Lydia Howe's Blog, page 19
March 26, 2016
Around the World in Fifty-Two Weeks Week Twelve: Luxembourg
Happy Friday, people! Oh wait, what? It's Saturday? Right, right. Actually, because of how my schedule at work was this week, yesterday was my Saturday, and today is my Friday. Confusing, right? But hey, switching up the days of the week every once in a while is kinda fun.
Anyway. Today we are on a whirl-wind tour of Luxembourg in our fictional, continuing story, Around the World in Fifty-Two Weeks. I hope you enjoy!
Around the World in Fifty-Two Weeks Week Twelve: Luxembourg
The first thing my dad said when he founded out I was headed to Luxembourg was “Good, it’s one of the safest countries in the world.” And I felt safe as I walked through the streets although the people weren’t exactly exhibiting friendliness. No one was being outright rude, instead they were reserved and since I had just come from the “everyone’s family” atmosphere of Reunion Island, I felt the gap. Luxembourg is one of the smallest and richest countries in the world. Plus, it holds the highest rate of car ownership in the world, a record that amused me when I read it in a brochure I’d picked up at the airport.
Tuesday midmorning, after dropping my luggage off at a hotel and freshening up, I headed to Vianden Castle, the first stop on my list. The castle was built between the 11th and 14th centuries, a fact that, to American me, was rather mind-blowing. The castle was set on a hill with a city thriving in a clustered nest below it and it reminded me of a chicken watching over her chicks. The Vianden Castle is one of the most beautiful (and largest) residences of the romanesque period in Europe. The castle fell into a state of ruin in the 1800’s but was restored beginning in 1977 and was truly a sight to behold. For supper I found a comfortable looking restaurant and ordered the special of the day since I was having a hard time communicating in my limited French. I used my phone to translate what Judd mat gaardebounen was while waiting for my food and discovered it was smoked neck of pork served with a stew of broad beans and potatoes sautéed with bacon. Thankfully it tasted good and I throughly enjoy it, or maybe my hunger from walking around all day helped enhance the food. Wednesday I decided to try and find the “chapel hidden in the rocks” the hotel clerk had told me about. I made my way to the Petrusse Valley and was delighted by it’s calming scenery and amazing views of the historical city. The Petrusse valley was full of steep slopes, ruins, and strange rock formations which had me snapping pictures like the tourist I was. I was so enchanted by the views around me I nearly missed seeing the tiny chapel carved into the rocks. It’s construction dates back to 1355 and is Luxembourg’s oldest surviving church. Hidden behind leafy trees it was peaceful and held an air of mystery. After a relaxed lunch of Hiecht mat Kraiderzooss, which is locally caught pike in green sauce, (and was a bit strong for my tastes), and with Verwurelter, which are small sugar-coated donuts, for dessert (they were magnificent, nearly melting in my mouth), I headed to The Moselle. The Moselle Valley was a wonderful place for a quiet, unhurried walk. I visited a butterfly garden, hiked up mountain pathway, and explored a folklore museum, then ended the day with a four-hour ride on a luxury passenger boat. On the boat, the MS Princesse Marie-Astrid, I soaked in the lapping of the water, the bright spring sunshine, and the tranquility of the world around me. Thursday morning I allowed myself to sleep in and have an unhurried breakfast of strong coffee and a French pastry. Almost half of Luxembourg’s workforce commutes to work in Luxembourg from other countries, something I found astonishing. With nearly half of those commuting in being French, it wasn’t surprising the amount of French food available at stores and restaurants. The food as delicious and I had to limit myself on how many pastries I ate, although I knew with all the hiking and walking I was doing, I must have been burning a ton of calories. Forests cover more than a third of the country, which I found delightful. Sophie had worked out the details for me to rent a car and I spent Thursday driving to the forest regions and getting lost (not literally) in nature. Sophie had suggested I pack an overnight bag which proved to be a wonderful plan. I found an adorable Bed and Breakfast to stay in. The diversity in the animals that lived in Luxembourg astounded me. I wanted to see as many of them as I could while in the forest, but naturally, only caught a glimpse of fur here and there, nothing too exciting. The owners of the Bed and Breakfast told me that Luxembourg hosted wild boar, elk, roe deer (made me think of Robin Hood), least weasels, otters, cross foxes, European pine marti, as well as brown bears, badgers, arctic wolves, and an array of other creatures. Friday it was back to the city for me, and although it was a fairly clean city, I missed the freshness of the brisk air and vast greenness from the forests. The “Notre-Dame” of Luxembourg had been highly recommended to me by the lady sitting next to me on the airplane, so I headed there. It’s Luxembourg’s only cathedral and hosts a cornerstone laid in 1613, another far-back date hard for my mind to comprehend. The cathedral was added to in the 1930’s, creating an odd and interesting mix of many different styles, including Gothic and Modern. I was glad I went, although I didn’t linger too long in the cool, dark interior. I spent the afternoon at the American Military Cemetery which is the resting place of 5,070 American soldiers who paid with their lives for our freedom during WW2. Most of the soldiers buried there died during the Battle of the Bulge which was fought in the winter of 1944/1945. It made me incredibly sad to think of all the lives that had been ended so early. I was also filled with overwhelming gratitude, knowing that these brave men had sacrificed so we would be able to live in freedom. I walked among the crosses, praying for the families that were left behind, thanking God for the freedom we live in, and asking Him to help keep our country free.
Saturday I visited the Bock Casemates, a system of over ten and a half miles of underground tunnels cut into the solid rock beneath Luxembourg city. I’ve always been fascinated with being underground, and these tunnels were no exception. With the earliest sections built in 1644, the tunnels were ancient and marvelous. They were originally constructed as part of the city’s defense, and then used as air raid shelters during WW1 and WW2.
I spent hours in the cool, stale air of the tunnels, the wheels of my imagination running rampant as I thought of the years the passages through the earth had been around and the history they’d seen. I even found a quiet nook and used the flashlight from my phone to light my notebook where I scribbled away ideas. Maybe one day I would write a book because there was no way all of my ideas would fit onto Exploration Airline’s blog.
Anyway. Today we are on a whirl-wind tour of Luxembourg in our fictional, continuing story, Around the World in Fifty-Two Weeks. I hope you enjoy!
Around the World in Fifty-Two Weeks Week Twelve: Luxembourg
The first thing my dad said when he founded out I was headed to Luxembourg was “Good, it’s one of the safest countries in the world.” And I felt safe as I walked through the streets although the people weren’t exactly exhibiting friendliness. No one was being outright rude, instead they were reserved and since I had just come from the “everyone’s family” atmosphere of Reunion Island, I felt the gap. Luxembourg is one of the smallest and richest countries in the world. Plus, it holds the highest rate of car ownership in the world, a record that amused me when I read it in a brochure I’d picked up at the airport.
