Showing posts with label mom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mom. Show all posts

Thursday, January 19, 2012

For Bonny

(Private note: Mom, this is going to make you cry ... so stop now if you don't want to.)

Yesterday, my mom had to make the difficult decision to put her 13 y.o. Yorkshire Terrier to sleep. She's been terribly sick and in heart failure over the last few months, but this last week she declined quickly and it was clear it was time.

That never makes it easier.



Mom brought Wee Bonny Blue ("Bonny") home when she was just eight weeks old, though she knew the breeders and was able to go visit her puppy soon after she was born. Even at eight weeks, Bonny pushed my 85 pound Bailey around. She was silly, bossy, sassy, smart and a loving companion.

Except for the four years my mom was away, I spent nearly as much time with Bonny. And I miss her. But she's over the rainbow bridge now, young and healthy and playing with her best friend, Bailey.



When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.



All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.



You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.



Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Gunshots, Guest Blogs and Goofy Dogs

So ... I got a text early this morning from my mom: "Police standoff at (her apartment complex name). Tear gas canisters. More shots just heard."

Yeah -- that's enough to stop my heart.

Thing is, she's in a really nice complex off the beaten path. It's not a place you picture police standoffs happening. However, someone robbed a bank at gunpoint in town yesterday evening (my bank, actually, in a strange turn of events, especially since I was there a little earlier in the day) and apparently the cops identified him and went to serve a warrant. It seems he took offense. With his gun.

Thankfully, he's in a completely different building than my mom. But still -- oy vey. There's tear gas and SWAT teams... Even in a little teeny town in a rural state, bad things happen.

In other news ... DD and I are featured today at Maria Zannini's blog during her DIY Christmas series. It's not up as I write this post, but I'm sure it will be soon. We show you how to make a very simple, but pretty, pair of Christmas earrings. And, we're giving that pair of earrings away to someone who comments on the post, so go visit! She has a pile of other folks there, too, and many have giveaways (nevermind the cool recipes and craft ideas). You should check it out.

Dakota nearly stopped my heart yesterday. We were outside with a neighbor and her dog when the FedEx truck lumbered up the street. For some reason, Dakota decided she didn't want that truck on our road and ran in front of it, barking. Thankfully, the driver was paying attention, wasn't going that fast and stopped before he hit her. But, he didn't let me get to her before he started again, and she decided to chase him down the road. She finally came back to my frantic screaming authoritative recall command and was in BIG trouble.

Took about an hour for the adrenaline to recede.

==================




You Speak General American English!



55% General American English



20% Yankee



15% Upper Midwestern



10% Dixie



0% Midwestern




The 20% Yankee must be from living here the past 13 years ... and I admit to using "y'all" despite being from California, hence the 10% Dixie. I did live in Colorado (the midwest) so something must have rubbed off on me there, too. Sheesh.

=================

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Wednesday Warbling

Missed yesterday. Sorry. I won't go on about craziness, just know it exists in my world.

DD is loving school. She loves everything: the kids, the teachers, the classes, lunch, having a locker .... yesterday she was SO happy (having had an especially good day) that she would NOT be quiet. She talked a mile a minute about anything that crossed her mind, and even if she had nothing to say she hummed or spouted nonsense words or just giggled maniacally. It about drove me crazy. But it's hard to get angry when someone is just so darn happy.

They're having a field trip on Thursday and she wanted me to drive (mostly so she could ride with her new best friend). It's ALL DAY and my schedule is already nuts, but I told her if they couldn't find enough people I would. Thankfully, they found enough people.

I know, I know ... I should participate, but Oy.

She's doing pretty well, grade-wise, too. All 90s except English where she first forgot to do the homework on time( so 10% off) and then did it sloppy and partly wrong. She got a 57%. AND she had to redo it correctly.

I check on her homework assignments, and I nag a bit, but she's old enough that she knows what to do and is competitive enough she won't want to fail. Hopefully.

I tried taking pix of the stairs last night, but they didn't come out. Will take more today in natural light. They look nice enough, but I just know come winter with me running up and down in my socks that I'm going to slip. And fall. I'm not the most graceful person when it comes to stairs and fall down (and up) most sets of stairs I use at least once.

I did take pictures of the magnets my mom cross-stitched and that I'll be putting up on DistinctivelyDD soon. Aren't they adorable?





I also located a crafters store where you can rent space for your stuff. It's not in a great spot and I don't know how much traffic it gets, but I'm going to look into it and see what I think.

Yanno... in my spare time.

On a side note -- going through the slush pile again at Samhain Publishing kinda sucks. The wait is 3 - 4 MONTHS... *sigh*. I'm antsy. And I can't help but think about submitting it somewhere else at the same time. I'd love for the sequel to be at the same publisher, but there's no guarantee they'll take it and if I wait to submit elsewhere, it's just going to make the time before it sees the light of day that much longer.

Decisions, decisions...

================










Your Next Car Should Be an Audi




You are pretty conventional when it comes down to it. You have mainstream tastes and interests.

