Kate Collins's Blog, page 317
January 25, 2011
Young Readers
I'm thrilled to report that reading is alive and well with the next generation. At least with this fourth grade Girl Scout troop. I had the pleasure of helping them with their book badge at the local library, and what fun we had. All of them love to read, AND they all have read or at least know of Nancy Drew. How cool is that!They plotted a murder mystery together and were scary shrewd. Most of them like to write stories and had a few amazing ideas for those, too. One of the girls got a Kindle for Christmas and downloads ebooks. At the end of our hour together, they checked out armloads of books, a few were even mine.
I'm going to stop worrying about our future readers. Life is good.
January 24, 2011
Which One Are You?
Do thoughts of April 15, the IRS, and Taxes Due instill fear and loathing like Harried Helen on the left? Or, are you the Sally Sunshine gal on the right? Maybe you just gather all your info and dump it on your accountant's or tax preparer's desk. Too early to even think about it, you say?
Well, I used t
his Sunday's schedule of daytime playoff games to start that yearly process. I started sorting through all my receipts and expenses for the year and assigned them into appropriate categories. Since I was a CPA years ago, that task isn't really odious to me, simply tedious. So, I use the end of the NFL season to distract me with championship games. Often I wait until the Super Bowl to start sorting. But since I'll be traveling on Super Bowl Sunday---more on that in next Tuesday's Cozy Chicks blogpost---I decided to use the Playoffs. None of the four teams disappointed in their efforts on the field on Sunday, but I'm sure the losers will be second-guessing themselves for weeks. That's pretty human, and we've all done it, and we don't earn anything like those NFL salaries.
But, I am second-guessing myself---or better---I'm promising myself for a SECOND time that I will finally take the time to get a spreadsheet started for this year 2011 and enter all these writing expenses for each month. That will make this yearly "gathering and evaluating" process much easier. And, yes, Heather. . .I can hear you laughing out loud, knowing I promised I'd do it in 2010. This year, I promise to TRY harder to remember to do it. :)
How about you? Have you started your taxes? Finished? Taken them to your accountant/tax preparer?
January 23, 2011
HAVE YOU EVER DREAMED THIS?
By Kate Collins
Have you ever dreamed the answer to a question, or solved a problem while you slept? I've always wanted to be able to do that, but no matter how hard I concentrate before I go to sleep, I don't wake and say, "That's it! I've got it!"
On the other hand, I did once dream an entire story, start to finish. The problem was that it was a Sci-Fi story, not a mystery or even a romance, and I don't write Science Fiction. Never had any interest in it. Too bad, because it was a really good, ki
nd of scary story.Sometimes I wake up and feel inspired with what to write in my current mystery-in-progress. That happened yesterday morning, in fact. I woke earlier than usual and was determined not to get up until some light came through the curtains. I hate getting up in the dark. So as I lay there, my thoughts turned to what was happening in the story (due in four weeks - AAAACK!) And I had a sudden flash of what should come next – a brand new disaster for Abby and Marco. So I got up, had some juice, and sat down at my computer to write the scene. Strike while the iron is hot, right?
Getting back to my original question, have you ever dreamed a solution to a problem? Or felt inspired when you awakened? Or are you one who forgets your dreams the moment your eyes open?
Inquiring dreamers want to know.
January 22, 2011
Winter Soup Time!
by Leann Sweeney
When you live in the south or southwest, winter is never really the winter I remember. I grew up in upstate NY and we got lake effect snow, tons of it, every winter. Not that I want to go back to that or have the amount of snow that many of you have been experiencing this year. But despite living in Texas for 35 years, I still haven't gotten used to the weather.
Take Saturday. We woke up and there was frost all over the roof and the temperature was around 30 degrees. By eleven AM, all I needed was a light jacket. The sun was beating down and temps had risen to 60. A thirty degree increase in about four hours? That's frickin' strange when you consider what I dealt with growing up. The consistent weather here only comes in the summer. I can count on 90 plus degrees from the end of June all the way through October. YUCK. Hate it.
