Kate Collins's Blog, page 131

Bottle Blonde Forever

Duffy Brown here and its time to touch up my hair and get rid of the gray. Actually with being a woman of a certain age I’m beyond touching up, it’s more a full out assault to get rid of gray. And that brings up the questions, Why bother?
I think...don’t know for sure with this present dye job...I’m salt and pepper with a lot more salt than pepper these days. So maybe it’s time to just embrace who I am and what I am and go natural.
I checked my source to see if this would work for me. My source for this as well as room décor, Halloween costumes, Christmas decorations and all else is pinterest. What do other woman look like in the S&P situation.
Some looked really good and others...woof! I think it had a lot to do with the makeup used with the hair. Hair is just one of the issues to deal with in looking good and the S&P gals that look the best were the ones made up the best. Makeup counts for a lot.
But after looking in the mirror and trying to see me as S&P I gave up. I need to be blonde. If I live to be 100 I’ll do it as a blonde.
I’ve been dying my hair since I was eighteen. There was a thing on my college application back in the day and they asked hair color and my mom said I was dishwater blonde. Dishwater anything is not pretty so I went to the store and bought Lady Clairol and we’ve been BFFs ever since.

I don’t dye my hair all over I use the streak method where I just dye strands blonde and with my hair being short I get the many shade of blonde effect that works okay. And the big thing is that it’s cheap. One box of dye is ten bucks and lasts six months.
So, what about you? Are you a natural gal or a dye job like me? Is it DIY or do you have a salon? Any plans for color change in the future or are you going to be a bottle blonde like me till you’re 100.

Hugs, Duffy Brown

I've Run Away. . . . Again

by Maggie Sefton


Lady Liberty as we cruised away from the New York City Cruise Terminal.  First time I've left from that terminal


Yes, I've escaped again.  Winter Weather, that is.  For those of you readers and Web followers, you may have thought I meant an institution of some sort.  Face it, you always suspected some of the Chicks were a bit strange.  Well, I'll plead guilty.  Actually, I'm a whole lot "strange."  So are some of my fellow Chicks if the truth be told.  But I'm not squealing.

I've escaped onto a cruise ship again.  Yes, ever since fellow Chick Lorraine Bartlett went cruising and wrote a whole lot while off to sea, I've tried to cruise every two years or  whenever I can save some "cruise cash."  And as a former C.P.A., I'm really good at "squirreling" away money.


Skyline of New York City as the Norwegian Breakaway cruised away from the New York City Port Terminal

So. . .this time I'm off on a 14 day cruise into the Caribbean.  I've cruised the Caribbean before for my first cruise in 2013.  This time I found a great end-of-year sale, and I'm going to islands that I've never seen before or if I have, we're going to different ports and areas of those islands.  I'll keep all of you up-to-date on the Cozy Chicks Blog and on my Facebook website in addition to our Cozy Chicks Facebook site.

An adorable little toddler who clearly has a musical bent.  She was out on the dance floor moving to the music.  What a cutie! 

I boarded the Norwegian Breakaway on Sunday afternoon and that evening we headed out to sea.  Our first port will be Puerto Rico.  I've been to Puerto Rico before and toured there and enjoyed it very much.  This time, I am relaxing on board.  Really.  Last year was a very hectic and stressful year, and it caused me to turn in Kelly Flynn #14 late in the year.  (Yes, that's right.  The 14th Kelly Flynn Mysteries novel.  Thank you, thank you, Readers for your support and for loving Kelly. . . as much as I do).  So, I'm taking this time to relax and renew. . . and start Kelly Flynn #15.  After Puerto Rico, we'll sail to St. Thomas.  

For now. . .I will update you these next few days on Facebook and again next week on our Cozy Chicks website and blog with details of what I'm doing. . . even if I'm simply relaxing.  Ahhhhhhhhhhh.  :)  

