What's a Vacation?

I'm serious.  What's a vacation?  It's been so long since I've had one--except for a few working vacations--that I'm afraid I wouldn't recognize one.

There was that trip to Worlds of Fun last summer, after my youngest daughter's graduation.  But, really, my idea of a vacation isn't sharing a (very nice) cabin at WofF village with 8 others and spending the day following everyone, while they rode the rollercoasters and everything else that moved.  Yes, I did ride a few rides, and we did have fun, but a day and a half is not a vacation.  It's a weekend.  Okay, part of a weekend.  Not exactly a dream vacation.

When I was a little girl, a vacation was a yearly standard.  It was easier for my mom and dad, because I was the only one to drag around.  I slept in the backseat or the back of the station wagon, surrounded by books.  (You didn't think I'd be without those, did you?)  I've seen some of the most fabulous places!  Yellowstone Park, Disneyland, Pike's Peak, Mount Rushmore, the U.N., Florida Everglades, and more caverns and waterfalls than I remember.  From east coast to west, north to south, and beyond.  Most of them I remember, some I don't.  48 states, Canada, Mexico and Cuba.  When I was married and my girls were young, our family vacationed often at Silver Dollar City.  My aunt and uncle owned a home on Table Rock Lake, and for several years we visited them.  We went as a family to Savannah, Georgia, to watch my girls' dad play softball, and another trip to do the same in Battle Creek, Michigan.  Since then?  Not a whole lot, unless RWA Conferences (those working vacations) count.

Vacations have become a thing of the past.  But that doesn't mean I don't dream.  Two of my friends (both authors) and I often talk about going to Barbados.  We have a friend there, who we met in a romance writers chatroom back in 1996.  He's an author, too, and would show us THE places to go.  Fun?  Oh, yeah, worlds of fun. ;)  I suspect the biggest chunk of time would be spent lolling on the beach, digging our goes in the sand, and making sure the pina coladas the cabana boys brought us were perfect. Perfect cabana boys, of course. ;)  Isn't perfect what a dream vacation should be?  It would be for me!

There are hundreds of places I'd like to visit, new ones and already-been-there ones, too.  I'd like to go back to NYC for a third time.  And right up there vying for first place with Barbados is a rail trip to Philadelphia, Boston, and Washington, DC, to see the things I missed the first time.  That one might be more doable than Barbados, but why stop dreaming there?

Dreams are what spur us on to do the things we never thought we'd do.  Without them, life would be dull.  So I keep dreaming and wishing and hoping, and that surf along the Barbados coast feels soooooo good. :)

Photo courtesy of visitbarbados.org

Christmas Memories

Although I'm adopted, I've always been fascinated by my mother's family, because they were the center of my winter holidays when I was growing up.

My great-great-grandparents came to America from Bavaria, Germany, in 1886 and settled near a small town southwest of Wichita with their three children.  They were farmers who spoke no English but soon learned the ways of their new home.  A fourth child was born seven years later.  Two generations later, my grandmother was the second of seven children.  It was that generation that I remember, although my grandmother died when I was six months old, as did my great-grandfather, two of her sisters married and lived near the small town.  It was to their houses and those of their children that we spent our Thanksgiving and Christmases.

My great-grandparents and their seven children

An average winter holiday included 20 of us, and my fondest memories were at my Great-aunt Dorothy's house, the youngest of the seven children.  She and her husband lived on a farm southwest of town in a house that was built in the 1890's.  Uncle Milt (her husband) was born in that house in 1900, and they raised their two daughters there.  When everyone got together, whether there or at Great-aunt Lucy's house or cousins Kenneth & June, NOISE was the word of the day, quickly followed by FOOD.  My mother was always in charge of the turkey, and I remember waking up on Thanksgiving to watch the parades and on Christmas to see what Santa brought with the smell of roasting turkey throughout the house.  After packing up the presents for the family, we'd head out for the long trip to the country.  You see, it was twenty-five miles at the most, and the drive took just over half an hour, but to a small child, it was a long journey to sleep through.

We averaged twenty family members who gathered each holiday, with sometimes more when cousins would come from far away or someone would bring a boyfriend.  After dinner the grown-ups would gather around the big table and play Pitch, a card game, for hours, while those of us in the younger set would play outside or with new Christmas toys.  (One year Santa brought me a microscope, so we pricked our fingers and watched the squiggles in our blood.) I don't remember ever watching television or it ever being on.  The grown-ups' card games generated the most noise, with good-natured arguing and laughing.  When my cousins and I were older, Aunt Dorothy would let us use an extra wooden-legged card table, and we'd make it talk.

You've never heard of a table talking?  It's based on the idea of a Ouija board.  Four of us girls would sit at the table and place our hands flat on top of it.  Then we'd start chanting, "Up table, up!" while (great) Uncle Sterl would make fun of us--and the table would rise a few inches off the floor.  We'd ask a question of the table, giving instructions on how to answer (1 knock for yes, 2 for no or knocks for numbers or letters), and the table would tip on two legs, then drop down to knock and tell us what we wanted to know.  (Just so you know it wasn't only my crazy family who did this, a good friend in Texas has done the same.)

