Kate Collins's Blog, page 335

Dreams

By Lorna

Why is it we dream?  Unfinished business at the end of the day?  And why do we sometimes dream bad things?

I had a dream Leann was mad at me.  I don't even know why she was upset, but she yelled at me and it made me cry, and then she pinched me!  Hard.  More than once!  We were at some mystery conference, carrying our manuscripts around in big white binders, and moved to sit in some out of the way alcove.  She sat on one love seat and I sat on another.  And then, from out of nowhere ca...

Not Your Average Museum

By Heather

One of my favorite things during a road trip is to watch road signs for exit attractions. More specifically, I'm searching for the museums. Not because I actually want to take a side trip to visit one (does anyone actually do that), but because there are some amusing/fascinating/are-you-kidding-me kind of museums out there.
Along my travels, I've seen signs for the Salt Museum, the Water Tower Art Museum, the Crime and Punishment Museum (among others). 
Just doing a simple Google...

Color Pairings

Yesterday I received a wonderful gift—this beautiful quilt square pictured beneath the group of Yellow ware bowls. It was made by our own Dru Ann Love and sent to me as an early birthday gift. Isn't it filled with warmth?

Looking around my down stairs, there were many places where this treasure could go because I've used the cranberry and mustards hues in several rooms.

Shoot, even my pets fit in with my color pairing!

This post is mostly pictorial but I wondered if anyone else...

Dog Days of Summer

Welcome to the dog days of summer!

Cozy readers have a lot in common with each other. Besides listing reading as one of our favorite pastimes, we share a keen interest in the world around us. We love to learn new things and explore areas of the world through the pages we turn. Cozy readers are compassionate, make loyal friends, aren't afraid to try new things.

And we share a love for animals.

On  Sunday I went to a dog show, a big one, a qualifier for national. What a treat!!! The dogs were wond...

Perils of Summer

Wow. . .you wouldn't think reading outside under a tree or on your patio would be dangerous, would you? Well, guess again. As I posted last week, I have been indulging myself in summer reading outside, enjoying the weather. Unfortunately, Sunday night of last week, I forgot to use the mosquito repellant spray.



Mosquitoes have always loved me. And their little "love bites" often leave red swollen lumps that itch. Well, last Sunday, the Bad, Bad Leroy Brown of Skeeters must have flown over my...

REVISED WINNER THIS MONTH!

Because silly Leann randomly picked someone who had already won the B&N gift card, we have a do-over (thank you Lover of Books for telling me you already won this year!). Drum roll ... the winner is:

Laineshots

If you will please send your email addy to leann_sweeney@hotmail.com I will send you your $10 B&N electronic gift certificate! And thanks everyone for giving us such great comments!

Mom's Best Old Time Home Remedies

My mom was a firm believer in the amazing powers of apple cider vinegar. If we had coughs, she mixed it with honey and we sipped it. If we had sore throats, we gargled it. We didn't buy expensive hair conditioners. We poured vinegar in a cup, added water, and boy, did it make our hair shine. Once, I had my head under the faucet and forgot to get the vinegar out, so I reached blindly into the cabinet, pulled out a bottle that felt right, and doused myself with it. Boy, did my hair shine that d...

B&N Gift Card Winner!

This month's winner is "Lover of Books!" Send me an email (leann_sweeney@hotmail.com) with your email address so I can send you an electronic gift card from B&N.com! Thanks for your comments! If I don't hear from you within a week, another winner will be chosen.

Got floss, needles -- I'm ready to write!

 By Guest Blogger Amanda Lee

When my agent asked me if I'd be interested in writing a cozy mystery revolving around embroidery, I gave her an enthusiastic yes. To be honest, though, I hadn't started (much less completed) a new project in years. In fact, I have one cross-stitch project I've been working on for at least three years, although I use the term "working on" loosely. "Studiously avoiding because it's really complicated" might be the better phrase.

Still, if I was going to write about ...

Pizza and . . .

by Lorna

It seems like there are infinite combinations when it comes to pizza.  I'm not talking about what you have on the pizza, but with you have WITH it.

Take my friend Jean for instance.  Her husband is a chef.  When they have pizza it's an ordeal.  First of all, her hubby MAKES the pizza from scratch.  But before he does that, he first gets out his big soup pot.  Yup, pizza night for them means homemade chicken soup comes first.

Go figure!

When I was growing up, pizzas were few and far betwe...