Simple pleasures in life

It's the simple things in life that bring pleasure to us.

For me, this past weekend it was a couple of small things that made me smile. As a matter of fact, Saturday was filled with little pleasures.

Saturday started out by having breakfast with a couple of friends. Always nice to share a meal and a chat with friends.

When I left Big Easy Bagel I went to my favorite post office to see Jane and give her some books to ship off to the folks who donated to my "give a book, get a book" giveaway for the troops. Looking forward to shipping more books this Memorial Day weekend.

After the post office, I did a quick run into Staples to pick up some photo printer paper so I can print pictures from my trip to Ireland. Cannot wait to get some framed!

As I walked out to my car I noticed an older couple doing a walk around my SUV and talking. When I approached to put my bag in the car I asked if they wanted to see inside the vehicle. That little question sparked a very nice 15 minute conversation about SUVs, BMW, and I learned about the BMW Car Club of America. I left the parking lot with a smile on my face.

Then I went to an event that occurs only once a year. I went to St. Philips Greek Food Festival. Oh, yeah! I look forward to this event one weekend a year.

Why? Because it's the only time I can get a good Gyro with the best tsaziki sauce. This year was especially sweet. A woman was standing in line be hind me who and she had never had a gyro or even heard of it before.

Okay, yes, my chin dropped to my chest because I was flabbergasted by her statement. I proceeded to tell her what it was and how much she would love it. I even offered to buy her something different if she didn't like it. I mean, we were at a Greek food fest so there was plenty of options to choose from.

Later in the event, the woman found me stuffing my face with dessert and told me how she really enjoyed the gyro and thanked me for recommending it to her. She loved it so much she got another one to take home with her for dinner. I told her not to forget dessert.

What was for dessert? Loukoumades!! Loukoumades are little honey puff pastries topped with cinnamon, sugar, and walnuts. OH-MY-GOSH! They are fantastic!

I left the festival fat and very happy.

On my way home, I saw a sign for a flower sale. Well, if you know anything about me you know I love flowers. I whipped down the street (shh! don't tell the local police), saw the tables lined with flowers and immediately parked. And yes, I bought some flowers. I bought some Irises.

Who wouldn't be smiling after purchasing a couple of gorgeous flowers from a local garden club?

Oh, I could go on and on about how my neighbor who moved in last year across the street came over to see the new vehicle as soon as I pulled into the drive. It's a guy thing! Or how the magician who is here performing the spring shows at Canobie Lake Park dropped by to share a couple of beers and catch up since he left last summer. He loved my garden and deck. He saw it before I stained and finished it so now he's seen it and says my paradise is looking like a small oasis. So true!

What's the moral of me sharing all of this with you?

It's the little things in life that bring us pleasure. Remember to stop and smell the flowers, enjoy the small moments, and smile when they happen. You'd be surprised how good you feel when you do.

Go out and smile today!

Writing Prompt Wednesday

It's Wednesday and you know what that means...Writing Prompt!!

Every now and again we all need a little creativity boost. It doesn't matter that you aren't a writer. We all need that extra incentive now and again and a writing prompt is a good way to get your mind to open up and have some fun.

How does this work?

I post the beginning of a sentence and you finish it. You can write one sentence, a paragraph, or even a page if you like. Just let your mind go and write whatever comes into it. You'd be amazed at the results. My 5th novel, Phish NET Stalkings came from a writing prompt.

Today's writing prompt - The plane. . .

Now all you have to do is write. Finish the sentence and if you feel like sharing we would love to see what you come up with. It's amazing to see how we all go in different directions.

Most of all Have fun!

Send books overseas

In honor of our military men and women overseas, I am doing a book giveaway.

This giveaway is a "Give a book, get a book." You have to give me a book, any NEW book you have sitting around and I in turn will give you a NEW copy of CONNECT THE DOTS. If you've already read CONNECT THE DOTS let me know and I will happily exchange one of my other books for a book you send.

"What am I going to do with the books you give me?"

I have friends in the military and I know they could use a good book to read so I am going to send all the books I collect to the military.

This is a "Give a book, get a book" giveaway and should be a lot of fun.

Come on fellow authors, readers, and bloggers. . .you know you have a book you can give away!

All you have to do is give away a book to get one and help our military folks overseas.

Here's what you need to do. Either leave me your email here as a comment so I can contact you or email me by going here Contact Denise and sending me a note saying you want to give a book away.

We'll exchange information and I will send you a copy of CONNECT THE DOTS.

Or, if you are local to New England and like to get up early on a Sunday then I invite you to join me for breakfast on Sunday morning between now and May 29th. Join me at Panera in Bedford, NH between 7 AM and 9 AM and exchange a book with me right then and there.

I will be doing this giveaway until May 30 or until I run out of books. On Memorial weekend I will ship the books to our military men and women.

