223 Topic Selection

Topic Selection

I have recently been doing research and writing on a variety of topics. It occurred to me that very narrow subjects are my topics of choice.

I was an English major in college and went on to get a master's in English literature after I had my master's degree in library science. 

For the English degree, I was required to write a thesis. I loved Shakespeare. I have been obsessed with his work since junior high school when we studied MacBeth and Julius Caesar. In class, we read each play aloud--maybe not the entire play--but a substantial portion. 

So I thought, I'll write my thesis on Shakespeare! I had several ideas for a topic. But since I was a librarian, I soon discovered there was no way I could locate and read all the previous research on any Shakespearean topic. There is much written in English and as well as a huge amount in many other languages.

The World Shakespeare Bibliography, a searchable database from Texas A&M University, provides a comprehensive database of Shakespeare scholarship from 1960 to the present. It contains 146,000 entries! 

So I wrote my thesis on John Updike--much more manageable, but he is no Shakespeare!

I am working on a book about Judge Richard Parker, the judge who sentenced John Brown to death. That was his main claim to fame, and I now have hundreds of pages of information about his life. Much of it comes from avid manuscript collectors who tried to locate all the documents about and by him. However, only one person has written in any detail about his life so he meets my criteria!

In fact, I have an article coming out soon in the Journal of the Shenandoah Valley during the Civil War Era, a Shenandoah University publication that is the brainchild of Jonathan Noyalas. The article concentrates on a week in Judge Parker's life. You can't get much more narrow than that!

These are the six; I found images of five.

I have spoken several times on another Civil War topic, one piece of graffiti in the Shenandoah Valley Civil War Museum in Winchester. It features the names of about twelve Union officers, but I talk about only six! I have found hundreds of pages of information about these men as well--perhaps a future blog!

And we can't forget one of my most infamous blogs--the one on dryer lint!

You Can't Get Too Narrow Trish              

222 Reunion redux

Reunion Redux 

Hello, Readers, for me--nostalgia kicks in the fall – football games, crunching the fallen leaves, favorite sweaters for the evenings, and the new notebooks, pens, and pencils for the new school year.

 

This year is my 55th high school class reunion. I am getting older! I hate to face it, but I am.

On October 20, 2014, my blog was titled “REUNION.” I sentimentally wrote about the whole process from getting together a committee, to finding out where everyone lived for a database for communication, to selecting venues, sending out invitations, setting up events, creating decorations, etc., etc., etc. 

Then, I wrote about how important it was to recall the old memories of our emerging selves. The 50th was such a success that the 55th (which we did not anticipate having) will be held on October 5! (yes, our high school colors were orange and blue!)

The 50th was a three-day event; this one is a one event casual dinner. To our surprise, the response has been very good. We were originally a class of 75. We have lost 18 members over the years. We have 45 signed up to attend on October 5. Some of that number includes spouses, but we are pleased with the response. 

We’ve gone from an elegant venue with open bar to the Baptist Church social hall, from salmon and filets to fried chicken and country ham. We’ve gone from a documentary film some of our masterful committee members created to a paid entertainer.

Yes, this year we are going back to our rural county roots: a non-alcoholic social hour, a good home cooked and catered meal, and for our entertainment--hold your hats! We have hired an Elvis impersonator. The fellow, as I read his bio, is a hit in the tri-state area and we would never have been able to book him were it not for a committee member’s connections.  

Some of us may hit a local “watering hole” for drinks later. 

(Wonder if classmates are coming to see each other or to see Elvis? I know why dear husband said YES very quickly.)

Now, I will take the liberty of quoting myself from that blog of five years ago: 

GO to your reunion. It will be worth it. We are senior citizens even if we don’t feel like it. When I look in the mirror, I wonder how all years slipped away. 

My senior picture--1964!

