6/16/13

Travelin' Shoes



  











THE OLD WEST:  My Hero's have always been cowboys
"Go West Young Man, and Grow up with the Country." John. B. Soule.
So it’s no secret by now that I have a bad cowboy fetish! I want to go out west to several states and take in the historical sites related to the old west! My favorite cowboy movie quote: "I'll be your huckleberry." (Who said it? What movie?)









CHINA: On the Orient Express
"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The red thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break." An Ancient Chinese Belief.
My youngest daughter is adopted from China and I look forward to taking the family on a heritage tour for my daughter when she is older-hopefully by train to see the countryside.










ALASKA: The last frontier
“The core of mans' spirit comes from new experiences.” Jon Krakauer.
I’d like to visit Alaska for several weeks, going to the old gold mining towns, fishing for salmon, whale watching, and maybe see a few of those guys from Deadliest Catch!









HAWAII: Hang loose
"In what other land save this one is the commonest form of greeting not 'Good day,' nor 'How d'ye do', but 'Love'? That greeting is 'Aloha': love, I love you, my love to you... It is a positive affirmation of the warmth of one's own heart-giving." Jack London.
I’d love to cruise the Hawaiian Islands-nothing more to explain there!








AUSTRALIA: Down under in the outback 
"Where I live if someone gives you a hug it's from the heart. Crikey!" Steve Irwin
One of my hero’s was Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter. So I’d love a trip to visit the Australian Zoo and while there the Great Barrier Reef would simply top it off!




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6/12/13

Brilliant Bonus Blogger ~ Larissa Reinhart


Growing up in my very small town (population 600), I traveled through reading. I loved exotic locations in books, like FAR PAVILIONS, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (or any Agatha Christie) and CROCODILE ON THE SUNBANK. My parents were teachers. We took a vacation every summer, but couldn’t afford to travel far. They would create intricate plans touring “historic spots” within a few hundred miles of our home. We drove everywhere, rising at six, and stopping at every brown sign on our way. We ate powdered donuts for breakfast, picnic lunches in the back of the station wagon, and stayed at Holiday Inns because they always had a pool. We rarely drove on interstates, because the journey mattered, not the destination.

Given the choice, I would have gone elsewhere, but in actuality, I didn’t care. I just liked to travel.
  

For my college graduation present (this was before the era of Studies Abroad, mind you), I begged to go to Egypt. My college sponsored a ten day trip with an independent study. I arrived in Egypt just in time for the start of the first Gulf War. Since then, my husband and I married in Hawaii (pre-destination wedding, took the money and ran) and have lived in Japan three times. Traveled back three other times for vacation. Europe also three. Thailand once, where I was attacked by a monkey. China twice to get my babies and Hong Kong three times with those babies. Canada three times, because it counts as foreign travel. California, which doesn’t count as foreign travel but takes as long to fly there. Not many places, considering the expanse of the globe.
  
So here’s my top five of places I want to go. I have to exclude the places I’ve been, although I love revisiting. A reason Tybee Island isn’t on this list. I’m also not listing Great Britain because I’ve read too many books set there and that list would be ridiculous.


1.     Spain. Our besties lived in Barcelona, so having heard their stories, of course I want to go to Barcelona. But after reading THE SEVILLE COMMUNION by Arturo Perez-Reverte some years ago, I’ve wanted to travel to Seville just to smell the oranges.

2.   Malta. THE BRASS DOLPHIN by Caroline Harvey. So romantic and tragic and historic. Ever since I checked that book from the library, I’ve wanted to visit this cloistered island steeped in history and very unique culture. And it’s an island in the Mediterranean. Enough said.

3.   Denmark. I think I read about Tivoli Gardens as a child and that set me on my love of Denmark. When I learned of the Danish Resistance Movement during the Holocaust, I became a loyal Denmark fan. Plus you have such great stories set there. THE LITTLE MERMAID. BEOWULF. SMILLA’S SENSE OF SNOW. HAMLET. BABETTE’S FEAST. Danged if I can remember the book with Tivoli Gardens that started my obsession, though.

4.   Australia. Raise your hand if you read A TOWN LIKE ALICE in high school and fell in love with Australia. Or maybe THE THORN BIRDS, despite the topic.

