Kate Collins's Blog, page 162
April 3, 2015
LEFT OVER EASTER EGGS? NO PROBLEM!
by Mary Kennedy
Did you buy dozens of extra eggs, planning to boil them and decorate them? And now you have a couple of boxes of raw eggs left in the refrigerator?
No worries, I'm going to give you my favorite quiche recipe which requires 4 eggs and makes two delicious quiches!
Here goes. I use Pillsbury ready-made pie dough, but you can make your own if you're so inclined. The recipe is super easy.
Beat 4 eggs
Add: 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of mayo, a tablespoon of cornstarch and a pound of grated cheddar. (Note: I started grating the cheddar myself instead of using the "shredded" cheddar when I learned that the "shredded" stuff is coated with a chemical to keep the pieces from sticking together.) If you don't have cornstarch, you can use a tablespoon of flour.
Saute an onion and divide it between two ready made uncooked pie shells.
Pour egg mixture into the two pie shells.
Top with fresh parsley or chives, if you like.
Bake at 375 degrees. If top becomes too brown and quiche is not yet cooked, place a piece of tinfoil over quiche and continue cooking until quiche is "set."
Good luck and Happy Easter!!
For more delicious recipes, be sure to grab a copy of our Cozy Chicks Kitchen cookbook.
Mary Kennedy
Did you buy dozens of extra eggs, planning to boil them and decorate them? And now you have a couple of boxes of raw eggs left in the refrigerator?
No worries, I'm going to give you my favorite quiche recipe which requires 4 eggs and makes two delicious quiches!
Here goes. I use Pillsbury ready-made pie dough, but you can make your own if you're so inclined. The recipe is super easy.
Beat 4 eggs
Add: 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of mayo, a tablespoon of cornstarch and a pound of grated cheddar. (Note: I started grating the cheddar myself instead of using the "shredded" cheddar when I learned that the "shredded" stuff is coated with a chemical to keep the pieces from sticking together.) If you don't have cornstarch, you can use a tablespoon of flour.
Saute an onion and divide it between two ready made uncooked pie shells.
Pour egg mixture into the two pie shells.
Top with fresh parsley or chives, if you like.
Bake at 375 degrees. If top becomes too brown and quiche is not yet cooked, place a piece of tinfoil over quiche and continue cooking until quiche is "set."
Good luck and Happy Easter!!
For more delicious recipes, be sure to grab a copy of our Cozy Chicks Kitchen cookbook.
Mary Kennedy
April 2, 2015
They're egg-celent!
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
I like poached eggs ... as long as they're the consistency of HARD boiled eggs. (And with Easter coming up, don't you just LOVE Easter Eggs? I usually make deviled eggs out of them. Mary Jane has a cool recipe in The Cozy Chicks Kitchen.) I don't get to eat poached eggs very often because Mr. L doesn't like them and my poacher makes FOUR and it seems to take forever to make them and I get impatient. Therefore, I usually cook an egg in the microwave (and why is it the white explodes and not the yolk?) and it's kinda hard and rubber, but if I put enough pepper on it, it's fine (especially with a lovely piece of dry white toast. That's just the way I like it).
My Mom has been under the weather and I've been trying to encourage her to eat. She likes poached eggs. Not like the way I prefer them, but runny (and, ick! -- yucky). She has a poacher, but it's for the microwave and she doesn't like rubbery eggs.
No problem. I'll make them like I saw in the movie Julie and Julia. (And if you want to see that scene, here it is--just click the link.)
Well, it my first efforts kind of turned out the same way. But after about four tries I nailed it. Of course, it wasn't from watching THAT fiasco. I went to Youtube and searched for "poached eggs" and came up with Gordon Ramsey making eggs Benedict. Boy, that was about 30 seconds well spent. Do this, do this, and do that. Voila! Nailed it on the first try. (Here's the link for that recipe; the egg poaching starts at time index 2:36.)
I like the way Ramsey describes the perfect poached egg: it's supposed to look like a little mozzarella ball. My Mom likes it on toast soldiers, so that's the way I serve it to her. I must admit, it looks wonderful ... but I'm just not a fan of runny yolks.
