Great Speckled Pancakes

I always make pancakes from scratch--no mix for me. I have a favorite recipe for oatmeal flour pancakes and another one for buttermilk pancakes. However, my top pick for the heartiest, tastiest pancake of all is the one for the recipe I found in The New York Times Natural Foods Cookbook by Jean Hewitt. (1971)

The original recipe calls for dry milk, which I never have on hand. It also lists brown sugar as optional, but I love brown sugar, so for me it's not optional.

Give these a try next time you make pancakes. I'm sure you will enjoy them, too.

GREAT SPECKLED PANCAKES

1 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 yellow cornmeal
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup oil
2 cups milk

1. Sift the dry ingredients together.

2. Beat in the eggs, milk, and oil.

3. Ladle the mixture onto a hot, oiled griddle. Cook until bubbles form on the top side, which indicates that the bottom is browned. Then flip the pancake and cook the other side.

Yield: About one dozen pancakes.

How to Write a Book

Everyone has an idea for a great book. However, there are a number of people who think that's all they need--just that one fantastic idea. What they do not seem to realize is that someone has to put all the words together before that book can be sent off to a publisher or self-published.

A considerable amount of time is required to put all the words together for a book. It takes sitting at a computer for hours and hours and hours typing in the sentences. It isn't magic.

I have been approached by more than a few individuals who think I can put their book together for them. I don't do that. I use up what spare time I have available in putting my own books together. Writing takes a lot of patience. Then, though I may proclaim my book finished, my editor certainly will not, and I will have to go through all the edits and fix each and every one. Getting a book published can be a tedious process.

There are many helpful references available to anyone who wants to write a book. If you have an incredible idea for a book, you better get started on it right now. Type out a bunch of sentences and then a bunch of paragraphs until you have perhaps 60,000 words or more.

Make sure you have a decent plot along with memorable characters. Realize that there are millions of other books available on the market and while yours is action-packed and suspenseful, the odds of you becoming incredibly wealthy overnight are rather slim.

In fact, you should definitely keep your day job.

Still, it can be very rewarding to see your book in print. If you have the drive, go for it. If you want to get your book published, don't give up. Tap out the words on the keyboard of your computer.

When your book is finally finished, send it off to a publisher or an agent. If you intend to self-publish, make sure you hire an editor to read through it. Then write another book because that is the life of a writer. If one of your books does land you a contract or sells well, it helps to have another book waiting in the wings.

Don't worry that someone will steal your idea. Those of us who are writers have plenty of our own ideas. Besides, there are really only a limited number of plots in this world.

What makes every book unique is the voice of the author.

Okay? Now get to work. :^)

No Cookouts Anytime Soon

This is our patio on the morning after the blizzard of 2016. We won't be having a cookout anytime soon. It's going to take some time for all the snow to melt. Unless we get more on top of what we've already received, which could happen. After all, it is January.

We were fortunate that we did not lose power during the storm, and we are on high ground so we don't have to worry about flooding. We were worried about our roof because a recent storm caused a few shingles to lift and we had water dripping into our living room. However, the roofer's fix seems to have held and we were delighted about that.

I spent the blizzard finishing a baby blanket I started, prompted by my crocheting friend. I also converted an old VHS tape to a DVD. I spent too much time on the internet looking at everyone else's snow pictures as well as the flooding along the coastal areas of NJ.

I shoveled snow. It was wicked outside, but we figured we better make at least one pass to get rid of what had already fallen before the rest of it came down during the night. Fortunately, we have a wonderful neighbor with a huge snowblower who helped us clear away a great deal of the white stuff. Otherwise, we'd still be out there.

I made my favorite pancakes for supper. Daughter #1 decided we deserved wine to go with them after all the shoveling. I didn't get much writing done. Listening to the wind made me too tense!

Were you in the path of the blizzard? How did you spend those hours while the storm raged outside?

Through the Reeds

One warm day last week, hubby and I went to one of the local parks for a walk. I spotted an old rotted stairway leading down to a rock dam. On one side of the dam, a thick stand of phragmites grew with a path beaten down by many feet. My curiosity got the better of me and I had to see where the path led. Would it end at the other side of the rock dam?

