When my childhood friend returned home from vacation, I’d run to her house and ask about the trip. She hiked in the mountains and slept in a tent and fell asleep to night sounds of crickets and tree frogs and hooting owls. They cooked meals wrapped in foil and roasted marshmallows on sticks. Fascinated, I asked my parents one night, “Can we go camping?” It was … [Read more...]
Tomorrow Night, Marshmallows
When my childhood friend returned home from vacation, I’d run to her house and ask about the trip. She hiked in the mountains and slept in a tent and fell asleep to night sounds of crickets and tree frogs and hooting owls. They cooked meals wrapped in foil and roasted marshmallows on sticks. Fascinated, I asked my parents one night, “Can we go camping?” It was … [Read more...]
RV Trip West: Grand Canyon
Though we’ve been back for a while, I’ll write about most of our trip in present tense. It’s more lively that way. Pretend I was sending back postcards and letters that got lost in the mail and arrive long after we’ve returned home. We arrive late afternoon at the Grand Canyon, just in time for lovely lighting. The overlook with protective railings … [Read more...]
RV Trip West: Winslow, Arizona (Standin’ on a Corner)
Though we’ve been back for a while, I’ll write about most of our trip in present tense. It’s more lively that way. Pretend I was sending back postcards and letters that got lost in the mail and arrive long after we’ve returned home. "Hey," I say to my husband as we leave Petrified Forest National Park, "Winslow, Arizona, is just down the road. Can we stop? … [Read more...]
RV Trip West: Petrified Forest National Park
Though we’ve been back for almost three weeks, I’ll write about most of our trip in present tense. It’s more lively that way. Pretend I was sending back postcards and letters that got lost in the mail and arrive long after we’ve returned home. Before we left on this trip, our friend "Helen's" eyes lit up when we described our itinerary. She and her husband had visited … [Read more...]
RV Trip West: Route 66
Though we’ve been back for almost two weeks, I’ll write about most of our trip in present tense. It’s more lively that way. Pretend I was sending back postcards and letters that got lost in the mail and arrive long after we’ve returned home. Late at night, after negotiating an awkward turn onto a quiet side road in Oklahoma City, a police officer pulls us over. … [Read more...]
RV Trip West: Convergences
Though we've been back for almost two weeks, I'll write about our trip in present tense. It's more lively that way. Pretend I was sending back postcards and letters that got lost in the mail and arrive long after we've returned home. "Bugs and rainbows," my husband observes as I lean across the RV dashboard to get the shot. "That's life right there, isn't … [Read more...]
RV Trip West: Heading into the Unknown
A few months ago, I dreamed that I was driving our family's 32-foot Class A RV off-road, down a rugged mountain, bumping and thumping until I steered it across the road that curved along the edge of the mountain. I held onto the big black steering wheel as the RV shot straight out past the sheer drop-off and hung in the air a second, Wile E. Coyote style. Before we … [Read more...]
Food on Fridays: Frommer’s Gluten-Free Granola Bars (and a trip across the U.S.A.)
For the Food on Fridays carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome—though we love to try new dishes, your post doesn’t have to be a recipe. We’re pretty relaxed over here, and stories and photos are as welcome as menus and recipes. When your Food on Fridays contribution is ready, just grab the button to include with your post. It ties us together visually. Then … [Read more...]
Island of Refuge
One spring break in college, my boyfriend and I traveled with our moms to Treasure Island, Florida, where his parents owned a condo. As soon as we walked in, my eyes landed directly on a poster of a shore bird in flight and though that photo could have been snapped at a thousand different locations, the caption read: Sanibel-Captiva. "Where's that?" I asked, pointing to … [Read more...]
A Lively Faith
On our trip to South Carolina a few weeks ago, we visited the Chapel of Ease, built circa 1740 as a place of worship for planters on St. Helena Island who lived too far to participate regularly in services at the parish church in Beaufort. On the grounds stands a mausoleum where some members of the Fripp family were laid to rest. This place of ruins, tombs and … [Read more...]
On the Road: The Maiden Voyage
When we had our first child, we started tent camping. By 1998, we had three little girls and no longer fit in a tent, so we upgraded to a pop-up camper. In 2001 we added a fourth child and somehow managed to continue squeezing our family of six into that tight space. … [Read more...]
Food on Fridays: Faking First Class
(smaller button below)For the Food on Fridays carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome—though we love to try new dishes, your post doesn’t have to be a recipe. We’re pretty relaxed over here, and stories and photos are as welcome as menus and recipes.When your Food on Fridays contribution is ready, just grab the broccoli button to paste at the top of your … [Read more...]
Food on Fridays: Vacation Food
(smaller button below)For the Food on Fridays carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome—though we love to try new dishes, your post doesn’t have to be a recipe. We’re pretty relaxed over here, and stories and photos are as welcome as menus and recipes.When your Food on Fridays contribution is ready, just grab the broccoli button (My daughter doesn’t quite … [Read more...]
Curiosity Journal: August 4, 2011
Each Wednesday (except this week, when I missed my deadline) I’m recording a Curiosity Journal, a recap of the past week. Tag words are: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing. ::: Some of you have mentioned that you’re keeping a Curiosity Journal, as well. Leave your link in the comments so that we can visit and enjoy your weekly review. … [Read more...]
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