magick musings…

…spring!!!

A frost hit North Texas last night and it had to be my fault. All because I planted flowers. Just like when I wash my car – it rains. If you are needing a weather catastrophe, just email me. I can fix ya up.

But the fragile flowers weathered through and are no worse for it. Just a few blooms to pinch (ouch!) and they will be good as new.

Last week, I got the bright idea of borrowing a friend of mine’s salad shredder. It is really a neat gadget I saw advertised and decided to try one out.

The guy demonstrating how to use one, made this fantastic salad using an interesting array of veggies, so I thought…I can do that. I LOVE salads.

Just throw in some green cabbage, some red cabbage, a zuccini, a yellow squash, half a cucumber, and two carrots later….I looked in the bowl and there must have been a full gallon of salad food in there!

What in the name of Peter Rabbit am I going to do with an ark full of shredded veggies???

But, I must admit, it is good. And so pretty with all the different colors.

I know, I know, I am easily entertained.

Tonight, I cooked steak, some carmelized mushrooms and, of course, the salad, and… dinner rocked!

I have found a new author. Her name is Rachel Caine and I am reading the first in her Morganville Vampire series and it is very hard to put down. It is a Young Adult novel and is an inspiration to me in writing my Young Adult. I am not writing about vampires, but I love the way she puts a story together. The other day, I was thinking hard about where I really fit in this crazy world of storytelling and was vacillating back and forth “should I or shouldn’t I” constantly fretting if I was where I should be. Then, out of the blue, Lynn, a friend and fellow Rosebud, mentioned Rachel’s works and thought I would enjoy her series. I picked up Glass Houses and was hooked right away. Soon, I felt that old familiar, nagging feeling that I was on the right track in my writing.

Sort of like Bill Engvall’s “here’s your sign!”

Have a good Tuesday!

~Sandy

I found a new recipe to fix fresh asparagus and it is to die for! I think even if you didn’t care for asparagus, you would like this. You could almost make it a meal in itself, but it went really well with the crockpot roast, mushrooms, onions, and carrots. Have some other new recipes to try like Chicken Divan, Chicken Primavera, and Chicken, Rice and Broccoli casserole that is looking good to me right now. Must be in the mood for chicken, LOL!

Have also planted flowers out in the yard. 😯 I am not necessarily known for my ‘green thumb’ but never say never. Put some in the flowerbeds, some in pots and some in hanging baskets. Take a look here:

Can’t wait for them to grow and spread. Still want to plant some impatients and moss roses. I like lots of flowers. They even survived the spring storms that spawned tornadoes all over North Texas. The subdivision did just fine, but today got to see some of the damage that tore down trees and fences and roofs. Brenda C’s big old tree, I think she said an oak, was damaged and now she has an 8 foot stump in her yard.

Had our Yellow Rose RWA meeting yesterday and had guest speaker Candace Havens. She is so inspiring. A marvel at all she gets done in her busy life.

Didn’t get as much writing done as I planned last week, but will make up for it this week. I love my story, but hate when it wants to take a change in another direction. Stop! I am the writing goddess and they have to do what I say!

Speaking of… back to work…

~Sandy

~Irish Blessing

*****
Mick and Paddy were walking home after a night on the beer when a severed head rolled along the ground.
Mick picked it up to his face and said to Paddy “Jez, that look like Sean” to which Paddy replied “No Sean was taller than that”
*****

The Doctor was puzzled “I’m very sorry but I can’t diagnose your trouble, Mahoney. I think it must be drink. ”
“Don’t worry about it Dr. Kelley, I’ll come back when you’re sober.”

*****
As soon as she had finished parochial school, a bright young girl named Lena shook the dust of Ireland off her shoes and made her way to New York where before long, she became a successful performer in show business.

Eventually she returned to her home town for a visit and on a Saturday night went to confession in the church which she had always attended as a child. In the confessional Father Sullivan recognized her and began asking her about her work. She explained that she was an acrobatic dancer, and he wanted to know what that meant.

