On Wanderwood Lane
The fictitious setting of a very REAL life.
Western Wanderings – UTAH
Traveling is one of my all time favorite things to do. As a little girl I use to daydream about some of the places that I can now, delightfully, say that I have been to.
Most of those trips were either with people I love, going to visit people I love, for people that I love and once or twice, for the hope of love. No matter what happened (or didn’t) along the way, all of those places have left a mark on my heart/soul.
Last April’s journey out West was no different!
Let me tell you all about it 😉
The first thing you need to know about me as a traveler is that I try not go into planning trips with preconceived notions, which, depending on the place, can be difficult. Las Vegas, for example…as appealing as “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” is to thousands of people every year, it was never a place on my list of dream destinations.
When bestie asked if I wanted to go out West, my full bodied yes was for Zion, Bryce Canyon and The Grand Canyon…for the great outdoors. I truthfully had little interest in Las Vegas but I’ve trusted her travel planning for decades and promised to be open to the experience. I am glad I did 🙂
We left North Carolina on a mid morning flight. Between writing for a while, pen to paper, and sharing favorite lines from the books we were reading, the 4 1/2hr journey passed quickly.
Flying into a 3 hr time difference had its advantages as, upon arrival, we touched down just after lunchtime. I’ll fully admit to going from a little indifferent to a little bit of awe at the sight of Las Vegas backdropped by a mountain range.
Yes, I’ve seen the television screen version of the city but that’s never been in the light of day. And, it was a totally different animal.
Imagine the adult version of a little kid with their nose & hands plastered to the window and you’ll have a picture of what it was like to be me in the back seat of an F-150 riding out of the city and into the great wide open 🤩
I’m from the East Coast, so the terrain out west had me gleefully feeling like I was in another world! I’ll again mention how magnificent it was to see the city in the daylight with the Spring Mountians showing off behind it. Anything that creates that much contrast with the beholding of it, deserves a second mention.
As the city shrank in the rear view and multiple lanes of traffic dwindled down to mostly open road, my delight hit a peak level. The way that we were swept so quickly out of the chaos and into peace reminded me of some of my other travels and I knew, I’d likely be the happiest on the road, watching the world go by.
The landscape was dotted with juniper and piñon trees, short/full with dust kicking up between them.
Desert mountain ranges hit different when you are use to the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and they command their own respect. My favorite visual of the first leg of the trip was looking out to pay my respects to those rocky faces and seeing a cargo train approaching, as if it might run right through us. That’s how long/slow the winding of the roads are. For me, if there is anything better than a city backdropped by high country, it’s a long train cutting though the center of it all!!
Our first stop was Zion National Park and it truly was something to behold. On approach, you can see the emergence of it’s peaks, coated in orange, brown and sand coloring. Majestic was the first word that came to mind (and perhaps the most used descriptor of the trip).
A tiny town ushered us in to the park entrance, on a two lane street lined with souvenir shops, accommodations, and several places to eat. This picturesque vantage point brought a giant smile to my face and peace to my heart.
In case I didn’t mentioned it before, my trip companions and I are avid campers, meaning we wouldn’t be checking in to the adorable cabins we noted on the way into the park. Once we passed into the Zion entrance gate, we took a right and headed to the area marked for camping 🏕️
I was awestruck once again as we pulled into the space that would be home for a few nights and found ourselves surrounded by the sandstone cliffs.
Getting our tents set up is first priority anytime we go camping, so I wrangled in my emotions until we were all set up. Once that was done, we started a fire, set up our chairs and poured a celebratory beverage.
I have been to many beautiful places but our first night in Zion National Park, watching the sunset fade into a star filled night sky, will be forever at the top of the list.
Our first full day of the trip consisted of another favorite activity of mine, HIKING! Being completely unfamiliar with Zion’s trails, we chose a shorter one, Emerald Pool with less elevation gain but plenty of visual payoffs.
Right!?! I don’t know about you all but I imagined that this was what The Great Valley was like from The Land Before Time. It was HOT but we were adequately prepared with our daypacks full of hydration and snacks. The region was having a dry spell so the water wasn’t flowing nor pooling, like it usually would, so when we got about 3/4 of the way to the turn around point and heard from multiple sources that continuing wasn’t worth it, we trusted the input and opted to sit down for lunch instead.
