Category Writing

Porch swings… Are they a Southern thing?

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DBE1BA3D-1D86-454C-BEA6-EA574BA1143AI have always liked the idea of a porch swing. Growing up near Lake Michigan, we would string up a hammock between two trees OR bring a lawn chair down to the beach to watch the sunset. A porch swing with lemonade was what we saw in the movies.

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw Felder Rushing’s Blog post, “Put a Bounce in Your Swing.” His story is wonderfully written about his father’s love for the porch swing and fine tuning the springs, so that it would be a perfect ride. The swing was also a place where his father’s creative ideas were imagined!

Reading Felder’s post reinforced why I have always found the idea of a porch swing relaxing. There is something traditional about taking time for ourselves to sit, swing, let our minds wander and enjoy nature.

Oh, and if you believe in saints, Felder has you covered. GET THIS, St. Proculus of Verona is known as the swinging saint. I would never have known this! You can read about him here…  “Swinging Garden Saints.”

That brings me back to my question, “Why do porch swings seem to be a Southern thing?”

Florence – YES, I found a 99 cent store…

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DC6A821E-F171-4F8F-93CE-85290D3A99F4The Family Dollar stores are all over America, but I didn’t expect to find one in Florence. I thought you might enjoy seeing this, so if you travel to Italy you can save money by buying water and other small items here! They really have quite a bit, it’s amazing how the store looks small on the outside, but upon entering it’s quite big.

If you save on water, etc….  you can enjoy a gelato!

Firenze – Bartolini kitchen store

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2AB82753-8768-4542-AB5A-F9EC1B009E18Yesterday, I was walking in Florence and I got lost. I was trying to catch the bus. I knew where I was, but I thought I would be “smart” and take a “short cut” down a small street to get to the bus stop faster, but that led me in a different direction from the bus stop. In Italy, the streets can twist and turn, it feels like being in a maze.

The good news with getting lost is that we explore a new area. I sure got LUCKY on this street. I came upon a store called, “Bartolini.” I was drawn to the beautiful window display of kitchen items. It is fun to explore kitchen stores when traveling.  For example, look at the window display, it’s amusing to see the variety of espresso machines you could buy all lined up! BEAUTIFUL, isn’t it!

Personally, I use my little Bialetti espresso machine daily! Works perfectly, even after years of use. In fact, I was looking at the smallest Bialetti, which would be for one espresso. Trying to find the BEST deal, I have been checking every store to see what the cost of the smallest Bialetti is. I’ve noticed the price for the machine varies from 14 to 17 euros. I’m curious to see what the price is in the country. Hoping to get this down to 12 or 13 euros if possible!

Inside, the store reminded me of  Williams Sonoma in America. Same quality of kitchen items. Everything from pots, pans, Le Creuset, china, appliances, coffee machines, etc… Oh, but with lots of espresso cups and oil and vinegar containers!!

Bologna Children’s Book Fair

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20F7A794-B126-42B9-8F49-3A441FBF6155Today was the first day of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. I got there by fast train from Florence. Then it was an easy 10 minute bus ride from train station to the conference center.

Upon entering the hall, it was exciting to see all the books as you can imagine. I was amazed at how International this Fair was. Countries from all over the world had booths. Some booths were big, some small, it didn’t matter, they were ALL showing off their best selling books.

This fair is mainly used for the buying and selling of rights to books. So, in ALL the booths you could see “major” meetings going on and orders being taken.

China was the Guest of Honor. They gave different speeches with the Mayor of Bologna. Their booth showcased their Chinese authors and illustrators. They also had a specific booth displaying the work of their BEST illustrators.

I went to check out the Literary Agents Center. There was a strong buzz in the air. This is where authors and illustrators, who have set up appointments, meet with agents to pitch their books!

8A26E60E-A794-41C9-8FDB-2F554A80CB9AThis is what the board looked like, I don’t know what those numbers next to their names were. It was too busy for me to ask someone, people didn’t want to miss their appointments by answering my questions.

I finally made it to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair! So glad I went.

Oh, I could tell I was a book fair beginner, because I forgot to bring a BIG bag to put all the pamphlets that I would gather in. The book show veterans had roller bags!

Writing: Is your brain on overload?

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Some days, we are write (I mean right.) on target with our writing goals and other days, it seems we will never find the last piece to the puzzle.

Brain is confusedI’m writing my children’s book and my brain is on overload. Too many wires out there and they are not connecting. If you are a writer or a student working on a term paper or thesis, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

We’re trying to focus, so that our writing path is clear, but our mind cannot quiet down and concentrate!

I know this is when we are told to “meditate.” I’ve tried that. My brain does quiet down for 5 minutes, then it is back to brain chaos.

This made me think of inventors. Can you imagine the patience they have to have when they keep reaching a dead end! I’m sure Thomas Edison banged his fist on the table many times when he was inventing the light bulb!

The key is visualizing the end result. Keeping our mind on the prize!

So, TODAY is about finding a break through!

Diet & Exercise – TIME TO COMMIT!

