Knees and Rain and Grogs... oh my

The only sure thing about luck is that it will change. ~Wilson Mizner

Thanks for all your well-wishes yesterday. Today, I'm going to get a knee brace (thanks, Charity) and I think that should make me well enough to go to the fair (as long as I'm not stupid). Of course, now they're calling for rain on both Thursday and Friday (the days we go because it's not so busy). I swear, if it's not one thing, it's another!

In other news, a couple months ago, I was contacted by Marianne Stephens about a group blog (grog?) she was starting that would be populated by authors named Marianne (and every variant thereof). She asked if I'd like to join -- I'd only have to blog once a month.

I decided to go for it. The blog -- called All Day, All Night officially starts on October 1st and we're running a contest starting now through the end of October (it includes Godiva Chocolate, so how can you go wrong?). All you have to do is follow us to get an entry -- though comments on the posts through October give you more. I'll be blogging on the eleventh every month. Wish me luck!

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You Should Stay Away From Brown

You are a worldly and cosmopolitan person. You consider yourself openminded and nonjudgmental. You are very witty, and you're willing to make light of anything. You are proud of your sense of humor. The color brown sometimes represents a lack of sophistication and humor. What a bummer! Brown can also be a heavy color, and you're just too light hearted for its weight.

What Color Should You Stay Away From?

I actually like brown, that rich, chocolate brown ... I have several items of clothing in that color. Uh oh. ;-)

Monday Morning Meme and More!

I base most of my fashion sense on what doesn't itch. ~Gilda Radner



1. Does blogging make you fat? Do you find yourself sitting around and eating more since you started your blog? Or do you get so caught up in the whole blogging routine that you forget to eat?

Let me just make one thing very clear: I never forget to eat. I wish I did now and then, but food and I? We are tight. BFFs.

Now, it's not BLOGGING that makes me sit around on my rapidly increasing rear -- it's the LASR/WC website. Yeppers... that sucker is very labor intensive, and it's all computer based. So, yikes. One of the ladies who is participating in JaNoWriMo can write and walk on her treadmill. I need to figure out how to do something like that!!

2. The one topic I will not touch on my blog is __________. Why? What sorts of topics do you receive the most comments on? What sorts of topics do you receive the least number of comments on?

I don't talk about politics or religion -- too easy to get a flame war going on either of those things. I have very, very strong views on both subjects, but don't feel the need to share them here. And, typically I get most comments on topics of a personal nature (like my post, below, about Dakota passing her Good Citizen class, for instance). Least number? My guest bloggers. I guess it's because my readers don't KNOW the person, so unless something specific really resonates, they don't feel the need to comment.

3. Spring is coming. How is your wardrobe? What sorts of clothes do you usually wear in the spring? Where do you normally shop for your clothes? How successful are you in finding clothes for yourself?

I just bought four new long-sleeved T-shirts at the LL Bean Outlet's President's Day sale -- everything in the store was 30% off (be still my heart). Spring and winter clothing isn't all that different for me... temps here still stay cold until May, when I switch to summer clothes. The only real difference is the jacket I wear when I go outside (no more heavy winter coat, now I'll wear my lined windbreaker or fleece jacket).

I typically try to shop for my clothes at higher end stores, but from the sales rack. The fact is, you really do get what you pay for, and a T-shirt from WalMart is utterly different than a T-shirt from LL Bean. OTOH, the frugal side of me refuses to pay $29 for a T-shirt -- so, I wait, and I watch and I scoop them when they are $8 each (oh, yes I did!). I shop at Macys and Kohls and Lands End, but only from the sales rack. I truthfully don't even LOOK at the full-priced clothing.

Yes, I am cheap frugal and wise.

And, finding clothing for myself is very, very difficult because I really dislike the styles (and have for the last 5-6 years). I don't like tight clothes (and, dear heavens, do normal people look good in those skin tight shirts? The answer, folks, is NO.), and I have long legs and arms and no waist to speak of. So shirts? Finding them not tight with sleeves that actually go down to my wrists? HA. And pants? If they fit in the waist, they're baggy in the butt. If they fit my butt, they're so tight in the waist I can't breathe. And, I'm not even going to talk about the fact that most of them are practically Capri's on me.

Oh. Woe.

4. We should treat every day as a special gift - we’re alive, right? What made this past week special for you? (And if you’ve already talked about that special something on your blog, then think of something else - something little perhaps, but had a big impact on you or your loved ones).

These questions are so hard for me. I'm a naturally negative and depressed person, so it's not instinctive to look at the bright spots. Um... Hey, Dakota passed her Good Citizen test!! And, we didn't lose power last night, despite the fact the lights flickered and we lost our satellite signal. Those are good, right?

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We did get whomped with snow... several inches of the heavy, wet, white stuff. And, yes, our lights flickered a bunch. I was a wreck. I don't know if I'll ever get over losing power for so long during the ice storm in December!

I woke up this a.m. around four and couldn't hear the hum of the fridge. I leaped up and checked the lights. On. Phew.

I don't take electricity for granted ANY MORE.

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Monday Morning Meme, Mums and More

Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional. ~Chili Davis

1.If your children are going trick-or-treating this year, what costumes are they wearing? Do you take them door-to-door or do you take them to a sponsored event? Tell us about the last time you dressed up for Halloween. How do you feel about Halloween in general?

