tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-321425332024-03-13T16:43:41.042-05:00Sammi CarterAuthor of the Candy Shop Mystery series. Talking books, writing & life as I see it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14241083460874772922noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-28085143356578638172015-12-07T19:03:00.003-06:002015-12-07T19:03:45.870-06:00Sammi is Retiring<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To all my readers: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've been trying hard to keep up with the demands of maintaining three separate personalities on Facebook and Twitter along with the <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=50054948378" href="https://www.facebook.com/Dancing-On-Coals-Online-Workshops-50054948378/" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Dancing On Coals Online Workshops</a> page and all the writing workshops I'm trying to publish on Kindle -- and to give some time and attention to actual writing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">Sadly, I find that I just can't do it all, so I've decided that I'm going to let this page fade away There will be no more books in this series, and I think this identity is retired</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"> as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">Please come and join me on my other blogs and Facebook pages </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">for news of upcoming books and future projects</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">:</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">Facebook</b><br />
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<a class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=676509852379858" href="https://www.facebook.com/sherrylewisauthor/" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; line-height: 19.32px; text-decoration: none;">Author Sherry Lewis</a><br />
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<a class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=180151502006968" href="https://www.facebook.com/Author-Jacklyn-Brady-180151502006968/" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; line-height: 19.32px; text-decoration: none;">Author Jacklyn Brady</a><br />
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<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">Blogs</b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.sherrylewisbooks.com/" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;" target="_blank">Sherry Lewis Blog</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.jacklynbrady.com/" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;" target="_blank">Jacklyn Brady Blog</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Twitter: </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">@SherryLewis</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">@jacklybrady</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">@DancingOnCoals</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">If you're a writer looking for discussion of the craft, resources for learning the craft, or just want to talk about living the writing life, please join me on the <a href="http://www.dancingoncoals.com/" target="_blank">Dancing On Coals blog</a> (FB link above). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">I appreciate your loyalty to the series so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you! The books are still available in e-book formats, so please tell your friends.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.32px;">See you on my other sites! </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14241083460874772922noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-38819072348813986912015-12-02T03:00:00.000-06:002015-12-02T03:00:08.423-06:00Day 2 - A Book I've Read More than 3 Times <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's week two of my 30-Day (Week) Book Meme, and I'm supposed to talk about a book I've read more than 3 times. Excluding children's books read more than 1,000 times to kids and grandkids, I think the list is probably fairly short. Not because I don't have some favorite books, but because I'm always feeling so behind on the stack of books waiting for me to read them for the first time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I mean, I'm currently reading <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1IvSbpI" target="_blank">Mary, Mary</a></i> by Ed McBain, a book I bought new when it came out back in 1993. That's more than 20 years ago. I've packed and moved that book all around town and then, finally, across the country. It's been such a patient book, I thought it deserved to finally be read, so even though I'm feeling the pull to read an old favorite again, I moved Mary to the top of the list. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_yZzpHlA9i3G8l7geGGSUutWM3d-2ttwcrWMCVXtcOZqopA4rFEwLHR48-tczt71dmY7WgChnC-S_z1U5Wn3PW4EYkQffNwy_LJ1D0qUJFesfJucObqsrpmzgHo9AJxPON-ZXhg/s1600/Cashelmara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_yZzpHlA9i3G8l7geGGSUutWM3d-2ttwcrWMCVXtcOZqopA4rFEwLHR48-tczt71dmY7WgChnC-S_z1U5Wn3PW4EYkQffNwy_LJ1D0qUJFesfJucObqsrpmzgHo9AJxPON-ZXhg/s320/Cashelmara.jpg" width="194" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But that's not the issue here. The task today is to talk about a book I've read more than 3 times. This one's easy. My book of choice is <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1IjZ9U9" target="_blank">Cashelmara</a></i> by Susan Howatch. (Surprise! Another Susan Howatch book) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm choosing it because I received a notice yesterday that it was available on Kindle for a ridiculously low price -- ridiculous when you consider how much I love this book. I think I own at least two print copies--maybe three--because you can never own too many of a favorite book. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In nineteenth-century Ireland, the de Salis family carries on through times of both riches and hardship, but their hard-won resilience will be threatened by tragedy of their own making</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Edward de Salis travels to America after the death of his first wife, he is astonished to find himself falling in love with Marguerite, a young woman many years his junior. Full of hope for the future, he returns to his Irish estate, Cashelmara, but in nineteenth-century Ireland—a country racked by poverty and famine—his family eventually becomes trapped in a sinister spiral of violence that Edward could never have foreseen. <i>Cashelmara</i> follows the fortunes of three generations as they struggle to survive both the tragedies of history and their own chaotic lives.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.4px;">That's what the back cover copy says about the book, but it's so much more than that. I love big, rich, historical family sagas to begin with, and I love Howatch's style of writing. I love the way she works with point of view and how she manages to pull me into each of the characters' skins so completely that I'm rooting for them 100% -- until I'm suddenly not. Howatch is a true master of her craft. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some day when I grow up, I want to try my hand at writing something as rich and wonderful as a Susan Howatch book. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14241083460874772922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-35059751531522656342015-11-25T03:00:00.000-06:002015-11-25T03:00:08.754-06:00Day 1 - The Best Book You Read Last Year<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or maybe I should say Entry 1 -- because if you've been around for a while you know that I'll get sidetracked and even if I didn't, I don't blog every day, and even if I did, I'd get sidetracked. See what I did there? Full circle. </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You also know that a few years ago I started, but never finished, a 30-Day Book Meme, so you're no doubt rolling your eyes and thinking, "What? Again??" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, yes. Because I'm an author and I think about books .. a lot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here goes: The best book I read last year. Would it surprise you to know that it was an older book? Or that it's a toss-up between two books? Or that both books are older books? Well, try not to be <i>too</i> surprised. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamxWuRzwh4TlAt1bNbr-e7cQX6zwDzYEQ1y07b5mmQDO6AWJkEPCfCuSBDVuE2lw6Ym-eVh7v2GPKC_eX4rexfc8CuPNWMnNYkvG95dTPBytvBqVZbsb9U8WwZoiKB83Az-nctw/s1600/Diary+Dog+Days.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamxWuRzwh4TlAt1bNbr-e7cQX6zwDzYEQ1y07b5mmQDO6AWJkEPCfCuSBDVuE2lw6Ym-eVh7v2GPKC_eX4rexfc8CuPNWMnNYkvG95dTPBytvBqVZbsb9U8WwZoiKB83Az-nctw/s200/Diary+Dog+Days.jpg" width="133" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I read quite a bit last year, but not as much as I could have. As I look back on my year of reading (thank you <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_blank">goodreads</a>!) I realize that several of the books on my list from 2014 were books for young readers that I read along with my oldest granddaughter. We plowed through the <i>Diary of a Wimpy Kid</i> series and knocked off several Judy Moody books, which added to my somewhat impressive list. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I read several books that I already owned (including my two favorites) and several that I checked out from the library. I don't borrow books from friends because (a) I don't like to loan books to friends and (b) I've already proved that I can't be trusted to either read them in a timely manner or return them before the friend moves to parts unknown, or I move across country. (Yes, that is shame you hear.) </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbD2fL4zXTlUR9W_RE20N7EAJmUd3s_XALskdbjANzqnZmYbylhuBHnyDHI6RegYw0pF9wvC20RsFEymslAhvrhFiblJ5-ZsUhax63MQT3zI8-l2OWxSKhgFWrPBoswxu_L1PCA/s1600/mystery-book-300x225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbD2fL4zXTlUR9W_RE20N7EAJmUd3s_XALskdbjANzqnZmYbylhuBHnyDHI6RegYw0pF9wvC20RsFEymslAhvrhFiblJ5-ZsUhax63MQT3zI8-l2OWxSKhgFWrPBoswxu_L1PCA/s200/mystery-book-300x225.