Recent Posts
A Final Pandemic Post on Friendships in Paris
Bonjour mes amis, Thanks for joining us through this very strange and scary journey over the past ten weeks. Bernie and I are doing well but have decided to allow several weeks to pass before we go out and see what happens in Alabama with COVID-19 spread. Our cases go up every day but onward […]
Memories of Le Tour de France Finale in Paris
Bonjour mes amis, It occurs to me that I’m not doing nearly as good a job as some of my fellow bloggers who are sharing a new post every day. Shame on me. Some days are harder than others. Here are some daily Paris-related blogs you might enjoy: Eye Prefer Paris from Richard Nahem who is […]
The Dior Exhibit Still the Best
Bonjour mes amis, We received our airline refund yesterday for our Paris trip which was great news and sad news all in one. Hopefully, next year, about this time, we’ll be able to return to Paris. France and Paris in particular have been hard hit so we hope they will be in recovery soon. Riots […]
Remembering Five Visits to Normandy
Bonjour mes amis, Writing this blog is sometimes not as easy as I thought it would be. I promised a positive focus and some days “positive” is a difficult mindset right now. I’ve checked off a variety of activities like finishing the edits on a novel, working jigsaw puzzles (now one that has 2000 pieces!), […]
Books
Her first book entitled Leading Ladies published in 2003 offers practical leadership tips for women, encouraging them to embrace their femininity as a leadership asset.
In Catch Your Breath, Linda has written a raw, honest series of meditations for caregivers based on her experiences in caring for her own mother. These will evoke both laughter and tears as they offer insight and courage to those caught in the caregiving web.
In Bernie ‘s Paris…Travel Stories with Love, Linda describes with tender and often humorous clarity her eleven years visiting Paris with her best friend and lover, Bernard Verdier, a native Frenchman. From Southern belle to world traveler, she will delight you with her Parisian escapades, her love affair with “Bernie” and hopefully inspire you to fall in love with Paris as she has. Bernie’s photographs will ignite the urge to plan a Paris fling. The book is now available.
Now Available: Bernie’s Paris…Travel Stories with Love
This memoir captures an improbable journey between a love-starved, Southern belle and an over-eager, homesick Parisian. If you’ve ever been to Paris or have always dreamed of going, this is a must-read full of savvy tips, funny mistakes, compelling drama—all entangled in the tender love story of two people who had mostly given up on a late-in-life relationship. You will chuckle; you will sigh; you will remember; and maybe, you will call your travel agent!
Now Available from Balboa Press
Whether you have chosen to be a caregiver or were hijacked by circumstances, Catch Your Breath, a series of touching meditations by Linda Spalla, will become a wisp of sanity and a day-to-day stabilizer. Spalla retraces an eight month care-giving journey with her mother, captured in raw, candid images, truly becoming a walk in her shoes. What started as a thirty-days-to-live commitment of care in her home turned into an unexpected eight months of never-ending responsibility. You will feel a kinship with the roller coaster of emotions; from anger, confusion, surprise, resentment, guilt and ambivalence, to finally relief, recovery and celebration. You will learn through the various vignettes some refreshingly practical information on such topics as finding sitters, managing medicine, dealing with sibling rivalry, contracting with Hospice, moving to assisted living, doing will preparation and other legalities as well as funeral planning. You will laugh; you will sob; your heart will soar; your heart will break. You will find solace, encouragement and inspiration for one of life’s most daunting challenges. But especially, you will discover your best self, emerging stalwart, strong and forged by the fire of your caregiving experience. Give yourself a gift of renewal and Catch Your Breath.