Summer is about to begin and I've been thinking about what the next few months hold. You're probably doing the same. Here's what will be happening at our house...June will be dedicated to family. Here's hoping some warm weather is on the way! Time for sleeping in, cookouts, gardening, tending kitties (our twin cats just had a double batch!), and just being together. Wyatt is 14 and Paul is 11. Children grow up so fast. I sense the Lord telling me to savor every second.
I'm so excited about July. I'll be flying to Philadelphia and going on tour with The Providence Forum. Sound like a book tour? I wish! Dr. Peter Lillback, colonial historian, seminary president, and pastor will be our guide. He's the #1 bestselling author of George Washington's Sacred Fire. It's an honor to spend time with this gifted man in this historic city.This charming scene at right is Elfreth's Alley, the oldest street in America, and the very spot Morrow's Aunt Etta had her dress shop in Courting Morrow Little. We'll visit here and Betsy Ross's home, Franklin's print shop, Christ Church, City Tavern, Valley Forge, and other historic places. After leaving Philadelphia, I'll take the train to Pittsburgh where I'll be staying with my college roommate and her family. You can plan on my spending a lot of time at Fort Pitt, Red Shirt and Ezekial Click's old haunt, or what is left of it. Since my new series figures prominently in both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, this is a huge blessing.
August is a bit of a blur! I'll be having a launch party right here as well as other places. Please join me as I give away copies of The Colonel's Lady each week and also spotlight author friends MaryLu Tyndall, Kaye Dacus, and Sarah Sundin who are also releasing historicals that month. Lots of fun and prizes!
I'm wishing you His best blessings as you start this summer season - and a bounty of good books!
Ever been to Philadelphia or Pittsburgh? Do you have any favorite spots there? Are you staying home this summer or planning a getaway? I'd love to know either way!
Last but not least, the winner, per random. org, of An Unlikely Suitor by Nancy Moser is....
Cassie!
If you can send me your snail mail address I'll mail that right out. Bless you all!
OK, just send me the itinerary and I will meet you in Philadelphia....I wish! What an exciting trip. I can't wait to see the pictures. The glimpse of that little street is so wonderful and romantic!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a wonderful summer to me. :) I hope you are blessed each day.
ReplyDeleteJune is going to be pretty quiet here. July will fly by, since we are planning a vacation that month. We are traveling to St. Louis. My Grandma-in-law is turning 90, so that we will be fun. In August, my babies both have birthday's. They are turning 6 & 3 (where does the time go??), then school restarts at the end of August.
Every year, I say that I am going to savor the summer and enjoy it more. Then, it seems like it gets packed full of activities and time flies by. Enjoy your boys and time off in June! :)
wow! that summer tour sounds AMAZING and what a dream come true for you! I would love to do something like that. What a trip of a life time!
ReplyDeleteI'm going through a bit of a funk and not sure what my summer holds...I'm waiting for the perfect plan to become apparent though! Here's hoping that happens sooner rather than later :) one thing is for sure, I know I'll be reading The Colonel's Lady come august!~!
Your summer sounds so wonderful! Hope you truly enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI am at my parents' house right now. Will be going back to Lexington tomorrow. It's definitely hot here, it was 96 when we were out earlier today. My mom and I went to visit my aunt yesterday. My aunt showed me some albums/scrapbooks of our family's history. She also made a delicious pineapple upside down cake.
Since I'm home this weekend, I'm continuing the birthday celebrations. ;) I have a couple of new shirts, a DVD (The King's Speech!!!!), and candy. My mom also made a summer cake for me. That's definitely one of my favorite desserts.
Mary, As I was typing this I kept thinking, "Mary's going to the beach, Mary's going to the beach!" I think I'd trade ya;) Or maybe you've already been there and back. I am behind on my blog reading!