5. Any local in a Mary Stewart book. I know. A cop out. But I read AIRS ABOVE THE GROUND and wanted to go to Austria. THE MOONSPINNERS and THIS ROUGH MAGIC and I’m all for Greece. MADAM WILL YOU TALK and Marseilles. THE STORMY PETREL and Scotland. I’ve been reading Mary Stewart since childhood. What can I do?

          

 I’ve left a lot of places off this list. It’s killing me. How can anyone pick five places? I didn’t even touch the United States and my stories are very provincial. Where do I get waxing rhapsodic on foreign locals when my heroine thinks exotic is Myrtle Beach? Thanks for the chance to explore my favorite “fiction” vacation spots, FFF!
I’ll give away a Japanese gift to a commenter along with some Cherry Tucker swag! 

Larissa Reinhart loves small town characters, particularly sassy women with a penchant for trouble. STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW (May 2013) is the second in the Cherry Tucker Mystery Series. The first, PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY, is a 2012 Daphne du Maurier finalist, a 2012 The Emily finalist, and a 2011 Dixie Kane Memorial winner. She lives near Atlanta with her minions and Cairn Terrier, Biscuit. Visit her website, her Facebook page, or find her chatting with the Little Read Hens on Facebook.

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6/8/13

Dream Vacation Destination: Wherever I Want


Dream Vacation Destination: Wherever I Want


Adventure on the high seas
An untamed pirate cruise adventure on the wild high seas. Yep, swashbuckling sword fights, eye patches and planks while yelling things like ahoy!, blimey and hornswaggle!. I’d seen an add years ago for a cruise ship (no longer in service) that offered no amenities and you had to do actual hard labor pirate work like mopping decks, cooking grub and wondering about the ship wondering why you paid to live like it was 1792. But it sounded adventurous and oddly appealing. Granted I’d probable get sea sick and scurvy but it sounds like a boat load of fun!


Mediterranean Cruise
I seem to have a theme here. My in-laws took a cruise of the Mediterranean many years ago and it looked positively romantic. The Greek Isles, romantic Italy, Spain, the Holy land. It taps all my girly romantic roots. I can feel the sun warming my toes while I lounge on the deck and read…and read…and read!


Sasquatch anyone?
Spending the late summer/early fall hiking the Appalachian Trail does indeed sound like a dream vacation. It’s not for everyone but being so close to nature and putting my feet where thousands have traveled over hundreds of years sends a tingle of excitement through my cute little pink and green hiking boots. Possibly walking in the steps of my ancestors gives me a sense calm  of finding the past and weaving it into my present (and hopefully sneaking a peak at the elusive Sasquatch.) 


Parlez-vous francais?
I love France. It’s more of an unexplainable obsession that started in middle school. I did get to spend a week of my honeymoon there and I felt at home. There was a peace in my heart and an uncanny feeling that I’d been there before. I fancy I was a French princess who shopped and played on the streets of the Champs-Elysees and dipped her toes into the cool waters of the Seine. I would love a summer to explore every nook and cranny of the city.


Go East
I’ll have to do more in depth research but a month at a monastery in Asia sounds perfectly in order. My life is hectic with all the many hats I must wear so a month finding my inner peace and centering my soul sounds absolutely divine. I read Eat, Pray, Love years ago and this sparked my interest in finding my center and a sense of calm.


These are the dream vacations that I float through in my mind while the world explodes in chaos around me. Anyone want to join me?

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6/4/13

Somewhere...





beyond the sea. Somewhere, waiting for me... 






You know the rest of the song. Or maybe not. Either way, give Old Blue Eyes a listen while you cruise through this post. It's like a mini vaca, I promise!


The point is that I adore water. I reckon I should. I'm an Aquarius, after all. Beaches I can take or leave. Sand, sunburn, sharks. Meh. But water, glorious water? Ahhhh. 
Ahoy, Matey! And away we go!


Let's start with a Mediterranean cruise. And if you can transport me back to the 40s, that would be keen. Green-blue waters as far as the eye can see, sumptuous buffets, dancing until dawn to big band tunes, and beautiful cabin boys in crisp sailor white with the bodies of Greek gods, their sun-bronzed skin shining in the moonlight and... Ahem.  







