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2024 is off to a strong start: the January recap
Welcome to my first What’s Been on Your Calendar post of 2023! I went into my holiday break last month recovering from COVID, exhausted, and struggling to figure out how to rebalance my life so it wouldn’t grind me into fine powder by April Fool’s Day. Then I rested, took a short road trip, spent some time in nature… and felt renewed. January has been the best month I’ve had in awhile. I’m not sure what made the difference but my money’s on rest and spending time really thinking about how best to prioritize the many demands on my time and energy. I’m also not sure how long this new…
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An award-winning poem and a visit to Seattle
A more-exciting-than-usual week here at Camp WTF. Long-Suffering Husband and I just got back from Seattle. I was there for a work conference; he was there for the coffee. Then as soon as we got back, I got the news that one of my poems won an award in the Arizona Authors Association Annual Literary Contest. Yay! But before we get to all that: This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s get to it. “Mourning Doves” won Best in Category My poem “Mourning Doves” won Best in Category in the Arizona Authors Association annual literary…
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Interviewed for the Mysterious Goings On podcast + trip to Las Vegas – the October recap
I had two big events in October: I was interviewed for the Mysterious Goings On podcast about using short stories to launch a writing career, and Long-Suffering Husband and I drove to Vegas to meet up with a friend (*waves at Laurel*). But before I get to all that: This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share hosted by Natalie the Explorer and What’s Been on Your Calendar hosted by Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb. Talking writing and short stories on the Mysterious Goings On podcast I’m excited to announce that I was interviewed for Alex Greenwood’s Mysterious Goings On podcast! In the episode, which will post on November 29, I talk about launching a writing career later in…
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Pics of the Las Vegas Sphere – and books
I bailed on blogging again last week, and it wasn’t even for a boring reason like work or a writing deadline. I went to Vegas! And you know what that means: I’m so broke I have to sell my plasma to survive. I have new photos to fill space on my blog! This week we’ll visit Sphere, the newest Las Vegas attraction and my latest obsession. But first: it’s the 3rd Friday of the month, which means it’s time for the What’s On Your Bookshelf Challenge, hosted by Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb. I’ve been getting back into a regular reading groove and finished a nice mix of books since my last book post…
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Hot rocks and cool coatis: a visit to Chiricahua National Monument
This week I’ll take you on a visit Chiricahua National Monument, billed by the National Park Service as, “A Wonderland of Rocks.” So strap in and get ready for lots of pictures of… Rocks. Big rocks. Tall rocks. Round rocks. Skinny rocks. OK, I’ll stop channeling Dr. Seuss. What was I talking about? Oh, yeah: Rocks. Also coatimundi, a/k/a coatis, possibly the cutest animals I’ve ever seen in a national park. Also memes. But first: This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s get this party started. Weekly Weather Whining For the last week+, we’ve enjoyed…
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Podcast appearance, Michigan trip, and books
This post is a hodgepodge–my podcast appearance, the last of the pictures from my trip to Michigan, and what I’ve been reading lately. But before we get to all that: This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer, and What’s On Your Bookshelf, hosted by Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb. Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s get to it. I’m on the Big Blend Radio podcast! Last month I appeared on the Big Blend Radio podcast, along with other authors whose stories appeared in the Trouble in Tucson anthology. More details in this post. Last batch of pix from the Michigan trip In my last two…
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Nayanquing Point State Wildlife Area, Michigan
Happy Friday! It’s time for part 3 of the Michigan trip report (see part 1 and part 2), a visit to Nayanquing Point State Wildlife Area on Saginaw Bay. I’m going to milk my trip for all I can on here, because it’s the only interesting thing I’ve done in ages. So get ready for: birds! But first: This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s look at some water birds! The lay of the land Nayanquing Point is marshland on the edge of Saginaw Bay. We found this place by accident–we saw a road sign for…
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Michigan Trip Part 2: 2 Cold, 2 Windy
Happy Saturday! This week I’m sharing a few pics from Day 2 of our drive around Michigan’s Thumb: Port Huron (featured last week) to Sebewaing. I have a lot fewer pictures than I normally would, because the weather along Lake Huron was way too cold and windy for this desert rat. Before we get going: The post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Have a seat, grab a treat, and pretend you care about my vacation pictures so you don’t bruise my fragile little fee fees. Pics from our Thumb Drive “Thumb Drive.” Heh, heh. See what I did there? Yeah, I know, don’t…
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May Mayhem: Michigan and More
“Where’ve you been?” “We’ve missed you.” “Are you even still alive?” OK, no one has actually said any of that to me, but let me pretend someone noticed I haven’t been blogging in a couple of weeks. I have an excellent array of excuses, though, otherwise known as my May calendar. But before we get into an illustrated account of why I didn’t blog in May: This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer, and What’s Been on Your Calendar, hosted by Sue, Debbie, Donna, and Jo. So have a seat, grab a treat, and let’s get to it. The Day Job If you read my April…
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Dispatch from Up North, Part 1: Salt River Canyon and Rainbow Lake
Long-Suffering Husband and I spent a lovely long weekend in a cabin in Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona, walking in the woods, exploring the area, and being away from work, chores, and other adult annoyances. We also took tons of pictures, which I’ll share over at least the next couple of weeks. This week’s post will be brief, because I have all-day work commitments on the days I usually blog, and I’ll be too exhausted afterwards to string words together. OK, enough whining. Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer! Grab a treat, take a seat, and let’s get to it.