A New Vacation Movie Idea?

 If you follow this blog, you know I was planning a road trip for the first time in over a year. I took my new-to-me car in for an oil change, thinking that was the proper thing to do, but the dealer, whose service department is terrible, dislodged some tube in the engine that helps cut down on pollution, and my "Check Engine" light came on the next time I started the car. I took it to my regular mechanic and they said they don't work on Mini Coopers, so I had to scramble to find a reliable mechanic two days before I was to leave. That done, my sister arrived and we left for Ohio. 

Long story short, during our festivities, my sister fell and broke her ankle in two places. She got a temporary cast put on, and we were stuck on how to get her back home. The road trip was nine-hours in duration so I knew she couldn't ride with me. My brother ended up flying with her directly to the city she lives in and then deadheaded back to Ohio. 

Oh, and did I mention I had nightmares my first two nights there? And that the "Check Engine" light came back on? Yes, it was great to see my siblings. In fact, the one sibling who couldn't make it was so unhappy that she couldn't be included that she photoshopped herself into the picture of us. 

Next time I think I'll fly. Alone. But I think it's a perfect start for a Lifetime movie.

Mining Stories While Reminiscing

My brother, sisters and their spouses are all coming to town this weekend. Usually we only have an annual get-together, but we've had a few health scares in the family this past year, and a death, so we are realizing we need to spend more time with each other, time that is a valuable commodity. Here's a picture of us from a recent visit.

Usually when we get together, someone will tell a story, reminisce about when we were kids and what crazy things we did. I've used some of my own experiences in my writing, most recently documenting a little boy who used to draw on the soles of my shoes during nap time in Love's In The Cards.


And I've used my own family dynamics with my own three sisters in Blame It On The Brontes. We were never really quite as bad, as mad with each other as I wrote in the book, but my memories of growing up with competitive sisters definitely came into play.




















My feelings during my own bra-burning days were used when I created Ginger Fitzpatrick, my suffragette from
The Reluctant Debutante. I only wish I could have found a Joseph character as my prize for speaking out for injustice.

I'm hoping one of my siblings will tell a story, relay a memory, recall an event that will spur my creative genie and I'll have a new twist on a story for my work next year. My brother usually starts laughing halfway into his stories and can't finish them. Whatever happens, we usually laugh a lot, hug a lot, and cry a little.

Whatever you've got on your agenda this weekend, be it raking leaves, going to a movie, finally deciding who to vote for, or spending time with your own family, have a blast. As for me, since the clocks are being turned back on Sunday, I get an extra hour with the people I love most.