BTW - You are not limited to donating just one book. Thanks to some terrific friends and bloggers, I have received a box of books from several people. As thanks, I sent them one of each of my books.

I really hope you pass this "Give a book, get a book" giveaway on and help me send some books to our military friends and family.

Thanks,
Denise

Rainy day ideas

What do you do on a rainy day?

Perhaps you sing the song you learned as a kid "Rain, rain, go away. . ." Maybe you curl back under the covers and hide, tuning the pounding of the rain on the roof out.

How about some ideas that might be a tad more interesting? Here are some rainy day ideas.

Go bowling. Yeah, I said that. When was the last time you called a couple of friends up and said, "Let's go bowling." You can't beat throwing a ball down some wooden alley and watching it crash against ten pins. And you'd probably lean this way and that trying to help the pins tumble. Not to mention that a bowling alley usually has pub food and beer. This is a great way to blow off rainy day steam.

See a movie. Take your best friend or that special someone and check out the latest chick flick or romantic comedy. A good laugh and a bucket of popcorn will chase those rainy day blues away.

Go to the mall. No, I did not say go shopping. I said go to the mall. Get out of the rain by going into the mall and walk. There is nothing so entertaining as people watching in a mall. Seeing a man with a flat top cut wearing black horn-rimmed glasses dressed in red dockers, green polo, beige sadal shoes will put a smile on your face. Or perhaps you see the woman with five pigtails in her hair all dressed up with colorful bows and ribbons wearing a rainbow sweater, sweat pants, and a tutu. Actually, I see this everyday and it always makes me grin.

If you're a writer, why not write. Take that laptop, a cup of flavored coffee (maybe spiked) then curl up in your favorite chair and write. Don't just write anything. Write a scene that takes place in teh rain. I picture a scene with a killer stalking his prey through the woods while she runs, heart pounding in her chest, wet bangs blurring her vision while she tries to stay upright and not slip and fall on the wet leaves. Or maybe it's a rainy day love scene. The hero shows up and sees the heroine standing out on her deck in a white T-shirt, the rain dropping down in heavy rivulets, the shirt sticking to her body. Now words are needed. Just a look. . .

Whew! I might have to go write that love scene.

Have a wonderful rainy day!!

Writing Prompt Wednesday

It's Wednesday and you know what that means...Writing Prompt!!

Every now and again we all need a little creativity boost. It doesn't matter that you aren't a writer. We all need that extra incentive now and again and a writing prompt is a good way to get your mind to open up and have some fun.

How does this work?

I post the beginning of a sentence and you finish it. You can write one sentence, a paragraph, or even a page if you like. Just let your mind go and write whatever comes into it. You'd be amazed at the results. My 5th novel, Phish NET Stalkings came from a writing prompt.

Today's writing prompt - She watched as. . .

Now all you have to do is write. Finish the sentence and if you feel like sharing we would love to see what you come up with. It's amazing to see how we all go in different directions.

Most of all Have fun!

Authors, book bloggers, and readers - help our troops out

In honor or me finding a box of books and our military men and women overseas, I am doing a book giveaway.

This giveaway is a "Give a book, get a book." You have to give me a book, any NEW book you have sitting around and I in turn will give you a NEW copy of CONNECT THE DOTS. If you've already read CONNECT THE DOTS then let me know and I will happily exchange one of my other books for a book you send.

"What am I going to do with the books you give me?"

Such a good question. I am not going to read them. I am going to give them away.

I have friends in the military and I know they could use a good book to read so I am going to send all the books I collect to the military.

This is a "Give a book, get a book" giveaway and should be a lot of fun.

Come on fellow authors, readers, and bloggers. . .you know you have a book you can give away!

Now that you know about the giveaway, all you have to do is give away a book to get one and help our military folks overseas.

Here's what you need to do. Either leave me your email here as a comment so I can contact you or email me by going here Contact Denise and sending me a note saying you want to give a book away.

We'll exchange information and I will send you a copy of CONNECT THE DOTS.

Or, if you are local to New England and like to get up early on a Sunday then I invite you to join me for breakfast on Sunday morning between now and May 25th. Join me at Panera in Bedford, NH between 7 AM and 9 AM and exchange a book with me right then and there.

I will be doing this giveaway until May 25 or until I run out of books. Then on Memorial weekend I will ship the books to our military men and women.

I really hope you pass this "Give a book, get a book" giveaway on and help me send some books to our military friends and family.

Thanks,
Denise

Buying a new car is like picking out a new lover

First, you have to identify one that looks good and you are attracted to.

Do you want something with some power or are you more interested in comfort?

Do you like a muscle car, a vintage car, a sporty car, or a simple domestic?

Are you looking for something steady and reliable or something more sleek, fast, and with a hint of danger?

Once you’ve identified a possible winner, you have to examine it more closely. You know, check out the features.

Do you want an automatic so you can sit back and enjoy the ride or do you prefer a stick-shift where you get to be in control and wield a little power?

