We have indeed made it back from Spain after an absolutely wonderful time. The only downside to the trip is recovering from the dreaded jet lag, which is still dragging me down a bit. I expect to be back to my old self by tomorrow, I hope, and will tell you in more detail about…

Having a wonderful time on this Story Circle Network trip to Spain. Twenty-five travelers, half of them writers, enjoying the exploration of this lovely country while writing daily. Quite a treat. Plus, our daughter Sarah is with us. Even better. Here are some photos of Avila, birthplace of St Theresa and Segovia, which has the…

I have a thin, but distinctive wall that protects me. I imagine it running over the entire outside of my body, much like the thin coating of chocolate around a Twix bar—familiar and alluring in its chocolate nature, yet hiding something surprising just beyond its façade. My inner structure is not soft and gooey with…

After breakfast today at the hotel, our group took a guided bus tour around Madrid, then visited the Royal Place. Don’t worry, we didn’t see all of the 3,000-plus rooms, but rather only 26. Afterwards, about half of us walked back to our hotel (the others took the bus). After a two hour nap on…

Our folks have gathered and we are all now here. Had a good writing group tonight and a lovely dinner. Tomorrow we head to the royal palace. our guide, Christopher, is sensitive and knowledgeable. All is well. Here are a few photos.

Today, we visited the Reina Sofia Museum, which was filled to the brim with wonderful art. I have included many photos (I took at least twice as many but didn’t want to overwhelm you). We also walked through the botanical gardens, which were truly lovely. The quality of the art here is beyond my wildest…

Ray and I have made it to Madrid! We traveled on Iberian Airlines from LAX with another of the tour participants, and the trip went quite smoothly from start to finish. Ray and I had chosen aisle seats across from each other, which was very comfortable and gave easy access for walking around from time…

This will be short and sweet. I’ve just finished hosting Story Circle Network’s kickoff webinar for a new memoir series that we’ll be launching in November, and I also wrapped up my work with a couple of students. I am now finished with official business and am heading home to do all those things people…