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I read several books for contests in which I acted as a judge. All of those books were newly published last year. Sadly, none of them qualifies as a favorite read. I won't discuss them here because that would be against the rules and unethical. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So which two books did I read (or re-read) last year that qualify as my favorite? </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEoU8WeWNJbmMaBwNn8VhYZrOLHUH2rnj-06Bs6Ecb5Cu2KoQid4xOPosXja2KliVEUGUojxBAiUwCsKkKFc6y5h57QvJw1QRtCKv9C6j1G4yrqWnd5DDv5dGjqof-atd9BBL6Qg/s1600/Rich+are+Different.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEoU8WeWNJbmMaBwNn8VhYZrOLHUH2rnj-06Bs6Ecb5Cu2KoQid4xOPosXja2KliVEUGUojxBAiUwCsKkKFc6y5h57QvJw1QRtCKv9C6j1G4yrqWnd5DDv5dGjqof-atd9BBL6Qg/s320/Rich+are+Different.jpg" width="197" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. <b><span style="font-size: large;">The Rich are Different</span></b> by Susan Howatch. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You could substitute several books by Howatch here (<i>Penmarric, Cashelmara, Sins of the Fathers) </i>if I'd read them last year -- but I didn't, so this one wins. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Dinah Slade was young enough to be Paul Van Zale's daughter. But she didn't care. She was a very ambitious and beautiful woman with her eye on Van Zale's tremendous fortune. However, she hadn't counted on falling in love. Paul found himself attracted to Dinah in a way he had long forgotten. Her vitality, her sensuality, consumed him. With her he could forget his past, his wife, his enemies, his empire....</i></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">If you like family sagas, the kind that were big in the 1980s, you'll love this book. If you prefer short reads, well, you'll want to give this one a miss. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">As for me, I'm sure I'll be reading it again. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRcKuIPOYyGYWwUBJ6LgpvC5VstbAjxgjnNmuJ3lb06tAsxWM9Cw_hA2veFTFH-UVXRMsyce-RNA0JWz3HNvkYy0_zuvyWjqIut1FdaW8qf5XjX5kexsbUxw1RIsq9GBo5Ny00bQ/s1600/Kane+and+Abel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRcKuIPOYyGYWwUBJ6LgpvC5VstbAjxgjnNmuJ3lb06tAsxWM9Cw_hA2veFTFH-UVXRMsyce-RNA0JWz3HNvkYy0_zuvyWjqIut1FdaW8qf5XjX5kexsbUxw1RIsq9GBo5Ny00bQ/s320/Kane+and+Abel.jpg" width="197" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;">2. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Kane and Abe</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-size: large;">l</span> by Jeffrey Archer. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 19.32px;">Again, you could substitute a number of books by Mr. Archer here, and any one of them would do. This was the first book of his I read back in the day, however, and this one remains my favorite. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.32px;">Again, this one's a family saga full of all the stuff a family saga should have: love, hate, lust, greed, betrayal ... You know. All the good stuff. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19.32px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Born on the same day near the turn of the century on opposite sides of the world, both men are brought together by fate and the quest of a dream. These two men -- ambitious, powerful, ruthless -- are locked in a relentless struggle to build an empire, fuelled by their all-consuming hatred. Over 60 years and three generations, through war, marriage, fortune, and disaster, Kane and Abel battle for the success and triumph that only one man can have.</i></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And yes, I'm sure I'll read this one again, too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What about you? What was the best book you read last year? </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14241083460874772922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-35448445245337955732015-11-17T12:38:00.000-06:002015-11-17T12:38:32.041-06:00World Prematurity Day<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 16.08px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WorldPrematurityDay/" target="_blank">World Prematurity Day</a>, and rather than talk about candy or books, I decided that today it's time to raise awareness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As many of you know, my first granddaughter was born at just 27 weeks. She was 14 1/2 inches long and 2 l<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">b 9 oz. While in the NICU, she had NECK, sepsis, pneumonia, E-coli based meningitis, seizures, apnea, and a brain bleed. I don't mind telling you, those first few weeks were terrifying. It seemed like every day we got some new piece of frightening news. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">We were told she was going to have trouble keeping up with kids her own age, she would be slow to learn, walk, speak. We were told for the rest of her life she would probably have trouble hearing, talking, seeing and that she would struggle in school.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember sitting in the doctor's office, listening to them talk about what her future would probably hold, and feeling overwhelmed by the panic. Was I strong enough to help this child? What could I possibly do? Every touch from another person robbed her tiny body of the energy she needed to develop parts of her body she would need. I remember vividly the day my daughter was first able to hold her baby. I remember desperately just wanting to hear the baby cry, which we couldn't because of all the tubes and other equipment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At some point during that visit with the doctors, I asked what my other daughter and I could do to help. Since we couldn't even touch her, rocking her was out of the question. She couldn't swallow, so feeding her wasn't on the list. The doctor told us one thing we could do to help: read to her. It didn't matter what we read, he said. Just read. I can't give you all of the scientific reasons why reading helps premature babies develop. I just remember feeling an immense sense of relief that there was <i>something</i> I could do. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWl1QKDrazzuALfFqPPdKUdLDZZqIWEJgtROcwDxG_38NDbkWCusr7f2exFyRwXMO79e-bUTGWlEoQkPUjw9FIztXSzERiAymN5h9zZvcFb1qOMh2iQeza9lS38FYRnlEco_j4w/s1600/Minerva+Louise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWl1QKDrazzuALfFqPPdKUdLDZZqIWEJgtROcwDxG_38NDbkWCusr7f2exFyRwXMO79e-bUTGWlEoQkPUjw9FIztXSzERiAymN5h9zZvcFb1qOMh2iQeza9lS38FYRnlEco_j4w/s320/Minerva+Louise.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so we did. Day after day, for hours at a time, we read aloud from children's books, like <i>he Baby Blue Cat Who Said No, </i>and <i>Mama, Do You Love Me?</i> We read <i>Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport </i>and <i>Minerva Louise</i>. We read </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.08px;">magazines and books about Egypt and the <i>Romance Writer's Report</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.08px;">My two nieces were also born prematurely, and both faced their own set of challenges when they were first born.</span></div>
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Thanks to the prayers of friends and family and the knowledge of the nurses and doctors in the NICU, all three of the premature babies in our family grew up healthy. All three dodged all of the things we were told could be challenges for them because they were born so early.</div>
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My nieces are adults with families of their own, and The Princess is a happy and healthy 9 year-old who not only keeps up with the kids her age, but consistently hits the honor roll and helps other kids when they have challenges with their lessons. She loves to read and writes stories of her own. I don't know if she inherited her love of stories from me, or if she developed a love of stories in the NICU, but it doesn't really matter. Wherever it came from, I'm glad she has it. </div>
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Not every family is so lucky, but every family deserves to be. Please help support the effort to raise awareness and get the kind of care premature babies need everywhere. And if you find yourself with a premature baby inside your sphere of influence, read. Read, read, read. I promise you, it will help. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14241083460874772922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-87454838045642882432015-11-11T03:00:00.000-06:002015-11-11T03:00:02.957-06:00It's Not Nice to Fool with Mother Nature ...As I write this, the sky is gray and overcast. Rain is bucketing down from the heavens in a great, soaking deluge. Trees are bent in the wind--even the usually stoic trees that do little more than sway in a storm. Palms (the notorious Drama Queens of the tree world) are whipping to and fro, dropping fronds all over the neighborhood.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-j-PRXS1budMRRsQWMT3QMrxQEIITorua-uTC2csXZAKWjt9lAjJjSAgPULWNigGvO2Ej7d3YZdqMCjpL33VzZcNcg9imdZDMd9hWqQnzgQCdFEQGPeTTOpZiGQ2fP52WVt5Rsg/s1600/100_1514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-j-PRXS1budMRRsQWMT3QMrxQEIITorua-uTC2csXZAKWjt9lAjJjSAgPULWNigGvO2Ej7d3YZdqMCjpL33VzZcNcg9imdZDMd9hWqQnzgQCdFEQGPeTTOpZiGQ2fP52WVt5Rsg/s320/100_1514.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
It's not a bad storm as storms go, but it is the remnants of a hurricane that downgraded to a tropical storm, and like much of the country, we're feeling some of the fallout. A few people are without power and flood warnings are popping up all over the Internet and TV. Luckily no one I know has suffered any damage to their homes, but we'll have a bit of a mess to clean up wen the storm moves past us.<br />
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It's hard to imagine living in an area hit by a storm of a larger magnitude. I've lived through killer hailstorms in Montana, storms that delivered hailstones the size of golf balls. I've lived through Rocky Mountain snowstorms that have snapped tree limbs and taken out electric lines, leaving us without electricity and heat for days.
