JANET'S JOURNAL

Toe-Tapping Friday Fun...

2012-02-10T08:30:00.000-04:00

I've been very consistant with my running on the treadmill - or as some people like to call it, the "Dreadmill". Since I'm not an 'outside-in-winter' kind of person, I've moved my training inside. And since I've officially signed up for the Nova Scotia Bluenose Half Marathon and want to better my last half marathon time, I need to keep up with the workouts. Don't get me wrong, I have fallen off the wagon a few times over the last two months - but I'm only lying on the ground for a couple of days (previously, my 'falls' have resulted in lying on the ground, wallowing in the mud, counting all the wagons as they go by, digging a hole in order to hide from wagon opportunities and stuffing myself with potato chips). This is a major accomplishment.

The treadmill can be a very boring place. I've moved mine to face a window so at least I'm not staring at a wall! Still, running in place for anything longer than 20 minutes is tedious. And that damn timer gets slower and slower (honestly, treadmill clocks have to have the slowest one minute intervals). I don't usually run with music, but inside treadmill running requires distraction! So I have my iPod all set with upbeat songs in my "Exercise" playlist. THIS has been my favorite running song this week - great rhythm to pound along to, it really gets me in a happy place as I slog along. I have been known to push the repeat button over and over - in reality, listening to this song only for the entire 30 minute run. Yeah, it'll get old soon and I'll have to find another 'go to' song!

Get your toes tapping today with this:

See, my toes are tapping away already this morning. Love, love, love that song.

Happy Friday, Everyone! Remember to check back tomorrow when there will be another Weekend Words writing exercise here on the blog.

Vietnamese Food Experience...

2012-02-09T08:14:00.000-04:00

We went out for a fabulous dinner last night - the local college puts on a 2 month global tour at the beginning of every year with their students in charge. Each student selects a country then goes about creating a menu, budgeting the food, ordering the food, running the kitchen - a simulation of what it will be like when they graduate and become a chef in real life. A win for the public as these dinners are wonderfully unique in our little corner of Nova Scotia.

This year we chose the Vietnamese Dinner. Here, I shall let the maitre d' explain my meal:

Good evening, madame. To start, a lovely presentation of summer rolls; paper thin rice noodle wrapped around a summer fresh medley of bok choy, cucumber, carrot and green onion on a spicy ginger sauce. And it is spicy, madame; a little goes a long way for those who like things mild, bold tang spread heavily for those who like a little more adventure. Enjoy.

Your main, madame. A spicy pork accompanied by fluffy coconut rice and a stir-fry of mixed vegetables. The mango sauce is a pleasant accompaniment to the pork; fresh and cooling against the heat of the spice. Bon appetit.

And for dessert, deep fried bananas with a swirl of whipped cream, a panna cotta with thin caramel sauce with a slice of dragon fruit. One of our most popular choices, we hope you enjoy.

This, of course, was just my meal. Everyone at the table (and there were 9 of us) enjoyed summer rolls, mango and papaya salad, or spicy prawns to start. The main ranged from more prawns over rice noodles, a jungle curry (the vegetarian offering), a red snapper or duck with black rice. Desserts, the two tried amongst the dinners last night were the fried bananas and a sticky rice pudding. Every dish presented with flair and every plate figuratively licked clean!

As to my personal experience - the ginger sauce on the summer rolls was very, very hot (and very, very good - you know how hot stuff works, the more you eat, the more you want). The pork was good, but it was the stir-fried veggies and coconut rice that I could have eaten three-times over. The veggies were done to perfection - a difficult thing to do in one's own house, let alone a kitchen where you're trying to time your meals and your cooking for 40! And the dessert - hey, it was deep fried, what's not to love. I had never had dragon fruit before, so that was something new (no real flavor, but pretty on the plate) and the panna cota was spectacular!

The only disappointment - no chopsticks!

Do you like trying new global cuisine, People of Blogland? Anyone out there experienced dragon fruit before? Do you like going to restaurants where the maitre d' explains the meals (I can name a handful of times this has happened - there was no maitre d' last night, but the choices were fully explained on the menu)? I'm trying to remember a TV commercial where the maitre 'd was explaining a chocolate bar - can't find it on Google search - anyone remember?

FYI - anyone interested in my first dining experience with the college can go HERE to read the poem I wrote about my Italian Cuisine!

Inspiration - Running Away From It All...

2012-02-08T00:30:00.000-04:00

We seem to be on a theme here this week, so here's some interesting quotes on 'running away'. Enjoy :)

You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself. ~Alan Alda

All men should strive
to learn before they die
what they are running from, and to, and why.~James Thurber

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. ~Henry David Thoreau (a bunch of quotes about running away from it all wouldn't be complete without some Thoreau)

The truth is, almost nobody wants to experience real nature. What people want is to spend a week or two in a cabin in the woods, with screens on the windows. They want a simplified life for a while, without all their stuff. Or a nice river rafting trip for a few days, with somebody else doing the cooking. Nobody wants to go back to nature in any real way, and nobody does. It's all talk. ~ Michael Crichton

Adventure must start with running away from home. ~ William Bolitho

Of all the thiry-six alternatives, running away is the best. ~ Chinese Proverb (not sure what the 36 alternatives are)

To be sure, this requires effort and love, a careful cultivation of the spiritual life, and a watchful, honest, active oversight of all one's mental attitudes towards things and people. It is not to be learned by world-flight, running away from things, turning solitary and going apart from the world. Rather, one must learn an inner solitude, where or with whomsoever he may be. ~ Menander of Athens

...Perhaps a Camper!

2012-02-07T07:41:00.001-04:00

My good friend Jane has a cabin in the woods - that I can borrow - Woo Hoo! She also reminded me of another option to 'get away from it all' - a camper! Van, motor home, travel trailer - whatever you want to call it, she sparked a memory of how The Husband and I often talked about selling up and moving on (literally). A nice home on wheels where you'd have some of your stuff along with you, a bed and a kitchen to save on costs, and the ability to see the country at your leisure. Not to mention campgrounds are much cheaper than hotels!

And this is where The Husband deserves another medal. He lives with a woman who's imagination knows no limits and usually runs with a creepy, freaky, murderous bent. As we were hashing out the pros and cons of such living, he stated that we could pull over anywhere and 'camp'! Um, NO!

I explained to him that a camper alone on the side of a highway was just a "Welcome" sign to murderers and worse. When he suggested that we could 'camp' at those communal camping grounds, I immediately pictured nefarious persons also camping there! We would be welcomed at first until we let our guard down and then we would be robbed blind and then sold into white slavery. Really, give me any scenario and I can make it your worst nightmare.

He just sighs!

Another one of our fantasies (mind out of the gutters, people) was to go sailing! Just like a camper only on water. Yeah, you can guess where my mind went - Pirates! No one's going to hear you scream for help as you bob along 100 miles from the nearest shore. And no one will find your body!

We did go sailing - with good friends on their 33 foot boat off the Florida Keys! OMG, it was amazing. Dolphins, water the temperature of bathwater, stunning views, the wind in your hair. Once I got used to the movement of the boat (loved being keeled over and zipping along at a feverish pace), I was in heaven. But in the darkest recesses of my imagination the boat sailing along in our wake was manned by pirates!

I guess the lesson here is don't stop dreaming - and writer murder mysteries ;)

Would you do the camper things, People of Blogland? What about sailing away from it all - seeing the world from a different perspective? Does your imagination go to the dark side when faced with the 'what-if' question? BIP points to anyone who names a sailing movie. Bonus points to anyone who can name a sailing movie and a camping movie!

The picture is of me and Taz outside our little camper trailer - click on it to make it bigger!

This Week - A Cabin in the Woods...

2012-02-06T08:20:00.000-04:00

Winter usually means a big old hibernation period for me. I'm not a cold-weather person - whether this means for my running (I am on the treadmill these days) or for just leaving the house. The house is warm. There is everything in my house that I need. I can wear my sweats (or pjs) and not worry about putting on the long underwear, the heavier socks, the extra sweater and then the coat, mitts, boots, etc. Not leaving the house also means not having to go out and start the car to let it warm up.

Nova Scotia is not The Prairies! Nor the Arctic! But January and February are still on the cold side, there tends to be a lot of wind, and, although not as dark because of its southern location, still grey and bleak. All of these things tend to make me less sociable. So the hibernation is not just due to the weather - in January and February, I like to imagine that a cabin in the woods all by ourselves would be perfect.

I know, last week it was the South of France, this week a cabin in the woods! But there is something intriguing and enticing about living all secluded-like 'off the grid'. The peacefulness. The simplicity. The coziness. I was trying to explain to The Husband (yes, he does deserve a medal for living with me all these years) and I couldn't put my finger on it. I tried to explain my need to be a hermit. And my desire for the Zen-ness of the cabin in the woods - his response?

"You'd go insane within a month and end up killing me!"

See - medal!

I thought of The Shining - Jack Nicolson holed up in that abandoned inn with his family trying to write his novel (didn't read the book by Stephen King, but did watch the movie back in the day when I did watch horror flicks). How long did it take him to go batty? OK, so he had some help with the ghosts and 'The Shining', but that's where my mind went when The Husband said that!

Are you a social butterfly in the dead of winter? Does hibernation appeal to you? Would a cabin in the woods work, or would you be ready to 'correct' you family after only a couple of weeks (months)? Bonus points (like we're collecting points - what is this, the new Blogger Incentive Program, BIP for short?) if you can tell us what the little boy in The Shining keeps saying throughout the movie!

Weekend Words - Sunday Edition Part 3...

2012-02-05T10:38:00.000-04:00

If people took the time to really watch Cindy Jamieson, they would see she wasn’t an ordinary cleaning woman moving from one bathroom to the next in Terminal Three. With her cart full of supplies and her employee-sanctioned uniform of grey pants, grey shirt, grey shoes, she could easily be mistaken for another custodian going about her daily routine. Even then, no one rushing around a busy airport terminal, coming and going, acknowledged the cleaning staff unless the washroom of choice was inconveniently unavailable due to servicing and the traveler had to locate another option.

But I watched Cindy Jamieson. All five feet two inches of her. I’d been watching for a week after being handed her file and viewing a security tape. My report was due today and I still hadn’t discovered her game. If I didn’t have some evidence of her innocence, she would be fired. The joy of airport security post 9/11, proof of innocence, not guilt.

The door to the custodian’s room opened and Cindy emerged, dragging her cart through the entrance, then waiting until the door closed securely before heading to the left and her first washroom of the morning. I followed discreetly behind. As usual, she stopped at the entrance and pulled out her tattered notebook. Five minutes were spent leaning up against the wall and observing the terminal. And scribbling notes.

The notebook was the key. Today I would find a way to swipe it from her cart. I needed to prove her innocence. From her file, I knew she was a mother to three daughters. From her fellow custodians, I knew she was a single mother. I had also discovered that she was extremely quiet, didn’t associate with those she worked with outside of the airport, and worked hard. She had been with the airport authority for five years. A long time to go undetected if she were a terrorist.

Cindy slipped out of the washroom and pushed her cart to the next location. Again, a few minutes spent watching and writing, then she disappeared from sight. She didn’t do anything other than clean when she was in the washroom, a fact I had discovered my first week on surveillance after sending in a female officer to check. Her breaks were spent in the custodial lounge with her notebook and quiet corner. Anything unusual, an unattended bag left in the washroom, a woman passed out in one of the stalls, a missing child, was reported to security. She was a model employee.

And she would lose her job if I didn’t get my hands on that notebook.

The last washroom on her schedule was right next to the bookstore. She would park her cart next to the tower of books the store hauled out every morning in the hopes of enticing a passenger or two to stop and browse. If that unit fell, Cindy would leave her notebook and help with the clean up. In one short week of observation, I knew this of Cindy. In the chaos, I would nab the notebook.

Positioned behind the tower, I waited. Just another passenger filling time before a flight, my casual business suit and my leather messenger bag allowing me to be as invisible as Cindy. I lifted a paperback, leafed through the pages while watching for my target. Another book, another surreptitious glance to my left. Her cart emerged first, then Cindy, folding and mounting the little yellow plastic sign that claimed the washroom was closed for maintenance as she manhandled the trolley to her right. I focused on the third book in my hand.

The author’s bio picture caused a double take. The woman smiling up at me looked oddly familiar. I turned to stare at Cindy, now closer, close enough that I should be returning the book and taking a step closer to the shelving unit in order to push it over. I looked back at the dust jacket. Evidence was definitely a work-related expense. I would need a receipt.

Weekend Words - The Prompt Part 3...

2012-02-04T07:49:00.002-04:00

Good morning - for those that want to play along here on the blog, use the comment section here or on tomorrow's post. I'll be posting my 'homework' tomorrow.

Create a character at an airport.

Happy Saturday :)

Not the Twinkie...

2012-02-03T07:59:00.000-04:00

Did you know the Twinkie might perish (not as in break-down, because there's enough preservatives in there to make it last through Armageddon)? A recent news story claims the makers of the Twinkie are in bankruptcy protection, thus the potential demise of the Twinkie! Have you ever had a Twinkie? Fluffy, full of fat and sugar - yummy!

The article goes on to list the other things in recent years that have gone (or are going) the way of the Do Do Bird - the first home gaming equipment, Atari (we had one), VHS (did you know that the film industry was still putting movies on VHS until 2006?), the Hummer (gone, but I'm not going to miss it), the Polaroid Camera (wasn't that magic when you pushed the button and the thing spit out the paper and then you could watch the picture develop right before your eyes?)! Go HERE to read the entire article.

This stuff is stuff I remember, over my lifetime - can you imagine what else will be on that list by the time I'm 80! This is the stuff that better NOT be on the list by the time I'm 80:

Potato Chips - says the young of the day, "Can you imagine, they used to deep fry potatoes and snack on them? Crazy!"

Sticky Notes - says the young of the day, "No, really, as far as I understand they used to write on pieces of paper that had a sticky background - with these things!"

Pens - says the young of the day, "Yeah, I don't get how they worked, either!"

Running Shoes - says the young of the day, "People walked! They left their house to communicate with others face to face! Some even ran for something called exercise!"

Books - says the young of the day, "More paper stuff. Man, there must have been some supply of trees back in the day!"

Funny story - a couple of years ago, my nephew (at the time 9 or 10) happened to be in our basement where we had our old rotary phone (exactly like the one pictured) hooked up. He was in awe of the thing, once he figured out it was a phone! Yup, you know you're old when...

What do you remember from your youth that no longer exists today, People of Blogland? What about in the future - what item do you hope never goes the way of the mimeograph machine (yes, we had one of those at the first school I taught in - messy, messy, messy)?

Nada...Maybe...

2012-02-02T08:21:00.000-04:00

Seriously, nothing!

One complaint, though - the new blogger editor (which makes formatting so much easier for me and even has a spellchecker, which I forget to use) doesn't keep track of my blogpost titles. The previous editor would drop down a menu of similar titles (ie: when I started typing Inspiration - all blogpost titles that started with Inspiration could be seen and I could check whether or not I had used that title before). See today's post title? I think I've used that before, but unless I go to the blog, type "nada" into the little search bar, I'll never know. I am not typing my blogpost titles into the bar every morning. Heck, some mornings it's hard enough just coming up with something to write - going on a Title Hunt would really cramp my creativity (not to mention the fact that I would discover all these blogposts and then read them...

When I was young and I had to clean my room (in other words, my mom had hit the last straw and there was no way I was going to leave the house until my room was clean - I was slovenly), it would take me forever because I had to examine and explore all the things I found. I used to keep all letters from pen pals - and, because of my messy behaviour of just throwing it on the floor with all the other things in my room, to sort and put them away would take forever. I had to read every one again.

I do this with my stack of journals. If I go looking for something and happen across one of my journals (they are scattered everywhere - I was just observing the other day how I am surrounded by words all day, every day with notebooks on my desk for work, a giant notebook for my FOCUS year - an experiment I'll share with you soon - books crammed into my bookshelves, and 'works-in-progress' notebooks), it's a good hour before I emerge from the pages of said journal. I can't walk past. Do not pass 'go', do not collect $100!

This is what would happen if I stopped in the morning to check out my blogpost titles. I would end up reading. I guess this is a good thing - my writing is still interesting to me - but the time spent reading would eat into my already too busy day. No, I'll just have to hope that I haven't used the title before - and if I have, that no one will mind. I mean, really, there's not a horde of people doing searches on my blog for a specific title only to get mad and frustrated because I've named 17 blogposts with the same title and now they can't possibly find what it was they were looking for!

Seriously? I start with 'nada' and end up with four paragraphs? I have to amend the title to add 'maybe'. If I were standing behind myself, I would be rolling my eyes and making that motion with my hand - the 'yakity, yak, yak' one where you close your fingers and thumb together like a mouth talking incessantly about nothing. Yep, I would be doing that!

Hey, People of Blogland, do you re-read your journals (if you keep them)? Do you re-read your blogposts (if you have a blog)? Does cleaning house take you forever because you have to examine and reminisce about everything before you deal (chuck or store) with it? Are you sitting at your computer making the 'yakity, yak, yak' motion with your hand? You can tell me - I can take it!

Ha, I used the spellchecker!!

Inspiration - Impossible...

2012-02-01T00:30:00.000-04:00

My good friend Brenda finally chose her Word of the Year - and with her permission, I'm going to share it because it is awesome.

IMPOSSIBLE

Now before you go saying, "Hey, Janet? That's kind of a strange 'motivational' word, isn't it?" Believe me, there was a lot of silence on the phone when Brenda told me her word. But then she read me a quote and I got it. You'll get it, too.

Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing. ~ ~~Author Unknown~~ **This just in - the quote is atributed to Muhammad Ali! Thanks G.Larson for the link :)

I'm sorry I don't have the source, Brenda had copied it down after watching a video on YouTube about the Kona Ironman Triathalon. And, BTW, Brenda has decided to start training for a triathalon - she's a huge inspiration to me!

Way to go, Brenda!!

Sometimes...And Today...

2012-01-31T08:16:00.000-04:00

Sometimes - my mouth engages before my brain.
Sometimes - my caustic humor does not sit well with others.
Sometimes - I get wound up, like a top;
Overstressed, overwhelmed, over wrought.
Sometimes - my breathing becomes shallow.
Sometimes - my shoulders hunch.
Sometimes - the 'worst-case-scenerio' is my default;
Overstressed, overwhelmed, over wrought.

Today - I will get out of my own way.
Today - I will breathe deeply.
Today - I will move consciously.
Today - I will sit in silence;
Grateful, peaceful, calm.

Namaste!

Running Away From It All...

2012-01-30T08:25:00.000-04:00

I'm a runner - well, yes, everyone knows that I'm a runner, but I'm talking about a different kind of running. Running away! I call it my "Itchy Feet Syndrome" (IFS). And the onset of the symptoms (looking at real estate being the number 1 syndrome) usually happens around the 3 year mark of being 'settled'. Guess how long we've been in Nova Scotia? Yep, coming up to 3 years!

My syndromes got an added boost this past weekend when I was watching "House Hunters International". I love that show - a great way to see different real estate from around the world. Sometimes I am shocked by the price tag some of these places have on them - shocked by the size of the house or apartment that is going for more money than I can even imagine. This time I was shocked by the price tag for the simple fact that, feasibly, I could afford it.