Tuesday midmorning, after dropping my luggage off at a hotel and freshening up, I headed to Vianden Castle, the first stop on my list. The castle was built between the 11th and 14th centuries, a fact that, to American me, was rather mind-blowing. The castle was set on a hill with a city thriving in a clustered nest below it and it reminded me of a chicken watching over her chicks. The Vianden Castle is one of the most beautiful (and largest) residences of the romanesque period in Europe. The castle fell into a state of ruin in the 1800’s but was restored beginning in 1977 and was truly a sight to behold. For supper I found a comfortable looking restaurant and ordered the special of the day since I was having a hard time communicating in my limited French. I used my phone to translate what Judd mat gaardebounen was while waiting for my food and discovered it was smoked neck of pork served with a stew of broad beans and potatoes sautéed with bacon. Thankfully it tasted good and I throughly enjoy it, or maybe my hunger from walking around all day helped enhance the food. Wednesday I decided to try and find the “chapel hidden in the rocks” the hotel clerk had told me about. I made my way to the Petrusse Valley and was delighted by it’s calming scenery and amazing views of the historical city. The Petrusse valley was full of steep slopes, ruins, and strange rock formations which had me snapping pictures like the tourist I was. I was so enchanted by the views around me I nearly missed seeing the tiny chapel carved into the rocks. It’s construction dates back to 1355 and is Luxembourg’s oldest surviving church. Hidden behind leafy trees it was peaceful and held an air of mystery. After a relaxed lunch of Hiecht mat Kraiderzooss, which is locally caught pike in green sauce, (and was a bit strong for my tastes), and with Verwurelter, which are small sugar-coated donuts, for dessert (they were magnificent, nearly melting in my mouth), I headed to The Moselle. The Moselle Valley was a wonderful place for a quiet, unhurried walk. I visited a butterfly garden, hiked up mountain pathway, and explored a folklore museum, then ended the day with a four-hour ride on a luxury passenger boat. On the boat, the MS Princesse Marie-Astrid, I soaked in the lapping of the water, the bright spring sunshine, and the tranquility of the world around me. Thursday morning I allowed myself to sleep in and have an unhurried breakfast of strong coffee and a French pastry. Almost half of Luxembourg’s workforce commutes to work in Luxembourg from other countries, something I found astonishing. With nearly half of those commuting in being French, it wasn’t surprising the amount of French food available at stores and restaurants. The food as delicious and I had to limit myself on how many pastries I ate, although I knew with all the hiking and walking I was doing, I must have been burning a ton of calories. Forests cover more than a third of the country, which I found delightful. Sophie had worked out the details for me to rent a car and I spent Thursday driving to the forest regions and getting lost (not literally) in nature. Sophie had suggested I pack an overnight bag which proved to be a wonderful plan. I found an adorable Bed and Breakfast to stay in. The diversity in the animals that lived in Luxembourg astounded me. I wanted to see as many of them as I could while in the forest, but naturally, only caught a glimpse of fur here and there, nothing too exciting. The owners of the Bed and Breakfast told me that Luxembourg hosted wild boar, elk, roe deer (made me think of Robin Hood), least weasels, otters, cross foxes, European pine marti, as well as brown bears, badgers, arctic wolves, and an array of other creatures. Friday it was back to the city for me, and although it was a fairly clean city, I missed the freshness of the brisk air and vast greenness from the forests. The “Notre-Dame” of Luxembourg had been highly recommended to me by the lady sitting next to me on the airplane, so I headed there. It’s Luxembourg’s only cathedral and hosts a cornerstone laid in 1613, another far-back date hard for my mind to comprehend. The cathedral was added to in the 1930’s, creating an odd and interesting mix of many different styles, including Gothic and Modern. I was glad I went, although I didn’t linger too long in the cool, dark interior. I spent the afternoon at the American Military Cemetery which is the resting place of 5,070 American soldiers who paid with their lives for our freedom during WW2. Most of the soldiers buried there died during the Battle of the Bulge which was fought in the winter of 1944/1945. It made me incredibly sad to think of all the lives that had been ended so early. I was also filled with overwhelming gratitude, knowing that these brave men had sacrificed so we would be able to live in freedom. I walked among the crosses, praying for the families that were left behind, thanking God for the freedom we live in, and asking Him to help keep our country free.
Saturday I visited the Bock Casemates, a system of over ten and a half miles of underground tunnels cut into the solid rock beneath Luxembourg city. I’ve always been fascinated with being underground, and these tunnels were no exception. With the earliest sections built in 1644, the tunnels were ancient and marvelous. They were originally constructed as part of the city’s defense, and then used as air raid shelters during WW1 and WW2.
I spent hours in the cool, stale air of the tunnels, the wheels of my imagination running rampant as I thought of the years the passages through the earth had been around and the history they’d seen. I even found a quiet nook and used the flashlight from my phone to light my notebook where I scribbled away ideas. Maybe one day I would write a book because there was no way all of my ideas would fit onto Exploration Airline’s blog.
March 24, 2016
Design Your Day By Clair Diaz-Ortiz: Book Review
Design Your DayBy Clair Diaz-Ortiz
Find it on: Amazon Goodreads
First-Person Non-Fiction126 Pages
Why I Choose this Book: The tag line is Be more productive, set better goals, and live life on purpose. Who doesn't want that? Of course I wanted to read it.
What I Thought About this Book:It's hard to know what I thought of this book. The information was really good, but I knew most of it. I was hoping for a creative spin that would tickle my brain because I can read the same information over and over again and get new ideas from it each time if it's presented in a new way. Unfortunately Miss Claire's style was just there and I neither enjoyed it or disliked it, so the book and I had a pretty passive relationship.
I'm 100% certain though that this^ is just a "me thing" and that there are many people who will benefit greatly from her book. In fact, several things she said echoed what I've been learning but haven't begun implementing into my life yet, so this was the push I need to get into gear.
Reading this book was somewhat of a strange experience because I felt like I could have written the first half. It sounded very much like me, which actually might be the reason I didn't feel more inspired... It felt so normal.
Miss Claire quotes Bob Goff and refers to him as a friend, so the rating almost jumped to four stars because of that. All in all I think the book was good, concise, and helpful, but just not my style for some odd, odd reason. (I'll probably come back in two years and it will have become a well-worn five-star book that I recommend to everyone. I've had that type of thing happen before.)
Conclusion: Good information. I need to implement some of the things from the second half into my life and I'm glad for this push.
Rating: I'm giving Design Your Day Three Stars (five out of Ten).
*I received this book for free from Moody Publishers in exchange for an honest review*
Find it on: Amazon Goodreads
First-Person Non-Fiction126 Pages
Why I Choose this Book: The tag line is Be more productive, set better goals, and live life on purpose. Who doesn't want that? Of course I wanted to read it.
What I Thought About this Book:It's hard to know what I thought of this book. The information was really good, but I knew most of it. I was hoping for a creative spin that would tickle my brain because I can read the same information over and over again and get new ideas from it each time if it's presented in a new way. Unfortunately Miss Claire's style was just there and I neither enjoyed it or disliked it, so the book and I had a pretty passive relationship.
I'm 100% certain though that this^ is just a "me thing" and that there are many people who will benefit greatly from her book. In fact, several things she said echoed what I've been learning but haven't begun implementing into my life yet, so this was the push I need to get into gear.
Reading this book was somewhat of a strange experience because I felt like I could have written the first half. It sounded very much like me, which actually might be the reason I didn't feel more inspired... It felt so normal.
Miss Claire quotes Bob Goff and refers to him as a friend, so the rating almost jumped to four stars because of that. All in all I think the book was good, concise, and helpful, but just not my style for some odd, odd reason. (I'll probably come back in two years and it will have become a well-worn five-star book that I recommend to everyone. I've had that type of thing happen before.)
Conclusion: Good information. I need to implement some of the things from the second half into my life and I'm glad for this push.
Rating: I'm giving Design Your Day Three Stars (five out of Ten).