We go out to dinner on Halloween -- we don't trick-or-treat, mostly because my DH and his family are ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY against any form of celebrating Halloween and it's really just easier. The day after, we go to the store and buy tons of candy for half price, and when DD was younger, I used to buy her costumes for dress-up, too.

I think Halloween is an odd holiday, really, but otherwise don't much feel one way or the other.

2. Do your friends and family read your blog? How does this knowledge affect your writing? Do you feel like you can totally be yourself on your blog? Where do you draw the line when it comes to disclosing too much about your life on your blog?

Yes and yes. And, I am not totally myself on my blog, because it's not a personal blog, per se, but a blog for my writing. I never post pictures of anyone but me (well, and the dog and cat, but they told me I could). I don't use names of anyone in my family, and don't say what town I live in. I suppose folks could find all that stuff out if they really wanted to, but I'd like to protect my DD as much as possible.

I did post a picture of her once, a long time ago -- in her ballet costume, and got some slimy, sexually perverse and anonymous comments about it. That pretty much clinched it for me -- no pictures of DD again. Ever.

3. Are you an early bird or a night owl? What do you like to do in the early morning hours or late at night? How do your sleeping patterns affect the rest of your family?

I'm very much an early bird. The morning hours I work -- I write or blog or work on the LASR website. It's peaceful and calm and there are no interruptions (except for the cat, on occasion, if she needs food). How do my sleep patterns affect everyone else? I don't know that they do. My DH and DD could sleep through a bombing raid, so it really doesn't matter much what I do. I, OTOH, will wake up if you drop a feather in the basement... which really stinks.

4. Do you lie about your age? Why or why not?

Nope. What's the point? Who cares? HEY EVERYONE -- I'M FORTY-ONE YEARS OLD!! So what? LOL...

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Hey, lookie -- the woodpile!




Five and a half piles. Phew.

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I was wandering around the yard with the camera to take pix for It's Only Natural, and discovered some mums from last year that were finally blooming. Aren't they gorgeous?



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DH sealed our deck on Saturday afternoon. It's still wet. Taking out Dakota and/or putting out and retrieving the bird feeders is an unbelievable pain. And ... I'm beginning to think it's NEVER going to dry.

**sigh**

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Friday Flitting

See, the human mind is kind of like... a piñata. When it breaks open, there's a lot of surprises inside. Once you get the piñata perspective, you see that losing your mind can be a peak experience. ~Jane Wagner

Lots of randomness bouncing around in my head. I mentioned to my librarian the other day that I have so much crammed into my brain that I can't keep stuff straight and frequently come across as dingy and forgetful. I hate that.

So, I'm going to let some of it leak out...

It occurred to me this morning that I haven't taken pictures of any for a really, really long time. That's so odd. But it's probably a good thing since I haven't scrapbooked in more than a year.

Jenny Crusie is considering stopping her blog. She has, occasionally, gotten a bit controversial (mostly in the defense of friends), and was subsequently attacked. That is one of the reasons I do things like brain-dumping here instead of talking about things I'm passionate about (politics being one... but you'd never know, would you?). I'm not up for attacks.

Brenda Coulter mentioned that the girlies who love the Twilight series are truly angry about the ending of Breaking Dawn. Since I didn't read anything except Twilight (I tried... I really HATED New Moon, and since I couldn't finish that, didn't see the point in continuing. I'll wait for the movies), I had no idea why -- until I heard they were mad about who Bella ended up with. Then I found out WHO Bella ended up with, and didn't understand why they were angry. Obviously, I missed something in the last three books, lol.

I have a love/hate relationship with this time of year. I love that I have home-grown, garden-ripe tomatoes. I hate that it signifies the end of summer. I had truly hoped to be relocated out west by now, but there are just not a lot of technical job openings in central Washington. Bother.

It's a sad, sad day when I'm excited that gas is "only" $3.67 a gallon. Way back when, in the 70s there was a spike in gas prices. They got as high as $.62 a gallon!! People were horrified. There was rationing based on your license plate number.

Why is local produce so much more expensive? I'm not talking about organic... I understand the why of that. But local, conventionally grown produce? I want to buy local... but when it's twice as much, and I can barely pay the bills, how do I justify it? I really do not like to decide between eating right and eating.

Wonder if I've leaked enough out to get through the day without forgetting to tie my shoes? Oh, wait... they're flip-flops.

LOL....

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No writing yesterday. Spent the morning doing LASR stuff (speaking of which, today's anniversary prize is a $15 Amazon.com gift certificate -- you might want to go play), then DD needed help with school, and we had a late doggy class that ended up taking 90 mins instead of an hour. Some days just don't go the way you hope.

DH is home for the next three days, too, so I don't have high hopes for accomplishing anything. Bother.

See, Amy -- Mondays are my friend!

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Go Play at Anno's

She's hosting a fun game (of sorts) on her blog. I played... why don't you?

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Brief Break

My eyes are really, really bothering me today so I'm going to severely limit my online time over the next day or two.

No posts here.

No comments there.

It's not that I don't WANT to blog hop, it's just that my eyes ache, and it's making me dizzy and nauseous.

K?

Hopefully, I'll be back on Monday.

