated if you mistakenly pack them (forget about your aerosol hairspray, sorry).
Never pack your travel documents, medications, electronics, valuable jewelry, or anything you can’t live without for a day or two. Leave your designer clothes behind. I’ve had items stolen from checked bags – new bottle of fragrance, new tube of toothpaste (!?), fancy face cream – so now I never take anything new, and I tuck tampons around my expensive personal-care products that I can’t live without (TSA and airline employees won’t touch them!).
Look out for each other – lost on our trip: a pair of sunglasses, a cap, and a jacket! If we had all been alert to check the back of a chair, glance under the table, or give the area one last go-over we wouldn’t have gone off and left them.
And last, don’t over-fret about things (lose a bag and have to buy a couple of new outfits? Oh darn… ) Maintain a sense of perspective on the very slim chance of anything bad happening – of course you want to be prepared and use common sense – but you really want to relax and enjoy your trip!

Tips from Janet McLaren, Travel Specialist
Cruise Planners, an American Express Travel Representative
972-231-0066, 1-866-592-7351
jmclaren@cruiseplanners.com
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http://www.cruiseplanforyou.com
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Personal safety . . . a case for keys

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keysI had my car in for routine maintenance last week, and was given a brand-new model to drive while mine was in the shop. This new car, an updated model of my own, had all the top bells and whistles, including keyless entry. You just put your foot on the brake and push a button. Easy.

Yes, it was simple, but it got me to thinking, what’s so inconvenient about a key? Then I took it one step further and started thinking, no way. I want my key. In fact, all women should want a key, and they should have it in their hand as they approach their car or a store in a parking lot.

A couple of things bother me about this keyless entry. First, it means a woman only has to have the key near her – say tucked inside the pocket of her jeans or in her purse. Once she gets close to the car, BINGO! the doors unlock. This does not seem safe to me. Sure, it gives her hands-free access, but it gives that to anyone around her as well.

Additionally, if those keys aren’t in her hand, they can’t be used as self protection, and she doesn’t have access to the panic button on the key fob. Not good.

I recently had the opportunity to drive my daughter’s car, too. Her key folds into the fob. Again, this is convenient for carrying the key in a pocket. It’s not as bad as the keyless entry, but still, it means she can approach the car and unlock it without having the sharp point of the key exposed. After considering this, I’ve advised her to always release the key and carry it in such a way that it could be used if she were approached, attacked, etc.

A few years ago, we had a very sad incident occur in our area. A young woman was abducted from a store parking lot in daylight. In her own car she was taken to another location where she was raped and murdered. Any little bit of self protection that could potentially help a woman in such a situation is so important. Ladies, don’t trade convenience for personal safety. Keep your key! And keep it handy. It could do more than start your car.

Cuteness overload!

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Zoos and aquariums have long been on our family’s list of places to go on trips and vacations. While I haven’t specifically recorded each one, it’s very close to at least one in each state!

It all started roughly twenty years ago when my daughter became almost obsessed with animals. We’ve been to zoos in the rain, snow and blazing heat. If you ever have the chance to go to a zoo on a nice winter day, do it! One of our best ever experiences happened right after Christmas when there was snow on the ground, but only a few people around. The place was quiet, and we had it almost to ourselves. No fighting for position, no large groups of school kids, and the animals were active and interested.

I added two new zoos and another aquarium to the list in the past couple of weeks with a visit to the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, the Indianapolis Zoo, and the Cincinnati Zoo.

I know a lot of people are either dog lovers or cat people. I’m really neither, but I do enjoy zoo animals. I don’t know how anyone could not smile at the adorable face of a red panda or the amusing antics of river otters and penguins! Here are a few of my most recent zoo encounters. Feel free to contribute photo captions that come to mind! 🙂
Enjoy!

-Darlene

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Road tripping and state skipping

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It’s the last day of the big road trip with my daughter . . . five states in five days! The ultimate goal is to move her from North Carolina to New York, but many detours along the way! We’ve seen woods and mountains, taken tours and scenic drives. Fun restaurants and shopping. We’ve been way up high in the lovely Smoky Mountains, and way down low in the Mammoth Caves of Kentucky. A few wrong turns and cloudy days, but mostly fun times! The years of this kind of freedom will be fewer and fewer, so we’re trying to enjoy it as much as we can.

Today we’re heading to the zoo, then it’s on the road again — on the road to the Final Four!

More blog posts to come! Happy weekend, everyone!