*I received this book for free from Moody Publishers in exchange for an honest review*
March 23, 2016
A to Z Challenge Theme Announced
For the last three years I've taken part in the A to Z Challenge and I'm excited to have some really cool ideas for the 2016 round. For those of you who don't know, the A to Z Challenge is where a huge group of bloggers (over eleven hundred are already signed up) take the month of April and each person picks a theme and then blogs about it every single day during the month, other than Sundays. The kicker is that each day corresponds with a letter in the alphabet. For example, the first day you write about something from your theme that starts with the letter A, the next day the letter B, and... Well, you get it.
Last year I let y'all choose the theme I wrote about and I was thinking of doing the same thing this year. Then a couple of weeks ago ideas started dripping into my thoughts and before I knew it, I had an all out attack plan forming and I knew exactly what I wanted to write about.
I am so very excited about Noveltea's theme for this year, which is Creativity and Inspiration. I'm generally an extremely creative and inspired person, but that part of my brain has been lagging recently as I've discussed on here. Y'all should be happy to know that I've been having a fantastic time reviving those important elements of my life and you'll, hopefully, get a fun picture tour during the month of April.
This last week I've spent a fair amount of time in preparation, including rearranging my office to accommodate some of the ideas I have. This challenge is going to be a lot of work, but oh, so much fun and so good for me.
I've already found myself morphing back into my creative tendencies and feeling a bit more vigor about life. Yay!
* * *
Have you ever taken part in an A to Z Challenge? What theme would you chose?
Last year I let y'all choose the theme I wrote about and I was thinking of doing the same thing this year. Then a couple of weeks ago ideas started dripping into my thoughts and before I knew it, I had an all out attack plan forming and I knew exactly what I wanted to write about.
I am so very excited about Noveltea's theme for this year, which is Creativity and Inspiration. I'm generally an extremely creative and inspired person, but that part of my brain has been lagging recently as I've discussed on here. Y'all should be happy to know that I've been having a fantastic time reviving those important elements of my life and you'll, hopefully, get a fun picture tour during the month of April.
This last week I've spent a fair amount of time in preparation, including rearranging my office to accommodate some of the ideas I have. This challenge is going to be a lot of work, but oh, so much fun and so good for me.
I've already found myself morphing back into my creative tendencies and feeling a bit more vigor about life. Yay!
* * *
Have you ever taken part in an A to Z Challenge? What theme would you chose?
March 22, 2016
Travel Advice
I was recently chatting with a friend regarding traveling advice which of course made my mind whirl into motion and I came up with a list of things I've learned about traveling abroad over the years. I thought I'd share my list with y'all and I'd be delighted if you'd hop in and add to the list.
Before You Travel:
1. If you're going to be driving when you're out of the country, a lot (most?) countries require you to get an international drivers license. This is not difficult at all if you have an American drivers license.
2. Getting a passport is generally quite easy, but it can be a time consuming process. If you need it expedited, it will cost extra, but is quite possible, just make sure you check in with everything and that your dates match up.
3. Not all countries require vaccinations, but some do. Make sure you get your shots at the right time (some shots you need several weeks or even months in advance), and that you keep your vaccination record in your passport so it can be seen when you're going through customs.
books packed for my trip to Aruba 4. I recommend on stocking your body up on Vitamin C before you go as traveling exposes you to a ginormous amount of germs.
5. One of my biggest pieces of advice is "Pack light!" Now of course this depends on the purpose of your visit. I've spent many hours in airports lugging around totes of supplies we were taking to the people we were visiting, but, when you're packing your personal belongings, packing light will most likely not be a decision you regret.
While Traveling:
1. Take a blanket or pillow with you. I carry a blanket and a teddy bear tied together with me on literally every trip and have for quite some time. In fact, since I got the blanket when I turned sixteen I've only missed having it with me three nights, and those were all during the first year. There is nothing like having a blanket or pillow to curl up with during a long flight or even longer layover. I have slept on many airport floors and chairs using my blanket as a pillow. (I know it sounds gross to sleep on a dirty airport floor, but when traveling 50+ hours with low stamina, I cease to care.)
my blanket and teddy bear tied together in a hut in Africa2. Carry a complete change of clothes in your carry-on. This is helpful in two situations: 1) Your luggage goes missing or 2) Someone sitting next to you in the plane spills their drink or food on you (or worse, gets motion sick).
3. Wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off. Now this is totally preference, because I understand some people would rather wear tennis shoes, especially if they're going to be sprinting toward their gate, but I much prefer flip-flops because you have to take them off while going through security.
4. When the airplane takes off, the pressure can wreck havoc on ears. Chewing gum dramatically (meaning very pronounced) helps the ears pop, as well as yawning a lot. If you don't do this, you're likely to have your ears bother you for a while, although this problem doesn't plague everyone.
5. I like to carry along socks (since I generally wear flip-flops), a sleeping mask, toothbrush, earbuds (some prefer earplugs), books, and snacks on my carry on so I can sleep and read during the flight. (Be advised though, if you pack too many books in your carry-on it creates a dense mass that looks weird on the screen and they'll ask you to open your bag and they'll flip through all the books.) I also generally take an empty water bottle with me that I fill up at a water fountain after going through security.
6. Make sure you stay very hydrated while in the air. For some reason it's quite easy to get dehydrated while flying which is quite unhealthy. It depends on the airlines and the staff, but quite often they're happy to give you extra water (especially if you've been talkative and friendly with them from the beginning). My brother and I asked for the big bottles of water that they serve out of when we flew to and from Asia and they were happy to oblige. (Side note: Caffeine is actually a dehydrator, so don't chug the pop and coffee.)
7. During long flights it's good to get up and stretch and walk around every couple of hours.
8. Customs at the airport... Some places aren't bad, others are a nightmare. You want to be very careful what you take with you because you have to declare it if you have anything such as fruit or raw seeds, even if it's just in your snack bag. In most cases it's probably better to either eat it before you arrive (coming and going), or to throw it away before going through the line because the lines can take forever.
9. Keep your passport with you, either on your person or in a secure bag that you know for sure you'll keep with you. I had a friend who put their passport in their carry on, then the plane was full so the staff asked for people to check their carry ons to be loaded in the luggage compartment of the plane. Needless to say my friend almost didn't make the flight and the whole plane sat and waited for about 30 minutes as the plane was unloaded to find the carry on and therefore the passport. Yeah...
10. Write the pilot and crew thank you notes, especially if there have been delays or issues and they're stressed out. It goes a long way.
while flying to Ghana our 9 hour flight turned into 19 hours on the planeWhen You're There:
1. If you're taking electronics, make sure you've checked the countries voltage system. Sometimes you need to plug a transformer into your cord before you plug it into an outlet or else it will fry your devise.
2. Turn off your cell phone data. If you don't, then your phone might connect to data and charge you huge bucks for something as simple as sending a few texts. Happily though, most countries I've traveled in have had wifi that I've been able to connect my iPhone to in order to accesses iMessaging and internet for free.
3. To avoid jet lag, try to jump into the time zone of the country you're visiting right away (some people recommend doing this several days before you leave, although I've never done that). This means don't take naps during the day unless completely necessary or unless you normally do at home. Try and eat at the correct times, go to bed at the correct time, and wake up at the correct time. If you do find yourself wide awake in the middle of the night, stay off of electronics as the glow of the screen will confuse your body even more (this is one of those rules I'm not good at following). I've heard some people (family included) recommend taking Melationin, which is a natural sleep aid, but I've never actually done this. Lavender oil is also helpful as a sleep aid for falling asleep at the right time, despite your body feeling like it's still the middle of the day.
* * *What are some of your traveling tips? Are there any huge ones I missed? I'd be delighted to learn from y'all cause I have another big trip coming up next month.
