Category Archives: Holidays
What foods do you crave when the seasons change?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I find my cravings change with the seasons. Right now, in the fall, I begin to crave vegetable laden soups and stews, crisp tart apples and apple cider, herb teas, pecan and pumpkin pies, and acorn squash. Dear Hubby wants slow cooked beef and pork roasts with mashed potatoes and carrots or corn. He wants apple crisp, bread pudding, and rice pudding with raisins all still warm from the oven.
My father would make a wonderful turkey soup after Thanksgiving. He’d boil down the turkey carcass, put in everything but the kitchen sink, and never wrote the darned thing down, he died in 1995. I’d almost perfected his recipe after years of trial and error when DH decided he no longer liked turkey. That was the end of that. Now I make chicken soup with a PA Dutch flair.
DH’s mother used to make one thing very well. She made an applesauce cake to die for however, she no longer bakes. No matter how often DH asks for it I won’t make her cake. Why? Because no matter how good it is, it can never compare to the memory of his mother’s.
It is fall, and I still crave Dad’s soup. DH still craves his mother’s applesauce cake. What foods do you crave when the seasons change?
Posted in Food, Holidays, Misc, My blog
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Fall, Family, Fiction, Food, Holidays, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
16 lbs of candy and a ton of smiles
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It was interesting to see which costumes were popular among the Trick or Treaters this year. We had a great many firemen and a few other super heroes among the boys. There were more pirate wenches than there were pirates. The girls that visited brought more variety, dressing as vampires, witches, fairies, fairy princesses, princesses, and the pirate wenches I mentioned before.
We seldom had a lull. At times, the line of T or T’ers stretched for a block. At other times, they came from two directions. All of the children were polite and said thank you. Wow, was that delightful.
We played music and had plenty of flashing lights, which contributed to several impromptu dance parties in the street. (It’s a good thing we’re on a side street and not a main street.) I even handed candy out to some people who drove by and commented on our display. All the smiles, children’s and adults’ that we saw Friday night were priceless.
Posted in Food, Holidays, My blog
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Food, fun, Halloween, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Trick or Treat, Writer, Writing
This is why I enjoy Trick or Treat night
Posted by doggonedmysteries
These pictures are only a few of the people who came by. We had so many Trick or Treaters that we finally gave up on taking pictures. We went through 16 lbs of candy this year. We all had a blast.
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Candy, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Food, fun, Halloween, Holidays, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Trick or Treat, Writer, Writing
Trick or Treat night is almost here
Posted by doggonedmysteries

I need to buy more candy this week I don’t have near enough for the hordes. Thursday I’ll make a big pan of lasagna (in my brand new pan gifted to me by a very dear friend.) Then on Friday night, all I’ll have to do is heat it up after the children have finished. It saves me time.
I supply the garlic bread. G is bringing over a pumpkin swirl cheesecake that is to die for and I have a weakness for cheesecakes. The pumpkin swirl is one of her best. I know this because whenever she makes a cheesecake she brings me samples.
While the lasagna is cooking Thursday night, I might carve a pumpkin or two if I can the size I like. I haven’t seen many good ones yet. Most of them are too short, too small, or too thin. Yes, I’m picky.
Friday G and I will spend the day decorating the porch—a haunted house theme this year. We’ll get our exercise going up two flights of stairs to the attic to haul all the decorations down. It’s going to take several trips.
Posted in Holidays
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Candy, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Food, fun, Halloween, Holidays, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Trick or Treat, Writer, Writing
Things have a habit of disappearing
Posted by doggonedmysteries

Now that the temperature is on the rise, I’m more in the mood to start putting up my porch decorations. I will only put up black garland with orange lights and a few other strings of Halloween inspired lights. The major portion of decorations won’t go up until the day of the 30th, which, for our town, is Trick, or Treat night this year. They come down as soon as the pumpkin strikes eight. They then become the party décor in the house for the rest of the night.
If I lived in an area, where ripping people off wasn’t a blood sport, I would lavishly decorate on October the 1st. However, I don’t. Things have a habit of disappearing and not in a ghostly way. Only the cheap stuff goes out before Trick or Treat night.
Posted in Holidays
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Halloween, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Where’s Waldo Owl?
Posted by doggonedmysteries