Darlene

 

Now This is Eye Candy!

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Just got back from spring break. Tons of fun in (mostly) sunny California! Had a great time watching my son play tennis and hanging out at several beaches with the fam and our friend. But one of the best days was when I stole away all by myself to visit the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena.P1040675 This place is just amazing. Beautiful. Restful. Peaceful. So many lovely places to just relax, read and reflect. I did all of that, but I also took a bunch of pictures. The wisteria in the Japanese garden was stunning. May have gotten a little carried away in the desert garden. There are some strange and incredible plants on this planet! Here’s a little peek!
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I have a grown-up

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holding EToday’s a funny day – a day of memories and a few mind-boggling gulps. Thirty-two years of marriage, and a kid twenty-four years old. Same day, eight years apart.

Of course it happens to everyone who has kids, that how-did-this-happen, where-did-the-time-go kind of awe mixed with sadness and maybe a little panic.
Wow. My daughter is 24, a double dozen years. The panic, of course, is what it means in terms of my years, not hers!

I think back on the first twelve years, and it’s astonishing how many things happened during that time – from learning to talk and walk to starting school right up to the brink of adolescence. And this last dozen – incredible changes like, um, growing up! Twelve years doesn’t really seem so long, but those years represent the angst of middle school, the drama of high school with its activities, achievements and learning to drive. Graduation. And then college. The years of figuring things out and exploring options. Another graduation. All of the years of college done and gone, already part of her past. Amazing.

Now she’s on her own, working, paying most of her own bills. 🙂 That part is quite exciting. So is the next chapter for her, which begins in a few short months when she’ll begin a PhD program that will set her on the path to becoming a scholar in the field of marine biology. Very cool stuff, so while I lament the passing of so many years, the wrinkles around my eyes and those few extra pounds, I look forward to what’s ahead . . . more birthdays, more milestones and more memories as time marches on!

It’s tea time!

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It’s tea for me! Tea is by far my favorite drink, and I consume a rather large quantity of it. As I sit here on a chilly winter evening with my cup of decaf, I thought I’d pass along a few thoughts about . . . tea!
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Right now, my favorite caffeinated morning tea is Tropical Green from Harney & Sons. I have several boxes of this shipped directly to my house every few months. It has a light pineapple flavor to it. I drink a couple of cups of that each morning, particularly on winter mornings. Sometimes I’ll also have an Earl Grey, especially if I’m not at home, because that seems to be one that some hotels and restaurants will offer.
In the afternoon, I usually switch to flavored teas. A couple of favorites are Bigelow’s Lemon Green Tea and Blackberry Sage from the Republic of Tea. The Republic has several good ones, including Mango Ceylon and Ginger Peach. The Blackberry Sage is also good as an iced tea.

Ahhhhhh. Iced tea. Nothing better on a warm summer day. Anyone who dines with me on a regular basis knows that iced tea is not iced tea is not iced tea. Iced tea can be ruined. It can, in fact, suck. It has to be fresh. It has to be brewed. Freshly brewed.  I don’t know where the food industry got the idea that tea can be a fountain drink. No. Sorry. It can’t.
It’s interesting how iced tea can vary across the country. When traveling, finding good iced tea often becomes a quest. And, often, a disappointing one. Truly, there are some states in which it simply isn’t safe to order an iced tea. It’s putrid. One state that gets it is California. Yes, one more thing to like about Sunny California. They know how to make iced tea. Some of the best iced tea I’ve ever had – with flavors of apricot and passion fruit – has been in California.

Because of the difficulty, I always carry tea bags in my purse. I also have a stainless steel thermos that often travels with me on road trips. I’ve actually taken it empty as a carry-on, too, when I know I’ll be traveling by car once I get to my destination, or sitting out in the sun at a tennis match or on the beach. It’s my special thermos and can be used for nothing but tea – ever. Have you ever tried to make tea using a machine that’s been used to make coffee? Then you know what I mean. Ew. Grimace. It tastes like coffee.
A quick note on flavored tea. Flavored tea is made when there are bits of organic flavoring in the loose tea or tea bag. The flavor is released as the tea is brewed. Let me repeat that – as the tea is brewed. Flavor is not a syrup that is poured into a cup of tea. Ugh.
My very favorite tea for making iced tea was introduced to me several years ago in Colorado. It’s called Tropicana from Xanadu. I used to be able to get individual tea bags, but for the last few years, it’s only been available as loose leaf. A bit of a pain. But, in this case, totally worth it. Yes, it appears that I am, in fact, a tea snob. 🙂
So now you know why the characters (the women, anyway) in my stories tend to prefer tea to pop or coffee!

