“Traveling the World with Mom”

“On Tuesday, we flew over the Great Pyramid…”

Wouldn’t that be something to do even if we didn’t have travel restrictions? A.L. Renna’s delightful children’s book Traveling the World with Mom shows us how it can happen, with a little imagination and our local library.

Growing up in small-town New England, I loved my visits to my local library. The library in my Swift River Valley series, set in small-town New England, is modeled after my hometown library, with a touch of other libraries I’ve enjoyed. Nooks and crannies, history, perso… Read More

Daffodils…need I say more? :-)

Our daffodils are poking up out of the mud, a sign of spring on our Vermont hill. I’ll post photos once they’re in bloom. In the meantime, I gathered these photos of daffodils in the Cotswolds (top, near where I placed Oliver York’s fictional country home!), the Netherlands (middle) and Ireland (bottom). They make me smile and I hope they will you, todao, as we go forward into the rebirth of spring. Take care!

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An Irish castle walled garden in spring

It might be mud season on our Vermont hilltop but elsewhere spring flowers are in bloom. Like so many of us, I’m an armchair traveler at the moment, but a few years ago we arrived in Ireland early on an April morning and wandered in a walled castle garden filled with spring flowers. It was snowing in Vermont when we took these photos. It snowed here last week, too. Hm. Enjoy!

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Irish walks

With gyms and just about everything closed, many of us are tying on our walking shoes and heading outside for a wander. I love to walk, whether at home in New England or on our travels. I’ve come up with countless scenes and descriptions for my books while I’m off in the Irish hills. Here are photos of some of my favorite trails. I find them inspiring and soothing during this challenging time, and I hope you do, too.

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Welcome, Spring!

Spring is here. It’s a welcome time of renewal, rebirth and new beginnings…and green grass and flowers. We had snow last week and more snow on the way this week, but I see signs of spring everyone here on our Vermont hilltop. I love these photos we took last spring in Scotland (Edinburgh and Isle of Skye). I hope you enjoy them. 

Take care, everyone!

Carla… Read More

Happy Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day! Chocolates, jewelry, a candlelit dinner…I love them all, but I have a special place in my heart for flowers. We were in Edinburgh in late May/early June, in time for the famous blue poppies at the Royal Botanic Garden. They’re popular, and for good reason!

The gardens are also well-know for their rhododendrons, many still in bloom when we were there.

Maybe I’m drawn to flowers on Valentine’s Day because I’m usually on our snowy hilltop in Vermont! It’s beautiful, but I do love the colors of Valentine’s Day, whether o… Read More

Running and Writing: Training for the Covered Bridges Half-Marathon!

Do you do new year’s resolutions? I don’t, and I’ve read many articles that say it’s just as well. Most resolutions are abandoned before Valentine’s Day.

However…

My daughter and I signed up to run the Covered Bridges Half Marathon in June!

It’s an event on the calendar not a resolution, but it will take some doing to get myself ready. This will be our fourth CBHM and my fifth half-marathon since I started running longer distances a few years ago. That fifth one was in Dingle, Ireland, an amazing experience with breathtaking scenery, even in heavy r… Read More

Merry Christmas from Vermont!

Christmas is fast approaching. Lively, busy days for so many of us!

We just bought our Vermont-grown tree and plan to decorate it on Sunday. Off to Christmas afternoon tea tomorrow at the Inn on Boltwood in Amherst, MA, an annual event with my mother, my youngest sister (I have three sisters!), my daughter and my two young granddaughters.

Be sure to take a moment to enter my holiday contest. (US only). I chose the calendar on a recent trip to Ireland. It features watercolor illustrations of Irish hedgerows and farmland. Aren’t they beautiful?

The winner will also receive signed hardcove… Read More

Ireland writing getaway

Just popping in with a few photos from my “hideaway cottage” on the southwest Irish coast. I’m here with Joe for a few weeks to hike, read by the fire, enjoy the wonderful people and surroundings and write. Rain, wind, sun, whiskey, cows, stone walls, great food, great scenery…and Halloween. We’ll see what comes of all this creative inspiration!

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Autumn in Vermont

Autumn in Vermont is a real treat not only for those of us who live here but our many, many visitors. We live between Quechee Gorge and Woodstock, rated one of the prettiest villages in the U.S., and I often run along the beautiful, winding Ottauquechee River. Here are a few shots from last weekend. Enjoy! … Read More