Kate Collins's Blog, page 202
March 1, 2014
Stinky!
by Leann
Because my mystery series revolves around cats, I write plenty of blogs and Facebook posts about them. But it's time to talk about my amazing dog, Rosie. She's a miniature labradoodle, weighing in at about 28 pounds on a good day at the vet. Her recent gobbling of cat food when she can sneak it has caused her to gain a few pounds.
This is one smart dog, probably the smartest I've had the privilege to know. She got the poodle brain and the lab coat. That mean she sheds. A lot. One reason we went to this mutt breed was because we thought she wouldn't shed. Wrong. But she makes up for that one flaw in so many ways.
We learned early she would retrieve anything, play forever and love her people. But the tricks she has learned? Well, let's just say my husband never had a dog that would bring him his socks and shoes when it was
time for a walk. She brings in the newspaper and the mail, and does all the regular commands. She can sit, stay, rollover, turn around, dance, "sit pretty," lie down and go to bed on command. She also polices the cats from jumping on the entertainment center and knows everything we say. At times we have to spell words--especially squirrel and bird, since she will run to the window and look for such animals when we say the words.
But this past week, she learned something new and learned it very quickly. The place we are renting has a fenced yard--which we did not have in Texas. Back there, we always had to take her out, watch her and she'd come right back inside. But here? She can stay outside if she chooses. And lately she has chosen to more than ever. And she has learned the doggie joy of rolling in "stuff." Smelly "stuff." So,
when she came in and I couldn't baby-wipe her down right away, I said, "Go in the other room. You're stinky." I guess I must have made a face to go with it because now, all I have to do is make that wrinkled-nose "it's stinky" face and off she goes to the other room! My husband thought it was just coincidence until I showed him. Yup. She is one smart dog! And we love her dearly!
What about you? Do your pets have "tricks of the trade?"
Because my mystery series revolves around cats, I write plenty of blogs and Facebook posts about them. But it's time to talk about my amazing dog, Rosie. She's a miniature labradoodle, weighing in at about 28 pounds on a good day at the vet. Her recent gobbling of cat food when she can sneak it has caused her to gain a few pounds.
This is one smart dog, probably the smartest I've had the privilege to know. She got the poodle brain and the lab coat. That mean she sheds. A lot. One reason we went to this mutt breed was because we thought she wouldn't shed. Wrong. But she makes up for that one flaw in so many ways.
We learned early she would retrieve anything, play forever and love her people. But the tricks she has learned? Well, let's just say my husband never had a dog that would bring him his socks and shoes when it was
time for a walk. She brings in the newspaper and the mail, and does all the regular commands. She can sit, stay, rollover, turn around, dance, "sit pretty," lie down and go to bed on command. She also polices the cats from jumping on the entertainment center and knows everything we say. At times we have to spell words--especially squirrel and bird, since she will run to the window and look for such animals when we say the words.But this past week, she learned something new and learned it very quickly. The place we are renting has a fenced yard--which we did not have in Texas. Back there, we always had to take her out, watch her and she'd come right back inside. But here? She can stay outside if she chooses. And lately she has chosen to more than ever. And she has learned the doggie joy of rolling in "stuff." Smelly "stuff." So,
when she came in and I couldn't baby-wipe her down right away, I said, "Go in the other room. You're stinky." I guess I must have made a face to go with it because now, all I have to do is make that wrinkled-nose "it's stinky" face and off she goes to the other room! My husband thought it was just coincidence until I showed him. Yup. She is one smart dog! And we love her dearly!What about you? Do your pets have "tricks of the trade?"
February 28, 2014
Ellery's Mystery Cozy Contest
Hosted By Ellery AdamsIt's the first of the month and a chance to win an e-gift card for $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 March 2nd. I'm doing this so I don't forget to post the winner for all to see. This contest is now fast and furious as well as cozy and cool!
