Jenyfer Matthews

We spent our holiday traveling this year visiting an area of Egypt known as the Fayoum. I’m no expert on Egyptian history, but in a nutshell the Fayoum region is a desert depression into which the overflow of the yearly Nile Valley flooding used to flow. Due to this, the area is incredibly fertile. But it wasn’t until the Greco-Roman occupation of Egypt that reservoirs and canals were built to bring the waters of the Nile to the area on a controlled and regular basis, allowing people to farm there year round, at which time the area, though geographically small, became a very important area of Egypt.

Our first stop were the remains of a village called Karanis, on the edge of the Fayoum region. This was an agricultural village populated by ordinary people. Not much remains of the village because their homes were built of mud brick which has eroded over time.

(click any image to enlarge)

The remains of a mud brick wall in the village. The holes in the wall were where the palm log flooring fitted to make multiple story buildings.






The ruins of the village with the lush greenery of the Fayoum valley in the distance





It wasn’t all mud brick - this simply adorned temple still stands.





The primary god worshiped in this area was Sobek, the crocodile god. There were niches in this temple into which mummified crocodiles would have been placed.



The Pyramid at Hawara, built by Amenemhet III during the time of the Middle Kingdom. It doesn’t look like much now because the outer layer of limestone has been removed over time, exposing the much less durable mud brick structure below. But it is an impressive number of mud bricks! And apparently this pyramid has one of the most complicated internal passage systems, built in an attempt to thwart tomb robbers. Shortly after this period, pharaohs abandoned pyramids in favor of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings down in Luxor.






The entrance to the pyramid. There wasn’t much to see - the water table has risen so you could only go a few yards in before the floor of the tunnel was covered in water. It probably wouldn’t have stopped Indian Jones but the caretakers stopped us!



One of the many policeman that guarded us at the various sites we visited over the two day trip, a necessary precaution.



The decor at the rest stop where we ate lunch was certainly interesting!



Farmland



Pyramid at Lahun, built by King Senwosret II



One of several openings leading to the tombs of the princesses



This pyramid survived somewhat better than the previous pyramid because of the way in which is was built, incorporating the stone of the hillside in conjunction with the mud bricks.

Stay tuned, more pictures tomorrow…

I really dislike Christmas shopping. The time it takes, the pressure, the crowds, the expense, coming up with the ideas. And it’s even trickier in Egypt because even if I come up with some decent ideas, more often than not it’s for items I cannot obtain (easily) here. For all the reasons stated above, I’m happy to say that most of my shopping is already done.

(Don’t hate me - I have a fairly small family!)

Because we are spending Christmas in the US, the availability of items wasn’t such an issue this year. But since I’ll be staying in the north woods of Minnesota and wanted more at my disposal than the local gift shops and the Ben Franklin, I did most of my shopping online (no crowds! free shipping! yeah!) All of my items will be delivered and waiting for me to wrap them when I arrive. The only obstacle left was coming up with the ideas.

My children are full of suggestions of course. My daughter alone gave me a list a mile long that included a new laptop (we may end up getting one, but not for her!!) My problem is picking out the things that I think are actually worth buying. And in my opinion, that doesn’t leave much.

I don’t tend to go overboard at Christmas with the children. Seems to me that the more gifts appear, the worse their attitude gets! Santa fills their stockings and leaves one “wow” present, mommy and daddy give perhaps six more, and the rest are from relatives. All in all they end up with 12-15 presents each which is plenty. Since I’m fairly strict about limiting presents to birthdays and Christmas with few if any gratuitous purchases in between, what might seem like a paltry Christmas to some is an extravaganza to my two.

Much of my daughter’s list included requests for toys and this is where my main conflict (and Grinchiness) appears. I really dislike toy shopping. So few toys are interesting or well made. Most look as if they would hold their interest for all of ten minutes, tops. And having just been through two birthday parties in the last six months at which they received massive numbers of toys from friends, I can pretty much state that it’s true. The toys have not been the items that have had the most staying power. Which is why I find it hard to bring myself to buy them.

Still, it is Christmas and they will expect some “fun” presents. So I tried to buy toys, I really did. I looked at games, at Ben 10 merchandise, at the “hot must-have toy” list at Amazon. My reaction to most of what I saw was “meh” at best. I might have bought a few things anyway, if they hadn’t also cost so much. I’m not going to pay $20 for something I *know* won’t hold their interest long term. So I ended up navigating away from the toy section to the sports section and found what I think will be the hit present of the season - something they will use time and time again but would never have thought to request : pop-up mesh travel soccer goals. Both children are soccer crazy and are always outside using trees or lawn chairs as goal posts. How cool are they going to think these goal nets are? I even found groovy new balls for each of them. That’s Santa sorted. He’s a great guy.

