Thirteen Things You Probably Didn't Know About Overweight People

This is my experience as a woman of size. I do apologize is this offends anyone. :)

THURSDAY THIRTEEN!

Thirteen Things You Probably Didn't Know About Overweight People 1. Pssst, we know we're fat, quite assuming we want to order diet soda with our lunches. 2. We love bright colors, will the designers please quit using the most offensive prints they can find in our clothing? Here's a hint, there's a reason why skinny people don't want to wear the elephant/tropical/giant flowered/geometric print mumu/shirt/pants/skirt that you've created. It's UGLY. 3. There is no need to stare at us, there's more than enough to go around. :) 4. Big people need love, too. 5. Just because we are overweight, that doesn't mean we live like bears in caves. We have homes, lives, careers, kids, siblings, spouses - just like normal people. 6. We like food just like everyone else, the only difference is we don't throw it up afterwards. 7. Food Addiction is just as deadly and difficult to kick as alcoholism, drug addiction, nicotine addiction. 8. Life is too short for bad food. 9. Just because we are large doesn't mean we're to be religated to the fat best friend, sympathetic mom-figure, the eternal bridesmaid or any of that crap. We're hot, sexy and ready to GO! 10. Big can be BEAUTIFUL. 11. Close the magazines and turn off the television - you're life will be much happier if you do. 12. Big people have caught on that Cosmo, Elle and other glossy magazines are not the end-all be-all of fashion. 13. Want to know what is sexy? Confidence! Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week is almost over, have you read your banned book yet? :)

What strikes me as odd about BBW is those who are banning the books are usually places reserved for education. Schools, libraries etc. Seeing that these institutions are funded, at least in part, by our government who should be supporting the freedom of speech - isn't it hypocritical to allow those same instutions to ban books?

In my opinion, any institution who receives tax money as part of their funding, should not have the right to ban a book. Now having said that, I'm not saying that third graders should be reading one of my books - no how no way! It should be up to the parents to determine what is appropriate reading material for their children, not a school or library.

I think what really bothers me is, when does this end?

John Lennon's song IMAGINE could be offensive to some though there are no curse words to be found. Just the line:

"Imagine there's no Heaven,"

would be enough to spin a few conservative heads off their shoulders. Where is the line drawn between inappropriate material for children and inappropriate ideas. Trust me, if we allow these institutions to 'ban' books, it's only a matter of time before one of them tries to ban a book based on the concept, not the content.

That is REALLY scary if you ask me.

Dear Fashionista

Dear Fashionista, According to Redbook, the styles for Fall are going to be more figure conscious than the summer was. They are accenting the waist and I don't have one! What do I do?
Signed, Fashion Victim

Dear Fashion Victim, Can I just call you Victim? I, too, am in the same boat as you. I haven't seen my waist since 1994 as its been covered by my breasts. That said, this little figure flaw doesn't have to sideline you in the Fashion Rat-Race.

One of the trends for fall is the wrap - wrap dresses, wrap tops, wrap skirts etc. Buy yourself a few wrap items and when you put them on, bind that wrap so tight that the twins are shoved up and out of the way and it will create a faux waist.

Doesn't everything sound better when you use the word 'faux'?

Now, some of you may end up smothered by the girls but if you don a scuba mask, you should be able to breathe just fine. Who knows, you might just start a trend of your own!

Signed, Fashionista

Sunny Sunday

On a day when one should take time to reflect upon their life, their week and how they're making a difference in the world around them, I bring you...sexy Mormons.

http://mormonsexposed.com/

I don't think anything else needs to be said.

Friday Funnies

No photo today! A friend sent this to me and it is hilarious. While I wasn't a virgin at 30, our stories are somewhat similar. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soFhO7cWGMw

Flowers

How beautiful is this? I took this photograph at Andrew Jackson's home, The Hermitage, outside of Nashville Tennesee. I dream of having a garden such as this - it was magnificent.

An Unpopular View

Six years ago today, the world trade centers were brought down and the Pentagon burned. Almost three thousand people died. I, like most Americans, remember where I was when I heard the news. I was sitting in the basement of a State office building, alone, when the first yahoo post came in a few minutes before nine a.m.. I didn't think much of it, the news post didn't specify what kind of plane had hit the first tower, so I was thinking it was a small one, maybe a two or four seater.

How wrong was I.

Today there are ceremonies in New York, Washington and Pennsylvannia to mark this tragic event. The media call the terrorist attacks a life-altering expereince for all Americans - my question is, was it really?

To those who lost their loved ones, I would say it is a yes. Has it changed the lives of Americans as a whole?

No.

The legacy of 911 doesn't have near the impact the bombing of Pearl Harbor did. Americans haven't had to change their lives over 911 while Pearl Harbor changed us as a nation. Yes, the security at airports is a pain in the butt, it is illegal to photograph bridges, (love to see them try and enforce this one) and packages that are over one pound must be handed to a postman rather than dumped in the mailbox. A portion of Americans will tell you they feel safer now than before 911, in my opinion that is an illusion. How can we be safer in the skies when our luggage and our bodies are searched but less than 1% of cargo is checked out?

Pearl Harbor ripped the mask of complacency from the nation. During a time when our allies were at war, we didn't want to get involved so we kept our blinders in place while we manufactered cars and refrigerators. Some of our armed forces joined in the battle long before Pearl Harbor was destroyed. These brave men became pilots and conducted raids with England's Royal Air Force. It wasn't until the destruction of Pearl Harbor that our government made the decision to get involved.

See any similarities?

War has been waged in the middle east for over six hundred years. From time to time we dip our toe into it but we've never made the commitment to jump in with both feet. Then, after we were attacked, we invade the wrong country at the cost of tens of thousands of lives.

I truly feel for the families who lost loved ones on 911. I feel for Americans in general as we were, for a brief moment, shaken out of our apathy toward the goings on in the world. Yes, there are people who hate us, who want to kill us - but it goes deeper than that.

The news keep saying how this is the day that changed America and I maintain that the opposite is true. This day is important to American history, it is important to those who lost their loved ones, it is important to those who were, for one brief moment, shaken from their slumber - but that time is gone. Most of us have returned to our lives with very little thought to 911, that is the sad reality of this days events, six years ago. What will it take to make us understand that the America we thought we inhabited is now only an illusion?

Flooding in Ohio

In the past three days we've received something like 8 inches of rain. Seeing that we haven't had hardly any all summer, this is a good thing. Of course the bad part is the ground can't handle it falling all at once.

For some reason the news channels are reporting the flooding in Ohio is near Cleveland...not even close. (Where in the heck do they get their info??) I live just north east of Columbus and the worst of the flooding is about an hour away. So when you see the clip from 'near Cleveland' where the man is being rescued via Coast Guard helicopter - no, that's Shelby, only two counties away.

Here in my town we've had extensive flooding as well as has Columbus. Luckily it has been property damage only. My neighbor's tree came down...right across his car and it missed his house by four or five feet. A small yet very important distance. :) It's supposed to rain for the rest of the week with many of the showers being pretty heavy. 'Okay Mother Nature, we got the memo!'

One of the ministers I work with through the Police Department called last night and he's organizing a caravan of food up to the Shelby High School to feed those whose houses are under water. So in about an hour my car will be loaded down and I'll be headed north. I can only hope I'm the macaroni and cheese car - I'm HUNGRY!!

Book Review: Blackmailed by Annmarie McKenna

BLACKMAILED
by Annmarie McKenna
ISBN: 1599982137
Samhain Publishing

Brianna Wyatt is being blackmailed by her father for an heir. If she doesn't follow through, her father threatens to put her handicapped brother into a home where she can no longer protect him. Her father wants her to get pregnant by Cole Masters, a very weathy and powerful man.

When Mr. Wyatt appears on his doorstep wanting to whore his own daughter, Cole is sure he's about to be blackmailed. Taking Brianna into his own, they concoct their own plan to thwart her father but he fails to take into account that he desires Brianna and he can only hope that Tyler Cannon, his best friend and fellow menage partner, will want her as well.

This is one HOT book. I'll be honest, I wasn't prepared to enjoy this book as much as I did. I've always been a one-guy kind of girl so the concept of menage was foreign to me. Now, I understand the allure. :)

Some of the plot points were a little contrived, but seeing that this book is about fantasy it more than fulfills on it's promise. So if you're looking for a spicy menage with two utterly yummy males, BLACKMAILED is for you.

