You've Got to be Kidding Me!

Just saw this on the morning news. I swear; someone in the Baby Fashion department has a screw loose. They now have...

Baby stilletto crib shoes (say what? Yeah, they're for fun, but how ridiculous!)

Baby toupees (for fun)

Baby tattoos (temporary)

Baby knee pads (for crawlers)

And two that I actually thought were smart ideas...

Baby leg warmers (the child had on a pink dress and matching leg warmers...easier than tights!)

Socks that look like shoes (since now the experts are saying to stay away from the hard soles)

Am I the only one who thinks the marketing department has lost their minds?

On a good note...

Ellora's Cave was able to retrieve my lost downloads of Servant of Magic and Fairy Dust! I've already downloaded (again) all the books I purchased back in May, and as soon as I get some more floppy disks, they will be safe and sound:) I'll finally get to read Demon Wind!

Perceptions

I have a certain shirt that I wear around the house at times. It is a dusty rose tank top, with a V-neck, and lace around the neckline and hem. The past two years, I've only worn it out in public with a denim shirt over it, to cover my arms.

Why?

I looked in the mirror and thought I was revealing too much skin. I jokingly called it a 'slut-shirt', and when writing my smut scenes, it helped me feel sexy. Plus, I have a tendancy to get cold easily, and the material is clingy, so the extra shirt keeps me warm.

But the other day, I put it on for the first time this summer season, and decided I didn't look so bad, after all! And actually got a nice comment from a friend who saw me wearing it.

Why the change? I've not lost any weight; I've not 'enhanced' anything; I simply decided to not care about what others 'might think' if I wore something.

But I rethought that idea when we went out to eat after church. There were two groups of teen girls sitting at two tables, and several had their sleeves cut out of their T-shirts. My hubby was highly offended because several of the holes were cut way below the armpits, and their bras were on display.

My daughter and I also took the dog to the vet this week, and a woman brought in her boxer. I honestly thought she was going to fall out of her extremely low-cut or too-tight shirt every time she bent over to quiet her dog! And after the dog got her medicine and rabies vaccine, my daughter remarked as we were leaving, "Thanks for dressing like a mom, Mom! I don't know how that lady kept her boobs from popping out!"

So I'll go back to wearing my shirt around the house. Not that my boobs are in any danger of falling out; I just want to set a good example for my teens.

And so far, it seems I'm succeeding.

Yes, I've got my PC back!

Thanks to my oldest son and our resident computer geek friend! They restored my computer back to the way it was....in 2003! Ouch...5 years of files lost; 8 e-books; two years' worth of pictures (fortunately, we have them on photo CD!); and I'll have to reinstall Word. But the internet is running and all my bookmarks are still there:)

Tomorrow, I'll start attempting to download the e-books, and start reading again.

Ode to my Dad

Yesterday was my dad's birthday. Since he's one of those who hates any kind of reminder of his age, I did not send a card; there was no cake. They simply went out to dinner and enjoyed a good meal.

But thirty years ago, we did throw him a celebration in Colorado, and my gift to him was this song, to the tune of 'Ode to Joy', or Beethoven's 9th Symphony:

It's your birthday, Daddy dear, yes it is, yes it is
We hope you enjoy your presents, yes we do, yes we do.
I've made something very special, something especially for you.

Happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday, Daddy dear
Happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday, just for you.

Go easy on me, will you? I was twelve! And 'Ode to Joy' is my dad's favorite hymn!

Oh, and btw...I was too embarassed to sing it in front of everyone, so I took him into the other room and barely choked out the words. My sister and our two friends had heard me working on it for a week, yet didn't volunteer to sing it with me. Heartless wretches...to let me suffer like that! Or maybe they saw how bad it was and didn't want to be associated with it?

I redeemed myself in 2002. When we get closer to my mom's birthday, I'll post the better one...if I can find it!

Just Checking In

Currently reading: Here's a list of books I've finished:
A Lion is in the Streets, by Adria Locke Langley
A Woman Called Fancy, by Frank Yerby (I thought this might be what Reba McEntire's song was based on, but no...)
Jubilee, by John Brice
The Sterile Cukoo, by John Nichols
I'm currently making my way through The Distant Shore, by Jan de Hartog.


Yikes, what a mess! This will teach me to carefully proofread the next time I post on my neighbor's computer! The monitor is set on a different level than the keyboard, and with my bad eyesight, well, I can't see what I'm typing until I scoot the keyboard under the desk and lean forward! Sorry for all the typos yesterday!


I've done quite a lot since Sunday:

I finally watched 'The Notebook' and cried buckets at the end. I don't think I've blubbered this much over a movie since the first couple of times I watched 'Titanic'. Or the final episode of 'Charmed'. 'Always'...there's another tear-jerker!

