Christmas with Our Dog Lucy

Having no children of my own, I spoil our dog Lucy and she milks for all it’s worth. We sent parcels back east to my family and wrapped up a present for their dog; Lucy knowing it was a toy tried numerous times to sneak it out of the box—when it comes to toys and treats it’s impossible to hide it from her.

Christmas eve she woke up to go outside, once indoors she stopped by the Christmas tree knowing her presents were there. She gave a whimper, but she was told she had to wait until morning.

Since we’re staying at my grandparents for the winter in their basements suite, their dog Sally comes downstairs and visits often; so naturally they had to open their gifts together.




Sally with her toy:


Lucy checking Sally's toy:



Sally wearing a big smile after opening her present:




Lucy wanting more presents:


Lucy trying out her new toy:





Lucy loving all of her presents:

Warm Wishes for the Holidays

Tis the season to be jolly and I’ll be making the best of it (grin). I have a three day schedule that starts tonight with dinner at my aunt and uncles’. Tomorrow is another gathering and feast at another relatives’ and last but not least on Boxing Day a big dinner at my grandparents.

With all this celebrating I’ll have to add another notch to my belt.

I’m grateful to have this opportunity to spend the holidays with my relatives on Vancouver Island (something I only did once before), I’ll also be thinking of my family back home in Ontario and wishing they were here with me.

I wish you the very best for Christmas and the holidays.

It’s A Long Way to Tipperary

That old World War 1 song kept surfacing from one person to another as we drove the 3800 kilometers (approx. 2200 miles) to Vancouver Island.

I can’t tell you how strained my eyes were when it grew dark and we drove around the lake head of Lake Superior. I watched sign after sign, saying watch for moose crossing; one was flashing in bright lights; seeming foreboding. My imagination was getting the best of me; I half expected a wide-eyed moose to jump out in front of us just for the sport of it..


At one point in Manitoba, we were making good timing, waking well before the sun rose from our hotel room and setting off, but things slowed considerably when a train that had to be at least two and half miles long crossed our path at turtle's pace, even our dog Lucy had to wonder what was going on.








Rain followed us throughout most of the prairies, the sun eventually came out and I actually seen the end of a rainbow in Fort Macleod, Alberta. I looked but didn’t see no pot of gold waiting there (fanciful thought I know, but it sure would have been sweet).



We got some great shots of the mountains and a beautiful church.







So now I’m home to stay in BC until spring once again touches Ontario.

Countdown to September 30th

Just when the leaves turn to an earthy palette of rusts, gold and reds, I’m packing up and heading for Vancouver Island. It will be a long four day trek, driving through the better half of scenic Ontario, into the prairies where land and sky meet on the thin line of the horizon. On the third or fourth day hopefully we’ll be making our way into the majestic Rockies and at last the island.

This will be the second time we’ll escape winter’s grip in Ontario. With luck the winter will be as good in B.C. as it was back in 2004 when we were last there.

In preparation, we’re checking over our vehicle, pricing tires for the poor old thing. As for the writer in me, I’m planning on getting a new laptop (my old one had seen better days).

I’ve already begun to think about the countless TBR books I have, trying to decide which one to take. I have a ton of 80’s and 90’s books that I’ve always wanted to get through. They’re historicals. If you have any suggestions, let me know. I’m a big fan of Judith McNaught, Teresa Medeiros, Heather Graham… And the list goes on.

I Placed In The Lone Star Finals!

I have to say yesterday was a roller coaster ride in emotions for me. I entered the Lone Star writing contest back in June and thought by the time the announcements were made I would have forgotten I even entered.

Boy, I couldn’t have been more wrong. As August 20th drew near I found myself checking the calendar more often and calculating the days I would get word back from the chapter. The day finely arrived; I was reluctant to check my e-mail--strange I know. But for me it's like having a lottery ticket, for a brief moment your dreams of being a millionaire are still plausible, it's only when you check your numbers that your dreamy bubble bursts.

With the prompting of my mother I checked my e-mail and with a single glance I knew my romantic suspense didn't make the cut. Disheartened I read through the judge's comments which really weren't so bad, the scores were high but not high enough to get me into the finals.

As I wrote out my thank you notes to the judges, there was a long distance phone call. Our immediate thought was that it was a telemarketer. You can imagine my surprise when Karen Hankins informed me that my historical romance placed in the Lone Star finals. Talk about a pick-me-up!

I entered two entries; the story concepts couldn't have been more different from the other. I’m so happy I entered the two--the later, was a great chaser to end all writers’ blues. Talk about a day from lows to highs!

Now the wait begins for October 24th when the winners will be announced. Good luck to all entries.

Even if I don't win I’m grateful that I made it this far.

An Amazing Dog

I thought about it for days, wondering what I should post since I hadn’t blogged in months. I wanted something that would grab people’s attention and that’s when I got this video clip in my e-mail. It tugged at my heart and I nearly needed a tissue. It was a no brainer; I had to share :)

Writer’s Meltdown

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I write with Word Perfect 8, a program that’s out of date and for me I finally realized should be put out to pasture. The reason I say this is, is that more rules for contests open with Microsoft Office Word. I have my sights set on a contest that I can enter electronically but it has to be in rich text format. I Wikipedia rtf (not knowing exactly what it means, computer illiterate that I am) and it says; it’s a format developed by Microsoft.

So to make a long story short, I transferred the required pages of my manuscripts onto Microsoft Office Word (it’s a great program) and in so doing I decided to transfer the remainder of my story onto it as well.

I’ll most likely transfer my other manuscripts, but I’m not looking forwards to it. I’m eager to go forward and dread the thought of transferring hundreds of pages onto another program.

I guess I’ll just have to chalk it up to another hiccup in my journey to being published.

