Donna K Weaver: Where I Live and Why I Like It

My guest this week is one of the most supportive blogger/authors around. Donna Weaver is constantly promoting other writers and attending writer conferences to improve her own skills as a writer. A published writer of romance adventure novels, she's also honed her skills in another art--martial arts. She's a black belt in karate.

1.      Geographical Information:

Country:  USA

State or Province:  Utah

City or Town:  Orem

District within City or Town: N/A

Neighborhood: N/A

2.      Is there any place in your area that’s considered a pilgrimage site, such as a religious shrine? If so, have you been there? Calling the state a pilgrimage site might be a bit much, but this area was definitely a gathering place for early Mormon (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). I think there are probably more redheads here than I’ve ever seen anywhere else, simply because there are so many people of Scandinavian descent.

3.      Is there a site that has special meaning for you? Outside of my private religious feelings, I love the area because of the mountains. I’ve lived a lot of years in Sacramento. It’s a beautiful area, but relatively flat. It was easy to forget that there were foothills less than an hour away. Here, I can’t look outside and not see gorgeous mountains. As I write this, the fall colors are already coming on. *sigh*

4.      Is this where you were born and/or grew up? If not, how did you come to live here? I was a Navy brat. I started school in Seoul, South Korea. We also lived in the Philippines for two years. Between 8th & 11th grades, I went to four different schools. Then I joined the US Army and served in Germany. I’ve lived here longer than I’ve ever lived anywhere in my life.

5.      What do you like best about where you live? I think we have the best of both worlds. While the community has over 90,000 people, it doesn’t really feel like a big city. I like that, but I also like having amenities close by.

6.      Do you plan on living here the rest of your life? Probably not. When we retire in a few years, we’re tentatively planning on living close to my hubby’s brother and his wife. She prefers a community that isn’t quite a built out as this one. So, not quite small town enough for her.

7.      Do you have family in the area, or have you ventured out on your own? When we moved here 22 years ago, we ventured out on our own. Our two oldest kids have ranged quite far, one lives in China and the other in Hawaii. The three youngest are within half an hour though.

8.      Are you happy where you live? As long as I don’t get to fretting about some of the local psycho politics.

9.      For tourists, what would you recommend seeing?

• In the immediate area, there’s Sundance Ski Resort up Provo Canyon. And yes, Robert Redford owns it. We’ve even seen him when we’re up there. They open the ski lifts in the summer. If you want to mountain bike, you take your bike on the lift up and ride down. For us less brave souls, we ride the lift up and back down. This time of year, with the changing colors, is gorgeous. 

• There’s also the amazing Timpanogos caves or hiking the glacier on the back side of Timp.
• About twenty minutes from us is a huge dinosaur museum with hands-on exhibits for the kids. It’s at Thanksgiving Point, and they have some amazing gardens there. There’s also an amphitheater for outdoor performances. Last year we saw the amazing Piano Guys perform
• If you want to venture a little farther out, you can check out the Kennicott copper mines—this you can see from outer space.
• Get a little closer to Salt Lake City, and there are lots of historical and religious sites to see like Temple Square and This Is the Place Park. There’s also Hogle Zoo/
• If you travel a few hours south or southeast, you can visit Zions National Park or Moab where you can see the Arches National Park. This state is amazingly beautiful.

• Not quite that far south is Cedar City and the Shakespeare Festival. They won a Tony award one for their festival.

10.   What do you do for entertainment where you live? Sporting events, theater, concerts, so on and so forth. We like to watch movies, and there are lots of theaters. But there’s also live theater here as well. There’s the Hale Center Theater Orem, which does live theater in the round. Close and intimate an experience. Sundance has lives plays as does the SCERA Center for the Arts. There are also two major universities within about eight miles of each other, and they each offer both sporting events and cultural/artistic events. The Orem Owls (a minor league team feeding into the California Angels) has its home at Utah Valley University in Orem. If you’re into college sports, having two universities so close provides lots of games to watch.

