Everyday Stuff
Totally Yummy Beef Stew
Disclaimer: I’m not a cook. I know nothing about the science of cooking. I do enjoy cooking if I have the time to plan, shop and put a recipe together, but that’s so rare. Wow, though, do I love to eat! That’s why I thought it would be fun to occasionally share my favorite recipes.…
Read MoreStory Weekend: It's a Small World (and a giveaway)
Yes, Story Weekend is back! I’ve appreciated hearing from those of you who missed it. This weekend’s topic is “It’s a Small World” and I’ll start it off with my own story in the comment section to get things rolling. On Monday evening, 7pm EST, I’ll use a random number generator to pick one of…
Read MoreWhy I can no Longer List my Top Ten Books of the Year (and a Giveaway)
UPDATE: We have a winner! Thank you all for sharing your favorite books. The Random Number Generator picked Rhonda Baker. Congratulations, Rhonda! For the past few Januarys, I’ve posted my ten favorite books of the previous year on my blog. Some of you have been asking me when I’d be posting my list for 2013…
Read MoreStory Weekend: Outside Your Window
Isn’t the view from this monastery window beautiful? Describe what you see when you look outside your window. If you’re new to Story Weekend, here’s how it works: I pick a theme and you share something from your life that relates to that theme, however you interpret it. Thanks to all of you who’ve contributed. As…
Read MoreStory Weekend: Money Pits (and a giveaway of an audio book)
I’m now the happy owner of my second beach condo, this one a three bedroom. They are both rentals, but we use them when we can and we looooooove being right on the ocean. This one was a tad dated and I knew I wanted to spruce it up a bit. My youngest stepdaughter, Caitlin,…
Read MoreStory Weekend: Acting (and a Giveaway of a Large Print Edition of Necessary Lies)
As a kid, I always wanted to be an actress. My friend Joyce and I would practice a scene from the movie The Bells of St Mary’s, in which the priest (Bing Crosby) tells the nun (Ingrid Bergman) that she has leukemia, and she cries (with relief, because of the storyline). Joyce and I would…
Read MoreBirth Control Craziness
I lost my virginity at the age of eighteen. I loved the boy; in retrospect I can’t imagine why. Still, I was head-over-heels smitten, the sort of smitten that had me sketching his picture in my notebooks and skipping classes to be with him. I hadn’t completely lost my mind, however: I knew I didn’t…
Read MoreQuestions from a Reader
I did a live Google+ Hangout yesterday during which several of my readers participated. One of my readers, Amy Feld, was unable to hook up with the Hangout (it was a technological challenge, for sure!), so she sent me her questions separately, and I thought I’d answer them here for everyone to see. (Here’s the…
Read MoreStory Weekend: Resilience (and a contest)
I know you thought I disappeared from the blog for good! My deadline had to take precedence, and I’m still not finished with my work-in-progress, but I’ve missed my blog readers so here I am for the weekend! I’ve been dealing with deadlines, all sorts of great promotions for Necessary Lies (which just happens to…
Read MoreMidweek Questions from My Readers: Part 3
On Facebook, I asked for some questions that were a bit out of the ordinary and received plenty! So here’s part 3. Feel free to answer any of these questions yourself in the comments if you like! I’m trying to alternate “personal” and “professional” questions, so here goes: Q. When you were young, did you…
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