Kate Collins's Blog, page 56
August 19, 2018
BOOKS (AND SCREENPLAYS) I'VE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH
By Mary Kennedy
One of my all time favorite books/movies is Gone with the Wind. I love big sprawling books and movies and I think how amazing it would be to have Margaret Mitchell's talent. To create a wonderful romance with larger-than-life characters in one of the most turbulent times in our history.
For the same reason, I loved Giant, both the book and the movie. Loved Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson. The setting intrigued me, I'd never been to Texas back then and loved the bigger-than-life feel on every page of Edna Ferber's iconic book.
Sometimes I'm attracted to a movie because of nostalgia. I'd lived in Europe, fallen in love with Italy and was captivated by Fellini's La Dolce Vita.
The sights and sounds of Rome enchanted me. When I saw Anita Ekberg and Marcello Mastroianni's passionate scene in the Trevi Fountain it reminded me of my own (much tamer!) moment, throwing coins in the fountain. Throwing coins is supposed to guarantee you'll return to Rome, but somehow I never did.
A place can evoke such strong memories that you want to return, any way you can. The Woody Allen flick, Midnight in Paris, helped me relive my wonderful times in the City of Light.
My son took this terrific photo of the Eiffel Tower and I look at it often, remembering the good times we had, strolling along the Seine, shopping in the Marais district and having Brie and baguettes at the Cafe Napoleon.
I think I really do have "travel lust," because when I saw Owen Wilson strolling down the Champs-Elysees and drinking at charming little cafes, I was filled with longing. I confess, I watched the movie twice, drinking in the sights and sounds. Cafe Flore, the Deux Magots cafe, etc, were all there. My favorite haunts!
Sometimes a movie intrigues me because of its soundtrack. When I heard the theme music for the movie Arthur, written by Christopher Cross, I loved it. As a native New Yorker, I loved the line, "When you get caught between the moon and New York city..." I was hooked, I knew I had to see the movie with Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli.
What happens when you read the book and immediately see the movie? Is the movie a plus, or is it a disappointment? My experience has been overwhelmingly positive.
Our own Karen Rose Smith's A Very Country Christmas, was adapted from her Harlequin novel, His Country Cinderella on the UP Channel and it's excellent.
Suzi Weinert's Garage Sale Mysteries have been adapted for the screen by Hallmark, and true to the originals. A delightful series and you can see Murder in D Minor, next Sunday night, August 26 on the Hallmark Channel.
Books and movies--a wonderful addition to our lives! I admire all the talented writers who manage to delight and surprise us with their terrific creations.
Mary Kennedy
\
One of my all time favorite books/movies is Gone with the Wind. I love big sprawling books and movies and I think how amazing it would be to have Margaret Mitchell's talent. To create a wonderful romance with larger-than-life characters in one of the most turbulent times in our history.
For the same reason, I loved Giant, both the book and the movie. Loved Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson. The setting intrigued me, I'd never been to Texas back then and loved the bigger-than-life feel on every page of Edna Ferber's iconic book.
Sometimes I'm attracted to a movie because of nostalgia. I'd lived in Europe, fallen in love with Italy and was captivated by Fellini's La Dolce Vita.
The sights and sounds of Rome enchanted me. When I saw Anita Ekberg and Marcello Mastroianni's passionate scene in the Trevi Fountain it reminded me of my own (much tamer!) moment, throwing coins in the fountain. Throwing coins is supposed to guarantee you'll return to Rome, but somehow I never did.
A place can evoke such strong memories that you want to return, any way you can. The Woody Allen flick, Midnight in Paris, helped me relive my wonderful times in the City of Light.
My son took this terrific photo of the Eiffel Tower and I look at it often, remembering the good times we had, strolling along the Seine, shopping in the Marais district and having Brie and baguettes at the Cafe Napoleon.
I think I really do have "travel lust," because when I saw Owen Wilson strolling down the Champs-Elysees and drinking at charming little cafes, I was filled with longing. I confess, I watched the movie twice, drinking in the sights and sounds. Cafe Flore, the Deux Magots cafe, etc, were all there. My favorite haunts!