That turned out to be a great decision as we made a few friends who knew Ireland well. I’ve been there twice, so we had a lot to talk about. The break gave us the gusto we needed to make our way back to the trail head, which is at one of 8 shuttle stops.
Now, we have a National Park in NC and it just might have a shuttle BUT I could tell by my detailed map of the shuttle service that we were in a park that was vastly larger that the one I was use to. Thankfully, we where able to take said shuttle all the way back to the Visitors Center, with only a short walk back to our campsite.
Unfortunately our third companion was injured a few weeks before our trip and couldn’t hike with us BUT she kept the fire going and we had a warm welcome back to camp for the afternoon/evening.
***
The next day saw us rising with the sun and packing up to head to our next destination.
Yes, it’s going to the be that kind of trip 😉
The road trip from Zion National Park to Bryce Canyon National Park showcased the variety of landscape southern Utah has to offer. Desert gave way to higer elevations, a bit more greenery, open fields, grazing cattle and horses ❤
We made a rest stop in Long Valley and it gave us a peek at some taller pines, their fragrance welcome on the wind. It wasn’t a long stop but it was peaceful.
For the last 30 or so miles up to Bryce, the rolling hills gave way to some flat, open land with only a few shops and a creek breaking up the terrain. You could see the top of the canyons in the distance, this time with vivid orange coloring decending to almost white sand.
It was an absolutely gorgeous day and the Visitors Center was packed! Not to mention most of the trail head parking lots. I was amazed to see the variety of in park accommodations that were available and made note to check that out if I ever returned.
As for us, we only planned to be in the park for the day, so a parking spot was all we needed. Our injured friend had to again sit out of the day hike but was kind enough to drop us off at trail head before she settled in to a spot.
Sunrise Point is at an elevation of 8000ft and boasts the most incredible views, for miles. Loads of fellow tourists were perched at the top, admiring the site but Ashe and I were eager to get on the trail.
We chose the Navajo Loop and Queens Garden Trail , knew that it had a steep section of switchbacks and opted to go down that section, no matter what the return incline held, lol.
Admittedly, my first steps were filled with anxiety. Most beginnings in popular areas are crowded, people not yet intimidated by what the trail might hold. This particular path was narrow, one side supported by canyon side, the other, wide open. It’s the other people on the trail that make me nervous…the ones you can tell don’t hike often and don’t have a good sense of trail etiquette.
Unfortunately for me, one of the prime photo opportunities on this trail was less than a quarter into it and I was beginning to panic a little. Every other step saw someone coming up and around the corner, hastily pushing past those going down. The photo spot is technically a few steps off the footpath but again, wide open around it. I began to cry a little, the overstimulation of it all (and the height) starting to get to me but Ashley was paying attention to the crowd flow and spotted a break in it where we could safely get the moment captured. She took my arm and said “I’ve got you and I am not letting you miss this opportunity!”. With that I let her guide me to the edge (not really but it was in my mind) and we got the shot!!!
The triumphant thing about letting yourself feel your big feelings is the boost of enthusiasm I got just after that moment!!
The decent into the canyon held majesty every other step. From the picturesque sky above, the sediment formations (known as Hoodoos) and the pockets of shade from sporadic pine trees, to the desert chipmunks that would saddled up beside us on a log, hoping to share our snacks, we smiled through our wide eyed wonder (and periodic labored breathing) from Sunrise to Sunset Point.
As a curvier woman approaching middle age (perimenopause), there are a thousand intrusive thoughts I could have let get the better of me…But, my body did everything I asked of it (and MORE), including deep belly laughs, whenever the moment called for it, which with Ashley and I, is A LOT 🙂
It took several rest breaks for us to crest the top of the trail again and we had more than earned our exhaustion.
Another wave of emotion hit me as I took one last look out into the canyon before we walked back to the truck.
This time it was a release of pure gratitude and wonder. Traditionally, I’ve been very hard on myself in terms of “where I think I should be” but this time, my tear-filled eyes simply said “look at where you are!”.