ReplyDeleteYes, so well said, this little alley IS so wonderful and romantic. There's even a little spinning balcony on the second floor of one building, or so I've heard, where the lady of the house could sit and spin and overlook the alley. I had to put that in this next book! Thanks so much for stopping. As usual, it blesses me:)
Stacey, I'm so glad you're enjoying your littles and your Grandma-in-law:) Turning 90 is awe-inspiring - so glad you all get to go to St. Loo! Since I'm always thinking in terms of history, that's one historically-rich place.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right about the summer whizzing by. I think that's why I'm trying to be more purposeful about it this summer instead of simply reacting to it. Sounds like you are, too. Praying His best for you in your travels and stay at home times, too!
Cassie, Congrats on winning AUS! I'll mail that out Tuesday morning since tomorrow is a holiday. I hope it sweeps you away and you get lost in those pages - all 376 of them:)
ReplyDeleteSounds like you will have a lovely summer! Now if it would only WARM UP HERE! My goodness, I'm still in turtle necks and pants and winter coats. Not. Fun. :-/
ReplyDeleteNow the real question is...will you be including ACFW in September?? I hope you say yes. ;-)
Heather, It truly is the trip of a lifetime for me. When I think of how it ties in with my upcoming series, it's such a godsend! We're making up for lost time, I guess. Didn't have a vacation for years after we married so I feel doubly blessed! Staying home so much makes me appreciate getting out all the more. This trip will be without my laptop. Imagine that;) I want to soak up all that history without any gadgets!
ReplyDeleteNo matter what the summer holds, I'm sure you'll find inspiration in the little joys like you always seem to do. I'm still thinking of your walks you take us on on your blog:) I feel like I've been to your neck of the woods now!
Your life sounds full of blessings, Michelle - pineapple-upside-down cake is a fav here:) And I covet your heat!! I know Philly and Pitt are HOT, too, so have to get prepped for that, if there is such a thing. But we southern girls love heat;)
ReplyDeleteI've yet to see The King's Speech as all copies were gone when I tried to rent it a couple of weeks ago. It must be very good. Glad you're getting some time with your family - looking at those family hx books are right down my alley!
Casey,
ReplyDeleteIsn't it pitiful - I feel like wearing gloves and wool socks!!! My mom is here and she says, "You really never warm up here, do you?"
Guess what? I find out if I'm going to ACFW for sure in mid-July. Bet you can guess why;) I really do plan to come and also plan to wear that colonial dress to the banquet. AND give you a big hug!!! I'm so thankful you're coming. Can't wait to hear the rest of that story, my friend!!
Philly's one of my favorite places. A few years back when I visited on 4th of July weekend, I met Ben Franklin there! He was quite talkative and shared lots of stories. One of my students' favorite places is The Bourse. Have you been in to eat or shop?
ReplyDeleteSounds like you'll have a wonderful summer, Laura! Time with your boys will be great, and historic tours are the best. I'm excited about your book, even tho' I won't make any of your book parties. And, of course, I along with others hope to meet you in September :)
Oh, you've piqued my curiosity with The Bourse, Renee Ann:) I'll have to look it up! Chuckling about old Ben. I bet he's everywhere during tourist season! I just finished his autobiography (free on Kindle) and it was quite entertaining. What a rascal he was! But since he was a friend of George Whitefield, I'll forgive him...
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to celebrating TCL with you here in August. Not too much longer now. I heard from CBD's latest catalog that it ships in July. YIKES:)
I haven't been to Philadelphia, but it's on my list of places to visit along with thousands of other places. Planning a family vacation to East Tennessee and the Smokey Mountains. For some reason going to the Smoky Mountains feels like coming home.
ReplyDeleteCarissa,
ReplyDeleteWe Kentucky girls think alike:) The Smokies are indeed like coming home and are in fact, not so very different from home! I like destinations that are close and within driving distance as I don't like planes!
You're right - there are so many interesting, intriguing places out there. Praying your time away is a real retreat and treat for you. I know you've earned it working hard like you have. Thanks for blessing us with your words:)
Awww you lucky lady you, I want to go to Philly sooo bad! That picture of Elfreth's Alley looks so strange. Since it's the oldest street in America a picture taken with a modern camera seems weird, you know what I mean?
