Wow, We Really Have Come a Long Way!

There used to be an old advertising slogan that went "You've Come a Long Way, Baby" (or words to that effect). It was meant to show that women were no longer restricted in how they lived their lives. Sometimes I forget just how rigid a woman's parameters were at one time. (Frankly, I probably don't even know. I've read my history and I know all about the trials and tribulations of women's suffrage and "women as property," but I suspect that unless you were actually around during that time and lived that life, you can't ever really "know" how it was. The best I can do is imagine...and be happy that I live in the here and now). Here are some old ads that demonstrate how far we've come since the mid-twentieth century. I don't know exactly what dates these are from, but it's been a long time since any ad exec would use ads like these in a bid to sell products.

I can't begin to address just how many things are wrong with this ad. Frankly, I'm starting to cry just looking at it. :-)

All via Now That's Nifty

Writing Tip - Live the Book

Sometimes when I'm writing very fast, I forget to do this and have to backtrack. By "Live the Book," I mean that for every scene, I do my best to set the scene for myself. Be aware of everything in the room, how the room looks, what textures are there, what scents are present. What items other than furniture are there? If there's a couch, is it firm or soft, leather or cloth? How do I feel when I walk into that room? Details matter. They pull the reader into the story.

They also serve as handy alternatives to the common and sometimes repetitive tags. Instead of "What do you mean?" she asked, you can say Bev picked up the book and placed it back on the shelf. "What do you mean?"

In a world where pacing is king and dialogue and action make the story move, you don't want to overdo those kinds of tags or spend too much time on descriptions that bog down the story. Just because you know what the setting consists of (because you visualize it, smell it, touch it and hear it) doesn't mean that you have to put all the details on the page. You may not include more than one or two (or even none), but anything that helps the author live the book will ultimately lead to a richer story.

For Wine (and Art) Lovers

This was pretty awesome! A winery (Bodega Navarro Correas from Argentina) used a robotic mechanism that would respond to text messages. They set up a large structure with 1,000 acrylic cells and used 6 shades of wine. People could choose one of the cells, send a text and the robot would fill the cell. The result: a Van Gogh self portrait! (via NagontheLake)

An Artist with a Direct Connection to Nature

A family member introduced me to the art of Andy Goldsworthy several years ago, and I'm still fascinated. Mr. Goldsworthy works with natural materials, so some of his works are permanent while others are extremely fleeting and fragile (and live on only in photographs and video recreations). If you've never heard of him, I urge you to visit his website and seek out one of the video documentaries that have been made about his work.

Here's a brief clip that was posted online:


And another which has been taken from one of his documentaries and shows the artist at work (if you don't care for the music, which was substituted for the original audio, you may want to turn down the sound):

If You ♥ Spock...

I'm sure it's no secret that there's a lot of strange and interesting stuff on the internet. Yesterday I came across this site called Spock Is Not Impressed. I'm not even sure exactly what it is, but it looks as if visitors submit a photo and then the person running the site inserts an image of Spock (and in most cases, a caption).

Image by Crom Cruaich

Some of them are just silly (all right, maybe most of them are, and maybe that's the whole point). I know I couldn't help smiling at the thought of Spock sighing over his report card or dressed as Spiderman. 

via Everlasting Blort

Keeping the Car With You at All Times

I'm not much of a car person. I like having ready transportation, but in the end, a car is just a convenience for me. Given a choice and no need to lug around big items, I'd choose a small one, because I once had one and you can park them anywhere. Unfortunately, with today's ginormous trucks and SUVs, driving a small car on the interstate would scare me. Too much danger of being smooshed by an aggressive driver in a big vehicle.

Still, this post isn't about actually driving a car. It's about looking at and displaying a car. Now, if I had this, I could put it anywhere. It almost looks as if it's small enough to drag around.

Image by Mark Wubben

But there are those who have serious cars and are serious about displaying them properly who have given their vehicles a place in their homes. So, what do you think? Fun? Not fun? Any plans to bring the family car indoors? Or buy a Maserati and store it in the living room? 

via Presurfer

I Remember When...(Or Yes, Prices Have Gone Up)!

Just a little nostalgia about how much things cost in 1962 versus now (I'm assuming that these are U.S. dollars, but the effect would probably be similar worldwide).

