Our last morning. We hated to leave, but before we knew it, it was time for breakfast. There's no "late check out," after all, they have to prepare for a whole new set of guests to board at noon or so! We ate breakfast at The Artist's Palate, and bid farewell to Sutas and Miguel. It was sad to watch the kids hugging their servers—even in just a few days, you bond with these people!

In no rush, we sat in the atrium lobby and filled out our customs paperwork and a survey about the cruise. When we finally debarked, there was quite a line at customs. It went fairly quickly, maybe fifteen to twenty minutes total of waiting. Once through there, we loaded up our car and headed home.


Overall

Our first cruise in 1999 was the 4-night cruise. I remember that I loved it. I loved this one, too, but given the choice, I'd rather do a longer itinerary. I swear, I didn't do all the things I wanted, and yet I was busy practically every minute of the day. I wanted to watch a movie in their movie theater, wanted more pool time, wanted to explore their clubs and lounges and listen to all the music entertainers they had. Shoot, I barely got a chance to shop in their gift store! I was too busy having fun!

Castaway Cay. We missed visiting Disney's private island in 1999 due to hurricane damage, so this was my most anticipated day of the trip. We rose for an early breakfast (try the Mickey waffles—yum!). From Deck 9 we had a great view of the island and a special treat: The Flying Dutchman, the pirate ship from POTC: Dead Man's Chest rested in the harbor. Not sure how long she'll be anchored there, but we got some great photos.



Once we'd eaten, we donned our swimsuits, plenty of sunscreen and met our guide for an island hiking/kayaking excursion. Joy was a native Bahamian who lived on Abaco Island eight miles away. Our group was small, only six of us, but that meant we all got to stay close and hear Joy's answers to every question asked. From the ship, we walked a little ways to the tram stop. The first tram took us to the family beach. From here, we took another tram to the adults only beach, then started our hike. We learned about the history of the islands, the inhabitants, the country of The Bahamas, and the flora and fauna of Castaway Cay. Our hike took about 45 minutes and led us to a private cove where we learned the very basics of kayaking.

We spent 90 minutes or more on the water. At low tide, the cove was fairly shallow, and the bright sunny weather gave us great visibility. We saw plenty of tropical fish, manta rays, nurse sharks and starfish. About halfway through our water time, we took a break on the empty beach. Joy and her partner Gwenny pulled out a live conch they'd harvested from the cove. To my surprise, Joy took another large, empty conch shell, and used it to batter the fresh conch open. With a small knife and her bare hands, she pulled the conch from its shell, and we all got to taste raw conch freshly washed in saltwater.



I'm not much of a sushi fan, but this tasted great. It's considered quite a delicacy nowadays, but it was a staple food for the Bahamians for a long time. Our exploration of the beach also revealed a rare six-pointed starfish. I'd never seen one before, so I snapped a quick photo of it and its five-pointed friend.



The excursion wore me out—maybe it was the bright sun and the ninety-degree temperatures. Our guides made sure we had plenty of cool fresh water to drink, but I definitely got a workout that morning. After vowing never to eat again following the previous night's dinner (not to mention those waffles for breakfast), I found I was starving. We walked back to the adult's only beach where lunch and tropical beverages were waiting.

We spent the early afternoon relaxing on loungers beneath an umbrella with nothing to do but look out at the deep blue sky and the turquoise Caribbean water. It was so quiet, the only sound the murmur of human voices and the lapping of the waves. Later, when we talked to the crew, we learned this was the nicest weather they'd seen this spring at Castaway Cay. Bright and hot. It was just what I wanted from a deserted Caribbean island.



By mid-afternoon, we were ready to head back to the ship for a shower and some air conditioning. I stopped by Guest Services to arrange payment of our tips for our restaurant servers and stateroom host. Helpful Tip: Disney provides tip envelopes and you can pay cash, but if you want an itemized receipt of your tips (for tax purposes or just your records), you can Guest Serives with cash or your onboard account. They give you receipts to put in your envelopes and it shows up itemized on your folio when you "check out" from the ship. Worn out, we watched some television (Disney animated classics play around the clock), began to pack and fell asleep. We woke up when the whole ship rolled, and we realized we'd cast off from the island. -sigh- Time to dress for the show and dinner.

Tonight's performance was Dreams: An Enchanted Classic. The show had just been revamped to add "enchantment" to every scene, and this was the premier of the new version. By this time, we were starting to recognize some of the performers—what a talented bunch! Terrific dancing and singing, and again tonight we were treated to some classic moments from stories we knew featuring characters we loved.

Following the show, we squeezed in the final round Jackpot Bingo, offering cash prizes. We didn't win, but others won jackpots ranging from $170 to $500. It was fun and entertaining. Cost to play started at $25 plus you could buy additional bingo cards.

On to The Artist's Palate for our late supper. Sutas told us filet mignon was the specialty, and he was so right. It was superb. Dining in this restaurant is a show in itself as the walls go from black and white illustrations to full color portraits. The whole restaurant seems to glow with light and color by the end of the "show." For our wine package, we opted to purchase a bottle of the Iron Horse Cuvee Brut to take home with us, and we purchased wine by the glass.

After dinner, we didn't want to go to sleep. This was our last night on board! But we did have to finish packing and put our luggage out in the hall for the porters. Imagine my surprise—and delight!— to find Edgar had left another towel animal. This time, it was a monkey, and he'd cleverly hidden it suspended from a hanger amongst the clothes still in the closet. I couldn't stop laughing. This was the culmination of a trip that was joyous and so relaxing.

We visited The Cove, a coffee club and bar for adults only, and enjoyed a late night drink. I wish I'd discovered this serene spot earlier in the cruise. They serve cappuccinos and lattes here, too.

We woke early, eager to start our first full day onboard. Breakfast was served buffet-style up on Deck 9, and there was plenty of foods to choose from. While we dined, we were able to watch the last of the docking procedures in our port of call, Nassau.

But first, my husband and I went to the spa to enjoy the Rainforest, and then a Couple's Massage. Two masseuses (both female, in our case) worked with us in one massage room with two tables. The 50-minute full body massage was the perfect way to kick-off a relaxing vacation. Helpful Tip: for any spa treatments, be sure to arrive at least 15 minutes early as there's paperwork you must fill out.

Our next adventure took us off the ship and into Nassau. Getting in and out through Customs was a breeze with our Key To The World card and US Passports. The Nassau port terminal was crowded with locals eager to do business. Shopkeepers, entertainers, cabbies, horse-carriage drivers—all of them waved hands and shouted for our attention and our dollars. We hadn't arranged any formal excursion here. We wanted to go to The Atlantis Resort and visit their casino.



This turned out to be fairly easy. We followed the flow of people out of the terminal and to the left about 25 yards away stood a cab stand on the edge of the parking lot. It's hectic there, and don't expect first-come-first-serve service. You need to let them know what you want. We announced we wanted to go to Atlantis, and instantly, we were escorted outside the gate to the city street where they were loading two minivans with people. The vans seated about 10 each, and the price of the trip to Atlantis was $4 per person including toll and tip. In the van, we met travelers from other cruise ships also in port that day. Most were going to see the resort, but a few were headed to the Paradise Island beaches. The driver waited until she filled all the seats, about five minutes, and then she navigated the narrow streets packed with vehicles to our destination. The total trip took about twenty minutes.



Atlantis was stunning, its lobby crowded with people checking in and out. Of the lobby, exclusive designer boutiques lined the wide marble halls which led to the casino. Table minimums were a bit higher than the Las Vegas average for a weekday morning--most table games were minimum $15 bets. We did find a variety of slot machines in all price ranges, and a very cool electronic roulette game. A live roulette wheel was connected to a number of computer terminals. You could sit down and place your roulette bets—10¢ minimum!—on your own personal video screen. Then the roulette wheel would spin and pay out any winners. It was a lot of fun. Meanwhile, I got one of the cocktail waitresses to bring me a pina colada (total cost=$1 in tip for those who aren't familiar with casino protocol), and sipped it over the next hour while I managed to slowly lose my $20 stake.

