A Grandnephew's First Communion

It was party time in Massachusetts this past weekend. Our grandnephew received his First Holy Communion. He looks a bit bored in the photo, but just a few hours before the big event we found him full of energy, swinging his baseball bat and launching a tennis ball across the street.


His parents ran a terrific party with plenty of food. Naturally, hubby brought along one of his accordions and provided hours of entertainment for everyone.



Some of the kids became inspired and joined in on other instruments. The percussion section of the band was a wee bit painful to the ear. :^)


Nevertheless, we had a great time. And who knows--one of those kids may actually take music lessons someday.

My New Toy

I bought a new ebook reader--the ebookwise. My old Rocket still works--sort of. However, it won't find text anymore, or make notes, or even go backwards. :^(

The new ebookwise has some nice features that the old Rocket did not have--I can make notes directly on the book I'm reading!

It came with several books already loaded into it, but I immediately bought a book I wanted to read and also loaded in my unedited version of The Beast of Blackbirch Manor--so I can check it for errors. I got the word from my editor that the book will be released in May--which isn't too far away. :^)

Water, Water Everywhere

There has been a lot of rain in NJ due to a nor'easter. We live near a dam and today there was a rather impressive amount of water flowing over the dam. There was also a rather impressive amount of water beneath the dam. I worry about the road washing away or about the dam breaking.That hasn't happened yet in all the years that we've lived here, but it is possible.



My writer's mind has an unfortunate tendency to consider worst case scenarios. After all, it would make an excellent setting for a scary disaster story. But fiction is one thing and reality is another. There are communities here in NJ that are being evacuated today due to flooding. It seems to be a perpetual problem along the shore and along the rivers--wherever there are low-lying areas.

Hopefully, the rain will stop, the sun will come out, and the dam will hold up despite the great quantity of water spilling over it.

KISS OF BLARNEY Reviewed at The Romance Studio

Better late than never, I suppose. Kiss of Blarney was released in February 2006. The review at The Romance Studio was posted April 10, 2007.

Among other thing the reviewer said, "Kiss of Blarney is a lusty adult fairy tale ...an adventure filled with magic and surprises." That's the good part.

You can read the rest of the review at http://www.theromancestudio/reviews/reviews/kissblarneymarec.htm--or not. I believe the reviewer did not understand that Kiss of Blarney is a novella. Yes, it is a quick light hearted diversion--because it contains approximately 29,000 words.

Sigh.


My favorite review of Kiss of Blarney remains the one Ciar Cullen gave me. You can read that at her blog at http://ciarcullen.blogspot.com/2006/05/review-kiss-of-blarney-by-penelope.html.

She's such a sweetie. :^)

I'm Unique

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 0 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

The Easter Bunny

The Easter Bunny greeted everyone at church this morning. After Mass, Daughter #2 took this photo with her cellphone. It was really quite chilly this morning--there were a few snowflakes flying around here and there. Inside the church, there were lovely flowers all around the altar--so inside it felt like spring. But outside--brrrr.

Finished--sort of...

Last night I finished THE BEAST OF BLACKBIRCH MANOR. Sort of. I know it will return to me after the editor goes over it and then I will have more to fix. A book is never done until it is released. But it was a good feeling to type "The End." :^)

Today is the last day of my spring break, so I was happy to put the book aside and go gallivanting with hubby to the Columbus Farmers Market. Hubby is a frequent visitor to Columbus but this was the first time I went with him. He has flea market friends. There's the nut lady, Dottie. She is such a sweet lady and she gives away free samples. Today she was handing out dried pineapple and prunes. She said the prunes were good for osteoporosis. Hmmm.

She also had candied ginger. She said it is good for the stomach and if we were going on a cruise we should take it along. We are not going on a cruise, but both hubby and I were instantly addicted to the candied ginger, so we bought it.

Then we went to the spice dealer. He told us that cream of tartar is good for cleaning silverware. Hmmm. (I think it's really for aluminum.) It doesn't matter to me--I use it to make playdough.

There's a large restaurant apparently owned by Mennonites. We had subs for lunch with Lebanon Bologna.

I saw the perfect hall chair in a small furniture store. I did not buy it--yet--but I am seriously thinking about it. I've wanted one for a long time, but I never found one that fit all my specifications--until now.

So I may go back to the Columbus Farmers Market.

On the way home we stopped at the Book Garden--a used bookstore in Cream Ridge. It is an awesome place and one of our favorite used bookstores. I bought two history books. I am thinking of writing another historical. :^)

My Spring Break

I have spent the past week immersed in writing, but I ventured out several times. On Tuesday, hubby and I went to the local library to have the AARP expert help us with our taxes. We had to wait our turn, so I wandered around the stacks and found a few books with clothing styles of the 1890s. I have borrowed the same books from the library previously, but this time I was looking specifically for an evening gown for my heroine to wear and a tuxedo for the hero. I photocopied pictures from the books of the outfits I liked. You can see the heroine's gown here.

On Thursday, hubby I went to the Stitch 'n Sew Centre in Lakewood. I had heard that it is a terrific store with a wealth of fabrics and other sewing supplies. Walking into the store, hubby and I were overwhelmed. There was too much! I checked out the pattern books for costumes of the 1890's while hubby browsed the aisles looking for fabric that would make a good grill cloth for one of his accordions. He wound up buying nothing, and I only bought two spools of thread. But it was worth a visit. The array of fabrics is mind-boggling.

Last night, hubby and I attended the annual gala of the Monmouth Festival of the Arts. Hubby gorged himself on Swedish meatballs along with a variety of other hors d'oeuvres. He judges art shows by the quantity and quality of the food. :^) I enjoyed looking at the artwork and chatting with people.

