At Face Value has a voice

I haven't been this excited since last...uh, well, that's too much information. Suffice it to say, I am extremely excited about my new novel, At Face Value, and the voice spot my friend, fellow runner, Disney fanatic, and radio personality, Heather Bishop put together for the book.
Listen to the voice spot for At Face Value on YouTube.


You can hear more from Heather Bishop weekdays from 10 AM to 3 PM on WZID (95.7).

Thank you, Heather for lending me your talent and voice. The ad makes me want to go out and buy the book and I wrote it!

New Year Resolutions or Not?

The New Year has arrived! 2013 will be a better year, or will it?

How do you plan to make 2013 a great year? Do you make resolutions? Or do you let the year bring what it may without outlining any personal goals?

I am a firm believer in resolutions. Not because someone will hold my feet to the fire if I don’t accomplish them but because it helps me keep my eye on the prize.

Do you set your resolutions on January 1 and then not check them until the end of the year when it’s too late or do you set timeline goals for each resolution?

I do both. I give myself timelines within the year that I should accomplish them, but am flexible enough that I don’t berate myself if I don’t complete something by a certain date.

What are your New Year resolutions? Are they purely personal, purely professional, or all of the above?

Mine tend to include both personal and professional goals.

Do you share your resolutions?

I believe that if you share your New Year goals with others then you’ve cemented the deal and you push yourself to make them happen. That doesn’t mean I share all of them. There’s usually one very personal one that I keep to myself.

What if you don’t achieve your goals? Do you kick yourself? Curl up in a corner and whine about it?

I tend to say as long as I tried then that’s all that counts. If I fall a little short then I pat myself on the back and determine if I need to adjust the goal. Is it more important to lose ten pounds or be able to run a 5K the entire time?

What are your resolutions for 2013?

A goal I have every year is to finish writing a novel. At least one a year. If I get two then bonus, but since I work full-time that’s an enormous feat.

I have a couple of activity goals this year. My first goal is to run a 5K without walking. I love running but I’m not exactly good at it. My other running related resolution is to run a full marathon. This will definitely be more challenging. In order to do this I need to improve my half-marathon time and I have to run longer distances in my training. Wish me luck!

An easy resolution for me is to read 52 books, at least one a week. Since I’m an avid reader this is a fun goal and usually easily attainable. If this is one of your New Year resolutions a good way to achieve this goal is to participate in read-a-thon’s. I really like the way the Dewey Read-a-thon is run and if at all possible, I participate in the 24-hr read-a-thon twice a year. Check out the Dewey Read-a-thon website at http://24hourreadathon.com/.

There is one more resolution on my list, but that one I am holding close to the vest.

Happy New Year!

A New Year approaches...what did you do in 2012?

As 2012 comes to a close and 2013 lurks on the horizon, what are you thinking about? Are you reflecting on your accomplishments in 2012? Are you thinking about what 2013 is going to bring? Will the New Year come in slow and steady or with bang?

What did you do in 2012 that you set your sights on accomplishing? What was on your list of goals for 2012 that you did not do? Will you carry it over to 2013? What are your goals for 2013?

Me? One of my biggest accomplishments was running a half-marathon in Ireland. Last January a friend of mine suggested I could do it and I thought he was whacked. He is, but that’s a different story. Anyway, he challenged me to do it and even sent me a link to a race in Ireland. As soon as I saw that link and that the race was in one of my favorite places, I signed up. I not only ran the half marathon in Dingle, Ireland, but I ran several other half marathons in 2012. Of course, while I was in Ireland, I went to my favorite town, Kenmare for ten gorgeous days.

On a more personal note, I went to a movie for the first time in over five years. This is a huge accomplishment for me as the fear factor was great…but I conquered it with two days to go.

As for my writing, my goal every year is to finish one new novel. I did! I finished AT FACE VALUE, which L&L Dreamspell will release in 2013. That’s a good start to a new year!

I also read many, many books! I participated in both Dewey Read-a-thons. I even entered the e-book era by buying a Kindle. Love it!

Happy Holidays to my Engineering team!

As the holidays are upon us and the year end is near, I thought this a good time to send you a note of cheer.



