Gerry Bartlett's Blog, page 3
September 24, 2012
A rose by any other name…
I wrote three books under another name when I first got published. I started out writing romantic suspense. I’ve always loved to read mysteries so this seemed like the perfect genre for me. I was still teaching at the time and since my books had some steamy scenes, I thought I should use a pen name. I picked Lynn McKay. That’s my middle name and my maiden name. When I was a kid, I used to fantasize that I was a famous comedienne, like Lucille Ball. I would practice signing autographs and Lynn...
July 31, 2012
Oh, isn’t for Organization
A friend asked me to go with her to pick out baskets so she could reorganize her office. This is like asking Atilla the Hun to start peace talks. I’m hopeless when it comes to organizing anything. I bought baskets once. I have three nice baskets, overflowing of course. No matter what I buy, nothing will magically get me organized.
I’ve bought books on getting myself squared away. Meditated on it. Purged extra papers. Hauled stuff to the garage. But more things keep adding to my piles. Where do...
June 8, 2012
Hot Times and Cool Memories
It’s definitely summer here in Texas. My AC is pumping away and I’m already dreading the next electric bill. I spend a lot of time at the computer but I have to get out sometime. Lately it’s been to the movies. The last one I saw was “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” My friend and I went to lunch then hit an early afternoon showing. The theater was half full which was a surprise for a week day. But the age range was well above forty and averaged Medicare card holding status. I won’t tell you...
May 7, 2012
Killing Again
No, I’m not into a freaky mood, ready to take out a real person instead of a bad guy in my latest book.It’s just my annual ritual of heading to Home Depot and picking out sacrificial plants. You see, I love the look of a flowering garden. I have a small pond in my back yard with a flower bed around it. I can look out my back window or sit on the deck in the evening and enjoy my own little patch of paradise. Well, it would be paradiseif I had any luck with plants. As it is, they are beautiful...
March 15, 2012
Gerry’s Mini-Meltdowns
There are some things that just rub me the wrong way. I like a cold Diet Dr. Pepper in the morning. It’s what I drink to wake up. Do NOT leave the refrigerator without replenishing the supply of DDP. If I open that door and don’t see my drink first thing in the morning? Meltdown time. And don’t get me started on people who take the last of anything and forget to announce it. Give a general heads up. If you share a home with someone, you know what I mean. “Hey, we’re out of bread.” is a lot be...
January 3, 2012
Ghosts of Christmas Past
Gerry with Nina Bangs
I’m posting a picture here of me with my friend Nina Bangs. I went to her condo which she redid this past year. It was a case of out with the old, in with the new. It’s nice to make a clean sweep. Her third floor unit is beautiful and she bought it because it has a view of Clear Lake and a marina. It’s a very soothing setting.
This was a weird Christmas for me. I lost my mother this year so I was the hostess for the festivities for my family. I’m now the older generation....
August 14, 2011
With a little help from my friends…
I’m a lucky gal. I’ve known it for a long time now. One of my biggest blessings is that I have great friends. Now I’m the first to admit that I have categories of friends. I have long-time childhood friends who I’ve known since I started school. Those are fun to get together with to reminisce about old times and talk about our families as they grow and change. There is nothing like a friend you’ve had for decades to understand when you have a child in trouble or an ailing parent.
I also have f...
March 5, 2011
Technology–Friend or Foe?
A friend spent the morning on the phone with tech support after her computer crashed today. She backs up her work obsessively but hadn’t done it with her latest chapter. This one had been a killer andshe’d rewritten it several times. So she was in a panic. No telling where this helper was when he took over her computer in cyber-space and somehow fixed it. He kept trying to tell her what he was doing. She finally screamed at him to just do it, she didn’t want to understand it, she just wanted...
January 18, 2011
Some People Don’t Get It
I was out and about Sunday and saw a lady struggling to get a fruit tree loaded into the back of her car. This was a twelve foot tree, root ball and all. It stuck out of her car window in the rain and cold. Now think about it. It’s January. Sure, I live in Texas but who’s the sapat homewho is going to have to go out in the yard and dig a hole to plant this sucker? And what was the pressing need that had her out in terrible weather when we’ve had beautiful days before and after for plant shopp...