On the drive home after the arts festival, several more ideas for the book rushed into my brain. So as soon as I got home, I hurried back to the computer and started writing again.

Sometimes, taking a break is a good thing.

One Pot Meal

We always combine our St. Patrick's Day celebration with Daughter #3's birthday. I make my Irish soda bread, and then boil corned beef, cabbage, carrots, and potatoes--all in one pot. I love the simplicity of it. No fuss. One pot to clean.

For dessert we have ice cream cake--purchased, of course--so that's no work for me.

This is one of my favorite parties because it involves so little effort. The soda bread takes a bit of time, but it is worth it because nothing tastes quite as good as homemade soda bread fresh from the oven. My daughters have told me they have bought soda bread and it is never as good as mine. :^)

One of our guests told me I should sell it.

But I don't know if I would want to make soda bread everyday. I think it wouldn't be so special to me anymore.

EPICon 2007

Here I am in Virginia Beach! EPICon, the annual conference for EPIC members, was held within driving distance of New Jersey this year so hubby and I packed up our suitcases and cruised down Route 13 to Virginia. On the way we discovered that the Delmarva pennisula is very flat--which could make for a boring drive save for the fact that there are a number of large antique stores along the way. Our drive to Virginia Beach took longer than we anticipated due to a few of those antique stores. :^)

The conference was held at the Surfside Inn. We had a lovely room facing the beach with a private balcony. Friday morning we were greeted by the dawn. On the way to breakfast, I met Janet Lane Walters--who is also a New Concepts Publishing author. She gave me a hug, but I think she was just so glad to see me because I had signed up for the first shift in the bookstore. :^)
The keynote speaker was Sherrilyn Kenyon. Her talk was terrific! Hubby and I shared a table with Lorna and Larry Collins as well as P. June Diehl. The conference was considerably smaller than the one run by the New Jersey Romance Writers--but that made it easy to get to know a lot of other writers.
Hubby went to a few talks with me and our favorite was TJ Glenn's "Bruise and Consequence: How to Build a Better Beating." My heroines are always getting into some kind of trouble so I figured I ought to know how to get them out of it. To keep a good reference handy, I bought Teel's book, Them's Fightin' Words!

The highlight of the conference was the EPPIE banquet. I sat next to Jane Toombs--a lovely lady and a prolific author. I am hoping that some of her talent rubbed off on me. Jeff Strand was the emcee--and he was hilarious. There were so many categories this year, but Jeff held everyone's attention with his over-the-top writer's humor.









I did not take photos of all the winners. However, I had to take a picture of my fellow Awe-Struck author, Sherry Derr-Wille. She was the winner in the inspirational category this year for her book, The Outlaw's Daughter.













Another winner was Linda Bleser for her book East of Eden.












By the way, the above photos can be viewed larger just by clicking on them!

It was a great conference. Next year it will be in Portland, Oregon! Start saving now. :^)

New Contract!

This week New Concepts Publishing gave me a contract for THE BEAST OF BLACKBIRCH MANOR! I do not know yet when the book will be released, but I am having fun filling out the questionnaire for the book cover.

I would like the manor to look like Grey Towers.

I would like the heroine to look like Sienna Miller.

And the Beast? Well, if he wasn't so hairy, he would definitely look like Pierce Brosnan. :^)

I'm a Guest Blogger

Here’s the link:

http://ravenvampire.club.blogspot.com

Check it out!

Ice Storm

Yesterday, the Andromeda bushes in our yard looked lovely with a coating of ice--and so did all the trees. But the limbs were too heavy and many soon came crashing down--pulling down power lines. We had no power for 27 hours. We used up almost all of the firewood we had trying to keep warm. We did not get much sleep. Hubby kept an eye on the fire for the first half of the night, and I took the second shift.


It was dangerous to be outside. The tulip tree seed pods were the size of golf balls and every time the wind blew, the ice encrusted seed pods came crashing down. One large limb broke a window on our trusty minivan--but we're thankful that is all that was broken. We were so happy to see the power company trucks arrive to fix the power lines. This was certainly a memorable Valentine's Day!

Ocean Grove's Chocolate Weekend

Yesterday we went to Ocean Grove for their annual Chocolate Lover's Weekend. Hubby thinks of it as trick or treat for grownups. There is lots of free food. We went to the Manchester Inn first because they have the biggest selection. We both had some soup, but while we were sipping our soup a waiter came around several times with chocolate covered delicacies for us to try. We sampled chocolate covered potato chips, chocolate covered bananas, and white chocolate covered popcorn.

From there, we went to the Ocean View Inn and the Ocean Plaza where I took the photo of hubby and the chocolate fountain. The Carriage House had chocolate cheesecakes, and the Henry Richard Inn had tortellini soup--which I heard was wonderful but by that time I had sampled so much that I did not have any room left in my tummy.

It was chilly in Ocean Grove, but the sky was blue and the weather was considerably warmer than it had been most of the week. I love the beach in the winter when the tourists are gone. It is so much more peaceful. Even the pigeons were unperturbed as we walked by. They continued to huddle together on one sunny rooftop atop a gingerbread covered cottage. There are some new houses being built in Ocean Grove, but the new ones are not as fancy as the older homes. Obviously, the pigeons like the older homes, too.

A Celebration

Saturday, hubby and I attended a Fortieth Anniversary celebration for our friends A & C at our church. We've known A & C since we moved to this town. They had six boys and then adopted a girl. They were always active in the church and handed us the job of running the Pre-Cana program--which we did for many years.

After the ceremony where A & C renewed their vows, everyone went downstairs to the cafeteria where there was plenty of food. A & C could have fed an army! Hubby and I ate way too much.

In these times when so many young people simply live together, and so many young couples who do get married get divorced, it was wonderful to celebrate a successful marriage. A & C have had some very hard times, but they weathered the storms.