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Spring is around the corner. Do you struggle with diet and exercise? I just read a motivational post by CrossFitMomm: One Mom’s Journey with CrossFit. This Mom is definitely ON FIRE. Her post called, “You Can’t Exercise Away a Crap Diet…” was a right on target.

I found inspiration in her post, because she thrives on exercise. She is fanatical about it, like a drill Sergeant. That is the type of trainer I would need. Someone to push me to the next level. As I keep reading her posts I see the difference in “her thinking” versus “my thinking.” I enjoy exercise, but I am not driven by it. She is driven by exercise, I like her energy.

It would be amusing if she and I went bicycle shopping together. At the store, I would go to the LEFT and she would go to the RIGHT. I would be looking at the old fashioned leisure bikes with a pretty basket in front, she would be looking at the high powered racing bikes. This is why I like her posts! Her energy is so high and focused on exercise that I would slowly concede and buy the race bike.

She points out that if we find an exercise or sport that we love to do then it is not a chore. I agree with this. If you are looking for motivation and a little bit of “tough love” in the exercise department, you’ll like her Blog.

Ok – this little bird needs to pick up the pace. Spring is here, the birds are chirping like crazy outside. Let’s GO!

Free Library is back! Expats in Hong Kong, finding prayer…

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You never know what you are going to find on a walk. A friend of mine sent me a picture of this Little FREE Library she found. I continue to be amazed at how creative these neighborhood libraries can be. Normally, I see them as big bird houses, but this was indeed different. I asked her to see what books they had inside.

Take a look, one book called, “The Expatriates” by Janice Y.K. Lee about three female expats in Hong Kong. Then a second book called, “The Water Will Hold You / A Skeptic Learns to Pray,” by Lindsey Crittenden.

Two books, so different. I looked them up online, click on the links. I downloaded and started reading the second book by Crittenden. It’s a bit sad, it deals with family issues. At the same time, the author learns to find prayer and how she does that is interesting.

So, if you walk by a library, stop and take a peek, who knows what you’ll find!

Happy Chinese / Lunar New Year! Chinese Food Recipes…

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Chinese New Year DumplingsHappy Chinese / Lunar New Year!

If you are celebrating and want to try some new Chinese recipes, I have just the website for you.

I came across Elaine’s “China Sichuan Food” last year. She has a variety of great authentic recipes.

As I follow her Blog when she has a new recipe I receive an email. Yesterday she sent an email with a nice story about how her family celebrates Chinese New Year and the types of foods they normally cook at this time.

If you are celebrating Lunar New Year or enjoy Chinese food, you’ll find her website a real delight. Elaine’s recipes look easy and delicious to make. You’ll see she walks you through the recipes with detailed photos, so it’s hard to get it wrong.

There are so many recipes I want to try (i.e. Kung Pao Cauliflower)… I’ve got to get started!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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7CBC96C0-67F1-4CED-A951-0B3CF0A59BA6Today we celebrate Valentine’s Day. If you happen to be at the grocery store late afternoon you’ll see a lot of people rushing to buy their last minute flowers to bring home to their loved ones.

When I met my ex/mother/n/law years ago, I learned very quickly that she loved orchids. Back then I did not know much about orchids. Growing up in the Midwest our winters were long, so we did not see or think about flowers until Spring. Orchids were new to me, I soon fell in love with them too.

Living in California, with warmer temperatures, we had incredible tropical flowers. So for Valentine’s Day there was no need to just give red roses, we had a variety of flowers to choose from.

A favorite of mine is the bird of paradise. This flower with it’s bright colors does indeed look like a bird about to take flight. Amazing!

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For those of you who might be feeling lonely or forgotten on Valentine’s Day, I send you some flowers. Remember that Valentine’s Day is not only about receiving, but giving as well. If this is not your year to receive a Valentine, why not take the initiative to surprise someone and be the Valentine “giver” this year!

Wishing you ALL a very special and beautiful day!

This is called a “snow day!”

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CBF9C2A4-8D1B-43B0-B4B2-750EBADAB74BWhat do you do on a snowy day? You take the dreaded walk to your car hoping you don’t find THIS… see photo! It’s tough enough to scrape the snow off your car, but if you don’t have a shovel and your car is totally snowed in — WELL, you have to use your feet as a shovel and kick the snow away from your car. As you can see, there is no where for the snow to go!

Excellent exercise for two hours, frozen hands if you took the wrong type of gloves. What do I mean by wrong type of gloves. For a tough job like this, you don’t go outside with your cheap pink knitted gloves, instead you need the high powered black water resistant gloves.

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I made the mistake of grabbing my pink gloves. The ones I bought on a day where I forgot gloves, my hands were freezing and I didn’t want to pay too much. I learned my lesson, don’t try to do a high level outdoor job with girly pink knitted gloves. Your hands become frost bitten!

I know, you are wondering if I got my car out. The answer is “NO.” I did make a good effort though. We need a snow plow and a sunny day tomorrow to melt the snow.

Time for a reward.

I’m going to make a hot chocolate and HOPE that Spring comes soon!