AND NOW, BACK TO THE REAL WORLD!

 After three glorious weeks in New Hampshire and three more in the Northwest (Seattle, Whidbey Island, and the Northern Cascade Mountains), I returned to the reality that I had more to deal with than the hundreds of backed-up emails (Will I never learn to post that vacation message?). A new year beginning (I always think of September as the new year, since that is when the kids returned to school after the summer), several book ideas fighting for dominance, and the sober facts of national and international conflict that have changed very little during my NYTimes hiatus. I loved being away, but now it’s back to work . I began with a speech at the South Orange Rotary Club last Thursday, to a group of responsive business leaders, who responded with enthusiasm to my subject, “Traveling off the Beaten Path,” and showed great interest in the orphanage project in Zimbabwe I’ve written about in this blog. I also told them about the Tibetan Childrens’ Villages (TCV) I had visited and help support in India. Thank you, President Stacey Borden for the wonderful reception. Please write me if you want any more information about these two important projects. My grandson, Adam, has been working hard on a prospectus to help raise money for the orphanage, spurred on by the encouragement of Greg Mortenson, whom he met last spring.

I’ve been told to write my blog more often and keep it short! I get the message. I’ll be posting photos of my summer trips next week. In the meantime, let’s hear about your summer adventures!