Over the years I’ve had the pleasure of lots of memorable experiences—a few memorable for being sad but many more for being happy and exciting. One of my most memorable was going away from home for that watershed moment of attending college.
While we had lived in Virginia Beach, Virginia from 3rd grade through my junior year of high school, the summer between my junior and senior year my dad was transferred to Florida. He was going to be on shore duty for a couple of years so I couldn’t begrudge him the great duty, but wondered (“Why, whyyyyyy, do I have to go, too?” “Because you’re my daughter and where your mother and I go, you go.” Okay, then.) what my life would be like, moving so far away to a place I’d never been, to a new school for my senior year among strangers. I found out soon enough.
Not only was I leaving behind my friends and school, but my boyfriend. Any guesses as to what I missed more? This was in the days before cell phones, internet, or email. Skype was something seen in sci-fi movies. Long distance calls were not cheap and so were infrequent. We were stuck with writing letters. As soon as I arrived in Orlando (long before Disneyworld!) I began exploring how I might find my way back to Virginia.
How I ever came across information for Mary Washington College I don’t remember. The pictures of campus were pretty, as were the photos of Fredericksburg—at that time, a lazy little town of 14,000 or so filled with antique shops and historic buildings. The school’s full name was Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia. 
The South was well-known for having girls’ schools and boys’ schools, and never the twain shall meet. During my day, UVA was all male except for certain disciplines in junior and senior years. (This changed during my junior year when the twains did meet and UVA became co-ed, at which time Mary Washington became simply Mary Washington College.) I didn’t know where Fredericksburg was in relation to where Jack might end up going to school, but at least I would be back in Virginia—if I was accepted. And, thankfully, I was.
I’d had polio as an infant, and except for being in the hospital or visiting my cousins for a couple of weeks, I’d never been away from home. But in the August after graduation, my parents put me on a train in Orlando and sent me, two suitcases, and a trunk up to Fredericksburg, a 24+ hour journey. So after having never traveled alone, I set out on a trip by myself to a part of Virginia I’d never been, to a school I’d never seen. What an experience!
Having led a pretty darn sheltered life, I was like a rube sent to the big city. I caught a cab at the train station in Fredericksburg and was charged double to go a few short blocks to my dorm (I discovered this when I took a cab back to the station at Christmas, when my fare was surprisingly cheap.). Fortunately, I was placed in a suite of rooms with three other very nice (patient) girls who knew their way around. They pointed me up the hill to campus and gave me good directions. For the next three and a half years, I reveled in the glory of the campus, the history of the area (from Revolutionary War to Civil War), the nearness of Washington, D.C. and Richmond, and being only a few hours from Jack—the boyfriend. That trip became my biggest, most memorable adventure to that time.
My trip north to sleepy Fredericksburg allowed me to meet people that have continued to touch my life, gave me my first taste of independence, and introduced me other adventures I’d have missed had I taken the easy route of staying in Florida for school. In many ways, it was life changing. And—as important—it was fun!
Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.
Dee
Naval Maneuvers When a woman requires an earth-shattering crush of pleasure to carry her away, she can’t do better than to call on the US Navy. Sorry, Marines!
So, after hubby and I tied the knot and we had worked long enough to give back a little, I wanted to get Mom a special Christmas gift I knew she would never get herself. I called Elizabeth Arden’s Red Door Spa in Dallas (since closed) and arranged for a day’s treat for my mother. I was giddy with excitement! She would have her hair cut, a facial, a full-body massage and time in the sauna. She would be petted and pampered. At the time it felt ridiculously expensive–$150!!
So Christmas morning I called my aunt’s house in Dallas. The day in Virginia had calmed down but their house was chaotic with cousins, second cousins, and my grandmother. Mom described her new nightgown in detail, told me all about a new Johnny Cash record, spoke at length about her new set of boots, and oh, yes, “Thank you, sweetie, for the spa trip.” That was it. How could I be so excited and she be so blasé?
She said in all the excitement she hadn’t taken the time to read what the gift entailed. At last I was able to smile, knowing I had given her something she would never buy for herself but which she would enjoy. It wasn’t a gift that lasted years, but it was a special moment in time, and isn’t that what makes great memories?
break (I taught) to drive to Texas, visit for a few days and then hightail it back home. One particular Texas Christmas, Jack carried into the house the gifts we had brought for Mom, my aunt, and cousins. On Christmas Eve, after midnight Mass, we were sitting around and quietly letting the night and season wash over us. My grandmother asked, “What would you like for Christmas, darling?” I said, looking hopefully at Jack, “I don’t think I will get it, but I’d really like a Kitchen Aid.” Quick as lightning, Jack answered, “Some people are just born to be disappointed!” We all laughed, said our goodnights and went off to wait for sleigh bells signaling the arrival of you-know-who.
big and heavy. Yup! It was a beautiful, shiny white Kitchen Aid! I was so surprised. By everyone’s reaction, I must have looked pretty funny. In fact, I did, as witnessed by the photos I saw afterward. I’m sure I didn’t stop smiling for the whole rest of the holiday. And Jack benefitted many times over with all kinds of breads, cakes, and goodies.
However, I do have a platform that is my least favorite. The name rhymes with Place Cook. And the reason for Place Cook’s being my least favorite social media platform is that THEY KEEP THROWING ME OUT. Okay, granted, I didn’t read all 100 pages of community rules and thus ended up with more than one account. But couldn’t they just tell me that and give me a chance to correct my errors instead of disabling my accounts so that I don’t even have access to delete them? Asking a question (like “please tell me why you disabled my account”) is like throwing a stone into a black hole. In short, I dislike Place Cook and it dislikes me. And I see no resolution to my plight.
Join Claire’s 
t time, I was in Virginia finishing up my year’s teaching contract and Jack was working in Kansas City as an IT consultant. We decided to spend my spring break in San Francisco.
Flowers lined the street, which has to be taken at a low speed not only due to the curves but to the grade, and it was not only quite the adventure, but not something we would have thought to do on our own.
for the kids, bringing your family dog or cat with you on vacation adds another level of stress. They have to be walked, watered, and fed during the day. Leaving them in the car while you’re walking, watering, and feeding yourself and your children can be problematic. And finding pet-friendly motels is not always easy.
other, and that can’t be accomplished with one or more family member glued to video games, Facebook, or email. Set aside an hour or two each day for device time and everyone will end up appreciating the freedom. Eventually. (Hey, I’m not sayin’ it’s gonna be easy.)
Creating a character is a little like chemistry: a little of this and a little of that, and you have a character that’s memorable (and keeps the same name all the way through the book!). I found a how-to guide that had character sheets in it, and I adopted it to fit what I wanted to know about my characters. Suddenly, I had a form to fill in for height, hair and eye color, hobbies, education, family members, etc. I added elements for conflict and goals, too. I assigned each major character three adjectives and then wrote three things the character might do that represented those adjectives. I found the character sheets helped keep me in line and on target.
Probably I like contemporary because I’m lazy. In contemporary romance, there is little truly in depth research that has to be done. I can make up pretty much whatever I want and make it fit into a storyline, whereas when writing historical there is so much to find out about day-to-day living.
I like some of the best known authors like Julie London, Eloisa James, Mary Balogh, and others, but lately have discovered 
Just to be clear, I do not know these people and they are not in my books. 😉