Before You Travel:
1. If you're going to be driving when you're out of the country, a lot (most?) countries require you to get an international drivers license. This is not difficult at all if you have an American drivers license.
2. Getting a passport is generally quite easy, but it can be a time consuming process. If you need it expedited, it will cost extra, but is quite possible, just make sure you check in with everything and that your dates match up.
3. Not all countries require vaccinations, but some do. Make sure you get your shots at the right time (some shots you need several weeks or even months in advance), and that you keep your vaccination record in your passport so it can be seen when you're going through customs.
books packed for my trip to Aruba 4. I recommend on stocking your body up on Vitamin C before you go as traveling exposes you to a ginormous amount of germs. 5. One of my biggest pieces of advice is "Pack light!" Now of course this depends on the purpose of your visit. I've spent many hours in airports lugging around totes of supplies we were taking to the people we were visiting, but, when you're packing your personal belongings, packing light will most likely not be a decision you regret.
While Traveling:
1. Take a blanket or pillow with you. I carry a blanket and a teddy bear tied together with me on literally every trip and have for quite some time. In fact, since I got the blanket when I turned sixteen I've only missed having it with me three nights, and those were all during the first year. There is nothing like having a blanket or pillow to curl up with during a long flight or even longer layover. I have slept on many airport floors and chairs using my blanket as a pillow. (I know it sounds gross to sleep on a dirty airport floor, but when traveling 50+ hours with low stamina, I cease to care.)
my blanket and teddy bear tied together in a hut in Africa2. Carry a complete change of clothes in your carry-on. This is helpful in two situations: 1) Your luggage goes missing or 2) Someone sitting next to you in the plane spills their drink or food on you (or worse, gets motion sick). 3. Wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off. Now this is totally preference, because I understand some people would rather wear tennis shoes, especially if they're going to be sprinting toward their gate, but I much prefer flip-flops because you have to take them off while going through security.
4. When the airplane takes off, the pressure can wreck havoc on ears. Chewing gum dramatically (meaning very pronounced) helps the ears pop, as well as yawning a lot. If you don't do this, you're likely to have your ears bother you for a while, although this problem doesn't plague everyone.
5. I like to carry along socks (since I generally wear flip-flops), a sleeping mask, toothbrush, earbuds (some prefer earplugs), books, and snacks on my carry on so I can sleep and read during the flight. (Be advised though, if you pack too many books in your carry-on it creates a dense mass that looks weird on the screen and they'll ask you to open your bag and they'll flip through all the books.) I also generally take an empty water bottle with me that I fill up at a water fountain after going through security.
6. Make sure you stay very hydrated while in the air. For some reason it's quite easy to get dehydrated while flying which is quite unhealthy. It depends on the airlines and the staff, but quite often they're happy to give you extra water (especially if you've been talkative and friendly with them from the beginning). My brother and I asked for the big bottles of water that they serve out of when we flew to and from Asia and they were happy to oblige. (Side note: Caffeine is actually a dehydrator, so don't chug the pop and coffee.)
7. During long flights it's good to get up and stretch and walk around every couple of hours.
8. Customs at the airport... Some places aren't bad, others are a nightmare. You want to be very careful what you take with you because you have to declare it if you have anything such as fruit or raw seeds, even if it's just in your snack bag. In most cases it's probably better to either eat it before you arrive (coming and going), or to throw it away before going through the line because the lines can take forever.
9. Keep your passport with you, either on your person or in a secure bag that you know for sure you'll keep with you. I had a friend who put their passport in their carry on, then the plane was full so the staff asked for people to check their carry ons to be loaded in the luggage compartment of the plane. Needless to say my friend almost didn't make the flight and the whole plane sat and waited for about 30 minutes as the plane was unloaded to find the carry on and therefore the passport. Yeah...
10. Write the pilot and crew thank you notes, especially if there have been delays or issues and they're stressed out. It goes a long way.
while flying to Ghana our 9 hour flight turned into 19 hours on the planeWhen You're There:
1. If you're taking electronics, make sure you've checked the countries voltage system. Sometimes you need to plug a transformer into your cord before you plug it into an outlet or else it will fry your devise.
2. Turn off your cell phone data. If you don't, then your phone might connect to data and charge you huge bucks for something as simple as sending a few texts. Happily though, most countries I've traveled in have had wifi that I've been able to connect my iPhone to in order to accesses iMessaging and internet for free.
3. To avoid jet lag, try to jump into the time zone of the country you're visiting right away (some people recommend doing this several days before you leave, although I've never done that). This means don't take naps during the day unless completely necessary or unless you normally do at home. Try and eat at the correct times, go to bed at the correct time, and wake up at the correct time. If you do find yourself wide awake in the middle of the night, stay off of electronics as the glow of the screen will confuse your body even more (this is one of those rules I'm not good at following). I've heard some people (family included) recommend taking Melationin, which is a natural sleep aid, but I've never actually done this. Lavender oil is also helpful as a sleep aid for falling asleep at the right time, despite your body feeling like it's still the middle of the day.
* * *What are some of your traveling tips? Are there any huge ones I missed? I'd be delighted to learn from y'all cause I have another big trip coming up next month.
March 21, 2016
Concert Fun & Giveaway Winners Announced
Friday evening we drove three hours to a concert featuring JJ Heller, Josh Wilson, and Jason Gray. It was a fantastic experience and well worth it, even though we didn't arrive back home until after 2 A.M.
JJ's little girl, Lucy, was there and joined her up on stage to help sing one of the songs. They were completely adorable together. After the concert I talked with Lucy (who is six or seven) about books which was really fun. Talking with her reminded me of when I get to travel around with my adopted parents and converse with the people who have come to the concert. My favorite song of JJ's is What Love Really Means and I have listened to it many times over the years.
Josh Wilson is a great guitar player. I have long been inspired and challenged by his song, I Refuse. My favorite song of his during the concert though was That Was Then . I don't know if I've heard it before, but it's really catchy and has a great message. I'm actually listening to it as I blog this morning and it's making me smile again.
My favorite was Jason Gray. His song It's Good to be Alive meant a lot to me back when I was really sick and didn't always feel like life was a gift. The words would remind me that yes, indeed, I had so much to be thankful for and I needed to live life instead of just exist. The song inspired me to live of beautiful life, even during my pain. Over the years I've also found it quite easy (amusingly so) to relate to his song That's How I Ended Up Here.
They're just a little over halfway done with their tour, so, if you can make it to one of the concerts you really should. The tickets were only $12 which is pretty amazing.
Announcement: Yay! I'm ready to announce the winners to Noveltea's Birthday Celebration Giveaway! Just in case someone doesn't know how this works, I'll quickly explain. Rafflecopter, which is the giveaway hosting site I use, has a button that says "Add a random winner" and when I click it, it spits out a name and adds it to the widget. So, the first winner gets the first prize, the second winner gets the second prize, etc...
Avery wins the $40 Amazon Giftcard Johanna wins the book Love Does Tamara G. wins the CD The Story of Your Lifeand Sarah M. wins the DVD Alaska! by Buddy Davis
Congratulations y'all, and thank you for everyone who entered the giveaway! I'll be contacting the winners this week via email so I can send them their prizes.
* * * It's that time again where we get to choose where Annie goes for this week in our Friday Series, Around the World in Fifty-Two Weeks . And the destination is: Luxembourg!
