Sunday Reading In My Backyard

Yesterday, I had a troublesome day with a troublesome customer.  She really messed my sense of equilibrium up, so this morning, I decided to do some quiet reading, to take me away from my state of mind.

My huge backyard has two personalities, probably reflecting its owner ;-P.  To my left is open, like a large field, and my mutant poms love to run all over.  To my right, with an older acreage home adjunct to the back fence, is a leafy mysterious place of magic.  It's pretty to look at and takes the stress off my mind.

Today I sat facing the right side ;-).  Mutant poms are running on the left side, coming back occasionally for a quick lick and a pat.  Me, a cup of coffee, and Ilona Andrews' Bayou Moon, with this view below.  Perfect.

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New Scam: Take My Millions & Promise To Give To Motherless Babies!!!

Okay, this is a new one.  I've received many requests from widows of Dead African Generals to retrieve their Swiss bank accounts; hiding General of Unknown African country asking me to help get their gold bars; foreign lottery winners who "couldn't" get the foreign prize money so could I pleasepleaseplease make a foreign currency exchange (DEPOSIT) because their starving families depend on my goodwill; great deposed ruler of Unknown Country asking for my bank acct number so they could deposit their hidden gold and dollars into it and in exchange, I could keep a very generous 10 percent, but this one is definitely brilliant. 

I call it The Motherless Child Dying Request. Not only is the sender dying a sad lonely death, but she has $13 million dollars that she wants me to distribute to the needy charities of the world.  I mean, how could you refuse that, you heartless person you?  The money is not for me, but for everyone in need. Millions of motherless babies!!!

And all I need to do is contact the Security Sekrit Person who would, no doubt, ask for my bank account details.  Of course, if I think too hard over my sudden greedChristian charitableness, I might wonder why the woman just didn't get a lawyer to set up a trust fund for her motherless babies charities.  But none of that!  I MUST help this dying woman!!!

CRAVE YOUR INDULGENCE

Greetings to you in the most wonderful name of our God Almighty. His richest blessings shall be upon you forever.

I am Mrs. Dav j Nancy , I am 51 years old from Netherlands, I am deaf and suffering from a long time cancer of the Lungs which also affected my brain, from all indication my conditions is really deteriorating and it is quite obvious that, according to my doctors they have advised me that I live for the next four months, this is because the cancer stage has gotten to a very bad stage.

I was brought up from a motherless babies home, was married to my late husband for twenty years without a child. My husband died in a fatal motor accident. Before his death we were true Christians.

Since his death I decided not to re-marry, I sold all my inherited belongings and deposited all the sum of $13.5 million dollars with a Security Company. Presently deposited at asian region , this money is still with them and the management just wrote me as the true owner to come forward to receive the money for keeping it so long Or rather issue a letter of authorization to somebody to receive it on my behalf since I can not come over because of my illness or they get it seized.

Presently, I'm with my laptop in a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment for cancer of the lungs. I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I have only a few months to live.It is my last wish to see that this money is invested to any organization of your choice and distributed each year among the charity organizations, the poor and the motherless babies' homes where I come from.

I want you as a God fearing person, to also use this money to fund churches, orphanages and widows. I took this decision, before I rest in peace because my time will soon be up. As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the Security Company. I will also issue you a letter of authority that will improve you as the new beneficiary of my fund.

Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein.
I shall wait at your prayerful reply .

Yours truely,
Mrs. Dav j Nancy

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Prayers For Robin Schone

One of my favorite books is by Robin Schone.  I just received news that she is waiting for a heart transplant.  Here is what she wrote on her board:

Dear Clubbers, although I still think of all of you as Retreaters.
I have bad news, and I have good news. The bad news is that my heart has deteriorated to the point I have to have a heart transplant. The good news: I will be getting a heart very soon. I go into the hospital this coming Tuesday and will be put on a special IV that will relieve the pressure in my lungs and heart while I wait for the transplant. Because I have a rather uncommon blood type - and because I need a small heart - my doctors believe the wait will be relatively short. Maybe as soon as two weeks!

