Kate Collins's Blog, page 186
August 6, 2014
We're rockin'!
First of all, congrats to fellow chicks Ellery Adams and Leann Sweeney on their book releases this week. Happy sales to these terrific authors and happy reading to all you fans.
By Mary Jane Maffini aka Victoria Abbott
I have to confess that (aside from authors) my new best friends are rocks. And, no, I don’t mean diamonds, but I’m taking about pea stone and flagstones. When we bought our renovated forty-two year old ranch house in the middle of March 2012 with mounds of snow covering the ground, no one realized how badly neglected the grass and garden were. It was worse than starting from scratch in some ways. When the snow melted we discovered that the patio was so overgrown with brush that you couldn’t even see it. The remains of two perennial beds and a rock garden would have broken the hearts of the people who created them. The back of the property was a dark and bug-infested jungle. We found garbage, broken glass and building debris at every clean-up attempt.
Since then (this is our third summer) we’ve been working to rebuild and recreate. I estimate another four or five years, we’ll get where we’re going. But never mind that, we like a challenge.
The right side yard access to the back yard gate was nothing but dirt. Even bad grass and most weeds refused to grow there, in part because it was so shady but also because black walnut trees apparently leech something into the soil that most plants don’t like. There was a large tree stump squatting forlornly in the middle of the space and a spindly maple tree next to it. The earth was packed hard and it was dry enough to crack. A few crews of renovators had left a lot of dangerous junk buried in that dry soil. In short, a disaster.
We had plenty to do without fretting over a lost cause. So, for the last two years, I just pretended there was no side access to the back yard. Of course, this approach couldn’t work forever. One day, I came across an inspiring photo of a garden path in pea gravel, with potted plants, in an old magazine at the hairdresser. It got me thinking. I wasn’t even sure how to get pea gravel or what was involved with it. Now I k now. People bring it to you in trucks and dump it on your lawn (that may be another blog post). At any rate, it arrives with a certain drama.
Now we're really rockin'! Soon after the small mountain of pea gravel and a big hill of pine mulch arrived, my hubby (who had never been involved with any kind of gardening project) and I started to build this little path. It still needs work, for sure, but we are very happy with it.
It is what you call cheap and cheerful. The pea gravel cost $70 for a truckload. I managed to do a good deal for the flagstones stepping stones that make it possible to stroll along it without snapping your ankles. By the way, lifting those suckers into and out of the car was better than lifting weights.
We scooped up hostas from other parts of the yard where they were making trouble and build up a bed on the left side. The hostas immediately took to it.
Next we'll add these pine nuggets to dress up the hosta beds and keep them cool and weed-free.
We received a gift of enough periwinkle to line the other side of the path from our friend who claimed she had way too much. Look out, it takes over, she said. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. It’s just getting started but I hope that next year, I can show you some vigorous growth on the periwinkle side. If it takes over, it can wander onto the municipal path next to the bed. No worries here.
Impatiens is pretty much the only annual that will survive in our formerly gloomy spot, and I was lucky to find some sad specimens in the end of season sales and pot it up. Who knew there was a North American shortage?
At any rate, what was once a lost cause has the potential to be a charming spot next year and we think it even looks pretty good now.
So, what about you my friends? Have you had a cheap and cheerful garden success to share? Or any other kind?
By Mary Jane Maffini aka Victoria Abbott
I have to confess that (aside from authors) my new best friends are rocks. And, no, I don’t mean diamonds, but I’m taking about pea stone and flagstones. When we bought our renovated forty-two year old ranch house in the middle of March 2012 with mounds of snow covering the ground, no one realized how badly neglected the grass and garden were. It was worse than starting from scratch in some ways. When the snow melted we discovered that the patio was so overgrown with brush that you couldn’t even see it. The remains of two perennial beds and a rock garden would have broken the hearts of the people who created them. The back of the property was a dark and bug-infested jungle. We found garbage, broken glass and building debris at every clean-up attempt.