I think my overall momentum changed that day. Just like hiking a trail, life itself is full of challenges, highs & lows, things that make you question yourself and yet, also, SO MUCH to be in awe of. I am very thankful that I take notice of all those things and keep traversing whatever comes my way.
Bryce Canyon was a tough one to leave but that’s the way of things when you have an itinerary.
Southern Utah had put a mark on my heart and we couldn’t leave the area without stopping for an extra souvenir.
It was mere minutes before the little shop was about to close but they graciously let us come in an look around with no rush.
I didn’t really need another trivet but how could I resist one that so perfectly captured my Utah experience? It’s sitting on my desk as I type this!
A little over halfway through this post, I realized it would be best if I broke the trip up in to several pieces, after all 2,000 words is a lot if you all are reading more than one blog today 😉
Thank you for taking the time to be here! I really appreciate it!
Stay tuned for The Grand Canyon, Hoover Damn and LAS VEGAS!! Coming Soon
❤ CNC
The Winter Sea Trilogy
I don’t know what the weather is like where you are but in my little corner of the world, it’s a sunny day, the skies are blue and a slight breeze is blowing through the trees.
It’s been Spring for just over a month and there are signs of new life appearing but, here, Winter sure has had a hard time saying goodbye. More days than not, the morning greets me with a chill and then I’ll have the fans turned on in the evenings.
The winds have whipped heavily just about every other day.
That could all be cause for some complaining and there are days I have wished the temperature would make up it’s mind but today, I am choosing to hear a drum beat on that wind, close my eyes and imagine I am sailing the seas.
Sail North – Against The Tide (Official Lyric Video)
Hopefully you clicked that link and let yourself drift along with me.
I’ve always had an affinity for a pirate adventure. Being from North Carolina, Blackbeard is apart of our lore but I’ll fully admit that it was The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise that sealed the deal for me. I know it’s a wild, scandalous and dangerous existence but I’d like to think if I were faced with the same choice as Elizabeth, I’d have jumped into the water (and out of that dress/arranged marriage) also 😉
A few months ago, my friends at Titan Books sent over their own pirate adventure series penned by the fantastic H.M. Long and I consumed it in record time.
The Winter Sea is made up of Aeadine, Tithe, Mere, Utsi, Kalsank and The Cape
Dark Water Daughter introduces us to Mary Firth, a Stormsinger (able to control wind/water with their voice), who has no choice in life but to ally into servitude in exchange for protection. Once revered for their gift, as her mother was, Stormsingers in her day/age are often used/abused. But Mary is special in ways that she doesn’t realize, though her dreams begin to point the way.
Her ally, Samuel Rosser has his own reasons for keeping Mary safe and going after her would be captor/Master, Silvanus Lirr to restore his good name and his sanity, are high on the list.
This journey takes them to the top of The Winter Sea, beyond the Storm Wall, where under the ice lies treasure and a magic more ancient then all of them.
Samuel and Mary can both walk in the Dark Water, an ethereal plane containing the monsters of the world. Alongside the ghistings (spectral creatures that inhabit the ancient forests and figureheads made of that wood) they must not only defeat Lirr but also save the heart of all held together by the magic flowing through them.
Black Tide Son continues the story of Mary and Samuel, navigating life as privateers, continuously trying to keep Mary from being traded to the highest bidder. Together they are seeking to establish a better way to live on their own terms.
Samuel’s backstory includes his tenuous relationship with his brother Benedict but when they hear he’s been captured and imprisoned by enemy forces, they are left to decide if they are to continue forging this better way with the free peoples of the sea or if they will try to save Benedict.
An aspect of Samuel/Benedict’s upbringing adds a layer of danger and impossibility of escaping alive. The Black Tide is rising and it’s fast on their heels, both on land and in the Dark Water.
Red Tempest Brother puts Benedict Rosser at the helm of his own ship, full of a less than savory crew. They are searching for someone carrying something that he needs but they are leaving devastation in their path. He’s numbed/jaded by what he’s been through but there may be hope for him in the bond with his brother. Is it enough to redeem him?
Meanwhile Samuel and Mary have sought refuge on a southern island, ran by a few familiar faces from Dark Water Daughter. They are reeling from the revelations of the events of the Black Tide and what they have discovered has the potential to alter the lives of everyone/everything around them.