Mother’s Day

Here’s to all the mothers out there. Something about having a child brings out the best in some of us. And not just in humans but animals as well.

My dad told me a story about his dog Boots who was getting on in years. Her step was slower and her eyes dimming with age but when she had that last litter, she was like a pup again. She had more energy and her eyes seemed to clear as she took care of her litter. For a short time the sparkle returned to her life.

That nurturing instinct runs deep in our veins and shows us how connected we all are.

I hope you enjoyed this heart-touching Youtube video clip. I thought it was perfect for today.

Happy Mother’s Day.

Could Hugh Jackman be the next Dirty Harry?

Is it just me or does Hugh Jackman look like Clint Eastwood back in his earlier years?

I watched an old Dirty Harry movie the other day (can’t remember the name of it at the moment), but I couldn’t get over how much these two actors look alike.

Of course Hugh would have to lose the Australian accent (which of course I love), and take on a grittier no-holds-bar demeanor. But I could see him with that cigar clinched at the corner of his mouth, his eyes taking on that challenging glint…

Yeah, it does my heart good to think on it…

Earth Day

Today’s the day we pay tribute to the beautiful blue orb we live on. It’s amazing to think of all the living species we live amongst on our delicate planet.

In celebration of Earth Day, I’m going to go outside, soak up my surroundings and count my blessings that we live on such a beautiful planet.

I’m pleased to say my family and I took part in Earth Hour for the last two years and shut off the lights. I’m trying to incorporate it in our daily life and use lights when only necessary. It’s something small but in the end it adds up.

I received the cutest e-mail and I thought it would be perfect for today.

I hope you enjoy.

Writer’s Muddle

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I’m three quarters into my current manuscript; the hero and heroine are finally getting along and now I have to disrupt the whole thing. I have to shatter their world and break them apart but the problem is how?

This is the part writer’s refer to as Middle Muddle; it’s easy to get stuck here. But it’s a part where you must gear up and plow your way through to the end. One good way is to drop a thread at the beginning of the story where you can pick up and tangled their lives once again. I’m at that crucial point right now and hope I don’t drop a stitch and leave a gaping hole near the end. Ugh.

It’s a little nerve wracking. There’s a famous writer (I can’t remember his name at the moment) who said to entertain the reader on every page. I couldn’t agree more with him. I want the sparks to fly off the page. I want to entertain my readers and leave them eager to read my next book. Hopefully with a little luck they’ll remember my name when the next one comes out.

(Fingers crossed).

Blog Block

Being a writer I had my fair share of writer’s block. Fortunately with the joys of fiction, I somehow manage to daydream a turn of events where I can write my characters back on the road of happily-ever-after.

But with blog block it’s entirely different. Instead of writing fiction, I’m supposed to write something pertaining to my life.

As you can see, my last blog was in January. Cough… The months do go by quickly.

So I shall get back on my blog–horse and try again!

Let's see... What's new in my life...

I paid a visit to my dentist. He must be doing well for his office is totally redone with curving mahogany cabinets and black granite counters (I didn’t ask if they were real or imitation, I was too preoccupied at this point). Grimace. However, I did notice the dentist chairs, a luxury to be sure to sit in, they were sleek, black and they actually vibrated! I felt that our small town had gone uptown New York!

As for my dentist appointment, my teeth are good as new:)

Verdict Is In On The Movie Dragonfly

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If it’s a psychological thriller you want then this is the movie. Admittedly, I had to close my eyes through parts of Dragonfly. It’s the kind of movie that makes you jump when you least expect it.

There were a few hospital scenes with children with cancer I found unsettling. That is always hard to see no matter the story.

I can’t rate this story with a tears or hearts scale but a combination of both. So I will stick to the star rating and for me I’d give it
4 out of 5 stars .

Here’s a trailer I pulled up from Youtube.

Movie Night

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My aunt suggested the movie Dragonfly so my mother and I are going to make a night of it. We’ll pop some popcorn (my favorite being Orville Redenbacher’s Buttery Flavor) and munch away as we watch the film. We heard good reviews about the movie Dragonfly a 2002 film starring Kevin Costner. I Googled it and it looks great. I have a feeling it’s going to be a tear jerker so we’ll have a Kleenex box close by just in case.

I don’t believe I’m revealing any spoilers here; the blurp is easily obtained off the net. The story’s about a young Dr. whose wife dies tragically. He later returns to work treating sick children. Some of the children start to have similar near death experiences and the young Dr. begins to wonder if it’s his deceased wife trying to contact him.

I think I’ll rate this movie on a tear scale. Five tears if it's good or one tear if it's bad.

Of course this movie is a drama, romance thriller, (not an action) so who knows; I may change my tears to hearts.

The Woopee Cushion

Innocent enough looking with its pillow-soft appearance but since my seven-year-old nephew received this gift for Christmas, it has mysteriously made its rounds repeatedly through the house placed on unsuspecting victims seats. Of course there are the bold moves where it’s squeezed in your ear or face.

The joy it brings!

It reminds me of my brother when he was eleven and he bought and sat on a Whoopee Cushion in a crowded mall. My mother and I were totally taken off guard, looking peculiarly guilty ourselves as people walked past and gave us dirty looks.

Yes those were the days. (We laugh as we think back on it now, but at the time we would have liked to crawl under a rock).

The Whoopee Cushion my nephew got is sadly losing its will to inflate, perhaps too much use over the holidays. Heck, the children even tried and succeeded in getting the family dog to sit on it.

So if next year you’re having trouble deciding what to get the youngster in your life a gift that will be a hit, I’m pretty sure the Whoopee Cushion is the way to go. Just be on the lookout if they try to take it to the mall.