Another Move

Here's photo of hubby putting Daughter #2's bed together. Yesterday, she moved from one part of Brooklyn to another--using Mom & Dad's moving service. We packed her bed and a desk Grandma had found (most definitely an antique) into the minivan and headed north. It is incredible how much stuff Daughter #2 has accumulated in only a year and a half. She had picked up a chair in someone's trash and refinished it. She had picked up a shelf in someone else's trash. She had acquired an extra computer, too. (I don't think she got that in someone's trash.)

We had to make three trips from one apartment to the other. Fortunately, the BQE was not too busy yesterday--though it was a bit slow on the last trip because we caught the tail end of rush hour. Still, we were very lucky in getting good parking spots. I got an aerobic workout climbing up and down the three flights of stairs to collect her belongings from her old apartment, but I was glad that the new one is on the first floor. Her room has a window that faces a wall but the apartment has a nice feature with a spiral staircase which leads up to the kitchen and living room area.

Here's how the room looked with Daughter #2's possessions in it. She has quite a bit of organizing to do. But she does have plans. She wants to paint the room and she has a friend who is willing to sew up some curtains for her. So I guess, she is standing there envisioning how it will all look in the future.

She treated hubby and I to supper at a small, but nice Chinese restaurant. It was a very long day and we were tired by the time we returned home. We hope Daughter #2 will be happy in her new place.

Once upon a time...

Hubby and I went on a cruise for our very first anniversary. That was BC--before children. We did not have a fancy room, but we had six meals a day and plenty of entertainment. When we went back to our room at night, we found our cabin boy, Giovanni, had placed my nightie on my bed. He pleated in little folds at the waist. I was quite surprised.

Make Them Cry

Yesterday the New Jersey Romance Writers had a terrific program, "Emotion: Underwriting for Tearjerking" presented by Alicia Rasley. Ms. Rasley is an amazing speaker. She was able to elicit tears from EVERYONE listening to her talk. She told us all a very moving story--but she did not cry while telling it. I know I could not have done that. I would have gotten all choked up.

I'm such a softy.

Of all my books, the one that stands out as a tearjerker is "Heaven's Blue". So as I was driving home after the meeting, I started devising ways to make my current book into a five-hankie masterpiece.

But don't worry, there will be a happy ending. :^)

It's Snowing!

Today it finally snowed. Not much--but this week the weather has felt a lot more like winter is supposed to feel.

So I played around and made another banner for Irons In The Fire. If you are feeling cold, you should read this book. It may help warm you up. :^)

"...a truly engrossing, mystical tale...IRONS IN THE FIRE is a fabulous read," said Susan Mobley in Romantic Times Book Reviews.



Click on the banner to order your copy now!

Rainy Day Activity

Today was a rainy day. On days like today, hubby likes to browse through antique stores. He is always searching for old sheet music or old accordions. Lately, I've been looking for a nice Victorian hall chair. Daughter #1 joined us as we roamed through a few antique stores this afternoon. However, it was an unsuccessful shopping trip. We came home with nothing. :^(

Nevertheless, we did pick up one of those free papers with a list of some antique stores we have never visited. So perhaps on the next rainy day we'll get lucky.

Special Bread

While I was out taking a CPR/AED course on Saturday, one of our neighbors left a call. When I returned home, hubby told me about the message. He explained it as something that sounds like a chain letter--only it involves bread. Sort of.

My neighbor needed someone to agree to take a portion of her Padre Pio bread starter. Supposedly, this bread comes from the Vatican. Also, my family gets blessings from the bread. My family could use a few extra blessings so I agreed.

Today I came home to a container of dough which I have to take care of for the next ten days. There are very specific directions. I had to put the dough into a glass bowl. I must stir it only with a wooden spoon. At the end of the ten days--after having added milk, flour, and sugar a few times--I have to divide the dough into four portions and give it away to three other people who have never had the opportunity to do this until now. Then I get to bake a loaf of bread to share with my family.

I was just a teeny-tiny bit skeptical about whether or not the starter came from the Vatican. So I looked it up online and found this.

Nevertheless, it is a nice gesture and I'm looking forward to eating the bread.

The Holidays Are Over

We packed away the ornaments and the tree today. Yesterday, we took all the lights off the bushes outside. As much as I enjoy the lights at this dark time of year, all in all Christmas involves too much extra work.

I enjoy the parties and the get-togethers, but I think everything would be a lot easier if Christmas was more like Memorial Day or the Fourth of July--skip the gifts and eat picnic-style food. Grilled burgers, hot dogs, potato salad--and watermelon, served on a red and green tablecloth.

Tomorrow, I'll take down the Christmas cards which I hung all over the family room. Then I'll go through my list and see who has been naughty and who has been nice. Usually, if I don't receive a card from someone for two years, I scratch them off my list--unless they're a relative. Then I'll send them Christmas greetings via e-mail.

This year, hubby did not send a card to an old friend of his since he had not received one from the friend last year. Then a few days after Christmas, his friend called wondering why he had not gotten a card. Oy. Some people expect too much.

Hopefully, I can get back into my usual routine now--and finish the book.

Worksaving Device?

My sister gave me a Roomba--the robotic vacuuming device that is supposed to clean all by itself. She had received it as a gift, but after trying it out for a while, she decided it wasn't for her. She said her house is too big and the thing had gotten itself lost a few times.

I tried it out in the upstairs hall. I watched it for a while to be sure it would not fall down the stairs. It came to the edge several times and turned around so I figured it would be fine by itself. I left it and went off into another room. Then I heard a crash. Roomba had fallen down the steps.