11.   If you’re a writer, have you included where you live in the settings of any of your stories? If you’re a painter, have you painted any of your area’s features? I haven’t so far, but I will be with my next book which will be set here in Utah. The reason I chose it, though, is that it will be a small-town political thriller. I run my city’s elections, and I needed to know how things work. That meant taking advantage of my knowledge of state election law.

12.  Would you recommend others to move to where you live? Why? The economy is booming. American Express built a large facility in Salt Lake County because there are so many bilingual people here. And by bilingual I don’t mean a large group that speaks English and one other language. Because there are so many people here who have served internationally as LDS (Mormon) missionaries, they are able to get employees who are bilingual in a large number of languages. Adobe just built a large facility about fifteen minutes from here.

A lot of people come here to go to college, like it, and stay. That’s good and bad. Utah has one of the highest education levels in the country. It sometimes means the competition for jobs can be pretty intense. Fortunately, there are a lot of jobs right now.

Thanks again,

Richard

Thank you, Donna. It's been a pleasure learning about where you live. I've been to Utah--Zion National Park, and that was amazing--but that's it. Maybe someday I can make it to Orem. Please visit Donna at Donna K Weaver.

Claude Nougat: Where I Live and Why I Like It

My guest today is a lady who is an author, an artist, a poet, and a political analyst (should we call her a Renaissance woman?). Where she lives needs no introduction. Claude Nouget has published a climate fiction novel Forever Young, a romance Crimson Clouds, a trilogy Luna Rising, a collection of short stories Death on Facebook, and poetry.

1. Geographical Information:

Country: Italy

City: Rome

Neighborhood: Town center – inside of the old city’s walls.

District within City: Near the cathedral of San Giovanni:

2. Is there any place in your area that’s considered a pilgrimage site, such as a religious shrine? If so, have you been there?

The whole of Rome is full of incredibly beautiful churches and, no need to say it, is there? St Peter’s is a must!

3. Is there a site that has special meaning for you?

The old church of St Theodore – San Teodoro . Built in the 6^th century, nestled in the ruins of the Roman Forum, with the Palatine Hill as a backdrop, this is where I got married to the one love in my life…a Sicilian (we’ve been married 36 years!). We walked to the church and the Roman police stopped the traffic for us – I’ll never forget that day!

4. Is this where you were born and/or grew up? If not, how did you come to live here?

I was born in Belgium and as a child I lived in many countries: Sweden, Egypt, Russia, Colombia. I finally arrived in the US when I was 17 and stayed there until my late 20s – then back to Europe and eventually Rome, thinking I wouldn’t stay very long…until love hit me!

5. What do you like best about where you live?

The monumental beauty of the town, the wonderful Italian food, the fun trattorias come to mind but above all, the kindness of simple people in the street. Italians have a “joie de vivre” that they know how to share and that is very precious…

6. Do you plan on living here the rest of your life?

You bet!

7. Do you have family in the area, or have you ventured out on your own?
As I said, I am married here and have two children (now grown-up of course).

8. Are you happy where you live?

How could I not be?

9. For tourists, what would you recommend seeing?

A tour of Rome can be done in a day but I would recommend at least a week, there’s so much to see, from the Colosseum to the Sistine Chapel, from the Bocca della Verità (the mouth of truth: it snaps shut if you lie!) to the Pantheon…The list is endless!

10. What do you do for entertainment where you live? Sporting events, theater, concerts, so on and so forth.

I play golf and enjoy the music – lots of places in Rome! In summer you have outdoors opera at the Terme di Caracalla (in winter, you can go to the Opera House of course). There are plenty of concerts and shows at the very modern Auditorium Parco della Musica built by the famous architect Renzo Piano ….

And we got the Rolling Stones at the Circus Maximus (Circo Massimo) in July this year, unforgettable!

11. If you’re a writer, have you included where you live in the settings of any of your stories? If you’re a painter, have you painted any of your area’s features?

Absolutely, Rome turns up in almost all of my books, notably in Crimson Clouds ( a Boomer Lit novel, originally called “A Hook in the Sky”) and in volume 3 of the Luna Rising trilogy.