Here’s a year in review of BSTAPPS:

Trips to Philip’s Tavern, The Stadium, and even the bowling alley where Steve always kicks butt on the deadwood while drinking Deadwood beer. He should give lessons.

Humor and quick quips from Tony keep us from going insane and Finn for his amazing singing or ditties (data…aggregators) to cheer up any boring team meeting.

It should not be called Dilbert. The cartoon should be called George and Dilbert as he is the one always waking us up in the morning or making us realize that there must be other companies like where we work.

Can you look that up on the Urban Dictionary? Thank you, Maria for the introduction to that new tool.

Let’s not forget…everything is on the WIKI. And if it’s not, just ask Beth, it will be.

If you’re looking for the tough guy on the team you don’t have to look any farther than Zouka. Between his foot, his leg, and his unbelievably hard head, you have a ‘typical guy’.

Has anyone seen Troy? Somebody find Troy. Oh, wait, his meeting reminder didn’t go off…again. Now it goes to his phone!

The Queen of Remedy…Margaret! Thanks to FRY, Margaret has learned far too much about Remedy and will be the new methodology trainer on the subject.


Thank you for another great year of working with a terrific team.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Share your favorite Thanksgiving recipe

Maybe the title should say family and food, but let's face it, we all look forward to the holidays because we get to enjoy foods that we only have at Thanksgiving or Christmas.

What's your favorite holiday food?

Is it the gigantic turkey sitting in the middle of a beautifully decorated table, the funky green salad that your mother has made for years, or a pie that only your grandma can make?

For my mother, it was always that green salad with cottage cheese, green jell-o mix, pineapple, and Cool Whip. That was so NOT my favorite.

When I was a kid my favorite holiday dish was always the candied yams. I mean who doesn't like sweet potatoes drowned and baked in syrup, brown sugar and butter. Sweet and yummy!

Now, I look forward to making homemade baked macaroni and cheese. I rarely eat pasta so to make and eat this dish on Thanksgiving is a real treat.

Here's my recipe for Baked Mac & Cheese:

Ingredients:


1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon mustard powder
2 cups milk
8 ounces American cheese, cubed
8 ounces Velveeta processed cheese food, cubed
4 ounces of shredded Italian cheeses
1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Butter a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni, and cook until not quite done, about 6 minutes. Drain.

2. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Blend in the flour and mustard powder. Slowly stir in the milk, beating out any lumps. Add the American and processed cheeses, and stir constantly until the sauce is thick and smooth.

3. Drain noodles, and stir them into the cheese sauce. Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs  and Italian cheeses over the top.

4. Cover the dish, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until sauce is thick and bubbly.

Share your favorite Thanksgiving recipe!

Tis the season to give

The holiday season is upon us and there are children that could use your help to provide for a happy one.

If you have a few dollars to spare this Christmas, please join me in helping author, Jess Haines out by sending unwrapped gifts to her to donate to underprivileged children. Let's put a smile on a child's face. It's an absolute fantastic cause for the holidays.

Please click the link below for more information. Any help you can give is appreciated. SPREAD THE CHEER and THE WORD!


http://jesshaines.com/blog/2012/11/12/helping-underprivileged-kids-again-this-christmas/


Thank you for your generosity.

Thank you, Veterans

November 11, 1918, during World War I, fighting ceased when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Armistice Day was a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II , the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." On June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Today, twenty-two million living Americans have donned a uniform and made sacrifices to protect this country and its people.

I, for one, am grateful to those American Armed Forces who have dedicated themselves to helping keep ussafe, keep our freedoms in place, and make America a great country to live.

There is no way to put into words the gratitude I feel for the men and women who stand tall, stand at the wall, and protect America and its people. There are no words that can express the sense of respect I feel for the men and women who put on a uniform, who every day take on a new challenge all in the name of freedom.

All I can say is, "Thank you. Thank you to all the Armed Forces, past and present, for your dedication, for your sacrifice, for your love of country. Thank you for my freedoms and for the safety of my family and yours. Thank you."

Wherever you are, stay safe and come home soon.

