Yesterday I “celebrated” my 50th birthday. In the months leading up to the dreaded day, I knew I might be bummed about it, so I decided to plan an evening of “Desserts & Dancing” (two of my favorite things) with some of my friends. I figured, if chocolate and dancing wouldn't chase away the birthday blues, what would? I enjoyed myself, and I think everyone else did, too. My teenage sons even … [Read more...]
It’s the People that Matter Most
For my last few posts, I've shared photos of some favorite moments during a recent trip to England. As I mentioned, the memories that stand out most are not the many interesting sights we saw, but the people we connected with along the way. Like the reader, Katie, who took us horseback riding around her family’s stables, then to tea at her mother-in-law’s 500-year-old cottage. And like Linda, the … [Read more...]
The Kindness of Strangers
One of the places I really looked forward to visiting during our recent trip to England was Great Chalfield Manor, the estate that inspired the manor in my new book The Secret of Pembrooke Park (December 2014). We arrived more than an hour before the last tour at 4:00, but were told by a man and woman working the table at the gated entrance that the tours were all sold out for the day. The man … [Read more...]
Personal Connections Across the Pond
I've just returned from 10 days in England, and along with the inevitable jet lag, I am filled with images and impressions still forming in my weary-but-content mind. The memories that stand out most are not the many interesting sights we saw, but the people we connected with along the way. One of my favorite days was one we (me and my travel-companion, driver, photographer, and friend, Sara) … [Read more...]
Countdown to England…
Last April I posted a blog titled, Oh to be in England now that April’s there… (The opening line of the Robert Browning poem). In the post, I lamented how I longed to return to England. Now, a year later, I am excited to say I am counting the days until I take that trip, to research future books and enjoy the English countryside I’ve come to love. (Below is a photo of English bluebells author … [Read more...]