tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54322862011-07-07T18:50:21.309-05:00If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always had.EJnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6621100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-85713439204093636282010-04-29T21:07:00.002-05:002010-04-29T21:10:31.943-05:00

No, we don't have to sell the house. I'm moving the blog over to Wordpress. At some point I'll figure out how to move it to an actual website, but for now I'm happy playing with new toys. I'll save the domain change for when I can concentrate on things for more than a minute. The new address is http://wendyblanton.wordpress.com/ in case you want to update your bookmarks. See you over there!

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-17622913839095552732010-04-27T14:29:00.003-05:002010-04-27T14:36:01.907-05:00

I don't want to make too much of this, but I think I have figured out how to fix an old story. First it was disorganized, and then it was stalled. It dawned on me recently that I'm trying to fit the story into too long of a time line. I was having trouble coming up with enough story that wasn't day-to-day boring or soap opera dramatic to fill the amount of time I thought I needed. If I start

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-25180361818923291522010-04-25T21:18:00.002-05:002010-04-25T21:26:39.299-05:00

Last year was the Year of Letting Go. Alex was heading off to college, and I didn't want to be "that mom." I didn't want to cry all the way home from dropping him off or, worse yet, all the way to the college. I didn't want to be a helicopter mom, hovering around him, afraid to leave. I spent the best part of a year learning to let go, and it paid off.This year is apparently the Year of

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-28906359873722727612010-04-21T20:36:00.000-05:002010-04-21T20:36:00.528-05:00

Thanks to I Can Has Cheezeburger.

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-88039118475453098752010-04-20T16:28:00.002-05:002010-04-20T16:34:51.295-05:00

It was a busy weekend. My mom and aunt came down for the TSO concert at the Fox Theater on Sunday, which rocked, by the way. They got here Friday afternoon. Saturday we went to Grant's Farm to see the Budweiser Clydesdales. The horses were cool but the rest of the park was largely a disappointment. President Grant's house is there, and they don't do tours, which was the part I was looking

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-23481722333174667382010-04-13T09:24:00.001-05:002010-04-20T16:35:39.667-05:00

I thought I posted 'before' pictures here, but I've gone all the way back to January and I don't see them. In fact, I don't see that I've said anything about Eric's office. Odd.OK, so we converted the downstairs office to Designated Eric Space. We painted and got him some grown-up furniture.Here's what we started with:And here's the almost after.I have a shot of the final, but it's a little

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-90542473326934883042010-04-12T08:44:00.000-05:002010-04-11T20:48:43.804-05:00

I rallied enough brain cells last night to start my Facebook fan site. Please click here and join my group so that when I get ready to pitch a book this fall I can say I have a following. Thanks!Oh, I guess I should probably 'out' myself here and let anyone here who doesn't already know (maybe there are one or two of you) that Wendy Blanton and Elizabeth Joy are the same person. Turns out the

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-90581052222941137412010-04-11T15:42:00.004-05:002010-04-11T16:02:12.585-05:00

The convention was beyond amazing. It was such a privilege to spend two intense days with such amazing writers. The staff was diverse, knowledge, and approachable. They answered every question thoroughly and graciously. There was no ego, no "I'm an author, bow to me," no "I paid my dues and now you must, too." They came along beside us, no matter what stage we were, and talked to us where we

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-65074358630153483932010-04-06T10:58:00.003-05:002010-04-06T11:06:34.310-05:00

Sometimes I'm getting ready to go somewhere, and I end up ready way too early. I know that half an hour is more than enough time to get the dishwasher unloaded, scoop litter, and start a load of laundry, and sometimes I do those things. Sometimes I end up on my computer goofing off. Those are the days when I'm feeling overwhelmed by my schedule and for whatever reason, my brain refuses to

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-80835068584211523132010-04-01T12:03:00.002-05:002010-04-01T12:07:21.151-05:00

The weather is lovely--warm and breezy and sunny. The earth is coming alive again, but it's only mostly good. Pollen counts are coming up. Facing allergy season without coffee suddenly seems very daunting indeed. Still, it's been 34 days, there is no good time to quit, and I still have tea. If I'm lucky I'll forget all about coffee. It could happen; days like this I have a hard time

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-14137975205876713302010-03-30T20:08:00.003-05:002010-03-30T20:17:22.893-05:00

I know, I know. All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.* I have to be honest, though. I know I should have a belly full of fire over the current political climate. I should care enough to be angry at the direction the country is heading. It's not that I don't care; it's that I'm one person, and I can't stem the tide. Even if I could bring myself to work

EJnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-72965107302031863992010-03-26T20:51:00.001-05:002010-03-26T20:52:51.439-05:00

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-87261848996401320792010-03-24T14:44:00.003-05:002010-03-24T15:06:20.870-05:00

I'm sure you're all tired of my whining, so here's something new for you to ponder. A local news station has been covering a story about a county an hour or so from here that banned an herbal substance that gives a marijuana-like effect when smoked, but it's legal and safe. The ban specified compounds found in a specific brand that are also in marijuana. A bait and tackle shop changed to a

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-91087336552348108542010-03-22T12:01:00.003-05:002010-03-22T12:19:18.914-05:00

