Thursday, April 29, 2010

It's Tough Being a Woman...

Getting together with a group of women is so much fun! Wednesday nights I participate in a women's Bible Study at my church. We have been studying the book of Esther. Now Esther is one of the best stories of the Bible for women to read/study. First of all there are lots of parties, celebrations and feasts. There is a king who could be some of the people I've worked with/for. Talk about delegating! This guy didn't want to do anything that didn't involve partying. He handed off all responsibility to his gang members, then waltzed away to have another goblet of wine.

First, he got rid of his queen when she refused to come and parade around a room full of drunken men. So, goodbye trophy queen. Then he realized what he'd done, but didn't know what to do about it. This is a man who could not make a single decision by himself. Enter another trophy queen, Esther. But Esther was faced with a huge task shortly after becoming queen. How she overcame her predicament and managed to save the day is extraordinary and very uplifting.

When I get to heaven I want to meet Esther!

The Beth Moore bible study is focused on the theme "It's tough being a woman..."

With a room full of women and Beth Moore, you can't go wrong. Laughter, love, and insight into God's word. I came home last night blessed.

Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Ack!!!! Dandelion Warriors!

This morning I'm sitting here in my pajammas worrying about what to write on my blog. What a life!

I realize that's not something to make you smile, but it sure makes my face muscles work!

All my other muscles are sore from doing yard work. Yesterday I spent several hours using my new yard tool to pull dandelions. I've never seen so many. You know how the farmers say, "It's a good year for corn!"?  Yep, well in my opinion, "It's a good year for dandelions!"

Some of them have rooted four and five in one clump. Monster mutant dandelions. Tough buggers to get out, and they look fearsome. In fact, I think I heard one of them giving instructions to another to dive deep and hide in the tunnel.

They have grown immune to the liquid weed killers. They fake death, lying in a huge irregular round circle on the ground, but underneath... *shiver*  They have built huge hideouts where they laugh at my attempts to seek them out.

When I was a kid, I loved dandelions. Big beautiful fields of yellow flowers. What fun when they would grow fluffy white heads and we could blow them and watch them fly away in the wind. Little did I know that I was preparing myself for a future of fighting armies of dandelions bent on vengeance.

I even dreamed about them last night. Huge, hulking yellow flowers wearing green armor, marching into the back yard to launch an attack against me for trying to take out their trapped soldiers. Ack!!!

All right, I'm not smiling any longer. I think I'll go upstairs and fortify myself with a nice hot cup of tea.

Thanks for stopping by, and if you need a smile today, think of me battling the dandelions!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Sifting Through Memories, I Found....

Rummaging through my pics this morning, I happened upon a folder with these three pics. I still tear up when I gaze upon the faces of my two furry faithful friends. Both of our dear companions passed on within a year of each other. Katie, our collie lab, had become unable to maneuver the steps...and we live in a bi-level. We thought about putting her to sleep, but my dear hubby built an elevator on the back deck so we could "winch" her down to the yard. Katie would lay at the top of the steps and watch through the front door to see the world passing by. Sara, our gorgeous calico cat, would lay nearby. They were great companions.

The kids and I picked Katie out of a litter at a pet store. We decided on a big dog because my hubby had always loved big dogs. We wanted to surprise him. So we asked for a plain cardboard box and put Katie inside. Hubby was surprised, and the two became very close friends. He had so many nicknames for her. She'd follow him around the yard when he pruned and planted flowers or mowed the lawn. Katie loved to play with the grandkids. In fact, our second grandson learned to walk by holding on to Katies fur. She loved company and running in the back yard. Being a big dog, weighing in at 90 pounds, her voice grew quite loud as well. We taught her to "whisper" for a snack. Being companions with Sara, Katie learned to "purr." She'd rub against our legs and give her version of purring. She loved people food treats. My hubby would toss her tidbits which she'd catch in her mouth. He liked to tease her and pretend to toss something just to watch her snap at the air. One day he tossed her a piece of napkin...Katie ate it! Before she became unable to maneuver the steps, when a salesperson would show up at the door, I'd take hold of her collar and we'd walk down to greet the unwelcome stranger. I pretended to have to hold Katie back, so when I said "No, thanks," the salesperson hightailed it away with no further protest. Truth is, she would have loved to get to them for some petting. Now salespeople linger and question my "No, thanks." Katie loved Halloween. Seeing all the kids in costumes come to the door gave her great pleasure. Most of the children wanted to come in and pet her, some were afraid. Katie didn't understand why anyone would be afraid of her. She thought she was a small lap puppy, or cat. I still miss my dear friend.