Okay, here we go! Here are the lines from this month's mystery cozy:
"The sight of Hercule Poirot, in a white suit, pink shirt, large black bow tie and a white toupee, did not make her wince as the aristocratic Miss Van Schuyler would assuredly have winced. As they walked together up the avenue of the sphinxes, she responded readily to his conventional opening."
Ellery's helpful hint - This is my favorite book by the First Lady of Mystery and I traveled to this exotic locale with my mom. Good Luck!
February 27, 2014
No tropics here!
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
Unlike Kate, Deb, and Maggie, I have not had the opportunity to visit the tropics this winter season. This
LONG WINTER
season. But, in a small way, the tropics have visited me. One of my orchids has decided (after a VERY LONG TIME) to bloom again.
Mr. L noticed in early January that not one, but three of my five orchids looked like they might be setting up buds (if that's what they're called. I don't claim to be an orchid encyclopedia--I just like them).
We watched, and waited ... and watched, and waited ... and (*sigh*) watched and waited. It seemed to be taking an awfully L-O-N-G time for the damn thing to bloom. But finally, this week, it bloomed.
I had been hoping it would be the yellow one to bloom, not the more common purple, but at this stage, I'll take what I can get.
Alas, we thought we originally thought were going to get three blooms, but as you can see, it only produced two.
The second one seems stalled in stasis land.
And the miniature one is in stagnation land (where it was when Mr. L first noticed).
So I'm just as pleased that Mr. Purple Orchid has bloomed. And I hope they hang around for a long, long, time.
Do you grow orchids (or in my case enable them to survive, but not necessarily thrive)?
Unlike Kate, Deb, and Maggie, I have not had the opportunity to visit the tropics this winter season. This
LONG WINTER
season. But, in a small way, the tropics have visited me. One of my orchids has decided (after a VERY LONG TIME) to bloom again.Mr. L noticed in early January that not one, but three of my five orchids looked like they might be setting up buds (if that's what they're called. I don't claim to be an orchid encyclopedia--I just like them).
We watched, and waited ... and watched, and waited ... and (*sigh*) watched and waited. It seemed to be taking an awfully L-O-N-G time for the damn thing to bloom. But finally, this week, it bloomed.
I had been hoping it would be the yellow one to bloom, not the more common purple, but at this stage, I'll take what I can get.
Alas, we thought we originally thought were going to get three blooms, but as you can see, it only produced two.
The second one seems stalled in stasis land.
And the miniature one is in stagnation land (where it was when Mr. L first noticed).
So I'm just as pleased that Mr. Purple Orchid has bloomed. And I hope they hang around for a long, long, time.
Do you grow orchids (or in my case enable them to survive, but not necessarily thrive)?
February 26, 2014
I lost how much?
By Mary Jane Maffini aka Victoria Abbott
Lost how much?I lost more than fifty pounds this week. My secret? Not the grapefruit diet, not low-carb, and, no, not a juice cleanse. My secret was something called ‘the critical inch’.
The fifty pounds was paper and the project was back filing. Sorry about that. I figured if I didn’t entice you, you might fall asleep as soon as you read ‘filing’. But enough about all that, what’s the critical inch? It’s not around the waist, that’s for sure.
That critical inchThe late motivational writer and and speaker, Richard Carlson author of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and other upbeat self-help books seems to have introduced the concept. It can be described as ‘What’s most important right now?’ or “What will truly make a difference?”
In the writing world, draughts, outlines, edits and proofs are often urgent with ‘drop-dead’ deadlines. They are always important as well as urgent. I usually find myself scrambling to catch up with the rest of my life. Something always gives.
I was, of course, thrilled to come across this ‘critical inch’ idea. What would my critical inch be? Something exciting for a new book series? Launching my two dozen short stories as e-books? Deciding to write a play?
Please someone file me!But I knew better. That critical inch was getting rid of the toxic sludge of undone tasks. In fact, I knew the ‘critical inch’ was connected to many more inches of filing and even some feet stacked high in boxes. But how did I get into this situation. First of all, paperwork has never been my strength. Then two years ago, my hubby ended up paralyzed in hospital after brain surgery. When he went into the hospital we had both finished very intense projects with lots of paper and follow-up. Needless to say, no paperwork got done.
