Day 8, May 16, England: Fun day today! My writing morning flew by, and this afternoon I had tea and scones at a museum coffee house with another writer friend, Sarah Lister. We met at The Folly, a café within the museum. I’m attending her school presentation tomorrow at the local church graveyard. Those kids […]
retreat
Day 7, May 15, England
I did more writing than walking today. However, even on short walks, there are things to see! (Delicate purple flowers growing out of the drystone wall) Yum! If I were home, I’d make a little pie. White lilac (more a tree than a bush), but […]
Day 6, May 14, England
Today, I’m going to show you the little “British touches” in my cottage that I love and will miss back in Texas: the architecture (crooked beams above the windows and slabs of stone above the fireplace and door), the skeleton key lock and letter box (the “plop” of the village magazine landing on the mat […]
Day 5, May 13, England
I walked to the train station this afternoon. It was 65 and sunny, and I never saw so many people walking around with ice cream cones. A steam train was scheduled to pass through (but not stop) about 4:00. Here are the train station, the stationmaster’s house, the old water tower and coal house (for […]
Day 4, England, May 12
Despite no rain in the forecast for two days, it feels like time to settle in today and do some solid writing. (But yes, I’ll take “walk breaks” today.) I’ve received a few questions about the cottage I’m staying in for three weeks. This is my third time here, and it feels like home. Here’s a […]
Day 3, May 11, England
Day 3: my walk with Julia… I met Julia Chapman five years ago, and she’s become a dear writing friend. This morning she took me up into the “bluebell woods” (Wharfe Woods) near the village of Austwick, where she lives. https://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/be-inspired/what-to-do/the-yorkshire-dales-in-spring/ We saw dozens of lambs, bluebells, wild lavender orchids, yellow cowslips, ivory primroses, wild […]
England: Day 2, May 10, 2023
I took three walks today, just to get reacquainted with the village and buy food. (England has the BEST gluten-free bread!) Photos today include a few historic buildings in the village plus the surrounding hills, limestone crags, fields with new lambs, drystone walls zigzagging uphill, and everything so GREEN! Everywhere you turn, something is blooming […]
England: Day 1, May 9, 2023
I’m back at my writer’s retreat in the Yorkshire Dales. I plan to spend my days writing, reading, sleeping, and walking (a lot). I plan to show daily some highlights of my stay in the Yorkshire Dales. A few photos, a few notes…from a small village filled with lovely people. Confession: I also bought ten […]
Resting and Reflecting Before Re-Aligning
Since I last posted regularly, I’ve written three books (two adult mysteries and one juvenile nonfiction book), traveled, and been sick. The holidays blurred by, to be honest, because one of the book deadlines was December 20th. Two days ago I finished the second adult mystery. One good thing about being sick is all the […]
The Necessity of Solitude
Women are givers. Women writers are some of the most giving people I know. We tend to have stronger relationships because of it–with babies, grown children, friends, and extended family. But unless you learn how to balance all this giving with replenishment, you’ll find it nearly impossible to write. Gift from the Sea It has […]