When I picked Sara out of the available kittens in the pet store, it was her gorgeous green eyes that drew me. I couldn't resist her. Hubby, on the other hand, said she was an ugly cat. But he quickly changed his mind (though I'd remind him of that statement over the years). Sara slept with us every night. She'd find a spot between the two of us and when I found it hard to fall asleep, she'd purr and purr until I relaxed and dozed off. Sara didn't enjoy visitors like Katie did. She would run off and hide until the company left, especially little kids. Sara was a quiet, gentle cat with a peaceful aura. She didn't like noise and disruption. But she loved to play with mice dangled on elastic strings secured to the door. We had to watch her closely though because one time she managed to get herself completely caught up in the elastic and we were afraid she'd choke herself. At nighttime hubby would call Sara and say "Time for bed!" Sara would trot on her short little legs and follow him down the hall and onto the bed. As age took her agility, we put a footstool at the end of the bed to enable her to climb to the mattress.
Though they are both gone now, we remember them, and hold their memories close to our hearts.

Thanks for stopping by to share a moment of warm memories with me.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Ignite the Flame -- Unpublished Author Contest

Looking for the perfect contest for your novel? Here is one of the best. It is available to any unpublished author.  Find out more details for submission at http://www.cofw.org/

CENTRAL OHIO FICTION WRITERS
17th Annual Ignite the Flame Contest
A rewarding contest for unpublished writers!


The sparkling dazzle of a roman candle, the white-hot brilliance of summer lightning, the slow smolder of a winter fire, or the breath-taking inferno of a wildfire--Whatever sort of heat you're building between your hero and heroine, it all begins with the spark of their first meeting. The Ignite the Flame Contest is designed to help you polish that critical scene so that it crackles with romantic energy! Electronic and paypal available.

Winners: First place winner in each category receives $25. The top three manuscripts in each category with a average score of 80 will go to:

Young Adult: Andrea Somberg, Harvey Klinger Agency

Category-Length Contemporary: Elizabeth Mazer, Steeple Hill/Silhouette

Erotic Romance: Deb Werksmen, Executive Editor, Sourcebooks

Historical Romance: Susannah Taylor, Richard Henshaw Group

Paranormal Romance: Michelle Grajkowski, Three Seas Literary Agency

Single Title Contemporary: Leis Pederson, Berkley Publishing Group

Suspense Romance - Esi Sogah, Avon Books, Harper Collins

Qualifications: Contest open to all writers of romance fiction unpublished in book-length fiction. COFW recognizes e-books and print-on-demand books as publications.

Submission: 15 pages max of your hero and heroines first meet or reunion meet scene and an optional one page unjudged set-up.

Fee: COFW $22, all others $27

Deadline: May 8, 2010

Look what a past contestant and Golden Heart® winner said:

"ITF has been very helpful for me. Several times I've entered and received wonderful feedback that helped my manuscripts shine. More than once I've received requests from top editors through this contest and in 2008 I ended up making my first sale to one of these publishers. Thanks, COFW, for putting on a great contest!"

--Susan Gee Heino, 2008 Golden Heart® winner, Regency Historical Category, MISTRESS BY MISTAKE 2009, Berkley Publishing

Saturday, April 24, 2010

A Very Sad Post....

