Five Things - October 7, 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. In class, we’re starting a section on mysteries and thrillers. While I’m quite comfortable writing thrillers with twisty plots and high stakes, I have to admit, I don’t know much about mysteries. I don’t really read them, and I’ve never written one. That’ll change by next month since our next creative writing assignment is a mystery, so wish me luck!

2. It’s October already! When we started this journey, I wondered if the fall would still be my most productive writing time, and I’m pleased to report that I’m writing all the time! Much of this can be attributed to school, where I have no choice but to make content, workshop it, and move on to the next thing. It’s a fast pace, but writing faster was one of my goals for 2024. I’m also trying to find a home for whatever I create in class, whether that’s a podcast, anthology, or expanding the work.

3. When I’m starting a new writing project, I’m totally stressed out until I have the infrastructure worked out in my mind. Before I know where a story is heading, including the major plot points and character arcs, I spin. For me, the heavy lifting happens in the planning. Last week, I had to write a synopsis for a novel I haven’t written yet. A synopsis, for those wondering, is a two page summary of the entire book, complete with the ending. Most writers would rather have a tooth pulled than write a synopsis. Anyway, since I loved the premise for my short story ‘Run, Harry, Run,’ which I wrote for my last workshop, I wondered if it would make a good full-length novel. Once I worked through this synopsis exercise, I decided that yes, it will, so I’m adding it to the pile of projects on my list for this school year! If you’d like to read the opening scene, you can check it out on my alter-ego’s blog post here: Short Fiction Fun!

4. We’re still in Nashville. All our repairs were finished, and we got our brand new windshield, but just as we were about to head out of town, no hot water! That should be fixed by today, and then we’ll continue our westward trek. If all goes according to plan, we’ll be in Albuquerque by Saturday.

5. “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not get bent out of shape.” – Cate Price

Five Things - September 23, 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. We’ve been in South Carolina for a few days spending quality time with family. Highlights from the week include many, many laughs around the dinner table, excellent barbeque, and a great day watching Clemson football. Growing up in New England, we just don’t do college football like this. The energy and atmosphere, and the sea of orange in a stadium that seats over 80,000 people, was something to behold. They also won by a lot, so that was fun!

2. We’re heading to Nashville next, and I can’t wait to experience it. After some repairs on the RV, we’ll have another full week to explore. I’m making my list of things to do, but if anyone has suggestions…

3. I have to read a novel per week for school. I love that I can curl up with a cup of tea and a good book and call it homework!

4. I’m writing this on Sunday night because tomorrow is a travel day, so it’s actually the autumnal equinox. I often use this day to remind readers that I wrote a book titled EQUINOX, which is actually the third book in my HORIZON science fiction trilogy. If you haven’t checked it out, there’s no time like the present, or the equinox, or whatever! Here’s a LINK just in case.

5. "It's the first day of autumn! A time of hot chocolatey mornings, and toasty marshmallow evenings, and, best of all, leaping into leaves!" – Winnie the Pooh

Five Things - March 11, 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. 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. We hit a pretty good snow squall driving out of New Mexico, and I have to admit, that was not on my bingo card for March! I grew up driving in the snow, though, so I was not intimidated, and the RV handles really well in most weather conditions. The only thing that ever makes me nervous while driving is wind, and the little spring squall wasn’t all that windy. Despite the unseasonable wintery weather, we really love New Mexico. This second pass through was shorter than the first, but still magical. We woke up every morning to hot air balloons drifting across the blue sky, had dinner at a great farm to table restaurant, and I got to practice at a terrific yoga studio. New Mexico still gets high marks in all categories!

2. Last week we traveled from Vegas to Winslow, Arizona, through Albuquerque, New Mexico, to land here in Austin, Texas for SXSW. It was a lot of driving, but also a lot of fun. I got to check off Meteor Crater from my bucket list, and Ray and I stood on the corner of Winslow, Arizona, and it was such a fine sight to see! Back to Meteor Crater… I’ve seen it from the sky, but to stand at the edge and imagine the moment of impact, the incredible amount of energy that must have been exchanged, was awe-inspiring, and, from a geological time perspective, the impact happened like a minute ago! Really, really cool stuff.

3. We’re here in Austin for SXSW because Noah, kid #2, is performing stand-up comedy at the festival. We’re super excited for him and really proud, despite the fact that sometimes we are the focus of his jokes.