A heart transplant has a tremendous success rate these days: 90%. So - as Arnold Schwarzenegger said in The Terminator - "I'll be back." 'Cause I have a whole lot more books to write! Meanwhile, I'll be thinking of all of you and the fun you'll be having without me.

Sending you all a big hug and many, many besos, baci, baisers, küsse, or, in English, kisses.
Robin Schone

In the letter from Kathryn Falk (RT Reviews, Dec. 2010, p. 4), it mentions keeping Robin Schone in our thoughts as she is awaiting a heart transplant. Doctors expect a full recovery once she gets a new heart. It also says that RS wants her fans to know her spirits are great and she is looking forward to working on her next book.

This address was included for well wishers.

Robin Schone
P.O. Box 721036
Roselle, IL 60172

******************

Dear readers and friends, please include Robin in your prayers for a speedy recovery.

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Post #2: My Halloween Tombstone

Alas, poor Mitsu 55"! I knew him [well]: a fellow
of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath
borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how
abhorred in my imagination it is! my gorge rims at
it.

Here hung those [cables] that I have treasured I know
not how oft. Where be your gibes now? your
gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment,
that were wont to set the table on a roar? Not one
now, to mock your own grinning? quite chap-fallen?

Get thee off to a "recyclery!"

Or, some poor man's spare parts in another play.

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Guess Who

If you grew up around the 80s and early 90s, guess who this is.

Do you recognize him? I didn't when I read about him in the news last night.

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Heathcliff and Cathy -- The Bad Boy & Bad Girl In Romance Roots

Heathcliff was my first gothic hero, which I differentiate from the romance hero of today's genre. Traditional gothic heroes are monstrous and angst-ridden creatures, and their fates are usually tied to something horrible about their pasts.
Bronte did something unusual. She made Heathcliff very human and yet, still retain his monstrosity. He loved beyond death, which was ultimately romantic, and his madness for Cathy was both passionate and awesome scary at the same time. Yet, I liked him better than some of the revenge rakes of today's bad boys--"men" who play cards and walk around attended by their servants, the ones that kidnap the heroines and force them to submit to their control. Bah, they aspire to Heathcliff's bad boyness!

Also, Cathy had a power over Heathcliff that rivaled his batshit crazy revenge plan, and she knew it too. She was the ultimate bad girl, a pre-Scarlett O'Hara, always thinking about herself, yet giving in to the wildness in her whenever she was with her Heathcliff.
As you can tell, I'm batshit crazy about Heathcliff :). He had many qualities of the romantic hero--alpha, arrogant, too sure of himself, ultimately brought down/tamed by love of a woman--but being a gothic story, of course, his story ends tragically. But there was hope too at the end, with the love of the "new" young Cathy and the boy Heathcliff brought low, like he was.
Finally, if you look at urban fantasy and paranormal series today, there are seeds of Heathcliff and Cathy in the characters, except, of course, you get more blood and gore, mixed with magic. Angst-filled, anger-ridden powerful hero out to get revenge; super-controlling males who want to bind their women to them; the call of death and loving beyond; the cold power of the heroine capable of killing her man; the inability to communicate beyond verbal fighting--all these themes arose from Wuthering Heights.

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I Shouldn't Be The Only One Getting Chubbier

I've been making all sorts of desserts this month. I don't know why, but the sweet tooth, it is growing.  So today, I'm going to share with y'all a favorite Thai dessert called Sankaya, or Pumpkin Custard.  It's easy to make, although it takes about an hour steaming time.

It's really a cute looking dish too!

Ingredients:

One Japanese pumpkin (it's small, grapefruit size)
5 eggs
3 cups coconut milk (buy a rich can, the ones for desserts instead of drinks)
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
cinnamon
vanilla extract
screwpine extract (if you can't find it, it can be left out)

1) Cut the top off (like in pic) and scrape the seeds and stringy stuff out of the pumpkin
2) In separate bowl, mix in eggs, sugar, coconut milk, a pinch of cinnamon and salt, drops of extracts. Beat well or use blender.
3) Heat up wok with water till boiling or turn on steamer till ready.
4) Pour mixture into pumpkin
5) Put rack over boiling water in wok, then place pumpkin on top WITHOUT the lid. Put lid on the side separately.
6) When I do it, it takes about 45 minutes, then I turn it off and let it sit for another 5. Stick fork into custard to check; it shouldn't be runny.
7) Cool and serve. You can eat the whole darn thing, pumpkin, flesh on the inside of skin, and custard.  YUM.