Eric will most certainly disagree. It was a rough weekend. I was drinking tea like crazy, trying to get my brain to kick in, and it wouldn't. Small tasks were too much for me to manage. Even breaking them into tiny pieces was more than I could handle. At one point, I'd just made a sandwich and Eric brushed cat hair off my sweater, not realizing that it was landing on my food. I almost

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-55529918646508649562010-03-16T20:26:00.002-05:002010-03-16T20:29:26.975-05:00

I thought I was prepared to get a lot of work done, but the e-reader didn't charge nearly as much as I thought it did. I got Lesson 5 read before it died. If I had read it before I left home, or even before I went (futilely) in search of printer ink, I would have known that Lesson 5 needs a notebook. That's the only thing I didn't have with me.For a change, I spent 45 minutes reading a

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-26883094957725997222010-03-16T16:03:00.002-05:002010-03-16T16:15:48.987-05:00

I'm cramming on "How To Revise Your Novel." Yesterday I applied three lessons to the part of "Still Gracie Mac" that I'm submitting for a contest this month. Tonight I'll have nearly two hours to sit in a waiting room, and I was thinking about how convenient it would be if I could put the lessons on my e-reader rather that printing them to do away from my computer. I wasn't sure if I could put

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-79127825969883551612010-03-15T15:25:00.003-05:002010-03-15T15:34:49.001-05:00

That pretty much says it all. I go through periods of clarity each day, but mostly I'm foggy. I lose track of my thoughts in the afternoon; it might be time to re-think the afternoon snack. A little protein might help, even if I'm not especially hungry.One odd thing since I started my whole coffee detox is that I seem to want to front-load my eating. I wake up hungry, which is odd, and I eat

EJnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-63598730409623052452010-03-10T16:46:00.000-06:002010-03-10T16:46:00.193-06:00

Matthew 24: 6 - 14You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-20656945865346238082010-03-08T16:23:00.002-06:002010-03-08T16:40:35.967-06:00

Today makes ten days since my last cup of coffee. Don't be too impressed; I'm drinking tea to avoid the worst of the withdrawal. Still, I've gone from 4-5 cups of coffee a day to 5-6 cups of tea. Considering coffee has double the caffeine of black tea, I'm pretty happy with that at this point.I really don't miss it as much as I thought I would. It catches me off guard sometimes, when I catch

EJnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-66057432375902508182010-03-05T20:47:00.004-06:002010-03-05T20:55:54.772-06:00

About two months ago I signed up for Holly Lisle's "How To Revise Your Novel" course. I was going to use the extensive back-story from 'Rogue Pawn' for learning purposes, but trying to edit while finishing 'Gracie Mac' was almost an exercise in futility. I've finished week one and read week two, and that's as far as I've gotten.I just finished the bare bones on 'Gracie Mac'. There is a lot to

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-83494191089984359582010-03-04T15:23:00.004-06:002010-03-04T15:30:18.767-06:00

The piano has moved to its new home, and my house is partly in shambles while we repaint the office. The one green wall is now blue; the other three walls will get done in a pale yellow-ish sort of color this weekend. I think furniture delivery will coincide with Alex's spring break, so we may have extra labor handy. I did remember to take 'before' pictures, and if I get brave I'll take some '

EJnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-72603968484717716882010-02-25T11:45:00.002-06:002010-02-25T11:50:28.117-06:00

but there's nothing exciting going on. It's all errands and working and chores. I have written a little, and today I cleared off the piano and dusted it, but mostly because it's supposed to move to a new home this weekend. It might get a little more interesting next week. I might even have pictures. After the piano moves, we're painting the downstairs office, and I'm thinking that while we

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-83038662378113912962010-02-21T19:39:00.000-06:002010-02-21T19:39:00.406-06:00

Caffeine intake is down, I'm guessing, about half. So far I've only had one bad spell when I thought I could get by with tea and couldn't. I was away from home, and when I returned I had a headache. I went straight to the kitchen and growled at everyone until the water heated enough to make a cup of hot chocolate with instant coffee. That was bad enough that I've bumped the coffee intake (

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-12398839750589325112010-02-20T19:47:00.002-06:002010-02-20T19:52:29.874-06:00

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-39637127622561212162010-02-17T19:28:00.000-06:002010-02-17T19:28:00.120-06:00

This will come as a shock to some of you, but I'm in the process of giving up coffee. Again. I tried to quit about a year and a half ago but never really got to the end of the process. I do drink a lot less coffee than I used to, but I'm thinking it's time to take it to the next level. Part of the reason is that I've just learned the coffee can interfere with the absorption of B vitamins and

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-22043676385481891022010-02-15T19:13:00.003-06:002010-02-15T19:27:20.332-06:00

What is it about snow that makes me think about gardening? We got 4" of snow last night (the largest single snowfall this year, if you can believe that), and a little while ago I ordered seeds for my garden. En route shortly are lettuce, spinach, carrots, cucumbers, and Stevia. I'm expanding production of potatoes and onions, trying pinto beans for the first time, and of course I'll have a

