Sheila Roberts's Blog, page 21

It pays to be a Sheila Girl

We are ramping up for fun times promoting my November novel, THE NINE LIVES OF CHRISTMAS. Got my street team of Sheila Girls assembled and they are going to help spread the word that this is a very fun book. And what is their reward? Well, for one thing, how about these cute cat themed decorative apron kitchen towels. (Purrfect, since this newest book features a snarky cat named Ambrose.) The pictures don't do them justice. They were made by my friend Doreen Geidel and they are adorable. Oh, yes, it pays to be a Sheila girl!
How cute will this look hanging on your oven!

SHEILAS BOSTON TEA PARTY

People told me Boston is a great city. People were right! I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to that historic city and all the surrounding towns. Besides boasting a beautiful harbor, great architecture, and wonderful history, Boston can brag of some wonderful eateries. Every meal we ate was a treat, and the waiter we had at Red Bones was probably the best waiter I've ever had in my life. He gave us both great service and great conversation, and by the time we left we were all buddies. The dance scene is great. I had a wonderful time dancing my feet off (and hopefully a few of the calories I consumed). And all you writers, you must add visiting Concord to your bucket list. The town is charming. (I wanted every house I saw!) It's a special treat to tour Louisa May Alcott's house and when you see Walden's Pond you wind up asking, "Where's the pond?" because that little pond you envisioned looks more like a lake. It's huge! We almost brought back a white pebble from the pond as a memento, but when my son went to pick it up for me it turned out to be something slimy (we suspect from the nose of the grizzled kayaker loading his kayak on his boat). So, no pebbles from the pond for little Sheila. Instead, all I brought back home with me were extra pounds. Guess I should have gone dancing more than once!
And how about you? What's the best thing you've done this summer?

Girlfriends and adventures

Life is good when you have friends. And when you get a chance to hit the road with them that's even better! I have awesome girlfriends, I must say. Here we are hiking in Leavenworth WA. Lily Anne, the event coordinator for A Book for All Seasons (far left), took us down a trail that lead to Indian petroglyphs. Now, that was cool. (Although, I have to admit it looked like graffiti to me. Maybe ancient graffiti? And here we moderns think we invented it!) Anyway, that was last month. This month little Sheila is off to Boston for an infusion of culture and history. I hope your summer is going well. If it's not, well, there's still some summer left - I highly recommend a girlfriend getaway weekend. You get a wonderful time with people you value and you can split the cost - twice the fun at half the price!

Sheila V Daisies

Bring out your dead... daisies. Ugh, weeding is back-breaking work! When I first planted daisies I was excited. They're so sweet. And they'll look so cute.
The first year they came up I was excited. How darling. Daisies!
The next year. Wow, look at that, more daisies!
And then, like the Star Trek Tribbles, they took over the world. I'd look out my window and think, I'd better do something about those daisies. Then I'd think, yes, but I have other things I need to do. And soon I was living in daisy land. All my other plants were buried in a field of daisies and suddenly they just weren't so sweet any more. And dealing with the mess hasn't been fun, let me tell you.
I guess there's a moral in all this. Remember the old saying, a stitch in time saves nine? Well, now I know what that saying means. It took a long, hot, sweaty afternoon to reduce the daisy population at my place and find the other flowers that had been cowering under their mighty shadow. And I've only begun to pull. Maybe I've learned my lesson now. Do those little jobs before they turn into big chores!
But in between all the yard work there's always time to enjoy a butterfly visit.

DOROTHY HAD IT RIGHT

Yes, remember Dorothy and her adventures in the magical land of Oz? Well, she had it right. There is no place like home. I'm about to have some fun travel adventures, checking out placers like Whistler, Canada and New York, New York. But the other night, here's the view we had off our deck. Now, that's hard to beat!
And how about you? What's great about your home? What do you love about it?

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

Back when my novel LOVE IN BLOOM came out we were just starting to landscape our new house. We did a funny book trailer with gardening tips (yes, you can still find it on YouTube if you type in my name and the book title) and at the time our garden was more dirt than flowers. Well, that's not the case anymore. My English garden has taken off, the blueberry bushes are thriving and my ground cover is taking over the world. I've heard this is the time table you go by when planting a garden: the first year it's "sleep", the second it's "creep" and the third it's "leap". Three years of waiting to see a garden start to mature - when you're not a patient person that can feel like a loooong time. But, as with most things, it takes time and effort to grow results. Whether it's a relationship, a family, a career, or a savings account - hanging in there for the long haul is the key. Whatever you're busy growing right now, whether it's a garden or an emergency fund or maybe even a writing career, let me just encourage you to hang in there and keep working away. Slow and steady really does win the race!
So, here's the English garden that covers our drain field. To the left of it is my ground cover:strawberries.
Strawberry fields forever! We've planted strawberries all around the property. They make great ground cover and you reap the bonus or organic berries. Yum! Another bit of lovely mess - this one growing along the front walk: Iris, ferns, ground cover. Also have daisies coming up and primroses. In the background you see a Camelia bush. Mix both tall and short plants in your flower beds for eye appeal.