So, how do you like YOUR eggs?
I like poached eggs ... as long as they're the consistency of HARD boiled eggs. (And with Easter coming up, don't you just LOVE Easter Eggs? I usually make deviled eggs out of them. Mary Jane has a cool recipe in The Cozy Chicks Kitchen.) I don't get to eat poached eggs very often because Mr. L doesn't like them and my poacher makes FOUR and it seems to take forever to make them and I get impatient. Therefore, I usually cook an egg in the microwave (and why is it the white explodes and not the yolk?) and it's kinda hard and rubber, but if I put enough pepper on it, it's fine (especially with a lovely piece of dry white toast. That's just the way I like it).My Mom has been under the weather and I've been trying to encourage her to eat. She likes poached eggs. Not like the way I prefer them, but runny (and, ick! -- yucky). She has a poacher, but it's for the microwave and she doesn't like rubbery eggs.
No problem. I'll make them like I saw in the movie Julie and Julia. (And if you want to see that scene, here it is--just click the link.)
Well, it my first efforts kind of turned out the same way. But after about four tries I nailed it. Of course, it wasn't from watching THAT fiasco. I went to Youtube and searched for "poached eggs" and came up with Gordon Ramsey making eggs Benedict. Boy, that was about 30 seconds well spent. Do this, do this, and do that. Voila! Nailed it on the first try. (Here's the link for that recipe; the egg poaching starts at time index 2:36.)I like the way Ramsey describes the perfect poached egg: it's supposed to look like a little mozzarella ball. My Mom likes it on toast soldiers, so that's the way I serve it to her. I must admit, it looks wonderful ... but I'm just not a fan of runny yolks.
So, how do you like YOUR eggs?
April 1, 2015
We’re all ears!
By Victoria Abbott aka Mary Jane and Victoria Maffini
Come on by and tell us if you have any Easter bunny traditions. There’s something about this time of year when there’s the barest suggestion of color and growth in our part of the world. We're desperate for signs of life. For brightness. We need flowers.
We need bunnies and, of course, we always need chocolate.
Naturally we’re hoping the bunny brings all of us lots. We hear chocolate has many, many health benefits.
These ones look like they're planning an escape. Good luck with that, rabbits!Have we mentioned that we believe that the ears are the best part? Full of vitamins.
After that it’s all pretty much of a much. It cheers us up to get the bunny ears out and to put some flowers around the place, even though the local tulips won’t be seen for another five or six weeks. As they say, fake it till you make it.
Even the dogs are in on the act.
Peachy always looks like she's auditioning for one of Shakespeare's tragedies. Don't be fooled. No chocolate for them, but they will get some treats, unless they chase the Easter bunny out of the yard. We don't advise you to try this with cats.
Daisy and Lily know there\s a treat coming. Well, there'd better be.Oh yes, we do know we're being silly. But we just survived a five-day turnaround for our copy-edits of The Marsh Madness (our fourth book collector mystery) and that left us kind of punchy. Now we need fun. It would be dangerous to try and stop us.
So be kind. And bring chocolate. And we wish you a
Don’t forget to tell us what fun or lovely family (includes pets!) things you’re planning.
Ellery's Mystery Pie-Themed Cozy Contest
Hosted By Ellery AdamsIt's the first of the month! Usually, I offer up a $10 gift card to the person who identifies the correct mystery cozy title and author, but this month, in honor of the release of Lemon Pies and Little White Lies, I have a bigger prize to give away!
This month, the prize is related to the Charmed Pie Shoppe. Pie tastes lovely with a cup of tea or coffee, so how about drinking yours from this adorable cup and book-shaped saucer? And to decorate your favorite books? These butterfly book plates. Butterflies are Ella Mae's totem creatures and I don't know about you, but I love anything that reminds me of spring.