Sometimes a movie intrigues me because of its soundtrack. When I heard the theme music for the movie Arthur, written by Christopher Cross, I loved it. As a native New Yorker, I loved the line, "When you get caught between the moon and New York city..." I was hooked, I knew I had to see the movie with Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli.
What happens when you read the book and immediately see the movie? Is the movie a plus, or is it a disappointment? My experience has been overwhelmingly positive.
Our own Karen Rose Smith's A Very Country Christmas, was adapted from her Harlequin novel, His Country Cinderella on the UP Channel and it's excellent.
Suzi Weinert's Garage Sale Mysteries have been adapted for the screen by Hallmark, and true to the originals. A delightful series and you can see Murder in D Minor, next Sunday night, August 26 on the Hallmark Channel.
Books and movies--a wonderful addition to our lives! I admire all the talented writers who manage to delight and surprise us with their terrific creations.
Mary Kennedy
\
August 17, 2018
Just what I need -- NOT!
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
For several years now, I've been wanting something I have absolutely no use for.
A golf cart.
Yup, that's what I want. I have nowhere to store one. I have nowhere to drive one to, but I still want one.
Mind you, I have never driven one. I just think it would be cool to have one and drive it around. Before my parents passed, it would have been cool to have one because I could have driven it up the street to their house. I used to visit them at least once a day (often twice or more--very handy when I was missing an ingredient for a recipe), but ... now they're gone and the house belongs to someone else. (Which makes me want to cry every time I see it.)
I don't have any place to store a golf cart, either. Our garage barely fits our two cars as it is. In fact, I can't park Mr. L's car in the garage because of the way we have to maneuver them in so we can open the doors, and he can't park my car because of how close I have to get it to the wall. The original owner should have had a 2.5 car garage because ... STORAGE. My parents' garage was 2.5 and it would have been dandy to store a golf cart.
Whenever we head to our cottage, we pass a place where there is always at least one unsed golf cart for sale. The house has a BIG garage, and I figure the guy who owns it probably buys broken golf carts and then fixes them. There was a pretty blue one last month that I coveted, but somebody else bought it.
I don't play golf, but my sister-in-law does. She gets to drive a golf cart around all the time. She thinks nothing of it.
Do you have something totally unreasonable item on your wish list and of no practical use that you'd like to own?
For several years now, I've been wanting something I have absolutely no use for.A golf cart.
Yup, that's what I want. I have nowhere to store one. I have nowhere to drive one to, but I still want one.
Mind you, I have never driven one. I just think it would be cool to have one and drive it around. Before my parents passed, it would have been cool to have one because I could have driven it up the street to their house. I used to visit them at least once a day (often twice or more--very handy when I was missing an ingredient for a recipe), but ... now they're gone and the house belongs to someone else. (Which makes me want to cry every time I see it.)
I don't have any place to store a golf cart, either. Our garage barely fits our two cars as it is. In fact, I can't park Mr. L's car in the garage because of the way we have to maneuver them in so we can open the doors, and he can't park my car because of how close I have to get it to the wall. The original owner should have had a 2.5 car garage because ... STORAGE. My parents' garage was 2.5 and it would have been dandy to store a golf cart.
Whenever we head to our cottage, we pass a place where there is always at least one unsed golf cart for sale. The house has a BIG garage, and I figure the guy who owns it probably buys broken golf carts and then fixes them. There was a pretty blue one last month that I coveted, but somebody else bought it.
I don't play golf, but my sister-in-law does. She gets to drive a golf cart around all the time. She thinks nothing of it.
Do you have something totally unreasonable item on your wish list and of no practical use that you'd like to own?
August 16, 2018
Baked #Tomatoes Recipe from Karen Rose Smith's DEADLY DECOR
by Karen Rose Smith
This time of year we're harvesting tomatoes from our garden faster than we can eat them in salads. I freeze a batch every week too. But this is a casserole I created (recipe is in Caprice De Luca mystery #2, DEADLY DECOR) just for this time of year. If you like the taste of pizza and would appreciate a dish a little healthier without the bread, this one is for you!