Spring and summer will bloom again!

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P1030777Well, I’ve survived the first full week of January. Whew. Winter is half over. Yay, yay, yay. I really, seriously hate winter. The cold, the travel issues, the dirt and snow mess. Ugh. This morning there’s a light dusting of the white stuff on the driveway, and pretty much no chance of it melting today. Driveway on the north side of a house. Not a good idea.

But as I look out at the leafless trees and brown grass, I remind myself, that this, too, shall pass. It always does. And one of these days, the view will improve, and the yard will look like this again! 🙂

Stay warm and safe out there!

 

Relaxation or procrastination?

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P1040375I’m sitting here in my living room looking at the snow outside and debating whether I want to write, read or go watch a movie. I could take down my Christmas decorations. I have plenty of time today. But it sounds like work. It is work. It involves hauling all of those boxes back up from the basement, loading them up, and hauling them down again. It’s messy work, too. Even though the tree is still taking in water, it’s losing needles – and not just a few. Taking down the tree will involve a lot of vacuuming. Definitely in the work category.

It’s a cold, bitter day today, and taking down the decorations always leaves the house looking a little cold and bare. No need to add to that, right? Besides, the poinsettias still look lovely, and the extra holiday pillows are cheery. I’m thinking I’ll warm up my tea, then curl up and enjoy another week of holiday decor. 🙂

2014: An intersection of fiction and real life

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P1040474I have to say most of the time I’m not all that giddy-excited about ending one year and starting a new one. Most years have been pretty good. I suppose, though, it’s a good time to take a moment and reflect.
A couple of weeks ago, I went through the year in photos to create the annual custom calendar for my dad for Christmas. Turns out, we had a lot going on in 2014. As a family, we went places and did things. We had a once-in-a-lifetime event.
The biggest event of the year was my son’s high school graduation. Not only did that mean we were sending our awesome son off to college, it meant my husband and I became empty nesters. That’s been very strange, and kind of sad. But it’s also been fun to see him mature and thrive, to deal with new situations and responsibilities. For me, his graduation also meant the end of an era – years and years of volunteering in the kids’ schools. No more band concessions, book fairs, debate boosters, tennis banquets, etc., etc.
It was a year for vacations that included spring break in California and a trip to Joshua National Park near Palm Desert. And our daughter was able to fly in to join us. Made our annual trek to Colorado in July and then headed to the east coast in October for a little beach action and visit with our daughter who’s now out in the working world. Lots of fun times.

Of course my real life intersected with a life of fiction! In 2014, I published my fourth novel. Have to say that is really cool. There were times I doubted I could finish even one. I strengthened ties with critique partners, sold a few more books, and created a new website. I met other authors, made connections with retailers and readers and librarians. As Three Writers of Romance, my critique partners and I were guest speakers and spotlighted in a local magazine.

Looking to 2015, I see a lot more activity. I’m kicking off the new year with my fifth novel – yes, FIFTH. “Second Wind,” the second book in my Women of Whitfield small-town trilogy, launches Jan. 10.
The months will zip by, and once again we’ll be in California for spring break. This time, we’ll get to see our son play college tennis in an invitational tournament there! Hopefully, shortly after that, our daughter will be accepted to a PhD program and will take a huge step in furthering her education and career. The pace won’t slow down at all in April, as my husband and I will join a friend at the Final Four in Indianapolis (Come on, Jayhawks, let’s get it together!), then I’m scheduled for a book sale and signing at a women’s event in Dallas.
In what promises to be a highlight of the coming year, my book club is planning a girls’ retreat in a lovely natural area near Branson, Mo. I’m going to need those four days to unwind, rejuvenate, relax and write. A change of scenery always seems to get the creative juices flowing.

I can’t say what the second half of the year will bring, but I know I can count on a busy schedule. I’ll look forward to seeing what opportunities unfold for my kids. I’ll keep writing – hoping that 2015 will be a two-book year. I’ll attempt to keep up with the changes in the publishing industry, and working to connect with readers. I’ll probably fight with technology and be overwhelmed by social media and marketing.
My goals for the year, I suppose, are to enjoy the travels and times with my family. To eat lunch out with friends as often as I can. To read, and to write books that resonate with others who love to read and get lost in a world of fiction.
Happy New Year and happy reading to all!