Jackie and I swapped kids again. K came home for two days, and then S did. But she went to Holiday World yesterday and came home slightly sunburned. Friday, we're all going to J's house for a cook-out.

What else have I accomplished? Oh yeah...I discovered my mom's computer has MS Works on it, so I've been averaging 3 pages a day on my new wip. Not much, but as I now have to share the computer with a 4-year-old, it's a small price to pay in order to let the child learn new skills on the computer every so often. And he loves the shopping game on 'Arthur's Computer Problem'.

Had some sad news the other day. My kids' first bus driver passed away, on his way to the state bus inspection. Not entirely clear if he had a heart attack, which caused the crash, or if something else occured, and he died because of the crash. I can't seem to get any more info from the online paper, or friends to answer emails! I guess I'm just going to have to pick up the phone and call someone!

I've also read 4 books, but forgot to write down the author's names. I'll do that when I get back home and record it on the weekend. In the meantime, time to get off of here as my hour is up.

Swift Kick in the Arse

Currently Reading: A Lion is in the Streets by Adria Locke Langley. It's slightly hard to follow; it's full of Southern Dialect. I'm on Chapter 4 so far.


A BIG thanks to all who commented yesterday...I thought I was going to get my butt chewed for being a selfish, spoiled brat and I discover you're all on my side? Whew!

I was so busy wallowing in self-pity the past few days that I forgot something.

Even when I feel at my lowest, I still have a Friend. One who loves me unconditionally.

I walked into church this morning, feeling as though I'd taken a wrong turn somewhere; like I was lost in a maze and no one cared.

I walked out knowing that He loves me and still finds me worthy, and that I should not give up hope! I thanked Fr. Dave afterwards, and probably thoroughly confusing him, as he has admitted on more than one occassion, he tends to forget what he talked about!

I'm not letting hubby off the hook. The next event is in July; I'll remind him he not only has a wife who would like to see her old friends; there are 3 kids who would like to 'go home', if only for a weekend, as well!

MeMe time...

Ashley tagged me. Whoever chooses to do their own, fantastic:) Since I probably won't be back online until next weekend, here's my answers:

1) 5 things on my To-Do list:
Post blog, do laundry, grocery-shopping, visit MIL, attend novelsisterhood discussion on plot development. All finished except for discussion. Begins in 15 mins.

2) What would I do if millionaire?
Pay off all debts; send some to both churches; secure kids' college funds; buy 2 new vehicles and houses. Go to as many conventions as I could. Help the flood victims in the area.

I took some great pics, but they'll have to wait until I get my new PC. Across the river the damage was bad...real bad. Our town is still intact.

3) 3 of my bad habits?
Nail biter; I put my foot in my mouth (and blog!) on occassion; I have a tendancy to put myself last too many times.

4) 5 places I've lived?
5 different towns in Indiana. I keep getting closer to Kentucky; one of these years I'll finally make it to Florida...

5) 5 jobs held?
Waitress; concession stand manager; full-time baby-sitter; bus driver; bus monitor.

6) How did I name my blog?
Molly's Musings. I wanted some alliteration:)

Oops, time to sign in for the workshop. See you next weekend, unless Jackie brings me her laptop the next time she's over my way...hint, hint....Swap you my kids for the computer...C'mon, whaddya say??? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha........

Bitter Pill

Disappointment.

We all get it from time to time; my life just seems to be overwhelmed with it at the moment, so forgive the slight pity party. I'm dealing with it as best as I can. But when your life reverts to a simpler time, you realize how much distraction is actually in your life.

Computers
I've not had access to the internet for two days. I wouldn't say I'm overly addicted to it; I didn't go crazy and hound the neighbors, demanding they let me check my mail or anything. But I didn't realize how much I depend on it to keep in touch now!

For instance: There were two chats on one of my loops, and 47 digest emails to wade through. I started to read the exerpts, but then I thought, 'at this rate, I'll be here all day!' So I just started skimming the messages, and reading the ones with the interesting subject lines. One hour later, I was checking my other personal email, and found it full of junk; however, there were about 5 out of 40 that was worth reading, and I even responded to a pair.

TV
I don't actually watch TV during the day; the toddler is busy in and out, but I keep it tuned to his Nickelodean channels so that when he's hot, Dora, Diego, Wonder Pets, and Backyardigans are already singing. And the other night, we had a thunderstorm which knocked out the satellight for fifteen minutes, so I'm hoping that yes, I'm smarter than a 5th grader, as I was doing pretty well until the power blip! Toddler and I sat on the front porch swing and watched the rain fall, enjoying the drop in temperature. Fortunately, the storm settled down enough I could bathe him and put him to bed. And the satellight signal returned in time for 'Swingtown'. I'm still on the fence about that show...maybe one more episode?