Since then (this is our third summer) we’ve been working to rebuild and recreate. I estimate another four or five years, we’ll get where we’re going. But never mind that, we like a challenge.
The right side yard access to the back yard gate was nothing but dirt. Even bad grass and most weeds refused to grow there, in part because it was so shady but also because black walnut trees apparently leech something into the soil that most plants don’t like. There was a large tree stump squatting forlornly in the middle of the space and a spindly maple tree next to it. The earth was packed hard and it was dry enough to crack. A few crews of renovators had left a lot of dangerous junk buried in that dry soil. In short, a disaster.
We had plenty to do without fretting over a lost cause. So, for the last two years, I just pretended there was no side access to the back yard. Of course, this approach couldn’t work forever. One day, I came across an inspiring photo of a garden path in pea gravel, with potted plants, in an old magazine at the hairdresser. It got me thinking. I wasn’t even sure how to get pea gravel or what was involved with it. Now I k now. People bring it to you in trucks and dump it on your lawn (that may be another blog post). At any rate, it arrives with a certain drama.
Now we're really rockin'! Soon after the small mountain of pea gravel and a big hill of pine mulch arrived, my hubby (who had never been involved with any kind of gardening project) and I started to build this little path. It still needs work, for sure, but we are very happy with it. It is what you call cheap and cheerful. The pea gravel cost $70 for a truckload. I managed to do a good deal for the flagstones stepping stones that make it possible to stroll along it without snapping your ankles. By the way, lifting those suckers into and out of the car was better than lifting weights.
We scooped up hostas from other parts of the yard where they were making trouble and build up a bed on the left side. The hostas immediately took to it.
Next we'll add these pine nuggets to dress up the hosta beds and keep them cool and weed-free.
We received a gift of enough periwinkle to line the other side of the path from our friend who claimed she had way too much. Look out, it takes over, she said. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. It’s just getting started but I hope that next year, I can show you some vigorous growth on the periwinkle side. If it takes over, it can wander onto the municipal path next to the bed. No worries here.
Impatiens is pretty much the only annual that will survive in our formerly gloomy spot, and I was lucky to find some sad specimens in the end of season sales and pot it up. Who knew there was a North American shortage?
At any rate, what was once a lost cause has the potential to be a charming spot next year and we think it even looks pretty good now.
So, what about you my friends? Have you had a cheap and cheerful garden success to share? Or any other kind?
August 5, 2014
I love a deal!
They say write what you know. I write the Consignment Shop mysteries and I work in a consignment shop The Snooty Fox here in Cincinnati. I’ve been there part-time for almost seventeen years.
Don’t you love the name Snooty Fox! Fact is I named the Prissy Fox in my series after the Snooty Fox. The Prissy part seemed to fit Savannah.
The Snoot as I call it, is an upscale consignment shop meaning we are not Goodwill or St. Vincent DePaul. Not that there is one thing wrong with shopping these places but the Snoot only takes clothes within a two year style period and gently worn.
A consignment shop is the fun of wearing designer clothes on the cheap. I could never afford a Gucci handbag but I gotta tell you I love having one. I got mine for a hundred bucks. A hundred bucks you say is a ton of money...except I’ve used it for five summers and it’s still looks like it’s brand new. Now that’s a pretty good deal. Most of all I love bragging to my friends how much I paid for stuff. The conversation goes something like, “Oh, I just love your Kate Spade purse.” And my reply is, “I got it at the Snoot for forty bucks!” instead of the usual three-hundred and fifty!
I got this cute table and chairs for the grandkids at the Snoot for $25. Love it. 
How many times have you bought something, wore it once, decided it wasn’t your color or didn’t fit the way you liked and you were stuck with it? Well, that’s where the Snoot comes in. You can sell your green plaid jacket that you just had to have but then decided you hated at the Snoot because there is a customer out there who will love that jacket. You won’t get what you paid for the jacket but it beats hanging in the back of your closet taking up space.
