What I did this summer...

This has been a busy, but memorable, summer with not enough writing accomplished, but all sorts of writing-related adventure.  Late in the spring I was busy researching steamboats (which play an important role in my current work-in-progress), and my husband and I traveled to Irvington, on the northern neck of Virginia along the Rappahannock River, to visit the Steamboat Era Museum.

We stayed at the lovely Hope and Glory Inn,

where the innkeeper offered to give us a wine tasting at his nearby vineyard known as the Dog & Oyster.  Well, one thing led to another and before we realized what was happening, we found the perfect little "getaway" home in Vineyard Grove.

 The thing that sold us was the kayak dock on Carter's Creek.

 We weren't even looking, but now we are the proud owners of Tent House #6 (the story behind why it's called a tent house will have to wait for another post, but I'll give you the hint that it does involve those steamboats I was researching).

We settled on June 24th and barely had time to spend a few days there before I headed off to Ireland to teach at Spalding University's MFA residency abroad.  The first week was spent in Dublin on the campus of Trinity College, also home to the Book of Kells, and the second week in the village of Oranmore on the outskirts of Galway.  In addition to leading a workshop with six amazing writers

I gave 2 lectures, a reading, heard a lecture on Jonathan Swift given by the president of Ireland, attended a play at The Abby Theater, and took side trips to the Village of Trim (where Braveheart was filmed),

the ruins of the 9th century monastery Clonmacnoise,

and the smallest of the Aran Isles, Inishmore.

 This week I start receiving the first round of packets from my 6 MFA students!

As if this wasn't enough adventure, we also spent a week in a wonderful rambling house known as Blueberry Lodge in Sorrento, Maine with both our children and their families (6 adults and 6 children)--chaotic but wonderful.

Now I am trying to get my life back to a more normal writing routine with time spent in both our homes, Misty Hill Lodge and the river house, as we have decided to call it.  By the way, fellow spuds, it would make a great place for a writing retreat!