You value quality and craftsmanship. You rather have a few nice things than many low quality possessions.

You are very focused and responsible. You take your duties seriously, no matter what they are.

You are patient and trusting. You know that the best things in life don't come overnight.




About 80% right, but I don't like Audis.

===============

Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Bugs!

There is not a sprig of grass that shoots uninteresting to me. ~Thomas Jefferson

Okay ... many of you (especially gardeners!) expressed some, shall we say, surprise at the fact that we're raising tomato hornworms.

The main reason I'm doing so is because of the amazing moth it becomes. Beautiful and incredible to watch, I give you -- the Hummingbird Moth:





Yesterday, inside one of the jars, I found the tiniest little mama crab spider carrying the tiniest little bitty egg sac (if not for her egg sac, I probably wouldn't have seen her at all). She couldn't stay there, so I scooped her out and put her and her eggs outside. She was SUCH a good mama... she held the sac with her to hindmost legs, and once as she was trying to get away, the sac came loose. You could tell she wanted to run (she probably thought I was going to eat her!) but she scurried back for her eggs anyway, picked them up and moved away.

I know, I know you're all thinking: spider? But nature is incredibly amazing (if brutal) and if you take time to just WATCH sometimes I think you'd be swept away by its beauty.

Most of my day, however, was spent deep cleaning. Why? Because Sunday night I found a cockroach! UGH!! We generally don't see them up here, though they can live here, and we've NEVER seen them in our house. It was an American Cockroach and after some research we found that the German Cockroach is what usually lives here. Our assumption is that it hitchhicked in on some imported (from California or Florida) produce).

My house is pretty dang clean, but it can always be cleaner. So I pulled out the appliances and scrubbed the floors, emptied the pantry and scrubbed, emptied my cupboards and scrubbed. Then I deployed more than a dozen roach bait traps.

Despite my love for nature, I do draw the line at cockroaches (mostly because they try to live in my house... :::shudders:::).

I wasn't online but an hour or two yesterday, and today is my Mom's birthday, so my online time will be reduced as well. Hopefully, tomorrow things will mostly be back to normal.

Have a great day!

=======================




You Are Dominant



You take on huge projects and see them through. You lead the way when it comes to success.

You are a leader and a good one too. You are as fair as you can be.

You have a defiant streak. If someone tells you that you can't do something, it makes you that more determined.

You are impulsive when the occasion calls for it. You make decisions on the fly.



About 75% right

=======================

Saturday, July 09, 2011

Saturday Snippet ...

Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths. ~Etty Hillesum

I know I don't usually post on Saturday, but I am today ... because, HA, I forgot it was Saturday until just now. :-)

My friend and LASR/WC/Goddess Fish biz partner, Judy, sent me this card yesterday.


She knows me well, and it gave me a much needed laugh after yet another long, stressful day. BUT -- we should be done with those!

I hope.

Seriously, Murphy needs to be shot. Between not having internet AGAIN and then U-Haul not following through on their promises, it was nuts. After the debacle on Thursday with U-Haul not even dropping off Mom's stuff, they promised to have her bin to her by noon (and hopefully earlier).

Noon came and went, and we called. The driver was on the road, but still in Maine. The stuff didn't even get to her place until after 3:00 and then we had to wait for a trailer to show up for her to put it on.

We didn't start unloading until 4:00 or so.

Ugh.

Anyway, she's unloaded, has her stuff (though it's still boxed), and it's all good. Her apartment complex is really nice (yesterday, we saw a maintenance guy zip by on a golf cart to do something. He ran in, then out and zipped off ... then skidded to a halt and brought out those pincher-thingies, picked up a teeny bit of garbage with them and zipped off again -- no wonder the place is so clean! They even provide doggie poop bags outside every side exit.)

I'm so far behind on my LASR/WC/Goddess Fish work I may never catch up, but I'm going to give it the college try today -- DH and DD are boating and I should be able to work all day with NO interruption. At least that's MY plan. Murphy may have another one.

I haven't even been able to think about blog-hopping this week folks. I'm sorry. But I'm hoping life will be back to what passes for normal her starting Monday.

Have a great weekend!

======================




Your Mind is Attentive



You are always paying close attention to what's going on around you. You are focused but also a multitasker.

You are a doer, not a dreamer. You like to put all your ideas into action.



You are very productive. You are good at knowing what needs to get done first and then doing it.

You are proactive, and you try not to let anything slide. You avoid lazy thinking habits.



That's about right!

====================

Friday, July 08, 2011

Murphy Needs the Boot

It is an experience common to all men to find that, on any special occasion, such as the production of a magical effect for the first time in public, everything that can go wrong will go wrong. Whether we must attribute this to the malignity of matter or to the total depravity of inanimate things, whether the exciting cause is hurry, worry, or what not, the fact remains. - British stage magician Nevil Maskelyne

In the "anything that can go wrong" corner....

When Mom tried to move into her apartment yesterday, they told her the date was wrong. It wasn't 7/7 as her move in date, but 7/8. Never mind that she had all her deliveries scheduled for 7/7, and I was there with a full UHaul that needed returning by 3 pm.