War is brewing all around the sea. What they know could escalate it all.
A rumor reaches them that a new Ghistwold is sprouting in the Mereish sea.
Faced again with uncertain choices, Mary, Samuel, Benedict and the crews they have acquired along the way, must decide what the ultimate cost of peace is and if they are willing to pay it.
******
I was immediately captivated by Mary Firth, whose voice is squelched from an early age, for her own safety. Something within her wants to be free, free to sing and free to commune with the voice deep inside of her, although she doesn’t fully understand it. She’s feisty, brassy, brave, loyal and vulnerable, around the right people. It was an absolute joy to witness her character development across three books.
The addition of the Rosser twins added the contrast, tension and passion that had me turning pages more quickly with each book consumed.
The remaining cast of characters was strong and it was easy to get attached to them. I am partial to the ghisting lore and found that my favorite characters were the ones that were combined with that magic at some point, although I know that’s a bit of a dual fate situation.
On top of it all the books themselves are absolute stunning. It was a nice touch to be able to revisit the cover at the end of each book and recognize the attention to detail that was given. These are headed to the bookshelf as soon as I finish this post.
In case you couldn’t tell, the pendulum swing of the weather here lately has mirrored this trilogy well. Starting with the icy peaks of the north and ending in the sunbaked southern isles.
If you are in need of a new, magical, largely sea based adventure, I hope you will let the wind lead you to The Winder Sea 🙂
The Lady, The Tiger and The Girl Who Loved Death
Earlier this summer, I was delighted to be added to the reviewers list over at one of my favorite publishing houses, Titan Books!
While I think I have done pretty well sprinkling in other genres beyond my beloved thriller/mysteries, the first selection they sent over was just the breath of fresh air that my TBR needed!!!
Synopsis:
“As Sara Sidorova hovers between life and death, she is visited by Amba, the tiger god who will devour creation if he is released from the chains that bind him. Amba gives Sara an extraordinary gift: a glimpse into the future.
Years later, her granddaughter Irenda will grow up in a war-torn country where survival means obedience. When a devastating attack robs her of her parents, she travels to Hrana City. There, her grandmother agrees to teach her the ultimate secret: how to tame death. In the circus, amongst the magicians, the strongmen and the contortionists, she will start down a dangerous road, to carry out a revenge decades in the making… and bring justice into the world for herself and for her family.
Rich with glamour and strangeness, brutality and deceit and the dark magic of the circus, this haunting fable from a multi award-winning author will chill your bones and make your heart ache.”
From the first few pages of this story, I could tell that it was one that wouldn’t be content with 30min, short burst, reading sessions.
It, quite simply, wanted to be devoured.
The book opens with a scene of Sara Sidorova, becoming injured and seemingly drifting into an afterlife scenario, where she meets three entities…The Evening Star, The Morning Star and a Tiger (Amba), who give her an opportunity to see in to the future.
Admittedly, it took me more than a few pages to figure out the flow of what was happening but once I did, it was a difficult read to put down. The past, present and future danced between chapters, unraveling the heartbreak, difficulty, sadness and determination that comes with existing in war-torn/fractured times.
The character’s stories intertwined throughout, in a way that made it feel like my story was in there somewhere also, leading me to my favorite quote…
Maybe all stories are one story in the end.
The contrast of violence/war/opression and the deep bonds of love woven within, helped make this the compelling read that it is.
Any time a book takes me to it’s depths, pricks me with some discomfort, shows me something about myself and brings me to the most heartwarming of tears, it gets my seal of approval!!!!
The Lady, The Tiger and The Girl Who Loved Death at it’s simplest, is a story about a grandmother and her granddaughter. On a very personal note, my grandmother passed away shortly after I finished this book.
I can’t help but feel like it was meant to happen that way. She was born in 1939 and lived through things I’ll never be able to fully grasp and in a way, this story helped me see her life…
So, perhaps we are all apart of one story after all and “now the sum of all my joys is greater than the sum of my sorrows”.