Nikki's Baked Tomatoes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Prep time—15 to 20 minutes (This always depends on how much you enjoy the process of handling ingredients. Some cooks rush through prep, others put on music and enjoy chopping and measuring!)Bake time—60 minutesServes 6-8 as a side dish
Book 2 in Karen's Caprice De Luca
Home Staging Mysteries2-1/2 lbs tomatoes–washed, cored and sliced about 1/4" thick (I like to use large tomatoes)
1 medium onion thinly sliced 1/8" thick2 teaspoons oregano (You will use half and then the other half later.)1 clove garlic, grated
1 tablespoon sugar (You will use half and then the other half later.)1/2 teaspoon pepper (You will use half and then the other half later.)1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (You will use half and then the other half later.)1/4 teaspoon salt1 tablespoon Extra Virgin olive oil2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz. bag)1/3 cup Italian style bread crumbs (I use Progresso.)
Layer 1/2 of the sliced tomatoes in 8"x12" glass casserole. Spread 1/2 of onion over first half. Then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon oregano, all of the grated garlic, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Layer remainder of tomatoes and onion. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon of oregano. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Remove casserole from oven. Carefully spoon out excess liquid. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan, then mozzarella cheese and bread crumbs. Put the casserole back in oven at 350 degrees uncovered for 20 more minutes until bread crumbs are toasty brown.
After removing, allow the dish to sit for five minutes before serving.
This time of year we're harvesting tomatoes from our garden faster than we can eat them in salads. I freeze a batch every week too. But this is a casserole I created (recipe is in Caprice De Luca mystery #2, DEADLY DECOR) just for this time of year. If you like the taste of pizza and would appreciate a dish a little healthier without the bread, this one is for you!
Nikki's Baked Tomatoes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Prep time—15 to 20 minutes (This always depends on how much you enjoy the process of handling ingredients. Some cooks rush through prep, others put on music and enjoy chopping and measuring!)Bake time—60 minutesServes 6-8 as a side dish
Book 2 in Karen's Caprice De Luca Home Staging Mysteries2-1/2 lbs tomatoes–washed, cored and sliced about 1/4" thick (I like to use large tomatoes)
1 medium onion thinly sliced 1/8" thick2 teaspoons oregano (You will use half and then the other half later.)1 clove garlic, grated
1 tablespoon sugar (You will use half and then the other half later.)1/2 teaspoon pepper (You will use half and then the other half later.)1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (You will use half and then the other half later.)1/4 teaspoon salt1 tablespoon Extra Virgin olive oil2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz. bag)1/3 cup Italian style bread crumbs (I use Progresso.)
Layer 1/2 of the sliced tomatoes in 8"x12" glass casserole. Spread 1/2 of onion over first half. Then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon oregano, all of the grated garlic, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Layer remainder of tomatoes and onion. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon of oregano. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Remove casserole from oven. Carefully spoon out excess liquid. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan, then mozzarella cheese and bread crumbs. Put the casserole back in oven at 350 degrees uncovered for 20 more minutes until bread crumbs are toasty brown.
After removing, allow the dish to sit for five minutes before serving.
August 15, 2018
Clubs...in or out.
I’m thinking of joining an astronomy club and maybe a camera club at the Cincinnati Nature Center. Both I’m really interested in and know little about.When I was a kid I loved belonging to clubs. I was a Girl Scout, the most fun club of all times and I learned so many neat things in GS and not just how to sell cookies. They have these badge things you earn. I guess the GS still has badges and I learned a ton from the research.
It also made me try things I never would have tired before. I learned how to sew, start a fire, bake great brownies and hike…all that I still use today.Then there was the sorority in college. That was a club of like-minded women. The biggest thing I learned in the sorority was how to talk to anyone about anything. Nothing makes you tune up your social skills like being at a frat part with guys you never met before. I use the talk to anyone about anything skill a ton!!
And now that I’m older, it’s always good to get new interests going right? But then there’s the club thing to consider. Maybe I should just read a few books on the subjects and get the info there. But then I’ll miss out on the personal tips and enthusiasm of the group.
So the thing today is, do you belong to clubs? Have they taken you places you never knew before, made you try new things, make new friends?