ReplyDeleteWell I know you will have an awesome time! I have to say that while I've never been to Philly I've definitely been to Pittsburgh. ;-) While you're in town you should definitely try a Primanti Bros. sandwich! It's a Pittsburgh tradition LOL! Do you think you'll visit Fort Necessity? You'll be in my neck of the woods if you do. Hehehe! Enjoy your summer!
XOXO~ Renee
LOL, Renee;) I'm kind of bothered by those modern buildings at the opposite end of the alley - kind of ruins the effect! I was so hoping you'd pop in as this is your neck of the woods. Fort Necessity sounds heavenly and I wonder how far that is from where I'll be... The sandwich sounds right up my alley. I keep thinking "Philly cheese steak" but the Pittsburgh version might even be better! Bless you!
ReplyDeleteI went to Philadelphia when I was a little girl. We toured everything, but I only have pictures to show for my memories. I do have pictures of a room with a writing quill so that had to have been something...
ReplyDeleteI know we headed to Amish country and saw the Liberty bell as well. Hope you have fun!
Ah, Laura, as you head into summer think of me shivering down under! Winter seems to have hit early here despite it's official arrival on 1st June.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fabulous trip you are planning, I hope you enjoy every minute.
And what fine looking young men you have - no doubt a credit to you and your hubby :)
Sounds like a fabulous summer ahead, Laura! How wonderful to have you make it to the east coast, and the MidAtlantic in particular!
ReplyDeleteGoodness, I can see why June is family month! Are you boys off school in June? Here we go right to the end and summer vacation is all of July and August.
ReplyDeleteLove that beautiful street. Reminds me of the old country. :-) I would love to live in a little village that looks just like that!
Can't wait for all the wonderful historicals that are coming out this summer. I just started The Lady of Bolton Hill (remember that yummy cover you brought to our attention?). The writing is lovely -- it's one of these settle-in-and-travel-back-in-time-because-I'm-about-to-tell-you-an-epic-good-story kind of book...at least that's the feel I get.
Finally comin' up for air after finishing my rewrites and returning to the blog world before I start on the edits.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for TCL!
The Peck household is going to be busy, but first me and the kiddos are taking the next 2 wks off and heading to IA to do some 4-H stuff and just chill, visit friends and family we don't see much of during the school year. I'm in need of the break from our home--been dealing with a lot of undue stress.
Next I'm gearing up to write my novella! Still have no idea if we're moving--the job market for teachers in Iowa is drying up due to state budget woes. And that still leaves me in limbo on whether I'm going to ACFW conference or not.
Then it's Fair Time! Boy howdy, that's gonna be busy and probably hot, and this year we have 2 rabbits showing which makes for more chores at the fair grounds! Like I said, we're gonna be busy!
Oh, what an exciting trip to PA! How I wish I was tagging along. We fly into Pittsburgh when going to visit my father, which I hope to do in the not too distant future. And then drive up to NY. It's a dream trip for now though.
ReplyDeleteYou've got a wonderful summer lined up, and I can't wait to have TCL in my hands. :) XO
Laura, I love this post and that adorable pic of the boys! They are really handsome! So glad you have such a fun summer planned! That pic of Philadelphia is really neat.....I would love to go with you. I love the fact that June is dedicated to your family.....life flies by and we all need to remember the priceless moments spent with our immediate families. The kids have grown up so so fast....I find so much joy in all the kids activities and helping them achieve their milestones. Sydney is now an official driver and Zach keeps us so busy with his travel ball. I hope we can get together again sooner than later. Much love to Randy, the boys, and your Mom & Garry too. Love ya!
ReplyDeleteLOL with my poor vision I didn't even notice that modern building in the pic, at least it isn't a skyscraper though.
ReplyDeleteI say you definitely need to try a philly cheesesteak while you're in Philly and grab a Primanti sandwich (no need to order fries, they're right on the sandwich!) while you're in the 'Burgh. Don't eat for a week prior and you won't have to feel guilty or anything about all the greasy PA food LOL!
Ft. Necessity is probably about 35 minutes from my house so it's probably about 1hr 20min. or so from downtown Pittsburgh so it's quite a trip.