The South of France! A 'fixer-upper' (which means I need to have The Husband come along because he's my 'fixer-upper', but he's not buying into my dream...yet)! A little bit of land for some gardens and a quaint village just down the road! Perfect!

OK, the fixer-upper is actually an old stone building with rough wooden beams and a floor that looks as if the cows and horses just left the building. But there's water and electricity and a big, old fireplace. The place oozed history and romance! I will share that The Husband saw only a hell-hole that would be freakin' cold! Such a kill-joy!

I was so inspired, I spent a good portion of yesterday house-hunting on the web. Yes, I can get a beautiful old stone building for a pittance in the south of France! The dream has begun. What better place for writing full time could possibly be found? Work? No need! I'd have my garden and my writing and a hovel, er, home that didn't break the bank. A quick trip to the village and I'd have my wine and cheese and bread - perfect for the little patio set I imagine set up on the front yard! Freedom!

And this is why I run! I run from responsibility. I run from humdrum. I take seriously the adage: The grass is always greener! But you certainly don't want to hear about my neuroses (and isn't it wonderful that the plural of neurosis is neuROSES, as in rose-colored glasses?). You want to hear about how I will open my hovel, er, home to guests and invite each and everyone of you to join me in the South of France for a little wine, some cheese and the romance of just running away and living a dream!!!

Now I have to go and check out the conditions for Canadians living abroad (The Practical Husband has mentioned that that may be an issue)! Au revoir, mes amis :)

Weekend Words - Sunday Edition Part 2...

2012-01-29T08:42:00.001-04:00

Smooth, slippery, sensuous. And extremely cold as I slid into the freshly made bed. I had never slept on silk sheets. As my body shivered its way back to warmth, I decided I never would again. What other luxuries would I find disappointing?

Certainly not champagne, having had my first sip of the bubbly upon arriving at the winery. The fizz on my tongue was familiar, similar to the sparkling wine back home, but that first taste of crispness with a hint of nuttiness surprised me. My host was pleased with my discerning palate.

I stretched out on my back, the sheets not yet warmed and sending gooseflesh over my body again. The next two weeks would be filled with excitement. After months of planning and worrying, I was about to live out my dream of exploring and experiencing the south of France. Every luxury I had ever read about was on the agenda. A once in a lifetime adventure.

The sheet slipped over the side of the bed as I rolled over onto my side. With a heavy sigh, I got out of bed and readjusted everything. The silky sheets were once again stone cold when I slid between them. My epic trip would begin with a quick trip to the local department store. Silk was about to be replaced by flannel – tout de suite!

Weekend Words - Part 2...

2012-01-28T00:30:00.000-04:00

Saturday and welcome to the second instalment of Weekend Words. I'm using this as a way to get me to write - an exercise in rebooting my creativity. I would love if you played along - here's today's writing prompt. I'll post my 'homework' tomorrow. If you want, you can post your work either in the comments here or on tomorrow's post's comments.

Silk

Have a great Saturday!

This and That - Friday Edition...

2012-01-27T08:23:00.000-04:00

I had a chunk of banana bread (with chocolate chips and pecans) with my morning coffee - yummy!

In my web browsing this morning, I came across a new-to-me blog: http://wolfsonliterary.wordpress.com/ - Michelle Wolfson, Literary Agent is very funny. In yesterday's post, she was talking about Grey's Anatomy and she used the term "jumping the shark". I'd never heard it before and just kept reading. Then, when I opened up my MSN (my 'live' link to The Day Job), the pop-up window with the day's happenings showed a link to an entertainment story about TV's Sexiest Coed Crime-Fighting Duos. I was a huge fan of shows like Moonlighting, Hart to Hart and Remington Steel, so I clicked and read through the ten selections (I think they missed a few, but that's just me). Low and behold, there was the term "jumping the shark" again! I expect some time today I'll see that term again - the whole power of 3!

From TVtropes.org:

Jumping The Shark is the moment when an established show changes in a significant manner in an attempt to stay fresh. Ironically, that moment makes the viewers realize that the show has finally run out of ideas. It has reached its peak, it will never be the same again, and from now on it's all downhill.

The article goes on to say that the term came from the episode of Happy Days when Fonzie literally jumped over a shark while waterskiing (funny, I don't remember that episode).

I am waiting for a library book - my account status shoes the book is number 1 in the queue. It's been number 1 in the queue for 4 days now - how long does it take to move to "It's yours"?

Tomorrow will be the second week for Weekend Words. I decided last week to do some writing exercises on the weekends. On Saturday, I'll post the exercise for any of you who want to play along (either at home or in the comment section as B.E. did). On Sunday, I'll post my 'homework'.

The only exciting thing I have on my weekend calendar is cleaning the bathrooms :(

An randomness in your life you'd like to share, People of Blogland? What's your weekend calendar looking like? Do you remember the episode where Fonzie jumped the shark? Who was (or is) your favorite crime-fighting duo (mine is a toss up between the team at Moonlighting and the team at Remington Steel...ooh, but then there's The Scarecrow and Mrs. King)?

The Excitement of Getting Fired...

2012-01-26T08:30:00.000-04:00

Woo Hoo, threaded comments are working now :) So excited about this - and how sad is that? Threaded comments on my blog causing me to do a Happy Dance and pump my fist with joy and enthusiasm? I'm going with "The small things in life should make you happy" - and, no, I have no idea if that was quoted by anyone but me looking for a reason that threaded comments have just made my day!

Great post at The Happiness Project on writing tips: http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2012/01/having-trouble-getting-yourself-to-write-xx-tips.html Talk about excitement - I've been writing again, working on Mickey Spencer. When I last left her, she had been given a reprimand by one of her bosses, but not fired. I discovered this week that writer's block isn't about not having ideas, it's about hitting a wall. I was like the fly against the window - there was no way out, but he was going to keep flying against the glass until he ended up another carcass on the sill. I brought out the notebook (I keep a notebook for every novel idea) and did some 'What ifs'. I came to the realization that Mickey needed to be fired if she (and I) was going to continue on her quest. So I fired her! Gotta love having that kind of power over your characters - mwhahahaha!

Speaking of flies and windows - Character Quirks...

It's Thursday, People of Blogland, anything to share? How's the writing coming along - have you fired any of your characters lately? What, if anything, do you find yourself doing that reminds you of a fly trying to escape?

Inspiration - 'Never Lose Your Sense of Wonder'...

2012-01-25T00:30:00.000-04:00

It is the childlike mind that finds the kingdom. ~ Charles Fillmore

You can be childlike without being childish. A child always wants to have fun. Ask yourself, "Am I having fun?" ~ Christopher Meloni

Anxiety is the rust of life, destroying its brightness and weakening its power. A childlike and abiding trust in Providence is its best preventive and remedy. ~ Unknown

Adults are always asking kids what they want to be when they grow up because they are looking for ideas. ~Paula Poundstone

Pausing to listen to an airplane in the sky, stooping to watch a ladybug on a plant, sitting on a rock to watch the waves crash over the quayside - children have their own agendas and timescales. As they find out more about their world and their place in it, they work hard not to let adults hurry them. We need to hear their voices. ~ Cathy NutbrownChildren find everything in nothing; men find nothing in everything. ~ Giacomo Leopardi

I love the song "I Hope You Dance" and was reminded of it when I was pulling these quotes. Enjoy :)

Farmer Joe's Author...

2012-01-24T07:52:00.000-04:00

Went to a concert over the weekend - Connie Kaldor (a Regina-born singer/songwriter who, if you ever get a chance, puts on fabulous concerts) was in Lunenburg! There were two concerts - the afternoon one was dubbed a "Family Concert" and that's the one I attended. There was to be an children's author there - Nancy Wilcox Richards. That's all I knew.

Imagine my surprise when I sat down, looked up at the stage and saw all the books displayed, including two large picture books prominent in the foreground - Farmer Joe Goes to the City and Farmer Joe's Hot Day. You have to know that I am crazy for children's books and when I taught, I had a huge collection that I carted around with me and set up in every classroom I every had. Over the years, some of those books became tattered with all the little hands that held them. And I made reading to my students a priority every day. Farmer Joe's Hot Day was one of my absolute favorites to read!

And to meet the author, who lives in Nova Scotia (did not know that)? Let's just say I was excited! I made it a point to chat with her afterward and share with her how much her books meant to me as a teacher and to my students as readers. I was thrilled to know that she was still writing - branched out to more middle grade chapter books rather than picture books...OK, let's just say I was thrilled to just see her. I was star-struck! I mean, Farmer Joe's Hot Day!

The concert was great - as was Connie Kaldor. The kids in the audience were up dancing and we all sang along. It's been a long time since I took part in a children's event - and I realized how much I missed it. The energy, the pure and simple laughter, the lack of self-consciosness (why do we lose that as we get older?). We should all revert back to being a child every now and then - it would do our heart good!

I gave away most of my children's books to friends, family and collegues - but I kept a box full of those I really loved. I believe Farmer Joe's Hot Day is in that box. I wish I had done some Google research, I could have looked out the poor, tattered copy and her sign it!

Are you a fan of children's books? Are there any from your childhood or your children's childhood that stand out as extra-special? Have you ever met a favorite author and gone all fan-girl-squee on the person?

Eureka to Disappointment in Seconds...

2012-01-23T07:54:00.000-04:00

I was so excited - finally updated my browser, had been using Windows Explorer #7 and kept getting messages like "You're using an outdated browser, some functions of our website will not work"! At first, I downloaded Google Chrome because I had heard good things about it - but nothing looked the same (and I couldn't figure out how to get my Favorite Bar (computer-speak, not the watering hole kind) to show up on my screen). So I re-instated my computer to the day before I downloaded (yes, I am lazy and find that's easier than uninstalling something), and moved on up to Windows 8! Wow, I had no idea what I was missing!

Especially in Blogger! The excitement I had when I changed over to the new Blogger Editor (which is so user friendly, especially with picture formatting - always had a problem with that) pales in comparison to the new features now that I have a modern browser. Cleaner, easier to navigate - and pageviews (OK, that's going to be a distraction - did you know that I had six visitors to the blog from Slovakia?)! But the big excitement came with Blogger News popping up on Saturday...

THREADED COMMENTS!!!!!

I've been waiting forever for threaded comments. For those who don't know, threaded comments would allow me to comment on a comment right below the comment - not down at the bottom after all the other comments. And then, if you wanted to comment on my comment about the comment, you could reply right there - we'd have a little mini-discussion in the comment section! A really cool feature of Wordpress that I've been wishing Blogger would implement.

Imagine my disappointment when I followed the instructions and went back to my blog, clicked on a post that had lots of comments to try out the new feature and got a white screen. Nothing but white. I wasn't too worried because it wasn't a blue screen - blue screens are like staring at the lifeless body of your computer - blue screen means you done computing for a while. No, this was a white screen. So I went back to the original set up and then tried it again. Nope - white screen!

Then I started Googling "white screen after changing Blogger" because I didn't know how else to word my inquiry. Thank you, Google - finally found some interesting information. There are glitches! Hmmm - glitches are not good. So, long story (and isn't this a long story), I will have to wait until Blogger gets those glitches ironed out before I can change my comments over to threaded comments! Boo :(

But, hey, now I can spend countless hours looking at my page views. Did you know that National Teacher Day has the most hits? Interesting!

What got you excited this past weekend, People of Blogland? Bonus points if you use 'comment' in your comment - because didn't I use that word a lot in this post! Coffee - stat!

Weekend Words - Sunday Edition Part 1...

2012-01-22T08:39:00.001-04:00

Her photograph, the only thing he had left, taunted him daily. He should remove it, throw it out, or at least place it in a drawer. Maybe then he’d forget. Maybe then he would accept his fate.

He ran the pads of his fingers over her image, remembering her sleekness, beauty. She had amazing lines and contours, and his chest swelled with pride every time they went out. And he took her out regularly. He liked to be seen with her. She gave him confidence, boosted his masculinity.

Now? He glanced over his shoulder. Now he was average. Lines and contours had been replaced with bulk and girth. Beauty by practicality. He went out only when necessary, and even then, he hunched over in the hope no one would see him.

Picking up the photograph, he wished he had kept her. He could have made room for both.

Too late. She was gone. He replaced the framed picture and turned to face her replacement. A perfectly functional family model and he, a family man. Maybe when the kids got older he’d find another sleek beauty to ease him into old age. Until then, he’d settle.

He sighed and slid into the driver’s side seat, hunched forward and backed out of the garage. Practicality rolled down the road and memories of her faded for another day.

Weekend Words...

2012-01-21T08:04:00.001-04:00

So the great thing about the whole Best Practice idea is the reading of those two words, but with a different inflection: Best practice - as in, you best practice _______, if you want to get better! I've learned that with running. If I don't practice actual running, I can't run for very far or very long!

With that in mind, I've decided to use the weekend to do some writing exercises. On Saturday, I'll post the exercise - just in case any of you want to play along. On Sunday, I'll post my 'practice'!

Weekend Words - I'm excited!

Here's this weekends' exericse: Write a short scene using this as to start:

Her photograph, the only thing he had left....

Whatcha Reading?

2012-01-20T08:13:00.000-04:00

There hasn't been a book post for a while - so when Sandy mentioned she was going to be curling up with a good book last night, I decided today would be the perfect time to catch up on what we're all reading.

I'm in the middle of two related books. West with the Night by Beryl Markham is a memoir first printed in 1942. Beryl flew planes in Africa and in 1936 she became the first person ever to fly solo from England to North America (crash landing her plane in Nova Scotia!). Some of you may know this story as PBS produced a documentary, World Without Walls: Beryl Markham's African Memoir. As a companion book, I'm also reading Straight on till Morning by Mary S. Lovell, the biography of Beryl Markham. Wow, the adventures this woman had - unbelievable!

I just finished reading The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. What a beautifully written book - the story of a book found by a young man who goes on to uncover the mystery of the author and the strange destruction of all books by that author. The main character's life is tightly woven into the story of the author and in many places its a little uncanny how similar they are. I really liked this novel - but a book about a book? What's not to love.

And on my Self-Help List is The New Rules of Lifting for Women by Lou Schuler. His sub-title is: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess. I really enjoyed this look at weight-lifting and nutrition for women - and there's a couple of recipes I have bookmarked to try out. I'm also experimenting with his idea of interval training: his thought is that hard interval training forces the body to use the glycogen stores as fuel, then when you stop, your body "...flood(s) your bloodstream with triglycerides." Meaning your body will burn fat after a tough exercise. But, if you rest for 5 minutes after your tough interval training, then get back on the treadmill for a slow, easy exercise, you'll have more fat available for energy and will, therefore, burn even more fat. I'll let you know how the experiment goes - if anything, it's getting me to work harder on that treadmill, which should relate to a faster run times!

What's on your reading pile, People of Blogland? Is there anyone out there who's a fan of memoir or biography? Hands up those who enjoy the self-help category (and I lump all kinds of books over and above psychological help into that category)?

Have a great weekend :)

Random Thoughts Thursday...

2012-01-19T08:26:00.002-04:00

I am craving potato chips!

My legs hurt from the last couple of treadmill runs - so not an outside runner in the middle of winter even though it was 10 degrees here yesterday and almost spring like - as I up my speed for interval work in order to get faster!

I was having a big discussion with myself yesterday about how life is too short only to get where I was going and be told that a friend of a friend had passed away - the news was terribly sad, the coincidence was goosebump inducing. I can't stop thinking about it!

Money shouldn't make the world go around!

I am writing!

I'm still craving potato chips!

Any random thoughts today, People of Blogland?

Inspiration - Distractions...

2012-01-18T00:01:00.001-04:00

By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination. ~ Christopher Columbus (imagine if he were distracted)

Great entrepreneurs focus intensely on an opportunity where others see nothing. This focus and intensity helps to eliminate wasted effort and distractions. Most companies die from indigestion rather than starvation, i.e., companies suffer from doing too many things at the same time rather than doing too few things very well. ~ Naveen Jain (a nod to Janice's comment about 'uni-tasking')

If you dream of something worth doing and then simply go to work on it and don't think anything of personalities, or emotional conflicts, or of money, or of family distractions; it is amazing how quickly you get through those 5,000 steps. ~ Edwin Land ('simply go to work on it' - love that)

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. ~ John Lennon (Imagine - sorry, couldn't resist :)

Distraction is the only thing that consoles us for our miseries and yet it is itself the greatest of our miseries. ~ Blaise Pascal (profound)

Links, Laughter, Tears, Quiet...

2012-01-17T08:10:00.000-04:00

First, some links - an article I read thanks to one of my book club members (thanks, Janet), something that really struck a chord with me. In the comment section yesterday (and, yes, that was a rather deep subject for a Monday), we talked about distractions. I was reminded of the article and wanted to pass it on to anyone who was interested. The author, Pico Iyer, is talking about our need to be plugged-in and how many of us want to unplug. I found it fascinating that there are Internet Rescue Camps, software that enables the user to disable the Internet for periods of time, and hotels that promise an un-plugged stay for their clients (these are called Black Hole Resorts).

The article is fascinating - The Joy of Quiet

Second - thanks to Karyn, I've found a new blog that I am absolutely loving! I will warn you, the language is crude and his humour is dark and twisted - but his points on writing are striking a chord with me (more striking, more chords)! Today's post: 25 Things Writers Should Start Doing has come at the perfect time for me (that Universe again). Number 21 on the list really struck, er, got me - almost made me cry! Thanks Chuck Wendig for inspiration, motivation and making me start my day with laughter and tears (the yin and yang of emotions)!

Third - there is no third! Have I not shared enough? You already know that I relish Quiet and I'm an emotional basket case - and it's only Tuesday!! Enjoy your day, People of Blogland :)

Restlessness Leads to Best Practices...

2012-01-16T08:58:00.000-04:00

I was telling B.E. in a recent e-mail about my restlessness! Restlessness is usually a sign that a burst of activity or creativity is about to explode into my life. It builds and builds and I end up cleaning the entire house while moving furniture or I pick up pen and paper and I scribble out strange imaginings! It also sometimes results in discussions with The Husband about our next adventure.

This restlessness combined with a 'new-to-me' concept of Best Practices has inspired me to look at my days and how I fill them. Most days are spent at the computer working on The Day Job, but when I inspect that closely, I realize that those hours do not make up an entire day. The other parts are whittled away on nothingness (with the exception of my exercise, which I'm very happy to realize I've made that a Best Practice in my life). Nothingness is not a Best Practice!

From Wikipedia:

A best practice is a method or technique that has consistently shown results superior to those achieved with other means, and that is used as a benchmark. In addition, a "best" practice can evolve to become better as improvements are discovered. Best practice is considered by some as a business buzzword, used to describe the process of developing and following a standard way of doing things that multiple organizations can use.

I love that this 'buzzword' is about process, not 'must-do'! And that it's fluid, just as I discovered last year with my Word of the Year - Change.

Then I read this: Zen Habits (thanks, Janice, for steering me in that direction). Sometimes The Universe is just itching to help you out!

So, my pen and paper came out this weekend and I wrote down some Best Practices - ideas that will fill my days with health, creativity and productivity. With my eye on FOCUS, I should be able to kick that nothingness to the curb. I won't bore you with all my thoughts scratched out on my yellow legal pad, but I will share with you the last item: NOW. It's just one word, but if I'm not focused on the now, nothing will get done!