After briefly viewing the grounds, we decided to skip Atlantis's aquarium, as we'd seen it on a previous trip. Hungry, we headed back to the ship where lunch waited. Finding a cab was as easy as walking out the main lobby. Again, they loaded us into a van with lots of other people, same $4 fee.

As it turned out, we arrived a bit too late to get lunch in the dining rooms. Not to worry--Deck 9 provides options all day for dining. There's pizza, burgers, hot dogs, fries, and at Goofy's Galley, we found loads of fresh fruit, salads, wrap sandwiches and paninis. The sandwiches were excellent! I got half a panini, then went across the way and got French fries. Yay! Drinks are available from the bar, but you have to pay for those, so I checked out Disney's new Beverage Station near the kid's pool. Disney created this in response to customer feedback to make soft drinks, water, coffee, tea, and milk available, free of charge, 24 hours per day. How cool is that?

After lunch, we attended the Wine Tasting at Palo's. This turned out to be a great bargain. For $12 per person, we spent about an hour tasting six different wines. Three of the Wonder's wine sommeliers were on hand to educate us about the wines, their regions, the winemaking process, and how to taste. Our group was small, about seven people, so we were all able to ask plenty of questions.

At the end, we were treated to an impromptu show. One of the staff took a fresh bottle of champagne and proceeded to open it using base of a wine glass. I've seen this done with a special oversized knife called a champagne saber, but I'd never seen it done with a glass. Basically, the way a champagne bottle is constructed and because of the effervescent quality of the wine, one can break off the top of the bottle—actually break off the lip of the bottle with the champagne cork still in it. It was very cool to see. The best part? Once he successfully opened the bottle (it took a few tries, but he was determined!), there was no way to recap it, so we all got to enjoy an extra large glass of the Iron Horse Fairy Tale Cuvee Brut--Disney's signature champagne/sparkling wine from California.

From here, we attended a special party for Castaway Club members. These aren't mandatory, but it was fun to hear a little of the history of Disney Cruise Line. And we got the breaking news that the contracts for two new Disney ships had just been officially signed. Many staff members were there, and they made a point to open conversations with all the guests. They want feedback, ideas. They want to make their cruise line the best in the industry. Bonus, they gave away door prizes (not that I won anything…) and had wonderful refreshments. This is another great opportunity to meet new people.

Time to attend another show at Walt Disney Theater. Tonight's performance was The Golden Mickeys. Helpful Tip: this show provides great opportunities for the kids to "walk the red carpet" to an awards show. They even had photographers on hand and someone interviewing the kids before they entered the theater. Get seated early to enjoy the live video of these interviews—they're very sweet to watch! The show itself included many famous songs from Disney films, a real trip down memory lane.

Back to the spa to enjoy another hour of The Tropical Rainforest. Soothing tranquility and wonderful steam were very refreshing. Since the early theater show ends at 7:00 pm and our dinner wasn't scheduled until 8:30 pm, we still had plenty of time for the spa and still were able to change for dinner. Stopping at the room to change, we discovered Edgar had left us another towel animal—this one, a clever elephant. So cute!



Dinner at Triton's was delicious. Tonight's theme at the restaurant? A pirate party, in honor of our sailing to Castaway Cay. We met our two-person serving staff and our tablemates. The staff was amazing, especially knowing they'd been serving breakfast, and here they were still serving us dessert at 10:00 pm. Still smiling, still fast to please, they were great. Sutas was from Thailand, and Miguel was from Ecuador. We were seated with two other couples, one celebrating their 51st wedding anniversary, the other on their honeymoon. Dinner kept us busy all the way until time for the Pirate Party.

Decks 9 and 10 were crowded with guests of all ages. They'd covered the family pool with decking and turned it into a huge dancefloor. On a small stage, crew members, dressed as pirates, were teaching the kids dances to a thumping hip hop beat. A huge dessert buffet was set up on Deck 9 (like I hadn't just eaten?). The evening culminated with fireworks. Helpful Tip: Disney is the only cruise line granted permission to shoot fireworks from a moving ship, so don’t expect to see fireworks from other cruise lines. And after the fireworks, many stayed to watch Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which was shown on the giant 14' by 24' (yes, those are feet marks!) viewing screen mounted by the family pool. We didn't make it through the whole film—we were exhausted from our full day! I noticed lots of kids falling asleep, only to be carried back to their staterooms by their parents.

Favorite story of the day: So, we're headed up to the Pirate Party. Everyone is going UP in the elevators, but at Deck 9 a woman was waiting to go DOWN. I asked her if she'd had enough partying, and she said, "No, it's not that. I have to go down to Deck 5 and get my seven-year-old. She went into that kid's programming this morning, and I haven't been able to get her to leave all day! I know she'll want to see the fireworks, though."

Before bed that night, I scanned the kid's programming in my Personal Navigator. Heck, the kids were having tons of fun all day—no wonder her daughter hadn't wanted to leave! They offered scavenger hunts, cooking baking, art and science projects, storytelling and so much more. Kid's programming went until midnight. And the teens were having a special late night film following Pirates of the Caribbean that would keep them up until 2:30 am. I don't know where the crew got all their energy!

All excited for our adventure, we dropped off our cats with my dad and drove to Port Canaveral. Finding the port was simple—great signage from I-95, and once you get close, the cruise ships rise up from the horizon until you can't miss them.



A number of cruise lines share the port, but Disney has a separate (and super!) terminal. Lots of employees were on hand to direct traffic, collect luggage, offer assistance or answer questions. They have an open air parking lot, so when leaving a car there, I'd recommend one of those windshield/dashboard shades. Anything to help keep the temperature from rising too high inside the car while you're gone. Parking was $12 per 24-hour day, so for the 3-night cruise, we prepaid $36. Made for a smooth and quick departure.

Once inside the terminal, we took the escalator up to the main lobby. It was still fairly early, only about 11:15 am, but the place was already crowded with families and Disney fans. As Castaway Club members (we sailed way back in 1999 on the Disney Magic), we were able to bypass the general line. We'd filled out all of our boarding information online and had already filled out and signed the various documents needed, so our check-in took less than five minutes. We came away with our Key To The World cards (room key and charge card combined), Castaway Club lanyards, and we each received a pair of pins (one to keep, one to trade). Also, they gave us our first Personal Navigator, the daily newsletter of all that's happening onboard, and a map of the Wonder.

We had about 30 minutes to wait until boarding began so we began reading everything in our hands. And are we glad we did! We'd made advance reservations at Palo for the final night of our trip, but according to our Key To The World card, we were scheduled to dine at The Artist's Palate that same night. We didn't want to miss that! So since we were scheduled to dine at Parrot Cay the first night onboard, we decided to try to change our Palo reservations to then.

Now, here's how to read that info on your Key To The World card: beneath the ship name and to the right is a series of letters and numbers. Mine says: S3-PTA Table: 49. What this means is 3rd Seating (both First and Main dining have 3 seating times) with a rotation of restaurants as follows: first night, Parrot Cay (P), second night, Triton's (T), and third night, Artist's Palate (A). We'd signed up for the Main dining, so 3rd seating was at 8:30 pm each night. We were seated at Table 49 with two other couples.

Armed with this information, we checked the Personal Navigator and discovered the staff from Palo would be taking reservations at 1:00 pm. We boarded at 12:15, had time for a lovely luncheon buffet at Parrot Cay, and still got in line at 1:00 to change our reservations. As luck would have it, there seemed to be plenty of spots open at Palo for that first night, so we had no trouble changing. Still, I'm glad we'd made the advance reservations. I spoke to a number of people in line who hadn't planned ahead. They shut down the advance reservations 7-10 days prior to sailing.