The phragmites were tall, making me feel short. A red-winged blackbird flew overhead, scolding me. I enjoyed the somewhat magical sensation of being hidden inside the reeds.

There are many analogies for walking along on an unknown path. For many writers, it is easy to equate  such a path to the process of writing a novel. You can't see very far ahead and you may not be sure where the next turn will lead, but it's that sense of adventure that makes writing so much fun.

Abruptly, I came to the end of my little sojourn. A broken down spillway blocked my progress. If I was more daring, I would have tried stepping over the mossy stones. But I'm not as spry as I used to be so I turned around and returned to the old stairway through my magical path. It was a short exploit, but delightful nevertheless.

Forty Years in August This Year

In August this year, hubby and I will be celebrating our Fortieth Anniversary. I thought I'd start celebrating early. :-)
Here's to forty years of fun!

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How I Learned to Crochet

These are homemade scrunchies. Daughter #3 and I made them one year when we both had long hair. We had fun crocheting an assortment of scrunchies in varied colors to go with every outfit or for specific holidays. I came upon them in the process of cleaning out Daughter #3's room. She now has a house of her own, but her hair is short so she doesn't need them any more and neither do I.

I've crocheted many other things: hats, scarves, ornaments, afghans, even little sweaters for my daughters when they were babies. I tried knitting but I didn't enjoy it. Crocheting is comfortable, easy, and it brings back good memories.

My mother taught me to crochet when I was seven years old. Mom was pregnant with my youngest sister and nearly had a miscarriage. She had been ordered to rest in bed most of the time. She was normally very active and rarely sat still. So it must have been difficult for her to stay in one place with her feet up all the time.

To stay busy without moving much, she signed up for a mail order course in interior decorating. She also took up crochet. I sat beside her and learned to move the hook through the yarn. Soon I was making doll clothes and doilies. What fun!

My mother relied upon me a lot that year. I ironed my father's shirts for work, hung out laundry, and watched my other sister. Both my brother and I learned to cook. We became quite adept and self-sufficient, which was good.

Fortunately, all went well. My youngest sister was born healthy and Mom was soon back to being active.

Every now and then, I pick up a crochet hook, think of Mom, and make something. If you want to make crocheted scrunchies, there are many places online with instructions like this one http://joyfulhomemaking.com/2013/02/easy-crochet-scrunchie.html

Go on and give it a try. You might wind up with tons of scrunchies in every color of the rainbow. :-)

Read Brooke Williams!

Brooke Williams is one of the illustrious Prism Book Group authors. I read her book Accept This Dandelion back in March of 2015.  A take-off on a reality show, it was a cute and funny book with a heartwarming end--and I enjoyed it very much even though I never watch reality shows! 

There's now a sequel Dandelions on the Road. In addition Brooke Williams has written Mamarazzi and a Christmas story, Backwards Christmas. Brooke's books are packed with words that will make you smile. ☺ 

Check out Brooke's website at http://www.authorbrookewilliams.com and download her books, which--like all of the Prism Book Group offerings--are very reasonably priced. 

Wisdom for the New Year

Wishing you a New Year filled with joy!

When I Knew

When I was seven, my brother, who was eight, told me he had seen the Easter Bunny. He smiled enthusiastically and I believed every word he said. Then I turned eight and Christmas came around. I wanted a doll house that year. I woke up during the night and heard my mother and father talking. I listened--and from what they said, I knew my father was following the instructions for putting together a doll house. At that point, I realized Santa Claus was a myth.

When and how did you stop believing in Santa Claus?

Converting Old Videos

I took a movie making course in college back when Super 8 film was the standard. I had a Super 8 camera and I had a great time using up rolls of film. Then video camcorders arrived on the scene. Super 8 film became very expensive, but VHS tapes were cheap. So I bought a huge camcorder and filmed everything from piano recitals, to confirmations, to graduations, and even weddings. My camcorder was huge--not like the smaller models that came later. 

