Category Archives: Writing
Ampyra the first week
Posted by doggonedmysteries
After two days, DH said he had a side effect, his nose was itchy. He said if that was all he got he could live with it. By day three, he seemed to walk more than he has of late. He’s spent more time outside with the dogs too. This is encouraging.
I just hope he doesn’t push himself too hard before he used to moving about more. We had a new futon mattress arrive this morning and he managed to get it upstairs and get the old one down before I woke. I’m not certain if it had anything to do with the Ampyra or merely his stubbornness in not asking for help.
Watching him walk around I see that he seems a bit steadier on his feet and doesn’t toddle about as slow as before. Again, I’m not certain if it’s the drug helping or not. I’ll withhold my judgment for a while.
Posted in MS related, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Ampyra, Ampyra approved, Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, New MS drug Ampyra, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Gavin and the dreaded E-collar
Posted by doggonedmysteries
You try sleeping in this thing!
I am listening to a dog whining and shaking an E-collar against the sides of his crate as I sit here writing. Yep, Gavin’s ear started to act up again. He’s not happy with me right now. I’m not happy with his ear. I thought we’d finally beaten it. We were in the process of weaning him off his prednisone. Guess we won’t do that right away.
At last, he has settled down to sleep. I hope he sleeps through the night. Tomorrow I’ll make another appointment with the vet and once again, he won’t get his shots because his ear is causing problems that will require more antibiotics. Sigh. I swear he knows when we’re going to take him for shots and he starts digging his ears so he won’t get them. He hates going to the vet. He’s the first dog we ever had that hated going there.
We did have a cat who hated it. My old Siamese played Jekyll and Hyde. She was the sweetest cat in the world until she was on that exam table. You’d swear the devil had taken possession of her as soon as the vet walked into the room.
Posted in Dog related, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pets, Writer, Writing
Relocating a snake, a color changing Koi, and a toad hideout
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Last night I removed a rather large garter snake from my garden and relocated him to a distant area of the cemetery. The snake might have been large enough to make a meal of my littlest Koi and I wasn’t taking any chances. The little Koi is growing rapidly and turning into quite a character. He (We’ll use he here because at this age who knows.) never misses a meal.
When I first got him he was tiny compared our other Koi. Since then his size has quadrupled. He’s not afraid of the much bigger Koi either. He’ll swim right over their heads to seize a prime piece of food. When I brought him home he was black and yellow and, much to my disappointment, he’s become more black and orange than yellow. However, his personality makes up for his change of color. He is a brazen little devil.
We hadn’t seen our toad since the night my neighbor’s son gave him to us and we set him free in the garden. Last night I found him quite by accident. I picked up the green recycling can to put it out and there he was not happy that I discovered his hiding place. I inverted a clay pot over him and propped one end up with a small clay saucer so he could get out if he wanted. DH said he was gone when he put the can back in the morning.
Posted in My blog, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Fish, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
The answers are in the wind
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It was on the tip of my tongue and then whoosh it was gone. It happens to me all the time. It’s not age related because I’ve always been that way. Sometimes it names—well, most of the time it is, other times it is movie titles, book titles, authors, song titles, you name it and I’ve probably stumbled over it.
Get me in a game of Trivia and I will lose. I know the answers but my brain seizes up and misplaces them. I sit there dumb as a post.
DH sometimes will ask me who movie stars are in a movie we’re watching and even though I know their names for the life of me, I can’t tell him. That is until hours later when the names flash into my brain. Of course, he’s probably in bed by then and the answer is useless.
I’ve been told it’s because my brain is so busy with other things that trivia tends to waft off to the ether. I like that explanation it’s much better than thinking my brainpan is fried.
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Summer is dashing by
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It’s August already. I’m wondering where the time went. Winters seem to drag but spring and summer dash past. I look at the calendar and realize that I haven’t accomplished half of what I wanted to by this time.