How do you deal with restlessness, People of Blogland? Have you heard of Best Practices? Do you find your day filled with nothingness, yet complain there are not enough hours in the day? Is this topic too heavy for a Monday Morning?

Friday Fiction - Progressive Style...

2012-01-13T08:53:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week, I went searching the blog for the first instalment of Mickey Spencer, AC (and then forgot to put the link in the blogpost until later - so if you're interested, go HERE) and came across one of my earlier Friday Fictions where we created a story one sentence at a time. (If you're interested in that one, go HERE). It was a lot of fun, so I thought we'd try it again.

I'll start with a sentence. If you want to play along, add a sentence to our story in the comment section. We'll play all day - I'll come back and add another sentence and, if you want, you can, too. Let's see what we can come up with on this version of Friday Fiction!

All that stood in phobia-ridden Justine’s way of having survived another Friday the 13^th was a subway ride and a short walk home.

Have a great weekend, everyone :)

Bo-Ouch...

2012-01-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

We finally bought ourselves a Bo-Flex (fancy homegym that uses pulleys and resistance bars), something we've talked about doing for some time. We decided on second-hand because new, those puppies are the price of a compact car! Gotta love Kijiji!

But because it was second hand it came with a VHS tape and we've never plugged in our old VHS recorder (although we should because I have some favorite movies on VHS that I haven't seen in a while). That meant we were stuck with all the cables, and bars, and stuff. Now The Husband has no issues with advanced machinery - I, on the other hand, am a dweeb! I need pictures. I need instructions. I need help.

Next purchase - a Bo-Flex book from Amazon. Shows me different routines and how to hook up the cables, bars, and stuff quickly and efficiently. I was ready to go! A quick check to see how much weight I could move for each exercise I planned to do (and it's not much, I am such a whimp), and photocopy of the tracking page!

Gung-ho, with two exceptions:

I forgot to purchase the Aching Muscle Cream. Or the Muscle Relaxant Pill.

OUCH! I had to take 4 days off of everything because I was having a hard time swinging my legs out of bed first thing in the morning. It was difficult raising my arm to use the remote control. And let's not talk about squatting down to sit on the toilet (thank goodness we opted for the taller toilets when we renovated).

Bo-Flex, why you hurt so hard?

Did you ever exercise so hard, all gung-ho, only to regret it the next day (or the next 4 days)? Do you own a home gym? What's your favorite strength training exercise? Can you do a push-up - I don't understand why I can't do a push-up, I must be built wrong for that type of exercise - I have weak arms - push-ups are over-rated - I would so fail at The Biggest Loser Camp (but I would make for good TV as I sat in a corner whimpering and crying while Bob yelled at me to move).

Inspiration - Exercise...

2012-01-11T00:01:00.007-04:00

It seems like Exercise is a constant on New Year's Resolution lists - and since we're still in January, why not look for a little inspiration to keep moving!!

The secret of getting ahead is getting started. ~ Mark Twain

Physical fitness can neither be achieved by wishful thinking nor outright purchase. ~ Joseph Pilates

Running is a big question mark that’s there each and every day. It asks you, "Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?" ~ Peter Maher, Canadian Marathon Runner (I need to put this on my treadmill!)

There's no easy way out. If there were, I would have bought it. And believe me, it would be one of my favorite things! ~ Oprah Winfrey (I think this is the first time I've used an Oprah quote)

Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional, and mental states. ~ Carol Welch

And I couldn't resist the next one:

If it weren't for the fact that the TV set and the refrigerator are so far apart, some of us wouldn't get any exercise at all. ~ Joey Adams

Movies, Links, Books, Writing - In Other Words: Hodgepodge...

2012-01-10T08:18:00.001-04:00

Was yesterday Monday? Did I miss posting? Um, yes! As Silver put it over on her blog, Penumbra, I had the Monday Mehs!

What is it with Mondays? Would we have the Monday Mehs if the first day of the work week fell on a Thursday? Or would Thursday end up being Monday, full of Mehs, and Blahs, and Yuks?

On a totally different topic, I updated my blogger with a new 'editor' and I can't find the "Preview" button - so I have no idea how this blog post will look when I publish it.

And, did you know that they're making a movie of Janet Evanovich's first book - One for the Money? I just saw a trailer for it last night - Katherine Heigle plays Stephanie Plum! OK, I also see that the 'editor' has an option for my linkage - if you click Janet Evanovich, you will be taken to a new window so you don't have to navigate back here. That's kind of cool. Anyway - I love the Stephanie Plum Series, although I haven't read them all. That kind of writing inspired my foray into Mickey Spencer, AC (go here to read the first instament, if you want). I may have to spend my hard earned money and hit the theatres when it comes out (rather than wait for it to come on DVD like I usually do).

Speaking of writing - I checked out some magazines publications and short story contests the other day. And I just finished reading this article from Writer's Digest (thanks to Silver's blogpost this morning for the link). It talks about creativity, inspiration, flow, originality, and 21 other writerly things including Voice. Janet Evanovich has 'voice' - she's one of those authors you can pick up (her books, not her) and instantly know it's her. As many of you know, I am fascinated by Voice - and when explaining it to people always reference it to music - musicians with Voice, like Adele or Lady Gaga or Carrie Underwood, or Michael Buble. If hear any song sung by them, I instantly recognize their Voice.

How's your week going, People of Blogland? Did you have the Monday Mehs yesterday? Are you a Janet Evanovich fan? Who's your favorite singer and would you recognize his/her Voice anywhere? What about authors - any with outstanding Voices you'd like to contribute?

*OK, just realized (6 hours later) that I forgot to link back to the opening of Mickey Spencer, AC. Duh, here it is: http://jscorcoran.blogspot.com/2010/02/friday-fiction-opening-to-mickey.html

The 3-6-5 Challenge...

2012-01-06T07:28:00.003-04:00

Blogland is full of ideas for New Year's resolutions and challenges. I love reading about all the shiny possibilites and the enthusiasm everyone comes with as we move into a New Year. There's one idea, however, that really stuck with me.

The great thing about Blogland is that ideas are shared so readily - and this brilliant challenge came to me via one of my favorite blogs, Aging Disgracefully. Sandy linked to a few different 'cleaning' ideas for the New Year, but the one that I can't stop thinking about (and have shared with a couple of people) is the 365 Challenge. So, linking back from Sandy's blog, I headed to The Garden of Daisies.

Reading about the 365 Challenge there shows me that the idea came from a blog called Our Little Piece of Heaven. And she got it from Our Simple Lives, which I linked to and ended up reading more than my time alloted one post - he has some beautiful photos posted.

Anyway - the 365 Challenge (now that I've made sure you all know this was not my brilliant idea)! The idea is to gift, donate or toss one item everyday for the entire year. Decluttering at its easiest. No need to be overwhelmed looking at the entire closet, medicine cabinet, kitchen cupboard. No need to find a couple of hours (or days) to try and organize a room. Just one item. Once a day. Done! At the end of the year, you'll have tossed, donated or gifted 365 items and your life will be lighter and your home will be less full! I love the idea.

But, since clutter is not my problem (too many moves, to many pare-downs), I was thinking of having a 365 Challenge with other areas in my year of Focus. Like a 365 Day Challenge for my writing - one writing 'item' a day (that could be some time actually writing, maybe one agent research, or sending off one query letter). Some 'thing' that relates to writing - nothing that would overwhelm me, nothing that would require hours I don't usually have - one thing per day.

Or a healthy 365 Challenge - my main downfall with healthy eating is fruits and veggies. So maybe I eat one fruit as my challenge. Or one vegetable (over and above my daily meals). Or perhaps I plan one healthy meal per day - this is not a problem now, but as the year wans, so does my 'focus'.

The ideas for a 365 Challenge are endless. Crafting - one crafty thing every day. Exercise - one form of exercise (could be a handful of sit-ups or as many push-ups you can do) every day. Meditation - one break sometime during the day where I could just sit and be. Cleaning - I hate cleaning and usually leave it all until I have way too much to tackle in just an hour, but one cleaning chore a day is doable and would make for less time later on. Endless...

So, People of Blogland, chime in on other 365 Challenges. Has the idea got you thinking of ways you could declutter your life, or enrich it, with just one thing every day for the entire year?

Not Fair...

2012-01-05T08:15:00.002-04:00

A new year – a new beginning – and sabotage comes in the mail!!

I know I’m not the only one trying to eat better as part of a healthier 2012 – even those that just want to spend a month trying to eat better after a couple of weeks (or a full month) of Christmas Indulgence are looking for healthy choices. And I will admit it’s hard to get back to regular, healthy eating – the sweets and snacks taste so much better than lettuce and spinach and fruit.

Then there’s the issue of my addiction! Everyone who knows me knows I have a love of all things greasy and fried. Fried potatoes in the form of chips or French fries – check! Fried onions, burgers, chicken, eggs in a little bacon fat, ooh bacon – check! And I love bread, but bread fried (as in donut) – check, check, check!!! I have even eaten fried cheese – OMG, fried cheese is the best, but take a jalapeno pepper, stuff it with cream cheese, bread it and fry it…Need I say more?

So eating well, for me, usually means trying to stay away from town and all the temptations. Obviously, the marketing people have found out about my strategy because they’ve sent me coupons in the mail!
Coupons! Tempting me with burgers and fries, onion rings, fried egg breakfast sandwiches, even a wonderful fried fish sandwich! They must also be aware of my love of all things ON SALE! Coupons! Fried foods on sale! I’m doomed!

How's your January Healthy Eating coming along, People of Blogland? Any temptations arrive in your mailbox? If you're a fried food/fast food addict and you could only choose one item, which would it be? If you're not a fried food/fast food addict, what unhealthy food would tempt you away from clean eating?

Inspiration - Focus 2012...

2012-01-04T00:01:00.000-04:00

Since my Word for 2012 is FOCUS, I couldn't think of a better topic for the first Inspirational Wednesday of the year.

Visualize this thing you want. See it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin. ~ Robert Collier

You are what you think about all day long. ~ Robert Schuller

Focus on your potential instead of your limitations. ~ Alan Loy McGinnis

Concentrated attention is the collection of units of power on a chosen point of intention. ~ James Arthur Ray
We all face challenges in our lives. But how we handle these challenges, how we look at life is truly what matters. We can all look at life one of two ways: 1. we can focus on the good and move forward, or, 2. we can focus on the negative and wallow in self pity. ~ Catherine Pulsifer

AM Routine...

2012-01-03T07:49:00.004-04:00

The second day of the year and I'm staring at the blank screen wondering what the heck I'm going to write about today! I've finished my morning routine of coffee and blog reading - sometimes my blog reading inspires a post. There are days when a topic of conversation sits impatiently on my fingertips, eager to spill onto the keyboard - those days, I type while sipping my coffee. Other days, I wander around Blogland looking for inspiration.

I was asked this past weekend how long it takes me to blog - and if the procedure is time consuming. Considering I read blogs, e-mails and type a thought-provoking (ha) post, one would think I am at the computer for a couple of hours every morning. But my morning routine usually takes me an hour. In my world of over-scheduling and analyzing all things organizational, any more and it would cut into my other daily activities (like the Day Job and exercise).

Of course, I am not commenting on every blog I read. I am what is known as a lurker - pop in, read, leave. If I did comment on everything I read, I would be in the chair for a couple of hours. The same with e-mails - I read and then organize (into a file or delete or answer). My morning routine is pretty stream-lined. And the clock right above my desk reminds me of the one hour time-frame - a visual clue to get in, get done, get out!

The blog post can eat up the most time, especially if I have nothing to write about. But if I just start typing, look - a rambling glimpse into my morning routine. Amazing how just putting those fingers on the keyboard and giving myself permission to "GO" works wonders.

So, People of Blogland, what does your morning routine look like? Have you streamlined it? Do you enjoy your first cup of coffee with some blog-reading, some e-mails or do you get right into the gist of the day? Writers - do you write first thing? Readers - any first light, page turning happening? Lurkers - hello :)

Out With the Old, In With the New...

2012-01-02T09:25:00.003-04:00

Computer issues first thing - ugh!

So, New Year, New Word – but a quick look back at 2011’s word – CHANGE! Did I? Yes! I loved having a word to hang my thoughts on during the year, easy to remember and always in my consciousness. And if I had written down specific changes at the beginning of the year, I would have been disappointed because as the year progressed, so did my ideas of what that change looked like.

I started the year thinking healthy changes – and I certainly feel successful there. I’ve dropped 12 pounds and a couple of inches here and there. Of course, I still feel like this (Boobs Away), and perhaps I always will! I’ve made exercise a top priority. Sure there are some days when I just don’t get to it, but on the whole 2011 was about exercising on a regular basis – making it a habit!

The biggest change, and the one that gave me the most grief, was letting go of my writing. I haven’t given it up, but I needed to back away and gain a better perspective, before I could come back to it. Change is hard – I know this absolutely. We are all more comfortable with the status quo! Taking a step back from my writing made me question who I was and what, then, was my passion. There were some dark times, I won’t kid you – but I made it through to the other side.

This darkness also led to a realization that change was needed elsewhere in my life. I won’t bore you with the ugliness of that! And that change continues to be a work in progress!

So, on to the new! My 2012 word is FOCUS! I plan on continuing my healthy lifestyle and focus will be needed as I have set the spring for another half-marathon and the fall for a full – yes, 26.2 miles! This all leads up to 2013 when I turn 50 and have set the goal to running 50K! 50 @ 50 – I’ll definitely need FOCUS!

I also plan on focusing more on my writing now that I’ve changed perspective and altered my expectations. I’ve connected with some writers here in the area. And I’ve made a list of some ideas with the reminder highlighted at the top of the page that the "Journey is more important than the destination"!

As with last year’s word, I know that going forward my FOCUS will be fluid. Keeping the word close to my heart will allow me to see the opportunities presented, as only the Universe is capable of doing. And if it’s anything like last year, it could be a whirlwind ride!

How about you, People of Blogland, have you chosen a word to hang 2012 on? Did you find that, if you chose one last year, the word helped you to stay focused on your dreams and aspirations? Anyone out there make traditional New Year’s Resolutions?

PS – if you missed it yesterday, I posted a New Year’s Gift to you all – a short story!

Happy New Year and a Story...

2012-01-01T10:18:00.002-04:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

I was going to start the New Year with a look back at my 2011 Word - Change - but decided that could wait another day. Today's the day for pjamas, coffee and sunglasses (to stare at the shiny New Year ahead). Here's my 2012 gift to you - a story about a past, a present and bright and shiny future!

A Prairie Auction - JS Corcoran

Stripped of my identity, my future lies in the hands of an auctioneer. My rooms, once filled to overflowing, sit empty. My walls, once alive with family photographs and eclectic art, feature peeling paint and faded wallpaper. Where rugs once warmed my floorboards, dust settles. Even the incessant clank of my water pipes has been silenced.
With my guts spread before me, the vultures have arrived. Many sit on lawn chairs near my rotting verandah listening to the rhythmic chant of the auctioneer. Some stand, motioning slightly at a bid, raising the dollar value of the item on the block. Others rifle through boxes not yet sold; treasures I have housed for over sixty years. From my highest dormer window I can see the four offspring who arranged to sell their parents’ belongings to the highest bidder. Their conversation still echoes in my rafters…
Can you use any of this stuff?
I can’t. My house is already full. Besides, look at it, it’s old, worn out.
But Mom would be devastated knowing her things were going to be thrown out.
Mom’s not here; and neither is Dad. And we don’t have to throw anything out. We could have an auction, split the proceeds.
"I have ten, ten now. Do I have fifteen, fifteen?"
The more extravagant items go for ten dollars. A pittance for the silver cutlery Bert scrimped and saved for, a surprise for his wife on their first Christmas. When she chastised him for spending so much money, Bert simply smiled. Martha polished them faithfully every year, right before the family gathered to celebrate. At first they sat around an old kitchen table, given to them by an aging aunt. Then at the formal oak one the year Martha’s mother died and her father insisted she have it. Treasures passed from one generation to the next; a tradition unobserved by these children. Years went by and the family grew. Her eight-piece silver set needed to be supplemented with the everyday cutlery. That now occupied a box with various spatulas and potholders already sold to a stranger for two dollars.
"You don’t find quality oak furniture like this anymore, folks. On your program, number 72, dining room table and eight matching chairs. Let’s start the bid at fifty dollars. Do I have fifty, fifty?"
Not everything, right?
We’ve already agreed that most of this stuff is worthless to us.
An auction will make the split easy. And if you want something, you bid on it. It’s fair.
How is buying stuff from my own childhood fair?
I’m not saying it’s fair, I’m saying it’s practical. Dad would understand. He’d want us to get on with this.
He wouldn’t want us to throw away the past.
It’s just stuff.
Let’s not argue. Kettle’s boiling, who wants tea?
"Next, an item perfect for the cottage or perhaps a young one starting out on his own."
Memories and smells of cooking bombard me when Martha’s stove is next up on the block. I remember Bert deciding she needed a new one when he got tired of watching her jam a stick in the oven door to keep it closed while she baked his favorite apple pie. State of the art, he told her as they wrestled it through my back door and into my kitchen fifteen years ago. When they slid it into place, she placed her hand over his heart and suggested pie for supper. The last towel she used still hangs from the oven door handle. No one has bothered to remove it.
So, how does this work?
We haven’t decided to go this route, yet. What about consignment?
That could take forever to get a return. Besides, consignment doesn’t take everything; we’d have to decide what to do with the other stuff.
Family rules, we should vote.
Then let’s vote. Auction?
There, three to one. As Dad would say, it’s a done deal. Now, it’s our job to box up the stuff however we want.
You’ve already talked to someone about this?
Someone had to come prepared. And we have to decide about the land. Do we split it or sell it with the house?
We’re selling the house in the auction?
It’s an old house. It could take forever to sell. If it’s part of the auction, then it gets sold with the rest of the stuff that day and we can finalize the paperwork.
Are you broke? Is this why we’re rushing through this, selling off stuff to pay your stupid debts?
Are you going to pay for someone to check the house while it sits on the market for God knows how long? Or maybe you want to stay here while we wait. I’m sure that five or six months will give your husband plenty of time to have another affair.
Stop fighting, you two. We promised Mom we wouldn’t fight over this.
Let’s just get this thing done so we can go back to our own lives.
"Sold. Bidder 489."
Some of the scavengers still wander through the aisles of tables heavy with knickknacks, pots, and books. They touch, inspect, discard; unmindful of the memories each item contains. Like the typewriter, still in its original box, almost as new as the day Martha bought it. She thought she’d try her hand at writing when the last child left home and set it up at the dining room table. Every day she sat in front of the machine, some days pecking away until a page was almost full, others just staring out the window at her vegetable garden. After two weeks, she returned the typewriter to the box and told Bert she had no imagination. And, besides, she needed to pickle all those cucumbers. Bert simply smiled and hauled the typewriter up to my attic.
Look, there are still pickles in the fridge.
I loved Mom’s pickles. They should still be good?
I hated her pickles.
Really?
The way she left the dill stalk in the jar, yuck.
What did you do with all the jars she doled out every fall?
Gave them to the food bank.
Remember that one year, I think she had a bumper crop. I got two boxes full of jars that year.
The box of canning supplies lay next to those filled with records. Oh, how Bert and Martha loved to dance. My rooms would be filled with music as they held each other, swaying in time throughout the years. Not that sixty years of marriage was harmonious every minute of every day. My walls have secrets that will never be shared. And those who look closely at the box of china lovingly received as wedding presents from relatives near and far, will see a large platter is missing. As is one lone teacup – the result of the most serious disagreement over in-laws and expectations. Later that night, after pieces of bone china were swept into the garbage and apologies were whispered in the darkness of their bedroom, Martha placed her hand over Bert’s heart and told him she was pregnant.
The prairie wind scatters withered leaves across my driveway. The sun no longer blinds my eastern windows. The land is gone, subdivided and sold to neighbors. The vehicles, tractors, farm machinery wait in my yard for the new owners to drive them away. The auction tables are empty. Sixty years of belongings gone and only one thing left to sell.
Someone will buy the place and tear it down to build something new.
It’s close enough to town, if we keep some land with it a developer may be interested.
Yeah, with everyone wanting to own an acreage there’s a good chance. We could get a good price if the auctioneer markets it properly.
But it’s a beautiful, old house. Someone will want it.
Too much work. Mom certainly couldn’t keep up with all the repairs after Dad died. Renovations will cost a fortune.
But it could be a good family home again. Kids could swim in the creek or play hide and seek in the attic. You said yourself it’s close enough to town for school and work. Someone could use Dad’s shop for a small business. And the garden’s overgrown, but it could feed a family enough potatoes for a whole year. We had a good life here, so did Mom and Dad.
That’s right, we had. But we can’t go back and we can’t hold on to it. Just take the memories and let’s move on.
You’re cold hearted. This would break Mom’s heart.
And you’re overly sentimental. What other choice do we have?
Sixty-six years ago, Bert paced out my dimensions on land given to him by his father. Martha followed in his footsteps reminding him of the big family they planned and I would need to house. My foundation was dug, walls erected with help from neighbors and friends. Once enclosed, I had to wait for Bert to harvest his crop before my inside could be finished. Months of hard labor passed until I stood proudly in the prairie sun, my paint fresh and my door open to a future of possibilities.
"I’m sure everyone has a had a chance to go through the house, read the specs. It’s a stately home, lovingly built and cared for by the Swystuns. The family is selling a good ten-acre parcel with it, so let’s think about that as we start the bidding at fifty thousand dollars. Do I have fifty, fifty?"
A man in a suit raises his hand to begin the bidding. His briefcase gives me very little hope. A developer means my removal to make way for a newer, fancier house. One of the neighbors who bought most of the land ups the bid to sixty thousand dollars and I envision my demise so that he can add to the size of his pasture. A young man in coveralls nods once, bringing the bid to seventy thousand dollars. I recognize the van he stands next to. He’s driven past many times in the last two weeks. On three occasions, he’s pulled into the drive and stared up at me. The businessman counters.
So, we’re agreed? Everything goes?
Yes.
Yes.
No.
Not again. Why can’t you get over the fact that everything here is worthless to us?
It was worth something to Mom and Dad. I want one thing, just one, to remind me of them. Of this house. Of my childhood.
Me, two.
Me, three. Done deal.
Fine. But we have veto power over what’s picked.
Bert and Martha’s youngest sits alone, next to her dad’s truck sold to a local farmer. Tears have fallen throughout the day as piece by piece her parents’ life was displayed, haggled over, and sold. Opposed to the auction from the very beginning, she is the one who insisted they each choose something to take, free of charge. The eldest took his train set, the one his parents bought for his eighth birthday. The twins chose the quilts that had adorned their bunk beds, the colorful squares sewn together by their mother night after night for an entire year. And the one who believed there had to be a better way? She found a box and packed up every photograph she could find.
The bid increases again and the siblings join the youngest as I await my fate. The twins, the ones who colored one of my walls an indelible blue, stand with their arms around each other. The eldest, hands in pockets, always the strongest, the bossiest, bows his head as the bid goes higher. I remember every one of them. Their conception, their arrival, their spills, and their accomplishments, even after they left home. They were Bert and Martha’s pride and joy. And I will never see them again.
Silence descends and my destiny now belongs to the young man. The van’s passenger door opens and a pregnant young woman struggles out. She waddles around the front bumper and places her hand over the man’s heart. The young man simply nods his head and smiles. Laughter settles over my yard, wraps around my deck, tickles my joints. They come toward me, the woman pointing and talking about paint while the vultures fold up their lawn chairs and collect their spoils.
I settle back into my foundation in the hope of another sixty years of laugher and tears, celebrations and family. Furniture will adorn my rooms. My walls will display new photographs, new artwork. Children will once again slide down my banister. Love will restore me. And Martha and Bert’s memories will mingle with new ones.

