Kate Collins's Blog, page 105
November 14, 2016
At the Movies
by Maggie SeftonI've been seeing a lot of good movies lately because I've been here in Northern Colorado
since the last week in September when I returned from NINC, the Novelists Inc conference. Normally I travel in October, but not this year. Colorado has had and continues to have an absolutely glorious Autumn with temps in the 70s. Beautiful. I've also noticed on the weather maps that other areas of the country have been just as lucky. I've listed below three of the movies I've seen since September. Check them out if you're interested, and I'll do the same next week----
JASON BOURNE----I think I suggested this movie to everyone earlier, but just in case I didn't, I can strongly recommend this exciting spy/good guy--bad guy/action thriller. It's literally non-stop action. So, check it out.
THE ACCOUNTANT----Having been a CPA years ago, it was fascinating to watch this situationally "challenged" man, portrayed extremely well by Ben Affleck, handle all the additional stress that an international criminal group exerted when he, as the accountant, discovered the cheating going on in their influential company. Excellent. And, don't worry----no one will be writing out long accounting problems on the office blackboard. There's too much action going on with all those international funds changing hands.
HELL OR HIGH WATER----Again, I apologize if I already mentioned this movie. I can only plead immersion in Kelly 15 and writing or revising scenes. That's the nature of this crazy novelist writing business we're in. We're either writing novels, revising novels, or brainstorming ideas for new novels. Older Jeff Bridges plays the newly-retired Texas Ranger who cannot keep from poking his nose into this sudden outbreak of bank robberies in which only the bank teller's tray is stolen with low denomination bills---20 dollar bills and lower. It turns out the FBI only investigates bank robberies when $100 bills are involved. Smart bank robber. Check it out, everyone. It's excellent.
These are very well done movies and well worth watching.
November 13, 2016
CATS--ARE THEY REALLY PILLOWS THAT EAT?
By Mary Kennedy
I didn't coin the term "pillows that eat," the comedian Gallagher described cats that way. It's true that cats tend to be sedentary animals--you'll never find a cat eager to attempt to 5 mile hike with you. (At least I don't think you will.) Here are a few facts on cats and sleeping. Cats can sleep as much as 20 hours a day (the average is 15).
Why do they sleep so much? Well, in the wild, cats have to hunt to survive and all that running, stalking and chasing takes a lot of energy. So they have to "rest up" when they can.
Sometimes cats are only "resting," and are alert to sounds and movements. Okay, I agree, the cat in the photo above doesn't look like he would jump up at a loud noise, but you never know. When they're "dozing," their ears are up and are actually ready to take action if they're startled or feel threatened.
Sometimes, of course, they're deeply asleep and yes, they dream, just as we do. They may remain in that deep state of sleep 40% of the time. If you've ever noticed your cat's paws moving or whiskers twitching while he sleeps, he might be dreaming of chasing a plump chipmunk. The deep sleep stage is highly restorative for cats--just as it is for humans--and cats will spend more time in it as they get older.
Here's Siggy, in what I call his "Margaritaville" pose with a tiny airline bottom of rum in front of him. (Don't worry, he didn't drink any rum, we put the empty bottle there after he dozed off,) Cats can sleep anywhere, as every cat owner knows! Even a concrete step...
Sometimes they sleep with strange companions!
And sometimes with their best friends...A big thank you to John Presler for letting me share this adorable photo of his kitties curled up together.
Sometimes they try to sleep in a box that's way too small...
And sometimes they snore...(snoring can be related to a weight issue).
How about your cats? Do you have any cute stories or pictures to share? In any case, hope your cats have sweet dreams! Mary Kennedy
I didn't coin the term "pillows that eat," the comedian Gallagher described cats that way. It's true that cats tend to be sedentary animals--you'll never find a cat eager to attempt to 5 mile hike with you. (At least I don't think you will.) Here are a few facts on cats and sleeping. Cats can sleep as much as 20 hours a day (the average is 15).
Why do they sleep so much? Well, in the wild, cats have to hunt to survive and all that running, stalking and chasing takes a lot of energy. So they have to "rest up" when they can.
Sometimes cats are only "resting," and are alert to sounds and movements. Okay, I agree, the cat in the photo above doesn't look like he would jump up at a loud noise, but you never know. When they're "dozing," their ears are up and are actually ready to take action if they're startled or feel threatened.
