The Writer’s Life - The Porches in Norwood, Virginia
People always say it’s not where you write but how you write - the time of day, absence of distractions, self- discipline, and patience. For me, location plays an important part. I just spent nine days at a writers’ retreat in an Antebellum farmhouse by the James River, on four acres with well-tended gardens in Norwood, Virginia, in Nelson County. The house has been lovingly restored by its owner, Trudy Hale, a writer and co-editor of Streetlight Magazine, an online journal o
The Scoop on Vanilla
When I was a child, we alternated hosting holidays with our cousins. I remember one Thanksgiving well. My mother had made a mince pie, and we brought freshly made ice cream from Gruning's, a local restaurant and soda fountain. After the main course, my aunt disappeared into the kitchen to prepare the dessert. Taking the ice cream out of the freezer, my cousin Laura uttered in disgust, “Oh, Mah, dumb vanilla!” Vanilla may have had a bad rap with its bland reputation, but it ha