Running is addictive

Two years ago, I started running. Not seriously, just to run a couple of 5K races in the spring and summer. I did not train, I just ran. This past year, however, I decide to take it a little further, I decided to train.

Was I always a runner? No. Did I love running? No. Seriously, who actually loves running? Nobody I know.

Running, in my opinion, is not something you love, but something to which you become addicted.

How do you get addicted?

You get sucked in by the ‘me’ factor. The me time of training and racing. Whether you run in the morning or the evening after work, you throw on your favorite pair of running shoes, grab your iPod, or in my case, my Sony Wireless headphones that holds 4 GB of music and hit the road or treadmill. You do this all by yourself, for yourself. Me time!

During that training run, you focus on you, your breathing, your strides, and your music. With every step your mind clears of the day’s events and stress eeks out of your body little by little.

You don’t have to be the most fit person in the world to run. Heck, one of the benefits of running is that you gain a healthier body and mind.

You can wear whatever you want to run as long as you have a good pair of shoes and the right, moisture wicking socks. You can wear grubby T-shirts and cutoffs or sleek tights and colorful skin-fitting tops or anything in between. It just does not matter. What counts is comfort or silliness. (As evidenced by the photo of me in the Halfway to St. Paddy's Day 5K. Lovely kilt! Tell me that's not inspiring. HA!)

When you run a race, you’re not racing against anyone but yourself. Your goal isn’t to be the first person across the finish line, your goal is to beat your best time, to improve one race at a time.

It’s the races that keep you motivated to run more, better, faster. You against yourself, mother nature, and the flat or hilly course ahead of you.

It’s the spectators along the course that make you smile, laugh, and even run harder. Complete strangers cheering and shouting encouragement, clapping, clanging cow bells, and holding silly signs like “pain is temporary, bragging rights are forever” or “run now, beer later” will inspire you to new heights. When your feet hurt and you think you can’t take another step, other runners will egg you on, make you feel like you’re doing something special, and motivate you to jog that last little bit, to cross that finish line.

When you cross that finish line, it doesn’t matter whether you do it walking or jogging, sweat dripping down your face, bloody knees, or a grin so bright it could light up a midnight sky. All that matters is you did it! You accomplished something and you did it by yourself, for yourself. Sure you may hurt from head to heel, and you may lose a toenail or three, but who cares. You finished!

It’s addictive, that feeling of accomplishment, but it’s a good, healthy addiction. It’s physically and mentally good for you and all you can think about is that next race, that next rush of adrenalin and that next personal goal. Whether a 5K, a 10K, or a half marathon, etc., it all counts and it’s all worth the pain for the gain.

For those of you who think you have to love running. You don’t. Try it, try one race, and you will be addicted. Even if you can’t run it, walk it. It’s the same sense of accomplishment. Take it from me, a woman who can’t do a full out run, so I walk-run.

Here’s hoping you get addicted and I’ll see you on the road or at the next race. Happy addiction!

Join me in the Dewey's Read-a-thon challenge

Twice a year Dewey's Read-a-thonhosts a real live read-a-thon. Bloggers read and post about what they read and encourage other participants. They arrange for cheerleaders to boost your reading and encourage you to not give up in those last 5 hours. There are mini-challenges throughout the 24 hours and even prizes.

If you don't blog, don't worry about it. Visit here and share what you have read, what is keeping you going (like Cheetos, Mountain Dew, delivered pizza), what's your goal, and what's next on your list. Go sign-up at Dewey's Read-a-thon and let me know and we will keep each other awake and motivated for the next 24 hours.

Think of it - reading, reading, and reading!

It starts Saturday, October 13 at 8AM east coast time. So, if you've got a few books that have been on your reading list, or in your to-be-read pile then pull them out, grab a comfy chair, a good lamp, and a whole lot of snack food and start reading.

Now, you don't have to stop doing everything so if you have to go out to eat with your hubby or do some laundry then do it. Just take a book with you. While your date is boring you to death you can sneak off to the ladies' room and read a page or two.

Tomorrow I will be doing the challenge via audiobooks while I drive down to visit my sister. Then my sister,my niece and my nephews will join in the challenge. Should be fun trying to keep each other awake and keep on reading.

