Stuff

When I email my kids, I often put "Stuff" in the subject line. It drives Jordan wild, because she doesn't like to deal with more than one topic at a time. But this post is about "stuff."

My friend Gayla was waxing eloquent the other day about her collie--a dog that needed rescuing and I found for her and she is now desperately attached to. When I first "interviewed" Eppi (her name as something else then), she had been shaved, and I couldn't tell for sure what she would look like. (Gayla had sent me to interview the dog, which was one of the funnier tasks I've been assigned.) But Gayla has let her coat grow out and she is a magnificent, regal mahoghany collie. I replied that majestic was a word we'd never apply to Scooby, but he looks so cute in his summer haircut (a long coat doesn't do for him what it does for Eppi--just makes him look shaggy in summer). So here's my best attempt to capture a picture of how cute Scooby is. Okay, one of us moved, and the picture is fuzzy, for which I apologize--but he really is a beautiful example of an Australian sheperd, and he lives up to the breed's reputation for energy. At nine, he thinks he's two.

I'm doing well on Weight Watchers (big deal--after three days), so it's kind of ironic to send folks to a site with a gravy recipe. But there is a champagne/mushroom gravy recipe on a blog I follow regularly that, even though I haven't tried it, sounds wonderful. If you're interested, google "The Diva Dishes." Krista Davis writes mysteries, and her first--The Diva Runs Out of Thyme--was a real treat. Her blog is full of helpful cooking hints, and I'm sure she'd welcome new readers. The gravy is on the post for Wednesday, April 22. Sounds like it would be wonderful on a roasted chicken breast. I always dislike dry chicken. Hmmm--wonder how many points that gravy adds. I was gratified today to learn that mushrooms, pickles, and sugar snap peas don't add points. I had leftover pork tenderloin (again!) for supper, with sauteed mushrooms and snap peas--and yes, I counted the Tbsp. of butter I used.

It was Texas summer hot today, or almost--in the mid-80s. Sue came over about seven-thirty tonight, and we chatted over wine on the porch. It's been too long since we've caught up with each other, but it was so lovely to sit on the porch, even with the wind blowing fairly strongly.

I've been consumed with office work this week and haven't gotten back to my manuscript. I feel as though I am always justifying why I haven't written, but it does occur to me that ideas percolate around in my brain. Today I was to have lunch with Fred and get his opinion on my latest plot twists, but he came up sick this morning. So I emailed him. I think, of course, that what would give me that final push is something positive about the first novel, which has now been with a publisher for 3-1/2 months. I would think that's a good sign. I find I do rejections quickly but true acquisitions take longer. And that's one of my problems at the office--I'm in the midst of presenting acquisitions to the board and finding really diverse reactions. But for my own manuscript, I'm afraid to be that optimistic. Writing is sure a lot more than putting words on paper.