Unconscious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ? Crook :: I am not a .... Career :: Ah...something I spend a great deal of time thinking about. Freckles :: Angel Kisses Scramble :: (d) eggs. My granddaughter's favorite breakfast these days. Mistake :: Everyone makes 'em. Telephone :: Number. For some reason, I have a really good memory for telephone numbers -- or I used to before the day of speed dial. It used to be that I could hear a number once and remember it for years. Now ... not so much. Thank you :: Card. Something I never, never, ever remember to send. Obstruction :: Blockage. 24/7 :: Hmmm. The first thing that came to mind was the TV show 24, which I'm slowly catching up on, thanks to Netflix. I resisted watching this show for a long time. Now, though I still find things to make fun of from time to time, I'm kinda hooked. SciFi :: Friday. One of my cousins has a husband who regularly hosts SciFri Fridays at his house. He and his buddies get together, eat, and watch .... whatever they watch.

Unconscious Mutterings

Running off to spend the day with my daughter and granddaughter. It's Abigail's first birthday today, so even though we had her party in August before her daddy was deployed, it's still a special day. Since I don't have much time, let's do some Unconscious Mutterings . . .

I say ... and you think ... ?

Singles :: Dance. For years, my church didn't quite know what to do with its widowed and divorced members, so they stuck everybody in a dark room and put on some music. Those dances were horrible things, depressing in the extreme, and filled with men nobody in their right mind would want to go out with. As my Aunt Pauline once said, church dances are where you go to be rejected by the ugliest men on earth. I shudder just thinking about them.

Blaze :: of glory!

Sandwich :: fixins

Outside :: rain. It's raining as I type this, and I can hear the steady drip outside my window, the rumble of thunder in the distance, and the ping of rain as it hits a metal cover on my chimney.

Gooey :: Sticky.

Industry :: executive

Exclusive :: interview.

Warranty :: extended. Are they worth it or not?

Magical :: Mystery Tour. taaa-daaaa the magical mystery tour.

Heels :: Pink. The color of heels my daughter almost wore when we went out last night for her birthday dinner. At the last minute, she changed to black, but the pink ones were lovely :)

Thursday Thirteen #4

Thirteen Things From My Life that Begin with "B"

(in no particular order)

1. Books have always been a major part of my life. I can't remember a time when I didn't treasure them. In fact, I'm still pretty peeved at my mother for selling my Nancy Drew books to buy my brother a set of Hardy Brothers books which he never read.

2. Babies, baby stuff, baby clothes, and baby food were far, far behind me until a year ago when little Miss Abigail came into our lives. She turned my world upside down (in the best possible way.) Check out last week's TT list to see how happy and healthy she is now.

3. Blogging. I don't do as much of it as I'd like to because real life has to get a foot in the door somewhere, but I actually like blogging . . . when I can think of something to say!

4. Book Clubs. I love talking books almost as much as I love reading books.

5. Birthday. September is the month of the birthday in my family. In fact, Ian is the only member of my immediate family whose birthday is not in September. Even Abigail was born this month ... the day after her mother's birthday. It's worse than December on the old bank balance.

6. Brother. I have one. He's six years younger than me. I also have a brother-in-law.

7. Burnout. What happens to writers when they write too much, too fast. Unfortunately, the creative process has to include time to regenerate creative energy and in the quest to make a living too many of us don't build that recuperative time into our schedules. Sooner or later, it catches up with you though. You can't escape it.

8. Balance. The thing I am always actively seeking in my life.

9. Beatles. I'm old enough to remember when they first burst onto the music scene. As a girl, I used to play "Beatles" with my friends. We'd get our mother's brooms and pretend they were guitars and we'd stand out on the street (we lived on a very quiet street) and sing and "play" until grouchy old Mr. Tibesaur came home and tried to run us over for playing in the street. When we weren't actually being the Beatles, we picked boyfriends. Everyone always wanted Paul, but I was a George Harrison gal.

10. Bored. Me? No. Never. (yawn.)

11. Bagel. Probably my favorite breakfast.

12. Bankruptcy. I spent more than 15 years of my life working in the close-knit world of bankruptcy law. I went from being a legal secretary, to an office administrator, to a judicial assistant at the federal court before I finally quit to become a full-time writer.