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-85810524654604698012010-02-14T18:16:00.004-06:002010-02-14T18:23:27.409-06:00

Eric has been teasing me lately about being solar powered. When the sun sets, I shut down. On cloudy days I have a harder time getting things done. Often, I find myself thinking, "Good grief, it's only 6:15. I can't go to bed yet."Yesterday was bright and sunny, and I felt pretty good. I wasn't home much to get things done, but I did things for other people that I hadn't planned on earlier

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-78451104571457643202010-02-06T09:14:00.002-06:002010-02-06T09:28:58.485-06:00

I ran across an article this morning on Drudge in which the World Health Organization confirmed more the 15,000 H1N1 deaths. Does that number seem really low for all the hoopla we have heard? It did to me, but the article didn't say if that was for 2009, 2010, or overall since the "pandemic" started. According to the CDC, there were more than 11,000 deaths in the U.S. alone in 2009, which

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-21896035578902553712010-01-27T14:42:00.007-06:002010-01-27T15:02:46.822-06:00

What do you think? Is it too casual?Tintype photo taken by Robert J. Szabo, Traveling Artist.

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-68624037875175021972010-01-25T18:43:00.003-06:002010-01-25T19:01:31.856-06:00

Camping for a week has certain advantages, one of which is a total news diet. It's great to get away from the doom and gloom, but sometimes I miss things, like severe weather on most of the east coast. I got to the Sarasota/Bradenton Airport very early yesterday afternoon--3:30 for a 7:00 flight--thanks to our friends who helped us pack. I noticed a lot of people around the ticket counters,

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-35941762250572005472010-01-19T15:10:00.000-06:002010-01-19T15:10:00.167-06:00

It occurred to me the other day that when you're a kid looking forward to something, you feel like it will never get here. I think I must miss that anticipation because as an adult looking forward to something, I think I have plenty of time to prepare for it when, suddenly, I realize, "Oh, crap, that's THIS weekend!"

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-82751218125531585842010-01-16T07:41:00.003-06:002010-01-16T07:50:04.979-06:00

My sewing is done and I'm almost all packed. In 24 hours I'll be on a plane heading south for a week in stays and petticoats.Eric bought me a little present to take with me. Since this trip is more about research than shopping he decided I needed more than my little Moleskine notebooks and picked this up:The smallest size is just right to fit in my haversack (what passes for a purse in costume)

EJnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-60363193538647663072010-01-15T15:14:00.003-06:002010-01-15T15:27:16.131-06:00

The other day, The Day Job hosted a meeting for a group on a day we are not normally open for business. On such occasions, if other people happen to come in, we'll feed them if we have enough food prepared, and usually we're happy to have other customers. We had gotten everyone fed and some of the dishes cleared away when a young woman walked in with a briefcase and armload of books. She made

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-14192591076846703262010-01-10T14:50:00.003-06:002010-01-10T15:29:38.802-06:00

When I was driving home from band practice Wednesday evening, it was about 10* and I noticed the van was running hot. The temp gauge was hovering just south of the red zone, which I thought strange given the frigid conditions. Thursday and Friday were snow days, so I didn't go anywhere. Yesterday we did some shopping, but we drove Eric's car. This morning, on our way to church, a mile from

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-62478346812531246342010-01-06T09:16:00.000-06:002010-01-06T09:16:00.080-06:00

I ventured forth from my home to go to basic training in San Antonio, TX. I've blocked a large portion of my six weeks at Lackland AFB out, but I remember:My assistant Training Instructor (Staff Sergeant Wilson) was nicknamed The Demon. He knew we called him that. I think he liked it. However, because of The Demon, I passed my final physical training test. He ran at the back of the pack with

EJnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-50098407054490792012010-01-03T19:44:00.003-06:002010-01-03T20:17:05.291-06:00

My pastor likes acronyms, which is good because as a veteran, I like them too. I haven't made any resolutions, other than to continue modifying my attitude by blessing those who tick me the heck off. Today's sermon built on that, which makes me wonder if Pastor is reading my blog? Hmm. Acronym for the day/year: STARTStop dwelling on the past. There's a reason the windshield is bigger than the

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-18441343553357738082009-12-31T10:32:00.001-06:002009-12-31T10:32:57.904-06:00

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-75051822289437669102009-12-30T09:40:00.001-06:002009-12-31T10:36:14.693-06:00

I've got nearly 40,000 words on "Still Gracie Mac." They're pretty good words, but I think they're in the wrong order. I think 15-20,000 would finish her off, but as usual I'm stuck in the middle. I kind of wanted to have this done by the end of the year so I wouldn't carry it into the new decade, but Christmas interfered with writing.Here's the real issue: Holly Lisle is starting the next "

EJnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-91275448201969407842009-12-29T20:52:00.003-06:002009-12-29T21:20:57.150-06:00

In April 2005, I went to Paris with my kids, Mom, Aunt, and friends. Getting around the city was rather confusing (I spoke more French than any of us, and I only had one semester in 9th grade), but we managed to figure out where the train stations were and set about going to all the places tourists go. One morning we bought our Metro tickets, and Mom asked the man in the booth a question. I