August 13, 2018
The Joy of Doing Nothing
by Maggie SeftonYes, Readers and Cozy Chicks friends and fans----That's my message for today. We ALL need to relax more. Our lives are filled with so many things to do and take care of that we forget we need to treat ourselves well while we're running around taking care of all the items on our daily "To Do" lists, real or in our heads.
Those thoughts have come in loud and clear these last few days as I've relaxed down here near the Potomac River, an hour and half from the crush of the Northern VA/DC/ Suburban MD "Metro Madness." I didn't realize how much I needed to relax until I got here and just kicked back and relaxed. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.
Okay. . .I hope I'm not putting anyone to sleep, but those thoughts simply came in strongly so I figured I should share them on my post today. And. . .a fun photo. This cute puppy visited the Fort Collins knitting and yarn shop, Lambspun, one weekend in late July. If you're wondering what that strange looking item is that's sitting on the floor behind the doggie, that's one of the marvelous spinning wheels that spinners use nowadays.
I think I've mentioned before how much I enjoy sitting around Lambspun's large knitting table while the spinners are spinning busily. It is SO relaxing to simply sit and knit and listen to that quiet hum of the wheel. :)
How many of you have sat and knitted while spinners spin? Do any of you spin? If I don't reply right away, it's because the Cozy Chicks have had some trouble with the Google account that carries our blog. Keep your fingers crossed.
August 12, 2018
Britbox, British Mysteries and Tea!
By Mary Kennedy
I'm in love with Britbox!
What is Britbox? BritBox is a subscription video on-demand service owned by BBC Studios and ITV Pictures. It focuses primarily on British television series, featuring current and past series supplied from the BBC and ITV. I access it through Roku.
You can find all your fave series there, from Midsomer Murders to Agatha Christie to Agatha Raisin. By the way, if you love Ashley Jensen, who plays Agatha Raisin, you'll enjoy her in the series EXTRAS. She stars with Ricky Gervais in an entertaining look at the underbelly of show biz.
If you're a devoted mystery fan, you probably enjoy a good “cuppa” from time to time. And if you enjoy British cozies, the odds are spot on that you’ll recognize your favorite brew (everything from Ceylon to Darjeeling) in your reading and television viewing.I recently began watching a British mystery called Dazliel and Pascoe. When Detective Superintendent Andy Dazliel's car breaks down in the rain and he arrives (soaking wet) at a country house, he asks the lady of the manor for a cup of tea. (He also asks for a hot bath, and gets more than he asked for, but that's another story!)
The passion for tea and mysteries goes back to Agatha Christie. Remember how Hercule Poirot loved his “tisanes”? He would often try to unravel a crime while sipping from a steaming cup of herbal tea and urging Captain Hastings to “use his brain cells.” Dame Agatha loved her tea, and since she hailed from Devon, her characters have been known to indulge in a Devonshire Tea, complete with clotted cream. In the opening pages of Nemesis, Agatha sets the scene by picturing Miss Jane Marple drinking tea and reading the paper. In A Pocket Full of Rye, the author uses tea in the narrative. Rex Fortescue meets his end after drinking his morning tea. It’s not surprising that Ms. Christie would refer to tea again and again in her novels. She once admitted that she did her best thinking while “eating apples and drinking tea.”
Television detectives have continued the trend. In the Inspector Morse mysteries, Detective Inspector Robert Lewis says to his sergeant, “I need a drink.” Detective Sergeant James Hathaway reminds him, “You just had a cup of tea.” DI Lewis replies, “It was herbal.” DI Hathaway gets the message and says sympathetically, “Oh, you do need a drink!”. The next time you open a cozy mystery, be sure to pour yourself a nice cuppa to enjoy with it. And if you need some scones or pastries to go with it, be sure to check out our Tea Time with the Cozy Chicks. Happy tea time! Mary Kennedy
I'm in love with Britbox!
What is Britbox? BritBox is a subscription video on-demand service owned by BBC Studios and ITV Pictures. It focuses primarily on British television series, featuring current and past series supplied from the BBC and ITV. I access it through Roku.