Sometimes, of course, they're deeply asleep and yes, they dream, just as we do. They may remain in that deep state of sleep 40% of the time. If you've ever noticed your cat's paws moving or whiskers twitching while he sleeps, he might be dreaming of chasing a plump chipmunk. The deep sleep stage is highly restorative for cats--just as it is for humans--and cats will spend more time in it as they get older.
Here's Siggy, in what I call his "Margaritaville" pose with a tiny airline bottom of rum in front of him. (Don't worry, he didn't drink any rum, we put the empty bottle there after he dozed off,) Cats can sleep anywhere, as every cat owner knows! Even a concrete step...
Sometimes they sleep with strange companions!
And sometimes with their best friends...A big thank you to John Presler for letting me share this adorable photo of his kitties curled up together.
Sometimes they try to sleep in a box that's way too small...
And sometimes they snore...(snoring can be related to a weight issue).
How about your cats? Do you have any cute stories or pictures to share? In any case, hope your cats have sweet dreams! Mary Kennedy
November 12, 2016
The holidays are creeping up on us
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
Like it or not (and boy do I NOT like it because I can't believe how FAST this year has flown by), the holidays will soon be upon us.
Next Friday (November 18th), our local soft rock station will start playing Christmas music 24/7 through New Year's Day. I'm seeing Black Friday ads BEFORE Black Friday! (And I never go out on Black Friday--not even to the grocery store because traffic is a nightmare.)
Despite all that ... I'm hoping that my readers will want to read my holiday short stories. I now have four of them.I like writing about the holidays. Three of my stories revolve around dysfunctional families (Blue Christmas, Bah! Humbug, and We're So Sorry, Uncle Albert). The 4th story revolved around friendship (Christmas at Swans Nest).
I've included three of the stories in a $$$-saving bundle: Happy Holidays.
The holidays are all about families…but families don’t always get along.
Mandy Nichols’ combative family wants to kill their uncle.
Jeff Resnick’s girlfriend’s family wants them to break up.
And Judi Straub’s siblings … want her to be a full-time babysitter.
Happy Holidays? puts the Christmas fun into dysfunction!
Kindle US | Kindle Worldwide | iBooks | Kobo | Nook
You can catch the video below.
Then there's my third story in the Lotus Bay Mystery series, Christmas at Swans Nest.
Kathy is working hard to get her B & B remodeled and ready to open. With all her time and money going to the project she thinks she's facing a blue Christmas but her friends, a little snow and a surprise from the past go a long way toward making her season bright. Kindle US | Kindle Worldwide | iBooks | Kobo | Nook
November 11, 2016
He's still alive and kicking!
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do. Over the summer, I learned to stab my cat.
Actually, he's not at ALL my cat. Chester belongs to Mr. L and he suffers from kidney failure. He was going back and forth to the vet for a while and finally the vet (not OUR vet) said, in no uncertain terms, that if we didn't hospitalize Chester that he would die within a couple of days.
Why were we hesitant to board him?
Nine months before, we boarded Chester for 8 days when we took a trip. He needed to be medicated (for something entirely different) and my brother, who was taking care of the cats, wasn't up to that. But every time Mr. L called to see how Chester was, he was inching closer to death. He wouldn't eat, he wouldn't drink. They were having to hydrate him every day. Finally, we called my brother and said, "Bring him him." He did, and Chester did a turnaround pretty darn quick. By the time we returned two days later, he was in the pink.
Fast forward nine months and Chester was going downhill. Mind you, he's 18.5 years old. We've never had a boy cat live that long. But he needed fluids every three days. For a while, we were taking him to the vet, but it got to be more and more inconvenient because they had to squeeze him in between appointments. And another thing, Chester does not travel well in the car. It was very upsetting for him to have to travel every three days to a place he despised.
So it was decided that Mr. L would learn to give Chester his fluids. We went to the vet, got our lesson in subcutaneous fluids, were handed a bag of lactated ringers and a bag of 18 gauge needles and sent home to do the deed. I was surprised that many of my readers/Facebook friends had also given their cats (and a couple of dogs) a new lease on life with fluids, and was grateful for their encouragement of "you can do this!"
For the first couple of times, Mr. L did the deed. But then no matter what we did, we were spraying ringers all around the kitchen, and Chester wasn't getting his fluids. That's when I took over. Some days it works well, and he doesn't flinch when I stab him, and some days it doesn't go well. The vet techs (and OUR vet) both assured us that they screw up on a regular basis, but not that we've ever seen.