Image by scott witt

Mobius - Art in Motion

Mobius is a set of 21 large triangles that can be arranged in different configurations to create an illusion of movement.


MÖBIUS from ENESS on Vimeo.

For more about the sculpture, including its history and the making of Mobius, visit Eness.

And Then She Floated into the Air...

I never knew that there were so many photographs of people who appear to be levitating, but apparently there are a number of photographers who have mastered the art of creating the illusion of weightlessness.

Image by gordon

There are some very awesome shots in this article (and a bit about how this effect is created). 

via Kuriositas

A Few Fun Facts About The Wizard of Oz

I remember when this movie used to come on annually (yes, I'm dating myself here. This was in the long ago time before video recorders of any type when you had to watch television in real time. If you missed even a second of it, you didn't get to see it again until it aired the next year. And you know what? I don't miss those times. I love technology)!

Image by ISD 191 Performing Arts Program

Read this fun story at Buzzfeed on some common myths about The Wizard of Oz. Some of them were seriously scary for the people involved.

Don't Mess with Pigeons - A Cautionary Tale

Not new but a very well done animated short.

Unusual Restaurants for your Restaurant Bucket List

In a world full of restaurants it pays to be unique, right? Here are ten that deserve to be in the running for the "Most Unique" award.

Image by mafleen

Here's a different view of the same restaurant in Naha, Okinawa (just because it looks so interesting at night). The "tree" is actually concrete and the photographer of the image (above) indicated that it overlooks the harbor:

Image by Kawetijoru

Be sure and check out the other nine restaurants!

via Presurfer and Mental Floss

Not More Talking Animals! (Yes, More Talking Animals)

Sorry. I'm a bit fixated on talking animal videos these days. Don't know why. Maybe I've spent too much time in the sun.

And this one isn't even new. You may well have seen it already, since it's been around for awhile and has "made the rounds." That said, it's still great fun even on a repeat run.

These are the Guys You Want to Come Running in an Emergency

Of course, I'm not so sure one ought to jump into a burning building with quite that much speed, but it's impressive.


15 Seconds Of Awesome: French Firemen's Exam - Watch more Funny Videos

Sunflowers are Special

They really are. Maybe it's because so many of us are fascinated by things that grow so tall that they tip over at times, but there's just something rather magnificent about a sunflower.

Image by TheCleopatra

Here's the story of the sunflower and its journeys, its history and its many uses complete with some absolutely gorgeous photography. 

And don't forget to stop by this story to see (and read about) a sunflower that may end up setting a record.

Clark the Dog Talks!

Okay, so he doesn't really talk. But isn't he adorable? Just look at those big, sad eyes!


Ultimate Dog Tease For Food

Nature Wins!

In my travels across the country, whenever I come across an abandoned structure, it always makes me a bit sad. Those places devoid of human life have always made me feel that there's a story of failure or despair behind them. Someone who tried to make it and, ultimately, gave up and went elsewhere. But I was reading a story on the website Environmental Graffiti the other day that made me rethink the sadness factor.

Image by kimba

Yes, those abandoned buildings may well be the story of someone walking away from a life or even a dream, but there's another story there as well: the story of nature reclaiming what was hers in the first place. These places are often alive with greenery, a rebirth of the land over the artificial. Either way, there are stories in the making, and that's nice.

Here's the original article with some very nice images.

Visiting the Past...in Photography

Years ago when the movie Cocoon came out (visiting the wayback machine here) I began my fascination with the concept that within every person there lives a much younger person. Or...really an entire series of younger people. Every waking moment of our lives still lives in our memories (or...most of them seem to). I'm sure all of us have experienced those trips back in time when just a whiff of scent or a few bars of music take us back to an earlier time in our lives. 

Image from deflam's photostream

And then there's film with its wonderful ability to freeze a person forever, putting a lock on a moment that can be viewed over and over again. One of my favorite parts of the local newspaper is the anniversary section, when people post their wedding photos alongside an image of the couple today.  

Artist Sander Koot takes that a step further. He's taken old images and posed the original subjects in a reproduction that simulates the original photo. Fun and fascinating. Check out the entire story along with the images.

