In Celebration of Spring

     I love Spring. A few more days of this kind of weather and we will be seeing forsythia peeking out at us. Spring brings out extremes in me big time. I become pensive, brooding and a bit lonely. Not sure why, but it has always happened, even when surrounded by friends and family.  I do a lot of soul-searching and tend to look out of the window and daydream instead of work. I put off things that need to be done. At least I have stopped telling myself that I will move my desk away from the window. It is here to stay, this is where it needs to be.  In celebration of Spring, I think I will go to the museum this Sunday, take a sandwich and drink and sit in the garden. It will be a bit chilly so I won't have to talk to people. Yep. I like that idea. Maybe I will buy some bologna, a devil dog (do they still make them?) and a banana to take.  

It is my brother's birthday, I bought the card last week but it is still on my desk. I will call him today and still mail the card. I don't recall if I mentioned that I bought a book titled, Brothers Are Special, while I was browsing  in Border's a week or two ago.  One of the quotes come from Bessie Delaney of Having Our Say.  Ms. Delaney said, "It never made a bit of difference to me that Hubert became an assistant United States attorney, a judge and all that. he was still my little brother." I understand that sentiment so well.

My Visit to The Renault Winery

        Well, I opened the jam I bought at the Renault Winery in Egg Harbor, NJ  last week. Very nice. It has jalepeno peppers in it, oh yum. While everyone else was looking around for wine to buy, I was looking for food. Not sure what that says about me, but this is darn good jam.

The winery was smaller than I expected. But it has been a long time since I visited one, maybe they are all small.  It is probably a much better visit in late spring or summer when the grapes are still on the vine. Nevertheless, it was still very pleasant. Although I really hated the cafe where we had lunch--I asked for a roll for my soup and was given a hot dog roll. Of, course I returned it tout de suite and asked for one of the small rolls shown in the glass case. The clerk explained that they were for "show" only. Hello!!  I then asked for and recieved nice buttery crackers. A hot dog roll??? I do wonder if folks really accept that.

 If I return in the summer, I will pack a nice lunch and sit outside and watch the ducks while I eat.

Ignoring my Deadline and Sutter Wine

      I am staying inside today because I am on a deadline for writing my movie review. I reviewed an old Bogey and Bacall goodie, The Big Sleep.

So anyway, I know that I should be proofing, etc. but instead am thinking of making a huge romaine lettuce salad with some over-priced grape tomatoes I bought by mistake. MMmm, I wonder if romaine lettuce originated in Romania? Will have to check it out. I only buy "Andy Boy" brand these days because they are hugie supporters of the Breast Canter Research Foundation. As usual I am digressing :-)  So I have decided that it is not too early for wine. I have Sutter Home, white zinfadel, my prefered inexpensive wine. I have been drinking the same wine since ?????, I am not telling, but it has been a very long time. I recall a few years back, that a friend said that he had discovered a really good wine; it was Sutter Home. I mentioned that  earlier I thought that Sutter Home was the house brand name of Home Liquours. I think he thought that I was putting him down, when in fact I was simply making a statement of truth. It was not until I went online at the the Sutter Home site and found that these people had been around since 1800's http://www.sutterhome.com/.

I found this wine because a friend had spent some time with family in California and returned home talking about Perrier and Sutter Home Zinfadel, both were very in at that long ago time. However, I think the best wine I have ever tasted was one that my ex-husband and I discovered, while scrounging around in Greenwich Village (I don't have to  tell you how long ago that was either) It was a rose colored South African wine and wonderful. It's so odd, sometimes I think I have the name, then it disappears from my mind. One day I will remember the name and buy it, if the vinyard is still producing.

Speaking of wines--Whine, I don't feel like doing any required reading. Maybe I will order some Chinese food instead of having salad and read a bit instead. Oh, deep sigh!!!

   

I Taking Care of Our Pets

      Here is a shout out concering bad pet food. We have to take care of our kitty cats and doggies cuz they take care of us. If you are not aware of this, take a look.  It was sent from the BellaOnline site owner.