Can you picture yourself driving it? If you can then perhaps you’re ready to take it for a test drive.

When you first get in you have to make a few adjustments because it’s not a one-size fits all. Once you are prepped and ready to take it for a spin, I suggest you start out slow and easy, kinda like going out for a lazy drive on a sunny afternoon. Let it warm up a little bit.

Once the engine is revved, let it go, and see what this baby can do.

When you put your foot on the gas is it smooth and fast, rough and hard, or does it do the herky-jerky?

Does it hold a steady course, slip and slide, or just miss altogether?

Does it hum along, whisper quietly in your ear, or roar and rumble as if never driven before? Then again, maybe you want one that has no mileage instead of some.

At the end of the test drive you have to shut it down. Does it sputter, go quietly into that good night, or is it revved and raring to go for the next ride?

Before you can make a decision to keep this ride, you have to consider the maintenance costs. Is it high-maintenance and after a short period of time you will want to trade it in or low-maintenance where you can cruise for a while before you have to worry about bumps in the road?

What’s the warranty?

Writing Prompt Thursday

Since I'm on the verge of a breakthru with my next scene and I need a little boost, I thought today would be a good day for a writing prompt. Maybe this will make the next scene just start flowing out.

Today's writing prompt: On her door. . .


Hm. Now this could be interesting. See what pops into your head or flows from your fingertips.

Share what you come up with and most important - Have fun!!

Give a book, Get a book

I found a box of books. . .It's your lucky day!

The other day I was cleaning the house or maybe I should say shuffling stuff around from one room to the next and I came across a box. I got a little excited because I thought it was a box of bookmarks. When I opened it, I was shocked that it was a box of books.

What does this have to do with you?

Well, you've heard that old cleaning saying, "Haven't used it for six months then you should get rid of it." Something like that anyway.

I am certainly not going to throw a box of perfectly good, perfectly readable books away. I am, however, going to give them away.

Yes, you heard right. It's your lucky day. I am going to give them away.

Shouts of excitement roar across the room, state, country. "Woohoo!" "Yippee!" "Squee!"

There's a catch.

"Ohhh," whines a reader nearby.

This is not a bad catch. This is a good catch.

"Is there any such thing?"

Of course there is!!

This giveaway is a "Give a book, get a book." You have to give me a book, any NEW book you have sitting around and I in turn will give you a NEW copy of CONNECT THE DOTS.

"What are you going to do with the books we give you?" someone yelled out in the crowd.

Such a good question. I am not going to read them. I am going to give them away.

"Wow!" "What?" "Is she kidding?"

Nope. I have friends in the military and I know they could use a good book to read so I am going to send all the books I collect to the military.

This is a "Give a book, get a book" giveaway and should be a lot of fun.

Now that you know about the giveaway, all you have to do is give away a book to get one and help our military folks overseas.

Here's what you need to do. Either leave me your email here as a comment so I can contact you or email me by going here Contact Denise and sending me a note saying you want to give a book away.

We'll exchange information and I will send you a copy of CONNECT THE DOTS.

Or, if you are local to New England and like to get up early on a Sunday then I invite you to join me for breakfast on Sunday morning between now and May 25th. Join me at Panera in Bedford, NH between 7 AM and 9 AM and exchange a book with me right then and there.

I will be doing this giveaway until May 25 or until I run out of books. Then on Memorial weekend I will ship the books to our military men and women.

I really hope you pass this "Give a book, get a book" giveaway on and help me send some books to our military friends and family.

Thanks,
Denise

To my mother on Mother’s Day…

To my mother on Mother’s Day…

To the woman who gave me life
And made me a girl
~ my mommy

To the woman who taught me how to make my bed
And bake cookies
~ my mom

To the creative side of the family
The woman who can out sew anyone
And made my dolly clothes
~ my ma

To the woman who taught me finance
And gave me my first allowance
~ my mom

To the woman who showed me life is more than living
It’s meant to be lived
~ my mommy

To the woman who said I could be and could do anything
And helped me grow into a writer
~ my mother


To my mother,

You gave me the world and your love
and all I can offer is my love

Happy Mother's Day
I love you

~ your daughter and best friend

How many pairs of jeans do you own?

Thought provoking Tuesday question wants to know "How many pair of jeans do you own?"

Most folks have at least one pair. I mean, a wardrobe isn’t complete without at least one pair, right? Well, my mom may not agree…but she is my mom.

I’ll go first and I’ll lie because OH-MY-GOSH I own too many. I admit it I am a jeans fanatic.

I own over 30 pair. Yup, you read that correctly. Three-zero pair.