We may not see these old classmates or recall the old memories ever again. It is a scary truth, but some of us might not be here for the next reunion. While we may not be exactly the same as we were in high school, this is where we got our start, where intellectual seeds were sown, and basic principles learned. So, please, Go! Celebrate life! Give homage to your past. Share your memories!

Regards from older (and maybe a bit savvier) 

         Glenne

221 Reality reno!

Reality reno! 

The era of gutting a house and turning it into a gorgeous place to live is definitely upon us. Various TV channels host programs that demolish and rebuild countless homes. Sometimes it is as if they love the thought of tearing things down more than redoing them.

It is amazing the foresight and vision these people have when they see a rather drab, tired, beat-up property that definitely needs a total reno. How do they do it?

Walls are moved, kitchens are completely rearranged, bathrooms are destroyed and rebuilt—nothing is sacred—anything is fair game and can be moved, replaced, and realigned.

I definitely live vicariously through the programs that continually remodel and remake homes that blow your mind. Thank you HGTV for many of them!

“Property Brothers” (Drew and Jonathan Scott) is a favorite show where one twin does the remake and the other helps the family find the diamond in the rough that will make the family’s dreams come true. Banter back and forth with the two is good-humored and seems to work well for them. The families are thrilled with what these two can accomplish. While from Canada, the brothers film the programs in many other locations.

Another favorite is the “Fixer Upper” show with Joanna and Chip Gaines of Waco, Texas. They help a family find a home that needs a massive overhaul. Joanna designs and Chip does the reno with lots of good-natured kidding. The decorating that follows all the physical structure changes is massive. She says that is her favorite part and it shows with touches that cover the dishes to the towels--a true makeover. I still wonder about expenses and what if the family doesn’t really like the decorating touches.

One aspect of these shows that is a little perplexing is the amazing decorating that finishes off the remake. Gorgeous furniture with pillows and collectibles that add breath-taking moments when the reveal takes place. It really is over the top on so many of the shows. Who pays for all of this--the budget is often discussed but it doesn’t seem like enough for the features added to all the rooms.

I really would love to see these houses in a few years to determine if the upkeep is maintained. For some of the houses, it seems massive but maybe not!

Another show “Good Bones” that I recently started watching is a mother-daughter duo, Karen Laine and Mina Starsiak. They tackle disgusting houses in the area near where they live in Indianapolis. Their goal is to improve the neighborhood and help families find affordable housing. They don’t seem to make a huge profit, but they are usually pleased with salvaging another inner-city property. Again, the decorating is amazing with subtle touches that truly make the house a home by using items they can often reclaim for another purpose. The duo also salvages many of the items, which is a real bonus!

I look around my house and fantasize what would I do. Definitely, I would move the laundry to the second floor from the basement but that takes major change, especially when water lines and electricity are involved. I can keep on dreaming but you never know--maybe someday.

We did reno a tiny bathroom in our landing, heading to the basement. I was pleased with a corner sink the plumber found for us that really makes the room functional.

For now, I have to be satisfied with new pillows, rugs, flowers, or other easy to move objects. 

A recent addition to the TV room was a hassock that was actually called a pouf. It is amazing how you can look online and have the item at your house in a matter of days. Make sure you like it--I hate to think about returns.

Frances              

220 You can go back

You can go back!

After I retired from Handley Regional Library, many people asked me if I was going to volunteer there. My answer was an emphatic NO! I thought my presence might be uncomfortable for the new director--and for me.

But then, when I go to Florida, I have no desire to volunteer at a library there.

However, I have found a library volunteer job that I am enjoying greatly--starting a library from scratch.

The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation had a large collection in the basement of its headquarters building in New Market. The foundation owns books, artwork, manuscripts, relics, and books that have been donated over time.

Craig Morin, a member of the SVBF Board, was concerned about the health of the collection since the basement was damp and occasionally flooded. He solicited my help and that of other volunteers to find a better solution.

The board, led by Executive Director Keven Walker, purchased a home a few blocks away that had been a church parsonage and was in good condition.

