Although it’s illegal in many states of America, riding in the back of pickup trucks (called Bakkies) is not illegal here in South Africa. I remember riding in the bed of trucks when I was a kid. It’s still one of my favorite memories of childhood. Usually we would get yelled at to sit in … More Bakkie Rides
My grand-niece turns 2 today. The most difficult part of living in a different country is missing family. We knew it would be, but I thought that with both my parents gone and not seeing the rest of my family frequently anyway, I would be a lot better equipped to handle it. Apparently, not. I … More A Long Way From “Home”
This country is splitting my heart wide open. It’s hard to understand how it’s both filling it and breaking it at the same time, but I’m just going to ride this rollercoaster for awhile and see where it goes. When Kurt signed the letter of “emotional support” for his wife, one of the many documents … More I’m Not Filthy Rich, But I Play One in South Africa
“D. I. V. O. R. C. E.” Can you hear Tammy Wynette singing that country song in your head? As I work on this section of the manuscript about the death of my father, I’ve been considering the word “divorce”: both the divorce of my parents; and the book titled The Great Divorce, which is … More Manuscript Monday: The Great Divorce
My nephew turns 30 today…THIRTY!! I thought today’s post would be the perfect time to write him a letter, and maybe roast him just a teensy bit by sharing some photos he’s going to kill me for…
I’m working on a few deadlines this week, so I’m probably going to be brief with my posts. But hopefully I can give you enough to think about in a photo. One of the things I’m writing about (offline) today is my travel writing tour of Việt Nam, and in particular, about this little girl. … More The Grumpy Peace Sign of the Little Girl in Red Boots
I got slapped 24 times yesterday. This F*bomb resolution is tough! It’s taking a bit longer to go through all the December posts to make sure each of your entries get into this RZA drawing, so I need one more day to make sure I include you all properly! In the meantime, I thought I’d … More Meeting Clara and Ringing in 2013 with a ‘stache and ‘jama Party
Win Bentley the Bernese Mountain dog, his book, Booboos, Band-aids and Bentley (signed by both the author, Janet Myers, and Bentley the dog, with his giant pawprint in the back). You also get a great tote bag from Village Lights Books, the indie bookstore where I met Bentley!
Part One: And the winner is….Little Girl with Head in Orangutan! This great photo, submitted by the McCully family of Pittsburgh, PA, swept the votes at over 60%, the remaining 40% shared among the remaining contenders. The McCully’s will receive the jar of apple butter, but no worries – each of the entries, including the … More A Post in Two Parts: Contest Winner and Manipulate MarLa Monday!! Mmm…
25 stars fly on the flag of the Monticello III canal boat. The official flag of the United States in 1836, she represents the early days of the Walhonding section of the canal in Coshocton County, Ohio. I wondered just how far back in time I was stepping when I rode the horse-drawn canal boat … More Horse-Drawn Canal Boat