Consignment shopping is a lot like solving a mystery. It’s all about the hunt for the perfect scarf, skirt or shoes. I think that’s why mystery and the Consignment: Murder series seemed like a perfect fit. Putting two of the things I like most together in a mystery series is a blast. I get to write about murder and mayhem for fun and profit and I get to find great deals on clothes and look good for next to nothing. Come visit me at the Snooty Fox and I’ll show you around. I know there’s a cute little Louis Vuitton bag out there with your name on it!
Tell me about the best deal you ever scored and I’ll draw two names for one of my romance books. Be sure to check back to see if you won.
Happy shopping.
Hugs, Duffy
August 4, 2014
Non-Stop Family
by Maggie SeftonGranddaughter AnaSofia dressed for a costume party at her neighboring pool in Fairfax, Virginia. She went as the Disney character Mulan.
After my conference in San Antonio finished, Sunday July 27th, I flew straight to Washington Dulles airport, rented a car (my usual routine) and joined friends and family for a week of non-stop activities. All four of my grandchildren were in town so that made everything more special. And our Family is expanding. Daughter Serena is engaged, and she and her fiance flew up from Texas so Jeff, my future son-in-law could meet the rest of our Crazy Family. Daughters Christine and Maria live in Northern Virginia, and daughter Melissa came down from Manhattan.
We even planned two days of group activities, which were hilarious to watch play out. I told Jeff that getting our Family to do "group activities" was like herding cats. :) We're all Free Spirits plus all of us are. . . .how shall I say this? Outspoken. Verbal to the Max. And Independent, to say the least. But, no matter what we do, we ALWAYS have a great time. There's lots and lots of laughter and food, of course.Since Jeff and his family are native Texans, he and Serena decided to accept his aunt and uncle's offer to host a "Full Up" Texas Wedding at their large cattle ranch north of Austin. Dressy clothes for the ceremony, then switch to jeans and boots for real working ranch activies. I'm getting excited already just thinking about it. :) The wedding won't be until next Spring. Both Serena and Jeff are NASA people and trying to juggle all the demands on their time---conferences, plus Serena's astronaut activities----is difficult.
What are your family gatherings like? Noisy? Quiet and sedate? Lots of Food?
August 3, 2014
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes - Part Deux
by Kate Collins
Remember my killer cherry tomatoes last year? The 3 tiny plants that took over half my garden?
They're ba-a-a-a-ck!
I don't know exactly what it is -- the perfect amount of sun, the wind off the pond, the moisture from the pond, the soil (clay) or what, but SOMETHING turns my teensy plants into GARGANTUANS. Maybe it's a combination of all those things. Or maybe . . .
It's love. Yes, that has to be it. All that love I heap upon those plants as I water them, tend to them, stroke their little flowers, must do it.
But then why is the mint plant, or the oregano, staying so small? Do the plants have a secret agreement? Or are my tomatoes the bullies of the garden? Or the superheroes?
Whatever reason it is, as their lord and master, I'll accept them without judgment and let them be whatever they want to be. I shall be magnanimous, and they shall flourish. As you can see from the second photo, the branches are reaching up onto the patio. Maybe they're headed for my door. Maybe they have plans for ME!
My neighbors are already putting in their orders. Last year I think I fed the entire block from my three little, er, giant plants. People were stopping by to take photos. I half expected to be listed as a tourist attraction in my small berg. Those plants produced well into November. Not even the first freeze killed them. And I still have rows of frozen cherry tomatoes in freezer bags in my big freezer.
Here's another anomaly. I tried to grow leaf lettuce last year in a pot (since the tomatoes wouldn't relinquish their space). Sadly, it didn't fair well. But this year, nestled in between the mint, oregano, and the GARGANTUAN tomatoes, leaf lettuce sprang up. Just one little plant, but I've been picking leaves from it for a month and it just keeps producing. Somehow one little seed floated over from my patio pot landed in the garden and came to life this year.
Maybe I should name my little slice of paradise KATE COLLINS' MAGICAL MYSTICAL GARGEN. Think I could charge an entry fee?