Speaking of UHaul -- their $19.95 deal for the small truck? Not so great a deal. It's $19.95 for a "day" (and it's not even a full day), plus $0.79/mile + you have to fill it up with gas or get a $30 fueling charge PLUS pay $4.49 / gallon. After all was said and done, one trip with a half full truck going very few miles (24 miles) ended up costing me almost $60.

THEN, when the apt complex finally agreed to let her move in (and offered us an empty garage to put stuff until the apt was ready -- it needed to be cleaned), we realized the UHaul "pod" that she'd filled and had shipped with ALL her other stuff hadn't shown. She called (Three times to finally get a human) and they started with, "We don't have that pod here." When she insisted, they said, "Oh, well, we have it but don't show you called to scheduled delivery." When she mentioned that the final charge was ALREADY on her credit card, they finally said, "It was a mistake on our end." and will deliver it today.

The problem with that, is today was supposed to be MY day to spend alone and working like a dog to get caught up on all the stuff I'm so far behind on. DH and DD will be out boating and I would have no interruptions.

Now, I'll have to go help Mom unload her pod.

Of course, as it turns out that may not be such a big deal because, when I got up this morning, my internet was down. I called tech support and they confirmed an outage in our town, with NO ETA on when it will be fixed. No worries, I can hook up my mobile hotspot on my phone right?

When I went to hook it up, it popped up with a "To use this service, you must subscribe for $30 / month." WTH? No one ever mentioned this to me. EVER. And I specifically told the guy at the phone store that one of the biggest reasons I was getting the phone was for THIS reason. He failed to mention that it was a promotional offer...

I called Verizon and talked to "Joe" who apologized profusely, but basically said there was nothing he could do. It was what it was and that's all there is to it.

So... I sat here for a good 30 minutes deciding whether or not I wanted to subscribe. I finally did (hence the ability to post this blog), but I'm still steaming.

So not only is my full "alone" catch-up day not a full day because of UHaul's screw up, but I don't have reliable, high-speed internet to work on all the stuff I need to. The mobile hotspot it nice, but it's a lot slower than my usual home internet and it's incredibly frustrating.

Folks, I'm telling you right now -- Murphy has moved in and is a very unwelcome guest.

====================




Your Tropical Fruit Flavor is Mango



Your heart is carefree, wild, and irresponsible. You let your heart lead you, even when it leads you astray.

You love freedom above all else. You think everyone could do with some liberation.

If someone plays hard to get with you, it makes you all the more interested. You love a challenge.

You love to talk for hours - whether it's sharing a story or teaching someone something.



Um... not really -- and more, I don't like mangoes.

=================

Monday, June 27, 2011

The Weekend Recap

I love my mother as the trees love water and sunshine - she helps me grow, prosper, and reach great heights. ~Terri Guillemets

Happy Monday!

My blogging may be sporadic the next couple of weeks. Not only is my mom staying here until her apartment is ready, but DH is taking of next week, so things will be crazy. I should hopefully be back to normal (or what passes as normal for me *G*) July 11th.

Friday, Dru asked:

Is your mom living in the same place she lived before moving out west?

No. She lived with us before, in an apartment over our garage. When she moved, we totally renovated it, including some structural changes and it's not really usable (or available -- it's DD's school room, craft area and my office) now. She's getting her own real apartment thins time (complete with two pools -- one indoor, one outdoor, which THRILLS DD).

At DD's new school, do they wear uniforms?

No, though they do have a very strict dress code. I'll be honest, I wish they DID have a uniform. It would make my life a million times easier.

I spent the weekend reacquainting my mom with the area (much has changed -- even one road was completely redesigned and moved!) and letting her rest a bit. My DH went out on Thursday night to Kansas City to pick her up and drive her the rest of the way here. It was a marathon trip straight through with stops only for potty breaks and food. They got here Saturday morning, and both were exhausted.

But it's done.

In other news, I took my mom couponing with my on Sunday. We hit CVS, RiteAid and Walgreens. She got her cards for the two that offer them, and I showed her how to find the deals in the flyers and go from there. I gave her two of my UpRewards/ExtraBucks to get her started. She needed Zantac, and I showed her how it was on sale at one place - plus we scored: we HAD a $1 off coupon, but ONE of the packages in the store came with a $2 off coupon attached! She ended up getting it dirt cheap.

She's excited by the prospect and got her own coupon container started (with the UpRewards/ExtraBucks she earned) and is ready to do more.

I'm telling you folks, it's not THAT hard to get stuff for free or nearly so. In fact, at this point I won't "buy" toothpaste unless it's free (and I got two tubes at RiteAid for -$1 this weekend. They were free after UpRewards AND I had a $1 off coupon).

We've also been having a "Leverage" marathon -- we wanted to catch Mom up to speed since the fourth season started last night.

