Wending Our Way Home

Does anyone ever say "wending" in today's world?

It's a perfectly good word with a specific meaning.

Here's how the dictionary defines wending: "Go in a specified direction, typically slowly or by an indirect route."

Meander is a good synonym for wending, but it doesn't have the panache of wending.

We're heading home—meandering all over the place to see whatever strikes our fancy. Thus, I choose to say we're wending our way home.

Takeaway Truth

Adopt the word wending. Use it in a sentence or in your writing.

West Texas Dust

Image by amazingsdj from Pixabay

We've had an interesting trip so far—interesting in that it hasn't turned out as we expected.

However, it's been greatly beneficial for writing. I made notes along the way that will help with story settings. 

Fredericksburg and the Wine Trail were a delight. I'll blog about that another day.

The unexpected began with the dust storm we drove into as we approached Midland.

We'd noticed how the wind grew stronger with every hour that passed.

We drove on, passing prickly pear cactus and billboards advertising "fresh water" and crushed caliche (that's kuh-lee-chee), used on many county roads in Texas instead of gravel.

Up ahead on the horizon, the sky began to turn a pinkish beige. The beige color gradually overtook the blue until blue bracketed the extreme right and left sides of the sky. Wind began blowing sand and dirt from one side of the road to the other.

Sunny day in West Texas. Image: Laura Upshaw, Pixabay

Since we'd lived in the oil patch years ago, we knew what was happening. A dust storm.

Dreaded Dust Storm

I tried my best to capture the sky full of dust in a picture, but I couldn't do justice to it. I found the one above on Pixabay. It depicts a dust storm fairly well.

We arrived in Midland and fought the blowing dust as we carted our bags into the hotel. We met Darling Hubby's cousin who drove over from the New Mexico side and spent most of the afternoon outdoors, ignoring the blowing dust just as the locals do.

When I jumped into the shower later, the water hit the dust in my hair and made it look as if I were standing in muddy rain.

Scenic? Not Really

I'd forgotten how awful the wind and dust can be in West Texas. I'd also forgotten how, well, unattractive oil patch towns can be. Even Midland with its downtown business center and attractive subdivisions is basically an oil patch town.

Image by Laura Upshaw from Pixabay

Pump jacks, workover rigs, oilfield equipment, and oil companies of various kinds line the road into town.

What's missing are the trees, shrubbery, and flowers that adorns the rest of Texas.

Landscaping is xeriscape for the most part which can be very attractive, but the landscape around Midland is devoid of trees for the most part.

If you're a fan of sand, caliche, and gravel, you'll like that part of Texas.

The wind was still blowing when we awoke the next day, but the dust wasn't nearly as bad. The sky was gray, and the temperature was 62 degrees. I'd packed mostly clothes for a hot Texas summer. I was freezing.

Takeaway Truth

We abandoned our plans to visit a couple of the museums including the George Bush home and began our journey home. Next stop, Big Spring, Texas.

Thursday3Some: Dearly Beloved by Peggy Jaeger

Hey, Readers! Today I'm shining the spotlight on a delightful Contemporary Romance by Peggy Jaeger.

Her novel, Dearly Beloved, is normally $4.61, but you can get it today through June 21 for the incredibly low price of 99 cents.

Get Acquainted With Peggy

Peggy Jaeger writes contemporary romances about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them. Family and food play huge roles in Peggy’s stories because she believes there is nothing that holds a family structure together like sharing a meal…or two…or ten.

Dotted with humor and characters that are as real as they are loving, Peggy brings all aspects of life
into her stories: life, death, sibling rivalry, illness, and the desire for everyone to find their own happily ever after.

Growing up as the only child of divorced parents, she longed for sisters, brothers and a family that vowed to stick together no matter what came their way.

Through her books, she has created the families she wanted as that lonely child.

Follow Peggy online. She hangs with friends here: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | BookBub Author Page.

Now, let's find out more about Peggy's book.

Dearly Beloved by Peggy Jaeger

Colleen O'Dowd manages a thriving bridal business with her sisters in Heaven, New Hampshire.

After fleeing Manhattan and her cheating ex-fiancé, Colleen still believes in happily ever afters, but she's worried she'll never find Mr. Right.