The Dreaded T'ween...

2011-12-28T07:42:00.002-04:00

You know, the week between Christmas and New Year's where you go from Christmas prep (gifts, decorating, baking, parties) to contemplating the year that's past and what lies ahead. It really is a huge change in direction this T'ween Week - and usually involves lazy days, lots of leftovers (including chocolates and shortbread cookies) and notebooks for journaling my thoughts and ideas.

This, too, is the ultimate week of "I'll start that at the beginning of the month!" because the beginning of the month is the beginning of the New Year! I've been guilty on more than one occasion of putting stuff off because of the impending new month - but I'm trying very hard to stay the course this week as far as exercise goes.

So, People of Blogland, is T'ween Week one of looking back at the year and eating leftovers for you? Does the week feel like a bridge from the year that's past to the one about to begin - a bridge that, while you cross it, makes the ordinary aspects of your life seem like they are in limbo? Are you thinking about your new word for 2012?

I'm off to have pie for breakfast - hey, it's T'ween Week, anything goes :)

Feliz Navidad...

2011-12-23T08:28:00.003-04:00

The best way to express my sentiments to all who stop by here...

I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart!

And if that doesn't get you tapping your toes (or even up and out of your chair for a little salsa first thing in the morning as it did me)!

Now Bring Us Some Figgy Pudding...

2011-12-22T08:09:00.004-04:00

I'm including a link to a recipe for Figgy Pudding just in case you feel the need to make it this holiday season! From what I know, it's very much like fruitcake, but more on that later.

Shortbread cookies are on the agenda today. I wasn't going to make any - goodness knows there's enough stuff around here and out and about that I don't need to add anymore, but shortbread cookies are a tradition and I can't seem to shake my craving for them (especially when I'm sipping on an eggnog). I always make the same ones - the recipe on the cornstarch box - and I use a cookie press that my mom gave me (it has a thistle on it). These are so delicate and melt-in-your-mouth good - I'm sure that my afternoon will consist of eating way too many!

Yesterday, we received in the mail our other 'must have' Christmas sweet. The Husband's mom sends us a rich, dark, decantly drunk fruitcake every year - and we love when the package shows up on the doorstep! She makes it in September - and then serves it rum over and over again until it's time to package it up and send it off. Not everyone likes fruitcake - but we do and this year's edition was perhaps one of the best she's ever concocted. Lots of red and green cherries - and very, very moist.

There was a time, years ago, I make a ton of sweets for Christmas. I would freeze them all and bring out assorted plates if we were going to friends' or if company came. Then, I did a stint of cookie exchanges - a great way to have a variety of sweets without having to make them all (not to mention all the different ingredients). My contribution was always rum balls (ooh, haven't made rum balls for ages). Again, the loot would get frozen and brought out at appropriate times.

Of course, not all the goodies made it to friends' or the plate - The Husband has a wicked sweet tooth and likes to eat the cookies and squares frozen! I would go to get a Nanaimo Bar or a Turtle Dove Square and the container would be empty, except for a few crumbs (which I've learned from him make wonderful ice cream toppers after all the sweets have gone). Then there were the 5 or 8 pounds I gained over the holidays because I can't say no when asked if I want a sweet with my evening tea!

So, we've pared down to just shortbread cookies and fruitcake. How about you, People of Blogland, do you bake up a storm? Do you like to try new recipes or do you have your tried, true and loved favorites? And let's get a show of hands for fruitcake - love it or leave it?

Inspiration - Christmas Giving...

2011-12-21T00:01:00.000-04:00

Christmas gift suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect. ~ Oren Arnold

May Peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through! ~ Author Unknown

Go Tell it on the Mountain...

2011-12-20T07:55:00.004-04:00

I love the music at Christmas time - OK, maybe not when they start piping it through the speakers at the shops right after Halloween! There's the traditional carols that I love to sing along to - Silent Night, Joy to the World, and Oh, Come All Ye Faithful. And the contemporary songs that always take me smile - So This is Christmas, I'll Be Home for Christmas, and Silver Bells. And then there's the children's classics - Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and Away in a Manger.

I have a special place in my heart for The Little Drummer Boy. A student of mine way back when I taught in the Arctic didn't hear the words correctly - and, well, her rendition will always be my favorite (go here to read more about The Rubber Bum Bum Song).

But my all time favorite (and this is hard because I have my Christmas CDs out and there are so many that I'm oohing and ahhing over) has to be:

Not to mention Josh Groban is fabulous!!!

What's your favorite Christmas Carol or song, People of Blogland?

Winner, Winner, Turkey Dinner...

2011-12-19T14:13:00.003-04:00

Turkey because it's Christmas!

Oops, Jana sent me an e-mail this past weekend to tell me who won a copy of her book, The Girl Most Likely, and I forgot all about posting it on the blog. I haven't even had turkey, yet, so I can't blame my lameness on Turkey Brain.

Without further ado...

Congratulations, Silver!!!! You've won a copy of Jana Richards' book, The Girl Most Likely. If you'd like to e-mail Jana (her e-mail address is jana dot richards at hotmail dot com), you two can organize the prize payout!!

Now, back to our regular programming :)

Joy To The World...

2011-12-19T08:21:00.003-04:00

Have you noticed the blog posts for the past week have all been titles to Christmas Carols? And most of them have been relevant to the post. This one - I'm stretching it! I couldn't find a carol that related to Christmas drinks!

*Edit - wassailing is the act of singing and drinking to the health of trees in a ceremony to encourage good apple crops in the future - there seems to be some toast (as in bread) used in the ceremony, too - thus the post should have been named "Here We Come a-Wassailing...*

Two years ago I posted the Christmas Drink of the Year - Eggnogtini. Ooh, so very, very good. Last year, we discovered the Maple Whisky Fizz (which I don't think I posted a recipe for, so I'll include that here - ooh, it really is joyful today :)

This year, another great Christmas Cocktail to share with you. The Jolly Old Elf! We made it up on Saturday night when friends came around for dinner. We had another version of The Elf last night while we watched Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1. The second version was a little different because we didn't have any sparkling wine left - not something we usually keep in the house. I'll give you both versions:

The Jolly Old Elf

1/2 oz Amaretto (almond flavored liqueur)
2 oz cranberry juice
Top up flute (or large wine glass) with sparkling wine
(adapted version: 1/2 oz Amaretto, 2 oz cranberry juice, top up glass with white wine and club soda)

Personally, I'm thinking that the drink could also be made with 7-up instead of the wine - I may have to try that out!

Here's the Maple Whisky Fizz:

1 1/2 oz whisky
1 1/2 oz maple syrup
Combine and pour 1/2 oz of mix into 6 flutes - top with sparkling wine.

Do you have a favorite Christmas drink recipe, People of Blogland? Do we have eggnog fans out there?

Jingle Bells...

2011-12-16T08:19:00.005-04:00

The sound of bells at Christmas! For years now I've hung jingle bells on our front door at Christmas (I would love to have them there for the entire year, but The Husband says they get in the way - since they're a child's musical instrument and something you could wear around your wrist, I get his issue; so Christmas it is). I love the merry tinkle whenever I open the door.

This is not a Corcoran Tradition only - many people hang bells on their doors for the Christmas season. One of the local merchants has a bell on the door and as I opened it to enter, I couldn't help by smile. After a quick Googling (new word), I rediscovered that bells were used in medieval times to ward of evil spirits. I say 'rediscovered' because as part of my research when writing/editing Lady Bells I uncovered this tradition. It plays a very bit part in the story since Lady Bells wears tiny jingle bells attached to her girdle ties. Everywhere she goes, the sound of bells accompanies her. And because of her love of eavesdropping, she had to find ways to silence those bells in order to listen in on conversations.

Here Mena (Lady Bells) is heading toward the hall and her husband the morning after their marriage - they are at Hugh's Uncle's.

Heated conversation met her half way down the hallway.
Her hand slid along the ties of her girdle, cupping the bells and silencing them in her palm. A deep breath and she crept forward.
"She will be told nothing!"
Willamena crept forward, positioning herself against the pillar of the archway. Hugh and his cousin were alone at the lord’s table.
Hugh stabbed the wooden surface with his finger. "I will simply remind everyone at Fallowlees what’s at stake. The others are either dead or gone. You will say nothing, Armstrong."
"She should be told the truth of the matter, Hugh. Better to hear it from you than a simple wench who forgets her promise. And as for –"
"Lady Bells?"
Thomas’ silent approach startled her and the ties dropped form her hand. The sound of bells echoed throughout the hall.
"Are you coming or going?" He gripped her elbow, the pressure gentle, but persuasive. "Come, I will escort you. I believe Hugh is waiting for you."
He was indeed. His eyes were black, focused fully upon her. His face hard and chiseled. The tick she had thought merely a shadow from the dancing firelight last night was real; the right side of his jaw jumped in agitation. She stumbled.

Do you love the sound of bells, People of Blogland? Do you hang bells on your doorknobs? Did you know that you can train a puppy to ring a bell at the door when it needs to go outside? I've often thought that I might try to train the next dog this way - that gives me the excuse to have bells on my doorknobs year round!! Happy Friday :)

Let it Snow, Let it Snow...

2011-12-15T08:10:00.003-04:00

I'm jacked up on buttercream icing! OMG, made these Eggnog Cupcakes and they are soooo gooood. I'm going to take my own advice and claim that eating dessert first thing in the morning allows all day to burn off those calories (Lu, don't remind me that the stuff I eat later could be an issue). If you get a chance, check out From Cupcakes to Caviar Blog (linked above with the recipe) - the writer, Janet (great name) is hilarious. And her recipes - fabulous (ooh, I see today she has a bacon, cheddar and cracked pepper biscuit recipe)! For convenience, I have her listed in my sidebar over there on the right under "Cooking Blogs".

So, it looks like it's going to be a brown/green Christmas here in Nova Scotia! There's a possibility we'll get a few flurries today, but with the temperature already at 1C, I think it will be more a rain event. The 2 week forecast has some rain/snow mix at the end of next week and into the Christmas weekend - but the temperatures look to be above 0C. I'm no meteorologist, but that doesn't bode well for those who want a white Christmas.

I'm OK with a brown/green Christmas. I've spent most of my life in places that were covered with the white stuff (some years the white stuff had been there since before Halloween). I love being able to wear my running shoes instead of my big winter boots (OK, I did that when I was a teenager, but I'm smarter - ha - now). I love not having to put on the big winter coat every time I want to go out (including just stepping out the door with the dog). And I love not having to wear my longjohns from October to April (yes, I'm a wuss and most people know my tendency to layer up for 6 months of the year). So no snow isn't a big deal.

But some do love having the white stuff for the Christmas season. Are you one of them? I'm reminded of Bing Crosby in "White Christmas" - I love that movie. I leave you with "Snow", sung by Bing, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney (yes, aunt to George) and Vera-Ellen.

Inspiration - Jana Richards Talks Success...

2011-12-14T00:01:00.001-04:00

Does Success Equal Money?

A few weeks ago my husband and I were in Toronto visiting our daughter. While we were there we also visited with my husband’s nephew and his family. We always have great conversations with Mark and his wife since they are both well-read and well-informed and love a good discussion as much as we do.

Somehow the conversation turned to the meaning of success. My daughter was totally convinced that success can only be measured by the amount of money a person makes; the more money you earn, the more successful you are. She might be somewhat jaded by the fact that she was recently laid off and is having a hard time finding another job. Mark took the opposite view, and he knows what he’s talking about. For several years he worked in sales, making a very good living. By my daughter’s definition, he was successful. But he was unhappy in his work. He went back to university, got his teaching degree, and now teaches high school math and chemistry. He absolutely loves it. If he’d stayed in sales he’d make more money, but he’d have less job satisfaction. Because he makes less money, is he unsuccessful?

I thought about my own situation with my writing. If making money was the only criteria by which I measured my writing success, I’d have to say I was a whopping big failure. I’m lucky if I cover my writing expenses. Yet I feel I have achieved a certain level of success. There are many ways to measure success.

Over the years I’ve set many goals for my writing. Some have been accomplished and some not. I find that these goals change over time. For instance, when I first started writing, my goal was to complete and polish a book. The next goal was to submit it to a publisher. Then after that, my goal was to find a publisher who would accept my book.

I’ve had some success with these goals. But now my goals have changed. I want to continue to complete and publish new books, but now I want to submit to larger publishing houses. I want to write that ‘breakout’ book that Donald Maass talks about in "Writing the Breakout Novel". And I’m not gonna lie, I want to make money. Making money from my writing would allow me to spend more time writing, to perhaps attend more conferences, or to spend more time and money on promotion. Perhaps that would help me to reach a level of success that right now I can only dream of – to be a well-known, and well-loved romance writer. Money is great, but it’s simply a a tool. It allows you to do what you really want to do.

Though money is an element of success, it is not the only measurement. Does what you do provide you with self-fulfillment and self-worth? Does it make you happy? Then in my book, you are a success.

How do you measure success?

Jana Richards has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to full-length paranormal suspense and romantic comedy. She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side. She believes there’s nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick.
When not writing up a storm, working at her day job as an Office Administrator, or dealing with ever present mountains of laundry, Jana can be found on the local golf course pursuing her newest hobby.
Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren, and a highly spoiled Pug/Terrier cross named Lou. You can reach her through her website at http://www.janarichards.net

The Girl Most Likely by Jana Richards:

Cara McLeod, the girl most likely to have the perfect marriage, is now divorced and, in her own words, "fat, frumpy, and over forty." The thought of facing former classmates—and the ex-husband who dumped her—at her high school reunion terrifies her. Cajoled into attending by her kids and her best friend, Cara enlists help at the gym to lose weight and look great for the reunion. Personal Trainer Finn Cooper is more than willing to help—but does he have to be so to-die-for gorgeous?
Finn thinks Cara is perfect just the way she is. She’s everything he wants in a woman, except for one thing—she can’t get past the fact that he's eight years younger. To Finn, age and weight are just numbers. But can he convince Cara the numbers she worries about add up to only one thing for him—love?

Jana's newest book, The Girl Most Likely from The Wild Rose Press, is available now. Go here for details on picking up your own copy.

Hallelujah - That's Me...

2011-12-13T07:37:00.004-04:00

After all these years I have finally come across a term I believe describes me! Hallelujah!!

Backtrack - I often describe my life as a book and most books have chapters, right? I consider my always changing dreams, goals, jobs, residences as my chapters. Let's look at jobs - I've worked retail, I've learned how to be an engraver, I've developed photographs (back in the day when it took 6 hours and chemicals), I taught English as a Second Language, I taught elementary school, I worked in a deli, I did a stint in a bakery, I've worked accounts payable and was a receptionist. Now I work as a database/marketing specialist!