Mommy bought them good stuff too. I got my daughter a new Razor scooter, a board game about the US states (perfect for the ignorant expat kid!), a pile of new Junie B. Jones books plus many others, and a couple of new Gameboy games. Little Man is getting the board game Operation!, a pile of new books, the first two seasons of the original Scooby Doo on DVD, and two new Gameboy games. I am happy with the selection and I think they will be too. (And everything there will be easy to pack and bring home again - bonus points!!!)

I’m sure I can confidently leave the toy buying in the hands of the grandparents. I already know there is at least one remote control car in the mix…

It’s been a week since I returned from the Womens Fiction Festival in Matera, Italy and I’m still a little high. It was a phenomenal experience.

Picture it: a wildly talented but largely unknown romance author attends her first writers conference, hoping to snag an agent and better yet a book deal for her latest project on the strength of a face to face pitch. She arrives in Rome, exhausted and travel worn after a red eye flight, only to run into another author (YA) and online friend in the airport. YA author friend introduces romance author to her traveling companions: two literary agents, a romance editor, and a Hollywood producer / screenwriter and his lovely wife. Romance author spends the rest of the short flight to the conference town regretting her travel attire and lack of mascara.

Romance author ends up being adopted by the glam group. She ends up pitching her book to one agent over dinner her first night, shopping with the second agent and romance editor another morning - finding the perfect Italian leather shoes for the closing gala for only 10 euro - and tossing around ideas with the movie producer during happy hour. Romance author stays in a quaint cave-like hotel in the historic area of town, requiring her to walk home alone late at night through twisting cobblestone streets, following signs to The Museum of Torture to find her way, often after consuming large amounts of fantastic food and wine. (Insert great potential here for pratfalls and other physical comedy here) By end of conference, romance author is invited to submit her full manuscript for consideration by all with whom she has spoken. She sells the book and the movie rights for a huge advance and lives happily ever after.

Sounds like the premise for a kooky chick-lit book doesn’t it? (The only thing missing from this above scenario is an affair with a sexy Italian man - and that was on offer too, only I didn’t think my husband would approve.) Aside from the thus far fictitious HEA ending (though some might also quibble with the opening), the above is actually a summary of my experiences this weekend while attending the Women’s Fiction Festival in Matera, Italy.

This was my first experience attending a writer’s conference and I have to say I think I’ve been spoiled for all future conferences. The location was definitely a draw for me - not only is it a relatively quick flight from my home in Cairo, Egypt but Matera is a World Heritage Site and has been the backdrop for several films, most notably The Passion of Christ. When we weren’t attending workshops, we were plied with food and drink - I hardly had time to work up an appetite between coffee break and happy hour buffets. But just in case you did still find yourself feeling peckish, the town was also having a food festival where you could sample and purchase local products. (I wasn’t the only one who bought chunks of stinky cheese!)

The most amazing part of this conference however was the opportunity to speak to industry professionals in such a friendly atmosphere. I had arranged appointments with the agents and editors before arriving but in the end I really didn’t need the appointments because there were so many opportunities to talk to people otherwise. The size of the conference - less than a hundred attendees at a guess - was what made that level of casual interaction possible.

If spending time socializing with authors, agents, and editors in such lovely surroundings isn’t convincing enough, here is another good reason to go to Matera - Italian designer leather goods. Need I say more?

Always good advice, no matter where in the world you are!

I am in Italy at this moment. Send me good vibes for the conference please. And don’t forget to drop by this weekend when Margaret Carter will be here with an excerpt from her paranormal/thriller romance Prince of the Hollow Hills. See you next week!

While I’m zooming around trying to get everything organized for my trip to Italy tomorrow, I thought I’d share some pictures with you. I’ve been meaning to get these posted for a while, but you know how it goes.

I’ve mentioned that I did a lot of shopping when I was home over the summer - but not all of it was in malls. Some of my favorite places to shop are thrift stores - or as my daughter affectionately calls them “rubbish stores”.

Not all thrift stores are created equally but if you’re patient you can often come up with some really neat things. I still have a few items of designer name clothing that I picked up for pennies at a bag day several years ago. Thinking of my luggage allowance, I was fairly discriminating this time, but I just couldn’t pass up these gems.

I love African art and I couldn’t believe my luck when I spotted these beauties sitting on a shelf amongst a clutter of coffee mugs and knick knacks. They were a steal at $12 - well worth any added weight in my baggage!