Marrying for Love...or Money

Yesterday I happened to catch a few minutes of The View (I know, I couldn't run fast enough) and Joan Rivers was a guest host. Keeping in mind that she is a commedienne, she asked the question, "Would you rather marry for love, or money."

Of course the romantic in all of us want to scream, 'Love, of course' but, I'm afraid I have to hedge just a bit.

I'm forty-one (for twenty-nine more days at least) and I've been in love, serious, head over heels, I-want-to-breed-with-him love three times.

Guess what, I'm still single.

The first one - we grew apart. I was young and he was nine years older than I was. Trust me, a nineteen year old really doesn't give good conversation.

The second one - turned out to be gay. Hmm, I knew we got along just a little too well and he had fabulous taste in furniture. I caught him wearing my leopard print skirt early on in the relationship - I should've known then.

And the final one presented me with a pregnant mistress on Christmas Eve when I expected a diamond ring. "I love ya honey, but she's nineteen and a gymnist." (refer to number one)

Don't get me wrong - I'd love to marry for love but anymore I'll take the cash. Looking back, no matter how hard I wanted those relationships to work, I ended up paying for it in the end. Next time around, let him pick up the tab.

Book Review: First Kiss by Kylie Adams

FIRST KISS
by Kylie Adams
ISBN: 0-451-21581-8

Yes, this is an older title. What can I say, I'm a book-a-holic with very little time to read. :)

Kiki Sonntag is an out of work soap opera actress with the desire for an A-list lifestyle that wars with her lackluster paychecks. While shopping with money she doesn't have, she meets Tom and Kristen Brock, the 'IT' couple of the tabloids and someone Kiki would kill to be photographed with.

Only it didn't work quite as she'd hoped.

Caught on film in a so-called compromising position with Tom, Kiki is on the run from the paparazzi and she finds herself checking into the oh-so-exclusive Affair hotel. Run by the very hunky Fab Tomba, a notorious playboy, Kiki settles in to wait for the madness to die down. Instead of finding peace and quiet, she's drawn in by Fab's personality and sexy smile. Because of him she decides that hiding out in his arms might not be such a bad thing after all.

I was lucky enough to meet Kylie Adams before her first book, FLY ME TO THE MOON, was released. Fabulous person, funny and quirky, her personality is reflected on every page. FIRST KISS is packed with enough name dropping to make any fashionista swoon. With a fast paced story line and a chick-lit feel, FIRST KISS is a fabulous read and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, escapist read.

Foto Friday

I learned to paint many years ago when I met a wonderful man who showed me the colors. I continued painting, he did not.

That saddens me.

I now do 3D art in mixed media. This is done in acrylic with a photograph in the center and a variety of other objects such as sand and grass too.

If you are familiar with the musical, RENT, then you know what this is about.

I gave it to a friend for his twenty-seventh birthday and now we no longer speak. (and no, it has nothing to do with the painting - it has to do with deception and hiding things)

That makes me the saddest of all.

Car-gasms!

I spent the past week on the road which is something I just love to do. I cannot get enough traveling in each year and I can only wish someone would finally invent a teleport device. I'd be zipping everywhere!

As a passionate lover of American Heavy Metal, I have a big love for hot cars. When I was in high school I would date the boy with the hottest car rather than the best personality. Shallow? Yes, but a girl has to have her standards. :)

One of my current loves is the Ford Mustang. When I was a child my father had a midnight blue convertable with white interior. SUH-WEEEEET! I begged him to let me have the car when I turned sixteen and it didn't happen. He sold it. Later on he told me he would've kept it had he known how much of a collectors item it would become.

DOH!

My family had a long affair with the volkswagon. In the early seventies we had every model they made, the beetle, super beetle, hatchback and stationwagon. I was always fascinated by the fact they could float like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Another car I adore is the Thunderbird. I like the originals and the new ones though unfortunately they have stopped making them. (sniff) That was going to be my mid-life crisis car but I'm thinking I might swing back to the Mustang.

In the mid-ninties I purchased a Chevy pickup truck. I loved that truck - it was fab. I am big into gardening and having that truck bed to haul around my purchases is so incredibly handy. I'm thinking I may purchase a pickup for my next car.

Currently I have a Jeep and I adore that car. It is a Liberty 4x4 and its a tough little thing. I drove all around the Gulf Coast doing the Katrina thing and it never let me down. Seeing that I practically lived in the thing for several months, that is something. :)

So what is your fantasy car?

Foto Friday

Normally I post a photo on Fridays but today I'm going to do something a little different. A friend sent me this link and I'm going to share it with you. The images are painful to watch but as I've always said, the truth is the truth no matter how many times one tries to deny it.

It is past time to bring our troops home.

Crayons...

Did you know the average American child goes through 720 crayons before they turn 10? Sheesh - when I was a kid we received the customary box of 16 each year before school and if that didn't last the year we did without. I didn't even get a box of 64 until I was well into fifth grade. :)

As the stomach churns...

The latest controversy in the romance world has been a hot topic on the internet for the past week or so. It would seem that some upstart authors decided to dress in costume for the Romance Writers of America Literacy Signing.

The Shock...
The Horror...
How DARE they have fun...

First noted at the Smart Bitches site, it would seem that three authors dared to darken the RWA signing wearing costumes to promote themselves and their work. The interesting thing is one author, Sherrilyn Kenyon, has been wearing fabulous and outrageous clothing for years - she wears it everyday - that is how she dresses.

The other two authors wore manga inspired clothing to promote their manga-esque works from the new Dorchester Shomi line. Wow, sure glad they didn't show up dressed in period clothing, that would've really screwed up the readers.

The most amusing aspect, to me at least, is that Big-Wig authors like Nora Roberts, Jenny Crusie and a few others have actually spoken out against the costumes.

JC - I just don’t know how else to say, “This is not a good decision professionally,” when the counter argument seems to be “Lighten up.”

Hmm, maybe it isn't a good decision professionally for you Jenny, but I like it just fine. When did you become the voice of romance authors anyway? I remember you sending out an email to the Board of RWA with an extremely hostile reaction to a statement made by an epublisher back in 2002. Seeing that note caused you to have to step down from the PAN Chair position at RWA - I guess “This is not a good decision professionally,” for you but you did it anyway.

NR - If I’m a brand like Coke (and how could I object to the comparison?) it’s not because I wore costumes or lived something that came out of my books. This is NOT how you become a brand-name author.

Pray tell then Nora, what is the magic key? To write a hundred trilogies about magical sisters over and over again?

In short, I don't get it.

Both ladies along with many others have their panties in a bunch while they scream about a lack of professionalism. Because Sherrilyn Kenyon decided to wear a fabulously HUGE hat to a signing, that makes her unprofessional?? Wait, I'll alert the media...

Yes, I'm being sarcastic. The reason this gets my bra in a twist is since when did someone else set the bar of professionalism for writers?

In my opinion, being a professional means:
- turning in manuscripts on time
- working hard to improve your craft
- be courteious at all times
- maintain a good working relationship with your editor, agent etc
- don't talk badly about editors, agents and publishers...(and other writers)
- show up early for appointments / events
- Don't get drunk & shoot yourself in public

I could go on for days but I won't. I think ya'll get the picture here. I am a writer, I am creative and I like to have fun. If I dress in costume then I'm doing just that, having a good time. Would I show up in costume for a television interview? Probably not but I can also guarantee that I wouldn't be sporting a suit either. Writing is about expressing yourself and so is how you dress.

If writers want to get their skirts in a twirl, maybe they should take a stand on something that is really important like affordable health care for artists or the shrinking fiction market.

Road Signs

Ode to a Mentor

To Romance Authors, Kathleen Woodiwiss was a legend - the godmother of the modern romance novel.


Her first book, THE FLAME AND THE FLOWER was published in 1972 when I was only seven years old. While I didn't read this book until 1980 or 81, it truly changed my life. I knew, in that moment, I wanted to be a writer. To this day, two of my all time favorite novels are THE FLAME AND THE FLOWER and ASHES IN THE WIND.