As you can see, Halloween doesn't have to be all candy for the kiddos.  You can have dessert!  Now go, add pounds like I'm doing.  Enjoy.

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Yes, It's Naked Rugby Players Time Again

Every year, at this time, I go off in search of the new Dieux du Stade calendar.  Those French rugby guys in the nude.  With the photographer's female helper patting them down for the shot. It never gets old. So here it is: gratuitous shots of nude French rugby athletes touching their balls and each other's butts:



Enjoy ;-).  Now off I go to order....

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National Dessert Day

Linda Howard posted on Facebook that yesterday was National Dessert Day.  When I commented that my fave one being Mango Sticky Rice with Coconut Creme, she asked for the recipe.  Here it is:

Ingredients
2 cups glutinous rice
1 can coconut cream (either sweetened or unsweetened)
3/4 tbsp salt
sugar to taste
fresh mangoes
add for different taste: vanilla extract or banana extract or screwpine (Malaysian favorite additive) extract

There are two ways to do the rice.  Boil the glutinous rice on high heat, stir, add 3/4 tbsp salt, keep stirring till rice is done.

OR

line collander with banana leafs, put washed rice in it, then steam in wok (with cover) at high for 1/2 to 45 mins.

Rice should be soft and translucent when done. When done, stir it, then cover it and let it "sit" while you prepare the cream.

Heat coconut cream, add a little thickener, add sugar (if needed) and the extract of choice.  I love vanilla and screwpine (which makes it green).  The cream should not be too thick.

Cut mangoes into little chunks.

Serve sticky rice with coconut creme on top with mango slices either on side.  If you refrigerate, remember to cover well or the rice will dry out.  Reheat in microwave with a little bit of coconut.

Enjoy!

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Chilean Miners Rescue: Human Strength of Spirit

News of the trapped miners' dire straits the last two months have existed for me pheripherally--I was aware of it, but after the initial dismay of hearing about another mining incident, it became just news. Like almost everyone else, I'd thought most of them wouldn't have survived.

Then, news came that they were alive and again, after the initial spark of "wow, amazing, after all this time," I continued with my own day-to-day chores. Again, pheripherally, I read the news about the plans for rescue, of the victims' families and friends praying.  I remember hoping that it'd all work out, but when they said it might take four months before they could reach those trapped men, in my mind, I was prepared for failure.  I mean, four months?  In the dark, with all kinds of crumbly rocks threatening to crush them? And how about the injured ones?

Last night reminded me to not doubt so much.  The human spirit and will to survive is a beautiful and amazing thing.  Only humans would work day and night to rescue their kind the way we have--cutting through rock, inch by inch, using everything in our power (brain, prayer, technology, bare hands) to triumph over what seemed the impossible.

The 33 miners are being brought up one by one by a special capsule that rivaled Star Trek stuff.  Here's the video of the first miner coming out of the shaft--Mr. Florencio Avalos.  The reunion between him and his little son brought tears to my eyes.



Over sixty days in the dark, relying on a tube to bring them food and news, relying on their ownselves to keep the faith while they know their family was above them somewhere, also willing them to be alive.  I'm amazed and awed at what we, as humans, could do.  At times like this, I forget about our political strifes and Wall St. greed and hold out hope that we are really pretty cool for a species capable of self-destruction.

It makes me cheer.  It keeps me hopeful.  And recharges my Muse to keep writing hopeful HEA romances.

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Glee Duet

Saw the Glee duet tonight giving homage to Barbra Streisand's and Judy Garland's Happy Days/Get Happy duet.  I remember watching that on my dad's black and white TV 1000 years ago with my mouth open and my mind going, WOW! WOW!