Because our house was multi-story and he was in a wheelchair, I had to get it packed up, staged and sold. We needed to move to a single story house.
The good news: he got better. They called him The Miracle Man. The bad news? All the paper that never got sorted out in either office. More clutter and chaos joined it as the original filing systems had gone belly-up. Whatever I needed to do, some key documents was missing. The magnitude of sorting it out was overwhelming. Things just got worse. I would find myself wishing that Charlotte Adams was real!
We could have just tossed it all, but we knew that there were important documents in with all that clutter. And there were.
When I read about the critical inch, I realized that the strain of all this undone paperwork was a drag on my creativity and energy. The minute the edits for the third book collector mystery were done, I rolled up my sleeves, literally and figuratively, and got to work. I started every morning and made it the first and most important activity.
Of course, filing is incredibly boring, IMHO, so I turned on the Winter Olympics and watched while I took care of the mind-numbing parts of the challenge.. More than once I told myself that if those young women could hurtle through the air and do spirals in the moguls, then I could get this project done. My filing was onerous, but a lot less scary than the luge.
At the end of the week, paper was all filed, recycled or shredded. I felt lightheaded with freedom from the weight of all that undone stuff. Story ideas are popping into my head at a furious rate. I’ll get them done too. Stay tuned.
Nice clean desk! No old filing.My point is that sometimes a small idea can lead to big results. Thank you Richard Carlson for this great idea and for the body of work you left behind.
That’s my critical inch story or the first one anyway. Do you have one? Have you overcome any major hurdles lately? Or are you planning to? Was it ski moguls? Let’s hear it!
February 25, 2014
Were There 'Signs'?
by Deb Baker/Hannah Reed
These last days of February have ushered in my sun sign – Pisces. I haven’t paid much attention to the Zodiac, other than the occasional horoscope, since I was in my 20s.
But this time around, in 2014, for some weird reason, when the path of the sun crossed into my sign, I went back and re-read the list of personality traits using www.astronomy.com – yup, that’s me. Artistic (check) left-handed (check, actually, I just threw that in), an emotional sponge (oh, yeah)… and on and on. One of my very favorite colors is even cool water blue for the fish in water that my sign represents!
My personality matches my sign so perfectly, it’s almost scary. And believable.
All this got me thinking...
As those who have read my posts for a while know, I divorced last March. We've managed to remain friends. Actually, we are better friends than we were mates. So my thought is - Did the incompatibility of our signs have anything to do with our split? He fits his – Sagittarius – just as well as I fit mine. And according to the experts, that’s not a good combination for Pisces. Or for Sagittarius.
I’m also supposed to stay away from Gemini and Aries, as our personalities clash. But another Pisces would work. So would a Cancer or Scorpio. I’ve read about them and like what I see.
I can't believe my mind is going here! Is there some truth to this sign business? What do you think?
These last days of February have ushered in my sun sign – Pisces. I haven’t paid much attention to the Zodiac, other than the occasional horoscope, since I was in my 20s.
But this time around, in 2014, for some weird reason, when the path of the sun crossed into my sign, I went back and re-read the list of personality traits using www.astronomy.com – yup, that’s me. Artistic (check) left-handed (check, actually, I just threw that in), an emotional sponge (oh, yeah)… and on and on. One of my very favorite colors is even cool water blue for the fish in water that my sign represents!
My personality matches my sign so perfectly, it’s almost scary. And believable.
All this got me thinking...
As those who have read my posts for a while know, I divorced last March. We've managed to remain friends. Actually, we are better friends than we were mates. So my thought is - Did the incompatibility of our signs have anything to do with our split? He fits his – Sagittarius – just as well as I fit mine. And according to the experts, that’s not a good combination for Pisces. Or for Sagittarius.
I’m also supposed to stay away from Gemini and Aries, as our personalities clash. But another Pisces would work. So would a Cancer or Scorpio. I’ve read about them and like what I see.
