My top writing experience so far!

What do you do when a gifted author friend comes to visit for a week?

Show them the family farm, your amazing neighbors,  and hop in the car for a road trip. Patricia Bradley, who I live near in Mississippi half of the year, joined me in Minnesota and we traveled through North Dakota, Manitoba, and Ontario Canada. We got back tonight and are near the MSP airport where she will fly out early tomorrow. It makes me very happy when the friends and family I care about meet other friends and family I care about.

Clichés exist because they’re true. In North Dakota we stayed with  people I lived with during my last year of high school. The parents have passed on but their older daughter is there. Jean Ann was four and I was fifteen. For thirty some years now they’ve run Bethlehem Books, publishing excellent materials for home schoolers. Even if I don’t see her and family for eight to ten years, there’s no distance when we meet. In fact, the connections are deeper.

Next, I showed Patricia much of Canada. We drove the Trans-Canada Highway through Manitoba and Ontario to a special community west of Thunder Bay. If you’ve read my A Traveling Grandma’s Guide to Israel: Adventures, Wit, and Wisdom, you know Cindy who lives there made that first lengthy trip to Israel with me. We enjoyed her and family and other friends with a grand finale trip to the local dump where six black bears showed off (which we observed from a safe distance).

Yesterday we drove to Old Fort William in Thunder Bay where the Kaministiquia River enters Lake Superior. Important parts of my historic novel, Wilderness Wife, are set there. Through amazing circumstances, the living 4^th and 5^th generation descendants of Swiss and native heroine, Marguerite Wadin McKay McLoughlin, found my book on Amazon, contacted me via email, and when my book was discussed as the American Fiction Writers book club selection last November, joined our discussion via Zoom. We wanted to meet in person. These delightful people drove from Northern Michigan and we met yesterday where parts of the book’s action occurred.

Am I ecstatic? Yes! That’s the most fun and blessing I’ve had to date in my writing career They want me to write the sequel. I’ll try, after I finish my current Amish book and work on my memoir at the same time.

This week’s trip was wonderful. My cup runneth over. I’m grateful for safe miles traveled, friendships deepened, and the great joy of seeing people I love, love each other. We took many photos. It’s hard to choose a top favorite. I’m showing you a few so you can decide.

Have a great and blessed two weeks until next time,

Delores