OOH, LA LA! RECIPES FROM A FRENCH CAFE

by Mary Kennedy                          
                                                                
   Paris is exciting for so many reasons--the art, the culture, the cosmopolitan flair of the famous city. And of course, the food!  Dining out in Paris, whether at a pricey 4 star restaurant or a charming café, is always an adventure. Here is one of my favorite meals; a cheesy zucchini casserole accompanied by a glass of white wine, a salad, and a freshly baked baguette. The perfect light lunch! It is filling and delicious and won't weigh you down as you enjoy an afternoon of sight-seeing in the City of Light.                                                           The zucchini gratin is incredibly easy to make.  Ingredients: 4 zucchini1 yellow onion  (I like Vidalia, but any sweet onion will do)1 8 oz container sour cream, either regular, low fat, or fat free3 eggsGrated gruyere for topping Directions  Crack the eggs into a bowl, beat and add sour cream. Set aside. Saute 4 chopped zucchini with the chopped onion. Once they are sauteed, remove from heat and let cool for a little while. Now add the egg and sour cream mixture. Add a touch of nutmeg.  Spoon into a greased casserole dish and top with grated gruyere or your favorite cheese. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes, until top is golden. This dish is even better the next day, and also freezes well.                                                          
Just add a nice green salad.
                                                        
 A baguette...                                                              And enjoy! Bon appetite! Mary Kennedy

Getting to Know You…

This week we are getting to know Teresa Kander! 



-Where do you live? Fairborn Ohio
-Pets? Maine Coon cat named Gandalf
Kids?  Three bio and two step, ranging in age from 41 to 23; also six grandchildren, ranging in age from 21 to 4 months, with #7 on the way.

Hobby? Reading, crossword puzzles, genealogy

-Day Job? Retired kindergarten teacher--these days I’m a book blogger.
-Upcoming plans? Two weddings this summer...my daughter and my stepdaughter. Also a new grandchild coming in August.


-What do you do for fun? Read, watch movies, go to festivals
-Do you travel? Got a fav place?
 Not as much as I would like. I love beaches…not picky about which one.
-How did you come to reading mysteries? I discovered Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden in elementary school, and I’ve been reading mysteries ever since.
-Do you have a fav mystery show? Movie? Elementary (show)--not sure about a movie
-Do you have a fav book that you reread from time to time? With all the new ones coming out, I almost never have time to re-read things anymore.
-Do you remember the first mystery you read? No, but I know it was Trixie Belden.
-Is there a character in a book or movie that you’d like to pal around with? Darcy Merriweather, from the Wishcraft Series by Heather Blake


There is a destiny that makes us brothers. None goes his way alone.
All that we send into the lives of others,
comes back into our own.
If you’d like to be interviewed email: DuffyBrown@DuffyBrown.com

Today and tomorrow only!

Today and tomorrow only -- Kobo is selling The Cozy Chicks books for 50% off.  That's right -- 50% off!  If you haven't given either of them a try, this is the time to do so. Let us tell you a little bit about them.

THE COZY CHICKS KITCHEN:  Welcome! Pull up a stool and let us pour you a cup of coffee. We’ll have a chat as a pot of tomato basil soup bubbles on the stove. While the soup is simmering, feel free to sit back, relax, and listen to the sizzle of lemon chicken cutlets crisping to a golden brown in the frying pan. By the time we catch up on work and family and start discussing the last book we’ve read, the buttery, cinnamon scents of the apple ginger pie baking in the oven will curl around our shoulders like a warm shawl and coax a sigh of contentment from our lips.



TEA TIME WITH THE COZY CHICKS:  The Cozy Chicks realized that tea was such a perfect complement to cozy mysteries that we decided to write a book about it. Not only does Tea Time with the Cozy Chicks have delicious recipes, but it also includes themed tea menus, fascinating articles, fun facts, curious quotes, and helpful hints on how to host the most memorable tea parties ever! And for an extra treat, a few of us have included excerpts of our work as well! Read, cook, drink tea, savor, and most of all enjoy!

Use this PROMO CODE: JAN1650 at checkout for:

The Cozy Chicks Kitchen and Tea Time With The Cozy Chicks

Don't have a Kobo e-reader? Get the app free here: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/p/apps

Always something to celebrate

by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett

Since I found out about the National Day Calendar, I've had loads of fun making graphics.  Did you know that today is National Croissant Day? I've been talking about it for days, because I had a bunch of different croissant pictures that I bought and wanted to play with to celebrate the day for each of my different series. (The graphic at the right is for my Victoria Square Mystery series; I also did one for Lotus Bay and Booktown).

What an even bigger surprise to find that Mr. L had gone to the store to buy a bunch of croissants for our breakfast. OMG -- I love croissants. I love them for breakfast, but even better--stuffed with chicken salad.