Join in the fun!

For Grandma's Birthday

- Grandma -

Grandma, I was thinking about you today and a smile crossed my face
You played a special part in my life and I thought you should know. . .

Apple pie reminds me of my Grandma
She always made me on one on holidays

Cakes remind me of my Grandma
She always made me one for my birthday

An aroma of love always filled her kitchen

Grandma is the backbone of our family

Her words of wisdom and wit
A determination that spoke never quit

A beautiful lady that means so much to me
You may be far away, but with me a little of you will always be


Happy birthday, Grandma!

Kenmare Ireland Walking Tour - next stop

Today's stop on the walking tour of Kenmare is Rose Cottage and Holy Cross Church.

In 1861, Rose Cottage was the temporary home for Abbess Mary O-Hagan and six nuns from the Poor County Clare Convent while the their new convent was being built.

Now, Rose Cottage is a lovely B&B.

Just around the corner from Rose Cottage is Holy Cross Church. Holy Cross church, consecrated in 1864, was built by Fr. John O’Sullivan who is buried in front of Our Lady’s altar.


It is believed that Fr. O’Sullivan topped the spire of the church with a cock to crow over the local landlord’s agent, whose office was in the Square and had refused him a site for the church.

Look at the beautiful detail of the church, the windows and the cross that greets you in the church parking lot.

Walking tour of Kenmare Ireland

I decided to do something different for my blog post on my Ireland trip. I'm going to give you a walking tour of Kenmare and wherever else I may stop on my visit.

Today, we're stopping at a Stone Circle. Just outside Kenmare town centre, a five minute walk from town is a spectacular example of a bronze age Stone Circle. Stone circles were built in the Bronze age (2200 - 500 BC) and were used for ceremonial purposes. Many studies indicate that the stone circles were orientated around certain solar and lunar events, such as the sun at the solstice.

The Kenmare Stone Circle is reputed to be the largest stone circle in south-west Ireland. The Kenmare Stone Circle is composed of fifteen heavy boulders: thirteen standing and two prostrate at the north. The Kenmare Stone Circle is special in that the circle itself is actually egg-shaped, measuring 56 ft by 49 ft.

In the center of the circle is a large stone known as a Boulder Dolmen and weighs about 7 ton. No, I did not try to lift it. I set my backpack next to it to give you an idea of how large the rock is.

Next stop...Rose Cottage.

September 11 - A Day to Remember

Eleven years ago today, tragedy struck our country like no other tragedy. Not because of war or famine, or disease. The tragedy that struck the United States and all its people was one of evil of the manmade kind. While this blow struck us hard and fast, we as a nation pulled together like no others.

People sacrificed their lives to save others. People they never met and never would have met if not for the mad machinations of a group of people who cared nothing for the lives of others only their misguided beliefs.

Police and Firemen rushed to the aide of the citizens they swore to protect and they did. Everyday citizens circled the wagons and helped total strangers out of the rubble of destruction.

Military personnel moved as they had been trained, to help in the aide of men, women, and children. And when given the command they struck back in our defense, hard and fast, and with one thing on their minds; protecting us, the citizens of the United States.

September 11, 2001 will live in our memories for the rest of our lives and in history. It will not go down as a day of misfortune and hatred. It will go down as a day of resurrection and joining. We, the people of the United States, joined together to resurrect our strength, power, and love for each other and our country. We fought back, we took care of our own, and we grew stronger, better.

I love this nation and the people in it, and especially those who protect it from the evils of this world.

God bless you and keep you safe!

Seeing Ireland's sea coast

is like kissing your true love for the first time. It takes your breath away.

This is the breathtaking view I saw while driving the Kerry Way yesterday. It's somewhere near Kells Bay. See how the clouds are practically kissing the hills?

I didn't intentionally set out to drive part of the Kerry Way yesterday. My intent was to go to Killarney, a forty-five minute drive from Kenmare. Thanks to my creative GPS, I ended up taking the long route. And I am forever grateful for said GPS. The forty-five minute drive took almost three hours, but why complain when I got to stop and see views like this.