4. This week, my alter-ego, Maggie Clare, will write the final chapter of another book. At the end of any project, I always feel a profound moment of relief that I can actually still do this thing. And by this thing, I mean tell a story start to finish, complete with a plot and characters and everything. You’d think by now, I’d be confident in that ability, but not so. With every book, I have a moment somewhere in the middle where I feel like I’ve lost the plot and I question why I ever thought I could write in the first place. When I finally hit the end, all that insecurity disappears, at least temporarily, and I’m inspired to keep going.

5. U2 at the Sphere was amazing. Bono is a legend. That is all.

Our itinerary, subject to change:

March 10 - 17: Austin, TX

March 18 - April 5: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

April 5 - 12: Fredericksburg, TX

April 12 - 19: Hot Springs, AK

April 19 - 24: Ozarks, AK

April 24 - 28: Topeka, KS

April 24 - May 12: Kansas City, MO

May 8 - 23: Chicago, IL

May 23 -28: Wisconsin Dells, WI

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

Five Things - January 15, 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. 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. San Diego has been great fun so far. We’ve visited the botanic gardens for the annual Lightscape display, biked around Coronado with a college friend, had dinner at Torrey Pines, and spent the weekend with R.J., Nick, and Leslie. Still up, the San Diego Zoo, La Jolla, some tide pool exploration, the aquarium, the wildlife preserve, and another trip to Balboa Park!

2. There’s this cute little hummingbird that visits a nearby bush every morning, and I am fascinated by her. Because of my tiny new avian friend, I went down the internet rabbit hole and learned all kinds of interesting things about hummingbirds like the fact that their miniature wings beat more than fifty times per second and they can fly over 30 mph. They have to feed every fifteen minutes or so to support their super high metabolism, and they’re partial to nectar and sugar. Also, they use spider webs as a nest-making material along with moss and lichen. You’re welcome!

3. At a yoga class the other day, the instructor shared a quote that went something like this: Transcendence occurs when half the time you are reaching up and half the time you are letting go. I interpreted these words to mean it’s important to find the right balance between striving and not becoming overly attached to the outcome of that striving. I constantly have to remind myself of this because many, many things in the writing and publishing industry are out of my control. Simply put, I can write a book, but I can’t make people read it. As this new year gets underway, I’m aiming for the right balance between reaching up and letting go.

4. In support of the rather aggressive writing goals I’ve set for myself this year, I’ve implemented daily writing sprints, and they really work for me. Here’s a tip for any new writers out there: Shut off the internet and eliminate potential distractions, then set a timer for thirty minutes. Write until time’s up and take a break. Rinse, repeat. It’s a pretty effective method for reaching your daily word count.

5. "I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Our itinerary, subject to change:

January 3 - February 2: Chula Vista, CA

February 2 - 16: Palm Springs, CA

February 16 - March 1: Las Vegas, NV

March 1 - March 4: Meteor Crater, AZ

March 4 - 8: Albuquerque, NM

March 10 - 17: Austin, TX

March 18 - April 5: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

April 5 - 12: Fredericksburg, TX

April 12 - 19: Hot Springs, AK

April 19 - 24: Ozarks, AK

April 24 - 28: Topeka, KS

April 24 - May 12: Kansas City, MO

May 12 - 24: Chicago, IL

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

Five Things - December 4, 2023

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. On Saturday night we had dinner at our son and daughter-in-law’s home. Ray and I realized this is the first time one of our kids has had us over for dinner. They are technically all adults now, but two are still in college, and the other has a great apartment, but we’ve never lived close enough to have a meal there. As simple as it was, this felt like a milestone in our parenting journey!

2. We decorated our tiny home for the holidays. It looks adorable and feels festive, although, I am used to the weather being a bit colder during the holiday season. I’m not complaining, though, as Ray and I spent a couple of hours poolside yesterday.

3. My alter-ego, Maggie Clare, is running a holiday giveaway. If you enjoy romantic suspense, click HERE to download your free copy of Sing for Me, book 1 in the series.