Oh, and just for fun, here's the trailer from Cocoon. I'm not sure it holds up to time (I'll let you be the judge). (And yes, I do see the irony in that statement). : D

Can It Get Any Better Than This? Tony Bennett and Kermit

In honor of Tony Bennett's 85th birthday (on August 3rd) and the release of The Muppets Green Album, here's a trip back to 1996 when Tony Bennett and Kermit sang a duet.

A Fantastic Natural Light Show

Light pillars are an interesting combination of light and ice. And very beautiful, don't you think?

Image by nebarnix

For more images and information, here's the original story.

via Kuriositas

The Bridge

A cute little video about where being stubborn and uncooperative gets you. (But it's not preachy. I promise, it's adorable)!

Bridge from Ting on Vimeo.

(Also, this isn't in HD, for those of you who have told me that you have trouble viewing Vimeo videos. I recommend letting it load for about 30-45 seconds before trying to watch it. By then it should have buffered enough. Just watch the gray line to see how far along it is).

The Best Exercise Partner Ever

Okay, yes, I am on a dog kick today. Is this awesome or what?

We All Need a Little Jesse in Our Lives

What an adorable dog (and so useful, too)!



via Bits and Pieces

You Really Can Say Anything!

The movie Say Anything is probably best known for that moment when the main character, Lloyd Dobler (love that name; love John Cusack even more) goes to his girlfriend's house, holds a boombox over his head and  serenades her with Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes."

Now, someone has put up this little website (lloydtube) where you can insert the URL of any YouTube song and change Lloyd's music. (And I am, once more, amazed that people think these things up).
via presurfer

Okay, I've Been Avoiding This, But...

This optical illusion has been everywhere lately (the reason I wasn't going to post it), but since it's short, they have music I like and it actually is an interesting illusion (the equivalent of "it's got a nice beat and you can dance to it"?), I broke down and threw it up here (I know. I know. Peer pressure isn't a good thing. And yes, I do feel like a bit of a wimp for giving in and jumping on the bandwagon). LOL

If You're Looking For Furniture...

And you don't have much money (or space), try Room in a Box.


(For some still shots--which are a bit clearer--visit this site).

And here's an interesting, expanding table.



A different version of the expanding table.



I love how inventive people can be. (And I want one of those tables).

The First Annual Running of the Brides

I know nothing about this charity, but I thought this was kind of a cute idea for fundraising (or maybe I just like the idea of being able to wear a wedding gown for the fun of it). The ending of this reminded me a bit of that Trash the Dress photography phenomenon I wrote about back when a group of us were writing The Wedding Planners series a few years ago.


 via Nag on the Lake

Here's one of the most recent articles I could find on Trash the Dress (which has apparently been going on since 2001). (And yes, I know that this charitable function was in no way related to Trash the Dress...but my mind just had to go there).

And a couple of examples of Trash the Dress photography:

Image by cordelephotography

Image by Jerad Hill Photography

I think the idea behind Trash the Dress is to create a lasting and artistic image of a dress that will only be seen once in a lifetime. A moment in time that cannot be repeated. I rather like the idea, but I know that some people get upset at the thought of destroying something so costly, and I can see their point, too (although not being a collector, if I had a gown to save--I think I already mentioned that I rented mine--I'd probably donate it rather than put it in a box. I wouldn't want to have to store the box or dust the box or...well, I'm just not a "put it in a box" kind of person, but if you are...I totally respect that). 

Vicarious Gardening - Hello, Sunflowers!

My tomatoes and some of my flowers aren't doing so well this year (too much heat, too much rain, too much...). So, I decided to look elsewhere for my gardening satisfaction (thank you, successful gardeners who post your results on YouTube). Here's a neat time lapse film of sunflowers growing. (I love the fact that the sunflowers have names).


via huskykhtam

A Beach That's Colorful and Sparkly - Glass Beach in California

In MacKerricher State Park in California (near Fort Bragg), there's a beach covered in sea glass, the result of garbage dumping off the coast and the work of water tumbling the glass into smooth shapes. 

 Image by Mamojo

Image by Bruce's View

For more of the story and more images, visit damncoolpictures.(via Presurfer)

I am constantly amazed at how many things I've yet to see (and also how--sometimes--something very unlovely can be made lovely again). Who knew that garbage could be beautiful?

Somewhere in Iowa...

Someone with a sense of humor has erected a marker showing the future birthplace of James T. Kirk.