How doth your garden grow this year?
Remember my killer cherry tomatoes last year? The 3 tiny plants that took over half my garden?
They're ba-a-a-a-ck!
I don't know exactly what it is -- the perfect amount of sun, the wind off the pond, the moisture from the pond, the soil (clay) or what, but SOMETHING turns my teensy plants into GARGANTUANS. Maybe it's a combination of all those things. Or maybe . . .
It's love. Yes, that has to be it. All that love I heap upon those plants as I water them, tend to them, stroke their little flowers, must do it.
But then why is the mint plant, or the oregano, staying so small? Do the plants have a secret agreement? Or are my tomatoes the bullies of the garden? Or the superheroes?
Whatever reason it is, as their lord and master, I'll accept them without judgment and let them be whatever they want to be. I shall be magnanimous, and they shall flourish. As you can see from the second photo, the branches are reaching up onto the patio. Maybe they're headed for my door. Maybe they have plans for ME!
My neighbors are already putting in their orders. Last year I think I fed the entire block from my three little, er, giant plants. People were stopping by to take photos. I half expected to be listed as a tourist attraction in my small berg. Those plants produced well into November. Not even the first freeze killed them. And I still have rows of frozen cherry tomatoes in freezer bags in my big freezer.
Here's another anomaly. I tried to grow leaf lettuce last year in a pot (since the tomatoes wouldn't relinquish their space). Sadly, it didn't fair well. But this year, nestled in between the mint, oregano, and the GARGANTUAN tomatoes, leaf lettuce sprang up. Just one little plant, but I've been picking leaves from it for a month and it just keeps producing. Somehow one little seed floated over from my patio pot landed in the garden and came to life this year.
Maybe I should name my little slice of paradise KATE COLLINS' MAGICAL MYSTICAL GARGEN. Think I could charge an entry fee?
How doth your garden grow this year?
August 2, 2014
We're In!!
by Leann
Many of you have followed my long journey to move from the rent house (aka The 60s Motel From Hell) to the home we have been building on Lake Greenwood. I can now say we have moved! There were times I thought we'd never get here, but my Facebook friends and face-to-face friends and relatives have encouraged and supported me through this process--and I almost came through with my sanity intact. (My sanity might have been questionable before we decided to move.)
So I share with you the mess that is our home. Boxes are everywhere, I go hunting for one thing and usually find the thing I was looking for two hours ago, but now I feel no rush. This feels like it should here--like home.
I took this first picture when it was dark because I love the under-the-eaves LED lights we put in. We are so far from the road that I knew we needed a little extra illumination.
Here's my red front door, which I absolutely love. Red has always been one of my favorite colors. The leaded glass is beautiful and since the foyer opens right into our living room, it is truly a piece of art. Or it will be when we take all the stickers off the doors and windows.
Our fireplace is nowhere near done. It's a corner piece and is gas. We haven't yet decided about the mantel and the surround tile. We've had plenty of woodburning fireplaces and it's time to stop cleaning out the mess. I am weary of that!
My kitchen cabinets go to the ceiling and since I have quite a few fragile family pieces and china, I made the uppers glass and had LED lights put inside as well as LED under the counter. It's very pretty at night. Remember not to look at the mess, but what's beyond the mess. There is also a lovely red built-in corner cabinet right off the kitchen area.
This is the guest bathroom--it's gray, cream and beige and I went with a blue accent tile and will have blue and gray towels and accessories one day. One day.
Across from there is my "office"/craft room. Pardon the big TV but we don't have the correct sized entertainment center yet. That's in the future. The room is pink. Another of my favorite colors and designed to make my husband NEVER want to enter.
My laundry room has a nice window and is home to all things belonging to pets as well as cleaning supplies. Getting the cleaning supplies out of the kitchen was a goal I achieved. Lots of cabinets and a big closet in here.
The master bathroom is dark brown, light brown and cream. Because of my Lyme and fibromyalgia, we did an aerated tub. I find a Jacuzzi a little too rough on my muscles. This is a wonderful option for the pain. Very gentle and soothing.