As a kid, I learned to judge the look of the sky, and I knew to run home without stopping when the clouds turned a certain color.<br />
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Somehow, the idea of a hurricane is different to me. Worse, somehow.<br />
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Maybe it's the wind. Maybe it's the thought of seeing everything covered with water. The idea of digging out from under the mud. The stink of the mold. I'm fascinated by water, but I'm also a little frightened by it. I never lose sight of the fact that if Mother Nature gets a bug up her nose, I could be snapped like a twig.<br />
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The truth is, I'm a little frightened by Mother Nature in general. I was raised to appreciate nature, but to never underestimate it. Wild animals are not predictable. The weather is much stronger than I am. And there are very few arguments with nature that I can hope to win.<br />
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But that doesn't seem to be the prevalent opinion. Ever since I was a kid, I've been shocked by the number of people who visit someplace like Yellowstone National Park and act as if they're inside a Disney theme park.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSs_2PyyNbwSKQIqMoAuT7DXMyqODDfP9XuQq8oTgptkIYK4wPEkxKloHAGWspn53fwQ1ecQ_6zF1AM8j-Ba4xmSTHCdRzOJSsUkBY5JETvoWU_3jzasd1hIiO0hGkb3Moodb1Q/s1600/Bison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSs_2PyyNbwSKQIqMoAuT7DXMyqODDfP9XuQq8oTgptkIYK4wPEkxKloHAGWspn53fwQ1ecQ_6zF1AM8j-Ba4xmSTHCdRzOJSsUkBY5JETvoWU_3jzasd1hIiO0hGkb3Moodb1Q/s320/Bison.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
How does someone grow up in this world and be so supremely unaware that man is nothing but a speck on the planet? We might have brain power on our side, but in a battle of strength, we're never going to win.
I've watched idiots approaching herds of wild bison, thinking, I guess, that the bison are tame and trained. Disneyfied.<br />
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I've seen parents posing small children in front of wild moose, thinking they're going to get a <span style="font-style: italic;">terrific</span> picture. I've seen people wander off the trails onto the thin crust of earth surrounding the geysers, so supremely certain that they matter, in some way, to the grand scheme of the universe they can't conceive of anything bad happening to them.<br />
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Every year or two, we hear reports of someone being attacked by some animal or falling through that crust of earth and being severely burned--and that's if they're lucky, or unlucky, enough to survive. And while there's a human part of me that grieves for their families, I'm also irritated by the idiot who put their kid in harm's way, who left food lying out to attract the animals, or who stepped off the clearly marked path and ignored the warning signs.<br />
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I feel the same thing for those people in the mandatory evacuation areas, who chose to ignore the warnings to evacuate. They wouldn't bother me if they didn't and then put the Coast Guard and other volunteers in danger when they cried for help. It's not about being "brave," it's about being smart. I have to wonder what part of "certain death" they found so difficult to understand. Did they all die? No, but that's not the point. The point is that if you survive a face-to-face battle with Mother Nature, it's because she spared you, not because you won.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14241083460874772922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-30843505255659647392015-11-04T03:00:00.000-06:002015-11-04T07:13:45.985-06:00Two Things<div>
What are the two things everybody needs to know about your job? Interesting question. I'll play along. <br />
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The two things everybody needs to know about my job are: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJEMeQJqc_vSrrRfnYD3wmDSmqhSvEUHhsMyahN9typyPGdWN4LK-SROvR6ap3ct17Ser_zWIMre_sBWpe60WFSLVxVH2fh6rt3GUrB6zt4ZPCwy9iMxdgkQdbbVyEp0t9LM0MQ/s1600/A+Book+is+a+Book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyJEMeQJqc_vSrrRfnYD3wmDSmqhSvEUHhsMyahN9typyPGdWN4LK-SROvR6ap3ct17Ser_zWIMre_sBWpe60WFSLVxVH2fh6rt3GUrB6zt4ZPCwy9iMxdgkQdbbVyEp0t9LM0MQ/s320/A+Book+is+a+Book.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>1.</b> It's much harder than it looks. In fact, this is the hardest work I've ever done. It's also the most rewarding, but that leans dangerously close to being the second thing, and I'm not sure I want to go there. </div>
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<b>2.</b> Authors don't get paid from the sale of used books, or from the downloading of bootlegged copies of books on the internet, or from sales of books on eBay (which, you know, are mostly used), or for the sale of stripped books (selling these is illegal anyway, but they show up with alarming regularity, so I thought I'd mention them.)<br />
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Authors, in fact, don't get paid for much of anything, with the notable exception of a few cents on the original sale of each copy of their books. Any advances they may have received are exactly that -- <em>advances</em>. Not bonuses, not additional money, but an advance against payment the publisher expects to be coming. Some authors agree to contracts that don't incude advances. Assuming the author has received an advance, the author now has to sell X number of books to loyal readers before the author gets any additional money from the publisher. So while I think most of us understand all about the lack of money and either not being able to or not wanting to spend $7.99 for something you're just going to read and then toss, we hope that all of you understand that while picking up a used book is a whole lot easier on your wallet, it's not so kind to ours.<br />
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There is an argument to be made, however, that the circulation of used books builds readership, and that's our ultimate goal, right? Word of mouth is always a good thing. So if you've read one of my books and want to pass it along to a friend, I say go for it! Just please keep in mind that authors don't get paid every time somebody opens a book they've written.<br />
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Most importantly, please remember that if you find a free download of someone's book on the internet (other than respected book stores where the author may have opted to give the book away for a certain amount of time) chances are the book has been uploaded there illegally. Please don't encourage people to do this. Don't download from pirate sites!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/26849183@N00/64225397">A book is a book</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com/">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">(license)</a></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14241083460874772922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-86222336468455311642015-10-26T16:40:00.000-05:002015-10-26T16:40:40.653-05:00Pumpkin Spice Truffles <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It's almost Halloween, and as anyone who follows me on Twitter or Facebook knows, Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. I was scrolling through recipes this afternoon and came across a recipe on About.com that was so cute I couldn't resist sharing it with you. </span><br />
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Take a look at these adorable pumpkin truffles: </span><br />
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<a href="http://f.tqn.com/y/candy/1/W/G/Y/-/-/pumpkin-spice-truffles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://f.tqn.com/y/candy/1/W/G/Y/-/-/pumpkin-spice-truffles.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Are they cute, or what? </span></div>
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The recipe says that they're <span style="background-color: white; color: #191919;">"bursting with flavor from pumpkin puree, cream cheese, cinnamon graham crackers, and plenty of spices." The cream cheese flavor isn't overwhelming, but gives the candies a pleasant cheesecake flavor. I'll post the basic recipe here, but you can find the full thing <a href="http://candy.about.com/od/halloweencandyrecipes/r/Pumpkin-Spice-Truffles.htm" target="_blank">here</a>:</span></span><br />
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<h5 class="recipe-heading slab-heading p-col" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #f05a14; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 16px 0px; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">INGREDIENTS:</span></h5>
<ul class="content ingredients-list" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 3px 0px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #191919; line-height: 23px; list-style-position: inside; margin: 0px; padding: 16px 32px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6 oz white chocolate, chopped (or use chips)</span></li>
<li itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2 oz cream cheese, room temperature</span></li>
<li itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)</span></li>
<li itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 tsp pumpkin pie spice</span></li>
<li itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3/4 cup powdered dry milk</span></li>
