Twenty Three Days...

Angel Tree done and garland over mantel up. Today's project is Snowman Tree and finish outdoor lights. (Yes, I'm working too. Work first, decorate later!) And speaking of outdoor lights. I bought one of those blow up lawn decorations, a cute Santa sticking out of a chimney. I pull him out of the box, plug him in and he blows right up, looking cute as can be. Then I watch as he deflates. Grinding my teeth, I fiddle with the fans attached and the cord, and sure enough, he pops back up again. That's better. Then he deflates again. Okay, I'm cranky anyway 'cause most of last years chasing lights don't work, so now I'm silently swearing. He inflates again. I watch him through narrowed eyes, not trusting, and sure enough, he deflates. I'm considering kicking Santa, here, I'm getting so irritated, but I swear instead--outloud, this time. As he inflates once again, it occurs to me. He's supposed to do that. Duh! I quickly apologize to Santa and the Christmas Gods who are having one hell of a laugh at my expense. Okay, so I'm not the brightest bulb in the string. I have my moments, this just wasn't one of them. Santa is now up on my roof, popping up and down out of his chimney, waving at passer bys. Today the 8 foot Snowman goes up. At least, I hope he does...

Only Twenty-Four Days...

Happy December One! The countdown officially begins for me. Twenty-four frantic days of shopping, decorating, eating, baking, celebrating, wrapping and non-stop Xmas music. I'm knee deep in decorations and knock on wood, no bad light strings inside. (Outside is another story, for another time) I admit it, I'm a little kid when it comes to Christmas and a sucker for decorations that move and make noise. (Just got the Hallmark Snowman--he sits at a piano and plays and sings--too cute!) I'll put some music on tonight and decorate one tree. Okay, confession time. I have three trees. Snowman Tree. Angel Tree. Mish-mosh tree. I used to have Nutcracker Tree, but thought maybe I should scale down a little. Wouldn't want anyone to think I overdo it or anything... Here's wishing you a wonderful Christmas and may all your dreams come true!

Virus X 2

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I've been offline since my Norton detected a virus that had gotten into my computer. Off to computer hospital, where my "doctor" got my baby up and running again. Very very annoying. I went camping to the Colorado River for Thanksgiving. Was with a large group of friends and family and we had a great time. Ate wonderful food, laughed a lot, sat by the fire and talked, went for boat rides, played Scrabble (though I truly was not worthy--there were some serious Scrabble players there!) and had lots and lots of fun. The weather was perfect (I even got a sunburn) and at night, so many stars! I'll put some pictures up soon on my site. So back to the title of this blog--why? Because I came home from all that fun with a virus--the kind that makes your throat hurt, fever and chills! I'm much better now, thank goodness, but I don't want to see any kind of virus again for a long long time!

Back From Vegas

I'm home and rested from my trip--had a fabulous time! I even won a little money! The conservatory at the Bellagio was awesome, with pumpkins the size of a Volkswagon bug and flower displays to knock your flip flops off! The new Wynn hotel was a blast, the employees there nicer than any other casino and the buffet! Oh my, don't get me started! Let's just say I think it's the best I've had. Probably the priciest, though, too, but worth every bite. (Well, actually it was free, sort of--after getting a player's card and putting 50 points on the card, I got two buffets for free--didn't take me much gambling to get those 50 points!) Didn't get a chance to check out the shops, but I would have just been window shopping. Just didn't have enough time to do everything I wanted--next time! Glad to be home and back to work. My heroine, Kiera, was is currently giving my hero, Sam, a piece of her mind and Sam's about to "shut her up" if you know what I mean...

Elvis--Here I Come!

Viva Las Vegas Baby! I'm leaving for Sin City in three hours and thirty-four minutes. I've worked all weekend and I'm taking a break. Just for one day, mind you. It's a forty-five minute hop from Burbank to Vegas and air fare is cheap. Leave today, play, eat, take in the new Wynn hotel and the Bellagio conservatory, then home tomorrow. And back to work... My hero is on the edge of his breaking point...can't wait to see what happens when he snaps. Wish me Luck!

Five Minutes a Day...

It's not easy to quiet the restless mind. Life comes at us in warp speed these days. Cell phones, fax machines, instant messaging. Where are the still moments? The moments when we can dream, when we can move into a peaceful place and simply think without being bombarded by the craziness? We need to make those moments. No one is going to give them to us. We must demand them. We need to say no more often to others, and say yes to ourselves. Even five minutes will help, but I challenge you to start with fifteen. Set the timer if need be. Close your eyes, put your feet up. Let the quiet absorb you and see what comes to you. (Not the errands or cleaning or work projects--they must wait outside your mind) This is when you refill the well, calm the spirit, heal the soul. Breathe. You deserve it. Don't ask for permission from anyone but yourself . TAKE IT, then seize the moment.

Gone Gardening

I spent Saturday planting flowers. Snapdragons, pansies, violas, stocks, delphiniums. Five hours straight, friends. My flower beds look great, but every muscle in my body aches. I am bruised (wheelbarrow fell over on my leg) scratched (those nasty rose bushes got me good) rash (trimming the morning glory, I think) Soaked in epsom salts till I looked like a prune, and I still ache. It's a good ache, though. Feels good to get something done! Though it's never really done. Watering, trimming, weeding, feeding. Still, it's a labor of love, bruises, scratches and all. It's a lot like writing. After hours of sitting in front of the computer, digging around inside my characters head, I often come after feeling a bit bruised and definitely achy. Some times I have to dig deeper, and there are rocks and roots blocking my way. But I have to keep hacking away so I can get that one beautiful flower to grow. And when it does, there's just nothing like it. And then there's the next scene, the next chapter. The next book. Like gardening, it's never really done, but it doesn't matter. It's a labor of love.