Category Archives: My blog
The pen is mightier than Dear Hubby’s daily complaints
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Dear Hubby’s temper finally hit the boiling point last week and although he created quite a bit of commotion, he didn’t get a response from the rehab’s management. He came home fuming. After listening to him rant for hours, I decided to put my computer research and writing skills to work.
It didn’t take me long to find the corporate headquarters E-mail address. I Then wrote the CEO a caustic letter about the lack of proper care DH’s mother has received at their local facility. I listed every single problem from her cold meals to her not getting her medication for over a month and a half. The list was long and I incorporated the words negligent and incompetent into my letter.
I didn’t get a reply.
However, the day after I wrote that letter, management and staff members here have been bending over backwards to keep DH from complaining about his mother’s care. I’m guessing a ton of sh** rolled downhill and more than one person was presented with the gift of a freshly reamed A$$.
Posted in My blog
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
Patty’s trip to the vet–always an adventure
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Unlike Gavin, Patty seems to enjoy going to the vet’s office. Granted, there was a minute or two where she shook a tiny bit, but I think that business started when we once brought her along with the great and cowering Gavin. We won’t do that again. This time she was only there for her rabies shot and check up. She was a very good girl and ended her visit with a demonstration of her favorite ‘stick ‘em up’ trick, lots of treats, tail wags, and plenty of pets. She knows how to get treats out them even after her vet tells her she needs to cut down on her snacks.
In the waiting room, she was a little ready to scuffle with two of the dogs she saw, but I kept her under strict control. She hasn’t been good with other dogs since the year a neighbor’s pit-bull came through our fence and tried to chew her up. Patty never quite got over that incident and became dog aggressive after that with all dogs except Gavin. We’ve been working on having her ignore other dogs and she’s getting the idea. However, I wouldn’t trust her without supervision.
That dog was the reason we tore down the old fencing and hedges and installed the new fencing. The owners were too lazy to keep the dog under control and in their own yard. I blame them for the entire problem, not the dog.
Posted in Dog related, My blog
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
Rain, rain, and more rain
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I hope tonight’s rain is the end of it for a while. The gardens and yard are well watered. The magnolia blossoms have covered the ground in pink and white, and the poor pups are dying to get out into the yard and stretch their legs. With all this rain neither one stays outside for long.
The advantage of all this rain is my grass is quite green and thick. The gardens are blooming like crazy. My bleeding hearts are already over two feet tall and covered with flowers. The daffodils and the tulips are almost finished, a shame because they were gorgeous this year. I wish they bloomed longer.
My blueberry bushes are budding. The tulip poplar and the sweet gum are beginning to show their leaves. The sweet almond is almost fully leaved and blooming, while the miniature lilacs are ready to send forth fragrant blooms. The large lilac bush will also be in bloom in the next few days. I’ll have to send some clippings with Dear Hubby when he sees his mom.
Soon I’ll be harvesting some of the rhubarb. I can’t wait to make rhubarb custard pie, one of DH’s favorites.
Posted in Dog related, My blog, my garden
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, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Eight ball, side pocket
Posted by doggonedmysteries
8 things I’m looking forward to:
1. Pennwriters Conference, seeing all my friends there.
2. Finish writing my books.
3. Selling my books.
4. MIL’s release from the rehab.
5. Going to my cousin’s wedding
6. More lovely days like today
7. Meeting Lisa Scottoline at PW
8. A quiet evening
8 things I did yesterday:
1. Worked on my books
2. Visited my friend’s shop.
3. Played with my dogs and my friend’s bulldogs
4. Wrote my blog post
5. Cleaned the bathroom—had to do something constructive didn’t I?
6. Sorted laundry—no I didn’t do it yet, it was too nice to be inside today running two flights of stairs to do laundry
7. Drank a gallon of coffee
8. Had DH order pizza for dinner
8 things I wish I could do:
1. Visit my cousin in NM
2. Go to the Mad Anthony conference
3. Have someone do all the work on my house that needs to be done
4. Build a deck and a pergola
5. Move out this house
6. Move out of this city
7. Kick a certain someone’s a$$
8. Talk to my Uncle
8 shows I watch:
1. Castle—rapidly becoming a favorite
2. All the CSI’s
3. The Mentalist
4. NCIS
5. Bones
6. House
7. Medium
8. Two and a half Men
8 people I tag:
Any eight people who wish to be tagged
Posted in My blog
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
Damn, we should be able to delete and rewrite
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Have you ever wished that life had a delete button? Imagine if you could delete embarrassing incidents or nasty people from your life at the touch of a button. Maybe even have a chance to do a rewrite.
Were you the one who drank too much, danced on the tables in bar, and had a friend post it on You Tube? Uh oh, delete, delete, delete. Did your Aunt Betsy regale everyone with every little detail of her recent surgery during your wedding reception? DELETE!
How about when Nurse Nocompassionatall treated you like a side of beef with cooties? I bet you want to rewrite that scene now that you’re no longer drugged to the gills and have had time to think of what you should have said to the nasty b@$*!
Come on, don’t be shy, tell us what happened in your life that you’d change. Or, better yet, hit that delete key and give us a rewrite!
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
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
I saw the half-moon rise
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I saw the half-moon rise. It was large, orange, and shrouded in a light mist. It climbed higher and grew brighter as the night passed. Stars joined it in its slow dance across the sky and they drew me outside to enter the celebration.
I dance and sing. The grass beneath my feet, still wet from the day’s rain, so soft and cool. The air, warm and fragrant with magnolia blossoms caressed me.
A night bird’s call echoes across the field. Spring has tiptoed in.