XOXO~ Renee
What a wonderful summer you have planned. Making wonderful memories with you boys will be worth every second! Make sure you take loads of pics as they change so much, so fast.
ReplyDeleteYour trips sound fantastic! Although I lived in Pennsylvania for 5 years I never did make it to Philly. That should be such a wonderful historic tour. Be sure to tell us all about it!
My Mom and I on our turning 50/70 birthday road trip to a wedding in Ohio will be spending time in Virginia - hoping to visit the Frontier Culture Museum, Colonial Williamsburg, and Jamestown. I also hope to get in several one and two day trips in Maine and Massachusetts this summer for more research.
Laura, I don't suppose you'll be in Philly at the end of July?? Just checking, because I'm going to a wedding in Philly on July 30th. Either way, I hope to meet you someday :).
ReplyDeleteCould you keep us in prayer today for medical issues?
Adrienne, Am glad you have pictures! And something of that trip was distilled in your little soul, I should hope:) My boys, especially Paul, don't remember going places either so we haul out the pics and I'm so glad for them.
ReplyDeleteYou've named another thing dear to my heart - all things Amish. While I don't read much Amish fiction, I think their work ethic and beautiful farms are amazing. And all that Amish food!
Thanks for the good trip wishes. I look forward to sharing some memories with you here:)
Rel, Thanks for the kind words:) This is one of my favorite pics of them and one I think I've posted before but can't help myself as it seems to capture their personalities to a T. And we have so many pics that aren't very good!
ReplyDeleteI think the arrival of your winter June 1 is very interesting and certainly makes me think:) Our summer solstice is officially June 21, or so I think! But it feels like winter here as it's only 51 degrees during the day so far. Shiver. Wishing we could meet half-way somewhere - that would put us in the middle of Europe somewhere, I'm guessing! Someday, my friend, I hope we are face to face!
Carrie, It IS wonderful. I'm getting so excited and counting down. It comes at a crazy time as TCL will be releasing and I'll be offline but can't help it:) If I had my way I'd mosey down to Virginia and then NC and other parts and never return west!
ReplyDeleteWinter, I love hearing about your summer and 4-H sure makes me smile, along with fairs and rabbits and all else. I've always wished my boys and I could have gone the 4-H route as it's so educational and opens so many interesting doors! Your summer sounds great and I know/hope/pray you'll return refreshed!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excted about your writing and where the Lord is leading. I'll be right there when your books release and would love to spotlight you on the blog here when the time comes:) Thanks for taking time to catch me up. It means so much. God go with you as you travel!
Lori,
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll be taking that NY trip before too long. Neat that you've touched down in Philly on the way to your dad. Since I've never been there, I don't know what to expect though I'm thankful to have a direct flight from Seattle. I'm sure it's changed a bit from it's colonial days when the population was 45k;)
Rhonda, So happy to see you here:) I know you take such joy in your kids, too, and we should - truly, they are God's gifts! It's hard to believe they're all growing up so fast. I was just thinking when you all came to visit how little Sydney and Zach were - about 7 and 4 or something like that! And now she's driving and he's all over the place playing ball. Congrats on that big win, BTW:) Praying we meet up again soon as you're sure missed!
ReplyDeleteRenee,
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, we were watching that crazy Adam (the overeating man) on the show where he visits different places - well, he was in Pittsburgh and eating your sandwich with the fries piled on top!! I nearly hopped up and down in glee:) What a sandwich! I don't remember how many of them he ate...
BTW, we are watching your Lassie movie (we've been saving it) and it's so good, hubby asked us to wait and watch the rest with him when he can sit down with us:) Paul even got up in the night last night and I heard barking and came out and he had it playing again! Bless you for that...
Carla,
ReplyDeleteYour travel shedule sounds wonderful. I know your mom enjoys every minute and how neat to spend your birthdays together, on the road! If I could choose anyone to travel with it would be my mom, too:)
It doesn't surprise me that you didn't make it to Philly when you lived in PA. It's such a big state. It takes 8 hours to get from Philly to Pittsburgh on Amtrak. Since I love the train and can't wait to see the countryside, the very same trek my characters take, I'm sure 8 hours won't seem long enough...
