Blog Archives
It’s almost time for the Pennwriters conference
Posted by doggonedmysteries
The May 14th-16th date is fast approaching. Now I’m beginning to think about what clothes I will wear. I go through this every year. I spend most of my time in jeans, t-shirts and flip-flops. This isn’t what you wear when you’re trying to make a good impression on an editor or when you’re networking with other writers.
I’ve been digging around in my closets hoping I can find appropriate clothing. We’ll be at a resort hotel with fancy restaurants. My dog tattered t-shirts and raggedy jeans won’t work. I’ll have to wear shoes too and dang it I hate shoes.
I also need to brush up on my French for Marie and Pierre. We met at the conference two years ago and became fast friends. I can understand more than I can speak it and I think it would be nice if I practiced a bit.
Unfortunately, I’ve had to bag a few activities to keep my costs down this year. Even sharing a room, as I do each year, the hotel is more expensive. I had to cut expenses somewhere and it came down to the banquet, luncheon, and the costume party, which, all together, was the cost of one night at the hotel.
Posted in My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: agents, Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, editors, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, networking, Novel writing, Pennwriters, Writer, Writers conference, Writing
Summer siestas here we come
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I am so pleased with Overstock.com. This was the first time I’ve ordered anything from them. I ordered a new rope hammock from them on the 10th and it arrived on the 14th. Wow, that was fast since I only got the E-mail saying they shipped it the night of the 13th.
For several years I’ve had this lovely, heavy-duty stand sitting in pieces because I hadn’t replaced my old hammock that, due to circumstances beyond my control, got wrecked by a couple of visitors.
I sure did miss that hammock. There’s nothing like relaxing in one on a hot summer’s evening or snoozing in the shade of the magnolia in the afternoon after working in the yard. A hammock beats the heck out of any lawn chair by far.
This one is wide enough that DH and I can easily snuggle on it and watch the stars. I can’t wait for the summer meteor showers now. They call it ‘The Presidential’ size. It’s so wide that if I’m in the center and stretch out my arms I don’t touch either side.
My only problem will be trying to figure out where to store it when it’s not hanging on the stand.
Posted in Misc, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, online shopping, Writer, Writing
A weakness for plants
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Saturday I received one of my favorite spring treats—the flyer from a local farm and greenhouse operation. ‘They offer thousands of healthy bedding plants, annuals, and perennials. Vegetables including over 75 tomato varieties and 68 pepper varieties and large selection of herbs and scented geraniums. They have blueberry and raspberry bushes along with 52 hosta cultivars and 48 different hemerocallis.’ In other words, they are a gardener’s paradise.
G and I will pay a call there after the Pennwriters conference next month. By then, we can safely plant tomatoes, peppers, watermelons, and the many other floras we’ll buy that day. We will load the rear of her hubby’s SUV to overflowing.
Last year I spent more than she did. We’ll see who gets off cheapest this year and I’m betting it won’t be me. I have a weakness for plants, an addiction if you will and not unlike my addiction for books.
I’ve perused their lists and marked what I want. This year the gardens will have, vegetable plants intermixed with flowers. The tomatoes I tried that way last year grew well. I’d sure like a nice variety of vegetables this year.
Posted in hobbies, Misc, My blog, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Can two objects occupy the same space?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Today Gavin proved that the answer to that question is no. How did he prove it? Well, that’s the story for tonight.
I had Gavin out in the yard. He was behaving, sniffing around looking for a place to mark, when the kids across the street began doing a mad dash up and down the sidewalk. Gavin got excited and began to bark at them. Me, being the idiot I am, decided it was time to leash him and take him inside before he became too wound up.
He was standing still at the front fence barking at the kids. I reached for his collar to snap on the leash so I could drag him away from the fence. At that moment he decided to dart to his left. Where was I standing? I was at his left.
Now if you’ve never met a Bull Terrier in person you have no concept of what their heads are like. Think cinder block and you’ll have a decent idea.
Think fast, if I was at his left, and he dashed to his left, can two objects occupy the same space at the same time? The previously mentioned objects being Gavin’s cinder block head and my freaking knee, I say NAY. I also said ouch, and many other words in a sailor’s vernacular that tinged the air around me a lovely, bright shade of blue.
Yeah, go ahead and call me a klutz. You can even call Gavin an idiot for not looking where he was going. Now, if you all will excuse me, I need to pack my knee in ice again.