I didn’t paint the kitchen. I didn’t buy the shelves for the back porch and put them up. The pups still need vet appointments and shots—note to self: must do that this week. I didn’t put in the patio I so desperately wanted to do. G and I didn’t get much walking in either. I’ve missed too many critiquing sessions due to things on my end or the other people’s.
However, it is worth it to put some things on the back burner and do other stuff that brings a smile. I’ve played in the dirt and watched things grow. I had the shed painted. I’ve spent time with DH and that’s a precious commodity. I’ve played with the dogs—another joy for me. I’ve taken my dear friend G to lunch and she’s taken me. Which means it’s my turn to take her out again.
I’ve made new friends. I enjoyed another writers’ conference. DH and I have celebrated another anniversary. Yep, it’s worth it.
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Thank you Mom
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Yesterday would’ve been my mother’s 95th birthday if she were still with us. G, DH, and I had some cake in her honor. G and her husband always helped us celebrate Mom’s birthday when she visited in the summer. A few times, we got Mom with a surprise birthday cake either here or at my Aunt’s home. Other times we took her out to dinner for her birthday and yes, even then she got cake. Mom loved birthday cakes.
Mom also loved hummingbirds and always had feeders out for them. They would flock to her feeders. G made her a stained glass hummingbird one year. Mom treasured it.
Now as for me, I never can seem to get hummingbirds to come to my garden. As soon as I’d see one I’d put up a feeder and then they never came back. I gave up a few years ago and gave away my feeders. The other day when I brought home yet another hummingbird feeder DH asked me, why had I bought a hummingbird chaser? Yeah, he’s a real funny guy.
Yesterday Mom sent me a sign that she is watching over us. I sat outside and watched a female ruby throated hummingbird go from flower to flower in my garden. I whispered a quick thank you to my Mom
Posted in In memory of..., My blog, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Begging my muse for help
Posted by doggonedmysteries
My muse got to laughing at me today. I don’t get any respect around here. I sat down to do some writing and she wouldn’t help me out.
“Now where was I?” I asked her.
“You snooze you lose.”
“Oh, come on I’ve been busy.”
She giggled and stretched out on the couch moving Patty to the floor. “I’m on vacation.”
“No you’re not. I need you to inspire me I have to work on two books today.”
She sipped a drink with a little umbrella in it. “Not gonna happen.”
“Hey, where’d you get the drink? At least you could share the beverage if you won’t help me work.”
“You couldn’t handle this. It’s not for mortals.”
“Then inspire me. Please?”
“It was a dark and stormy night…” More giggles from her.
“You’re real funny.”
“No seriously. Imagine the storm, the thunder, the lightning, the deluge of rain.”
“Had that yesterday any more brilliant flashes of insight?”
“You’re always telling me that your settings suck. I just gave you one to work with there.”
“Okay, let’s see. The characters are in a small town, it’s March…Hey, I think I’ve got it!”
“Good. Now leave me alone.”
Posted in My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
It’s little old me the klutz again
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Only a true klutz can whack the same knee in the same place four times in less than an hour. Yep, me again. When I managed to do this, I was out in the melon patch picking cucumber bugs off the leaves and vines. I was stepping back behind my rather large gargoyle to reach them and then stepping back out to drop the bugs in a jar of soapy water. Each time I did it, I managed to hit my knee on the gargoyle.
This isn’t a knee height gargoyle like the one pictured with the watermelon, this one is almost as tall as I am. Don’t ask how I kept hitting my knee because I haven’t figured it out yet. I guess I should slow down or something when I’m chasing those bugs. I have managed to put a dent in their population along with the dent in my knee.
At least I didn’t sprain my ankles again. No, I look like I frequently did as a child. I have a skinned knee. I know when I go out to lunch with G later today she’ll have a good laugh.
Posted in Misc, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Klutz, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
The midnight gardener
Posted by doggonedmysteries
We’ve still no break in the heat and humidity here. The veggies don’t mind they are growing like crazy. Then again, so are the weeds. Since the veggie garden is in the area of the yard that gets the most sun and it gets it all day, it’s been impossible to spend much time out there weeding it without suffering from heat stroke.
