Welcome to my blog titled “Five Things” where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. In addition, at the end of the blog, I’ll keep a running itinerary of our travel plans. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. I missed last week’s post because it was WEDDING WEEKEND! Our oldest son legally married his beautiful wife last year as he was active duty in the Navy and it just made sense for them, but this was the big celebration with friends and family. It was absolutely magical, and I think we are all still basking in happiness.

2. We’ve landed in Santa Barbara for the month of September, and I love, love, love it here. It’s got a SoCal vibe without that frenetic LA energy. When I was younger, I desperately wanted to live in LA, but now I’m finding it just a little too fast-paced. Then I read that line and think, ugh, I sound old. Whatever. I’m soaking up the sun here in the mid-coast, recovering from the epic party that was our son and daughter-in-law’s wedding celebration, and trying to write a few decent words for my latest novel. Also, my sister and brother-in-law spend the month of September nearby in Carpinteria so I get to hang out with them pretty regularly. I’m definitely in my happy place!

3. It’s official – I’ve applied to graduate school. There’s an MFA program at Western Colorado University focused on genre fiction, screen-writing, and publishing that I’ve been circling for years, and I’ve finally decided to go for it. I needed a program that wouldn’t derail my writing and publishing career, but rather support it, and this one is perfect. Fingers crossed!

4. Our sweet Milo has the beginnings of cat dementia. After a thorough vet visit and lots of reading on the internet, her night howling and confused wanderings make more sense to us. I’ve just ordered a cat diffuser, night light, and found a ‘pet spa’ soothing station on Pandora. She’s also got some good drugs for those nights when she really can’t settle. It breaks my heart to see her so upset, but she’s still the sweetest girl and we’ll do our best to keep her feeling safe and secure.

5. “If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.” - Sandy Dahl, wife of Flight 93 pilot Jason Dahl, Shanksville, Pennsylvania, 2002

Our itinerary, subject to change…

September 5 - October 1: Santa Barbara, CA

October 1 - 9: San Francisco, CA

October 9 - 30: Portland, OR

October 30 - November 12: Seattle, WA

November 12 - 19: Travel to Orange, CA

January 3, 2024: Orangeland Park, CA

January 3 - 14: Oceanside, CA

January 19 - February 2: Las Vegas, NV

February 2 - 9: Flagstaff, AZ

February 9 - 23: Phoenix, AZ

February 23 - March 8: Tuscon, AZ

“Not all those who wander are lost.” - J.R.R. Tolkien