Nevertheless, after a charge it seemed to have suffered no ill effects from the fall. So the next day I put it in the dining room. It whirled around for quite a while until it had depleted all its energy. It had collected some dirt--though I am sure our regular vacuum which has far more suction would have done a more thorough job. Still, the rug looked neater--and some small crumbs had been picked up.

Today I put it in our little library. Again it ran around for a while until it ran out of power. Again, it picked up some dirt. I should do an experiment and see how much the regular vacuum would pick up after Roomba has finished.

But it is a nice gadget.

When the cook is upset...

Mistakes happen.

Every year on Christmas Eve I make Cape Cod Cranberry Pie. It's easy. It's quick and it is delicious. I make biscuits and ham, too, along with vegetables. But the pie is the big flourish at the end of the meal.

However, this year I was upset. And the pie was a disaster. I had a good reason for being emotionally distraught. My mother went into the hospital (again) on Saturday. The reason she wound up in the hospital was the same this time as last time--her medication.

So in a bad state of mind, I began to mix up my pie--just as I've done every Christmas Eve. When I was finished, I knew something was wrong because the crust did not spread out as it usually does. But I stuck the pie in the oven anyway.

It came out looking rather strange.

In wasn't until it was time to serve the pie that I realized what I had forgotten to add to the crust.

Sugar.

Oops.

I sliced up the pie and practically drowned each piece in whipped cream. It was edible, but not at all as scrumptious as it should have been.

The Last Holiday Gig

Today I joined hubby in entertaining at an adult day care center. I led the sing-along which consisted mostly of holiday songs. Nevertheless, hubby came prepared to play a few requests--which was a good thing because there was one woman who had grown up on the Italian Riviera--the most beautiful place in the world, she claimed. Especially for her, hubby played a medley of Italian songs.

Then when hubby began to play Ave Maria, one man in the audience got up and sang it beautifully. His Latin was better than mine. :^)

Our audience was very appreciative and a few of them did get up to dance, too. It was a lovely afternoon!

Amazon Connect

I signed up for the Amazon Connect program for authors. So far, my three Awe-Struck books are included. So when anyone goes to the description page for the books, I'll be there at the bottom of the page, chatting about my books. Readers can make comments.

This is supposed to be good for business. :^)

I have a lot of company in this endeavor. There are plenty of other writers hooked up to Amazon's Connect program. It is interesting to read what they have written about their books.

Check it out if you have the chance!

Lights!

This is a slightly enhanced photo of the erratically blinking light display at our house. Hubby and I put the lights on the bushes today. We still have plenty of other Christmas preparations that we must complete--hopefully soon, but to me the lights are truly one of the joys of the season.

Writers' Party

Yesterday, the members of the New Jersey Romance Writers had their annual holiday party! Everyone brought something to eat--there was a preponderance of desserts. I made Frito Pie. It is tasty and everyone liked it, but there's tons of sodium in it.

It was nice to sit and chat with everyone. Most of the time at the monthly meetings we don't have much time to gab since there is usually an informative program or workshop. Still, conversations can be a little different with a bunch of writers. Every now and then someone will say, "That would make a great title!" Or "That would make a great story!" It doesn't matter what the topic of conversation might be, there's always a good idea in there somewhere.

Grad School Buddies

One of hubby's grad school friends stopped in to visit yesterday. It was so nice to see him since we haven't seen him in quite a few years. He lives in the Netherlands and is now retired. A long, long time ago, hubby was the best man at this friend's wedding.

Hubby's Dutch friend brought us some chocolate. He reminded us about St. Nicholas Day--which is a big holiday in the Netherlands.

The visit was too short, but we have an invitation to go and visit hubby's friend in the Netherlands. Wouldn't that be awesome!

The Past Few Days...

were very hectic. On Friday, Daughter #1 moved from one apartment to another. Hubby and I drove the two hours to her place and helped her with the move. She now has a washer and dryer in her apartment. So hopefully, she won't be bringing laundry home with her every time she visits.:^)

Friday night, hubby's band had a fancy Christmas party--dinner and dancing--an hour away from our home. We spent much of Friday in the car.

Saturday I had to catch up on all the things I did not do on Friday. Then today we drove to see Daughter #1 again. She sang in a concert with the choir--and it was a wonderful concert. Afterwards, on the way home, we stopped in to visit Daughter #3. We shared a fast food supper with her and then got back on the road to head home.

Unwrapped Toy

Every year our church has an advent tree in the foyer decorated with tags listing gifts needed for those less fortunate. I always pick the tag for the unwrapped toy and then I go out an buy a baby doll.

Today, I strolled through the aisles of Toys R Us looking for the perfect baby doll. This year my choice was the You & Me, Giggles & Coos Baby. When the baby doll's hand is squeezed its eyes close and open. It also makes delightful baby noises.

I love it.

Maybe someday I'll have grandchildren and I won't buy baby dolls anymore. But I still believe the simplest toys are the best.

Should I buy wooden blocks next year?

Our Trio

This is the annual photo! Hubby and I managed to corral our daughters for a few minutes and take some snapshots. Our daughters cooperated, which was nice. When they were younger, taking a photo of the three of them was often a monumental task.

New Vocabulary

Daughters #1, #2, and #3 are staying for the weekend. I am learning new vocabulary words. Some of them are not so nice like the one I learned today. According to English Through The Ages (a great book for writers) the word was coined in 1660. I guess I have lived a sheltered life. Oh well.

No Turkey

Here's our Fakesgiving gang--minus me because I took the picture. We dined at the Macaroni Grill. No turkey there. However, we all had plenty to eat. Several brought food home. Not me, I ate everything. I had planned ahead by having a cup of yogurt for lunch--and I did not have salad before the main course.

My mother is doing somewhat better. Her blood pressure is apparently under control now, but she suffered with a stiff neck all week. Last night's dinner out was a big excursion for her, but she had a nice time.

