Month: October 2017

This article seems timely with Halloween upon us.

I think I’ve talked before about how much I appreciate good journalism. Obviously, that stems from my past life as a reporter.  But there’s nothing more satisfying to me than a well executed series of stories.  Check out this one from the Los Angeles Times about a woman who fell in love with the wrong man.  (Bonus:  It’s already run in its entirety so you can binge at once.)

This soup is my secret weapon.  Chicken.  Wild Rice.  Crockpot.  (And because I’m lazy – erm, busy – I get everything from Trader Joe’s, including their pre-cut mirepoix, and all I need to do is dump everything in the crockpot and let it cook.)

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Listening: Always worth a watch:

Reading: I finished Jenny Kales’s “Secrets and Pie” her latest installment in her Callie’s Kitchen Mysteries series.  Cozy mysteries aren’t usually my jam, but there’s something addictive about Jenny’s combination of a kick ass character, authentic Greek recipes, and a mystery series set in a quaint Wisconsin town.

Writing Life: Dragonfly – Edits. Edits. Edits. I’ve surmounted my pacing issue (I hope?) and am plugging along.  Cooked To Death – I have a short story that was published in a short story anthology called “Cooked To Death: Lying on a Plate.”  I’m incredibly proud to be included with some killer authors – Kristi Belcamino, Wendy Webb, Christine Husom among some of them.  See my Publications page for purchasing details!

Well, this article was good news for me considering I’m profane, a slob, and like to stay up until the wee hours of the late evening.  (If I’m not in bed by midnight, I turn into a freakin’ Gremlin, so none of the “hours of the morning” for this mom of two.)

This was a great piece about iconic moments in personal or professional fashion.

Finally – fall means soup season.  And I love pickles.  So I need to try this.

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Listening: We’re all aware of my love for Neil Diamond, right? Here’s an article that goes into the meaning behind 10 of his most iconic songs.  Not sure why they didn’t profile this one.

Also – I think this falls under my “have I been living under a rock?” category.  I don’t know who this man is, but I’m glad to know that there’s more music to discover.

Reading: Still reading Estevez and Sheen.  Work’s been busy, so it cuts into things that are fun (and essential).

Writing Life: See above. 😦

To say this week was a shitty week, that really doesn’t do it justice.  And I’m one of the lucky ones – I wasn’t innocently attending a concert and shot at by some deranged asshole with an arsenal of weapons.  I didn’t lose someone that I loved.  I have my house, electricity, and healthy family members. I prefer action to “thoughts and prayers” but have little hope that anything is going to happen with the current climate in our country.

^^ I wrote this because it feels twee to post a bunch of random Internet articles and not acknowledge the chaos that’s happening all around us.  I don’t have answers and I have some vague ideas that go beyond trying to beam kindness at everyone I encounter.  Suggestions are welcome.  Leave me a comment.  And seriously – let’s do our best to not be assholes to each other.  Again, not an answer – but maybe that’s the smallest, minimal step that we can take towards making our corner of the universe a place that’s more peaceful.

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Listening:

Why does losing Tom Petty feel like losing a piece of ourselves?  The LA Times takes a crack at that riddle.  Incidentally, this video of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame featuring Petty, Prince, Steve Winwood, and Jeff Lynne still is one of the best vids of all time.

Reading: I’m in a bit of a reading rut and I’ll admit that.  However, I was trying to reserve a book at my local library when I came across an autobiography written by President Bartlet, erm – Martin Sheen and his eldest son Emilio Estevez.  Along the Way: The Journey of a Father and Son is wonderfully written and I’m really enjoying it.

GOING: I have a partially solo weekend coming up this weekend.  If I hit my writing goals on Friday, I’m treating myself to a movie and this one looks ridiculously cliche, but features Idris Elba (hot!) and Kate Winslet (hotter!).  I’m not even going to read the reviews, I’m just going and enjoying.

I have a date on Saturday with my momma.  My dad’s usually my concert buddy, but my mom has a soft spot for Chris Stapleton, so we’re going.

Writing: Editing.  Have run into a bit of a snag, but I’ve ID’d what I need to do to get out of it, so … time for some backtracking.