Phoenix

By the time you read this, I'll be back in the classroom, sorting out from being gone for two class days with my students in Phoenix, AZ. Today is a wacky schedule as there's End of Course testing (the new state of Missouri testing thing) and the spring pep assembly last hour. I'll only see 1/2 of my classes, and yearbook will not be one of them. I won't even have my plan time.

The photo above is of me (I'm in the yellow sweater) and my students at dinner Thursday night. It's tradition to all go out somewhere nice on the Thursday of convention.

We arrived at Phoenix around 8 PM Wednesday night. Check in was smooth and really everyone simply crashed as Phoenix was in the 50s and windy. Heck, we had that at home. Thursday was warmer and a group had classes and some of us rode the light rail into the Mill District by ASU in Tempe. Friday was classes and competition, and by Saturday when we had to leave, of course the weather was great. Then we left, and flew right into rain and more high 50s, which hung around even through Sunday.

My students had an awesome time. The only issue we really had was boarding the plane, and realizing the the concierge hadn't printed one of my student's boarding passes for Southwest. So we ran to the counter to get that. Then I discovered going through security that my daughter had failed to remove two bottles of water from the carry on. Of course, I had that bag at the time as I'd swapped it with her when I went back to the counter for the missing boarding pass, so I got to endure the bag check and the joy of getting my shoes swabbed. Thank goodness I always wear socks so I don't have to walk barefoot on that nasty floor.

All in all it was a successful trip, especially since I got the honor of sitting by the cute junior boy that they all ogled the entire flight. His English teacher was making him read a Nora Roberts novel in class and so I told him I'd met her, which I have.

The ride did get bumpy at times with a few lovely stomach dropping moments which made reading impossible, but we did get home safe and sound around 10:15 PM. I found out Sunday morning that two of my students placed in national writing competition they'd done with in Phoenix, taking the equivilant of second place, so that was awesome. My students also snuck into my "featured speaker" session on Friday, and came away with "We didn't realize you were somebody" as over 100 people came to hear me talk about how you write and sell a book. Now we just have to hit the big yearbook deadline on Friday night.

If you are ever curious about exactly what I do, aside from yearbook and newspaper, you can check out the news at http://www.fhhstoday.com/ which is my students' online news site.

Michele

I Was Wrong

Before I admit to how I was wrong, I want to congratulate our RITA finalists, Linda Warren and Cindi Myers. You do us proud!! The judges obviously have excellent taste.

Now, about being wrong... It happens. Quite often, to be honest. Last month I posted that Spring had sprung. I certainly thought it had. After all, the first official day of Spring was March 20. On the following Monday, we had proof when tornadoes were spotted in the area. That's always a good sign that Spring has arrived in Kansas. Nothing new.

On Friday--only five days later--we ended Winter...with two inches of sleet, covered by at least six inches of snow. That's Stay-Home weather, as far as I'm concerned. The problem was, in the midst of the sleet, that sounded more like hail, and at eight-thirty at night, I went to pick up my daughter who was at work. I wasn't half-way there when my windshield wipers froze. Not the blades, but the arms that move them. I fixed that--with lots of prayers--and went on about my not-so-merry way. The usual fifteen minute drive took almost an hour, but I made it safely to her workplace.

The trip home would have been eventful if I hadn't noticed the car I was SLOWLY and at great distance following, doing a little slip-and-slide to the side. Just as I was saying to my daughter, "Looks a little slick up ahead," an SUV came from the opposite direction, slid around the car ahead, barely missing the back of it, and came sliding toward us sideways. It's impossible to stop on two inches of frozen sleet. A whole band of angels must have been watching over us, because somehow I managed to avoid the SUV without losing control of my own car or even barely sliding, and righted myself in my own lane, the SUV left behind in a cloud of...well, sleet.

So, yes, I was wrong. We had spring and winter...within a five day period. At this late date, we don't expect snow again until, well, winter, whenever that is.

If you'll all join me in a rousing rendition of In the Good Ol' Summertime, I might make it through Spring.

The Most Expensive Blog I've ever written

This month the second book in my Cartwright Siblings series has been released by Harlequin. A Cowboy's Promise *Men Made in America* is Matt Cartwright's story. I try to do a blog tour the month my book comes out as one method of promotion. Until I worked on my post for the Pink Heart Society I believed blogs were an inexpensive way to get the word out about a book. Oh, boy was I wrong!

