Montego Bay

Recently I was fortunate enough to spend some time in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Can you say heavenly?

Now that I'm back home, running around with a to-do list a mile long, I need to remind myself that there in Mo Bay there was no hustle. No bustle. No scurrying about. And you know what? Life was good, 'mon.

So the takeaway? Relax. I'm going to give it my best shot.

Relax. Relax. Relax...

Public Service Announcement

Woodchucks do not like pineapples. If you are attempt to catch a woodchuck bait trap with something a woodchuck will appreciate. Grass. Weeds. Anything from your garden. Not a perfectly good pineapple. Evidently they are not impressed by tropical fruits and what may very well be a delicious pineapple will go to waste. Welcome to my world.

Snow White

I don't know about you, but I love Friday night at the movies. It's always been one of my favorite ways to kick off a weekend.

Last night was great. Dinner, a movie and ice cream afterwards. It doesn't get much better than that, does it?

What movie? Snow White and the Huntsman. Have you seen it? If not, I totally recommend it. Action, drama, good vs. evil... It had it all. And the best part? Good triumphs, and evil gets what it deserves. In my book, that's the way a movie should end!

Happy Saturday!

And We're Off!

I dont' know about you, but the first "official" day of summer makes me feel like a horse at the starting gate. My body tenses in anticipation, knowing the run is going to be good, hard and fast...and if I'm lucky, I'll be in the Winner's Circle after it's all said and done.

With more plans and and a longer to-do list than the season can comfortably accommodate, this looks like it's going to be a banner year. Writing-wise? Smooth sailing. Friends and family? Lots of events to provide memorable moments. The farm? Flourishing. Me? Doing well, thanks for asking.

So...just waiting for the crack of the pistol shot, the raising gate and...

We're off!

Dreams and a Castle

A few months ago I went to Rome. It was a glorious time and I can't help but recall the wonderful people, beautiful sights and incredible food with fondness. I loved the city and hope to go back again.

Last night I had a dream about one of the places I visited. It was a weird dream, filled with people I knew and others I've never met but that's not the thing that sticks with me this morning. I recognized the setting immediately.

Castel Sant'Angelo was built as a mausoleum for the Roman Emperor Hadrian and his family. It is an imposing structure on the bank of the Tiber River in Rome. St. Peter's is within its view, and from its highest point the city spreads out below like a tapestry.

I'm glad the dream reminded me of such an interesting spot.

What about you? Had any intriguing dreams lately?

Nose to the Keyboard

Okay, here's the scoop.

I have had my nose to the keyboard for weeks. Just writing, revising and polishing. I am easily recognizable by the bloodshot eyes and zombiefied expression that are my new "look"...oh yeah, and the mismatched socks. They're always a dead giveaway that I am full-out writing.

The good news? I'm happy with what's evolving.

The bad news? Um...none, really. Not unless you count dust bunnies the size of small kittens problematic. Me? I don't. I just give 'em a kick with a mismatched sock-covered foot and call it good.

What's going on with you?

Lights in the Night

City nights are just so much different than country nights. Both gorgeous, but dissimilar.

This is the view of San Juan from my hotel window. I loved watching the sun go down every night. So peaceful!

The Nitty Gritty

So if you're anything like me, you have a burning question about my recent trip to Puerto Rico. There's something you need to know, something you want to ask but don't want to seem intrusive. I kinow...believe me, I've been in your position. I'll save you the anxiety over asking.

The food was fabulous! Absolutely incredible. I won't say one word about the cocktails, with the local rum as their main ingredient...I'll let you figure that out for yourself but the food was so good--I could've eaten all day, every day.

One of the best things I ate there? Tres Leches cake, hands down one of the best desserts I've ever had.

Mmm...

Adventure

Recently I went on an adventure with my father. We went where the sky is blue, the sea bluer and the food, music and people simply incredible.

That's right, we went to Puerto Rico.

Did I say we had a blast?

One of the highlights of the father/daughter jaunt was our visit to El Morro, the five-hundred-year-old fort still standing guard over the beautiful harbor. Thought you might enjoy seeing some of El Morro. It took us the better part of a day to explore every nook and cranny.

If you're looking for warmth, sunshine and friendly people, head to the island. My only regret is that it took me so long to finally get there! But you can bet I'm already planning my next trip to soak up the sun, eat plantains and dance to the pulse that makes the place almost intoxicating.

Anywhere that's captivated your heart?

Yes, it's me. I am...

...the old dog. I'm not ashamed to say it. Every day we're older than  yesterday, and tomorrow will be older still. The dog thing?

Ah, dog, schmog!

So, what are the new tricks I've been learning?

A bunch...but only a few I'll admit to here.

1. The gnarly lumps on the plum trees? Totally not normal. Not good. Not ignorable. (Ignorable? Is that even a word?) They're called 'Black Knot' and need to be addressed. I've been addressing them, all right...and it hasn't been politely, either.

So, the trick? How to climb a plum tree and divest it of its black knots.

2. Second old dog trick? No matter how many times the first three chapters of a new book are scanned, read, re-read, absorbed, re-absorbed--there will be at least one (or three, but who's counting?) obvious errors.

The trick? After reading the partial a bazillion times, hand the sucker off to a fresh reader who will pick out the one (three) oddities in a heartbeat. The trick is not to get too crazy about the process before tossing the file along.

3. The third trick also has to do with not getting too insane over a silly thing. For instance...if a nice man walks across your freshly mopped floors--just take a deep breath and smile. That's a hard trick to master, especially if you're clean-floor possessed, but it's worth learning. After all, what's a grassy floor between friends?

There you have it. The new tricks I've learned this week. What about you? Any old dog tricks you'd care to cop to? C'mon, you know you want to, so spill it. You're among friends!

Lesson Learned

We have all heard the adage, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks."

I disagree.

Warm weather brings all sorts of things. Around here something that coincides with the grass growth spurt is an increased zeal for reading. Honestly, I'm plowing through my TBR pile like an escapee from a fat farm might dive into an empty candy store. I just inhale books...maybe it's something in the spring air but I can't seem to get enough! So the question for this rainy Wednesday morning is:What are you reading? Any suggestions for this spring reading frenzy?