Category Archives: Blogging

Unknown's avatar

Dunedin: Rest, Recovery, and Pauline’s World

by

When we finally went to bed, I can honestly say that I don’t remember my head hitting the pillow.   Eight solid hours of sleep later, I was wide awake and feeling pretty good.  Even still, it takes more than 8 hours to recover from that long day of travel, and I was glad that we had a low key day spent exploring Pauline’s world, including her family.

We awoke to see Danella’s patio garden.  Even though the day was overcast, the flowers beckoned and my camera was soon put into action.  I’ve never taken my laptop on a trip before but I knew that I would want to share photos from the camera, not just the phone.

Danella provided coffee and toast (perfect with fresh tomotoes!) and soon Pauline and Siddy joined us.  That Siddy! He is adored by everyone that he meets.  What a sweet puppy!

After a quick nap, we took the short ride to Pauline’s home.  After a lifetime of seeing the driver in the front left seat, it was odd to see just the opposite.  Siddy, on Alys’s lap, enjoyed the fresh air!

Fans of Pauline already know what a talented artist she is.  It was wonderful to see her space and all her creations, and of course, the illusive Orlando!

 

We enjoyed an assortment of snacks accompanied by New Zealand wine, and after being joined by Joanna and Steven, a delicious dinner.

Dessert was the traditional Pavlova, prepared by Pauline and served by Joanna.  Evidently, New Zealanders and Australians disagree over who created this yummy dessert.

Before heading back to Danella’s for the night, we took a drive to see the ocean.  See the next post!

_MG_3261-3

Unknown's avatar

The Journey Begins

by

The 40 hour travel day was worth it!  And we’ve only been here 2 days.

Often times blogging equals journaling and the posts from this journey will definitely serve that purpose.  I want to look back when I’m 80 and be able to remember this trip of a lifetime.  Join me as you like, and of course, feel free to comment, too.

The first leg of the trip had me leaving my home in Radford and driving to Roanoke at 4am.  A four hour layover at Dulles Airport outside of Washington, DC gave me the opportunity to enjoy the scenery and an airport bar / restaurant.

The five hour flight to San Franciso was uneventful, and soon I was having a joyful reunion with Alys.

We were both so impressed with Air New Zealand.   The plane was enourmous and new, the service from the flight attendants was wonderful, and the food and ammenities kept us occupied during that 12 hour journey.  We loved being able to order wine and snacks and play games using the touchscreen right in front of us.

 

Yes, sleep was a bit elusive, but all in all, it wasn’t bad.  There was one glitch, though. The plane had an air conditioning malfunction which led to a delay out of San Francisco.  We knew that making our connection would be a challenge and we practically ran through the Auckland airport trying to make our next flight.  Unfortunately, the Customs folks were concerned about dog treats and the possibility of fruit being brought into the country, and ultimately we missed our plane.

Always one to find the upside to a negative, the wait for the next flight gave me the opportunity to taste my first New Zealand beer.  It may have been 8:30 am local time, but it was 2:30 in the afternoon on the East Coast. Perfect time for a beer!  I ordered the Panhead (because of the motorcycle) but since the keg blew right when I got there, I enjoyed the All Blacks Steinlager, named for THE Rugby team of New Zealand.

After a long day of travel, we were greeted by Pauline and the famous Siddy.  Soon enough, we were seeing Boomdeeadda again, too.

Danella has opened up her home to us, and what a marvelous hostess she is!

Stayed tuned for Day 1 in Dunedin!

 

Unknown's avatar

Where in the World is LB and Where is She Going?

by

Forgive me, WordPress Friends, but it has been 5 Weeks since my last confession … er, I mean, post!

In the almost 6 years that I have been blogging, that may just be a record.  So! Where have I been?

Inauguration

In early January, we traveled to Richmond, Virginia’s Capital City, to see the Inauguration of our new Governor.