From there, we stopped at Guest Services to sign up for the Wine Tasting then went to check out our stateroom. We stayed in room 5020. This is sort of a special room. There are 6 staterooms on Deck 5 that are listed as Deluxe Inside Staterooms when they actually are Oceanview Staterooms with obstructed views. We had a terrific view through our large porthole, though there were oxygen tanks beneath the window, and the bright light out there stayed on all night. Helpful Tip: I used some hair clips to clip the blackout curtains tightly shut. Made a world of difference! Anyway, we feel we got a great bargain on the room. It was quite large and I love the split bathrooms Disney offers.

And Deck 5 Forward turned out to be a great place for adults/no kids to stay. We were just off the Forward Stairwell, which led down one flight to the Walt Disney Theater (stage shows), and two flights down dropped us in the heart of Route 66, reserved for adults only after 9:00 pm nightly. Straight up the Forward Stairwell (there were elevators, too!) on Deck 9 took us to the Vista Spa and the adults only pool area including The Cove Café—adults-only coffee shop and internet hotspot.

Some might warn you that Deck 5 is where much of the children's programming happens. That's true, but I never saw groups of kids, never heard them. In fact, there was a family of 4 in the stateroom next to ours. I heard the kids the first morning we woke up, but then I never heard them again. I think the parents must have carried the children back to the room each night. There was so much to do on a Disney cruise, even I was worn out!

We had some time before the mandatory safety drill, so we hit the pool areas. Time for a padded lounger and a peach daiquiri—bliss. But by 3:30, we returned to our stateroom, fetched our lifejackets and headed to Assembly Station H. In case you're unsure where to go, the letter code is on the front of your lifejacket, along with your stateroom number. Our group leader was able to confirm quickly who was present and who wasn't. Helpful Tip: Disney runs a tight ship. When they say the mandatory drill is at 4:00 pm, what they mean is they're going to start giving information at 4:00 pm. You want to already be at your Assembly Station. The same with shows, dining and the spa. They're very gracious about people running late, but the staff is incredibly efficient. To avoid missing anything, be on time or a little early.

Our drill over, we stopped at the Vista Spa to confirm our reservation for a massage the next morning. We chose to pay a bit extra and got passes to the spa's Rain Forest. Definitely take a tour of this part of the facility. You may not wish to budget a massage or wrap, but you can visit the Rain Forest for only $15 and use it as much as you want for that one day. They offer a locker room with big showers (the one in your stateroom will be compact), plus the Rain Forest itself has steam rooms, saunas, various shower stations and relaxing warm stone loungers. It's a perfect escape from stress.

The Wonder cast off about 5:00 pm with a Bon Voyage Party on Deck 9. Everyone enjoyed the sense of anticipation as we waved farewell to the terminal staff. They waved back, with giant Mickey Mouse gloves on their hands! There we plenty of people on hand, but again, we never felt overcrowded. In fact, this party is a great place to meet your fellow travelers. The kids already seemed to be making fast friends on the basketball court.

Whew! By now, our luggage had arrived, and we had time to unpack, run up to the launderette on Deck 6 and iron a few things, then change for dinner. Palo recommends dress shirts or jackets for men, slacks or dresses for ladies. Believe it or not, we saw plenty of men there without ties. Disney has truly embraced the casual lifestyle. Still, the staff is very crisp, and you won't feel out of place if you want to dress up. This first night, we opted for an early dining time. As luck would have it, we got to watch the sunset from our table. Helpful Tip: the boat sails east/southeast that first day, so it's the best time to catch a sunset from Palo, which faces the rear of the ship. If we'd kept our original reservation, we would have missed the sunset completely.

Cedomir from Croatia was our server at Palo. He'd been with Disney since they launched The Magic in 1998. We happily put ourselves in his capable hands. Honestly, where else but a cruise ship can you admire two or three entrees, and have the server bring you all of them, just so you can taste? Each flavor was distinct and each dish a true masterpiece. If anyone wants specifics, email me. We also invested in a Premium Wine Package. Now, my husband and I enjoy wines, and we thought it was realistic that we'd finish a bottle each night onboard. This was a pretty fair price. They had a less expensive option, but the wines offered in that package were ones you'd commonly find at local wine shops and grocery stores. Cedomir brought us a lovely Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa, 2004), a great complement to our meals.

Helpful Tips: 1--Talk with your servers, your stateroom host/hostess, any of the staff onboard. They're gracious and outgoing, and it's fascinating to gain some insight into their lives. Remember, DCL will launch two more ships in 2011/2012, and they'll need staff! 2--Remember, your bar purchases include tax and a 15% tip. Don't feel you have to add more unless you want to because of the great service you received.

Following our meal, we attended that night's performance in the Walt Disney Theater. Tonight's show was Hercules, The Muse-ical, and the singing and dancing were terrific. All ages seemed to appreciate the show. Afterward, we were pretty tired, but we strolled the port side deck so my husband could enjoy a cigar. Smoking is permitted on the open decks, port side only. There's also smoking permitted in Cadillac Lounge down in the Route 66 area (Deck 3 Forward, where all the nightclubs are located), but they don't allow cigars indoors. Finally, we called it a day. Edgar had turned down our bed and left us a towel folded like a swan along with chocolates, and our Personal Navigator for the next day. Such service!

Crystal chandeliers in the breakfast room? Only in Rome. Another wonderful buffet breakfast. Traditional Italian breakfasts consist of meats and cheeses, fresh rustic breads, hard-boiled eggs. And coffee. Always coffee. Or cappuccino. My understanding is that true Italians never drink cappuccino after noon--so they readily spot the Americans at the restaurants. There were also apricot tarts, and something so rich and chocolatey looking, I couldn't bring myself to accept it as breakfast food! I know, I'm a wimp.

After breakfast, they took us for walk around Rome's sites. We met our local guide, a wonderful gentleman named Fabrizio. He led us like a long row of ducks (in the drizzling rain, no less) to the nearby Borghese Gardens. These now public park was once part of Prince Borghese's private lands. Of note: some of you may be familiar with Princess Marcella Borghese and her line of cosmetics. Yep, same family. And if you check your local TV listings for The Bachelor, you can see Prince Lorenzo Borghese is currently running around Rome with a bunch of hopeful princesses.

We saw neither princes nor princesses, but beautiful wooded grounds and wide walkways. The rain dissipated, and by the time we reached the scenic overlook with a view of Rome and The Vatican, the sun was shining. Immediately below us stretched the Piazza del Popolo, once the site of Roman festivals and executions. It's a gorgeous city, and it was nice to get the bird's eye view first. Below, the Piazza del Popolo.



We were a group of nearly 40 people, so to simplify hearing Fabrizio while we walked, we were all given a small radio with an earphone. We wore the radio around our neck on a lanyard (to keep our hands free for snapping photos), and popped the ear phone in, and could listen to Fabrizio talk about everything we saw. I just wished I could have recorded it or transcribed it as he talked. There was so much fascinating information, I couldn't possibly take it all in. I've had a great time since returning home in comparing travel books and maps to my photos and thinking, "Aha, THAT'S where we were!

From the gardens, we walked to the top of the Spanish Steps, so named because the Spanish Embassy is located at the top of it. At the base of the steps is Piazza di Spagna with lots of upscale shopping, the Keats-Shelley memorial (they lived in Rome for part of their careers, and Keats died there), a place to find taxis (you can't flag them down on the street, you have to go to a taxi stand), and a fountain. Every piazza in Rome has a fountain. In fact, fountains appear as part of the architecture at almost every corner. Crazy as it sounds, the water in nearly all these fountains is not only drinkable, but refreshingly pure (be on the lookout for pigeons and whether the water stands in a pool in any given fountain--go for fountains that have lots of flowing water). As in ancient Roman days, aquifers abound with spring water in the nearby hills. Rome is known throughout the world as the City of Fountains. Below, a view of the Piazza di Spagna from about halfway down the Spanish Steps. Yep, there's the fountain!



