A few weeks ago, as I was putting the finishing touches on, and subsequently mailing, our holiday greetings, I began to wonder how others around the world, and even in other parts of the US (say, the deep South, which can seem like a foreign country to those of us in the north, but I’m … Continue reading A Strange American Christmas Tradition?
On our last trip to France, we didn’t plan to spend much time in Paris. It was mostly just a point of entry and exit. We flew into Charles de Gaulle and picked up our rental car, and were then welcomed into Paris with a two-hour traffic jam. Yes, driving through Paris was probably a … Continue reading Metro Misery in the City of Light
Nearly a decade ago, we undertook an itinerant but by no means comprehensive tour of Europe, which incorporated both familiar places (England, Belgium) and new ones (Budapest, Vienna, Prague). We started in England, mainly in and around London, where the husband and I (but mostly the husband, since he’s English and once called London his … Continue reading Not Your Ordinary Travel Adventure
Episode 4: The Most Beautiful Place I’ve Ever Hated The Travel Architect had had her fun, and now the trip was all planned: four days in France’s Loire Valley for the Plantagenet history buff that resides inside me, then over to the Alps to meet The Belgians for several days of biking up and down … Continue reading Episode 4: The Most Beautiful Place I’ve Ever Hated
No, I’m not talking about the murder of millions of innocent turkeys. Perhaps your mind jumped immediately to the discussion of religion and politics at the Thanksgiving table. Though it might be wise to steer away from those topics in the interest of familial harmony, that’s not what I’m talking about either. Nor am I … Continue reading Should This Thanksgiving Tradition Be Banned?
Have you ever been traveling far from home and bumped into someone you know, or someone who knows someone you know, or someone who knows someone who knows someone you know? I hear tales like this from time to time, such as when the husband’s former teaching colleague ran into one of her students while … Continue reading It’s a Small World After All
Well, that depends on how you answer several questions. But first, a disclaimer. This isn’t a review or even a description of a river cruise. I figure you can find all that stuff online. It is simply a series of things to consider – in the context of my singular experience – before you decide … Continue reading Is a Viking® River Cruise Right for You?
Episode 3: The Ocean Ate My Wedding Ring The husband and I got married many moons ago in mid-autumn. Pre-nuptials, when we decided on Belize as a honeymoon destination (the husband has a strange – some would say downright imperialistic – need to visit all of England’s former colonies), I pointed out that we would … Continue reading Episode 3: The Ocean Ate My Wedding Ring
Prior to this new blobby (blog hobby – see Pros, below) I had a relatively normal life. I worked. I had leisure time. I exercised. I spent time with my family. I cleaned (a little). I cooked and baked. I crafted. Now, however, though the general framework of my day-to-day existence is pretty much unchanged … Continue reading How blogging has hijacked my (formerly balanced) life
One of my hobbies is upcycling liquor, wine, and beer-related detritus into decorations and ornaments. I sell these items at the occasional craft show, and at one such show recently, while suffering from Numb Butt Syndrome, it dawned on me how similar blogging is – beyond prolonged gluteal mashing – to sitting behind a table, … Continue reading How blogging is like selling things at a craft fair