Residences - the Prairies, the Arctic, Big City, Small Town, East Coast.

I've been a Highland Dancer, I've learned how to weave (and have a loom sitting in my front room collecting dust), I wrote a book (unpublished, but still finished), I ran a half-marathon, I took Scottish Country Dance classes and learned how to line dance to country music. There was a time when I went through a gourmet cooking phase, and a bread-baking phase.

My dreams - oh, too many to list - from being an actor (did some small town theatre and loved it) to a doctor. Thought about being a vet. Would love to learn how to paint. There's the published writer dream. And with all my research into running and nutrition, I'd love to go back to school to become a sports nutritionist.

And I've already talked about my love of learning here.

See, all over the place! And I've often looked back and thought "Scatterbrain!" And, as many of you know, often thought of my failed dreams or loss of interest as, well, failure. But not now -

A multipotentialite is a person who has many different interests and creative pursuits in life.
Multipotentialites have no “one true calling” the way specialists do. Being a multipotentialite is our destiny. We have many paths and we pursue all of them, either sequentially or simultaneously (or both). From: http://puttylike.com/terminology/

The whole article resonated with me - OK, maybe the 'gifted individual' made me giggle, but the rest: "THAT'S ME"!! And from now on I'll think differently when I begin to pursue a new adventure, dream, or interest!

This was the big "Hallelujah":

Multipotentialites don’t define “finishing” the way a specialist (and indeed, most of society) does. We learn what we came to learn and then move on to the next interest. This may not always look like “finishing” to the outside world, but it is.

Thanks to Procrastinating Writers Blog who linked to Puttylike and introduced me to the word. And I can't wait to see what Jennifer from Procastinating Writers Blog has in store for her new venture: "I’ll be launching a brand new blog. This time the focus will be on teaching writers how to adopt holistic practices in life/writing to help inspire their creativity."

Any multipotentialites out there in Blogland?

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...or not!

2011-12-12T08:09:00.004-04:00

Wow - I think this guy needs some help untangling those lights!!

A little less than two weeks to the big event - are you ready? I have Christmas boxes piled in the spare room only because I had to find a suitable Christmas gift bag ASAP. I came across the little wooden sled my friend Brenda made for me years ago and put it on the dining room table. And that's the extent of Christmas decorating inside the house.

Outside, The Husband put the lights up a couple of weeks ago when the weather was decent. Here's a picture of what the place looks like all lit up:

I got creative and found an old plant pot, dug up a small pine tree and stuck it in there, added some other pine tree branches (I love the fact that our house is surrounded by trees - all kinds of coniferous), went walking in the woods until I found some branches that still had red berries and added it to the pot, and placed it on my plant stand at the front door. I think I'll tie a festive bow on one of the branches sometime soon (now that the boxes are out and open) and call outside done.

Now, to find the time and energy to get the inside done. I'm sure we'll get it decorated by the time Christmas rolls around. If not, I guess I'll go hang out at that guy's house ;)

Are you decorated for the holidays, People of Blogland? Do you stick with the tried and true or do you change things up every year (we went over to friends' yesterday to help decorate their tree - she always does a different theme every year, this year was homey/country/folksy and the tree looks fabulous)? Do you decorate inside and outside?

Windswept Beach...

2011-12-09T07:42:00.003-04:00

There seems to be a beach theme this week. Yesterday way a blustery day here on the East Coast. 85K/hour winds (53mph) gusting to over 100K (65mph) made for many trees down, signs blown over and, because it was garbage day in some areas, garbage bags rolling down the street like modern day tumbleweed!

We took a quick trip over the river on the ferry. A large vessel, usually steady and smooth, bobbed up and down in the water as swell after swell hit the side. If one was prone to seasickness, the contant up and down of the horizon might have caused some quesiness. I loved it. The motion, the overcast sky, the howling winds took me back to my childhood when we would go overseas to visit relatives (Scotland - notoriously bad weather) and take as many boat tours as we could. My dad loved boats and water - inevitably, we would be out on the water in less than perfect conditions riding out the swells and listening the flap of our pants in the wind.

The Husband and I drove out to Hirtle's Beach - a beautiful stretch of beach that usually has some fantastic waves. The wind was so strong, I struggled to get my door open to get out. Then struggled to walk down the boardwalk to the rocks. Here's me leaning into the wind at the end of the boardwalk.

The pictures don't do the wave action justice. It was incredible! The sound of fury. The salt spray. But it was hard to keep the camera steady. If you're interested in seeing Hirtle's Beach on a calm day, head over to Dream Big - Sara had been there on Monday and took some fabulous pictures and a short video.

Have a great weekend, People of Blogland :)

A Simple Pull...

2011-12-08T07:47:00.003-04:00

unraveling...
perfectly constructed,
meticulously crafted,
harmonious!
one tug,
a simple pull,
loosens, frays,
destroys!
tumbling, knotting,
heaped in random chaos,
undone!

Inspiration - The Beach...

2011-12-07T00:01:00.000-04:00

Inspired by my run on Crescent Beach, here are some wonderful beach quotes - and my own photos of Oxner's Beach (with The Husband and Taz enjoying the walk), a small collection of beach 'gifts', and The Bay of Fundy taken at Burntcoat Lighthouse this past summer. I love the beach :)

I read and walked for miles at night along the beach, writing bad blank verse and searching endlessly for someone wonderful who would step out of the darkness and change my life. It never crossed my mind that that person could be me.” ~ Anna Quindlen

The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach - waiting for a gift from the sea. ~
Anne Morrow Lindbergh

In every outthrust headland, in every curving beach, in every grain of sand there is the story of the earth.” ~ Rachel Carson

The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea. ~ Isak Dinesen

At the beach, life is different. Time doesn’t move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides and follow the sun. ~ Unknown

Post Race Report...

2011-12-06T08:13:00.003-04:00

Took a long weekend there - needed it after my crazy busy Sunday. Yes, I did run a half-marathon distance in 2:28:14, which is a personal best! I decided to do a straight out course - there's something about getting out a distance and then turning around and knowing you have all that distance to cover again to get back to the start. Mind games! I convinced The Husband that he needed to come and get me. He arrived right on time.

The course I chose, from my place to Crescent Beach, was beautiful. And it was a beautiful day - I was 'unlayering' before I even hit the half-way mark. I ran along the LaHave River to where it meets the Atlantic Ocean, then kept going until I hit the beach. I've blogged about this beach before - the only beach in Nova Scotia that allows cars to drive on it (good thing, don't think I could have walked back to the parking spaces) - see here if you're interested in knowing more about this natural wonder or seeing some pics I took.

When I got to the beach, the watch told me I still had mileage to go - so down onto the hard-packed sand I ran with the waves spilling in toward me and the rhythmic sound accompanying the percussion of my feet. What an awesome way to finish a run!

Needless to say I was tired and could already feel my legs burning. An epsom salt bath was needed - as was the hot chocolate spiked with Swiss Almond Liquour (the running nutritionists will be having a fit with that post-race refueling). And I had to be ready to leave the house for an afternoon party in under two hours. I'm so glad I took the time to have the bath, though, or I wouldn't have made it through the rest of the day.

After all that excitement - the run and a marvelous party with friends - I was one tired puppy yesterday. Didn't even have the energy to blog! Still a little fuzzy around the edges today.

How was your weekend, People of Blogland?

Vegas, Baby!

2011-12-02T08:05:00.005-04:00

My friend Brenda, and her friend Leah, are running this weekend in the Rock n' Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon. Being a supportive kind of person, I, too, am running the half marathon. Just not in Vegas!

I decided to do this - run a race thousands of miles away and all by myself - not only to support Brenda, but to give me something to train for. I've discovered that if there's nothing coming up race wise, I skip my workouts. Yes, you read that correctly. I am lazy. But if I have the incentive of an upcoming event, I will get out and run. Call it a carrot.

With this being a kind of virtual run, I was worried that I would slack off. Obviously I didn't sign up for the race, I won't be running with 40,000 people and the only one who would know for sure that I actually got out there and ran 21K (13 miles) would be me. But I didn't - well, except for that one week where I kind of slacked off.

And that one week? Had I not made the committment to run 'with' Brenda, that one week would have morphed into two, then three, then four. I've already learned the hard way that any time away from consistant running will quickly derail my fitness. After last year's half, I stopped running and when I started up again in January it was like starting from scratch. All that conditioning had disappeared. I took time off after the race in May (not as much, but still time away from running) and the same thing happened.

I need deadlines. So with that in mind, I have already planned my 2012 running schedule to help me stay the running course. And because I'm loving this running thing so much, I have tentatively mapped out my 2013 year (and it's going to be BIG - I turn 50 and I have a goal that is both very scary and very exciting - more on that later). With all this planning, all these carrots, I'm sure to keep myself on the running path.

What kind of carrots do you dangle in your life to keep you on your chosen path? Do you work better with deadlines (and carrots)? Have you ever noticed that time away from something sets you back in skill level or conditioning (I think of my writing and the same is true - obviously the reason why so many advocate writing every day)?

Happy Friday, People of Blogland. And good luck, Brenda and Leah :)

NaNoWriMo - We're Finished...

2011-12-01T08:09:00.003-04:00

Dear NaNoWriMo,

I’ve never written a Dear John letter before. OK, there was that one time back in Grade 6 to a group of girls who, looking back now, were definitely cliquey. Perhaps not the best decision I’ve ever made, but I survived and I like to think the stand I took made me a stronger, better person. Of course, I could still be in denial and therapy shouldn’t be out of the question.

Now, years later, I’m writing another letter to explain why we’re through, NaNoWriMo. Don’t get me wrong, this, what we had, was so very good when it was good. But I couldn’t keep up. Your demands for my time and attention were unrealistic. There’s so much more to my life than just you and your word count!

Oh, if it had only been about word count. You wanted commitment and focus then tempted me with a shiny website. Your simple request to log my progress got me into your inner sanctum only to have you seduce me with online forums filled with others just like me wanting, no, needing to be acknowledged, loved, listened to. Had I known what distractions lurked there, I may not have agreed to your terms. Had I known how many others you were involved with, I may not have fallen so head over heels for you. And, if 59 different forum titles weren’t enough to lure me away from my manuscript, my NaNo Mailbox filled up with messages of hope and inspiration, and mail from other writers.

I know, I know. Excuses all. I promised myself I wouldn’t lay blame for this failed relationship. We’re done, our time has come to say good-bye. I’ve learned a lot about myself in this short period of time, for that I thank you. I’ve tapped into my creative side, something that’s laid dormant for too long. And because of your shiny website and love of community, I’ve met some like-minded people who live near by. So, perhaps this isn’t so much a final farewell, but a fond adieu. You never know, I may call you up in a couple of months, a year, and we could try again.

Sincerely,

Running_Writer

Do Not Disturb...

2011-11-21T08:03:00.001-04:00

In an attempt to 'win' NaNoWriMo, I will be offline for the week. See you all soon :)

NaNo Progress - Moving Forward...

2011-11-18T07:12:00.001-04:00

Have a great weekend, People of Blogland :)

A Winner, A Joke, A Confession, and Options...

2011-11-17T07:53:00.005-04:00

Congratulations to Tess St. John - you're the lucky commenter and will be receiving a digital copy of Grace Hood's Coming Undone! Thanks again to Grace - and to everyone who stopped by yesterday.

My dear friend Connie has been sending me funnies through the e-mail to keep up my NaNoWriMo spirit. Yesterday's was priceless:

If life gives you melons...you may be dyslexic!

Confession time - NaNo is not going well. I did not write yesterday :( Not words to add to the WIP, anyway. I did type up a hearty rendition of our book club meeting. Then proceeded to delve into a couple of books I borrowed from book club members.

The drek I spoke of earlier is pulling me down and I need to find a way to bring some light to the NaNo project. I have a couple of ideas:

1. Change the POV - up until this point, I've been writing in Riley's POV (3rd person). I think if I write a couple of scenes from another point of view, the story may become clearer.

2. Write scenes out of order - there's a couple I have rumbling around in the back of my mind that I could get down for word count. I don't usually write out of order, but this is NaNo and it's all about the word count.

3. Write my dead people scenes - yes, you read that correctly. Riley has conversations with dead people as she prepares them for their funeral (OMG, perhaps this story is just too morbid for my quirky sense of humor). These people have stories to tell - so, in reality, the work would have short stories embedded into it. I could write those short pieces.

4. Spread my writing out over the day - hard to do when I have a Day Job, but a really good idea since I seem to be so exhausted at the end of the day all I want to do is sit and veg. Lu sent me a link to a great post about surviving NaNo - and working on the novel at different times of the day was one of the suggestions. It's a great post: Open Book Fiction - How to Survive NaNoWriMo: 7 Tips to Keep Going

OK, I feel better now. I have options to get me out of the drek. Expect to see word count change tomorrow morning.

Any jokes for us today, People of Blogland? How about some other options for me (and others working on NaNo) if my 4 lifelines above fail? Anything to confess?

Inspiration - Grace Hood...

2011-11-16T00:01:00.002-04:00

Five things I’ll need ~

When I’m sent to a padded room for talking to these voices in my head, here are five things my writer friends need to send me on a regular basis:

1. Post-it notes, stickies, what-ever-the-heck you call them. In as many different colours as possible. And all size ranges, from the little flags to the giant poster.

2. Something to put the stickie notes on, like a white board. Especially good for when plotting becomes necessary. I am pantser, hear me roar! But sometimes, one gets to the point in a story when one becomes trapped in a dead end. Or one has too many paths from which to choose. Each of my characters can have a different colour, and all my plot threads can have their own colours. I’ll create a rainbow of delight. Or a sack of mud.

3. Notebooks or notepads. I have several projects going at one time, much to my chagrin, so I’ll need a few notebooks for each story. One of those five subject behemoths would be good for character notes. Do you know there is a type of notebook that allows you to remove a page from one spot, and stick it in another spot, and it stays? Brilliant!

4. Caffeine, in all delivery systems. Tea for early morning, followed by a dark roast coffee with blend for mid-morning, diet Coke for afternoon, tea for after supper, and hot cocoa for just before bed. And yes, I’ll be able to sleep.

5. Chocolate. Need I elaborate? Well, dark and milk for different moods. Something nutty for when I need a boost of protein. M&M’s or Smarties so I can grab a handful and pace around whilst muttering dialogue. Coffee Crisp bars, cuz they’re my favourite and they make a nice, light snack.

What would you like/need in your padded cell, or desert island, or wherever you ended up? Or if you dream of a quiet weekend away, what secret pleasure would be in your suitcase?

One lucky commenter will receive a free download of my newest book, Coming Undone, released TODAY from The Wild Rose Press.

Grace Hood has been creating adventures for her imaginary friends since childhood. As soon as she discovered, and devoured, her grandmother's stash of medical romance novels, all plots had to lead to a happily-ever-after.
Grace writes full time, concentrating on sexy, steamy contemporary romance, hot paranormal romance, and spicy historical romance.
Born and raised in Nova Scotia, Grace now lives in Maine with her dear husband, two teenagers, three cats, one budgie, one surviving gold fish, and six hens. When she's not torturing her heroes and heroines, she can be found either in her kitchen whipping up something chocolate, or in her yard chasing the hens out of the garden.

Purchase Grace Hood's Coming Undone here: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=195&products_id=4688

And check out Grace's Blog: http://www.gracehood.blogspot.com/

500th Post...

2011-11-15T08:18:00.003-04:00

I can hardly believe it - 500 posts here at The Journal! For a while there this summer, I didn't think I would get to 500. Yes, I seriously considered closing the blog down. But here I am, tapping away at my keyboard every weekday morning, filling you all in on my thoughts and musings. It's been much easier since I gave up the notion of being more than I am. This is a journal. Not a platform. Not a popularity contest. And certainly not serious. I can be so high school some days!!

See Storyteller Spud there? He's written a lot of drek. Oh. My. God. The drek is getting deeper and deeper. I was tempted last night to move to a different project, the drek so depressing! But I kept going. Wrote more drek to go with the original drek. Tonight, I'll add some drek to the increasing pile of drek. Drek, drek, drek! I believe Storyteller Spud may morph into a mushroom amidst all the drek.

In happier news, my 501st post will be a guest blogger! I'm so excited to have this author join us - she's funny, warm, smart and the most optimistic person I've ever met. She has a new book out tomorrow and is coming to The Journal to celebrate the launch. I understand she'll also be giving away a digital copy to one of the commenters. You don't want to miss that!

To celebrate the 500th post, here are some of the more popular posts on the blog:
30 Day Clothing Challenge
Inspiration - Starting Over
Trouble From A - Z

And, holy crap, I just discovered that my Friday Fiction is on the blog. I'm such a tool. I had deleted Mickey's Story from the page tab and when I went to re-read what I had, considering a continuation and finishing of that story, I discovered I was missing the second last instalment. Yes, in my word document I have written "See Blog"! I thought it was lost forever. And I've found it. What a way to celebrate 500 posts!! Thank you, Blogger :)

Best and Worst - Weekend Edition...

2011-11-14T08:05:00.004-04:00

Friday night party - The Best: great friends, conversations and finger food (I love finger food - does anyone remember the movie Mermaids? Cher's character, the mom, made finger food every night for supper).

The Worst: being designated driver :(

Saturday's Long Run - The Best: running 10 miles non-stop with a great group of women (nothing like constant chatting to pass the time)

The Worst: My constant eating afterward :(

Movie Night - The Best: big bowl of popcorn with a glass of red wine (seriously, there's something about popcorn and red wine pairing - I'm so cultured)

The Worst: being too tired from the run to watch a second movie and going to bed at 9:30 on a Saturday :(

Sunday Yoko Ono Day - The Best: giving myself permission to do nothing all day :)

The Worst: only having one day :(

Writing - The Best: pounding out 3000 words in an afternoon writing session :)

The Worst: admitting that those were the only words written all weekend :(

How was your weekend, People of Blogland? The best and the worst - bring it on!

Welcome Julia Smith...

2011-11-11T00:01:00.001-04:00

My Writer’s Journey To Oz - Julia Phillips Smith

Follow the Yellow Brick Road--In 2003, I joined Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada and began working at the craft of writing a novel. Up until that point, I’d been writing, of course, but my true apprenticeship of learning the ins and outs of craft, and of the business of writing, didn’t really start until that first writers’ group meeting.

Our parent organization, Romance Writers of America, holds a national conference each year that I could never attend—it was a financial limitation, not a lack of desire to go on my part. This year, at long last, I knew I was finally in a position to actually go to the conference.

Oddly enough, it coincided with the fact that I was also ready to pitch my completed novels to an agent and editor. Even more astonishing was the fact that it was being held in Manhattan, a place I’d longed to visit since childhood.
So for me, I would say the opening registration day, when I could sign up for agent/editor appointments online, set my ruby red slippers upon the yellow brick road.

We’re Off to See the Wizard--I began the challenge of replacing a lost identification document so I could travel from Canada to the United States. By the time the US customs officer cleared me for entry, I could feel my arms linked through the Cowardly Lion’s and the Scarecrow’s. We danced our jig as we made it to the Marriott Marquis hotel on Times Square. I was in search of a literary agent, and I wasn’t going to leave that conference until I had a request for my manuscript.