13. Barbie Doll. I loved my Barbie because she wasn't like everyone else's Barbie. My Barbie had lovely black hair, so I could always tell her apart when playing with friends. She survived quite nicely until my brother (see above) decided she needed to go swimming in a hole dug in the field next door. He wrapped her in Scotch tape (he claims this was to protect her from the dirty water), tied a string around her waist, and dipped her in the muddy water. She's still in my original Barbie case in my garage.

A Shout Out to My Kids

Ian is deploying tomorrow, and I'm finding it difficult to think about anything else today. It's amazing how quickly he became an integral part of our family, especially since our little family isn't an easy thing to break into. It's not that we're snobbish or anything. It's just that I've been a single mom for-practically-ever, and it's been the three of us against the world for most of my kids' lives. We've been a team, the three of us, and we share incredibly close relationships.

Over the years, men have come along, stayed a while, and eventually disappeared for one reason or another, and we've either been glad to see them go, or we've quickly figured out we should have been glad!!! Ian is different, and I think each of us knew that from the moment we first met him.

I can honestly say that if I'd been allowed to pick a husband for my daughter, Ian is the man I would have picked. He loves her, loves their baby, loves being a family man, provides well, takes his responsibilities seriously, but he also knows how to turn loose and have a good time. He's patient and slow to anger, and he makes my daughter laugh. Best of all, he recognizes those qualities that make my kid who she is, and he loves her for them.


Tomorrow morning, he leaves for the Middle East. Luckily, he's not scheduled for a long deployment, and luckily he's not going to one of the more dangerous places over there. And today, I'm thinking about my son (in-law) heading off to put his life on the line for my freedom, and about my daughter, who is heading in to what will surely be her first stint as a "single" mom, and I just had to tell the world how very proud I am of both of them.

Fridays Feast

Appetizer: When was the last time you visited a hospital?

October 6, 2006 - the day my dad died. No, wait! I went back to the hospital where Abigail was born a couple of months ago to visit her primary care nurse from the NICU.

Soup: On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how ambitious are you?

Tough question! I think I'm around an 8.

Salad: Make a sentence using the letters of a body part. (Example: (mouth) My other ukelele tings healthily.)

Tongue: That Ocelot Needs Glue Under (its) Eyes

Main Course: If you were to start a club, what would the subject matter be, and what would you name it?

Well, I have started a club once in my life, so I can answer this question with some authority! I was about 10 years old -- maybe even younger -- and I started a club called AGFA which stood for .... wait for it .... American Girls For Albertsons. Oh yeah. It was a hot, happenin' club, I can tell you! I think there were two or three of us in it, and we rode our bikes to Albertsons a couple of times.

Dessert: What color is the carpet/flooring in your home?

Tan

Thursday Thirteen #3

Thirteen Things From My Life that Start with "A"

(In no Particular Order)

1. Apple peeler/corer. I don't use it as often I'd like to, but it's pretty much the coolest thing ever.

2. Afghans I've crocheted. I don't even know how many there are, but it truly is something I love doing. I make them and keep them, make them and give them away. It's soothing to work on them, I guess.

3. Abigail. There simply are no words to express how much I adore this child. It's like the love you feel for your own children ... and more .... no, not more. That's impossible. But it's different. It's HUGE. An amazing kind of love.

4. Apples -- but not all apples. Only crisp, sour apples. Granny Smith are good. Red Delicious are usually too mealy. Braeburn can be good . . .

5. Angel. I got this dog for my daughter after an illness. The dog was supposed to help her heal. Well, she did her job, and then my daughter got married and moved out, and Angel stayed with me. And now, even though she drives me crazy and still goes bonkers and leaps around the house, and jumps down 5 stairs at a time and sails over an 8 foot fence without even breathing hard, she's still one of my favorite things.

6. Autumn. It's the time of year when I was born, and I think it's my favorite time of year. I love the cool nights, the moderating temperatures in the day, the leaves as they change colors, the smell of the soil, the sound of leaves underfoot as I walk. I love Halloween decorations and school bulletin boards, and gourds and squash. I just love it all.

7. Answering Machine. It's a lifesaver when I'm working.

8. Anne Tyler. I love her books.

9. Alaska. I went several years ago and had a wonderful time. The scenery is amazing and the people fascinating. I hate the signs documenting how many moose have been killed along the highways. It's sad. Beautiful land. Everyone ought to go once.