And we visited perhaps the best known: The Trevi Fountain, located in--what else?--the Piazza di Trevi. This is the fountain from Three-Coins-In-A fame. Supposedly, if you toss a coin into the fountain, you ensure that one day you'll return to Rome. Nicola Salvi carved the Baroque masterpiece that celebrates the discovery of the spring from which Augustus built the Acqua Vergine aqueduct (water from the aqueduct still feeds the fountain to this day!). It's constructed on a grand scale, grafted to a palazzo (palace) behind it, and the gushing water reminds you of major waterfalls. Below, The Trevi Fountain, and that's the pallazzo windows you see. Looks the fountain was built right out of the side of the building, doesn't it?



From here, we struck off for the Pantheon. That's PANtheon, not PARthenon, though I kept trying to call it that, much to my husband's amusement. The Pantheon was built in the second century AD as a pagan temple to all those Roman gods. It might have been taken down when Popes rose to power in Rome, but Emperor Phocas donated the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV in 608. The Pope turned it into a Christian church, and the structure has survived nearly two thousand years.

It's an open air structure with a 27-foot diameter oculus, or opening at the top of its dome. Apparently, the early Romans used the sunbeam coming through the oculus to tell time. The dome is the widest masonry dome in Europe, and the scale of everything in the Pantheon is huge. It's a tribute to modern day Rome that no one vandalizes the beautiful site. While crowded, everyone inside was very respectful. Of note, if you’re a Renaissance art buff, Raphael is buried here, as are the first two kings of Italy. Below, an interior shot of the Parthenon showing all the stunning marble construction.



On the way to lunch (it wasn't quite noon yet!), we stopped to look at the Piazza Navona, an elongated square with a road around it. No surprise the piazza was built atop Domitian's ancient chariot-racing stadium. Bernini designed the elegant Fountain of the Four Rivers. Below, the Piazza Navona, with the Foutain of the Four Rivers in the foreground, an obelisk in the distance, and the Palazzo Pamphili to the left.



By this time, we'd worked up quite an appetite, and we stopped at a local pizzeria, Tosca Roma, for lunch. Quite good thin crust pizzas, with lots of fresh vegetables, easy on the sauce, garlic and cheese. Afterward, we walked to a nearby gelato shop and had, hands down, the best gelato ever. I believe it was called Blue Ice, and they had shops throughout Rome. If you've never had gelato, it's a dense ice cream, very rich and flavorful--an Italian tradition. If you ever visit Italy, be sure to try some. Gelato stands are as numerous as the motorcycles and mopeds on the city streets.

For the afternoon, we traveled by bus to The Colosseum. Um, that's Italian for Coliseum. (Sorry, I'm laughing at my SpellCheck program.) I still couldn't get used to the scale of everything. It's astonishing to see how much of the structure remains, considering it was inaugurated in AD 80. They celebrated with 100 days of games and massacred 5,000 wild beasts in the process. Slaughtering for sport was considered legal in Rome until AD 523. The circular structure remains the archetype for modern-day stadiums.



On the backside of The Colosseum (can a circular structure HAVE a backside?) is the Arch of Constantine, which commemorates the first Christian emperor in Rome and the transition from paganism to Christianity. Ironic, since those pagan Romans had done their best to kill as many Christians as they could inside The Colosseum.

The evening ended with a fabulous dinner at Le Lanterne on the Via della Pilotta. A bit of a drive for the bus, but well worth it. They served us a traditional Italian dinner, which means four courses: an appetizer of cured meats and cheeses, lots of hearty rustic Italian bread; a first course of pasta--in this case, they came around with three options, and who wouldn't want to taste all three?; a second course of meat or fish--I stepped away from my seat to take a photograph, and when I returned, there was an entire fish staring at me!; and dessert--an incredible tiramisu which I somehow found room for in my belly.



A local non-profit group, Gruppo Storico Romano, provided entertainment throughout the meal. These are amateur players who specialize in gladiator fighting and historic music and dances of ancient Rome. They hope to preserve the ancient culture--think battle re-enactments here in the States. Check out their website, and if it all reads in Italian, click on the US or British flag to get the English version. They offer Gladiator Schools and training programs that look like tons of fun! Check out their site for photos--all mine were too dark.

Afterward, we returned to our lovely hotel, exhausted, but celebrating the full day we'd had. We'd seen so much of Rome! We'd TASTED (literally!) so much of Rome! It was heaven to find our heavenly bed turned down and those yummy little chocolates waiting on our pillows. I was too full to eat mine, and stashed them for later. (Note: I ate them in Tuscany because I was starting to buy things and I needed to empty my bag of all non-essentials. LOL) Buona Notte!

Our driver met us at six a.m. for the trip to Heathrow Airport. Thank heavens we figured out the electronic kiosks for checking in! It was a huge time saver. The ticket lines were outrageous, felt like there were thousand flying around Great Britain and points in Europe. I suspect this was a typical commuter weekday. We met a couple of really nice guys headed to Germany for Oktoberfest. Yes, in Germany, they start Oktoberfest in September.

Once our bags were checked, we went to the flight lounge. Instead of assigning every flight a gate, Heathrow waits until flights land, then sends them to a gate, then announces where you can find your flight. The central seating area was accessible to all shopping and all gates.

The flight was uneventful, but Rome's airport was bigger than I anticipated. Once we got through customs and down to claim our bags, an Adventures by Disney representative met us. She popped us into a waiting minivan with one of our tour guides, and we were off to our hotel.

And what a hotel! We stayed at the Westin Excelsior on Via Venetto. Part of the joy of traveling with a group is we were able to check in early. Call it beginner's luck or good karma or whatever, we had fabulous connecting rooms on the first floor (one up from the ground floor and lobby). My husband and I had a balcony, a fireplace, a "heavenly" king size bed, and the biggest dang Italian marble bathroom I've ever seen. I would have been happy to spend three days hanging out in the room! Truly, if you go there, ask if Room 112 is available!

Our eating times being a bit off, we went down to the O'Nice Bar off the lobby for a "snack." OK, so it turned into a table full of sandwiches (ham and asiago, peppered roast beef with country mustard, and roasted peppers with an olive tapenade) and lovely Barbaresco wine, and we were quite stuffed afterward. A shame in a way, since Disney had a lovely buffet supper planned that evening as part of its first meet and greet for all the travelers. I couldn't do justice to the lovely pastas and desserts--though I do recall the pistachio torte was delectable.

Our guides gave a quick overview of the upcoming adventures for the week, then gave us our written schedule for the next day. And bonus--we received a Disney pin commemorating our first day. In fact, every day of the trip, they gave us a new pin. For anyone who is a Disney fan and knows about collecting these pins at various parks, the Adventures by Disney pins will become great conversation pieces and potential trading power.

After dinner, my husband and I hit the health club for a refreshing swim and a bit of cleansing the poisonous food and drink from our systems in the Turkish Bath. Unlike a regular steamroom, the Bath had a fountain of cold water in the middle of it. Great steam, very relaxing, and we wrapped up in fluffy robes and slippers (provided by the hotel, natch!) afterward. When we got to our room, our bed had been turned down, and little boxes of chocolates awaited us. The darkest, most sinful chocolate I've ever had. Sigh My favorite part? There was a scale in the bathroom, and I swear, no matter what I ate the whole time in Rome, the scale never budged off a questionably low but oh-so-complimentary number.

My initial impressions of Italy and Rome? So rich in history. The people are stylish yet so very friendly and open. They LIVE life. I was also impressed with the quality of all the linens I encountered--throughout my stay in Italy--fine linens, silks, cottons, lush wools, intricate laces, rich colors, textures and stitching. I found myself not just looking, but touching, wanting to remember the feel of the blanket fibers, the freshly laundered smell of the towels, the crisply starched folds of dinner napkins. Lovely, all of it.



Above, a reminder to keep our vacation Stress Free at London's Heathrow. Below, our first scenic view of Rome.

We got a slower start to the day after a late night at the theatre, but managed to tour Kensington Palace. They've recently opened Princess Margaret's rooms. My favorite part of the tour remains the King George rooms where you get a flavor of 18th century life. Be sure to check out the clock in the King's ante chamber. The clothing portion of the museum has a wonderful collection and audio tour. It gives great perspective on court presentations, though mostly from the early 20th century time period.