Wicked Witch—The night before my pitch appointments with the agent and editor, I’d discussed my story dilemma with my cousin and my sister, who were my roomies. I knew in my heart that I would be challenged when I mentioned that my story wasn’t exactly a romance, and that it had a tragic love story at its heart. So we brainstormed a Happily Ever After ending just in case.

My agent appointment went perfectly. I got the cherished request for a partial of my manuscript. I didn’t even care too much whether the editor asked for a partial or not. When the editor asked for one only after I promised the happy ending, I wasn’t too worked up about it. After all, the agent had shown a lot of interest and she was the one I was most excited about.

Ruby Slippers—Only after I returned home and began preparing my manuscript for submission did I realize a dizzying truth. I didn’t want to send my story to these two people. What would it matter if this agent and I got along famously, if she was going to try to sell it to editors like the one to whom I’d pitched? That editor stated plainly that she needed a happy ending. But she kept letting me go on with my pitch, presumably because there was something compelling about my story. My ruby red heels began to click together. The answer to my problem had hidden inside of me all along.

There’s No Place Like Home—For weeks I sat on my manuscript and didn’t send it to these two women. Something highly insistent kept me from setting something in motion that I’d thought I’d wanted for many years.

However, a writer from my group decided to self-publish her horse racing romantic suspense novels through Amazon, and suddenly her unsellable manuscript was burning up the reader charts, landing in top ten lists. ‘No one wants to read about horses’ the New York publishers had told her. ‘Can you take the horses out?’ they’d asked her. Her success spurred me to take that final step, that final click-click of my ruby slippers.

It took a trip to New York, a four-day intensive writing conference and two industry requests for partials for me to learn what I’d known all along.
No amount of flying monkeys can pull the straw stuffing from my story. I’m a self-published indie author. My Somewhere Over the Rainbow is right here in my own heart.

Do you want another life?
In Dark Age Wales, Peredur falls to a spear on the battlefield,but fights death to the last – until he is made an offer he can’t refuse, two fangs embedding themselves in his neck. Tanwen was his betrothed, and resists her father’s command to take another husband. When the wise woman’s son insists he can reunite her with Peredur, Tanwen must choose between a future that promises only misery, or set her on a dark path that whispers of her heart’s true desire.

Julia wrote and directed two book trailers for her novel, Saint Sanguinus Check them out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2Dcv_qhXjM and here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY8gACi2aaY

Julia's Web Page: http://juliaphillipssmith.com/
Julia's Blog: http://julia-mindovermatter.blogspot.com/
Or catch up with Julia on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Julia-Phillips-Smith/550188924 or Twitter: https://twitter.com/#%21/apieceofmymind
**All formatting errors/issues are the sole responsibility of the Blog's Host - sorry**

NaNo, Weather and a Guest...

2011-11-10T07:36:00.002-04:00

Not much progress - as you can see, Storyteller Spud decided to watch TV! But I did the calculations and I have to write 1913 words per day to 'win' NaNoWriMo. Doable!

On the weather front, we're in for a doozy of a storm overnight tonight and into tomorrow. They're calling for 70 -90mm of rain (that's 2.75 to 3.5 inches). And high winds. Seems there's a tropical storm named Sean out there, swirling in the Atlantic. Rather late in the year for a tropical storm. At least it's not snow - my apologies to all my friends who are getting snow, have already had snow, and/or are looking at 6 months of snow in their very near future.

I hope you all check in tomorrow as I have a special guest lined up. Julia Smith will be guest blogging. Tomorrow is the release of her first novel: Saint Sanguinus. She's talking about her writing journey with an emphasis on why she chose to self-publish.

Enjoy your Thursday, People of Blogland. And, fingers crossed, Storyteller Spud will be back at his desk mashing out those words soon!

Inspiration - The Sun and The Moon...

2011-11-09T06:50:00.005-04:00

First, the sun:

Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. ~ James Matthew Barrie

Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain ~ Anonymous

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead. ~ Louisa May Alcott

And now for the moon:

Follow your inner moonlight. ~ A. Ginsberg

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. ~ Les Brown

But I'm the only one who can paint the moon, because I'm the only one who knows whether that's right or not. ~ Alan Bean

And because when I found this I laughed out loud:

A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine, except that on a day without sunshine you can still get drunk. ~ Lee Entrekin

Facing Tuesday as a Bear...

2011-11-08T07:56:00.003-04:00

Yikes, you would think it was Monday morning the mood I awoke to! Growly. I slept well - with the exception of some seriously disturbed dreams (seems since I began writing again, my creative sleeping brain has come alive - last night it was camping, teaching, old friends, antiques and, wait for it, dog poop all rolled into one fantastical dream).

I was up at my usual time. did the usual morning things (coffee, got dog out, gave dog treat, sat at computer, read e-mails). Then, the sun peeked its head up over the row of trees in our front yard. An. Hour. Too. Soon. I'm typing this and I can't see anything - the sun glaring in the window, blinding me. No, we don't have window coverings on any windows in our house with the exception of the spare bedroom, which I thought would freak me out more than it does.

Usually at this time, happy Dayligh Saving People, I've finished my fist stint at the computer and am eating breakfast for the half an hour it takes for the sun to move away from my window. Or I'm out for my run. This change of clocks is messig with my well-oiled daily schedule.

Aha - the real reason I'm grouchy. Once I get a routine ironed out and am happy with it, I don't like it to change. Sure there are variations, but not big ones. And for all I'd like to be a free spirit, I know that I'm very analytical and thrive on being organized and, yes, scheduled. The sun shining in my window at 8 am throws everything out of whack. Grrr.

In other news - it's Tuesday and I'm still behind the eight ball with NaNo. I feel like I'm getting a cold. And there's nothing to eat in the house becaause I didn't have time to go grocery shopping yesterday.

Perhaps I should go back to bed and see about getting up on the RIGHT side!

What makes you grouchy, People of Blogland? Come on, you can't all be sunshine and roses - let's get it out there! Anyone a schedule freak?

*I apologize for any spelling errors - other posts, other spelling errors, well I have no excuse for those.

Monday, Monday...

2011-11-07T07:38:00.002-04:00

Oops - I'm afraid I didn't have a 'workend'! After four kickass days of NaNo, I stopped! Didn't write one word on the weekend. Not. One.

So my little potato head writer right below this post - all starchy in his cocky wave - has not moved. If there was a way to make him hang is sorry little head, I would put that up. Really, I should poke his eyes out for not working.

Oh, well! Had a great weekend otherwise - and I am not going to beat myself up over the fact I didn't get my words written. If there's one thing I've learned this year from my running, take everyday as a new beginning. Throwing in the towel at the first missed run/write date (or the couple of days of laziness), does not move one forward. In some ways, it moves you backwards at double the rate. And makes starting up that much harder.

I did fill my creative well with a trip to the city to see the play Lost - A Memoir. A one-woman show based on the book by Cathy Ostlere. Powerful is too weak a word to describe the content and the actor!

Wow, I just sat here for 10 minutes lost in thought about the play! I must admit, I am a little fuzzy headed this morning due to the time change (it always puts me out of sync). And to stretch this post about nothing any longer - well, that would be painful for all of us. Let's hope the cobwebs clear before I sit down to my NaNo project. Maybe a second cup of coffee would work.

How was your weekend, People of Blogland? Anyone have a 'workend'?

NaNo Progress...4 Days In...

2011-11-05T07:55:00.001-03:00

Short - Very Short...

2011-11-04T07:55:00.005-03:00

Yikes, I'm only on Day 4 and this is how I feel! And the quiet whisperings of negativity have begun their web. The tendrils of self-doubt and fear spun gossamer thin, but silky strong.

In other news, it's Friday :)

NaNo Progress...

2011-11-03T14:09:00.003-03:00

Info Junkie...

2011-11-03T07:23:00.000-03:00

With the new project comes research - don't worry, Cheerleaders, I'm not spending my entire NaNo time surfing the web. I am writing (3555 words so far). But I also need some quick answers. As I plug in different words and word combinations into my Google search bar, I am amazed at the information literally at the tip of my fingers.

I am an Information Junkie. If there's something I want to know, I won't rest comfortably until I've looked it up! My "Favorites" is a mile long over there on the left hand sidebar - unfortunately, not that well organized, but enough that I can find what I'm looking for if I want. Medieval resources, Regency resources, smuggling information, publishing information (which, in turn, contains info sites on queries, synopsis, blurbs, etc), Private Investigator information, inspirational quote sites, the oh-so-Canadian weather sites, a ton of blogs (saved there before I realized Blogger would do it for me in my "Dashboard"), running sites, craft resources, recipe resources (and, in turn, links to recipes I've made and loved), public domain picture sites, work related sites, and, now, a file for all the information I'm gathering on funeral homes and embalmers. I love it.

And it makes playing Jeopardy or Trivial Pursuit that much more fun. Small talk? I can usually pull something from my vast, but shallow, knowledge base to chat about with a stranger. Or be incredibly quick at sharing a link to a great site if a friend inquires about a certain topic.

There are downsides to being an Info Junkie - and that is the amount of time I can whittle away while at my computer. Back in the day, if I wanted to know something, I either got myself to the library, dug out the old encyclopedia or made a mental note to check it out when I had more time. Now? I can be in the middle of cooking supper - chicken enchiladas - and wonder if cheese curds would be a good topping (never having used cheese curds before). A quick tap, tap, tap on the keyboard and, yes, cheese curds can be used in recipes such as lasagna and enchiladas. Done and done! Thank goodness I was in the middle of cooking or I would have spent a half an hour learning more about the 'new-to-me' cheese curd!

So, People of Blogland - any Info Junkies out there? What's in your Favorites? Did you know that cheese curds were what Little Miss Muffet was eating (along with her whey) when the spider sat down beside her?

Inspiration - Choices...

2011-11-02T07:47:00.003-03:00

A big thank you to Janice over at Figuring It Out for bringing this to my attention. I've never heard this 'tale' before, but when I read it, it resonated - deeply!

The Wolves Inside You

An elder Native American was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said to them, "A fight is going on inside me.. it is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, falsepride, superiority, and ego. The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith."
"This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too," he added.
The Grandchildren thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee simply replied... "The one you feed.

Feed your wolves carefully, People of Blogland.

Ready, Set...

2011-11-01T07:35:00.004-03:00

...Waffle!

OMG, November is here and, as of 6 am, I still didn't have a good grasp on what I was going to write. OK, truth be told, I was grasping at straws. There were a couple of ideas swirling in my head - the Arctic Adventure (a female pilot was as far as I got - couldn't come up with a guy and the plot), the sequel to Lady Bells (Ranulf's story - but I couldn't get into a medieval mindset), Karyn's Kitchen Witch idea (but that just made me hungry). Well, you get the picture.

So, lying in bed this morning - letting my brain take me wherever - I met Riley! And Riley is drawn to dead people like a child to a puppy! What better occupation for someone who can feel dead people than a mortician. But Riley believes her visions and understanding of who those people were and how they died are just stories her brain conjures up, because really - they're dead!

Ready, Set, Go! I'm excited. NaNoWriMo here I come!!!

*Just wrote the blurb for The Voice of the Dead: Riley Matheson is drawn to dead people like a soul to the light; so what better occupation than a mortician. As the last person the dead interact with, they share with her their life - and their death. But she believes the stories they tell are products of an over-active imagination and her own loneliness. Until a new manager, a cop and a beautiful young woman convince her to believe in herself and her gift.

A Mental Game...

2011-10-31T07:28:00.004-03:00

For weeks, months, no, it's been over a year and a half, I have held the notion that I can not run without taking walk breaks. And I was fine with that - afterall, I've finished two half marathons using the run/walk method. But somewhere in the back of my mind or deep down in my running soul, I've wanted to be able to run continuously. The most I've every done is 30 minutes and when I get to that magic number (ooh, Halloween reference), I come to a complete stop.

I reach my mental hurdle!

Like the rider taking his horse through the jumps and getting to the the water jump - a little bigger and more unusual than the other straight forward fences - the brakes go on and the rider falls off! Splash!

This past weekend I met up with a new group that's formed, Riverport Walk & Run, and knew that the two women who would be running would be doing 8 miles at a slow pace, around a 12 minute mile. All doable, with the exception that they would be running continuously! I decided to go for it - try my best and have a back up plan of resorting to run/walk intervals if I found the going too tough. Or if I got to the mental hurdle, my horse stopped and I fell in the water - splash!

Let me just say, I jumped that hurdle with ease. I did the entire 8.63 miles at a steady 12:13 pace and even gave a little gas at the end. And a shout. A big whoop. Arms raised in the air in victory. I had a break through! And the thought that ran through my mind: I am a runner!

It definitely helped to have someone to run with - keep me at a steady pace and my mind otherwise occupied as I jumped those mental hurdles (thanks to Tammy, Liane and Nancy - who ran her longest distance ever on Saturday).

And the lesson learned: my biggest obstacle is ME! So, as I move into the craziness of NaNo, I need to remember to get out of my own way. Trust that I can do it and those mental hurdles are just that - mental. And I won't forget that even though I am writing on my own, I am not alone!

Do you put up mental hurdles, People of Blogland? What kind of strategies do you use to get over them without landing on your ass in the water? Any last minute advice on NaNo (thanks to Lu, who already sent over a fabulous link to Amy Fahrer's blog on Lessons From Pasts NaNoWriMos)?

**You know it's 8am and the whole horse and rider analogy is looking a little weak - am I the rider and my body is the horse? Am I the horse and the rider is my brain? Why is there water - what relation is there to the story? But, see, getting prepared for NaNo - wrote it, didn't edit it - going to jump it!

Weekend Lyrics...

2011-10-28T07:43:00.005-03:00

I've been looking forward to the weekend since, well, Monday! No reason - nothing exciting on the agenda other than the usual house cleaning and laundry, a long run of hopefully 10 miles on Sunday, and shopping. Wait a second? I've been counting down the days to THAT? I should have been hoping for time to stand still!

Isn't it funny how we're conditioned from an early age - weekends are wonderful, Mondays are depressing, Friday nights are for letting loose, Sundays are quiet.

Loverboy's "Working for the Weekend" has been playing in my head all week. The first line "Everybody's working for the weekend" played an endless loop - only because I couldn't remember the other lines. Then I was singing this:

Everybody's working for the weekend
Everybody needs a little break
Everybody's going off the deepend
Everybody wants a little cake, oh

When I looked up the lyrics, they didn't even come close to what I was singing (no real surprise there). And I also noticed the real lyrics really didn't make any sense (ah, 80's music) - so I didn't feel so bad that my version was weird.

So, it's Friday, finally, the weekend is almost upon us. Two days of rest and relaxation (or house cleaning, laundry and a long run). What's on your agenda? Do you 'work for the weekend'? Does Monday come and you say, "What? Already?" Is there anyone out there who would sign my 3 Day Weekend petition?

You wanna three day weekend,
You better sign on the line!
You wanna go off the deepend,
C'mon baby, it's fine! oh

Everybody's working for the weekend...

Call Me Crazy...

2011-10-27T07:30:00.003-03:00

I've signed up for NaNoWriMo - and I'm a wreck! This will be the first heavy duty writing I've done in over a year! A year! My thoughts have ranged from "What have I done?" to "What the hell am I going to write?" OK, there's also been the occasional "Ooh, I can't wait to get started!"

For those unfamiliar with NaNo, it's a writing contest where the contestants must complete a 50,000 word novel in the month of November (that's 1700 words per day, approximately). You're competing with yourself - you either do it and win or you don't and fail (my Evil Editor is having a field day with that word right now).

I have 5 days before the insanity begins.

Must decide on a story idea (can't write "What was I thinking?" 12500 times and call it done!)

Must decide on writing times (if I leave it to chance, I may end up trying to write the whole damn thing on the last weekend!)

Must dust off old laptop (no Internet connection - certain to stay focused!)

Must book a massage appointment as reward in December (alternately, book appointment for psychologist in case of failure, and spiraling self-confidence forces me to curl up in a fetal ball after having bludgeoned my aforementioned laptop with a sledgehammer!)

Any other suggestions to prepare for this crazy idea? Any story ideas you'd like to contribute to the non-existant pile - please, help a girl out! Anyone out there already signed up for the insanity - someone I can call on in the darkest hours before I search out the sledgehammer and pull out my fuzzie blanket to keep me warm while in the fetal position?

FYI - for those who enjoy reading all the comments (the new box thingy doesn't really let you see everyone's comments under the blog), just click on the title of the blog and you'll get a new page with the comments - keep refreshing to bring the new comments onto the page :)

Inspiration - Jennie Marsland...

2011-10-26T00:01:00.000-03:00

Janet, thanks for having me here today! I enjoy following your blog, and I especially liked your Monday post on cheese. Brie and pears, old Cheddar and apple pie, lasagna and quesadillas - I’m such an addict.

I’m also addicted to history –which at least is easier on the waistline! Glimpses of the past spark my imagination, which is why I write historical romance. I particularly enjoyed writing my new release, Shattered, because I got to delve into the history in my own back yard, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

During both World Wars, Halifax played a vital role as the departure point for troops and supplies being shipped to Europe. During the First World War, an accident occurred here that changed the face of the city forever, and gave me the inspiration for my story.

On the morning of December 6, 1917, two ships collided in Halifax Harbour. One of them, the Mont Blanc, was fully loaded with wartime explosives. The collision sparked a fire that detonated the volatile cargo. The resulting blast remains the largest non-natural, non-nuclear explosion in recorded history. Halifax’s North End, which was then called Richmond, was devastated. After years of enquiries, blame was never clearly established.

This chilling photo, taken shortly after the Explosion, shows why the disaster was used as a case study for the Manhattan Project. There’s simply nothing left of the North End. Two thousand people died that day, the youngest only six days old. Thousands more were injured, many blinded by flying glass as they stood at windows watching the Mont Blanc burn. The tragedy lent impetus to the development of safety glass. The Catholic parish of St. Joseph’s, in the heart of Richmond, lost half its members that day, as well as the church itself and the girls’school next door. Rebuilding took decades.

I used to teach in one of the few buildings to survive the Explosion, the old St. Joseph’s –Alexander Mackay School on Russell Street, across from St. Joseph’s Church, a block away from ground zero. The school was still under construction when the Explosion occurred. Now a private school, it’s all that remains of the Richmond Liam Cochrane and Alice O’Neill, the hero and heroine of Shattered, would have known. I’m not Catholic, but I find it rather sad that the rebuilt St. Joseph’s Church, which took the decimated parish forty years to complete, was recently demolished because of dwindling attendance and structural deterioration. Time marches on.

While I was writing the book, I drove to the North End on several occasions and walked the streets, trying to imagine how they looked before the Explosion –an unpretentious working-class neighbourhood with room for gardens and backyard hens. There’s no denying the area has a unique energy. A friend of mine who lives there told me she once came home from work, glanced in her kitchen window and saw a man in old-fashioned clothes sitting at her table. While she was looking at him, he vanished. Not all reminders of the Explosion are as tangible as the remains of homes and possessions people still unearth in their yards.

Of course, many people from other parts of the world –and other parts of Canada –have never heard of the Explosion, but here it’s woven into the fabric of our culture. The few remaining survivors gather each year at the memorial on Needham Hill to remember those lost that day.

They were young children in 1917, but for some, the memory is still crystal clear. The recorded recollections of survivors can be found on YouTube, and there are a few minutes of poignant original film footage there as well.

