On September 8th, when Kim and I were waiting for our flight to Scotland at the Raleigh-Durham Airport, news came of Queen Elizabeth II's passing. The next days, as we walked through the historic cobblestone streets of Edinburgh, preparations had started for the arrival of her procession from Balmoral. What pageantry followed as Great Britain's … Continue reading One Fun Night in Dublin
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In Our Daughters’ Footsteps: Mission Completed
We've anticipated this trip since August of 2019-- when Kim asked me to join her in bringing her mother's ashes to Skye. At that time, I said I was honored that she'd asked me, but inwardly, I wasn't sure how it would work for me to travel with her at the planned time--one year later, … Continue reading In Our Daughters’ Footsteps: Mission Completed
The Things That Hold Us Back: Solo Journeys
The countdown continues to September 8th when I take off on my trip to Scotland and Ireland with my cousin. I made progress this week on my to-do and packing list. There's enough time to get everything done now that I'm retired--unlike previous journeys where I was still working. It would seem that if you … Continue reading The Things That Hold Us Back: Solo Journeys
Path People
Today, on Memorial Day weekend, we remember those soldiers who served bravely and gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Last week's post, Armed Forces Day: A New Way to Celebrate featured a program for veterans that serves them by providing shelter dogs that are then trained through the Vets to Vets program and go home … Continue reading Path People
Taking a Risk in Kentucky
Lately I've been remembering my solo journey in 2016 that was the longest I've ever taken. That year I traveled to Kentucky, to a rural area that was an hour, northeast of Lexington. There I attended an artist's residency at Artcroft, a program that provided living quarters and studios for artists-- including writers. I'd learned … Continue reading Taking a Risk in Kentucky
Wild Horses Drew Me
I have always loved horses. When I was a girl, I never understood why we had a hundred-acre farm with cows, pigs, and chickens but never horses. Later, I would come to realize that my overworked father didn't need the cost or effort of maintaining horses that would never ‘pay their own way.’ Throughout my … Continue reading Wild Horses Drew Me
Time to Take Off
This week I'll be heading out on my Solo Journey. For the first time, my destination is in my own state: the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Those barrier islands off the coast separate the Atlantic Ocean from the mainland. Included in the area is Roanoke Island that was the site of England’s first settlement in … Continue reading Time to Take Off
Gather Yourself: Lessons in Scotland
"After all the dreaming, planning, and praying, I'm now at the threshold of Iona," I wrote in my journal a year ago as I looked across the white-capped-waters of the sound toward the stone buildings of the Abbey. I'd made it to the village of Fionnphort in the Inner Hebrides, where I'd booked a room … Continue reading Gather Yourself: Lessons in Scotland
The Stranger on the Bus
We stood at the West Tisbury shuttle bus stop on a Saturday afternoon in Martha’s Vineyard. I’d been experiencing that island in Massachusetts for the first time, staying in a hostel for $27.00 a night—the only way I could afford that expensive place. I’d enjoyed the morning at the Farmer’s Market at the Grange Hall … Continue reading The Stranger on the Bus
Places in My Path: Coquina Beach
The beach called me early this morning. I wanted to start my day walking by the water -- always a place of renewal. Does that draw come from the nurture experienced when we were floating in our mother’s womb? Is it from the release that’s felt with baptism or the desire to sail across the … Continue reading Places in My Path: Coquina Beach
Connie Rosser Riddle 