Sister #1 and her family stayed at our house overnight before they headed back home. Sister #2 and her gang stayed with Mom and Dad.

I sure wish everyone lived close by.

Fakesgiving

Usually, every year at Thanksgiving the entire clan gathers at my house--the clan being my sisters with their spouses and children, my parents, our own daughters, and sometimes my uncle's family. Some years I have fed 22 people--and one dog (Cassie, who makes an appearance in Heaven's Blue).

However, this year Sister #2's husband must work on the Friday after Thanksgiving. So she thought we could all get together for the feast this weekend. Daughter #2 cannot be here and neither can Sister #1's oldest son who is in college. I intend to make the usual turkey dinner on Thanksgiving--but just thinking about making another huge feast this weekend made me exhausted.

Instead we are going out to eat. Sister #1 decided to dub this "Fakesgiving." For me, it means I will be able to chat and enjoy everyone's company.

I think I'll want to do this next year. :^)

Art Opening

Today the library had an art opening and one of my paintings was in the show. I sold the painting! (My first sale!) I have been in Grace Graupe-Pillard's painting workshop for a long, long time. That's Grace on the right in the photo. She holds class shows every now and then, and I've had my paintings in other shows, but this was the first time someone wanted to buy one of my paintings--which is awesome.

Hubby was impressed. He took the photo.

My Mom

Yesterday was my mother's 85th birthday. She spent the day at the hospital--getting an MRI among other things. Her blood pressure readings have been in the stratosphere. However, the tests she has had proved that her kidneys are fine. The cardiologist found her heart okay--but for a few skipped beats. Still, for an 85 year old woman, she is in relatively good shape.

Evidently, her medication is a big part of the problem. Until that problem is straightened out, I'll be running back and forth to the hospital to visit.

Books Sandwiched In

I love to talk about books! Today I had a great time doing just that at the Books Sandwiched In program in Atlantic Highlands. The Books Sandwiched In program (BSI) is affiliated with Atlantic Highlands Friends of the Library. They are a wonderful group of people and they asked some good questions.


Hubby came along to help.

He got a free cup of coffee. :^)

Cheers!

Here's one of the photos taken during our daughters' visit to the Netherlands. They stopped at an abbey where a bunch of monks make ale. Looks like everyone had a great time!

Happy Halloween!

My Halloween costume this year was a combination of two former costumes. I looked completely ridiculous, which is okay. I'd rather go for something funny than something ghoulish.

The kiddies knew what I was--a clown queen. However, one of my coworkers thought I looked like a cross between Burger King, Bozo, and something from the Pirates of the Caribbean.

Hubby decided I was Dracu-Bozo, Queen of the Vampire Clowns. :^)

The difficult part of this costume was the nose. If I ever put on that nose again, I will use duct tape to keep it in place.

How They Grew

Over the years, we measured our daughters' heights on the door jam of the downstairs hall closet. There were pencil marks, names, and measurements taken at sporadic intervals. Today, hubby painted over the measurements. I took a few photos before he applied the brush.

Sigh.

Four Stars!

A Rush of Light received a four star review in Romantic Times Book Review magazine. I have no idea what the review says because I am not a subscriber and will not get a copy of the magazine until it arrives at my local bookstore. However, you can watch this space and sooner or later you, too, can read the entire review. :^)

Our World Travelers

Daughters #1 & #2 took a vacation together. For their first trip abroad, they went to the Netherlands to visit their cousin and her family who now live there. They had a very nice time and came home loaded with licorice--evidently a favorite of the Dutch.

Daughter #2 showed us her photos of the teeny, tiny cars she saw. She also had photos of Dutch jack o'lanterns which are somewhat different from the ones we carve over here. First of all, the Dutch don't call them jack o' lanterns. They call them Halloweens. :^)

I had a little pumpkin on the kitchen table and Daughter #2 was inspired to create her own Dutch-style Halloween.

Wonderful E-Books!

I got my batch of e-books to judge for the EPPIE contest so I'll be doing more reading than usual for a while--not that I mind. :^)

Every year, the EPPIE Awards are presented to the best e-books. Two of my books won in the inspirational category, Sea of Hope in 2002 and Heaven's Blue in 2005. Winning was such a thrill!

It is a great contest.

The Flea Market

I joined hubby for a trip to one of the flea markets today. The weather was clear and cool--just perfect for walking around outdoors. I found a bargain on my favorite soap, I got twelve pairs of crew socks for $8, and I got three hardcover books. Plus I got some exercise. :^)

The piles and piles of STUFF at the flea market always amaze me. Many people have way more than they need. Our own house is cluttered. We tried the flea market a few times to get rid of our excess, but we did not do well. We tried a few garage sales, but again we did not get rid of everything.

Lately, if I really want to get rid of something I put it out on the corner near the road with a big sign on it that says FREE. This seems to be the most effective method to eliminate clutter. We got rid of several large items this way--an extension ladder, a dollhouse, a broken lawnmower, and an old bicycle. In anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, whatever I put out was whisked away.

Now I'm beginning to think that someone who has a table at one of the flea markets probably took my stuff and added it to their huge assortment of items for sale. But it's okay. At least, I don't have to trip over those pieces of clutter anymore.

Another Fantastic Conference!

On Friday and Saturday I attended the annual New Jersey Romance Writers' Conference. I sat around with other authors in the PAN Retreats, drank wine, ate chocolate cookies, and discussed the business of writing. I heard of obstacles that have prevented some of the authors from reaching the top. "We all want to be stars," said Shirley Hailstock.

That is so true.

Saturday's speakers and workshops were wonderful. Carla Neggers gave out tips for writing a breakout novel. Victoria Alexander explained the way she looks at life from a writer's viewpoint.