My blog for Pink Heart is of course about cowboys! And I did a heck of a lot of painstaking research searching for photos of cowboys to use in the blog. Well, I ended up downloading a virus…I was looking for an example of a "Calendar Cowboy". Yeah, I should have known better, but man o' man there were some sweet photos of calendar cowboys on several different sites. My computer crashed. In the end I paid $129 for a service to rid my computer of the virus. I also purchased a better anti-virus product than the one I had.

This Saturday April 18th stop by http://www.pinkheartsociety.blogspot.com/ If the Cowboy is one of your favorite heroes you won’t want to miss "The Most Expensive Blog I've Ever Written" where I introduce you to Cowboys from all walks of life.

On Friday April 24th at the http://petitfoursandhottamales.blogspot.com/ I'll discuss what I miss about being an "Unpubbed" Writer. Embrace and rejoice in your unpubbed status while it lasts because once you enter the world of a published author--nothing is ever the same.

And this past Tuesday April 14th at Jennifer's Random Musings, Matt Cartwright, the hero in A Cowboy's Promise completed sentences like "I am… I dream…. I need… So if you want to know what Matt dreams about, what he thinks, even what he dances to click here http://tiny.cc/Cowboy407 .

Post a comment at the blogs--including this one--and you'll have a chance to win a copy of A Cowboy's Promise!

Here's hoping you don't run into any sexy, brooding Cowboys that carry viruses!


Marin
A Cowboy's Promise *Men Made in America* (April 2009)
Samantha's Cowboy (August 2009)
A Cowboy Christmas (December 2009)
www.marinthomas.com

Writers' Resources

Since I’m too busy writing and teaching to come up with ideas, I’d like to list some reference books by and about writing and research that I’ve found especially helpful. Perhaps some of you will, too.

Save the Cat, by Blake Snyder. A perceptive breakdown of how to structure a script or book so the plot really works.

Creating Unforgettable Characters by Linda Seger. The title speaks for itself.

Making a Good Script Great by Linda Seger. This book is helpful to novelists, too, in rewriting and refining their work.

Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass. An experienced agent looks at the big picture for novelists.

Eats Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss. This is an absolutely hilarious, passionate take on – believe it or not – punctuation.

True Blue: An insider’s guide to street cops for writers, by Lynda Sue Cooper. If you write about police and have never spent much time with them, you’ll find this invaluable.

Forensics for Dummies by D.P. Lyle, M.D. Here’s a richly detailed compendium to make the forensics in your murder mysteries credible.

Also, I've posted writing tips on my Web site, www.jacquelinediamond.com. Enjoy!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone! This holiday always allows me to remind myself of the real meaning of what I do, and to celebrate life and the glorification of God and his resurrected Son. It’s also a rare time I see my family all in one place.

It’s also going to be a busy day for me as I have to start packing and getting ready.

Wednesday I’ll be on an airplane, winging my way to Phoenix, AZ. It’ll be my first time in Phoenix, and I’m looking forward to warm weather and sunny skies.

I’ll be traveling with eight of my yearbook and newspaper students—all girls. I remember traveling to Kansas City for the Journalism Education Association convention when I was in high school. This year my daughter is going for the first time as part of the staff. She’s got more years ahead of her.

It’ll be a busy trip. There are sessions and a trade show and all sorts of things to do in Phoenix itself, not that we’ll really be there long enough to enjoy anything but the pool. But after being in the cold St. Louis weather lately, that’ll be enough.

I’m a featured speaker, and I’ll be giving a workshop called “Words Words Words” and talking about the writing and submission process. I doubt I’d be the author I am today if I hadn’t gotten my publishing start on my high school newspaper. So I’ll be conveying all sorts of tips and encouragement to budding novelists of all ages. I just finished making my powerpoint and need to go work on the notes to accompany it.

So everyone have a wonderful Easter and I’ll catch you on the 20th and let you know how it went.

My Crazy Family

Tomorrow is Easter, and whether you celebrate, I hope you have something lovely planned for the weekend. I'm having my family over for dinner, but I have to tell you, mine isn't like one of those nice Harlequin American families.

You know the ones I'm talking about, those families that meet the heroine for the first time and instantly love her, making her feel welcome and valued as her own family never did. The mom who cooks up a storm of roast beef and mashed potatoes and cherry pie; the hard-working dad, the boisterous, teasing brothers, the impish but adorable niece, maybe a wise grandparent.