We've been doing this for almost four months now and Chester is back to being his old self. He kills his Beanie Babies on a regular basis (distributing them around the house), he eats and drinks well, and he's usually on one of our laps at any given time of the day. (But mostly Mr. L's because ... you know, Chester owns Mr. L.)
To what lengths are you willing to go to keep a pet alive?
Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do. Over the summer, I learned to stab my cat.
Actually, he's not at ALL my cat. Chester belongs to Mr. L and he suffers from kidney failure. He was going back and forth to the vet for a while and finally the vet (not OUR vet) said, in no uncertain terms, that if we didn't hospitalize Chester that he would die within a couple of days.Why were we hesitant to board him?
Nine months before, we boarded Chester for 8 days when we took a trip. He needed to be medicated (for something entirely different) and my brother, who was taking care of the cats, wasn't up to that. But every time Mr. L called to see how Chester was, he was inching closer to death. He wouldn't eat, he wouldn't drink. They were having to hydrate him every day. Finally, we called my brother and said, "Bring him him." He did, and Chester did a turnaround pretty darn quick. By the time we returned two days later, he was in the pink.
Fast forward nine months and Chester was going downhill. Mind you, he's 18.5 years old. We've never had a boy cat live that long. But he needed fluids every three days. For a while, we were taking him to the vet, but it got to be more and more inconvenient because they had to squeeze him in between appointments. And another thing, Chester does not travel well in the car. It was very upsetting for him to have to travel every three days to a place he despised.
So it was decided that Mr. L would learn to give Chester his fluids. We went to the vet, got our lesson in subcutaneous fluids, were handed a bag of lactated ringers and a bag of 18 gauge needles and sent home to do the deed. I was surprised that many of my readers/Facebook friends had also given their cats (and a couple of dogs) a new lease on life with fluids, and was grateful for their encouragement of "you can do this!"
For the first couple of times, Mr. L did the deed. But then no matter what we did, we were spraying ringers all around the kitchen, and Chester wasn't getting his fluids. That's when I took over. Some days it works well, and he doesn't flinch when I stab him, and some days it doesn't go well. The vet techs (and OUR vet) both assured us that they screw up on a regular basis, but not that we've ever seen.We've been doing this for almost four months now and Chester is back to being his old self. He kills his Beanie Babies on a regular basis (distributing them around the house), he eats and drinks well, and he's usually on one of our laps at any given time of the day. (But mostly Mr. L's because ... you know, Chester owns Mr. L.)
To what lengths are you willing to go to keep a pet alive?
November 9, 2016
Now hair this
By Mary Jane Maffini aka half of Victoria Abbott
Hair today, gone tomorrow is the old joke. I should be so lucky! I have the worst misbehaving hair in the world, and even though I have (by some miracle) gone prematurely blonde, I still struggle with not looking too scary if I must leave the house.
Here’s the thing: my Celtic heritage has left me with soft waves. Nice, you might think, and it would be nice if any two of those waves were near each other. But, nooo, they’re here and there, growing next to stick straight hanks of yellow hair that refuse to curl, wave or behave.
Then there are the rebellious cowlicks: four of them, two on the bangs and two on the hairline. They rule out a whole lot of stylin’ possibilities.
After a shampoo and a blowdry, the hair will behave for one day (if no hats are involved) most times, or for fifteen minutes on a humid summer day. The acres of products are not enough. Sniff.
I frequently threaten to shave my head and paint it yellow or maybe red, but that’s just a bluff. There are lots of issues with that plan.
So here’s a conversation with my daughter, Victoria (the other half of Victoria Abbott).
MJ: “I can’t go out like this. It looks like chickens have been living in my hair.”
V: “You need a heated brush, mum."
MJ: “Meh.”
V: eye roll. “We had this conversation two days ago.”
So after many of these identical comments, I raced out in despair and bought one (on sale) and now am in the unenviable position of saying to my daughter, “You were right.’ I feel a bit like the Fonz as I struggle with the word r-r-r-, but at least I can go to the grocery store without a bag over my head. No one will ever think it’s a professional ‘do’, but the cowlicks and rogue waves are under control when it counts.
Okay, that’s my silly confession, how about you? Tell us your nightmares, your brilliant solutions and any other hairy stories. And remember, we love advice and we love to laugh. With you, of course. Never at you.
PS Can you spot the dachshund?
It’s Turkey Time…or nearly.