Posted in Dog related, Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, can two objects occupy the same space?, 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, relative theories and all that stuff, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
How to bathe the dog
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Gorgeous weather today made the pups miserable. Actually it wasn’t the day itself it was what I did to them. Smelly Gavin and stinky Patty got baths. I am on their LIST. After they had their baths and were dry, their majesties did their utmost best to let me know that I’d gone to the top of their LIST. I rose higher on the LIST than squirrels, annoying kids, strange dogs who pee on their fence, and a late dinner.
I did not apologize to them. They reeked and were in dire need of baths. You’d think they’d want to be nice and clean sweet-smelling dogs. Nope, they’d rather smell horrible. It’s a dog thing.
How to bathe Patty: A) Keep her from hiding in either crate by closing the doors. B) Drag her upstairs to the bathroom. C) Lift her 65 lb limp, dead weight into the tub. D) Begin the torture of bathing. E) Spread a towel on the floor, drop a cookie, and back up. F) Dry her. G) Release her from the bathroom to have her karoom down the steps and around the downstairs. H) Crate her with a cookie reward until she’s dry.
How to bathe Gavin: A) Show him a cookie. B) Tell him “Let’s go bed bouncing.” C) Follow him upstairs. D) Throw the cookie into the tub and watch him hop into it. E) Close shower doors so he doesn’t jump back out. F) Begin his torture—you mean get me wet all over? G) Hose him down, get soaked when he shakes. H) Soap him, get soaked when shakes. I) Rinse him, get soaked when he shakes. J) Step back, get soaked when he shakes. K) Dry him, get soaked when shakes. L) Release him from the bathroom. M) Crate him with a cookie. N) Go dry all the walls and the floor of the bathroom. O) Change into dry clothes.
Posted in Dog related, My blog, Weather related, 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, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
MIL is home again
Posted by doggonedmysteries
DH reported that he left a very happy mother in her home today. Her dog went berserk when he saw her come in the door. Happy, happy, joy, joy! Little old Lance was about doing doggie cartwheels he was so ecstatic that his Mom was home. MIL was thrilled to have her digs back.
I sent over some homemade frozen meals for her. All she needs to do is pop them in the microwave. Her freezer is loaded, and her fridge is resupplied with all fresh stuff. Her prescriptions are filled. She’s set for a while.
Now we hope we can get back into a normal routine again. She will have a visiting nurse come in occasionally and someone from some agency is stopping in tomorrow to see how she’s settling at home. DH will go over in the mornings and evenings to check on her.
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: 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, Writer, Writing
Ark too Brutus?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Gavin and Patty requested the use of a raft to go out today. It might have worked except they have no thumbs and can’t hold paddles. We’ve had so much rain that I heard the stock prices on gopher wood jumped through the roof. I’ve seen pairs of animals strolling past all day. Ba dum dum.
The neighbor’s bulldogs Diamond and Brutus ordered snorkel gear although Brutus really wanted a boat. Cleo, the standard poodle across the street, rented herself out as a squirrel canoe. The two toy dogs next door stepped off their porch and almost drowned so Gavin lent them the raft.
The Koi are touring the neighborhood and the bullfrogs are using in the magnolia tree as a diving board. The daffodils want water wings. Did I mention that we’ve had a lot of rain?
Posted in Dog related, Misc, my garden, Weather related, 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, Fish, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Koi, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pond, Ponds, Writer, Writing
Is she crazy?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
My mother in law is 83. She lives with her Border terrier in a nice home. This woman pays all her bills and even pays her cable and fuel oil ahead for the year. When she needs something done around the house that DH or I can’t do she hires someone to do it. She takes care of her dog.
Now, because she fell, banged her head, and had the good sense to call 911 she’s in a rehab hospital. They have dosed her daily with laxatives and now claim she can’t hold her bowels. (Could you if someone gave you Colace every day?) She fell because she had an infection, which is now under control.
She wants to go home. She’s told them numerous times that she wants to go home. Personally, I think she’d be better off in an assisted living place but that’s not my call.
She’s not highly educated; she quit school in the eighth grade. Nor is she the brightest light in the harbor, but she does do well in her own home. Over the years, I have come to realize that she’s mildly agoraphobic. Being in a hospital situation frightens her. She’s easily intimidated.
Today they told DH she could go home on Saturday. A few hours later, they decided that they should have a psychologist check her to see if she’s competent. My problem with this is that most questions they will ask her are not relevant to her.
