Category Archives: Misc
The house of cleaning horrors
Posted by doggonedmysteries
This old house seems to breed dust. I could vacuum, mop, and dust every day and I don’t think it would make much of a difference. I kid you not. I dust off the coffee table, and I swear, ten minutes later, you can write your name in it again. Vacuum the rug and a split second later you can see the dog hair rise out of the pile like Neptune from the sea.
Dust bunnies procreate faster than real ones. Then they mushroom from teensy baby dust bunnies to killer rogues in no time. I have to beat them into submission. I saw the dogs running from one the other day.
The ceiling fans grow a coat of fur more rapidly than a shaved poodle. It’s downright scary. I’m also constantly cleaning cobwebs from the ceiling and corners and yet they stay one jump ahead of me.
Muddy paw prints on the kitchen floor are nothing compared to the tracked in salt at the front door. Cleaning up that mess takes more elbow grease than what would fill a deep fry vat at Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Posted in Misc, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Update on the snow removal and ServiceMagic
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I was quite surprised, since today was Sunday, that we received a call from one of the places that ServiceMagic had given us. The woman even drove past my MIL’s house and gave us an estimate for the work there. Then she came by our house to do an estimate for our sidewalk.
Both estimates were very reasonable. We hired her. Now we don’t have to worry about traveling across town to clear off the mother in law’s walks every time it snows. This company will do it. Our snow angel can take a well deserved rest too. What a load off our minds.
I know I’ll go to ServiceMagic again in the future for other things we might need to have done. They prescreen all the pros they send to you. They list people who do everything from remodeling homes to house cleaning.
I will have to tell my neighbor’s son about ServiceMagic, maybe he can list his business with them.
Posted in Misc, MS related, Weather related, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Healthcare, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Snow, Writer, Writing
I sent myself a PajamaGram
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It began with an idea for a character in one of the books I’m working on—her pajamas. She’s supposed to have a pair of PJs with bulldogs on them. My character secretly collects all things with bulldogs. (Not unlike the way that I collect bull terriers.) She owns a bulldog. Yes, this book has a bulldog and not a bull terrier. It’s not from the Doggoned series and one of these days, I’ll reveal more about this book, but not yet.
Anyway, back to the research…I went surfing for a pair of bulldog PJs. What I found I wasn’t happy with so I kept hunting through sites that sold PJs. I hadn’t intended to buy anything. Truly dear readers, I did not intend to buy anything. I was looking for my character’s PJs. I wanted to be able to describe them in detail.
Then I hit the PajamaGram site. I told you I collect bull terrier stuff, right? Over the years, a friend has presented me with New Yorker magazine covers that have that white dog, the one that sorta kinda looks like a BT, on it. (I need to get those framed one of these days.) Well there they were, New Yorker dog PJs. I squealed with delight. DH got curious and came to see what I had me so tickled.
I pointed to the screen where I’d enlarged the fabric pattern. By this time, I was wiping drool off my chin.
He laughed when he saw the dog he knows so well from our collection.
“I have to have them,” I said.
“Yes, you do.”
I looked at the price and started to waffle. “I do need some new Jammies. The PW conference is coming up…my old ones are looking ratty. But—“
“Buy them. They’re cute.”
The cheapskate in me reared its ugly head. “They cost way more than I’d normally pay for any.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, just order them.”
“They can be your Valentine’s gift to me.”
DH rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry about it. Buy them.”
Posted in Dog related, Misc, My books, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, gifts, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Hot flashes are a handy thing to have…sometimes
Posted by doggonedmysteries
DH keeps the thermostat set at a not so green temperature because he gets cold so easily. This old house of ours does have some drafts that at times that will drive you under an afghan or have you calling the dogs to sit with you.
Hot flashes or what I like to call ‘my inner child who plays with matches’ do come in handy at times. Of course, she doesn’t play with matches on command, which would make her an even handier thing to have. There has been a time or two where I’ve wished for a hot flash this winter.
Last night I wished for one. For some reason I couldn’t get warm. I was so chilly that I called Gavin up onto the chair with me and covered us up with a throw. Gavin loves snuggling under covers so he didn’t mind.