How to enter? Easy as pie! Name a pie that I haven't used yet in a Charmed Pie Shoppe mystery that you'd like to see in a future book. Then, I'll draw a random name from the correct guesses and post that person's name on this page and on Facebook by 10 p.m. on April 2nd. And don't forget to preorder Lemon Pies and Little White Lies. Preorders keep your favorite authors in business! Ellery's helpful hint - The pies can be sweet or savory. Good luck!
March 30, 2015
The Molly Malone Political Suspense Trilogy
by Maggie Sefton
Every now and then I remember that I need to let readers and others know that I have other published mysteries in addition to the Kelly Flynn Mysteries which now have 12---yes, 12----mysteries in the series in bookstores and online. Number 13 in the series----PURL UP AND DIE----will be released this June.
Most readers are familiar with the Kelly Flynn Series, but haven't sampled my Washington, DC--based political suspense trilogy----DEADLY POLITICS, POISONED POLITICS, and last November's BLOODY POLITICS. For those of you who'd like a hint of what's going on in that trilogy, here's a quick glimpse into heroine-sleuth Molly Malone's world in the first book----DEADLY POLITICS---
Deadly Politics
Years ago, Molly Malone was driven from Washington, DC by political back-stabbing, scandals, and personal heartbreak. But now, circumstances have forced her to start a new life in the one place she swore she'd never return to—the city that broke her heart—and face the ghosts and the enemies from her past.As the daughter of a respected United States Senator and once the wife of a rising star young Congressman, Molly has seen it all in Washington politics—the cynics, the sincere, and the schemers. But the brutal murder of her Congressional staffer niece brings Molly up close with Washington's darker side. "The beautiful monuments and parks are deceiving. Washington can be ugly." How ugly, Molly's about to find out. There are other schemers out there who may not have won elections, but are more powerful than the politicians they ensnare. March 29, 2015
HOW DO YOU REVIEW?
by Kate Collins
On Facebook the other day, a reader posed a question about what she should include in a book review. It not only generated a nice discussion but also got me thinking.
Anyone in the entertainment industry is subject to being reviewed, and reviews can be harsh, so whether you’re a writer, actor, painter or musician, it helps to have a thick skin. I love reading good reviews and feel wounded by bad ones. However, I’ve also learned to sift through them to see if there’s some truth in there that I can use.
This doesn’t apply to personal attacks, of course, or a rating based on something that doesn’t matter at all to the plot, characterization, or writing. As someone put it, you can’t fix stupid. I once got a one star review because the “reviewer” was outraged that my sleuth, a struggling florist, would own a 1960 Corvette convertible. Too bad this reader didn’t actually read the beginning of the book, where it was explained how Abby Knight happened to come by it. And it’s a cute anecdote, by the way. Of course Abby couldn’t have paid a fortune -- for any vehicle. Yet how many potential buyers were turned off by the one star she left based on an incorrect assumption?
A friend of mine recently was criticized in a review because the reviewer didn’t like her character Georgia. Sadly, no such character exists in that book, and yet based on that false comment, many people won’t buy it now.
But we’re always being urged by various sites to leave reviews, so let’s try to figure out what is fair and what is not.
Fair: A comment on the plot. Does it move along at a nice clip? Is it a page-turner? Does it have twists and turns? Is it suspenseful? Romantic? Scary? Funny? Does it do what it’s supposed to do?
Not fair: A personal attack on the writer. A comment based on a typographical error that somehow slipped past 3 different pairs of eyes. Yes, mistakes do happen.
Fair: A comment about the characters. Did you like the way they interacted? Played off each other? Antagonized their opponents? Showed their emotions, bravery, or humanness? Did they seem real? Would you want to know them?
Not fair: Picking on one of the characters (hopefully one who actually exists) about a look, pet, occupation, or possession to base the entire review on.
Fair: A comment about the ending. Did it wrap everything up nicely or leave you hanging – or wanting more? Why or why not?
Not fair: Giving away the ending.
I’ll end with this beautiful quote my friend Jenn MacKinlay passed along. It’s attributed to Theodore Roosevelt:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming...who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
On behalf of writers everywhere, I thank you for allowing us to be human and make mistakes. Have a wonderful week.
