vacation – Jean's Writing

What I did during my holiday

Published on June 14, 2018June 13, 2018 by Jean M. Cogdell12 Comments

I rarely get personal but since I’ve been MIA for three weeks I thought I’d share a little.

First, we went to Paris, France to visit family and celebrate the high school graduation of my beautiful granddaughter.

The day started out a little overcast and cloudy with a chance of showers. Oh boy, do I wish I’d taken pictures during the ceremony but I was afraid my phone would be ruined. During this outside ceremony, the heavens opened and a torrential storm soaked us all. The tent canopy nearly collapsed before all diplomas were handed out. LOL This was one day no one will forget.

Must visit at least another museum while in Paris. This trip we went to the National Pantheon. Under the dome can be found the oldest paintings, frescoes begun under the First Empire. A crypt containing tombs of honored men and women.

Over the next three weeks, we visited the beach in Sete, France. I wasn’t prepared for a beach where the water could turn a person into a human popsicle. Brrr. Beautiful but too cold for this Texan. However, the best part was five days with my daughter and granddaughter.

The best part of this trip was getting personal one-on-one time with each of our three granddaughters. We rarely have the time and this was special.

Next, we headed to Edinburgh, Scotland.

I’d always wanted to visit Scotland, so we decided to take a quick jaunt over there this year. It is a beautiful place. I discovered a little about my roots and a lot about Scotland.

Mrs. MacIntyre's Cafe in Edinburgh Scotland — **A namesake cafe!**

Birds eye view of Edinburgh, Scotland — **Birdseye view of Edinburgh, Scotland**

There was Harry Potter stuff everywhere. Including live owls.

And of course, no visit to Scotland is complete without tasting a few good whiskeys.

Well, that’s what I did on my vacation. What about you? Big plans for the summer? I’d love to hear, so share.

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How do you keep from falling behind?

Published on September 11, 2017September 14, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell8 Comments

Wow! I was only gone two weeks. And now I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Someone sure stirred up the weather gods, while I was on vacation.

Geesh, Hurricane Harvey ushered our plane out of Texas and Irma waited for our return.

I’m so glad that my friends are safe out of harm’s way. With every email, text, tweet and blog post I was thrilled to see smiling faces and read triumph words of survival.

Houston is still cleaning up the mess Harvey left, and Florida will be cleaning for weeks to come. My heart goes out to those who are struggling. Y’all stay dry, Ya hear?

Keeping up with everyone while on holiday, in the 16 Arrondissement in Paris was not as easy as one might think. The internet connection left much to be desired. Even though I’d backed all up to the cloud so I could work a little bit while visiting.

Connecting to the internet cloud

After struggling with my cell phone, I just gave up and enjoyed my granddaughters.

So my apologies if I haven’t been very attentive.

In spite of feeling disconnected, my vacation was lovely. Spending time with my daughter and her family is always fun. Father and daughter

Not to mention the shopping, the food, wine, and laughter. Shopping in Paris

I’ve only been back a couple of days, and I miss them already. Sigh.

But, there’s always next year.

But vacation is over and it’s time to buckle down and write/blog. Hmm, maybe after I wash the mountain of clothes that sprang from our suitcases.

I feel as though I left my motivation somewhere and forgot where. Kinda like misplaced keys. LOL

Any suggestions on how to get back in the groove after a wonderful fun-filled two weeks?

In the mean time, Y’all stay safe! Because unfortunately, hurricane season is not over.

How High’s the Water Mama?

Want to know more about Paris?

Best Things To See And Do In The 16th Arrondissement Of Paris

A Francophile in France

How is everyone doing out there?

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Do you need time to recharge and find new inspiration?

Published on September 15, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell5 Comments

I did.

Setting up my blog to continue without me for a few weeks was time-consuming but worth it. Automation is a wonder thing. Knowing my blog could continue, even in my absence, made letting go easier.

I want to thank everyone for sticking with me during my break. The time with my family was precious, and I can’t wait for our next visit to Paris.

My daughter is a great hostess although she almost walked us to death. She filled our days with seeing the best of the city, good food, and great wines. There is so much to see and do we needed another couple of weeks to see it all.

chateau_de_vincennes_13a-jpg — Chateau_De_Vincennes Photo by JM Cogdell

chateau-de-vaux-le-vicomte-15 — Dancing Horses at Chateau De Vaux-le-Vicomte Photo by JM Cogdell

Want to see more lovely Paris pictures, you should check out my daughter’s blog, A Francophile in France.

After a few days, my husband and I gave her a break and took a quick hop, on Eurostar, over to London.

london-regents-prk-train-station-2 — St Pancras International Train Station Photo by JM Cogdell

I’d never been and loved every minute of it. London is a lot bigger than I expected and as we wandered the city had a tendency to get lost. But that only made the adventure more fun.

Powering down for three weeks is not easy for this type A writer. Internet access was spotty at best, and I must admit to feeling a bit of withdrawal the first few days.

But letting go and just being in the moment with family was wonderful. Plus filling my time with reading books instead of writing sparked inspiration. I recommend everyone take a bit of time to recharge and enjoy life.

So how did you recharge this summer?

Did you take time away from writing and blogging to enjoy life?

Do you find it hard to let go and unplug?

I’d love to hear from you! Click the “write me” tab or contact me on Twitter @jeancogdell,Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on, and I’m waiting.

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