What have I been doing?
Cleaning. With my teens gone for the week, I stripped both of their beds and completely washed their bedding. I dismantled my daughter's and cleaned everything out from under her bed and vacumed the rug. Son's bedroom has hardwood floor, plus a double bed, so didn't get so adventurous in his room.

The toddler 'helped' me take Mr. Clean erasers to the entire woodwork in the kitchen: Baseboards, cabinets, doorways...and I thoroughly scrubbed the floor. That room SPARKELS!

Next job
Toddler won't like it, but I'm weeding out his toys. You know the ones...broken, abandoned, forgotten. There are plenty of flood victims who might like some gently used toys he no longer plays with, and who will appreciate them more at the moment. I'm also packing up anything on my shelves not touched in the past year. And that includes my desk shelves.

During the Day
It's funny how the mind works. I know my husband's right about traveling two hours north to set up my booth when a) the last time I worked it, I only sold 1 book; b) the gas prices alone are four times as much; c) my van's alternator still needs replaced; and d) he wants to come home next weekend and see his family. But what he doesn't get is a) Not everyone knows about my second book being out; b) I have a place to stay, with friends I haven't spent much time with in the past 2 years; c) I could actually contact the 2 stores in Indy and sell my book to several friends who have been waiting patiently for a signed copy; and d) my kids could see their old friends as well, and what's one weekend away from him? Not to mention e) we could borrow the money from his mom to fix the van and repay her next week!

But no. He's made up his mind, and no one will make him change it.

Except maybe AJ or the iron skillet upside his head...

Okay. I'm getting off this train right now. Time to check out my friends' blogs and hopefully get cheered up?

After all...there are more craft fairs this summer. And even some around here. Watch for updates:)

Until Further Notice...

I will be unable to get to either of my temporary offices.

I'll hopefully be back next week! Unless the neighbors take pity on me and let me use their computer...

So don't forget about me, please? I'll resume as quickly as possible.

Especially if there's good news.

Northern Exposure

Currently reading: Lost Island, by Phyllis A. Whitney


Barb had me laughing hysterically the past several days, so I thought I would share my own 'wardrobe malfunction'.

The morning was bright and sunny; for whatever reason, instead of getting totally dressed to take the kids to school, I opted to pull on a pair of shorts and tucked my oversize, gray Mickey Mouse sleep shirt into them. I shoved my bare feet into my battered canvas tennis shoes, and out the door we went.

My shirt had been around for several years. First it was my swimsuit cover-up, and when we moved to the country, well, it made the perfect thing to sleep in. And yes, several small holes had developed here and there, especially a tear in the hem from my daughter, who ripped it when she fell while trying to wear it at age 2.

I dropped the kids off without problems. Then I looked at the gas gauge and decided the car could use a little fuel. So I pulled into our tiny gas station/convenient mart.

I greeted several people as they entered the store; I noticed several of the men in particular smiling at me and greeting me jovially. I even noticed some eyebrows raising in surprise as they said hello.

But it wasn't until after I'd paid for my gas, cup of coffee, and a candy bar, that the real reason wasn't just the fact they were in good moods.

My left nipple had decided to poke its way out of one of the tiny holes in my T-shirt!

Needless to say, that's the last time I wore that shirt in public...

Heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to work he goes...normally!
Yes, hubby should be returning to the workforce soon. And I'll admit, I'm torn about it.
-Yes, his umemployment is about to run out.
-His leaving would mean single parent duty again.
-If my oldest kids are still out of town, that means no 'office time' for me.
-And truth be told, I enjoyed having him gone last year, as I didn't have to listen to him gripe about how much time I was spending on the computer! But that's a non-issue now, as we can't use ours, and I try to limit my 'office time' to two hours. Sometimes 3.

Not Much to Report

Currently reading: House of War by Catherine Gavin. I opted to skip Rose Kennedy's full biography, having read the condensed version last week or so!


My son made an interesting observation last week.

"Mom, when Dad's sick, he stays in bed and wants us to wait on him hand and foot. But when you're sick, you still manage to get the housework finished."

"That's because unless I'm physically unable to move, or vomiting uncontrolably, I can still take care of myself. Your dad, however, becomes helpless!"

I also recover faster. Case in point: I was better the next day. He, on the other hand, after a week, is finally getting his strength!

Hubby is also thinking of getting me an AlphaSmart. And after 3 weeks without a computer, he's seeing how tied our lives have become to the internet: Now he has to call the auto parts store to find out the price of an alternator, rather than looking it up on the website! I predict we'll have a new one by the end of summer.

What a Weekend!

Networking Saturday
I only sold 2 books on Saturday at the Wine and Art Festival, but at the end of the day, I had something more valuable than sales...

Information and getting my name circulated. And a bottle of Blueberry wine:)

BB Walters ("Sister Light") and I were not just 'traffic directors' this time; we networked. We spoke to nearly everyone; we shared our own opinions on the various wines we had tried, and people stopped by to chat, look over our books, and some even picked our brains on how we got started.