Now it’s your turn!
1. When you’re looking for a book, do you base your decision on book reviews?
2. When you read a review, what are the main things you want to know about the book?
On Facebook the other day, a reader posed a question about what she should include in a book review. It not only generated a nice discussion but also got me thinking.Anyone in the entertainment industry is subject to being reviewed, and reviews can be harsh, so whether you’re a writer, actor, painter or musician, it helps to have a thick skin. I love reading good reviews and feel wounded by bad ones. However, I’ve also learned to sift through them to see if there’s some truth in there that I can use.
This doesn’t apply to personal attacks, of course, or a rating based on something that doesn’t matter at all to the plot, characterization, or writing. As someone put it, you can’t fix stupid. I once got a one star review because the “reviewer” was outraged that my sleuth, a struggling florist, would own a 1960 Corvette convertible. Too bad this reader didn’t actually read the beginning of the book, where it was explained how Abby Knight happened to come by it. And it’s a cute anecdote, by the way. Of course Abby couldn’t have paid a fortune -- for any vehicle. Yet how many potential buyers were turned off by the one star she left based on an incorrect assumption?
A friend of mine recently was criticized in a review because the reviewer didn’t like her character Georgia. Sadly, no such character exists in that book, and yet based on that false comment, many people won’t buy it now.
But we’re always being urged by various sites to leave reviews, so let’s try to figure out what is fair and what is not.
Fair: A comment on the plot. Does it move along at a nice clip? Is it a page-turner? Does it have twists and turns? Is it suspenseful? Romantic? Scary? Funny? Does it do what it’s supposed to do?
Not fair: A personal attack on the writer. A comment based on a typographical error that somehow slipped past 3 different pairs of eyes. Yes, mistakes do happen.
Fair: A comment about the characters. Did you like the way they interacted? Played off each other? Antagonized their opponents? Showed their emotions, bravery, or humanness? Did they seem real? Would you want to know them?
Not fair: Picking on one of the characters (hopefully one who actually exists) about a look, pet, occupation, or possession to base the entire review on.
Fair: A comment about the ending. Did it wrap everything up nicely or leave you hanging – or wanting more? Why or why not?
Not fair: Giving away the ending.
I’ll end with this beautiful quote my friend Jenn MacKinlay passed along. It’s attributed to Theodore Roosevelt:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming...who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
On behalf of writers everywhere, I thank you for allowing us to be human and make mistakes. Have a wonderful week.
Now it’s your turn!
1. When you’re looking for a book, do you base your decision on book reviews?
2. When you read a review, what are the main things you want to know about the book?
March 28, 2015
My Guilty Pleasure
by Leann
One of my degrees is in behavioral science from the University of Houston. I loved my psychology courses but by far, I loved Social Psychology the best. According to Merriam and Webster the definition of this branch is this: the study of the manner in which the personality, attitudes, motivations, and behavior of the individual influence and are influenced by social groups.
Because of some seriously flawed social psychology experiments many years ago--experiments that involved things like subjects using electrical shocks on other subjects and probably the most famous
experiment where one group of subjects were designated as "prisoners" and another group was designated as "prison guards," it is now considered unethical to do this kind of experiments with human subjects. The outcomes of those experiments were a disaster.
Then reality TV came along. No rules, just volunteers looking to win--to win money, to win fame or to win love. I watched several of these shows with great interest. Survivor and The Bachelor come to mind. I have never watched even one episode of any "housewives" show or any of the MTV productions. No Sister Wives, no dropped into the jungle "naked and afraid," either. I had grown
tired of reality shows aside from music competitions long ago. Where was the science? What were we learning except that folks might be more shallow than we ever thought possible?
