I just got the bad news that my Friend Joyce McNeill passed away. I first met Jo several years ago, when I was invited to join a writers group for children’s book writers. There were only 5 of us, and for a couple of years we would meet every week,
The Obligation of Buying Souvenirs
Okay, look I know that by the time you finish reading this post you are going to think I’m a totally selfish jerk that hates my friends. That’s fine, I’m okay with it. The truth of the matter is I love buying gifts for people. The right gift at the
MCFC World Tour
That’s right everyone, take out your calendars and save up $8.95 because the world book tour, which started last month in China, will continue this month in the good ole U.S. of A. (Two countries is international, so there.) This is the only time we will be in the US
Little Becky and the Change Dilemma
I don’t know how old I was, but at some point (maybe 12-13?) I got one of those giant plastic Coke bottle banks. For years every time I had any change I threw it into the bottle, never spending a penny. Instead, I told myself I was saving it for
One Last Look
I spent a few days outside on my land doing nothing but observing, appreciating and reflecting. I did manage to take a few nice pictures I wanted to show off thought you might like. I always tend to think of traveling as getting outside of the familiar to a new
Only in America
We’re getting down to the home stretch on moving to China. We’re working hard to get things done now because we know that time is running out. I’ve got a bunch of things on order that I’m expecting in the mail including our visas, some business software, and a years
Is a Year a Long Time?
When I tell people that we will probably be gone for a year they are always shocked and say something along the lines of, “That’s a really long time.” But is it? I’m not so sure. Originally, when I was just dreaming about this trip, I did think a year
The Cleaning Continues
Every weekend is dedicated to ripping apart some part of the house and getting rid of all the unnecessary stuff. What’s amazing is that even though I have cleaned out a certain area, like the bathroom closet, I go back and find all new stuff to throw away. Here is
The Hardest Goodbye
Call me cold-hearted but I’m not going to miss much when I’m gone. I’ll see my house, my cats, my friends and family soon enough. In fact, I’m looking forward to not seeing them all for awhile. Part of the fun of traveling is getting away from the familiar places
The Surprising Benefits of Traveling
We still have over a month left before we leave our house, but I can say, without a doubt, that this trip has been worthwhile. Even if we hate it (which I doubt) or cancel at the last minute (which we won’t), just the simple act of planning on traveling