It's a Beautiful Morning

Think I'll go outside for a while...

:) We have sunshine, at least at the moment. And I'm loving it.

I spent a restful weekend, watching "Brothers & Sisters" on the iPad, via Netflix, reading a little, listening to Jodi Picoult's new book, "Sing You Home", and doing some artist trading cards. I also made a simple collage using a picture of my brother-in-law, Jim Lang, in all his biker gear, tenderly holding Sadie-beagle on his lap. After doctoring the image with Grungepix (I think that's what it's called), I printed it on matte photopaper, cut it out, and collaged it to a background I had already treated to look rusty. Much more interesting than just framing a picture--next project, a Wendy collage. :) The current piece needs something else, though I'm not sure what, and when it's finished, I'll post it here.

Today's plans include: writing, a conference call, a brief walk, and some brainstorming for the new series, set in a fictional Montana town called Parable. Maybe I'll throw together a tamale casserole in the slow-cooker, too.

That's the news, friends.

Make it a good day.

Celebrating

Yesterday, my family surprised me with cupcakes, a huge greeting card, a tiara and a blue ribbon to tape to my shirt, all in celebration of my #1 placement on the New York Times bestseller list.

Irene Goodman and her husband, Alex, sent a single rose, dipped in 24 karat gold. I will treasure it forever. You see, reaching the top spot on the list has been more of a dream than an actual goal, for more years than I care to count. Irene and Alex always sent beautiful bouquets, for every milestone, and I came close a few times, but that one rose was elusive.

Now, here it is.

I'm enjoying the hoopala, no doubt about it, but I'm also getting worn out. :)

Time to get back to work.

Over the Moon!

The news came yesterday: "A Creed in Stone Creek" is #1 on the New York Times bestseller list! Since finding out, all I've been able to say is either, "Wow!" or "Yeehaw!" Since that doesn't make a blog, I'll make this short.

Thank you, my dear readers, for making this happen.

Shepherd's Pie & Other Random Stuff

Yesterday I made slow-cooker Shepherd's Pie, from my big cookbook, and it was de-lic-ious! I make notes in the margins when I try a new recipe, with the date and what I thought of the dish. Maybe someday one of my descendents will have the book and find my observations interesting.

Or maybe just weird.

And guess what I'm listening to on my iPod, as of last night--"A Creed in Stone Creek". I love hearing my own words read aloud by a professional--I get a real kick out of it. Yes, I know ahead of time what's going to happen in the story :), but what I enjoy is the fresh perspective a little time allows. When I'm working on a book, and then revising the manuscript, reading galleys, etc., I'm so involved that I literally can't see the forest for the trees.

Today's weather--I know you couldn't possibly start your day without knowing what's going on in Spokane, Washington :)--is murky. The sky is gray, the snow is melting, and the driveway looks slushy. Another great day to stay in and write, though I admit to downloading and clipping out a coupon from Hobby Lobby. Forty-percent off. Is it still a bargain if you don't actually need anything? My crafting stash is already ridiculous. Still, I love the looking and touching--the colors and the new ideas and the shapes and textures. There's a craft show here in Spokane this weekend--enticing. I probably won't get there unless the roads are bare, though.

I have a new book to read--Joy Fielding's "Now You See Her"--and new issues of both "Cloth, Paper, Scissors" and "Somerset Studio". (It may surprise you to know that when those magazines arrive, all bright and crisp and colorful, I usually yell "Yay!" and kiss the cover. The dogs barely react anymore.)

I'm downloading some movies, too--"Burlesque" and a documentary about the Beatles. (They won't be available on Netflix for a while.)

I'll be cooking "my" famous soy chicken today, for supper. I put "my" in quotations because I actually got the recipe from Debbie Macomber, years and years ago. Since I'm one of those cooks who slosh in some of this and dump in some of that, instead of measuring, I'm guessing here:

4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tsps of poultry seasoning
1 small onion, chopped
garlic to taste (I like to lob in the pre-chopped stuff that comes in a jar)
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste, but since soy sauce is salty, you probably won't want to add much sodium.

Place chicken in a casserole dish or slow cooker. Mix other ingredients and add. If using an oven, cook uncovered for about 45 minutes at 350. Check often--you're on your own with this one.

If it doesn't turn out, blame Debbie.

:)

It's the Lion!

March has decided to come in like a lion--let's hope it goes out like a lamb. Snow is coming down like crazy, and it's definitely beautiful. Should keep me in the mood for writing the new book, which is a Christmas story. :)

It's a cozy, stay at home and write day. Later, I'll do some artist trading cards--I'm trying to build up a stockpile so I'll have something to swap with the people I'll meet at Artfest, this coming April. I'm so excited about that--I can hardly wait. I've wanted to attend that event for years and years, and something else would always fill the time, so I decided to sign up and go. This will be a big art year for me, as I'm also taking the Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain workshop in June. Again, this is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

I might whip out the slow-cooker today, too, and throw together a batch of Shepherd's Pie. Sounds like a good snowy-day dish, doesn't it?

Sadie is snoozing on her dog bed and Bernice is walking around looking like a tiny black sheep. The cats are off in other parts of the house, on mysterious cat business.

All's right, here in my world.

Hope it's the same in yours.