It was a cold, but beautiful winter day and we were all so excited to be there!

As you might guess, I took a ton of photos.  Sadly, I just haven’t had time to work through them yet.  This image, though, shows the impressive sight of all 1600 Virginia Military Institute Cadets march by in the Inaugural Parade.  Our new Govenor, Ralph Northam, is a VMI Grad.

The Women’s March in Roanoke

One week later, I hit the streets of Roanoke for the Women’s March.

From the Women’s March to the Swearing-in of Delegate Hurst

We left the Women’s March a bit early and drove straight to the swearing-in of our new Delegate, Chris Hurst.

I loved catching this image of the Delegate in concentration,

and of course, enjoyed a quick visit in his office.

It was a long, exciting day and I’m so glad to have had this man to share it with.

Puzzle Time with Family

 I enjoyed a quick run to Williamsburg to spend time with some of my family,

followed by a brief stop in Richmond on the way back home.

8 weekends in a row of travel, with work in between, and suddenly blog posts take a back seat.  As much as I have loved all the road trips, some of which I didn’t include here, I was grateful to be home this past weekend.  Why?  So I might be able to plan the BIG TRIP:

New Zealand and Australia!!

I am the luckiest gal to be leaving in just 12 days for the Southern Hemisphere!  Even better, I’ll be spending time with dear blogging friends: Pauline from The Contented Crafter, (and her awesome daughters), Alys from Gardening Nirvana, and Boomdee from Boodeeadda.

I anticipate lots of laughter and love, good food and drink, gorgeous scenery and many, many photo ops.  I’ll be traveling on foot, and by car, plane, train and hopefully motorcycle, and I simply cannot wait to share it with all of you!

Unknown's avatar

 Choices

by

It’s been 5 years since I started my WordPress journey, and what an incredible 5 yrs it has been.

Somehow, through all that has happened, a motorcycle wreck, running for political office, opening a business / closing a business / opening another business, and many other things, both positive and challenging, I have managed to post, to respond to comments, and to visit and comment on your posts.

Lately though, I have just not been able to keep up.  Perhaps it’s the new job.  Maybe it’s the hours spent in civic engagement, and the resistance.  Whatever the reason, I’ve just not been able to respond to your comments on my posts.  I have, however, made a commitment to visiting and commenting on  your posts.

Know that I love and read each and every comment, but if I don’t respond in kind it is because for the time being, I’ll be spending my WordPress time visiting and commenting on your posts.  I’ll still be posting though, and hope to have a lighter schedule sometime down the road.

You have become dear friends, and my life is better for it.

♥️

Unknown's avatar

Gift from Pauline

by

An extroidanary gift arrived at my home last week.

Dear friend Pauline had given me a birthday gift, born from her heart and crafted by her talent.   If you look closely, you’ll see many lovely details, and I’m going to take a tip from Alys and Boomdee and highlight various parts of it.

 Unknown to Pauline, the quote at the bottom of the painting is one of my favorites, and one that I’ve had hanging on the wall of my office for years.

Look at the exhaust pipe.

Pauline noted that the bike’s exhaust “exhumes little dots of glimmery stuff that then floats off around the canvas”.

Of course I had noticed the camera (can you see that it says Her Story on it ❤ ) but it was Alys who pointed out the cheering people along the bottom of the canvas.

Aren’t the colors just stunning?

And then there’s the wine glass 🙂

I am so thrilled and honored and touched by this gift, and I cannot wait to put it up on my office wall.  I know that my patients will love seeing it and I look foward to telling them all about my friend Pauline.

Please visit Pauline at The Contented Crafter.  She is a gem in my life, one of the many WordPress gems that I have come to know, and who have enriched my life.

Unknown's avatar

How Many Bloggers Can You Fit In a Phone Booth?

by

Hello Everyone! I’ve been on the road (or working or volunteering) so much that I’ve not had a moment to tell you about the incredibly brief but amazingly wonderful visit to DC where I was able to see Alys, Boomdee, Lisa, and Julia.
Today I am visiting all of you and I plan to post soon. For now, enjoy this great post from Alys!