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-32600270869130158362009-12-26T08:50:00.005-06:002009-12-26T09:11:31.519-06:00

Lest anyone should think that everyone in North America had a white Christmas, allow me to present Exhibit 1:That's the snowiest part of my front yard. I had to be sure to get a picture before the sun shifts. One sunbeam and it'll all be over. I'm fighting bitterness. How am I supposed to teach my kid to drive in snow when this is all we get? The weather system that dropped snow on so many

EJnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-63558337664125693312009-12-24T08:58:00.003-06:002009-12-24T10:27:50.565-06:00

We don't go to movies very often, but work schedules and other obligations aligned yesterday, opening up a block of time that allowed us to go see "Avatar."I've seen some hype in the press; the most notable thing was that while visually stunning, it was thin on plot and the characters were less than believable. I read another review that all but accused James Cameron of being a tree-hugging

EJnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-59011591904893040892009-12-21T15:03:00.002-06:002009-12-21T15:14:04.877-06:00

I haven't posted for a while because, frankly, there hasn't been anything constructive, entertaining, or enlightening to say. It's been a busy couple of weeks. Between extra work hours, fetching Alex home from school, and a quick family visit I haven't had time to write or research. To be blunt, I've barely been keeping my head above water. The cold I'm fighting isn't helping my attitude. I

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-91019869200431266362009-12-11T15:18:00.003-06:002009-12-11T15:23:12.388-06:00

The entire Dragon's Roost Series is now available on Lulu. This is a culmination of about eight years of work, and I'm glad to finally have it over. We learned a lot doing this series--most of it what not to do. The learning curve was pretty steep at times.There is time to get the books in before Christmas, but you'll have to order in the next couple of days (by the 15th) to allow time for

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-18756028810779656842009-12-07T08:36:00.005-06:002009-12-07T08:56:55.534-06:00

I have Christmas shopping still left to do, so I just checked online to see what time Target opens. In addition to expanded hours during the Christmas season, the nearest store has a pharmacy, photo center, and wine available. *L* Target markets to young moms, apparently.The last few days haven't been my best. A few fitful nights have had me cranky. It's been a challenge to maintain an

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-65839756969555664032009-11-28T19:50:00.003-06:002009-11-28T20:06:04.976-06:00

Chadwick headed home today. I take Alex back to school tomorrow. Overall, we had a good week with them. There was some drama, but that's to be expected with teens and young adults. The downside is that I haven't written anything in about a week and a half, and it's getting to me. I'm going back through How To Think Sideways lessons to make sure I'm on track with 'Still Gracie Mac' and might

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-45264472014996191572009-11-24T21:09:00.004-06:002009-11-24T21:21:34.855-06:00

I stayed up way past my bedtime Friday night, waiting for Chadwick and Alex to get here. By 7:00 in the evening, I had people converging on my house that I hadn't seen in months. They all live nearby, but evidently I'm chopped liver. That's OK, they were almost as excited about seeing Alex and Chadwick as I was.They got here about 11:30, and Alex's very first priority was food. He didn't miss

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-72683636477308716042009-11-17T10:28:00.003-06:002009-11-17T10:34:57.473-06:00

I didn't plan it this way, but I just got the e-mail that "Sword And Scabbard" is good to go! I will be uploading "The Dragon's Lady" this week, making the entire series available from one source, just in time for your Christmas shopping convenience! (I wonder if I can time it so that "The Dragon's Lady" becomes available on Black Friday?)

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-18950435115768406712009-11-09T19:03:00.003-06:002009-11-09T19:16:10.555-06:00

'Still Gracie Mac' is trying to turn on me. I thought of a way around the legal procedure problem I ran into, but it will require a rewrite of about a quarter of what I have so far, plus I'll have to rewrite my outline. Not a big deal; words are words. I haven't completely decided to do it, but I'm leaning that way. For now I'm working on a later part of the story.I've discovered that it's

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-30399303139725511372009-11-06T17:09:00.004-06:002009-11-06T17:21:07.637-06:00

I'm nearly 20,000 words into a new project, and it occurs to me that I may not have mentioned it. The working title up until today was 'New Project'; not very descriptive, but it was an effective place holder until Walter offered up something more appropriate. Something like 'Still Gracie Mac.'It's a (an?) historical fiction with a romance angle and a strong Christian theme. Grace accidentally

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-22419396125869126502009-11-03T11:27:00.005-06:002009-11-03T11:42:13.409-06:00

My garden has apparently not gotten the memo that it's November. The cherry tomatoes are still clustered like grapes around the top of the compost pile and happily producing like we're far enough south to avoid a killing frost. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised, at this point, to see this surrounded by snow:Do you see the little yellow flowers? Baby tomatoes, y'all. In November. I have them

EJnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-9776385054521904902009-10-29T14:43:00.002-05:002009-10-29T14:46:47.818-05:00

Dear TV People,I realize lots of people like to watch sports on television. I also know that you know that not EVERYONE watches sports. For some of your viewers, the World Series is a big deal. So is NBA basketball. Do they have to both be in the same time slot? And don't most sports fans have ESPN anyway? Just saying.Could we have Bones and Fringe back sometime soon? Pretty please?Love