4. When the kids were younger, I really wanted to focus on creating a magical, memorable holiday season that wasn’t focused on gifts. For the month of December, we ate dinner by candlelight, baked cookies, listened to holiday music, hosted gatherings, decorated the house (thanks mom and dad for acting as decorating elves!), trimmed the tree, watched ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ so many times we can all quote the movie, kept a supply of the most delicious eggnog from our local farm in the fridge, helped deliver holiday food baskets, and wandered the neighborhood appreciating the light displays on the darkest of nights. Now that everyone is grown, I hope their memories of the season are good ones, and I look forward to watching them create their own traditions with their families.

5. “Winter is a quiet house in lamplight, a spin the garden to see bright stars on a clear night, the roar of the wood-burning stove, and the accompanying smell of charred wood. It is warming the teapot and making cups of bitter cocoa; it is stews magicked from bones with dumplings floating like clouds. It is reading quietly and passing away the afternoon twilight watching movies. It is thick socks and the bundle of a cardigan.” ― Katherine May, Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times

Our itinerary, subject to change:

November 19 - January 3, 2024: Orangeland Park, CA

January 3 - 14: Oceanside, CA

January 19 - February 2: San Diego, CA

February 2 - 16: Palm Springs, CA

February 16 - March 1: Las Vegas, NV

March 1 - March 5: Meteor Crater, AZ

March 5 - 15: Albuquerque, NM

March 15 - 17: Amarillo, TX

March 17 - 24: Oklahoma City, OK

March 24 - April 5: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

April 5 - 12: Fredericksburg, TX

April 12 - 19: Hot Springs, AK

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

Five Things - November 20, 2023

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 was accepted to grad school! After the fiasco with my missing transcripts, I have to admit, I was a little nervous, but everything turned out fine. The MFA program is two years and three summers. I’ll start in June with the summer session and a July residency in Colorado, which is not a bad place to be for a week or two in the summer! I’ve been asked why I decided to go back to school when I’m already smack in the middle of my writing career. Here’s what I wrote as part of my personal statement on my application…

   The purest answer is that I love to learn. I love to surround myself with smart, creative, driven people who help me stretch, and it’s time for me to stretch as a writer. This program will allow me to focus on genre fiction and will help support the career I’m already building, while at the same time challenging me to grow artistically and professionally. I’m truly excited to learn in an academic setting once again. I’d also like the option to teach at the college level, and an advanced degree will allow me to do so. As much as I love the freedom and creativity that being a novelist allows, I thrive in a community and I miss teaching. 

   I’ve circled the idea of earning an advanced degree for years, and the timing finally feels right. While this may seem counter-intuitive considering we are nomads at the moment, we actually have a great Wi-Fi system on board, and both my husband and I are committed to our careers even as we enjoy our unconventional lifestyle. I very much look forward to the years of creativity, learning, and professional development this program will undoubtably offer.

2. We’re in Orange California for the holidays! When we started our journey from Rhode Island just after the holidays last year, we couldn’t imagine how much we’d see and do in a year and just how fast the time would fly. We’re really excited to be in SoCal as three of our four kids live here. Just being able to grab dinner or take someone shopping or let our dogs play together is such a pleasure. We look forward to settling in for the season!

3. Amy and I are back on a roll with the Author’s Buzz podcast. If you’re a new writer looking for advice on how to navigate the publishing industry, have a listen to our latest episode: Publishing Pathways. As always, we keep it real!

4. This Thanksgiving week, I’ve been reflecting a lot on the past year. It was a year of big changes for us. We sold our home, along with pretty much everything else we owned, and embarked on a grand adventure to see the country. And what a grand adventure it has been! I’ll share more thoughts on that soon, but as this holiday of giving thanks approaches, I’m immensely grateful for the important things like our family and friends, our good health, and the good fortune we have to enjoy this unconventional lifestyle. What I’ve also realized along the way is how little we truly need, not just to survive, but to thrive. Our living space is about 1/10th the size of the home we sold. We share one car, a Jeep that also doubles as our garage to store beach chairs, golf clubs, and yoga mats. We sleep in a comfy bed, and we have all the amenities of a luxury hotel in what is essentially an oversized bus. We eat well. We have our beloved animals with us everywhere we go. In many ways, it’s a simpler life than the one with the big house and the fancy cars, but it’s no less rich, and I am grateful for the experience. I recognize even with this simpler version of things, we have more than many people on the planet, and I don’t forget that. So, as I write this post on the Monday of Thanksgiving week, I feel grateful, and I’m going to hold that attitude of gratitude for as long as I can!