I own about ten pair of Polo Saturday jeans, which they no longer make. I bought a bunch of them when I heard they were discontinuing them. I even have some that I have not ever worn still on the hangers. Not to worry though, these are the jeans that I will wear until they wear out and then I use them for painting or staining or I cut them off in the summer and use them for yard shorts. That way it doesn’t matter if they get dirty or ruined. And let me tell you, I have destroyed my share of jeans with the way I play in my garden or decide to stain a deck or paint a wall.

I have petite jeans because I am short and so I don’t always have to wear heels in order for my jeans not to drag on the ground. I have plenty more that our regular length so I wear boots or some type of heel with them. Makes me look taller too.

I also own about twenty pairs of J. Jill jeans. Hm. Talk about obsessive. With these, I have about three different colors. I own dark-wash, medium-wash, and a pair or two of faded-wash. Mostly I wear the medium blue color because they go with everything.

This sounds like a lot, but I live in New England so except for summer, I can easily wear jeans ten months out of twelve. As a matter of fact, I own a few pairs of calf-length jeans for summer evenings outdoors. Bonus - I can wear jeans to work. . .thank goodness.

The thing about jeans is that you can dress them up or down. I can wear them with a T-shirt or Boston Sox baseball shirt, toss on a pair of cute white sneakers and I look casual and ready to go to a baseball game. Or I can wear a silk blouse and a pair of leather boots or leather, high-heeled sandals and look fabulous enough to go out on a date or to work or anywhere.

How many pairs of jeans do I actually wear? I probably rotate about ten pair at a time.

Now that I have admitted my jeans vice, tell me about yours. How many pair do you own?

Do clothes make a man?

Hmm…well, let’s examine this.

If you see a man wearing a heavy rock band T-shirt what’s the first thing you think? “Great pecs.” Because chances are the T-shirt is more than likely too tight.
Or how about, “I wonder how many drugs he did when he was in his twenties?” Then again, maybe he still does them. Check the band name. Is it a band around today or one that started back in the seventies? If it's from twenty plus years ago, the guy needs to get over it and grow up.

What about a guy in a plaid, flannel shirt? Now this one might make you think a little more. Are you in the great Northwest when you see this phenomenon? Then maybe he is a lumberjack. That may not be all bad. Just think of the warm nights he could give you.

Are you in the south when you see the plaid, flannel shirt wearing man? That may be a tad bit scarier. I’m thinking, “Redneck” is the first word that comes to mind. Check his truck. Do you see a gun rack hooked inside the cab or a rebel flag hanging from the mirror or the antenna?

What is it with guys in suits? I mean, is it written somewhere that if a man puts on a suit that the stick is automatically inserted someplace that I won’t mention? If the suit fits well, as in it’s been tailored to fit the man then I bet he looks hot in all those crisp, sharp lines. Rather like a man in uniform. Can’t wait to peel him out of all those clothes.

If the suit isn’t tailored then it’s as if the guy just put a sleek cover on a slob. Check his socks. Do they match his suit? If not, I bet he’s a slob and drives beat up old jalopy. It’s all a façade ladies. Watch out.

Oh, wait! What about a leisure suit? You remember those polyester suits that fit a little too snug in places it shouldn’t and look just awful no matter who wears them. Seriously, who the heck thought those were a good idea? Had to be a woman with a great sense of humor. And men buy them. Ladies, watch out for this guy because if he buys a polyester suit he is just as likely to buy the magic beans from a wandering salesman.

Let’s talk about a guy in a uniform. Now, not any uniform will do. Who wants to do a young Navy squid in his sailor whites? Please, bell-bottoms and white and so not a good combination. Then again, Army fatigues don’t do anything for any guy any where. Army green is just plain ugly. Not to mention the way they hang on a guy. And what do they carry in all those pockets? [SHIVER]

Now if we’re talking dress uniforms of Marines. . . “Oorah!” Again, all those nice crisp lines that mold to a terrific set of pecs and biceps. Yummy! This outfit shows you the man can commit and cares about his country. Of course, if the hair was not so short you could picture yourself running your fingers through it or grabbing hold while the Marine takes you for a ride. Yeehaw!

How about plaid knee-length shorts with dark socks and sandals? HA! Yes, we’ve all seen it. And most of us have denied knowing that person. Why wear shorts and sandals if you’re going to ear socks at all? Isn’t the whole point to show off your legs or get a little sun? Please, if you’re going to dress like an old man then stay inside so we don’t have to see.

Here’s another summertime visual for you. Picture yourself walking down the beach with the sand curling in your toes as you walk. The sun is shining and the waves are crashing and all the sudden you see this very tan, very buff dude. As you draw closer to him you stop in your tracks and you chin drops to your chest. Why?

Because the dude is wearing a Speedo. Can you say slingshot? Or banana case? I don’t know what it is with men and their Speedos but they should get over it. If you’re not a competitive swimmer and in a pool then this guy is someone who thinks too highly of himself, whether he has much of a banana or not in those trunks.

Ladies – do you let your man walk out of the house wearing sweatpants and a wife-beater T-shirt? Most the women I know would say, “Hell, no!”