Image by Madolan

via Presurfer and Kuriositas

Bread, Anyone?

I want the 7-11 two blocks from my house to install one of these machines. Warm bread. Yum! (I love innovative, useful, and tasty inventions)! I could get rid of that bread machine that I'm using as a doorstop.



via Presurfer

Admit It. These are Just Too Sweet for Words

I am a total sucker for photos of babies and dogs, and I know I'm not alone, because I've seen the images all over the Internet. There's just something about two totally innocent creatures communing that hits me right in the heart.

Image by Sébastien GARNIER

Image by Jacobim Mugatu

Image by gizzypooh

Image by Liz(byday)

For more adorable images of babies and their pets, visit Buzzfeed. Now doesn't the day already seem better?

Back from the Edge of Beyond

Okay, I was only 90 minutes away, but I had no Internet! So, I apologize profusely if I was late in replying to comments. On the bright side, I'm rested and fresh and ready to find lots of good things to share with everyone here.

What I did on my vacation:
1. Revisions (yes, this was supposed to be a vacation, but the due date is coming up, so I got up at 5AM every morning and worked for about 2 hours. Not bad. I love the stillness of early mornings).

2. Walks. Lots of walks. Mostly along the lake or through a restored prairie.

3. A bike trip. About 18 miles of flat land. Part of Wisconsin's "rails to trails."

4. A bit of reading, but not as much as I would have liked.

5. Missed visiting with everyone here! Vacation was great, but it's good to be back! Now, off to find some fun items for all of you to enjoy.

Aren't Animated GIFS Fun? - Puppies!!!

via Pleated Jeans

Historical Dress-Up

During the day, my work clothes usually consist of jeans and a tee shirt or sweatshirt. If I'm wearing shoes, then they're gym shoes. I'm always casual. But throughout most of history, women had to adhere to specific dress codes, especially those emphasizing form and modesty. Here are several videos that illustrate why I'm glad I'm not a Victorian woman.

A quick trip through the costume of the time (I don't know the author, but it's actually quite a nice video. I love the dress, even if I probably wouldn't enjoy wearing it).


These next two videos are a bit more educational. They're part of the Nevada Culture series and there are 4, but I've only included the middle 2, the ones that actually show the layers that women wore at the time (and discuss a bit about the sometimes serious problems that accompanied voluminous skirts):





Such lovely clothing, but...I think I'll stick to my blue jeans. How about you? What would you think about having to go through this process every day of your adult life, even in the scorching heat of summer (with no air conditioning)? People can talk about a simpler time all they like (I could write volumes on how I don't think those times were simpler), but I'm glad that I'm a twenty-first century woman. It's nice to be able to look back (or even to dress up for a costume party), but at the end of the day, we can choose to wear what we like. That's a nice feeling.

I Want to Be a Clown Fan...

But sometimes...

Image by totinkoti

Clowns seem sort of scary. Like these bad boys...

Horrible Histories - Chimney Sweeps

This tongue in cheek video uses humor to point out how amazingly awful it is that we once used to send children down chimneys to clean them.



In spite of the over the top humor, it certainly does illustrate how much children were once devalued, doesn't it?

Aren't Cinemagraphs Too Amazing?

I've been fascinated with cinemagraphs ever since I saw my first. (The closest I can come to describing what one is, is that it's a photo with moving parts). Such as this one by Shaun Bell. (Click on the image to see the movement).

Jamie Beck, a fashion photographer, created an entire series of cinemagraphs. You can see many of them here.

Beautiful Swamps

I've never really considered myself a swamp person. Despite traveling extensively in the United States, I've never visited any swamps, probably because there's something eerie about them and they make me think of creatures (alligators, snakes) that can kill a person. And I am, essentially, a coward. The opposite of an adventurer.

Image by Nichalas_T

Still, after seeing this story on the 10 Most Beautiful Swamps on Earth, I'm intrigued. There are some really lovely images here. Take a look. 

Anyone want to head out to the swamps today?

You Think You Have it Bad?

Read about poor Business Cat's day. (at Cheezburger Confidential). He really had it rough.

Image by nishwater

Poor Business Cat!

Yes, We've All Had Those Bosses...

I'm not sure that this animated short, FOR THE KING, by Amund Lundvall, Tarje Pladsen, Håvard Munkejord and Jorn Paulsen is truly a fairy tale, but it's charming and a lot of fun.