Voila! We had a library & archives! Actually, a lot of work went into checking that we could maintain good security, temperature, and humidity before anything that could be moved. Shelves and boxes of books had to be moved from several locations. The books were placed on the shelves by the donated collection from which they came--not a good way to figure out what you have.

We sorted the books into rough categories to search for duplicates. It seems that almost every old-time collector had to have all the basic books by Catton, Nevins, etc., from the Civil War Centennial. 

Huge numbers of magazines were donated and one volunteer has devoted himself to putting them in order and pulling out the duplicates. We had a huge book and magazine sale in August that was quite successful.

Meanwhile, we were inventorying the collection using a telephone app. When the person who was listing all the books changed from an android to an Apple phone, she had to find a new app. Other lists of donations came to us on Excel spreadsheets.

Right now we are working on merging several formats of lists. So far I have pulled together four different lists into one and we have a total of 1,015 books listed with many more lists to add in--a very tedious job! When we are close to a list of everything, we will inventory and then place the books in order by call number. Eventually, we will have full cataloging information but we will be happy just to have one master list!

We have three to four volunteers that actually work but we are having fun. Sometimes Tootsie comes to provide entertainment to the group. I enjoy everything--the manual labor of unpacking and packing books, shelving books, shifting collections of books from room to room, and alphabetizing titles in each book collection. We can now find most books by figuring out what category we placed it in and then finding it alphabetically--this helps until we have the collection fully classified.

The building is not yet handicapped accessible so the books collection is available to only staff and board members. There is no deadline to finish the library, but we have to get it in order before we begin on the archives collection, which will be a MUCH bigger task.

I have become much more knowledgeable about the bibliography of the Civil War. Our collection is somewhat haphazard since all the books are donated, but some of the donors had amazing collections, which we are lucky to have.

One reason that the work is fun is that as the only librarian, everyone assumes I know what I am doing--which is true most of the time. Plus, I work just one day per week!

So you can go back again and enjoy it--if you set your own schedule and are your own boss! 

Library Savvy Trish          

219 Let's talk phones

Let's Talk Phones

Greetings! Can’t believe it is September already. Thought I would take stock of the fall projects. Closets to clean out always. We have a mouse which we are chasing down along with the dogs’ help. (No luck yet!)

One major thing I have noticed this summer while I was hiding in the house out of the heat and humidity is that we use our landline phones less and less and our cell phones more and more. We are not yet ready to give up a landline because we live in a “dead spot.” 

Our house does not help cell service either. It’s an 1808 brick with thick plaster walls--which holds the heat in the winter and stays relatively cool in the summer with no air conditioning. That aside, it takes forever to load something on the phone when we are inside. In fact, we have been known to walk up the hill and hold the phone up to the sky and hope for the best.

The landline phone has 48 messages on it. I scrolled through them. Only four were from real people I might have liked to hear from. The others, some of which even read “spam? [name of city, state]. Erase, erase, erase. Only one of the four left a message. What a waste of time. 

I need to get more pro-active about getting rid of these callers. There is an app listed on Google called robokiller.com. Read about it if you’ve time. I am not sure about this particular site as it suggests ways to “get even with the robots.” Interesting reading though. At FFC.gov you will find the phone number for the national “do not call list” (1-888-382-1222). I have done this. Wonder how many calls we would have gotten had I NOT called this number? GOOD GRIEF. 

The cell phone seems to be a different matter of trash filling up space. I had 92 emails – YES, that is not an incorrect count from Friday evening until this morning. None was a scary mail. Amazon, Playbill, NY Times, Mental Floss, PND (grant announcements), our local newspaper, Chewy (dog food), Schwan’s, etc., etc. They are all sites from which I order or whose information I read regularly. BUT the algorithms used are fantastic. My cell phone and my email know more about me than I do. There are some tech geniuses at work somewhere!! 

