Hubby Bill is hard a work writing a book that he plans on publishing “soon” called the same title of this post, “The Gentle Advantage.” It basically means that The Gentle Advantage is a lifestyle, taking it easy in most things in life like adopting a gentler mindset. Bringing kindness and offering help to others in this world is the spirit of The Gentle Advantage. Today, we noticed, this also can be used for our furry friends. When there is a name for what you may see and exp

Hubby Bill and I have had the time of our lives over the last 39 years of marriage. We’ve managed through the good times and not so good times, a testament to our commitment to each other. When we said our I do’s on June 13, 1987, on a sunny and brilliant day in Cleveland, Ohio, we never knew where life would take us. No one does. But, we had fortitude, zeal, and a will to keep our love alive as best we could no matter what. Those vows were not lost on us. Over the last few w

It’s our last night in the South of France! 🇫🇷 spending the night in Marseilles (an airport hotel). Did you know that the Best Western here is really very nice? The food too! Everything so delicious 😋. I can’t believe three weeks went by in a flash, especially the last week on the retreat for writers. My tender heart is filled with gratitude and tremendous joy to spend quality time with amazing humans! From the outdoor dinners, Pont du Gard, the writing with others that he

We are finally here at the retreat for writers in the beautiful Cevennes, about an hour north of Nîmes. All writers from the US, France, and The Netherlands arrived yesterday late afternoon, just in time for aperitifs on one of the many cobblestone decks of this private home built in the 16th century. The Cevennes is a peaceful haven of small villages and hamlets nestled amoung wild forests, rivers, farmer’s markets and wineries. It’s really a hidden secret here in the South

May 31, 2026 Adventure awaits around every corner here in Nîmes. Plus, the surrounding areas are under lots of Roman influence, infrastructure, and ingenuity that is rarely seen anywhere else, except Italy, and, I’m thinking, Greece (haven’t been to Greece…yet). I can’t get enough of how different many things are in these small towns sandwiched between rolling olive groves and large and small vineyards cascading down various sized fields and hills. Exploring worlds that are

It’s T-1 day until Bill and I head to the Cevennes for a Retreat for Writers. The folks we have been hanging out with in Nîmes the past week (and the past few days with Bill in town) are going too. We will all meet up with about a dozen more folks, most coming in from the USA and Spain tomorrow afternoon. The days are flying by, and I am happy to report that I am taking advantage of the light, the glorious light, from a little after 6 am to 9:15 pm. No wonder why all those im

May 28 Hubby Bill asked me if I would pick him up at the Marseilles, France, Airport upon his arrival from Washington D. C. (Dulles Airport), as he thought navigating the gymnastics of local travel may get the best of him upon his arrival. He is practically correct. “Of course,” I slyly replied after we made plans to come back to the South of France for the Retreat for Writer’s, hosted by Akimbo Alum, Cindy Villanueva, and PS’er and Akimbo Alumna, Diane Osgood. This is the th

There is nothing wrong with combining two days in one post, right? After a late night dinner last night at an Italian restaurant, I went to bed early after a full fun filled day. An FFF! Ha! May 26 - Random Thoughts about this Trip and Today After a week of revelry, like a college banger for a week of partying with a million people, the City of Nîmes is getting back its legs. The streets are open once again (they were closed off for most of last week until this morning), so t

Once thing I promised myself was not to run from one thing to the next on this trip. To really slow down and capture the sounds, smells, and rhythm of this city, and its culture and how it fits into the South of France, warts and all, like many places around the globe. Sleeping in a bit helped me today to help keep the slow down going. Katy D. and I met up at our usual spot late morning, and I was all in on that idea. We took it slow, as in we strolled around the entire perim

The South of France is filled with little villages and hamlets waiting to be discovered by more than locals. I’m thrilled to enjoy these areas of France, and to gain a huge appreciation for the architecture and cultures within each little town. And…the weather is warm, just like I like it. This also includes the trains - they are hot and filled with tourists headed to Nîmes for the Feria de Nimes yearly festival . Fellow writer friend, Katy Dalgleish and I were squished in li