With the leaves on the ground and a nip in the air it’s time to gear up for Thanksgiving!! I love this day!! All the fun and family without the angst of who got what from whom.So now I need to deep-clean this house for the holidays and get the Thanksgiving menu lined up. I’m not a great turkey fan but what is Thanksgiving without the turkey? And then there’s the dressing, the cranberry sauce, the yams, mashed potatoes, biscuits and the PIE!
I can skip the rest but bring on the pie! So the question is what kind of pie? Pumpkin or Pecan?? I loooooove both but truth be told I’m all about the Pecan Pie. It’s because of the Brown Sweet Tooth syndrome passed on in my gene line and nothing has more sugar...brown sugar...than pecan pie.Here is my fave recipe and it is so simple and delish. Make it and everyone will love you!!
Duffy’s Pecan PieQuick, Easy and totally Delish 9” unbaked pie crust 1 cup light corn syrup1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar3 eggs slightly beaten1/3 cut butter melted½ tsp salt1 tsp vanilla1 cup pecan halves (or walnuts)
heat oven to 350. Combine corn syrup, sugar, eggs, butter, salt, vanilla and mix well. Pour into crust, sprinkle with nuts and bake for 50 min till knife comes out clean. Cool. Add whipped cream, ice cream etc.
November 7, 2016
An Important Day
by Maggie SeftonMy blogpost today will be very short but very important, too. Today, Tuesday, November 8,
2016 is Election Day. So, please don't forget to go out and vote today. Make sure your voice is heard. Take care, Everyone. :)
November 6, 2016
HOW I BECAME A SQUIRREL WHISPERER
By Mary Kennedy
I've always been a fan of all animals--companion animals like cats, dogs, horses,and even backyard "critters." Now some people consider squirrels to be garden "pests," with no redeeming value. Not so! I started feeding squirrels many years ago and I think they've been given bad press. Like wolves (but that's another topic and I'll save that for another blog.)
Many people are amazed that I feed squirrels. When I bought a bag of dried ears of corn at Lowe's, the cashier asked me how to cook them. I explained that I didn't cook them, the ears of corn were for the squirrels. "You feed squirrels?" She immediately took a step backwards, as if such insanity could be catching.
I'm happy to say that a recent post on Facebook generated a lot of interest from fellow squirrel-lovers. (Yay, Facebook friends, you rock!) So many people chimed in to say that they also fed squirrels, and enjoyed their antics. Here are a couple of amorous squirrels, and the baby in the middle is probably saying, "Hey guys, cut it out!"
A couple of people posted about a cute little squirrel feeder shaped like a tiny chair. I fell in love with it, and this is definitely going on my Christmas list!
Some folks marveled at the ingenuity of squirrels. No matter what kind of bird feeder you use, they seem to find a way to get inside. It takes a lot of creativity to outwit a hungry squirrel! Here's a little guy who snared a piece of pizza (so squirrels eat pizza? Who knew!) And I've seen a squirrel drag an ear of corn up a tree--backwards!
The only "problem" in feeding squirrels is that it encourages other critters to come into the yard at night. Now, I don't mind that, but I have noticed a few raccoons lately. Hey, they have to eat, too. They enjoy the nuts, seeds and fruit that I feed the squirrels.
All my cats are safely indoors, 100% of the time, so I don't have to worry about any cat-wildlife squabbles. And the squirrels really do provide hours of enjoyment for my cats, who watch them from the glassed-in sun porch. (Sorry there are no cats in the photos below, naturally the cats ran and hid when they saw the camera!). But you get the idea, it's the perfect spot for squirrel-watching. (Note: sipping tea and reading a cozy mystery is good, too.)
If nothing else, squirrel-watching takes the cats away from watching too much television! I keep telling them television is going to rot their brain, but do they listen?
So if you'd like to turn your backyard into a wildlife friendly environment, start feeding the little critters, and think about making a nice pile of branches for them to nest in, during the winter months.
And thank you for all the suggestions about feeding squirrels, I'm going to buy those little pumpkins someone told me about. Excellent idea!
Hope you chime in with more suggestions!! I really do take them to heart, I love my readers!
Mary Kennedy
I've always been a fan of all animals--companion animals like cats, dogs, horses,and even backyard "critters." Now some people consider squirrels to be garden "pests," with no redeeming value. Not so! I started feeding squirrels many years ago and I think they've been given bad press. Like wolves (but that's another topic and I'll save that for another blog.)
Many people are amazed that I feed squirrels. When I bought a bag of dried ears of corn at Lowe's, the cashier asked me how to cook them. I explained that I didn't cook them, the ears of corn were for the squirrels. "You feed squirrels?" She immediately took a step backwards, as if such insanity could be catching.