Posted in My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
What do you do when your train of thought jumps the tracks?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
This happens to me all the time. I’ll be writing away at break-neck speed and Dear Hubby will decide that it’s time to start a conversation with me. Screech! Crash! Bang! My train derails.
I sigh, lift my hands from the keyboard, turn, and I look at him over the top of my glasses, “What?”
He knows he’s derailed me. He has the grace to look sheepish and then mumbles something about the TV program he’s watching.
I do try to hold my temper in check. “Sweetie, do I look as though I am watching TV? I have no idea what you are talking about, I was writing.”
At this point, he either restates what he’s said to me or says he’s sorry for interrupting.
Now comes the part about what do you do? I can sometimes read back over what I was writing and get right back on track. However, if I find I’ve completely lost my momentum, I have to take a break. This is the best time to grab another cup of coffee, take the dogs out, or move to my chair and have a gabfest with DH.
Posted in My blog, My books, Writer, Writing
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
How do I get one of those?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I’m the one gal in my family who was born without the shopping gene. Yes sir, this gal doesn’t like to shop. Dear Hubby is more willing to go shopping than I am. (Talk about your role reversals.) The man has ten times as many shoes than I do. His clothes take up at least three times as much room as mine. He has dragged me out shopping for clothes because my jeans were getting too ratty for his taste. Hey, faded, ratty jeans are soft and comfortable jeans. Some people would even say they were stylish except that mine were indigo in color and had no holes or wear marks when I bought them.
Have you seen the commercials on TV where someone is shopping for a computer and when they find the one they want (for under a thousand bucks) the ‘sponsor’ pays for it? Hell, I’ll shop my little buns off; for as they long as they want me to, if they buy me one, and I HATE TO SHOP. However, I sure as heck could use a nice new lap top so I can drag my manuscripts along with me wherever I go and work on them anywhere.
See me? I’m jumping up and down, waving my arms…Yoohoo! Look at me I’ll shop. I will, I’ll do it! Aw, come on. I’m offering to do the one thing I hate most.
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, gifts, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, shopping, Writer, Writing
Why I shouldn’t watch HGTV
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Sometimes late at night, after Dear Hubby has gone to bed, I feed my addiction. I watch HGTV. I watch the design shows, the home renovation shows, and even the house hunting shows. I do this while I’m writing too. It has come in handy for some scenery. However, it makes me want to do things around here like paint every room, dry wall the kitchen and the last bedroom that needs it, and put in new flooring in the living room.
Like anything other than painting the living room and kitchen is going to happen any time soon. I’ll do that once I can open the windows. Oh, how I’d love to have one of those productions show up on my door step and tell me they were going to do all the work that needs to be done. Yes, I have wild dreams.
I dream of an organized, easy to clean home. I dream of inviting people in without adding the words “don’t mind the mess.” I dream of furniture that doesn’t look as though it’s gone through a war. Yes! Yes! Then I wake up.
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, TV Shows, Writer, Writing
Who the @#$*turned off the heat?!
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It’s darned cold outside again. Who the @#$* turned off the heat? Sure as shooting my poor magnolia tree’s blossoms will turn brown from frost tonight with the mercury dropping to twenty eight degrees. I’m glad I didn’t pack my warm jacket away.
Even the dogs are disgusted with the chill in the air. They preferred to do their romping indoors today. My couch looks as though a tornado hit it and I can’t tell you how many times I picked pillows up from the floor. Everything on the top shelf of my curio cabinet walked to one side. They both banged off the kitchen cabinet doors so much today I thought the doors would fall off. They run into the kitchen, slide, and use the cabinets to stop and turn. Yes, my house was pure bedlam today.
They dragged Dear hubby into the frenzy and I don’t know who was worse the dogs or him. My sanity walked a thin line as I tried to write and either a dog or a big ball thrown by DH bounced off my chair every few minutes. At least they all had fun. I want the warm weather back so the dogs and DH can blow off steam away from my desk.
Posted in Dog related, Misc, My blog
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, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Writer set your goals…uh, sure
Posted by doggonedmysteries
As a writer, I should set a daily goal and strive to reach it. I try. I honestly do try, but it seems that when I do someone moves the goal line.
My goal for this blog is to write 200 words a day. My daily writing goal on my books is 1000 words. So far, I’m hitting the goal on the blog and falling short on the books. I hope to change that.
I discovered that I was unhappy writing my book in two point of views and I am going back to the original format of writing it in a single POV. This past week I’ve been doing a lot of cutting and pasting. I hope that by the end of this week I’ll be rolling along on a much improved manuscript.
The dual point of view was not working at all. I also think that by going back to a single one I’ll be able to drop clues and red herrings easier. I believe my remaining characters will be more fully developed and become more interesting.
My critiquing group is probably going to kill me when I hand them the new manuscript at the end of the month.
Posted in My blog, My books, Writer, Writing
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
A tangle of topics
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I finally got outside with the camera today and took some shots of the gardens and pond. I posted 3 of the best ones on our garden and pond page.
The pups and I enjoyed the gorgeous, warm day we had today. They played circus dogs and jumped through the Hula-hoop until I ran out of cookies to give them. Then they ran about until they were near collapse. I did some more cleaning out of the gardens, once again over filled, and emptied the wheel barrow four times.
Yesterday, Dear Hubby’s best friend cleaned out all the gutters on my MIL’s house while DH played gofer on the ground. This was a job that hadn’t been done in years and it took most of the day. The high winds didn’t help much. Yes, it’s a real friend, who will climb on a roof for you when the wind is gusting at 48 mph and all you can do is stand on the ground and watch. DH is fortunate to have such a good friend.
My cousin, Carol has posted a new painting on her site, Carol’s Art Blog. I am so impressed with her work. The gal has talent.
Posted in Dog related, Misc, My blog, my garden
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, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
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