I did discover yesterday that the deer hit my veggie garden. My own fault -- I'd forgotten to put out my milorganite bombs (you put it in pieces of nylon stockings and hang it around the garden... keeps the deer away cuz it STINKS). They ate about 2/3 of my tomatoes down to about 6" high, nibbled my butternut squash and cucumbers about halfway down. I'm most upset about the tomatoes, though they'll bounce back. But they were loaded with blossoms and now ... they aren't.

*sigh*

Worse, I saw my first Japanese Beetles. We call them the advance guard. The first ones that hatch are this dull brown color instead of the shiny, iridescent color of most. It means the "real" beetles will be hatching in a couple of day.

Oh. Joy.

How was your weekend?

=======================




You Are a Performance Based Tipper



You believe that hard work should be rewarded. You always like to recognize a job well done.

You are a natural motivator. You propel others into action.

You have an unusually high sense of fairness and justice. You give everyone a chance to impress you.

You are an empowering influence. You encourage others to be the best they can be.



That's about right...mostly.

================

Thursday, June 16, 2011

New and Notes

Lots of people talk to animals.... Not very many listen, though.... That's the problem. ~Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh

Woke up with an amazingly bad headache, so any brilliant ideas I might have had for a blog post escape me (and it seems like I *did* have something to say).

We still haven't found any swallowtail caterpillars. The day before our insanely bad storm last week, we thought we had a black swallowtail laying eggs on the rue -- but have to assume that the wind and deluge of rain must have killed the eggs. DD is very sad at the thought of having NO swallowtail pillars. With the exception of the one black swallowtail butterfly we saw, we've seen no others. Very sad.

I pulled up all the lettuce in my garden -- it had bolted and was bitter. Everything else appears to be VERY happy, though. And several plants I thought were dead (leaves shriveled to the ground) apparently decided they were only taking naps. I have three cucumbers and an eggplant coming back from the ashes, so to speak.

My mom is moving back here after leaving us almost four years ago to live in California. She's slowly driving cross country, visiting family. Her last solo stop is Kansas City, where my DH will go pick her up and drive her back. We're very excited to see her again! Only ten more days...

Father's Day is Sunday and we haven't gotten so much as a card for DH. I should probably remedy that today.

DD has two more days of school... she's VERY excited to be done. And her new school starts off with a barbecue / orientation for their first day, so that should be fun. She's thinking about playing soccer... something she's never done. So, I'll probably invest in a soccer ball and she and I will practice over the summer.

Maria Zannini has a new book out. She sneaked that sucker through without even letting us know she was WORKING on it. Just BOOM! Oh, by the way, I have a book out... sneaky, sneaky.

I bought $66 worth of stuff at CVS yesterday for $14 (including toothpaste, deodorant, fish oil, gum and a razor and refill blades. My best scoop yet.

And that's about all my brain can say today. Sorry... hopefully my meds kick in soon and I can function normally.

Hope you all have a great day!

==================




You Would Be a Logical Doctor



You are a very rational person, and it's nearly impossible for you to be swayed by emotions.

As a doctor, you would let logic be your guide. And with it, you'd find some ingenious remedies and cures.

You are a natural problem solver. And you never give up until the problem is solved.

You would be well suited to being a neurologist, pathologist, or oncologist.



That's mostly right.

=====================

Friday, February 11, 2011

Life in a Moment, Part Deux

I love my mother as the trees love water and sunshine - she helps me grow, prosper, and reach great heights. ~ Terri Guillemets

In a moment of irony or kismet, after writing my post Life in a Moment about making sure we tell folks we care today, yesterday my mom landed in the ER.

She's been struggling with being able to breathe for sometime, though it worsened dramatically. Her current doctor told her "you're old and overweight ... it's nothing that diet and exercise won't fix." So Mom changed her eating habits, lost a pile of weight, started walking more (she's 78 y.o. so couldn't exactly start running a marathon) and it only got worse.

On Wednesday, I looked online and found her a new doctor (one who would both accept patients and take Medicare -- many of the doctors in her town won't take Medicare). He got her in the same day. Ordered lab tests for first thing Thursday. Then, upon getting the results, the lab called and told her to go to the ER immediately.

She called me en route. We were both terrifically worried, obviously. Every couple of hours she gave me updates: I have severe anemia and need a blood transfusion. I'm bleeding internally, but they don't know where. I'm being admitted for the night. And then finally the answer: bleeding ulcers.

These don't develop overnight. I'm so glad her new doctor took the time to really listen to her and DO something. Her old doctor should be strung up by his toes. Shame on him for assuming she was a complaining old lady. He had the opportunity to catch this problem before it got so severe that it was life threatening.

Life in a moment .... Thankfully, I talk to my mom almost every day. I try not to miss any moments. I've lost one parent, and still miss him every day so don't want to make the same mistakes again. She's the only Mom I have.

In any case, I was a little distracted yesterday. I did very little except wander around my house and clean it. I didn't write or visit blogs, and only did the bare minimum of work that was urgent. I'll try to catch up today.

For now, though: Go... hug your mom if you can. Hug your kids. Hug your husband. Hug your siblings. Hug a friend. You never know what tomorrow will bring.

