Guess Where I Was . . .

Seaside, Oregon. Where else?

Here's my nephew and brother-in-law dutifully holding up the town's sign. What a great beach town!



Coming from Flat-as-a-Pancake Florida, it was a treat to see mountains . . .



and snow!!! I walked along the Promenade (a cement boardwalk) and caught fat flakes on my tongue. It was fabulous.

We also had a blast in the town. My nephew liked the candy shops every few feet. We bought enough fudge to feed a small nation. And there was a glorious little bookstore -- Beach Books, Inc. I met the owner, Karen, and Mariah and the bookstore cat. He was fat and friendly and loved to perch on the pink and white striped sofa by the window.

We also went to Canon Beach, another great seaside town, and ate at the Lumberyard & Grill, where our waitress, Kathleen, memorized not only our six orders but our names and kept us laughing throughout the meal. The food was excellent, and my nephew loved his S'mores dessert that came out in a tiny cast-iron skillet.

A trip to the Tillamook Cheese Factory was fun, too. Did you know a cow weighs about 96 pounds at birth? And about 1,330 pounds when it's full-grown? Yowza!

But the best part of the whole trip? Hanging out with family, of course! Especially my nephew, who beat me at the following games: ping-pong, air hockey, dice, cards, checkers and chess. But I won Monopoly by building lots of houses on Park Place and Boardwalk. So there!

Dorothy, me and Dad

Brother-in-law, Ben and sister, Sherry

Couldn't have asked for a more relaxing, joy-filled vacation. Lovely to be surrounded by family, great sights and fabulous food.

Now, I'm ready to get back to work.

Thanks to a very talented 12 3/4-year-old bookworm, who posted a review of my book on her blog, Bookworm Readers. (Authors: She's looking for books and ARCs to review for her blog.)

And if you live in the Palm Beaches or Treasure Coast, this Saturday, May 3rd, I'll be interviewed on WPBF News 25 (the local ABC affiliate) during the 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. hours.

Happy trails,
Donna