And last but best are a couple views of the lake taken from our living room. There are big oaks and lots of critters--like the heron who spends his day very close to shore to fish and who gets very annoyed when we let the dog out. He may show up with a "do not disturb" sign around his neck in the future.
Thanks to all of you who have endured this journey with me. I hope to have "pretty house" pictures in the future, but for now, this is gorgeous to me! I cannot believe I have a book coming out this coming week, too. It's all good.
Many of you have followed my long journey to move from the rent house (aka The 60s Motel From Hell) to the home we have been building on Lake Greenwood. I can now say we have moved! There were times I thought we'd never get here, but my Facebook friends and face-to-face friends and relatives have encouraged and supported me through this process--and I almost came through with my sanity intact. (My sanity might have been questionable before we decided to move.)
So I share with you the mess that is our home. Boxes are everywhere, I go hunting for one thing and usually find the thing I was looking for two hours ago, but now I feel no rush. This feels like it should here--like home.
I took this first picture when it was dark because I love the under-the-eaves LED lights we put in. We are so far from the road that I knew we needed a little extra illumination.
Here's my red front door, which I absolutely love. Red has always been one of my favorite colors. The leaded glass is beautiful and since the foyer opens right into our living room, it is truly a piece of art. Or it will be when we take all the stickers off the doors and windows.
Our fireplace is nowhere near done. It's a corner piece and is gas. We haven't yet decided about the mantel and the surround tile. We've had plenty of woodburning fireplaces and it's time to stop cleaning out the mess. I am weary of that!
My kitchen cabinets go to the ceiling and since I have quite a few fragile family pieces and china, I made the uppers glass and had LED lights put inside as well as LED under the counter. It's very pretty at night. Remember not to look at the mess, but what's beyond the mess. There is also a lovely red built-in corner cabinet right off the kitchen area.This is the guest bathroom--it's gray, cream and beige and I went with a blue accent tile and will have blue and gray towels and accessories one day. One day.
Across from there is my "office"/craft room. Pardon the big TV but we don't have the correct sized entertainment center yet. That's in the future. The room is pink. Another of my favorite colors and designed to make my husband NEVER want to enter.
My laundry room has a nice window and is home to all things belonging to pets as well as cleaning supplies. Getting the cleaning supplies out of the kitchen was a goal I achieved. Lots of cabinets and a big closet in here.
The master bathroom is dark brown, light brown and cream. Because of my Lyme and fibromyalgia, we did an aerated tub. I find a Jacuzzi a little too rough on my muscles. This is a wonderful option for the pain. Very gentle and soothing.
And last but best are a couple views of the lake taken from our living room. There are big oaks and lots of critters--like the heron who spends his day very close to shore to fish and who gets very annoyed when we let the dog out. He may show up with a "do not disturb" sign around his neck in the future.
Thanks to all of you who have endured this journey with me. I hope to have "pretty house" pictures in the future, but for now, this is gorgeous to me! I cannot believe I have a book coming out this coming week, too. It's all good.
August 1, 2014
THE SWEET DREAMS KIT, A FUN GIVEAWAY
by Mary Kennedy
I'm sure you all remember that we're offering a "Sweet Dreams" giveaway here on the Cozy Chicks during the month of August. I'm celebrating the Sept 2 release of Nightmares Can Be Murder, the first of my Dream Club Mysteries. The launch of a new series is always something to celebrate!
As you can see from the cover, the room is all set for the arrival of the Dream Club members. (they meet once a week in Savannah to share their dreams, eat some delicious pastries and solve a murder or two!) I'd like to join a club like that, wouldn't you? See the cat in the bottom right of the cover? He's playing with a Navajo dreamcatcher. The dreamcatcher will trap the "bad" dreams and only let the "sweet" dreams through. Naturally, I want all your dreams to be wonderful ones, so I'm offering a Sweet Dreams kit every week for the next 4 weeks. It contains a Navajo dreamcatcher.