Why? Because are you kidding me? No guy looks sexy in a wife-beater. Like the Speedo wearing man, this guy thinks he looks better than he really does. In fact, he probably has very little muscle at all except in his head. The head sitting on his shoulder that is. All you have conveyed to a woman wearing this outfit is that you are too sexy for yourself. Gym or no gym this is a no-no.

Mmm. A man in a pair of jeans can do it for me anytime. Well, okay, only if they fit and aren’t hanging off his butt so I get a clear shot of his tighty-whities or his boxers or worse. If they aren’t wrinkled like they just came out of the dirty clothes hamper, a man who wears a pair of nice jeans that hug his derriere is hot. Toss in a pair of cowboy boots so it makes his butt that much more firm and you have a winner! Cowboy boots are to men’s butts what 3-inch heels are to a woman’s behind.

Someone send Ahmed Hassan crashing my yard

I watch very little television in my house, but when I do, it’s usually something on HGTV. One of the shows I catch now and again is Yard Crashers. First of all - cool name! I love the idea of a complete stranger offering his services to do yard work.
I would be the first to yell, “Me, me! Pick me!”

I love my yard and have spent the last. . .going on four years destroying it and rebuilding it. It went from being swamped by Forsythias (also known as skinny yellow weeds) with a practically dead apple tree in the middle that gave me one apple the first summer to no Forsythias at all anywhere and an old apple tree that drops tons of apples (none of which are edible. . .yet).

When I bought my house, I wanted a yard in a big way. While it’s only a quarter acre, it’s all mine. But oh-my-gosh it is not done yet! Every year I have to remove dead plants and add new ones. I’ve planted about eight fruit trees and only one pear tree gave me fruit, Unfortunately, that pear tree was decapitated this year when all that snow snapped it in half. Very sad.

I created this great walkway in my back yard that meanders through the garden so I can walk through it and enjoy the color and scents. Now I have a firepit that I put together myself, but no seating around it because, uh, well, that area of the yard is very wet and unlevel. It’s more like a swimming hole. And, well, let's just say I am so NOT a person who believes in using a level.

I have this great deck on the back that I adore and tend to sit on and write in the summer, but I want to extend the retaining wall underneath it so I can have more flowers. And there’s no place to put my grill so it sits on the corner of the driveway. I’m thinking of adding a lower floating deck and make that the grilling area.

My front yard has this terrific front porch, but honestly, I have completely neglected the front yard. There is a Flowering Quince that I have hacked and trimmed, and pampered, but it doesn’t exactly give me much color so I’m thinking this summer it has got to take a nosedive. Time to get another fruit tree in the ground. Hmm. I’m thinking peach or nectarine trees.

Oh! I have this gorgeous rock wall down the side of the property. This is actually one of the reasons I bought the house. In the last two years I have tried to plant bulbs and flowers over there, but there is just not enough color there yet either. Part of that is because there is a ton of rocks in my so-called dirt. “Welcome to the Granite State.” HA!

What do I do with the hammock? I have yet to find the perfect spot for it. I’ve moved it three times and none of those places make me want to go hang out on it.

I have a vision so someone please send Ahmed Hassan crashing my yard!

It's baseball season and time for a wine/book mystery event

It’s baseball season!

Join us on Friday evening, April 29th at Zorvino Vineyards as we welcome members of the 1991 Pennant Winning Boston Monuments (you remember our local National League team, right?) as they rally two of their teammates in support of their nominations to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Despite the rumors of the hard partying days, rampant drug abuse, steroid use, infidelities on the road and the fact that these guys just don’t get along anymore...don’t believe the hype. It’s going to be a great celebration of the American pastime and maybe the last time to see the team all together in one place! Don't miss this one!!!!

This will be a special one night only event as Zorvino Vineyards presents THREE STRIKES & YOU’RE DEAD – a Hall of Fame Baseball Murder Mystery Event. Four mystery authors will unite with a talented cast of actors to craft a murder mystery right before your eyes.

Our whole facility will be open for you to wander about searching for clues, questioning suspects & discussing opinions with your friends as to who done it, where they done it & why they done it.

The cost for this special event will be $ 30 / pp which INCLUDES one book of your choice from one of our famous authors, which they will be glad to sign & personalize for you. Also included are light finger foods for all, the winery will be open all evening for complimentary tasting & wine purchases, the upstairs cash bar will be open with baseball specialty drinks plus there will be other baseball surprises!

This is a general admission event. . .Doors will open at 6:30 pm on April 29th and we ask our guests to be present in the great room at 7 pm for the evening’s kick-off. The murder will be solved at 9:30 pm sharp as we share the details of the mystery with everyone. The one person who comes closest to figuring out what happened will receive a prize. The authors will be on hand at the end of the evening to personalize books and chat with their fans.