Or at least that’s what I am choosing 🙂
Much love to you all ❤
Our Beautiful Mess
In the spirit of transparency and accurately catching up on book posts, let’s flash back to April…
It had been a little over two years since I’d been on an airplane. I wasn’t nervous, far from it in fact…I was elated! My best friend and I were headed out West. That meant I had about 4 hrs of time to fill.
That’s a small flight, so I didn’t bother firing up the Wi-Fi on my devices to stream anything. For a few hours, I put pen to page on my novel (something my traveling buddy made sure of 😉 ).
When I met my pages quota, I moved on to the only other item I planned to enjoy in any spare time I had during the trip…a brand new, signed, paperback by yet another local author (and new friend).
***Isn’t this cover lovely!?!?!***
Our Beautiful Mess opens in an airport bar, where a heartbroken Danny is attempting to drink away all thoughts of his unfaithful ex-wife, when a beautiful woman sits down beside him…literally the last thing he wanted.
Claire, a famous heiress and recent widow, is traveling in disguise, to a remote island off Scotland, to both find some respite from recent events and to also work on her writing. You see, she’s a famous author writing under a pen name.
One chapter in and I was already grinning ear to ear and tucking a little more comfortably into my seat on the airplane. At first they don’t know that they are headed to the same place but we do 😉
Solsken is an island settled by two families, the McClellans and the Larssons, which lands it in an all too often competitive combination of Scottish and Swedish heritage. Danny’s lineage is Swedish and his best friend, Ian’s is Scottish. Together they run the Solken’s public house, Flygande Norseman.
News travels fast on this island and Danny soon finds out his flight companion has settled in nearby and struggles with a mix of emotions, heavy on stubbornness.
With it’s atmospheric, small town setting and more than a little chemistry already in the air between Claire and Danny, one might think they are sitting down to a cozy romance but all of that changes when Claire starts to hear voices in the house she’s rented. These voices know things they shouldn’t and it shakes her to the core.
What follows is captivating mix of charm, warmth, heart, suspense, intensity, kinship and love, all set in an idyllic place.
For me, it was quick and thoroughly enjoyable read.
It wasn’t until the end of the book, as I was reading the acknowledgements and author bio that I realized that not only had I already met B.K. Clark but she was the one who invited me to come and join her writing group (insert happy tears).
This is the second book I’ve read by someone who writes at our local bookshop and it fills me with all the hope in the world that big things are happening within it. I can’t wait to join in and I will very soon!
I’ve linked the ways to find Our Beautiful Mess as well as B.K., please go find and support her 🙂
Summer in NCshire
It’s time I introduced you all to my friend, writing colleague and fellow Tolkien lover, Arwen.
On her blog today, she speaks the absolute truth about NC summers for the Hobbit at heart!!
Check it out 🙂
A Deadly Legacy
A few of months ago, I was looking for a way to keep track of my reading and truthfully, I needed a clean slate. Yes, I’ve had Goodreads but it’s been long forgotten and I didn’t have the bandwidth to update it.
Thankfully, I found Fable and with it, a brand new way to set my 2025 reading goal, track my progress and also connect with other readers. I’m still acclimating to the platform and haven’t mastered everything it’s capable of but it’s been really fun to watch books go from “currently reading” to “finished”.
I’ve been able to check “I have read today” for 120 days now! That little bit of satisfaction has me carving even more reading time in to my days and I think it’s helped me get over half way to my goal already 🙂
Back in February, I happened to catch my local bookshop (Editions) on a Saturday, when they were hosting an author’s debut novel.
Marcia Honeycutt Roseman ‘s table caught my eyes immediately. I appreciated the thought she’d put in to the display and was compelled to hear about her book, even though I was pretty sure I was already going to purchase it.
Between the caution tape, the map of the US with pushpins/string and an accompanying playlist, I did indeed buy book. All ‘day of’ purchases came with an evidence bag and I knew that I was signing up for a fully immersive experience.
I wanted to be fully present with this selection, so I didn’t dive into it until about a month later, when I found the Editions Bookstore Book Club invitation via Fable. The book for March was A Deadly Legacy and I couldn’t have been happier that I already had it in my hands 🙂
Much to my delight I had the time/solitude one weekend in March to listen through the playlist, make a pot of coffee, spread all the contents of the evidence bag out on my desk and solve the case alongside the main characters Charlie and Michael.