<li itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3/4 cup powdered sugar</span></li>
<li itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs (I recommend using cinnamon grahams)</span></li>
<li itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 lb orange colored candy coating</span></li>
<li itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3 oz green colored candy coating</span></li>
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<span style="color: #191919;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 23px;">Yield 24-30 truffles</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">preparation:</span></h5>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1.</span> In a small bowl, melt the white chocolate in the microwave in short bursts until it is melted and entirely smooth. Set aside for now.</span><br />
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<div style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #191919; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 17px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2.</span> Combine the softened cream cheese and the pumpkin puree in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until smooth and combined. Scrape the bowl and beat again to make sure there are no lumps in the cream cheese.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">3.</span> Add the powdered milk, the powdered sugar, and the pumpkin pie spice. Beat on low until incorporated, then scrape down the mixing bowl and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, until very smooth.</span></div>
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<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">4.</span> Add the melted white chocolate and mix until incorporated. Finally, stir in the graham cracker crumbs.</span></div>
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<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">5.</span> The mixture will be fairly soft at this point. Press cling wrap on the top and refrigerate it until firm enough to roll, about 2 hours.</span></div>
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<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">6.</span> When the candy is firm, use a candy scoop or a teaspoon to scoop up small balls. Dust your hands with powdered sugar and roll the truffles between your palms to make them round.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">7.</span> Melt the orange candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl until melted and fluid.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">8.</span> Dip the truffles in the coating, one by one, using dipping tools or a fork. Set them on a foil-lined baking sheet when finished.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">9.</span> To make them look more like pumpkins, add a bit of melted chocolate to the remaining orange coating to turn it a darker shade of brownish-orange. Put it in a small plastic bag and snip off a tiny corner. Pipe intersecting lines across the top of the truffles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #191919;"><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">10.</span> Finish them off with green leaves: melt the green candy coating and put it in a plastic bag as well. Draw a small swirl on to of each pumpkin truffle to simulate vines or leaves. </span><span style="color: #458b00;"><b><i>(Note: There are two #9s in the recipe on the website. I've renumbered here.) </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">11.</span> Refrigerate the truffles to set the coating, for about 10 minutes, before serving. Store Pumpkin Spice Truffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, and bring them to room temperature before serving.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14241083460874772922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-69389071191815396442015-10-19T12:14:00.003-05:002015-10-19T12:14:49.912-05:00Trading SpacesThis is my last week in Missouri, taking care of my grandkids. My daughter is coming home tomorrow, so we'll get a couple of days to visit before I leave to go back to Florida. I've been living her life for the past two weeks, getting kids up and ready for school, doing laundry and dishes for four, doing homework after school and refereeing the inevitable spats between sisters who share a room. <div>
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I've loved every minute of my time with the kids and I've had a great visit with my son-in-law. We've talked about everything there is to talk about and we've pretty much figured out how to save the world should anyone ever put us in charge. But I'm exhausted. </div>
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I don't know if my daughter would feel equally worn-out if she were to take over my life for two weeks, what with the writing, the blogging and the demands of social media. I like to think she might find it somewhat challenging, but I could be deluding myself. All I know is, after living her life for a couple of weeks, I have a deeper respect for her. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC6TCMGKc6xks9jjuRXHkV4rwsWN_4Zr6aegMN2ZVENTh86Sc1F6SoAwd82OP-ieBcV7K7J1IWAWaOJBQhk2MTxCDn6FQrUPEWLnjmh85dW94V3mpX9Bgzj_4SNmbMi-2ZNDpiWQ/s1600/Missouri+Morning+03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC6TCMGKc6xks9jjuRXHkV4rwsWN_4Zr6aegMN2ZVENTh86Sc1F6SoAwd82OP-ieBcV7K7J1IWAWaOJBQhk2MTxCDn6FQrUPEWLnjmh85dW94V3mpX9Bgzj_4SNmbMi-2ZNDpiWQ/s320/Missouri+Morning+03.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today was probably my most challenging morning yet. The kids and I went to a party hosted by the local Baptist Church last night. The invitation said from 6:00 to 7:00, and in the interest of being supportive and a team-player in this small-town atmosphere, I thought it might be fun. </div>
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The event was supposed to include a "weinie roast" and games. Turned out to be cooking hot dogs and S'mores over a bonfire and a kitchen filled with great food and a bunch of kids racing around and squealing -- all great fun. </div>
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About the time I was getting ready to go home, I learned that the evening's festivities also included a hayride from town to the lake and back again. It was crisp and cold and a perfect October night, and I loved being out in the fresh air and experiencing autumn at its best -- but it meant that we were all out later than I'd expected and that gave this morning a rough start. </div>
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I wasn't careful about what, how, and when I ate yesterday, so I started the day off not feeling well. A crew of men showed up this morning without warning to fix some damage to the drive leading to the house just as I was taking the kids to school. By the time I got back and got the message that my son-in-law needed me to bring him something to him in town, I was completely blocked in by half a dozen trucks, a back-hoe and several mounds of dirt.</div>
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The crew eventually finished, and off to town I went, but whatever schedule I had in my head when I woke up was completely shot. </div>
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Luckily, we'd planned a crockpot meal for dinner tonight -- a meal my daughter had pinned on Pinterest that looked quick and easy. She's made it several times and her family always enjoys it, and it's my turn today. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkC8l6l_-Oql2wgeXHhLPZkENvqyBePD0nji9JmJuALr9N8JlMTqN42gIxB0x7iBzOhuoOEl9Ty-pBO4zfvhtNqxA21ZtWqHgAinY1Use_lhf58FXxSQvlsd_CBQBkcEDNt7qISw/s1600/Easiest+Dinner+Ever.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkC8l6l_-Oql2wgeXHhLPZkENvqyBePD0nji9JmJuALr9N8JlMTqN42gIxB0x7iBzOhuoOEl9Ty-pBO4zfvhtNqxA21ZtWqHgAinY1Use_lhf58FXxSQvlsd_CBQBkcEDNt7qISw/s320/Easiest+Dinner+Ever.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Photo from The Larson Lingo</span></td></tr>
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You can find the recipe and more about it on <a href="http://thelarsonlingo.blogspot.com/2011/05/easiest-dinner-ever.html" target="_blank">The Larson Lingo blog</a>, and it really does seem to qualify as one of the easiest dinners ever. Ingredients include a frozen bag of chicken tenders, a block of cream cheese, a can each of black beans, corn and Rotel. Dump it all in the crockpot and cook it for 8-10 hours on low. You can find the pin <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/190840102937073521/" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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Give it a try some day when the world is falling down around your ears. It's certainly made my day a lot easier! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14241083460874772922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-5559320740575414872015-10-13T10:31:00.000-05:002015-10-13T10:31:53.928-05:00Writing Candy Apple DeadHaving recently discovered that all the books in the Candy Shop Mystery Series were available in digital format, I've been thinking about the series a lot. I loved writing this series, and I still get notes and letters from readers who love the series, as well. The characters were a lot of fun to work with, and I had a great time coming up with Abby Shaw, her family and friends. <div>