Evening would come, and the card games would stop, while the men (all farmers except my dad) drove home to do chores.  Dessert was enjoyed (again), then the games would continue.  Small children would fall asleep in the laps of mothers and fathers or curl up in a chair in the long, quiet living room.  It was always dark when we packed up to go home, tired from the excitement but filled with the happy feeling that only good company and family can provide.

 My great-aunts and uncles, my aunt and uncle, and my parents are gone.  The big family Christmases dwindled and came to a close when my generation came of age and started their own families and began sharing holidays with their in-laws.  Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Milt's two-story white Victorian still stands at the curve of the county road, but belongs to someone else now.  But it will always be a place of happy memories, so much so that I used it as the backdrop for my upcoming June 2013 book, DESIGNS ON THE COWBOY.

Christmas has changed many times since those days spent in the country with relatives of all ages.  Sometimes we're lucky and traditions continue.  When they don't, we find ways of making new ones while putting the old ones aside.  But even when they're changed or gone, we still keep the memories of them in our hearts.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season, full of love, joy, laughter, and the very best in life.   

Some ME Time

If you could spend a week anywhere in the world, where would it be? Would you write or read there, or do something else?

 That is a tough question for me.  As a small town, Kansas born and bred kind of gal, I haven't traveled much at all.  There is a huge world out there beckoning with so many places to go and things to see and do.

I have to admit I've never really wanted to travel the world.  Getting a passport and going through all the stress of that sort of traveling has it's rewards to be sure.  Scotland, Ireland, Australia... I could go on and on.  All of those places would be amazing to see.  Those far away places do tempt me, but I rather like the idea of keeping my feet in the USA and seeing all the amazing and beautiful places this country has to offer.

 The first place that pops into my mind when I think about getting away to somewhere is Chicago.  I have friends there that I've never actually met and I'd love to spend some time with them as well as see some of that part of the country.  I'm pretty sure there would be no reading or writing going on.  There would be research though.  Seeing new things and getting ideas for future stories would be on the agenda.

Another place that would come very close to beating out my hope of seeing Chicago, is my dream to some day stay in a private and very secluded beach house.  Relaxation and 'me' time would be the only goal there.  Relaxing on a deck that overlooked a great view of a sandy beach.  Waves lapping against perfect, smooth sand... a gentle breeze.  Me, a notepad, a tall glass of something cool to drink and a comfy place to just relax and enjoy the view.

If I could go anywhere in the world my own private beach house would be it.  You're all invited but you have to bring something along that will make our stay even more fun.  Anyone wanna join me?

Why yes I do have action figures for my characters. (Melissa Robbins)

I have been looking forward to this post.  As a quirky person, I have an assortment of quirky things in my writing area.  You’ll have to forgive me.  I can’t share just one.  

First, I have Connor’s plane complete with noseart and markings.  I assembled and painted the Spitfire myself.  Yes, Connor’s kite is missing a wheel, courtesy of my six year old son who played with it.  The boy loves planes as much as his mummy.  I didn’t glue the wheel back because there is a scene in my second story (written before the damage) where Connor has to land his plane on one wheel.  And yes, here are my characters as action figures (sort of).  I assembled and painted my little Connor, Jack, and Wren, too.  I love how Jack has his coat slung over his shoulder all cheeky like.   I’ve resisted playing with them to act out scenes.  Are you wondering why Jack, who is U.S. Army Air Force, is wearing Royal Air Force blue?  Yeah, Wren was wondering the same thing.  ;0)  Looking at this Wren makes me laugh.  This figurine is a lot calmer than Wren was in the scene.  She wanted to strangle and hug her brother at the same time.    

            Near the plane, I display pilot wings, like Jack would have worn, in an antique printers’ tray.  

    Here are 1940 editions of Murder on the Orient Express and Biggles – Secret Agent.  In my first story, Wren carries around the Christie paperback in her gas mask bag and it helps her solve an important code.  Wren uses the Biggles book to communicate code messages with a certain pilot.  Biggles inspired my flyboys and is probably the reason I have a fascination with pilots.  That and watching Top Gun at a tender age. 

  

     What we were talking about?  Pilots.  Right.  Here is my bulletin board for inspiration and distractions.  On top, we have Jack’s Bacon and Connor’s Raven noseart.  Between them, I have my own propaganda posters.  The British government created a ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ one.  ‘Keep Calm and Write On’ was something Fran told me and it’s become my mantra ever since.  The blue ones are real signs from WW2.  I also have some sketches of my favorite boys (Jack, Connor, and my YA brothers, Dermot and Carrick.)  Oh look!  Who is that devilishly handsome man in the RAF uniform?  That would be Rupert Penry-Jones from Charlotte Gray.  If you want to know what Jack looks like in RAF blue, there you go.  Except you need to muss up his hair a bit.  Those pictures are SO distracting!  Sigh.  Where was I?  The black and white photo is of a real WAAF who reminds me of Wren and below that is a wireless patch she would have worn.  Underneath that is a fortune from a cookie I received recently that reads, “Bide your time, success is near.”  The image of the RAF ranks and insignias helps a lot determining which rank to use. 

