Time flies (or passes by)

The last three months have been tough. I've been dealing with a family member's diagnosed mental illness, up close and personal. It hasn't left a lot of room in my head for any kind of creativity. And, my grandfather died a few weeks ago.

The good news is said family member is being treated and is showing marked improvement. And, it's Spring! My front flower garden is beautiful, laden with tulips, irises and violets. Any time I need a lift I look out my bedroom window.

So, for those of you who have wondered, I'm still here.

A world dusted in confectioner's sugar.

It began to snow at daybreak. At first a fine sifting, gradually increasing, until there were four inches of fresh powder by noon. Now, the flakes look like goose down. It lifts my spirit and makes me drowsy - simultaneously.

School was dismissed two hours early. My plans for the afternoon hit a hard stop, but I don't mind. I still remember the excitement of an early dismissal from school, and walking into my warm home and my mom hugging me. We'll make cookies and take care of homework without the pressure of dinner making, and bath taking and bedtime.

Snow like this slows things down. I do appreciate it - now and then.

Giving the bird

Well, maybe not so much the bird, as the means by which to cook it.









The husband and I bought an Electric Roaster five years ago. I was tired of tying up the stove when I wanted to roast a turkey, and it was an affordable solution at $30.00. Then, friends of ours bought a new house, so we gave them a roaster as a housewarming present. And then, we bought hubby's sister and brother-in-law one for Christmas.

A roaster is the type of present that the recipient either loves, or sticks in a cabinet somewhere to grow multiple layers of dust. In both cases of our giving, the roasters were big hits. As I was basting our Thanksgiving bird today, I had to smile, knowing our friends and family were making use of our gifts to them.

No matter what you had for dinner today, or how you cooked it, I hope you made lifelong memories and experienced heartwarming moments. Happy Thanksgiving!

Mind your mouth, as well as your manners.

Saturday evening, my husband and I, along with a friend of ours, decided to grab dinner at a local restaurant. We thought it would be a nice way to end the day, as they had been out deer hunting for most of it. We don't typically eat out, mostly because we both love to cook. We like this restaurant, though - good food, laid back atmosphere and affordable.

I ordered a Julienne salad, and our waitress said "Oh, the cook is gonna love you." I said "Because it's easy to make?" and that's when everything started to slide downhill.

Apparently she was being facetious. When she brought our food, she went on a rant, directed at me, about how it took time to slice the ingredients for the salad, thereby pulling the cook away from all the other orders waiting to be made(there was only one other customer present at the time, and the food I ordered was offered on the menu). Well, I guess I've been disavowed of the notion that a salad is easy to make.

I had a really hard time eating. Suddenly, I lost my appetite, and any desire to stay. My husband and friend looked at each other, and then at me, with confused expressions on their faces. They asked if I wanted to go home. I told them to eat their food.

I've been thinking about this since it happened. I was embarrassed to be berated that way in public. It was incredibly rude and unprofessional. And we won't be spending our hard earned money there again.

It did teach me something, though. No matter what your job is, how you conduct yourself, moment to moment, day to day, will ultimately impact your bottom line.

Hope

I've been hesitant to talk politics here. I don't want to dissuade people from reading if they don't agree with my beliefs or affiliations. It makes no difference to me whether you are a Republican, Democrat or an Independent, please vote on Tuesday. It's your right, as our government is by and for the people.

Having said all that, I watched Barack Obama last night. I found myself on the brink of tears a few times. America is facing incredibly difficult times right now. Many of the people I know are starting to sweat. They're not sure what their future looks like and it scares them to death. I worry about them, as well as about my own family.

Every time I listen to Senator Obama, I feel myself drawn into his message of change and hope. Let's face it, hope has been scarce lately. Dogged acceptance of circumstance seems to be the current atmosphere. I think America is better than this. The last eight years have bogged us down further and further into a quagmire of fear and disappointment. Uncertainty and desperation are not good places to work from.

I think that Barack Obama has what it takes to run this country. I've read and watched as much as I can about him. If you don't share my opinion, that's okay. It's a free country, last I checked. And yes, I've read up on McCain, and Palin, and Biden.

