This is Part 3 and final installment of a series of posts about how I’ve been inspired by Scottish castles to create scenes in my novels. We visit Dirleton Castle in Dirleton, East Lothian for this one. Here I introduce Lord Faintree’s solar: The solar is where the lord, lady, or master of a castle lives. It’s… Read more »
Dirleton Castle
Medieval Scottish Castles: Looking In
Medieval castles dominate Scotland’s landscape, and they’re practical structures for their times. Most start off as giant stone boxes with incredibly thick walls (sometimes square, sometimes rounded, depending on when they were built), copious trimmings to help with defense (say it with me: “crenelated battlements!”), and all sorts of openings with murderous purposes. Many also… Read more »
Eight years ago today, I lost a person very important to my life, one of my best friends ever: my mom. Here`s one of my favorite pictures of her on Mount Desert Island, a place she loved. Mom was a huge support and advocate for me as I grew up on that island, and always believed in me. When I was an adult, though, we had a new and very special relationship. She`d come to visit me and we`d go on adventures, exploring the area where I lived. She had a job, but she`d leave early on Friday and spend the whole weekend with me, returning home late Sunday. Those times, just Mom and me, were so incredibly special. We joked, talked, sat in companionable silence, and just felt each other`s company. My mom loved to learn and adored history, nature, plants, and animals, and more. I miss her so much. The grief of loss softens, but it never goes away.
#ParentalLoss #Love
My son said yesterday’s bagels are his favorite yet! I’ve been trying out different recipes with different flour. This one was all bread flour and boiled 30 seconds per side. I think they came out well too! Pictured here: cinnamon sugar on the bottom, then nigella and kosher salt above, and extra sharp cheddar at the top.
By the way, I love that my son asked for the less traditional nigella (black onion seed) and salt over sesame seed. He’s a kid for whom such spices (along with garam masala and fenugreek, one of his top favorites) make the ultimate comfort food.
#bagels #baking #bakingfromscratch #weekendbaking