Seams Like a Story

December 2, 2024December 2, 2024

The Day After Friendsgiving

Hike 44/52

a Thanksgiving plaque that reads "Gather here with grateful hearts

Ed opened the paper and announced the weather as he does each morning: 50 degrees in Atlanta, 27 in Chicago, 29 in Indianapolis, 30 in Grand Rapids, 73 in Tucson. We won the temperature wars here in Tucson, unless you like cold weather. Some do. I’m not judging.

The cities he called out are significant. These are the places where our family–children, grandchildren, and siblings–live. It’s a morning ritual that, in some small way helps us feel connected.

It was Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, the day when, traditionally, shoppers get out to hunt for Christmas bargains, or browse for deals online. But not us. Instead of Black Friday, we searched for Blue Skies as we set out for hike #44.

We were on the Mariposa Trail in Oracle State Park. Mariposa, the Spanish word for butterfly, is also the name of a desert lily, a deep-orange, three petaled flower that graces the trail in the spring if the temperatures and rainfall are just right.

We hiked along, our boots crunching on the dry, gravely trail. I looked up for birds–ravens and hawks that often soar high and effortlessly on the thermals, but instead, people were flying! Three distinct stripes of white headed east across the turquois sky. Friends and family, no doubt returning home after the Thanksgiving holiday.

My heart ached, just a little, feeling sorry for myself that I hadn’t hosted the family as I had done in years past….when we lived in Indiana…when our kids were young, and our parents were still with us. Traditions change, families grow and scatter, new members join the family, and others leave precious memories.

One year, the first year after Ed and I moved to Arizona, I cooked a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for the two of us. It was a lot of work, too much food, and what I realized, it’s not about the food, it’s about the company. For the past several years, we have been inviting friends over for dinner on Thanksgiving. We have found that we aren’t the only ones missing family on that day. We call it Friendsgiving and it fills my heart with joy.

So, these past few days, Ed and I have been eating leftovers from Friendsgiving: Mediterranean beef stew and mashed potatoes, ( No turkey. Ed makes one of his signature dishes each year for Friendsgiving) and the salad, bread and cheesecake that friends brought.

I am thankful my family members had wonderful gatherings in Atlanta, Indianapolis, and Grand Rapids, and I am blessed with friends to share a meal with in here Tucson.

I was thinking this as we finished our hike ( number 44 out of 52!) and my heart was full.

… And in just a few days, Friendsgiving leftovers will be gone and I’ll be putting up the Christmas tree and adding all the leaves to the dining room table. You see, my kids and grandkids, will all be here for Christmas!

(By the way…we are trying to finish our 52 Hike Challenge by the end of the year. 8 hikes to go! Can we do it?! I’ll keep you posted!)

Threads of Thought

How have your holiday traditions changed over the years? What do you look forward to the most?

author sitting a a table behind her books at a book fair

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November 18, 2024November 18, 2024

The Candle Chronicles

Part 2

Mini pumpkins gather along the countertop for a Thanksgiving centerpiece

I was working in my home office the other day when Ed returned from the grocery store. He sheepishly brought the bag in and placed it beside me.

“Oh, Ed, You didn’t!”

“I thought we might be running low.”

It’s that time of year again. Soon family and friends will gather for the holidays. My husband Ed and I live a distance from family. We always get together for Christmas, but often were alone on Thanksgiving. A few years ago we started a new tradition of inviting friends, who find themselves in a similar situation over for a “Friendsgiving” celebration. Avoiding the typical turkey dinner, Ed, the resident chef, comes up with one of his signature dishes and others pitch in with deserts and sides. The menu varies from year to year, and we never know who gather at the table, but there is one thing you can count on: THERE WILL BE CANDLES ON THE TABLE!