JJ's little girl, Lucy, was there and joined her up on stage to help sing one of the songs. They were completely adorable together. After the concert I talked with Lucy (who is six or seven) about books which was really fun. Talking with her reminded me of when I get to travel around with my adopted parents and converse with the people who have come to the concert. My favorite song of JJ's is What Love Really Means and I have listened to it many times over the years.
Josh Wilson is a great guitar player. I have long been inspired and challenged by his song, I Refuse. My favorite song of his during the concert though was That Was Then . I don't know if I've heard it before, but it's really catchy and has a great message. I'm actually listening to it as I blog this morning and it's making me smile again.
My favorite was Jason Gray. His song It's Good to be Alive meant a lot to me back when I was really sick and didn't always feel like life was a gift. The words would remind me that yes, indeed, I had so much to be thankful for and I needed to live life instead of just exist. The song inspired me to live of beautiful life, even during my pain. Over the years I've also found it quite easy (amusingly so) to relate to his song That's How I Ended Up Here.
They're just a little over halfway done with their tour, so, if you can make it to one of the concerts you really should. The tickets were only $12 which is pretty amazing.
Announcement: Yay! I'm ready to announce the winners to Noveltea's Birthday Celebration Giveaway! Just in case someone doesn't know how this works, I'll quickly explain. Rafflecopter, which is the giveaway hosting site I use, has a button that says "Add a random winner" and when I click it, it spits out a name and adds it to the widget. So, the first winner gets the first prize, the second winner gets the second prize, etc...
Avery wins the $40 Amazon Giftcard Johanna wins the book Love Does Tamara G. wins the CD The Story of Your Lifeand Sarah M. wins the DVD Alaska! by Buddy Davis
Congratulations y'all, and thank you for everyone who entered the giveaway! I'll be contacting the winners this week via email so I can send them their prizes.
* * * It's that time again where we get to choose where Annie goes for this week in our Friday Series, Around the World in Fifty-Two Weeks . And the destination is: Luxembourg!
March 18, 2016
Around the World in Fifty-Two Weeks Week Eleven: Reunion Island
Good morning, y'all! Today we get to explore Reunion Island in our fictional story, Around the World in Fifty-Two Weeks. Sit back and enjoy!
Around the World in Fifty-Two Weeks Week Eleven: Reunion Island
It was a long twenty-eight hours of traveling with two layovers, but the moment we flew over the island and I was able to look down on the majestic mountains and brilliant water, I knew it had been worth it. Reunion Island. How the beautiful isle rising up in the Indian Ocean had escaped being on my radar is beyond me. Although not large, the 40 miles of length and 28th of width held the promise of being fascinating. I couldn’t wait to hike a mountain and feel the fresh spray of salt water on my face while watching the sunset on a peaceful beach. The man next to me smiled at my obvious enchantment, “It’s delightful, no?” “Breathtaking.” The reporter side of me perked up. “Do you live on Reunion Island?” His accent kinda reminded me of French, but there was something different about it. “Yes. I was born and raised here.” I reached into my bag and rummaged around for a piece of paper. “Would be willing to answer some questions for me? I work for a travel blog and I’m going to be exploring Reunion Island this week.” “Of course, of course. We’ll be landing soon, though.” I pulled out a notebook, my favorite pen, and a business card. I handed him the business card and uncapped my pen. “Oh, I’m Indiana Anderson, by the way.” I gestured at the card since it felt weird to give the person sitting beside you a handshake. “Wilson.” He acknowledged me with a nod. “Will you please tell me a little bit about the people or history of Reunion Island?” “Ah yes, let me see… Reunion Island is one of the twenty-six regions of France overseas and was discovered by the Portuguese in the early 16th century.” “Were there people living here at the time?” “No, it was uninhabited. The island was claimed by the French in 1643 and named Bourbon, it wasn’t renamed Reunion Union until 1793. French established their first colony on the island, in 1662 and it has remained a French colony since then, except for a brief occupation by British, from 1810 to 1815.” “Interesting.” I was scribbling barely readable notes as we bounced along in the air, preparing for landing. “There is a wide variety of nationalities and cultures represented on the island since there are no indigenous people. There are European, African, Indian, and Chinese people among others.” “That sounds cool.” “Our main industry is sugarcane, and tourism. We also export seafood, rum, and vanilla. I work at a sugarcane plantation and if you’d like to come by for a tour, I could arrange that.” “That would be magnificent!” I clapped my hands together in delight. The bumpiness of the landing gear hitting the runway reminded me that our interview was about to be cut short. “What’s the official language?” “French, but most people speak Creole, which is a mixture of several different languages and is French-based. There are 127 different Creoles world-wide, each one of them based off of different languages.” “That is crazy.” We taxied to a stop and I looked at Wilson, wondering if I should ask another question. He grinned, “They take a while to disembark, I can answer a few more questions while we wait.” “Thank you. Can you tell me a bit about the topographical features?” “Reunion Island is quite mountains and is of volcanic origin. Piton des Neiges is the highest point at a little over ten thousand feet, and of course the Indian Ocean is the lowest point. Our mountain range divides the island into the lush, rainy windward southern side and the drier leeward western side. The center of the island is made of three cirques, which are essentially, volcanoes that collapsed a long time ago. Plus there is the still very active volcano which is called Piton de La Fournaise.” “Is it difficult to explore the mountains?” “No. It’s quite easy to rent a car so you can go drive through them. Although I must say, the roads call for an experienced driver. Do you qualify?” I nodded, “I would say so.” “Good, good. You can see wonderfully beautiful scenery by driving to the top of the cirques. You look down at the rivers and villages far, far below you and it’s magnificent. Just magnificent. You’ll want to do this in the morning because in the afternoon the fog and clouds will be below you and will block your view.” “Thank you so much for helping me.” “It was my pleasure.”
I settled into my hotel room and then looked at my phone which had changed time with the time zones. It was Noon on Tuesday, which was the same time I had left South Korea on Monday, twenty-nine hours before. I was getting used to all the time changes, but it was still amusing, and somewhat confusing. Sophie had hooked my phone up to work on the island and I really wanted to call my mom and tell her about the trip, but it was only two in the morning and I didn’t think she’d be exactly thrilled to be woken up. The weather was gorgeous and was supposed to stay that way all week (which was amazing because it’s generally rainy in March), so I decided to spend most of my time outside in the stunningly picturesque landscape. I wanted to get some hiking and relaxing in, so I planned it out in my mind. Every other day I’d spend on the beach or poking around the towns (or visiting the sugarcane plantation where Wilson worked), and on the other days I’d go driving and hiking in the mountains. First thing first, though. I was going to grab a bite to eat then go hang out on the beach and maybe go swimming. It was hard finding my way around since hardly anyone spoke English. I finally found a restaurant though, and learned through a mixture of my very broken French and the waiter’s slightly better English, as well as using my phone to translate the menu, that the regional specialty was called carri. I ordered it and then spent the next several minutes trying to figure out just what it was. I finally found a website that told me it was a mixture of Indian spices, meat, garlic, onions, tomatoes, turmeric, ginger, and cloves simmered together. It sounded good, smelled wonderful, and tasted even better.
When I headed to the beach, I was in for a rude awakening. Instead of the peaceful swim I was dreaming about, I saw scary-looking signs warning about shark attacks. I headed back to a cafe where I got a cold soda and free wifi. It only took one try on Google for a whole list of articles to come up about shark attacks. Yikes. Apparently they’d become exceedingly prevalent at the island with seven fatalities in the last four years alone. Swimming and surfing had basically been shut down and the government was scrambling to find a solution as their tourism dropped. A huge, huge fence was being built to try and keep the sharks away from the beaches. Well, that was an interesting experience. So much for swimming.