That does not describe my family. Mine are all crazy. Card-carrying, certifiable nuts. They talk incessantly all at the same time. They like to watch bad TV. They drink too much, they bicker over religion, politics and football, and one black-sheep cousin has been known to steal from houses where she is a guest. My sister obsessively cleans my kitchen (maybe that's not such a bad thing). And the children? Not cute or impish. Scary is the word I would use.

Yet I keep inviting them over, and they keep coming. When they invite me, I go. We share blood and a past, and that counts for a lot.

Everyone in my parents' generation is gone now. Members of my generation are the guardians of the history, the tellers of the stories, the keepers of the sacred photo albums and home movies. Much as I'd like to pretend I don't know them (sometimes), my family is part of me. I probably drive them as nuts as they drive me. But when we gather and tell stories, we remember and honor those who came before us, and we create new memories for the next generation. Reason enough to put up with a bit of craziness.

More Rita Talk

I thought since Linda told her Rita story, I'd share mine as well. (And how fun that I was scheduled to blog right after her!)

After too many years of waiting by the phone and the computer on Rita day and stressing out, I decided this year I would take a different approach and get out of the house for the day. I knew RWA had my cell phone number and if they didn't call, at least I'd be out doing something fun.

I'm an avid skier and after a dry few weeks when the skiing had been lousy, we were finally blessed with really good snow. So I took the day and off and drove to a nearby ski area to hit the slopes.

As I drove in snow on I-70 west of Denver, my cell phone rang (Spring, from Vivaldi's Four Seasons.) And I knew. It had to be The Call. But no way could I answer the phone safely with the weather and traffic, so I promised myself once I reached the ski area, I'd return the call.

The parking lot attendants at the ski area were directing me to my parking place when the phone rang again. With the engine still running, I grabbed for the phone. "Hello, Cindi, this is Lorraine Heath."

Now, Lorraine and I have known each other for many years, so I jabber away with "Lorraine! So good to hear from you. How are you?"

I'm sure on the other end of the phone she was grinning. She finally managed to get a word in edgewise and tell me that The Right Mr. Wrong had been nominated for a Rita.

The Right Mr. Wrong is my 30th published romance, and this is my first Rita nomination, so needless to say, I'm excited. It's only my second book for Harlequin American, so I'm really proud to represent the line (along with the lovely Linda Warren!)

The RWA awards ceremony takes place July 18 in Washington D.C. On my birthday. Wouldn't that gold statue be a nice birthday present?

THE RITA CALL

The Rita Call...

If you’re an author and entered the Rita contest, you knew the Rita and Golden Heart calls were going out on March 25. It was all over the Internet loops and on the RWA Web site. In case you don’t know, the 2009 RITA honors romance fiction published in 2008. More than 1,000 novels and novellas were judged in 12 categories. The 2009 Golden Heart Award honors unpublished romance manuscripts in 2008. Winners of the awards will be announced July 18th at the RITA and Golden Heart Awards Ceremony to be held at RWA’s 29th Annual National Conference in Washington, D.C.

There is a little glimmer of hope in all of us who write that one day we’ll be on that prestigious list of finalists. For me, that’s all it’s ever been—a small glimmer. I wasn’t anxiously sitting by the phone waiting for it to ring. I usually get to my computer about ten o’clock to start my writing day. I’d planned to check in then to see who had gotten a call. Early that morning I was trying to get a doctor’s appointment changed. The nurse said her computer was down and she’d call me back as soon as she could or the receptionist would.

Ten minutes later the phone rang. I answered and the lady said, “May I speak to Linda Warren.” Thinking it was the nurse, I replied, “Just a minute.” I was in the bathroom and I didn’t have a pen to write down the date and time. It was a three month appointment and I knew I’d forget. So I hurried into the bedroom for a pen, and said, “Okay.”

The lady asked, rather puzzled, “Is this Linda Warren?”

I answered, “Yes.”

She went on to say she was an RWA director and she had some great news. Things went over my head after that. I kept thinking this isn’t the nurse. OhmyGod, this isn’t the nurse! By then I was listening closely. Texas Heir was a finalist in Series Contemporary. My heart was about to pound out of my chest, but I asked her name because I’d missed it the first time and I thanked her, and thanked her. I hung up and started to cry. I was so happy. That glimmer suddenly became a big reality.