A local art gallery is interested in hosting signings and even taking a few of the books on commission.

A woman asked me if I'd be interested in speaking to her Women's Groups.

And one of BB's friends showed up; he's an author as well, and invited me to the Writer's Guild meetings he and his fellow writers hold every Monday, at my new favorite ice cream place downtown:)

Travis, forgive me if you're reading this...I left your business card at home, but if I get back here tonight, I'll add your link to the right! I haven't forgotten you!

Sleep? What Sleep?
Maybe it was the adrenaline rush of the day, or maybe it's because I had been slowly writing whenever I could during the day, but after two hours of sleep, my brain woke up.

At midnight.

I got up and wrote five pages; at 2:00, I tried to go back to bed.

Nope, still awake.

And since I (gasp!) wasn't in the mood to write a sex scene, I went downstairs and watched the four hours of Saturday morning SoapNet programming that I usually watch every weekend, but had to DVR that day because of the festival!

Finally at 6am I went to bed and slept until 10, when I got up and got ready for church.

Happy Father's Day
We spent a lazy day. Went to Bicknell and had a cookout with the people who have adopted our kids for the summer. In fact, we swapped again. K stayed and S came home. But only because her bff now owns a pool in her backyard.

My father should be receiving his card today. I called him last night and as he had just gotten off the phone with my sister, he said to me, "I love you; now I can go to bed. Do you need to speak to your mother?" I didn't; I was headed to bed myself! I'll call her later and tell her about my fantastic Saturday.

I'll catch up on the blogs later; it's now noon and I have three children arriving in 30 minutes:) Everyone have a great day!

Friday the 13th

Currently Reading: Charmed Circle by Susan Ertz. It's a page-turner; I had to force myself to put it down after chapter 3:)


For some people, they avoid this day like the plague. For me, it's been lucky:) I know...strange. But seriously, it's all about your outlook.

Way back when, for whatever reason, I woke up on a Friday the 13th and fully expected at least 13 things to go wrong that day. And they did. I had a horrible day!

But the time I forgot about the date...WOW!

The day before, on Thursday the 12th, the guy I had a huge crush on walked me to class. Later that day, we were fictionally 'married' by his best friend. I was on cloud 9.

Friday, I woke up, eager to get to school and see if I had dreamed the 'married' part of the day. Nope...I grabbed my books, went to his locker, and he greeted me with 'Hi Honey! How are the kids?' and he walked me to my 1st class again, plus every class that day:)

The joke lasted until he and I actually married....other people. After 8 years, we declared ourselves 'fictionally divorced' and are still friendly whenever we happen to see each other, which now occurs every ten years.

So it's all about how you approach the day.

So far, mine's been apprehensive...it is raining again; I've got my posters made and all my promo items are set for tomorrow; my scholorship application for the Midwest Writer's was declined, so if I want to go, I'll have to come up with the money somehow. Or try again next year.

Guilty Pleasures

AJ wrote about guilty pleasures yesterday, and I discovered another one last night. Anyone else watching 'Swingtown'? I watched the 1st episode last week, simply because the premise caught my attention, and given some of the books I've been reading, well, I wanted to see how it would be handled on prime-time TV.

And last night, I was thrilled to learn that my memory is not leading me astray...there was a scene at the Playboy Club, and when the dancers took the floor, it took me back to when I was ten years old, learning the Bus Stop dance! I even DVR'd it so I could dance along. I know...I'm nuts, but I remember practicing the dance and my sister making fun of me. So I stopped. And several years later, when my college roommates were talking about it, one 'refreshed' our memories by demonstrating it, but some of the moves I was remembering weren't in her demo. But after watching last night, there they were! My memory's NOT faulty, after all!

And I think the woman who plays Trina was in Windfall, my guilty pleasure from two summers or so ago. The summer series where ten friends won the lottery? I enjoyed it up to a point, and then everyone seemed to lose their minds...yeah, I know, soaps do that. But after a while it was just insane!

I don't know if I'll keep watching or not; I'm enjoying the music, and I've loved Grant Show ever since he was on Ryan's Hope soap opera. It all depends on if I can stand to stay awake that late every Thursday. That's why I had to quit watching ER! But it's summer, and my toddler now sleeps late too. So we'll see. Next week's episode features a fondue party; I remember those, and 'accidentally on purpose' dropping my bread cube into the cheese, all so I could kiss my 11-year-old boyfriend on the cheek! Anyone else do that too, or am I showing my age?

Back to Normal!

Currently Reading: I've made it to chapter 33 on NAAS:) Only ten more chapters and the last (dum, de dum dum DUM...) box will be ready for my reading pleasure! Hopefully, by the time I get through it, my e-book buying will be back in full swing...otherwise, I'll be forced to wait until they're in print! Which reminds me...I need to swing over to Amazon and check on Barb's book again...


