Scribbles and Scrambles ~ It Can Only Get Better, Right?

Odd day. It seems I either pass out for 10-15 minutes at a time and startle awake to the reality that 10 or 15 minutes has passed and I've moved at a snail's pace, or been frozen in time. Seriously. My 20 minute bathroom routine took 40, making coffee and two sandwiches seemed to take a lifetime and while I was thinking how I could be clever and quick about this blog post I heard a noise. 

Because I apparently have one speed, molasses on a January day, it took me a few second to place said noise. That of a cat eating. Since the cat food bowl is in the bathroom, I pondered and considered, what is Feral eating? 

My oatmeal. Thank you very much! 

Strange day indeed. One wherein time seems to be anti-magical and I share my oatmeal with a cat.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ What I've Been Up To Lately

Guest room remodel....mostly done. Four pictures to hang.

Family picture collage on the stairwell...in progress

My bedroom redo. I need to put all the finishing touches (and close that drawer on my dresser!!!!)

Totally a blank canvas. I have burlap curtains to hang. I'm excited that those turned out the way they did. And I need to paint on my window. And add some bolder "seascape" colored accents to pull everything together. I think this is my weekend project. Bare walls are intimidating to me.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Caught the Vision...Ha.Ha.

I got the giggles in church on Sunday. I know. So inappropriate. It was during the sermon, too. Thankfully, it was not during communion. Our pastor used a joke as an illustration. And, if you know me on any level you know I love me a good pratfall err etc., right?

The joke wasn't that hilarious, but the stinking visual was and I got to tee-heeing so hard I was crying. So. So inappropriate.

And I may have been the only one laughing. Here's the joke.

Picture is so unrelated. A family trip to Gatorland 11 years ago.

A guy in a Ferrari pulls up next to a guy on a moped at a red light. The moped fellow can't help himself and stares at the gleaming beauty next to him. Finally he taps on the window, waits for it to glide down and tells the Ferrari driver how sweet his ride is and asks. "What do you have under the hood?" 

The Ferrari stud smiles. "Let's race to the next light." Then he takes off, pedal to the medal and leaves the moped in his dust. The Ferrari is clipping right along when he notices a shadowy figure to his right. All of a sudden it's clear in his side mirror, that it's the moped. Shocked, the Ferrari guy watches the Moped shoot past his car and beat him to the light. The Ferrari purrs to a stop and he rolls his window down again. The moped driver is sweating buckets and looks a little gray. Mr. Ferrari says, "Dude, what do you have under the hood?" After a gulp Moped man says. "Nothing much, but I'm going to remove my suspender from your side mirror before the light turns green."

Lame right? Ha.Ha.Ha.

Scraps and Snippets ~ Easy Peasy Use Up Leftovers...

Great use for bits and pieces of leftovers to make for some tasty eats. 

Leftover pasta, quinoa or rice or an enticing combo you've got. 

Leftover veggies

Beans or meat substitute of your choice

The last bit of hummus or baba ganoush and equal amounts of veggie broth, spaghetti sauce or salsa

Saute or steam your veggie  bits. Add the hummus or baba ganough and sauce and heat through. Add your meat substitute if desired. Pour or spoon over your pasta, quinoa or rice. Serve.


I used Baba ganoush with veggie broth, chunks of Beyond Meat, and leftover veggies and my lime cilantro brown rice and quinoa. 

Serials and Scenarios ~ Robert Liparulo's The Judgment Stone ~ Review

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

The Judgment Stone

Thomas Nelson (May 14, 2013)

by

Robert Liparulo




ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Former journalist Robert Liparulo is the best-selling author of the thrillers Comes a Horseman, Germ, Deadfall, Deadlock, and The 13th Tribe, as well as The Dreamhouse Kings, an action-adventure series for young adults. He contributed a short story to James Patterson’s Thriller, and an essay about Thomas Perry’s The Butcher’s Boy to Thrillers: 100 Must Reads, edited by David Morrell and Hank Wagner. He is currently working on the sequel to The 13th Tribe, as well writing an original screenplay with director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive).




When not writing, Liparulo loves to read, watch (and analyze) movies, scuba dive, swim, hike, and travel. He lives in Monument, Colorado, with his wife Jodi and four children: Melanie, Matthew, Anthony, and Isabella.