I’m probably the only person in RWA who kept an RWA director waiting on call day. Oh my. I don’t know if my heart can take all this excitement. But I’m going to enjoy every minute.

Here’s to dreams that come true. Win or lose, I’ll still be happy and probably crying.
What an incredible day.

Texas Heir is an American book so I wanted to share this with you. And congratulations to Cindi Meyers for her American final with The Right Mr. Wrong. We’re going to have a great time in DC.

Wanna happy dance with me? Yay for the American line!!

Linda
www.lindawarren.net
The Sheriff of Horseshoe, Texas

I need your input!

I’m working on a new idea for a miniseries… and I need your input.

My Halo Island miniseries seems to be popular, and I’ve received numerous emails asking about more books. So here’s my question:
Should I set the next three books in Halo Island again, or should I create a new fictitious small town?

Thanks for your input,

Ann
www.annroth.net

MARCH CONTEST WINNER!!!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Arkansas Cyndi! You’re the March winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Ann Roth, Michele Dunaway and Linda Warren through their Web sites.

To enter the contest simply leave a blog comment and your name will go into the drawing. Simple and painless. And FREE BOOKS.

So check back often and be sure to leave a comment. Good luck!

No Fooling

Okay, let’s get this out of the way: It’s April Fool’s Day. Let’s all go out and NOT play a trick on someone, because that got old in grade school.

Instead, let me explain why April 1st really matters. That’s because there are only two more days till my birthday.

I never figured I’d be sensitive about my age, but this is a big one. Let’s put it this way: I’m going to turn 40, for the 20th time.

Ouch ouch ouch.

Now let’s look at all the reasons why that’s good:

· My older son has a job (he earns more than I do) and my younger son is in college, so my husband and I have more time together, and I have more time to write.
· I’ve been happily married for 30 years, which means I can thumb my nose at all the people who say you can’t marry someone of a different religion.
· I still have my mother and mothers-in-law (my husband’s mother and stepmother) to cheer me on when times get rough.
· Still healthy (knock on wood, take fish oil, exercise, etc. etc.)
· Just got a new three-book contract with Harlequin American. Hooray hooray!

The books center on a remodeled maternity hospital that accidentally gets a reputation as a safe haven for babies whose mothers can’t keep them. Soon babies are turning up everywhere, and the staff is asked to take some of them home. Babies … doctors … falling in love … No publication dates set yet, but I’m hoping for 2010.

Now I’m going to go enjoy April in my vegetable garden, watching the baby plants grow.

Foreign Editions

One of the most interesting things about writing for Harlequin American is that really, nowhere else but North American and Canada are your books distributed in bookstores in other languages under the Harlequin American imprint. As I said in my March 12 interview, I'm out in Australia as a Mills & Boon Sexy author with Taming the Tabloid Heiress.

Two weeks ago today I had a box in my mailbox. Enclosed was the above title, which is the Japanese version of The Marriage Campaign. I love the cover, although I really can't read a word on it. I recognized the Japanese though, and enough that I think they put two Ls in my name. I've been out in Japan several times, mostly as a Special Edition. This time, I'm out under the Desire imprint. The cover is above. The art is totally different from the original United States release.

I find it fascinating to see how books in other countries are titled, published and distributed. Thanks to google translations, I got the above image from the harlequin.co.jp site and managed to learn it was a January 2009 release. Now only time will tell if the rest of the series gets translated and picked up as well. That would be fun.

I also got another book in the mail. The Christmas Date was also out in Australia and New Zealand as a Mills & Boon Sexy in December.

Last, the cover below is a release I had out in France. This is a two-in-one book and I'm out with good friend Patricia Kay. Neither she nor I knew about it until the book came out over a year ago. But I like it because again, the art is totally different.

Anyway, everyone have a great last two days of the month. It's awesome spring is finally here, and Apri is just moments away.

American Diner

This morning I indulged in a weekly ritual that I always look forward to: Breakfast at Norma's.

Norma's is a diner about five blocks from where I live. It's been in its current spot for about 15 or 20 years, but before that it was down the street a piece (as we say here in the south). I don't remember it from those days--that was before I moved here to Oak Cliff, one of the oldest sections of Dallas. But I understand it was pretty much the same as it is now.