My birthday is Election Day. I will be 39 years old. I have never looked forward to a birthday so much as this one. Not even my 21st. I want to know who our next President will be, and I want the campaigning to be over.

Honor the memory, but continue to live.

It's raining today. I turned on the television, but then promptly shut it off. I haven't forgotten and I never will.

Instead of being glued to the news, as I was seven years ago, I will take advantage of a day without children underfoot. I have lots of ideas for blog posts, a fantastic mystery to finish reading, a book review to write and a double batch of chocolate chip cookies to make. That should keep me busy until the kids arrive home around 3 pm.

In my way, I will honor the life, and lives, gifted to me. I will hug my boys a little longer when they come in the door. I will curl up next to my husband when I crawl into bed tonight. I will text my daughter the words "I love you." I will be present in the moment, because it is the only one that truly exists.

Escape

I spent my early afternoon up at the local cemetery. No, no one died. It just happens to be the most peaceful place available to me lately.

My step-son is attending High School online, which means he's at home a couple of days a week when he's not working at Mickie D's. We have a DSL line and if more than one of us is connected to the 'net, my computer bogs down. So, instead of growing ever more frustrated, I decided to go read a book (for review) in my car at the cemetery.

It's actually kind of cozy. I tilt the steering wheel up, push the seat all the way back and get comfortable. Then I push the button for MN Public Radio and relax. I can hear the birds singing and the breeze blowing through the trees. And there's usually not a living soul around to interrupt me.

How do you escape when the need arises?

First day of the school year - 2008

All around the United States, stay-at-home and work-at-home Moms are breathing a sigh of relief right about now. Summer is fun, but it's really nice to send the kids off to school to fill their brains with knowledge, and get back to some semblance of normalcy.

I've already taken a shower (in a blissfully empty house), started a load of laundry and washed a sink full of dishes. I will be using the rest of my quiet time to straighten up and organize my office, finish reading Shadow of Colossus by T. L. Higley and quite possibly write a query letter or two. Blog Stop took what little time I had over the summer, so I REALLY want to get back to a bit of freelance writing.

Oh what a beautiful morning!

My six year old woke me up this morning with "I'm hungry!" - sounds like a clarion call to me.

So, I rolled out of bed, grabbed a very necessary cup of coffee and got him some breakfast. Then, I was pleasantly surprised to find lots of discussion going on at Author Talks! Good questions and answers for so early in the morning.

The last Blog Stop of Ellen Meister's tour is today. Please visit She Is Too Fond of Books to read an excellent review of The Smart One!

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

...with school bells aringing and mothers everywhere singing,
be of good cheer! The beginning of the new school year!

Sorry, but I just needed to let a wee bit of my elation out. Today was busy. I posted the author and book information for the September virtual book tours at Blog Stop. I also added two author interviews to the Author 10 Q&A page.

I've decided to hold my commentary about the Presidential race until after the Republicans have completed their party in the Twin Cities. I figure I should at least give the GOP a chance. It probably won't sway my opinion, but I like to be well informed before stating my mind.

I'm off to listen to Obama accept the nomination. America has come a long way, baby!

Busier than a one-armed paper hanger.

Lots of stuff going on here. Last night was my 6th grader's open house. Tonight was my 1st grader's. Between last minute shopping for school supplies, marking names on everything and filling out paperwork for the kids to take to school with them on Tuesday, I'm not sure if I'm coming, going or upside down.

Add to that housework, cooking, my work and trying to get some sleep. Whewwwww!

I have some things I'd like to say about the Democratic National Convention, but that will wait until tomorrow. For now, I will check email one more time and then crawl into bed with a book. I may get one page read before my eyes slam shut.

Rescue me...!

The husband, the boys and I decided to hike down by the river last night. It was a gorgeous, temperate Minnesota evening and we wanted to take advantage of it. As we were walking back to the car, I heard a mewww. Then I heard another one, looked over across the road, and saw a tiny, not more than 10 weeks old, kitten. All alone, no houses it could belong to, and no collar.

