Happy Labor Day

Sometimes it's important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it's essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow. ~Douglas Pagels, These Are the Gifts I'd Like to Give to You



In honor of Labor Day, and because I'm trying to get lunch, swim bags and more ready for DH and DD to head out on the boat, I'm taking the day off blogging today.

I'll leave you with this... and what IS it with cats and sinks??

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?

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

Huh... that's mostly right, lol...

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Preparing for Winter

When the bold branches
Bid farewell to rainbow leaves -
Welcome wool sweaters.
~B. Cybrill

I started tearing down the garden yesterday. On the one hand, it makes me sad, but on the other, we had such a terrible year (garden-wise) that it's almost a relief to pull everything up and get it out of sight.

I think I picked three full-sized tomatoes this year -- off about a dozen plants! And, though we certainly had more cherry tomatoes, there were never more than we could easily snack on in one sitting, and that was from another dozen plants. We should have been swimming in red.

We picked five cucumbers this year, off of eight plants. A few handfuls of beans and peas. The carrots died for no apparent reason. The only thing that produced decently was the squash, which is starting to die now, and I'm not sure why. I'll probably get 4-5 more squash off them before they're gone.

So disappointing. I really wanted to have tomatoes to can this year. And maybe more pickles. Good thing we aren't pioneers, and can go to the store when the garden flops!

Today, I'll finish pulling up what's left, except for the squash which gets to live until it dies on its own. I'll also finish chopping down most of my perennial flowers which are done blooming. All I have left are the fall bloomers: asters and chrysanthemums.

Then I need to do my bulbs -- I want to plant pink daffodils for the spring since the voles and chipmunks have decimated my crocus and grape hyacinth bulbs, and I want something besides yellow. I think there are a few other deer resistant bulbs (which probably means vole-and-'munk resistant), so I need to research that as well.

And then hunker down and get ready for a long, white winter.

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ACK! A bird just flew into my slider -- not hard, but still. We don't have a plain glass one, either. What was it thinking? We had a bat slam into it once a couple winters ago and then land, motionless in the snow on the deck. I couldn't just leave him there, so I donned oven mitts and grabbed a towel, picked it up and put him in the rafters underneath our deck where he'd be safe until he regained all his facilities. I like bats. They are good doobies.

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A Dribble at the Well

"If you chase two rabbits, both will escape" — Unknown

"Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways." — H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Our water comes to us from a well on our property -- a concept that took me some time to get used to, being a city girl and all. Something else I needed to get used to was the fact that the pump can only send so much water to us at one time.

This morning, while the sprinklers were running outside, I'd just flushed the potty, and had turned on the water at the sink. It was a mere dribble. I didn't get a decent amount of water until the toilet tank finished filling, and it got me to thinking (yes, epiphanies DO come from the strangest places...): we're sort of the same way, right? Only a finite amount of time, energy, creativity, brain power, etc.

I know I could be using my time more efficiently. I am lured by the email accounts on a regular basis -- I feel as though our business emails HAVE to be answered immediately or the world will come to an end. And that's just stupid.

I have a friend who has several tasks she needs to complete on a daily basis. To do so, she figures out how much time the task should take if she worked, focused and uninterrupted, and then sets a timer for that amount of time. THEN she focuses on that task, and that task only, until the timer goes off.

I feel as though I have so much on my plate that I'll never get it all done. But, I'm thinking that if I can focus on one thing at a time (not my strong suit...) I would be able to be more productive in less time, therefore giving me more time to do the things that keep getting set aside.

I've put a kitchen timer on my shopping list and am going to start this new endeavor next week -- Wednesday, when DH goes back to work. And then, maybe, I can give more than a dribble to the things I do.

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You Are Taco Salad

You are brutally honest and totally real. You can't be bothered to be fake for a second. You are a total riot. You have a wicked sense of humor, and you crack people up. You often shock people with your antics. You have a very spicy personality. You are energetic and intense. You live every moment to its fullest.

What Kind of Salad Are You?

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

Well.. yeah... mostly...

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The Nip is in the Air

The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August, and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first gray hair amidst the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Fall is definitely here. The days have been warm and sunny, but the moment the sun goes down ... it's COLD. It gets into the 40s at night. My tomatoes are pretty much done -- the cold is causing them to split the moment they are ripe. The few cucumbers I have are growing FAT bottoms (full of seeds). The crabgrass has gone to seed (my neighbors "lawn" is a lovely shade of red).