I'm human again:) Two days of antibiotics and my throat no longer hurts:)

Bad news? Now hubby's got it.

Even worse? Oldest son may have to have his tonsils out. We go see the ENT on July 1st.

Submission Efforts
Just took a look at my rejection tallies. I've heard from all but one editor, so there's still hope out there. And as soon as I'm able to spend more than an hour or two in the 'office', then I'll begin to take apart Forbidden Love and get it submissable again. And with being sick, I haven't written anything since I finished the 1st chapter of my new wip on Monday. So maybe this afternoon; I've got the next scene churning in my brain.

Rain Rain, Go Away...
We're slowly drying out here in the Ohio Valley; no new rain is expected until late tonight/early Friday. I personally hope it skips us altogether! It can go north; it can go south; it can fall apart completely. Just don't let me have a soggy ground on Saturday?? I don't particularly want to wear boots to this signing...

Maybe Dennis will put us on the pavement? Or move the whole thing inside? I'll report our success later this weekend!

Sick Day

Back on May 5th on Anny Cook's blog (www.annycook.blogspot.com), she posted a picture of a yellow kitten and the caption reads, "Can't work today...I haz a bug."

That's me today.

The good news? Not the stomach flu, and I was finally able to watch "The Devil Wears Prada" DVD I received two birthdays ago. The bad news? I had to activate the closed captioning, in order to understand parts of the dialogue of certain characters! Did anyone else have this problem?

Oldest son drove me in to the office so I could catch up. I'm still a little wobbly when I'm upright, but at least I have no problem eating. I just have the body aches and a sore throat.

Flooding update:
So far, the water is west and east of us. The town across the river in Illinois made the national news. But who knows what's going to happen when we get another 1-2 inches by Friday, and the river is supposed to crest next Tuesday.

Garth Brooks Moment

Currently reading: Not as a Stranger, by Morton Thompson, copywrite 1954. So far, it's about a young man's quest to become a doctor, even though his father doesn't approve. So far, it's holding my attention.


Remember Garth's song about 'thank God for unanswered prayers'? I called several friends up in our old hometown and was told about the flooding. If we had moved into town two years ago, or even last year, our home would be under water. So someone's looking out for us...

And when I panicked and called our storage complex, positive that the news would be grim, I was very relieved to hear that our Christmas ornaments, the majority of my paperbacks, and the kids' toys are still safe. At least, for the time being! We really need to step up efforts to go transport everything down here! U-Haul, pick up the phone when I call, please?

I may just have to drive over there and talk to them in person.

YouTube Punishment?
Saw a thing on the news this morning that teens in Florida were caught tossing drinks at fast-food drive-through workers. Their punishment was to publically apologize on YouTube.

But here's the thing: All you see is text, and a very bored voice issuing the apology. Who's going to watch that? I say the boys should have been made to work at the drive-through for ninety days. And if there were muiltiple restaurants, then ninety days at each one. Think that would pound some sense into them?

Time Heals...
Remember my issue with a loved one two weeks ago? Talked to her a few minutes ago. Everything's cool again. But thank god technology failed...she asked if I'd gotten her response, and I said no...today's was the only one. Turns out she fired off a not-so-nice reply. But like I said, everything's been worked out, and we're still friends. We've agreed to disagree on my choice of life paths.

Ward 12
Hubby and kids are recovering. Hubby ate some chicken noodle soup; K couldn't keep anything on his tummy. W was back to normal, riding his trike and 'helping' the neighbor put away the lawn mower. But early this morning, hubby was shivering so badly, I had to put the fleece blanket over him. Needless to say, at 5 am, his fever finally broke. When I get finished here, I have some laundry to do, as well as clean up the kitchen. Yes, I'm one of those who lets them pile up, especially when I'm only cooking for myself and the little guy! Don't know what's on the menu tonight. I'm craving chicken parmesan, but if I'm the only one eating...I may take some of my OWN money (I love that feeling!) and treat us to Subway or something.

Flood Update
So far, the levee's held. Rain didn't start until after 6 pm last night, but when I tried to go across the bridge, the police have it blocked off. From what I've heard, parts of the Illinois town across the river has minor flooding. I'll watch the news/buy a paper later and check for more info.

Sorry Barb...

Currently Reading: The Legend of Baby Doe, book #3 in the Condensed Newsweek book. Again, I forgot to write down the author. Shame on me. I'm about halfway through it, and now I want to go back to Leadville, Colorado. We went there in 1983, when I was 17, but I've forgotten most everything about the tour, except for playing the pump organ in some historic house. It was fun, but thank god for electricity in organs! On the other hand, your legs certainly get a work out...