"I know many if not most of us here own cats and dogs, so I wanted to alert
you to a *huge* pet food recall. It turns out both brands of wet food I
feed my own cats are involved. The food has already resulted in deaths and
kidney failure. You can read more on CNN -
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/17/petfood.recall.ap/index.html
If you own pets, or know someone who does, make sure you read more about
this recall!  We're under a foot of snow here in Massachusetts, but we're driving out
tomorrow morning to the pet store to get fresh, untainted food.

Happy St. Patty's Day

     Happy St. Patricks Day!

May your neighbors respect you,
Troubles neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And Heaven accept you.

Pink Ladies Blog

    I am checking my morning e-mails and see that one of our authors has asked members at RNBC to take a look at the blog group she belongs to. I did and fell in love with Pink Ladies Blog http://pinkladiesblog.com It is girly and womanly at the same time. It is also sharp and witty.

Oh What a Day

      It wasn't so much a day of negative things as it was a day of  "what?" and "why?"  I finally understand what someone means when she says (never heard a man say it) "getting on my last nerve" or "plucking my nerves." Oh what a day this was. My shoulders are knotted up little bunches of grapes. I come home and the water is off. Deep sigh!

O.K. I am taking a deep breath and counting to 10-- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Mmm, no better. 

I think this "What a day" streak started last night when I returned home from a networking meeting. I seldom eat candy, I am not good, I just don't care that much for it. There were Hershey kisses in a bowl last night and I ate three, I guess that wet my appetite for more. So anyway I get home and drink juice, cuz no candy in the house. While I am looking through the goodie bag we all received I spot what looks to be a sweet. It has a gold wrapper, has "The Gold Bar" on the lable ,\and it is from a wellness consultant. I figure as long as it is sweet like a candy bar it will suit me just fine. I had a lard time opening the candy wrapper but finally tore the paper and peaked inside--lo and behold there was a yellow bar of soap.      

Don't Ask Me Why I Like This

  O.K. I am not sure where I saw this, or why I like it so much, but it made me laugh.

"I don't have A.D.D., it's that...

 

Hey, look a squirrel."

 

Passages

     I just read an e-mail that Garden State Woman magazine http://www.gswoman.com/ is holding its annual financial event. In the old days I received a telephone call from the owners' husband asking if I planned to attend, etc. Now those telephone calls are no longer necessary. Attendance is huge. GSW magazine used to be a pulp freebie, it is now a slick magazine with a yearly subscription. The same thing has happened with PathFinders Travel,  http://www.pathfinderstravel.com/a magazine geared to people of color for vacation and business travel. Although, never free, it too has grown tremendously and a really beautiful magazine. I doubt that I could get through to the owners as easily I once did when I called. (LOL) Seeing this kind of thing further convinces me that 'you can make it happen.' No disrespect to Stedman, Oprahs honey, with a book of the same name. A great positive read, by the way. I don't think either have been in business more than ten years. Way to go people!!!

Speaking of passages. I just noticed that Romance Noire Book Club http://groups.yahoo.com/group/romancenoirebookclub/ has reached a membership of 255. I remember being thrilled when we reached the 200 mark. RNBC has turned into a romance writer/author haven and I am delighted that the authors are here and think of the group as professional and safe. I have noticed that readers no longer post--I wish they did. I suspect, they just don't feel comfortable addressing a particular author or think they cannot 'talk' to the authors. That is so far from the truth--authors love that. Maybe I will post a short something?? and send to the RNBC community get readers back in the loop. Still thinking about a gatekeeper and moderator to work with me. This is one of the reasons I have to drag my laptop around with me.

Be Encouraged

   Author Lynn Emery is a member of my Romance Noire Book Club at Yahoo! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/romancenoirebookclub/  She has a new Blog "Be Encouraged" http://www.BeEncouraged.wordpress.com Take a look I think you will enjoy it.

You know I cannot believe that the RNBC group is almost 7 years old.  I am hoping to find someone to help me monitor the posts. In the old days people did not join just to post spam. Folks are very clever they join under one name and once in they change their handle and show their true purpose for being in the group. And then we have the problem of serious porn hidden under the cloak of erotic writing.  It can be very tiring, trying to keep your group free of junk.  But I do love the interaction and reading the posts of the true writers who join to chat with authors and others who are serious about the genre. 

