With summer around the corner and the sun shining, it’s impossible to hide the grime on the windows. I’ve been putting off washing them—too many deadlines. But I really do need to carve out some time for cleaning.
I’ve made a deal with my husband: if he washes outside, I’ll do the inside. I also need to clean my office, which is a disaster. Of course I know what every pile holds, but the mess gets to me. We’re about to get new carpets, so I don’t have much choice.
I used to be so meticulous, washing the kitchen floor daily and never letting the clutter pile up. Now it’s more important to write than keep everything neat.
Sometimes I shake my head at the changes in me and wonder where that tidy woman went.
Who out there is like me?
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Like a kid out of school!
Last time I blogged, I was looking forward to the end of my day job with a school district and the start of my summer break. Now, hard as it is to believe, a week of that precious time has already passed. How can that be?
When I was a kid, summer vacation seemed to last forever, filled with trips to the park and the sprinklers, days at the local pool, long bicycle rides around town, and even longer trips to visit Grandma and Grandpa.
For the times we felt lazy, we chased butterflies and fireflies, played box ball, and balanced on homemade skateboards more likely to tip us off than to take us anywhere.
And on those sweltering hot days, we had cold foods and drinks that felt sooooo refreshing: Lemonade. Kool-Aid. Popsicles in red and orange and purple that turned our mouths and lips and tongues all those same colors. And juice-dripping watermelon loaded with seeds we could spit across the yard...or at each other.
Sometimes, I miss those carefree days. Don't you?
Feel free to post some of your favorite summer memories. I'll be back to read them—as soon as I get my hands on a Popsicle.
All my best to you,
Barbara
~~~~~~
Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
When I was a kid, summer vacation seemed to last forever, filled with trips to the park and the sprinklers, days at the local pool, long bicycle rides around town, and even longer trips to visit Grandma and Grandpa.
For the times we felt lazy, we chased butterflies and fireflies, played box ball, and balanced on homemade skateboards more likely to tip us off than to take us anywhere.
And on those sweltering hot days, we had cold foods and drinks that felt sooooo refreshing: Lemonade. Kool-Aid. Popsicles in red and orange and purple that turned our mouths and lips and tongues all those same colors. And juice-dripping watermelon loaded with seeds we could spit across the yard...or at each other.
Sometimes, I miss those carefree days. Don't you?
Feel free to post some of your favorite summer memories. I'll be back to read them—as soon as I get my hands on a Popsicle.
All my best to you,
Barbara
~~~~~~
Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
GETTING OUT AND GETTING TOGETHER
The other day I was reading Jane Porter’s blog and she wrote something that just struck me as so ‘right’ that I’ve been thinking about it for the last week. In a nutshell, she wrote about making more of an effort to actually visit with people, face to face.
I can completely relate. Lately, I’ve had quite a few projects I’ve been working on, and therefore, I’ve been spending lots and lots of time in front of my computer. With uh, made-up people. When I get tired of writing, I go on the Internet and catch up with on-line friends. Phone calls, for some reason, have seemed to take up too much time, never mind actually having coffee or a dinner out with girlfriends.
With this in mind, I knew that Lori Foster’s and Dianne Castell’s 3rd Annual Get-Together was going to be very needed and appreciated. I went yesterday, and it was just terrific.
For those of you that haven’t heard about this, Lori and Dianne host a reader-writer get-together every June. Lots of readers come from all over, and even a couple of agents and editors attend, too. It’s casual, like Lori. People wear t-shirts and jeans. There’s a limited schedule…it’s all mainly just a time to reconnect with people.
But because Lori and Dianne are just so great, it’s also about helping other people too. Authors donate baskets and critiques to be raffled. 90 authors also contributed recipes for a cookbook. All the proceeds from these things go to two very worthy causes…soldiers and a local battered women’s shelter. This year, over $3000 was made just on the gift baskets alone!
I had a great time visiting with members from my local RWA chapter, other authors and readers. I met a great gal who’d flown all the way from San Diego to be there, and ate lunch with another woman who’d never wanted to write…she just loved to read romance! Especially Harlequins! I loved her!
