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The summer of 2008—What have I seen? Where have I gone?
In May I drove to Estes Park, to the Colorado Christian Writers Conference. I camped at Elk Meadow RV Park and attended classes and workshops, met with editors, fellowshipped with other authors.
At the beginning of June I returned to Elk Meadow in Estes Park, for the Boulder Chinese Baptist Church youth group retreat. We spent a delightful weekend enjoying God’s creation and studying His word.
In the middle of June I headed southeast: Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado again. I saw a volcanic national monument and a canyon state park. The goal of the trip was to visit with Bob Haslam, my writing mentor, in Hermitage, TN. I also spent time with Anne and Frank Agovino in St. Louis (I wrote Anne’s story, “Nana Camp,” for Life Savors for Women).
And in July I headed northwest, visiting my friend Shannie vanRoekel in Mission, British Columbia, playing on the Oregon coast, participating in the Oregon Christian Writers summer conference, and dropping by Clarence Larsen’s home in Mitchell, SD, before going home again. States covered in that jaunt? Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and South Dakota, plus British Columbia.
This was Lady’s last trip. She was a stray, abused in a previous home. I’ve had her for 12 years, and she’s at least 15, which is a good age for a beagle.
This fall, Diane Kanagy and I will drive to Dallas, TX, to help close up her mother’s house there. And then the Meandering Moose will hibernate happily in my backyard, waiting for the next travel season.
To buy books that include my stories, send me an email (ElsiDodge@RVTourist.com). Check the website for updates, and read my blog (RVTourist.com/blog) to stay on top of what’s going on in my life. Email me with questions or travel comments, and wave when you see us drive by on the highway!
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The Writing Life
I naturally process my life and thoughts by writing. I startle preachers by sending poems or reflections in response to their sermons. I write poems or paraphrase songs while I’m walking, craft stories and articles behind the wheel of the car or RV, journal my trips with care for scrapbooks, and post on my blog several times a week.
And I’ve been published, across the past several years, something which is as exciting to me now as it was the first time. Me? A published author? Wow!
In addition to devotional guides, Sunday school papers, and RVing Women magazine, here are some titles to ask for at the local store (or email me directly):
Cup of Comfort Devotional Guide for Women (Adams Media)—I have five devotionals in this daily guide (which, in spite of its blatantly pink cover, is not really gender specific).
His Forever (Adams Media)—Why, I thought, would anyone want to read 40 people’s conversion experiences? But, when I read it, I saw clearly how the Lord sees each of us as an individual, touching each heart in a unique way! My testimony is included.
Cup of Comfort Book of Prayer (Adams Media)—I was assigned the Prayer of St. Patrick (“Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace …”).
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas (HCI)—What fun to have the story of our Lord’s compassion for a little girl who lost her doll make it into a Chicken Soup book!
Life Savors for Women (Tyndale)—My friend Anne has started a Nana Camp for her grandchildren, and the Lord is using it in mighty ways!
RV Tourist: Tips, Tools, and Stories (me)—This is my book, about my adventures in The Meandering Moose, my RV. Whether you're an RVer or not, you will delight in my stories … laugh at my mishaps … cheer me on as I protect my toes from Dolphin, the marauding tiger (disguised as a tabby cat).
And you just might decide to go RVing, as I give you the tools necessary to plan and enjoy RV travel.
Although rain, snow, or wind slow me down, generally I drive my 30-foot behemoth (aka Winnebago) competently and at highway speeds. I maneuver through traffic and road hazards, find delightful places to stop, and just have a fine time; I’m a happy RV Tourist!
And I write about my travels with glee, sharing successes and pitfalls and thoughts about God. Occasionally I get out of bed in the middle of the night because a paragraph is stirring in my mind and won’t let me sleep until it’s on paper. I love writing my trip log, articles and devotionals, poems, and technical information.
So it made perfect sense for me to pull my articles and thoughts together and publish a book, so others will have a better learning curve! That book, RV Tourist: Tips, Tools, and Stories is available now!
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