Another major attraction at Kensington is that it was Princess Diana's last home. A portion of the museum is dedicated to a photo gallery of her plus a number of her gowns are on exhibit. They say one day they will open the rooms in the palace where she resided.

A bit warm and humid today, and there's no air conditioning in the palace, so we didn't linger. Of note--the curators were kind enough to get us a wheelchair. Nice for Mom, since she'd been walking so much for the past few days. We did spend some money in the gift shop. I bought the cutest "cheese mice," little pewter mice on tiny knives to stick into cheeses. They go with my marble cutting board with the bronze cat holders.

Afterward, we walked to The Orangerie, a restaurant on the grounds that used to be a greenhouse where they grew orange trees. Beautiful formal gardens are maintained, plus the restaurant overlooks Hyde Park. Lots of people were out enjoying the mild autumn weather. Lunch was delicious. Lukas, our server (4 months in Great Britain from Poland), made everything leisurely and perfect. Even when the wind gusted and knocked over two unfinished glasses of wine--he gave us fresh glasses! Very sweet (and so not necessary, but he gets gold stars).

Following lunch, we returned to the hotel. Mom and I stayed in and rested, while my husband and his sister returned to Harrods for more shopping (and more scones!). We stayed in tonight, ate room service, and packed and prepared for our early morning departure for Rome.



Above, Kensington Palace. Below, the dessert table at The Orangerie. Yummmmm!



And with a final wave to Big Ben, we bid farewell to London and head off to Italy. I feel like Peter Pan!

Today we ate our English breakfast and then taxied to Westminster Abbey. Here, we spent a couple of hours reading epitaphs on crypts. Fascinating to see the burial place of kings and queens, the memorials to poets and prime ministers. The sculpture is amazing, and well worth the modest admission charge. They don't allow the taking of photos or video inside, but they have a gift shop at the end of the tour route with plenty of post cards and books available. Oh, they hide the restrooms in that direction, too.

We spent at least 2-3 hours at Westminster, and honestly, I could have stayed all day. In the first chapel to the left of the entry is a crypt sculpted from marble and it looks like bronze. At the top, a husband defends his young wife, while below, Death, in the form of a hooded skeleton with a scythe, reaches forth it's long fingers trying to grasp the wife. The memorial was dedicated by the son of the young woman. His father never remarried after his wife's untimely passing. And yes, that was just the first chapel. Every corner holds treasures like this.

Queen Elizabeth I is buried at Westminster, ironically, in the same tomb as her sister Queen Mary. Hopefully they were able to set aside their differences in the afterlife. They can be located in the North Aisle of The Lady Chapel, a magnificent medieval construction started during the reign of Henry VII. The Chapel also houses numerous other royalty and a tomb for Lord Cromwell. Near his tomb, on the exterior wall can be seen a round whole that has been filled with a clear plastic. A German shell punctured the wall during the World War II bombing attacks. Fortunately, it's the only damage suffered by the historic Abbey.

The Lady Chapel has been used since 1725 for installing the Knights of the Order of the Bath. These titles are conferred by the sovereign for that person's lifetime. Heraldic banners of the living knights fly over their seats in the chapel. It's quite stunning, and if you can find a curator, don't be afraid to ask questions.

For writers, be sure to check out Poet's Corner, and if you're a daVinci Code fan, search your way around until you come to Sir Isaac Newton's tomb. Just to show that Westminster is always updating, on the outside of the building's tour exit are life-size busts of 20th century martyrs including Martin Luther King and Mother Theresa.

Having had our dose of history for the day, we headed to Harrods. My understanding is you can buy anything at Harrods, and having now traipsed about a few floors, I believe it. We spent some time in the shoe department. I found a handbag that was quite attractive, but couldn't quite fathom the $4,000 (roughly calculating the exchange rate) price tag. Unless, were those real diamonds on the shoulder strap and buckle? I understand Princess Diana loved shopping here. There's a sculpture of her near one of the entrances--I didn't see it, but it was added in 1998 following her death. Her companion, Dodi al Fayed, was the son of the owner of Harrods.

Anyway, after working up an appetite buying shoes, we went to their terrace café and had TEA. Not just a cup of tea, but a pot of tea each, some of us preferring black teas such Earl Grey or Orange Pekoe, and others choosing herbal teas like mint and chamomile. If you've never done a full tea, English style, it's well-worth doing. I lived with a family in Oxford, England for 8 weeks while I was in college, and every Sunday we had a large dinner (at lunchtime) followed by TEA around five o'clock. There was coffee and tea and a shameless amount of sweet pastries, and I gained 40 pounds while I lived there.

At Harrods, TEA included freshly baked scones with clotted cream and jam, finger sandwiches such as smoked salmon, egg, roast beef and watercress/cucumber, and delectable finger desserts--fruit tarts, petit fours and Napoleons. Indulgent? Yes, and there was too much food to finish. We finally waddled back to our hotel, regrouped and headed back out for a performance of Mary Poppins (the new musical play) in London's West End.

The play was magical, a brave staging that stepped apart from the movie and incorporated a bit more of the original book's plot. The dance numbers were fabulous, set changes were inspired, and both my husband and I cried when Mary Poppins flew in to save the day in Act II. The show is opening on Broadway in October, and I highly recommend it. There is one scene near the end of the first act where the children's toys come to life for a musical number--might be a bit intense for small children, especially if they're afraid of dolls or clowns. Not that the characters are so scary, but the music is loud and the dancing movements are big and percussive. It wasn't my favorite number in the show--but the Banks children were adorable throughout.



Above, Westminster Abbey. Below, the Animals in War Memorial near Marble Arch.

It often pays to book breakfast along with your hotel in Europe. The Gloucester put on a heck of a breakfast spread, and we ate our fill before another day of adventure. Since we were traveling with my m-i-l who is 85, we wanted to show her as much of London as possible with the least amount of walking. We grabbed a double-decker bus tour a block from our hotel. The bus made a major loop through London over the period of about 3 hours, stopping at numerous historic sites along the way. Our ticket was good for 24-hours, nice really, in case you want to break up the bus riding. Some busses offer live guides who make their presentation in English only, and other busses offer a headset system with pre-recorded commentary in 6 different languages.

The weather was beautiful, sunny and pleasant, and we enjoyed the sight seeing from Kensington through Westminster and into London proper. Traffic clogs the city streets, and since they drive on the opposite side of the road from us Americans, I always find walking in London can be treacherous. The bus worked its way past Harrods, The Victoria & Albert Museum, Buckingham Palace, Westminster, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, Tower Bridge, St. Paul's Cathedral, and we hopped off at The Tower of London. An early royal palace, The White Tower was home to numerous English Kings before being turned into a holding place for traitors to the Crown. We didn't explore the whole complex (you can easily spend 4-6 hours), but went through the exhibit of The Crown Jewels. Amazing to see an historic exterior, then walk through the latest vault technology to see some of the most precious gems in history. Guards on duty at The Tower had recently returned from Afghanistan, so this isn't your average tourist stop--it's still a working military base. The beefeaters on duty give tours and there's one designated as the keeper of the ravens. Apparently, ravens have lived at The Tower for centuries.

Cooler fall temperatures were just beginning to tinge the trees with color. On the green by the chapel, a new memorial has been added in the past few years, commemorating the spot where Ann Boleyn and others were beheaded. Mind you, it was considered a generous gesture to behead them within the castle walls and not publicly in the City. The Tower is rich in history, and the views of the Thames and Tower Bridge are spectacular. If visiting, go through the White Tower for perspective and displays about medieval life.

Monday night, we met my husband's nephew, Brett, for traditional fish and chips at Seychelle's (sp?). He's an airline pilot whose flight schedule happened to overlap our travel plans, and because he visits London regularly, he had lots of ideas for great restaurants. The fish was exceptional, the wine not so memorable. Go with the ales and lagers--they had a nice selection.