That's why, when it's cool, or a little cool, I make chili. But since we had a cold snap last week and I made chili, I thought about an old recipe, one that's healthy and amazingly good considering the ingredients. I'm not a huge fan of cabbage, but this soup, with it's odd ingredients, makes cabbage taste wonderful. (and this is so easy to make!) So I thought I would share it today:
Cabbage Soup
1 1/2 lb ground beef (or turkey) or 1 lb will do!
1 head of cabbage, chopped
1 large can of V-8 juice--the really big can
1 large can of stewed tomatoes (I just use the 14 oz size)
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes
2 cans of red kidney beans, rinsed
2 pkgs of dry Italian dressing (I use the Zesty Italian by Good Seasons--no preservatives)
1 small can of tomato paste
salt and pepper if desired, but I never add it. This is well-seasoned all by itself.
Brown ground meat and drain. Cook cabbage in a small amount of water until tender. (I have actually put uncooked cabbage in the pot when I'm rushed. Doesn't seem to make any difference.) Drain cabbage, combine with all ingredients in large pot. Bring to boil, reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 1 hour.
Do you have a cold weather favorite recipe, one you just can't wait to make when winter rolls in? Do share!
When you live in the south or southwest, winter is never really the winter I remember. I grew up in upstate NY and we got lake effect snow, tons of it, every winter. Not that I want to go back to that or have the amount of snow that many of you have been experiencing this year. But despite living in Texas for 35 years, I still haven't gotten used to the weather.
Take Saturday. We woke up and there was frost all over the roof and the temperature was around 30 degrees. By eleven AM, all I needed was a light jacket. The sun was beating down and temps had risen to 60. A thirty degree increase in about four hours? That's frickin' strange when you consider what I dealt with growing up. The consistent weather here only comes in the summer. I can count on 90 plus degrees from the end of June all the way through October. YUCK. Hate it.
That's why, when it's cool, or a little cool, I make chili. But since we had a cold snap last week and I made chili, I thought about an old recipe, one that's healthy and amazingly good considering the ingredients. I'm not a huge fan of cabbage, but this soup, with it's odd ingredients, makes cabbage taste wonderful. (and this is so easy to make!) So I thought I would share it today:
Cabbage Soup
1 1/2 lb ground beef (or turkey) or 1 lb will do!
1 head of cabbage, chopped
1 large can of V-8 juice--the really big can
1 large can of stewed tomatoes (I just use the 14 oz size)
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes
2 cans of red kidney beans, rinsed
2 pkgs of dry Italian dressing (I use the Zesty Italian by Good Seasons--no preservatives)
1 small can of tomato paste
salt and pepper if desired, but I never add it. This is well-seasoned all by itself.
Brown ground meat and drain. Cook cabbage in a small amount of water until tender. (I have actually put uncooked cabbage in the pot when I'm rushed. Doesn't seem to make any difference.) Drain cabbage, combine with all ingredients in large pot. Bring to boil, reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 1 hour.
Do you have a cold weather favorite recipe, one you just can't wait to make when winter rolls in? Do share!
My Personal Replacement ....
by Lorna Barrett (aka Lorraine Bartlett)
Every week or so I get an announcement from Replacements Ltd. telling me they have GREAT PRICES on my good china.
The only problem is, we have different definitions on what's a great price. Great price for me is CHEAP. Great price for them is "your order could buy me a new Mercedes!"
My china is Royal Albert's Silver Maple design, which has been discontinued for years. Many years ago, my grandmother gave my mother a tea set of the pattern and the truth is my mother wasn't exactly thrilled. But I loved it from the day I saw it and I was thrilled when Mum gave it to me after I got married.
But it was only a tea set. Cups, saucers, cake plates. So one year, with my work bonus, I bought eight place settings. Not the additional serving pieces, just the dinner plates, cups saucers and yet again cake plates. Since then I've bought a few odd pieces--and I do mean odd. I now have a bon-bon dish, a sugar and creamer, 1 salt shaker, 1 egg cup, and 2 small platters.
For all the years I have been receiving those emails, I've longed to get a teapot that would go with my good dishes. The fact that I only use the dishes once a year (because I'm not putting them in the dishwasher, and during a big family dinner, I don't have the time or room (in my tiny kitchen) to stack and hand wash them. So once a year it is.
And no teapot.
Oh, but I want that teapot. I dream about it. I visualize how I would rearrange my entire china cabinet just to accommodate it.