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I based the story in <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1N2pGH5">Candy Apple Dead</a></i> on real-life events, the death of a personal friend that I never believed happened the way the police said it did. My friend, Terry, owned a clothing store in Salt Lake City, and back in the day I was a member of a local band. We were known for wearing matching clothes--clothes that Terry tailored for us in his shop. </div>
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One morning I woke up to the news that Terry's shop had burned down in the middle of the night and his body had been found inside the store. I was devastated. Truly devastated. The police determined that Terry had set the fire himself, but I never believed it, so when I found myself at the start of a brand-new mystery series with a whole new set of characters to create and a new protagonist to work with, I thought it might bring me some closure to solve a case like Terry's. </div>
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Am I suggesting that Terry's death happened the way I wrote it in <i>Candy Apple Dead?</i> No. Not at all. I want to be very clear on that. As any writer can tell you, we might begin with a particular person or situation in mind, but the characters in the book soon come to life, take on personalities of their own, and say and do things the original inspiration would never have said or done. </div>
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People appeared in Brandon's life that never existed in Terry's. The one true character that existed in both Terry's life and Brandon's was Max, the inventory retrieval specialist. No, I didn't end up with the real Max after Terry died, but Terry did give me my doberman, Pride, and I loved that dog like crazy. </div>
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You can read an excerpt from <i>Candy Apple Dead </i>and find buying information<i> </i><a href="http://bit.ly/1VHb6t0">here</a><i>. </i></div>
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Did working through my friend's death in a work of fiction help? Yes, I think it did. If you're new to the series, I hope you'll enjoy getting to know Abby and the folks of Paradise, Colorado. If you try any of the candy recipes included in the books, please let me know how they turn out. </div>
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Happy Reading! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14241083460874772922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-71656886326052585882015-10-10T03:00:00.000-05:002015-10-10T03:00:01.505-05:00Candy Shop Mysteries Available in e-book Format! It's amazing what you can find when you're clicking around on the Internet. The other day, I stumbled across copies of all five books in the Candy Shop Mystery Series available in e-book format. Who knew? I certainly didn't! I'm not sure why, but this was news to me. Great news! Exciting news! I'm personally thrilled to learn that the books are still available, and excited to have a way to share them with readers. <div>
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I'm working on getting excerpts up for all the books, but it may take me a few days, so please be patient with me. </div>
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First up, <i>Candy Apple Dead</i>, which is the first book in the series. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.8px; line-height: 19.32px;">Abby Shaw has returned to her hometown of Paradise, Colorado--leaving behind a career in corporate law and a cheating husband--to take over her aunt's candy shop, Divinity. But her sweet new life quickly turns sour when a fellow merchant dies in a fire. With all clues pointing to arson--and Abby's brother as the number one suspect--she must sink her teeth into finding the killer.</span></div>
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To read an excerpt and for information on where to buy a copy, <a href="http://bit.ly/1VHb6t0">click here</a>: </div>
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If you're read the series before, I hope you enjoy reconnecting with Abby, her family and friends. If you're new to the series, welcome! Enjoy! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14241083460874772922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-51890745536069734502011-04-15T12:21:00.000-05:002011-04-15T12:21:19.914-05:00The 30-Day Book Meme: Day 20Okay, so I'm not exactly getting this thing done in 30 days. It's not even close. The important thing is that I'm still plugging along -- right?<br />
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Day 20's prompt is: Favorite Kiss.<br />
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Which is probably why I've procrastinated posting for so long. Favorite kiss in a book? I can't answer this one. I don't think I actually remember a single kiss from a single book in which there actually was a kiss. Kisses are usually so similar, so ordinary, so forgettable. I can barely remember character names from most of the books I read. I've tried and tried and tried to remember a single kiss from any book, but I honestly can't. I can remember a few on-screen kisses from TV and movies, but books? Nah.<br />
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I wonder why that is.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14241083460874772922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-14141959851233451312011-03-17T15:57:00.000-05:002011-03-17T15:57:51.242-05:00If you're a dog lover, this will touch your heart. If you're not a dog lover, this will still touch your heart. I saw this on someone else's site and just had to share. <br />
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</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">Okay, I'm cheating. I know that. But the prompt for Day 18 is: Favorite beginning scene in a book. I don't even know how to respond to that. Maybe I have a really bad memory, but I don't remember details like that. My ex-husband remembered in great detail every single childhood disease our oldest daughter had. I could barely remember <i>if</i> she had measles or mumps. With very few exceptions, I don't retain character names from books I've read either. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">So my favorite opening scene? ........ blank ........ </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">Next? </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">Day 19 - Favorite book cover (bonus points for posting an image!)</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">Still not easy</span><b><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">. </span></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">I'm seriously wondering why I decided to take on this challenge -- as evidenced by the number of days that have gone by since I last posted a response to a meme prompt. But ... sigh ... I said I'd do it, and by gum! I'm gonna. So my favorite book cover. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"> </span><b><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">Cricket. Cricket. Crick......et. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif-Yjqn4XOvMAi8hNCmQ072ja0NLkiGEEdMWXSrPw-mh-2a0bscGYme3EzaYbzkeCrr85__sBiqj-CQkykBZwfTjKAzu7KFB2i2fMZPJgfdaWuF_As0qHtmqDZJM-65lAIHnCg/s1600/2430392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif-Yjqn4XOvMAi8hNCmQ072ja0NLkiGEEdMWXSrPw-mh-2a0bscGYme3EzaYbzkeCrr85__sBiqj-CQkykBZwfTjKAzu7KFB2i2fMZPJgfdaWuF_As0qHtmqDZJM-65lAIHnCg/s200/2430392.jpg" width="124" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">I'm going to go with this one -- or any cover that looks anything like this one. Put a couple of Adirondack chairs in any location that looks out over any body of water-- stream, river, pond, lake, ocean, they're all good -- and I'm hooked. Mackinac chairs work almost as well. Beach chairs, not so much. Folding canvas chairs? Nah. I appreciate the folding canvas chair immensely. Don't get me wrong. Especially the drink holder apparatus. But for visual effect, it loses everything in the translation. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"> </span><b><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KePoBwmzRaXDxoLZpNFbjAqL-6XfY4iyIjBzW-cdlT7oQclhO1oT9uAMvnd6jEi1BxCB8_gn5iEKg0tOXZil8xSU3mFtPMFYGYL6a3-K2lF8daZeu442tjjmNPwQZl3mMh4h/s1600/2825872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KePoBwmzRaXDxoLZpNFbjAqL-6XfY4iyIjBzW-cdlT7oQclhO1oT9uAMvnd6jEi1BxCB8_gn5iEKg0tOXZil8xSU3mFtPMFYGYL6a3-K2lF8daZeu442tjjmNPwQZl3mMh4h/s200/2825872.jpg" width="129" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">A single chair--if it's the right chair--can work almost as well. I have a healthy appreciation for the healing properties of solitude, if used correctly and applied in the right situations. Don't you think? </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">It looks like the perfect place to ponder the oddities of life. Put a good book on that chair, and I'd knock my best friend down trying to get myself into it--especially if that book had a really great Adirondack chair on the cover. </span><b><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></b></span></div>Sammihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14931896801003966933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-65289837065202570592011-02-25T13:00:00.000-06:002011-02-25T13:00:04.669-06:00Foodie Friday: New Orleans Style Pralines<a href="http://www.clipartclipart.com/free_clipart_images/a_pink_and_gold_feathered_mardi_gras_masquerade_mask_0515-0910-2302-1312.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Free Clipart Images" border="0" src="http://www.clipartclipart.com/free_clipart_images/a_pink_and_gold_feathered_mardi_gras_masquerade_mask_0515-0910-2302-1312_TN.jpg" /></a><br />