Monday Morning Meme

Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together. ~Carl Zwanzig

I think that guy was trying to be funny, but I heartily believe in duct tape. I love the stuff... Hey, even MacGyver worshipped at the altar of duct tape, right?

I'm exhausted. It's been a busy, busy, busy (not to mention VERY long) weekend and I'm thrilled it's Monday. No, really, I am!

I did get a bit of writing done, but mostly Judy and I worked on planning and executing our HUGE first anniversary bash for The Long and the Short of It. Yep... next month will have been ONE WHOLE YEAR that we've had the website up and running, and what a fun and crazy and interesting year it's been.

In any case, I'm a bit pooped, so, without further ado, I give you:

1. What is your blog about? How long have you been blogging? Why did you begin blogging? Is it the same reason that you continue to blog today? How has your blog changed over the time you’ve had it? In six words, sum up your blog.

I started blogging to promote my writing. When I started, I hadn't even been published yet. In fact, I don't think I'd even submitted anything for publication -- but, hey. I'm forward thinking, what can I say?

Since then, it's morphed a bit. Do I talk about my writing? Sure... but I also gab about anything that strikes me as, well, something to gab about! And, best of all, I've made some great online friends (::waves::).

Six words? Um, um, um... Writer, reader, butterfly raiser & vole catcher. (I didn't count the &, lol...)

I don't know. What six words would YOU use to describe this blog?

2. When you go for a haircut, do you do something drastic? Or are you more of a ‘just a trim’ sort of person? Do you color your hair? If so, how often? Tell us about your best, and worst, hairstyle. What sort of hairstyle do you think looks good on you now?

Drastic or a trim? Depends. Most recently, drastic -- 10" off. But usually, it's just a trim.

Color? Yep... I'm gonna wash that gray right outta my hair... and I do it whenever my DD mentions my gray is showing again.

Best and worst? Honestly I have no idea. I've never really had a horrible haircut, and I've mostly worn my hair (with the exception of the current short cut) long and not much different my entire life (except with I was desperate to have "feathers" in junior high, damn that Farrah Fawcett).

3. Tell us about your 4th of July celebration. Show us some pictures (if you have them). What did your family do? Did you go and see a big fireworks display? Or did you stay home and have a (semi) quiet family fireworks celebration? On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best), how patriotic would you say you are? Do you routinely talk about our country’s issues within your family unit? Do you and your significant other see eye-to-eye on political issues? International friends: tell us how you celebrate your country’s birthday/new year/significant annual event.

The dog and I stayed home. It was wonderful. DD and DH took the boat out with my SILs and swam and ate bad food and watched fireworks. I don't like boating, I try to stay out of the sun as much as possible, and I can't stay up late... so their day sounded like pure torture to me.

Patriotic? Quite. Discussing politics? Regularly. It's actually something I'm quite passionate about -- but I don't discuss it here on the blog. It's forbidden (and BOY is it hard to bite my tongue sometimes, but so far, I've managed). My DH and I are pretty well aligned politically, so that's good.

4. If you only had enough time each day to read one section of the newspaper, which section would you read? Why this particular section?

Comics? LOL... either that or the editorials. Because they both make me laugh.

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We hatched another butterfly yesterday. This one fell, too (stupid things!), but I happened to be there about two seconds after he hatched (and, yes, thus far they've ALL been males... how do you tell the difference? Go here to see.) and scooped him up. DD held him, dangling from her finger, for about 45 minuntes and then put him out on the echinacea. He flew off about an hour later. Phew. This butterfly wrangling is hard work!

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Tail Wags

Happiness is excitement that has found a settling down place. But there is always a little corner that keeps flapping around. ~E.L. Konigsburg

When Dakota wags her tail in her sleep, what do you suppose she's dreaming about? Is she dreaming that her friend is coming up the street to play? That Daddy is home? That she has a chipmunk treed?

She's the most expressive dog I've ever seen, and her sleep is no different. She usually sleeps on her back and she dreams all the time: growling, barking, twitching. But my fave thing is her tail wags.

The website launch went well yesterday! Only a few broken links (thanks, Dru, for your email!!!) and one glitch -- the inability to return to the shared front door once you're on one site or the other (we're working on that).

I can't tell you how relieved I was. Phew.

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I set a live trap for my vole last night. I just couldn't kill the bugger. The lady at Agway gave me a bit of a hard time about it, but ... I kept imagining him dying a long, painful and lingering death from poison, or finding his little corpse squished in a trap.

This morning... no vole and the trap is unsprung. If I don't catch him soon, DH is going to put his foot down and get poison himself.

C'mon little vole... climb into the nice trap.

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I'm trying to catch up on my backlog of blog posts. Holy cow, I opened up Google reader and I'm in triple digits!!! I visited a few folks last night, and I'm working on getting to you all one at a time... I've missed you!!

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DD is supposed to start recorder lessons today. They're being taught by a woman from a small, local homeschooling group. I just am not at all sure I'm going to be able to find where I'm supposed to go. I have a serious problem with my internal GPS -- zero sense of direction. It's a sad, sad thing and honestly often keeps me from taking trips to places I'd like to go to because I'm not altogether sure you wouldn't find my dried up bones years later, and miles from where I was supposed to be.

Wish me luck!

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BLUE

You give your love and friendship unconditionally. You enjoy long, thoughtful conversations rich in philosophy and spirituality. You are very loyal and intuitive.