=========================




You Should Bake Chocolate Cookies



You are easy going and fun to be around. You love to glory in each moment.

You love to be in a crowd, and you know how to work it. You are good at getting people to laugh.

You are confident and sure of yourself. You can handle criticism and don't take harsh words personally.

You like to be the center of attention, and you love complements. You take both good things and the bad things in stride.



Mmm... chocolate. But the quiz results? About 50/50.

====================

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Tuesday Tidbits

Some folks might sa-ay that I'm no good
That I wouldn't settle down if I could
But when that open ro-oad starts to callin' me
There's somethin' o'er the hill that I gotta see
Sometimes it's har-rd but you gotta understand
When the Lord made me, He made a Ra-amblin' Man. -- Hank Williams


I'm kind of all over the place today, but that's my brain this morning. It's a scary place to visit, but living here is even more ... interesting.

Hey, it's snowing out. In case you wondered.

DD starts art lessons again today. Last night, she ran up to me, hugged me so tight I couldn't breathe and said, "I'm SO glad I have art lessons tomorrow!" and then ran off again.

I think she enjoys them.

DH went in to swim in the jury pool again yesterday. This time though he got hooked and landed. He starts as a juror on a civil case next week. Oh. Joy.

At least it wasn't a capital murder crime. We have one going on currently -- four guys broke into a house and killed a mother and almost killed her daughter -- the weapons were a machete and a knife and the mother curled up around her daughter. Saved her life. Broke my heart.

Anyway....

My mom's computer died (a virus again -- I hate hackers), so she's been calling me every day and I check her emails. She gets upwards of 40+ spam emails daily. Amazing. It made me wonder: do people REALLY think they've won $50,000,000 pounds in the British lottery? Do they actually BUY drugs online from people they don't know? As an aside, my DH says those folks who peddle cheap V1aGrah don't care if you buy their stuff, they're looking to get onto your computer.

If people would stop falling for the idiocy of spam mails, maybe they'd stop.

As for Mom's computer -- she's sending it here to me, so my DH can fix it and we'll send it back. While it's going to take longer, it's WAY cheaper than taking it to the Geek Squad (heaven forbid) and I know it'll be fixed correctly.

I wish she was out here. *sigh*

I suppose I've rambled enough. Time to wander on somewhere else.... have a great day!

==============




You Are Sensitive



You are very intuitive and insightful. You understand what's going on around you without needing to be told.

You are naturally nurturing and caring. You look out for people, even if they don't ask you to.

You tend to stay attached to those you love. It's hard for you to let go when you need to.

You are in touch with your emotions. You know exactly what you're feeling and why you're feeling it.



Um... I'm not really sensitive, but some of the rest fits. And I LOVE me a Boston Creme donut. Oh. Yum.

Sunday, May 09, 2010

Happy Mother's Day

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child. ~Sophia Loren, Women and Beauty

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. ~Washington Irving


Happy Mother's Day to all the moms and surrogate moms out there! For Mother's Day this year, I have a sick daughter and a sick husband! I think theirs is the gift of germs, but I'm truly hoping they don't share...

I was truly blessed the day I had my daughter, and often feel like I'm not the best mom in the world to her, but I do my best.



And I admit, I count these "kids" in as mine as well:




But mostly today, I'm missing my own mom, who's living far, far away:


Happy Mother's Day, Mom!!!

===================




You Are Adventurous



You are quite adventurous and brave, but you are also reasonable about it. You don't have to be on an adventure 24/7.

You have good judgment and balance. You like to try new and exciting things, but you also pay attention to risk.

You're not the type of person who would throw your life away just to go on a new trip or have a new romantic partner.

You like your thrills in small, safe doses. You are gutsy in all aspects of your life from career to relationships.



That's pretty close to right... I do tend to straddle the fence between adventurous and safe (with a slight leaning toward the safe side).

====================

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Agility, Burglary and a Call for Help!

There are so many things that we wish we had done yesterday, so few that we feel like doing today. ~Mignon McLaughlin

Let's see... where to begin?

First off, at the end of agility class last night we were told there was going to be an agility competition for all the dogs who school at the same facility we do -- they are franchised, so there will be several groups of folks vying for the trophy. Apparently, our location lost it last time, and the instructor wants it back! LOL...

In any case, the cool part is that it's a "fun" competition. Yes, we'll be timed, but all level dogs are welcome (and will run against their levels), they don't freak out if you use treats or leashes and if you have a fault, you aren't disqualified (like you would be in a real agility competition), you just have to go do it again -- which counts against your time. It sounds like fun, so I'll probably put Dakota in. And, I'll try to take lots of pix and/or video. It doesn't happen until the end of May, so we have time to train! *G*

=======================

My mom's house and car were broken into yesterday. This upsets me on so many levels. First off: here's a newsflash -- she's a retired person and DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO STEAL. Not even prescription drugs, as she doesn't take any. Secondly: It's my mom. So, yeah, I worry. Lastly: Odds are it was someone she knows.