For The King from Idefagskolen on Vimeo.
via Kuriositas

Okay, Yes It's a Commercial, But...

Haven't we all met this guy somewhere?



(My apologies if you've seen this 500 times already. You just know that it's going to be overplayed).

Trying to Strike a Balance

Sometimes I feel like a bit of a fraud, because in my "real world" life, I'm all about inclusiveness and wanting everyone to have a good and comfortable life and a bit of happiness, not just the rich. But in my books, the hero is almost always...well...rich, or at least reasonably well-off. There are a number of reasons for the rich heroes, which I won't bore you with right now, but I think a lot of the way I deal with the topic is to accept that the handsome, rich guy who sweeps a woman off her feet (eventually) is simply a fantasy. And given that fantasy, I always try to make sure that my heroes are giving human beings who, if they're not that way at the beginning of the book, eventually turn into generous, caring, loving men who believe in the equality of all people no matter their social or financial status. I don't specifically say that, and I rarely even imply it, but I like to think that readers will understand that a man as caring as my hero is, will be a good man all around.

So...with that in mind, and moving on to the topic of "there can be such a thing as being too consumed with money and possessions," I give you this:

It's a million dollar fragrance bottle. Here's the story (sorry, there's a lot of advertising as part of this, but you can read the description to see what the bottle is all about).

And if you'd like to see more of how the rich live, here's a website devoted to "the most expensive" things. And here's one with a handy click list for different "world's most expensive" items. Not sure if it's up to date (there are no dates referenced on the site), but maybe I need to check it out. You never know when a hero might need the world's most expensive coffee maker. On second thought, no. My guys are not fussy types. No jewel-encrusted stuff for them.

So, how about you? Any million dollar (name your items here) in your future?

Ah, the Dream Hospital...

I suppose I should be grateful that someone had dreams like this, because medicine has come a long way in a very short time. Still, parts of this made me laugh.


via Bits and Pieces

(I did like the swimming pool)!

Don't Mess with Mother Nature

If you ever get a chance to visit Mono Lake in California, go. It's an eerie landscape and yet it's beautiful, too. Unfortunately, the very things that make it beautiful (and eerie) exist because the lake is dying. And we have no one but ourselves to blame. Mankind killed (is killing) this lake in one of those all too often incidents where an attempt to do a good thing backfires (at least in some ways).

Image by Squirmelia

Image by Christoper Chan

Image by Malabooboo

For more images and more of the story of Mono Lake, visit Kurisoitas and the official Mono Lake website (which will also give you the latest information on what's happening with Mono Lake).  

Pets and Their Stuffed Animals

Yes, there really is an entire website devoted to pets and their stuffed animals (like the adorable puppy below). Pet lovers of the world (and stuffed animal lovers of the world), enjoy!

Image by kidicarus222

via Presurfer

Writing Tip August 13, 2011 - Be Aware of Your Bad Habits

We all have bad habits we develop as writers. Often those will be little things such as a word that we overuse or a punctuation mark that keeps cropping up (too many exclamation marks) or a style that may become a problem if it's overused (too many fragmented sentences). When you read through your manuscript, look for these recurring problems and make some decisions. Some habits may either drive you crazy as a writer or as a reader. Some may be acceptable to you and you can hereafter regard them as just part of your style. For the habits you want to break, try making a list of the ones that are most annoying, so that you'll remember to look for them each book and weed them out (or write them on note cards and tack them up around your workspace as a reminder to be more careful). But even for the others, the bad habits you've decided to accept or even embrace, revisit those often (with every book you write). A habit that was acceptable for one book and in small doses may quickly drag down your stories if you let it get out of hand. Anything that pulls the reader out of the book or annoys the reader is poison to a writer.

Kids and Cardboard Boxes

The film below was made for the Nokia Shorts 2011 competition. It's charming, and any parent (or anyone who has ever been a child and found a big cardboard box) will remember the thrill of all the possibilities that an empty box offers.


The Adventures of a Cardboard Box from Studiocanoe on Vimeo.