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-28479952735985349972009-10-25T18:38:00.000-05:002009-10-25T18:38:00.309-05:00

I've successfully done NaNoWriMo several times, but I've decided to forego it this year. I'm trying to train myself to write regularly, and the mania of NaNo is not conducive to that. I put too much pressure on myself. Last year I stopped writing November 30 and didn't write again until April. That's not a good way to build a writing career. I'll still be writing in November, I may even

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-16441558555430094122009-10-24T18:20:00.003-05:002009-10-24T18:28:29.509-05:00

Nope, it has nothing to do with The Here After. It's when you walk into a room, look around, and say, "What was I here after?" I've been doing that a lot today. I didn't sleep well last night, so I've spent more time than usual staring into space. Usually when that happens it's because plot bunnies are stirring. Today, not so much. I can report that I have another 21 lbs. of clothing ready

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-86330390398020940342009-10-20T07:15:00.003-05:002009-10-20T07:28:42.615-05:00

It's not a computer this time, thank goodness. I was watching recordings on my DVR Sunday evening when the screen went green. Neon radioactive pea soup green. That's never a good sign. I rebooted twice before calling the satellite company. After wading through the annoying automated thingy and two customer service reps, they pronounced it dead and promised to ship me a new box. It only

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-49968140269435137502009-10-19T19:11:00.001-05:002009-10-19T19:13:23.387-05:00

The final "Sword And Scabbard" typo check is done! I'm working on the title page, acknowledgments, cover copy, etc and will be uploading to Lulu in the next few days. What a relief!

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-41175338148418307142009-10-16T08:49:00.000-05:002009-10-16T08:49:00.228-05:00

When we were in Texas for Scott's wedding, we had dinner at Razzoo's in Fort Worth. I'm not big on cajun, but it was cold and rainy, and we were on vacation, so what the heck? Vicky and I both ordered the tchoupitoulas (chopa-2-las) and liked them so much that we talked about finding the recipe. I meant to look it up, but honestly I couldn't remember how to spell it and forgot all about it.

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-71799599727487646252009-10-15T20:36:00.003-05:002009-10-15T20:47:28.710-05:00

I'm nearly half-way through the final "Sword And Scabbard" typo check. I started from the back to try to catch more of the evasive little buggers and it seems to be working. I also find myself wanting to read forward again occasionally, which I think is a good sign.Numbers from the book signing weren't as dire as I thought. When I sifted through the numbers this morning I discovered I made $25

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-30205274823611654002009-10-14T16:03:00.003-05:002009-10-14T16:12:55.693-05:00

I got home yesterday afternoon. The book signing was a let-down. The five press releases I sent did not get published. The sum total of publicity was a pair of computer printed signs in the book store windows amongst several others (some of which were color, which made my signage that much more pitiful). Thank goodness my family showed up, and a big thanks to my mom for reminding everyone

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-75869354144463199762009-10-08T19:29:00.006-05:002009-10-08T20:10:08.456-05:00

I started a post about half an hour ago about how I'm just now thinking about stuff for the signing this weekend that I should have thought of earlier but didn't. I hit the major details--ordering books, packing clean clothing. I didn't think about little things, like business cards. In the middle of my lament, I remembered seeing a package of printable cards that I bought sometime in the

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-46843748629143368242009-10-08T08:05:00.002-05:002009-10-09T05:52:17.294-05:00

For anyone in the thumb of Michigan, my book signing will be Saturday, 12-3, at The Book Shelf on Nepessing St. in Lapeer. If you're not busy, come on out and say hey!

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-33739155195012631222009-10-05T09:32:00.004-05:002009-10-05T09:38:58.099-05:00

My office window.The curtains are new. The stained glass I've had for a while. The top one I got from my mom; it was in the cedar chest she gave me. It took me a while to figure out where and how to hang it.The bottom one was a gift from my friend, Jean, when she stopped through here in her travels last spring.

EJnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-32723470403411162632009-10-01T09:59:00.003-05:002009-10-01T10:11:20.628-05:00

Jeezypetes, where is the year going?The summer was so mild that fall snuck up on me. No doubt about it, though; the leaves are changing, temperatures are dropping, and my cherry tomatoes have burst forth with joy. Last year I still had flowers on them when the frost came. This year I'm just going to let them go and see how long they produce. I might be pulling up tomato vines in January, but

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-32206315587783462402009-09-25T08:08:00.003-05:002009-09-25T08:27:39.953-05:00

Well, actually there is, but it's nothing very interesting. I wrote a press release last week for the book signing I'm doing next month, and in the author bio I wrote that I can "usually be found in her office, kitchen or garden." That's about the size of it lately. The tomatoes were late coming on with the cool summer, but now they're in full force. I've also gotten a couple of mac daddy

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-78151601787301961772009-09-14T11:42:00.003-05:002009-09-14T11:56:58.109-05:00

While we were away, The Boyfriend agreed to feed the furries for us. He also got the new bookcases installed. They're not completely done yet; I still have to paint shelves (there's one on the top left that is naked), and he has a few holes to drill for extra shelves. The worst of it is done, though, and that's a lot of progress. He also moved the last cherry bookcase upstairs. I still have