Find out your color at QuizMeme.com!

A Quick Note to Respond to your Comments

Hey all... yes, it's guest blogger day again, so just a quick post. And FYI... in case you didn't catch it, there was just a *hint* of sarcasm in yesterday's post *G*.

Dena said...
That tick is creepy, you sure are surrounded by some creepy bugs,cowbird,cutworms? Never heard of them.

Cowbirds are BAD birds. They lay their eggs in any available nest, kick out the right eggs and then play the year away instead of raising chicks, leaving that duty to the foster parents who have no idea their own children are gone.

Cutworms are equally bad, and can completely wipe out plants from dirt level. We lost an entire row of bushes one year to cut worms. They inexplicably died and when I went to dig them up, a slight tug was all it took -- the roots were GONE.

Amy Addison said...
This is why I adore you: You say things like, "I guess I'd better start pulling my bird-feeders in at night so the bear doesn't grab them" and you're excited by the appearance of a tick (ticks creep me out--they're like subversive little spiders)...as though those are everyday thoughts. :)

You mean they AREN'T everyday thoughts? LOL... they are here. Living at my house with the woods behind us is an adventure. Yesterday, I'd taken the dog out, stepped down from the deck and heard a galloping sound behind me. I thought, "Uh oh, neighbor's dog." when about a foot away, a squirrel dashed by for a tree. I had no idea they made so much noise when they ran. And, I am truly pleased he didn't mistake ME for a tree!

groovyoldlady said...(in part)
I took the quiz and they said that I was braindead. I just don't get it!

Hey. I joined Scriptfrenzy for April. Goal? 100 pages of any sort of script.

LOL... you crack me up, as always! And, hey--what about Jason???

Sylvia Dickey Smith said...
Sounds like you're just full of fun Spring ewe's. That and dog poop! It was in the high 80's here today. Ok, I'll shut up bragging!

Uh.. yeah... no sharing your happy southern weather, Syl!!

Have a great day, all!

Done.

I really don't think I need buns of steel. I'd be happy with buns of cinnamon. ~Ellen DeGeneres

I had no idea it would be so exhausting to put in a hardwood floor. My job was simply to sort the pieces and organize them in an appropriate row -- preferable without cutting -- so it was a bit like fitting an enormous jigsaw puzzle. You see, we used "rustic" prefinished hardwood. Rustic means all the bitty pieces and ends and slightly irregular bits that don't go in the premium hardwood. So I had a LOT of bits to fit. These weren't the nice, 5 foot sections of regular hardwood.

I did a lot of standing and squatting and by the end of yesterday (2 1/2 days later) my legs were in agony. But... it's done:





We did three rooms, but all the stray furniture is in the last room, so I didn't take a picture.

Today's duties are all about massive cleaning because there is a layer of dust on absolutely everything. I have to wash all the curtains, and dishes or utensils that are stored outside of cupboards, wash the walls (I have a lot of walls...ugh) and dust the mantle, windowsills, ceiling fans, etc. The blinds are cheapy ones, so I'm throwing them away and buying new ones. I also have to go buy rugs and those little felt whoosies for the legs of all the furniture.

Tomorrow will hopefully be a day of rest if I can actually get all the cleaning done today.

Ugh. Anyone want to come help?

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Dena made me feel a little guilty yesterday in her comments (Hi, Dena!) when she mentioned how sad it makes her feel when she comments on a blog with a question and it isn't answered. I know I've been guilty of that sometimes. I don't mean to be, and I do try to address questions in the next day's post -- but I am horrifically absent-minded and sometimes I just plumb forget.

I'll make an effort to be a little more conscientious about this in the future, just as long as the "future" doesn't include installing flooring. I feel like I've lost two days somewhere. Nothing much besides that got done.

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You Are Peppermint Flavored Gum

You have a sharp mind that is always churning. You are mentally hyper. You're always thinking of something. And while your mind is always on, you're not the most physically active person around. Some people make mistake you for being lazy, but the truth is: you never relax. You tend to get so deeply into your projects that you ignore everything around you. You are creative and cutting edge. You love telling people about your newest ideas and discoveries.

What Flavor Gum Are You?

Well... wow. That's pretty close to RIGHT on...

Scary.

Author Blog Pet Peeves

One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides. ~W.E. Johns, The Passing Show

First off, let me tell you all that, besides laying hardwood flooring all day yesterday (oh, my aching back -- and we get to do it today, TOO! woo hoo) I also had no internet service, so if I didn't visit you...that's why (and, GAH, it was pure torture)!

And... proof of life in New Hampshire (truly, I am amazed at the resiliance of plants -- and no snickering from y'all down south when you see my little bitty babies):

My seedum:



My daffodils:



My chives:



Which will some day look like this (and the seedum is beside it):



My doofus dog (we got her a remote trainer, so she can now run in our yard off-leash. DH calls her a remote control dog):



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Now, on to the reason for this post (aside from the fact that I post every day *G*): Pet peeves when I visit other author blogs.

I have to admit to being a serious blog-hopper, despite how busy I am. I have about 100 blogs set up in my Google Reader, and another fifteen or so that, for whatever reason, Google won't accept.

