Blog Archives
Where have our little birds gone?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
G and I were talking the other day and during the conversation, I mentioned that I hadn’t had any birds at my suet feeders in a while. She remarked that they haven’t had to put out fresh suet for quite a while either.
In fact, the only birds I’ve seen lately are crows, grackles, and the occasional mourning dove. Where are my woodpeckers, juncos, titmice, cardinals, and sparrows? It dawned on us that we haven’t heard any birdsongs for a month.
We’ve never had such a bird empty winter before. I do hope spring brings them back and they aren’t gone due to some devastation. I miss my happy little birds.
Tags: Author, Bird, Bird feeder, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Post A Day, Snow, Writer, Writing
What are your comfort foods?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Everyone has their favorite comfort foods and when it’s cold outside we crave them. Who doesn’t like a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup? Then there the hearty meals DH loves like a pot roast, mashed potatoes, carrots, and lots of gravy. I go for old family favorites like scalloped potatoes and ham or a nourishing home made soup.
We both love breakfasts for dinner like sausage and pancakes or French toast. We don’t eat them often but often enough to make us happy.
Even the pups have their own form of comfort foods. They love having left over egg-foo-young gravy and rice on their kibble. They know that when we have Chinese food delivered they will get some so they get all excited when it arrives.
How about you, what are your comfort foods?
Posted in Food
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Food, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Post A Day, Writer, Writing
Snow, snow everywhere
Posted by doggonedmysteries
This is some winter. Forty-nine of the fifty states have snow right now. I wonder how often that has happened.
It’s snowing. It’s snowing a lot. I have to say, that not having to shovel it makes it look prettier than usual. The dogs didn’t want to go out. I had to boot them out the door for their last trip outside tonight. Gavin went a bit more willingly than Patty did. However, neither one stayed out any longer than was necessary. I don’t blame them. I didn’t want to be out there either. A hot cup of coffee tasted good after that.
It looks as though G and I won’t be going over to the MIL’s house tomorrow. We will wait until the roads are clear again. Cleaning out the house isn’t worth risking our necks over. There’s always next week.
I hope we don’t have too many more snowstorms. I need my hose to thaw out so I can add water to the pond. Spring can’t get here too soon to suit me.
Y’all stay warm and have a good day.
Posted in Weather related
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, Post A Day, Snow, Writer, Writing
My muse hates puns but I love them
Posted by doggonedmysteries
My muse and I had an argument today.
“Shouldn’t you add some scenery here?” She asked.
“Will it move the plot forward? No. Dialogue will.”
“But I love scenery.”
“I’m not dropping in a paragraph of description just to have my readers skim over it.”
“I wouldn’t skip it,” she replied.
“Then you are a rare reader indeed.”
She preened and smiled at the comment. “Yes, I am unique.”
“That reminds me of a bad pun.” I know she hates puns so I was ready.
“No, don’t tell me.”
“How do you catch a unique rabbit?”
“I don’t want to know.”
“Unique up on it.” I said and giggled.
She groaned, “Keep that up and I’m leaving.”
I went back to typing dialogue. “Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.”
She didn’t leave. Instead, she read over my shoulder. “Hey, that dialogue isn’t bad.”
“Told you.”
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Post A Day, Writer, Writing
Life in the slow lane
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Winter makes us all move at a snail’s pace but for DH it’s his MS that does it. Over the last several years, I’ve watched him slow down more and more. He’s old before his time. We try to keep a sense of humor about it but I can see how devastating the change is on him.
We do joke about how the dogs take advantage of him. They often devil him knowing that they are faster than he is and can stay J U S T out of his reach. They enjoy playing moving roadblocks with him too. It’s not one of his favorite doggy games. If they could figure out how to hide his canes, they’d do that too for devilment. BTs are loads of humor and mischief rolled into pig headed, muscle bound packages.
We didn’t get to go fishing last season because his mother required a constant watch. Maybe this coming season we will go again. I think it will do him good. There’s nothing as relaxing as sitting alongside a riverbank and occasionally catching something. We find a spot and stick to it. There’s no racing up and down the river for us.
For now, we’ll keep taking life slow and easy as it comes and step aside for the speed demons. There’s less traffic in our lane.
Posted in MS related
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, Post A Day, Writer, Writing
You’re not from around here are you?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I can’t believe that after all these years of living here people still ask me that question. Of course, it is often asked after I’ve been visiting my NY relatives. I tend to pick up that northwestern NY accent in a hurry.
Likewise, don’t get me started on what happens if I travel south. I can drawl with the best of them. Most likely because, we lived in the south where, as a toddler, I did learn to talk. (Oops, maybe I should say tawk.)
I love experts who claim they can tell where you’re from after talking to you for a bit. I confuse the hell out of them.
I hope y’all have a nice day.
Posted in Misc
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, Post A Day, Writer, Writing
Snow, dogs, and a touch of insanity
Posted by doggonedmysteries
We had less snow than the weather reporter said we’d get. I woke to the sound of shoveling and then Gavin barking at AJ who had just finished clearing our driveway. He wanted her to pay attention to him. It’s nice not to have to worry about clearing the MIL’s walks and ours.