When I saw the mug below, I was instantly reminded of being a small child at my grandmother’s house. She had an entire set of dishes in a very similar glaze. I don’t want or need an entire set, so this lone mug was a wonderfully nostalgic find and only $0.35 - and they threw in a free pie spatula.

I’m off to Italy tomorrow but don’t worry - Margaret Carter will be here with an excerpt of her Cerridwen Press book Prince of the Hollow Hills, a magical sounding paranormal romance. I’ll be back bright and early next week, with pictures and news from glorious southern Italy!

Last day of vacation photos, promise! Just be happy you got the short version. Friends and family will shortly be sent the link to the extended play album!

The last full weekend I was on vacation, my father and step-mother took us out for a picnic and canoe trip on the Swamp River. I always like to get out on the Swamp River. Not only is it a very lovely and serene spot, but I remember going out there to fish with my own grandfather when I was a child. Even if we didn’t fish, it was a nice circle to take my own children out there.

After a picnic of bratwurst roasted over an open fire on greenwood sticks (yum!) and smores (double yum!) we took a ride in the canoe. My children love the thrill of a speed boat and I’ll admit that speed has its thrill, but in a place like this, a canoe is the way to go.

I could have taken pictures of the reflections of the sky in the water all day…

See that hill in the distance? The next plan for the afternoon was to hike up a trail to the top of that hill (locally known as Camp Five Mountain) in search of blueberries

A lovely little water lily that was growing amongst the wild rice along the banks of the river. Try picking a water lily while riding in a speed boat

A view of Swamp River, where we were canoeing, from the top of Camp Five Mountain

It wasn’t much of a trail up the mountain and very buggy, but we were rewarded for our efforts!

Dessert! My daughter wanted to collect the most berries which is why she tossed in all the raspberries she found as well!

Just in case you thought I was foraging for all of my food while in the woods, thought I’d toss this photo in. I’ve eaten “happy pizza” in Cambodia and buffalo milk latte in Cairo - now I can add moose burger in Minnesota. Not sure I’d go out of my way for another one, but it wasn’t bad.


This weekend author Mona Risk will be here to introduce you to the cast of characters from her recently released book French Peril. If you like a thriller set in an exotic location, you’ll want to stop by and check this one out!

All this week, I’ll be sharing photos from my summer vacation. It killed me not to be able to do that all along while I was actually on the spot, but it couldn’t be helped. If looking at other people’s vacation photos isn’t your thing, it could be a boring week for you. I have picked out a handful from the more than 200 I took, but I forgive you if you don’t hang around!

Our first stop was Asbury Park, New Jersey - which also happens to be the inspiration for my first book Here To Stay. Since I only recently found out that Here To Stay will be released in print sometime this fall, it was a particularly nice time to revisit Asbury Park.

I have loved Asbury Park since the first time I visited. Its hey-day as a weekend and holiday getaway was way back in the 40s & 50s and by the time I discovered it in the 90s, it was deserted and decrepit. And a potentially dangerous place to hang around. Stories abounded of people being mugged on the boardwalk in broad daylight and the old buildings were crumbling. Very few businesses existed on that section of the boardwalk and there were fewer people still taking advantage of the beach. I could never get my mind around how such a lovely location could be so neglected and forgotten. Aside from Bruce Springsteen, surely someone somewhere cared about Asbury Park enough to invest some money in it?

Until July of this year, I hadn’t been to Asbury Park in almost seven years. It was a wonderful surprise to see it doing so well. The old buildings are being restored, the Convention Center - once a creepy, echo-y shell of a building - now houses several businesses and hosts events, and the boardwalk is lined with shops and restaurants and people. I can remember when we didn’t go out after dark for fear of our lives. Now it is difficult to find a time when the boardwalk isn’t crawling with people. It’s wonderful.

Asbury Park beach, August 1998

You’ll have to take my word - this is the same stretch of beach in July 2008!

Asbury Park boardwalk, heading toward Ocean Grove, 1998
This same stretch of boardwalk is now lined with shops and activities. I’d have taken a picture this year but it would have just looked like a mass of people!

Asbury Park Convention Center, 1998

This used to be an empty shell of a building that you had to pass through to make your way down the boardwalk

Asbury Park Convention Center, 2008
This shot was taken in late afternoon when most of the sun bathers had gone home for the day. We had dinner at a neat Irish pub in the Convention Center one night. I also noticed a poster advertising an upcoming Bob Dylan concert being held there. Definitely more than a pass through now!

An old amusement park located just beside the boardwalk, 1998

Here’s what’s left of the amusement hall. Judging by how well they are trying to restore most of the older buildings, this one must have been in really bad shape. Nice to see that some of it was able to be salvaged. Though that clown face is enough to keep me from going inside!