Of course, in Shattered the history serves as a backdrop for Liam and Alice’s love story. Liam has been invalided home from the trenches of Europe with a crippling wound. He lost his brother as well as his youth overseas. He’s got a lot of healing to do, and he isn’t sure he has the strength to do it.

Alice has loved Liam for years, but she’s kept her silence to save her heart. Able to read music, but not words, Alice knows Liam can’t be hers. He’d never settle for an illiterate woman, and besides, he’s just started seeing her older sister, Georgie. Ouch. Alice has been pegged as the family housekeeper –but she’s not quite resigned to her fate. Back then, dyslexia was unheard of; no one understands why Alice couldn’t learn to read, but she knows she isn’t stupid. She and Liam have a rocky road to happiness, but in the end, love and courage triumph over disaster –just as they did in real life.

While Shattered is a love story, I’m gratified to find that it seems to appeal to men as well as women. Perhaps that’s because Liam’s point of view is stronger than it is in some romances. I’ll leave you with an excerpt to enjoy, but first a bit of random trivia –did you know that the Christmas tree that glitters in Boston’s Prudential Square each year is a gift from Nova Scotia, in recognition of the help the state of Massachusetts provided after the Explosion?

I’ll leave you with an excerpt. Here’s Liam’s and Alice’s first dance, and Liam’s first encounter with Alice’s very troubled brother, Carl, another returned soldier with a lot of problems –and the hero of my current WIP. This one is set in small-town Saskatchewan, so Janet, we’ll have to talk!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He took Alice’s hand and drew her into his arms. Dancing and the heat had brought the blood to her cheeks, and her eyes sparkled like running brook water again. Although she blushed, he sensed no shyness in her body. She fit naturally in his arms, as if she belonged there.

Yeah. She sure isn’t a kid anymore.

Then, like a bolt from the blue an image flashed into Liam’s mind, Alice dancing close, nestled in his arms with her head on his shoulder. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, where did that come from? She’s Georgie’s sister! He loosened his hold on her, but that didn’t dull his awareness of every slender curve, of her light floral perfume. Worse, he saw in her eyes that she felt the awareness between them, too.

Before he could make an excuse and abandon her, the band ended the waltz with an extra flourish. The leader bowed to the crowd. "Catch your breath, ladies and gentlemen, while the chair of your Social Committee says a few words. I give you Mrs. Frances Henneberry."

Everyone returned to their seats, Liam with a sigh of devout thanks. He angled his chair to put Stephen and Alice out of his line of slight. As far as I’m concerned, friend, she’s all yours. Good luck keeping her. Thin, sharp-faced Mrs. Henneberry stepped onto the platform with a self-conscious smile and cleared her throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it’s wonderful to see you all here, supporting our parish’s efforts to ease the suffering of helpless civilians overseas. There is more than one person here tonight who could tell us first-hand just how severe those sufferings have been and what our sons and brothers have sacrificed in the effort to end them. The least we here at home can do is –"

"Shut up. That’s the least you can do."

The words carried clearly from the corner nearest the O’Neills’table. Every head swiveled. Georgie blushed a deep red. Alice’s face blanched pearl-white. In the shadows just beyond the lighted platform, Carl leaned against the wall, his face flushed with heat and liquor. No one at the table had noticed him come in.

An older, heavier Carl than Liam remembered, with a harder face. The tough kid had grown into a tough man, with an added belligerence. One look at his glazed eyes told Liam Georgie’s brother was a loose cannon.

He and Stephen got up at the same instant and started toward the corner. Stephen got there first and planted himself in front of Carl.

"You’ve said enough. Your sisters are here."

"I’m not leaving ‘til I make my point."Carl pushed Stephen back and raised his voice again. "That old windbag hasn’t got anyone at the front. She doesn’t have a clue."

The scathing words on Liam’s tongue died there. Up close, Carl reminded him too much of men he’d seen in hospital, men who woke in the night screaming as he’d done more than once. Men who spent their days looking at the world through vacant eyes. And Mrs. Henneberry annoyed the hell out of him, too.

"You’re right, Carl. She doesn’t. This isn’t the place for either of us. Come outside and get some fresh air."

Fists clenched, Carl took a step forward. "Don’t bullshit me, Liam. I’m not going anywhere until I’m good and ready. Who do you think you are, anyway? Your little brother isn’t the only one who’s been killed overseas, you know. Just –

Liam didn’t hear the rest of the sentence. Rage blotted out his compassion, rage and the memory of Michael-John’s wide, sightless dark eyes. His first punch landed hard in Carl’s belly. The second hit his jaw, knocking him backward and throwing Liam off-balance. They hit the floor, fists flying. The next thing he knew, Nolan was dragging him to his feet while his father and Stephen pinioned Carl. Liam shook his brother off and dove at Carl, only to have his bad leg collapse and land him back on the floor. Nolan helped him up again and got a firm grip on his arms.

"What the hell? Liam, stop it!"

The girls stood nearby now. Georgie’s eyes sparkled with anger, but the strain on Alice’s face did more to clear the haze from Liam’s mind. He stopped struggling with Nolan, took a deep breath and swallowed. The metallic taste of blood in his mouth made his stomach churn.

"The son of a bitch insulted Michael-John."

Nolan released his hold and took a step toward Carl, putting himself in the man’s face. "If I ever hear of you mentioning my brother’s name again, I’ll finish what Liam started. Dad, Stephen, get him the hell out of here."

Still winded from Liam’s first blow, blood trickling from his nose, Carl didn’t offer much resistance. Liam figured he’d gotten the worst of the encounter himself, a split lip and what would likely be a magnificent shiner. A couple of older women were on the platform trying to soothe Mrs. Henneberry, who looked on the verge of tears. He should go and say something to her, but at the moment he couldn’t find the words. He shrugged Nolan’s hand from his shoulder.

"I’m getting out of here. Apologize to Georgie for me, would you?"Without waiting for an answer, he walked out.

To buy Shattered, by Jennie Marsland, click here.

Jennie's website: http://jenniemarsland.com/

And Jennie's blog: http://www.jenniemarsland.blogspot.com/

**All formatting insanity is strictly the fault of the Blog Hostess - hopefully it will look fine when it goes live**

This, That and a Guest...

2011-10-25T07:28:00.004-03:00

THIS: Dancing With The Stars got a little heated last night! Wow, Maks was not happy and he was yipping back at the judges and continued to complain after they got their marks. I can understand his frustration - the judges do mark for stuff a normal person learning to dance might never understand, let alone accomplish. But it is a dancing show and there are others who are getting it and improving. Which brings me to my next point - I'm loving that this season is all about those that can't dance. There are no pop stars who dance for a living on stage! Everyone of the contestants is relatively new to dancing and it's making for a very different season. I'm enjoying it...well, except for the conflict with Maks and the judges (made me cringe).

THAT: I've discovered a new website for my running - The Daily Mile. A great place to upload and track my mileage. Now this website works for most sports - including walking. So if you're a walker and want to keep a tab on your mileage, check it out. My favorite feature: it keeps track of how many donuts you've burned off with all your exercising. My count since I signed up and began tracking - 97.5! And in 31 workouts, I've supposedly lost 5 pounds, powered 353 TVs, covered 126 miles in 24 hours. Not too bad. The other great feature is you can keep all your stats private - or invite a few close friends on the journey with you. Hey, if you sign up and want a training buddy - look me up :)

A GUEST: Tomorrow I have the honor of hosting Jennie Marsland for Inspiration Wednesday. Jennie's road to publication for her first book shows that she was one determined and persistant writer (you can read about it here). Now, with Shattered, she's decided to self-publish. The book is set in Halifax, Nova Scotia around the Halifax Explosion in 1917. She's written a great post about the Explosion, so I hope you come back to read a little of Nova Scotia's history - and check out her fabulous new book (there will be a snippet).

Any this or that from you, People of Blogland?

Say Cheese...

2011-10-24T07:20:00.003-03:00

I ate too much cheese over the weekend! Friday night was Pizza night and it was a simple cheese pizza - emphasis on the cheese with both mozzarella and real parmesan piled high. The result - ooey, gooey, stringy cheese pizza. I ate my entire half!

Then there was the after-run Saturday morning breakfast sandwich - homemade with turkey bacon, fried egg and cheese. I considered leaving the cheese off since I had ended the run with a chocolate milk reward (I love chocolate milk, but that's a whole other post), but I quickly dismissed that idea as insane - a breakfast sandwich without cheese? Really? It was so good.

That evening friends dropped by just before supper and I prepared a cheese plate to go with the glasses of wine we just had to have. I had bought a medium gouda and sliced it to add to the cheddar and white cheddar. A couple of crackers, a quick dip and a bowlful of peanuts rounded out the tray - I didn't have any grapes. And when cheese is within reach, I can't restrain myself.

Sunday night - twice baked potatoes (done in a casserole dish) to take for a potluck - you guessed it, I grated cheese all over the top so when it came out of the oven it was ooey, gooey, stringy and ooh so good!

Did you know that cheese is addictive? This site: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/cheese-contains-morphine.html calls it 'dairy crack' (ha, like that). Here: http://www.examiner.com/nutrition-in-philadelphia/recovery-program-for-cheese-addicts lists it with sugar and chocolate as foods which are addictive. Of course, it's like everything - wait long enough and the food/drink you love will be touted as bad for you - wait even longer and that food/drink will swing back into the 'good for you' category.

Mmmm, cheese :) Are you addicted to cheese, People of Blogland? Name your favorite cheese and/or your favorite dish that has cheese in it. I'm hungry - perhaps a grilled cheese sandwich for breakfast this morning!

And just so you know - I did have something healthy over the weekend: Fish Tacos. You can find the recipe here: http://www.canadianliving.com/food/fish_tacos.php I highly recommend it - delicious!!

Take Me Away...

2011-10-21T07:50:00.004-03:00

I blew off my run yesterday! This is not good - I know from past experience that one lost run day could very well lead to two, then three and so on and so on (hey, anyone out there remember the Faberge Shampoo commercial?).

Oh, crap - got so caught up watching the old commercial I forgot where I was going...

Right - I need a coach. Better yet - I need The Ranch. You know, The Biggest Loser Ranch where all I have to do is exercise with a professional and prepare my food. Down time, besides sitting in ice baths to heal my sore muscles and sleeping due to long workouts, could be spent reading or writing. No work! No housework! No grocery lists or finding the energy to go grocery shopping! And somebody, besides myself, to push me out the door for my daily run.

This is not far off my younger self's wish to be fitted into a padded cell (perhaps this is more about me than you wanted to know ;) Not because I felt I was insane (although some days), but because I could envision myself just laying around all day reading all the books my friends and family would bring to me.

Am I lazy? Hell, yes! Does Real Life sometimes get me down? Uh, yeah! Did I ever succumb to the TV Advertising and use Faberge Organics Shampoo? Guilty!

What would you need right now, People of Blogland - a padded cell? The Ranch? How many weeks (or days) would it take for you to demand Real Life again? What have you blown off recently? Did you ever use Faberge Organics Shampoo?

OMG - look what I found when I went hunting for an image (padded cell) for the blog this morning! A padded cell chair. The Paddy Chair by Nick Melville.

I want one!

This, That and a Recipe...

2011-10-20T07:31:00.006-03:00

A change to the blog - I've made the comment section a pop-up window after discovering that some people couldn't leave comments. Hope this helps :)

A super easy white sauce for pasta - I had bought fresh ravioli the other week and froze it for an 'emergency' meal (the one where it's 5 0'clock and you're not sure what you're going to make for supper). It was stuffed with ricotta cheese and spinach and I really didn't feel like smothering it in spaghetti sauce. Besides, we had a variation on that a couple of weeks ago - I wanted something different. I found in my recipe box a pasta recipe with a white sauce that I remembered being very good and easy - I was all about easy last night, thus the frozen ravioli! Boiled up the pasta, threw together the sauce, made garlic parmesan toasts (yes, I keep garlic butter in my fridge at all times) and added the salad that was left over from the night before. Yummy!!!

Here's the sauce recipe if you're interested: 3/4c milk (I only have skim in my house) and 1/2c Miracle Whip Salad Dressing (we use the light). Whisk over med heat until just simmering. I added a touch of nutmeg. Pour over pasta (this amount was perfect for two small pkgs of pasta), season with cracked pepper and Bob's Your Uncle!!

On a final note, it's raining here! I have a run to do - hill workout - which means I have to do it on the treadmill. I'm not looking forward to it. The time seems to go that much faster when I'm outside running - perhaps it's the view (versus staring at the wall for 40 minutes) or the fact I can vary my pace without having to adjust a machine. It will get done, though - I have a couple of running goals that I'm focused on (more on that later). And I know from past experience if I don't keep up with the training schedule, I can lapse back to Couch Potato Status in a heartbeat.

How's your Thursday shaping up, People of Blogland? Do you have a quick pasta sauce recipe to share? Am I the only one who keeps garlic butter in her fridge at all times? How's the weather in your neck of the woods? Anyone out there in love with her treadmill?

Inspiration - Joy...

2011-10-19T00:01:00.000-03:00

The comment section yesterday contained the word "JOY" on more than one occassion. I thought it appropriate to dedicate today to JOY!

We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about. ~ Charles Kingsley

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Believe me! The secret of reaping the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously! ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Joy lies in the fight, in the attempt, in the suffering involved, not in the victory itself. ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Joy is not in things; it is in us. ~ Richard Wagner

Topics, Cookies, Chair Spinning...

2011-10-18T08:03:00.004-03:00

I'm just going to keep typing until something comes to mind for today's blog post. See - this is my inner editor, my self-doubt, rearing it's ugly head. Picture this: in my office chair spinning slowly in circles, rejecting topic after topic that comes to mind and only succeeding in getting dizzy. I go for another cup of coffee, thinking that will definitely end the cycle of topic-dismiss, topic-dismiss, topic-dismiss. Stop off at the cookie jar to have a chocolate chip pumpkin spice cookie knowing that I shouldn't start the morning with a sugar-laden treat when I still have a run to do and I'm supposed to be watching my sugar intake...

BTW - on the sidebar, The Tasty Kitchen blog had a recipe for White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cookies the other day. To die for, People of Blogland. Here, I'll help you out by sharing the link that goes directly to the recipe: http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2011/10/white-chocolate-pumpkin-spice-cookies/ Oh, and, FYI, I used chocolate chips instead of white chocolate chips - yummy :)

...and then I type.

This has been my problem with my writing (back when I was writing). I envision a scene and instead of writing it down, I dismiss it. After an hour or so of that kind of writing process, well let's just say I don't want to write. There's no fun in it - although I do enjoy the spinning in my chair.

NaNo might be just the ticket - get that nasty inner editor off my back. Of course, I think blogging like today will also help - 'spewing' is I think what Lu called it yesterday. And it's not like I can't - I have a journal that I keep and I always spew. Maybe there's a sub-conscious element there - my journal is private, my blog writing and fiction writing (fingers crossed) are public. Something to think about later today when I'm spinning in my chair - or perhaps on my run (I do some deep thinking on my runs to try and take my mind off the heavy breathing and pain).

And, look! Blogpost done. Thanks for reading the rambling post. Any thoughts on inner editors, writing privately versus publicly, or pumpkin spice cookies?

To Write or Not to Write...

2011-10-17T07:45:00.003-03:00

So - anyone doing NaNoWriMo this year?

For those unsure of what that is and whether or not it's legal, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month and it takes place every November. The premise is that you spend the month writing like a mad woman/man so that at the end of the 30 days you'll have a 50,000 word novel. I know, most novels are longer, but 50,000 words it is!

Check out this link: http://www.nanowrimo.org/

I've never done NaNoWriMo. I had planned to last year, but then got a request for a full and spent the first part of November getting it ready to go - the second part of November compulsively checking my e-mail. The year before I had just returned from Surrey International Writing Conference and was polishing up Lady Bells for a partial request - and, again, checking e-mails religiously! This year - no excuse...

Well, maybe one. I haven't been writing. Nothing. Nada. Ziltch. Heck, for the past three months even the blog was ignored. I just didn't have it in me to put pen to paper. And that's hard on a person who has all these voices in her head, all these story ideas. But rejection hits me hard - and personal. THAT is part of my psyce. And it's hard to move past something so ingrained.

I have two weeks left to decide whether or not I'll participate. A part of me insists that writing like a mad woman for the sake of churning out 50,000 words (that being the only goal) will be good for my writing mojo. Another part knows that I need to get back to writing, if only for my sanity. Those two parts are trying to convince the part of me that is curled in a fetal position, whimpering "No one likes me!" Two against one - odds are good I'll be participating :)

So, People of Blogland, are you participating in NaNoWriMo? Have you ever written 50,000 words in a month? Do you have an irrational fear of rejection?

Social Media...

2011-10-14T07:32:00.003-03:00

I'm on Facebook. And I blog. That is the extent of my social media life. We all know I took a long hiatus from blogging - and don't even ask me about my FB time (it's really pathetic - I go on and catch up, then sign off and forget for days on end - I know, you didn't ask and I told you anyway). I have a Twitter account all set up, but have yet to take the plunge. Truth is, I'm afraid that it could suck more time out of my day than I already seem to have.

It's been interesting listening to the news over the past couple of days - with Canada's Research in Motion having major problems with their server (it's more detailed than that, my brain isn't very technical and that's what it equated the problem to be). Everyone who owns a Blackberry has had blackouts (the device, not the persons - ooh, wouldn't that make for a good plot in a Sci/Fi) and service has been down sometimes for a whole day.

You would think the world had come to an end - apocalypse in the year 2011! People panicking because they're not getting e-mails, can't get on their FB account and unable to 'chat' to friends and co-workers! Are we that tied to social media that when something like this happens no one is able to cope?

Social media has definitely made the world smaller - just this past month when my mom was visiting she brought information on our family tree. My great grand uncle, we discovered, was a missionary in Argentina - and with a few Google searches, I discovered a long-lost cousin on Facebook. We've connected, shared our limbs of the tree and I've 'friended' some other cousins all while sitting here in my house in Nova Scotia. Amazing! But Social Media has also created this need to know what we're all doing every minute of the day.

I am no saint when it comes to having my technology (although I still don't own a cellphone - I know, strange, eh?). I always have my computer on. I always check my e-mails (and when I'm waiting on something of importance, that 'refresh' button gets hit more than once a minute). But I don't want to become so dependent on it that if, or when, it crashes, my life comes to a standstill.

I'm not sure this is the direction I wanted my post to take. A little rant for a Friday morning. Here's the question, People of Blogland - are you involved with social media? FB (hey, 'friend' me and I'll be sure to check in with you every couple of days), Twitter, 'chat', or the new Google+? And does it eat up your time - would you survive if a solar flare wiped out our current technology?

Exercise Humor...

2011-10-13T07:48:00.005-03:00

Over the past three months, I've been running off and on. I had a fabulous July with lots of miles (71) covered and the 10K Fun Run at the end. August saw 47 total miles. September only totalled 27 miles. OK, I guess I should rephrase that: Over the past three months I've gone from running on to off! My focus had slipped. But I'm back on track, having logged 25 miles already this month (and I started on Oct. 4th).

I have a plan, which I'll share with you another day - a plan that will see me stay focused. Without a plan...well, let's just say the following excuses ring very true (thanks to Alison for sending me these gems).