The pups don’t mind snow if it isn’t deep and they don’t have to be outside long. The sissies. They do tend to raise hell after they’ve been outside, chasing each other around the house. Watching them is like watching the balls bounce around in the lottery drawings. With one exception, the lottery balls don’t move the furniture and bounce off cupboard doors.
During their wrestling matches and mad dashes, I pray the furniture survives. We can’t help but giggle at them when Patty gets the upper hand, grabs Gavin’s collar, and drags him around. It’s a hoot.
Twice today, DH had to remove Gavin’s collar and readjust it to the right size. Patty can sure be a pistol when she wants to be one.
Posted in Dog related, Weather related
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, Pet humor, Post A Day, Rescue Dogs, Snow, Writer, Writing
Frozen for 20+ years things, look scary.
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I’m not getting any younger and I should know better than to work my buns off for five hours without a break. My back is so sore today I can hardly move. My legs and arms aren’t in the greatest of shape now either.
We worked upstairs for three hours sorting through two rooms; we barely put a dent in the stuff there. Then we started on the downstairs freezer so we could turn it off along with the other major appliances.
Most of the pain stems from cleaning years of frozen food out of a chest freezer the size of Alaska. Hell, you can hide a dozen bodies in the darned thing. G and I couldn’t believe the dates (Some items dated back to 1986.) on the packages of WTF are they that we pulled out from the bottom. (We thought we’d never reach it.) “Hold my feet G; I’m going for the stuff on the bottom!”
I don’t think my MIL cleaned out her freezer…ever. The most heartbreaking thing we pulled out of there were a dozen filet mignons of undeterminable age. Crikeys! We both groaned as we bagged them for garbage collection. Steaks, we were throwing away steaks!
It took two hours to clear the freezer of primordial remnants of food. We had two refrigerators their freezers and one small freezer upstairs to go. Thank goodness, they didn’t have a ton of food in them. We’d almost hit the limit of ten garbage bags as it was. The tiny chest freezer upstairs had fresh food in it that I told G to take. I know her sons’ families can use the extra in these hard times.
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, Post A Day, Writer, Writing
Look what we found…
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Since the MIL is never going to go back home from the nursing home, we have to clean out the house. While cleaning some things out of the MIL’s house today G and I came across these items. There are two of those lamps. I tried to find out what the items were worth online but had no luck at all. I guess this means a trip to an antique shop now and hope the owner is honest.
I plan to keep one of the beaded bags. I have no use for three of them since I seldom have a need to dress up.
One thing we found in abundance everywhere we looked was pennies. The in-laws were penny hoarders of the first rank. OMG I never saw so many. They are going to love me at the sorting machine, LOL!
The MIL was a QVC jewelry nut. I have no idea what I’m going to do with all the rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. I do know that I will get some use out of the several fancy watches she had that she never wore once. They still had the protective plastic on the faces and backs and holding the stem out.
We only cleared one dresser, two closet bottoms, two freezers, and two refrigerators today and we were both beat when we left.
Tags: antiques, Author, Beads, 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, Post A Day, Vintage, Writer, Writing
What I’m reading now
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I recently bought a two-volume book for my Kindle and in doing so discovered a new author I like. He is J. R. Rain and the books are Moon Dance and Vampire Moon. He’s cleverly mixed the vampire craze with a PI mystery. Check him out at http://www.jrrain.com/
I’m also re-reading a few classics. I just finished the Iliad and I’m currently reading the Odyssey. I’ll be downloading more classics in the near future.
Tags: Amazon Kindle, 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, Post A Day, Writer, Writing
What makes me smile?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
To hear DH laugh or see him smile brings one to my face and heart. Gavin and Patty playing or squabbling will make me grin. There’s talking to my Aunties and cousins, always a way to put a smile on my face.
Writing makes me smile. Reading a well-turned phrase makes me smile, and then causes me to gnash my teeth, jealous I didn’t write it. Hearing Lenny deliver a great line in Law and Order reruns—Geez, I miss that man’s talented deadpan delivery, may he rest in peace.
More things that make me smile are having a dear friend drop by to visit over coffee. All the fabulous friends I’ve made online.
My yearly writer’s conference—great friends, good food, good wine, a little bit of me time, and wonderful conversations.
Halloween.
Comments on my posts.
What makes you smile?
Posted in Misc
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, Post A Day, Writer, Writing
Some who write say:
Posted by doggonedmysteries
“Sit your butt in your chair and write.”
Oh, if only it were that easy.
DH and the dogs vie for my attention especially at mealtime. Four in the afternoon Gavin starts to bug me. He pokes me with his nose, he stares at me, and he bows and barks. Patty dances and sings back up.
“It’s not time yet.”
“What’s for dinner?” DH asks.
“It’s not time yet. Can’t you see I’m trying to work?”
“Oh, I thought it was later.”
“That’s why you have a watch and half a dozen clocks around the house. So that you know what time it is.”
“I figured the dogs knew.”
“The dogs can’t tell time.” I reread what I wrote while he was talking. Hmm, not bad…and then my character can—
“Well, can you tell me what we’re having anyway?”
Typing frantically before I lose my train of thought I snap, “Food, you’ll like it.” I look up and brakes squeal—the train crashes.
I sit back, look heavenward, and the house adds its two cents by waving cobwebs at me from odd places.
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, Post A Day, Writer, Writing
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