Apparently this particular castle is in the Ukraine. But, to be frank, I'd take any castle thus situated on a barren cliff overlooking a massive sea. Provided it had central heating. And servants. And breakfast served from chafing dishes. Possibly high tea with clotted cream. And books. Lots and lots of books.





I don't even know where this is. Can't say I much care, though it feels sort of vaguely Pacific. The point is, there's a hot tub. In the ocean. With a dandy bamboo screen to hide me from the sharks. And just outside the frame of this photo is an immensely talented masseuse waiting to relax me to near oblivion while a world-class personal chef sautes up the perfect mid-summer snack. Trust me, they're there. In my world, at least.



The Bahamas. Been there once. Going back someday, maybe next time at an all-inclusive. I love the straw market, I love the absurdly ornate pools, I love the music, I love the people. And I'm darn well getting my hair braided again -- unapologetically!









Ahhh, peace and quiet. My favorite thing. Plenty of time for writing, reading, and reflecting on life. And the best part? This lake has no snakes. Only turtles and pretty little fish flashing in the sun. Doesn't get any better than this!










What do you say? Wanna come with? 

Happy we'll be beyond the sea...

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6/1/13

Dream Vacations!


That's our topic of the month! From peaceful interludes to adventurous journeys, we can't wait to tell you where we'd love to go and to hear about your dream breaks as well. We have some fun guests this month, so be sure to stop on by. And here's a little ditty just to get you in the mood :-)


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5/30/13

Brilliant Bonus Blogger ~ Maggie Laton



I am uniquely gifted and do nothing that would, in any way, offend or annoy anyone. In addition to hyperbole, I'm also a hypochondriac.

1. "Public Wanderers"
People who walked without purpose in places where there are no roses to be smelled. I used to travel weekly for my job, and assumed that other people travelled for leisure, and maybe weren't in the same rush as I to make their connections, or get out to the rental car lot, so as to not be stuck with the super economy bread basket on wheels. But seriously, get out of my way. Walk with purpose, or get right to stroll!

2. "Reluctant Questioners"
People who offerer answers to the question they just asked me. You know the type, those who ask, "So when you run where do you go? Do you run on a treadmill or the road, or...?" And they always trail off at the end, I'm not sure why they have to do that. I don't view questions as interrogations so just let me answer. I want to talk about myself, really I do!

3. "Unofficial Pace Car Drivers"
People who drive the speed limit in the left lane. If I want to break the law by driving 9 miles over the speed limit, which everyone knows is the "real" speed limit, then get over and let me. Your self-righteous camping out in the left lane to pace the rest of us is offensive and makes me want to "get up under you, get you loose, and put you into the wall" a la NASCAR.

4. "Mean Girls (And Boys)"
Lest you think I only have pet peeves related to travel, my fourth pet peeve is people who treat wait staff or clerks poorly. While I was completing my degree at a top ten engineering school, I waited tables to avoid school debt. I am sure that, in many cases, I had as much education as the drunken jerks I was waiting on, but all they saw was someone they could treat badly. I think that people who treat others badly due to their perceived station "show their butts" as my Grandmaw would say, and they aren't as pretty as they assume.

5. "Technology Addicts"
FInally, I must include people who ignore their children (or family, or friends) to talk on the phone or text. My heart breaks every time I see a child, silently plodding behind his mother, while she talks on her phone. The children almost always have sad faces and I know that their delicate egos are being dinged, even now. Let's put the technology away and raise our children, talk to our friends and actually engage, people.

So there you have it; my top 5 pet peeves. If someone would please forward this to our President, I feel he would agree, and by the Fall, we could all be enjoying a far less annoying society.

What are your top annoyances?!?!

Maggie Laton is a writer trapped inside an engineer's body, who came to embrace her creative side following a sudden and dramatic upheaval in her life. Her MBA professors called it a paradigm shift.  She calls it a blessing. Following a decade of upward mobility, she found herself unemployed, abandoned by her husband, and pregnant with a child whose heart defect ended up teaching her how to feel again Her son is doing well, but during his sickness, she built a blog and Facebook page to keep family updated, and ended up creating a large social following that she began to think wasn't a fluke. She is now a social media consultant to numerous small (and not so small) businesses, teaching them to build an online following, and speak to their audience with all the glitter and jazz hands that her trapped writer always tried to fling out of the uptight engineer. She can be found on Facebook, LinkedIn, her website,  and she maintains a personal blog.