While her earlier titles might seem dated now, at that time, her work set a new standard of excellence in the industry and the modern romance novel was born.


Kathleen didn't make many personal appearances during the 1990's though she continued to write bestsellers such as MARRIED AT MIDNIGHT and PETALS ON THE RIVER. Basically a shy woman, she was very nervous about attending conferences and this is how I met her.

A mutual friend was acting as her publicist and official hand-holder for Kathleen's return to public life in 2000. I received an email from Judy, our mutual friend, and she asked me to give her a hand in befriending Kathleen and easing her way into the circus that is the romance world.


Me and Kathleen Woodiwiss, one of the greatest romance writers of all time?!?!? Are you KIDDING me? I would've paid just to stand next to her let alone chat her up and put her at ease. I wasn't too sure *I* would be able to get a coherent sentence together as I'd be groveling at her feet.


Looking back now, I'm not sure what I expected from the first goddess of romance! Boas? Spike heels? Red Lipstick?


When Judy introduced me to Kathleen, it was one of the most exhilerating moments of my life. I can attribute my getting into writing to many things and this woman, this amazing creature, was such a huge inspiration for me. She was everything a role model should be. Intelligent, kind, humble and with a smile that immediately put people at ease. I'll never forget how completely out of touch she was with her standing in the literary world.


"Do you think some of these readers would like to meet me?" she whispered to me while sitting in the lobby of the Doubletree Hotel in Somerset, NJ.


It took everything I had to not start fawning and bowing at her feet. I can't imagine any romance writer NOT wanting to meet her. I mean - come on, the author of THE WOLF AND THE DOVE and SHANNA?? By the end of the conference Kathleen was much better able to circulate on her own and just kick back and enjoy herself. I ran into her a couple of years later at another conference and she was having the time of her life.


Kathleen Woodiwiss passed away today. She survived thirty years in the romance industry and that alone speaks to her talent and longevity. She was an amazing woman, an awesome writer and a legend in her comfy slip-on shoes. For the rest of my life I will treasure the time I was able to spend with her along with the many, many hours I spent losing myself in her work. Kathleen Woodiwiss changed my life with her work, and if reach one tenth of the people she did, I will consider my life a success.

To sum it all up, I will let KW have the last word - she would've loved that. :)


"Dear Readers, I'm delighted with the opportunity this website is affording me in being able to converse with such ease with my readers. Although The Flame and the Flower may have launched a whole new genre in the publishing world, I'm usually the one dragging my heels when trying something new and innovative in the area of communication, preferring all the bugs to be worked out before I venture forth. Although websites may not be as archaic as I'm getting to be, I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear comments like "Kathleen-come-lately" in reference to my emergence on the web, but here I am nevertheless, old as Methuselah and green as fresh corn stalks. Kathleen "

Giving Birth Only To Have Your Child Stab You In The Back

Yesterday I spent many hours (10), watching the History Channel. They were showing their series, THE REVOLUTION which covered the how, whys and when this country declared Independence from England.

In one word: Fascinating.

I've always had a passion for history. After I graduated from high school I took a hiatus from book learnin' and didn't go to college until I was 24 or 25. My major was computer programming (insert maniacal laughter here) and that lasted about a year. I became distracted by my history classes and never did get a degree.


All of the founding fathers went to extremes to give this country a solid foundation from which to live and govern. After being the Commanding Officer of the army and the chief architect of the war plan for eight years, without pay - he was called upon to head the constitutional congress and draft the first part of the constitution.

The men who wrote that document worked hard to come up with a form of government that couldn't go off the rails. The colonists had had it with England and their wild taxes and restrictions and these men were careful to line up a set of checks and balances to ensure the new government couldn't do the same thing later on.

But isn't that exactly what is happening now?

I admit I am fascinated with politics and seeing just how far men will go to debase themselves in pursuit of their own ambitions. The moment I think we've hit rock bottom, something new comes along to prove me wrong.

I'm not going to declare my political leanings as I don't feel it is necessary in the context of my next statement - Political Parties aside - what would the founding fathers think of Bush granting a pardon to Scooter Libby? Does this mean it is no longer illegal to lie to the court system? It is no longer illegal to deliberately impede an investigation into possible wrong doings of a political official? According to this latest move - it isn't illegal if you're covering up for someone else.

I think we all know that Libby had little to nothing to do with the un-masking of a CIA agent and that he was the fall guy for someone else. Who? Why? What else is this administration hiding from us?

And where does it stop?

I can't help but think that George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and all of the founding fathers are screaming for justice from their graves.

Crocheting...

is over for me. (sniff) When I hurt my right hand I lost some function along with it and repitive motions are out of the question for me. Bummer as I really enjoy crocheting when I watch tv - also, this was going to keep me busy in my golden years.

Hmm, now I'll have to take up bungie jumping...

Book Review: Passionate Ink by Angela Knight

Passionate Ink: A Guide to Writing Erotic RomancePassionate Ink by Angela Knight

Publisher: Loose Id

ISBN: 978-1-59632-390-2

Amazon.com description:

The forecast is in: the future of romance is hot and steamy. But riding the wave to success takes more than stringing together a couple of sex scenes or opening the bedroom door on your traditional romance. In her brand-new "how-to", USA Today bestselling author Angela Knight shares the down and dirty details on writing erotic romances that will keep your readers coming back for more. Passionate Ink (un)covers the erotic novel from conception to completion. Straight talk, no purple prose. First, Angela will show you her useful writing techniques that have made her a successful author. Then, she'll teach you what's hard (besides that!) about making your erotic romance erotic: action, both in and out of bed, the anatomy of a sex scene, eroticism and 'kink', and good dialogue, or talking dirty without sounding dumb. If you want to enjoy the heat, then strip off your inhibitions and take a dip.into Passionate Ink.

For a beginning or established writer looking to transition into the world of Erotic Romance, this book is an excellent stepping stone. Filled with straight-forward, no fluff tips, recommendations and techniques, I really enjoyed reading it and I will recommend that my writing groups buy a copy for their libraries.

Foto Friday

Look, it's not a photo of my dogs!! I thought this pond was absolutely beautiful - never seen lilies like this. I had to climb over a fence and dodge security cameras (the pond is on a bank compound and they have security everywhere) just for you...my beloved readers.

;)

Ding Dong...

The contractor is dead!

Okay, I didn't kill him but over the past six months I've certainly thought about it. I've officially fired them after they removed my lovely wooden baseboards to fix the wall and then...put vinyl back in its place.

WTF???

I've come to the conclusion that most men today can't do a damned thing with their hands unless its wrapping those digits around their favorite friend. My father could do anything from electrical wiring, plumbing, building, wood working - whatever was needed. Any more most men couldn't even change their own oil in their cars. When I was a kid I didn't even know you could take your car to a garage to have that done!

I've decided the next man I sleep with will be a handy man who is actually HANDY for a change. I figure one way or another you end up paying for sex anyway, I may as well get something useful out of it besides multiple orgasms...

It never ends....

The contractor has once again invaded my home to work on the bathroom. For those of you who don't know, the remodeling started in January, 2007.

Yes - JANUARY.

To say this has been a headache would be an understatement. I finally gave them their final orders in that if it isn't done this week the attorney will be called.

Ya know - I really hate being like that but they are really driving me crazy. The bathroom is next to the library and when them hammering, banging and playing the music loud its almost impossible to write. It if wasn't for the fact that I love my new shower, I would say that I regret beginning this mess but my shower is quite cool. Hopefully, I can post the final photos next week. (crossing fingers, toes, eyes...)

Manic Monday

So what is Manic Monday all about? It's the day of the week that I scramble around trying to get caught up from slacking over the weekend. So what is going on in my warped little mind today?

SPAM - Sometimes I just look at the spam messages I receive and I wonder, who the hell falls for this crap? Penis enlargment patches? Don't they realize it will take a heck of a lot more than a PATCH to bring some men up to snuff. (sorry, couldn't resist) Miracle diet pils? Honey, if they worked don't you think Oprah would've been the first to know??

Judging from the type of spam I receive, it appears men seem to fall for it most. I receive more penis related emails than should be allowed.

POST OFFICE - What's up with the post office? They increase the stamp rate by two cents but they increase the book rate postage more than .50 per book. Do I receive packaging service with that? No. Pickup? No. Discounted postage for a large amount of packages? Hell, no. And they want to know why most people prefer email...