My mountain exploring ventures went much better with glorious views and remarkable colors. The scenery seemed almost magical and I throughly enjoyed finding majestic waterfalls and sitting for hours gazing at them and journaling about my year so far. My week on Reunion Island helped calm my hectic life down and bring it back into focus. I had a good visit yet was excited to move on when Monday morning arrived.
* * * Y'all should google "Reunion Island Mountain Images" and look at how gorgeous they are! I couldn't find any copyright free ones to share, but you don't want to miss out on them.
Also, todays one of y'alls last days to enter these giveaways:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Around the World in Fifty-Two Weeks Week Eleven: Reunion Island
It was a long twenty-eight hours of traveling with two layovers, but the moment we flew over the island and I was able to look down on the majestic mountains and brilliant water, I knew it had been worth it. Reunion Island. How the beautiful isle rising up in the Indian Ocean had escaped being on my radar is beyond me. Although not large, the 40 miles of length and 28th of width held the promise of being fascinating. I couldn’t wait to hike a mountain and feel the fresh spray of salt water on my face while watching the sunset on a peaceful beach. The man next to me smiled at my obvious enchantment, “It’s delightful, no?” “Breathtaking.” The reporter side of me perked up. “Do you live on Reunion Island?” His accent kinda reminded me of French, but there was something different about it. “Yes. I was born and raised here.” I reached into my bag and rummaged around for a piece of paper. “Would be willing to answer some questions for me? I work for a travel blog and I’m going to be exploring Reunion Island this week.” “Of course, of course. We’ll be landing soon, though.” I pulled out a notebook, my favorite pen, and a business card. I handed him the business card and uncapped my pen. “Oh, I’m Indiana Anderson, by the way.” I gestured at the card since it felt weird to give the person sitting beside you a handshake. “Wilson.” He acknowledged me with a nod. “Will you please tell me a little bit about the people or history of Reunion Island?” “Ah yes, let me see… Reunion Island is one of the twenty-six regions of France overseas and was discovered by the Portuguese in the early 16th century.” “Were there people living here at the time?” “No, it was uninhabited. The island was claimed by the French in 1643 and named Bourbon, it wasn’t renamed Reunion Union until 1793. French established their first colony on the island, in 1662 and it has remained a French colony since then, except for a brief occupation by British, from 1810 to 1815.” “Interesting.” I was scribbling barely readable notes as we bounced along in the air, preparing for landing. “There is a wide variety of nationalities and cultures represented on the island since there are no indigenous people. There are European, African, Indian, and Chinese people among others.” “That sounds cool.” “Our main industry is sugarcane, and tourism. We also export seafood, rum, and vanilla. I work at a sugarcane plantation and if you’d like to come by for a tour, I could arrange that.” “That would be magnificent!” I clapped my hands together in delight. The bumpiness of the landing gear hitting the runway reminded me that our interview was about to be cut short. “What’s the official language?” “French, but most people speak Creole, which is a mixture of several different languages and is French-based. There are 127 different Creoles world-wide, each one of them based off of different languages.” “That is crazy.” We taxied to a stop and I looked at Wilson, wondering if I should ask another question. He grinned, “They take a while to disembark, I can answer a few more questions while we wait.” “Thank you. Can you tell me a bit about the topographical features?” “Reunion Island is quite mountains and is of volcanic origin. Piton des Neiges is the highest point at a little over ten thousand feet, and of course the Indian Ocean is the lowest point. Our mountain range divides the island into the lush, rainy windward southern side and the drier leeward western side. The center of the island is made of three cirques, which are essentially, volcanoes that collapsed a long time ago. Plus there is the still very active volcano which is called Piton de La Fournaise.” “Is it difficult to explore the mountains?” “No. It’s quite easy to rent a car so you can go drive through them. Although I must say, the roads call for an experienced driver. Do you qualify?” I nodded, “I would say so.” “Good, good. You can see wonderfully beautiful scenery by driving to the top of the cirques. You look down at the rivers and villages far, far below you and it’s magnificent. Just magnificent. You’ll want to do this in the morning because in the afternoon the fog and clouds will be below you and will block your view.” “Thank you so much for helping me.” “It was my pleasure.”
I settled into my hotel room and then looked at my phone which had changed time with the time zones. It was Noon on Tuesday, which was the same time I had left South Korea on Monday, twenty-nine hours before. I was getting used to all the time changes, but it was still amusing, and somewhat confusing. Sophie had hooked my phone up to work on the island and I really wanted to call my mom and tell her about the trip, but it was only two in the morning and I didn’t think she’d be exactly thrilled to be woken up. The weather was gorgeous and was supposed to stay that way all week (which was amazing because it’s generally rainy in March), so I decided to spend most of my time outside in the stunningly picturesque landscape. I wanted to get some hiking and relaxing in, so I planned it out in my mind. Every other day I’d spend on the beach or poking around the towns (or visiting the sugarcane plantation where Wilson worked), and on the other days I’d go driving and hiking in the mountains. First thing first, though. I was going to grab a bite to eat then go hang out on the beach and maybe go swimming. It was hard finding my way around since hardly anyone spoke English. I finally found a restaurant though, and learned through a mixture of my very broken French and the waiter’s slightly better English, as well as using my phone to translate the menu, that the regional specialty was called carri. I ordered it and then spent the next several minutes trying to figure out just what it was. I finally found a website that told me it was a mixture of Indian spices, meat, garlic, onions, tomatoes, turmeric, ginger, and cloves simmered together. It sounded good, smelled wonderful, and tasted even better.
When I headed to the beach, I was in for a rude awakening. Instead of the peaceful swim I was dreaming about, I saw scary-looking signs warning about shark attacks. I headed back to a cafe where I got a cold soda and free wifi. It only took one try on Google for a whole list of articles to come up about shark attacks. Yikes. Apparently they’d become exceedingly prevalent at the island with seven fatalities in the last four years alone. Swimming and surfing had basically been shut down and the government was scrambling to find a solution as their tourism dropped. A huge, huge fence was being built to try and keep the sharks away from the beaches. Well, that was an interesting experience. So much for swimming.
My mountain exploring ventures went much better with glorious views and remarkable colors. The scenery seemed almost magical and I throughly enjoyed finding majestic waterfalls and sitting for hours gazing at them and journaling about my year so far. My week on Reunion Island helped calm my hectic life down and bring it back into focus. I had a good visit yet was excited to move on when Monday morning arrived.
* * * Y'all should google "Reunion Island Mountain Images" and look at how gorgeous they are! I couldn't find any copyright free ones to share, but you don't want to miss out on them.
Also, todays one of y'alls last days to enter these giveaways:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
March 17, 2016
Screens and Teens By Kathy Koch: Book Review
Screens and TeensBy Kathy Koch
Find it on: Amazon Goodreads
First-Person Non-Fiction256 Pages
Why I Choose this Book: I use technology (and, in this review when I say technology I mean things like smart phones and computers) a lot and think it's a wonderful tool, yet it freaks me out how prevalent it is in society today and how so many people are seemingly controlled by their electronics. I want to make sure I'm a good steward of the techie stuff in my life and stay balanced. Books like "Screens and Teens" help me gain perspective and insight and show me places where I'm being excessive with my use of screens.
