Serials and Scenarios ~ A Vote of Confidence

Robin Lee Hatcher's new release, A Vote of Confidence, is just around the corner. Keep reading for my review, and here's a bit more for your reading pleasure.

First Chapter

Robin's Website

Previous Dregs ala Robin.



My Review:

Vote of Confidence ended up being a satisfying and charming story. Sometimes I hesitate to read about, let alone root for a female character who comes off prickly and offended by any and all references to anything resembling a female weakness. Confidence's first few pages sent those vibes. The I'm-not-going-to-like-this-chick, vibes. In the hands of a lesser writer, that could've easily been the case. However, we're talking Robin Lee Hatcher here, and, as she painted the portrait of Gwen, she added enough humanity and depth that not only did I begin to like her, I actually wanted to see her get the guy and the job.

I love that there are some historical events that Hatcher borrowed and tweaked for her story. I also couldn't find much to not like about Morgan. If you love a solid hero, a heroine who eventually gets it, and a little suspense thrown into your historical fiction, you should probably put this one on your list.

Scribble and Scrambles ~ A Scene from Puppy 101

What's going on over there?

Oh, yeah.

Sawyer is the teacher's pet. Look at him run through his skills like a big, show-offy expert.






Rob patiently filling in for 22 while she's on her big, southern adventure and we are left home alone with the stinky twins.

Would've taken a video but these were tough enough to grab. Didn't want to give anyone motion sickness.

Scribble and Scrambles ~ Slosh Sunday - Fun Run

I'm not a runner. Hello! I'm an anti-runner if I'm anything. I have never liked running, nor have I ever wanted to like running.

That said...

22 is gone for a spell. I'm the puppy-master. Puppy-masters get to do awful things like stick their hands in bright pink bags and pick up puppy by-products. When 22 is on walks with the girls and me, she does this, they are her dogs. But, since I'm such a nice mom, I will do this until she returns.

Day one of 22's trip -- all goes well. Rob and I take the puppies out for a brisk walk even though we'd gotten up early for a garage sale and then unloaded, sold, reloaded and hauled all the leftovers to the homeless mission. Even though we'd done all that, we took the pups for a walk. Nice, nice parents.

Day two of 22's trip. Rob was really tired. He hadn't really committed to being the puppy-master. So, me, being the woman who does wear big girl panties most days, decided I could do it alone. Three weeks of obedience training and all those walks with our fabulous Gentle Leaders...I could do it.

The weekend was a bit rainy. Did I mention that already?

The usual byways were surrounded by many places that could have been big mud puddles and to avoid the whole bath thing and/or other issues involving mud I decided to drive to a trail that is asphalt the entire way and butts-up to a concrete parking lot. We'd walk a mile or so. I could handle them for a mile all by myself. I told Rob, packed my phone, loaded the girls and took off. I needed to get the walk over and done with because we had more rain in the forecast.

Our walk was going swimmingly. Until we nearly reached our turn-around destination. I glanced up because what little sun there was had pretty much disappeared. Huh? Might be because it was now buried under a very dark cloud. A dark cloud with little rumbles and occasional flash of lightning.

First, as we turned around and began race-walking to the car which was parked about a half mile away, the rain drops were big, fat and steady. I could live with that. The faster I walked, the less hit me. Oh, they hurt when they hit my face, but I could deal with it. Then the sky opened and someone began throwing full pails of warm water on us. (At least they were warm.) So we ran, then when the puppy-master began to fear exploding lungs more than lightning strikes we slowed back down to a race walk. Then we rinsed and repeated.

We reached the car, drenched, soggy and grateful. Can you imagine how it smelled when two, very warm, wet dogs and I rode home? And, I have to confess something. When someone needed to take a break from running to take care of a personal doggy issue, I didn't take time to cart it out in a pink bag. Sorry.

Shut-Ups ~ Brownie Recipe...

Amazing Brownies....I'm not kidding. I've tweaked and tweaked, played and played with brownie recipes. My all time favorite calls for 5-6 eggs and butter and sugar and they taste SO good and are a heart attack on a plate.

The Sneaky Chef has one made with a spinach/blueberry puree which I think it good, but they were cakey and 22 sent me back to the search.

Finally, we found one we adapted. Fudgy vs cakey, delicious with little or no funky tastes or texture. And we can feel good about it.

3/4 cup of chocolate chips melted (the darker the better)
1/2 pkge of tofu (12.5 to 14 oz brick, I use firm) (discard the water)
1/4 cup canola, sunflower or walnut oil.
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon coffee or flavored extract (vanilla)
1/3 cup whole grain flour (I dump old fashioned oats in the food processor or blender to make whole grain flour which you can mix with other flour or use alone)
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Oil 9x13 pan. Preheat oven to 350. Dump tofu (without the water it floats in!) in food processor or mixer, blend, add sugar, oil, salt, melted chocolate, and coffee. Blend til smooth and uniform in color. Add cocoa, and flour, mix so you don't have a cloud of cocoa powder hit you in the face when you turn on machine, and blend til mixed. Spread out in pan and bake approx 20-24 minutes.

These stay gooey and fudgy vs. cakey. Taste good chilled or right from oven. Double the recipe and use all the tofu and bake two pans... freezing the extra brownies for another occasion and/or individually as treats. This recipe is one I found in a cookbook that called for additional sugar and oil and I've adapted it (shaving off 1/3 cup sugar, 2 TBSP oil) because the originals were overtly sweet and had an oily residue. I also changed some measurements to make things a bit easier to measure.

Scribble and Scrambles ~ You Really Want to Know This...Right?

So. We took the camera to dog obedience class.

Did we take any pictures?

Any pictures of the dogs "Leaving It!" and "Taking It!" and "Placing!" ?

Any pictures of the two wending strolls around the store wherein we tested focusing skills by walking past cages of fluttering, chirping birds and eye-level tanks of colorful, darting fish?

No. We stinking FORGOT we had the camera.

But, next week, maybe. Next week we may learn hand signals, because once again, we are ahead of the basic, into the intermediate, and AWESOME.

I do know that walking on the trails has become way more fun. We hardly trip over eight dog feet entangled with the four human feet. The pesky shoulder pain has lessened considerably and I dare say the calluses on our hands from the leash burns have softened a bit.

Here are two pictures...posed and for the teacher's "brag" board. We'll see what we can pull off next week.

Scribble and Scrambles ~ A Little Bit O' Fun

A quick, little Wednesday pick-me up.

My mom and I have always talked about the crazy-fun idea of bursting into song and dance in a shopping mall. I think talent may be the only thing holding us back. That and fear of severe injury.

Scribble and Scrambles ~Signs of Spring

The all season basket bench has been filled with all things spring and summer. 22 birthed the idea and then put together fabulous fall and winter displays. The spring/summer colorfest is all mine.






My garden is growing!!! I have brown thumbs. I've killed everything I've ever tried to grow save for a few hardy cacti. But, in light of organic produce prices, I thought I'd give it a try. On order are the everbearing indoor/outdoor strawberries and a dozen assorted raspberry and blueberry bushes. My indoor garden has begun sprouting. I have teeny-tiny baby lettuce and this is flax. Yes, I'm going to plant flax. Ambitious and crazy, yup. But the seeds only cost two bucks and flax seed at the store is pricey....what can it hurt? Only dirt and some time. Right?


And behold, my bright red front door and crazy rainbow wreath. Yes, those are house keys in the keyhole. Oops.

Now, on to psyching myself up for the obedience class. Hopefully, Lily and Lola will be better there than they were on the walk we just took. Oy.