5. “Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” ― Epicurus

Our itinerary, subject to change:

November 19 - January 3, 2024: Orangeland Park, CA

January 3 - 14: Oceanside, CA

January 19 - February 2: San Diego, CA

February 2 - 16: Palm Springs, CA

February 16 - March 1: Las Vegas, NV

March 1 - March 5: Meteor Crater, AZ

March 5 - 15: Albuquerque, NM

March 15 - 17: Amarillo, TX

March 17 - 24: Oklahoma City, OK

March 24 - April 5: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

April 5 - 12: Fredericksburg, TX

April 12 - 19: Hot Springs, AK

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

Five Things - September 25, 2023

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. Our wine fridge holds TWO cases of wine and still has room for seltzers, beer, and other miscellaneous beverages. Who knew?

2. Being in the same time zone as our kids is really nice. RJ is studying abroad in London at the moment, so he’s difficult to reach with any regularity, but the other three are all in the Pacific Time Zone.

3. This is our last week in Santa Barbara, and I’m really going to miss it, but I’m excited to head north and spend time in Portland, Oregon where our daughter is a sophomore in college. If you’re keeping track of our travels, the list below has been updated significantly, so check it out.

4. Last post I mentioned I’d applied to graduate school. If any of you read my alter-ego’s blog, DEAR MAGGIE, you’ll have heard that my undergraduate college can’t find my transcripts. Apparently, when they digitized all the records years ago, mine never made it, and the paper copies are long gone. It’s like I never went to school. The registrars are sorting it out, but I feel like an accidental Mike Ross, minus the eidetic memory skills. It’s odd to think there’s no official record of all my work. I’m sure there is some lesson here on letting go, but I’m not sure exactly what it is. Anyway, an update… Boston University School of Medicine (yes, I attended medical school for a year back in 1998) has my basic record on file, which includes my final grades from both Holy Cross (my undergrad) and Providence College (where I did my pre-med work), so hopefully this will be enough to satisfy the grad school admissions board. Fingers crossed!

5. On Wednesday, October 18th I’ll be teaching a 90 minute webinar through the ARIA Writing Academy titled “Kick Your Scene into Action.” You can follow this LINK to learn more.

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: San Diego, CA

February 2 - 16: Palm Springs, CA

February 16 - March 1: Las Vegas, NV

March 1 - March 5: Meteor Crater, AZ

March 5 - 15: Albuquerque, NM

March 15 - 17: Amarillo, TX

March 17 - 24: Oklahoma City, OK

March 24 - April 5: Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

April 5 - 12: Fredericksburg, TX

April 12 - 19: Hot Springs, AK

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

Five Things - September 11, 2023

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

Five Things - August 7, 2023

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. It’s August already! We’ve been living this nomad life for eight months now, which seems crazy. When we left RI, we’d mapped out our journey pretty specifically through September, and then loosely through the holidays. Now, we’re booking stuff into 2024. Time sure does fly, but we’ve also done so much in the last several months that I’m glad I took so many pictures or else I don’t think we’d remember it all!

2. We haven’t had a truly embarrassing maintenance moment since I accidentally pulled the slides in without shutting the closet doors and crunched them right off the hinges. Well, our new RV has a central vacuum system that hasn’t worked since we bought the rig – or so we thought. Last week, we found an onsite technician who happened to be staying at the same park as us and asked him to come look at it. After checking out the whole mechanism, he finally gave me the vacuum handle and said, “You turn it on right here.” Ahhhh…..

3. We’re here in southern Wyoming for a couple of nights before heading back into Utah. While we explored Antelope Island on the Great Salt Lake and spent time in Salt Lake City during our first visit to Utah, we didn’t get to any of the National Parks. We’ve been so impressed with every park so far, we can’t wait to experience Zion!

4. On the writing front… I’m taking a break from drafting my fantasy novel The Dragon Dancer of Krysh. For the next few months, I’ll be turning my attention to Maggie Clare, my alter ego, and the romantic suspense series I promised readers I’d finish. It’s been too long since the last book, and I need to get back to it. Dreamwalker is still on submission, which is a time-consuming, daunting process, almost as challenging as finding an agent, but I’m still hopeful there’s a good deal on the horizon!

5. I have become slightly obsessed with Wordle. I actually like it when I have to sweat it out a bit. It keeps my brain sharp!