When digital technology arrived on the scene, everything changed. I had a video/DVD recorder and converted many of my VHS tapes into DVDs--but I could not share them on Facebook or Blogger because they were .vob files. 

Then I found Free Video Converter. I could convert all my old .vob files into .mp4 files, which are perfect for sharing everywhere on social media. Now I can add videos to my Throwback Thursdays and my family can relive all those special moments. :-)

Goodreads Giveaway for FALLING IN LOVE

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Goodreads Book Giveaway

Falling in Love

by Penelope Marzec

Giveaway ends December 28, 2015.

See the giveaway details
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Peace--Someday

My daughters and I went hiking on a trail in Sandy Hook the day after Thanksgiving and came upon this huge peace sign. Fashioned of driftwood, shells, and even horseshoe crabs, it lay on the easternmost tip of Sandy Hook, directly opposite New York City. As the sun sank lower on the horizon, we turned our attention to NYC, across the bay, which suddenly turned into a shining city that appeared to be made of gold.

We were dazzled by the sight and took one photo after another. It was a stroke of luck arriving at exactly the right time--for after a few minutes the magic was gone. And yet, as brilliant as that sunset was, I have spend more time thinking about that large, handcrafted peace sign. Who made it? Was it someone who lost a relative in the Twin Towers? Was it a veteran? Or simply someone--like me--who longs for an end to the constant bitter division in this world? In this country?

I grew up during the 1960s and I still love and sing all the anti-war protest songs, but singing songs hasn't stopped any shooting or carnage or hate. In fact, hate is apparently doing very well in this world and increasing every day. Everyone hates somebody.

It's almost Christmas, which is a celebration of how much God loves us. His love is shining on us all the time--just like those golden rays of the sun. He certainly has a lot of faith in us. Can't we reflect some of that faith toward each other? Can't we put aside the labels we give to each other that separate us?

Please pray for peace.

(For those interested in the origin of the peace sign go to http://www.fastcodesign.com/3036540/the-untold-story-of-the-peace-sign.)

The Christmas Project

In addition to preparing the Thanksgiving feast and serving it to eleven hungry people, I spent last week working intensely on a family history book. Two family members initiated the project by asking questions. My nephew wanted to know how my paternal grandparents met. Nobody knew the answer. We still don't, despite questioning several sources. In addition, my younger sister evidently had no clue that my father's brother who died in World War II was a Marine. Obviously, there were some knowledge gaps among the younger family members concerning our family's past.

This prompted my father to start writing down what we know about our predecessors. I was delegated the task of being Dad's collaborator and editing the project. I also uploaded the contents to an online photo site. (I used Snapfish.com because they offered a huge discount.)

Many of the photos I scanned for the project are very old and very small--the size of today's typical business card. Our predecessors didn't take many photos, so the ones we have are rather precious. I don't know how clear they will be in the finished product.

Yesterday, I put the finishing touches on the book and ordered enough copies so that each of my father's grandchildren will have a copy (which is why the huge discount was important). I also ordered copies for my sisters, my uncle, my cousin, me, and Dad, too.  If any family members read this blog they will know what they're getting as a Christmas gift, but it's definitely better than another gift card.

What gifts will you be handing out this holiday season? Anything special?

Wishing You a Joyful, Happy Thanksgiving!

A Kids History: The First Thanksgiving (from History)
This is adorable! 

The video below reminds me of all the Thanksgiving shows I used to put together with the preschoolers, but the children in this video are older and do a great job. Enjoy!

Show Me Your Bookshelf

I own many books. This is half of one shelf. On the left, I have several books about pirates, which I used as references when I was writing my pirate/time travel book, The Pirate's Wraith. The tattered book in the center is Grimm's Fairy Tales, the scary, odd, unadulterated version. Next to it is The Scarlet Letter, then Pride and Prejudice, Tales by Poe, The House of the Seven Gables, Waterwitch, the Rubaiyat, and  Shakespeare--all wonderful classics. At least, I think so. 

Take a photo and post a section of one of your bookshelves. This could be fun! Let's see what you've got. :-)

Sergeants from the Fifth Bomber Command

There's my dad, in the back row, to the right of the sergeant with the glasses. I found this photo on a great site PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF BOMBER COMMAND STATION LIFE
PREPARED BY MAJOR BERNHARDT L. MORTENSEN.

