This past week we were so excited to attend the Solvang Festival Theatre once again! We've been attending the performances under the stars since 1999, and truly missed taking our theatrical sojourn last year. For those of you not familiar with this Danish village gem off the 101 FWY, Solvang (Danish for 'sunny field') was established in 1911 by a group of Danes who wanted to leave the midwestern winters behind. Today, it's an eclectic little town filled with shops, eateries a

This week I was supposed to be enjoying the comradery and literary banter with mystery #authors and #readers alike at the Bouchercon Mystery Conference in fabulous New Orleans. Alas, Covid-19 Delta had other plans, the conference was canceled out of an abundance of caution...the good times, unfortunately, were not destined to roll...#Sigh I was honored to have been picked to be on a panel at the conference to opine on the topic of Amateur Sleuths: Armchair Quarterbacks. I was

Spring is in the air, with its colorful beauty and fragrant splendor highly anticipated. The flowers and succulents are beginning to bloom here in SoCal. We're still waiting and hoping for our winter rains--they haven't really materialized as thought thanks to the La Nina in effect. Let's hope they come, otherwise it's going to be another fiery summer. I thought today I'd share some of my favorite garden pictures from Hampton Court Palace to get into the spring vibe. These pi

"If not us, who? If not now, when?." ~ John F. Kennedy #HappyMarch! What better way to celebrate a new month than with a fav quote and new word to inspire you?! I think the Carpe Diem inspired questions of the former President are perfect for the je ne sais quoi of my post today. As for words, fecundity, is my choice for fav March lexeme (TYSM Brenda B., had to look this one up): The condition of being prolific; The use of imagination or original ideas to create something. I

January has always been a fun month for us to travel--the #holidays are over, a #NewYear started, and it's a perfect time for me to enjoy a few weeks of cold weather. I thought I'd share some of our January pics from prior year travels since we're all kinda stuck in #lockdown mode these days. The feature picture⏫ is the Silfra Fissure in Iceland where I spent my 60th bday. We snorkeled in the 34 degree, ancient, iceberg waters that narrowly separate the North American and Eur

Happy Almost-New Year friends--welcome 2021! Counting down the final hours of 2020--this is one year I think the world will collectively give a 'BIG' kiss good-bye (Raspberries most likely)! It's time to move on in this new world order and I am determined to do it with gusto and a smile. My biggest lesson learned from this apocalyptical year is to not take anything for granted. We all witnessed life changes and diminished freedoms--our lives changed in a cosmic instant. I've

#HoHoHo December! No, I'm not in Jackson (that Moet 🍾igloo tent was a-ma-zing) but I have Elle King's tune, Ex's & Oh's on my mind (modified to #Ribbons and #Bows for this post🎀😁) It's that most wonderful time of the year once again--bring on the #holidays! The weather has been pretty delightful these past few days (except for the Santa Ana winds that blew everything everywhere). The house is lit, the stockings hung, and the cats are napping under the #Christmas tree (thei