There's Waldo!
Back in my post ’43 Days to Halloween,’ I wrote about the rubber owl I’d bought. I named him Waldo. Waldo has become a fixture in the house and an unending source of amusement. Dear Hubby and I keep moving him. I don’t think Waldo will be consigned to a box in the attic after Halloween. We’re having too much fun.
It’s amazing how many places we’ve found to put him. We’ve become quite creative. It took DH a while to find him when I stuck him in the glass fronted (stereo rack system) cabinet. (We keep our DVD player in there now.) For the many days, that Waldo stared out at DH from there, DH didn’t find him. G did—yes, she’s also enjoying the game. It took DH a week to locate Waldo.
Now I have to move him again—I’m thinking that inside the fridge might be fun. I haven’t put Waldo in there yet. Of course, that’s only if DH doesn’t move Waldo first.
Posted in Holidays, Uncategorized, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
More Halloween 2009
Posted by doggonedmysteries
A Spirit Halloween store is only two doors down from Borders, and irresistible. Again today, I wandered into the world of Halloween props, costumes, and fun after meeting with my critiquing group at Borders. The clerks in SH now recognize and greet me by name—yes, I’ve been in there a few times since they opened.
It’s not because I spend large amounts of money in the store (because I don’t) that I made an impression with the clerks, it’s because I joke around with them. How can I not? They are an enjoyable group of people. Today we talked about how to decorate a haunted house, what props I have, what ones would work best, and how they’ve decorated their own homes over the years.
Most of us are in the same coffin, a lowly zombie’s budget with a regal vampire’s taste. It’s a good thing we are imaginative and inventive and have a few good props among the cheap ones. The least expensive but most labor intensive are the carved pumpkins.
However, with my tiny porch I’m running out of room for them. And did I mention the pumpkins were labor intensive? To carve them the way G and I do it takes hours and several glasses of wine…
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, fun, Halloween, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Trick or Treat, Writer, Writing
Let the Halloween preparations begin…
Posted by doggonedmysteries
“Only you would have a bag full of bloodshot eyeballs and a bubbling, misting cauldron on your kitchen table,” G said as she sat down with her coffee and moved the bag out of her way.
“It’s only twenty three days until Halloween. Here, check out this bag of spider rings Elena sent me.” I handed her said bag to see.
“Cool. What are you going to do with them?”
“Use them for any kids with allergies instead of giving them candy.”
“I want one for my youngest grandson. He’ll love it.”
“You got it. I’ll set a couple aside for him. Now, we need to start figuring out the porch decorations.”
G picked up a pen and began to write on the tablet in front of her. “Haunted house, right?”
“Yep. I need to dig out those old sheets we used to cover the tables we had the props on last year. We can hang them from the porch ceiling and drape down over the windows.” I scratched my head. “Maybe that’ll work. I’ll see what the Halloween store has to offer on Thursday since I’ll be up near there.”
“How many pumpkins will we need?”
“Um, the question is, how many will we be able to carve? My hands about fell off last year.”
“How about we do just one a piece for a change?” G put two pumpkins on the list.
“Works for me. I have a whole bottle of fog juice for the fog machine so we won’t need to get any this year.”
“Did you find your Halloween CD? Remember, last year you had to tear the house apart last minute to find it.”
“It’s on my desk.”
Posted in Holidays
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Halloween, Holidays, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Trick or Treat, Writer, Writing
Scurvy dogs and bilge rats
Posted by doggonedmysteries
ARRR it’s International Talk Like A Pirate Day. I hopes that ye’ve had fun today. Swash me buckle but I sure will. I’m out of the galley and on deck ready for some silliness.
“Ahoy, you scurvy dogs what say we go clear the decks of bilge rats?” I asked when I took the dogs for their 2 a.m. last out. The dogs had no idea what I meant they were just glad I was walking them out to the poop deck. I can imagine what Dear Hubby will say when I greet him today with a few arrrs and shiver me timbers.
Have fun me hearties!
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, fun, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, silliness, Talk Like Pirate Day, Writer, Writing
43 days to Halloween
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I’ve already started to haul a few props down from the attic. I bought a big rubber owl today. I needed something to replace my old screeching ravens that fell apart last year. Dear Hubby and I are going to drive each other silly with the owl. We keep moving it around on each other. You never know where the he is going be next.
I’m still on the hunt for a new costume. The one I want I tried to order for two frustrating hours online but for some reason it wouldn’t go into my shopping cart. I’m calling them when I get up and I’ll order it over the phone. After way too many years of wearing and revamping my old costume, I think I’m due for a change. I love to dress up to hand out the candy. Heck, the kids around here expect it now.
You know you’ve lived in the same old house for too long when people come up to you saying that they love your house, they remember Trick-or-Treating here as kids and now they are bringing their grandkids to you door. EEKS!
Posted in Holidays
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Halloween, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, spooky stuff, Trick or Treat, Writer, Writing
My fantasy vacations. What are yours?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
My dream vacation would be a trip to Ireland, England, and Wales. Dear Hubby can’t travel, there’s no way with his MS that he’d be able to sit through such a long plane flight. Therefore, it’s a fantasy but sometimes dreams can come true.
Another fantasy I have is going to the writers’ conference in Maui. I drool over the conference information each year. The only way I’d ever make it there is as a guest speaker with all expenses paid—yeah, like that’s going to happen. Dream on!
At one time, I fantasized about a trip to Japan but the older I get the more I dislike crowds and it is definitely crowded there.
The best I can hope for is a fishing trip to a nearby river or lake. I can live with that. I’d enjoy the serenity of sitting on a river bank or a lake dock with a fishing pole and a notebook. In fact, most summers I do just that. However, these last two summers I somehow haven’t found the time to go. When spring rolls around again the first thing I’m going to do is get a fishing license.
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Ahoy me mateys!
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Put on yer eye patches and polish up old Polly, Saturday is International Talk Like a Pirate Day! ARRR! Elena reminded me of it so now I have the date circled on my calendar.
Last year I drove Dear Hubby bonkers talking like a pirate and I didn’t tell him he had Elena to blame, nor will I tell him she reminded me again this year. From the time I woke up until I went to bed it was shiver me timbers, arrr, and ahoy maties. I’m sure I Arrred and yelled, “Hoist that mainsail” too many times. That could be why he went to bed early…
If you want to drive your loved ones or work mates crazy for a day, talking like a pirate works wonders. I even talked that way at the grocery store. You should have seen the looks it got me. It was silly, it was fun, and I had many giggles all day. It certainly was a lift to the spirits. So go out and have fun Saturday and don’t forget to ARRR and shiver me timbers a few times.
(Oh, boy I can picture you all now…Man the bilge pumps, the sh*t’s gonna to get deep.)
Posted in Holidays
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing



















