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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?