I have "met" many authors online, and have since purchased books by them that I wouldn't have otherwise (and, I have yet to be disappointed) -- the ladies whose books I'm giving away in my contest this month are two of them. I met Ceri via NaNoWriMo and Diane was a regular visitor to my friend, Allie's blog -- and I love to get to know about people. After all, authors are just human beings with real lives outside of their writing.

I also understand that most authors keep a blog for promotion purposes. I know I do -- or, at least it started out for that reason. Now, I really just love to "talk" to you all!! LOL... and you don't appear to be sick of hearing me ramble. And, I do put promotional stuff up like my new review I was Google Alerted to yesterday for my oldest published story, "Now That We've Found You" or the fact that "One Love For Liv" is still available for purchase and seems to be a winner with all the reviews sites so far -- and if you haven't purchased it yet, why haven't you?

BUT... and here is where my pet peeve comes in: It isn't a blog for promotional purposes to the exclusion of all else.

I have a few authors on my Google Reader (a couple of whom are coming off for the reason I'm about to list) who post very infrequently, and the only time they do is to say "I have a new release -- go buy it" or "I'm promoting myself and my new release here".

You know what? If I don't care about you, if I don't have a "relationship" with you, I really don't care about your new release. And I'm annoyed by the fact that you only use your blog, every month or so, to tell me to buy something and for no other reason.

Promotion is fine. Melissa has been talking about her upcoming book that is part of the Wedding Planners series with Harlequin, and I'm excited to hear about it! But, she also talks about herself, her kids, her Climbing Cutie friend (*G*), her new dog(!) and more. I visit her blog every day to see how SHE is... and her writing is part of her life. It's just not her ENTIRE life.

Okay... all done venting. But, am I wrong? What do you think?

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You Are Ashlee Simpson!

Stylish, unique, talented You're your own woman! "It seems like I can finally rest my head on something real I like the way that feels"

Who's Your Inner Rock Chick?

Dear heavens... ((bangs head on keyboard))...

Blog Parties and Lady Bugs

It is better to be hated for who you are, than to be loved for someone you are not. - Andre Gide

First off... BSP:

My tour stop today is: The Long and the Short of It Romance Reviews -- I'm in the author spotlight. And I'm giving away a free download of any of my stories, including but not limited to, "One Love For Liv". Come on by!

My daily contest is here.

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It rained all day yesterday. It was WARM -- almost 50 degrees. We had the screen door opened... man, I love me some fresh air.

There was, however, one not so good result from all this warmth, though... a mass influx of lady bugs. Dozens of the little buggers came out from where ever they were hanging out for the winter, and then had issues because of all the water. My DD refused to let them die, so we spent the day collecting lady bugs and then looking online about how to keep them alive sans aphids. Ladybug Lady said to soak raisins and put them in with the bugs. Huh. Well, at this point, I'm game to try anything.

So, we soaked about five raisins in water and then put them into the container. In a matter of seconds, the bits of soggy fruit were positively covered with lady bugs!! Wow!

I have no idea how long they can survive on raisins. If it's sunny and warm tomorrow, we'll let them go... if not, we'll hold on to them until it IS sunny and warm, or until they die.

So, here I am, raising bugs inside again. **sigh**

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You know what the worst part of having books out for sale? Not knowing how well they're selling... I wish there was some way to install a "stat counter" to tell me each time a copy of "One Love For Liv" was sold. Thankfully, Samhain does royalties monthly, instead of quarterly like The Wild Rose Press, so I won't have to wait that long.

Patience is not my middle name. Or even my nick name.

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During the week of March 7-14th, the blogosphere will be party hopping - jumping through our Mr. Linky list of participating bloggers, meeting new friends and partying blogger-style at the Ultimate Blog Party 2008, at 5 Minutes for Mom.

That's where I'll be that week... want to join me?

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So, I'd decided on shortening Jed's injury time in my "Camilla" story to two weeks... but now that's not going to work either. I'm so frustrated. I'm afraid I'm going to have to actually sit down and... **gasp**!... OUTLINE.

(((faints dead away)))

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You Should Visit Mexico

You can be as comfortable as you want, eating fast food and partying with English speakers in resort town. But if you're feeling brave, venture out to Mexico City - or explore the tropical Yucatan.

What Latin American Country Should You Visit?

A Work In Progress

I've finally opted to convert my template to the new Blogger Layout... but have to figure out how to use everything... so bear with me while I figure things out!

Why Do You Read My Blog?

Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose. - Tom Krause

So, I'm told by the wonderful ladies at the Dandelion Blog that I need to offer my blog readers something of value, and a reason to stop by every day. Yanno, something besides my amazing wit (LOL) and the Daily Dakota.

Clearly I have to work on attention grabbing titles.

Obviously, I need to say stuff aside from, "It was windy yesterday (which it was!! WOW!)" or "Dakota ate the lamp cord and gained eight pounds since her last doctor's visit (which she did...and she should have gained more--the doc says I'm not feeding her enough, so she's now up to 4 1/2 cups of food, holy cow!)".

I wonder what it would take to get more readers here (not that I don't love my faithful group--I do, I DO)? What would entice folks who don't know me, and are reading the blog for the first time to return?

Memes are fun. The Booking It Through Thursday meme or Friday's Feast. But seriously, how many of those folks stick around on the other days of the week?