The fourth book is All the President's Men, which I also read not too long ago. I may skip it.


The local college very graciously welcomed me to their resource room, and I'm happy to report I can now access my chat loops, Adult blogs, and stay online longer!! The downside...my family may take the car keys away from me. I'm now 12 blocks away from home, instead of only five...

But that's okay. And I don't have to worry about children looking over my shoulder. Yesterday, the only PC I had access to was up in the kiddie section, so I had to be careful where I visited. I clicked on Dakota's blog and heard a gasp behind me...a pre-teen was looking very intently at her banner! I scrolled down and hastily went to her comments before the young girl's eyes popped out.

And I can also bring my floppy disks or CD-R and save my new wip! I forgot to bring my wrist brace, so maybe I'll start typing it up later this week. I finished the first chapter last night, so yes, it's time to get it typed up.

Hubby and sons have a stomach bug. W had it yesterday; hubby came down with it last night; K woke up feeling yucky. I hope I don't get it!

Flood Stage
Went over the bridge to see how high the river was rising. It's getting close to the top of the levee, and sand bag crews are out in full force. The bad news: More rain is expected later today. And one of the highways has already closed due to the high water just 30 miles to the east of us. And since the festivals in town this week are only 2 blocks from the river, let's hope the hand of God holds the boundaries intact?

Odds and Ends

Currently reading: Book #2 in the condensed Newsweek book, Times to Remember, by Rose Fitgerald Kennedy. I read the whole book several months back. But it's fun to read again. I'm still bemoaning the loss of my ebooks, and especially my e-book LIST! Aggghhhh! What if the virus is now on my new flash drive? Will I ever be able to access it without endangering whatever PC I'm using? Sorry....panic attack.


Thank you for the kind remarks yesterday! Thanks Barb; I'll be over asap, especially if hubby decides not to work this year...let him do single parent duty for a while!

Ashley: I'll see you there next year:) Several Indiana authors went, and reports are trickling in. I'll know what to expect next year!

Sandra: She said she read it with interest, but I've left a major problem in the ms: I wrote this particular book twenty years ago, and when I switched it from 1st person to 3rd nine years ago, the first several chapters don't flow as well as the rest. I'm going to have to perform major surgery on it. Fortunately, I went to bed thinking about it, and right before I drifted off, the answer came to me. Instead of starting at the beginning of the relationship, I'm going to cut out a few chapters, since I've already established they are dating in Love Finds a Way. This will shorten it a bit, but it may make the story flow better.

Anny: Sometimes when I'm alone with my pen and paper, the words pour from the pen. At the PC, I tend to slow down, as I'm one of those people who can't stand shorthand or 'dyslexic' words as the story unfolds. I'm constantly correcting my typewritten mistakes (the obvious ones, anyway!) and this gets in the way of the storyline. In longhand, I'll use shorthand; I'll write notes to myself at the top of the page to remind myself to check something at a later date. If I'm at the PC, I'll sometimes exit the program to look up the info right then and there. So on one hand, yes, longhand makes the story get out of my head faster. But at the PC, I don't have to retype or decipher my handwriting! And since I can't always take my PC with me (and at the moment can't even USE it), I'm reduced to getting the story out as fast as I can write it, and anywhere the mood strikes, be it at the pool, the basement, my bed, the front porch, or even in a quiet coffee shop.

So I guess what I'm attempting to say is, yes, my writing style differs whether it's on paper or word processor:)

Kelly: From I-70 to I-74 is a huge mess. My bff lives in Clinton and she says she now has cornstalks all over her yard. Their house sustained no damage, but we have yet to hear from my SIL. She works for a nursing home, so she's probably busy helping the residents move/dry out/evacuate. I'll know more when I talk to her. This morning on the news, the ticker showed nearly every business or church had cancelled activities/services for the day.

And our gas prices jumped to $4.17 yesterday. How's everyone else's gas prices? Thank god the Wine and Art Festival next Saturday is local...and speaking of which, I received an email from author BB Walters, confirming she's going to share booth space with me. As it's her home town and my current one, we should both do well. Just hope the weather cooperates!

Moving on

Toddler now has his own pool, courtesy of the neightbors. We filled it halfway yesterday, and after splashing happily, he dragged his slide over to it and proceeded to have even more fun!

Managed to write four more pages last night. And this morning, had to call a halt to the conversation and actions in my head, as I overslept and had to hustle to get to church on time. Wrote several paragraphs before arriving at my temporary office, since it's only open for 4 hours today.

Looking ahead

Hubby has a doctor's appointment...Daughter should return from house-sitting...Both kids may be a part of 'Operation Kitchen Demolition' at Jackie's...we may attend Dollar Day at the pool... and at the rate I'm writing this story, I may have to find a computer that will let me save it to floppy disk. Oh wait...if I go to Barb's and lock myself in her spare room, that won't be a problem! Of course, I may lock myself in the wrong room and spend the entire time READING! Think my family could get along without me for, say, six months? Yeah, yeah, yeah....I know the visitation rule...I'll have to return home every so often!