You can find all your fave series there, from Midsomer Murders to Agatha Christie to Agatha Raisin. By the way, if you love Ashley Jensen, who plays Agatha Raisin, you'll enjoy her in the series EXTRAS. She stars with Ricky Gervais in an entertaining look at the underbelly of show biz.
If you're a devoted mystery fan, you probably enjoy a good “cuppa” from time to time. And if you enjoy British cozies, the odds are spot on that you’ll recognize your favorite brew (everything from Ceylon to Darjeeling) in your reading and television viewing.I recently began watching a British mystery called Dazliel and Pascoe. When Detective Superintendent Andy Dazliel's car breaks down in the rain and he arrives (soaking wet) at a country house, he asks the lady of the manor for a cup of tea. (He also asks for a hot bath, and gets more than he asked for, but that's another story!)
The passion for tea and mysteries goes back to Agatha Christie. Remember how Hercule Poirot loved his “tisanes”? He would often try to unravel a crime while sipping from a steaming cup of herbal tea and urging Captain Hastings to “use his brain cells.” Dame Agatha loved her tea, and since she hailed from Devon, her characters have been known to indulge in a Devonshire Tea, complete with clotted cream. In the opening pages of Nemesis, Agatha sets the scene by picturing Miss Jane Marple drinking tea and reading the paper. In A Pocket Full of Rye, the author uses tea in the narrative. Rex Fortescue meets his end after drinking his morning tea. It’s not surprising that Ms. Christie would refer to tea again and again in her novels. She once admitted that she did her best thinking while “eating apples and drinking tea.” Television detectives have continued the trend. In the Inspector Morse mysteries, Detective Inspector Robert Lewis says to his sergeant, “I need a drink.” Detective Sergeant James Hathaway reminds him, “You just had a cup of tea.” DI Lewis replies, “It was herbal.” DI Hathaway gets the message and says sympathetically, “Oh, you do need a drink!”. The next time you open a cozy mystery, be sure to pour yourself a nice cuppa to enjoy with it. And if you need some scones or pastries to go with it, be sure to check out our Tea Time with the Cozy Chicks. Happy tea time! Mary Kennedy 
August 11, 2018
Swans ... a collection
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
My family has had a cottage on the “real” Lotus Bay for over forty years. So I’m pretty familiar with the area, which is one reason why I’ve chosen to write about it.
Of course, my version is filled with fictional characters, and it’s not exactly in the same part of New York State as the real one is, and the names are all changed, but a lot is still the same. The seasons, the fishing, the lotuses, and the swans.
Swans are an important part of my Lotus Bay “universe.” Kathy Grant, one of my main characters, is opening a B&B called Swans Nest. (You can read all about it in the latest book, A REEL CATCH.)
But since I’ve been writing about Lotus Bay and the swans … I started collecting swans. Okay, I did have a few swan planters beforehand, but it didn’t become a collection (and you have to have three for a collection to start) until I started writing the series.I’ve got tall swans, and itty bitty swans. Many white ones, but in pink, green, and orange. (I know! What’s with that?) And recently I acquired a lotus and lily pad salt and pepper shaker set. I mean, how could I resist it?
I’ve also got swan coasters, swan prints on the wall, and a couple of swan decorative plates. They’re such beautiful birds—how can one NOT like (love) them?
Have you got any swans?
=========================================
Swans Nest Inn is about to open, and Kathy Grant solicits her BFF, Tori Cannon, to help spruce up her property at the marshy end of Lotus Bay, only they didn’t count on finding a body. Who was he? What’s his connection to their friend Paul Darcy? Meanwhile, two entrepreneurs with vast business ties are interested in helping Tori reopen the Lotus Lodge, and their real motives are as murky as the bay after a storm. Will Swans Nest open on time? Will the Lotus Lodge reopen at all?Trade Paperback: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million Book Depository (free shipping worldwide)
Kindle US | Kindle Worldwide | Nook | Kobo | iBooks
August 10, 2018
Birdbath Heaven
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
My mother had bird baths. So eventually, I got one too.
I admit it. I haven’t been a good bird bath owner … until this year. I read where birds have a hard time finding water all year long.
