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Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Scotland Trip Recap: Week 2

July 20, 2022 By D'Ann Mateer

Our second week in Scotland was spent mainly in Edinburgh, in an adorable flat in a fabulous central location, right in the heart of Old Town. Of course that meant we had to walk up steep stairs to get to the places we wanted to go! (Between all the uphill walking and the old streets and sidewalks, I was so thankful that I choose to wear my hiking shoes every day! Much more stable for this old … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Family, History Tagged With: Edinburgh, history, Scotland, travel

Scotland Trip Recap: Week 1

July 6, 2022 By D'Ann Mateer

We are home from Scotland! I know many of you were following along on Facebook or Instagram, but what I posted each day was just a snippet! Today I’ll run through the highlights of the first week. Two weeks from today I’ll tell you about our second week there. In between, I’ll be posting other tidbits and photos on my own website. Don’t want to miss a post? Then be sure you are subscribed to my … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Family, History Tagged With: anniversary trip, Edinburgh, food, Isle of Skye, Scotland, Scottish Highlands

Off to Scotland!

June 15, 2022 By D'Ann Mateer

Tomorrow night we board a plane for London. Friday afternoon in Heathrow Airport, we catch a flight to Edinburgh.  We’ve long wanted to do a Scotland trip, but especially after learning several years ago that Jeff’s family did, indeed, come from Scotland many, many yeas ago. But we had kids to get through college and Jeff had a job where it was hard to take any time off, let alone enough … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Family, History Tagged With: history, Scotland, travel

A Surprising Read

June 1, 2022 By D'Ann Mateer

I may have mentioned that I’ve joined a book club for the first time. It’s a group of ladies from my neighborhood, so not only do I get to read books I might not have picked for myself, I get to know my neighbors in the process.  To be honest, I really didn’t hold out much hope of reading things I really enjoyed. I know that sounds a bit . . . arrogant . . . but the truth is I like what … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Reading Tagged With: book club

It’s All in the Simmer

May 18, 2022 By D'Ann Mateer

I’m not a cook. I don’t like it. I’m not good at it. But there is one category of food where I feel somewhat confident: soups.  Not complicated cream soups, mind you. I’m talking basic broth soups here. I think a lot of my comfort in this area of cooking goes all the way back to our early married days. Jeff was in law school; I was working at the university in a job that paid little but at … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: soup, story process

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