As always, I made sure to sit in on the editors' panel. Last year, all the editors wanted erotica. This year paranormal was the number one request. I have been writing seriously for a long, long time and I have seen the pendulum swing back and forth so often I simply sigh when a "new" trend is announced.

Next year, those editors will all be craving something else.

I received six FREE books and I sold a few of my books at the bookfair.

There are some New Jersey Romance Writers who have left our fair state, but who returned for the conference. It was so nice to see them.

Now I can't wait for next year's conference. :^)

Birthdays

We celebrated four birthdays this weekend. Daughter #1, Daughter #2, my father, and I all share the same birthday week. There's 196 years between us. That's way too many candles for one small cake. I simply used all twenty candles that came in the box.

We had a great time just gabbing and eating.

Flyboys

Hubby and I went to see Flyboys last night. Hubby loved it. He was still thinking about it today and what a great movie it was.

I found much of it nerve-wracking but it was definitely worth seeing simply for the cowboy, Rawlings, played by James Franco. He is a classic hero. Unfortunately, it was rather easy to figure out which of the other characters were expendable.

Favorite Fungus

Every year aroung this time, a fungus grows in our yard. Hubby thinks this is a fabulous fungus. It seems to get a bit bigger every year. Should we be worried?

Hubby put the dollar bill in the photo so it is easier to see how big this mammoth fungus is.

I've been busy with my real job this week. In addition to work, I had to attend a workshop on Thursday night. Plus I am trying to write as much as possible. And I'm still exercising. I know if I did not have my ebook reader, I would probably have no inclination to exercise. But reading an interesting book is my motivation.

Everyone has a story.

Here's a photo of a nun talking to Donna Birdsell. The nun had a story to tell about literacy. It seems that a lot of people have stories to tell--especially when they meet up with a bunch of authors. However, not everyone wants to write down their own stories. One couple told us about their wonderful love story--it would make a great book, they said. So we encouraged them to write it themselves, but they were not very enthusiastic about that.

Sadly, we found there are some people who insist they don't have the time to read as they passed by our booth. Personally, I cannot imagine a life where there is no time to read. Everyone winds up sitting in a doctor's office at some point. Lots of us wind up sitting in the DMV or the Social Security Office for hours. Some of us are lucky enough to sit on the beach once in a while. Picking up a book is a great way to unwind--or to get your mind off your troubles. At least it is for me.

Still, we met a number of enthusiastic readers, too. And some people who were already writing their own stories. So, of course, we invited them to join us at the New Jersey Romance Writers. I hope they will!

Romance Writers in Red Bank

Today a street fair was held in Red Bank, NJ. Monmouth Street and Broad Street were blocked off to traffic so that pedestrians could walk in the street. The weather was delightful. Donna Birdsell, Lois Winston, Irene Peterson, Caridad Pineiro, and I spent the day selling our books, talking with readers, and encouraging some like-minded writers who would also like to become authors.

It was a lot of fun!

I cut the electric wire...

while I was trimming the yew bushes. I was using the electric hedge clippers. I've always feared them, but we have a lot of shrubbery and the hedge clippers do help finish the job quickly. I was getting toward the end of the task and I was tired, but I wanted to finish. I did not take heed of where the cord was and wound up catching it in the teeth of the clippers.

At first, I had no idea why smoke and sparks were coming from the clippers. So I screamed. Then I felt really stupid. Hubby has cut the electric cord twice that I know of, but he never screamed when it happened. He said a rather nasty word as I recall.

Anyhow, hubby was raking up all the clippings and was not the least bit put out that I had completely ruined an extension cord. Fortunately, we had another one in the garage and within a few minutes, I was clipping away again. The yew bushes look very neat now.

But next time, I'll be more careful.

Keepers

I've read a whole bunch of books this summer--most of them were the paperbacks I had on my to-be-read shelf. I wanted to read as many as I could so I would be able to make some room on the shelf. (That's one of the other reasons why e-books are great--they don't take up any shelf space.)

Of all the books I finished, only two stood out as "keepers." They were:

Ultra Violet by Ellen Henderson, a Silhouette Bombshell released in 2005.

Blue Moon by Lori Handeland, a St. Martin's Paperback released in 2004.

These were both great reads that kept me turning the pages. While they are also no longer new, they are both available at amazon.com. Of course, I'm not giving mine away. I'm keeping them and loaning them out only to very good friends who I know will return them to me.

Anyone else find some "keepers" on their to-be-read shelf?

Titles

I had a discussion yesterday with Daughter #3 about the title of the book I am currently writing. The tentative title is Blackbirch Manor. However, I did not think that was enough--it did not say enough about the story. So I asked Daughter #3 what she thought of The Count of Blackbirch Manor.

"That sounds like The Count of Monte Cristo," she said.

"Okay. You're right. How about The Secret of Blackbirch Manor?" I asked.

"That sounds like a Nancy Drew book," she said.

I winced. "How about The Curse of Blackbirch Manor?"

She frowned. "That's better. But if I were you I would just use Blackbirch Manor. It's simpler."

True. The letters would be bigger because there are less of them.

Titles are difficult for me. A few have come to me in a flash, but not all of them. The publisher could change the title anyway. But what do you think? Should it be short--or more definitive?

An Exercise Machine!

I have been looking for a used elyptical machine since our trip to Puerto Rico. While hubby and I were there we used the fitness room in the hotel everyday. Usually, my favorite exercise is walking, but I thought something for inclement weather would be useful—and also so I can eat an extra muffin. I found the treadmill and the stationary bicycle boring. The weight machines were tedious, although hubby—the engineer—seemed to enjoy counting repetitiously—I suppose because he has a mathematical mind.