<h3 style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">A recipe guaranteed to get you into the carnival spirit! </span></h3><h3 style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">New Orleans Style Pralines</span></h3><h3 style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Prep Time: 25 minutes</span></h3><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b>:<br />
<br />
1 quart heavy cream <br />
3 cups sugar <br />
1-1/2 pounds chopped pecans (approx 6 cups) <br />
juice of 1 lemon <br />
<br />
<b>Preparation</b>:<br />
<br />
In a heavy saucepan slowly simmer cream and sugar over low heat until the mixture becomes golden brown in color and reaches the soft-ball stage (234 degrees F. on candy thermometer).<br />
<br />
Add pecans and lemon juice and continue to cook until the soft-ball stage is reached again. Drop from a large kitchen spoon onto an oiled baking sheet.<br />
<br />
Spread each mound out with the back of a spoon until they're about 4 to 5 inches in diameter and about 1/4 inch thick. (Adjust to taste. Some people like them thin and some people like them thicker.) <br />
<br />
Let candy harden, then lift from plate or slab with a spatula and transfer into covered tin. <br />
<br />
Pralines will keep in airtight container for for 2 weeks at room temperature -- that is, if they last that long.Sammihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14931896801003966933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-56171467161695238902011-02-24T11:11:00.002-06:002011-02-24T11:11:55.356-06:00Pacing TipsBlogging about pacing at <a href="http://www.dancingoncoals.com/">Dancing on Coals</a> today! Stop by and check it out.Sammihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14931896801003966933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-22117454868091131002011-02-17T09:22:00.000-06:002011-02-17T09:22:52.192-06:00Thursday's Top Ten: Top Ten Favorite Quotes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://thursdaystopten.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihhUwZendCwQ7OkKrYvXZHbLToA1iZ5kFC77BDJgNaaNPKiIkQnQuO-p8Oo7iDFFk2C-6LOVh2uS0jVCkNWhanso2ah-nmTM3EJmJJg5kQlQBpeWOjvNzvHimHaYWDR4isX0qT/s1600/thursdaystoptenlogo2011.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Thursday's Top Ten - </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What are your Top Ten favorite quotes? </b></span></div><b></b><br />
<blockquote><b>1. "Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right." Henry Ford</b></blockquote>This is so true, and I've seen it in action many, many times. I've watched talented writers fall off the grid because they believe they can't write. I've seen less talented writers rise to the top because they believe they can. I've seen it happen time and again in other aspects of life, too. We are all too often our own worst enemies. <br />
<blockquote><b>2. "Change your thoughts and you change your world." Norman Vincent Peale</b></blockquote>This one goes hand-in-hand with the first quote. Our minds are amazingly powerful. Our thoughts and beliefs create our reality. <br />
<blockquote><b>3. "Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe. " Voltaire</b></blockquote><blockquote><b>4. "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." Nelson Mandela</b></blockquote><blockquote><b>5. "You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure about you. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. " Marianne Williamson </b></blockquote>How often I see people--especially women--downplaying their successes in order to come across as non-threatening. How often I do it myself. <br />
<blockquote><b>6. "Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." John Adams</b></blockquote>Truth is truth, no matter how we may feel about it. We cannot make a thing untrue simply by wanting it to be false. Neither can we make a thing true simply by force of will.<br />
<blockquote><b>7. "A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read. " Mark Twain </b></blockquote><blockquote><b>8. "Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure." George Edward Woodberry</b></blockquote><blockquote><b>9. "Don't confuse fame with success. Madonna is one; Helen Keller is the other." Erma Bombeck</b></blockquote>And finally, because it just cracks me up ....<br />
<blockquote><b>10. "All right, then, I'll go to hell." Mark Twain</b></blockquote>Sammihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14931896801003966933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-31570709622763043802011-02-16T10:30:00.000-06:002011-02-16T10:30:00.736-06:00The 30-Day Book Meme: Day 17<b>D</b><b style="font-family: inherit;">ay 17 - Favorite story or collection of stories (short stories, novellas, novelettes, etc.)</b><br />
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I'm really not a short-story reader. Not a novella reader either. I don't even like really short novels. You won't find a book that's only 50,000 words long on my bookshelf unless someone has given it to me for free. Whether or not I'll read it is kind of a crapshoot, depending on my mood.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNuon0-Y6FopaVVZA2gntbRkg5K9EoYxgLPlg9j5wDWUXuU08DQBSnTygvEeozJdjsp8GyCvgHkjAo2yX7ldkXBb9S5vQXGe9D2snkR_-x2ebau2I6c59tbghXedhwKkh06VLT/s1600/Childcraft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNuon0-Y6FopaVVZA2gntbRkg5K9EoYxgLPlg9j5wDWUXuU08DQBSnTygvEeozJdjsp8GyCvgHkjAo2yX7ldkXBb9S5vQXGe9D2snkR_-x2ebau2I6c59tbghXedhwKkh06VLT/s200/Childcraft.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>So the only possible collection of stories I can list here are the Childcraft books that my parents bought when I was a kid. The set consisted of 15 volumes, and I loved them all, especially Volume 3, "Folk and Fairy Tales," which was filled with great stories that led me into a lifelong love of stories and the written word. My favorite story of all from that book was called "Tom Tit Tot," a retelling of the classic Rumplestilskin. To this day, if open one of the books I can hear my mother's voice as she read the stories to me. <br />
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I read them to my granddaughters now, and I love sharing these beloved stories from my childhood with them -- but even though I do my best, I have to admit I don't do the stories justice. Nobody read these stories better than my mother did. <br />
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For all those reasons, these books will always have a special place in my heart.Sammihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14931896801003966933noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-45617486875380459252011-02-11T09:00:00.001-06:002011-02-11T09:00:03.452-06:00Valentine's Day Raspberry Chocolate Heart Tart<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A special treat for fans of the Candy Shop Mysteries on Valentine's Day</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;">. Candy may be Abby Shaw's first love, but nothing beats this quick and easy tart for making a good impression after a special meal. Enjoy! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Valentine's Day Raspberry Chocolate Heart Tart</span></b></div><br />
1 purchased refrigerated pie pastry for 9-inch pie<br />
1 cup (6 ounces) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels<br />
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk <br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract <br />
2 cups raspberries, rinsed and dried <br />
Sifted powdered sugar <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSMCCAY334c9Ui3O6W9MxwEX-0TGukzGXhuk98DGgCCbqtu2q6ZasUzfkPQWxlbR-GwtSXh-n_vBdFvzBLugIlD-U-9s5xflicd-gLduhmWGxQcpZN-DJg-NTgv3i9u-bmB-D/s1600/chocolate-raspberry-tart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSMCCAY334c9Ui3O6W9MxwEX-0TGukzGXhuk98DGgCCbqtu2q6ZasUzfkPQWxlbR-GwtSXh-n_vBdFvzBLugIlD-U-9s5xflicd-gLduhmWGxQcpZN-DJg-NTgv3i9u-bmB-D/s200/chocolate-raspberry-tart.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Place the pastry circle (plastic removed) on a lightly floured surface and roll out slightly. Trim small amount of pastry away to form heart shape.<br />
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Place the pastry heart on ungreased baking sheet. Turn edges under 1/2 inch; flute. Prick pastry with tines of fork. <br />
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Bake in preheated 425 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on baking sheet on wire rack.<br />
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Microwave chocolate morsels and sweetened condensed milk in a medium, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10-second intervals, stirring until smooth.<br />
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Stir in vanilla extract.<br />
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Spread mixture over crust and refrigerate for a few minutes or until chocolate is set.<br />