Really?
Okay, so I decided this year I would try to make a point of keeping the bird bath clean and full.
Holy cow—what had I been missing?
During the summer, I like to write in our screened-in porch. This year, I moved the bird bath from the outer yard to the area around our pool. Holy crap! Those birds are there all day long. Not only are they taking a drink (and I’ve seen sparrows, robins, crows, red-winged blackbirds, grackles, and others I don’t know of) and bathing. Holy cow, do they like to bathe!
The other day, there was a bath-a-thon. Five birds at a time were vying to clean their feathers (while others sat on the electric lines scraping their beaks clean). Suddenly there were twenty or more birds vying to take a bath. The overflow decided the pool might be a handy bath—but too many times Mr. L has had to fish out dead birds from the skimmers, so I ran out and made noise to let them know that the pool was a potential death trap. So when they all flew away, I noted the water in the bird bath was a disgusting brown. So I dumped it and started again. The first couple of birds decided the water was too cold and flew away, but an hour later, it was bird bath heaven once again.
I read where it’s really hard for birds to find water in the winter, so now it’s my job to figure out how to get water in the bird bath and not let it freeze. I know there are electric wires for horse troughs, so are there heaters for bird baths?
The birds have given me so much pleasure watching them do what we do—keep clean and drink. It’s such a small thing to help them to keep doing that.
Do you have a bird bath?
My mother had bird baths. So eventually, I got one too.I admit it. I haven’t been a good bird bath owner … until this year. I read where birds have a hard time finding water all year long.
Really?
Okay, so I decided this year I would try to make a point of keeping the bird bath clean and full.
Holy cow—what had I been missing?
During the summer, I like to write in our screened-in porch. This year, I moved the bird bath from the outer yard to the area around our pool. Holy crap! Those birds are there all day long. Not only are they taking a drink (and I’ve seen sparrows, robins, crows, red-winged blackbirds, grackles, and others I don’t know of) and bathing. Holy cow, do they like to bathe!
The other day, there was a bath-a-thon. Five birds at a time were vying to clean their feathers (while others sat on the electric lines scraping their beaks clean). Suddenly there were twenty or more birds vying to take a bath. The overflow decided the pool might be a handy bath—but too many times Mr. L has had to fish out dead birds from the skimmers, so I ran out and made noise to let them know that the pool was a potential death trap. So when they all flew away, I noted the water in the bird bath was a disgusting brown. So I dumped it and started again. The first couple of birds decided the water was too cold and flew away, but an hour later, it was bird bath heaven once again.I read where it’s really hard for birds to find water in the winter, so now it’s my job to figure out how to get water in the bird bath and not let it freeze. I know there are electric wires for horse troughs, so are there heaters for bird baths?
The birds have given me so much pleasure watching them do what we do—keep clean and drink. It’s such a small thing to help them to keep doing that.
Do you have a bird bath?
August 8, 2018
Meet Baler and Dottie...Our Pet Sitting Duo
by Karen Rose Smith
I really didn't intend to put pet sitting on my resume. My husband and I have five inside cats and two outside feral cats that we've tried to socialize over a period of three years. They require a lot of attention, especially the two kittens we adopted last summer who are now a year old and still can get into quite a bit of trouble without much effort.
I've had friends call me for cat advice. (That's how we ended up with two kittens last summer.) When my college roommate who lives about 45 minutes away adopted a kitten in her yard a few weeks ago, we went to visit. Her grandkids had found the kitten and named her Dottie. She has dots all over her tummy. Our friend has an older cat Baler who is about nine, also a rescue. Before a vet visit, Dottie was living on the screened in porch and Baler inside. However, my friends were going on a planned vacation. Baler and Dottie would be inside together. Fortunately, from the beginning they got along. Yes, Dottie annoyed Baler but, as a big brother should, he put up with her antics.
They weren't going to have anyone come in every day. With a six-week-old kitten, I couldn't stand the thought of her going without cuddling and playing. Kittens are a lot like kids. Early socialization matters. So we volunteered to help out. We found out when their relative was coming in to feed, and we traveled there the other days.