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-70519305751033625022009-09-10T15:04:00.002-05:002009-09-10T15:12:30.266-05:00

We had our lawn aerated and seeded yesterday, which means I get to water each morning to keep the seed from dying. This morning I was chasing sprinklers when I noticed red patches in my garden. Turns out, half my tomatoes decided to ripen what seemed like overnight. Not a big deal under normal circumstances, but I'm heading out of town for a wedding tomorrow. I picked everything that looked

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-79919096265141205722009-09-06T12:53:00.003-05:002009-09-06T12:59:42.801-05:00

When I watched the twin towers fall on TV on 9-11 it never crossed my mind that I'd voluntarily get on a plane on Sept. 11 ever again. Turns out I am, and I'm looking forward to it. We're flying to Dallas for Scott's wedding. Of course, I have a ton of things to do to get ready, not the least of which is shopping for gifts and appropriate wedding attire. Life is so hard. ;-)My house is still

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-16712253745412309112009-08-31T19:36:00.002-05:002009-08-31T19:52:52.955-05:00

We've had a flurry of home improvements since we took Alex to school. Vicky's boyfriend has been working on bookcases to flank the fireplace. The cherry bookcases will come back upstairs. He's been building them in the garage and I'm in charge of painting them. Hopefully we'll get them installed, or at least one side, this week. It's getting crowded out there. Vicky has caught the painting

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-80429532294644676832009-08-24T16:28:00.006-05:002009-08-24T16:45:56.821-05:00

A few months ago, Alex decided that when he went to college, he wanted me to convert his room to my office. I gave him a few months to change his mind, but he was firm. He went with me to buy the paint so I knew he was serious.Yesterday, I cleaned, moved furniture, and taped the trim and ceiling. Today I painted. Here's one corner before and so far:(The dots are dust on my camera lens. My

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-81015120180482138802009-08-21T10:09:00.007-05:002009-08-21T10:24:12.450-05:00

It's been an interesting week. Vicky started her junior year yesterday, and Alex got up early to take pictures of her. She was a good sport and even smiled in the first ones, but a girl only has so much patience at 7:00 in the morning. Luckily for us all, he didn't follow her the half block to the bus stop!She thought she was getting a shot at revenge last night when Alex started packing for

EJnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-26459754771152104362009-08-16T19:35:00.003-05:002009-08-21T10:30:03.550-05:00

Rogue Pawn has officially been launched into the world! It's available here right now, and should be on Amazon in about 6 weeks.Rated PG-13; suitable for all gift-giving occasions and lazy afternoons.Next is to send Sword and Scabbard forth, and then to redecorate my office. Pictures shall be forth-coming, and I might even remember to take 'before' pictures. :-)

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-73228585475410541752009-08-11T18:21:00.003-05:002009-08-11T18:33:55.243-05:00

I hit a prickly spot in the 'Sword & Scabbard' edit late this afternoon. The chapters weren't flowing right, so I changed the order, but it still wasn't right. (Thank goodness for Write It Now; moving chapters in Word is a pain in the butt.) When I went downstairs to start dinner, I thought of the solution. Sometimes it really helps to step away for a while.After dinner I headed back to the

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-13127822410335008122009-08-10T06:14:00.002-05:002009-08-10T06:35:37.890-05:00

Summer is finally here. It's running a couple weeks late this year; usually we break 100 by the middle of July. I have a theory about the delay, though it's highly unscientific. First, because of timing issues, we didn't make it to the Midwest Rendezvous like we usually do. You'll remember last year that we had three days of rain and five days of blazing, miserable heat, which is a little

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-41762573751513614382009-08-05T08:17:00.002-05:002009-08-05T08:31:01.734-05:00

This may be my least coherent post yet. I have one cup of coffee down (and it hasn't kicked in yet), another cup and breakfast yet to go. I have to leave for work in half an hour, and my eyes don't want to be open yet. Pleh.Anyhoo, I popped by Crazy Aunt Purl's this morning, and she had a picture of a pink Ford Mustang she'd seen on her commute. (You have to scroll down to see it.) I have

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-31549222792233887372009-07-30T08:33:00.004-05:002009-07-30T08:45:31.430-05:00

I am not sure I mentioned it here, but Scott and I decided to press forward and self-publish "Rogue Pawn" and "Sword and Scabbard." When I got home from work yesterday, I decided to finish my cover art for "Rogue Pawn" but I couldn't remember the JPEG specifications. When I tried to find them at LuLu I discovered their cover art wizard.Long story short, I got to playing around, and before I

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-27810408682011139632009-07-26T20:13:00.003-05:002009-07-26T20:41:32.009-05:00

I was walking in the mall because it was the coolest place I could think of, breathing through occasional contractions, not knowing that they would become regular in about three hours, and that the next morning my life would change forever. Even in the early stages of labor I didn't fully realize the enormity of the responsibility I was about to undertake. I didn't know that between one

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-15395522201184233662009-07-24T08:36:00.002-05:002009-07-24T08:55:25.956-05:00