Little by little, I found myself feeling more energized and excited as the day went on. I laughed and talked and listened…and realized Lori and Dianne are two very smart ladies.
They’ve found a way to help a whole lot of women reconnect and remember what is important: other people...readers and friendships and soldiers fighting for all of us. And a group of ladies in a shelter who really need a helping hand and a few extra prayers.
Tomorrow, I’ll go back to my made-up people. But today I think I’m going to spend another couple of hours recalling just how nice it was to get out and about. And laugh and talk. Face to face.
I can completely relate. Lately, I’ve had quite a few projects I’ve been working on, and therefore, I’ve been spending lots and lots of time in front of my computer. With uh, made-up people. When I get tired of writing, I go on the Internet and catch up with on-line friends. Phone calls, for some reason, have seemed to take up too much time, never mind actually having coffee or a dinner out with girlfriends.
With this in mind, I knew that Lori Foster’s and Dianne Castell’s 3rd Annual Get-Together was going to be very needed and appreciated. I went yesterday, and it was just terrific.
For those of you that haven’t heard about this, Lori and Dianne host a reader-writer get-together every June. Lots of readers come from all over, and even a couple of agents and editors attend, too. It’s casual, like Lori. People wear t-shirts and jeans. There’s a limited schedule…it’s all mainly just a time to reconnect with people.
But because Lori and Dianne are just so great, it’s also about helping other people too. Authors donate baskets and critiques to be raffled. 90 authors also contributed recipes for a cookbook. All the proceeds from these things go to two very worthy causes…soldiers and a local battered women’s shelter. This year, over $3000 was made just on the gift baskets alone!
I had a great time visiting with members from my local RWA chapter, other authors and readers. I met a great gal who’d flown all the way from San Diego to be there, and ate lunch with another woman who’d never wanted to write…she just loved to read romance! Especially Harlequins! I loved her!
Little by little, I found myself feeling more energized and excited as the day went on. I laughed and talked and listened…and realized Lori and Dianne are two very smart ladies.
They’ve found a way to help a whole lot of women reconnect and remember what is important: other people...readers and friendships and soldiers fighting for all of us. And a group of ladies in a shelter who really need a helping hand and a few extra prayers.
Tomorrow, I’ll go back to my made-up people. But today I think I’m going to spend another couple of hours recalling just how nice it was to get out and about. And laugh and talk. Face to face.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Summer Lovin' HAR Blog Contest
Dear Readers
June is finally here and that means Summer Lovin' hits the shelves this month! To celebrate our anthology, Laura Marie Altom, Ann Roth and myself, Marin Thomas have decided to run a month-long contest on the Harlequin American Romance blog. We hope the contest will encourage readers to stop by and participate in the daily blogs.
Here's how the contest will work: Visit the HAR blog--we hope daily--and comment on the post of the day. We'll keep track of the names of those who have something to say. Each time you comment (one entry per blog per day will be eligible) we'll add your name to the list of participants. At the end of the month, the names will be tossed into a hat and three winners will be chosen. The more blogs you comment on the better your chances of winning! I'll announce the winners on the HAR blog July 2nd, then Laura Marie, Ann and myself will each take a winner and send them a prize.
Here are the Prizes:
Marin Thomas will be giving away her McKade Brothers series, Aaron Under Construction, Nelson in Command and Ryan's Renovation.
Laura Marie Altom will be giving away her US Marshals series, Saving Joe, Marrying the Marshal, His Baby Bonus and To Catch a Husband.
Ann Roth will be giving away the first and second books in her To Wed…Or Not to Wed minisieries, The Man She'll Marry and It Happened One Wedding.
To start our first discussion….Summer Lovin' takes place in Silver Cliff, a small town in the Colorado Rockies. Tell us…what do you like most about small-town settings?
Happy Reading and we hope you have fun with this contest!
Marin
www.marinthomas.com
Ryan's Renovation *McKade Brothers* Aug 07
For The Children *Heart of Appalachia* Oct 07
June is finally here and that means Summer Lovin' hits the shelves this month! To celebrate our anthology, Laura Marie Altom, Ann Roth and myself, Marin Thomas have decided to run a month-long contest on the Harlequin American Romance blog. We hope the contest will encourage readers to stop by and participate in the daily blogs.