10. Arkansas. It's where my dad was born.

11. Austria. It's on my list of places I want to go.

12. Acadia National Park. One of my favorite places on earth.

13. The Air Force. It's not exactly one of my favorite things at the moment, but it's a large part of my life, and I'm SO proud of my Senior Airman son-in-law. He's being deployed in just 4 days, so if you can spare prayers for one more soldier, please add Ian to your list.

Friday Fun #1

Still fighting to get book #4 in the series finished and onto my editor's desk so here we go with Friday Fun :)

1. School…couldn’t wait or dreaded hell?

Usually couldn't wait.

2. School supplies,… junkie or couldn’t care less?

Absolute junkie! I still am!

3. The locker,… organized or a chaotic mess?

Pretty organized, I guess.

4. Lunch time… bring or buy?

Buy. Nobody brought lunch from home when I was in school!

5. Sports… jock or not?

Absolute dweeb. Definitely not.

6. Music… band, chorus, orchestra, or none of the above?

Band, but only through sixth grade. After that, I gave it all up except what was required. Took piano lessons privately, but no more public school music.

If yes, what insturment or part?

Clarinet (snort!)

7. Report cards… grounded or rewarded?!

Middle ground, I guess. My parents didn't reward, but I never got grounded either.

8. Reunions… a good idea, or thanks, but no?

Thanks, but no. Of course, this attitude could be because my graduating class has never had a reunion, and after this long I don't know anyone, and wasn't close enough to anyone to really want to reconnect, I guess.

9. School friends,…. still have them or grown apart?

Grown apart. Long story. Not pretty, but my oldest friends have only been part of my life for about 15 years.

10. Favorite class?

Creative Writing (go figure!) Ceramics.

Thursday Thirteen #2

Thirteen TV Shows on my Favs List

(in no particular order)

1. Monk. I think Tony Shaloub is brilliant in this show. I don't watch it for the writing or for the plots. I watch it for the characters.

2. Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe. Because I learn something new in every show, Mike is hot, and he's got a great sense of humor.

3. House. Again because of the characters. I've been a fan of Hugh Laurie's for a while now, and I have to say I think he does the best American accent of any British actor I've ever heard.

4. The Office. I had the opportunity to check out some brief previews of this show before it hit the air, and I didn't think I was going to like it. Turned out, I was wrong.

5. My Name Is Earl. It makes me laugh.

6. Desperate Housewives. Yeah, I know, it's SO two years ago. But I still like it.

7. Brothers & Sisters. Wonderfully flawed characters!

8. 24 My daughter got me hooked for season 6, and I've had to go back and rent the previous years from Netflix so I could catch up. I'm just finishing season 4, I think . . . no, maybe it's season 3. Anyway, I'm almost there! So in spite of the fact that the characters can be tortured almost to death one hour and then walk, sit, talk, stand, and fight as if they don't have so much as a bruise the next. In spite of the fact that Jack Bauer can get anywhere in Los Angeles in 10 minutes. On foot. With a bullet in one leg and a rabid dog hanging off the other . . . it's still a must watch for me now.

9. Grey's Anatomy. Again, it's all about the characters. Nobody's perfect. Everybody's flawed. Besides, my daughters are hooked, and it's fun to have a show to watch together, even if we're not together when we watch it. I'm kind of sad that Addison's leaving, though. I thought she added a nice texture to the mix.

10. Deadliest Catch. This show absolutely fascinates me. I'm completely hooked. I think I must be trying to figure out what these men (and the occasional woman) are made of. I mean, sure, the money can be great, but you've gotta know there's more than moolah getting these guys out into the Bering Sea year after year. Whatever it is, there's not a drop of it in my genetic makeup.

11. Mad Men. This is a new show on AMC, just 8 episodes old. Set in the 1960s in the world of advertising, this show brings back memories -- some good, some . . . not so much. It's easy to forget how things were until something comes along to remind you.

12. State of Mind. Another new show, this one on Lifetime. Unfortunately, I can't find any information about whether or not it's going to continue.

13. Man vs. Wild. Come on. A guy named Bear? How can I be expected to resist that?

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I'm frantically trying to put the finishing touches on book #4 in the candy shop mystery series, so I'm not going to take time to blog today. I found this map, though, that I thought was kind of fun. Which Canadian provinces have you been to? I've visited Alberta, New Brunswick, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Quebec. create your own personalized map of Canada or check out ourVancouver travel guide