Call me a sap, a sucker or downright sentimental, but there was no way I could leave that kitten on the side of a well traveled highway to get squished. I rescued it. We brought her home, introduced her to our other cats and they are now trying to work out their differences.

Introducing Shadow - 10 weeks old



















And this is Girr - 6 months old.
















And this is Honey - 4 years old.














Honey and Girr look a lot alike in their facial markings. Honey is a marble tabby. We're not sure about Girr. Shadow is a Tortoiseshell Tabby.

I didn't intend to have a house full of cats, but as it happens, I do.

Woopsie!

I got so busy with work this morning and kids this afternoon, that I just now realized I hadn't blogged yet.

My stepson's birthday is today. He's 17. Happy birthday to him!

My littlest boy asked me to make playdough earlier. So, I used Google to find a recipe for it, and I made a batch. We used food coloring to make blue, yellow and green dough. We had lots of fun squishing the dough to even out the color. I had green fingers for a little while. Cam and my older boy played at the table for a couple of hours. It was great.

The recipe follows.

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil (olive or vegetable)
2 tablespoons cream of tartar

Mix flour, cream of tartar, salt and oil in a saucepan. Slowly add the water. Cook over medium heat, stirring until dough becomes stiff. Turn out onto wax paper and let cool. Knead the playdough with your hands until of proper consistency.

It feels just like playdough you'd buy at the store, but it doesn't smell like it.

Simon says...

A fellow writer friend of mine gave birth to a beautiful little boy a couple of weeks ago. Little being an understatement. You see, Simon was born at 24 weeks gestation, weighing in at 1 pound 7 ounces. In the first two weeks of his life, Simon has already undergone heart surgery to close the hole in his heart that all babies are born with, but causes issues in preemies.

Simon is a fighter, just like his mama. Mysti is amazingly strong. Instead of letting her fear and concern shut her down, she has kept on trucking. She has her priorities straight, not the least of which is her older son, Jaden. Jaden is 4 years old and he worries about his mom and his new baby brother.

If you'd like to read Simon's story, as it's written, please visit Mysti's blog, One Woman's Heart. Mysti's strength in the face of extreme adversity is a source of profound inspiration.

Random things...

It was an incredibly busy weekend. House stuff, kid stuff, garden stuff. We accomplished a lot!

I also devoured Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. I enjoyed it, but thought it could be shorter by about a quarter. Interesting plot twists that I, and I'm sure her other millions of readers, never saw coming. It was a bit anti-climactic where the climax should have been, but she did leave herself open for a spin off series.

Today will be busy. Brainstorming session with a friend and marketing genius. Writing interview questions for the authors touring in September. Networking. And, of course, stuff with the kids.

Three more weeks til school starts....

For a lazy summer day, it's sure been busy.

So far today...

- typed up and emailed answers to interview questions
- run to the grocery store with the youngest boy
- fed the kids lunch - waffles, yummmmm
- grabbed something to eat for myself
- baked lemon bars, mostly because it's cool today
- started reading a book for review
- glanced through the new issue of The Writer magazine
- washed dishes
- done laundry

I still have more to get done, but I'm thinking it's been a productive day so far.

Two months down, one month to go...

Running a business from home is a challenge, especially when you're raising kids along with growing your business. I've been lucky enough to be sharing "kid care" with 3 other moms this summer. Our children are all around the same age, and there's been a variation on a theme of musical chairs along the lines of "who's house will the kids be at today?"

I will be sorry to see the summer end, but happy when September 2nd arrives.

All that being said, let me guess... you've been dying to know what book will be touring in August, right? Not so much? Well, I'm going to tell you anyway.


The Smart One by Ellen Meister is touring with Blog Stop Book Tours in August! Information is posted at the Authors On Tour page, and there's an interview with Ellen at the Author 10 Q&A page. Ellen will also be participating in Author Talks! toward the end of the month. So if you want to join in the discussion, go get the book!

The first Blog Stop for The Smart One is tomorrow.

Reigning in... stretching out.