And Facebook! Mixed emotions here. I do enjoy checking it about once a week. I rarely post anything. Are you, too, now getting friend suggestions every day? And some are people I thought were already friends?

Okay, here is an anecdote I think you will enjoy. Several years ago, I planned a tea party for about 40 older ladies. So, I looked up tea parties. Along with some lovely sites with suggestions for sweets and savories to accompany tea, how to make tea for a large number of guests, I also became the “sweetheart” for the political right-leaning TEA PARTY. 

Not just from the Virginia Tea Party but from Tea Parties all over the country. I had to unsubscribe one by one by one. Talk about how to make me a liberal! (Oh, guess that’s a different blog!) Just a warning to watch what you type when you search!! Taught me a lesson.

We’d love to hear your phone stories! Happy September to all. Thanks for reading.

Savvy Glenne                  

218 Binge Watching

Binge-watching

I have found myself binge-watching various TV series made available through cable and special networks. Once I get started it is sometimes hard to stop. I will hurry to get started on the next episode when I really shouldn’t. I need to do other things but I can’t stop watching.

I believe this would be called an obsession, but I hate to call it that. Let’s just say it is excessive TV watching with a goal of finishing a series or several episodes with the same storyline.

Probably my first one was “The Crown.” A friend kept telling me I had to watch it so I did. It definitely did not disappoint. This series is a historical drama about the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II. While much of it was familiar, so much more was new to me and very compelling. The actors were excellent and kept the action moving so I didn’t want it to end.

After watching all of this series, I have been anxiously awaiting the next part. That is one thing I have learned – once you binge all the episodes you can’t wait for the next one to begin. I am always left a little flat as I know I cannot continue with the story until a new series is finished. The one good part is when a series is ready it usually contains six to eight episodes so the bingeing can begin again.

Another series that kept me glued to the tube was “Grace and Frankie” -- Jane Fonda and Lily Tomblin portray the main characters who are involved in amazing plots and storylines. This one had several series so it took a while to catch up. Then when I reached the end, I was again lost for a while until another one was planned. A sixth season is due in 2020 – I can’t wait.

The issues in this series hit home to those of us in our sixties and seventies, dealing with health and other age-related situations. Also, the interaction with children and grandchildren is typical of most families – not all issues but most. 

I actually convinced my husband to join me in binge-watching a series I thought he might like. “Longmire” ended up being one we both could not get enough of. A sheriff who runs Absaroka County, Wyoming in a unique, wild west way. It is a modern-day western that continued for six seasons. The last episode is a little predictable, but we still did not want it to end. A little reminiscent of Matt Dillon in “Gunsmoke,” Longmire endures many life-altering experiences but still prevails. It can be a little violent at times so don’t let the kids watch.

One series, “Tales of the City,” is one I kept watching but it isn’t one of my favorites. It details stories of the lives of residents in the same apartment building in San Francisco. There was so much left hanging at the end of each episode that I had to keep watching. The stories are based on works by Armistead Maupin.

The main draw for me was actress Olivia Dukakis who prevails as the landlord and whose past is revealed little by little throughout the series. There is actually a short series that shows how everything started in the 1970s but then the larger series continues years later.

The flashbacks reveal what has happened to these characters twenty years later. Some had remained there while others had departed and returned for a special event. No more hints on this one – you just have to watch but don’t let the kids stay in the room. You can imagine what life was like in the 1970s in San Francisco.

There have been a few that I started but did not finish due to lack of interest, but I continue to look for new ones. It is consuming but generally worth the time and effort. So if you decide to start binge-watching, remember it can consume you for days, depending on how many series and episodes have been released. So binge on.

217 Just seven lines

Just Seven Lines--The 1863 Diary of Robert Sherrard Bell

Harry and I gave a presentation this weekend at the Shenandoah Valley Civil War Museum on the diary of Robert Bell. The diary, though sparse on details, is a fascinating document.

