Five Things - November 4, 2024

Welcome to my blog titled ‘Five Things’ where you can expect just that - five random musings or reflections from the previous week or so. For a photo gallery of our life on the road, our pets, and miscellaneous things I find interesting, you can also follow me on Instagram @tabithalord.

So here are this week’s five things…

1. The Petrified Forest was amazing! Every time we visit a National Park, we are in awe, and this one did not disappoint. Allow me to geek out for a moment… The land that is now the desert containing the Petrified Forest in Arizona was once wet and lush. Then, over two hundred million years ago, the wood from this forest washed into an ancient river system and was buried by a massive amount of sediment. Over time, the organic material broke down and was replaced with minerals like silica. The tree trunks are no longer wood, but gorgeous quartz in an stunning array of colors. If you ever have the chance, it’s worth a visit!

2. We are now in our winter home at an RV resort in Indio, California, just south of Palm Springs. Our site has great outdoor living amenities like a full kitchen, dining area, and sitting room, with screens to block out the wind, sun, and occasional rain as needed. We wanted to do a little bit of work on it, like put on a new roof with heat lamps, fans, and recessed lighting, and have it painted, so it’s a little bit of a construction zone at the moment. I can walk across the street to one of the pool areas, however, so that’s where I’ll be doing my homework until things are finished here. Not too much of a hardship!

3. Before we arrived here, we made a week long stop in Orange to see our boys and their significant others. It’s so nice to be close by! Even here in the desert, it’s only a ninety minute drive, and when we really miss them, we can take our house and pets with us and head out for a visit.

4. Ray and I spent Halloween in Disneyland. Although I really wanted to dress up as Dorothy so Daisy could play Toto, this wasn’t the year for costumes. Instead, we went on our favorite rides, had an ice cream cone on Main Street, and reminisced about our favorite Disney trips with the kids over the years. It was a much needed fun ‘date’ day!

5. “Voting is the expression of our commitment to ourselves, one another, this country, and this world.” – Sharon Salzberg

Monday Musings - 10-31-22

October is a month with five Mondays, so that means this post will appear on tabithalordauthor.com and msmaggieclare.com. It also happens to be Halloween, and I’ll be spending the evening alone. Ray is out of town for work, and the kids now all live on the opposite side of the country. But, instead of throwing myself a pity party, I’m going to dress my tiny dog in a cute costume and give out candy to the neighborhood younglings. Then, I’m going to pour a glass of wine and binge watch something on Netflix. It really sounds like a lovely evening!

Halloween has always been a big deal for us. Ray and I had our first date on Halloween a million years ago, and we got engaged on the spooky holiday a year later. We’ve thrown massive parties over the years, provided that ‘special’ cider for the adults in the neighborhood, and could have outfitted our own horror movie with the number of costumes in our closets.

So, it might seem a little strange, and maybe a little sad, that I’ll be spending the last Halloween in our house all by myself. Well, me and the dog. But I don’t feel sad. I feel really excited. Next year, a new family will be here making new memories and we’ll be off on a grand adventure somewhere. When I look back, it’s with a sense of completion. When I look forward, it’s with enthusiasm and excitement.

IN OTHER NEWS:

I’ll be at RI Comic Con this weekend signing books at the ARIA table #621. Stop by and say hello! Here’s my panel schedule:

World Building 101 - Friday, Nov 4, 5:30-6:15 pm - Convention Center Room 552

Science fiction and fantasy stories transport readers to new worlds, from the wondrous to the weird. Solid world building is essential to invite readers into your story and keep them immersed. How can writers construct believable worlds in unbelievable settings? How can we bring authenticity to these imaginary places? How do we develop an internal logic for our stories that is both fantastical and believable? When imagination and writing craft successfully intersect, the results can be out of this world! If you are an aspiring speculative fiction writer, this presentation is for you. 

A Hero, an Anti-Hero, and a Villain Walk into a Bar - Sat, Nov 5, 11:30-12:15 - Convention Center Room 552

Your main cast of characters should be well-developed and multi-faceted. Each one has a journey and a backstory. Let’s break down character archetypes, and explore ways to bring depth and complexity to these fictional personalities. Join this lively conversation as we examine existing pop-culture heroes, anti-heroes, and villains, and discuss ways to breathe life into our own characters.