Then I look at the price list and say: $189 (plus shipping) for a teapot you will never use?
Get real, girl!
Somewhere there's a spendthrift inside me just aching to bust loose. But until that teapot comes down in price (or hell freezes over), that isn't going to happen.
What frivolous thing have you been denying yourself?
Every week or so I get an announcement from Replacements Ltd. telling me they have GREAT PRICES on my good china.The only problem is, we have different definitions on what's a great price. Great price for me is CHEAP. Great price for them is "your order could buy me a new Mercedes!"
My china is Royal Albert's Silver Maple design, which has been discontinued for years. Many years ago, my grandmother gave my mother a tea set of the pattern and the truth is my mother wasn't exactly thrilled. But I loved it from the day I saw it and I was thrilled when Mum gave it to me after I got married.
But it was only a tea set. Cups, saucers, cake plates. So one year, with my work bonus, I bought eight place settings. Not the additional serving pieces, just the dinner plates, cups saucers and yet again cake plates. Since then I've bought a few odd pieces--and I do mean odd. I now have a bon-bon dish, a sugar and creamer, 1 salt shaker, 1 egg cup, and 2 small platters.
For all the years I have been receiving those emails, I've longed to get a teapot that would go with my good dishes. The fact that I only use the dishes once a year (because I'm not putting them in the dishwasher, and during a big family dinner, I don't have the time or room (in my tiny kitchen) to stack and hand wash them. So once a year it is.And no teapot.
Oh, but I want that teapot. I dream about it. I visualize how I would rearrange my entire china cabinet just to accommodate it.
Then I look at the price list and say: $189 (plus shipping) for a teapot you will never use?
Get real, girl!
Somewhere there's a spendthrift inside me just aching to bust loose. But until that teapot comes down in price (or hell freezes over), that isn't going to happen.
What frivolous thing have you been denying yourself?
January 21, 2011
Keyed Up
By Heather Webber
Earlier this week, my husband's car needed a quick trip to the shop to tweak something (shocks, struts?) and long story short, we found ourselves looking for a spare key to his car.
And looking and looking.
The thing was we had plenty of keys. Small ones, big ones, skinny, fat. None fit to his car.
Another long story short, it turned out that we didn't even need the spare. But what this little escapade revealed was that we had a whole bunch of keys, and that we had no idea what they fit into. So why do we have them, if we don't have any idea what they're for? Because it's impossible-impossible-for me to throw them away. What if we might need one? What if we happen to discover that, oh yeah, that key goes to the house we lived in 17 years ago? Maybe we might need that! We actually have a key labeled "1999 Corolla – Sand." Which would be fine if we ever owned a sand-colored 1999 Corolla. We didn't. We don't know anyone who did. Where did this key come from? And more importantly, why can't I throw it away?
Please tell me I'm not alone in this. How many "spares" do you have lying around?
Earlier this week, my husband's car needed a quick trip to the shop to tweak something (shocks, struts?) and long story short, we found ourselves looking for a spare key to his car.
And looking and looking.The thing was we had plenty of keys. Small ones, big ones, skinny, fat. None fit to his car.
Another long story short, it turned out that we didn't even need the spare. But what this little escapade revealed was that we had a whole bunch of keys, and that we had no idea what they fit into. So why do we have them, if we don't have any idea what they're for? Because it's impossible-impossible-for me to throw them away. What if we might need one? What if we happen to discover that, oh yeah, that key goes to the house we lived in 17 years ago? Maybe we might need that! We actually have a key labeled "1999 Corolla – Sand." Which would be fine if we ever owned a sand-colored 1999 Corolla. We didn't. We don't know anyone who did. Where did this key come from? And more importantly, why can't I throw it away?
Please tell me I'm not alone in this. How many "spares" do you have lying around?
January 19, 2011
Ellery's Mystery Cozy Contest - Answer
Last week's clue came from Reel Murder: A Talk Radio Mystery by Mary Kennedy and the lucky winner of a $10 gift certificate is Linda Leszczuk. Congrats!
A quick glimpse of Reel Murder:
Florida's newest talk show radio psychologist Maggie Walsh has no sooner gotten involved with a local movie production than the leading lady turns up dead. Now Maggie has to find the killer before the credits roll-or it might be her final performance.
