Odds & Ends

There are many things that make up the miscellany of ones life. For me, it's the animals I've been so lucky to spend time with, the places I've had such fortune to be able to travel to, and the ability to find a creative outlet.

Wee Beasties

close up image of a black and brown dog's face; dog has upright ears and kind expression

Image of black and brown dog with upright ears sitting in front of a very large pile of shedding fur

Otter! This loveably morose and abundantly furry creature graced my life for a too short fifteen years. Otter was an Australian Cattle Dog and Norwegian Elkhound mix (both hemispheres = year round shedding?) we found in the local animal shelter when he was five months old, the last of a large litter. He was the very best good boy and I will always miss him.

An image of an underweight but shiny bay horse

Day 1

6 Weeks

1 Year

I'd ridden horses for over two decades before having one of my own. I wasn't looking to buy a horse, but came across this skinny Thoroughbred mare when she was a few days away from being sent to auction. I cashed out my meager savings, and she came home to me. Grace needed a lot of groceries and a bit of care, but she always maintained a kind-hearted disposition. She spent a few years with me, before going off to spend her retirement on 80 acres at the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountains.

World Wanderings

Annapurna mountain range in Nepal, snow capped, with a steep valley in the mid-ground, and a woman collecting seeds in a yellow field in the foreground

If I could, I would travel more. I've been borderline (ok maybe not borderline) obsessive about collecting airline miles through the various programs that allow you to rack up miles without actually traveling.

In 2018, these efforts paid off in the form of a trip to Nepal to go trekking along the Annapurna range. We were able to fly in business the entire way, free-ish (there were the usual flight fees averaging $50 per leg), with a flight path that took us around the world: Chicago > Frankfurt > Istanbul > Kathmandu > Bangkok > Seoul > Chicago. We spent a few days in Kathmandu, found an incredible shop called Local Women's Handicrafts, visited the Boudhanath Stupa trekked a small portion of the Annapurna trail, and visited Chitwan National Park. This was a once in a lifetime trip, taking us well far afield into a region and culture beyond any expectations.

The circle of stones at Stonehenge, in the middle of a green grass field and white puffy clouds in a blue sky

Travel is even better when going with friends. Better than that is when you coerce them into a "Mystery Trip". This plan was hatched during a Chicago winter, when one looks for a beacon on the horizon to get them through the long gray days. Three friends and I agreed on dates of travel and a budget, but they entrusted me to plan the rest: they would not know where they were going until we arrived at the airport, clutching their passports and hoping for the best. They were surprised with a trip to England, visiting London, the Cotswold's, and the Isle of Wight for ten glorious days.

Glencoe in Scotland, green steep mountains and a stormy sky, with a rainbow stretched across the valley below

Of all the places I've been: Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, Ireland, England, Netherlands, South Korea, Nepal, and Japan, Scotland tops this list as my favorite. There's something about the place--a deep sense of vitality permeating everything. It feels green and abundant and ancient. Scotland will always be my first love, a place I felt so keenly, it compelled me to write my first novel with Scotland as the setting. One of the best things about writing The Cottar Queen was researching and sending off notes to historians and librarians in Scotland for assistance, and their lovely and prompt replies and desire to help.

Image of a painted wall mural of a poppy meadow with a pink house in the distance and a blue sky with white puffy clouds

Image of a painted wall mural reminiscent of Van Gogh's "Starry Night" with a village in the foreground and abstracted swirling stars across a nights sky.

Image of a painted wall mural of a forest

It's Just Paint

About twenty years ago, I was asked to paint a mural because someone seemed to think I could, despite my not actually having painted anything outside of high school art class. My concern of ruining a perfectly good wall were nixed when I was reminded, "It's just paint". That comment, along with some whiskey, allowed me to overcome my nerves. Six or so hours later, my first mural, a Monet knock off of The Poppy Field was complete.

A few years later, this sequence of events returned: new wall, new mural. Same fears, same whiskey, same six hours later. This one was no small undertaking either, an homage to Van Gogh's Starry Night, with the addition of the Chicago skyline in the background.

There were a few more murals between then and now, but when we relocated from a house and garden, to a condo and balcony, I missed the views to the outside. So I painted my very own forest, one of my largest murals to date - 10' x 14' - in the guest room/office. There are birds amongst the branches, a hawk flying overhead, and one tiny monster hidden in the ferns.