My heart is very heavy this morning. Those who follow my blog know that I dearly love animals. Currently I care for thirteen feral cats. Our yard is the place where stray cats seem to find their way. A neighbor across the street and several houses away was caring for two cats, but she moved away. *sigh* The female calico cat found her way to our yard. Every morning, she would sneak in and eat the food I'd put out. When I'd see her, I'd chase her away. I hoped she would find someplace else to call home because I knew she'd be having a litter of kittens this spring. Sure enough as the months warmed up, I could tell she was very pregnant. I felt sorry for her, but knew we couldn't handle more cats that would continue to perpetuate. With no way to catch her, I continued to shoo her away.

Day before yesterday, while in the back yard, I heard a new-born kitten's cry. It sounded like it came from the yard next to us. I told hubby that I figured Patches (I always name animals) had dropped her babies. Thankfully, not in our yard. Silly me. Why did I think it would matter? The animals would just be more feral cats in a subdivision foraging for food and continuing to perpetuate. I wish someone besides us would try to fix the situation.

Yesterday, when I came home from working at church, hubby told me he found the kittens under ornamental grass next to our pond. Just the following afternoon, I had trimmed that ornamental grass down, so they hadn't been there at that time. He said that he thought there were five and two were dead. So we went out with rubber gloves on and sure enough...there they lay. Three of the tiny kittens were dead. We removed them from the others. I decided to move the other two to an area at the back of the yard behind a lattice fence which is covered with vines. I figured Patches would come take the kittens away elsewhere.

But they continued to cry through the afternoon, so I went back to look at them. They were curled together in the sun with no protection at all. Since I knew it was going to rain, I had no choice but to move them back where their momma had left them, under the grass next to the pond.

Through the evening, I would hear their cries periodically. I hoped that the momma kitty had come to care for them, but my heart ached so badly because I didn't know what to do. We can't afford to have another yard full of unspayed and unneutered cats. I prayed for God to show me a way to handle the situation.

This morning I went out to feed our ferals and I walked to the pond very quietly to see how the kittens had fared. They were gone! I figured the momma had moved them someplace else. So, I felt better. At least they were being cared for. But, as I walked further around the pond, I saw one of the babies floating in the water. My heart sank. The poor little thing had managed somehow to get over the hurdle of flagstones and fell into the pond. I never did find the other one. I hope the momma moved it. I pray so.

It is so unfair. The poor little kittens do not ask to be brought into the world. They are innocent creatures. And this could be avoided if people would be more responsible with their pets and get them spayed/neutered. And, when a family moves, they shouldn't abandon their pets to fend for themselves in the world.

I cry for the unjustice. My heart is so heavy and burdened.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Horoscopes: Boldly Busted

My horoscope for the day says: You may feel as if you've hit a wall in your career path, but you need to keep from giving up. It may be that you need to make a bold change, but now is a better time for thought than for action.

Bold? I looked this word up in my Thesauras which states: audacious, forward, brave, impudent.

I don't believe I'm a bold kind of person. With that in mind, what kind of change would I make?

It's a good thing I don't really believe in horoscopes! Oh, I know that some things about our sun signs are right in line with our personalities, but come on. A printed horoscope for the day will vary across different medias according to:  the AUTHOR! Yep, and that's the truth. Printed horoscopes are written by someone just like me. Someone who has to sit down and write, pulling the words, one at a time, from their brain. It's fiction.

But, it's entertaining. So, what's not to love about that?

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Wimpy Woman Tackles Outdoor Monsters

I've always been a wimpy woman when it comes to yard work. But, since my retirement, and warm weather, I've become the major caregiver for our yard. Over the years, my hubby has landscaped the yard with huge bushes, beautiful trees, a pond, knock-out rose bushes, butterfly bushes...and so much more. Me? I don't do yard work. I always took care of the house, the laundry, grocery shopping, paying bills, balancing the budget..safe indoor assignments. Now, he can no longer handle the yard work due to his lung disease. So...I just can't let all his hard work fall apart. I've invested in yard gloves, a new electric mower, lawn fertilizer, weed killer, and I've been working hard...under his supervision. This is the view from the top step of our deck. As you can see the wisteria tree is at its most beautiful in full bloom. You can see some blooms on the lilac bush to the right. The ornamental grass beside the pond needed to be trimmed down as you can see from this picture taken on Saturday. Yesterday, I spent the afternoon whacking away and hopefully it will grow up again and be pretty. I also fertilized the lawn and treated all the dandelions. Ugh. They seem to be taking over this year.


