Emergency rations

I’m getting ready for another journey. Pre-pandemic I traveled a lot, and this year I’ve come close to ramping back up to my old ways. This weekend I’m off to Germany for a week. This will be my third trip to Europe this year and my fifth time out of the country, both of which …

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Quirky

I really love roadside attractions and quirky little museums–and I’m fascinated by the people who run them. This was one of the inspirations for my new novel, The Taste of Desert Green, in which one character owns a dinosaur/outer space themed museum in the middle of the Mojave. Sadly, Wally Harlow’s Fossil Galaxy exists only …

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Summer

Here we are, well into August, and my fall semester begins in 10 days. Sigh. It’s been quite a summer. I went to Europe twice: to Paris and Florence with my husband and then, a few weeks later, to Zagreb, Lisbon, and Porto with my older daughter. Went to BayCon. Also spent a week on …

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confession

I have a confession to make: I haven’t done any writing for over a month. That’s actually a bit of an exaggeration. I have written things, and I’ve also edited things. But in May I got about two-thirds through a holiday story before life stalled me, and I haven’t revisited it yet. I also haven’t …

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Literary Spirits

My husband and I just got back from two wonderful weeks in Europe. I had a day job conference in Paris, so we spent a week there, and then we took the train to Florence. If you want to see a lot of photos, check out my Instagram posts. A really weird thing happened in …

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In a Mood

I’ve been in a very grouchy mood this past week, mostly due to the day job. That’s been making it hard to work on my WIP, which is a light and fluffy holiday tale. I’m just not in the right mindset for light and fluffy–I want darkness and despair (with a happy ending, probably). I …

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Oh, what tangled webs

After allowing my yarn stash to sit dormant (and mocking me) for a decade or so, I’ve finally returned to it. I made a scarf/shawl thing that I really like. And last week I finally finished the Century Afghan! The real name of this pattern is Lizard Ridge. But I knitted those many squares over …

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I can get satisfaction

You know how sometimes very small things can be supremely satisfying? I just drove my younger kid back to her college in Portland. It’s the same college I attended, a very, very long time ago. I haven’t lived in Portland since I graduated, but my family is up that way so I do visit. But …

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Best-laid plans

I’m planning travel. Yeah, I know. I just got back from a trip. But I do love to go places, and if the world keeps on turning properly, I’ll be going lots of places in the next 7 months. Oregon. Paris. Florence. Washington state. Canada? Lisbon. Zagreb? San Francisco. Virginia. In the Time Before, this …

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Vacation photos

My husband and I just returned from a week-long cruise in Mexico. Yes, I was sad to get off the ship, and yes, it still feels as if the ground is rocking beneath me. Our first stop was in Cabo San Lucas. I’ve been there a few times before. The sunsets are beautiful. Then we …

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