:)

Eight Reasons Why Being a Girl is Tedious

Pantyhose - need I say more?

Bras - In general I don't have an issue with bras but there are days when I don't want to get dressed that I throw on a tshirt and sweats then feel GUILTY about not wearing a bra. What is up with that? If people don't want to look at my sagging twins then get the hell out of my cleavage!

High Heels - I realize that Catherine deMedici is the 'mother' of the high heels but why should I have to pay for her lack of height with deformed feet? High heels simply aren't natural and I ain't wearing them!

Big Hair - why is it men can roll out of bed and go into public meanwhile women will be called 'sloppy' or 'lazy' if we don't tend to our hair?

Sitting down to pee - When you're dressed up (in the afforementioned hose and heels) I absolutely hate bathroom trips. I don't know about anyone else but I can never get my hose back into a position that feels comfy.

PMS - I mean, COME ON. It's not bad enough that everyone around us makes us crazy then the universe tosses in some hormonal hijinks? When is enough, enough?

Thong Panties - Okay, before sending me the emails...I do like thong panties once you get used to them. What I don't like is when they get lost in your backside and you have to root around to find them again. (Yes, I have a big butt)

Polite and Accomodating - I'm pointing the finger at Donna Reed for this one. When I was a kid, I was raised to be polite and accomodating. I strive to make people feel welcome, make sure they have whatever they need - you get the picture. Anymore, that means you're a pansy. "Oh, JC won't mind if I bring my twelve kids to her Ladies Night..."

Yes, I will.

Foto Friday

I know - it's another photo of my dog but I didn't make it out much this week. My bathroom still isn't done - they repainted it and when they went to put the wooden floor trim (I know it has a name, I just can't remember it) they drove in one nail and the wall caved in.

Just lovely.

The original contractor failed to replace the drywall near the shower (where it had been damaged by years of water) and now they have to go back and take care of that. The biggest issue will be to get the paint to match the rest of the walls. This is textured granite paint and it feels like stucco when you touch it. It's really easy to get it on un-evenly and it just pops out at you.

I'm so SICK of my fricking bathroom.

Saying Goodbye

I've never been good at saying goodbye. I hang onto friendships long past their 'expiriation' date. This is never a good thing yet I do it every time. To quote Tyler Perry (or Madea - which ever you prefer):

Some friends are seasonal and when that season is up, you let them go.

That's a hard one. How do you say good bye to someone you love? Recently I've taken on the mentality that I don't want to leave anything unsaid. How sad is it when someone you love passes on and you can't celebrate their life because all you can think of is what you wish you'd said.

I don't want to be that person. I don't want to be filled with regret when someone I love leaves this world and I wouldn't wish that on my friends.

To borrow a line from Scrooge, the 1969 musical version of the story:

'We never have all the time to say and do everything we wish for suddenly, we aren't there anymore."

And this is the ultimate lesson of life, IMHO. Our time here is finite and we should cram all the living we can into the time we're given, and that includes saying what you feel is necessary to those around you.

One of the the issues that makes me the saddest is that there are several people in my life who have severed all contact with me. Over what - I don't know or I don't remember. Whatever it is I'm sure its petty and silly though at the time it seemed huge and insurmountable. I tried contacting the one nearest and dearest to my heart, and he won't return my calls. This makes me so incredibly sad. First, I don't know why he's upset and since I have no way to reach him, I have no way of rectifying the situation or telling him how very much I love him and how much he's changed my life. But if someone won't meet you halfway, all you can do is wish them well and move on.

So I say to you, loyal readers, if there is something standing between you and someone you love, tear it down - you never know if there is a tomorrow for you to address it.

Sleepy Sunday

My dogs are SO spoiled it isn't funny. They spend their 'off' time (when their not barking at neighbors, eating or napping on the couch) in my bed. Lazy brats!

This is two of my three dogs, Bella on the right and Maddie. Maddie is the dog that travels with me all the time and she stuck with me through my Hurricane Katrina work.

What Romance Authors REALLY do when they're alone...

This is what romance authors do after a long conference weekend.

On the left is Isabo Kelly and on the right is Carolan Ivey. I think Carolan is doing obscene things with that onion ring but let's not dwell there shall we?

After leaving the hotel to head home, we hit the Red Robin restaurant to load up on the 4 food groups, chocolate, fat, beef and bread. Each of us consumed at least 800 calories apiece and didn't eat for two days afterward. :)

Thirteen Things - Favorite Snacks 1 - apples and peanut butter2 - cheese and crackers3 - peanut butter and jelly4 - peanut butter and dill pickles5 - grapes6 - ice cream, any flavor7 - cheez-its8 - cheese fries9 - granola or trail mix10 - yogurt11 - cold pizza12 -cinnamon toast13 - anything sweet Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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On Writing...

This weekend I spent at Lori Foster's conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is always such great fun to hang with new and old friends to discuss one of my most favorite things, books and writing. I met so many lovely people and it was lovely to just kick back, hang and chat with anyone who stopped by.

Of course, as a writer it was also about business.

I met with some agents and editors and received some requests to see WINTER'S DAUGHTER - the manuscript I completed early this year then yanked back from a Publisher-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. I have high hopes for this book as it is truly a book of my heart and it is the best thing I've ever created. So everyone, cross your fingers for me - I have a pile of manuscripts to send out this week. :)

Did you know?

AS THE WAR ENDED, JAPAN PROVIDED SEX SLAVES FOR US SOLDIERS

I read this in The Columbus Dispatch, dated April 26, 2007. I've been wanting to post this little piece of Americana since early May but the accident thwarted me - typing with my nose just isn't much fun.

Anyway, On to the actual tidbits of this little known fact.

Japan, with tacit approval from the US occupation authorities, set up a 'comfort women' system for American GI's. It was an actual brothel system that was condoned by the American government irregardless of the fact that women were being forced into prostitution against their will. Tens of thousands of women were involved in this 'trade' until General Douglas MacArthur shut the brothels down in 1946.

The brothels were rushed into operation in August 1945 when the US forces poured into Japan to begin the occupation.

According to the official history of the Ibaraki Prefectural Police Department whose jurisdiction is just northeast of Tokyo - 'The strategy was the hope that the GIs would use these 'experienced' women instead of harrassing the locals.' A dormatory was converted to a brothel and twenty women were 'working' there.

"As expected, after it opened it was elbow to elbow." the history says. "the comfort women...had some resistence to selling themselves to men who just yesterday were the enemy...there was a great deal of apprehension. But they were paid very highly and they gradually came to accept their work peacefully."

Does this make anyone else ill? No woman 'accepts' selling her body to strangers, 'peacefully' - especially when they are being FORCED into it. For example - Natsue Takita, 19 - applied for an office worker job then was told the only positions were for the comfort women. They persuaded her to sell her body and she committed suicide after working there for four days. What is peaceful about jumping in front of a train?

By the time the brothels were shut down, 70k of prostitutes were employed by the system. The fee was 1 dollar for 15 minutes and they were forced to serve between 15 and 60 men a day. Most of the women working there were forced into it due to dire financial circumstances and lack of family. More than 25% of the GIs contracted a veneral disease from the brothels.

In 1993 Japan's Government apologized for its role in the controversy and established a fund (Asian women's fund) to reimburse the women. In January 2007, California Rep Mike Honda offered a resolution in the house to condemn Japan's use of sex slaves, in part as leverage to force the Japanese government to keep the Asian women's fund open.

The fund compensated only 285 women though there were an estimated possibly 200k of women in the system in Japan, South Korea, Phillipines and Taiwan. Each received about 17,800.00. The fund closed on March 31, 2007.

Haruki Wada, the fund's exectutive director said, "No one Japanese women has come forward to seek compensation or an apology. Unless they feel they can say they were completely forced against their will, they feel they cannot come forward."

I can only wonder how many of them stayed prostitutes, became addicts or died in the street - uncounted victims of a society gone mad.

Another Update

No, my hand / arm isn't any better and yes, I'm annoyed.

I've never been a good patient and I don't intend to start now. It really annoys me that I couldn't even open my juice bar today because my right hand is fricking useless and that's enough to make me whine...