Systematic Failure

Currently reading: A Newsweek Condensed Book. I'm on Whistler...sorry...I forgot to write down the author! His biography is quite interesting; I'm only on chapter 3.


A year ago, it was the fuel pump.

Last month, the transmission died.

Yesterday, it was the alternator.

Remember the movie 'Robots'? Rodney went into the spare parts business for all the 'aging' or 'damaged' robots? Basically, that's what is happening to my van: Just keep patching it together until we can afford a new one.

At least it was nice enough to die 2 blocks from our favorite Chinese restaurant, so I didin't have to cook last night:)

Storms again

Our damage? Our phone wire was dangling low between the house and the utility pole. No, we never lost phone service. But just found out that up in Terre Haute, the levee broke and the city is under water. Since we're down river from there, I hope our levees hold in the coming days. Otherwise, we'll be headed for higher ground soon.

Have a great weekend; I don't know if I'll make it to my temporary office tomorrow or not.

Forgot to mention: I got another rejection for Forbidden Love. The good news? She told me what's wrong with it! So as soon as I get my computer back, I'll fix it and send it off again.

The other good news? Wrote 4 pages on an entirely new story last night. Why not more? It's hard to write when you have a whiny toddler who needs to go to bed, yet insists on trying to crawl between me and my notebook. And since my oldest son was reading and Daddy was 'watching TV and couldn't be bothered', I reluctantly sat up, decided I'd come to an acceptable stopping point, and we both went to sleep. When I get home, I'll sprawl out on the bed and write some more. Or...I may just find a quiet desk somewhere in here and stay the rest of the day....

Office Problems

Currently reading: The Fifth Estate, by Robin Moore. Battle for the Labyrinth was fantastic! My daughter had left it behind, so I read it first. I guess this is a sign I'm starting to recognize the writing style...I figured out who a crucial character was before his true self was revealed! The whole series has a Harry Potter feel to it...a strong, evil character is returning from the dead, and the main character who the prophesy may or may not be about has only one more year to fulfill it. But I like it, and cannot wait to see what happens in the next book! And unlike HP, these are considerably shorter! I don't know if Hollywood or Nickelodean would consider bring them to life; but it would definitely be interesting! If anyone has teens, I strongly reccomend this series. And it's a great way to 'see' Greek mythology in action!


The problem? I have no office at the moment:) But I have been blessed enough to be able to use the library's PC with the dropped keyboard, which has been wonderful! I've come away from here with 'mouse elbow', and I'm on a restricted time limit, especially if there are people waiting to use the computers.

But I've found that early in the mornings, the demand is less, and the good librarians don't seem to mind me typing away as I respond to emails and post my blog. And best of all, the only sounds are people quietly moving about. No TV, no arguing kids, no grouchy hubby.

When we were at my mom's two weeks ago, my oldest son commented on his uncle's computer usage and stated, "Gee, if you'd married him, you would have needed two computers and the only way you'd talk to each other would be by email!"

My sister, of all people, defended me! "Yes, but they are WORKING to get their businesses off the ground, and while your Uncle C's customers are scattered throughout Canada at the moment, your mom's customers are all over the WORLD and that is how she communicates with them. So if you want your mom to be successful, she has to stay connected, and that means posting her blog and writing her books."

Wow. After how many years, my sister has finally 'gotten it'? For example, ten years ago we were getting into the same business as one of her friends. She ridiculed our attempts, yet turned to her friend in the next breath and said, "So how's that working out?"

I guess after 12 years of marriage and two kids later, she has finally grown up and accepted that her big sis has finally accomplished something other than providing entertainment for her when she returns from her world travels!

Took the kids to the local pool yesterday. AJ wonders how getting rid of my teens and picking up 3 extra small ones was a good thing. Now my toddler finally had playmates of his own age:) And yesterday at the pool cooled everyone off. I don't have the 3 extra ones today, but my oldest son returned. The two boys may go back to the pool, since the 16-yr-old can take his younger brother down the water slide. I didn't dare attempt it yesterday, not knowing the swimming skills of the 5-yr-old, so I made the two younger ones stay with me in the shallow end. The 7 and 8-yr-olds loved it!

It's supposed to be 91 degrees again today, with the threat of T-storms again. But right now, the skies are blue and sunny. Plans for the weekend? None, at the moment. We may try to go to the Farmer's Market downtown in the morning. I found out they are looking for vendors, and the booth rental is cheap. So who knows?

