I decided to try the August writing prompts from Putting My Feet in the Dirt. I have not written fiction, but decided to give it a go. Just One Light, PLEASE! Julie said goodbye to her new British friends, deciding to take a shortcut through the forest for a little solitude. Not really paying attention... Continue Reading →
Two months ago, I could not wait to get "home." I was ready for the comfort of my house and views from my windows. As the plane landed in Nashville, I nearly bowed down and kissed the ground, so glad to be back in those old familiar places. It had been lovely in Portugal, but... Continue Reading →
I never thought that I would leave my hometown, much less one day walk down the Champs Elysees in Paris! Since 1997, I have been traveling alone, with tour groups, and now, with my husband, Douglas. It is impossible to over-exaggerate the benefits of traveling, for we learn so much about ourselves and others when... Continue Reading →
We are home! After a harrowing 27 hours of traveling, we finally are back in our old familiar places, and it feels so, so, so good! The trip that originally was for 75 days ended after 43 days, but the journey was worth it for the lessons learned. So often, we want to avoid the... Continue Reading →
In a church service here in Portugal, we heard a wonderful sermon on heaven being the real home for Christians, not earth. The pastor preached on how to ensure your eternal home in heaven. He cautioned us that the time to go "Home" is fast approaching, as the signs of the times indicate from Biblical... Continue Reading →
Culture matters, when it comes to just how much skin to show on the beach. Being an American, I tend to cover up quite a lot, until I am ready to get into the pool or romp on the beach. If there are topless beaches in America, I have never visited one. I assumed that... Continue Reading →
On Friday, we went to Faro, which is the main city in the part of the Algarve of Portugal where we are. Because it has an airport, train station, a huge bus terminal, and a marina, the city is big, compared to the little city we are staying in. The diversity of people was greater,... Continue Reading →
Walking along the boardwalk listening to people talk, I am amazed at the numbers of languages spoken here in Portugal. I am just nosy enough to want to know what everyone is saying, and whether they are words of joy, love, fear, or anger. What is comforting for me is that until people start to... Continue Reading →
Traveling is a great adventure, but like all adventures, the stress levels increase. Some people forget that not only do bad things increase stress, but so do good things. If enough good things occur, then some small bad thing, that you normally sail right through, can leave you foundering. Enough stress can go beyond the... Continue Reading →
After years of working in corporate America and academia, you would think that I would have overcome my inefficient ways, but, alas, no! I am a disorganized procrastinator, meaning that not only do I wait until the last minute to do anything, but because nothing in my life is organized, I waste or fail to... Continue Reading →
Help from Heaven 