Social psychology, after all, can teach us so much. For instance, a woman was murdered outside her apartment back in the late 60s while dozens of people heard the crime being committed and did nothing until it was too late. (The victim was Kitty Genovese). Social psychology offers a valid explanation--that the more people witness a crime or an injustice, the less likely they are to do anything at all. (The "Bystander Effect.")That is why if you ever are helping someone in distress with a crowd present, it is important to point at an individual and say something like, "You. Call 9-1-1." Otherwise everyone around believes someone else will take care of it. That was one of the most important parts of the training I did when I was a CPR instructor way back when. Social psychology also helps us understand "mob violence." Not that we seem to be able to fix it.
But now there is a show on the Fyi network that has me hooked. It's called "Married at First Sight." I
called it "crazy" when I first read about it, but then I happened to see a review--a good review--and found out this is a TRUE social psychology experiment with psychologists, therapists, sociologists, and spiritual advisors involved. It's sure better than dating websites--one of which has so far has duped two people I know into cat-fishing scams. If I know TWO people, there has to be many, many more. The second season has just started and as a writer, there couldn't be a better show to watch for revealing human emotions for a younger age group. I am getting out of touch with that demographic more and more everyday! So I'm calling it research. Arranged marriages have been around for a long time, but not like this. Not with people matched on many different levels by experts using tests, in depth interviews and more. Ever watched it? Don't judge until you have. This is NOT Real Housewives of Anything! It's unique and interesting.
One of my degrees is in behavioral science from the University of Houston. I loved my psychology courses but by far, I loved Social Psychology the best. According to Merriam and Webster the definition of this branch is this: the study of the manner in which the personality, attitudes, motivations, and behavior of the individual influence and are influenced by social groups.
Because of some seriously flawed social psychology experiments many years ago--experiments that involved things like subjects using electrical shocks on other subjects and probably the most famous
experiment where one group of subjects were designated as "prisoners" and another group was designated as "prison guards," it is now considered unethical to do this kind of experiments with human subjects. The outcomes of those experiments were a disaster.Then reality TV came along. No rules, just volunteers looking to win--to win money, to win fame or to win love. I watched several of these shows with great interest. Survivor and The Bachelor come to mind. I have never watched even one episode of any "housewives" show or any of the MTV productions. No Sister Wives, no dropped into the jungle "naked and afraid," either. I had grown
tired of reality shows aside from music competitions long ago. Where was the science? What were we learning except that folks might be more shallow than we ever thought possible? Social psychology, after all, can teach us so much. For instance, a woman was murdered outside her apartment back in the late 60s while dozens of people heard the crime being committed and did nothing until it was too late. (The victim was Kitty Genovese). Social psychology offers a valid explanation--that the more people witness a crime or an injustice, the less likely they are to do anything at all. (The "Bystander Effect.")That is why if you ever are helping someone in distress with a crowd present, it is important to point at an individual and say something like, "You. Call 9-1-1." Otherwise everyone around believes someone else will take care of it. That was one of the most important parts of the training I did when I was a CPR instructor way back when. Social psychology also helps us understand "mob violence." Not that we seem to be able to fix it.
But now there is a show on the Fyi network that has me hooked. It's called "Married at First Sight." I
called it "crazy" when I first read about it, but then I happened to see a review--a good review--and found out this is a TRUE social psychology experiment with psychologists, therapists, sociologists, and spiritual advisors involved. It's sure better than dating websites--one of which has so far has duped two people I know into cat-fishing scams. If I know TWO people, there has to be many, many more. The second season has just started and as a writer, there couldn't be a better show to watch for revealing human emotions for a younger age group. I am getting out of touch with that demographic more and more everyday! So I'm calling it research. Arranged marriages have been around for a long time, but not like this. Not with people matched on many different levels by experts using tests, in depth interviews and more. Ever watched it? Don't judge until you have. This is NOT Real Housewives of Anything! It's unique and interesting.
March 27, 2015
A SIMPLE "THANK YOU" MEANS SO MUCH
By Mary Kennedy
In the middle of the night, it suddenly occurred to me that I'd forgotten to thank someone for a favor. (Yes, some of my best thinking/planning/worrying time is done at 2:00 am. I bet a lot of you can relate.). The person who helped me is an acquaintance, not really a close friend, but she was incredibly kind and went out of her way to help me with a project. We only cross paths every few months, so sad to say, her kindness slipped my mind. My bad! What did I do? I jumped up out of bed to write her a quick note before it slipped my mind again.