There are no words to describe the beauty I saw, only the feelings that enveloped me every time I pulled over on a narrow road to stop, stand, and stare. It was as if a breath of life was breathed into me each time. The beauty that lay before me was inspiring and overwhelming.

It's sights like this that make me realize how much more there is to life and to myself. Then and now, I tear up thinking about what I had an opportunity to experience.

I'm not certain, but I think this was either Coad or Waterville.

Day 4 of Ireland Holiday - Dingle to Kenmare

On my last morning in Dingle i had breakfast at the Coastguard Restaurant. Worst breakfast with the best view. Then I had a post-race Swedish massage.

Holy crap! The minute the massage therapist dug in I wanted to bolt off the table. I swear I have bruises everywhere thanks to the woman's fingers and elbows. I managed to survive the massage and walk into Dingle town one more time before taking off to Kenmare.

I swear the GPS took me the scenic and long route from Dingle to Kenmare. It truly was a beautiful drive...except for the part driving past the Killarney National Park. That has to be the worst road ever to drive on. Even driving a midget car, I was deathly afraid of hitting rock or having some car coming the other way hit me. The narrowest road ever! There's even one small tunnel that can't possibly fit more than one car.

By the time I reached the Park Hotel Kenmare it was after two in the afternoon. Here, I met Rory O'Sullivan, the hotel manager, and the name for my next hero. Not joking. The first time I spoke with Rory and heard his voice and learned his name, I knew I had to make him a hero.

I checked in, the smoothest check-in and was escorted to my room. Most hotels just hand you a key and point you in the direction and you
get to find your own way. Not the Park Hotel Kenmare. Rory, the hotel manager, took my suitcase to the room and later he helped me get the Internet connection all set in my room.

Oh! And every evening a maid comes by to turn down the bed. The service could not be better.

After getting quickly settled in my room, the first thing I did was go in search of food. I walked past the colorful strorefronts and when I stopped in front of Davitt's I stopped. I recalled that they made the best burger.

I was not mistaken. It is the best burger! I don't know if it is the fresh beef or the blend of spices or both, but it is so delicious I want to eat the entire burger. Especially when paired with a pint of Murphy's.

Once my belly was full, I shrugged into my backpack and strolled down Henry Street, peeking into the shops on my way to the Kenmare Pier, a place I can sit at for hours and just watch, take in the view of trees, hills, and water, and relax.

My last stop in Kenmare for the day was Kenmare Ice Cream, a new shop that makes homemade ice cream. I had strawberry. It was excellent!

Dingle Half Marathon - Race Day is here!

Race day has arrived! I woke up nervous as heck, jumping beans bouncing around in my stomach, but excited.

Things to note before doing a race overseas:

1. Try to know what the terrain of the race will be before the actual big day. In my defense, I did try, but theye didn't have one of those elevation maps.
2. Ireland does not wake up as early as we in the United States do. Most breakfast places don't open until 8 or 9 AM. On race day there was one place that openend at 7, but the reality is we need food three hours before the race, which was at 9 AM. Luckily, I realized this the night before so I stopped at a local bakery and picked up a muffin and some bottled water. Plus, I had my energy bars.

After taking my time getting ready for the race, I packed my backpack and hoofed it into town and to the marina. At 8 AM, that's 3 AM New England time, the place was a buzz with runners, family, friends, and spectators. There were signs displayed everywhere announcing the race. The marina parking lot was full of runners and vendors prepping for the race.

Imagine 3000 plus runners standing around talking, walking, stretching, and of course lined up to use the port-a-potties. It's amazing how when the announcer tells you that there are twenty minutes before race start a pack of runners herd to stand in line for a toilet break. In our defense, we'd have to go along the way and not make it to a rest area.

The weather was incredible for the race! I'm talking a nice breeze, some sun, but mostly overcast. The breeze would come straight at our faces and then we would turn a curve and it would be at our backs. It just could not have been better. Which is good considering the torture we had to endure.

When I say torture, that is not an exaggeration! Imagine a mountain and you have to run up it. I'm a firm believer that what goes up must come down. Wrong!