12. Would you recommend others to move to  Rome?

I certainly would! Actually, the whole of Italy – it’s a great country to live in and to enjoy life and I would especially recommend the countryside or small towns for people considering a place to retire to. Cheaper than Rome and so relaxing…

And thanks Richard for letting me share my news on your wonderful blog!

It's been my pleasure to have you. Please visit Claude's website Claude Nougat for more information and links to her various activities.

Rachna Chhabria: Where I Live and Why I Like It

My guest today for my series "Where I Live and Why I Like It" is the writer/blogger Rachna Chhabria. I've been following Rachna for three years now and she has one of the most thought-provoking blogs, always raising questions about the art of writing and its many challenges. Always open to new ideas, she constantly challenges us to be our best.

1.      Geographical Information:

Country: India

State or Province: Karnataka

City or Town: Bangalore

District within City or Town:

Neighborhood:

2.      Is there any place in your area that’s considered a pilgrimage site, such as a religious shrine? If so, have you been there?

A.    I don’t think there is any such pilgrimage site near my house. There is a temple, which I visit sometimes.

3.      Is there a site that has special meaning for you?

A.    Just my school which is five minutes walking distance from my house. I have fond memories of it.

4.      Is this where you were born and/or grew up? If not, how did you come to live here?

A.    I was born in another part of India. My parents shifted to Bangalore when I was small. I have spent most of my life in this place.

5.     What do you like best about where you live?

A.    Its centrally located. All the major shopping areas are within very easy reach. There is a market and a hospital nearby. There are also three clubs close to my house.

6.      Do you plan on living here the rest of your life?

A.     No idea. I can’t say much about the future.

7.      Do you have family in the area, or have you ventured out on your own?

A.     My aunts and cousins stay just a few minutes away.

8.      Are you happy where you live?

A.     Most of the time yes, but due to the schools nearby (there are atleast 7 schools within walking distance from my house), there is heavy traffic during the school hours which makes my street very congested. And as most of the roads in Bangalore have become one-way, all the traffic is diverted down my street. This is a big nuisance.

9.      For tourists, what would you recommend seeing?

A.      For the tourists, there is the famous Cubbon Park (nearly 300 acres of greenery), Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens (with its glasshouse and its flower shows which attracts visitors and tourists), the U.B city mall (which every visitor to Bangalore wants to see).

10.   What do you do for entertainment where you live? Sporting events, theater, concerts, so on and so forth.

A.    I have plenty of malls and restaurants near my house. And the mall rat I am, I love browsing in the malls and catching movies at the multiplexes. The Cricket Stadium where all the cricket matches are played is also near my house.

11.   If you’re a writer, have you included where you live in the settings of any of your stories? If you’re a painter, have you painted any of your area’s features?

A.    Yes. My settings have been included in my stories. Infact, in my current WIP: Scavage, Bangalore: the place I live in, is a major part of the setting.

12.  Would you recommend others to move to where you live? Why?

A.   Yes, I would recommend others to move to Bangalore. It’s a vibrant city, which has something for everyone. Most Indians envy us Bangaloreans our amazing climate. Once upon a time, it was called Pensioner’s Paradise and also the Garden City. But, I would also tell them that as Bangalore is getting too crowded they should turn their attention to other cities.

By Rachna Chhabria

Rachna lives in a part of the world that many of us would like to visit. You can visit her at her blog Rachna's Scriptorium. Thank you for letting us visit your world.

Daily Walk: What I see along the way

I walk almost everyday, sometimes twice a day. Partly to better control my diabetes, partly to get exercise, and partly to think. It's something that I've come to look forward to and to feel uncomfortable if I don't do it (usually from reasons beyond my control). When you walk the same route day after day, you come to see more and more detail along the way. Along my walk, and I have several different routes I follow, I've noted and photographed some of the things I see. I'd like to share with you some of those sites.

Cobblestone Parkway, the main road into my development

This is along the first route I followed when I first started walking a few months ago.

This in a neighbor's yard not far from my house.

This is McCormick Road, another route I follow. This is the longest stretch, almost three miles round trip.

There are several things to see along this road.

This is a view that I enjoy, an expanse of trees beyond a lake, and the skies above,

and a section of fence.

There are also reminders of our modern world of communications.