Could I have e-mailed her instead, or waited until morning and called her? Yes, of course. Chances are she has completely forgotten the favor she did, and being a generous soul, she wouldn't expect a thank-you note. There's something about taking pen to paper that seems more "significant" than just tapping a few keys for an e-mail. At least, it seems that way to me. I'm always thrilled when someone takes the time to write to me, and one of my most treasured letters is from a former colleague. I was leaving the practice and she had organized a lovely good-bye party. She wrote to tell me how much she had enjoyed working with me and she insisted that I'd helped her find her path in life. Wow. I was floored and didn't expect that. I had helped her with a few things here and there, written a letter of recommendation, suggested a few contacts, that sort of thing. I had no idea that my words had had such an effect on her. I started thinking of all the people over the years who have helped me and how they have made my life so much easier and more pleasurable. Knowing them has been a joy.
Do you have people like this in your life? Sweet friends who are invariably kind, happy to see you and always have a word of encouragement for you? People who will put aside their own busy schedules to help you out of a jam or meet you for coffee to mull over a difficult situation. I have been so blessed that I do, and I hope you have, too. So the next time you experience a "kindness" from someone, think about sitting down and writing them a quick note. I promise you they will treasure it. Mary Kennedy
In the middle of the night, it suddenly occurred to me that I'd forgotten to thank someone for a favor. (Yes, some of my best thinking/planning/worrying time is done at 2:00 am. I bet a lot of you can relate.). The person who helped me is an acquaintance, not really a close friend, but she was incredibly kind and went out of her way to help me with a project. We only cross paths every few months, so sad to say, her kindness slipped my mind. My bad! What did I do? I jumped up out of bed to write her a quick note before it slipped my mind again.
Could I have e-mailed her instead, or waited until morning and called her? Yes, of course. Chances are she has completely forgotten the favor she did, and being a generous soul, she wouldn't expect a thank-you note. There's something about taking pen to paper that seems more "significant" than just tapping a few keys for an e-mail. At least, it seems that way to me. I'm always thrilled when someone takes the time to write to me, and one of my most treasured letters is from a former colleague. I was leaving the practice and she had organized a lovely good-bye party. She wrote to tell me how much she had enjoyed working with me and she insisted that I'd helped her find her path in life. Wow. I was floored and didn't expect that. I had helped her with a few things here and there, written a letter of recommendation, suggested a few contacts, that sort of thing. I had no idea that my words had had such an effect on her. I started thinking of all the people over the years who have helped me and how they have made my life so much easier and more pleasurable. Knowing them has been a joy.
Do you have people like this in your life? Sweet friends who are invariably kind, happy to see you and always have a word of encouragement for you? People who will put aside their own busy schedules to help you out of a jam or meet you for coffee to mull over a difficult situation. I have been so blessed that I do, and I hope you have, too. So the next time you experience a "kindness" from someone, think about sitting down and writing them a quick note. I promise you they will treasure it. Mary Kennedy
Go To Sleep
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
"Go To Sleep" is a song from the film On A Clear Day You Can See Forever. I've heard that song since I was a kid, and I still can't GO TO SLEEP. (What I loved about that scene is Barbra Strisand is singing and her mind is answering back, and her mind is in a mirror image of her bedroom in different colors. Green, if I'm not mistaken. It's been a couple of years since I've seen the film.)
I don't usually sing when I can't sleep, which is just about every night. It would wake up Mr. L and whatever cats happen to be in the bed at the time.
The Chicks have all traded ideas on how to sleep, and most of us STILL aren't getting enough. Leann is sleeping better since she got a new waterbed, but Ellery and I are tossing and turning because we can't shut our minds down. Mr. L took my picture the other day and I had such terrible dark circles under my eyes it looked like I'd been beaten up.