But the views were incredible. This was part of our winding coastal line. And here is a picture of the Blasket Islands.

In the case of the Dingle Half Marathon, Marathon, and Ultra Marathon, what goes up, goes up, and up, and up, and up. Not kidding! By mile 5 and a half all I did was keep my eyes glued on the pack of people ahead of me to see if they were going downhill. Nope. Never. Okay, there were two brief sections that we experienced the relief of a slight decline. It was like a starving man receiving bread and water. Unfortunately, too short-lived.

Along the route though, people spoke to each other, encouraged each other, and smiled even as their legs screamed in pain. Just when you thought your body could take no more and you relied on will power to keep you moving, the townspeople of Dingle were there to give you that added boost. Shop owners and local town folk stood on the streets cheering the runners on, handing out cups of water and orange slices. A few musicians even joined in on the fun playing traditional music and jazz.

At mile 9ish I stopped with a bunch of other runners for water and a potty break. See, I told you those port-a-potties are a savior. At mile 10, I mentally coax myself, "Hey! Only a 5K is left. You can do three miles in your sleep." I eat a pack of my sport jelly beans and keep hoofing it. Yes, my feet hurt, my toes hurt, my calves are screaming in pain, and my butt is wondering what the heck did it do to deserve this, but I keep going. Heck, even my back started to complain, but I crack my neck, stretch my arms over my head and across my chest and persevere.

Was it worth it? Was it worth the flight across the ocean and traveling to a part of Ireland I've neer visited before, to participate in a race I had never heard of until I did a search on the Internet eight months earlier?

Close your eyes and imagine crossing the finish line and realize that you just did something you never would have been able to do six months or a year ago. How does that feel?

The fact that I hurt from heel to hip and to shoulder only makes me feel the accomplishment that much more.

It was worth it!

Day 2 in Dingle Ireland

Second day in Dingle, Ireland started with a walk into town for breakfast at the Chowder Cafe. Truly fantastic scrambled eggs and Ireland does have the best bacon. One thing I can count on in Ireland is that the restaurants are not going to offer you margarine. They believe in the whole and natural kind of foods like butter for toast.

After a terrific breakfast, I walked around the marina and took in the view, the sea air, and took some pictures. Afterward, I strolled up and down the streets until I found the Dingle Brewing Company. How perfect is that for a girl who loves beer?!

The Dingle Brewing Company sits at a fork in the road in a small building that was once a creamery. It resembles more of a house than a brewery. Beneath and alongside the brewery runs a spring, the same spring water that is used in its beer called Crean's, named after Tom Crean, an explorer and a hero who died in 1938.

For six (6) Euros, you can take a self-guided tour of the quaint and very clean brewery and enjoy a pint of their beer afterwards. My beer was so fresh that I saw them roll out the keg and hook it up. Crean's is some kind of hefeweizen, which I am not usually fond of but this was fantastic!

By the time I finished my most excellent pint of beer, it was time for me to find my way to the pobal scoil (public school) to pick up the race day packet for the Dingle half-marathon.
Last part of my eventful day was a pre-race heated stone massage at the Peninsula Spa. Just what I needed to prep my calves for the long run ahead.

Day 1 of Ireland Holiday...Dingle

The flight across the ocean was uneventful and quiet. I managed to get two hours of sleep, but that's all until I crashed at the Dingle Skellig Hotel my first night.

The drive from Cork to Dingle - about two hours long, was winding and pretty. Green everywhere you looked. The closer I got to Dingle, the narrower and more curvey the roads became.

Beautiful shoreline on parts of the drive then you hit the center of town with its colorful buildings and a marina. Big rock walls edged the smooth as glass water. That's what I saw on my first visit into Dingle. That and lots of tourists. Lots of folks, about 5000 people for just the Dingle half, full, and ultra marathon. About 3500 of those were actual participants and the other 1500 were their families and friends. There were also a bunch of folks passing through on their way for the big Navy Notre Dame game in Dublin.