And, finally, there are reminders that our roads are dangerous--roadside memorials.

Walking has become an added pleasure to my life. Hopefully, I can continue to do so for many years to come.

Jeff Hargett: Where I Live and Why I Like It

I've known Jeff Hargett for about three years now. He's a strong writer of sci-fi/fantasy and a terrific blogger with a growing following. He's had to deal with the worse kind of adversity for the past year or so and has shown us what the meaning of love really is. I've followed closely his journey over the past year or so, as has his many friends, and I think we all agree he is on the verge of something great with his writing.

1.      Geographical Information:

Country: United States of America

State or Province: North Carolina

City or Town: Randleman

District within City or Town: n/a

Neighborhood: n/a

2.      Is there any place in your area that's considered a pilgrimage site, such as a religious shrine? If so, have you been there?

I'm not aware of any nearby locations that hold any significant religious importance, however, there are a number of places in the area that have some historical significance.

One such place is in Greensboro, a larger town a few miles north of Randleman. On Feb. 1, 1960, four young black NC A&T students sat at a Woolworth store's whites-only lunch counter just one block south of where I currently work. Those students were refused service, but held their seats until the store closed. The next day, over twenty students, including some from Bennett College (a college for black women) joined the sit-in. On day #3  there were sixty students participating. Four hundred students took part on the fourth day, expanding the sit-in to the lunch counter at a nearby Kress store.

The peaceful sit-in protests expanded to cities throughout the southeast. On July 25, 1960, the Greensboro Woolworth store rescinded its segregation policy and served lunch to their black employees at that same lunch counter. That store is now the International Civil Rights Center and Museum.

3.      Is there a site that has special meaning for you? There's a small park/nature trail nearby that my wife and I would visit on occasion. A river runs alongside it. It's a peaceful, relaxing place to visit.

4.      Is this where you were born and/or grew up? If not, how did you come to live here? I was born on the west coast near Los Angeles, California. (My father was in the United States Marine Corps and as such, we relocated numerous times.) However, I did grow up in this area.

5.      What do you like best about where you live? Randleman is a short drive away from both the Appalachian mountains and the Atlantic coast beaches. The people are friendly and the climate is temperate, humidity notwithstanding.

6.      Do you plan on living here the rest of your life? Yes. My wife is buried just a few miles from our home, so I don't intend to ever leave this area--or this house.

7.      Do you have family in the area, or have you ventured out on your own? My mother, brother, children and grandchildren all live within a few miles of me. I'm grateful that my immediate family isn't spread across the nation--or globe! More family = more fun at Holidays too.

8.      Are you happy where you live? I do like calling North Carolina home. Randleman has a population of under 4,200, but it's within 30-45 minutes of five decent-sized cities.

9.      For tourists, what would you recommend seeing? The North Carolina Zoo. At over 2,000 acres, it's the world's largest walk-through zoo.

10.   What do you do for entertainment where you live? Sporting events, theater, concerts, so on and so forth. I'm somewhat of a homebody, but I'll catch a movie or a Grasshoppers baseball game on occasion.

11.   If you're a writer, have you included where you live in the settings of any of your stories? If you're a painter, have you painted any of your area's features? I am a writer, but have never used this area as a setting. I did make reference recently to a couple of local schools (UNCG and Duke) in a short story.

12.  Would you recommend others to move to where you live? Why? I would recommend it to those who prefer a more relaxed environment, not to those who crave the faster paced excitement of big city life. Lovers of ACC basketball and racing will find plenty of folks here with whom to share their passion.

Thank you, Jeff, for participating in my series of posts about where people live. 

You can visit and follow Jeff as his blog Strands of Pattern.

Denise Covey: Where I Live and Why I Like It

My guest today is a world traveler if there ever was one. Denise Covey is often on the go to foreign countries. Her blog posts about her travels are always entertaining. With over seven hundred followers, I'm not the only one who enjoys her blog. Her posts, especially about writing, generate many comments. She definitely knows how to run a blog. So, here is some information from Denise about where she lives and what she likes about it.
My Place – Paradise in Australia.