Okay, enough of that crap.

It's obvious to me that I need to see the surgeon. My hand is no better though the bruising is fading which is a good thing. Tonight I finally figured out that I did seriously damage myself. How? Okay, stick your hand out and extend your thumb to make an L (or a backwards L). See the 'webbing' of skin between your thumb and forefinger. Mine is GONE.

Yes, gone.

So not only is it very painful to extend my thumb, my hand just looks odd. (and no, I'm not going to have plastic surgery to fix it, if anyone gets close enough to notice it that means I'm in the act of punching them) Maybe I didn't notice it because the swelling was horrendous?

Finally, to add insult to injury, my dog, THE DACHSHUND, ate the brace I'm supposed to wear. I know, you can laugh, it is amusing to someone who didn't have to pay for a new one.

What do you suppose is the going rate for a weenie dog rug?

Still Alive, Part II

Yes, I'm still here. Thanks for all the well wishes, I really do appreciate each and every one of them. I'm doing better but my computer time is limited. The doctor's think I have some nerve damage and they're ordering me to rest my right arm as much as possible. When I'm at the computer for more than a half hour at a time, I have shooting pains up my arm and that's not a good thing.

That said, I haven't lost my sense of humor. :)

I am constantly amused by the number of things I can't do on my own now. One night I decided to have some cheese and crackers and just cutting the cheese was an ordeal and my arm ached all night long. So I thought I'd be slick and get some sliced cheese and bagels...quick and easy right? Until I realized that the bagels weren't sliced. (whacking self in head)

Driving is fun. I've learned how to start my car with my left hand. Once I get it into gear, I'm good. For the first time in five years I'm glad I bought a car with an automatic transmission. Normally I'm a standard kind of girl.

Taking a shower is most amusing. It never occurred to me to open the soap bottles BEFORE I was soaking wet in the shower. It must have sounded like two horses galloping in the bathroom before I was done - must have dropped the bottles at least three or four times. Luckily we now have a shower stall instead of a tub - that has been a blessing.

All in all I'm doing better. I admit I haven't been wearing my sling / brace combo the way I should and I wonder if that's why I still have pain. The doc had told me to see a specialist this week if the pain hasn't gone away and it hasn't. I'm going to wait another week (and actually try to wear the sling and brace as prescribed) then see how it feels. I'm not one to go racing off to the doctor all the time - I'd hate to waste their time if it feels better next week - so we'll see what happens.

For everyone who is reading this, please eat a steak for me. I'm damned tired of frozen dinners and finger food. :)

Hugs - JC

I'm alive...

As most of you have heard by now, I had an accident on Tuesday. I'm not going to say what exactly happened but it was a stupid human trick and I performed amazing acrobatic feats that just weren't good.

Currently my right arm & shoulder are immobilzed and I have two separated ribs. My online time will be curtailed as I am one-handed and typing like this is exhausting. As I keep telling myself, at least life isn't boring. ;)

Offline

J.C. Wilder had an accident today and will be offline for an unspecified period of time. That's all the news I have.

Jamie, PA to Ms. Wilder

Thirteen Things I Love About Being A Writer 1. I can sleep in as late as I want. 2. My clothing doesn't have to match when I go out in public because looking at me, no one would guess I write hot, torrid romances. 3. Slippers are appropriate shoes to wear to the store. 4. I can ask people the most intimate and bizarre questions and it's okay because, 'I'm a writer.' 5. Just love it when a reader asks me to sign a book, especially when it's mine. 6. I can write off my vacations...um...research trips. 7. I can wander around my house talking to myself and no one will call the funny farm. 8. Living off frozen dinners and take out is perfectly acceptable behavior. 9. I don't have to do housework because I am easily sidetracked and rarely manage to finish anything domestic (Thank God for crock pots!) 10. My vacation time is whenever and where ever I want it to be. 11. Meeting the readers is great fun and I spend most of that time hoping I don't have something stuck in my teeth or a boogie hanging out of my nose. 12. I am constantly amused by all the voices in my head so I'm never really alone. 13. Did I mention the slippers? Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. Joan 2. Michelle 3. The Gal Herself 4. Shiloh Walker 5. Puss Reboots 6. Barbara 7. Janie 8. Nicole 10. Carolan 11. Tinker 12. NJ 13. Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

Photo of the Week

I took this a few weeks ago when I was in New Orleans, LA. This is Jackson Square, one of the oldest churches in America. The carriages line up for people to hire and the rides are lovely. If you're in the area and want to take a ride, ask for Ms. Diana and tell her JC sent you. :)

Post Romantic Times Convention Report

Sorry it took me so long to get this post up - I've been recovering from the RT Conference in Houston, TX. I came to the conclusion a long time ago that I don't recover as well as I did when I was younger, this is why I gave up drinking. :)

Carolan Ivey and I left Columbus very early on Monday morning, April 23rd. We drove to New Orleans where we met up with Crissy Brashear and her daughter, Amanda. We stayed at the Maison Dupuy - a fabulous hotel in the heart of the French Quarter. Bourbon Street was two blocks away so that's where we spent the evening. Did some shopping, hit the voodoo shop and had dinner at a little restaurant. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the restaurant and that has nothing to do with the hurricane I drank. :)

The next morning Carol and I hit the Cafe DuMonde for breakfast then took a carriage ride with a friend. Very touristy but I enjoy the rides anyway. The weather was picture perfect and when I manage to unpack my camera, I'll post some photos.

We then headed for Houston and arrived at the hotel around 10:30 at night. By then we were both SO incredibly tired that we headed up to bed. I know, shocking coming from me, but that's what we did. Usually I'm in the bar until all hours of the night - not on this trip.

The best part of RT is just sitting around with friends and chatting. This RT had a very different vibe from ones in the past. It was very laid back (from my perspective at least) and I met tons of new authors and readers. I did end up spending most of my time in the bar but it was usually during the day. And the entire week I was there, I had only one drink.

Maybe that was the problem.

The industry gossip was the same as it is every year - write the book of your heart and it will sell. Unfortunately that isn't always true. Editors constantly tell writers they want something new and different but they can't really explain what they mean. Paranormal, urban fantasy and erotic romance are still going strong. My personal prediction is that the erotic romance market will begin to get much tighter this year but we'll see what happens.

As usual I had a fabulous time. It was great getting to kick back and catch up with old friends and make tons of new ones. Of course the entire time I was there I didn't take ONE photo. What is up with that???

We're all Hokies Now

When I awoke last Saturday, I was in New York City preparing to have a fun-filled day. Within hours I'd be struggling to get a flight out in order to avoid the nor'easter coming in to dump inches of rain on the city - and within twenty-four hours I'd be long goneback to Ohio.

It was a pain in the butt trying to get out of the city because everyone else was trying too. I was quite cranky because my weekend getaway was cut short and I had been inconvenienced.

Inconvenienced, poor little me.

On Monday I awoke to the same news everyone else did, college students slain in class. My immediate thought was that would've never happened to me in college because I skipped so many classes the teachers had problems keeping track of me, let alone a sociopath-madman whose Mama didn't hug him enough.

Humor has saved my life a million times, but I, like the rest of the nation, didn't find anything remotely humorous about this situation.

What is happening in America that people think killing others to gain notoriety is okay? With each incident the violence has escalated and I think its time to start asking, is there an answer to this? Why are children slaughtering children?

I don't claim to have any answers, I wasn't even a psychology major in college, but I have to wonder if society is paying enough attention to the next generation. My generation (I'm 41) was determined to be 'friends' with their kids and do the opposite of our parents. Yeah, we did a bang up job, didn't we?

I don't have kids, but I agree with Hilary Clinton in that it takes a village to raise a child. Our society condones sexualization of children, maximum violence and a myriad of other behaviors that aren't conducive to raising a mature, level headed person. Someone who can make the right decisions and handle the craziness around them without joining the anti-depressant of the month club.

Isn't it time we reclaim the America we love?

http://www.vt.edu/

The Demise of Winter's Daughter

Dear Readers,

I will go on record to say that I possibly have the record for the shortest period of time an ebook was published, roughly eight days. Hey! I'm all about awards ya know... ;)

To make a long story short, I have pulled WD from the publisher due to breach of contract and irreconcilable differences. I put my heart and soul into this work and I'm not willing to give up on it. It means too much to me to allow it to languish into obscurity.