Norma's serves a lot of really yummy but not-exactly-healthy food. I prefer the breakfast to anything. Best biscuits and pancakes on earth, bacon and eggs, sausage gravy, grits, all that good stuff. But the best thing about Norma's is the people--the people who work there and the people who eat there.

If a newcomer enters, he'll be greeted with, "Just have a seat anywhere you like!" (No one says that to us anymore, because we know the drill.)

Pam is the manager, and she's almost always there. She knows all of the regulars by name and stops by everyone's table, coffee pot in hand, to relate the latest gossip about the neighborhood. She's got a huge heart, and she's always involving the restaurant in various charitable events--food drives, feeding the hungry on Thanksgiving, raising money so a needy child can have an operation.

A number of the waitresses have been there for years and years. If they see us come in, two hot coffees will be whisked in front of us the moment we sit down. Sometimes they don't even give us menus because we have it memorized, and it doesn't change. (Pam tried introducing whole grain pancakes once, but it didn't take.) The only thing that changes is the chalkboard specials, but even those are predictable depending on what day it is.

I like to watch the patrons, too, an eclectic mis of after-church ladies all dressed up, working men in overalls, old and young, all races, all education levels. Many of us are such regular patrons that we've gotten to know each other, and chats from booth to booth are common.

If you read any of my "Blond Justice" books of a few years ago, the diner in those books was based on Norma's. And when the books came out, I had a booksigning at the diner and I sold 75 books.

When I move to California (if it ever happens!) I will miss Norma's almost more than anything. I'm sure we'll find other favorite breakfast spots, and we'll become regulars some other place. But Norma's will always hold a special place in my heart.

Life Lists

Today my kids and I are taking my mom to see the King Tut exhibit that's visiting Atlanta. (My first grader is absurdly excited, partly because he watched all three Mummy movies with me this summer. I had to stress that there will be no actual mummies coming to life today--and, sigh, no Brendan Fraser either.) My mother says she remembers learning about Tut and the discovery of his tomb in grade school and has wanted to see this exhibit ever since, most of her life. This weekend isn't particularly good timing for her and this economy isn't particularly good for, well, anyone. But when I mentioned I could get tickets, she realized that if she didn't make time to go ahead and do it, she never would and it would be something she's always dreamed of that passed her by.

What do you dream of? I wanted to sell a book and be a mom I'm happy to say I've been blessed enough to do both! I also want to see the Grand Canyon, Australia and, maybe, one day sing in public (doing the Guitar Hero vocals for family and friends is as close as I've gotten). Items on the list can be small--I always wanted to try sushi because it sounded so exotic and sophisticated, but never did until I realized not ALL the rolls had raw fish in them--or huge. My parents backpacked across Europe in the early years of their marriage and while I'm not terribly rustic, I did at least want to go to Europe. My husband, who had never even been on a plane before we married, thought my goal of going to Europe sounded insane. To him, it was like saying I wanted to go to the moon. But that's before he got a job based out of Helsinki, Finland. He goes to Europe about three times a year! And one summer, I was lucky enough to go with him to Milan, Italy. (If you go, you must see the Cathedral) I still want--one day--to see Britain, the Louvre in Paris, and Scotland, the land of my ancestors. But it's amazing when I look back and see all that I have accomplished and enjoyed! I've swam with dolphins, I've been a RITA finalist, I tried a martini (which, blech), I've been a classroom mommy, I've seen Niagra falls, I've made people laugh, I've hiked through the Rockies (with no indoor plumbing! Another blech but totally worth it). This summer, I'll be seeing the Smithsonian/D.C. for the first time, and I can't wait!

So, what do you want to do? No matter how big or small, we all need things to look forward to and to look back on fondly.

Creativity

Folks are curious about where we get our story ideas, and considering some of the books I’ve read that answer could range from funny, to interesting to Stephen King scary. I can’t speak for anyone else but for me the universe if fair game. Plot lines are as plentiful as TV waves – they’re omnipresent but invisible. For creative minds they’re there for the picking. But to be more specific, I find ideas in all sorts of situations – a snippet in the newspaper, a conversation in the grocery line or perhaps even a dream.

The inspiration for my first book (A Texas State of Mind) hit me while I was waiting at a gate in the San Antonio airport. Sitting across from me was a group of six older guys – typical Texans with John Deere hats and big belt buckles. Eavesdropping on their conversation I discovered that they made an annual poker playing trip to Las Vegas. Then I started thinking about casting them as villains, and that morphed into a group of killers who lived in a retirement community. I loved those characters. They did funky things, had affairs, participated in vigilante killings and escaped to Mexico.

