Time Keeps On Trippin'

Positano, Italy, March 2026

Into the future. Old song, perfect lyrics. It has been years since I wrote a blog post. The last one was in November 2022, just before I moved to Portugal. Yes, Portugal. I published "Freedom Rings: Book 3 of The Circle", sold (or gave away) almost everything I owned: house, furniture, books, keepsakes, hobbies, and emptied my office.

I left with five suitcases (the family total was 17, lol), my dog Lelu (Verde, my parakeet, is living with my friend Brandi. He still sings when he hears my voice), and a couple of pieces of furniture, kitchen cookware, artwork, and, of course, my crystals. I moved here with my youngest son, James, his husband, Brian, and my twin granddaughters, Aurora and Brooklyn. They were 4 when we arrived. They are 7 now, and keeping Grandma busy. We bought our flat two years ago and are all very happy here. Oh, and my sons opened a restaurant in January. Hit me up if you're going to visit Porto. The Bistro is a great destination for a meal and some people watching.

I am still writing. I started the fourth book in The Circle series before we left the States. There have been many obstacles to getting it done. First, the move itself. Second, how amazing it was to be living in another country and navigating the language, food, people, and the decompression from the stress level of living in the United States. That in itself took sixty days. I really didn't realize how much fear I carried. While there is no zero when it comes to stress, I am able to go to sleep every night without worrying about anything happening to me or my family here. That is a blessing.

Third. At the end of 2024, I was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time in my life, after 35 years of being cancer-free. As you can imagine, that flipped my whole world over. We caught it very early, and after chemo last year, I am cancer-free again. The healthcare here is just amazing.

This year has started off with lots of new things (Bistro 240, the Twins are in Form 2 (that's second grade), I went to Sorrento, Italy for ten days in March (what a wonderful trip, life-changing and awe-inspiring adventure!) Many points of focus on healing and moving forward to enjoy my life.

As I said, I'm still writing, and my intent is to get this next novel finished before summer gets going. I'm at the halfway point, so it's definitely possible. I will also endeavor to drop a blog on you more often than every three years!

Blessings to you all and back at cha soon!

Brenda