I'm happy to say that a recent post on Facebook generated a lot of interest from fellow squirrel-lovers. (Yay, Facebook friends, you rock!) So many people chimed in to say that they also fed squirrels, and enjoyed their antics. Here are a couple of amorous squirrels, and the baby in the middle is probably saying, "Hey guys, cut it out!"
A couple of people posted about a cute little squirrel feeder shaped like a tiny chair. I fell in love with it, and this is definitely going on my Christmas list!
Some folks marveled at the ingenuity of squirrels. No matter what kind of bird feeder you use, they seem to find a way to get inside. It takes a lot of creativity to outwit a hungry squirrel! Here's a little guy who snared a piece of pizza (so squirrels eat pizza? Who knew!) And I've seen a squirrel drag an ear of corn up a tree--backwards!
The only "problem" in feeding squirrels is that it encourages other critters to come into the yard at night. Now, I don't mind that, but I have noticed a few raccoons lately. Hey, they have to eat, too. They enjoy the nuts, seeds and fruit that I feed the squirrels.
All my cats are safely indoors, 100% of the time, so I don't have to worry about any cat-wildlife squabbles. And the squirrels really do provide hours of enjoyment for my cats, who watch them from the glassed-in sun porch. (Sorry there are no cats in the photos below, naturally the cats ran and hid when they saw the camera!). But you get the idea, it's the perfect spot for squirrel-watching. (Note: sipping tea and reading a cozy mystery is good, too.)
If nothing else, squirrel-watching takes the cats away from watching too much television! I keep telling them television is going to rot their brain, but do they listen?
So if you'd like to turn your backyard into a wildlife friendly environment, start feeding the little critters, and think about making a nice pile of branches for them to nest in, during the winter months.
And thank you for all the suggestions about feeding squirrels, I'm going to buy those little pumpkins someone told me about. Excellent idea!
Hope you chime in with more suggestions!! I really do take them to heart, I love my readers!
Mary Kennedy
November 5, 2016
DYING TO SELL
by Maggie SeftonToday on Spotlight Saturday, I want to bring back one of my favorite mystery suspense novels that I wrote years ago----DYING TO SELL. It was published the very same year that the first Kelly Flynn mystery came out. That first Kelly Flynn mystery, KNIT ONE, KILL TWO, went on to establish Kelly and all her friends with readers, for which I am eternally grateful. Thank you, thank you, Readers. But today, I want to spotlight the "other" mystery that came out that year, 2005. The 55-year old heroine, Kate Doyle, was a great amateur sleuth to follow. Here's a little taste-----
Realtor Kate Doyle knew divorce was messy, but she didn't expect it to be bloody. Kate agrees to sell the home of old friends who're locked in bitter wrangling and manages to keep the peace long enough to get signatures on contracts. She congratulates herself on what will be an easy sale in this upscale Colorado college town. However, Kate's celebration turns to horror when she walks into the lawyer-client's study to find him brutally murdered - stabbed in the throat. "A crime of passion," says Kate's police detective brother-in-law. The prime suspect is Kate's close friend, the spurned wife, who begs Kate to help her. Kate's meddling turns up some surprising suspects. The successful lawyer deceived numerous ex-lovers as well as his wife. He'd also played off one land developer against another, dangling a choice tract of land as bait. Businesses were ruined and fortunes lost. Had the loser taken revenge on the wily lawyer? Or had an ex-lover killed in jealous rage? Kate's real estate license helps her dig into the clever lawyer's dealings as she sifts clues from cyber space to crawl space. Unfortunately, her snooping tempts the killer to exercise his own license - to kill.
November 3, 2016
What do I do with all these green tomatoes?
Earlier this week, Mr. L and I put most of the garden to bed. Because Mr. L dislocated his shoulder in May, we didn't get the garden in until late. The tomatoes did fantastic ... except they just didn't ripen in time. So now I'm left with a bunch of green tomatoes.
The little Juliet tomatoes will ripen in a dish, but I have all those tomatoes below AND a bunch slowly ripening on my kitchen window. Unfortunately, usually they rot before they can fully ripen.
We have tried friend green tomatoes and didn't care for them.
Does anybody know what else can be made out of them? Didn't Ma Ingalls make some kind of green tomato relish in the Little House Books?
Does anybody have a recipe? Are there other things that can be made with them?
I'd love to know! (And I'll bet others reading this post would, too!)