By staying a few hours each visit, both Baler and Dottie came to know us. By the third day, Dottie was cuddling with me. She napped on my neck and played beside me on the sofa. Baler jumped up on my husband's chair for some petting.
My friends are home now. I asked if Dottie and Baler were behaving. I heard back that Dottie is more cuddly since we were there. Animals, like humans, just want to be fed...and loved. One can lead to the other. And if they learn to accept affection, they will give it back. Right now one of our "kittens" is sitting on my desk while I write this, watching the kitten photos! Every once in a while, he puts his paw on my arm--his version of a hug. We'll probably nap together this afternoon.
We'll have to visit Baler and Dottie soon to see if they remember us!
I really didn't intend to put pet sitting on my resume. My husband and I have five inside cats and two outside feral cats that we've tried to socialize over a period of three years. They require a lot of attention, especially the two kittens we adopted last summer who are now a year old and still can get into quite a bit of trouble without much effort.
I've had friends call me for cat advice. (That's how we ended up with two kittens last summer.) When my college roommate who lives about 45 minutes away adopted a kitten in her yard a few weeks ago, we went to visit. Her grandkids had found the kitten and named her Dottie. She has dots all over her tummy. Our friend has an older cat Baler who is about nine, also a rescue. Before a vet visit, Dottie was living on the screened in porch and Baler inside. However, my friends were going on a planned vacation. Baler and Dottie would be inside together. Fortunately, from the beginning they got along. Yes, Dottie annoyed Baler but, as a big brother should, he put up with her antics.
They weren't going to have anyone come in every day. With a six-week-old kitten, I couldn't stand the thought of her going without cuddling and playing. Kittens are a lot like kids. Early socialization matters. So we volunteered to help out. We found out when their relative was coming in to feed, and we traveled there the other days.
By staying a few hours each visit, both Baler and Dottie came to know us. By the third day, Dottie was cuddling with me. She napped on my neck and played beside me on the sofa. Baler jumped up on my husband's chair for some petting.
My friends are home now. I asked if Dottie and Baler were behaving. I heard back that Dottie is more cuddly since we were there. Animals, like humans, just want to be fed...and loved. One can lead to the other. And if they learn to accept affection, they will give it back. Right now one of our "kittens" is sitting on my desk while I write this, watching the kitten photos! Every once in a while, he puts his paw on my arm--his version of a hug. We'll probably nap together this afternoon.
We'll have to visit Baler and Dottie soon to see if they remember us!
August 6, 2018
Escape to the River. . .Again!
by Maggie SeftonHi, there, Kelly Flynn Readers and Friends and Fans! I'm back in my old hometown area
of Northern Virginia enjoying Family time and visiting old Friends, too. Yesterday, Monday, I drove down from the Vienna/Fairfax area of Northern VA just an hour and half away to the "River Escape" property which is surrounded by woods and lots of trees and is just a block and a half from the Potomac River. Just down the street, literally. This is is a perfect place to relax after a really hectic June and July with a lot of traveling and a busy, busy conference in Denver with over 3000 fiction readers. As I've mentioned in previous posts, that was non-stop action. :) And, of course, NASA Astronaut daughter Serena's launch to the International Space Station in June.
But now----I get to relax. Just relax in this restful spot, probably sitting in a deck chair on a shady part of the wrap-around deck. Boy. . .do I need to relax, and I'm looking forward to it.
These past few days, I've been going around to bookstores in the Northern VA and Washington, D.C. Metro area taking postcards of the latest Kelly Flynn Mystery----DYEING UP LOOSE ENDS. As I've probably mentioned several times before this is the 16th Kelly Flynn Mystery. Hard to believe, isn't it? I'm hoping all of you will enjoy it.
Our Northern VA family gathered at daughter Christine's home on Saturday to have a special video call from daughter Serena on the Space Station. That was great fun. We got to see her two crew mates, Kasparov and Gerst, exercising and lifting weights. And Flexing muscles. :) I'm unable to post the video online, however. NASA rules.
So I will post some of the River house peaceful photos of the Potomac River and grandchildren searching the sand for shells. :)