Enjoy! (I loved all the things this boy found to create with a single box).
via Kuriositas

Choosing a Dog for a Book

I'm working on another book set in Las Vegas, and somewhere along the way I decided that I needed a dog as a character (Romeo may get written out in the final draft, but at the time he served a purpose). Even when the character is a pet, a character without dialogue and one that may be on scene for only a couple of paragraphs, a lot goes into the decision as to what kind of dog (how big, how small, how yappy, how friendly...). Since this was Las Vegas, I didn't want a big dog at first. They tend to have problems with the heat. It's just not good for them. Except...the role really called for a big dog, so since this is fiction, I ignored the warnings I would have heeded had I actually been looking for a dog as a pet.

Along the way, I contemplated my choices for a breed (and ended up not describing Romeo other than the fact that he is big and very friendly). But here were a couple of possibilities:

A Newfoundland:

Image by Tracy Lee

A Saint Bernard:

Image by 3D Photographers

And a Bernese Mountain Dog (a little bit smaller)

Image by StooMathiesen

It takes awhile to decide these things and often I travel down the wrong road and end up dropping the search (and the character) altogether. It all involves a lot of searching...and reading. Here's a good article on The Biggest Dogs in the World - There Be Giants. I hope I can keep Romeo in the book, but he may have to go. Too many characters can spoil a romance. 

The Graph of Truth

Stop the Sheep!

A fun little game that tests your reflexes (I can tell you that I need to work on mine).

Image by amcunningham72

This fun little game on the BBC site involves stopping escaping sheep with a tranquilizer gun (aka computer button). 

The Road Not Taken (in Visual Form)

Robert Frost's THE ROAD NOT TAKEN is one of my favorite poems, no doubt because it speaks to me (and probably to most readers) about the importance of the choices we make in life. In this video, by Amelia Charles, we can "see" the poem.


Poetry In Motion from Amelia Charles on Vimeo.

And a dramatic reading by Alan Bates (simply because I preferred his interpretation):


Are you a poetry person? (I confess that I'm not usually, and when I do read poetry, I'm not very sophisticated about my choices. I like poems that make me feel something or make me think about the human condition).

Big Ben Tweets the Time

I saw this on Presurfer the other day. Hmm, Big Ben really does have a Twitter account (and a lot of followers).

How Times Have Changed...

Look at this ad. The Maytag repairmen used to the loneliest guys in town, and now my Maytag Gemini stove has had to be repaired twice in two years. Sigh.

My New Internet Obsession

I try not to overdo the Internet time, but not long ago I ran across this site called Pinterest, and now I'm hooked. It's one of those sites you click on and then spend hours looking at everything, like a really big fantasyland with a mazelike structure that leads you on and on and on until you're nowhere near where you began. I'm not even signed up, so I can't upload things, but for now, looking is enough. Go there. No, don't go there. You may get lost and never come out again. People register and then whenever they find things that are awesome, they pin them and organize them into groups (at least I think that's how it works). It's like a giant list of favorites, like a big candy store. Here's a screen shot of a small portion of the front page. And while the front page isn't much to speak of, all you have to do is click on something and you'll fall down the rabbit hole (but you'll probably be glad you did).

Enjoy! (And don't get lost)!

Even More Little House on the Prairie

Yes, I do seem to be obsessed. Don't worry. This will pass when I finish the book (I think).

Here's some footage of the real Little House on the Prairie.



Shots from the filming of the tv series:



Info on the casting of the series:


And the intro, for a trip down memory lane:

Now This is Something I Could Use...

If this were real, I would totally buy one. Aren't there days when you just want to start over from scratch?

And just in case anyone asks, this is from Neatorama.

Taking a Moment to Enjoy the Small Things in Life

In one of those click here, click there and finally end up somewhere on the Internet without knowing how you got there ventures, I came across this site called Little Things. It's simply a series of colored boxes, each containing one item, one "little thing" that gives a person pleasure. Here's one:

Yes! That does always make me feel good. For more "Little Things," visit the site. You can read the list in order by date, click to make them appear in a more random fashion or look in the archives where they're listed by topic. 

The Book I'm Revising

A rich hero (rather snooty)

Inherits a wedding chapel from a relative he never knew, one with a shady past. And then he meets a woman associated with the chapel, also with a shady past. Common sense tells him to leave...but common sense is so boring, isn't it? Besides, he has reasons he needs to stay.