My second book (Texas Born) had an even stranger origin. I was with a couple of friends at a catfish restaurant in lower Alabama (LA to the natives). It was obvious our waitress had a big time bug up her butt, so as writers we made up her back story. Before dessert was served we’d decided she’d killed her beer swilling boyfriend and dumped him in the swamp for alligator bait. That idea segued into the hunky sheriff finding bodies in the Aransas Wildlife Refuge in Texas where gators are more plentiful than people.

The plot for my February 2009 book (The Man She Married) came to me during a particularly arduous tennis lesson. Run, run, sweat, sweat, yada, yada, yada – can you say Simon Legree? Facetiously – yeah right – I told our teacher/coach that I was going to write a book and kill the tennis pro off in the second chapter. LOL
Actually, in that book he’s a stalker – but that’s close enough for fiction.

See how it works?

One of my very favorite dreams was the genesis for a plot that hasn’t been written. It’s a soul switch idea that has the “hottest” bathtub scene – whew! I’m saving that one for later.

And finally, the book I’m working on now had its beginnings in a reality show where bands were trying for a record contract. The winners were three brothers whose dad was tent revival minister. One the songs they did was a rock version of This Little Light of Mine – growing up as a Southern Baptist that was one of my favorites. In my book I changed it to three sisters.

So that’s how I do it. Does anyone have any stories they’d like to share?

Ann DeFee
The Man She Married, HAR, February 2009
Top Gun Dad, HAR, October 2009
2008 Book Buyer’s Best Award – Summer After Summer

Congrats to Our RITA finalists

The RITA is Romance Writers of America's equivilant to the Oscar. Congrats to Cindi Myers and Linda Warrent for finaling in the Contemporary Series category. Winners will be announced at the national convention in Washington, D.C., this July.

The details:

The Right Mr. Wrong by Cindi Myers
Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin American Romance (ISBN: 0373752032)
Wanda Ottewell, editor

Texas Heir by Linda Warren
Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin American Romance (ISBN: 978-0-373-75230-0)
Kathleen Scheibling, editor

Winners of The Mad Writer's Tea Party Giveaways

Thank you all for making yesterday's tea party so much fun! And congratulations to the winners of the random drawing for giveaways. Click here to see the list of prizes, complete with photographs.

If Teapots Could Talk
Diane St. Jacques

polka dot mug & Murchie’s tea
Sara

mini tin of Angelwater
Theresa Ragan

mini tin of Philospher’s Brew
Estella

mini tin of Casablanca
Jane

Dragon Tears (shaped tea)
Terry Odell

Sacred Ember (shaped tea)
Gillian Layne

And as an added bonus, I'm tossing in a copy of my second book, With This Ring (ebook format).
The winner is Cheryl S.

Congratulatons to all of you!

Winners, please send your name and mailing address in an email to lee-at-leemckenzie-dot-com and I'll send your prize to you.

Enjoy!

Until next time,
Lee

The Mad Writer’s Tea Party—Let’s Have Tea!

A traditional English Afternoon Tea is one of my favorite indulgences. If you’ve had the opportunity to enjoy this little luxury, you’ll know exactly what I mean. Just forget about counting calories and fretting over carbs!

A pot of tea is, of course, a requirement, and might be served in a china or a silver pot, with milk and sugar. Some restaurants also offer a glass of sherry or wine.

The food, typically served on a two-tiered cake stand, consist of small sandwiches (cucumber, egg, salmon or ham are all common), scones served with butter, jam or fruit preserves and Devonshire cream, an assortment of pastries, such as small chocolate cakes, lemon or butter tarts and shortbread, and an assortment of fresh fruit. The fruit may be served in a nappy or arranged on the tiered stand.

This is me, about to indulge. And no, I did not eat all that food. That was tea for two, I so only ate half of what you see!


One of today’s giveaways is a copy of If Teapots Could Talk by Muriel Moffat.


This delightful little book looks at the history and etiquette of Afternoon Tea, and includes a chapter on Afternoon Tea at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC, and some great recipes if you decide to make and serve your own tea.


Cucumber sandwiches are my favorite and, in my opinion, tea isn’t complete without them.