Victorian lovelies, Ocean Grove, 1998

These houses start just after the boundary line between Asbury Park and Ocean Grove. The demarcation line isn’t so stark as it used to be but I never could figure out why a few hundred feet made such a difference. But just look at them! Is is any wonder I wanted to put story into one?

Tomorrow and the rest of the week: the wilds of northern Minnesota…

Time is a funny thing. Sometimes it d-r-a-g-s and sometimes it just flies by. My summer vacation has gone by much too quickly and today I’m on my way home.

Going home is bittersweet. On the one hand, I am looking forward to being in my own home again, in my own environment, and not living out of a suitcase. But living in Egypt isn’t always easy and truth be told, I’m not super enthusiastic about going back. Neither are my children. They’ve really bonded with their grandparents this year. To the point where they were threatening to revolt and just stay behind - see ya next year, Mom.

On the other hand, I’ve been so busy doing other things this summer that I haven’t done anything “productive” at all. My creative juices, kind of dry at the end of June, are totally flowing again. I have several ideas for new quilts and lots of ideas for writing. Once I get over the jetlag, I’ll have lots to keep me occupied in the coming year. Yes, in my mind, September and not January starts the new year.

So right about now, I’m flying somewhere high overhead on my way home. Keep commenting on Elizabeth Jenning’s Friday Feature - I’ll announce the winner to my weekend contest when I get home. See you soon…

I know that vacation is rapidly drawing to a close when I start to freak out about my luggage. I arrived traveling fairly light for a women with two small(ish) children in tow, but I’ve been happily shopping all summer. Traveling light is no longer possible.

In all the years I’ve been traveling, I’ve only ever had to pay excess baggage fees once. Since then, I’ve got packing nearly down to an art form. It’s an important skill to have now that the international luggage allowance has gone from 70 lbs / piece to 50 lbs / piece.

First I pack all the heaviest items in the smallest suitcases - you’d have to pack quite a bit in there to make it go over 50 lbs. Bulky light things like quilt batting and stuffed animals go in the largest suitcases. And I take full advantage of the number of bags we are allowed - two per ticket. The only problem with that method is that there is only one of me and six bags. I love waving goodbye to that pile at the check-in counter.

Not looking forward to carrying it all up five flights of stairs at the other end however. It’s a good thing my husband arrived home first

While I’m puzzling over where to pack what this weekend, stop by and visit Elizabeth Jennings, my featured author this weekend. She’ll be talking about her book Dying for Siena and the fascinating inspiration behind the story.

Summers are short in northern Minnesota (for frame of reference, it’s been down to about 42F the last couple of nights). So when the weather is nice, as it has been lately, you have to get out and take advantage of it. Which is what we did, non-stop, all weekend long.

Saturday was cool, breezy, and clear. We took a morning walk, and then headed out to the Grand Portage reservation around lunchtime to catch the grand entry of their dancers at the annual pow-wow. We’ve been for the last several years and the children really enjoy looking at the elaborate costumes and head dresses and watching them dance to their traditional drumming. It is a striking display.

After the dancing and a look at all the sales tables - my daughter bought herself and her brother each a buffalo tooth, because hey, it was there - my dad and step-mother and I took the children to a beach along Lake Superior. It was windy enough that the waves were pretty high but that didn’t put the children off at all, nor did the fact that the water couldn’t have been more than 40F - they both stripped down to their underwear and dove in! What doesn’t kill them…

Sunday was another gorgeous day. We packed a picnic lunch, the canoe, and off we went to the Swamp River. First we had lunch - bratwurst cooked over a campfire, cheetos, and smores - and then we got in the canoe. I’m surprised we didn’t sink it as much as we all ate! The river was tranquil and lovely as always - so calm in places it was like a mirror.

After our big lunch and our canoe trip, we went blueberry picking. That makes it sound easy - before we found any blueberries we first had to climb a small mountain along a trail that was a tad overgrown. I really should have brought along a machete. I had on jeans and insect repellent, but someone needs to write to the makers of Off! and tell them that the Minnesota mosquitoes and black flies laugh in the face of their floral fresh spray. They bit me through my shirt so thoroughly I look like I have measles on my back! (we won’t talk about my face!)

We were at least rewarded at the top with a bumper crop of blueberries.

So my city children learned a thing or two this weekend: 1) don’t rock the boat - particularly if you are in a canoe, 2) always wear jeans when going hiking with grandpa, 3) don’t beat on rotten logs unless you want to stir up the ants, 4) it’s a good idea to pee downhill if you want to keep your shoes clean.

Less than a week left now. Time flies when you’re having fun…