Looking forward to seeing pics of your travels, Carla. Those research posts are among my favorite that you do:)
Kav,
ReplyDeleteBoys are done with 5th and 8th grade in only 9 days! I'm having them make a list of things they'd like to do and see this summer and we'll try to do one a week. One has fiddle camp and one has church camp so the time will fly by...
I have TLOBH on Mount TBR, as Ruth calls it, right here:) You make me want to read right now! Currently I'm in the middle of Hidden Affections by Delia Parr. Love the back cover and that ice blue snowflake theme. That's the wonderful thing about books. We can travel and get away through them. Sometimes a 'staycation' as they call it is the best trip of all, with a good book in hand, anyway:)
Julia,
ReplyDeleteSo good to see you here:) You have my heartfelt prayers, yes, for whatever you are facing. Thanks so much for letting me know. Lifting you and C and the littles up and will continue.
I would so love to see you! But I leave Philly July 18:( I keep thinking how close I am to NY (well, relatively) and how I'd love to zip up and see you and Renee Ann and Debra Marvin and others. Lord willing, we'll meet someday.
Watch your mailbox;)
Laura,
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should remove Cassie's mailing address if you can. Since my husband is in IT I'm on the alert and things like that make me nervous.
Bummer that we won't cross paths. I keep meeting more and more ACFW members in the upstate NY area and I think we may have a summer NY meetup.
Thanks so much for your prayers!
ReplyDeleteJulia,
ReplyDeleteYou're so wise - thanks for the reminder about that address! I deleted. It's so important to be careful and vigilant.
Covering you in prayer today and praying you feel His presence in new ways...
OH, and hoping you meet up with more fellow writers your way, Julia. Here's hoping and praying we meet up at ACFW one day:)
ReplyDeleteWow, you have an exciting summer ahead of you, dear friend!! May you enjoy every moment of it, especially time spent with your sweet family :)
ReplyDeleteNot sure what this summer will hold for my family and I but I pray whatever it is that the Lord will orchestrate it! :) I feel like God I moving and working in our lives in mighty ways and I'm excited to see what He has in store! I also have a few highly anticipated book releases happening this summer, too! ;)
Looking forward to pictures of your travels, especially your launch party for TCL!! Praying you have a beautiful June, my friend :)
Blessings,
Amanda
Amanda, So glad you've here and hope you had a peaceful Memorial Day. I've been hearing reports of HOT weather your way - well, Kentucky, at least! I know June is a special month for you:) I'll be busy making Randy a cherry chocolate chip cake on Thursday for his day. Love June birthdays! But then I just plain love summer.
ReplyDeleteYou have a wonderful attitude/anticipation about what the Lord has in store for you and yours. God loves that level of trust and faithfulness! We really should live looking forward to His blessings as there are so many. His mercies are new every morning...
Bless you, Amanda, as we head into June! And bless your precious family, too.
I didn't know Randy's b-day was in June, too! Please tell him I said happy birthday from a fellow June-baby :)
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, we have had some heat (and humidity!) here lately. Today wasn't too bad but we have needed the AC a few times. I can't complain though considering what half of the country has gone through with tornadoes. My heart is breaking for them. I heard a little while ago that we have conditions for possible tornadoes tomorrow. I'm a little nervous about that. Just another sign of the times I guess... but our Redemption draweth nigh :)
Praying you have some nice warm weather soon and lots of sunshine, too :)
Blessings,
Amanda
Amanda-girl, you are a night owl;) Thx for the warm wishes about June birthdays. They sure are fun. Prayers with you as the winds pick up. It's really heartbreaking to see so many areas affected. But like you said, our redemption draweth nigh... Beautiful words! Praying He'll keep you and your family and area safe. Thanks so much for checking back in!