Robert Bell was the uncle of former Winchester Mayor Stewart Bell Jr. When Stewart died in 2001 and his son Tom and Tom's wife Kathy gave the diary to the museum and it is a treasured item.

Bell was born in 1841 in the Bell house—Linden Hillon on Cameron 

Street. The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation now owns the house.

At age 21, in Nov. 1861, Robert Bell left the University of Virginia to join the Rockbridge Artillery of VA. while the unit was in winter camp in Winchester.

In 1863 he began writing in a small pocket diary. At the time, he had no idea of the marches and battles that he would record. And, as all soldiers, had no idea what diary entry might be his last.

The diary is very similar to an annual pocket calendar you might buy today. Each page is about two and a half inches wide. Bell wrote with a pencil—in some cases, it seemed it was a very dull pencil and the handwriting is hard to decipher at the bottoms of the pages.

He mainly wrote of his daily routine—weather, food, his health, and sermons he had heard. He had 7 lines for each day to record events. If the artillery was in camp with not much going on, he had 7 lines. If they were participating in a major battle—he had 7 lines. He never ran over into the next day regardless of events.

He recorded participating in the 2nd Battle of Fredericksburg, 2nd Winchester, and Gettysburg. He also enjoyed good Union lamb as his unit moved North to Gettysburg. He did not talk much about his emotions except when he stopped by his uncle's house in Front Royal when on his way to Winchester: “Experienced a feeling of my lost estate that I have never felt before.” Imagine a brief enjoyment of a visit with family in a comfortable home after having marched 23 miles that day!

I was appropriately dressed in mourning for the presentation because the last diary entry we read was on November 5, 1863: "Windy. Very disagreeable. On picket at the Rappah-bridge."

He was struck by a shell on November 7 and died soon after. The corporal of his company wrote his father and step-mother a long letter describing his death. The letter is a perfect representation of what Drew Gilpin Faust described as "the good death" in her book, This Republic of Suffering, Death and the American Civil War. 

Byers recounted Bell's last words in his letter, "'I have always tried to do my duty, to my company and to my God; and if I have failed at any time, I hope I am forgiven.' A few moments after he asked Morrison Smith to pray for him, but was suffering so severely that he was hardly able to participate in the prayer offered. After the prayer, he charged Johnny Brown to give his bible to his father and tell him that he was always a dear father to him; also adding 'bid all my friends farewell and bid them to see me in heaven.'” 

Beyer sent the diary, Robert's bible, and a map showing where his body was buried. The family moved the body after the war to Mount Hebron.

Almost a year later during the 3rd Battle of Winchester, Robert Bell's stepmother gave birth to Stewart Bell Sr., the father of Stewart Bell Jr. 

216 NYC Blackout

NYC in the Blackout 

Saturday night, July 13, created a new memory for dear husband and me. We were in the City for the week, staying at our timeshare on West 56th across from Carnegie Hall. It’s a great location--walkable to most of our destinations. 


Although it was hot, the crosstown breezes from the Hudson River made it bearable. Uber and taxis made their fair share of money from us, though, as we went back and forth to daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter’s apartment on West 84th.

We did our usual vacation treks: to the Met to see the baseball card collection (dear husband’s wish), Broadway show, eating out or ordering in, and a bit of babysitting. Dear husband and three-year-old granddaughter took--Elmo in his stroller--for a walk around the block. Around the corner, up Broadway, 85th Street, down Amsterdam, and back home. Nope, the 3-year-old was not ready for a nap, but dear husband was. 

Saturday evening, we were headed back to the timeshare when our Uber driver called our attention to no traffic lights and no building lights. When we approached 64th Street, the road was blocked and there were police, firefighters, and all sorts of equipment. The car radio then announced a fire of unknown source in that 64th Street manhole. This fire then triggered five more outages all the way downtown. The Upper West Side from the ’70s to Madison Square Garden was dark. ConEdison reported they were working on the problem! 