The Thing You'd Save During A Fire
by Ellery Adams
The subject of what one would save from a burning house has been recurring discussion among my friends. Several of my friends on Yahoo! Groups have either been the victims of house fires this year or have had relatives who've lost everything to a house fire.
I also saw the movie Leap Year (I didn't think it was very good) in which the heroine notes that when her fiance believes their apartment is on fire, he goes to rescue his laptop without a thought for her, versus the other guy who rushes for a claddagh ring that belonged to his grandmother. He later proposes to her using the same ring.
Assuming all the living creatures in your house were safe from harm and you could only carry one thing, what would you grab?
For me, that answer is easy: an antique music box that my parents
bought when I was very young. I used to dance to it all the time and now my daughter does the same. The little birds hit the bells and the sound is fairy-like and magical. I've posted a link to a similar box so you can listen to the sound.What about you? What would you save?
January 18, 2011
Most Literate Cities in 2010
by Deb Baker (aka Hannah Reed)
Last week, 2010's winners were announced and I just have to share and get your opinion.
Top 10 Cities RANK Washington, DC 1 Seattle, WA 2 Minneapolis, MN 3 Atlanta, GA 4 Pittsburgh, PA 5 San Francisco, CA 6 St. Paul, MN 7 Denver, CO 8 Portland, OR 9.5 St. Louis, MO 9.5
The indicators used (in case you care) were based on newspaper circulation, number of bookstores, library resources, periodical publishing resources, educational attainment, and Internet resources.
Would you add any cities to the list? I always thought Texas was a big reading state. Houston, maybe? Austin?
And check out Minnesota - the twin cities took two top tens! I haven't been there, but its on my radar now.
Last week, 2010's winners were announced and I just have to share and get your opinion.
Top 10 Cities RANK Washington, DC 1 Seattle, WA 2 Minneapolis, MN 3 Atlanta, GA 4 Pittsburgh, PA 5 San Francisco, CA 6 St. Paul, MN 7 Denver, CO 8 Portland, OR 9.5 St. Louis, MO 9.5
The indicators used (in case you care) were based on newspaper circulation, number of bookstores, library resources, periodical publishing resources, educational attainment, and Internet resources.
Would you add any cities to the list? I always thought Texas was a big reading state. Houston, maybe? Austin?
And check out Minnesota - the twin cities took two top tens! I haven't been there, but its on my radar now.
January 17, 2011
Watched TV Lately?
by Maggie Sefton
Okay. . .better late than never, right? I started watching some of the new television series programs last Fall but never got around to posting on the CC blog. I did not check
them all out, but I did check out a few. And---the last few weeks of the season, I checked into some others. I'd be interested if any of you have seen the programs and what your comments are.
FRINGE, on Fox: Perhaps I mentioned this before, but it's worth mentioning again. FRINGE has built a following of viewers who like the sci-fi/fantasy mixture of alternate universes and parallel lives and travel between them. Again. . .characterization is always key in building a series, and the main players are well-developed with fascinating personalities. Plus, the special effects scenes are cool.
THE EVENT, on NBC: So far, so good. The writers have gotten me interested with excellent characters and non-stop action with the "good guys/gals" trying to keep from being caught & killed by the "other guys." Again---the sc fi/fantasy element is invoked as we learn that Earth has scores of aliens who look just like us and have infiltrated everywhere. Even the FBI. :)
DETROIT 1-8-7, on ABC: This is one of the best police action dramas I've seen in years, and I remember the days of Hill Street Blues. Again. . .it all comes down to good characters, and this series has some of the best new characters to prowl the small screen. And their back stories are hinted at in the episodes. My favorite is the fascinating Detective Fitch. What a great face, and that stare of his is guaranteed to make suspects confess in the interrogation room without Fitch saying a word. He just stares at them. Hilarious. They start to lose it, then spill everything they know. Actually, this is an Ensemble production with no one character being the main lead. Everyone gets to be on center stage for a few moments, enough to tease you into wanting to know more about their pasts. Especially the intriguing African-American female lieutenant and head of that group of Detroit detectives.
