Feelin’ it?

I know there are times when I’m too tuned in …

Plugged?

Wired!

I can feel it.

It’s that computerized conundrum we find ourselves in these days:

Love the connection, the info, the ease of getting stuff done.

Hate the fevered-focus-brain-fog syndrome that hits when we get too caught up in living online.

Been there, done that—right?

Not unlike an addiction, this fact-paced electronic lifestyle can be hard to quit—even for a few hours.

Sometimes willpower alone just doesn’t cut it.

We know we should unplug, but … hang on … just one more e-mail …

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Glamping Sites to visit in 2013: 1 of 15

Now that you’ve read my book, Glamping with MaryJane, you need to find a fabulous place to get your glamp on.

Here’s the first installment of 15 places in the U.S.A. (There are more, but I figure 15 will get you dreamin’ out loud.)

Cherry Wood Breakfast & Barn
Washington

Because who doesn’t want to stay in a tepee? These glowing bungalows in Yakima, Washington, are filled with cozy beds and are available April thru early October. Along with barbeque grills, compact refrigerators, separate super-clean and private water closets, open-air showers round out the amenities.

Have you ever been on a winery tour via horseback? Giddyup and sip up! Ride on an all-day tour, with your horse or theirs, to the local wineries, including a stop for lunch at Cultura Winery.

Mannerly dogs are welcome for $20 a night, but leave the kids at home, this is a working ranch. Your pup will get their own special bed beside yours, and a safe secure kennel to stay in while you’re on the wine trail.

And, while you’re at it (you’re on vacation after all), restore yourself in a twilight tub. Warm soothing waters, delicately scented bath salts, a gentle breeze through the willows, and nothing but the wide open skies above.
Take in the sunset, watch the moon rise or gaze at the stars – there’s no better way to end a day in the wine country of Washington. Outdoor bathing is an extra $35 / person per hour.

life in the slow lane

I’d like you to meet Manuela.

She is a maven of mystery,

a practitioner of patience,

a survivor in the purest sense.

Manuela, I should mention,

is also …

a turtle,

a red-footed tortoise, to be exact,

and she has a story that rivals fiction.

Let’s just say that the Count of Monte Cristo had nothing on this resilient reptile.

You see, Manuela has been in exile for 30 years …

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photo-of-the-day

Talkin’ ’bout my girl, my girl!

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