Back to Normal, Butterflies and Bailey

Beautiful and graceful, varied and enchanting, small but approachable, butterflies lead you to the sunny side of life. And everyone deserves a little sunshine. ~Jeffrey Glassberg

Monday morning. Am I the only person who is happy to see it arrive? Last week, my DH was off. His intention was to spend nearly every day on his boat, but the weather didn't cooperate and he only ended out two days. The other days he sat around and pouted. I know he's not thrilled to go back to work, but I am a creature of habit who loves a good routine, so am tickled pink to get back to mine.

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BTW, update on my DDog -- I have never been so happy in all my life as I was yesterday morning. I was perusing the newspaper, and she wandered over WITH A BALL IN HER MOUTH. She wanted to play! I think I'm finally getting my baby back. Thank heavens. Of course, she still got up around 1 a.m. to go potty, but I'll take what I can get.

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So, I feel a little incestuous, but hey... I take 'em where I can. The wonderful Michele Oberlander reviewed my short story "Now That We've Found You" for LASR and I posted it this morning. I promise, I didn't pay her (much!) to say all those nice things.

I have also been remiss at checking out all my usual blogs everyday -- for those of you who I usually swing by and say howdy to -- it's not you, it's me. I'm ridiculously busy lately. I have you in Google Reader, so if you've updated, I've read it... I just haven't had time to comment much. But I miss you!!

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My SIL brought over three new Black Swallowtail caterpillar babies yesterday. It's ironic, really, because I have nearly everything in the world a black swallowtail will lay her eggs on: rue, parsley, carrots... even wild Queen Anne's lace. Guess where she found them? On her DILL. And they will only eat what they're laid on... so she also brought me some dill plants for my garden, and I'm going to go to the local Agway and buy a few more. Little stinkers. They're so cute, though, tiny little black lines -- not the vivid yellow, green and black of an adult. Still no Monarch babies, though. And I've been checking out all the local milkweed patches... maybe it's too early.

BTW, if you find little black worms, or bright green, yellow and black caterpillars in your herb garden -- because they love parsley, fennel, carrots and dill -- please let them live -- you can spare a bit of your food... they don't eat much. The butterflies are amazing (see the link, above, for pictures and more information).

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Yesterday, I transcribed my scribbles from the night before, but only got a couple new paragraphs done. My characters are about to share their first kiss, bittersweet and adorable. I can't wait to write it.

My friend, Judy, and I have gone back and forth on writing emotion and sexual tension in your stories. I really like writing it -- sometimes I wonder if I go overboard, especially in my novels. I like it to be a little more subtle than most of what I read, though. I started an Intimate Moments yesterday, and from the first page both the H/H were all about sex with each other (and that only from glancing at one another, they hadn't even met yet and the hero was having vivid fantasies about the heroine). That's not "tension" in my book. I prefer the small touches, the hesitant smiles, the forbidden feelings. It's the difference between being courted by Cyrano de Bergerac and a construction worker who cat calls you, IMHO.

That book was returned to my library bag halfway into the second chapter.
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You Belong in Rome

You're a big city soul with a small town heart Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand And gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?