In other burglary news, there was a daytime break-in in a nearby neigborhood (just a couple streets away). They cleaned out the house -- took anything and everything of value. They must have spent an hour in there. They even took the change from one of the kids piggy banks! The police believe this is only the beginning of a regular burglary routine, and have asked everyone to keep their eyes open. This same thing happened a couple years ago in our neighborhood -- wonder if it's the same guys?

DH, who is a bundle of laughs these days, said, "As long as the economy keeps tanking, these things are only going to get worse."

Thanks, hon.

I'm glad Dakota sounds like a killer, even if she's a wuss.

=================================

Most of you know that Judy and I run the reviews website, The Long and the Short of It. When we started it less than two years ago, we had no idea how huge it would get to be. As wonderful as that is... the fact remains that we need more help with pretty much everything.

Currently, our biggest need is for people to edit reviews. We are in desperate need of a couple of people who have a decent command of the English language to look at all the reviews uploaded by our reviewers to verify whether they are correctly written (we have a few "rules" that we expect to be followed) and whether they need any grammar assistance. This week alone, Judy and I had 13 reviews that needed a little extra help out of the 45 we posted.

If you think you have the time to open and look over about 30 - 40 reviews a week -- and then contact the reviewers who might need to correct something (we actually do the grammar corrections ourselves, but any corrections to the actual content is requested from the reviewer) -- would you let me know? We're desperately hoping to find at least two (maybe three) people: 1 for the non-erotic and 1-2 for the erotic reviews.

We can't pay you for this, but we can compensate you with free books and gift certificates. If you think this might be something you're interested in doing, email me at lasreviews AT gmail DOT com for more information.

Did I mention we were desperate?

===========================




Your Supervillain Name is Diamond Wolf



Muhahahaha!

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Happy Birthday Mom

My Mom turns 75 today.

Wish I was there.

From last year:



Pretend it's this year, okay?

Friday, August 01, 2008

Win!! And Rambling....

“If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score?” - Vince Lombardi

The party has started! Today is the first day of the LASR month long celebration -- get to know twenty-seven amazing authors by visiting their websites or blogs and winning some incredible prizes, from autographed books, gift certificates, jewelry, perfume, and more! Even better? The grand prize is a $50 Amazon.com gift certificate!

All you need to do is visit our anniversary page every day for instructions.

Additionally, if you help spread the word and then tell us (via Mr. Linky who is located on the same anniversary page), you automatically get an extra entry EVERY DAY'S drawing you enter -- including the grand prize drawing.

So come on by, and tell a friend. It's easy, it's fun and it's free. What more could you ask for?

============================

Does anyone think it's odd that I eat hard pretzels with mustard? Just wondering...

The receiver on our stereo broke -- thereby forcing us to listen to the TV using the *gasp* VOLUME on the set itself! My husband is horrified.

Can anyone tell my why, the day after I exercised myself to death AND ate like a bird, I gained two pounds? Just wondered...

What's your favorite book or author to re-read? OR... are you like Judy, and don't re-read books?

So, I've had more squash than I knew what to do with... I was picking 4 or 5 pieces every day. I finally grated it all up and froze it for baking this winter. Yesterday, I really wanted some squash to eat. I went out to the garden and there wasn't even ONE that was ready to pick. Do you think plants have a sense of humor?

I bought some new clothes the other day -- a couple of shirts and a pair of capris. And now I feel horribly guilty. Anyone else have that problem?

My mom's 75th birthday is tomorrow -- and I can't celebrate it with her. That really stinks.

My daughter really has no bug issues... seriously. This would even squick me out:


She thought the snail was cute. Um, no.

Pillar Place 2008 update: We have eight Monarch chrysalis' -- one half grown pillar, one newly hatched egg, and one egg we found yesterday. It's been slim pickings this year. We're just not finding very many pillars or eggs this year and we've been looking. I've only even seen ONE actual butterfly. That's a little worrisome.

==========================




Your Feng Shui is Amazing



Your home is the perfect place to work, play, and unwind.

Beautiful and streamlined - you understand the importance of design and flow.

Your home is not weighted down by clutter, but it's not austere or sterile.

You treat your home as well, and as a result, it treats you well!

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Booking It and Blisters

Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity. ~Lindley Karstens, noproblemgarden.com



Hi all! Today's BTT is a twist on the meme I've seen running around the Blogosphere.

1. Pick up the nearest book. (I’m sure you must have one nearby.)
2. Turn to page 123.
3. What is the first sentence on the page?
4. The last sentence on the page?
5. Now . . . connect them together….
(And no, you may not transcribe the entire page of the book–that’s cheating!)


Okay, I'm reading "The Horseman's Son for the LASR Book-a-Day Giveaway.

First sentence: "I'll bet you're going to remind me that kissing you is a mistake," he said.

Last sentence: The heat rifled through his body.

Well, now... we appear to have interrupted some smooching and this connection is easy-peasy:

"I'll bet you're going to remind me that kissing you is a mistake," he said.

She lifted a hand and stroked his jaw, fingertips feathering down his neck before coming to rest on his chest. "Why would I do that?"