Born To Organize's avatarGardening Nirvana

That’s a trick question. Phone booths are largely a thing of the past.  Wouldn’t it be fun to try though?

Instead I did the next best thing. I packed my bags for Washington, D.C., Virginia and New York and met with bloggers everywhere I went.

After an extraordinary 48 hours in Atlanta visiting The Carter Center and the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, I flew to Washington, D.C.

Another airport, another flight delay. No matter. I sustained myself with chocolate and a large bottle of water along with the knowledge that Laurie would be waiting at the airport.

Laurie behind the camera

Laurie is a women’s health practitioner, a biker, an extraordinary photographer and an all around wonderful person. She’s quick with a laugh, sharp and funny. I admire her involvement in her community of Radford, Virginia and all she does to improve the lives of others. If you’re not already…

View original post 659 more words

Unknown's avatar

Evening in DC

by

The visit was all too brief, but our hearts were glowing after a fabulous day in DC, and we sure had fun taking this Blogger selfie!

Alys, me, Julia, Matt, and Boomdee

Oh the joy that blogging offers.

I’ll be on the road for a bit, so I’ve pre-scheduled some images from 36 hours in DC.

Take care, my friends.  Catch up with you soon!

Unknown's avatar

Fresh

by

_mg_7302-2

It is hard to tell, but the snow was still falling when I took this image, allowing us, as my friend Jim over at Poetry in Motion said, to walk on virgin earth.

As I write this post, quickly before leaving for work, I am pondering if after 4 1/2 years it is time to freshen up my blog. I’ve not changed a thing since I first stepped onto the virgin earth of this blog space. Perhaps it is time.

Pondering.

Unknown's avatar

Monochromia: Subway Surfing

by

20161015_093540-5

It’s hard to believe that it has been 5 weeks since that incredible weekend in NYC.  The past month has been a blur!

When Joe, Stacy, Terry, and I were taking the subway to meet up with Patti and Robyn, I had fun trying to stay upright without holding onto anything as the train sped underneath the streets of the city.  I also posted myself right in the window to grab this shot.

Such fabulous memories of a great time.

(and, just FYI, I did manage to stay upright … although I’m not sayin’ it was pretty 🙂 )

Unknown's avatar

Finding a Way

by

_mg_6952

I came to WordPress last evening, seeking a distraction from despair.  I’ve been on a media blackout, avoiding television, the news, and FB.  I have just not been ready to face a world in which so many people, although NOT the majority, voted for  … well, a man whose values are so very different from my own.

And I’ve felt badly about that.  Where was my fight?  Where was my ability to rally?  I’ve been feeling like Tom Cruise in Top Gun after the death of  Goose.  Maverick couldn’t engage, and I hadn’t been able to either.

As John Pavlovitz said in his article “This is Why We Grieve Today”:

This has never been about politics.
This is not about one candidate over the other.
It’s not about one’s ideas over another’s.
It is not blue vs. red.
It’s not her emails vs. his bad language.
It’s not her dishonesty vs. his indecency.

It’s about overt racism and hostility toward minorities.
It’s about religion being weaponized.
It’s about crassness and vulgarity and disregard for women.
It’s about a barricaded, militarized, bully nation.
It’s about an unapologetic, open-faced ugliness

Starting a new business and being so overwhelmed with it that I didn’t have time to focus on the results of the election was helpful.

Being with my likeminded, similarly destraught friends was also helpful.

Knowing that so many of my WP friends feel the same way that I do has been comforting.

When I heard about the Women’s March on Washington, a peaceful march in the unity of women to honor women’s rights and values, I felt something rising within me.

I don’t have answers, and I surely haven’t been able to express myself as elequently as so many of you.

But I do feel the hint of a rally.