Image by speedwaystar

There might be an Elvis impersonator in one scene:

Image by V'ron

And a dog (although, not necessarily this one):

Image by emma.buckley

There will be a wedding or two.

Of course, it's not finished and I'm changing things here and there, so I'm not sure of all the details yet, but it will be romantic and, hopefully, fun, too. And rest assured, although I'm working, I have preloaded posts for the next week. So, we're good to go with some fun things planned this week.

Just So You Know...

I've mentioned that I'm doing revisions before, but I just wanted to let you know that with my deadline coming up in a couple of weeks, I may be a bit more scarce here. I'll still try to get one blog post up every day and answer comments, but if I don't do more than that, or even if I go missing here and there, rest assured that it's only because I'm working hard to perfect the book, and I'll be finished soon. (And visiting here more often).

Wish me luck wielding the red pen.

I hope your lives are stress-free and that you're enjoying August.

A Love Song to California

I was born in the south (okay, lots of people wouldn't call Missouri the south, but I was born in the bootheel, just over the Arkansas border, and to me, it's the south), I've lived most of my life in the Midwest, and I've been fortunate enough to travel quite a bit, at least in the continental United States and Canada. There are so many places I love that it's difficult to single any one of them out, but California ranks near the top as a great place to visit. I think it's because there's something for everyone there.

If you like mountains, (even snow capped mountains), California has mountains. If you love the ocean, California has an ocean. There are redwood trees, desert areas, lakes, many national parks and monuments, a wine region, big cities and a temperate climate. Of course, there are also extremes, too (earthquakes, mudslides), but those are not the norm.

Here's a great "A Day in California" video by Ryan Killackey that tells a part of the story:


A Day in California from Ryan Killackey on Vimeo.

Anyone for a trip to San Diego? I love that city!

And After You've Read the Books...

I'm not one of those people who have great costumes at Halloween (more on that in October). I want to be creative, but it's really hard for me to let loose. However when I was reading THE WILDER YEARS, the author referenced the fact that when she was growing up (I'm a few years older than her, I think, but not too many years older), long dresses were in style for awhile. I remember that so well, because I was in heaven. I made a couple of them and loved wearing them. It was a 70's thing, and while it seems as if it would be uncomfortable, it wasn't. A long dress can hide a multitude of flaws and...you can get away without shoes at times if you like. Just tuck your feet beneath your dress.

The long dresses of the 70's weren't necessarily prairie dresses, but in memory of those years, here are a few images of they types of clothing someone from Laura Ingalls Wilder's time might have worn.

Image by Chris_Ford_uk

Image by yark64

I don't know. I loved playing dress up when I was young, and under the right circumstances, I could see myself doing it again. How about you? Are you a dress up kind of person? Any historical reenactors out there?

And...the Rest of the Story...

Yesterday I posted MOVE, the film by Rick Mereki, Tim White and Andrew Lees, the result of traveling to 18 countries in 44 days. Here are the final two videos, EAT and LEARN. I like them all (and they probably should be viewed together rather than in 2 days as I've posted them), but if I had to name a favorite, it would be LEARN. I was amazed at the quantity of things Andrew Lees, the actor, tried in such a short span of time. Some of the activities were quite challenging. Great series!

Note: I don't think these are quite as fast (so less dizziness) as MOVE.

EAT:

EAT from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

LEARN:

LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day

I have never planted zucchini, although I like it. I just don't have the space. But apparently, it is a hardy and prolific plant, so much so that by this time of the year zucchini growers everywhere are overrun with the stuff. The vines (they do grow on sort of vines, don't they?) are just out of control. I picture them growing up the front steps and ringing the doorbell as the fearful gardeners hover inside pretending not to be home.

The question, of course, is what to do with the extra. No one wants to throw food away, and there is only so much you can freeze, bake into zucchini bread or puree and hide in other foods.

Fortunately, there's an app for that. No! No, there isn't. I lied. I just wanted to say "there's an app for that," because everyone is saying it and I haven't had a chance to use that phrase yet. But...there is a special day and even a website by the inventors of the day to help you with your excess zucchini woes. It's called "Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day," and the website has advice on how to make your zucchini go away, along with recipes and tips on growing zucchini (so that you can continue the tradition and terrorize your neighbors next year, I suppose).

Have you had your helping of zucchini today? (Or maybe I should say...beware the zucchini).