Something's Clicking in My Head

 I think some positive things are going on in my head. I have to stop and write them down.

I did not find the CD I wanted, but I did find the one I obviously needed to hear.  It is a bootleg copy of Donnie McClurkin's CD by the same name.  This is one of the few Christian CD's I have.

I bought this when I was still working full time. I was headed to the supermarket and heard the most amazing music coming from a 'mom and pop' truck parked near the market. I went back to my office and listened to it--awesome. The next day, I returned to buy one for VSK. Sometime after that, she told me that she listened to the CD everyday while driving to work. I wonder if it is o.k. to say McClurkin can sing his hinnie (don't know how to spell that) off.  I am listening to "We Fall Down".  Oh my!!  

The Internet is My Friend

     I don't have television on cuz I am working and need something soothing. I checked my tapes but realized I could not think of what I originally had in mind (don't ask what that means, I guess it means I just forgot what I was looking for). I went ahead and popped in The Nutcracker Suite CD, while it is very nice, it is not exactly what I was looking for. The only thing I could remember is that one of the cuts is from the old "Call for Philip Morris Theme", so that is what I typed in my search. Don't you know I found the information I needed? I just love the internet. Now how did I know about Philip Morris? Well, I remembered the music from??, I have never been sure, I know that I was quite young because that's where mind's eye takes me. Obviously, it made an impact. I learned the proper name of the piece in school, in music appreciation (grinning). This is one of my very favorite, maybe my favorite, classical music. Here is the info I found.  

Theme 1: "On The Trail" from "The Grand Canyon Suite"
     Composer: Ferde Grofé Jr. (ASCAP)

     1978 Publisher: Robbins Music Corp. (ASCAP)
     1997 Publisher: EMI/Robbins Catalog, Inc. (ASCAP)

     Copyright Date: 1933, in book "Who Wrote That Song?"

     Original 78 recordings by Paul Whiteman, and Sy Oliver (1948),
          [according to book "Who Wrote That Song?" by Dick Jacobs]

     New Recordings: numerous semi-classical 78s, LPs, and CDs

NOTE: The Philip Morris Tobacco company used "On The Trail" as a signature piece behind their commercial advertising on radio & TV, along with a midget bellhop (Johnny) who intoned: "Call for Phillip Morrr--rray--is". So the choice of this piece for their dramatic anthology series is a tie-in to the advertising.

You know, I suspect that the word "midget" is now politically incorrect. I have heard the term "little people", personally I would prefer being called midget. Hat's off to the invention of the Internet. 

Had The Best Birthday

     I had a wonderful birthday. Just recently an ill friend told that she felt so loved because she had so many visitors that day. I was feeling the same thing on my birthday. Then I came home to find the most wonderful birthday card from a dear old friend. We have known each other more years than I care to remember.

When I got to the hotel I was met with lots of smiles; the desk folks knew it was my birthday. I was even allowed in my room a little after 1p :-) and  check in time is 4p, now I usually get to go up a little early, but that's a bit much. But, as I told a friend, I do not look gift horses in the mouth. I did not ask why, I just said thank you and headed upstairs. When I opened the door the first thing I saw a large bouquet of flowers with a balloon tied to it. Just lovely. I went downstairs to get a soda and saw that the bar (hhmm hhmm, I mean restaurant) was open and figured a pina colada is much better than a Pepsi. A friend was already there, we talked a couple of hours before I went back upstairs to dress for dinner. It was a good day. Actually, my whole week was nice. My pals understand that I celebrate my BD for a week, I count my birthday as my personal new year. I really think more people should do that.

Sorry :-(

Ohhhh...I have been yelled at for not posting in my journal. Sorry--sometimes pesky ole life stuff gets in my way and does not want to cooperate with me.

 

 

 

My March Horoscope

      I am not sure that I like the sound of, "Like it or not, change is coming this month." (Groan) 

Astro-Forecast: March Horoscope - AOL Horoscopes :