After hanging out around the timeshare building for a while and talking to various people we could not see well in the dark, we called the daughter and said we were coming back to the light. Bless Uber--we got back to 84th Street to watch the news. 

Here’s my take on the situation from reading the news reports: 

• A good overview map, but I don’t know what the numbers mean. I could not find a key for them, but this does indicate the blackout area. (To give you perspective: Madison Square Garden is on 33rd Street, the theatre district in the ’40s with the popular Restaurant Row on 46th, and Lincoln Center is 66th – 70th depending on which building you wish to enter)

• The lights were not out long enough for there to have been substantial looting; most emergency calls were folks stuck in elevators (think apartment buildings, not big hotels which must have backup generators)

• This blackout lasted less than 6 hours. It was pretty in a weird way ==sunset without electrical lights

• The irony is that this blackout occurred on July 13, the same date as the massive citywide blackout of 1977 from which there occurred a “NYC baby boomlet” nine months later, and a spate of crime in parts of the city

• Hospitals have their own generators

• Many subways and trains were closed

• Buses – I don’t know where they went – we just didn’t see any (maybe because of blocked streets they kept to the east side of the city).

• All those food carts on the corners (best hotdogs in the world) use LP gas (I even read health code Chapter 6 regarding moveable carts. The pdf includes everything from potable water, to equipment washing, to temperature for cold and hot foods, licensing, and, and, and …. I have a new respect for these entrepreneurs!)

• Some people decided to take their lives in their own hands. Bicyclists were everywhere holding their cellphones for lights. (great idea, huh?)

• Some tourists got into the act (we saw one older gentleman directing traffic with his cane)

• According to Stubhub (show ticket vendor), they refunded approximately $500,000 in ticket costs

• A NY Times article estimated that Broadway lost approximately $3.5 million – 27 shows were affected

• Restaurants lost much revenue, but thus far, a real cost is uncalculated for the press. Pizza stands were selling by the slice if one had cash. (With a 5-6-hour window of no electric, my guess is that much food was lost along with the revenue from the diners for the evening.)

• J Lo’s concert at Madison Square Garden was evacuated before her 4th number. (I can testify entering or leaving the Garden is crazy and claustrophobic on a good night)

• The Carnegie Hall concert singers moved outside and sang in the street (nice touch – lots of folks gathered)

• New Yorkers are basically friendly, nice people!

We got back to the timeshare about 1:30 a.m., turned up the air conditioning, and went to bed! Twas an interesting evening! Can’t wait to get back to my favorite home-away-from-home. Who knows what will happen next in the “city that never sleeps?”

Stay cool, Savvy Glenne        

215 Absence of AC

The absence of air (conditioning)

What a summer of stifling heat, extreme humidity, and wild storms. I never appreciated air conditioning so much until it was absent.

We found out this summer as we booked a weekend in the mountains. We had been there before but not during a heat wave. We had never noticed there was no air conditioning! What a shock. We learned to turn on the ceiling fans early in the day and keep them going. Nights were a treat as it really did cool off.

In reality, most of us go from our air-conditioned cars to our air-conditioned houses. When we venture out, the venues are definitely – you guessed it--air conditioned! 

When checking out the history of this amazing invention, I found out people would flock to movie theaters several decades ago to cool off since air conditioning was more common practice in businesses than in residences. 

Of course, now that is not the case as most homes are equipped with central air and in the least with window units.

Cooling of structures dates back to the ancient Egyptians, according to livescience.com so it is not a new idea. But it has become the rule rather than the exception.

I remember as a child there was very little air conditioning. Cars had to be ordered with the special feature and were much more expensive than those without. Houses might have a window unit but fans were more commonplace. Being warm was no big deal in the ‘50s and ‘60s and we learned to adjust. The shades were drawn in the afternoon to keep the house cool. Evenings usually brought relief as the sun went down. 

