Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Monday Blessings

Quite the eventful weekend. 

First up was 24 hours of Arbonne conversation where I was inspired and challenged. Plus the eight hours round trip which included more encouraging and challenging conversation.

I managed to crack out a few words here and there when I had a chance to work on Out of the Frying Pan. 

Also there was time for some reading for the book review that is due before Thanksgiving. 

And last night's snuggles on the couch with stinky, adorable grand dogs. 

The biggest event was spending time with my mother-in-law who fell and broke her hip, collar bone and elbow on Sunday morning.  Calling the ambulance, going to the ER, hearing that everything that hurt was broken, watching her slip into morphine induced sleep…thank you, Lord, for morphine. And realizing that no less than five details falling into perfect place were absolute God sends, because without them, things could have been so much worse. 

I am calling the rest of this month… No Room For Negativity November. Because there just isn't. Ain't nobody got time for that. 

Scraps and Snippets - Caulfredo Sauce

Caulfredo Sauce

1 head of cauliflower (leaves and tough stump removed and discarded but use stems) (about 3 cups)

2 1/2 Cups unsweetened "milk"(I used soy)

1 to 1 1/2 TBSP "Butter" (I used Earth Balance)
1/2 onion diced

8-10 cloves or garlic diced (I used 8, I’m going to add a little more in the next batch)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp lemon juice

Break up cauliflower and place in a pan with a steamer section and lid. Bring water to boilthen drop to simmer. Steam until tender, about 7 minutes. Let cool. 

Saute garlic and onion in the butter and caramelize.(if desired you could drizzle onion and garlic with a little olive oil and roast instead).

Place the cooled cauliflower, sautéed veggies, salt and lemon juice in a large food processor or super blender. Puree, add milk a cup at a time until you get the consistency you desire. Store in fridge if not using right away. Heat on low, or in low crockpot to warm sauce. (If you don't have a huge food processor, puree 1/2 the cauliflower, onions, garlic and lemon juice and salt. Add some of the milk. Dump into another pan or crock pot. Puree the remaining cauliflower etc in the food processor and do the same. Add to the pot and stir, mix in the rest of the milk until you reach the desired consistency.)

Serve over rice or pasta or vegetables. 

Serials and Scenarios ~ Story Building...

Actually, one of the bad guys in Out of the Frying Pan.

Our character, Rudolpho Vasquez, is a drug dealer with entrepreneurial tendencies and has been known to deal with problems with a slightly murderous touch. 

Interestingly, Michelle actually grabbed these from news articles. Clearly, we are using the photos as a tool to help us with our descriptions not as any sort of statement about the men within the photos. However. As a blueprint for a character, which one would you pick? 

Serials and Scenarios ~ A Heart Deceived….Super Deal

Michelle threatened to send me to a bad, bad place if I didn't share this. Whew. Crisis averted. But, if you are looking for a good read, you might want to pick this one. For the curious, Out of the Frying Pan is clipping along nicely. 

TODAY ONLY snatch up your copy of A HEART DECEIVED for 99¢ at https://vyrso.com/product/31963/a-heart-deceived-a-novel. It’s the perfect time of year to curl up with this gothic regency…

Lies just may be the death of Miri Brayden, unless Ethan Goodwin—a master of deception himself—can rescue her before it’s too late.

Serials or Scenarios ~ NaNoWriMo Thought of the Day...

Not true. Some of my words were in email format. But…I was amused.

Serials and Scenarios ~ NaNoWriMo Adventure

 Michelle and I are cracking out this book now. Four scenes down and others mapped out. We ran into some serious road blockage trying to get the many characters to cooperate and get in the places we need them to be in to get to the ending we have charted. But I think we've got it. About 25 K more to go and all in this month. I'm glad I'm not signed up for the official challenge of 50K NaNoWriMo, though. 

Serials and Scenarios….Meet Fifi and Oh, Listen to the Music...

First day of NaNoWriMo. I didn't post anything yesterday because it was one of those days. Meeting myself coming and going. Have I mentioned anything exciting about violin lately? Oh, yeah, because NOTHING exciting is happening. I think I've entered the place where I just have to keep trudging until I get it. 

Eleven months after starting I know the main notes….know is used somewhat tongue in cheek because I "know" them but I don't. A fraction of an inch gives a completely wrong tone, and when my fingers are on all the strings flying this was and that and I can't really look at my fingers because then I get really screwed up, I'm playing by the seat-of-my-pants. Yesterday I got the lecture about enjoying the journey and how I shouldn't really give myself a goal that will tell me I've arrived. I am a violinist. I play the violin. And no matter how much I play or how much I practice, the chances are I am never going to nail, perfect or stand on a stage and have flowers thrown at me. If I do, then that's great, but the flowers aren't going to happen each and every time so then what? If I look at it as making art, making the world a more beautiful place just because I'm adding my voice in music to the world, whether I'm playing just for me or for others, then I'm going to feel more successful. 

I am a violinist. I make art. I make beauty. I am what I am. 

I'm also a writer. I create word pictures. 

Here's word picture for you. Michelle, the crazy counterpart of mine has chosen two pictures to represent Fifi, the wonder dog, from our novel, Out of the Frying Pan. 

She asked her readers to pick the picture that best represents Fifi. I should do the same. 

Here's the description (which I wrote, sigh, lovely picture is it not?) and the photos. Chime in with your thoughts. Maybe by the time the book is published I'll have created an artistic violin score. 


"We now have a dog Zula insists is “adorable.” Not a puppy, mind you, but a decrepit rat terrier who has to be lifted in order for it to fulfill its purpose in life — sitting on laps and yapping. Though other body parts fail, its barker is in perfect working order.

Fifi moved in three days ago when poor Randolph Johnson checked into Shady Rest. . . the nursing home, not to be confused with the cemetery of that same name three miles further south.

Zula walks the silly thing around the block with great drama but has to stop every few feet to let the rodent-on-a-leash catch its breath. It’s the most ridiculous sight here at Sunset Paradise. She’s sewn several doggy garments for their outings — which would look a lot less ridiculous without the bedazzling, but at least they hide the bald patches."