I'm not a PhD in anything. I know butterflies and gardening and a bit about writing. I know homeschooling and puppies and why you shouldn't live in the Northeast. I'm learning more and more about yesteryear: the 1920s-1970s (and yes, I know I lived through the 70s--which is why I HATE the fashions today, ugh, bell bottoms were bad enough the first time around--but I don't remember the deets. I was fairly small).

What can I offer my readers that is a good value? What can I talk about that would not only keep YOUR attention, but cause you to tell your friends?

I'm giving it some thought. Not that I'll stop gabbing (insert maniacal laughter here), but I'd like to offer something important. Exciting. Interesting.

Any thoughts?

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I added two new contests here. One is for an autographed book, and one is a contest with 21 prizes!! Look for the "new" indicators... or, if you haven't been there before, enter them all!

Go read Michele's free short story! Then head to her blog and let her know what you think...

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Your Daily Dakota--what's that? Could it be?



Yes!! It's a squirrel!! Let me at 'em!



(Don't you LOVE her crooked tail? I think it adds character...)

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Your Love is Represented by a Purple Rose

For you, love is all about chemistry and attraction. You totally believe in love at first sight. If a relationship is right, you know it from the start. You're often sure of your feelings. And you're not afraid to express them.

What Rose Represents Your Love?

Oooh... Kay.....

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Edited to add:

I forgot!! My friend and fellow Vintage author, Nancy Lindley-Gauthier had the release of her short story "A Painter's Brush With Death" released yesterday at The Wild Rose Press.

BLURB: He is more than adequately handsome, he drives that dreamy Stanley Steamer, and if only the elegant Sarah could get a sleigh ride in to town, she could set about checking on Mr. Roberts' background! It is infuriating, stuck as she is, waiting for their elderly Morgan's injury to heal. It is plainly beneath her to ride in on the delivery man's wagon, and it's not the sort of inquiry she can send by post. Mr. Roberts seems so utterly perfect, but he comes with too many unanswered questions. Ingenuity is called for, desperate ingenuity.

A lady is a lady at any time, even, as here, in the midst of the changing styles and culture of America just before 1920.


She asked me to share the following, and I happily agreed (the recipe looks REALLY good):

"Apple Pancake! My stars and garters... why don't we just plop down in the kitchen and eat with the serving girl!"

Even Miss Sarah Woods cannot explain how she manages to survive life among this common lot. Her delicate sensibilities, her natural charm... if not for her own steely resolve and ever-forgiving nature, she would certainly have been driven mad.

My dears, just to show what an kind soul she is, she has spent the afternoon at her desk, writing out numerous copies of her own secret and very French (of course!) Clafoutis recipe for each of you:

- 1.5 cups of condensed milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp of flour
- 4 tbps of sugar (splenda ok, but add a dab extra)
- 1.5 pounds of chopped apples (or pears)
- 1 teasp of vanilla

Directions:
lightly butter a mid-sized casserole dish
Pour in the fruit at the bottom.
In a container, mix 2 eggs, the sugar, the vanilla, the flour and the condensed milk.
Mix together and pour it on the fruit.
Bake in the oven at 350°F for 35 min.
Let it cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
serve wi: dollop of ice cream or whipped cream, or drizzle wi caramel
*if you have several small casserole dishes, its fun to make this up single-serving size -- this is delicately flavored, but you could add a hint of cinnamon

The Painter's Brush with Death: a short story, a romance (perhaps) and more... from sleighing to hosting a dinner party, Poor Miss Sarah must somehow live the life of a gentlewoman, here on the Coast of Maine, in 1919.

This is the start of a series, & is available on now only from The Wild Rose Press! For more information, see its page at TWRP here.

2007 Blog Year in Review, Pt. 1

What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now. ~Author Unknown

I stole this idea from Natalie, who took it from Gail, who probably got it from someone else. Hence the term "viral blogging".

The idea is to look at the first few lines of the first post from each month and comment from the current perspective -- I'm doing the first six months today, the second tomorrow. Bet you can't wait!! *G*

January 1, 2007
I was in bed at 7:30 last night and crashed until 11:00 p.m. I thought about staying up until midnight, but my body had other plans and I crashed again until 4:00 a.m. So, there you have it. My exciting New Years Eve.

I am a wild woman.

February 1, 2007

Allie has her writing article posted on WOW! Women on Writing. It's a great article called "Character Trouble? Try Man's Best Friend." and has some really good info. Go check it out!

Actually, that IS a great article. And, I use that advice often...I'm a firm believer that everyone should have a pet, including my characters.

March 1, 2007

We arrived home from errands today and found a box from Amazon.com (Note: I've decided that Amazon GC's are the BEST THING EVER and that's all I want for a gift from now on. Seriously.) sitting in front of the garage. I'd purchased four books for me and two -- secretly -- for DD.

This is the post where I mention her reaction (I still love it!): ...she promptly sat down with them and flipped them open, burying her face inside one and inhaling deeply.

Then she said, "I just love the smell of books!".

Yeppers. My DD is having a love affair with books. Ain't it great?

April 1, 2007

Yesterday, I had an itch to take a look at my NaNoWriMo book from last year. Though I completed it, I wasn't happy with the heroine I'd chosen for my hero. I loved my hero and have plans to use him again. So, I pulled up the file in my NaNoWriMo 2006 folder called "complete first draft".