DH is off for the next five days and this weekend will be the last one in which he takes the boat out. We have a HUGE pile of wood to split that we took down last year, and then we need to go to our across the street neighbor and chop up the trees he had taken down this summer, then haul it over here and stack it up to season for next year. I'll probably pull up my tomatoes and start to get the garden ready for winter, cut down all the perennials that are done blooming. I want to go apple picking soon, and can applesauce this year, but after typing everything else, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed!

I'm going to miss summer, especially since they're predicting near record snowfall again this year. DH is thrilled, since he loves to go snowmobiling, but me? Not so much. I'll be counting the days to April (147 days, in case you were wondering).

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You Are a Powerful Black Car

You are a strong and dominant person. You enjoy showcasing your power. You are competent and in control. There's no one more suited to be in charge. You are very competitive. You like to win, and it even feels a bit humiliating to lose. You are always up for a challenge. You are a natural daredevil, and you're always looking to conquer a new feat.

The Car Oracle

The First Rule of Blogthings Is: You Don't Talk About Blogthings

I only chose it cuz I prefer a truck, and it was the only option, lol... but all things considered, much of it is pretty close.

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Frustrated and Frazzled

Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness. ~Richard Carlson

Was on pretty much a dead run all day yesterday and, for whatever reason, didn't handle it with my usual aplomb. Spent the day feeling frazzled and frustrated -- AND, I didn't get to blog-hop again. I miss reading your stuff. I hate that. Still, today is a new day, so will do my best to move through it with grace and composure. *G*

I borrowed the first season of Eureka from the library yesterday. I can't wait to watch it -- last week's show reminded me how much things have changed in the past years, so it'll be fun to return to the beginning.

DD and I decided not to volunteer at the library officially -- they require a work schedule, which I understand, but right now I'm still trying to wrap my brain around everything we're already doing and the thought of having something specific scheduled again was more than I could handle. Instead, we're adopting shelves, which means we make sure they're in proper order, that the books are in good shape (and send them for repair if they aren't), and check for series that aren't marked on the spine. As we get the shelves we chose yesterday organized, we'll adopt more. So, we're still helping -- just not in a truly official capacity, and we can show up every week when we can.

It's getting into the 40s at night now, so I have to think about taking down my veggie garden. Might do that over the weekend... we'll see. The tomatoes are about done anyway, but I might leave the cucumbers and squash until it officially freezes. Ugh... don't want to think about winter.

And that's life in my neck of the woods. I am going to try desperately to catch up with y'all today. Hope to see you then!

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You Are Low Key and Relaxed

You are a energetic, warm, optimistic person. You approach everything with a lot of enthusiasm. When you are happiest, you are calm. You appreciate tradition and family. You enjoy feeling cozy. You tend to be afraid of change. You are never ready for things to be different. You find love to be the most comforting thing in the world. You feel at peace when you're with your loved ones. Your ideal day is active and full. You like to keep busy with your favorite things, and you appreciate a routine. You are very impatient. You spend more time waiting for something than actually enjoying it.

The Autumn Test

Except for the title and the first paragraph, it's pretty close... lol...

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What, When, Where, Why and How with Candace Morehouse

Welcome today to Candace Morehouse!

What's in your vehicle's glove box?

My owner’s manual (where I update the oil changes faithfully), a bunch of napkins from fast food restaurants (cuz you just never know when you might need one, besides I’m known to be quite a klutz), a hackey sack with a Rasta pattern (don’t even know where that came from), a variety of unusual pieces of wood and pretty rocks I’ve picked up on various hikes, and a little plastic wind-up angel who beats her wings and is supposed to help me find a parking space in crowded lots.

When is a heroine TSTL?

When she acts like a naïve, mealy-mouthed, unconfident, little PITA who is far too dependent on the hero. I’ve actually started to write one of these before and I hated her! I had to completely start from scratch… Heroines must be confident, determined, and self-sufficient, in my books. They are often nontraditional, too. I love breaking stereotypes!

Where would you live, if you could live anywhere?

Besides where I currently live in Arizona’s White Mountains, which I absolutely adore, I’d love to own an island all my own, like Richard Branson has. Wouldn’t it be great to have your own private island--imagine the parties you could throw! I’m picturing skinny dipping in the ocean, drinks served in hollowed out coconut shells, and bronzed cabana boys. Yeah, lots of cabana boys. Then again, a castle in Europe would be pretty cool. That would make an excellent location to host some murder mystery parties and go ghost hunting.

Why do doctors leave the room when you change?

Because not all of us are super models or gorgeous Hollywood stars with lots of plastic surgery to cover up our faults. After all, doctors are only human and they don’t want to see a big old hairy butt or sagging boobs any more than the rest of us!