The heat rifled through his body.

========================

Yep... another sign of spring! I have my first blister *G*

We had some decent weather here, yesterday! Finally... so, of course I had to go do yardwork. Our lawn is flat from being crushed by snow. It's so flat that the dog slides a few feet when she runs and then tries to stop, as if she's running on ice. So DD and I raked. And raked. And raked.

It doesn't even look like I made a dent, but I have the blister to prove it.

I also started cleaning out the gardens that edge the woods because I know I have daffodils in there. They're piled high with dead leaves, so I raked in there, too. I got quite of few of the leaves out, but it's not just flat in there...I have bushes, too, so the rake (and the leaves) kept getting hung up. I wasn't wearing gloves, but I went ahead and scooped leaves out with my hands. Yuck.

Is it weird that I can handle bugs, worms, frogs... even snakes and not get grossed out, but those slimy leaves nearly put me over the edge? Blech...

In any case, I think I found most of the daffodil plants. I can't wait until we have flowers again.

Only thing was, doing all that yard work alone, including the garden that used to be my mom's, really made me miss her.

**sigh**

Miss you, Mom.

===============================

Thanks to Dru for sending me links to some new quiz sites!!

GREEN

You are a very calm and contemplative person. Others are drawn to your peaceful, nurturing nature.

Find out your color at QuizMeme.com!



I find that amusing... It's so NOT me, LOL...

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Memories...

Nostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days. ~Doug Larson

Funny how, when you're a little down, you want your parents. I'm forty-years-old, and yesterday in the midst of my pity party, I missed my mom (who is in California) and my dad (who passed away seventeen years ago) so badly it surprised me. Because it's been so long since my dad died, I don't miss him (consciously) on a daily basis, but sometimes it sneaks up and blindsides me out of the blue. Usually it's music that does it, and yesterday was no exception.

I was already thinking about him a bit, because it was Veteran's Day, and he fought in WWII. I've been writing stories in and around that era, and have been doing research into it, and wished he'd talked about it a little more. He never did talk about it. In fact, I didn't know he'd met and married a German woman (and then, subsequently divorced and married my mom) when he was there. I didn't know that until after he died and I got all his things, including letters he'd written and received during the war.

Yesterday, while he was already floating in my consciousness, the song "Leader of the Band" by Dan Fogleberg came on the radio, and my DD asked me what it was about. I told her a bit about the singer following in his father's footsteps, but then the lyric came on about, "The leader of the band is tired, and his eyes are growing old..." and I started to ball like a baby. This wasn't good for two reasons -- DD is freaked out when I cry (because I don't do that often), and I was driving (LOL).

So, I miss you, Dad. And, Mom (because I know you read this blog), I miss you, too, and wish we were closer (in miles) than we are.

==============================

Hey! I've been so busy, I'd almost forgotten: My latest story, "The Christmas Curse" comes out from The Wild Rose Press TOMORROW!!



There are broken elevators, and singing telegrams and so much more! What better start to your holiday season? I'll post the link (and some kind of contest... not that I know WHAT! -- oh, publicity director?) tomorrow.

===============================

So, DD now has a crush on Donny Osmond. LOL... she saw him perform on YouTube, and said he's very handsome (at, yanno, ten-years-old). I, OTOH, think he's aged marvelously (he's a GRANDFATHER!! You think that doesn't make me feel old?) and I much prefer this version of "Puppy Love" (sorry, they disabled embedding).

Yep... I still have a crush on that man.

================================

You Should Be a Joke Writer

You're totally hilarious, and you can find the humor in any situation.
Whether you're spouting off zingers, comebacks, or jokes about life...
You usually can keep a crowd laughing, and you have plenty of material.
You have the makings of a great comedian - or comedic writer.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Saturday Stray Thoughts

An archaeologist is the best husband a woman can have. The older she gets the more interested he is in her. - Agatha Christie

No reason for that quote, except I thought it was funny. :-)

I moved furniture yesterday. I'm tired. Still.

You see, when my mom decided to move back to California, I told her to leave what she didn't want and I'd take care of it. Turns out she didn't want A LOT. We're redoing her apartment above the garage as a scrapbooking area/library/office/schoolroom, so I kept her bookshelves and a little pantry/cupboard thingy. But I had no use for her twin bed, dresser, nightstand, dining table/chairs or refrigerator.

I found homes for it, but yesterday I promised the folks who wanted the bed & table/chairs, that I'd have it downstairs for them. And DD is keeping the dresser and nightstand, but getting rid of her old toybox (that was a hard decision for her).

So... with the help of my 8 y.o. DD, I moved stuff. This was AFTER we took a long, long walk at a local park. There's this very nice walk around the pond -- about a mile long. We did it twice. Fast. And, I was reminded how old my dog is when she pooped out in the middle of the second lap. I thought I was going to have to carry her home.

She's 75 pounds.

In any case, between moving furniture and cleaning up where the furniture used to be, I got nothing done, writingwise. Last night, Michele and I uploaded all pending reviews to our LASR blog -- so they're ready for release, one at a time. That was nice, mindless work and exactly what I needed.