She said she would be happy to show him the kind of thing she did on stage.

She stepped out of the confessional and within sight of Father Sullivan, she went into a series of cartwheels, leaping splits, handsprings and backflips. Kneeling near the confessional, waiting their turn, were two middle-aged ladies. They witnessed Lena’s acrobatics with wide eyes, and one said to the other:

“Will you just look at the penance Father Sullivan is givin’ out this night, and me without me bloomers on!”
*****

McQuillan walked into a bar and ordered martini after martini, each time removing the olives and placing them in a jar. When the jar was filled with olives and all the drinks consumed, he started to leave.

“S’cuse me,” said a customer, who was puzzled over what McQuillan had done. “What was that all about?”

“Nothing,” he replied, “my wife just sent me out for a jar of olives.”
*****

Two Irishmen, Patrick & Michael, were adrift in a lifeboat following a dramatic escape from a burning freighter. While rummaging through the boat’s provisions, Patrick stumbled across an old lamp. Secretly hoping that a genie would appear, he rubbed the lamp vigorously To the amazement of Patrick, a genie came forth. This particular genie, however, stated that he could only deliver one wish, not the standard three. Without giving much thought to the matter, Patrick blurted out, “Make the entire ocean into Guinness Beer!” The genie clapped his hands with a deafening crash, and immediately the entire sea turned into the finest brew ever sampled by mortals. Simultaneously, the genie vanished. Only the gentle lapping of Guinness on the hull broke the stillness as the two men considered their circumstances. Michael looked disgustedly at Patrick whose wish had been granted. After a long, tension-filled moment, he spoke: “Nice going Patrick! Now we’re going to have to pee in the boat!
*****

~Sandy

I have been doing a lot of research on my YA Fantasy (hey, note that the word meter is moooving…!) on faerie tales and came across the above site. I kept putting in everyone’s name I could think of and was laughing at the different names/descriptions it kept coming up with. If I can’t have fun doing something, then I am just plain not doing it! I really like that it says I am a ‘bringer of riches and wealth’. The only thing it doesn’t specify is to who (whom?) I bring them to.

Might just be a good thing to stay on my good side. 😉

Try the generator yourself and see what you come up with. Might make you smile.

I have been hard at work on my WIP. ( That stands for Work In Progress for you non writers.) I am not quite at my word count yet for this week, but will get there. I have also done tons of research and plotting and I am very excited about the story. And I am excited that I am excited. It was a long, dry, non-productive, un-creative year last year.

Did I mention we got snow last week? Some friends from up North were laughing at the way us Southerns go wild over a little snow. That’s okay, we don’t mind. We don’t listen either. :rotfl:

Gaw! I crack myself up. Today, I am in such a good mood. But it is early and that could change.

Have a good Wednesday!

~Sandy

…I still love that song by Dusty Springfield. And this quote by Teddy Roosevelt. Wow!

For some reason, it always gives me inspiration.

Inspiration in the form of ‘if you want something bad enough, it is not going to happen unless you put heart and soul, and blood, sweat, and tears into it’. Wanting it, wishing for it and doing it are different things.

And, folks, the question truly is ‘how bad do I want it?’

I have made it my goal to write every day. I want to have 50,000 words written by September 1. And, yes, I mean September 2008.

Only 2000 words per week.

I have friends that write that in a day. Yet, they assure me they had to work hard to get to that point. I will just have to work hard also.

Stay tuned. And don’t accept any excuses.

Went to see Fool’s Gold awhile back and loved it! But, I am an adventurer and romantic at heart. Just as long as my adventure takes me back home to my bed and my bathroom by the end of the day, LOL! And the romanticism doesn’t get lost in the day to day problems of life. Like writing, you have to work hard for it.

Also saw Vantage Point and all I can say is ‘Groundhog Day!’ When you see it, you will understand and get the joke.