She doesn’t read books and she stopped her paper when the delivery guy started leaving her paper where she couldn’t get to it even after numerous complaints. She knows what year it is; she’s a bit fuzzy on the day, but heck, so am I most of the time. When you don’t work at a job outside the home, the ‘day’ isn’t that important. She watches the six o’clock news and her soap operas and is content.
She wants to go home where she’s comfortable. She wants to be with her dog. She wants to sleep in her own bed. Is she crazy?
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, crazy, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Elder Care, Family, Fiction, Healthcare, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
Two dogs on a rainy day
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Gavin rings the sleigh bells on the back porch door. “Wanna go out, NOW.”
“Hold on let me get a jacket.” I snag one off the hooks by the door. The bells are still ringing. “I’m right here. Stop with the bells already.”
We get outside and it’s raining.
Gavin runs for the door. “Wanna go in, NOW.”
We go in. Gavin doesn’t tell Patty it is raining. Patty wants out. I take her.
A raindrop hits her on the head she tucks her tail and reverses gears. “In. I wanna go in. Oh, please let’s go in.”
We go in.
Both dogs dance around in front of the cupboard. “Cookies! Don’t forget the cookies!” Gavin yells.
Patty sits and throws her front paws high in the air. “Stick ‘em up, I’m doing stick ‘em up! Give me a cookie.”
I give them their cookies, settle down in front of the computer and begin writing.
Five minutes later Gavin is ringing the bells to go out. “I’m bored. Wanna go out, NOW.”
Patty runs to join him. “If he’s going, I am too.”
“It’s still raining.” I tell them as I grab my jacket. Reread.
Posted in Dog related, My blog, Weather related, 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, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Unpredictable March nights
Posted by doggonedmysteries
My poor magnolia tree had some frost damage to its almost open buds. I think some over the pond got hit the worst. We might have some bloomage but nothing near what it would’ve been had the temperature stayed above freezing. The last two years the tree escaped the frost so I guess it was about due to happen again.
DH was surprised that it was cold enough to need a jacket when he went over to the hospital to see his mother in the morning. I told him to be ready for a repeat of it today since as I write this at 2 a.m. the temperature has already dropped to 33 degrees.
However, by Thursday it is supposed to be in the seventies again. I’m glad because I do have some new flowers that need planting. I also need to bring my black elephant ears up from the basement to get them acclimated and ready to plant too. They will stay on the back porch until mid April.
I just took the pups for their last out of the night and it is chilly. I needed my jacket.
Posted in Misc, My blog, my garden, Weather related, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
When a chapter doesn’t work
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I’ve been writing the same chapter for a couple of weeks now. It is not working. The scene sucks big time. The dialogue is mediocre, and the tension is flat. So now what do I do? First, I won’t completely scrap the darned thing because there might be something useful there. (I seriously doubt it but you never know.) I’ll cut it from the manuscript and paste it into a snippet file. Then I’ll start over.
Why do I have to begin again? Because, in what I wrote there’s nothing that I find acceptable. Yes, I hold myself to high standards. I refuse to send it off in such poor condition. Is there a doctor in the house? Chapter twelve is an ugly tumor that needs swift, skillful, surgical removal.
This is not a case of my little editor telling me to fix it. No, my little editor read it and puked. My muse even told me it was total crap and I know they are right…this time.
I have no excuse. I wrote the crap and now I am getting out the pooper scooper and clearing it off the pages.
Posted in My blog, Writer, Writing
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
Are they there yet?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I’d give my eye teeth for a week without the construction going on across the street. Seriously, this has gone on for a year now, and I am truly suffering from sleepus interruptus. Going to bed around 5 or 6 a.m. and having the noise start at 7 has worn thin. I might’ve become used to the construction noise had it not been accompanied by one of the workers with a desire to be a singer. The man has a tin ear and a voice that could grate coconut.
I like to sleep with my window opened, but it’s been a year since I could do that. Each day I hope that they’re finished. Each day I am disappointed. I feel like the kid in the car, ‘are we there yet?’
The contractor never seems to finish one project before he starts another. The problem with that is he has had to rip up work he’s already done on many occasions. I have a feeling he’s a relative of the home owner.
He does lovely work. However, I would’ve fired him by now. A couple of days ago I got my hopes up because the front porch looked finished only to have them dashed this morning when I saw they were doing yet another project.
“Oh, to sleep, perchance to dream…”
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
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