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

Our itinerary subject to change:

July 22 - August 5: Jackson, WY

August 5-10: Rock Springs, WY

August 10-18: Hurricane, UT

August 18-27: Palm Springs, CA

August 27 - September 5: Temecula, CA

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

Five Things - July 17, 2023

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. This week my three boys, daughter-in-law, and dad are visiting us in Montana. We’ve already had a great time at Yellowstone, and we’re planning at least another day in the park, a trip to the movies, a swim in the nearby lake, and some chill time around the campfire. It’s been wonderful to see them all, and we’re thrilled to have them join us for a glimpse into our nomadic life. Sharing something as special as Yellowstone is icing on the cake.

2. Let me just say, National Parks are amazing! We’ve been to six in our travels thus far, and we have not been disappointed. I never appreciated just how forward thinking it was to protect these amazing sites. They are truly a gift to behold.

3. We had our first ‘mechanical’ issue with our new rig. Smack in the middle of cooking dinner for the tribe, the electrical system cut out, but it turns out the fix was simply pressing a reset button. Whew!

4. Our pets are adorable, and they make our tiny house a home. One cat is currently running around like a loon chasing a fly while the others ignore her completely in favor of napping. Not only is the cute factor extremely high, they provide us with hours of free entertainment.

5. While wood fires are fun and necessary for making s’mores, our portable propane fire pit is great. It turns on and off at the touch of a button, doesn’t make everything and everyone smell like smoke, and for sure saves on laundry!

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

Our itinerary subject to change:

July 15-22: West Yellowstone, MT

July 22 - August 5: Jackson, WY

August 5-10: Rock Springs, WY

August 10-18: Hurricane, UT

August 18-27: Coachella, CA

August 27 - September 5: Temecula, CA

September 5 - October 1: Santa Barbara, CA

October 1 - November 15: Pacific Northwest TBD

November 15 - January 3, 2024: Orangeland Park, CA

Five Things - June 19, 2023

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. Our third son turned 21 yesterday! I’ve written about this particular kid before and how he is just the best combination of kind, sensitive, talented, and also quite driven when he puts his mind to something. Check out the POST I wrote just for him on his 18th birthday a few years ago, which I think captures him well. Also, you can follow this talented, funny kid on TikTok as he chronicles 100 days in his world, including building his drone business and cooking some amazing meals!

2. We’re still in Colorado for another few weeks and really loving it here. On the road from Granby to Denver, where we are now, we had to cross the Berthoud Pass. I’m just gonna pat myself on the back and declare total badassness (if that’s a word?). I drove the RV while towing the Jeep, because my dear husband is a much, much better passenger than me, and this was our deal so I wouldn’t end up curled under the bed crying. Wow, was it a white knuckle kind of drive, but we made it! Check out this post and video on Dangerous Roads to get a glimpse of the journey.

3. Speaking of Colorado, part of the reason we’re in Denver so long is because I’ll be signing books and moderating panels at Denver Fan Expo from June 30th - July 2nd. I’m really excited to be out and about doing bookish things. It’s a little harder to plan while we’re on the road, but we made this one happen, so if you’re in the Denver area, please come say hello!

4. Amy and I have been busy chatting it up on YouTube about our favorite writing topics. I’m currently smack in the middle of my latest manuscript, which sometimes feels like a slog. This feeling is so common among writers that we’ve affectionately called it the muddy middle, the murky middle, the messy middle - well, you get the idea! Check out our latest AUTHOR’S BUZZ VIDEO where we share our top tips for navigating the middle of the story.

5. Amy’s actually going to be here this week visiting! We are so excited to get in our girl time, do some hiking, and just be together in real life. “A good friend is a connection to life - a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world.” - Lois Wyse

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

Our itinerary subject to change:

June 18 - July 5: Central City, CO

July 5-9: Vernal, UT

July 9-15: Salt Lake, UT

July 15-22: West Yellowstone, MT

July 22 - August 5: Jackson, WY

August 5-10: Rock Springs, WY

August 10-18: Hurricane, UT

August 18-27: Coachella, CA

August 27 - September 5: Temecula, CA

September 5 - October 1: Santa Barbara, CA

October 1 - November 15: Pacific Northwest TBD

November 15 - January 3, 2024: Orangeland Park, CA