Geographical Information:

Country: Australia

State: Queensland

City or Town: CITY – Brisbane. VILLAGE – Peregian Beach

Neighborhood: West End

  

1.     Is there any place in your area that’s considered a pilgrimage site, such as a religious shrine? 

The closest you get to a pilgrimage site in Queensland is the Suncorp Stadium just up the hill from my place. Here is where the mighty Bronco’s Rugby League team thrash all comers in gladiatorial contests. Another religious site is The ‘Gabba, where the mighty Aussie Cricket Team thrashes England in the Ashes test.

suncorp stadium

2.     Is this where you were born and/or grew up? If not, how did you come to live here?

I was born in Outback Queensland, but moved to the coast as a child. My parents chose the Sunshine Coast (100 kilometres north of Brisbane) and this is where I grew up. My husband and I built a large beach house at Peregian Beach when we settled down after travelling all over Australia. Now we work in Brisbane, so we live in the Big Smoke (as the city is referred to over here) and spend the odd weekend/holiday at the beach. Best of both worlds.

No problem finding a private beach at Peregian

I love the koalas in the trees near the beach house

3.      What do you like best about where you live?

We bought a Heritage property terrace about a year ago which we have renovated and finally found a home for all the antiques we’ve collected over the years. We love living in West End, which is an avant garde suburb, just across the Brisbane River from the inner city (where we used to live). West End is peopled with alternative-lifestyle characters, health shops, indie bookshops, street music and fresh-food markets—a heady mix—and just a five-minute walk from our door. We rarely use the car!

West End style

Markets along the Brisbane River

4.      Do you plan on living here the rest of your life?

Probably not. It suits us while I tutor English at the State Library of Queensland which is also close by. Our plan has always been to move back to Peregian Beach and live the bohemian lifestyle in between overseas’ trips…eventually.

One day I'll get back to my sunset-watching bench again

This says it all - Australia = Beach. Walking to Noosa National Park

5.      Do you have family in the area, or have you ventured out on your own?

All of our four children live in Queensland, which is always a bonus.

Peregian Beach at sunset...fishing. That is Coolum Beach township you can see - Peregian Village is over the dunes behind the fisherfolk

The people along the sand

All turn and look one way

They turn their back on the land

They look at the sea all day.

6.      For tourists, what would you recommend seeing?

Film and Television students along the river this morning

The Cultural Centre, which includes both a traditional and modern art gallery, a museum, the State Library, the Performing Arts Centre which puts on world-class theatre and plays, the South Bank which is a fantastic collection of restaurants of all persuasions, funky people exercising along the river, wonderful views of the city…I love My Place! And do take a CityCat up and down the Brisbane River. It is a fantastic thing to do, day and night. Plenty of neighbourhoods to explore along the way.

The Cultural Centre in the background. Here is a recent Night Noodle Market on the river

7.   If you’re a writer, have you included where you live in the settings of any of your stories?

I’ve set my first, unfinished novel in and around Noosa, which is an iconic beach community ten minutes from Peregian Beach. I’ve used Brisbane as a setting for some short stories (one a very recent post). Outback Queensland is great for setting tall tales of the bush as even though I’ve never lived there as a grown up, I’ve travelled the length and breadth of its vastness and feel a deep affinity. This is my favourite flash fiction on the outback I wrote a few years ago if you'd like to read it.

In Noosa, surfing is king

8.  Would you recommend others to move to where you live?

To me, this part of Queensland is paradise, but the pace would be too slow for a New Yorker, for example. The heat and beach make for a relaxed lifestyle. Most hyperactive Australians choose to live in Sydney, Melbourne or Canberra, all much more upbeat, or they escape to New York or London. But…if you like the lazy, laid-back lifestyle, rather than the crazy lifestyle, South-East Queensland is the place. Downside: it’s about 20+ hours in a plane to access the hubs of the world—Paris, London, New York.

Thanks for inviting me, Richard. It's been a pleasure to share a little of my life. So there you have it. My Place. Sure, travel is my passion, but I always return home.

Thank you, Denise, for allowing us to see where you live.

And please take a look at Denise's blog: Denise Covey