Then there have been times where I’ve suffered from too much inner heat. Like when I’m trying to sleep, on a very hot summer day, or while I’m standing in line at a store. Those are times where having a hot flash is most uncomfortable.
Posted in Misc
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Finally decided on a paint color for the kitchen…
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I’ve wanted to paint the kitchen forever. I’ve waffled over this repeatedly. One after another, paint sample cards have hung on the wall above the cabinets where I can see them from my desk. Some were too dark, others too light, then one day a few months ago, G gave me a couple of cards she’d brought home for her own use and had used to choose her colors.
I narrowed my choices down to two colors. Behr paint’s Delicious Melon and Luminary both extremely close but it was the darker of the two that seems to work best. Luminary was my choice. It draws on the floor tile color, it’s light enough to be cheerful, and it has a nice warmth to it.
This will be my spring project. Once I can open the windows I’ll go buy the paint. Painting anything in this house takes on a comedic shape. Two Bull Terriers, a ladder, drop cloth, paint rollers, and fresh paint are disasters waiting to happen. It’s good thing the wall color will be similar to the floor.
That sounds weird, similar to the floor. I’m telling you it will look nice. The cabinets are a medium stain on birch and the counter top is forest green. The floor is a pale peach tone with small accent tiles of green. The back splash is white. The paint will make the cabinets pop and it will brighten an ugly paneled kitchen. When I do it this spring, I’ll post before and after pictures.
We are not responsible for the paneling it was here when we moved in. I’d tear it down but then that would mean hiring someone in to put up dry wall and take down the nasty drop ceiling. We can’t afford that.
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pets, Writer, Writing
A gift in the mail brightens the day
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I received a most delightful treat in the mail today. There was a small package wedged in mail box. It bore a Royal mail UK stamp. My dear friends in Cardiff, GrannyAnne and her daughter Jennie, had decided I needed a bit of cheering up. I have to say it worked well ladies and thank you very much.
I do love the Fred Basset book even though he’s not a BT. The British idioms are different enough from the American to make it a true delight. The huge bar of chocolate will add a few pounds but oh, what a grand way to add them. I’ll think of you two when I’m walking those extra laps around the park to get rid of them. 😉
A few days ago, I also received a gift in the mail from Elena. Thank you, Elena. It was a CD of piano works from a remarkable young man. He donates the money from their sale to the National MS society, Race for the Cure, Baltimore Reads, The Maryland Food Bank, The Matthew Foster Foundation, and Tsunami Relief. You can find him at www.PianoSquall.com.
Tags: Across the pond, Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, friends, friendships, Hands across the sea, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, UK friends, Writer, Writing
Dreaming of spring on a cold night
Posted by doggonedmysteries
We had some sunshine today and the temperature inched above 40 degrees. Gavin and Patty made full use of the yard, dashing about and pretending it was warm.
2 a.m., I took the dogs for their last out of the night. It’s getting danged cold out there. I’m tired of the cold, of being stuck in the house, gray and dreary days. I don’t want to wear a heavy coat, a hat, and gloves. The dogs are tired of it too. Both were quick going about their business.
I want warm nights where I can sit out by the pond listening to the crickets and frogs sing in chorus. I dream of digging in the gardens, the scent of flowers, and the sound of song birds.
I can tell the dogs want spring too. I can see the dreams of dozing in a patch of sun warmed grass in their eyes.
I heard a tiny snatch of a songbird’s song this morning. Tulips and daffodils are pushing through the mulch. Can spring be far behind?
Posted in Dog related, Misc, Weather related, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pond, Ponds, Spring, Writer, Writing
Gone fishing
Posted by doggonedmysteries
The second week of fishing season there will be a sign on our front door, ‘Gone Fishing’ and at least once a week thereafter through to late fall. We never go the first week of the season because all the danged amateurs who think they know how to fish are out there crowding the river banks. It takes most of them about a week to decide that they’d rather do something else. We didn’t get out at all last year and we both missed it.
Fishing amateurs are easy to recognize. They arrive with brand new tackle more suited to lake or deep sea fishing than trout streams. They spend more time untangling their line than they do wetting it in the river. An amateur will place him/herself directly across the river from anyone else that is fishing and throw his or her line atop the other person’s line—definitely bad form.