Aren't these wisteria blooms gorgeous? I can't tell you how much I love this addition to our back yard. So much prettier than the climatis which doesn't seem to bloom as fully as in years past. But, unfortunately, the blooms will be mostly gone by this coming weekend. The tree then will be a green umbrella for the rest of the year.

I don't like bugs and spiders, so wearing yard gloves helps. I'm probably going to start wearing long sleeves when I do pruning though. My arms are always very itchy for hours after working on the bushes.

I'm actually enjoying doing the yard work. I love being outside in the sunshine after spending years in an office with no windows. But, don't tell my hubby. He feels very frustrated that he can't do these things any longer. My answer to him was: You know you've always wanted the chance to tell me what to do. So, sit back, have fun and enjoy reaping the benefits.

Thanks for visiting my back yard today!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Smile at My Expense...

There's nothing worse than waking up and knowing you are supposed to blog and your mind is blank. Especially when the blog is supposed to "start your day with a smile." I can't think of a single thing to smile about this morning.

My eye is burning because it was watering and I wiped the moisture away with the finger I'd just spread face cream with. Ugh.

I read my horoscope and it said to accomplish brainstorming in the morning which would go especially well, but in the afternoon there would be a clash of egos. Well, I plan to meet a friend for lunch, so that will be the good brainstorming, but I'm not looking forward to coming home and clashing egos with my husband. This seems to be a common thing since he's feeling better. At least, I'll be spending more time down in my office to avoid the nitpicking.

Our neighbor put top soil down in the bare spots of their lawn. Our feral cats were happy. They look at is a new potty areas. I'm embarrassed, but don't know how to stop this. Worse, the cats seem to want to leave their mess uncovered for all to enjoy.

I've killed two spiders in the house this week. I do NOT like spiders. The wonderful plug in that is supposed to rid the house of all spiders doesn't seem to work that way. Instead it immobilizes the spiders who sit and wait for me to smash them. At least I'm not as afraid of them as I used to be since they don't run away.

The name of my dentist group is Smile Makers. Okay, so why to they have to numb me with a huge needle first? And then, when I try to smile, my face becomes a grotesque mask.

So, now you know why I can't think of anything to write about that will start your day with a smile. Of course, some of our greatest comedy moments are laughing at other people's pain and mistakes. Maybe I've accomplished my goal after all.

Hope you have a day full of smiles! Thanks for stopping by.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

But, It's Never Too Late!

Quote of the Day: "Everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was." --Robert Louis Stevenson

Sometimes I get caught up in negative thoughts like "It's too late to try to accomplish that in my life." But, it's never too late! Every day is a new beginning. It's not a continuation of status quo. Who knows what tomorrow may bring?

I'm ready...are you?

Monday, April 19, 2010

I've Found a New Use for My Kindle

I have found a perfect way to edit my manuscript. Since I can load pdf files to my Kindle, I can save my work as pdf and upload it to my ereader. Why, you ask?

Reading and editing my work on paper is cumbersome. My printer isn't made to spit out multiple pages quickly. It's time consuming, and expensive. Plus, I find it frustrating to work with the huge stack of paper.

Reading and editing on my computer is a bit easier than doing it on paper. I can make changes as I go, but...I just can't get lost in the story. I find myself wanting to change words, and if I don't use track changes, I may change one word over and over again in multiple edits.

Why I love editing on my Kindle is that I find I can actually read the story like any other book. It feels like other books and I get caught up in the characters and story. BUT, when something is wrong, it stands out. Then, I can use the note feature of my Kindle to write a short editing note. When I'm finished, then I use my Kindle to go to all the notes I've made and then make the edits directly into my computer.