With the elyptical machine, I felt I got a good workout—all over. For the past few weeks, I’ve been searching eBay and the local newspaper and I finally got lucky. Last night I bought one. Hubby and I brought the machine home and for now it is in the garage. I intend to put it in the basement eventually, but I have to clean out a corner. (That will not be fun.) The machine has a screen which can tell me how many steps I’ve gone, how many calories I’ve burned, how many minutes I’ve been working out and it can check my pulse. If I want to, I can make it harder by increasing the resistance—but I think I’ll have to get in shape for that first.

The best feature—for me at least—is that fact that is has a little shelf for a book so I can read while I’m exercising. I tried a paperback but with my aging eyesight and the poor light in our garage, it was too difficult for me to see—and rough to turn pages as well. However, I found I could use my Rocket e-book reader on it. I already have it set at a 16-point font, and it has a backlight. All I had to do was change the page orientation so I could slide the thinner end of the reader into the book holder. Then it is a whole lot easier to turn pages because I just have to push the button. Awesome.

I’m looking forward to exercising and catching up on my reading.

For those of you interested in owning an e-book reader, ebookwise has one that is a newer version of the original Rocket. You can find one at:

http://www.ebookwise.com/ebookwise1150.htm

Otherworldly Photos from Florida

To me, these live oak trees with the Spanish moss look like they belong on another planet, but I found them in Howard Park. Florida has some strange plants--at least to a New Jerseyan like me. I thought this grove of trees would make a good setting for a sci-fi novel--not that I am going to write one though I've read a few. Or perhaps it would make a great paranormal scene--nice and spooky at night! I have thought of setting a novel in Florida. I've thoroughly explored much of the central west coast.


I was fascinated with these crazy little crabs, too. You have to look closely at the photo--I did not have my telephoto lens with me. There seemed to be a whole army of crabs. What were they doing? Was this a conference? A party? A family reunion? To me, it looked like the beginnings of a horror movie. Maybe that's just the way my writer's mind works. If I could have zoomed in on those crabs and made them bigger, it could have been a very scary picture. :^)

Anyhow there is some strange scenery in Florida. Just thought I would share.

Favorite Road to Drive

Driving to Florida is not fun, for the most part. The roads between NJ and Florida are rather boring. I95 in Virginia does have a few nice hills, but I95 in NC, SC, and GA is really, really flat and straight. That is a good thing for trucks, I suppose, and there is a bit of nice scenery over Lake Marion. However, most of the drive is simply tedious.

When we get to Florida, we cross over to I75 on A1A and 301 and the scenery improves somewhat. However, the best part of our journey is I75 in Hernando County in Florida. By then we are almost at the end of our ride and I75 has some wonderful hills and turns along that section of road. I always insist on being behind the wheel. I turn on Handel's Messiah and get a kick out of going seventy miles an hour around the banked curves. The scenery is lovely, too--from an air conditioned car. I know if I got out of the car I would melt on the spot.

If I time it right, I have the Grand Amen playing by the time we get off at the exit in Pasco County.

Do you know of a road that's fun to drive?

Worst rest room on the Interstate

Hubby and I have just returned from our annual trek to Florida via I 95 and I 75. The worst rest room I encountered was the one at the rest stop on the southbound side past the Dale City exit in Virginia. One of the stalls in the ladies room did not have a door--that was the only stall that was clean. Two others weren't flushing. The fourth was not flushing very well. I did not use that rest room. Hubby and I got off at the next exit and stopped at a gas station.

Most of the interstate rest rooms along the way are good. In my opinion, a decent rest room should have paper seat covers, soap, a sufficient amount of stalls, the toilets should flush--and the room should be clean.

Any other nominations for the worst rest room on an interstate?

More Reminiscing

Hubby and I picked up Daughter #3 at the hospital yesterday. She's doing much better. As soon as she got out, we took her to a Dunkin' Donuts shop. She loves their coffee and practically lives on the stuff. It must be addictive. :^)

Last night, hubby and I got out our wedding photo album and looked through it. We were so much younger! We also looked at the pictures of our honeymoon. Thirty years ago today we were in Bermuda. Here you can see some of the photos we took. One shows hubby carrying me through a moongate. I don't think he could do that now. :^) Another shows us on the deck of a boat for the rum swizzle cruise. We look like kids.

Ordeal

It has been a rough week. Daughter #3 is in the hospital--again. So hubby and I have been going back and forth to visit her there all week, but on Thursday we also had to trek south to our daughter's summer dorm room and take everything out of it, and then drive her car home. We did it on one of the hottest days of the year here in NJ. I drove her car and hubby followed me--but her car's a/c does not work. Driving north on the Parkway with the windows down is not a good idea. Everytime a bus or truck went by, I got slapped by a blast of hot air and diesel exhaust.

However, Daughter #3 was looking much better yesterday, so hopefully she'll be out of the hospital soon. We left everything in her car because she has to move it all into the dorm she'll be staying in for the fall semester.

Drips

This year our house has been plagued with drips. You can see in this photo the latest repair--done yesterday by hubby. The hole is in the ceiling and the drip came from a water pipe going up to the bathroom. Evidently, it spontaneously sprung a leak. The pipe had a small crack in it.

Years ago, I bought a fix-it yourself home repair book for hubby. That book has been used many times and there he found the solution for the pipe leak yesterday. The metal piece over the pipe is like a pipe bandage. It is currently working. I hope it continues to work. Otherwise, we will have to replace the pipe. Owning a home can be real annoying at times--especially when there are drips.

Little People

Yesterday, I spent a considerable amount of time in a waiting room with Daughter #3. I had brought along a book to read, but I didn't get any reading done due to three rambuncious children who were also in the waiting room. They were poking and teasing and crawling over and behind the couch like a squirmy bunch of puppies. A brief reprimand from the nurse did no good. So Daughter #3 and I began to talk to the youngsters. The oldest was ten, and the younger two were eight. The oldest was the most communicative.