Thus, I’ve become the midnight gardener and am out weeding by flashlight at the oddest hours. I’m also killing the cucumber bugs as I come across them. My neighbors think I’m strange. That’s okay though because I’m one-step ahead of the bugs and the weeds doing it this way.
Do you know how you tell someone is an avid gardener? They will pull weeds out of yours as they converse with you. I had a young woman stop by the fence and admire the garden today. She was talking to me about perennials and I went to the gate to unlock it and invite her in. I offered her a few of my more prolific perennials that have taken over some areas of the flower gardens. While we talking and I was digging them out for her, she began to pull a few weeds. It reminded me of G and me when we are checking out each other’s gardens. We do the same thing. Spotting real gardener is easy.
Posted in hobbies, My blog, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Horror writers scare the crap out of me
Posted by doggonedmysteries
One would think that since I write murder mysteries, horror wouldn’t bother me. One would be very wrong. I’ve only read a couple Stephen King books (and had to turn all the lights on in the house), I have one old autographed Jack Ketchum (Dallas, you are a dear but your writing terrifies me), and now I own several autographed Jonathan Maberry books.
The minds of horror writers scare the living crap out of me. I can describe a gory murder scene and stalk or be stalked by a killer through page after page. However, things that go bump in the night, complete psychos, zombies, and werewolves intent on brutal, mindless massacre make my skin crawl.
Yet, I am reading Jonathan Maberry’s books because he so graciously autographed all of them for me when I won his basket. (Thanks Jonathan, did I mention that live next to a cemetery?)
The cemetery doesn’t normally bother me since those neighbors are very quiet. We only worry about the live ones…or so I thought. Then I read Jonathan’s books and he completely creeped me out more than once. It may take a while before I’m comfortable again.
Posted in Misc, My blog, My books, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Is our pond garden now Toad Hill?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
We’ve added a toad to our outdoor menagerie. The neighbor’s son presented him to us yesterday. He feels bad that our frogs are gone and thought he had one for us. I had to explain the difference between frogs and toads to him. However, I am delighted to have a voracious bug eater around again.
It won’t take him long to grow larger. With the frogs gone we do have more bugs about. Mr. Toadamus should eat well if he sticks around.
Several years ago, I brought home two that DH caught. They didn’t stick around I no sooner let them go than they packed up and headed north whistling as they went on their way. I guess they considered the frogs too much competition at the time.
I’m still hoping that the neighbor’s son will come across some native frogs and bring them home to us. They’d stay much smaller than the bullfrogs and might not go walk about as the bullfrogs did when the large bugs got scarce and the birds refused to land here after they saw others become bullfrog meals.
The little native frogs will also chow down on mosquitoes, which the bullfrogs considered too small to bother eating.
Posted in My blog, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
Dogs and cameras
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Did you ever sit there and think; “Now there are several minutes of my life that I won’t get back” I did tonight. I wanted to put up a new picture of Patty but she wasn’t cooperating. One of her best tricks is ‘stick ‘em up’ I wanted a shot of that. Twenty minutes later and I still didn’t have a picture.
Did you know that it is impossible to take a picture and work a dog at the same time? You also need to be quick on the button to catch the dog doing the trick. I wasn’t. Butt shots as she walked out of the picture didn’t work.
Tomorrow, I’ll ask DH to have her do the trick while I attempt to snap a good picture. I’m certain Patty will do better when she has her Daddy asking her to do her trick. She’ll do anything for him.
The next problem will be to keep Gavin from trying to hog the shutter time. He likes the camera. He never enjoyed the show ring but he certainly enjoys getting his picture taken. I can’t pick it up without having him try to get my attention. “Look at me, I’ll give my paw.”
Posted in Dog related, hobbies, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, digital photography, digital photos, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, photo ops missed, photograhy, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
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