The Candle Obsession

I’m unsure when my candle obsession began. I first “came out” in a previous post https://seamslikeastory.com/tall-candle-dinners/ . I remember when our children were small, Ed and I would have “date night” each Saturday night. We couldn’t afford a babysitter, so we would feed the kids early and have a nice candlelight dinner after they went to bed, or sat them in front of the TV with a movie. Now empty nesters, we still light candles, for special occasions, and everyday dinners as well. Even when it’s leftovers or we think we don’t have much to talk about, the ritual of lighting the candles seems to say “This time together is important.”

A Lot of Candles

So, yes. This takes a lot of candles. I’m picky, but through trial and error, I’ve found the perfect ones. I kind of don’t want to tell you about them because I’m afraid you’ll get to Trader Joe and buy out their limited stock.

OK, here goes, but don’t tell anybody else: My favorite off-white, non drip inexpensive candles are only available seasonally between Thanksgiving and Christmas and during that time we buy enough to get us through the year. I tell Ed to only buy a few boxes at a time, so as not to cause alarm. So far he has flown under the radar, but I live in fear that there will one day be a poster at the cash registers with his photo and a warning: Don’t sell any more candles to this man.

The other day I took inventory and told Ed I thought we had enough and maybe he didn’t need to buy any this year.(I currently have 20 boxes x 8 candles per box…you do the math) He bought some anyway. I think we might have to add this bounty to our will as part of our “estate.” A legacy of wax and wick to leave to our children.

Gather Together

So my friends, take some time this holiday season to gather around the table with friends and loved ones. Go ahead, light some tall candles and stay until they melt into tiny stubs! Clink your wine, or iced tea, or water glasses together and let each other know how happy you are to be together. These are the times that matter most.

Threads of Thought

What (besides candles) will be on your holiday table this year? Are you traveling or hosting your holiday festivities?

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November 4, 2024November 3, 2024

Hearts in Bloom

the world needs them

a heart shaped stone with blooming flowers

I used to think that in order to be a memoirist one had to have led an extraordinary life, and indeed there are many amazing authors out there who fit this description: Cheryl Strayed (Wild ) and Tara Westover (Educated) come to mind. But I’m an ordinary woman. Do I have a story to tell?

This week I was thinking about my latest work in progress and wondering if it was a story worth telling. When stuck, I often find inspiration from other writers. This quote from Rupta Sepetys in You: the Story grabbed my attention:

“Country life, cosmopolitan life, quiet life- all can be equally fascinating based on the writer’s perspective and the details chosen. Remember: it’s not what you’re writing about, it’s how you’re writing about it.”

Quiet life. Small moments that bloom into words. Taking readers along with me on a journey and discovering “ah ha” moments together. This. This is my voice. The voice I’m seeking each time I sit to write. It doesn’t always come easily, in fact, it rarely does, but with time, critiques, editing and revisions, I hope… I know, I will have a story worth telling.

And finally this, from Clarissa Pinola Estes:

I hope you go out and let stories, that is life, happen to you and that you will work with these stories…water them with your blood and tears and laughter till they bloom, till you yourself bust into bloom. The world needs them. The world needs more hearts in bloom.

So here’s to ordinary women, who through the magic of words remind us that all women are extraordinary! If you have a story to tell, tell it! The world needs more hearts in bloom.

Threads of Thought

What makes your heart bloom? Is there a story there?

Click here to find my stories!

October 21, 2024October 20, 2024

This is Why I Travel

Last stop: Barcelona

Entrance tower at Park Guell in Barcelona

The third and final stop on our late September tour of Portugal and Spain takes us to beautiful Barcelona! Overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and famous for it’s rich history , fantastic cuisine, and Art Nouveau architecture Barcelona is a “must see” city for world travelers. Here are some of the highlights of our trip.