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5/28/13

Pet Peeves Bite


People talking to me when I'm reading or writing. I'm obviously living in another world. Why must you shock me into reality by asking me where the peanut butter is?
 People who think they have permission to ride in my car trunk.  No, not literally, that's illegal. And weird. I'm talking about those who follow too closely in traffic. I'm going the speed limit. If they want to drive faster, just pass me. I'll smile and wave when I pass them later...parked on the side of the road with blue lights reflecting off their trunk.

   People who stare at me at stoplights because I have a great singing voice. Okay, so they are staring because I can't carry a tune in a bucket. Who cares? One these days I'm going to roll up the window--then lick it just to freak them out.


Okay, I'm seeing a pattern here. I'm switching up a bit so everything doesn't have to do with peevy people…
  Money facing the wrong way. I need it like the picture depicts!
I can't help it. I must have all bills facing up, seals at the top, and by denomination. I can't count money until it's  in order. I was a banker for years, and cringed when someone handed me bills in disarray Please, don't hand me a mess of bills—unless it's a gift of a million or so.  In that case, you can hand it over wadded in balls or folded into origami swans.

      Now for the fifth and final peeve: 

Having too many pet peeves to count. I sound like a whiner when I list them. I really shouldn't let these things bother me. So...I am going to put down my books and live in reality. I'll drive faster, sing better and ignore messy money.

If you believe that, watch me lick a window too.

What are your pet peeves? 


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5/24/13

Brilliant Bonus Blogger ~ Linsey Lanier

Linsey Lanier's Top Five Pet Peeves.

Just off the top of my head, here are five things that make me want to scream!


5. Writing a blog post in your head and not being about to remember a thing you thought of, LOL (I did that when Maggie first contacted me and now--poof. It's gone. And it was so good!)

4. Traffic (the car kind AND the Internet kind.)

3. People who call during dinner and when you tell them you're eating, they just keep on talking. (Not any of my friends, hubby's.)

2. Not having enough time to read. I have so many talented writer friends, I wish I could buy and read every one of their books. Alas, I have to pick and choose.


1. Not having enough time to write. (That's my biggest, most enduring one.)

Anyone want to join me in today's b**** session?


Linsey Lanier is the author of a dozen novels and several short stories, including the best selling Someone Else's Daughter (A Miranda's Rights Mystery)--book I in a series of five. Books I-IV are available now. Book V is coming this fall. Linsey writes romantic mystery-suspense, romantic fantasy, and romance--with a dash of sass.

To learn more about Linsey's books, visit her website, or her blog.

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5/20/13

Does that irk you?

Petty or significant, we all have things that annoy or exasperate us.

I cheated and listed 10 peeves instead of 5. (5 important, 5 petty.)



Important peeves:

HAUGHTINESS
I've met people with their noses so far in the air they'd drown in a rainstorm. No matter what we do for a living, who or where we're from, we're all created equal and shouldn't value ourselves over anybody else.

BULLIES
It makes me mad when I see someone intimidate someone younger, smaller or weaker. And anybody who witnesses bullying and does nothing about it is almost as guilty in my eyes.

SELFISHNESS
When I was a child, I read a story about a boy who fought his brothers for the largest apple in the fruit bowl. As it turned out, his apple had a worm in it. Served him right! Selfish people get on my nerves.

DISRESPECT
Young or old, we should respect all living things. What has happened to people's hearts that allows them to disregard feelings and rights of others? People have contempt for total strangers, kids disrespect their parents, and parents disrespect their own parents.

BRUTALITY
People can be mean. Plain and simple. Some in a petty way, others more viciously. For those who treat defenseless children or animals more cruelly than my mind can fathom--there isn't a punishment too harsh. Brutality really gripes me. There is no excuse for being cruel and heartless. Period.