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Before serving, arrange raspberries over chocolate; sprinkle with powdered sugar.Sammihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14931896801003966933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-29375492565542029582011-02-10T09:00:00.014-06:002011-02-10T09:00:13.610-06:00Discovering Parks & RecreationLet me begin by saying that I've never been a fan of Amy Poehler, so when my daughter encouraged me to give Poehler's new series, <a href="http://www.nbc.com/parks-and-recreation/">Parks and Recreation</a>, a try, I was hesitant. I think I have a pretty good sense of humor, but I prefer intelligent humor to slapstick or physical comedy. Not that I don't find the occasional pratfall humorous. I'm not a comedy snob. But the universal appeal of fart jokes is lost on me.<br />
<br />
Still, my kid's a pretty smart cookie, so if she liked it, I figured maybe I should give it a try. I don't like voicing my opinion about something when I know absolutely nothing about it. You'll never catch me marching on the library in an effort to ban a book just because somebody's mom got offended by it. So if I'm gonna tell my kid that I don't like her show, I have to watch it first.<br />
<br />
The other day, while sitting with a couple of sick grand-kids, I queued up Season One on Daughter's Netflix account and dove in.<br />
<br />
Have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised. Poehler's character is actually pretty endearing, and the ensemble cast is great. I'll even admit to some laugh-out-loud moments in almost every episode. Having wound my way through the six episodes in season one, I queued up season two the next time I watched the kids.<br />
<br />
Too many comedy series start off with a bang and then fizzle out. Some of my favorites have lost me after half a dozen episodes. I'll admit that I'm a little surprised that <i>Parks and Recreation</i> is getting better with age. The character development is extremely well done, changing my opinion of this character or that with something as subtle as a look. The humor is intelligent --most of the time -- but there are plenty of just plain silly moments, too.<br />
<br />
I've seen about half of the second season, so if you're a fan of the show, please don't post any spoilers, but do share if there's a show you like that you thought you wouldn't!Sammihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14931896801003966933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-13373779417133247202011-02-09T09:00:00.007-06:002011-02-09T09:00:03.124-06:00The 30-Day Book Meme: Day 16<div style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">Day 16 of the 30-Day Book Meme asks me to list my favorite poem or collection of poetry. I'll confess that I don't read a lot of poetry. Not because I don't like it. I <i>do</i>. But because I don't have a lot of poetry collections lying around the house, I tend to forget about it until someone mentions it. Then I wonder why I don't read more poetry and vow to rectify that, and wander around full of good intentions for a few days.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">So this question is actually pretty each for me to answer because only one poem came to mind when I read the question. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfj1Kx_LQFBi1GyKX3kTohe9a5yWvh4C7P68ljVSVOCPXPPpfsbfGyw2IAFAacvFZBlBr8R-avVwqagx3DmSfESzvnUrz3ZLd1YVP9vltBbS_ToGH7c5Ssmm2tqKACxH04hUp/s1600/c11021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfj1Kx_LQFBi1GyKX3kTohe9a5yWvh4C7P68ljVSVOCPXPPpfsbfGyw2IAFAacvFZBlBr8R-avVwqagx3DmSfESzvnUrz3ZLd1YVP9vltBbS_ToGH7c5Ssmm2tqKACxH04hUp/s200/c11021.jpg" width="147" /></a></span><span style="color: black; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"><i> Phenomenal Woman</i> by Maya Angelou. It is, hands down, the most powerful piece of poetry I've read in decades. Every word of it speaks directly to my heart. It's about a strong woman who knows exactly who she is. And she dares every woman on the planet to recognize just how incredible she is. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">And it is a dare. For many of us, it's far too easy to make ourselves small. To hide what makes us great and apologize for who we are. It's much easier to do that than to lift your chin and stride forward in boldness. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">As Marianne Williamson said in </span><span style="font-family: georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;"><i>Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles,"</i> 1992: </span><br />
<blockquote><span style="color: black; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;"></span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;">We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. </span></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;"> And that's exactly what Maya Angelou challenges us--inspires us--to avoid in <i>Phenomenal Woman.</i> Writing this has inspired me to dig out my copy and place it beside my bed. This is a poem every woman should read on a regular basis. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;"><br />
</span><br />
</div>Sammihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14931896801003966933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-61662066924967035522011-02-01T10:00:00.000-06:002011-02-01T10:00:08.886-06:00Your Favorite Comfort Book<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The 30-Day Book Meme, Day 15: Your "Comfort" Book. </b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Do you have one?<b> </b>Just one? If you had to pick one Comfort Book, what would it be? </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOoUeLXtnM7dodINSznQNXuT74h5cZatNXavmVK7QjpeOhf3uXdLxM7HiAuMP-G5UEeDGIbxVlS4LTzNoj75lZZUhRf5-oT2RKA-P9VQCNc_voTwYKmEfwBEAfH0V7Vn-zbjl/s1600/651-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOoUeLXtnM7dodINSznQNXuT74h5cZatNXavmVK7QjpeOhf3uXdLxM7HiAuMP-G5UEeDGIbxVlS4LTzNoj75lZZUhRf5-oT2RKA-P9VQCNc_voTwYKmEfwBEAfH0V7Vn-zbjl/s200/651-1.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I think I'm going to have to say <i>So Big</i> by Edna Ferber because (a) it's a book I've read more than once, and (b) it's a book I think about frequently, and (c) every time I think about it or read it, I think about my mother. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not because she resembles any of the characters in the book, but because this is one of the books she helped me pick out on my very first grown up trip to the library all those years ago. Which gives this book a special place in my heart. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'd tack on Edna Ferber's <i>Giant</i> for the same reasons. Good memories. The comfort of Mom on one of our best days together. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">You can't get much better than that. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So what about you? What's your favorite comfort book? I'd love to hear what's tops on your own list. </span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /></span>Sammihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14931896801003966933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-26375609187925366942011-01-31T18:32:00.000-06:002011-01-31T18:32:02.878-06:00Who is Your Favorite Character in a Book?This is getting hard. These daily topics are either too similar or too difficult to make this fun, but I did say I was going to do this and keeping my commitments is important to me. Even little, seemingly insignificant commitments. Commitments that don't matter to anyone else in the world.<br />
<br />
So Day 14: Favorite character in a book (of any sex or gender) <br />
<br />
Okay, first of all, any sex OR gender? Wow, that just opens up all sorts of possibilities. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51iOegmGtyuzYdU7uPl2f12kV4gMsZ-4FUQFv8mWH0AeJD70T29TJZYnSaR8X8wRytU5o-jGsIgqyACTvMNUMBzEvv5KoJJ5NXVLFek-43Ibjz1sXUecVZXpbHAhEZJuoBCPx/s1600/george-harrison-george-harrison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51iOegmGtyuzYdU7uPl2f12kV4gMsZ-4FUQFv8mWH0AeJD70T29TJZYnSaR8X8wRytU5o-jGsIgqyACTvMNUMBzEvv5KoJJ5NXVLFek-43Ibjz1sXUecVZXpbHAhEZJuoBCPx/s200/george-harrison-george-harrison.jpg" width="145" /></a>This is a tough question for me. I have lots of favorite characters in books, all for different reasons. My reading tastes are varied. I don't read just one kind of book, so it's not like I can stroke my chin for a minute and say, oh, sure, Anne Tyler's Maggie Moran from Breathing Lessons. It has to be her. Or almost any one of Susan Howatch's characters. She brings every one of them so brilliantly to life, they're each my favorite when I'm reading from their point of view. <br />
<br />
Maybe I should default to George Fayne from the Nancy Drew series. Nancy was swell, but George was my gal. I also loved George Harrison best of all the Beatles, but that's a topic for another day. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKcAkal6DJX5kVjOI4yuFMqJlyRVDo2l58osbMGzJAmAl1dJJW4AuqZHkvGIhMh-MwR0JDRpK6X7EPU4PiLlI9t110Gy1t3g2_w-n2g_mZk8ILj-oc91EhUB3k6l3_7cTZFlB/s1600/MV5BMTYzNDA4OTEwMF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNTMyNjYyMQ%2540%2540._V1._SY317_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKcAkal6DJX5kVjOI4yuFMqJlyRVDo2l58osbMGzJAmAl1dJJW4AuqZHkvGIhMh-MwR0JDRpK6X7EPU4PiLlI9t110Gy1t3g2_w-n2g_mZk8ILj-oc91EhUB3k6l3_7cTZFlB/s200/MV5BMTYzNDA4OTEwMF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNTMyNjYyMQ%2540%2540._V1._SY317_.jpg" width="109" /></a>A sweep of my keeper shelf helps me narrow my search for Favorite Character of all Time down a bit. I have a few keepers on the shelf, including other books I've mentioned during this challenge, but some of my prize books (besides Nancy Drew, of course) are my collection of Agatha Christies. And that narrows down my options down considerably. <br />
<br />
Marple or Poirot? <br />
<br />