Wherein I discover that the entire file was overwritten with a completely different short story, and I lost the entire novel.

I can't tell you how happy I am that I didn't love it. Still, there were some great scenes that I sure wish I still had. **sigh**

May 1, 2007

Groovy tagged and randomized me on her blog yesterday. Here are her "random" questions and my ever so random answers:

You'll have to read the post to find out the rest.

I also mention, at the bottom of that post, that I'm editing a story. That story was accepted for publication at TWRP and is:



June 1, 2007

I got a 5 ANGEL review on "Miles From You" from Fallen Angel Reviews! Woo!

And, yep, I'm still excited about that one. It was not just five angels, but also a "recommended read".

...to be continued...

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Your Daily Dakota:



Awww.... you wouldn't know she's the devil incarnate, would you?

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

Random quiz #983,294,892 (not really, but it sounds good!)

You Are Figure Skating

Graceful and expressive - yet athletic and focused. You could bring the best of both worlds to this glamorous sport.

What Winter Sport Are You?

Oh yeah. That's ME!!! *G*

Memes and eBook Readers

“It is odd but agitation or contest of any kind gives a rebound to my spirits and sets me up for a time.” - Lord Byron

I can't resist... and I bet you can't either. Bookbinge is giving away the one big thing I wanted for Christmas, and won't get since I got a puppy instead (not that I'm complaining... well, not really -- though I wouldn't have to potty train this prize!): An eBookwise Reader.

Judy thinks she's going to win. Ha. It's mine, Mine, MINE! :-)

It's easy-peasey to enter, but it means y'all have to put up with another meme. You don't mind, do you? And, hey, now YOU know about the contest, too.

BOOKBINGE CHRISTMAS MEME


1. What is your favorite Christmas romance to re-read each year?

I don't really have one, unless you count MY story, The Christmas Curse *G*. I bought "Santa Baby" last year, and was thoroughly disappointed. Anyone have a good Christmas book recommendation for me?

2. What is your favorite Christmas movie/show?

I absolutely love "It's A Wonderful Life"... I cry at the end EVERY time. What a great movie.

3. What is your favorite Christmas cookie?

To be honest, I'm not particularly fond of most Christmas cookies. I don't like sugar cookies, or thumbprint. I can tolerate snickerdoodles. But, honestly -- give me a chocolate chip cookie, and I'm happy every time.

4. When do you start Christmas shopping?

Usually, the day after Christmas. This year? I'm panicking because I've done almost NO shopping. YIKES. I've just been too busy. Time to hit the virtual stores, I suppose.

5. Do you re-gift?

Sometimes -- the cheesy gifts go to Goodwill, but there are times when I get something that is PERFECT for someone else. What else can I do?

6. What is your favorite Christmas song?

"O Holy Night" (Josh Groban's is the best version I've heard), followed closely by "I Heard the Bells on Chrismtas Day" (Suzy Boggus has the version I love). They both make me cry... yes, I have sympathetic and weak tear ducts.

7. When do you get your Christmas tree?

The weekend following Thanksgiving.

8. Wrapping presents: Love it or hate it?

Used to love it. Now? Hate it. I dread it with an all consuming passion. It's an evil that must be done. In fact, it needs doing right now... I have naked gifts sitting in my spare bedroom.

9. Who is the hardest person to buy for?

My husband. Thankfully, this year he gave me a list.

10. Christmas tree: Real or artificial?

Real.

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

I hate editing my stuff. I really, really do. I know there are people out there who enjoy it (**cough** Charity **cough**), but I dislike it VERY much. Unfortunately for me, I have a bunch of stories that need it. I have GOT to get something submitted soon, or I'm going to get the shakes. I hate not having anything out there.

But, ugh. I look at the files, sometimes I even open them... and then I just groan. I don't wanna, don't wanna.... ((kicks feet)).

-===============================



To quote Linus, "Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you're the Charlie Browniest." This year, you're feeling a little overwhelmed by all the shallowness and superficiality that surrounds the holidays. You don't care about expensive presents and tacky holiday displays – you'd rather spend a few meaningful moments with the people you love. If you pick out the tree, it might be tiny and awkward-looking, but it will definitely be real.

Only In My Dreams

Dreaming is an act of pure imagination, attesting in all men a creative power, which if it were available in waking, would make every man a Dante or Shakespeare. ~H.F. Hedge

I wrote a blog post in my dreams last night. It was fun, and clever -- and it was a meme to share. I remember thinking how I needed to write it up today. Of course, this morning, I can't remember a word of it. Should I find it strange that I'm dreaming about writing in my blog?

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

I'm feeling a little odd. I got a request for an interview last week. Like... yanno... I'm somebody people would want to read about (beside you discerning folks who, unexplicably, like to hear my babble daily). It was very weird.

My Samhain novel, "One Love For Liv" has made it through the FLE (would you want to be called a FLE? -- that's Final Line Editor, btw, but I love the acronym), who amazingly caught MORE typos and other various errors despite my eyeballs and my wonderful editor's (waves to Eve). I'm consistently surprised how many things can be missed, despite several pass throughs by more than one person. Anyway, next is galley and covers. I can't wait to see what the cover artist comes up with... I've always been impressed by the Samhain covers.