Here's how the contest will work: Visit the HAR blog--we hope daily--and comment on the post of the day. We'll keep track of the names of those who have something to say. Each time you comment (one entry per blog per day will be eligible) we'll add your name to the list of participants. At the end of the month, the names will be tossed into a hat and three winners will be chosen. The more blogs you comment on the better your chances of winning! I'll announce the winners on the HAR blog July 2nd, then Laura Marie, Ann and myself will each take a winner and send them a prize.
Here are the Prizes:
Marin Thomas will be giving away her McKade Brothers series, Aaron Under Construction, Nelson in Command and Ryan's Renovation.
Laura Marie Altom will be giving away her US Marshals series, Saving Joe, Marrying the Marshal, His Baby Bonus and To Catch a Husband.
Ann Roth will be giving away the first and second books in her To Wed…Or Not to Wed minisieries, The Man She'll Marry and It Happened One Wedding.
To start our first discussion….Summer Lovin' takes place in Silver Cliff, a small town in the Colorado Rockies. Tell us…what do you like most about small-town settings?
Happy Reading and we hope you have fun with this contest!
Marin
www.marinthomas.com
Ryan's Renovation *McKade Brothers* Aug 07
For The Children *Heart of Appalachia* Oct 07
Friday, June 01, 2007
On little cat feet
Cats are sneaky. Wait! I’m not a cat-basher. Anyone who’s read my books has come across characters who own cats. Some of them also rescue strays.
I never expected to own a cat and certainly not to find myself dosing one with medicine twice a day. This involves sticking my fingers in his mouth to pry his jaws open.
How did this happen? He sneaked up on me.
At various times before I got married, I owned small, portable animals. Hamsters. A couple of chinchillas. These having all expired, my husband requested a No Pets policy. In return, he agreed we could have kids. (He was joking. I think.)
Many years later, a cat showed up in our yard. Sweet, shy and – I thought – pregnant. Turned out she was faking it, but by then we’d adopted her. Actually, she’d already been spayed. A few years later, along came Cat No. 2, an obviously non-neutered male.
Our children adored them, so my husband tolerated the creatures. Cat No. 2 got neutered, while, in the course of time, Cat No. 1 grew old and died. Who helped me tend her during her final days? My formerly reluctant hubby, now a convert to cat fandom.
When Cat No. 2 first arrived, he seemed like an overgrown kitte, and seven years later, we still think of him as a youngster. So it came as a surprise when what we believed was an injured nose turned out to be cancer.
Currently, our freedom-loving but doting cat resides in our downstairs bathroom, wearing a flexible cone to protect his face and receiving medicine twice a day. His odds aren’t good, but we’re giving him every reasonable chance.
The problem is that we love him. Cats are like that. They sneak up on you.
I never expected to own a cat and certainly not to find myself dosing one with medicine twice a day. This involves sticking my fingers in his mouth to pry his jaws open.
How did this happen? He sneaked up on me.
At various times before I got married, I owned small, portable animals. Hamsters. A couple of chinchillas. These having all expired, my husband requested a No Pets policy. In return, he agreed we could have kids. (He was joking. I think.)
Many years later, a cat showed up in our yard. Sweet, shy and – I thought – pregnant. Turned out she was faking it, but by then we’d adopted her. Actually, she’d already been spayed. A few years later, along came Cat No. 2, an obviously non-neutered male.
Our children adored them, so my husband tolerated the creatures. Cat No. 2 got neutered, while, in the course of time, Cat No. 1 grew old and died. Who helped me tend her during her final days? My formerly reluctant hubby, now a convert to cat fandom.
When Cat No. 2 first arrived, he seemed like an overgrown kitte, and seven years later, we still think of him as a youngster. So it came as a surprise when what we believed was an injured nose turned out to be cancer.
Currently, our freedom-loving but doting cat resides in our downstairs bathroom, wearing a flexible cone to protect his face and receiving medicine twice a day. His odds aren’t good, but we’re giving him every reasonable chance.
The problem is that we love him. Cats are like that. They sneak up on you.
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