For me, it's gotta be the delightful Miss Jane Marple. She was sharp. She was an amateur. She solved complex crimes based only on her ability to notice things about people, and everyone underestimated her.<br />
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What about you? Who is your favorite character in a book? Of any sex OR gender? Sammihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14931896801003966933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-22489707724758851272011-01-28T11:51:00.000-06:002011-01-28T11:51:27.648-06:00The 30-Day Book Meme: Day 13<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">Day 13 - Favorite Childhood Book OR Current Favorite YA book (or both!) </span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHE8EObvLglWkvFzFloYRLRW0iSGD2aMBcOwHHybR1Ntneo9T-L3monzg3Zxk_vuRIgM8ky0-nm1wGAIY7QIrvaxwkBDS3-JsBlnv06B_FbF1iLVBin-l482bl6L10GdReFKCc/s1600/Raggedy+Ann.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHE8EObvLglWkvFzFloYRLRW0iSGD2aMBcOwHHybR1Ntneo9T-L3monzg3Zxk_vuRIgM8ky0-nm1wGAIY7QIrvaxwkBDS3-JsBlnv06B_FbF1iLVBin-l482bl6L10GdReFKCc/s200/Raggedy+Ann.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">Favorite childhood book. I've already talked about my love of the Nancy Drew mystery series, so I'm going to go with a book I loved when I was even younger</span></span><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Raggedy-Ann-Stories-Johnny-Gruelle/dp/0027375854/ref=tmm_hrd_img_popover?ie=UTF8&qid=1295926973&sr=8-45">Raggedy Ann Stories</a></span></span></b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"> by Johnny Gruelle. Oh, what a magical world the author created for me in this book and its companion, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Raggedy-Andy-Stories-Introducing-Brother/dp/0027375862/ref=pd_sim_b_1"><b>Raggedy Andy Stories</b></a>.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">I loved the idea of my toys coming to life when I wasn't around. Dancing and moving and playing and talking and eating and doing all the things I secretly <i>knew</i> they did, even before anyone told me. My dolls and toys were so real to me when I was little, and Johnny Gruelle understood that. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkcODUvfyEvr_SH36lhaYLsM0JHnfnocVc_tio6cb0vJxrMgHJCRqWqx9WXE38_SPEgmX7ZOeqe3BHvc_T6IwgfxyyTj3HL4c6Sbwx13ueEpzN-MNQ5asmZ0YsDAnRq-Wj87X/s1600/Raggedy+Andy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkcODUvfyEvr_SH36lhaYLsM0JHnfnocVc_tio6cb0vJxrMgHJCRqWqx9WXE38_SPEgmX7ZOeqe3BHvc_T6IwgfxyyTj3HL4c6Sbwx13ueEpzN-MNQ5asmZ0YsDAnRq-Wj87X/s200/Raggedy+Andy.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">I'd almost forgotten how much I loved the idea of my things coming to life until a few years ago when the movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477347/">Night at the Museum</a> was released. The idea was slightly different, but I watched that movie eagerly, waiting for that same magical world Johnny Gruelle created for me years ago. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">I wonder if any adult experience can truly match a childhood memory. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">What do you think? </span></span></div>Sammihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14931896801003966933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-46091517130919643682011-01-27T09:37:00.000-06:002011-01-27T09:37:51.440-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://thursdaystopten.blogspot.com/2011/01/1-26-11.html"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzd-oUGZy-nO_U7O-RaP6Ek4-4h632d_QkF2HYgDfgFjnHLqdtKJQ0HgXvP3dyWcfVgEMl_FdysSNiaTWSFNo9d_q3RC6hsChdF_Dnn3qCViILTDjNEQ2VyqzSfg8hNDtXNgR2/s1600/thursdaystopten.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Today's Challenge: Name the top 10 things you like to do in the winter. This might be easy for some of you, but it's really difficult for me because winter is not my favorite time of year. In fact, it's right there at the bottom of my list--which is one of the reasons I moved from Utah--where winter is a big thing (<a href="http://www.skiutah.com/winter/index.html">Greatest Snow on Earth</a>!)--to Florida, where winter is just like summer, but a little cooler and a lot less humid.<br />
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Kind of like spring or fall used to be in my old life. <br />
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I was born in Utah, but moved to Montana when I was just 3 weeks old, which means that in my heart, Montana is home and Utah's sort of a step-home. But even though I was born, bred, and raised in states where snow rules, winter is lost on me. I've never enjoyed it and, in fact, every year I used to ask myself why I still lived in a state where snow covers the ground half the time and spring, summer and fall are entirely too short.<br />
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So what are the top 10 things I like to do in winter?<br />
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10. Walk the dog wearing just a t-shirt and jeans. I love the fact that in my new home state, I don't have to worry about slipping and sliding on the ice, falling down and hyper-extending my knee -- again.<br />
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9. Get in the car and drive without having to scrape snow and ice off the windows.<br />
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8. Walk across parking lots without worrying about slipping on the ice.<br />
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7. Open my windows and let in the breeze coming off the Gulf.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO4JKwp03jMCXysMyZIwBdhtC41M2AbTOf7TS7uGp2hgzVXxz5cgX9vLQjTBYBNVicbwaMCUWBHoUqeKagvCbWkUUqdu4NahnxGeJXM8qrd_XCyyGIRVVzGuBlXSLENNfHTytl/s1600/100_0929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO4JKwp03jMCXysMyZIwBdhtC41M2AbTOf7TS7uGp2hgzVXxz5cgX9vLQjTBYBNVicbwaMCUWBHoUqeKagvCbWkUUqdu4NahnxGeJXM8qrd_XCyyGIRVVzGuBlXSLENNfHTytl/s200/100_0929.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>6. Crochet. I love making new things for friends and family. I've gotten a bit behind lately, but here's my latest project--a baby blanket for good friends whose baby was born a few months ago. Now I'm working on an afghan for my niece's oldest son, promised to him so long ago he's probably forgotten all about it. <br />
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5. Watch people wearing down-filled vests and fur-lined boots when it's 60 degrees outside -- and then realize that after a year of living here, I'm becoming one of them!<br />
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4. Ride my bike. Because I can! <br />
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3. Read. I love to do that all year round, so maybe it doesn't count. But even here there's something really nice about curling up with a book and a blanket and losing yourself for an hour or two. <br />
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2. Enjoy a nice, hot cup of cocoa, preferably while reading a good book, watching a good movie, or snuggling with a grandchild. Or all of the above :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMSPCA43XxCFgd2QZRVTz2djPY5yK4FviuTlkVKHG70KbWPzw_M3q1eMuVqiwBpFkXn-r2Vc9t0x0ZNF-ecZ8_s87ui5ViU5nv5IjLKEDcHGEvqYCgs76pMkvi-hPhK5CvdZ6/s1600/Day+at+the+Beach.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMSPCA43XxCFgd2QZRVTz2djPY5yK4FviuTlkVKHG70KbWPzw_M3q1eMuVqiwBpFkXn-r2Vc9t0x0ZNF-ecZ8_s87ui5ViU5nv5IjLKEDcHGEvqYCgs76pMkvi-hPhK5CvdZ6/s200/Day+at+the+Beach.bmp" width="200" /></a>1. Go to the beach. Okay, it's a little nippy here some days, and you probably wouldn't want to go to the beach in your bikini and flip-flops, but you <i>can</i> go to the beach as long as you're bundled up appropriately (see #5 above).Sammihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14931896801003966933noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32142533.post-25570381852172296842011-01-24T08:39:00.005-06:002011-01-24T08:39:00.159-06:00The 30-Day Book Meme: Day 12<div style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">Day 12 - A book or Series of Books You’ve Read More than Five Times:</span></b><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">Hmmm.</span><b><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">I'm not sure there is such a thing</span><b><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">. </span></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">I have a few keepers on my shelf, but I tend not to read books again unless I really, really love them. <i>Really</i>. Right now, I've listed 62 books on my "Favorites" shelf on goodreads.com but of all those books, I can't find a single one I've read five times. <i>Penmarric</i> and <i>Cashelmara</i> by Susan Howatch probably come closest with 3 times each. And my Agatha Christies. And <i>Gone with the Wind</i>. But though there are some books I really enjoyed on that list, most of them are one shots only. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">I've tried re-reading some old favorites, but that's ruined a few books for me. They were favorites at the time, but my reading tastes have changed and I didn't enjoy them the second time around. So now I'm kind of hesitant to take the chance. I like the memories I have. I don't want to ruin them with my current reality. </span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></span></div>Sammihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14931896801003966933noreply@blogger.com0