  

          Adjacent to the bulletin board, is a nifty WW2 calendar a writer friend gave me for Christmas. Each day has a significant event that happened during the war.  Funny thing though, I was SO busy drooling over the bomber squadron for January that my friend had to point out the events.  I hadn’t noticed! 

            So there you have it, my collection of quirky items.  I also have a shelf full of WW2 books. 

Discovering Inspiration Along the Way

What's the most unusual thing in your writing space that inspires, entertains or humors you?

I've been thinking a lot the last fourteen days about what I'd write about today and been coming up with very few inspiring ideas. After ten plus years of writing, I finally have my own writing space and what have I done to make that space inspiring? Not much.

After two moves in the last three years I've been living out of boxes with a few stacks of books making their home near my desk. I have come to a point in my life of starting over. My third child has left the nest and I've taken over her bedroom as my office area. After a year, I still feel like I'm trespassing in her room and while it thrills me to finally have space that is my own I've been struggling with truly making it mine.

I do have plans and ideas for this space of mine but I think it will be built a little at a time as I rediscover myself and refocus on becoming the writer I dream of being. I hope to someday have pictures of heroes and heroines on my walls, screaming out at me to write their stories. I've always wanted to develop a better plotting style as well and have writing and plotting boards to help my stories past that first blank page. It's a fun journey thinking about what really inspires me. Who am I and what would I like to have around this space that will motivate me to move further along my writing path.

But for right now in this moment in time, on my desk I have a teddy bear and a small pink convertible. The teddy bear was a gift from a very special person who has shown me that romance truly does exist in the world. My fluffy bear inspires me every day to write about that love that for a very long time I didn't really believe in. The pink convertible was a gift from a friend after the 2007 RWA conference in Dallas. It brings back memories of friends and fun and gives me hope that some day I'll have a car and drive again and go to other conferences and meetings.

As I continue my life and writing journey, I have my teddy bear, my pink convertible and my secret stash of peanut butter M&M's. I am inspired, humored and entertained, but I am never finished growing and learning.

What about you? I want to hear some of the things other writers have in their space that inspires them to give me some ideas of what to do with mine.

To Be (Inspired) or Not To Be (Inspired)

What's the most unusual thing in your writing space that inspires, entertains or humors you?

To be honest, Toby isn't all that inspiring.  He's more of a nuisance, especially when it comes to insisting on making my desk his favorite snoozing spot.  (That's a 22 inch monitor.)  Having his furry, gray, and tubby body covering the space needed for notes isn't all that entertaining, although I do get some exercise lifting him him down from the top of my desk to plop him back on the floor...about every five minutes.  Humorous?  Maybe.  In the beginning.  Until he decided my desk was his spot, not my working space.  Stretched out, he's nearly three feet from head to end of tail, and even though I've created a desk that is almost 9 feet long, to hold drawers, two desk lamps, a phone, dictionary & synonym book, a printer, several three-ring binders and other smaller items that keep finding their way to my desk, he's pushing his luck.  And he's not my cat!  He belongs to my youngest daughter.

So what do I have in my writing space that inspires, entertains, or humors me?

• The poster board needed to create a vision board.  However, it's still blank after two or three months and still not on the wall.  
• Four 6 1/2" X 8 1/2" plaques, two of chairs on the beach, two of seashells, that I bought because they're calming and inspiring.  They aren't on the wall yet, either.  
• A collection of family photos, waiting to be mounted in frames.
• 12 framed covers of my published books, also waiting to be hung on the wall.
• Miscellaneous projects, all inspiring, entertaining or humorous, plus a lot of things that need to find new homes, preferably unseen. ;)

Before you all scoff, my space isn't as pitiful as one my think.  Instead of all the pretties and things listed above that really would be wonderful to look at daily, I do have three things that especially remind me that I should be writing and keep me on track when I am.

Two sets of plotting boards and another catch-all board that contains photos (of WARA members at conference and book signings, granddaughter, and high school memories), more notes and receipts. One board is for the current WIP, and the second is for a story I've been working on for more years than I want to remember.

Yes, another plotting board that awaits anothor WIP that's been put on hold while deadlines are met on current and next current (not yet on a board) WIP.

Confused?  Me, too!

Chelsea, my #3 daughter (there are 4) and a huge Tinkerbell fan, gave me the plaque last year for Christmas.  Since then, I've been looking for some of that pixie dust, because most days I could use a little to make writing and life go a little more smoothly.  Couldn't we all?  I haven't found it yet, but I'm working hard on those faith and trust things.  Maybe once I have them, the pixie dust will be magically supplied.  One can hope, right?


Whatever makes the day go easier, inspires us to work harder and reach higher, and brings a smile or a laugh, are the special things in life.  Enjoy!

Happy Easter and Passover, everyone!