Scribble and Scrambles - Muffled Monday Musings

I hab a code.

Everything I say is being filtered through gunk. Keep that in mind in case this post rambles or runs like an out of control nose during hay fever season.

My first musing -- I love my family. We had 38 various assorted cousins/grands/aunts/uncles and other such folk over for a 90th birthday celebration yesterday.

Not mine, thank you very much!

My Grandma turns 90 tomorrow. You'd never know it to look at her.

I am so glad Rob tore out the kitchen wall because everyone congregated in the bigger, albeit a little dustier, kitchen.

Talk about a buzz of activity. It was a great get together. I love it when you reconnect with people you don't see very often. I always kick myself for letting it go so long between visits.

Second item on the musing charts.... I find it odd that I run across the word colon as often as I do. I suppose it's an obvious since I do work in the medical profession, but then in my writing life, there she blows...

Thirdly, Feral Will got a taste of the trauma he inflicts on poor Freckles. A pack of six children went on a "kitty" hunt yesterday during the birthday party. I suggested that they look in my bedroom for Feral. But rumor has it that the "moose head" on the wall bothered them. Hey. If I have to have a deer head on my wall, I should at least be able to traumatize children with it.

Speaking of children...my aunts gifted me with an odd little book when I was a wee lass. A book "written" in only single letters, numbers and punctuation. As I was driving to work one of the pages popped into my head. One child was pointing out a snake to another child. An argument over snake vs non-snake erupted. Finally, the pro-snake character threw out the proof.

C D B-D I's.

So if I think that's amusing and can figure it out, why do I have so much trouble with vanity license plates?

Have a good Monday?

Scribbles and Scrambles - What Shall I Write?

I feel like a slacker-blogger.

A year ago it wouldn't have been a big deal to post only three times in a week, but somewhere, somehow I've picked up the need/compulsion/responsibility to blog at least 5 times. I missed the mark last week, and the week before.

Maybe it's X-ta who sends me e-mails wondering when I'm going to post again. Maybe it's because I'm used to blogging about books and doing tours with information that doesn't have a lot to do with me, so doesn't require great thought on my part.

Whatever the motivation is, I guess I need to reveal to the world that I'm kind of addicted to the process.

It's kind of odd...putting my thoughts into a simple box during moments of solitary introspection, and then realizing, after the fact, that people read my stuff and remember it.

My blog address is in my e-mail signature, so a lot of my readers are random and not necessarily those I talk with every day. An editor commented favorably on my blog-style after she purchased one of my articles. My aunt found out about my French press addiction and bought me my very own for Christmas last year. A friend from work surprised me with a Christmas present that included two kinds of tape and a notebook for my purse because of posts she read on my blog. My daughter passed along something I wrote to a friend of hers who mentioned how much he enjoyed one of my Pat posts and that he often clicked over to see what was on the Dregs. Some come to read interviews and book reviews, others see the blue and red and pass because they actually prefer reading what I write.

This feedback is both humbling and exciting. I hope I've made my posts of value. I hope you know how much I appreciate that you invest your time reading my thoughts.

Now, I'm going to go finish cleaning and take my shower. It's noon, for goodness sake, and I have a party at my house tomorrow.

Have an excellent weekend, friends.

Scribbles and Scrambles - A What Dog?

Lola is our watch dog. Amazing that a deep doberman-woof can come out of the wriggly, gangly puppy body.

Lily, well, she'll beat you up in an attempt to get a full body hug.

But today Lily revealed her inner "Thor."

Did the UPS man come to the door? No. That wasn't it.

An unfamiliar relative barged in and startled her?

No.

Not the mail carrier, or a strange dog, or a loud noise. Nope.

The sun.

Yes. I said the sun.

I always thought a sun dog was a quirk in a celestial body. How strange that I would have a quirk within my family.

So, Lola is our watch dog. Lily is our slobbering sun dog. That works. It also explains why Lily wakes and whines with the sunrise.

Yes, Janet, I do think they are cute...

Scribble and Scrambles - Oh My!

I filled my new bookshelves. I mean I filled them. I don't have a clue how many books I have, but the space for new books is limited at best.

It leaves me pondering where I used to keep them all.

The really scary thing is this picture was taken after I unloaded large bags at my local and church libraries.