My first thought was “I wish I gave every book this much intention”! I really sank my teeth into pretending to be a detective in the 60’s and it was A LOT of fun!
Now, the story itself…
“The Sixties. For some, a time of peace and love. For others, death and violence.”
A Deadly Legacy, follows special consultant Charlotte Harrington (Charlie) and Federal Agent Micheal Vale as they seek to solve the murder of a Jane Doe.
Although resistant to the partnership at first, Michael (who’s personal life is in rough shape), begins to warm up to Charlie (a confident/capable female in a man’s world) as he see’s her experience with behavioral analysis/mental health become exactly the asset they need.
Just as they begin to put the pieces together, Charlie starts receiving strange, handwritten, notes and the threat of danger comes closer than ever.
From the first page, this title pulled me right in. I found it a quick and immersive read, with a few incredible twists along the way! The books unique design/layout was a fun added bonus.
If you are a fan of thrillers and enjoy supporting indie authors, I highly recommend this one!
The book club I mentioned earlier in the post meets once a month to discuss each selection and to have a meet & greet with the author.
I’m pleased to say that I was able to attend that evening and gush about my enjoyment of A Deadly Legacy to Marcia herself (she may have even called me “stalker” by that point 😉 ).
She was full of warmth, gratitude and plenty of added tid bits about how she came up with the story and where it will take us next.
As an aspiring novelist, I was thrilled that the moderator asked her to give fellow writers a piece of advice. What she said was simple but effective… “Don’t be afraid and DON’T QUIT”.
If A Deadly Legacy can come from that spirit, I think it’s one worth taking to heart!
And I shall do just that 🙂
In a Hole in the Ground
I’ve sat down to write this with the widest of smiles across my face 🙂
My relationship with my niece and nephews has always been special but as they grow into their adolescent lives and I continue to grow in to my 40’s, I can’t help but feel like it gets easier to connect with them. We have a lot of fun when we are together!!
It’s one of the biggest gifts in my life!!!!!!!
As these years go on, I try to think of ways to make celebrations, like birthdays, a bit more personal by asking them to be involved in the plans and process.
My nephew J is a planner extraordinaire and often likes to have another plan before we even finish the one we are trying to enjoy, lol. His enthusiasm is contagious and I love it.
His birthday is in January, and he let me know at my birthday, the September prior, that he would like to stay in a hobbit house for his gift/quality time. Thankfully that option is a bit easier for me than it might be for others and I was able to help make that wish come true for him!!!! Less than hour up the interstate from me is the town of China Grove and there, the Cherry family have built an enchanting outdoor space called Cherry Treesort
What started as one father/son getaway in the woods now holds 8 Tree houses, able to accomodate groups of various sizes, and, YES, two hobbit houses!!
My nephew and I opted for the one with the green door 😉 named Mimi and Papa’s.
This is the smaller of the two units and is fit with a full size bed, pull out couch, living area and bathroom. The perfect hobbit sized accommodations for just the two of us.
Immediately, J insisted on opening the round door and we were pleased to find it is indeed functional, although not ideal to keep going in and out of in the winter, lol. We got a few really great videos of donning our cloaks and walking sticks whilst exiting into the wooded path beyond the front door.
He was beyond thrilled to have received the cloak and walking stick for Christmas and had them on when I picked him up for the trip. He wore it all weekend!
In addition to the layout of the house itself, it’s fitted with a TV but no WiFi, so if you must have something to view, you can choose from a small selection of channels or bring your own DVDs. We did our best to entertain ourselves without technology but as it was winter (and snow was falling), playing outside past nightfall wouldn’t have been pleasant, so we brought Battle of the Five Armies to watch.
If it hadn’t have been snowing, we may have taken advantage of the fire pit out front, which I am sure is a hit in the warmer months! We DID have the fixings for s’mores though and happily had them without the fire.
The treesort has a trail that winds through the woods and into the two sections of countryside where you can walk past all of the other spaces they have to offer. Each one is unique and well worth having a look at while taking in some fresh air.
Although located really close to the increasingly popular city of Kannapolis, owner Trent Cherry has done an excellent job of creating some on-site activities for those wanting to stay and enjoy the outdoors, or simply give the kids a way to exert some energy.
