Comfort

Standing in a bookstore, surrounded by books, nothing looks great.

I know there are authors I would fall in love with if I stumbled across their writing - I just don't know how to find them through the piles and piles of fluff. So I keep testing books out by flipping pages.

A small white one catches my eye: Comfort by Ann Hood.

I buy it.

Read it slow but fast. I can't put it down, but I want to take my time with it. It's a sad story - her 5-year-old daughter died suddenly. It's heart-breaking to read, but by the end of the book I'm addicted to her writing style. She has written many other books. Can't wait to read them - they look like gems.

Big Sky

Montana.

I love Montana.

I’ve always wanted to visit and now I’m actually here. It’s as beautiful as I imagined.

The mountains are huge. And yes . . . a river does run through it . . . many.

I’ve watched some gorgeous sunsets in my life – reds and pinks and oranges spilling like broken yolks over the Pacific. But the other night I saw a purple and yellow sunset. Why don’t more people live in Montana?

It stays light ‘til after 10:00pm. Most nights I go to bed before the sun is gone. But a few days ago, I was up working very late (I’m here at a writing workshop led by an amazing teacher). I walked back to my room in the pitch dark. As I stumbled along, I looked up. Above there were hundreds of thousands of millions of stars. It was so clear I could see satellites orbiting the Earth and 3 shooting stars. An entire arm of the Milky Way stretched across the Big Sky.

Montana.

I love Montana.

Beautiful, beautiful Big Sky.

The Little Locksmith

Today, a writing teacher gave me The Little Locksmith. Said it was one of her favorite memoirs. It was originally published in 1943 and then rediscovered. I love it when I learn about an "old" great book that I didn't know about. Anyone read it? I'm starting it tonight.

Clouds

Clouds.

They’re not really my thing. The only type of cloudy days I like are the ones that come with blue skies and poofy white clouds that are few and far between.

But I’ve gained a new appreciation for the aquatic floating beings. You can read about it online by clicking here or find it in Sunday’s issue of USA WEEKEND Magazine (distributed in the following newspapers).

Out here the wild wild west where I’m spending a good part of summer, most days have been like this:

Perfect. Although after this article, I'll think twice before complaining of gloomy days.

Maps

We got lost. On our last leg of the trip, we were chatting away and missed a turn. We didn't figure out something was amiss until we saw signs for Taos, NM. Taos? We just drove 2 hours in the wrong direction. Oh, well. I've always wanted to see Taos anyway. We stopped at a roadside store and were directed to a sweet local joint that served tacos and let us bring the dog on their outdoor patio. After lunch, in the car again, it was 2 more hours until we were back on track. "Llamas," I said, pointing out the unusual looking animals resting in a field on the side of a back road. "They're more lost than we are," Dad said. "Llamas are from Peru." I was driving and he was working on a crossword puzzle. "Motorist's aids," he said, reading the clue. Four letters, the first one begins with M. Maps. Yes, those would've helped today.

We arrived in southwest Colorado. But still had a loooooong drive up the mountain. Finally - my street.

Earlier, on our drive up the mountain, we found some loose cows. This was the second time this trip we came across cows that had broken through their fence.

Purple flowers growing by the side of the house. What a lovely welcome!

Moving On

Santa Fe. Ahhhhhh - sunshine! Big, bright, yellow sunshine. My father is convinced I'm a reincarnated Egyptian princess.

The dog has been so good the entire trip. She's tired of chewing bones and playing with her stuffed sea horse in the back of the car though. She climbed over the top of the luggage so she could hang out with her peeps up front. We found some delicious Mexican food. "Mmm," I said after we finished. My dad burped. "Ow! My eyes are watering. My throat! My nostrils are disintegrating," he said. Gotta love red and green chili.

I found a gem of a place to stay. If you're ever visiting Santa Fe, Ten Thousand Waves is about 3.5 miles outside of town. Quiet, peaceful, and dog-friendly. I soaked in Japanese baths and felt like I was sitting in a vat of green tea. Instead of a restaurant, the place has a simple selection of mixed greens, sushi, and sandwiches to munch on when you're hungry. We slowed down a bit and enjoyed two full days here . . . I could've stayed longer. But soon enough we were back on the road.

Here's a beautiful spot to take a stretching break. We're gaining elevation (we passed a few patches of snow even though it's 73 degrees). And we're nearing the New Mexico/Colorado border.

Long Day's Drive

Dear old Dad. He and Ron swapped places. I kept telling both of them I'd be fine driving to The Ark alone, but neither one of them liked that idea. So Ron went back to DC and Dad took over - joining me for the 3 legs from Tennessee to Colorado. I am so glad for his company.


Goodbye Tennessee. Goodbye Mom, brother 1, brother 2, sister-in-law, dog, cat, and two fish. Goodbye green grass and leafy trees. We'll be hitting the brown scrub in Texas soon enough. But first, an overnight stop in Oklahoma.

Squeaky clean after a long day's drive. A freelance writer's work is always in motion. I love that it's fluid. I can take it with me on the road. Here I am finishing a book review for an upcoming magazine article. Tomorrow I'll continue to head west.

Road Tripping

We're officially on our way to The Ark. Me, Ron, the dog.

Here's the dog checking out her new "home" for the next few days - the back of the car.

Our first stop: Buzz. It's 4 blocks from our place (at this rate we'll never get there). We loaded up on turkey sandwiches, lemonade strawberry smoothies, and cupcakes.

I'm driving the first shift. We hit a traffic jam within 17 minutes. But after leaving DC (bu-bye!), it was open road.

An unhealthy dinner at McDonalds. We tried to make it romantic by eating at the picnic table outside by the creek, but romance and McDonalds just don't go together.

Mapquest said it would take 11 hours and 1 minute to reach Franklin, Tennessee. It took 11 hours and 1 minute on the nose. The house was dark and quiet when we rolled up the driveway. Only the Mason the cat was there to greet us - hiding out under my brother's truck.

Inside, things were more lively. Family had waited up for us after all. Aw, big hugs. So good to see the clan. Dad was upstairs packing . . . he's driving the next leg with me. I'll post as I continue to head west . . .

Miscalculations

The car is packed: Dog bed nestled in the rear with tennis balls, stuffed toys, chew bones, and water. Suitcase loaded down with summer reading, hiking boots, and swim suits. The juicer is coming so I can make fresh vegetable concoctions. The iPod is full of songs, the cooler with apples and trail mix, and the map is marked and highlighted. I have a book to finish, essays to write, and a workshop to attend under the big open sky. I’m heading west to the writer’s retreat.

Some day.

I was supposed to leave last weekend, but I re-arranged my schedule to buy myself 4 more days. By my calculations, four days would be plenty. Was supposed to leave AM this morning, but re-arranged my schedule again for just one more day. I’m letting my life be dictated by an ovulation machine – a little stick you pee on each morning until a happy face appears. C’mon egg, drop already!

I’m leaving tomorrow no matter what. Even if it means Ron has to drive the first leg with me, fly back to DC, and then, once I’m settled, fly out to the writer’s retreat as originally planned. Of course, we slated his stay out there to coordinate with my July cycle. Hopefully, after this month, we won’t even have to worry about that. Cuz my math skills suck.

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In other news - head over to the WASA blog for a sneak peak at Betsy Block’s upcoming book The Dinner Diaries, including my experiment with her recipe for “green crackers.”