The weather here has been unusually cool and wet. Folks who have been here a long time say it's the coolest July they can remember. I'm OK with that--hot and steamy are not my thing. The downside is that mold and pollen counts are crazy and my sinuses have been on overdrive. I've managed to keep it under control, mostly, with allergy meds but I've had a hard time with post nasal drip most of

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-1928307817059903732009-07-16T21:36:00.003-05:002009-07-16T22:00:11.091-05:00

A little over a year ago, when gas prices were heading toward $4.00 a gallon, I bought a bike at a yard sale for $5.00. I figured I could ride it to work since it's only two miles from home. It sat in the garage until Alex's bike disintegrated, and then he rode it to school. Every time I thought about taking it for a spin, I thought about how ridiculous I'd look. It's silly, I know. It's not

EJnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-1074691356542470132009-07-16T12:04:00.002-05:002009-07-16T12:06:46.775-05:00

Am I the only person who finds socks in almost every room of the house? My drier doesn't seem to eat them, but I'm beginning to think it's because they escape from the dirty clothes in the dead of night and find their way downstairs. I'd blame the cats, but I find the socks in pairs. Strange; almost spooky.

EJnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-42191098287086166202009-07-11T15:54:00.003-05:002009-07-11T16:04:41.605-05:00

Alex and I got up early Thursday morning and hit the road for the University Orientation at 7 a.m. About half way I stopped for gas, and my debit card was rejected at the pump. When I went inside to pre-pay, it was rejected inside, too. Luckily I still had my credit card in my wallet; I thought I taken it out when we paid it off. When we got to the school I called Eric to let him know we'd

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-37751999241245008222009-07-07T11:38:00.003-05:002009-07-07T11:57:50.843-05:00

Just in case anyone is wondering, roofers and migraines go together like toothpaste and OJ. If that's surprising to anyone, I'm happy for you. This migraine has been hanging around for a couple of days, mostly in the periphery thanks for my herbs and the occasional dose of Excedrin. I knew it would be persistent yesterday when I dropped a gallon of concentrated laundry detergent next to the

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-42616794190154758312009-07-06T07:57:00.003-05:002009-07-06T08:13:47.700-05:00

The Boys all left yesterday morning, and three of the four made it home safely. We haven't heard from Danny yet, mostly because he's on an overseas flight. Instead of everything settling in for an extended period of nothingness (or boring, according to Alex), I have another full week. Today we're supposed to be having the roof fixed, but it's 8:00 and so far there are no roofers here. It was

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-84242979743122091002009-07-01T20:13:00.002-05:002009-07-01T20:18:51.840-05:00

I've submitted Rogue Pawn for copyright. With a little luck it will be in our readers' hands by Christmas. Next project is to edit Sword and Scabbard one last time and move the process to completion.That's all for now. Carry on. ;^)

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-78415982926324013772009-06-29T18:57:00.004-05:002009-06-29T19:16:16.478-05:00

Almost all of the Boys are here. We have one more coming in tomorrow and one who won't be with us; after all, we can't have ALL of them in the same year. That would be a sign of the end times. Eric has been cooking like crazy and I've not complained one little bit. Yesterday he made homemade alfredo--most yummy! The Boys have met and approved the Boyfriend and the Girlfriend, at least as far

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-24287464812572434772009-06-25T21:12:00.004-05:002009-06-25T21:16:48.216-05:00

I took this from my mom's deck. It's about the most 'artsy' shot I've taken in a long, long time. I like it enough that it's replaced Ryan on my desktop.The Boys have started arriving. This year we have a couple coming that we haven't seen in a long time, which will be fun. I'm sure there will be blog-worthy stories forthcoming.

EJnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-36228999254995048352009-06-23T16:07:00.003-05:002009-06-23T16:19:35.877-05:00

The Boys will be here later this week so I'm trying to get ready. It's hot and humid--August hot in June--and the heat has me cranky. I have a long list of things to do, and the family has been helping me mark things off. It's not that I'm doing it all on my own, but part of what I need to do is dependent on someone else getting their stuff out of the way and it's not getting done. To battle

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-44987555232610124842009-06-09T19:12:00.003-05:002009-06-09T19:21:28.303-05:00

Our next-door neighbor had a contractor out to look over storm damage this afternoon, about the time Eric came home from work. Eric asked him to have a look around our place and there is more damage than we thought: A hole in the siding we missed, a dozen cuts in the hot tub cover, dented downspouts and gutters, damage to the roof (the only critical damage is over the porch and the garage,

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-60374251024413193432009-06-09T14:38:00.001-05:002009-06-09T14:43:42.698-05:00

In case anyone was concerned, we came through the storms yesterday a lot better than some in our town did. There are homes a few miles from here--hundred year old farm houses, and some new construction--that took heavy damage from the tornadoes that touched down. We have two pieces of siding to replace, and they're really only cracked. The cars have a couple new dents; golf ball size hail will

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-63750241727093548122009-05-30T21:05:00.003-05:002009-05-30T21:07:32.736-05:00

I'm heading up to Mom's tomorrow morning to help her get ready for the party she's throwing for Alex next Saturday. She's got internet, but it's dial-up so I probably won't post while I'm there unless something truly blogworthy happens. Just plan on seeing back with pictures about Wednesday of next week. Y'all behave--don't make me pull the car over!