Reservations are mandatory for this evening and we fully expect to sell out our 200 tickets so please make your reservation early so you are not disappointed. Tickets can be purchased online at www.zorvino.com or by calling (603) 887-8463.

Our authors for this special event will be Lloyd Corricelli, Mike Girard, CJ West & Denise Robbins. Authors will be available for sales & book signing from 9:30 pm until 10:00 pm after the mystery is solved.

Hope to see you there in your favorite baseball attire!!

Writing Prompt Wednesday

Time for some new writing prompts for Wednesday.

Prompt: She was bent over with her head. . .


For those of you who have never participated in Writing Prompt Wednesday, it's easy. And fun!

All you have to do is write.

I post the beginning of a sentence and you finish it. You can just write the rest of the sentence or if your creativity is so inspired by the few words, write a paragraph or a page or more.

Then share it! Yes, this is the most difficult part for many people, but hey, we're all friends here, so why not let us see what your active imagination and your keyboard came up with.

Happy writing!

What do you like to do in your spare time/on weekends?

Yesterday we talked about how much we work and the long commute, so today let's discuss spare time.

What do you like to do in your spare time/on weekends?


It goes without saying that I love to write. But beyond that there are lots of things I like to do in my spare time.

I get up on the weekends and go have breakfast. On most Saturdays, I usually go meet a small group of friends, the'breakfast club' at our favorite bagel shop. On Sundays, I tend to keep to myself and hang out where I can write for a good couple of hours.

Now that spring has finally arrived, I enjoy being outside as much as possible. So after I have breakfast with friends or do a little writing, I go home and change into outdoor attire. That means clothes I can get dirty. REALLY dirty.

I ALWAYS wear a baseball cap. Most of the time it's a Boston Sox cap, but since I returned from Ireland I am wearing my green Ireland hat. Yup, that's me beneath that green cap.







Once I'm dressed for dirt, I head outside with my CD player and several CDs and then I dig in. Literally. I will plant flowers or snip the dead heads, but more than likely I am finding something I can do that will add color to the yard. Like my little crocuses that have come up. Soon the tulips will be blooming and I will have a ton of color. I cannot wait!







A year ago, I saw this idea for a firepit at Lowe's, but never got around to building one. Last weekend, I finally took the bull by the horn and went for it. I borrowed my neighbors' green machine truck, now known as the shaggin' wagon and found someone at the store who knew how to build the firepit. I got the stones loaded, picked up the metal firepit thingy then drove home and voila! About an hour later, with the help of some friends, I had a firepit.

If I'm not getting dirty by digging something up then I am enjoying my deck and a good beer or bottle of champagne. Yeah, I'm weird like that. I don't need a reason to drink champagne.

I like just soaking in the sun, especially after 6 months of cold, icky white fluffy stuff, and gray skies. On a really good day you will catch me writing on my deck, listening to a good music CD, and the lyrical sound of the old wooden roller coaster with screaming kids in the background.

Toss in a few friends and a cookout and you have a perfect day. Well, maybe a baseball game would kick the day over the top, but that's pretty dang sweet for my free time.

What about you?

Working from home could save jobs

. . .and people's personalities

Three hours a day in traffic makes for a cranky woman! I should know, I'm that woman.

Funny thing happened as I started to write this post this morning. A friend of mine sent me a message and wanted to know why we had to go back to work. I feel his pain.


If businesses wanted to save money then why not allow for folks to work from home. Isn’t that why technology folks built the routers, cable modems, wireless access points, VPNa, and even the Internet? So folks could do their jobs remotely and have access to more information than what is in a book or a document or in an internal application.

Think of the overhead cost that would be saved if each person worked from home just one day a week. Or, to put it in black and white figures or draw you a picture, try this on for size.

Let’s say the average overhead cost for an employee is $27 per day (not including salary and benefits). In some case this will be high, but in many cases this number will be low. If an employee worked from home just one day a week for 50 weeks (two weeks off for vacation) then the net overhead savings is $1350 per employee/per year.

For the sake of argument, let’s say the average number of employees in a company is 25. Multiply 25 times $1350 and we have a savings of $33,700. Just for letting each employee work from home one day a week. Imagine what a larger company of say 500 employees could save. That’s a whopping total of $675,000.

Holy cow! That’s like almost a million dollars. Well, close enough.

Take the average salary of an employee being $50,000 and divide that into $675,000. That’s a total of 13.5 employees that a company would not have to let go in tough times. Like now. All for simply letting a person leverage the technological tools that some very smart people created and made available to us. And most of us have these tools readily available at our fingertips because we have them at home for our own enjoyment.

Let’s take this a step further.

How many of you cannot stand your commute? Me, I get a little irritated at wasting 3 hours of my day in a car instead of doing something I enjoy…like writing. In 3 hours I could write a good 1000 to 2000 words.

With the cost of gas averaging $3.75, why not save a little extra money and the environment?