Last night we had snow, sleet, tornado warnings, and cold. Today is balmy, sunny, and beautiful. That’s Texas for ya.

~Sandy

…a serial killer?

What are they thinking out there?

Last night, I watched the beginning of a new series called “Dexter”. Yes, I had seen the previews. Yes, I knew it was about a serial killer. Yes, I didn’t have to watch.

But, as a writer, curiousity got the best of me and I wanted to see who/what/how they could pull it off.

Talk about dark and gritty! Talk about warped!

The ‘hero’, if you call him that…in fact, let’s don’t…let’s just say main character… is a serial killer.

Started out killing animals as a child. He was a foster/adopted child whose foster/adoptive dad was a cop. Dexter cannot remember anything about his life before being adopted. When the cop/dad discovered his son’s propensity for this atrocity…the dad puts him to ‘work’. After all, there are people out there who are evil and society needs to be rid of. So he lets his son satisfy his urgings by killing only the ones that deserve it.

Other serial killers.

Do I detect a tad bit of irony here?

The adult Dexter works in forensics, specializing in blood splatters. Why? Because blood is his hot button. What turns him on. What excites him. In fact, as most serial killers do, he keeps trophies of his ‘victims’. Blood samples between glass lab slides in a locked boxed in his locked home.

They say if man can find something he loves to do and make money at it, then man is blessed.

I’d say Dexter is a very blessed man.

This week’s show ended ‘to be continued’ with a serial killer breaking into Dexter’s home and leaving a ‘surprise’.

And, what is sad is that I discovered I have a morbid sense of curiosity. You know…it is a train wreck and you can’t look away type thing. Do I watch next week to find out how, or if, it ends? Or do I not watch, therefore not endorse, a show that sends the wrong signal by sanctioning a serial killer as a hero?

As a compassionate caregiver, a mother of sons, a human being.. then I say absoutely not.

As a writer, I ask… why I didn’t think of that.

~Sandy

…and Happy Birthday to my middle son. May you have happiness and health, wisdom and wealth, and plenty of love and peace, throughout your existence. That is my gift to you. And, of course, the check that is in the mail…

Here’s a little humor to make you smile on this Valentine’s Day.

Little Carol came into the kitchen where her mother was making dinner. Her birthday was coming up and she thought this was a good time to tell her mother what she wanted. “Mom, I want a bike for my birthday.”

Now, Little Carol was a bit of a troublemaker. She had gotten into trouble at school and at home. Carol’s mother asked her if she thought she deserved to get a bike for her birthday. Little Carol, of course, thought she did.

Carol’s mother, being a Christian woman, wanted her to reflect on her behavior over the last year, and write a letter to God and tell him why she deserved a bike for her birthday. Little Carol stomped up the steps to her room and sat down to write God a letter.

LETTER #1:

Dear God:

I have been a very good girl this year and I would like a bike for my birthday. I want a red one.

Your friend,

Carol

Carol knew this wasn’t true. She had not been a very good girl this year, so she tore up the letter and started over.

LETTER # 2:

Dear God:

This is your friend Carol. I have been a pretty good girl this year, and I would like a red bike for my birthday.

Thank you,

Carol

Carol knew this wasn’t true either. She tore up the letter and started again.

LETTER #3:

Dear God:

I know I haven’t been a good girl this year. I am very sorry. I will be a good girl if you just send me a red bike for my birthday.

Thank you,

Carol

Carol knew, even if it was true, this letter was not going to get her a bike. By now, she was very upset. She went downstairs and told her mother she wanted to go to church. Carol’s mother thought her plan had worked because Carol looked very sad.

“Just be home in time for dinner,” her mother said.

Carol walked down the street to the church and up to the altar. She looked around to see if anyone was there. She picked up a statue of the Virgin Mary, slipped it under her jacket and ran out of the church, down the street, into her house, and up to her room. She shut the door and sat down and wrote her letter to God.

LETTER # 4:

I GOT YOUR MAMA.