How many tattoos is "too many"?

When you are wearing a turtleneck sweater and jeans yet your tats are still visible, LOL! While self expression is wonderful, a little self-restraint can be a good thing, too. I’ve got a couple of tattoos right now, and definitely want some more. In addition to my Gila monster and black panther, I’m considering a Western diamondback rattlesnake (I’ve got a thing for animals!). Could really have some fun with that one – putting it in a place where I could make it rattle *G*.

Candace Morehouse enjoys writing romance that spans more than just time. Whether the setting is historical or contemporary, her romances are filled with mystery and high sensuality, strong, nontraditional heroines, and the tough, sexy men who love them.

Originally from Wisconsin, Candace moved to New Mexico when she was entering her teens and it is there where her creative talent was honed. She currently enjoys living with her husband in the White Mountains of northern Arizona with Colby Jack, a purebred mutt, and Yogi, a Welsh Corgi. Her handsome and talented son is both webmaster and IT tech for her various pursuits as he attends ASU in pursuit of a computer engineering degree.

Visit Candace at:
www.candacemorehouse.com
www.myspace.com/candacemorehouse
http://twitter.com/candacemore

Blogs:
http://candacemorehouse.blogspot.com
www.romancesuspensenovels.com
http://www.thewritersvineyard.com

In Which I Answer Questions

It's such a pleasure to write down splendid words - almost as though one were inventing them. ~Rupert Hart-Davis

I've been awful at responding to folks lately, but this morning I feel a bit more on an even keel again. I'll be able to start stalking ... er... visiting your blogs again, I think and I also wanted to answer some questions and respond to some comments that were asked over the past few days.

*

Charity said:

Feel free to throw things at me, but ...

This story is actually finished, so do I really want to change an integral plot point and then have to completely rewrite the entire thing?

Uh, are you going to send it out in its current state? If not ...

**sigh**

Charity and I have a bit of a history where she calls me on something and then challenges me and I grumble and then listen to her. Because, folks, she's an awesome writer.

So, yeah, C you're right as always. *G* It's just that unlike SOME very strange folks (**cough** YOU **cough**), I hate editing. But when it needs doing, it needs doing. Bother.

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Ceri commented:

Have a friend looking over one of them to see if she can see where I can cut 30K to make it Harlequin length.

And then there's NaNoWriMo (oops, sorry).

Cut THIRTY-THOUSAND WORDS? Holy smokes... good luck with that.

And, you don't live so far away I can't come and smack you for the NaNoWriMo thing. Just saying.

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MomJane and Dru had similar thoughts:

How do you keep up with everything? I couldn't even begin to remember all the things you are involved in.

I don't know how you do all that you do, but I would be tired and looking for a 48-hour day.

I'm a HUGE multi-tasker and I seldom sit still. I don't find relaxing, well, relaxing. Taking time off is stressful for me. But, I would really like a 48-hour day.

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Wendi Zwaduk said:

I'm up for doing JaNaNo with you.

YAY!!! I'll make a note of it and send out an invite to the blog when we're ready.

*

Tori said:

Cleo Coyle also writes the ghost mystery series I've been reading, just under the name Alice Kimberly. :)

Woo Hoo! That's great, because I really enjoy her voice. Adding her to my list of things to read... eventually.

*

Groovy said:

Hope your school year is AWESOME! What curriculum are you going to use?

We're using Abeka's DVD curriculum. It's fantastic -- sort of cheating, IMHO, but I get the best of both worlds: she'd being taught by a trained teacher AND I get to keep my finger on the pulse of her schooling and stay involved. I even enjoy watching the classes, and will sit in with her now and then.

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In other news, I got DD enrolled in the art class for this semester. She's excited. So am I. I think she's really going to enjoy it.

The Y still doesn't have its fall schedule online, so that may be a bust for us. And, I've called and left messages for the leader of the 4H group we wanted to join, but haven't gotten a call back yet. If I don't hear this week, I'm going to call the headquarters again and ask for their help.

AND... the part for my washer came in yesterday. I have a repair appointment for this Saturday. I hope it works, because I do NOT like not having a washer in the house. My SIL has graciously opened her laundry room to us, and though I am very thankful, it's just not the same.

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Your Defense Mechanism is Humor

When life gets you down, you just have to laugh. And that's a very healthy reaction. It's not that you don't take your problems seriously. You do. You just don't let them control you. You are able to make the best of things, even when things look very, very bleak. Some people may consider your sense of humor to be dark, but it has served you well!

What's Your Defense Mechanism?

Hmmm... sort of right...

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