OK, a note on beer vs wine in London: It's easier and easier to find good wines served at suitable temperatures especially at upscale restaurants in the city. If you're visiting the public houses ("pubs"), I strongly recommend you try something on tap. If you're not a beer drinker, ask for a lager and lime, very mild, very traditional. Nowadays, you're more and more likely to find the lagers and ales chilled, though don't expect to get a frosty mug. Ten years ago, your ale would have been served at room temperature without a second thought. But the world is getting smaller, and the American prevalence for chilling their drinks is making its way to the major cities.

For hundreds of years, London didn't have a large supply of potable water. Consider the shipping traffic and sewage necessary for a growing city--everything wound up in the Thames. Like many societies, the British answer was to brew something drinkable. Their climate is better suited for grains than for grapes. So while wine flourished throughout Europe, lagers, ales, stouts and beers became the drink of choice throughout the British Isles. BTW, my husband commented on how fresh his Guinness tasted the whole time we were in London. He's convinced it's because they sell more, which translates to kegs being changed out more often. Coming back to the States, he was rather disappointed with the Guinness from our local beach bar.

We arrived in Gatwick, and customs was quick and efficient. Our driver met us and whisked us off to the Millennium Gloucester Hotel. My husband planned ahead and booked our rooms starting on Saturday, so we were able to check in at 10am on Sunday. Nice, because we needed a major nap--our bodies thought it was 4am by this time! Recovering from jet lag is always hard for me when traveling east.

We slept until late afternoon, then hopped a cab and went to Belgo Centraal, a Belgian restaurant famed for its mussels, steaks and beer. They have a beer hall where everything is served in a casual, family-style. We ate in the fine-dining part of the restaurant. Terrific service, a fabulous filet and wonderful atmostphere. They gave us shots of flavored schnapps to taste. Lemon and melon were my favorites. Afterward, we took a leisurely walk down past the Tate Gallery, St. Martin's in the Fields, and Trafalgar Square where we flagged down a cab (none too easy late at night) and went back to the hotel.

Flew British Air to London's Gatwick airport. Lots of security to get through at Atlanta's Jackson-Hartsfield Airport. My advice--stay up to date on carry-on procedures and luggage restrictions. The flight was comfortable. Being an overnight flight, I slept part of the way, listened to music, and enjoyed excellent food. Definitely worth the upgrade to premium economy, which has wider seats and a bit more leg room.

I've been abnormally quiet here, but life sometimes interferes with blogging. In July, my husband and I bought a new home. In August, we moved. And in September, we traveled to Europe with my husband's mother and sister. It was our first time embarking on such a major family vacation, and our first time taking an organized tour. I'm just now inputting my journal pages and matching up some of my photos, and I figured I'd blog about the adventure here for anyone who's looking to learn more about London, Rome and Venice.

We had an excellent time. And kudos to my husband who is the most amazing travel planner I ever met. This trip went off with very few glitches.

Thought I'd share a perfect example of extreme subjectivity in reading. Disclaimer: I'm leaving out all names here (except mine), because I hold no one accountable for these opinions. There is no right or wrong when it comes to reading. Every reader will bring part of herself to the story, just as she will take away a unique experience. I cheer this kind of subjectivity--I just thought some other writers out there might like to see this example.

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I received my scored entries from a recent contest--where I PLACED, so I have no bones about that. The final judges included a well-respected editor with a major print publishing house and an equally well-respected agent. If they happen by here--I'd like to thank them both for volunteering their time and effort as contest judges. Thank you!!

Out of 100, the editor gave me a score of 91, but no request to see more. Perhaps she liked it, but it was wrong for the house. Or, she liked it, but not enough. I'll never know.

Out of 100, the agent gave me a score of 63. Ouch. Needless to say, I didn't place first in said contest. And, I've removed this agent from my "A" target list. Not that I respect her less, but unless I write something very different, I have to assume she doesn't enjoy my style.

I got back comments on the score sheet from both. This is a boon--how many of us have gotten generically-worded rejection letters and sweated over analyzing what the editor/agent REALLY thought? Well, these two professionals shared some thoughts.

I loved what they had to say about "Narrative," including POV.

Editor: "Nice job--it doesn't switch perspectives too much but it gets you inside the hero and heroine's heads."

Agent: "The POV is uncertain."

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Under Plot, they said:

Editor: "It's just the right amount of conflict and action and emotional balance. And most importantly, there isn't too much thrown in."

Agent: "Found this to be very confusing, not sure why it mattered who [hero's] father was.

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Under Conflict, they were asked if the reader could identify it:

Editor: "[Hero] hurt her ages ago and he has a healthy distrust of women from his mother."

Agent: "Again, is [hero] more concerned with getting a violin or saving his reputation?"
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Again, let me repeat that I'm posting these here only as an education on subjectivity. For every writer who's received differing opinions from critique partners or contest judges, take heart. There's every possibility that for every reader who hates your work, someone else will love it. Of course, this means the opposite is true--for every glowing critique you get, you may receive a rejection that sucks the very life from your bones.

It's not always about YOU or YOUR work. The reader opens a book with expectations, life experiences, and varying levels of emotional turmoil and concentration. They interact with your story, whether you want them to or not. This is the nature of communication, and there's no way to disguise storytelling as anything but a primeval need to communicate with others. I mean, if we didn't have something to say as writers, why on earth would we attempt the arduous process of getting published?

As for me, I'm grateful to have received these scoresheets with their diverse feedback. It's made me look more closely at my text to weigh what I'm saying vs what I thought I was saying. Remember how I said there's no right or wrong? The irony here is that even *I* can't guarantee that I'm "right" in my own work. I'm not right if everyone who reads my words thinks I'm wrong. So, I take my best shot and use all the feedback I receive to craft the best telling of my story possible.

To everyone who is submitting and has ever received a rejection--don't give up. Keep looking until you find the editor or agent who shares your vision, who "gets" your story. They are out there--believe it!

*** Note: To any of you who are accustomed to me waxing philosophic in my blog, I recommend you skip the rest of this entry. I intend to whine today. I used to journal away this kind of anxiety, but I haven't cracked open a notebook journal in years. So, I'm doing this here for ME. ***

If you know me, you know I've had my share of turmoil in the past few months. OK, to be honest, the past 15 months. And if you don't know me, I suspect you stopped surfing by my blog over a month ago, once it became obvious that I wasn't posting anything.

So, where do I begin to explain things? Too much backstory, and you'll close your browser. Too little backstory, and you'll think I'm a wimp. Honestly, you're getting the "too much" version because it's MY blog, and where else am I supposed to blather, clear my head, and refocus?

I wanted to get back to my wip in May. The wip that I keep liking to think of as "done," but I know in my heart that it needs one more solid revision. The wip that has won a contest, placed third in another contest, and finaled in yet another contest. You might think the silence on my blog was because I was writing up a storm, and I was--for a short while. Unfortunately, I was writing a new romantic suspense idea. I now have 24 pages of a fresh contemporary romance set in Philly and Key West. I'm excited about my new hero/heroine combination.

But my life, or maybe it's my psyche, has had other complications. My dad had a major surgery in April, and April was also the first anniversary of my mom's sudden death. Our 13-year-old cat had a huge lump removed from his shoulder/ribs in early May (benign, thank heavens), and somewhere in there we decided that being self-employed/temporarily retired as we are, we should buy health insurance. Three weeks of research and various lab tests later, we're good to go.

We kicked off June by entertaining a friend from the West Coast. OK, that part was really fun. We hit the beach and DisneyWorld (she'd never been). I even have a tan now because of her visit, despite the fact that we traipsed around Orlando in the middle of Tropical Storm Alberto.

Follow that up with sinus symptoms that finally revealed themselves to be a tooth and possibly bone infection. Arghhh. Let's just say that I don't remember much of June, but I'm grateful for Tylenol (even if I had to stop drinking wine while I was killing pain) and penicillin. I'm now halfway through a root canal procedure, and I've been pain free for about 4 days. Oh, and thanks to not being able to eat solid food for nearly two weeks, I lost 2 more pounds. Let's take the silver lining where we can find it.