My Dad made the best chicken salad in the world, made with lots of crunchie bits. (Onions and celery.) I've tried making it for years, and have never been able to make it the same as he did, probably because he made it with love.

So, what would you like with/on/in your croissant?

An antidote to winter blahs, snow, cold, and all that other dreary stuff

By Victoria Abbott aka Mary Jane and Victoria Maffini 
I love spring flowers in the winter, even though there’s no way they are growing in this crazy climate. Against the background of snow and more snow, minus twenty degree days, salt-encrusted boots, missing gloves,  hat head (I hate hat head!) and all that stuff, flowers give a whiff of hope and promise of better times ahead.  

I also enjoy the seed catalogs and the gardening books too, but sometimes, I need the real thing  Immediately.  And it will be at least three and half months before we see a daffodil or a tulip on the lawn. 
This year our amaryllis stopped flowering right after Christmas and the geraniums I’ve been carefully nursing seem to be hibernating.  I need flowers!  NOW!
So, after our basement flood I cheered myself up with these tulips, cheap and cheerful from the grocery store.  They immediately lifted my mood.  When those petals drop, I'm heading back for more. They're cheaper than mood enhancers and it works for me.
Soon, I think my rescued geraniums will react to the longer days and a bit of fertilizer and show me some gratitude.  Flowers and plants pack such a big emotional punch that sometimes I think they should be in the vitamin section.



The yellow interior petals are actually a beautiful soft yellow - the camera didn't do them justice!
What about you? What cheers you up in the winter? You Texas, Arizona and California people should chime in too, and any other places where the snowy description does not apply.  Almost every place has a season that’s not the favorite.  Come on over and tell us about your favorite flower or what cheers you in the off season.

Downton Abbey

I love Downton Abbey and to think this is the last season breaks the heart.
I feel as if I know Cora and Robert personally, cried when Matthew, Sybil and William died, rooted for Mary when ditching the Turks body, celebrated when Mary and Matthew married. I feared the worse when Mary met that awful newspaper guy, cried again when Lady Edith gave up Marigold and cried again when she got her back.
Some of my favorite scenes are Carson proposing to Mrs. Hughes, and their marriage, Mary and Matthew out in the snow and getting engaged (really loved that one) and when Matthew walked.

And then there’s Maggie Smith, we could write ten-thousand blogs on Maggie Smith. She has some of the best lines and delivers them as only Maggie Smith can. What a gal…what an actress.
I love the relationship between Carson and Robert. Those two love Downton to the depths of their souls. Men friendships are special when they have a common goal.

I also love Anna’s faithfulness to Mary and Mary’s faithfulness to Anna. Anna brings out the very best in the uppity Mary.
The clothes are amazing and love I love the passage of time from pre WWI to pre WWII. So much happened during this period, a true social revolution.

Okay, I’ve mentioned stuff you already know about Downton Abbey if you are DA lover but here are a few things you may not know:

-Maggie Smith has never watched the show
-A real family does indeed live in the place we know as Downton Abbey (High Clear I think) and the money they have gotten from filming the series there has helped a ton in keeping the place up.
-Each episode costs more than 1 million bucks
-The hiding the Turk body really happened in history
-Queen Elizabeth loves DA
-Most watched PBS series ever
-The kitchen scenes are filmed separate from the scenes in the house…hard to believe
-Many of the costumes are original

Okay so now what is your fav scene of Downton? Are you a Downton lover? Will you miss this series as much as I will?

Let It Snow, Let It Snow

by Maggie Sefton



This is a really strange Winter this year.  Weather systems move around the country and bring all sorts of systems----rain, snowstorms, and brilliant sunny weather.  And a lot of surprises along with it.  I'm posting some photos of the Big Snow that fell in the Northern Virginia/Washington, DC area this past weekend.  New York, New Jersey, and parts of New England also got a snow dump.  As some of you may recall,  my daughter Maria lives in Arlington, Virginia (the part of Northern VA closest to the Potomac River and Washington, DC).  Meanwhile, here in Northern Colorado and Fort Collins, we're having high 40s and into the 50s this entire week.  Go figure.  