A Kindle version of "A Psychologist's Guide to Dreams" (a fun little e-booklet I wrote. All proceeds go to the Wayne County Human Society in Lyons, New York.)
Some tea and cookies.
. AND...a signed copy of NIGHTMARES CAN BE MURDER. (not an ARC, the real thing!) Everything you need for a good night's sleep! If you would like to enter the giveaway, please send an e-mail to cozychicks@gmail.com and put DREAMS in the subject line. Be sure to include your name and e-mail address. This will enter you not only in the drawing but you will be included on the mailing list for future Cozy Chicks news and giveaways. We will choose one winner every week.
Good luck, everyone, and sweet dreams!
Mary Kennedy
I'm sure you all remember that we're offering a "Sweet Dreams" giveaway here on the Cozy Chicks during the month of August. I'm celebrating the Sept 2 release of Nightmares Can Be Murder, the first of my Dream Club Mysteries. The launch of a new series is always something to celebrate!
As you can see from the cover, the room is all set for the arrival of the Dream Club members. (they meet once a week in Savannah to share their dreams, eat some delicious pastries and solve a murder or two!) I'd like to join a club like that, wouldn't you? See the cat in the bottom right of the cover? He's playing with a Navajo dreamcatcher. The dreamcatcher will trap the "bad" dreams and only let the "sweet" dreams through. Naturally, I want all your dreams to be wonderful ones, so I'm offering a Sweet Dreams kit every week for the next 4 weeks. It contains a Navajo dreamcatcher.
A Kindle version of "A Psychologist's Guide to Dreams" (a fun little e-booklet I wrote. All proceeds go to the Wayne County Human Society in Lyons, New York.)
Some tea and cookies.
. AND...a signed copy of NIGHTMARES CAN BE MURDER. (not an ARC, the real thing!) Everything you need for a good night's sleep! If you would like to enter the giveaway, please send an e-mail to cozychicks@gmail.com and put DREAMS in the subject line. Be sure to include your name and e-mail address. This will enter you not only in the drawing but you will be included on the mailing list for future Cozy Chicks news and giveaways. We will choose one winner every week. Good luck, everyone, and sweet dreams!
Mary Kennedy
Cards for Any Occasion
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
How come I buy loads and loads of greeting cards so that I'm ready for ANY occasion, and yet I never have the card I need for an occasion that pops up?
Yesterday I went to a birthday celebration. I did have several birthday cards in stock, but not one of them seemed appropriate.
A family member has an anniversary this weekend. Is there an anniversary card in the bunch? That would be a big NO.
It seems that my stash is mostly blank cards. Yeah, you can use them for any occasion, right? Well, not really. Somehow a sailboat on the water does not convey birthday greetings, unless your pal sails. Or how about a big bunch of sunflowers as a sympathy card?
So, off to the store I will go ... to buy yet more cards.
Do you have a stash of cards for every occasion?
How come I buy loads and loads of greeting cards so that I'm ready for ANY occasion, and yet I never have the card I need for an occasion that pops up?
Yesterday I went to a birthday celebration. I did have several birthday cards in stock, but not one of them seemed appropriate.
A family member has an anniversary this weekend. Is there an anniversary card in the bunch? That would be a big NO.
It seems that my stash is mostly blank cards. Yeah, you can use them for any occasion, right? Well, not really. Somehow a sailboat on the water does not convey birthday greetings, unless your pal sails. Or how about a big bunch of sunflowers as a sympathy card?
So, off to the store I will go ... to buy yet more cards.
Do you have a stash of cards for every occasion?
July 31, 2014
Ellery's Mystery Cozy Contest
Hosted By Ellery AdamsIt's the first of the month! Time for me to give away a $10 to the bookstore of your choice.
This is how it works: I post a few lines from a cozy mystery. You post the title and author in the comment section. Then, I'll draw a random name from the winning guesses and post that person's name on this page and on Facebook by 10 p.m. on August 2nd.