Oh, did I mention that we bought a new home, and we're planning to move in the next month? Let's see, numerous realtors, mortgage agents, bankers and a title company, but it looks like we're headed for closing. Add in that I'm attending a national writing conference, and well, you get a glimmer of that turmoil I mentioned.

New at being Floridians, we put together a hurricane preparation kit. Then for fun, we viewed the space shuttle launch on July 4th from our local beach. Wow, you'd think Cape Canaveral was just down the street from me instead of a couple hundred miles. Now, with the new home, we're negotiating condo insurance and flood insurance. sigh

Thank heavens I have all THAT out of my system. We're now down to two weeks of waiting around for closing, so I hope to find a few extra hours in each of my days. I actually did start outlining my final revisions for my wip, though I've added no new writing to that little RS idea I've been playing with. I owe one of my cp's a crit this weekend.

The worst of this is I'm nearing the end of my "temporary retirement." I took a year off work to write, but the fact is that I've produced no more finished text than I would have if I'd been holding down a full time job. I've heard other writers discuss this dilemma--the work vs no work question. I suppose it's good for me to know that when I'm determined to write, I'll write despite other claims on my time. And when I'm preoccupied or "blocked" from writing, no generous amount of free time is going to make me work through it faster. So, in October, I return to work, like it or not--though, to be honest, I'm looking forward to having more structure to my day.

But looking back over the past three or more months, I'm hard-pressed to answer for what I've accomplished. I've done a lot of reading..., I've done some crits, maintained my goals groups, continued to compete in some contests. But I truly intended to have another ms drafted by the end of this month. That's SO not going to happen! Earlier today, I found myself reviewing my computer files, taking stock in all my mss--polished, drafted, barely started, they run the gamut. If this is my dream, how can it be so easy to NOT write for this long a stretch of time? If this isn't really my dream, why am I wasting my time playing around with it?

I don't have the answers, and I'm not sure I'm even looking for them. Life is a journey. I accept that. All that I've been through in the past few months has its place in my life, just as writing has a place. I'm not superwoman (would that I were) so it's okay that I haven't completed all the various goals I've set for myself.

Well, I'll be damned--looks like I started waxing poetic despite myself. I take this as a very good sign that my mind is clearing.

I have a confession to make: lately, I've caught myself thinking about how much I want to be a writer. Now, on the one hand, this is good. There were years when I wouldn't admit my dreams--I certainly wouldn't discuss them with anyone. But back then, in my heart, I knew I wanted to write. Now I want to be a writer. And I'm not sure those dreams are the same.

The problem with focusing on being a writer is it's so easy to get caught up in the online writing community. I'm not knocking it--it's my salvation on a lot of different levels. I'm not cut out for face to face scheduled meetings where writers sit in a circle to read and critique each other's work. My internet communities of writers give me feedback in a way I can digest. I'm tapped into upcoming conferences and contests, discussions of what's happening in the industry. I research possible submissions at Publisher's Marketplace and Writer's Market Online. I read blogs by other writers, agents and editors. I read books as fast as I can. I soak up all this information so I can be informed in my field. I'm a writer--I want to know what's going on.

And I participate. I serve on the communications committee for RWA PRO. I serve as PRO Liaison for my online chapter. I even run a goals group for romance writers. These all require time, but hey, I'm a writer. I give back to my community.

The problem, if you haven't guessed, is that while I'm busy proving to myself that I AM a writer, I'm not exactly writing. That elusive dream that kept me awake in the wee hours, thinking through storylines, imagining how a scene would come together--that dream has morphed into worries about building a website, entering a contest, or surfing for the latest industry information. Time is finite, and the time I spend trying to be a writer is time I could spend proving I'm a writer by WRITING. I can position myself as the greatest writer in the world, but if I don't have the writing to back up my claim, I'm nowhere.

I'm not alone. I meet other writers all the time who talk about their writing commitments--organizations, critique groups, judging contests. They discuss their blog or website or their latest volunteer commitment. Some are more successful than I am; they manage all these commitments and STILL write. More power to them. If they could bottle that kind of energy and focus, they'd make a killing. But others, like me, flounder a bit when asked about their latest wip. "What am I writing?" Uh oh, I knew I forgot something....

If this strikes a chord, join me as I attempt to retrain myself. Whenever you catch yourself falling into the "writer" trap, repeat after me. "I want to WRITE." Then go do it.

I WANT TO WRITE. Time to log off here, and open my wip.

It took long enough, but the other day--as you can see from my previous post--I hit a threshold and made that conscious choice to move on from the paralysis of low motivation. (I refuse to consider that I might have been depressed--blondes don't get depressed. Just ask Marilyn Monroe.) And yesterday, in a spirit of positive thought, I embarked on the outline for my next wip. I even started playing around with a short story, something a little spicy and erotic, as a way to stretch my writing muscles. (Okay, go ahead, make whatever sexual jokes you want and get it out of your system. Sheesh!)

And then the phone rang. No, it wasn't THE Call, but it was A Call nonetheless. My single title manuscript, PAINTED BLIND, is a finalist in the Windy City Romance Writers'Four Seasons contest. Thirty seconds in conversation with the contest coordinator successfully wiped away all my ill-feelings of having received some lower than average scores in a few other contests.

Huge thanks to my pals at WritingGIAM for their outpouring of support and congratulations.

So, was it karma that had me thinking positive before I received this call? Or was it the positive karma around me that enabled this call to happen? I don't know, but I do believe that people create their own opportunities. And it's much easier to create opportunity when you're in a positive frame of mind. I mean think of it--how often did you ever catch a new boyfriend while you were still depressed over breaking up with the previous one? Wasn't it only after you were ready to "move on" and started feeling good about yourself as a person again, that suddenly, Mr. Right showed up on your doorstep?

Here's to positive thought--it sure can't hurt.

Stupid little things conspire to remind me that I'm not getting any younger. The other day, my older brother announced he was going with some friends for a picnic at the beach. Immediately, I conjured up scenes of shopping and prepping food, of schlepping a heavy basket over hot sun, then slathering on sun screen and baking while food wilted and drinks warmed. Ugh. Who would want to do that?

Then it struck me--I was beginning to think "old." I mean, even into my thirties, I would have viewed a beach picnic as an adventure, not an energy sucking problem. All the preparation would have filled me with anticipation for the event, and I would have let nothing spoil my fun, not rain, not heat, not sand, not even ants. Challenges would become part of the event, part of adventure, there to be conquered, so enjoyment could reign supreme.

I'm generally positive by nature. So when had I ceased to embrace adventure for its potential? When had I started weighing the risks involved? When had I slowed down that much--instead of running headlong into situations, I had to scope them out. Okay, granted, sometimes that's good--like, when you're playing wiffle ball in the street. But I suddenly looked around and feared I was standing on the curb watching while all of life moved along at its regular pace. Life was moving on and leaving me behind.

Adventure implies a certain element of risk--one never knows the outcome. That's part of the giddy joy, the anticipation. We enter every adventure with the conviction that it will be a positive experience. When we're young and full of energy, our convictions withstand all the challenges that might spoil our adventure. When they were pre-teens, my brothers built a fort in the rafters of the garage. Chris fell onto the concrete floor, but that only added to the fun. Chris got to add the adventure of a hospital stay (broken collar bone), and Jeff got to add the adventure of telling everyone how cool Chris had been when he fell, and how he'd practically died. As an adult, this story chills me with the possibilities of how much worse it could have been, but when we're kids, we're more resilient--or more oblivious--to danger.

Most of all, I think the older we get, the more embarking on an adventure requires hope. Even if we're not convinced our adventure will turn out perfectly, we hope it won't end in disaster. At some point in our lives, we begin to acknowledge that adventure represents the potential for loss. Still, hope spurs us forward, perhaps with more caution. But when caution starts to outweigh hope, when fear paralyzes us, our lives slow to a mere crawl, until we climb up on that curb to watch the younger kids play in the street.