Let’s say the average person drives 30 miles each way to work, which wouldn’t be bad if you didn’t have to contend with traffic. That commute will average about 4 gallons of gasoline, which right now would equate to $15 per day. Take that $15 and multiply it by the 50 days we now get to work from home and that’s a savings for us of $750 per year. Not to mention the savings on the wear and tear of your car as well as your frazzled nerves. Can you imagine what you can do with an extra $750 in your pocket each year?

Since the government and politicians haven’t figured this one out maybe we can help them. Aren’t they talking about Green this and that? Aren’t they always paying some overpaid politician to do another study on energy and employment and who knows what else?

I have an idea for them. Why not have a government incentive program that would give a bonus to a company that advocates a 4-day work week or a 1-day a week work-from-home program? Better yet, incent them if they don’t let anyone go due to economic downturn because they were smart enough to sign up for this program? That way the company doesn’t benefit and still let employees go.

On top of all this, employers get the benefit of employees who are happier because they are driving to work in traffic one less day and they are saving money that they can use toward a vacation or a new car with better gas efficiency.

Plus, we can all work in our PJs one day a week!

What's makes a good writing day?

As a writer you sit down with pen and paper or your computer and you start to write. How do you measure whether it was a good writing day?

Is it the amount of words you write or the number of pages that come from the words? Do you sit down and target a number or do you let the story and the words flow and stop when the creativity halts?

Me, I just write. I don't force it. I let the characters takeover and write whatever they tell me to.

You think I am kidding?

Any author will tell you that you can plot as much as you like, but when push comes to shove it is the character who will drive the story and inevitably, he or she will shift it on you.

Maybe the number of words or pages is not your measuring stick. Perhaps you measure by the story itself and where you've gotten to in your storyline or how well you feel the characters and story have developed at that point in time?

I rather like this idea. I love feeling the story geling and the characters coming to life. As a writer you absolutely know if what you've written works or if it's just trash. And if you don't, your critique group will. [grin]

I mean how many times have you written something and then afterwards determined that although that was some really great writing it does not fit in the story?

No big deal, right? You save it for another story on another day, right? I do. Never, ever throw any writing away. For every story I have written I have a "cut" document.

The "cut" document consists of all the words, sentences, paragraphs, and yes chapters that I have chopped from a story then saved in case I want to use it in the future. It's like having your own slush pile.

Perhaps a good writing day is a day in which you just simply write. Maybe it's a blog post like this, or maybe it's a poem, or maybe it's writing a letter to a friend.

How do you measure whether it was a good writing day?

My last full day in Kenmare Ireland

Day 7 - Ireland and my last full day

Today is my last day in Ireland. I got up this morning way earlier than any other morning. My body must know it’s my last full day in Ireland so it thought I should be up and ready to go. I have my clothes all folded and sitting on the table along with the few gifts I picked up. They are all ready to be packed.

I drove into town this morning just so I could put gas in the car or petrol as they say in Ireland. By the way, they use diesel here. I am off to locate an old Catholic Church and who knows what else.

It’s 12:30 Irish time and I just sat down to a pint of Smithwick’s.



I located the ruin of a church. It’s called Killowen Church of Kenmare or was when it was around. I have never seen anything so sad.


Not a fan of cemeteries, I was shocked when I walked up to the church and found a graveyard.

Before I knew it, I was standing in the middle of a cemetery. For a woman like me, a woman who went into a cemetery for the first time just this past summer, that is not a good thing.




I wanted to bolt, but instead I braved the feelings of helplessness and sadness and walked along the gravel path that someone built into the cemetery. Thank goodness for that gravel path, otherwise, yours truly would probably still be rooted to that same spot.

I took pictures of headstones, some of which were new and some so old that you could no longer read the names engraved and even more photos of grave sites that were indiscernible. Some of the sites had been so disturbed by nature, time, and who knows what else, it was as if they had been opened and be careful where you step as you may fall in. SHIVER!


I actually walked into the church ruin. It was beautiful and gloomy all at the same time. Made you wonder about the people that had attended church there in the past. Did they travel from the next town over or did they live here in Kenmare? What did they do for a living? Did they manage a farm or work in some other industry?

The parish of Kenmare was combined with neighbouring parishes at an early period in both the established Church of Ireland and the Roman Catholic church.

The old parish church at Killowen, on the Kilgarvan road, was replaced by a new structure in 1814. This is now a ruin in the graveyard there. St. Patrick's Church, which replaced Killowen, was consecrated in 1858.




On my way back, I passed a Kenmare golf course that I know my father would love to play on. Gorgeous grounds!

When I hiked back into town, I was surprised by all the hustle and bustle. I learned that people come out and that Kenmare starts to wake up for tourist season the day after St. Patrick’s celebration.