IF YOU WANT TO SEE HER AGAIN, SEND THE BIKE.

Signed,

YOU KNOW WHO

~Sandy

…turned out to be a wuss.

When I woke yesterday morning, I checked the temp and it was a cool 31 degrees. Yes!

But it didn’t last long and before noon, I was shedding my sweater and rolling up the sleeves of my blouse. Can’t believe we are having such a warm winter. I know it’s not because of global warming as the north is buried under feet and feet of snow. Next time they get all hyped about a cold front here, I am not going to fall for it.

Tried a new recipe tonight. Chicken lettuce wraps. I thought they were great! Hopefully, another winner. I think it was liked by all. None left. Consisted of chicken, garlic, onions, peppers, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar (vinegar made out of rice? Who knew?)! Of course, not as good as PF Changs. Haven’t been to my favorite restaurant in awhile and miss it. May be time to beg for a trip. Also tried a new wine. Wilhelm Bergmann Riesling – Spatlese. I am nowhere near a connoisseur of wine, but I know when I like something. And I like – very much. 😯

Good food, good company, good conversation, good wine. A little TV. Great evening! Could have something to do with me getting home early tonight after being so late the last few nights and with the stress at work letting up, my report done…just can’t figure out how the house can get so messy when I just cleaned it!

Tonight is Lost. :thumbsup:

~Sandy

…I complained about the warm and humid 70 degree weather.

yesterday…

…I complained about the spring like rain and thunderstorms.

yesterday…

…I complained about Ole’ Man Winter forgetting about us.

today…

…he showed up!

I was sent on special assignment to one of our offices the other day and have to admit they tried to kill me, LOL! But, no matter how hard they tried, I never let them see me sweat. Forgot how bad it could be in the offices this time of year. So, next time I complain about my job at Admin, just shoot me.

Just in case you were wondering, the crock pot dinner came out wonderful! I have been told that I can fix it any time I want, it was that good.

Now need to work on a few more ideas I have for meals.

And plot lines for my story. And characters. And getting this frickin’ book written.

Have a great hump day today!!!

~Sandy

…on lost.

This last week was the season premier of Lost and, I have to say, I put everything on hold to watch it and now I am so totally…lost.

For some reason it just didn’t make much sense to me. Could have been I was been overly tired this week and a little stressed and busy at work and not in the best frame of mind for a television show but I must have missed something there. I couldn’t determine if Hurley was rescued or not. He left with the group to head back into the forest, but it appears he left the island. Oh, well. Will just wait until next week and I am sure that it will all come together. Still hooked on it and can’t give it up. 😳

This weekend got caught up on things around the house and slept a little more than usual so now feeling so much better. (Sorry, Dennie! Please call and ask again!) Now I have something cooking in the crockpot for dinner, laundry done, house cleaned. Now just waiting for the super bowl to start. Probably will not watch the whole thing, just go back and forth with the channels and catch some of it. Would love to see the Patriots win because they have worked hard and are undefeated, but would also like to see Eli Manning win a super bowl ring like his brother. Never said that I make sense! :rotfl:

I just finished Dark Fever by Karen Marie Moning. If you like dark fantasy/paranormal, this is an excellent read. I was hooked from the first page and it was hard to put it down. I looked at the book on the shelves for quite some time, but refrained from buying it as it is written in first person, which is not my favorite. The Michelle kept telling me how great it was, so I caved and bought it. The book rocks! Now I plan on going out this week and springing for the second in the series.

This last week, even with the stress and the ‘not feeling my cheery old self’, I got some writing in. Just a little, but it felt good. I found I have some very special people who believe in me and this is going a long way to helping me believe in myself.

I have been itching to redesign my blog again, but trying to hold off. One, because I would probably be on the phone begging Michelle to help or to fix what I broke and two, because I need to spend the time writing instead.

Remember, I have people who believe in me and will kick my butt if I don’t get it done. :typing:

I am so blessed!

~Sandy