My first afternoon/evening in Dingle, I wandered the main streets and shops. Imagine colorful storefronts and inside are arts and crafts by and about Ireland. I walked into one jewelry store, yup, cuz I'm a girl I do things like that. I walked into John Weldon's jewelry store, a tiny little shop that can hold no more than a handful of people and what do I see? I see my Celtic knot!

Celtic knots are all over the place in Ireland, but this one is special and I have never seen the design except for the day I found it for my tattoo a year ago. Anyway, I see my knot in a necklace set in yellow gold and I have to have it, but not in yellow gold and not in a necklace. Guess who I got to meet? You bet! I met John Weldon himself who is going to make me a pair of earrings. John makes most of what is in his store. You have to love a handcraft artist. I'll be getting these earrings in about a month and it will be a sweet remembrance for a terrific trip.

Oh! The other store I located in town was the local bookshop. Well, duh, you knew I had to go there! Another shop the size of a snack box, but neat and tidy with a friendly owner who helped me locate a book that the receptionist at the Dingle Skellig Hotel recommended about running.

By the time I finished enjoying the fresh air and the beautiful town, I returned to the hotel and ate at the Blaskets Bar. I ordered the hot and spicy wings and of course...a Guinness. My first beer in Ireland in 2012! My friend Steve would have loved the wings. They were actually hot and spicy. I even ate almost all of them.

Then I crashed!

Quote and Question of the Day

I kept this proverb from a Chinese cookie one time and saw it just the other day. It's an inspiring proverb or quote and thought I would share with you.

"Passion is in all great searches and is necessary to all creative endeavors."

What are you passionate about? What are you searching for?

Me? I'm passionate about life and the fact that it is meant to be lived, experienced, and enjoyed. Without that, all we would do is work, pay bills, and sleep. That's not living. That's existing.

Live! Chase your passion and enjoy the rocky, winding, and sometimes smooth road that you will have to traverse to take you to where you want to go.

Do heroes wear pajamas?

I’ve been contemplating this topic for a couple of days now and decided it was time to write about it. Do heroes wear pajamas?

Don’t laugh. This is a very serious question. When you’re writing or reading about a hero do you want to see your hero in a plaid, flannel night clothes? How about pj’s with horses or their favorite football team on the shirt and pants? Do you dream about crawling into bed with a man who wears silk top and pants to bed?

Okay, so forgive me if I put my spin on this, but no. No only no, but hell no. First of all, silk is slippery so if you wrap your arms around the man wearing silk they would just slide back off. And flannel, while sexy on a strong lumberjack chopping wood for a cozy mountain fire, is not sexy in bed. Any guy who wears his sports team logo on his pajamas is still a child inside and your heroine should not be sleeping with him.

Can you imagine sitting up in bed, all sex-kittenish and waiting for the man of your dreams to walk out of the bathroom and in he walks wearing a button down shirt and pants that say “Wanna go for a test drive?” written on it in a very strategic place?

Ladies…run! Run as fast as you can, as far as you can.

What if the hero just wears the pajama bottoms to bed?

Hmm. This could be moderately better. At least you can touch some skin. Reach that hand around and run it along his six-pack abs, because every hero has the perfect abs and not some hangover belly. Maybe grab on to one of his strong pecs and give it a good squeeze, feeling those muscles flex underneath your palm. No man boobs on our hero. Maybe the heroine twirls her fingers in the hero’s chest hair. Okay, that’s the heroine fantasy, guys tend to get a little nervous that women will tweak it and pull. Ouch!

Wouldn’t it be cute if the hero wore the bottoms and the heroine wore the top of the pajamas? GAG!

That is just too icky sweet for words. You remember those horse costumes where one person was the front end and the other was the back end? Yeah, that’s what that reminds me of.

And what does the hero wear under those pajama bottoms? Same kind of question for men in kilts right? Only, the kilt idea is kind of sexy because you’re seeing those rugged, hairy legs and you're fantasizing about what he's wearing or not wearing underneath.

Underwear under pajama bottoms? That’s just too many clothes to remove in the middle of the night when you want to roll over, hop on, and take your cowboy for a ride.

So, when you’re curled up reading a good book, or you fantasize about your hero, should he wear pajamas?

What should he wear to bed?