It’s late at night and the house is quiet… pull up a chair.
My hubby is at work and won’t be home until tomorrow. Even Belle the cat is snoring away on her pillow
in front of the fire. Much better I’m sure than being outside on a cold night like this.
But me? I am working on finishing up some text sections that will be inserted in my new website tomorrow. As much as I love writing, I have found the nitty gritty of website development has been a bit daunting. I am so glad I have my son to guide and help me through the process. Hopefully soon, it will be ready to share with everyone.
I have converted part of my creative craft room into a mini-office for the purpose of having a dedicated space to write. Around me tonight are little reminders of the things that I hope to be able to share with you as we begin this journey of blogging.
On the desk next to me, I have several books on travel through Germany and Austria as well as a stack of lodging reservations and airfare confirmations. The maps have circles around several locations that match the tabbed pages of the book.
Yes, we are in the countdown to a very special trip and one that I will definitely be sharing all about along the way. My son (29), my husband and my parents (mid-80’s) will be traveling to Europe in September for a 15 day trip down memory lane. This will most likely be the last time my mom will have an opportunity to go to her favorite places in the world and we’ve been planning, organizing and talking about this for months.
So how do you plan a meaningful travel experience for three generations of people all with different energy and physical levels as well as varied expectations of what we will see and do? This is the third time we have done this type of travel and I do have some tips and stories to share in the coming weeks and months. But the effort is worth it. To me, having an opportunity to take my parents, my husband and my son to see so many wonderful cultural locations will allow us to make memories that will last long after my parents have passed away.
Come back often to hear and learn the in’s and out’s of successful and meaningful three generational travel.
Also on my desk tonight is a Bible Study guide for a new 12-week study I will be starting in late February. The topic is Experiencing Spiritual Intimacy by Christa Kinde. It is part of the Women of Faith series which is my favorite “go-to” study program. Teaching and sharing with other women of faith is something I enjoy doing and I am excited to start this new group. Part of the experience is the learning and knowledge gained, and the other part is just having an opportunity as women to get together without our kids and husbands and just relax, open-up and share. There is nothing like a little bit of “girl” time to lift our spirits and help us stay focused in our crazy busy worlds.
Behind me on the work table is a reminder of the other part of my mission with this website. It is my recently published book through Arcadia Publishing in their Images of America series; Hood River, (Oregon). It is Hood River County’s history as told through 200+ photographic images. This project was a labor of love that took a lot helpers and over two years of research and writing to accomplish. I strongly believe in the concept that in order to know how to move forward into the future – whether it’s our nation, our community, or your family – you must know where you’ve come from and the story of your past. Maybe that knowledge comes from digging into your genealogy. Or maybe it’s just taking time to visit (often) your local community museum. The past has a story to tell us. In this story, there are chapters about good times mixed in with some sad and painful moments. But I encourage you to open up the story of your life and start reading….and then share that story with your kids so they can tell their kids. Keep the past alive and our future will be a better place.
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