The amateur will trash the river bank. We clean up after ourselves and pick up any other trash we find. Our parks department supplies plenty of trash barrels but the amateur, the slob fisherman, and lazybones visitors to our lovely parks don’t bother to use them. Most of the fish we catch, we release.
DH and I always have at least two cheap rods and reel set ups in our vehicles that we will often gift to some child who is interested in fishing but doesn’t have the proper tackle.
Two years ago, a couple had their nine year old grandson out near our favorite fishing hole. Someone at a store (that will remain nameless) sold them a lake pole, a horrible reel, plastic worms, and fish hooks only suitable for deep sea fishing. None of them knew what they were doing and they were all getting frustrated, so while DH kept them busy, I slipped off to my car and pulled out one of our give-away set ups. DH and I patiently showed the boy how to tie on a leader, put a proper hook on, and bait it. We took turns teaching him how to cast his line. Fifteen minutes later the delighted boy pulled a decent sized trout out of the stream with his new fishing pole. Hours and many fish later, the grandparents and the boy were ready to leave. The boy brought the ‘borrowed’ fishing pole over to us—my favorite part is when we tell kids they can keep the rod and reel. Their faces are priceless.
Posted in hobbies, Misc, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Fish, fishing, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Garbled messages
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Our answering machine is doing its level best to die. It’s not as though it gets a lot of use, but today it proved it is on the way out. When a person’s voice sounds worse than Donald Duck’s it’s time to get a new answering machine. A doctor’s secretary left a message and I think I understood one word in four. It’s a good thing DH heard the message earlier and had already called them back.
We use the standard message that comes with the machine. There have been times where I was tempted to put some not so very nice messages on there. ‘If you’re trying to sell me something I don’t want or need, hang up.’ ‘If you’ve at one time or another screwed us over, kiss my a$$.’ ‘If you are a credit card company trying to get us to try your card at a new low rate, up yours, we don’t want it.’ Those are the more tame ones I would’ve recorded.
What is the out-going message on your machine? Is it the machine standard one or have you recorded a ‘special’ message?
Posted in Misc
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
Something I miss having around
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I grew up with a piano in the house. We took lessons but none of us was what you’d call a musical prodigy. I remember all the piano teachers both the good ones and the bad. Scales? Yes, I can still play them. One of the teachers had insisted on hours of practicing scales.
However, there was one person in our house who could play beautifully, if you could catch her at it. That person was my grandmother. You truly had to sneak up on her to hear her play the piano because she’d never play when she thought anyone was home. That woman could play like a dream. I remember many a time hiding on the stairs, practically holding my breath to make sure she didn’t know I was there, and listening to her play.
I miss having a piano and maybe one day I’ll buy one. There’s always some old piano for sale in the newspaper at a cheap price. I already know where I’d put a small one. All my old sheet music and lesson books are stashed in a bookcase.
Posted in hobbies, Misc, 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, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Special announcement
Posted by doggonedmysteries
My cousin Carol, up in Boston, now has some of her art work hanging in the Dewey Library. I’m so proud of her!
Posted in Misc
Tags: Art, Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Painting, Writer, Writing
Does anyone make a coffee maker that won’t pee on my counter?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I love coffee. I love drip coffee makers. However, I have yet to find one that lasts longer than two years. I take care of them. I keep them clean. I follow all instructions. Nevertheless, before I know it, they become senile and start peeing on the counter.
In 37 years, I’ve gone through a multitude of coffee makers. One decided I worked it too hard and in protest shot its on/off switch across the kitchen, nearly hitting G in the head, and then ceased working. That one was the only one that didn’t hang around long enough to pee on the counter.
I have owned every name brand coffee maker out there and not one of them has remained housebroken. I’ve had cheap coffee makers; middle range priced ones, and a couple of expensive ones.
I’m tired of wiping up puddles on my kitchen counter. It’s worse than having an 8 week old puppy. At least as they get older they learn not to wet the floor.
Do coffeemakers mark their territory? Do they perhaps have weak bladders?
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, Food, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
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