Deborah M. Hathaway
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Still Longing

4/4/2018

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PictureMe and my sister, Dunluce Castle, Ireland
While seven months pregnant with our second child, my husband and I flew to England. We had a wonderful time, as we always do while there, but even more so because my sister and her husband were able to join us. We explored all over the country together and had the time of our lives, however, the exhaustion I felt while pregnant and traveling with our 18 month old was acute. So much so that I promised myself I would never travel so far from home while pregnant again. 

PictureBodmin Moor, Cornwall
Two years later, my husband and I headed to England once again where I visited Cornwall for the first time. From then on, I was forever changed. I have never longed to return to a place (excepting my own home) more than I do Cornwall. There is something about it (the rugged coastline, the accents, the food, the views, the small roads, the peace and quiet) that calls to me. 

​When we returned home, my yearning for the county grew, but with our third child on the way, I knew we wouldn't be able to go back for years. To satisfy my unquenchable thirst to see Cornwall and the ocean again, we planned a trip to Oregon.  

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Heceta Head Lighthouse, Oregon
We had a wonderful vacation, and the coastline did not disappoint, nor did the lighthouses, beaches, and time we spent together. While there, I wanted to make sure I did two things.

​1.) I wanted to write while near the ocean so I could make my next book (based along the Cornish coast) hopefully better. Well, with two rambunctious kids with zero inhibitions and approaching tides, writing was made rather difficult. I was, however, able to take extensive notes on my phone, so I think that counts.
PictureYachats, Oregon
2.) I wanted to be sure to get a few sunset pictures of our growing family. After five nights spent hoping for beautiful sunsets (each night ending with thick clouds blocking any light from the departing sun), we were finally blessed with a breathtaking sunset on our last night. 

​After our wonderful vacation, we returned home, however, nothing could compare to my beautiful Cornwall, and I am now, more than ever, longing to return. I suppose I will simply have to wait a year or two, though, when we can enjoy the county with three children instead of two.
​

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Yachats, Oregon
​Now all I must do is find the patience to wait for the baby to join our family, and for the next time we get to enjoy Cornwall together!
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Changed

11/8/2017

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​A few months back, I was able to update my blog more frequently than before, having a great deal to write about in relation to my recent trip to England. However, when I reached the post I had been waiting to write about for months, I was stumped, deciding to take the easy way out and just give up on writing altogether...
​for a few weeks, anyway.
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​​I don’t know what has made me pick up my pencil (or rather, type on my laptop) again and make another attempt at writing. Perhaps it is the fact that Halloween is over and I no longer am creating and sewing costumes for me and my family.  We dressed as Hobbits this year, as me and my husband are huge fans of Lord of the Rings. My daughter was determined to be a princess, but after I promised her a pretty dress and a flower crown, she was convinced to dress up as a Hobbit like the rest of us. This may be my last year I will have the power of persuasion, though.
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Or perhaps I wished to start writing again because of the beautiful autumn we are experiencing this year. The colors of the leaves have been so vibrant and have lasted far longer than years past. The air has been crisp and not absolutely frigid, which has been a nice change, and now that November has come, I am happy for it to snow and drop in temperature. (At least until January when it needs to warm up day one.)

​Or maybe I simply wanted to start writing again because I love it, and I missed these last few months of creating images in others' minds by putting words on a page. Along with my blogging, I nearly gave up on writing and editing my new novel, which is what I miss the most. The characters, places, and situations are so real to me that when I don’t write or read about them, I miss them like I would any old friend.
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Pacific Coast
​Having finally decided to continue writing, I’m nervous, afraid my novel hasn’t made the progress I thought it had. I’m also nervous to continue blogging, as that post I couldn’t write still haunts me. The post was supposed to be about the sea, but no words could do my feelings justice.
I saw the ocean for the first time at age three, but the first time I can remember seeing the ocean was when I saw it from Blackpool in England. I was overwhelmed, as it was my first trip to the UK, and I was completely jet-lagged, so I couldn’t really take in the majesty of the water. Yet, when I took my family vacation to Oregon, I was finally struck with how incredible it all was, and I longed to see the ocean again.
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Blackpool, England
​I expected great things during our trip to Cornwall, planning for months on spreadsheets every minute of every day so we could take full advantage of our time there. We had so many places to see, so many miles to drive, we were exhausted by the end of every day, but each moment of exhaustion was worth it for the sights we saw.
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Porthcurno Beach, Cornwall
PicturePorthcurno Beach, Cornwall
I was taken aback at my love for the sea once again as we stopped at beach after beach, cliffside after cliffside. The power of the incredible amount of water, the sounds of the waves on the beach, the soft sand beneath my boots, the freezing wind burning my reddened cheeks, the rugged, Cornish cliffs around me, everything was overwhelmingly peaceful and powerful.

I have not been the same since, and every day, I long to return to the place I felt such deep joy and contentment. 
​
For now, however, I will settle for the next best thing, writing about the place I fell in love with, the fierce winds, the rushing waves, and the endless beauty of the Cornish coast. 

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A Love for Lighthouses

9/5/2017

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Lighthouses have always intrigued me, though I hadn't seen one in person until last Autumn when I visited Oregon. We drove along the winding coastal road before turning the corner and seeing Yaquina Head Lighthouse perched high on the cliff's edge, mist rolling across the ocean, the rain just beginning to fall from the clouds above.  I got to walk up the winding staircase, exhausted when I finally reached the top of the lighthouse's 114 steps. The journey was well worth it, though, when I was able to see the view of the ocean from the glass room at the top. Ever since seeing this lighthouse, I have become obsessed with them. 

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When we traveled to England this past May, I was able to see a few of the lighthouses Cornwall boasts, the first being Lizard Lighthouse on Lizard Point, the furthest southerly point of Great Britain.

​We ate Cornish pasties, beans, and chips at a seaside cafe before walking along the pathway lined with wildflowers. Despite having to prevent our children from diving over the cliff's edge, we were able to enjoy our time taking in the views of the lighthouse shining in the sunlight. 

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We ended our first night in Cornwall with a beautiful sunset view from Land's End, the point most westerly of mainland Britain. Rising tall and majestic from the glowing sea stood Longships Lighthouse, and we watched the edifice grow more gray as the sun slowly disappeared into the ocean. 

Seeing a lighthouse close up and in person was an unforgettable experience for me. So much so that I have spent the last year working on my fourth novel which will, of course, have a lighthouse central to the story. I cannot wait to release the book next year, and I hope you can't wait to read it!

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