Walking can add minutes to your life.This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at $4,000 per month.

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.

The only reason I would take up walking is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

Every time I hear the dirty word 'exercise', I wash my mouth out with chocolate.

I know I got a lot of exercisethe last few years,......just getting over the hill.

The trouble with jogging is that by the time you realize you are not in shape for it, it is too far to walk back

If you jog backwards, will you gain weight?

What's your exercise of choice, People of Blogland? And how do you stay focused?

Inspiration - Focus...

2011-10-12T07:55:00.004-03:00

As I said yesterday, I've been busy over the last couple of months trying to find a focus to my life (inner peace we'll leave to another day). Here are some amazing quotes on the topic, I hope some of them inspire or touch you on this Inspirational Wednesday :)

Visualizethis thing you want. See it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin. ~ Robert Collier

We are too busy mopping the floor to turn off the faucet. ~ Anonymous

Most people have no idea of the giant capacity we can immediately command when we focus all of our resources on mastering a single area of our lives. ~ Anthony Robbins

If you focus on results, you will never change. If you focus on change, you will get results. ~ Jack Dixon

Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success, that is way great spiritual giants are produced. ~ Swami Vivekananda

Hello Blogland...

2011-10-11T08:44:00.004-03:00

Well, it's been almost three months of Solitude - see my last post! A lot has happened since I disappeared from Blogland:

I ran a 10K in the pouring rain - Cherry Hill, NS!

I attended a reading in Port Medway, NS - Margaret Atwood, no less!

Entertained visitors - our good friend Jack for a couple of weeks and then my mom for another couple of weeks!

Critiqued a good friend's novel!

Had said friend read Lady Bells!

Tried to find some focus and inner peace!

Thank you to everyone who left a comment on the previous post - comments I didn't reply to (I really did take a full hiatus from Blogland, although I was still reading my favorites while sipping martinis from the land of Lurkdom). And thank you to everyone who e-mailed or left a comment with concern over my absence. The People of Blogland are so very, very nice :)

So, I'm back! I'll share some of the adventures from the above list in later posts, but for now I only have one question: What have you been up to over the last three months?

Inspiration - Solitude...

2011-07-20T07:48:00.004-03:00

Late today due to a mid-week movie night! We crossed the river to attend a movie shown in our friends' barn - up in the loft. The movie was Moon, about a man working on the moon all by himself for a three year contract. I can't really say more because it would give away the whole premise - for those who like Sci/Fi, you might enjoy.

Anyway, the movie got me thinking about being alone for that many years. Personally, I think I'd go bonkers. But there is something to be said for 'alone time'.

Language... has created the word "loneliness" to express the pain of being alone.And it has created the word "solitude" to express the glory of being alone. ~ Paul Tillich

I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude. ~ Henry David Thoreau

You cannot be lonely if you like the person you're alone with. ~Wayne Dyer

Cultivate solitude and quiet and a few sincere friends, rather than mob merriment, noise and thousands of nodding acquaintances. ~ William Powell

Could you live in solitude for three years, People of Blogland? Do you take time for 'alone time' throughout your day?

Core Weakness...

2011-07-19T00:01:00.001-03:00

I signed up for a Core Strength exercise class for the month of July. Every Monday afternoon I go and attempt to strengthen my core...

My core is very weak!

Planks - oh, how I hate planks. Maybe I should also mention that I have really weak upper body strength so my shoulders AND my stomach are killing me. Yesterday's class was a real killer.

We do some balancing work, too. I'm not too bad at standing on one leg, but the whole sitting on the exercise ball with your feet off the floor - yeah, not so good.

And to wrap up, we did something called a Scorpian Flip: Start in push-up position (did I mention my weak upper body?), roll into a side plank (did I mention my hatred of planks?), keep turning so you're in kind of a backward bridge/bend position staring up at the ceiling (I'm almost 50, my body does not move that way any more), lift opposite arm and leg and bring them together fingers to toes (still in the pretzeled back bend position), roll back into side plank, turn again into push-up position, do a push-up, repeat. REPEAT!

Holy crap on a stick!

Note to self: Next time you think signing up for a Core Strength exercise class is a good idea, remember the Sting of the Scorpion!

Anyone out there in Blogland do core strength workouts? Have you balanced on an exercise ball lately? How about the Scorpion Flip - done it? Wanna?

My Favorite Time of Day...

2011-07-18T08:28:00.005-03:00

I am not a morning person - we all know that - but, suprisingly, my favorite part of the day is around 5:30. This is when Taz gets up to go outside (darn early morning sun - she will wake up later and later as the days get shorter and shorter). The Husband, being a morning person, gets up to let her out. Then crawls back into bed. I snuggle toward him and Taz comes to my side of the bed and gets up - laying parallel to us.

Yes, my favorite time of the day is when all three of us are in bed spooning. TMI?

There's such a calmness about it. Peaceful. The tranquility of love, the slowness of breath, as we all drift off to sleep for another hour before the everyday reality of work and chores and committment begins.

What's your favorite time of the day, People of Blogland?

Into the Swing of Things...

2011-07-15T00:01:00.001-03:00

I was doing so well before I went on holidays. I had a great routine and I was sticking to it - of course, I could have used more hours in the day to, say, get back into my writing, but overall the schedule was working.

Then I went on holidays. Out goes the schedule AND the routine. It's been very hard getting back into one since I've been back - and I've been back a month now. Slacking off on blogging, not cooking decent meals (a girl can only live on cheese and crackers for so long) and definitely lacking in the cleaning department. The only thing I was getting done was the Day Job (and believe me, that was hard to keep my butt in the chair for that). Even my running was a hit and a miss for the first couple of weeks - thank goodness I re-committed at the beginning of July.

In an effort to get back on track, I decided to go back to a day planner kind of schedule - you know the kind that has the hours marked off down the side with lots of room to fill in a 'plan'. I had actually made one in a spreadsheet a couple of months ago, but with all the paper already covering my desk (the Day Job is paper intensive) and nowhere to really post the schedule, not to mention the amount of trees I seemed to be destroying thanks to having to print off the schedule, I started looking at my Google Calendar feature.

Has anyone ever used Google Calendar? I actually like it - I can create an agenda for the day or use the hourly planner feature. I can color code (ooh, my anal self is very happy with that feature) and I can create a "To Do" list on the side that even allows me to check off the items when they get done. Bonus - a little pop-up window appears to let me know when my next 'meeting' is (OK, so I don't have any meetings, but I like the feature especially when it pops up and tells me it's lunch time :)

The only thing I don't like about it, OK two things - I can't overlay items (if I've filled out the time slot, there's no going in and adding another section within that timeframe - and I am a multi-tasker, so I'm frustrated with that) and I can't write notes that will show up on my schedule (like a "To Do" list within the event).

Yesterday was my first day with the new calendar and it worked very well. It also didn't take up any room on my desk - I just minimized it at the beginning of the day so it would be easy to reference. I even found time to write only because it was scheduled in and I wanted to cross it off the "To Do" list!

Have you ever had problems getting back into routines after being away on holidays, People of Blogland? Do you use a day planner or calendar of some sort? Have you looked at Google Calendar - any suggestions for my two issues (and really, both are about making lists within lists)? Any list makers in the crowd?

Watermelon Granita...

2011-07-14T00:01:00.000-03:00

Yummy, yummy, yummy!

This is what I made a couple of weeks ago when I was asked to bring a dessert, I knew the meal was going to be filling AND it was stinking hot outside. As always, my true test of a keeper recipe is "Would I make this again?" In this case - YES!!! I'll give you another option at the end of the recipe - it includes alcohol.

BTW, the recipe is a mix of about three or four I found on the web.

Watermelon Granita

Zest 1/2 lemon: Set aside

2 c water and 1 1/4 cups sugar: Combine in small saucepan and bring to boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Cool.

5 c watermelon (I had more and added a cup of strawberries that were looking past their prime - therefore did the processing in two batches) and juice of 1/2 lemon: Puree in food processor with reserved zest.

Strain through sieve to get rid of seeds - press pulp with back of spoon to get the most juice (and feel free to eat the pulp afterwards, it was yummy).

Add enough of the cooled simple syrup until desired sweetness (this is totally up to you).

Pour into 9 x 13 baking pan and freeze for 2 hours.

Pull out of freezer and scrape up using a fork.

Continue to freeze and scrap in 1 hour increments (if you forget, just leave the pan on the counter until soft enough to 'slush').

Serve or store in airtight container in the freezer.

We had leftovers - not much, but enough to bring home and add to some chilled vodka and orange flavored liquour (could use orange juice). Then added some soda water and a skirt of lime. Excellent summer drink :)

I think I'll try a coffee flavored granita in the near future.

So, as a kid, I loved slushies from the corner store. My absolute favorite flavor - grape. The first place I ever had a slushie was in a kiosk in the 'new mall' where they swirled in soft serve ice cream then filled the cup with slush. So good - now I'm craving one!

Are you a slushie fan, People of Blogland? What's the product called in your neck of the woods (slushie, slush cat, slush puppie)? And what's your favorite flavor? Has anyone ever made granita?

Inspiration - Why?

2011-07-13T00:01:00.000-03:00

I have a new blog (new to me, anyway) that I want to share: Procrastinating Writers. And I especially want to share this post about finding the "Why?" for your dreams, aspirations or goals: Three Tips to Help You Discover Your Writing "Why". The post is written for writers, about writing - but I can really see the parallel with anything you're going to take on in your life (right now, my focus seems to be all about the running).

I really liked this:

Remember Your Dreams–You remember your dreams? They’re those things you used to have before you let society and the publishing industry come in and steal them from you. Before you got distracted by the bullshit status quo, what did you dream about? What did you want to be? What did you want to achieve? ~ Jennifer Blanchard

Do you know your writing "Why", People of Blogland? How about other goals and dreams? Feel free to share them in the comment section.

And to those who commented last Wednesday and I didn't get back to answer, my apologies -perhaps I need to look at the "Why" of this blog ;)

Inspiration - Time

2011-07-06T00:01:00.000-03:00

How is it Wednesday already? Good thing I'm following the "Blogging Without Obligation" theory!

So, as time got away from me this week, I thought I'd find some inspirational quotes related to time. The first one is a keeper for me:

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. ~ Steve Jobs

Don’t count every hour in the day, make every hour in the day count. ~ Anonymous

We say we waste time, but that is impossible. We waste ourselves. ~ Alice Bloch

Time is but the stream I go a-fishin in. ~ Henry David Thoreau

Here's to a day with more time than chores, People of Blogland!

Happy Canada Day...

2011-07-01T00:01:00.000-03:00

It's the start of a long weekend here in Canada - and a beautiful one here on the East Coast according to the weather guys (thank you Weather Guys :)

We'll be checking out Bridgewater's Canada Day - last year we got awesome t-shirts that read "Canada Day Rocks the River"(that's the LaHave River, in case anyone is wondering). Hopefully there will be different shirts there this year.

Then it's off to our friends' place for dinner - I have to make dessert (must get thinking about that). Should be a good time and always great food.

We also have a picnic planned for either Saturday or Sunday - might be heading over to the Fundy Coast. I'll post pics next week!

What's your plans for the weekend (eithe long for my Canadian Friends or regular old two days for my American Friends), People of Blogland? Hope you have a great weekend no matter what you end up doing!!

Yummy Candied Walnuts...

2011-06-30T00:01:00.000-03:00

For years I've been hunting for a good recipe to make candied nuts - I had a spinach salad about 10 years ago that had spinach, candied almonds and strawberries in it and the taste combination with the sweet crunch of the nuts was to die for. I had never found, or perhaps I had never actively searched for, a recipe to mimick those nuts. Until now...

We had our good friends Audrey and Wolfgang over for brunch/early supper on Sunday and I had a box of fresh picked strawberries from Indian Garden Farms that begged to be used in a spinach salad with a balsamic vinaigrette (am I the only one who loves sweet strawberries with balsamic vinegar?). I knew I wanted crunch in there, too - and have been on a real kick making homemade croutons from either canned chickpeas (roasted in the oven until crispy) or tortillas (roll them up, cut crosswise into long strips, spray with cooking spray and spice any way you want, bake them off in 400 degree oven until crispy). Candied nuts came to mind.

Do you know how many recipes are online for candied nuts? I decided on one that didn't use butter - thanks, my hips don't need any more padding - so that narrowed down the choices. I also didn't want a lot of work. I found one on Everyday Southwest - and crossed my fingers they would turn out. As I got into the recipe, I realized the blog/website didn't give me an oven temp, so I kept looking until I found some information on recipetips.com.

They turned out perfectly - I used walnut halves - and a lot of the nuts didn't make it into the salad because The Husband and I kept snacking on them! They are that good. I will definitely make these again - using different nuts and possibly getting creative with some other spices (I'd love to try a bit of dried chili and lime jest for a more mexican flavored variety. Here's the recipe in case you're interested:

2 1/2 cups walnut halves (or other nuts)

1 eggwhite (fork beaten until frothy)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt (I would add more salt next time to up the sweet/salty ratio)

Coat nuts in eggwhite - add sugar and salt and stir thoroughly. Spread on lightly oiled (I use foil and baking spray for easy clean up) cookie sheet, separate them as best you can. Bake at 350 degrees about 15 - 20 minutes or until nuts are browned nicely (be careful, they will go from browned to burned in a blink of an eye).

Cool on baking sheet then store (if there are any left) in airtight container.

What goes into your salads, People of Blogland? Have you ever make candied nuts? And for those interested, I've revamped my blogroll on the righthand side of the blog - I've got categories now since I have such varied interests. Notice I have a cooking/foodie section - there are some great food blogs out there :)

Inspiration - Affirmations...

2011-06-29T00:01:00.001-03:00

Honestly, I really should get up every morning, head to the bathroom sink, and do THIS...

Imagine beginning every morning with some serious 'feel good' affirmations. Maybe I'll give it a shot - I'll report back later today (since this is pre-posted Tuesday night).

Happy Wednesday, People of Blogland - feel free to leave your affirmation in the comment section :)

Blogging Without Obligation...

2011-06-28T00:01:00.001-03:00

On my many blog travels, I came across this logo:

on AGING DISGRACEFULLY, a fellow Nova Scotian who blogs regularly about this and that (her garden, her frugal shopping, her shoes - love it). Naturally, I had to click the link to see what was what.

The link took me here: tartx.

I knew I had found the perfect mantra as I made the decision to continue to blog (believe me, there was quite a debate in my head over "To Blog or Not to Blog")! And because Tiffani opened up her idea/words/logo to the world, I'm going to share it with you, here.

Because you shouldn’t have to look at your blog like it is a treadmill.
Because its okay to just say what you have to say. If that makes for a long post, fine. Short post, fine. Frequent post, fine. Infrequent post, fine.
Because its okay to not always be enthralled with the sound of your own typing.
Because sometimes less is more.
Because only blogging when you feel truly inspired keeps up the integrity of your blog.
Because they are probably not going to inscribe your stat, link and comment numbers on your tombstone.
Because for most of us blogging is just a hobby. A way to express yourself and connect with others. You should not have to apologize for lapses in posts. Just take a step back and enjoy life, not everything you do has to be “bloggable”.
Because if you blog without obligation you will naturally keep your blog around longer, because it won’t be a chore. Plus, just think you will be doing your part to eradicate post pollution. One post at a time. . .

So, moving forward, People of Blogland, I will be here (but not always), I will continue to blog about this and that, going back to the original idea of an online Journal. You're welcome to join me :)

Definition of Sporadic...

2011-06-27T07:59:00.004-03:00

OK, so over the past 5 weeks my blogging hasn't been 'sporadic' - more like non-existant. For that, I am sorry - but I did enjoy the time away from the blog. No panic the night before as I tried to come up with something to write about. Hours spent away from the computer. Time to visit with my mom and watch mindless TV (including some excellent old movies). Did I miss the blog? No, not really. Did I miss my blog friends? Absolutely!

So it's time to get back into the regular routine (more on this tomorrow) of blogging. And visiting with my bloggin friends :) I'm going to do some blog-ovations after time spent thinking about what I want the blog to be and how I want to use it. Watch for changes in the next few days. I'll also come out of Lurkdom - yes, I've been reading your blogs, but haven't commented.

For those who are interested - I had a fabulous time on my holidays. A great visit with friends in Calgary (with a surprise trip to Kananaskis Country that I'll blog about later - and share pictures) that included getting to know my girlfriend's daughters who are amazing, taking part in a flashmob (OK, there was only 4 of us, but we did rock out to Lady Gaga's Born This Way in the middle of H&M store in Market Mall in Calgary), and some serious R&R with my friend Brenda!

The half-marathon weekend in Saskatoon (with Brenda) was brilliant. And I finished the race in 2:34:17, a full 6 minutes faster than my last half-marathon race Oct. 2010! Brenda finished as well, a great accomplishment considering she hurt her knee/hip and didn't think she'd be able to do it at all - well done, Brenda. The race was even more memorable since my niece Tiffany was there running a 10K - and ran a personal best in under an hour, brilliant - and she spotted me in the crowd of 2000+ runners, so we were able to have a brief visit before the race started. My nephew David ran the half with shin splints! He ran a personal best, too. And waiting at the finish line were his wife and two daughters and my brother (his dad) and sister-in-law.

The day included a celebratory trip to Denny's for an amazing ham and cheese omelette with shredded hashbrowns, and an afternoon at the hotel pool/hot tub visiting with my nephew, his wife and two girls. Loved watching their enthusiasm for the water slide, and loved having the time to catch up with David and Leah!

I'll chat about the rest of my holiday later on in the week - since this is getting long. It's good to be back!

Sporadic Blogging...

2011-05-09T07:50:00.002-03:00

Over the next month (and a bit) the blogposting will be a hit and a miss. I have a ton of stuff to do before leaving on holiday, including a final 2 week push in my half-marathon training. While away, I will have limited Internet access - but when I do get connected, I'll blog about my trip (and the race).

So, I'll see you when I see you, People of Blogland :)

Nothing to See Here...

2011-05-06T00:01:00.000-03:00

...except udderly poor cow humor!

El Lamo Bloggo - hey, the Cinco de Mayo celebrations have leaked into today's blog post - and considering I don't know any Spanish except for "Dos cervezas, por favor?"!

I considered talking about the weather (universal subject and all), but yesterday the rain poured all day making the house dark and dreary. They're forcasting some sun for this afternoon and then into the weekend, so fingers crossed. How's the weather in your neck of the woods, People of Blogland?

Then there's always books. I'm reading Elizabeth Chadwick's A Wild Hunt - a medieval romance that I'm enjoying greatly. I have Suzanne Brockmann's latest, Breaking the Rules, waiting for me at the library (picking it up today, so I don't expect to get much done once I get my nose in that book - love, love, love Suzanne Brockmann). What's on your reading agenda for the weekend, People of Blogland?

Busy week with the Royal Wedding, the Canadian Election, and the news of Osama bin Laden's death! This is not a politcal forum, nor do I want to start a discussion that could get heated, so I'll ask you if you watched Dancing with the Stars, The Biggest Loser or American Idol this week. And really, is there anything more important than those reality shows? There's big buzz about The Voice, but I refuse to start watching another TV show!

Have a great weekend - hopefully I'll generate some decent blogging topics over the weekend!