Raining Kids

Currently reading: There's an upside to using the library computers...my daughter came with me last night and discovered the fourth book in the Percy Jackson series, 'Battle of the Labyrinth' by Rick Riordan is available! I'm reading it right after she finishes with it. Also discovered the Left Behind series has another one...Kingdom Come (I think is the title!). Jackie's reading it first. I thought the series ended with Glorious Appearing.


Had 3 extra kids again, which was good; my older two were gone. It rained in the morning; I had told the kids to bring their swimsuits in the event we would go swimming. But with the threat of rain...we had them get into their suits anyway and turned them loose in the backyard with a bucket of water and the squirt guns. They had a blast!

And if Casa Daniels wasn't full of kids, my neighbors across the street asked me to watch their infant for a half an hour while their new refrigerator was being delivered.

This kid's got a cute trick: No matter when he comes over, the phone rings off the hook! That phone could be silent all day, but the minute he arrives, everyone in the world thinks it's time to call! Fortunately, hubby is still home to help with everyone!

And he's being very nice about me sneaking off to the library today...I checked in early this morning to check on the interview and answer a couple of emails. Checked back again this afternoon when I made a quick trip to the store. And he offered to do the dishes tonight so I could post this and check my mail again. Yes, he's in sweet mode!

And as soon as this weather pattern breaks, he's filling out a new operator's card and going back to work!

And speaking of work....I got another royalty check in the mail. Thank you all who have bought my books the past 3 months! I can now pay my booth rental fees for the summer (well, okay...two of them anyway!) and sell some more!

Stay cool everyone...it's supposed to hit 90 tomorrow.

Grrrrr....

Currently reading: Law and Order, by Dorothy Uhnak. Very interesting; it shows 3 generations of Irish policemen from 1937-1970. Finished Redemption: Fallen by Brynn Paulin before the PC crash, and loved it! Brought up some questions I need to ask her....

Was going to read Kay Wilde's Demon Wind next, but as it has fallen victim to a wiped hard drive, who knows when I'll get around to it now...

I'm being interviewed: http://deadlyvixens.blogspot.com tomorrow, Wednesday June 4th!

Our resident computer expert dignosed my computer with having either a nasty virus or what he calls a 'trojan horse' one. Hubby tried doing a system restart last night, and the screen froze on the final screen. The processess menu says CPU is operating at 100%, but all of the processess say less than 5%. So we've shut it off at the power strip, and our expert is looking through his files to see if he has any Compaq recovery disks.

This sucks.

I have 9 e-books which I will now LOSE. I believe I still have Jae's email saved; I downloaded 'Seeing Me' last night, and hopefully I'll still be able to download it again. But the ones I downloaded two weeks ago...I know I'll be able to salvage the ones from TEB. But Loose Id and Ellora's Cave? Will they still be available, or will I have to rebuy them? Pardon me while I scream. AAAAAGGGGHHHHH!

Okay. Tantrum over. And the stupid thing is, I almost put them on my flash drive last night! Why didn't I do it? Why? Why?

Who knew hubby would take it into his head to mess with it?

So in the meantime, bear with me. I don't know how long this thing will take to repair; we do have an another CPU downstairs ('95) that we are going to try to hook up until the XP is repaired, or another PC is purchased. So if you email me and I'm not prompt in responding, don't hold it against me?

The love/hate relationship continues...and hubby is delighting in my agony. Although now he'll have to find a new phrase, as 'get off the damn computer' won't apply anymore!

At least I managed to finish my next book and saved it on my flash drive!

I'm Still Here!

Currently Reading: Finished Bronwyn's book Celtic Fire and LOVED it! Next up is Brynn's book. Also finished "A Lady of Quality". Kelly, you might find it interesting. I especially enjoyed the conversation near the end when the prim, uptight companion discovered her free-thinking friend was entertaining the 'scoundral' in her bedchamber after a bout of the flu! Next up: The Mallen Streak, the 1st book Catherine Cookson wrote. I read 'The Mallen Girl' earlier, so it's interesting to go back and read the back story!

Blankety-blank computer...I'm posting at the library. Still the same problem on my home PC. I'm having a love/hate relationship with electronics at the moment: I love it when they work, and hate them when they refuse to behave!

I did get all my written files saved to the flash drive; next up are the 8 e-books to transfer.

Took the toddler to the dentist; his tooth was bothering him over the weekend, and now the poor tyke has a crown on his back lower molar. And from the looks of the opposite side, he'll soon have another one, or just a filling. He was very well behaved, and received a balloon, a toy necklace, and a sticker for being such a good patient!

Hopefully the PC probs will straighten out soon; maybe we've picked up a nasty virus undetected by the scan, or maybe I'm being told to stay off of the internet for a while? I would like to finish my edits and be able to send email without the thing locking up on me!

In the meantime, the library is quiet, and I'm not hearing 'Mooooooom!' while I'm posting!