 ABOUT THE BOOK

What if praying became a curse instead of a blessing?



Former Army Ranger Jagger Baird thought he had his hands full with the Tribe—the band of immortal vigilantes fighting to regain God’s grace by killing those opposed to Him. But that was before he encountered the ruthless group of immortals called the Clan. The Clan is after a prize that would give them unimaginable power—a piece of the Ten Commandments known as the Judgment Stone.



Those who touch the Stone can see into the spiritual world: angelic warriors, treacherous demons, and the blue threads of light that signal the presence of believers in communion with God.



By following the blue beam radiating from those closest to God, the Clan plans to locate His most passionate followers and destroy them.



Jagger quickly realizes his high-tech gadgetry and training are no match for these merciless immortals. But how can he defeat an enemy who hunts believers through their prayers . . . and won’t stop until they’ve annihilated all those close to Him?



In this high-action thriller, best-selling author Robert Liparulo examines the raging battle between good and evil on earth . . . and beyond.



If you would like to read the first chapter of The Judgment Stone, go HERE.

MY REVIEW:

If I see a book with Robert Liparulo's name on it, it ends up in my to read pile. His writing is tense, descriptive (chickens take note, this is not always a pleasant thing) and hopeful. Liparulo crafts characters that are flawed and real and pull at your heartstrings and have kept me up past bedtime a night or two.

And his stories. Whew. Always full of what if's and enough truth to keep me thinking and enough speculation and twists to make me wonder what kind of pizza he eats before bed. This particular book is number two in the series. If you haven't read The Thirteenth Tribe, you may want to whip through it first, however, you won't be lost if you don't. The story centers around Immortals and an epic battle of good vs evil. And The Judgment Stone provides some seriously epic battles. And a story line that is haunting.

The Judgment Stone is an excellent choice for a beach read, plane trip or just because. I was home alone a couple nights and I couldn't open it after dark, so chickens and sensitive readers, you have been warned. Keep em coming, Robert, puleeze.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Squeak Update....

I've now been taught the four strings of my violin and finger placements for a total of 16 notes. 

I "know" how to slur, tie, and create a staccato effect (actually this was pretty easy for me because that's how I played until he drove the constant bow concept into my brain. Staccato is a teeny pause between each note. Since I instinctively staccato through life, my teacher was able to gloss over this technique..."play like you did before I told you to STOP stopping between notes" 

This hornpipe hornswoggle of a piece was something he tossed down with a flourish and a snarky smile. "Work on this this week." My heart threw some palpitations. For starters it's a half page of music with a repeat every two lines. And secondly, the brand new notes are mixed in. He even had me play it (attempt - NOT PRETTY) within seconds of giving it to me. I kept getting lost and finally told him that the little black dots were confusing me. (He pretended to be unamused. I so love my teacher's personality!) He also gave me some life advice. I kind of whined (imagine that) that when I had to play for him, it kinda harshed my mellow. He asked me where I'd heard that phrase and I told him it was from a show I watched and that I wanted to use it frequently for amusement purposes. He suggested I be careful where I used it so people didn't think I was a stoner. Word! 

Snippets and Scraps ~ Cilantro Lime Brown Rice and Quinoa

I discovered something pretty fabulous. I think I'll share. 

I make cilantro lime rice whenever we are going to do a feast of sautéed veggies and guacamole etc. etc. 

It's pretty easy. I use the Trader Joe's quick version of organic brown rice. Good enough ehhh?

But I was needing to make a huge batch and noticed that next to my skimpy bag of brown rice lay a bag of quinoa. Hmmm. The cook times and ratios were similar. And the nutritional boost. Win. Win. 

Take equal parts of brown (quick rice) and quinoa. (I used a cup and 1/2 of each)
Liquid you need to make the amount you want. I went a bit shy on the liquid because drier is better than gummy. Ya know. I used veggie broth and the juice of a lime for my liquid (about 6 cups). I dumped in the rice and quinoa and let it simmer up til the liquid was absorbed and the quinoa grew tails (about 20 minutes give or take). I added the juice of another lime and chopped cilantro. And that's it. Easy peasy delish.