Readers, Writers and Friends - I cannot, absolutely cannot thank you enough for your support. This has been a very difficult time for me both personally and professionally and the only bright spot are the supportive emails from all of you. You humble me.

On The Road Again...

Greetings and salutations - April is a month of traveling for me. In five days I leave for New York City. I'm pretty excited as its been a few years since I've been there. After my meetings are done I can play, play, play!

I'm staying with a friend in Manhatten and we plan on getting theatre tickets see at least one a day while I'm there. I so love Broadway shows and this will be an incredible indulgence for both of us. She's a stockbroker and rarely takes time off either so the time I'll be there will be a vacation for her too.

I'm hoping to load up on Korean Barbeque and hit Serendipity's for a frozen hot chocolate. I don't care if it is 20 degrees outside, I want my frozen hot chocolate! :)

After I return home it's time to get ready for the Romantic Times conference in Houston. This conference is roughly a week long and always an endurance test. Lots of standing and talking and drinking... I'm actually going to have to take it easy in NY and not walk enough to annoy my knee. If I can't walk at RT then I'm screwed - how do I get the bar if I can't walk? :)

IT'S HERE!!!

In ebook at least. Winter's Daughter, the first book in my new series entitled, The Coven, is now available in ebook format. The paperback will be available very soon.

Winter's Daughter - Ebook

Winter's Daughter - Print

I can't begin to tell you how utterly proud I am of this book. As with everyone, we do some things out of duty or necessity and, if we're REALLY lucky, every now and then we do things out of sheer, unadultered love and pleasure - that is what this book was for me.

I truly hope you enjoy it!

Chicken McNuggets

I can't say that I'm a McDonald's Chicken McNugget afficianado, the only time I ever buy them is for children or my dog (she loves them). So today I purchased some McNuggets for my dog and, out of curiousity, I decided to taste one.

The coating tasted like popcorn.

Is it just me or is this a Nationwide phenomenon? It wasn't that it tasted bad, it just tasted like popcorn. Under normal circumstances I do enjoy popcorn, just not on my chicken.

Did you know...

If you take Yoplait Whipped Yogurt and let it get to room temperature it tastes just like flavored whipped cream? It's fab really.

Thirteen Places I'd like to visit in the next eight years!1. Paris, France - I wasted three years on French lessons, I may as well use them!2. Grand Canyon, USA - I flew over it once...3. New York, NY - I'm actually going in a few weeks so I thought I'd throw a 'given' up here. 4. Egypt - I'm pretty sure I was an Egyptian Goddess in a previous life - LOL!5. San Francisco, CA - I'm all about Ghiradelli chocolates.6. New Orleans, LA - one of my favorite cities, the food can't be beat!7. Australia - I probably will never make it there unless I can take the space shuttle. The thought of being held hostage in an airplane for roughly 21 hours is enough to send me over the edge.8. A bathroom at the White House - Why not? My taxes paid for it...9. Scotland - I've always been a Scotland-aphile so I can't wait for this trip.10. Ireland - I'm all about the ale...11. Germany - I'm all about the beer, did I mention that?12. Mexico - I'd love to see the ruins and drink tequila in the sun13. Peru - I want to hike to the ruins up in the mountains - I'd have to hire a goat to carry my fat butt though!!Where do you want to go?Links to other Thursday Thirteens!1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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Tyler Perry - as prophet?

Tyler Perry, playwrite, director, actor and author is, IMHO, one of the funniest and most talented men in the business. He has a slew of movies he's written
but I prefer, the filmed stage plays. The reality of theatre is you never know what will happen during a play - which is just like life. You just never know what will come at you.

So I was watching, MADEA GOES TO JAIL (Perry plays Madea, a hilarious pot-smoking, gun toting grandmother with a whacked sense of humor and a very strong sense of family - in all of Perry's work there is a deep gospel element) and I was contemplating my bellybutton...sorry, wrong dream.

I was thinking about friendships. Lately it seems that a few of my friends have done lost their minds and I was debating one of life's most difficult lessons, at what point do you cut off a potentially explosive relationship?

I'd put MADEA GOES TO JAIL in the DVD player and was lauging myself silly - Perry is brilliant, did I mention that? There is actually a part in the play where Madea talks about relationships and she made the statement, 'There are three kinds of friends, leaves, branches and roots.' Leaves are the ones that toss in the wind and come and go like bad weather. They're the ones that you'd go out and party with but they'd leave you stranded if they found a better proposition.

Yeah, we all know those.

Branches are the friends who are weak and they bend in the breeze. They want to help but every time they let you down when you need them. They are usually self-centered and they lack a spine when the chips are down.

Then come the roots. These are the ones that are in it for the Long Haul. They grow deep and they hold you up when you need it, strap you down when you act out, and they hang tight no matter what the circumstance. Everyone needs at least one root in their life.

Most of my friends are branches and leaves - but I have some roots, at least eight come to mind. Debbie, Cheyenne, Carol, Lorraine, Libby, Kat, Tim and my dearest Dano. How I love them all - they've kept me sane and smacked me in the butt when I needed it and cheered me on when I didn't. They've been there for the good and the bad - that's what a root is all about.

So tell me about your roots.

Thirteen People I'd Like To Meet...

Dead or alive, of course. There are hundreds of people I'd love to meet, unfortunately most of them are dead. Sometimes it just works out that way I guess. 1. Dorothy Parker - Any woman who had her tombstone inscribed with "Pardon my Dust" is someone I want to meet. She was one of the wittiest writers of her day and the best part is this woman was no pushover. If she was pissed off, she wasn't afraid to show it. Considering she worked in the journalism world between 1920 - 1940-ish, that is quite the requirement. 2. Muhammed Ali - Nothing more needs to be said about this man. 3. Queen Elizabeth - Just what does she carry in that purse? Does she have a driver's license? Credit cards? 4. Edgar Alan Poe - When I was 10 or 11, I had his poem 'The Raven' memorized along with others such as Annabel Lee. It is any wonder I grew up to write paranormal books? 5. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Possibly the greatest composer or all time, in my opinion at least. The man was both brilliant and tormented. 6. James Thurber - One of the greatest writers and cartoonists that ever lived. He was a contemporary of Dorothy Parker and a member of the Algonquin Round Table - a truly 'romantic' time for writers. 7. Edward Degas - Amazing artist. I'm not into the ballerinas he did. I love L'absinthe - he took a simple scene and put so much feeling and pathos into it I'm just amazed every time I see it. I am also a painter and I would love to see how he did what he did. 8. Benjamin Franklin - This man was brilliant and instrumental in crafting the USA into what it is today. Wouldn't it be cool to hoist a brandy with him? 9. Stephen King - I mean...it's Stephen King for crying out loud. What writer wouldn't want to hang with him for a few hours? 10. Walter Cronkite - I would just sit and let him talk about all the things he's seen over his life and career. 11. The Mercury Seven - the original seven astronauts - what amazing stories they'd have to tell. I've always been fascinated by the astronauts since I was in Houston and had the chance to go to Mission Control - it was amazing. 12. Andrew Lloyd Webber - one of the greatest playwrites of all time. 13. Broken Lizard - so what is broken lizard? They are the guys who wrote, produced and starred in SUPER TROOPERS, BEERFEST and another movie I can't name. It's not that I think their movies are great (though they are funny in parts) but these guys had a dream, got together and maxed their credit cards to make the first movie then crossed their fingers that someone would pick it up. Someone did and voila - they are now 'stars'. I absolutely love the wholw concept of people giving up everything and just GOING for it! So - who would you want to meet? Links to other Thursday Thirteens! http://creativegoddesses.blogspot.com/ http://carolanivey.blogspot.com http://www.daisydexterdobbs.com http://ciarcullen.blogspot.com/

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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Trying to get caught up...

If you look up the word, 'overwhelmed' in the dictionary, you will see my photo. :) That said, things are revolving around in my brain at about 3000 miles but this is a good thing, I assure you.

2007 started off with some excitement for me. Mom and I have been wanting to remodel the upstairs bathrooom for years now but didn't want to take the plunge. I finally gave in because I was tired of hearing about it.