Cucumber Sandwiches

2 slices of white bread
English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
butter
mayonnaise
salt and pepper, to taste

Lightly spread butter and mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread. Place slices of cucumber on one slice of the bread, and season with salt and pepper. Top with the second slice of bread. Trim off the crusts and cut the sandwich into four triangles or four rectangles.

Optional: The chef at the Empress adds a dash of horseradish to the mayonnaise, but this is not traditional.

I’m giving away some great prizes today. To be eligible to win one, simply post a comment. Winners will be announced tomorrow on The Writer Side of Life.

Ready for more tea? Please follow these links to a chat about tea parties on The Writer Side of Life, and some interesting tidbits about exotic teas on the Wet Noodle Posse blog.

Lee

Changes in Spending Habits

Our local news this past Saturday night ran one of those really quick little storys about what is selling more these days in our lagging economy. According to the newscasters, here are the top three items:

1) Condoms
2) Canned goods
3) Romance novels

Yay for number three!

I went online in search of more information on this and found an article on www.time.com, Time Magazine's site. The article concurred that condoms (and female birth control) experienced the highest increase in sales the first two months of 2009 and that canned were second. No mention of a number three item or romance books. What's with that?!

The article also talked about what items had the worst drop in sales during the first two months of 2009, and those were:

1) Film and cameras
2) Sports and novelty cards
3) Magazines

This got me to thinking about what I've begun purchasing more and less of recently. I came up with my own lists:

Cathy's buying more:

1) Renting more movies at Blockbuster as opposed to going to the theater
2) Buying more Orville Redenbacher Butter microwave popcorn to go with the movies I'm renting
3) Generic brands at the grocery store (except for the popcorn - gotta have my Rendebacher)

Cathy's buying less:

1) Pantyhose - who needs 'em, they're hot anyway
2) Bottled water - I got one of those pitchers with the filter
3) Dog toys - no more trips to the pet warehouse store, the pooches are going to have to make do with my old shoes, which they were chewing up anyway.

So, what about you? What are you buying more and less of these days? I do hope romance books are on your "more" list.

Cathy McDavid

Large Item Pick-Up

Every year, our church’s youth group sponsors a rummage sale. The weekend before the rummage sale is what’s known as Large Item Pick Up. That’s this weekend.

As far as events go, it’s not too complicated. People who want to donate furniture for the sale let the person in charge know, then teams of parents and kids go pick it up, load it into rented trucks, and haul it back to the church. Next weekend, all the stuff goes on sale and is hauled off by the buyers.

Since my son was in eighth grade, he’s always helped pick up stuff. It’s never been his favorite activity, and that’s putting it mildly. He’s got good reasons. It’s a yucky job. People donate file cabinets wedged in closets, fold-out couches stuck in basements, and exercise bikes stored in dusty garages. Office furniture, washing machines, and ugly easy chairs are all fair game for the pick up crew.

You can imagine the sore arms, legs, and backs and, well, grime that accompanies all the hauling around.

This year, my son announced that he had had enough of Large Item Pick-Up and that he didn’t want to do it anymore. His excuses were many. He already was working-if he carried furniture all Sunday, he’d really have no weekend. He's picked up furniture four years in a row-certainly the new eighth grade kids could pick up the slack.

Finally, there was the obvious. He’s a senior. He deserves a few perks. My husband and I didn’t blame him, but we were giving in, either. Which, of course, resulted in a lot of grumbling.

Then last weekend the inevitable happened. Take ten high school seniors. A sleepover, a bunch of cans and my son with a pocket knife at 3 am. Yep, he managed to come home last Saturday morning with a badly bandaged hand and a sheepish expression. The rest of the day involved four hours at the emergency room, one big tetanus shot and nine stitches in his palm.

That evening, his hand was swollen and hurting. My son was really bummed-the stitches had to stay in for ten days. But then, all the sudden, he began to perk up. He'd just realized that there was a very nice, bright silver lining! Being stupid and careless meant no lifting of furniture. No carrying around old treadmills. No spending Sunday in a UHaul. Nine stitches meant Large Item Pick Up Day would go on without him! My husband could hardly believe it.

I’m not really sure what this says, other than spring fever and senioritis have hit our family. However, I couldn't help but be amused when my husband left this morning with a scowl-while my son did his best to hide a very happy grin.

Until he heard that everyone not moving furniture today had to do laundry.

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend and that it’s been more relaxing than ours.

Shelley