This works for reading through the first draft really well. I catch plot problems, time line problems, and areas that need beefed up.

And for the final read through, it's wonderful. If I can get caught up in the story and the characters and enjoy the writing, then I feel I've done all I can do.

Editing on the Kindle is enjoyable for me and I've never enjoyed editing before. So, if like me, you are having a problem with editing, you might find this an alternative way of tackling the necessary job.

Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, April 17, 2010

The Tale of the Missing Squirrel -- Eeeeew

On Thursday, I purchased some weed killer and painstakingly walked around the yard both front and back to spray the dreaded dandelions. I swear we have some that are so big they can only be classified as giant mutant monster dandelions!! I've never seen any that large before! Of course, hubby couldn't get out much last year to weed and with me working, well, I think they decided to take hold in the back garden areas. But I digress.

While walking the perimeter of the yard, I found a squirrel, dead. It was next to the wood partitioning off the lilacs, azalias, and rose of sharon. Ick. Evidently the cats had caught it foraging in the bushes. They "murdered" it by slashing it's throat. I quickly side-stepped, told the cats who were sitting on their haunches watching my progress that they were very bad. (Although none of them seemed interested in the dead creature).

I forgot to tell hubby about it until it had turned dark. Since I had to work on Friday morning, he promised to go outside and get rid of the dead animal while I was away. I came home to find him with a "cute purple" throw-away glove on his hand. He said he was getting ready to go outside and get rid of the squirrel. I figured it must really be in a "state" after 16 hours. So I gathered some old newspapers to wrap it in and then we planned to put it in a plastic tie bag.

The two of us foraged outdoors and...no squirrel!!!

Nothing. Not even a sign of fur.  Now mind you if animals (say cats) had eaten it, there would have been remnants left. But the entire carcass had disappeared.

I'm not sure what really happened to it, but of course, hubby thinks I imagined it. NOT!
I just hope I don't stumble across it again. Do squirrels turn into vampires? Or zombies?

Thanks for stopping by!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Friends and Sunshine...What's Not to Love About That?

Spent the day yesterday visiting with friends from my "old" day job. What a nice time. I can honestly say I miss everyone, but not the work. I don't miss sitting in a dark and dreary office with no windows for 8 to 9 hours a day. I don't miss having to battle the time clock that didn't want to recognize my finger print. I don't miss coordinating the holiday show...**shiver** I don't miss getting bored when all my work was finished. But I sure miss my friends.

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day. Hubby and I visited WalMart to pick up some things, then stopped at Sonic for chili dogs for dinner. We sat outdoors to eat. Later we sat on our screened in deck and played a couple games of cards.

I sprayed the dandelions in our yard. They are getting huge. In the back yard, I found mutuant dandelions. Huge, I tell you. I don't know how I'll ever dig those roots out. I've never been a gardener, but I suppose this is the year I learn.

There is nothing like a beautiful, sunny, warm day to spend time outdoors in God's creation. These are the kind of days that I do not miss going to a day job every single week day. What's not to love about being retired?

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Magical Waterfall Blossoms

Our wisteria tree is so beautiful. Yes, they are truly vines or bushes, but my husband planted this one ten years ago and trained it to grow up on a four by four post. By trimming all the lower vines off, it has grown into a beautiful waterfall tree. This year it is full of blooms.
Each of these clusters will blossom into gorgeous flowers that look like clusters of grapes.

Below I show a picture each day as the tree continues to open to its full beauty.


The following pictures were taken this morning. By next Thursday, all the blooms will be open! Be sure to stop by then!

Another sure sign of spring are the birds beginning to make nests in the birdhouse.
My lilac bushes are full of beautiful blooms. I love the smell of lilacs!