Petty Peeves:
1. If you've seen the movie or show I'm watching, don't tell me what will happen.
2. If you're a cashier, don't ignore me while I'm at the register.
3. If you're a server, don't hold me hostage--bring my check to the table.
4. If you're smacking, rattling paper, clicking a pen, or jingling keys or coins--stop.
5. Don't. Shush. Me. Thank you very much.

So...what gets YOUR panties in a wad?





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5/16/13

Don't get under my skin!


Pet Peeve: n. a particular and often continual annoyance.

Stay-at-home moms who assume because a mother works, she is not a good mother. I’ve never been fond of the school meetings where moms chat like friends. I’m an older mom and have little in common with the younger moms and somehow the conversation always goes to what everyone does. “Oh, you work? I’m sorry.” As if working is some kind of sin. I usually explain I have a career, not just a job and I am setting a good work ethic for my daughters. “How about you?”

I’m not upset by traffic in Atlanta, as I have lived here all my life, but I do get road rage over a few things. To those that do not know how to use a turn signal or how to get into a turn lane…please take a driving 101 course! There is a reason your vehicle has a blinker!


I'm a planner by nature. Frankly, I'm a nerd and I love my calendar and planning the days ahead. I will admit that I can still forget things, but I don’t like it when last minute requests are tossed my way. I am not one who enjoys getting an email or voice mail that says, “I need this or that by 4pm.” I’m not so rigid that I can’t land on my feet, but it does cause me a certain level of frustration. I like the saying: Your lack of planning is not my emergency!

Tell me something good on Face Book, Twitter etc.  I enjoy social media a little each day, but I do not live on it---who has that kind of time anyway? So when I do find time, I would appreciate not having to scroll through someone’s blow by blow of their day. Tell me something worth reading, not what you had for lunch and that you are stepping away to the bathroom. Surely there is something better to share!
It never fails that I finally get home with the children, get dinner ready and sit down to eat…the phone rings. Dang telemarketers! So, I do one of three things:

     1) Hang up.

     2) Confuse the heck out of them. “So, what did you say your name is? Where are you calling from? What does this company do? Did you grow up there? Is it raining where you are? What’s your mothers name? What day is it again?” I never give them time to ask me anything more and they are usually the ones that hang up. I win!

     3) “Kim Turner? Hold please…” and I put the phone down and let it sit…until I remember it an hour later. If they happen to still be on, then I let them know, “Oh, Kim doesn’t live here anymore.”
Isn’t this one particularly evil?

I am not mean spirited but get tired of life’s little irritations.

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5/8/13

5 of the 10 Things I Hate About You




5 of the 10 Things I Hate About You


See what I did there?
This leads me to number 5 of my pet peeves:


5. Joke-y Jokerson thinks I’m smart as a rock


I got your joke buddy and just because I didn’t give you a Santa worthy belly laugh 0.05 seconds after you told me doesn’t mean you need to explain it to me.



4. My way or the highway

 
I love the delusional do-gooder who wants to help you but turns into a big green meenie when you, heaven forbid, do it your way. Neuro surgeons and pilots can have it their way. Sometimes my way works just fine for me


3. 1,2,3…



Parents who count to their children but NEVER discipline them. Yes this might be a little controversial but hey, whaddayado?  Are you really surprised that little Johnny is the town terror? Not this southern belle. If you insist on counting at least do it in a different language each time…


2. Chew on this

Ah, yes. My #1 and #2 are almost a tie…almost. Please chew with your mouth closed. Please. Please. Please. I’d rather run my fingers down a chalk board for all eternity. Don’t get me wrong. Normal chewing is fine, it’s a must. But if I can hear you two tables away then Houston we have a problem.


1. I'm late, I'm late for a very important date

If you know me then my number one choice was no surprise. It rarely happens but if I’m ever late to an event that you have invited me to, rest assured that I am torn to pieces inside. I don’t know why but I hate, hate, hate being late—and it drives me a little bonkers if others are late.  I know not everyone has my obsession for timeliness but doggone it, if you say meet me at 1:00 and show up at 1:45, you’ve lost me and I’m plotting your timeless torture in my next novel ;P


That was cathartic! What drives you bonkers?


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