And I love Youtube because it always gives me a chance to revisit that kind of memory.  Here is the original duet by the famous Divas.  Remember: No such thing as AUTOTUNE in those days. Amazing.

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Virtually One Snippet 1

"It's about damn time!" Helen ran towards the lone naked figure and jumped into his waiting arms, wrapping her legs around him. She'd never been this happy to see Hades in her head. "I've been wondering whether you're really as smart as I thought, always one step ahead and all that, not using this sooner to--"

Hades' head bent and his way of shutting her up was very effective. She'd missed him--this and his presence inside her head. She had a ton of questions. Why was she stuck here? Why didn't he show up for so long? She'd been--she didn't want to admit it--a little afraid because she couldn't fight whatever that thing was alone.

But right now, his lips on hers made everything all right again. His kiss was deep and searching, as if he wasn't sure about her. That pissed her off enough to grab a fistful of his blond locks and tug hard. She kissed him back fiercely. What--did he think he was dreaming again?

He broke off the contact and held her face between his hands. Those brown chocolatey eyes stared deeply into hers for a long moment. His expression was different from the sexy Hades smoldering gaze that she'd given him.

Helen stuck her tongue out at him.

His hold tightened and still without a word, he kissed her again. Completely this time. She sighed, happy to have convinced him. Yeah, none of that tantative shit from her Mr. Perfect.

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So I Went Shopping In The Land of Giants

It's very rare that I take time to do much shopping of anything other than for food and roofing supplies.  I do like browsing around, but what with the bad economy (trying to conserve money), working all the time and being on my feet for most of the seven or nine hours, thus making me rather reluctant to walk up and down any more aisles, and rushing around getting paperwork and chores done, shopping is a luxury that I might sneak in once or twice a year.

Yesterday was one of those times.

I decided to check out several things.  First was the fashion department at several big stores.  Are women getting taller?  The last time I checked, I haven't been meeting any whose crotches are in my face while I'm standing. I mean, the length of the jeans, held up against my twee lil' bod, reached from my eye to my feet.  So, women have somehow become tall like the Navis and I just haven't met them yet.  I even checked the backside of these jeans to see if there were holes to accommodate the tails.

I then walked past the little girls' department. Is it the newest fashion among the kiddies to wear clashing colors and puffy sleeves? Dark purple shirts and green glitter and little hangy things on the side--WTH? Maybe it's a Halloween costume?

At the home improvement center, I went to check out washing machines and dryers.  Mine are very, very, VERY OLD, and although they still work, the dryer's timer doesn't, so I thought I'd just look at prices.  Wow. These super-duper models with the fancy buttons.  Do we need TWENTY different cycles to choose for a load? Seriously?! I've been washing my own clothes for a long while now, and I'm pretty sure either the Normal or Gentle cycle was all I've ever needed.

AND WHY THE HELL are these machines taller than me now?! Where are these damn Navi women washing their EIGHT CUBIC FEET of clothes that they need giant washers and dryers that look as big as a fridge?  If it's a top loader, do I need to bring my roofing ladder into the house now?

I ended up buying just necessities, but all these giganticism of goods started to haunt me.  For instance, do we really need toilet paper rolls that advertised themselves as FOUR TIMES BIGGER than normal? So, six rolls are now actually twenty-four. I remember when this trend started as twice the size, but now you can buy a big pack of twelve, which means you actually have FORTY-EIGHT ROLLS of toilet paper in your hands.

Why? Are Navi women and their families big somewhere else too that they need so much toilet paper? Why not just create one giant roll and be done with it?  I can see it now, sitting on the top shelf of the store, one spool of toilet paper the size of a tire, and the label on it saying it's actually ONE HUNDRED times bigger than the usual one roll. I'm sure it'd be a hit and housewives would be rolling them down the aisle and across the parking lot to their giant SUVs.

I'm sure it's not a coincidence that our TVs are now also Navi-sized, along with our Supersized Burgers and drinks.  The only thing that seemed to be getting smaller is my bank account. I demand someone to quadruple and supersize my savings, stat.

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I Knew Firemen Do This

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