When we were there, there was an ice skating rink and giant bounce pillow. As much as we enjoyed taking walks around the property, my nephew braved the cold multiple times to jump around a bit and I think that might have been a favorite aspect of the stay.
There have been a few changes for the Summer season and I believe you can enjoy pickle ball during a stay these days…but you’d have to go and take a look for yourselves 😉
As for me, I have eyes on the Sweet Ashley treehouse for my next writerly retreat. I think it’s spot in the middle of the woods has the perfect amount of isolation to set my muse loose!
Have you ever stayed at a hobbit house? Please circle back and let me know if you have or plan to!!
~CNC
Water is the Element of Change
Only a year after it’s release 😉 I finally took the time to experience Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender
It’s a beautiful show with SO many rich and deeply moving aspects, that have taken over a month to fully process.
While I am in no way well versed in the story/lore, yet 😉 , I have several quotes from each episode written on a little floral notepad I keep on my couch for when something I’m viewing, reading or listening to strikes a particular chord.
I’ll very likely break those down in a separate post about the show specifically, however, for the purposes of this post, I am focusing on a short but powerful one…
“water is the element of change”
The part of the story you need to know here is that in this world there are certain people who have the ability to bend one of the four elements (Earth, Fire, Air, Water). When we find our main characters, rather than living a peace filled existence, are enduring a 100 year long, tyrannical rule, of the Fire nation, who’ve placed themselves at the top of the bender hierarchy.
Katara is apart of the Water Nation and is a water bender but hasn’t been allowed to practice/hone her abilities because just being a bender puts her life at risk. The quest forward gives her the desire to help make her world better and the freedom to practice her bending. That isn’t a pretty process at the start and when her eagerness and inexperienced frustration collide, it slings water everywhere, lol.
This brings me to the point of the post.
We can want one thing in our lives to change SO MUCH that in the process of that desire, things change that we didn’t necessarily think we wanted to…but, perhaps that’s exactly what is needed.
This is place/space I found myself in these first few months of the year.
My creative flow has been at an all time high, I already have a livelihood that is deeply meaningful, my relationships with family/friends are in a healthy place and I’ve found my rhythm with my health/wellness…yet, something wouldn’t let me fully feel those things.
All to often the more I “tried to”, the more water I got everywhere (sometimes very literally).
The above mentioned quote has come to mind many times, as has the art of bending itself.
The most beautiful aspect of bending the elements, to me, is that you have to feel it and let it move through you vs seeking to bend it to your own will. Pretty powerful, right? Katara is faced with some intense situations as the story progresses and with each surrender to the element, she’s given more accuracy in the execution, almost like it’s wanted to help her all along.
For weeks I have marinated on exactly what I just said in regard to the personal growth that happens daily in my life, my dreams/goals and how that forms the future. I could ask or want, just about anything for the present/future but if I don’t let it do what it’s going to do, I am betting the course will be harder to navigate as I come to it. I really don’t want that!
Personally, I think we have a great deal to learn from all of the elements and there is great description of them in a book that brought great transformation in my life (Becoming the One).
But today, water is my teacher and it’s telling me that I can’t ask for change and then resist it’s coming…
I’ve got to let it flow and trust the process along the way!
~CNC ❤
Stop and Smell the Roses
My first thoughts about starting this blog contained the opening paragraphs of The Hobbit .
I have always loved how Tolkien started that story with the simplicity of describing what a hobbit home looks/feels like. As if he was letting us know from page one that something extraordinary can happen with the opening of a door.
To me, On Wanderwood Lane has been my “hole in the ground”. I’ve wanted each page to represent a different room, all of them filled with the things that make it feel cozy, comfortable and welcoming…like home to me…and hopefully you too 🙂
I’ve been doing a little renovating recently and have added a new room, lovingly named in honor of my favorite unexpected journey.
“If in doubt…always follow your nose” ~Gandalf
For the past several months, I have been exploring the wonderfully wide world of aromatics via an aromatherapy certification course. What I am learning is not only fascinating to discover but has also been imperative to add to my wellness practice.