Playboy Slade Harrington doesn't believe in marriage. His father's six weddings have taught him life is better as an unencumbered single guy.

He doesn't plan on losing his heart to a smart-mouthed, gorgeous wedding planner, though.

When her ex-fiancé comes back into the picture, Colleen must choose between Mr. Right and Mr. Right Now.

Thursday's 3 Questions

(1) What was the spark that gave you the story idea?

Three years ago my daughter was in a bridal party of one of her sorority sisters. Since both families were at opposite ends of the country, the bride and groom chose a wedding destination that was halfway between both, a venue where the ceremony, reception, and the hotel were all in one place.

My daughter called it a "one-stop wedding," and the idea to write a book about a family involved in a bridal business started to grow. I invented 3 sisters. One is a wedding planner, one is an Officient/Justice of the Peace, and one owns the inn where the ceremonies take place and where everyone stays.

(2) If a movie was made of your book, what actors would be cast as the leading lady and leaving man?

Ann-Margret (the younger version!) as Colleen O'Dowd, and Channing Tatum as Slade Harrington. You can view my Pinterest boards connected with Dearly Beloved here:

• https://www.pinterest.com/peggyjaeger/odowd/
• https://www.pinterest.com/peggyjaeger/izzys-shower/
• https://www.pinterest.com/peggyjaeger/nanny-fee/

(3) Why do readers buy Dearly Beloved?

To answer that, I'll show 2 of my favorite Amazon Reader Reviews because they simply touched my heart and exemplify what and who I am in my writing.

"What makes this a must read? Peggy Jaeger’s immense talent for dialogue and emotional depth. I found myself reading Colleen’s inner dialogue, laughing hysterically and thinking to myself how Colleen sounds like me" ~Amazon Reviewer

Seize the Book

"The dialogue is fast and fresh, the situational humor keeps the pages turning, and the characters are endearing. Family and forgiveness are huge themes here, and the author draws in the reader with humor and heart. A great read from one of my favorite authors. 5 sparkling stars and totally recommend for a fun, fast totally enjoyable read." ~Amazon reviewer

Takeaway Truth

If you haven't read Peggy Jaeger before, this is your chance to do so for only 99 cents. Get Dearly Beloved today and have a delightful weekend of reading fun.

Short & Sweet: Shopping

I'm getting ready for summer vacation. Of course that means I need to go shopping.

I'm shopping today for shoes, a great necessity for all the walking I plan to do. I don't actually want a new pair of walking shoes. I want some really cute sandals made on a walking shoe platform.

This quotation perfectly describes my favorite kind of vacation.

"I'm the type of person who far prefers a vacation filled with trips to museums and art galleries, shopping and exploring vintage flea markets, people-watching at cafes, and discovering delicious restaurants as opposed to lounging on a beach for days on end." ~Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

Takeaway Truth

If I find sandals like I described, I'll take a picture and post it on my FB page later. Have a great day!

Short & Sweet Post: Creativity

I'm crazy busy as the saying goes. So my post today is food for thought.

"Creativity itself doesn't care at all about results—the only thing it craves is the process. Learn to love the process and let whatever happens next happen, without fussing too much about it. Work like a monk, or a mule, or some other representative metaphor for diligence. Love the work. Destiny will do what it wants with you, regardless. ~Elizabeth Gilbert

Takeaway Truth

Another take on "enjoy the journey" because there's always more journey than destination in life.

Have Chronic Pain? Listen to New Podcast

Today, Chronic Warrior Women, a website/podcast, premiered.

The brain child of 2 chronic pain patients, Adina Mayo and Rebekah Spensen.

Listen to Episode 1 which introduces these 2 remarkable women.

Subscribe so you'll get information that might help you in your quest to live with chronic pain. Along with you, many other are traveling that path.

Find out what they've tried and maybe learn some alternative possibilities that might help you too.

If you've suffered and can't find anyone who understands, listen to these women. They understand.

Your friends don't understand?

As the website says, "Buckle up, because living life above the condition involves real talk, awkward stories, and lots of personal nonsense." That's what it takes to survive.

When you think no one understands your pain and your problems, you'll find there really are people who understand.

In full disclosure, Adina is my daughter, and I'm immensely proud of her.

