Tennessee Renaissance Festival a Lifelong Quest

Once upon a time… before watching Game of Thrones or touring castles in Europe… I taught my  children and literature students tales of fairies, dragons, and knights. That chivalry must never die and dreams do come true.  We’d then travel to The Tennessee Renaissance Festival to wander Covington Glen, a 16th Century village located outside of Nashville….

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Women’s History Month Celebration at Le Skewer

Saturday, March 16 from 6-8 PM, Le Skewer in Brentwood is hosting a Women’s History Month event: “Celebration of Spirit.” I’m so honored to be part of the special program organized by Pablo Garzon who will provide music with his Serenatta Romantic Latin Ensemble. I’ve been a fan since interviewing Pablo for HispanicNashville.com years ago and…

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Classic Movie Offers Words of Comfort for a New Year

When choosing a book or movie, I ask, “Where do I want to go?” emotionally and   physically. Films and travel memoirs have shaped my Bucket List, transported me back to places I love, and moved me–literally–to live abroad for three years. Two of my first posts on this blog were movie reviews–one on Slumdog Millionaire set…

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Women Gather in South Carolina to Exchange Gifts for the Soul

Peace. Artistic Expression. Adventure. Beauty. Sisterhood. Self-care. My holiday season commenced with a road trip to Rock Hill, South Carolina where women of all ages gave and received gifts that nourished the spirit. Ruth Surface of Mended by Hand Massage and Wellness organized the event which benefited Keep It Real, Mommy,  a nonprofit organization empowering…

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Rising from Travel Trauma

Last spring when my friend Caroline offered me her holiday home as my private writing retreat, I was thrilled. Though we’d never met in person, we’d been in contact since 2016 just before I left Morocco. After I moved to the Dominican Republic, she bought the house and sent me photos of each phase of…

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7 Cool Things to Do in Nashville Before Summer Ends

From summer garden cocktail parties to getting a jumpstart for fall picnics and fashion, the remaining days of August in Nashville have a lot to offer… 1. Cocktail Crawl at Cheekwood August 16, 5 PM-10 PM At Cheekwood Tonight is the last chance to enjoy this new-to-Cheekwood event. Stroll the summer gardens; tickets include drink…

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Summer Travel: Courses That Will Transport You

Summer travel season is here–my favorite time of the year! PLEASE JOIN ME FOR A WAY TO SAVOR TRAVEL EXPERIENCES AT HOME in a course I’m teaching in July at The Porch, Nashville’s Independent Writing Center. GO HERE FOR DETAILS:  Travel Tales: Writing Our Journeys Near and Far  is for anyone wanting to join a community of explorers…

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Five Reasons for a Southern Girl Getaway in Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville, North Carolina makes a great girl getaway destination–not only because of the beautiful Biltmore mansion (which housed the Glamour On Board: Fashion from Titanic The Movie exhibit I LOVED) but also because of five other fabulous finds. Reason 1: The Downtown Restaurants Reason 2: The Shopping Reason 3: Biltmore Gardens and Grounds Wonder beckons…

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Cindy McCain – Lost in Morocco

Originally posted on Tenx9 Nashville Storytelling:
I’ve been lost since 2014 when I left a teaching job of 27 years at a school my kidsattended K-12 three streets from our house. I moved to another continent 4,400 miles away. Solo. Sight unseen. As sure as Santiago in Coelho’s (Quelho’s) The Alchemist, I knew it was…