Now I am enjoying lunch for the last time in Ireland. No breakfast so I am starving, but I went to The Coachman’s and ordered a house salad with curry yogurt dressing and brown bread. Brown bread. What can I say about it other than – delicious. Very light and fantastic – Just what I need to keep going.

I have some more walking, weather, and scenery to enjoy before I return to the cottage to pack for my trip home.

I did not leave the pub after lunch and go back to the cottage. As I left Coachman’s and started to walk toward the pier all the sudden there was this honking on the street and someone shouted my name.

Wait a minute! I don’t know anyone in Ireland.

Wrong!

My UK friends, John and Linda were driving down Henry Street and shouting for me. They pulled over and got out. It was as if I ran into longtime friends. They had just been talking about me and wondered if I survived my 38 kilometer walk and made it back alive and then there I was in my blue Gore-Tex and backpack, and funny blonde hair walking down the road. Just like they found me two days before.


I wish I had a picture of John and Linda, but I do have a picture of Moll's Gap.

Moll's Gap is named after Moll Kissane.

Moll's Gap is a pass on the road from Kenmare to Killarney. On the Ring of Kerry route, with views of the Macgillycuddy's Reeks mountains, the area and its shop and retaurant is a panoramic spot where you can see the rocks at Moll's gap are formed of Old Red Sandstone.

They packed me into their SUV and hauled me off to Moll’s Gap for lunch. Since I had just eaten, they ate and I drank a Coke, but all three of us chatted. Afterwards, they returned me to where they found me, we exchanged contact information and they invited me to stay at their vacation cottage the next time I go to Ireland. How cool is that?

OH! Linda had read the first chapter of Never Tempt Danger and liked it so far. She said, “It started off with a bang.”

I went back to the cottage and packed and at half five (that’s 5:30 American speak) I walked back into town to pick up a print of Gleninchaquin from Eoghan. The numbered and signed photograph is my treat to myself for walking that wicked long (38+ kilometer/26 mile) hike two days ago. My legs are still mad at me for it.

My last dinner in Ireland was at Casey’s. A place recommended by my UK friends and the owner of Skyline Gallery. It consisted of a pint of Guinness and unbelievably the best dang vegetable soup and Caesar salad I have ever had. The vegetable soup did not consist of a bunch of vegetables in broth, it was literally pureed vegetable soup and very tasty. I ate the entire bowl!

The Caesar salad was unique because it not only had pan-fried chicken on top, but there was good Irish bacon on top as well. No, I could not eat the entire salad, but not for lack of want.

Now that I have fed myself on Guinness it is time to go back to my cottage, finish packing, and get some sleep before my long flight home tomorrow.

St. Patrick's Day in Ireland

Day 6 Ireland – St. Patrick’s Day!!

Oh my freaking gosh -- My legs, arse, feet, and bum are KILLING me!

Good thing I did my 38 kilometer walk yesterday as today is not as warm or sunny. But it's still beautiful and it is still nice enough to get out and do a little gift shopping for family and friends. This is the pier outside my cottage on the afternoon of St. Patrick's Day.

I came up with a marvelous idea for my mother’s Irish gift. I bought some Irish linen placemats from a wonderful little shop called The White Room. Now I know a placemat doesn’t sound exciting, but these are just beautiful, plus with her quilting talent, I think she should make a quilt out of them. Don’t you think?!

My father is still a handkerchief man (no Kleenex for him) so from the same store I got him a couple of Irish linen hankies. They should last him at least until I get back to Ireland for my next vacation.

After a little shopping (I finished all my shopping in one day)…OH! Contrary to popular belief, the Irish do celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. . .just not the all day and out of control way that we do.

They close shops, shut down streets, and have parades. I should say some towns do this. Killarnery had a parade, but Kenmare did not. They don’t celebrate it like we do in the states with green painted faces and green beer, but all the pubs open up. Many are closed for the winter months and open on St. Patrick’s Day for their tourist season, which starts the day after St. Patrick’s Day. But there is great music in the pubs that doesn’t start until about 10 PM and of course, great pints of beer.

As I write this, I am sitting in Foley’s pub eating Guinness pie and drinking a pint of Guinness soon to be a pint of Smithwick’s thanks to a gentleman’s suggestion and chatting with a bartender by the name of Kathleen from Australia.

One of the advantages of staying at my Stone Cottage is the close proximity to town. I went to three of the pubs in town and had a pint in each one to toast the holiday and my vacation. It is so much fun to listen to Irish music. Some of the words to the songs are hysterical and you can’t help but laugh as you tap your foot to the upbeat music.

In one bar there was a single man performing funny tunes and keeping everyone laughing, while at the other two pubs I visited there was a trio of musicians. Either way, you couldn't go wrong.

I picked up two CDs of Irish pub music and a couple of music books to learn the songs.

I didn’t get drunk. . .I had just enough to feel the Irish flowing through my veins and to enjoy the dark, chilly walk back to the cottage.