What I Thought About this Book:I highly recommend it. The author gives a very balanced and insightful look into the benefits and trouble that can go along with technology. She explains the lies that most kids/teens in first-world countries believe and then explains how technology has helped reinforce these lies and how parents can guard against that and instead use technology to help their teens grow. (Some examples of lies are "I deserve to be happy all the time" and "I must have choices.")
The author also explains how proper usage and perspective regarding technology needs to start with the parents which I totally agree with. (Although, that's not an excuse for any teen who happens to read the book.) Even though I'm not a parent, and so therefore not who the book was written for, I find myself being so focused on getting as much work done as possible on my phone and computer that I miss out on the rest of life. This book helped remind me to cut back where needed to be balanced.
Yesterday I was reading this book while sitting in the waiting room at the dentist. A guy came in with his son who was probably six years old. The boy was chattering excitedly and the man answered and made absent-minded noises as he scrolled through Facebook. (I could see because he was sitting right by me. Don't worry, I wasn't being creepy.) It made me really sad to see the boy neglected like that, and even more sad to realize that this is becoming the new norm. I know I've been guilty of focusing on my screen when I should be focusing on people, and that's something I work on constantly.Another issue they talked about was how a lot of kids are being raised today by technology. I've seen this to be so true and it scares me. A lot of times when a parent wants peace and quiet or wants to focus on their own thing or get some work done, they simply plop their kid down in front of a screen or hand them a phone and let the screens entertain them. This creates a whole host of issues that the child will have to work through the rest of their lives. The book brought to light some very insightful things that I hadn't known before.
Conclusion: This book is so well-rounded and very, very important. It also reminds me of another book I reviewed (which this book referenced quite a few times): "Growing Up Social" by Gary D Chapman and Arlene Pellicane http://aidylewoh.blogspot.com/2015/02...
Rating: I'm giving "Screens and Teens" Four Stars (Nine out of Ten) and recommend to to adults and older teens (parents and non-parents alike).
*I received this book for free from Moody Publishers in exchange for an honest review*
Find it on: Amazon Goodreads
First-Person Non-Fiction256 Pages
Why I Choose this Book: I use technology (and, in this review when I say technology I mean things like smart phones and computers) a lot and think it's a wonderful tool, yet it freaks me out how prevalent it is in society today and how so many people are seemingly controlled by their electronics. I want to make sure I'm a good steward of the techie stuff in my life and stay balanced. Books like "Screens and Teens" help me gain perspective and insight and show me places where I'm being excessive with my use of screens.
What I Thought About this Book:I highly recommend it. The author gives a very balanced and insightful look into the benefits and trouble that can go along with technology. She explains the lies that most kids/teens in first-world countries believe and then explains how technology has helped reinforce these lies and how parents can guard against that and instead use technology to help their teens grow. (Some examples of lies are "I deserve to be happy all the time" and "I must have choices.")
The author also explains how proper usage and perspective regarding technology needs to start with the parents which I totally agree with. (Although, that's not an excuse for any teen who happens to read the book.) Even though I'm not a parent, and so therefore not who the book was written for, I find myself being so focused on getting as much work done as possible on my phone and computer that I miss out on the rest of life. This book helped remind me to cut back where needed to be balanced.
Yesterday I was reading this book while sitting in the waiting room at the dentist. A guy came in with his son who was probably six years old. The boy was chattering excitedly and the man answered and made absent-minded noises as he scrolled through Facebook. (I could see because he was sitting right by me. Don't worry, I wasn't being creepy.) It made me really sad to see the boy neglected like that, and even more sad to realize that this is becoming the new norm. I know I've been guilty of focusing on my screen when I should be focusing on people, and that's something I work on constantly.Another issue they talked about was how a lot of kids are being raised today by technology. I've seen this to be so true and it scares me. A lot of times when a parent wants peace and quiet or wants to focus on their own thing or get some work done, they simply plop their kid down in front of a screen or hand them a phone and let the screens entertain them. This creates a whole host of issues that the child will have to work through the rest of their lives. The book brought to light some very insightful things that I hadn't known before.
Conclusion: This book is so well-rounded and very, very important. It also reminds me of another book I reviewed (which this book referenced quite a few times): "Growing Up Social" by Gary D Chapman and Arlene Pellicane http://aidylewoh.blogspot.com/2015/02...
Rating: I'm giving "Screens and Teens" Four Stars (Nine out of Ten) and recommend to to adults and older teens (parents and non-parents alike).
*I received this book for free from Moody Publishers in exchange for an honest review*
March 16, 2016
Editing? Editing.
My editing is crawling along. It's not at a stand still though, so that's a plus. I've been taking screenshots of my upward (downward?) progression regarding word count to help me keep track of how many words I'm deleting and how many scenes I'm removing.
My first drafts tend to be a bit ramble-y because I work best when I'm simply letting my fingers fly instead of pondering each word. I thought I cleared up most of that in the next five drafts, but apparently I didn't...
WLHYL is currently undergoing major cuts in the seventh draft and then, Lord willing, I'll be adding a new plot line during the eighth draft. During this seventh draft... yikes, I have a lot to work on. Such as cutting out another 15,000 or so words. Gulp.
My inspiration has been lagging a bit recently. I think it's a combination of many things... A messy office, a busy life, a four month break from excessive typing (due to a wrist injury), and not reading enough. Plus, working so hard to delete the words and scenes I've spent the past two years creating and perfecting and pouring my life into.
I'm not worried though. In fact I'm rather excited. Now that I've discovered why my inspiration is acting like a turtle stuck in a sea of caramel sauce, I've begun my plan of extracting my reptile-like creativity from it's sticky surroundings. (Confession time: I thought turtles were amphibians, but I just now checked and sadly they aren't.)
I plan to document my creativity and inspiration building venture so y'all can come along on the journey with me. This is going to be a lot of fun, y'all.
What are some ways you get inspired or refuel your creativity?
Remember you can get extra entries for this giveaway each day:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
My first drafts tend to be a bit ramble-y because I work best when I'm simply letting my fingers fly instead of pondering each word. I thought I cleared up most of that in the next five drafts, but apparently I didn't...
WLHYL is currently undergoing major cuts in the seventh draft and then, Lord willing, I'll be adding a new plot line during the eighth draft. During this seventh draft... yikes, I have a lot to work on. Such as cutting out another 15,000 or so words. Gulp.
My inspiration has been lagging a bit recently. I think it's a combination of many things... A messy office, a busy life, a four month break from excessive typing (due to a wrist injury), and not reading enough. Plus, working so hard to delete the words and scenes I've spent the past two years creating and perfecting and pouring my life into.
I'm not worried though. In fact I'm rather excited. Now that I've discovered why my inspiration is acting like a turtle stuck in a sea of caramel sauce, I've begun my plan of extracting my reptile-like creativity from it's sticky surroundings. (Confession time: I thought turtles were amphibians, but I just now checked and sadly they aren't.)
I plan to document my creativity and inspiration building venture so y'all can come along on the journey with me. This is going to be a lot of fun, y'all.
What are some ways you get inspired or refuel your creativity?
Remember you can get extra entries for this giveaway each day:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
March 15, 2016
Vision Map by Joël Malm: Book Review
Vision MapBy Joël Malm
Find it on: Amazon Goodreads
First-Person Non-Fiction96 Pages
About the Book Backcover Blurb
A few years back, Joël Malm had the idea to lead people on outdoor expeditions with a spiritual, God-centered focus. Following God’s lead, he created a vision map, started his organization, and made it happen.This book is a response to the question he often gets: How do you do something like that?Whether you want to start a business, raise a family, run a marathon, plant a church, restore a relationship, or climb a mountain, you can take practical steps to see your vision come to be.Vision Map is not a formula for overnight success, but it is a template to start anyone on the path to envisioning a God-given dream. God often gives us a difficult problem to solve, and we just need a push in the right direction to find the answer.