I can't believe my mind is going here! Is there some truth to this sign business? What do you think?
February 24, 2014
Bye Bye, February Spring
by Maggie SeftonHere are some more Ajijic photos. Our favorite cafes have gardens and patios in the back. Some have parrots and peacocks wandering about---and some of the most fluffy feathered roosters I've ever seen. And they're the most polite birdie beggars. Once fed, they walk away and find someone else. :) Those beautiful blue vining flowers are called Tumberia (I think) and they look like a kind of large morning glory. At the top is the flock of pelicans, black-tipped wings, that are wintering in Ajijic on the lake. They would be in that spot every morning when I took my walk.
This has been a wonderful month in Ajijic, Mexico. Moderate temps, sunny weather, and a picturesque friendly village town to explore. Both Deb and I have been really productive while here-----writing every day. But we made sure we had time to explore and enjoy the surroundings. We’ve met so many Americans, Brits, and Canadians while here and have joined them for evening drinks and dinners and visiting their lovely homes.
We were fascinated to find so many “Snowbirds” who’ve actually switched to full time residents. Ajijic is an easy place to adjust to and relax. Surrounded by a range of the lovely green Sierra Madre mountains on three sides, Ajijic lies on the northern shore of the picturesque Lake Chapala on the 4thside.
Both Deb and I will return to Winter climates when we leave this Friday, Februrary 28th. Wisconsin is definitely a harsher winter than my experience in Colorado, but even so---it will be a BIG shock to our systems to adjust to cold weather once again.
Below left---you'll see my favorite shady rooftop writing nook. To the right is another terrace view of neighboring rooftops and some of the mountains.
So----we’re enjoying the last few days and doing some out-of-town sightseeing. We were in Guadalajara all day Sunday and Tuesday, we’ll be in two smaller villages in that vicinity that are known for their arts and crafts.
February 23, 2014
This "Kid" is on Top of It!
by Kate CollinsI spent Saturday afternoon on an assembly line, putting scoops of dried vegetable flakes into a funnel. Sound like fun? Actually, it was. I participated in a local KIDS AGAINST HUNGER service day, along with senior citizens, college students, middle school kids, and my friends, working, talking, and listening to music provided by the Purdue Glee Club.
Ten teams comprised of all age groups worked together like well-oiled machines, packing 4 different ingredients into plastic bags, weighing, sealing, and boxing them. In five hours, we assembled over 61,000 meals, each meal feeding a family of four. And ours was a small operation.
We worked hard for several hours, and yet as I looked around the jam packed hall, all I saw were glowing, happy faces. Every person there was enjoying it. Every person there glowed because they knew they were helping hungry families everywhere, including our own great country, where hunger flourishes -- and many of us tend to think it doesn't.
Have you ever heard about Kids Against Hunger? I hadn't. But here is some interesting information from the www.Kidsagainsthunger.org website:
"Since its launch, Kids Against Hunger has provided over 200 million meals for children and their families in more than 60 countries through the efforts of hundreds of thousands of volunteers.
Kids Against Hunger packages highly nutritious, life-saving meals for starving children and malnourished children and their families in developing countries and the United States. The goal of the organization is for its meals to provide a stable nutritional base from which recipient families can move their families from starvation to self-sufficiency. Kids Against Hunger accomplishes this by mobilizing the energy and caring of American children, teens, and adults on behalf of hungry children around the world. Kids Against Hunger seeks to end the literal hunger of children receiving the meals, but also satisfies a hunger among prosperous Americans – a hunger for meaning and contribution."
If this sounds like something you'd like to participate in, check out their website to find a satellite operation near you -- or start one in your community, service organization, or church. I know I'll be signing up again. I glowed all weekend.
February 22, 2014
A House, A House, My Kingdom for a House
by Leann
This is an update on the house we are building that seems to be taking forever. The weather has caused many delays--an entire month of rain in the summer and ice and snow in winter. I am growing so weary of this dusty place we live in now, but we are getting closer. We have wood floors and tile. The bathtubs and showers are in.