The person we have to thank who made our lives so much more comfortable was Willis Carrier, an American engineer. His claim to fame is the first modern air conditioner in 1902 even though ancient civilizations came up with ways to cool structures.

Of course, his invention was improved upon to the point of where we are now with a majority of homes having some type of cooling system except some historic site like we recently visited in the mountains. It is okay for a day or two but I don’t think we could have handled it much longer.

Actually, 84 percent of U.S. homes have some type of air conditioning-- this country uses more air conditioning than all other nations combined, according to Warner Service web site.

When I go in places that are frigid and people have on sweaters to ward off the cold, I just think how lucky they really are--trying to work is much easier in the cold rather than in extreme heat. The same goes for learning--schools need to be comfortable but a little to the colder side is best.

A study finds a link between heat and lower academic achievement--and makes the case that installing air conditioning in schools could make a big difference, according to qz.com. Results conclude that heat makes it harder for students to learn in the classroom.

So there is my argument for air conditioning for all. Stay cool and chill out!

Cool, savvy Frances            

214 Guest Posting--Teri Merrill

A Trip to Nowhere

A Guest Posting from Teri Merrill

Teri Merrill started out writing professionally in 1982, for a health care magazine in Chicago, IL. She moved with her husband to Washington, DC, and was a staff writer for various healthcare publications, but chose to become a freelance writer when her first child was born. 

Her family moved to Dallas in 1995, where she continued to write for several health care publications and then pivoted to religion and gardening articles for different outlets.

Her family moved again in 2009, to Winchester, VA, and Teri began writing religion, gardening and lifestyle articles for the Winchester Star. More recently, she has written lifestyle articles for Senior Correspondent, a publication for seasoned writers.

I had lunch with a friend recently, and as our conversation wound down, I asked where she and her husband were traveling this summer. She looked at me quizzically and replied: “Nowhere. We love our fur babies and house too much to leave.”

Finally, a fellow traveler who has the same favorite destination as me…nowhere! I’ve been visiting this destination for years and absolutely love it. Some people would call me a homebody, but I object to that description. Instead, I like to think of myself as a “Selective Adventurer.”

For many American vacationers, there seems a hyper, almost frenetic approach to world travel. Friends and acquaintances have either returned from a faraway trip, are planning a trip, or have a bucket list of distant places they want to go.

And when I say go, I mean GO! To Russia for downhill skiing. To visit the Galapagos or the mountains of Peru, any country ending with “stan,” or places that take a full day, or more, to reach.

I’ll admit, I just don’t have this peripatetic need. It’s not that I lack curiosity or don’t think there are hundreds of beautiful places to visit across the globe. It’s just that my corner of the globe is the most interesting and beautiful to me, at least most of the year. 

In the summer, there’s my vegetable garden to oversee and crops to pick and enjoy. In the fall, there are amazing hikes through brilliantly hued forests. In the spring, there are garden chores to undertake and each day brings a new plant or tree to admire as it burst forth in bloom. These may be small wonders of the world, but they are no less astounding to me. 

Does that make me an ugly American? I think not. I’m completely respectful of the people, laws, and language of other countries when I do travel. But I don’t enjoy struggling over menus, or maps, or bus routes, or how to say “Good Morning” to my waiter

Instead, I like to stick closer to home and do physically challenging things, like biking the rolling hills in my beautiful valley. Or along the coast of North Carolina. Or hike or kayak or walk almost anywhere beautiful in the United States. Somehow, these are adventures enough for me. 

My family knows how I feel, and while they are supportive, they don’t always agree. So that means there are times when they GO, and I stay behind with my pups and my garden and my small pleasures. And that’s okay with me. Because there’s nothing worse than feigning interest or excitement on vacation.

So go ahead and tell me about your travels. I mean it when I say I’m happy for you! But I can’t wait to share my stories of my vacation to nowhere!

Teri