ReplyDeleteOh yay! Laura, that excites me more than anything (almost anything!) else, getting to meet you! Wow, love that thought. :-)
ReplyDeleteLet's see, my plans for Summer? So far we don't have any concrete plans. We just took a big trip to Florida this past December so I think we might take little jaunts around Michigan, visiting the North-West side of the Mitten for sure.(in case you were wondering, Lower Michigan is shaped like a mitten and this is how us Michiganders describe where we live. For instance, using your left hand like the American Indian greeting How, I live 3/4 past the first finger knuckle before you get to your wrist. Got it?!? I would rather show you all in person! I was never a good cartographer LOL!!
ReplyDeleteYour trip sounds so Awesome. I am sure that brain of yours will be even fuller with fictitious ideas when you return.
Did you know I one a quill pen over at Colonial Quills?! Isn't that amazing!!
Stacie
Laura, I'm so glad that you and your family are enjoying the Lassie movie, I've never seen it believe it or not! I was at a discount store a few days ago and saw the dvd there and was very tempted to buy it, I guess I'll have to go back and get myself a copy since it's so good. I hope you have a fun time on your trip to PA and a great time seeing the sites. You'll have to post some pics on your site. :-)
ReplyDeleteXOXO~ Renee
Stacie,
ReplyDeleteSo happy you got that pretty pin - guess that makes you an official Quiller now:) Carrie is so generous over there, always giving great gifts to readers. And us Quillers. We're so blessed to have her as she has such a heart for Him and others.
Oh, I like the mitten concept - so fitting! I think the UP is so pretty and miss my Isle Royale days. LOVE the place Somewhere in Time was filmed - that beautiful, historic resort! Am hoping to hop up and see my publisher in future. If I do I will certainly look you up and have lunch - or something like that!
Hoping and praying this summer is your best yet:)
Renee,
ReplyDeleteI promise lots of pictures here when I return from your beautiful state:) I think I need a new camera as my old digital has major issues:( As for the movie, it's so well done. The scenery is just amazing as it's filmed in England and Scotland. And the acting is very fine. I didn't realize how much the collie/sheltie breeds were Scottish. Such an interesting history. I have a sheep dog in my new series that I love, much like Lassie:) If you can't find the movie I will be glad to mail this one back to you as it's so worth sharing and I didn't mean to win it in the first place! But am so glad I did!! Bless you again!
Casey,
ReplyDeleteCounting down with you:) Now I have another reason to go, besides seeing you, of course - my editor finaled in the Editor of the Year contest and I'm so thrilled!!!
Hey Laura, I just read on one of your comments that you are making a Cherry Chocolate Chip Birthday Cake. Would you mind sharing the recipe with us? I would love to make that!!
ReplyDeleteS
Stacie, You're not alone in wanting that recipe;) My pleasure, dear friend, to share the JOY. So glad you asked!
ReplyDeleteYou're such a dear Laura but no need to send the movie back, it would cost more for you in shipping than it would be for me to buy it, like I said I saw it on one of the local stores here for a very good deal. Besides Paul would be very upset I'm sure if he was up late re-watching it that must mean he loves it. LOL. I would be mad if my mom sent my North and South dvd away. ;-)
ReplyDeleteXOXO~ Renee
Renee, you're right - Paul would probably have a come apart! He so loves dogs and has since he was small, Lassie included, and this is the most well done Lassie I've ever seen. He's not the only one who will be staying up late and watching again;)
ReplyDeleteHello Laura, The trip to Philadelphia sounds wonderful, your cake looks delicious and we were just at the Pittsburgh Zoo. What a delightful day we spent there...the Aquarium is wonderful. I'm looking forward to the release of your new book. How exciting...=) We just enjoyed a week with our daughter & her family. Our two grandsons are 7 & 3 and they are soooo sweet. =)
ReplyDeleteMaggie Ann, So happy to have you back - and so delighted to hear you've been in Pittsburgh:) I think the zoo sounds great and your mentioning it makes me want to go. I think it's suppposed to be one of the best and I know you and your grands must have had a wonderful time. They're at such precious ages, really interested in animals and nature and God's beautiful creation. I really miss ages 7 and 3! I'm sure you're missing them and they you...
ReplyDeleteI'll have to pop over and see what you've been up to. Something creative, I'm sure:) Bless you.