Living Like Cinderella by Megan

Last month I was lucky enough to take a trip to the Biltmore mansion in North Carolina. You might be familiar with it--it was featured in the movies Richie Rich and Forrest Gump. (I need to acknowledge fellow Harlequin author Cindy Kirk for this picture from her FaceBook page as mine didn't turn out. Thanks for the loan, Cindy.)



The hiking in Tennessee and North Caroline was invigorating. Okay, sometimes my friends had to hike on without me. I admit it: I'm a flat-lander.  The trees had peaked before we arrived but the hills were still lovely with reds, golds, browns and yellows as well as the evergreens. The people were helpful and welcoming, even the sweet young man taking a traffic survey in Pisgah National Forest. They're proud of their waterfalls, to the point of having difficulty recommending which we should hike to see. Here's one lovely waterfall.

But back to the Biltmore. It was finished in 1895 for millionaire G.W. Vanderbilt, grandson of magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, the shipping baron. Despite the other tourists, I truly felt swept away into the past. I could well imagine the thrill of being asked out for a stroll through the rose garden by a handsome gentleman in a smart black suit and with a roguish twinkle in his eye. I could imagine wearing the lovely clothes, but not changing five times a day just to play croquet or eat a meal. I could easily imagine sleeping in a lush bed and dancing into the night.

The staff had begun to decorate for Christmas, a task which takes more than two weeks. I've been immersed in all things Christmas while writing Holly & Ivey: Christmas in Stilton, so I felt right at home. I was a week early for the installation of the 40' Christmas tree. I'd say "I'll see that on the next trip" but instead I'd love to visit in April to view the azalea garden in bloom. But any season in this lovely magnificent American castle is gorgeous.

That's what Cinderella's life changed to after the wedding. A man devoted to her. A lovely home, nice clothes, food, and servants. I'm sure it was a relief to live someplace not cleaned by rats and birds.  lol  I loved going back to a simpler time, which was also a harder time. The corsets alone would have killed me. The expectations of society would have been thwarted because I'm more likely to flirt with the chauffeur or the stable master than some stiff-minded rich boy. Nevertheless, it's a place of dreams.

Okay, I admit it. I fell in love with the library. GW Vanderbilt was a book collector and a reader. [sigh] And he had an indoor swimming pool! Yep. I could have been happy there, at least for a long visit.

What are some of your favorite places to visit in the US?

Megan Kelly
Santa Dear, available now
www.megankellybooks.com

PS Blessings and prayers for my everyone affected by Superstorm Sandy and this current storm.

Fishin' Derby

(Bet you thought my post today would be about Cardinals post-season baseball, didn't you? I'll be watching this afternoon, so if I don't reply for a few hours, I'm sure y'all will understand.)

My husband's family holds an annual fishin' derby on Columbus Day weekend. This will surprise anyone who knows me, as I'm not an outdoorsy type, but I was the first in my immediate family to win a trophy: Most Fish in the adult category. This was gratifying as we have hard-core fishers and some hard-core competitors in the family.

Both children have trophies in the kid's category. Now everyone but my husband, who taught us all to fish, has won. He claims it's because he's helping the kids with worms and taking our fish off the hooks, as well as visiting with relatives we only see once a year. (Hey, whatever gets him through the day, right? lol)

I'm reminded of when we got serious as a couple and I asked him to teach me to fish. As fishin' was his favorite summer activity, I felt I should be able to share the "sport" with him. I learned a lot about him and his patience and his teaching methods. (This held me in good stead when he later tried to teach me to drive a stick shift. Unsuccessfully, some might say, but we didn’t divorce and I didn’t kill him, so it wasn't a total failure.)

At first, I found fishin' exciting and challenging. It will surprise no one to hear I took a book along. lol He likes to walk around and cast; I like to watch a bobber. One memorable day, I grew frustrated by the cork repeatedly going under while I was reading. Bobber sinks, I sigh, reel in the fish, release it, rebait the hook, recast the line and return to my book. Not too long after, just as I'd get back in my cozy spot in the shade and re-immersed in the story, the bobber would sink again. They were nice bluegill, don't get me wrong. I even kept a few on the stringer. But...I was trying to read. So, with a glance to make certain I was undetected, I cast the line without a worm.

It was lovely and quiet. Every once in a while, my darling would call, "Need a worm?" and I'd call back, "No, I'm good." It took him several outings before he noticed the surplus of worms at the end of the day, and I was busted. I countered that I'd discovered a nice compromise where we both got to do what we wanted while spending the day together.

We continued to enjoy the outings, except for the sweating and sunburn I'd occasionally get, the nasty mosquitoes who love my sweet blood, and the day all the snakes in the lake swam around where I sat. Totally creeped me out. I didn't dare take my eyes off them to read, knowing they'd come ashore and slither up to me unawares. I wound up "fishin'" from the car. I was only reading anyway, not about to bring attention to myself by reeling anything in.

Ah, the things we do for love.

Any hobby you took on just because your honey liked it? 

I'll check in later for comments, after the game.  (Go, Cards!!)

Megan Kelly

Santa Dear, available now

www.megankellybooks.com