Gaudi's Sagrada Familia in Barcelona — Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia

Gaudi's Casa Batllo in Barcelona — Gaudi’s Casa Batllo

Amazing Architecture

On our 3 hour walking tour of modernist architecture, we learned the history of Barcelona’s architecture. As the city prospered in the late 1800s to early 1900s, Barcelona grew from its medieval roots (still evident in the Gothic quarter) where streets are narrow and dark. The city planners wanted something different and planned the new city in a grid of wide streets. Buildings could not be taller than the street was wide and all buildings had to have inner courtyards, green spaces to let in light and air. This was Intended for the common people, but the wealthy moved there leaving the cramped inner city to the poor. They hired only the best architects to design elaborate homes to showcase their wealth. Along came Antoni Gaudi, a lesser known architect who abandoned the trends of the day and did his own thing…some liked what he did, some hated it…but he stayed with his vision and refused to compromise. He left an amazing legacy in Barcelona. His crowing jewel is the Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family) Cathedral, still under construction today.

Barcelona Between the Mountains and the Sea

The beach at Barcelona — Here’s to the Mediterranean!

Besides several days exploring the city, we enjoyed a day trip to Montserrat, a spectacularly beautiful Benedictine mountain retreat about an hour north of Barcelona. And, a highlight for me, a trip to the beach where I walked in the Mediterranean (without losing my phone, for those of you who’ve read my book Until Italy, you understand…) and enjoyed a lovely seaside lunch.

And so, our three week trip to Lisbon, Seville, and Barcelona comes to an end. Thanks for coming along. I hope you’ve enjoyed the pictures and stories I’ve shared. I’d like to leave you with a final word and the most important and memorable picture of all of my travel photos:

And this is why I travel…

An empty table in Barcelona soon fills with people from Australia, England, Hawaii, and Arizona. Over tapas and wine we get to know one another. We discuss homes and jobs, and children and grandchildren. We laugh together and also share our dismay about the state of the Earth: frequent volcanic eruptions in Hawaii, sweltering summers in England, wildfires out of control in Australia and Arizona, hurricanes in Florida. For a few hours our diverse nationalities dissolve. We are friends, citizens of planet Earth, and we leave the table richer for the experience. This, this is why I travel.

Happy travels, my friends!

Threads of Thought

Tell a memorable moment from a favorite trip. Where were you? Who was with you? What made this moment remarkable?

For more travel stories check out Until Italy: a Traveler’s Memoir

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October 14, 2024October 13, 2024

Scenes from Seville

The second stop on our late September tour takes us out of Portugal and into the quintessential Spanish city of Seville. Here we found:

Churros and Chocolate for Breakfast

(Ok, yes, this looks like a lot of Churros. I did share with my husband Ed. Some.) One of the first things we noticed about Seville is the relaxed attitude about dining. Churros and chocolate for breakfast? Why not?! Just don’t look for them early in the morning. One local told us that breakfast is usually a cappuccino or espresso and a pastry around 10 or so. Lunch maybe 1:00-3:00. Then everything shuts down for the afternoon. Even some schoolchildren come home for a two hour break. Dinner? Don’t even think about it until 8 or 9 when the streets come alive with sidewalk cafes serving tapas and drinks. Traveling musicians add to the ambience.

Mercado de Triana

Beautiful produce awaits at the Mercado de Triana just across the river. We signed up for a cooking class located in the Mercado and learned how to make gazpacho, paella Valenciano, and lemon sorbet with cava. Recipes to try at home make for the perfect souvenirs.

History, Culture, Busy Tourist Sites, and Quiet, Ancient Streets

The tourists among you will want to visit the Alcazar(one of the best examples of Moorish and Christian architecture in the world), the Seville Cathedral (the world’s largest Gothic cathedral and Christopher Columbus’ resting place), and the Plaza de Espana. Be sure to buy tickets ahead of time for these major tourist attractions and , depending on the time of year, expect large crowds. But be sure to save time to wander Seville’s quiet, ancient streets.

Perfect Ending

A tapas and sangria cruise along the river. A perfect ending to our stay in beautiful Seville.

Adios Seville!

Threads of Thought

Have you been to Seville? Add your experiences to the comments!

For more travel stories pick up a copy of my book Until Italy: a Traveler’s Memoir available on Amazon in paperback, eBook, and Kindle Unlimited. Click Here!

Book Cover for Until Italy: A Traveler's Memoir. A bright turquois cover with a wild yellow suitcase erupting with travel accessories