Lighting and paint and interior doors are almost finished. My husband and his good friend built all the closet shelves and isn't my pantry awesome?
So, what are we missing? Cement work for the patio and driveway!! Grrr! Of course that is weather related, but I still believe there were times when it could have been done and wasn't. But neither of us are pushy people and I've decided general contractors need to be a little pushy. Since we are doing this ourselves, we have had much to learn. One of those lessons? The art of getting things done in the right order.
Last week was great because the cabinets went in. They are beautiful
but--isn't there always a but?--they did not do glass in the upper cabinets as I'd requested. If I had been happy with the look, I might have let it slide and been satisfied but it was just too much wood. My dear husband spoke up, even though I was the one who had been dealing with the cabinetmaker. I am grateful since I have been suffering with a very messed up back and neck and I feared I might have burst into tears if it was a tense conversation. Turns out it wasn't. The cabinetmaker was wonderful and took back all the top cabinets and replaced the doors. Here are the before and after pictures.
My favorite little special part is the corner cabinet they built. When we first met with the house designer, I told him that's what I wanted and he talked me out of it. But when I first met with the cabinetmaker he said, "Are you putting a corner cabinet here?" I smiled so big I nearly broke my face. "Why, yes I am," came my quick reply. And it's a beautiful piece and painted a gorgeous brick red.
There is still plumbing and painting and quartz installation and the shower doors that we cannot seem to get bids on no matter how many times we call the glass companies. Another frustration! But we are getting close ... so very close. And I cannot wait!
This is an update on the house we are building that seems to be taking forever. The weather has caused many delays--an entire month of rain in the summer and ice and snow in winter. I am growing so weary of this dusty place we live in now, but we are getting closer. We have wood floors and tile. The bathtubs and showers are in. Lighting and paint and interior doors are almost finished. My husband and his good friend built all the closet shelves and isn't my pantry awesome?
So, what are we missing? Cement work for the patio and driveway!! Grrr! Of course that is weather related, but I still believe there were times when it could have been done and wasn't. But neither of us are pushy people and I've decided general contractors need to be a little pushy. Since we are doing this ourselves, we have had much to learn. One of those lessons? The art of getting things done in the right order.
Last week was great because the cabinets went in. They are beautiful
but--isn't there always a but?--they did not do glass in the upper cabinets as I'd requested. If I had been happy with the look, I might have let it slide and been satisfied but it was just too much wood. My dear husband spoke up, even though I was the one who had been dealing with the cabinetmaker. I am grateful since I have been suffering with a very messed up back and neck and I feared I might have burst into tears if it was a tense conversation. Turns out it wasn't. The cabinetmaker was wonderful and took back all the top cabinets and replaced the doors. Here are the before and after pictures.
My favorite little special part is the corner cabinet they built. When we first met with the house designer, I told him that's what I wanted and he talked me out of it. But when I first met with the cabinetmaker he said, "Are you putting a corner cabinet here?" I smiled so big I nearly broke my face. "Why, yes I am," came my quick reply. And it's a beautiful piece and painted a gorgeous brick red.There is still plumbing and painting and quartz installation and the shower doors that we cannot seem to get bids on no matter how many times we call the glass companies. Another frustration! But we are getting close ... so very close. And I cannot wait!
February 21, 2014
RECIPE DISASTERS
by Mary Kennedy
There are a lot of reasons that recipes can go wrong. Sometimes you can make a whopping mistake. Back in the days when I still served meat to guests, I hosted a dinner party featuring Beef Bourguignon. I put the meat in an electric frying pan, covered it with wine and herbs and let it simmer away. As the party got underway, I was surprised that there was no delectable smell filling the kitchen. Hours went by, all the hors 'oeuvres were eaten and the guests were clamoring for a sit-down dinner. When I checked on the beef, I realized it was raw. So raw it almost had a pulse. Someone had unplugged the frying pan to make some margaritas! All ended well, because I sliced the meat very thin, pan fried it and everyone loved it.