NIKITA, on CW: Maggie Q makes a great kick-ass "special agent" for an off-the-books CIA operation gone rogue. Nikita has gone off the reservation to combat the "evil" that thi
s secret rogue operation has set in motion. Great action scenes, too.
V, on ABC: I didn't see this last Fall because of schedule conflicts, but I'm recording it now that it's re-started. There were some "catch-up" episodes designed to attract some of us who wanted to give it a try. More sci fi center stage in this one, what with spaceships hovering in the skies above major Earth cities. But, again, it's the characters and their stories that carry it. I've bought in so far. Let's see how it goes. Again, aliens who wear layers of human skin to appear "just like us." Wow, everyone in the Universe must want to look like us. :) How self-absorbed is that?
BLUE BLOODS, on CBS: With Tom Selleck as the father figure in a big Irish-American family of cops and/or prosecuting attorneys. The good characterization and story lines have kept me so far, plus there's an intriguing sub-plot developing about a past betrayal that casued the death of Father Figure Selleck's son.
DOWNTON ABBEY, on PBS: I just started watching Sunday night before last, and I'm hooked. Great characters and lots of sub-plots going on, set in early 1900's England. Kind of a later Upstairs/Downstairs plotline showing the staffs trials/tribulations as well as the gentility's problems. Love those PBS historical series.
Have you checked out some of these shows? What do you think?
Okay. . .better late than never, right? I started watching some of the new television series programs last Fall but never got around to posting on the CC blog. I did not check
them all out, but I did check out a few. And---the last few weeks of the season, I checked into some others. I'd be interested if any of you have seen the programs and what your comments are. FRINGE, on Fox: Perhaps I mentioned this before, but it's worth mentioning again. FRINGE has built a following of viewers who like the sci-fi/fantasy mixture of alternate universes and parallel lives and travel between them. Again. . .characterization is always key in building a series, and the main players are well-developed with fascinating personalities. Plus, the special effects scenes are cool.
THE EVENT, on NBC: So far, so good. The writers have gotten me interested with excellent characters and non-stop action with the "good guys/gals" trying to keep from being caught & killed by the "other guys." Again---the sc fi/fantasy element is invoked as we learn that Earth has scores of aliens who look just like us and have infiltrated everywhere. Even the FBI. :)
DETROIT 1-8-7, on ABC: This is one of the best police action dramas I've seen in years, and I remember the days of Hill Street Blues. Again. . .it all comes down to good characters, and this series has some of the best new characters to prowl the small screen. And their back stories are hinted at in the episodes. My favorite is the fascinating Detective Fitch. What a great face, and that stare of his is guaranteed to make suspects confess in the interrogation room without Fitch saying a word. He just stares at them. Hilarious. They start to lose it, then spill everything they know. Actually, this is an Ensemble production with no one character being the main lead. Everyone gets to be on center stage for a few moments, enough to tease you into wanting to know more about their pasts. Especially the intriguing African-American female lieutenant and head of that group of Detroit detectives.
NIKITA, on CW: Maggie Q makes a great kick-ass "special agent" for an off-the-books CIA operation gone rogue. Nikita has gone off the reservation to combat the "evil" that thi
s secret rogue operation has set in motion. Great action scenes, too.V, on ABC: I didn't see this last Fall because of schedule conflicts, but I'm recording it now that it's re-started. There were some "catch-up" episodes designed to attract some of us who wanted to give it a try. More sci fi center stage in this one, what with spaceships hovering in the skies above major Earth cities. But, again, it's the characters and their stories that carry it. I've bought in so far. Let's see how it goes. Again, aliens who wear layers of human skin to appear "just like us." Wow, everyone in the Universe must want to look like us. :) How self-absorbed is that?
BLUE BLOODS, on CBS: With Tom Selleck as the father figure in a big Irish-American family of cops and/or prosecuting attorneys. The good characterization and story lines have kept me so far, plus there's an intriguing sub-plot developing about a past betrayal that casued the death of Father Figure Selleck's son.
DOWNTON ABBEY, on PBS: I just started watching Sunday night before last, and I'm hooked. Great characters and lots of sub-plots going on, set in early 1900's England. Kind of a later Upstairs/Downstairs plotline showing the staffs trials/tribulations as well as the gentility's problems. Love those PBS historical series.
Have you checked out some of these shows? What do you think?