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-62725545494716326142009-05-26T07:44:00.002-05:002009-05-26T08:03:09.035-05:00

Daniel Hauser is back in Minnesota and will likely start his chemo again. State and Federal charges against him mom will most likely be dropped. Mighty nice, considering she was doing what she thought best for her child.Here's what's chapping my hide. Iran and North Korea are rattling their sabers. The economy is in the toilet. People are still losing their homes and jobs. The Federal

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-51766363720612360102009-05-24T14:07:00.003-05:002009-05-24T14:10:57.674-05:00

One down, one to go. I love how the tassel is pointing to his mouth. :-)Yes, I am one proud mama.

EJnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-13596541414206636102009-05-18T14:28:00.003-05:002009-05-18T14:38:39.185-05:00

I have another 40 lbs. of stuff to go to charity. I figure I'll take it over tomorrow; that gives me today to add stuff. We have family coming in this week for graduation, so of course I'm busy cleaning. I realized this morning that it's not cleaning I dislike. In fact, it's rather satisfying. I like walking into a room and having things in order; it helps keep my brain in focus. Based on

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-38126926067562232192009-05-14T16:49:00.003-05:002009-05-14T16:57:38.344-05:00

I'm reworking the plot of the novel I did for NaNo using the snowflake method. It's an interesting process, but having worked on the book as long as I did has complicated matters. I'm starting to wish I could knock everything I know about it out my ear and push it aside so I could look at things more objectively. I know there are bits that will have to be cut because they're not moving the

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-91133730734213477732009-05-08T14:23:00.002-05:002009-05-08T14:33:31.491-05:00

I don't usually do product endorsements, but I have to brag on the Furminator. A couple different friends told me how great it was, and since we started the Great Spring Shed recently I decided to try it out.Essentially, it's a scaled-down curry comb. The instructions say to use it in an area that's easy to clean since it will extract an abundance of fur. Oh, boy howdy, they were not kidding!

EJnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-87237077523875880572009-05-02T15:59:00.002-05:002009-05-02T16:09:44.213-05:00

I have spent a total of six hours re-organizing my files and cleaning out my desk per the instructions of David Allen's "Getting Things Done." I have also formulated a game plan to finish 'Love Never Dies' using the Snowflake Method. I'm glad to be better organized, but it feels very compartmentalized. I'm trying to get more than just the house and writing under control, but I'm not too sure

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-12700304614407507622009-04-29T10:20:00.003-05:002009-04-29T10:37:09.763-05:00

It's rained on and off for two days, and apparently our frost danger has passed because I have a couple hundred volunteer baby tomatoes taking over. Honestly, they're blowing my mind. These are third generation tomatoes. I don't even remember what variety they are, except that they're more than likely cherry. They might be Roma. Most of what is available around here are hybrids, but I can't

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-64709479813044772852009-04-28T09:32:00.003-05:002009-04-28T09:44:25.199-05:00

Spring and fall are my favorite seasons, which is strange because they're the ones in which my allergies are the worst. They've gotten better the longer we've lived here; it takes me years to get used to local pollen. The hardest part is how they affect my sleep. If I forget to take my meds for a couple days I toss and turn, and it always takes several days to get caught back up on the sleep I

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-74147791047118497752009-04-26T20:10:00.003-05:002009-04-26T20:31:38.237-05:00

I haven't blogged about the Day Job lately because there hasn't been much of note going on. Or maybe I'm harder to surprise now. This week had a couple of amusing things happen. Last Wednesday we had just opened and a lady called to ask if we could do a wedding reception for about fifty people. The Boss told her we could handle a crowd that size easily. I wasn't paying too much attention to

EJnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-56177582597071356042009-04-21T14:59:00.003-05:002009-04-21T15:14:07.328-05:00

My house would be perfect for a magazine lay-out, if there was such a magazine as Clutter Quarterly. It's something I've never been able to get on top of. Even when my house is surface clean for family visits, the clutter is lurking, usually hidden in my bedroom in a laundry basket. I'm to the point that I want to go through and donate about 40% of what's in the house. The problem is it's not

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-52511088215427308082009-04-17T09:18:00.003-05:002009-04-17T09:31:29.833-05:00

I'm finally starting to feel like I'm getting it together. I must be, because I had an epiphany the other day. I never have epiphanies when I'm swamped with too many things. It must have something to do with being too busy for deep thoughts.Anyway, I was frustrated because my house is always cluttered, I've been putting off schoolwork, and I haven't written regularly since November. I tend to

EJnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5432286.post-17496840763717847742009-04-15T19:13:00.002-05:002009-04-15T19:20:12.745-05:00

Eric made the last payment to the last credit card today. We are officially debt-free except the mortgage. We've been dinking around with this for about six years, but three years ago we took Dave Ramsey's 'Financial Peace University' class. That really lit the fire. We've paid off three cars, half a dozen credit cards, and tutoring tuition. I've lost track of how much it actually amounts to,

EJnoreply@blogger.com2