Penny Watson's Blog, page 2

Hard to Kill: NO, not James Bond, Tough Indoor Plants!

You'd think since I have degrees in plant taxonomy, horticultural science, biology, and floral design, that I would have an extremely green thumb with my indoor plant collection.

You'd be wrong.

I'm embarrassed to admit that my indoor plants have a greater than 50% chance of death. 

I like to call my plant collection "Darwinian" in nature. No prissy, high maintenance plants survive here. They need to be tough and able to thrive in less than perfect conditions (erratic watering schedule,...

Happy New Year 2020!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I have some plans for this blog in 2020. I will be adding more frequent posts about a variety of topics, including wellness/health, simple living, gardening life, book reviews, film reviews, travel photos, etc.
Coming up soon...a review for STAR WARS: The Rise of Skywalker.
Yes, I saw it.
You all know I'm an obsessive sci-fi girl who watched my first Star Wars movie in 1977.
So, the question is...what did I think about the final installment of this series?
Stay tuned to find out...

...

Celebrate the Holiday Season with the Penny Watson Collection!

Time to Celebrate!

It's that time again! Holidays, birthdays, adoption days, a fun escape for yourself. If you're looking for a unique gift for friends and family, check out the Penny Watson Collection. 

Excerpt from LITTLE SHADOW MAN

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Summer Wrap-Up

Freshly-picked berries from my garden.
I had plans for this summer. Big plans.

My daughter was going away for six weeks (art camp), and I was going to finish my novel.

Suuuuuuuuuuure.

So, that didn't happen.

Things did not go exactly as planned.

After dealing with concerns about my mother's health this past year, my family decided to move her into an assisted living home in Providence. She had spent her entire life in Pittsburgh, PA, so this was a monumental project. 

Moving my mom was at times...

"SCARE ME IN THE SUMMER" Reviews from Watsonville

Who likes to be scared over the summer?

Also, fall? And winter...

ALL THE TIME!

*raises hand*

I have three reviews coming up today. One is for a fabulous Gothic story by Laura K. Curtis (coming in October, just in time for Halloween). One is for the third season of Stranger Things. And one is for the Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House.

A DARKER SHADE
STRANGER THINGS SEASON 3
THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE
Two of these things were super scary. 

One was not. 

Let me know if you agree!



1. A DA...

A Different Way of Looking at Creativity

I've noticed that as the trend in publishing leans more and more towards speed, productivity, marketing, sales, bestseller lists, and social media followers, authors seem to be more anxious.

Less satisfied with their writing careers.

Constantly comparing themselves to others and finding a perceived failure.

Unhappy.

Is there an alternative? Sure. Here's another way to approach writing, or really any creative project. A more mindful way that may offer less stress for those folks who are struggling...

Making Botanical Dyes

I finally got to a project I've been wanting to try for about fifteen years!

I created home-made botanical dyes for my Easter eggs.

I used a cold dye process (hard boil eggs first, make dyes and cool them, then add eggs to dye jars with a bit of vinegar, soak for an hour).


Hard boil 3 dozen eggs
Assemble materials, including white vinegar, frozen blueberries, paprika, turmeric, grape juice, cabbage, beets, parsley, onions...and I added spinach and coffee at the last minute.

Start cooking! Throw ch...

POEM: It's good till it's not

It's good till it's not


Take your coat off

Stay a while

The sofa's new, orange twill with flecks of green

Settle on the cushion,

Still plump and firm and willing to

Prop you up

Stay a while

Coffee's brewing

Bubblin' in the percolator

TV's black and white

You get so comfy

Up and down

For a snack

A drink

A potty break

A phone call

A neighbor looking for sugar

A neighbor looking for Sugar, Sugar

A tiny dent appears in the sofa

Just the size of your derriere

Sitting there

Still plump and firm and willing to

Prop you up...

Jumping From Hearts to Horror

After many years of writing romance, I am now in the midst of creating a horror novella.

Is this a weird switch?

It might seem that way. Jumping from hearts and happy-ever-afters to horrifying creatures, death, and destruction, might make some folks scratch their heads and say, "What the hell?"

But for me, it's not that odd. I have always enjoyed a weird--dare I say quirky--bunch of interests. 

Botany, horror movies, puppies, science, art, comedy, nature, sci-fi, and the list goes on. Some o...