My dear hobbits are big fans of things that grow (nature) and I have no doubt they knew there was something truly special in their gardens, verges, flowerbeds and forests.
As I begin to make products and compile case studies, I already know my desire to help people with the knowledge I’ve gained will increase to those well beyond my front door.
This is the space I will endeavor to do that!!
In the weeks, months and years to come, I’ll be sharing my increasing love of nature and how incredible our sense of smell is.
When combined, I find it quite magical and I look forward to sharing it with you!
If supporting your wellness is of interest to you or if you have Q’s along the way, please don’t hesitate to reach out 🙂
“I want to change your life!”
As blogs past will no doubt tell you, I am a massive Harlan Coben fan and although I haven’t entered the realm of his much beloved character Myron Bolitar, yet, I have ingested just about all of his other novels and television adaptations. I just love him!
After deleting all other social media accounts, it took me a long time to curate the one that remained, Instagram, to a place that best suited where I wanted my life to go. As an aspiring author, it felt really important to make sure that I had weeded out some accounts I had moved past learning from/interacting with and welcome in ones that could expand my experience.
When I changed my account handle from my name to a fictional place, I hadn’t anticipated that eventually “my name” wouldn’t show up anywhere else. I know I could change that at any time (and I might) but here we are.
On Wanderwood Lane
Adding the names of people who’s work I admire has been a source of joy for me these past few months. Now that I’ve shaved off some of the intimidation and anxiety of being ‘new’, I am leaning in to absorbing as much from each of them as I can.
It’s incredible to see an author who has published over a dozen novels get just as excited about an upcoming release as they did from the start. Watching them tour different cities, greet their fans and also get right back to writing in any spare moment, is something truly special to behold.
In the spring of 2024 a certain add campaign found it’s way to my feed almost daily. I honestly have no idea how long BBC Maestro courses have been available but their offer of 70% off a year subscription got my attention. By following the account, I got to click through the introductions given by the course instructors and there is quite the selection!
Harlan Coben’s wasn’t the first promo I saw BUT it was the one that prompted me to take advantage of the amazing discount and gain access to a year’s worth of guidance from some of the best in the industry.
As I’ve mentioned multiple times now, I am a huge fan of HC, so when his introductory video started with the declaration that his goal for the course was to change my life, I took it personally and started my BBC Maestro journey with his 4hr course.
Four hours (23 lessons) doesn’t sound like a huge time commitment, and I suppose it isn’t. In fact, I have no doubt there are those that could get through it in only a few sittings.
However, I took the slow and steady approach with my classes. Harlan delivers his instruction in a transparent and relaxed manner, like he is having a conversation with you. That encouraged me to treat each lesson like it was a one-on-one mentoring session, marking my study pages as I went with what stood out each day and pausing when needed, to let bigger messages take root in my brain.
Each session has application and homework to practice. In that practice I exercised neural pathways that desperately needed new stimulation and discovered that, for me, “writer brain” is an almost constant state. I’m blown away at the fresh ideas that came out of pausing, reflecting on the prompt and then writing what came to me. It gives me great hope that all the empty journals I have lying around will be filled to the brim with inspirational bits I can use later.
Speaking of hope, it’s at the core of Harlan Coben’s writing and each of his lessons. His passion for telling stories is tangible and is echoed in his desire for his students to tell their stories. This guy really wants you to succeed and delivers that message in a way that is fully felt and believable!
If you are an aspiring author needing a bit of structure to your workflow and a boatload of encouragement, I highly recommend this course. I’ve read several of the holy grails of writing instruction and yes, they are full of great applications for success, but I found myself needing to really feel like “I CAN DO THIS!”. I needed some wind in my sails.
Imagine getting that feeling from one of your favorite authors!?!?!? I just might let him change my life ya’ll 😉
Thank you Harlan! If you read this, please know how greatly I appreciate your enthusiasm for the craft and your desire to help writers like me find the courage to desperately perspire so that our inspiration gets wings to fly!!! You’ll most definitely be in acknowledgments of my first book and I’ll have a signed copy waiting for you 🙂
One of my bookish friends has graciously let me borrow her copy of Deal Breaker, so, I guess it’s time to finally meet Myron!!! I’m stoked!!!
On Wanderwood Lane 