My boys and I celebrated the end of another school year with a trip to Ohio. Photo-heavy post to come, but for now, suffice it to say we had a blast. Hung out in CLE with one of my best friends and her son and then pressed on to to my dad’s, where we vacationed in Lake Erie Shores and Islands fashion.
As any parent will tell you, I could use a post-vacation vacation, but it’s time to get back to work, while my boys enjoy the freedom of summer vacation. First, I wanted to touch base with you and thank you for following my journey here at the blog. With my birthday coming up, I’m feeling a little reminiscent: thanks for helping to make this past year great!
Speaking of reminiscing, one of my fave smart-funny mom bloggers, Becca, interviewed me for her blog: With Love, Becca: Funny Mom, Career Coach, Storytelling Enthusiast. We chatted about my blog, about freelance writing, creative writing, rejection, and resiliency. Of course, we also talked kids and humor-as-saving-grace. And I submitted to a 90s rapid fire Q&A that took me all the way back. Good times. And such a fun interview to do. I hope you’ll check it out and follow Becca’s blog. She’s inspiring plenty of career-swiveling-fun parenting-sanity saving change over there. Developing Resiliency in Your Creative Pursuits: Q&A with Writer Rebecca Moon Ruark.
Happy almost summer! What are your plans? Vacay? Creative pursuits? And please let me know what books you’re looking to read by the pool this summer. I love suggestions!
Rust Belt Girl 
I love it – two Beccas (even if you don’t go by Becca) in one post. It was so fun to learn more about you. And I so needed to hear “Don’t give up” this week. Congrats on surviving vacation. Hope summer vacation goes well too! I love that picture!
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Yes, never give up. Really, I just go with inertia, and once I’ve started something I keep going. Almost easier than giving up, putting down the pen, and stopping. I definitely need good luck to make it all the way through summer vacation. I haven’t heard “I’m bored” yet, but it’ll happen soon! I hope your weather warms up, up there. However, I’m enjoying our actual spring this year!
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I appreciate your excellent advice about using inertia.
Ah, you’ll make it through summer vacation. Enjoy it that they are still around the house lurking in the shadows of boredom. That time in life flies by quickly.
Glad to hear you’re enjoying spring weather! Happy Summer to you – I’ll be by again soon to see what you’re up to!
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That’s a great Cleveland photo! My wife is from Parma, and I bought her the coloring book titled “Mommy, Why Is Daddy Crying?” that allows you to color in all of the greatest sports mistakes from Cleveland’s past, like “the fumble”, “the interception” etc. It’s good natured and funny, and speaks to how Cleveland sports fans had to suffer for so long before finally getting their world championship!
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Thanks, John! The closest we got to Parma this trip was the historic West Side Market, which is fantastic. That coloring book–hysterical! Only, in my house, it would’ve been, “Why is Mommy Crying?” It was us girls who were the big sports fans. And we’re very excited about Baker Mayfield and the Browns this fall, so we’ll see. I hate to get my hopes up too high but Clevelanders always keep the hope! “Believeland,” they call it! Thanks for stopping by. I have much blog-reading to do, after lazing around on my birthday!
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We also can’t wait to see what the Browns can do this fall….”Believeland” indeed!
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Since this will be my first summer in Michigan, I am traveling around checking out all the lighthouses and my husband and I will be spending our 35th anniversary on Mackinaw Island. Right now I am reading one of David McCullough’s books, “The Pioneers.” You might find it interesting as he writes about one of the first settlements in Ohio.
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Oh wow, what a wonderful trip that will be, Barbara! Happy Anniversary to you; I bet Mackinaw will be a great place to spend it. I’ve never read McCullough, but that book sounds fascinating. Thanks for the recommendation! And enjoy your trip.
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I’ll be posting on my trip for sure. McCullough has written several good books including ones on John Adams, Theodore Roosevelt and Harry Truman. Since my love of books includes biographies of politicians and others in American history, I have several of his books.
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Here we returned to Autumnal rain and last night we had the heating back on … summer seems far from around the corner and if it leaps up from an unforseen place to shout “boo!” I probably won’t trust its longevity. A couple of music festivals booked but all this rain forced a roof repair so our vaycay (as USA calls it) will be in our immediate vicinity in England/united Kingdom. But, have motor home will travel. *SIGH* it will be good pitching up in a local campsite two miles away; food on the barbecue, music on laughter way after dark. Ahhhh! We can vaycay our way and will. You have a good one and enjoy your birthday as well as your summer. X
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Thanks, Ellen! I do like the sound of an outdoorsy vaycay–even right around the corner. It’s all about getting away from the regular grind, right? Barbecue, music…sounds fun. I know, this weather’s thrown a wrench into everybody’s plans. Hope you manage to enjoy your summer!
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It will take more than rain to dampen our spirits, thinking about altrnative breaks is the way to enjoy our summer. X Happy Summer Rebecca
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Am reading a lot so I will have to post it! Have a lovely birthday! We are going to Lanzarote in July which should be great💟
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Thank you! OK, I admit I’m not geographically-inclined, so I had to look up Lanzarote. Wow! Now that I know, I’ll be hitching a ride in your suitcase–ha! Enjoy, and I hope you take a bunch of pics for your blog!
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Great interview with you, Rebecca! Enjoyed reading it, learning more about you and your creative pursuits. Have you ever done any communications work for the Cleveland Clinic? I only ask because we have friends whose daughter worked there in that capacity until about two years ago. As for my summer plans—well, already traveled east, plan to head north, and right now on my “to read” pile is Sally Rooney’s Conversations With Friends, Salvatore DiFalco’s Minotaur and Other Stories, Melissa Ostrom’s Unleaving, Italy Calvino’s Numbers in the Dark, and Erin McGraw’s Joy. Lots to read!
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Thank you! That interview sure was fun. I’ve never done any work for the Cleveland Clinic, but wow is that place growing by leaps and bounds. Plenty there on your TBR to keep you busy during your travels! I’ll be especially interested to know what you think of Rooney, who gets such great buzz (however a book blogger/reviewer I like a lot has trouble with her stories). And, Melissa is so lovely and generous on Twitter–and I just know I’ll love her book. Now to find the time for them all! I currently have a stack for the blog, a stack for Parhelion, and a stack to inform my novel MS and my novel-in-progress. Top of that last stack is the poetry collection, DEAF REPUBLIC, which I’m very excited to read. Sounds revolutionary–not just in subject matter but form.
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As they say, “So many books ….!” Enjoy!
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Happy birthday 🎉🎁🎂! I was on vacation too, which is my excuse for radio silence. Enjoyed reading your accomplishments on the banner. Pushcart…I’m tempted to bow and grovel! Instead I’ll just say “Go, girl!” 🙂
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Thank you! I hope we get to hear about your vaycay on the blog! Thanks for reading that interview–it was fun. I hope it said Pushcart nominee, cuz I haven’t won that (yet?). Hope you’re having a good, productive spring. I’m giving myself a break from querying to focus on new stuff. (So much more fun.)
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