Kate swears by liquid melatonin. I tried it, but it left such a terrible after-taste that I stopped using it. (I should send her the bottle.) I'm back to tablet melatonin--the max recommended, and taking half before I go to bed, and half several hours later.
Actually, I never had a problem dropping off to sleep. It's 3-4 hours later when I wake up that I can't fall BACK to sleep. Sometimes a cup of warm milk (with nutmeg sprinkled on it (what Jean-Luc Picard suggested to Dr. Crusher in my favorite Next Gen episode Cause and Effect.) helps, and sometimes it doesn't.
I need some sleep. Anybody else got a home remedy I can try? (And thank you.)
"Go To Sleep" is a song from the film On A Clear Day You Can See Forever. I've heard that song since I was a kid, and I still can't GO TO SLEEP. (What I loved about that scene is Barbra Strisand is singing and her mind is answering back, and her mind is in a mirror image of her bedroom in different colors. Green, if I'm not mistaken. It's been a couple of years since I've seen the film.)
I don't usually sing when I can't sleep, which is just about every night. It would wake up Mr. L and whatever cats happen to be in the bed at the time.
The Chicks have all traded ideas on how to sleep, and most of us STILL aren't getting enough. Leann is sleeping better since she got a new waterbed, but Ellery and I are tossing and turning because we can't shut our minds down. Mr. L took my picture the other day and I had such terrible dark circles under my eyes it looked like I'd been beaten up.Kate swears by liquid melatonin. I tried it, but it left such a terrible after-taste that I stopped using it. (I should send her the bottle.) I'm back to tablet melatonin--the max recommended, and taking half before I go to bed, and half several hours later.
Actually, I never had a problem dropping off to sleep. It's 3-4 hours later when I wake up that I can't fall BACK to sleep. Sometimes a cup of warm milk (with nutmeg sprinkled on it (what Jean-Luc Picard suggested to Dr. Crusher in my favorite Next Gen episode Cause and Effect.) helps, and sometimes it doesn't.I need some sleep. Anybody else got a home remedy I can try? (And thank you.)
March 25, 2015
You sent me a what?
By Mary Jane Maffini and Victoria Abbott
Yesterday, my friend sent me a Facebook message. She’d been trying to reach me and getting no answer after repeated attempts. Was I all right?
As far as I knew, I was all right, and more than all right. I had no messages on my home phone or Facebook. Where had she been trying to reach me?
On two different cell phones, it turned out. Mine and my husband’s. But there were no messages.
I scratched my head.
The messages as you may have already out were texts and there they were sitting on the text screen of my cell. This is a place I have rarely been and hope to never be again.
Sure, I have lots of friends who use it to communicate with their adult children and their families. My own grown-up up kids use it all the time.
I just am not keen to have another place to check. I am not alone. My hubby’s phone makes a sound like a kid’s tricycle bell every time he gets a text. I estimate he has received thousands of them, many in the hours of three to five in the morning. This is why his phone no longer spends the night recharging in our bedroom. For the record, I’m pretty sure he’s never read one of them.
I think texts are a great idea. For other people. Or even for me if I’m in some kind of life-threatening situation or I'm lost in the mall.
But I have plenty to keep up with on email, two Facebook accounts, two Facebook message sections, Pinterest, newsletter, comments by lovely friends on my blog posts, Yahoo groups, voice mail, snail mail and notes stuck on my door by delivery guys.
I don’t want another place to look. Yes, I realize in the time it took me to type this post on my slightly antiquated keyboard, another three social media sites were probably born. I just don’t want to think about it. It's enough to drive me to drink. Hang on, I'm reaching for my flask.
So what do you think:: can I get by without texts and texting? If you are a younger member of my family, you have just rolled your eyes. Don’t care. I’m used to it. And how about the rest of you? What kinds of messaging do you absolutely need and what can you live without? Is there anything that just drives you crazy. Maybe it’s people who don’t answer your texts.
You might even want to respond to me by text, but unless you are one of the five (eye-rolling) people who have my cell phone number … never mind. I hope you do respond here. I always love reading your comments.