I'm not sure why she was so obsessed with the bathroom as this one is mine - hers is downstaris with her suite of rooms. I was the one that ended up without a toilet for 7 days - and 10 days without a shower - thank goodness for the rec center - at least I could take a shower.

Above you can see where Adam pulled out the wall around the bathtub. This house is 40 some years old (just like me!) and it had some water damage. When my bro and I were kids we were always splashing around like fish in the tub so this wasn't a surprise to anyone.

Here is the rest of my bathroom - that floor was SO horrible. About ten years before we'd had someone come in and put down tiles and the IDIOT put them down over the original floor that than pull that up. We decided to do it up right this time and had everything pulled up and most of the subflooring replaced.

Here the bathtub is All Gone... We opted to put in a walk in shower with seats on each side and I'm glad we did. I never realized how annoying it was to be attacked by the shower curtain while taking a shower.

No more....no more....

Tomorrow I will post the photos of the completed room. It came out really lovely if I do say so myself. :)

My world famous cranberry pie!

I know, I'm SUCH a slacker lately. I've been meaning to post this ever since Thanksgiving.

Here is the pie I made for dessert on turkey-day. It is cranberry walnut and it was WELL received and very, very rich. I loved every bite. My mother kept having small pieces for breakfast. Hmm, I seem to remember her telling me that cakes and pies weren't good breakfast foods...

Sneaky isn't she??

CRANBERRY PIE

2 bgs cranberries
white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
lemon juice
lime juice
1 orange
cinnamon
pecans (walnuts - whatever you like, this is optional)

In a crockpot, put in both bags of cranberries and a dash of lime juice.
When they begin to soften, add brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon and a dash of lemon juice. You have to let this cook a while before you begin tasting. It is up to you to decide how sweet or tart you want this - thats why I don't have an exact amount of some ingredients.
Add in some orange zest then shred some orange slices (don't add a cut slice, you don't want any pith in there)
Keep tasting it then adding whatever you want to adjust the flavor to your liking.
Refridgerate overnight. (this will make the filling taste SO much better)

Mix up a two crust batch of pie crust.
Put the bottom crust in a pie dish
Sprinkle nuts on the bottom of the pie crust
Add cranberry filling
Put on top crust (make sure you have vent holes if you aren't going to do a lattice top.
Bake at 400 for 40 minutes (or however long you would normally cook a fruit pie)

Serve with real whipped cream (cuts the tart flavor) or ice cream.

Top 10 Reasons I Know It's The Holiday Season...

Number 10 - I went to the grocery store and was run over by a plastic car-shaped shopping cart.

Well, I wasn't run over, I was run into though and it hurt! I went to the grocery store this morning before 9am and it was packed. Everyone had that harried, gotta-get-the-grocery look and you took your own life into your hands just trying to get out of an aisle and into the stream of traffic.

It was ugly.

I was trying to exit the salad dressing / vinegar / bbq sauce aisle and this woman came around the corner, looking completely away from me and plowed her bright blue car-shaped cart into my normal, big girl cart. I was the recipient of an accusatory glare because I got in HER way, ignoring the fact that I wasn't even moving at the time, and she takes off with her kids packed into the cart like sardines, muttering something about olives.

Yup, its the season the be jolly alright. Next time I go to the store I think I'll arm myself with a German Shepard just to make my way through the crowds.

Falling off the bandwagon!

Ya know, this whole losing weight thing just sucks. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it. All of my life I've had problems with my weight and to be honest, I'm just plain tired of fighting it anymore.

Maybe, just maybe, I was meant to be fat!

What a concept. Learning to love yourself irregardless of what you look like. Wow, can society handle it?

Probably not. Every minute of every day it is pounded into our heads that thinner is better, chins should not sag, gray hair should be destroyed and, heaven forbid, we enjoy a nice pastry from time to time.

What's up with that?

From a psychological standpoint, this is so not good. Those who tell you that you should lose weight and look like this or whatever - obviously have issues concerning how their own bodies look and it's time they keep their issues to themselves. If I had a dollar for everytime someone had said to me, 'You know, you have such a pretty face. Just imagine how beautiful you'd be if you lost some weight.'

So, I'm not beautiful now because I don't conform to what the fashion magazines consider sexy? Do we take into account that the models in the photos are often ill, on drugs, or don't eat just to remain thin? Have you ever seen the airbrushing that goes on with these photos?

We could all look that good if we had a team of people painting our faces, doing our hair and picking out our clothing. Of course we'd need another group of people to make sure the lighting is correct, the shadows are placed just so and pulling and tucking our clothing constantly. Heaven forbid we be caught with our sweater stuck in a fat roll or something. If we would ever admit to having cellulite, maybe they just wouldn't like us anymore.

Who cares? As a writer I spend most of my time in sweatpants, tshirts and a sweater. Every now and then I even don socks. I run out for coffee in my slippers (and I'm not talking about a drive through here) and I've been known to hit a drive through in my pajamas. Even though I dress like a hermit I've yet to lose friends over it. I might get some strange looks but I couldn't care less about that. People need something to talk about, it might as well be me.

So ladies and gentlemen, it's time to stage a revolt against our cultures ridiculous ideas of beauty. Being beautiful has nothing to do with your weight or your hair color or your clothing - it comes from your actions and how you treat those around you. If the biggest thing on your body is your heart, you're headed in the right direction.

So don your slippers and hit the market - you'll be glad you did.

I'm not dead...yet!

Pink's new CD entitled I'M NOT DEAD YET is my latest obsession. I've always been a big fan of Pink because she is an intelligent woman and she doesn't sing empty, bubbleheaded pop like most of the singers today. She has a message and it is a positive one for teens and that is yet another reason to like her. I've had this CD in my car stereo for the past three weeks and I don't feel any inclination to remove it yet.

So run out and buy this CD.

In other news, I'm preparing for my final trip to New Orleans for 2006. I'll be speaking at a writer's group meeting in mid-September then I have to race back to Ohio and write! Boy do I have some deadlines now. I swear I've lost my mind. Oh wait, in order to lose it I'd have to have one in the first place wouldn't I?

Nevermind.

And finally...

Now I don't normally do this, recommend books, but a friend has a new book coming out September 12th and I just LOVED it. A book really has to rock my socks to get and keep my attention. I'm afraid that I've become ADD where fiction is concerned - if you don't get and keep my attention in the first five pages, I will put that book down and not pick it up again.

But I didn't feel this way about GETAWAY GIRL by Michele Hauf. I loved this book. I have SUCH a passion for fast cars (which is probably why I had 2 speeding tickets before I'd had my liscense for six months ) that this book caught me. Below is a blurb for the book and a link to the cover and excerpt.

Happy Reading - JC

Jamie MacAlister has a need for speed. Now she's making a break from the illegal racing circuit to run a professional driving service. That's right...Jamie is a getaway girl.

Her first assignment: help rescue a kidnapped woman. Suddenly, though, Jamie's taking a wild ride through the streets of Paris with bad guys in hot pursuit. To further complicate things, her own people‹‹the good guys?‹‹have just double-crossed her. What's the world coming to when the very sexy Sacha Vital, perhaps the baddest of all bad guys, might be the only one she can trust?

Maybe fate will decide, because Jamie's not about to put on the brakes for anyone.

http://www.mninter.net/~mhauf/getaway.html

Sponsored Weddings

I caught a small blip on the morning news about 'sponsored' weddings becoming all the rage. Rather than planning a wedding and inviting friends and family to share your special day, couples are now shopping for SPONSORS to help pay for the shindig.

Yes....you read that right.

This questionable practice became popular thanks to Star Jones when she married that Reynolds guy. The entire wedding was almost paid for (something like a quarter of a million) by sponsors like Mastercard. So when the blushing bride and proud groom enjoyed their wedding, their guests were bombarded with advertising. I personally think that Mastercard should have just plastered their logo over her cleavage, that would've given them much more exposure.

So sound off - what do you think of sponsored weddings??

Messages....good or bad?

I have a Monday morning routine that I can set a clock by. The television comes on at 9am and I watch Regis, Dr. Phil and the first part of The View while I do laundry and household chores. This morning I noticed the number of diet ads in those 2.5 hours were astounding.

