Details Please

Posted on April 14, 2020 by Laurie Buchanan

Two weeks ago, I dangled a carrot to entice readers over to my author website for a sneak peek at the cover of my new book, Indelible. The analytics show that 2,200 people visited lauriebuchanan.com in the week following that post—many of you asked for more details.

I got the idea for the suspense/thriller series while staying in one of the cabins at Hedgebrook, a writing retreat—where women author change—on Whidbey Island, just off the coast from Seattle, Washington.

Indelible takes place takes place at Pines & Quill (a writing retreat that’s a figment of my imagination) in Fairhaven/Bellingham, Washington (a real location). I took these photographs to give you a sense of location:

If you wrote a suspense/thriller, where would the location be?

Ready to Rumble?

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Laurie Buchanan

Planes, trains, and automobiles—there’s no doubt that we travel a lot. Not only do Len and I love it, but Willa does too!

Willa catching G-force

One of the cool things about state-side travel in a vehicle is the rumble strips. They’re not in every state, but we’ve discovered they’re prevalent in the Pacific Northwest.

If your vehicle is just a wee bit further into the left lane than you intended, you hear a loud rumble noise that captures your attention in a quick hurry. And if you were starting to doze off, it’s enough to wake you up!

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, a center line rumble strip is a longitudinal safety feature installed at or near the center line of a paved roadway. It is made of a series of milled or raised elements intended to alert inattentive drivers (through vibration and sound) that their vehicles have left the travel lane.

What was the last thing that grabbed your attention?

Gratitude – It Does a Body Good

Posted on November 21, 2017 by Laurie Buchanan

I’m incredibly grateful. Not only the part of the globe we live on—the Pacific Northwest in the United States—but for our specific town, Boise, Idaho. It’s quite possibly one of the friendliest places on earth.

Boise is quite possibly one of the friendliest places on earth

The words “gratitude” and “grace” share a common origin: the Latin word gratus, meaning “pleasing” or “thankful.” The Association for Humanistic Psychology defines gratitude as “Orientation towards noticing and appreciating the positive in the world.”

University of California Davis psychology professor Robert Emmons’ research revealed that grateful people tend to be more optimistic, a characteristic that literally boosts the immune system—a clear PHYSICAL benefit.

Boise offers free smells (good ones) too

Dr. Alex Wood, a postgraduate researcher in the Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, said that “Gratitude is an integral part of well-being”—a distinct benefit to our MENTAL and EMOTIONAL faculties.

Gratitude helps to open the heart, the seat of compassion. It helps us to see the good in our experience. It enhances trust and helps us to forgive—a benefit to our SPIRITUAL aspect.

How do you weave gratitude into the tapestry of your life?

Lighten Up

Posted on October 10, 2017 by Laurie Buchanan

In late September I had the pleasure of reuniting with several people I’d gone to high school with. It wasn’t a formal reunion. Rather, it was a gathering of individuals who’d attended Orange Glen High School in Escondido, California, who now reside in the Pacific Northwest.

It was an enjoyable visit. In talking with people, I learned that in addition to our age, shared school, and the fact that we live in the Pacific Northwest, we have another common denominator. Without exception, the people Len and I spoke with are contemplating, or in the process of downsizing.

Within this collective mindset, it turns out that less is more, and that “he who dies with the most toys” doesn’t win.

What was the last physical item you offloaded?

Amber Waves of Grain

Posted on July 18, 2017 by Laurie Buchanan

Road trips are one of our favorite things to enjoy. And with a bead on dog-friendly hotels (thank you Best Western Plus, we love your rewards program), Willa gets to come along, too.

Last week we attended the Arlington Fly-In in Washington state. The scenery in the Pacific Northwest is spectacular with soldier-straight rows of grapes vines in mile after mile of vineyards, vast fields of pole-climbing hops, the heavenly scent of apple trees as far as the eye can see, farm stands bursting with freshly picked bing cherries, and oceans of golden wheat gently blowing in the breeze.

Amber Waves of Grain by Laurie Buchanan at TuesdaysWithLaurie.com

It’s enough to make you burst into song. And we did—America the Beautiful!

When was the last time you spontaneously burst into song?

Cheese and Whine

Posted on September 13, 2015 by Laurie Buchanan

A recent getaway once again confirmed that the Pacific Northwest boasts beautiful wine country that easily rivals Napa Valley, California. Located in the east end of the Yakima Valley, Prosser, Washington is home to several dozen wineries. Vintner’s Village is a concentration of nine wineries—including our favorite, Airfield Estates Winery—connected by sidewalks, making for a wonderful wine walking tour.

Endowed with a slight control-freak-streak, if I’m not ~~heavily sedated~~ in charge of my travel environment, I tend to slam on non-existent brakes, lean away from sheer drop offs, and whimper and whine as I white-knuckle the passenger grab bar. So much so, that Len pointedly asked, “Do you want some cheese with your whine?”

I’m absolutely confident that each of you is a model passenger so I won’t ask about your travel phobias. Instead I’ll ask…

Where did you go on your last getaway?

Zen Den

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Laurie Buchanan

It’s that time of year in the Pacific Northwest when Mother Nature not only makes herself known in vivid color of riotous blossoms and 50 shades of green on every tree, but in storms that vie with the incredible Native American drums of thunder.

Willa used to get scared out of her wits when thunder crashed, banged, and boomed! Our Vet had us try homeopathic remedies, a calming prescription, and a “thunder shirt” — all to no avail. Then we created a “thunder bunker,” lovingly known as her Zen den.

Simple yet effective:

We cover her crate with towels.
She puts herself into it and we close the door just “to” — not latched.
We listen for her to dig up her bedding, circle, and settle in.
We turn on a large fan to cover the noise of the thunder and she sleeps through the storm.

Literal or figurative, when you’re scared or upset, where’s your Zen den?

Home is Where the Heart Is

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Laurie Buchanan

We arrived safe and sound in our new location — Boise, Idaho. Located in the southwest corner of the state, Boise is situated in the Mountain Time Zone and enjoys all four seasons without overdoing any of them — temperate.

We did our homework before choosing our new location, checking the crime rate, income tax, property tax, local/state government, history, cultural offerings, and outdoor adventures.

We leased our 100+ year old home — sight unseen — and landed right side up! We plan to take our time finding a home to purchase; thoroughly researching where we do/don’t want to live in the Boise area. In the photograph below, our little cottage is on the left of the two-dormer home.

In the short time we’ve been here, we’re already head-over-heels in love with the bicycle and dog intensive historic district where we currently reside. A stone’s throw from an off-leash dog park, yoga studio, library, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Boise State University — places that are important to us.

Within two days our house became a home. I define the difference as follows:

House — a structure.
Home — a safe place with emotional attachment; it has less to do with the physical structure, and everything to do with positive, loving energy.

If a house is a place to hang your hat, and home is where the heart is, where is your heart?

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"Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing." —Laurie Buchanan

Tag Archives: Pacific Northwest