This is a view from Maria's condo apt looking out toward Arlington Blvd (Route 50), normally filled with traffic

In fact, Maria's beautiful condo building is located only two blocks from my childhood home, an older house (built in 1910).  Her condo is actually built where a smaller shopping center was located----complete with grocery stores, drug store, bakery, barber shop, and various other small businesses that operated many years ago.  My old neighborhood is still there.  And all the houses are still intact even though they're very old.  The reason:  Real estate values of those homes are out of sight.  Six figures, and not in the low range.  My oldest childhood friends Nancy & Diane and I marvel at what has happened to real estate values in our old neighborhood.  Even though most of the homes are the same age as my old home (over 100 years) or very close to it, very few people have "scraped" them as real estate agents call the process of demolishing older homes to build new ones in their places.

These are all simple homes.  Nancy & Diane were across the street in a slightly larger home with more bedrooms, but both our houses (like the others surrounding them) have a modest front yard and more spacious back yards.  So why are these older homes kept and still lived in?  The oldest real estate reason there is:  Location, location, location.  My old neighborhood is only three blocks away from the busy and vital artery, Route 50 (Arlington Blvd), that is a vital and heavily travelled artery that runs quickly from our neighborhood down past the Marine memorial Iwo Jima and gives access to two of the busiest bridges that cross the Potomac River from Arlington, VA into Washington, DC.  Francis Scott Key Bridge crosses the river from Rosslyn, VA and opens directly into Georgetown, which is part of Washington, DC.  And Memorial Bridge crosses the Potomac right past the Iwo Jima memorial and opens directly at Lincoln Memorial.

Can you tell there's a car parked on the left side of the street?

Daughter Maria took a couple of photos of the snowy scenes when she ventured outside  today.  Federal Government offices were closed.  And Maria just sent another text to us all saying the Government offices will be closed tomorrow Tuesday as well.  Washington doesn't handle snow well, folks.  International crises, sure.  Snow, not so much.  People can't get to their offices, which are scattered all over the metropolitan area including Virginia and Maryland suburbs.  They can't drive in snow, either.  So the roads can become treacherous, not from the snow but the other drivers.  :)

How does your area handle snowstorms?  

WHEN THE SNOW'S FALLING, FLORIDA'S CALLING

By Mary Kennedy                         
                                                          
 Some people think the scene above is a winter wonderland, but I long for sunny beaches and swaying palms. We've been hit hard with a snow storm here in the Northeast this week. Here's a photo of my son's car, it's the car in the foreground, with just the side mirror showing. It's just a giant blob of snow! You can barely see the outlines of it, it doesn't even look like a car, it could be Jabba the Hutt lurking under there.                                                                                                                    When I worked in Philadelphia one winter, the snow was piled high on both sides of the road, traffic was jammed and the roads were nearly impassable.                                                               So every year, my thoughts turn to Florida and the Ft, Lauderdale condo.  It's right on the ocean (most condos call themselves "oceanfront" but they are actually across the street, on the other side of AIA.) This one is actually right on the sand.                                                                And when it's high tide, the water comes up so close to the balcony, you can pretend you're on a cruise ship. Here's a picture I took from the deck.   Day or night, it's a beautiful sight...                                                             Sometimes I do a little research while I'm down there. I found a vintage candy store in Ft. Lauderdale and got some great ideas for Oldies But Goodies, the candy shop in the Dream Club Mysteries. Rows and rows of vintage candy--a fun experience! And of course I bought a bundle to take home.                                                           I sent the photo above to the folks at Penguin and suggested they use the inside of Oldies But Goodies on the cover of A Premonition of Murder, the 3rd book in the series (and I was happy when they agreed!)                                                                  I have another mystery series set in Florida, the Talk Radio Mysteries. It's all about a Manhattan psychologist who closes up her office and moves to sunny Florida to become a radio talk show host. (Like Frasier.) And since it's a mystery series, she solves a murder in every book. The series is set in a fictional town north of Miami, "not too far from Boca and a hop, skip and a jump away from Ft. Lauderdale." DEAD AIR is the first in the series.                                                            And I have a new teen series that features South Beach in the first book. The series is called the Hollywood Nights series (South Beach is known as "Hollywood East" because of all the movies they shoot there). Golden Girl is the first book and books 2 and 3 are set in Hollywood.                                                          So besides the dreamy weather, gorgeous ocean and swaying palms, Florida has inspired me in so many ways. How about you? Do you have a favorite escape when the snow hits? Or are you one of the lucky few who are already living in a sunny paradise of your dreams?  Mary Kennedy