The books pictured on my shelves are the ones I want to read, have started to read or have finished and will go back to revisit.

Ha. To think that I thought my hubby was going overboard. Nope. He just knows me pretty well.

I suppose there are worse collections to have. This way I can at least pretend to be intelligent. If I pose neer the theology and study helps section anyway.

Lily peeks from the steps. Kind of creepy if you ask me.

Scribble and Scrambles - Click, Click, Click, Pause

I think I've gone on record with my love of changing things up. Apparently God has been listening and is going to test my theory.

For starters, my husband is making big decisions about his business. Big decisions that are a little or a lot scary depending on my mood swing of the moment.

Secondly, I need to put my money where my mouth is. It's easy to talk about writing, and think about writing, and do it in the places where it has become comfortable. But I've been challenged to stretch a little. Or a lot. Depending on what my mood swing of the moment is dictating.

Am I up for the test? Am I up for the stretch? I don't know. I'm writing from the comfort of my home with loads of distraction and people needing my attention.Which is pretty much standard.

I do know that I like myself a whole lot better once I let God hack off the rough edges. Maybe my dry spiritual 2007 with all the challenges was preparing me for something bigger.

Even though the thought nauseates me, I do trust God to steer the roller coaster and keep me strapped in.

So, big, deep breathe in, exhale, eyes squinched, here I go.

Serials and Scenarios - Best of 2007 Part 2

I've compiled my list of favorites from the 111 books I read and reviewed in 2007. I just posted my list of favorites at Amazon. If you want to see my "Listmania List" just click.

I added a few more comments to my already posted reviews.

If you don't want to click, I'm going to give you my list in black and white.

Best Fantasy

2nd place - The Restorer
1st place - A Hideous Beauty

Best Chick-Lit

2nd place - All the Tea in China
1st place - Hazardous Duty

Best Women's Fiction

Doesn't She Look Natural?

General Fiction

Tie - In High Places
Tie - The Heir

Historical

They Betrayed

Suspense

3rd place - The Void
2nd place tie - Crimson Eve and Black Ice
1st place - Deadfall

Mystery

Deception

Parenting

Laugh Out-Loud - Guide to Pirate Parenting
Practical and Hopeful - Parenting by the Book

Outstanding Fiction

2nd place - Demon: A Memoir
1st place - A Bigger Life

If you've not read these, check into them. If you don't have book budget for 2008 yet by all means check with your public library.

Scribble and Scrambles - Tops from 2007 - Part One

Top ten favorite 2007 moments....drum roll if you will.


February Anniversary party wherein we celebrated 25 years of marriage three months past our anniversary.

The sweetest thing was this video so fabulously created by our son with the help of the girls.

Second 2007 favorites would have to be the furry creature influx. Three baby animals, two of which are someone else's responsibility....good times.

Thirdly, the visit with Minnesota Maniacs...a bobsledding team that does not eat enough... was a great way to end up the year. This is an inside joke but trust me when I say it involved loads of food and even more laughter.

Hmmm which family moments should I focus on? The Iowa State Fair held much fun and adventure as did the trip to LifeLight over Labor Day. I'll tie them for fourth.

Fifth? God's gift of words and thoughts when I felt overwhelmed when preparing for a speaker gig. He came through for me, big time. I was blessed. I hope the ladies were as well. This should be number one. Because not only did He come through for me with this. He comes through for me more often than I realize. He is beyond good to me. Snowflake revelations, blessings, blood, His Spirit, His heart and His mind. Wow. This entire post should be the top ten reasons I am grateful to God.

Snuggle times are interspersed within my top ten great moments. From wonderful back rubs to the sweet Mother's Day pedicure to just cuddling with those near and dear. I'll count them as number six.

Seventh. The Minnesota lake trip with Rob. Up one day, one night of rest, and back home again. Great conversation, a book shared, and time away from responsibility.

Eighth. This Christmas season was full of laughter, fun and sweetness, even sweeter than the fudge.

Meaningful gifts. From the Gopher II from Santa, to the fluffy pampering slippers, the amazing bookshelves, the roll of tape and the writers notebook for my purse. I can't even begin to share all of the gifts and details on why they meant so much. Definitely number nine.

Ten...the people who take valuable time to read my random thoughts and who keep coming back for more.

Thanks.