Have a glorious day! Thanks for stopping by.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

My Heart is Full of Spring

I had a wonderful day yesterday. Now that the weather is warming up, I can spend time on our screened in deck. Our lilac bushes are loaded with flowers and the smell is divine, wafting across the breeze and through the screens. Our feral cats are so well fed that they didn't bother the fat robin pecking in the grass. In the birdhouse, a tiny little chicadee kept busy building a nest. Soon we'll have lots of little baby birds. I love it when they stick their heads out and cry when mommy bird brings food.

Since hubby can't cut the grass any longer, I really don't like having to depend on others to do it for us. My son-in-law is wonderful about coming over and cutting it for us, but he works so hard, then does his grass on Saturday and geesh, I don't like him having to do ours the following day. The problem I have is that I can't handle the Lawn Boy Self-Propelled mower. It is too heavy and I just can't seem to get the hang of it. I told hubby I would be able to cut the grass if I had an electric mower. So, we searched and found a great bargain at Lowe's. We purchased a "demo" model which usually sells for $239 for $189. Yay!! It's a pretty deluxe model. Even hubby was impressed. So, now I can't wait to see if I can actually pull off what I said I could...cut the grass. I figure it will be good exercise for me. That's something I sure can use!

Isn't it nice to be thinking of outdoor things? I'm so glad the long winter is over.

Thanks for stopping by!

Monday, April 12, 2010

I LOVE My New Kindle!!!

I treated myself to a Kindle. It arrived on Friday, and I anxiously opened the box. First thing I appreciated was that it had been set up for me to instantly connect to Amazon to purchase books. How cool is that!!

According to the directions, I would be able to connect to my computer and upload my personal pdf files. Hmmm. So, where was the USB cord to do that? I looked through the manual (which is on the Kindle, how neat this that?) and realized the plug for charging the battery had the usb cable plugged into it! Wow!!! I've never seen anything like this.

Of course, I had to test this out. Sure enough, I uploaded a pdf file of one of my books into the Kindle. Instantly. Just a click and drag. Too easy...but there it was! I opened it and, voila!

So, next I had to test out downloading a book from Amazon. I decided to treat myself to two of my books which had the rights reverted back to me on Saturday. It's amazing how quickly the book appeared in my Kindle!

I also purchased a writing help book and then browsed through the "free" books and downloaded one from an author I like. The only thing I didn't like was the "free" book had definitely been condensed. It was a very quick read, but enjoyable. Hey, and it was free!

I love the idea that I can have up to 1500 books on this thin, lightweight device. And I love having the choice of changing fonts to an easy reading for my eyes. My hubby is happy because now I can stop purchasing hard back and paper back books. Why? Um, well, you should see my house. I can't bear to part with a single book. Now, I won't have to!

The only question I have is "why did I wait so long?"

Friday, April 09, 2010

I Would Rather Go Back to Bed

Today I volunteer to answer phones at our church from 8:30 to 12:30. The weather has turned colder, the wind is blowing, I have a headache, and doing this chore is the last thing I want to do.

However, I made a list of pros and cons for the above complaints.

The weather has turned colder, but it is NOT snowing.
The wind is blowing, but it is not hurricane force.
I have a headache, but I have medicine which will help.
This chore is the last thing I want to do, but in doing so, I will have quiet time to finish my Bible study since the only people in the church today will be me and God.

Now, what's not to love about that?

Thursday, April 08, 2010

Like Surprises in Easter Baskets....

As I looked through my kitchen window, I saw my old friend, Boots. He'd been missing from the crowd at breakfast time for nearly a week. Since all the ferals have been neutered/spayed, they don't stray away, nor do they stay away for more than an hour or so. Consequently, I worried that something had happened to him. Boots and I have a special bond. He has always had ear mites, and I try to treat them, but when he feels the meds in his ear, he runs away and then he's shy from me. He's also allergic to fleas. Imagine an outdoor cat who is allergic to fleas! I had managed to put some meds on the back of his neck to treat the fleas, and a couple of days later he disappeared. Now he'd come back.


I stepped outside to take a few pictures. Boots' ears looked pretty clear! I wonder if the meds for fleas had also helped the ear mites. One can be hopeful. The scars on his side and back seem to be healing from the flea bites. I managed to get this closeup of his face. Isn't he cute?