We learned that they went to the same pool club as our daughters once had. We learned that they had fish and cats for pets. They told us about their vacation and their busy schedule of activities. The oldest plays the saxophone.

Their harried mom eventually came out of the examining room with another daughter. She really has her hands full! But I enjoyed talking to her kids. For one thing, they reminded me very much of what our daughters had been like at that age. In addition, it's difficult for me to pass up an opportunity to get to know about people--even little people. I might need some characters just like those three wriggly little darlings someday.

Not a good weekend for the beach...

Yesterday it rained--or threatened to rain--most of the day and Daughter #1 had come to visit us. So instead, of going to the beach we cut out the list of local garage sales from the newspaper and drove around town to check them out. I found some nice brass candlesticks for fifty cents! Hubby found some sort of electrical gadget that he thinks is really cool. Daughter #1 did not buy anything. :^( Nevertheless, later in the evening we took Grandma and Granddad out to eat so that was fun.

Since it was so gloomy outside, I decided to spend some time putting together another banner for Heaven's Blue, my EPPIE 2005 winner. The banner will be at the Romance Junkies website for a whole year! It seemed like an easy way to promote the book. Promotion is a tough job--I think it's the most difficult part of being an author, but I do have fun making banners. :^) If you click on the banner, it will take you to the page at Awe-Struck's website where you can read an excerpt of the book.

Photos from Puerto Rico

That's me draped over the cannon at El Morro. The fort is really awesome. However, by that point in the day I was exhausted. It was hot, my feet hurt, and I could not drink enough water. We walked all over Old San Juan. The town is not that big and I would have been fine if I had worn more sensible shoes and if it wasn't so blazingly hot.


The following day we went to the rainforest--El Yunque. This was the biggest waterfall we saw in the rainforest, and evidently a lot of people just go there to swim. Our tour director, a very talkative man, took us to the top of the trail so that most of the time, we were walking downhill. It was very humid, but it was also very shady so I wasn't baked as I had been the day before.

Hubby spotted three huge land snails all sitting together on a large piece of bark, but that was the extent of the wildlife we saw on the trail. This was a good thing because I don't particularly like snakes and such.

The Beach

On Sunday, hubby signed up for a season pass to the beach. Today we visited the beach again in the afternoon. I always bring a book to read and a sketchbook. I love to draw people at the beach--but they have an unfortunate tendency to move before I've finished. So I look for the ones who are snoozing. :^)

Public Transportation in Puerto Rico

Hubby and I took the A5 bus into and out of Old San Juan several times during our stay there. At 75 cents each, the fare was a real bargain, and it also gave us the opportunity for a real up close and personal look at the people. Unfortunately, neither hubby nor I speak Spanish, so we missed out on some of the fun--but for some incidents you just had to be paying attention.

For instance, one evening during "rush hour," the bus kept picking up passengers at every stop until there was no room for more. Nevertheless, the bus driver kept telling everyone to move back. The woman standing in front of me had several packages on the floor. So at yet another admonition from the driver to move back, she picked up all her packages and placed them on the lap of the man sitting next to me. She did not ask his permission, she just did it. And he accepted the situation without any protest.

I was amazed. Nevertheless, that was a jolly bus ride. Everyone was good natured about the situation.

So if I write a story about Puerto Rico, you know there's going to be a crowded bus scene in there somewhere. :^)

Landings

Twenty-eight years ago, when my grandfather died, hubby and I flew out to western Pennsylvania for the funeral in a relatively small jet packed with businessmen. There was a lot of turbulence over the mountains on that ride--so much so, that when we landed one gentleman in the back of the plane shouted out, "Cheated death again!" And everyone laughed.

On our flight out to Puerto Rico, I sat beside a very nice Puerto Rican woman. When we landed in Puerto Rico everyone in the plane applauded. I was surprised. I thought maybe this was something new that Americans had started doing recently. However, the woman next to me informed me that the people do that everytime they land in Puerto Rico.

On our return trip home yesterday, as the plane touched down in Newark, there was no clapping. So maybe it is just a Puerto Rican thing.

Anyone else experience this?

I'm Back

Did you miss me? Hubby and I went to Puerto Rico. After hubby's brother passed away, we decided we should go somewhere--especially with our 30th wedding anniversary coming up. We really thought we ought to celebrate big time. Then Daughter #3 went into the hospital just before we were to leave. However, she had laparoscopic surgery and did so well afterwards, we felt okay about leaving.

Of course, I had not been on a plane in 28 years. So I was apprehensive. I don't even like to ride the ferris wheel because I can't deal with that stomach dropping sensation. And then there's the turbulence...

Is here anyone else who is not particularly fond of flying?

New Contest

I will be giving away a T-shirt on Labor Day. Everyone can use another T-shirt! Sign up at my website:

http://www.penelopemarzec.com

The T-shirt will be decorated with the covers from my three inspirational romances because I like to play with iron-on transfers. :^)

Blueberry Crunch

Happy Fourth!

One of the best things about this time of the year, in my opinion, is that it is blueberry season! There are lots and lots of blueberries in NJ. Yesterday I made Blueberry Crunch. I served it with vanilla ice cream. Yum!

Blueberry Crunch
Serves 6 to 8

1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup unbleached flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 light brown sugar
2/3 cup butter
4 cups blueberries

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix oats, flour, and sugar. Work butter into the mixture with your fingers until it is crumbly.

Spread half of the mixture in a greased 9x9 pan. Spread with blueberries. Cover the berries with the remaining oat and flour mixture.

Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve warm or cold.

This is simple and quick--except for picking through the blueberries, but that's fun to do with a friend. :^)