Carriage House Journal

Posted on August 5, 2014 by Laurie Buchanan

You may remember our recent relocation from Crystal Lake, Illinois to Boise, Idaho. Upon arrival we enjoyed a three month lease — a stepping stone to find a home to purchase, or lease long-term. Last week we had the move-out inspection at the previous address because…

…we long-term leased the carriage house of one of the mansions in the Warm Springs Avenue Historic District. It perfectly suits our needs! We even donated our yard maintenance equipment because everything — and I do mean everything — is meticulously cared for.

My writing space is phenomenal! In addition to nonfiction work, this gorgeous view has triggered a spurt of fiction writing. My work in progress is titled Carriage House Journal — a series of short stories told in first person through the eyes of a mail carrier.

If you wrote a fiction story in first person, who would the main character be?

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Kiss Me Quick!

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Laurie Buchanan

This past Sunday we took the girls—Lexi and Willa—and went for a drive up into Wisconsin. And while you’d be hard pressed to find much snow on the ground in Illinois, they still have more than a smattering up there.

Every now and then we’d come across a dip in the road—sometimes hidden, sometimes not—and I’d shout, “Kiss me quick!” as that’s what my mother always did on family drives when we’d hit a dip big enough to cause butterflies in our stomach.

Over the years we’ve additionally added “Kiss me quick!” shouts when we see a windmill…

…or a cattle guard.

With a cattle guard, however, there’s the additional lifting of the feet while crossing over it—driver included—and touching the car ceiling with both hands—driver included.

Ah yes, those wonderful Sunday afternoon drives.

What’s your favorite family drive memory?

Listen with your heart,

Laurie Buchanan

“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
— Laurie Buchanan

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Mosquito – The Illinois State Bird

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Laurie Buchanan

Summer’s here and so are the mosquitoes!

While trimming the box hedges the other day, I couldn’t dance around and swat at ’em—it would’ve been too dangerous while wielding the electric hedge trimmers. When the job was finally finished and we got back inside, my arms and legs were polka-dotted with red, raised mosquito bites.

We use natural (and sometimes otherwise) mosquito repellent—from geranium essential oil and dryer sheets, to “Off”—but our mosquitoes seem to be immune. And they’re big. REALLY BIG! I’m fairly certain they could carry off small children and most companion animals.

Summertime in the back yard by Laurie Buchanan

And smart, to boot! They’ve obviously read the school safety literature because they always travel in groups—or in this case, swarms! The thing that seems to deter them best is our citronella oil flame pots. Most evening in the back yard we “circle the wagons” and sit inside them for protection.