“I went to East Africa. It was nice.” Nice? Did this friend really just describe a trip to East Africa as “nice”? That word is barely a step above OK and implies that there was nothing particularly impressive about it. She went on to tell me about the cruise she was going on next year. In her defense, all trips depend on HOW you take them. A “cheap” safari trip to Africa, staying in a…
Musings on the State of American Democracy Is it failing? Is it in danger of failing? A Brief Introductory Note I try to use my platform to entertain, post book reviews, promote my five published books, speak about the power of words, and make you laugh with memes about my sweet little terrier, Finnegan. But We live in uncertain times. We live in scary times. We live in divisive times. Politics…
For a liberal, my election priority is not exactly typical. Perhaps it is due to my upbringing as a military “brat” or my devotion to my late husband—a NATO fighter pilot. Yes, there are important election issues like protecting women’s rights and the environment. Folks are concerned about affording groceries and gas. Healthcare, homelessness, immigration, education, gun control, and a host of other things affect us all. But protecting democracy should be our primary focus…
You’ve decided to learn Dutch. Congrats and good luck! If I can do it, anyone can. But… Unless you are gifted in languages (definitely not me!), you’ll need a lot of time for studying and a whole bunch of tenacity. After two years of study, I feel I should be further along on my language journey, so I’m going to the Netherlands for a month of intensive immersion in Bart de Pau’s Dutch Summer…
Stop by the Tucson Festival of Books and say hello! The March 4-5, 2023 Tucson Festival of Books in Tucson, Arizona is a GO!! I will be in the Young Adult Indie Pavilion on Sunday March 5 from 1:30 p.m. – 4:30p.m (subject to change). If you are one of the first 8 people to buy the entire “Skye Van Bloem Trilogy” at the special festival price of $30, you will receive a FREE beautiful,…
How Bad Was the London Heat Wave? As my daughter and I were ending our hike in the beautifully cool Scottish Highlands, several people cautioned us about the heat wave soon to hit London. We laughed. I live in southeast Arizona, in the Sonoran Desert, and my daughter lives in central Florida. Not only have we lived with hot weather, but we actually prefer it. It was supposed to be 100 deg F soon after…
She said it would be a relaxing stroll around Loch Ness Lake. “Easy-peasy,” she said. “No poles necessary.” There would be an impressive 24-mile-long lake with spectacular views, cute B&B’s, hearty Scottish food, quaint villages, fields of highland cows, and cool weather. She was right about everything but one. The journey around Loch Ness Lake is no beginner hike. I’ve done a fourteener in the Colorado Rocky…
It was, perhaps, a bit reckless to travel abroad during a COVID pandemic. Cases across Europe have been climbing and yet, off we went on our adventure. Allow me to start by saying that if you are an anti-vaxxer or believe COVID is a hoax or you think masks don’t work, this blog is not for you. All right then, I’m assuming my readers are science-based folks who are genuinely interested in my experience traveling…
More specifically, the treasured flying items of my late husband, test pilot/former F-15 NATO 32 TFS “Wolfhound” Eric Fiore, are going home to the Netherlands, where he was stationed with NATO forces during the Cold War. In Dutch: De F-15 vliegende dingen van Eric Fiore gaan naar huis. What Happened? Eric died 36 days after a plane crash, and I donated his flight suit, G-suit, helmet, and logbook to the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, Kansas where…
Should You Travel With Tauck? No, I recommend against giving them your business. This is the final chapter of the debacle because none of the agencies I’ve contacted for help are interested in doing more than shuffling messages between me and Tauck. That is not really helpful. To read about the beginning of the mess, please click here. Part II outlines the remediation I have pursued. Click here for that story. An Abbreviated…