Lose weight...
Get thin...
Eat right...
You can only lose weight with THIS product...
Your life will be So Much Better if you were thin...

Of course these commercials were shown two or three at a time along with fried chicken and chocolate ice cream spots.

What is up with this?

I've always had issues with diet commercials especially because they usually target susceptible people with the hints that their lives will be better if only they buy a product that doesn't work. Yes, I am a woman of EPIC proportions and yes, I need to lose weight - but I'm really tired of being told that until I comply with society's standards of looks that I will never be happy or complete.

Bullshit. (Pardon my French)

What kind of message does this send to children?

Yes, 67% of American's are overweight but we live in a society that does not lend itself to eating properly. We tell kids to eat right and exercise but in the next breath the cable channels Nick and the Cartoon Channel are selling them Spongebob snack crackers and Scooby Doo cereal. A McDonald's 'Value Meal' has doubled in size in the last ten years and let's face it - who really needs a VAT of soda?

I'm not sure who's more screwed up, the money grubbing rip off artists who sell capsules of whale urine to 'lose significant amounts of weight' or the way we adults are running around trying to lose weight and 'conform'. (Or have the 'right' car or send the kids to the 'right school' or have the 'right' job) In the media we are bombarded by impossible standards of beauty that even supermodels cannot achieve without airbrushing.

How is this, 'standard'?

I learned a long time ago that what is on the outside fades so quickly and it is your character that will keep you going. So when are we going to turn our backs on these impossible standards and ridiculous claims from diet drug pushers and embrace who we are on the inside?

(Can you tell I'm a little cranky today? )

Lessons from the road...

If you've ever read my online journal or know anythng about it, you know that I spend a lot of time on the road. I've never had the freedom to travel and now that I do, it is such a heady experience for me. To load up my car, pack up my dog, select some tunes and hit the highway is one of my favorite things in life.

In the past year I've probably put about 25k miles on my car and in that time, I have learned a great many tidbits of wisdom that I am about to pass onto you.

Bathrooms - Being the water drinker that I am, I seem to need a bathroom every 2 - 3 hours while on the road. I've developed a strategy to save both time and energy. First, avoid the roadside rests unless it is an emergency. I have had the strangest experiences at various roadside rests and the only time I ever use them is if I have to take a nap.

Also note that I travel with my dog and she won't let anyone get within 10 feet of the car without causing a rucus.

The best and safest way to deal with potty breaks is to find a travel plaza such as Pilot, Flying J, Travel America or something like that. You can combine filling your tank with stretching your legs and taking the much needed break. Failing to find a travel plaza, I personally recommend a BP station - they have the cleanest bathrooms.

Krispy Kreme - If you should pass a KK, just give in gracefully and stop for a snack. If not you will dream about them for the next five hundred miles until you break down and purchase a substandard donut product. Nothing is worse than a substandard donut at 2am.

Food on the road - I usually pack snacks such as nuts, crackers, cheese, bottled water and granola bars. Yes, I try to be healthy on the road so that I can justify buying those fabulous Hostess Ding Dongs in Podunk, Iowa.

That said - I do eat fast food on the road, I'm just picky about it. No Wendy's, McDonalds or Burger King for me - I have those at home so I look for fast food that I don't have easy access to. I love Sonic, Hardees, Whataburger (OH YES, the ultimate burger) Quizno's and of course - Popeye's Chicken. Just thinking about it makes me hungry. The closest Popeye's to me is about 30 miles away - I just might have to make that drive after all. :)

David Cassidy

About this time last year I made the momentous decision to cut off my hair. I went from a shoulder length bob to hair that was less than 1/2 long all over my head.

Oh, and I quit coloring my hair and went salt and pepper.

I absolutely loved it. Short and sassy, I could roll out of bed and look good. I kept my hair this way until early December when I was in Borders and the salestoad called me Sir. Yes, he thought I was a man. Now granted, I was wearing a dark green jacket that is similar to an outwoods-person style and for a chubby girl, I don't have a big chest - but I didn't think I looked like a man for crying out loud!

Within a week or to I decided to grow my hair out and continue coloring it. This decision wasn't based on this one incident, several times over the year I'd been named as my best friend's MOTHER and while he thought that was amusing, I was not smiling.



So my hair has been growing out for several months now and last week I looked in the mirror and saw David Cassidy. Yes, I now have David Cassidy, 1970's, big fluffy hair.

(breaking out into "I think I love you...")

Scary isn't it? Anyone who has suffered the pains of growing out hair knows exactly what I mean. It reaches that annoying length that its too short to pull back and too long to ignore. I'm constantly shoving it out of my eyes and, in short, its just tedious. What a girl goes through to have good hair. At this point I'm ready to shave it off and buy some wigs, it makes sense to me darn it.

Of All The Things I've Loved And Lost...

I miss my mind the most.

I have never had an issue with getting older. Truth Time - this is the truth. From the time I was about 25 I longed to turn forty. In my mind, forty was a time of great wisdom. The moment of my birthday a giant wallop of wisdom would come down from the heavens above and WHAM - I would know everything there is to know about anything. I'd be settled in life and know what I wanted to accomplish. I would care less about what people thought of me and would be more concerned with substance than style. I would give more time to worthy efforts than to coloring my hair and worrying about how my thighs look in a particular pair of pants. I'd look at people's hearts rather than their faces and I'd see everyone for who they really were and not what they wished to portray.

In short, I would rule the universe.

Guess what - I turned forty in September of 05 and I was almost right! I guess, for the first time in my life, I feel like a real grown up. Before now I always had this sneaky little voice mumbling that I was still a kid because my lifestyle has been, unconventional. Well, YEAH - doesn't the world have enough conventional people? Don't we need more color and spice??? Wearing purple is not just fashionable, it is a lifestyle people - write that down!

One thing I've noticed that more and more, people to come to me for advice - though I really don't think this is an age issue rather than a "I've been around the block" issue. My life has been very unconventional and I've worked in almost every industry on the planet. I've hung with Hollywood stars and my best friends, I've traveled, I've loved, I've lost, I've cried and laughed harder than I can even remember.

So yes, I do have some knowledge about life.

I've finally reached a point where I don't care as much about what people think of me and I care so little about fashion that it isn't funny. My outfit du jour is usually whatever is clean and stretchy. I am a good person, I try to help others, I have few vices (other than younger men and good chocolate LOL!) and I try to live hard and well. When I die, I want to hit the pearly gates with a martini in one hand and my lipstick smeared screaming, "WOO HOO, what a RIDE, BABY!)

And I think I'm well on my way.

That said - no one warned me about the wandering brain. I've always been a little absentminded. I chalk this up to being a writer. Let's face it, it can be difficult to concentrate when you have people in your head having full conversations. Over the years I've learned to fall in love with my mind and how it works. I might be cooking lunch and my brain is already drafting a letter to my publisher or compiling a grocery list. I am the ultimate multi-tasker.

That is why my brain wanders, and I'm sticking to this story.

A few months ago I was reading to my darling boy, Jaxson. I can't remember the book we were reading but the character was parachuting and I pointed to the parachute and told Jaxson it was an umbrella.

What?

Jaxson, who had just turned four at the time, corrected me and thought I was kidding. (Oh if we could fool everyone this easily) In the months between the first memorable incident and now, it happens at least once a day. Today I was thinking about cleaning the over and called it a dryer. I guess I can take comfort in the fact that there are similiarities, they both have doors and get hot - so there you go. If I start calling the microwave the can opener, I might be in trouble.

I'm okay with my little 'precious moments' as I lovingly call them. In fact, they actually amuse me sometimes. Seeing that My Man has the same issue and he's only 25, I figure I'm in good company at least. We've already told the family if I start calling him Fred and he calls me Mona, they might want to enlist some help.

In general turning 40 has been fabulous. I do feel better emotionally than I ever have in my life. I do know where I'm going and how to get there, and isn't that the fun part - the journey? So here I am in my own boat of life, chugging along the rivers and enjoying the scenery. So I say to everyone, Come on in, the water is fine and I'm loving it.

That said, I really wish I'd known that the brain can only hold so much wisdom that the arrival of 40 would push a few things out the other side. So what if I call a crayon a pen, or if I put my laundry in the oven. Who cares? Its not like I use the oven for anything else anyway.

Now, what's your name again?