Oh... and we talked about a site my mom accidentally found. She was in Salt Lake City area and saw this big pink bus with Pure Romance and a website URL painted on the outside. She thought it sounded like something I'd be interested in.

Ha. I went to the site. It's a commercial site and the first thing I saw was five different flavors of Great Head. Yeah. Let your mind wander for a moment. I laughed and told Mom it wasn't another reviews site or romance publisher...LOLOL...

In any case, furniture is moved, Mom made it out to California safely and is already loving it, and I'm still pooped. Today... we move the fridge. But, at least I'll have adult help this time.

==============================

Pillar Place: Monarch P2 is moving rapidly. We have four real chrysalis, and five new "J" bugs. The two smallest pillars better eat fast and grow quick. I still see monarchs flying around out here, so it must still be safe for release. The countdown to butterfly begins. They're cutting it really, really close. Fingers crossed.

And, hey, if I have to drive south to release them, I can go visit Judy and Tori. So it's not all bad :-)

===============================

You paid attention during 74% of high school!

68-84% Pretty good, you know that there are libraries and newspapers, and you remember what you've read. You were a child that wasn't left behind!

Do you deserve your high school diploma?
Create a Quiz



No spelling errors on this one! LOL...

And here's a little frightening tidbit for you: I graduated in the top ten of my class -- with a class size of 300+!

Yikes.

Okay, spill -- how did you do?

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Will Be Late

Sometimes, when one person is missing, the whole world seems depopulated. ~Lamartine

My "real" post will be later today.

Today is the day: Mom is heading out to California.

:-(

I have to go wake her up right now, and I don't want to -- as if I can somehow stop the inevitable by letting her sleep.

Not possible, unfortunately.

Back when she's on the road.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Booking It As A Family

I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~Anna Quindlen, "Enough Bookshelves," New York Times, 7 August 1991


Booking it Through Thursday

When growing up did your family share your love of books? If so, did one person get you into reading? And, do you have any family-oriented memories with books and reading? (Family trips to bookstore, reading the same book as a sibling or parent, etc.)

Yes... and no.

My oldest brother? A big time reader... Me? A big time reader. The kinds in between (four of them)... not so much. Weird? Yes. But then, I've never claimed to come from an entirely normal family, LOL.

My mom did use books as a reward -- those Little Golden Books, remember? And I'm not certain, but I may have been reading in utero. I seriously can't remember a time I didn't read.

Absolutely, I shared books with my mom (my brother -- now an astro-physicist -- was all about science fiction, which was okay, but I did like to branch out). That's half the fun, isn't it? Reading and talking about books? Maybe that's why I had to do something like LASR.
==========================

Speaking of books, I got the cover for one of the three most recently contracted stories. This one is a "yellow rose" -- a cowboy story. Cute cover, huh?



Here's the blurb:

Returning to Wyoming after a six-year absence, Jake Langley finds more than just changes in the now run down family ranch. His warm feelings for a former girlfriend have cooled, and he finds himself drawn to her sister and his former best friend, Emily. His discovery of the sisters' well-kept secret, however, upsets his long-term plans and sets duty against his heart's desire. Now, four hearts and four lives will be changed, forever.
==============================

So, yesterday... I was a little melancholy because my mother, with whom I am very close, and who lives in a apartment over my garage (and has lived with us for thirteen years), has advised me that she can't do another winter here in the frozen north and is winging it back out to California. Home. Permanently. Three thousand miles away.

I'll miss her. So will my DD.

============================




You Are a Carousel



You are young at heart and a truly playful person. No one would ever accuse you of taking life too seriously.

You are definitely in things for the fun. You find joy easily, and you are often building up anticipation for your next adventure.

In relationships, you tend to want to be babied and taken care of.

And while you may be a bit high maintenance, you are incredibly loyal.

Your life is simple and satisfying. Each day you treat yourself to something you enjoy.

You have a lot of emotional attachments, and experiences are extra vivid to you.

You tend to be nostalgic and sentimental. The past is important to you.

Comfortable around all living things, you have a special connection to animals and children.

At your best, you are whimsical, free spirited, and creative.

Even if your schemes seem a bit strange, they usually work out wonderfully.

At your worst, you are spoiled, demanding, and impossible to satisfy.

You've been known to act like a brat if you aren't getting your way!



Okay... some of this is right on, but some is so far off it's laughable. I'll let you guess which is which.

What ride are you?

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Wordless Weds

A mother never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn't take them along. ~Margaret Culkin Banning

I'm not officially playing, because I don't have the energy to visit other folks today ... but I also don't have any words, so I'm posting a(n almost) Wordless Wednesday.



Love you, Mom.



=========================

And because Judy wants to steal my daily quizzes, I feel obligated to put something up for her (LOL).

You Are Totally Like Your Mom

You and your mom are practically clones.
You think alike, and you even seem to read each other's minds.
You're definitely you're mother's child... and that's just fine with you.