Sometimes thing go wrong because you're in too much of a hurry. Ever try putting icing on a warm cake?
Sometimes, you tinker with the recipe so much, it bears no resemblance to the original!
And some foods were just never meant to be, like this hamburger in the middle of a Krispy Kreme donut! How about you, do you have any recipe disasters to share? Mary Kennedy
There are a lot of reasons that recipes can go wrong. Sometimes you can make a whopping mistake. Back in the days when I still served meat to guests, I hosted a dinner party featuring Beef Bourguignon. I put the meat in an electric frying pan, covered it with wine and herbs and let it simmer away. As the party got underway, I was surprised that there was no delectable smell filling the kitchen. Hours went by, all the hors 'oeuvres were eaten and the guests were clamoring for a sit-down dinner. When I checked on the beef, I realized it was raw. So raw it almost had a pulse. Someone had unplugged the frying pan to make some margaritas! All ended well, because I sliced the meat very thin, pan fried it and everyone loved it.
Sometimes thing go wrong because you're in too much of a hurry. Ever try putting icing on a warm cake?
Sometimes, you tinker with the recipe so much, it bears no resemblance to the original!
And some foods were just never meant to be, like this hamburger in the middle of a Krispy Kreme donut! How about you, do you have any recipe disasters to share? Mary Kennedy
February 20, 2014
It's so darn pretty
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
I have yet another weakness I have so-far not confessed in many years of blogging.
I love tile. I look forward to going to Home Depot just so I can stand in the tile aisle and gaze upon what's available. I don't dare go into a dedicated tile store for fear of never leaving.
On the most recent Sunday Morning episode, they did a whole segment on azulejo Portuguese tile. OMG! It was wonderful!
It only occurred to me after watching that episode that I collect them, mostly using them as coasters. (A little glue, a little felt--and you've got a coaster.) I have them all over my house. I have tile hanging in my office. I have a tiled mirror in my guest bath.
My favorite is Victorian tile. But I have a bunch of tiles from Mexico that we bought when we were in the Southwest.
Hmm...I have a lot more tile than I thought.
But it's not practical to really collect it. So why not have a virtual collection? So Monday I started a Pinterest board for tile. So far, I don't have many. The one to the left is one I found online. Can you imainge an entire wall of that tile? It might be a bit much, but boy would it be pretty (and very busy). I guess that's why I like accent tiles in a sea of more mundane ones. That makes them stick out more, and I think they'd be better appreciated.
Here are a few more I found.
Isn't that gorgeous? (Is it apparent that I'm a fan of Art Nouveau?)
A little late for Chinese New Year (and it's the year of the Horse), but stunning.
So, what do you think about decorative tile?
.
.
I have yet another weakness I have so-far not confessed in many years of blogging.
I love tile. I look forward to going to Home Depot just so I can stand in the tile aisle and gaze upon what's available. I don't dare go into a dedicated tile store for fear of never leaving.
On the most recent Sunday Morning episode, they did a whole segment on azulejo Portuguese tile. OMG! It was wonderful!
It only occurred to me after watching that episode that I collect them, mostly using them as coasters. (A little glue, a little felt--and you've got a coaster.) I have them all over my house. I have tile hanging in my office. I have a tiled mirror in my guest bath.My favorite is Victorian tile. But I have a bunch of tiles from Mexico that we bought when we were in the Southwest.
Hmm...I have a lot more tile than I thought.
But it's not practical to really collect it. So why not have a virtual collection? So Monday I started a Pinterest board for tile. So far, I don't have many. The one to the left is one I found online. Can you imainge an entire wall of that tile? It might be a bit much, but boy would it be pretty (and very busy). I guess that's why I like accent tiles in a sea of more mundane ones. That makes them stick out more, and I think they'd be better appreciated.
Here are a few more I found.
Isn't that gorgeous? (Is it apparent that I'm a fan of Art Nouveau?)
A little late for Chinese New Year (and it's the year of the Horse), but stunning.
So, what do you think about decorative tile?
.
.