My dad is mentioned in the memoir as one of the men who organized "The Bomb Bay Review." After the war, Dad worked for the Jersey Journal. I guess writing is simply part of my genes.

For Veteran's Day, I give my thanks to all who have served our country. To those who are serving now, I offer my prayers.

What novel were you forced to read in high school?

One of my daughters read Ethan Frome in high school because it was a class assignment. She hated the book. Ethan Frome was written by Edith Wharton and published way back in 1911. Wharton was the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize in 1920 for a later novel, The Age of Innocence. I have not read The Age of Innocence, but I read Ethan Frome--because my daughter hated it. It is a depressing story. However, it is well written--and short, which is probably one of the reasons it was assigned to the students in high school. Nevertheless, I am glad I was not forced to read it at a young age. Well-written novels are often foisted upon tender minds before they are ready to understand them. Worse, the books are then picked apart--piece by piece--until the students are completely sick of them.

I was forced to read The Scarlet Letter, The Call of the Wild, and The Old Man and the Sea when I was in high school. I appreciated The Scarlet Letter most. I later read--on my own--The House of the Seven Gables, which was also written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I could not appreciate The Call of the Wild. I am sure that a dog has a point of view, but I am also sure it is not quite that literate. Nevertheless, I read The Sea Wolf recently, which was also written by Jack London. I liked it. It has romance. It is also about people--not dogs.

The Old Man and the Sea was one of those books my high school teacher made into a torturous experience. Every bit of symbolism was pointed out. Yes, it is well-written--but tragic. Why do teachers insist on tragic, unhappy stories?

Maybe part of the reason some young people do not read today is due to the fact that they've been forced to read depressing books about sad, miserable people.

Why can't English teachers in high school assign happy, upbeat romances? Not all romances are jam-packed with sex. The main ingredient for a romance is a happy ending. Romances are uplifting and not depressing.

Please stop picking the books apart piece by piece. Let the young people enjoy them. Maybe they'll pick up another romance and get hooked on reading for life.

Get Your FREE Download of IRONS IN THE FIRE

Hurry and download this book now! This promotion, through Ereader News Today, will end on November 4, 2015. Afterward, the price will return to $2.99.

When You Come to the End of a Chapter Jump Off the Cliff

An author must make many decisions in the course of writing a fiction novel. One very important choice is how the end of every chapter is handled. There should be a hook at the close of a chapter that intrigues the reader enough to turn the page. In other words, jump off the cliff. Most times, this suggestion should be handled figuratively, not literally, since too much tension might wear the reader out. Often, revealing a new secret or a new character will do the trick, deepening the crisis for the protagonist.

In my book, PATRIOT'S PRIDE, released in June of this year, the first chapter ends with the hero threatening to put the heroine in the brig. The second chapter ends with the hero wondering what new sickness has come over him. At the end of the third chapter, the heroine shows her mettle and takes over the care of an emotionally disturbed young woman despite the hero's warning. Nobody jumps off a cliff, but emotional leaps are perilous as well.

There's a wonderful blog post on the topic at The Editor's Blog that's worth reading. Jami Gold's post, Cliffhangers: Not Just for the End of a Book, offers good suggestions, too.

How about your book? How did you end the first, second, and the third chapters in your book? Tell me in a comment below and then give a link to the book.

Miracles

I took this photo last week in the park. I am forever trying to get pictures with rays of sunlight streaming out of the clouds. I like the quote attributed to Jon Bon Jovi because I think it's true. Miracles are perceived by those receiving them. To someone else, a specific incident might mean nothing.

For instance, last week when hubby and I entertained the seniors, I went behind the piano to borrow the bench. I looked up at the songbook and saw it was open to "Moon River," a song which brings back some fond memories. (You can read about it HERE.) So I sat for a minute and played the song. Was it simply chance that the book was open to that page? I suppose it could be, but I think it was a little hello.

So keep your eyes open. Miracles are everywhere.