A DAY IN WILLIE WONKA LAND (AND OUTLYING DISTRICTS)

Sheila and pal Kimberly. We've just arrived but we already managed to find the samples!     There may be better ways to spend a day than touring a chocolate factory and getting free samples but right off the top of my head I can't think of many. And it's even more fun when you go with friends, which we did.
    Theo Chocolate can be found in Seattle's Fremont district. It's a fair trade company that makes its chocolates "from scratch", starting with roasting the beans. This privately owned company offers all kinds of exotic flavors like coconut curry and caramel with lavender.
    Between the exotic chocolate and the Thai food we all ate for lunch before taking the tour, my taste buds had a very busy day. The rest of me was pretty busy too, as you can see by the pictures.
     If you're planning to come to Seattle as a tourist, be sure to add exploring Fremont to your to-do list. In addition to touring the chocolate factory (book early - they fill up fast!) you can check out the huge cement troll under the north end of the Aurora bridge. As you can see by the picture, you're never too old to climb on the troll. Well, at least you won't feel too old once you've consumed a pound of chocolate!
    And, speaking of, here are a few fun factoids for you. Did you know?

    
Here are some of the pretties in the Theo gift shop.   You need 70% cacao content or higher in your chocolate to reap the health benefits.
Chocolate opens up your blood vessels (which is what gives you energy).
Chocolate also produces serotonin (which makes you feel good).
One cocoa bean pod weighs about a pound.
Cocoa is a fermented food.
75% of the world's cocoa supply comes from Africa.
Many of the farmers who grow the cocoa beans have never tasted chocolate.
Never tasted chocolate. Can you imagine that? Next time I'm tempted to feel sorry for myself I'm going to remember that. My life is good!


Gerhardt, the hair net goes over your hair, not your face! This is your mind on chocolate. Here we are in public, wearing the hair nets we donned for the chocolate factory tour. If you look carefully, you'll see the troll has a VW bug under his hand.

MOTHERS DAY BLISS

So, this morning I was having the neighbor gang over for lattes and look what arrived on my doorstep. My son gets the good son award this Mother's Day for remembering Mom ... and what she likes!
And who doesn't like chocolate covered strawberries?
Of course, I'm only eating them so I won't hurt his feelings!

THANKS MOM

    With Mother's Day right around the corner I can't help but think of my own mom and how rich she made my life. Before there ever was a June Cleaver there was my mom - the queen of the kitchen, reigning in her house dress and high heels. And what a happy reign it was! She made home the kind of place kids wanted to be. I can still remember coming into the house after school and inhaling the fragrance of home-baked chocolate chip cookies. (No wonder I'm a chocoholic!)
    And, oh, the parties she could throw for me and my friends - always some sort of theme party complete with hand-crafted invitations, yummy food, and clever activities. She made it all look easy.  I still remember fondly the "sewing club" my mother started on the pretext of teaching me and my grade school girlfriends how to embroider and quilt. I think really it was an attempt to teach us to be ladies. We always had tea (laced with cream and sugar) and cookies and were expected to practice good table manners. (Oh, how she tried to wean us away from playing horses!) Every gathering was an adventure. When I was in high school she came up with the brilliant idea to dress my poor old dad up like a gypsy fortune teller and have him crash my Halloween party. He was an instant hit, telling all the guests' fortunes... using information we fed him ahead of time.
    She loved to plan special dinners for our family, and her greatest joy was seeing her children, grandchildren gathered around her table.
     She didn't stop with family. I think my parents fed half the neighborhood. I know there was never a time when I asked if I could have company that I was denied.
    Mom was busy with more than just fun and games. She was a tireless volunteer. She made sure her children got to church every week and she worked hard to instill good moral vallue in us. Kindness and generosity were the twin goals we aimed for in my home, and Mom taught us to take aim with love and laughter.
    I wish she was still around to hang out with my daughter and me. Whatever we wind up doing this Mother's Day, we'll bring her along in our hearts.

Girls Weekend Fun

     So, ladies, love to travel? Want to save money? Do a girls' weekend and do it off-season. It's the perfect way to travel. How do I know this? Personal experience, of course!
     I Just got back from a fun trip to Portland, OR. Sheila's assessment? Efficient transportation system, huge Saturday market (got the cute cupcake bath bomb th, lots of wonderful restaurants - a great getaway. And going with girlfriends makes it affordable. When you get wonderful off-season rates and can share a room with a friend, well, what's not to love about that?
     We took the train down from Seattle, which allowed us to visit and play cards - the time flew! We stayed at the Benson Hotel, which is gorgeous and has a wonderful staff. We ate breakfast at Mother's. Twice. IMHO, this restaurant serves the best breakfasts in the Northwest. And they are not stingy. Both times I split a plate with a buddy and not only saved money but came away perfectly satisfied yet not stuffed to the point of explosion. (Which is more than I can say for how I felt after consuming the incredible happy hour hamburger at El Goucho!) Before we left on our trip three different people told me I absolutely had to visit Voodoo Donuts. Well, we went to check it out but the line to get in stretched around the corner and halfway down the block. So no voodoo for me and no adding to the fat colony on my hips. Probably just as well. And in between the shopping and eating what did we do? Well, this group of friends is The Game Girls, so naturally we staked out a table in the hotel and played games. And since playing games is my favorite thing to do, well, let's just say the weekend vanished in a blink.
     Now I'm home, doing laundry. Ah, the glam life of a writer! Why does the time go so fast when you're having fun?! It is a mystery. Sooo, how about you? Have you been to Portland? Somewhere else? What was your favorite spot to visit?