I took a snapshot at the bottom of the steps at the plum tree across the pond. It's in full bloom. Our weather has been unseasonably warm, so all the flora and fauna are saying hello to the sunshine.



Behond the plum tree is our wisteria tree. It is full of budding leaves. I hope we have a good set of blossoms this year. They are so gorgeous. Like huge bunches of lavendar grapes. The tree does draw a lot of bees, but the beautiful plumage makes it well worth dodging a few buzzing insects.




Next I panned down to the grass beside the swing. I found two of our ferals snuggled down in the grass, just like surprises in Easter baskets. Hmm, I guess I need to get the lawn mower out and start cutting the grass. Hope I can do better with it this year than last. The mower is self-propelled and very hard for me to control. I'd get a smaller electric one, but I don't think hubby would approve. He's still hopeful that he won't need to be on oxygen forever, and I'm not ready to burst that bubble.


Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful day.

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Half Full or Half Empty?

Which way do you see your glass?

I know people who always see their glass as half empty. In fact, I was once married to one.

If you hang around someone who is always looking at their glass as getting emptier by the minute, you will find yourself being pulled down into the negative spiral. These people can suck the energy from you. Especially, if like me, you are trying to get these people to see the positive rather than the negative. They will always have an answer as to why they are right and you are wrong.

I'm not saying that we all are always happy. However, we make our own happiness. A smile can work wonders. Smiling uses a lot of muscles...and don't worry about those laugh lines. Frowning can cause uglier lines than smiling.

When I worked my day job, people were always commenting on my smile. I didn't even realize how much I smiled, but it seemed to draw positive people to me. I like to laugh. I like to smile. I like to be happy. I don't like to be unhappy.

How about you?

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Dean Koontz - Breathless

I love to read. In fact, if I buy one more book I'm liable to suffocate myself and my hubby. But, I can't resist a new release from my favorite authors.

I purchased the latest Dean Koontz book, Breathless, on Friday. I tried, really tried, to savor it...to make it last. But, I had to keep turning the pages until I got to the end. The end is always depressing for me when I adore the story. I want it to go on and on. Such was the case with Breathless.

The book was so good. A bit paranormal, hard to believe, yet very believable. I fell in love with Puzzle and Riddle, and could imagine them actually being. Koontz depicted a psycho schizophrenic personality with vivid detail. Chilling, to say the least. With a lot of characters to keep up with, I worried that I might have a problem, but Koontz pulled it all off perfectly, and tied up all the loose ends. There were places where Koontz allowed his fantastic command of language to flow. Amazing to say the least! He is a master word weaver.

Overall, I LOVED the book, but for those who are not Koontz fans, you probably will not have such a positive reaction. Of course, I dont' see why everyone doesn't love all Dean Koontz books!

Monday, April 05, 2010

A High School Reunion -- Revisited

Recently my publisher sent out a call for submissions for their line about older heroines...um, I mean those who graduated high school in 1985. So, I thought, why not give it a whirl? In high school, I was a nobody. Not one of the "in" crowd, not one of the "bad" crowd, just one of the girls who went to school, did their homework, and never participated in outside activities. Most people didn't know my name--only a few close friends, also part of the "nobody" crowd.

I've attended high school reunions, and nothing changed. The cheerleaders and football players continue to remain a tight clique, so tight, in fact, that no one could sit at their table. They still looked down on everyone else.

After the last reunion, I decided never to attend another. So, when I joined the discussion group to talk about the new series, I was amazed to find a group of writers who were claiming dibs on the "in" crowd. Homecoming queens and kings, star athletes, cheerleaders, bad boys...

My character, I decided, would be a nobody. In fact, I don't even intend for my "nobody" to actually attend the reunion. She has nothing to prove to anyone, nor does she have any need to subject herself to the scrutiny of those who never knew her to begin with.

Funny, how a little thing like this can bring back memories. Nothing ever changes, does it?