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

Puppy training is moving foward slowly. I was SO spoiled with Bailey... she was an amazingly good dog. The kind of dog who wouldn't touch turkey bones in the garbage or food on the counter, and would die a thousand deaths before she'd pee in the house. I'd forgotten how much work a puppy can be.

I can't complain. She's really quite good (for a baby) and smart as can be. It's also been interesting to see her establish her place in the pack. I'm definitely the alpha, with DH a close second (it was this way with Bailey as well -- since I'm home, I get to be #1). DD and Dakota, though, are still duking it out for spot #3. The puppy won't bite me any more (unless she's gets REALLY overexcited), though she does snap at the air nearby. But DD? Fair game.

My poor two-legged girl was so excited to get a puppy. Now, with scratches and bites all over her hands, and a hole or two in her clothes, she's not so thrilled. I have TWO critters to train: Dakota and my DD. We're getting there, one step at a time.

You know who has training of the puppy down pat? The cat. She got that darling dog in line in a matter of minutes. I suppose, in the pack order, the cat is number three behind my husband and I. LOL...

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

We're planning a big Valentine's Day bash in our new Yahoo group... but I'd like to see a whole lot more members so we can entice as many authors as possible to show up, share their work and hold giveaways. Have you joined yet?

Why not? The link is here. Come on... you know you want to.

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

Because so many folks hated yesterday's game... I'm giving you one that's a bit easier today:


Get Flash Games for your MySpace Profile

Enjoy!

Saturday Self-Esteem

To free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves - there lies the great, singular power of self-respect. ~ Joan Didion

I was thinking, the other day (I KNOW... danger, Will Robinson, DANGER) about the fact I haven't received fan mail on my simply stupendous writing (LOL, and I'm humble, too) and wondered what would happen when I finally have A NOVEL out and, of course, imagined piles of emails and letters coming in, praising me on my masterpiece.

Then I popped over to Jenny Crusie's blog, where she posted a bit of mail that had been written to a fellow author, and then defended herself against the angry responses to that. And I recall reading a post at Tess Gerritsen's blog (which has since been removed because Tess didn't want to give any publicity to an angry reader) that was all nasty spewing.

And I decided if that was the kind of mail I'd get, I'd rather have none, thank you. I'd forgo the thousands of positive messages to miss just one nasty one, because -- those are the ones that seem to matter. Why is that? Why can we be called beautiful or wonderful or smart or amazing millions of times, and disregard all of that when one person says we're ugly or stupid or worthless?

We were at the grocery store the other day, and the lady bagging the groceries told my DD she was beautiful. DD stammered a thank you and we finished and headed out to the car. And, along the way, she told me she didn't think she was in the least bit pretty.

Huh?

Though I am surely biased, I think she's lovely. And smart. And funny. And upbeat. And I try to tell her this on a regular basis. But there are things that work against me.

My SIL makes DD take her glasses off for every picture. She has told DD that her eyes are beautiful, and that the glasses make her look unattractive -- oh, maybe not in so many words, but the implication is there.

Comments have also been made, phrases like, "He who indulges, bulges" whenever the DD wants to eat junk food. My in-laws are absolutely freaky about fat. Obsessive. Worried. It is the topic of conversation on a regular basis.

So, DD told me the other day that she thinks she's fat. I can tell her constantly how wonderful and beautiful and amazing she is, but that's not what she's heard. She hears the negative: you're ugly and fat.

And, I think that's true of any of us. It's the reason why, as a (hopefully!) good crit partner, I couch any negatives between positives. To be an effective crit partner, you have to point out the weaknesses, but must also make certain that the author understands that you still love her baby.

Even so, it will be the negative that stands out.

And, isn't that a shame.

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

I hope to download some pictures I took yesterday and post them later today or tomorrow. When DD checked on Pillar Place: Monarch P2 upon rising, it was incredible. All but two of the butterbabies had hatched and were clinging to their chrysalis's, drying their wings. I tried to get pictures of them all just hanging there.

AND... it ended up only raining part of the day, so by the time they were ready to fly, we were able to take them out and release them! Yay! So... ten more butterbabies are in the world. And they are truly beautiful. We have two more that should hatch this week and then we're done (thank heavens!) for the season.

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Thanks to Tori for finding me another quiz!

The Disney Heroine Quiz

You are Jasmine. Princess Jasmine is a girl who only a few special people can get close to. She has a pet tiger named Raja who will obey only her. Jasmine is smart, and fun, and beautiful, according to Aladdin. You have Jasmine's fiery spirit, and you probably have a few close friends as opposed to many acquaintances. You are admirable, for you stand up not only for yourself, but for your beliefs, friends, and whosoever is being picked on. You have a very strong character and you know exactly what you want.
Take this quiz!








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How is it Possible?

I was checking out a bunch of referral hits I got, so I clicked through on the blog entry they were hitting and found this one. How is it possible that I got NO COMMENTS on that post?

Even now it makes me chuckle...

C'mon, at least one of you can think of something clever to say. Right?

Book Trailer By Brenda

Because I'm a contest junkie...

Want a free book? Check out Brenda's blog.

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A SEASON OF FORGIVENESS
by Brenda Coulter
Available in stores September 25.
Order now from Amazon.
Read most of the first chapter at BrendaCoulter.com

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And here's the really nifty trailer:




Happy Sunday!