If you've stuck with me this far, I'm sure you're wondering what any of this has to do with writing. Writing, like life, requires a sense of adventure. It's filled with risks and heaped with rejections that leave us with a sense of loss. Those with enough determination slow the "aging" process, remain young enough to continue the adventure. But over time, most writers grow more cautious, lose some of their conviction, surrender hope. They don't enter the contests, don't share their work with their critique partners, don't send those requested submissions into the editors they met. They rewrite the same scene over and over, unable to make it fulfill the vision in their mind. Eventually, they stuff it into a drawer, and for months they won't write anything new.

But hope, like spring, has a way of regenerating growth given the most meager encouragement--a brief ray of sun, a stray warm breeze. For the writer, the germination of a new story idea can reinspire hope. Fresh words on the page build conviction, until the only remedy is to embark on a new adventure.

Not that you want to know a ton about my personal life, but in case you're wondering where I've been, well, it's been a heck of a couple weeks. There was a trip north to visit my in-laws last month. Then there was family visiting here in town for Spring Break. My husband's sister injured herself and my husband returned north to help her out. I stayed home and filed taxes. My brother went on a business trip, and my dad came down sick. I thought it was the flu. I packed up our three cats and moved over to his house to keep an eye on him. He's a diabetic cancer-survivor of 75, so even the flu is a little scary. Turns out he had a massive gall bladder infection. Within a week, my brother was back and had Dad in the ER. Dad had his gall bladder removed, and he came home today. Looks much better, too. No doubt. It appears the infection had been there for some time--maybe months.

And now it's April 18, and I'm quickly approaching the first anniversary of my mother's passing. She died very quietly, though very suddenly, of heart failure. She was 73. She and Dad were less than 6 months away from the 50th wedding anniversary. It's all pretty fresh in my mind, because I can tell that Dad's been thinking of her often lately. Hard not to when you're sick. Mom was always the one to make chicken soup and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And yes, even though I'm past 40, to this day when I get good and sick, I make myself a PBJ. I even cut the crusts off all the way around and cut it into 4 sections, just like she did for me when I was six years old.

I'd love to rack these all up as excuses for not writing. Oh, sure, while I was staying with Dad, I didn't have internet access. And I didn't take my computer with me to the hospital. But the truth is, I did read 5 books, and judged 4 contest entries in the past month. I've kept up with a lot of my loops. I did send out ten agent queries (and to date have racked up 7 agent rejections). I also won a writing contest, queried a piece to National Public Radio (NPR), and confirmed with the folks over at HQN that they have my full ms. Yes, to be sure, one requested full with a publishing house will always make up for any number of agent rejections. It really helps when TWO editors requested it from the same house. (One from a contest win, one from a conference--I would never recommend anyone query two editors at the same house with the same manuscript.)

Obviously, I had time to write because I had time to do all those other things. I can also guarantee I wasn't very productive for hours at a stretch. The thing is, I hate being between writing projects. I know a lot of writers like me. Get me into a story, and I really can crank out 20-30 pgs a day. It's getting INTO the story, that's the tough part. I'm playing with my process, determined to become more efficient. I fully intended to outline this next ms from start to finish before I started drafting full-fledged scenes. But I'm finding as I drag my way through the outlining that it's writing those scenes where I made my most creative discoveries about my characters, or where twists knot up the plot like a pretzel. I got so stalled with the ms I've been planning for the past six months, that I shelved it and moved onto a new, fresh idea.

To make matters worse, the longer I go without writing something substantial, the more I get "down" on myself. There's an irony--ask any writer if he or she needs an excuse to get "down" on him or herself. So, I'm here to say it publicly--I plan to get back in the writing saddle tomorrow. Even if it's schlock that's never used in this new book, the scenes I'm envisioning will give me backstory and help me develop characters so I can outline more of the story. I'll check back and let you know how it all went.

Despite life, death and illness, I pursue writing because it is my salvation. It gives me hope, challenges me to think outside myself, connects me with people I've grown to love.

Sorry I went so quiet on this journal. I was hard at work on the revisions of my wip, and those last few chapters took a lot of concentration. I've got them close, and I've sent a full ms out to an editor who requested it. I also sent out a number of agent queries yesterday (and promptly received back one rejection via email already--who says this business moves slowly?). But I know in my heart I want one more swing at the ms. Especially the second half. It's tighter, and much much better than the previous draft, but some of the plot tweaks I made, well, I'm not convinced I carried them through.

Thank heavens for critique partners who read and give general insights as to what worked and what didn't. It's so hard to distance oneself from a story. So, while I'm eager to dive back into it, I'm making myself take this week off from this ms. I hope to start another one (okay, yeah, I've actually aready got about 50 pgs on another one written) by the end of the week. During my Virtual Office time last night with cp Debbi, she and I each wrote the opening page(s) to 3 new stories. We took maybe 30 minutes for each. It was FUN. Ha, remember when writing was FUN? When there was no right or wrong, there were no critics, no markets to consider. Just you, the computer (or the notepad) and the story? Anyway, it's that kind of thing I'm doing this week.

Oh, and catching up on family stuff--and doing taxes. It's amazing the things that slip through the cracks when I'm focused on a deadline.

"Those who would make art might well begin by reflecting on the fate of those who preceded them: most who began, quit...[T]hose who continue to make art are those who have learned how to continue--or more precisely, have learned how not to quit." --David Bayles & Ted Orland, ART & FEAR.

Anyone who knows me can tell you I'm more likely to throw a pep rally than a pity party. I am by nature one of those annoying *positive* people--a glass-half-full, Pippi Longstocking optimist. (Note to self: try hair in pigtails....) Not that I don't suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune on occasion. I just don't let those slings or arrows hurt me--much. And I don't let them make me think of quitting.

It helps that I've developed a thick hide. I was not one of the popular girls at school. God knows I tried, but I couldn't break through those invisible barriers around the cheerleaders and majorettes. I took it hard, too, because I was intelligent enough to recognize the societal structure, the power that came with popularity. But I was shunned (or whatever it is those girls do in high school) until my senior year, when I finally said, "To hell with it, I'm practically out of here anyway." To my amazement, I became a far happier person when I quit trying to be what I thought others wanted me to be, and simply allowed myself to be....ME. Fancy that. Hmm, so to quit going after a false success is a good thing...

I got lots of practice at experiencing "subjective rejection" prior to marketing my writing. I showed horses--judges in such competitions are notoriously subjective. They like a certain style of horse, of movement, of rider's form. You find a judge that likes you and your horse, and you spend the season following that judge from show to show. From there, I went into theatre. I did some acting, but I found that form of "subjective rejection" really hard to take. I mean, directors point a finger straight at you and say, "You, you're out." And you have to remember, it's not YOU, it's that you don't fit the vision of the role. Okay, secretly, I feared it really meant ME, that I just wasn't a very good actress. I moved on to production management, where I spent five years on the casting side--and let me tell you, there's plenty of times when top-quality performers don't get cast because they don't "fit." The only way to overcome such rejection is to keep trying--or wait tables.

So, by the time I started receiving rejection letters for my manuscripts, I pretty much understood the formula: Rejection=this book is not a fit for this publishing house/editor at this point in the space time continuum. On to the next query.

But I know so many writers who think of quitting after a few rejections. Or think of quitting when they hit rough patches in their latest manuscripts. And I'm watching the Winter Olympics, and thinking how many of these athletes trained for years to have their career defined in a period of four minutes or less. Or worse, defined by a time difference measured in hundredths of a second. I applaud all their efforts, and wish all of them could be winners.

Which brings me back to writers, and how I wish every writer could be a winner, too. Not that all of us will reach bestseller status. Not that all of us will make millions. Not that all of us will even get published. But we succeed where so many have tried and failed--we write. To finish a manuscript is an accomplishment worth celebrating. We control our destiny in the actual writing--we choose to see it through to completion or to quit. Tonight, I salute every writer out there who makes the commitment NOT to quit.