Why I Choose this Book:
Goals and vision are a very important part of my life. I believe everyone on earth is here for a reason and God wants to use us in unique ways. This book looked like it would be helpful in helping me serve God better. It wasn't until just now that I saw Bob Goff, author of Love Does, endorsed the book. That alone would be enough to make me read it.
What I Thought about the Book:
Yay! This book is quite easy to gulp down, 96 pages of good information, told in a easy-going, easy-to-read way. I've read and listened to a lot of information about setting goals and working on the dream God has given you and living a purposeful life, so not much of the information was new. The information was presented in such a way though that made it feel new.
The book makes us feel like we're learning along with the author as he takes us through the process of what his vision mapping looked like, and explains what he did and didn't do and what he learned from it.
Conclusion:
There were a few sentences I didn't agree with 100% of the way, but they were all minor. A cool connection: I didn't realize it to the end of the book, but I'm pretty sure Joël and Jonathan are brothers.
Rating:
I'm happy to give Vision Map 4 stars (8 out of 10 stars) and recommend it to pretty much anyone who wants to fulfill the dreams God has given them.
*I received this book for free from Moody Publishers in exchange for an honest review*
Find it on: Amazon Goodreads
First-Person Non-Fiction96 Pages
About the Book Backcover Blurb
A few years back, Joël Malm had the idea to lead people on outdoor expeditions with a spiritual, God-centered focus. Following God’s lead, he created a vision map, started his organization, and made it happen.This book is a response to the question he often gets: How do you do something like that?Whether you want to start a business, raise a family, run a marathon, plant a church, restore a relationship, or climb a mountain, you can take practical steps to see your vision come to be.Vision Map is not a formula for overnight success, but it is a template to start anyone on the path to envisioning a God-given dream. God often gives us a difficult problem to solve, and we just need a push in the right direction to find the answer.
Why I Choose this Book:
Goals and vision are a very important part of my life. I believe everyone on earth is here for a reason and God wants to use us in unique ways. This book looked like it would be helpful in helping me serve God better. It wasn't until just now that I saw Bob Goff, author of Love Does, endorsed the book. That alone would be enough to make me read it.
What I Thought about the Book:
Yay! This book is quite easy to gulp down, 96 pages of good information, told in a easy-going, easy-to-read way. I've read and listened to a lot of information about setting goals and working on the dream God has given you and living a purposeful life, so not much of the information was new. The information was presented in such a way though that made it feel new.
The book makes us feel like we're learning along with the author as he takes us through the process of what his vision mapping looked like, and explains what he did and didn't do and what he learned from it.
Conclusion:
There were a few sentences I didn't agree with 100% of the way, but they were all minor. A cool connection: I didn't realize it to the end of the book, but I'm pretty sure Joël and Jonathan are brothers.
Rating:
I'm happy to give Vision Map 4 stars (8 out of 10 stars) and recommend it to pretty much anyone who wants to fulfill the dreams God has given them.
*I received this book for free from Moody Publishers in exchange for an honest review*
Your Money Map by Howard Dayton: Book Review
Sarah from Homeschooled Authors interviewed me and the post went live yesterday.
Y'all should check it out. ^
* * *
Your Money Mapby Howard Dayton
Find it on: Amazon Goodreads
First PersonNon-Fiction 256 Pages
About the BookBack cover blurb
This book will transform your finances . . . and your life.When you learn what the God of the universe says about handling money—and apply it—everything changes. Your Money Map shows you how.This biblical and practical guide is for everyone—single or married, young or old, whether you earn a little or a lot. It helps you: • Frame your finances within God’s big picture • Determine and change the trajectory of your financial situation • Establish and follow 7 steps for wise stewardship.Follow the principles in Your Money Map toward financial freedom and you will know a joy, peace, and confidence about your finances that few ever do.Includes discussion questions, tools, and resources to help you put the book into practice.
Why I Choose this Book
I've not read or studied very much about money and saving and staying out of debt and those are some really important subjects. When I saw Your Money Map I jumped at the chance to review it.
What I Thought about this Book
This book is pretty much what I expected it to be. It was helpful and engaging and really got me thinking. I've never been a big spender, but I've never been good at keeping track of the money I spend either. This year I've been working on tracking every penny I spend and this book helped reinforce that goal.
Since I'm not really in debt, this book served as a very good warning to me that I really don't want to get into debt. Reading the statistics and hearing about how hard it is to work your way out of debt made me very happy to have learned these principles now so I can apply them to the rest of my life.
Your Money Map is written from a Christian worldview and is founded on some really great biblical truths. Howard Dayton, the author, pointed out several times that most Christians think that God tells us what to do with ten percent of our money, our tithe, and that the rest is up to us. In reality, all of our money is God's and we are just the stewards. That means that what we do in every aspect of our finances should be pleasing to Him. Then Mr. Dayton goes on to explain how we can get out of debt and bring God glory with our finances.
Conclusion
I agreed with most of this book and found it easy to read. There were a few pages about investing that I didn't completely understand, but other than that I found the book quite comprehensible.
Rating
I'm giving Your Money Map four stars (seven out of ten) and recommend it to people fourteen and older.
*I received this book from Moody Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
Y'all should check it out. ^
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Your Money Mapby Howard Dayton
Find it on: Amazon Goodreads
First PersonNon-Fiction 256 Pages
About the BookBack cover blurb
This book will transform your finances . . . and your life.When you learn what the God of the universe says about handling money—and apply it—everything changes. Your Money Map shows you how.This biblical and practical guide is for everyone—single or married, young or old, whether you earn a little or a lot. It helps you: • Frame your finances within God’s big picture • Determine and change the trajectory of your financial situation • Establish and follow 7 steps for wise stewardship.Follow the principles in Your Money Map toward financial freedom and you will know a joy, peace, and confidence about your finances that few ever do.Includes discussion questions, tools, and resources to help you put the book into practice.
Why I Choose this Book
I've not read or studied very much about money and saving and staying out of debt and those are some really important subjects. When I saw Your Money Map I jumped at the chance to review it.
What I Thought about this Book
This book is pretty much what I expected it to be. It was helpful and engaging and really got me thinking. I've never been a big spender, but I've never been good at keeping track of the money I spend either. This year I've been working on tracking every penny I spend and this book helped reinforce that goal.
Since I'm not really in debt, this book served as a very good warning to me that I really don't want to get into debt. Reading the statistics and hearing about how hard it is to work your way out of debt made me very happy to have learned these principles now so I can apply them to the rest of my life.
Your Money Map is written from a Christian worldview and is founded on some really great biblical truths. Howard Dayton, the author, pointed out several times that most Christians think that God tells us what to do with ten percent of our money, our tithe, and that the rest is up to us. In reality, all of our money is God's and we are just the stewards. That means that what we do in every aspect of our finances should be pleasing to Him. Then Mr. Dayton goes on to explain how we can get out of debt and bring God glory with our finances.
Conclusion
I agreed with most of this book and found it easy to read. There were a few pages about investing that I didn't completely understand, but other than that I found the book quite comprehensible.
Rating
I'm giving Your Money Map four stars (seven out of ten) and recommend it to people fourteen and older.
*I received this book from Moody Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