So... ummm... yeah, I was missing in action yesterday. I have a better excuse, though, than the dog ate my homework.

I don't know about you, but I need room to work and especially to think. With the kids home for the summer, and all the things we've needed to get done while the weather is warm, the house has not been an uncluttered, pristine expanse of comfortable space. When the clutter reaches a certain point, I start to feel as though the walls are closing in. It usually takes an interesting catalyst to kick start me into taking back my space. The catalyst showed up Sunday afternoon.

We don't have a dining room, nor do we have a kitchen nook. This means that we haven't ever had a dining table in our house. We have TV tables that we use every evening when we sit down to dinner. I've been growing ever more dissatisfied with this arrangement, especially in the last six months or so.

We decided a month ago, that if we could find a table, we'd get rid of our couch, and put a table where the couch currently sits. I found a table! The antique shop down the street had one for $25.00. It needed to be refinished, about ten hours of work between sanding and polying, but we're no strangers to hard work. It should be done by Saturday.

In order to be ready for the couch to go out, and the table to go in, I spent yesterday cleaning and re-arranging the living room. It took me most of the day, but it's done.

As of Sunday morning, I will finally have a place to have coffee with my friends. I will also be able to sit at my table to write (gasp!) longhand if I want. My kids will have space to do their homework. I'll be able to do crafts with my youngest boy. I won't have to spread the bills out on my bed when I'm doing the monthly write checks thing.

I'm so excited!

A Departure... of sorts.

I've spent the better part of the morning listening to Bernanke talk about the sad state of our economy. I'm discouraged. He keeps talking about how we got here, but not a lot about good solutions for improvements.

Gas prices are up. Food prices are up. When income can't possibly keep up with inflation, what is there to do?

Well, here's what we're doing.

• We're driving a lot less. Hubby is picking up things we need at Target, or Walmart, or Home Depot on his way home from work. He drives right by the stores, so why make a trip when we don't have to? The local grocery and hardware store are within walking/biking distance, so if we need something right away, we're using our own physical power, instead of gas.
• We're eating out less. We don't go out to eat very often anyway, but now it's really not an option.
• We're using our Sam's Club membership much more. Since we're eating at home more, we're buying in bulk. It absolutely saves us money.
• We are absolutely not installing the window air conditioner this year. On hot days, I close up the house by noon, and use box fans to keep the air moving. It was 101 degree heat index last Thursday. Our house stayed at a comfortable 83 degrees.
• We are turning off lights when we don't need them. They throw heat during the day, so keeping them off keeps the house cool.
• We're tending and nurturing our garden. Right now, we have raspberries, black raspberries, peas, cucumbers and tomatoes starting to come in. Have you seen how much tomatoes cost at the grocery store?! Not to mention the salmonella scare? Our gardens are organic, and we know whose hands have touched the food.
• We are watering our gardens with rain water we've collected in plastic barrels. I refuse to pay for water, when it's only used for watering.
• On cool days, we make our own bread. Granted, the Kitchen Aid mixer my mom bought for us years ago, makes it a much easier process, but still, when a loaf of bread is almost $2.00, making our own is cost effective.
• We're buying 3 to 5 dozen eggs, instead of a dozen at a time. Much cheaper.
• Our kids are drinking much more water, much less juice and pop. It may even save on dentist bills down the road.
• And, we are using our library cards.

I'm sure there are other things we're doing, but these are the ones I can think of right now.

What are you doing to cut costs?

I'm a witch... well, not really.

Yesterday, I reviewed The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent. I wanted to share what I discovered, about myself, while reading the book.

The names of the people accused are real. One of those people is John Proctor. John Proctor was the first man accused, tried and hung for witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials.

I've been researching my family tree off and on for years. Last Fall, I finally traced my Brackett line back to Scotland. In my research, I had run across the name Proctor. So, after reading The Heretic's Daughter, I looked the name up, and discovered that the Bracketts married into the Proctors just after the Salem Witch Trials.

I am a 10th generation descendant of John Proctor. As one of my friends said, when I related this story to them, "Well, that explains everything!"