She's worked hard for more than 2 years to find a way to live a normal life. I hope you'll listen to her podcasts and subscribe.

Takeaway Truth

Subscribe to Chronic Warrior Women Podcast.

9 Movies Ripe For Remake

Some movies I love—like Last of the Mohicans and It's a Wonderful Life—were not named because one shouldn't mess with perfection.

Hollywood keeps cranking out superhero stories. They're fun.

But wouldn't something with stories revolving around people who were heroic without wearing capes and possessing super powers be refreshing?

So, Movie Makers, I challenge you.

Look at my list and think about remaking these movies that were remarkable and still thrilling in today's world. Why not get the rights to some of these stories?

1. LadyHawke

OMG! Someone please, please, please remake this 1985 fantasy movie. You'll see it's number 1 on my list. Or at least re-score it and do away with the awful 80's soundtrack.

The original starred a very young Matthew Broderick, the gorgeous Rutger Hauer in his prime, and Michelle Pfeiffer in a story of jealous rage and an evil curse.

2. 3 Days of the Condor

This 1975 political thriller starred Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway. Amazon Prime recently added it to their Prime Movies list. I watched it and was surprised what a good action thriller it was with a story completely believable in light of all the political machinations in the last several decades.

Had to call "Ew" on the sex scene with Dunaway's character so complacent. If they'd placed the scene after their attempted murder, it would have been believable. Update the tech in it and the "Ew" scene, find a charismatic leading man, and you'd have a winner.

3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind

A 1977 Spielberg science fiction movie starring Richard Dreyfuss that everyone on the planet knows. I always love a good science fiction movie. I happened to love the 2016 flick Arrival starring Amy Adams. I didn't think it was difficult to understand at all. Remake Close Encounters with the kind of special effects that can be done now but keep the optimistic air it had.

4. The Conversation

From 1974 comes this slow burn thriller written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring the remarkable Gene Hackman. This was the beginning of the slippery slope of privacy rights and surveillance. The moral issue of privacy versus government spying was revisited in the 1998 film Enemy of the State, directed by Tony Scott, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and written by David Marconi. The film also starred Gene Hackman along with Will Smith and Jon Voight. I could see that moral issue being revisited.

5. Used Cars

Directed by Robert Zemeckis years before Back to the Future, this satirical black comedy, a cult favorite from 1980, starred Kurt Russell, one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood.

Russell has political aspirations but for now, he sells used cars. Everyone who ever bought a used car identifies with this movie.

This film has Jack Warden, Frank McRae, Gerrit Graham, and Michael McKean.  Sometimes it's shown on TV, but the funniest scenes are always deleted because they're not PG! A remake would find an audience.

6. Marathon Man

"Is it safe?" This is the movie that caused patients all over America to cancel their dental appointments when it premiered. Starring Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier, Roy Scheider, William Devane, and Marthe Keller, it was released in 1974.

Actually, I guess I should pull it from my list because it's about infamous evil Nazis and well-known atrocities. I guess it would have to be a "historical" film. It's a gripping story—no surprise there because it was written by William Goldman (The Princess Bride and other remarkable stories).

7. Sneakers

Amazon Prime added this 1992 film which introduced the subject of hackers and how they can screw up someone's life to their list a few months ago.

Starring Robert Redford, Dan Aykroyd, Ben Kingsley, Mary McDonnell, River Phoenix, Sidney Poitier and David Strathairn, it's ripe for remaking. The subject of covert spy groups and the race to be the first with technology is even more viable now. Update the tech, get a great cast, and you'd have a hit.

8. The Parallax View

This 1974 political/corporate greed film starring Warren Beatty had some flaws, but its conspiracy theory premise is ever present. Definitely ripe for remake.

9. Highlander

The cult favorite from 1986 needs to be remade. Keep the Queen music, find another brooding, sexy actor like Christopher Lambert to play Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod, an eternally sexy Scotsman like Sean Connery (maybe Pierce Brosnan?), and a big guy like Clancy Brown to be the evil nemesis who wants to be the only one. Go for it! I—and probably every woman alive—would buy a ticket.

Takeaway Truth

What the movies above have in common is great story.

Take the story, add great acting and directing, and update the tech and pop culture as needed.

You'd end up with intelligent movies for today's world.