Okay, here we go! Here are the lines from this month's mystery cozy:
"I was here for the cats more than for a forsaken culture. They still lived and breathed, after all. Textile production in America was dead."
Ellery's helpful hint - This author has a new release next Tuesday (August 5th) - meow! Good luck!
July 30, 2014
Outwitting humans: a guide for common household objects
By Mary Jane Maffini aka Victoria Abbott
Welcome! Today we’ll start with a salute to single socks. Look at you go! Of all household objects, socks seem to have the most ambition, know how and cunning. Although, we feel a certain sadness for the partners left behind, we know that all you escaped single socks will find adventure and happiness in your new lives.
They're lonely, sure, but it's the price to be paid. Nothing ventured. Nothing gained. We imagine you doing well.
For escaped socks, life is one long party: martinis, candlelight, you name it.Then all you sunglasses must not be overlooked, because for sure the humans will get bent out of shape finding you. Here’s a suggested exercise: edge yourself up to something that will provide a bit of camouflage. See here's a tricky pair of sunglasses disappearing into the black cushion. The human will hunt and hunt and will be very lucky to find you before someone sits on you. Be careful! This is great practice working up to making a break for it at the grocery store or the bank. If you are good looking at all, you’ll never have to go back home.
They won't be looking here. Laugh your head off! A similar strategy is the well-known black on black technique: here we see a wallet lounging on a black chair, invisible to the searching eye. Once the panic has set in and the credit cards have been cancelled and the ID reapplied for, you can make yourself seen. You’ll end up back in the pocket, but you’ll always have the satisfaction of knowing your power.
Finally, keys. You are very adept at getting lost. Some of you hide in umbrellas, shoes or out of season clothing, but really, to create a storm, all you have to do is slide under a larger object. Use your core muscles to get under a magazine, a scarf or a book and watch the excitement start.
Sidle under a book and they'll ransack the house looking for you! Too funny for words. Next week: we’ll have top tips for all you passports, reading glasses and umbrellas.In the meantime, happy hiding my friends. I can hear your humans gnashing their teeth from here. And really, such language!
July 29, 2014
It’s all about fun!
Okay, it’s summer and hot and that means it’s time for amusement parks and blue ice cream and flying saucers and roller coasters and merry-go-rounds and things you eat on a stick. I’ve never been to Disney but we've taken vacations to Cedar Point here in Ohio and to King’s Island. So my question today is... What is your fav amusement park and what is your fav ride now or when you were a kid?
Are you a roller coaster person? Hands up, front car, screaming your head off. Or are you a stand on the ground screaming at your kids to hold on!
What about those rides that are not only roller coasters but flip you up-side down? I am so not an upside-down person!
What about those drop rides that take you up and up and up then cut the cord and you drop like rock. Personally a falling elevator has always been one of my nightmares.
Then we have the rides that go around and around. Like the tea cups at Disney. At Cedar Point they have this octopus ride that goes up and down and around. Not great after just eating a chili dog. Are you a flying swings person? This is great on hot days so you can get cooled off.
Water rides are another great get-cooled-off ride but then you look a soaked mess for the rest of the day and really a bad idea if you are in a thin T-shirt. Oh Lordy!
Merry-go-rounds are one of my fav as King’s Island has vintage horses that are hand-painted and so lovely. My daughter worked this ride for a summer. Loved it and still hums Bicycle Built For Two when she’s bored...the calipee music does tend to stick in your head after a while. 
What about the dodgems? Where you drive a little cart and try and ram people. We have our own version of this on the interstate here in Cincy.
Personally my fav is the food. Not exactly a ride but I got a thing for blue ice cream and chilidogs and kettle corn and of course we all know that anything eaten at an amusement part is calorie-free. Soooo what is your fav amusement park or state fair and what is your fav ride?
I’ll give away two of my romance books from the answers. Please check back to see if you are a winner.
Have a great summer! And most of all keep riding and have fun!!!!
Hugs, Duffy
