Although the sun hadn’t yet risen at 6:00 this morning, there was enough light for me to see the back patio through the sliding glass door. It was wet. I couldn’t detect any rain coming down, so when I stepped outside with my little dog, I was surprised to feel the soft drizzle on my … Continue reading Wet Paws and Morning Magic: Walking in the Rain
Travel
The Last Train to London
Someone posted an enticing picture of London on social media the other day with the caption: “What is keeping you from visiting?” Maybe it was meant to be a gentle nudge to get you to go there. However, most of the comments expressed fear of falling prey to criminals. Others observed that they would not … Continue reading The Last Train to London
Finding Inspiration in Simplicity
When I was in college, my course load was just shy of full time, but my schedule was intense. I had a part-time job, studied martial arts, played the guitar, and was dating. After a couple of semesters of earning one B for every A, I realized something had to give. As much as I … Continue reading Finding Inspiration in Simplicity
A Changing World: Last Day in London
Less than a week after I returned home from London in March 2020, the covid travel restrictions hit. It had been strange to see my fellow readers in the National Archives slinking around, warily keeping their distance from one another. Women in the public restroom peered over their masks with glazed eyes, as they washed … Continue reading A Changing World: Last Day in London
Rubber Soles and Traveling Shoes
You can buy shoes with memory foam inserts, but other sorts of memories may be attached to our foot apparel. During the years I spent as a citizen lobbyist, I got to know my Congressman’s District Director. One afternoon, I had gone to lunch with her and another friend. As we were leaving the restaurant, … Continue reading Rubber Soles and Traveling Shoes
The Housewarming Gift
My house had only been on the market for a few days, when my realtor called and told me we had received multiple offers. A couple of them were over the asking price, and he made a recommendation that I accept one in particular. Before we had listed the property, I had done a thorough … Continue reading The Housewarming Gift
The Unforgotten
After I finished writing the manuscript for my first novel, A Moon Garden, I found myself in the unaccustomed state of having free time. One morning, I sat down at the computer and did a web search, to see if I could find a portrait of an aristocratic British soldier from the 1780’s, who looked … Continue reading The Unforgotten
Then and Again
“Turn right on Highway 20, and go about a half mile. When you come to the Taco Bell, take a left.” My co-worker may as well have given me directions to Mars. What was she talking about? Taco Bell? Did our town have a Taco Bell? Although I had lived here for a couple of … Continue reading Then and Again
A Time and a Place
“Maybe she doesn’t speak English,” said a short, chubby, middle-aged woman. “Or maybe she’s deaf,” her friend observed. “Hello? Hello? Can you understand me?” shouted the first woman. I was just coming to the statue of Charles James Fox at the north end of Bloomsbury Square, when I stopped and turned my head to the … Continue reading A Time and a Place
Roxane Gilbert 