Frittering away the day

Several years ago Texas Coop Power published an essay I wrote "On Learning to Putter." I originally called it "Learning to Putz," but the editors were afraid of the Yiddish implications of that word. Anyway, it's an art I never perfected. Today I think I came close. I really need to finish reading my mystery manuscript for the final time, but I found a thousand other things to do, some of them quite frivolous.
One that wasn't frivolous was taking the dog for his annual checkup. At almost eleven and an old man, he's still a handful in the car and on the leash. When I get there, I call and a technician comes out to get him--I simply don't need a broken hip! But he was pronounced in fine health, and when I reported my 19-year-old cat was also doing well, the lady vet said she thought she'd send her kids to my house--I must be doing things right. I'm always  relieved to have annual vet visits behind me.
Had an egg salad sandwich at Carshon's with a friend where we talked about everything but our books--proud of us--and had a good visit. The rest of the day went in straightening out phone bills--haven't quite gotten the cell phone one fixed yet, checking with the bank, calling Jordan about a menu for her porch party Sunday night, reading that new food magazine that came, paying some of my cousin's bills, reading emails--I'm on way too many lists. A biggie today though has been playing with Twitter. It always confused me, and I tended to post once every two weeks and then ignore it. But I'm following an on-line learning group and amazed at what I find. You can follow me at @JudyAlter. A big hurdle was changing my name from @JudyTexas--Krista Davis, the group leader, convinced me that if I want to be known as an author by my name, that's how I have to appear on Twitter. So far, I've made the change but left behind the hundred or so people who were following @JudyTexas. I've lined up a bunch of people to follow but don't know what to do about the followers--I suppose that's a lesson on down the road. I keep emailing the Twitter learning group and feel I'm probably the dunce of the class. (Special note to Brandon: I'm not following you because I can't understand your tweets and they show up on Facebook anyway--feel free to follow me:-)
Tonight I still want to go through that food magazine one more time, make a shopping list for Jordan's party, work some more on following people on Twitter--I think the truth is I've read that mystery so many times I'm burned out. Don't get me wrong--Skeleton in a Dead Space is a great story and you should all buy it when it launches August 29. It's just that I know it by heart now.
Sorry, I have to go tweet now.

brain overload, cooking, and good food

My brain is overloaded tonight with all that I'm trying to read and learn about self-promotion on the internet. Tried and tried today to register with a list called HARO--Help a Reporter--where you can list areas of knowledge that you might be interviewed about. Never could get the link to work and yet now they're sending me messages, so they must think I'm registered. And, can't get my Twitter password to work--though I have a plain record ofwhat it is. Problems now that I'll put off until tomorrow. One positive thing accomplished: I made contact with a service (one person, I'm sure) who scans books much more cheaply than Kinko's, and after exchanging e-mails and reviewing her independent contractor agreement, I'm ready to send her a copy of Mattie, my 1988 title from Doubleday that won a Spur Award. So inch by inch I'm making progress in this brave new world of publishing. I'm really leaning toward self-publishing my mystery, but the logistics of promotion still scare me. I have been a guest on several blogs lately, and I think bit by bit I'm increasing my internet platform. As one friend said, it's a lot to wrap your mind around.
I was also quite domestic today--besides the mundane chore of doing a wash, I started baking for the holidays. Made 42 mini muffins with a Weight Watchers recipe that mixes 1 box chocolate cake mix, 1 can pure pumpkin, and a half cup mini chocolate chips. If you bake it in regular muffin cups, it makes 18 and they are only 2 points each. Then I made the dough for gingersnaps--will bake them tomorrow, and Sunday's project will be chocolate chip squares.
Had lunch with Sue, my former neighbor, today at Carshon's and splurged (in terms of calories) on lox and cream cheese. A bad thing to do since some new acquaintances took me to dinner tonight at Bonnell's, an upscale, chef-driven restaurant. I love the appetizers at Bonnell's so I had the venison carpaccio, with a side of blue cheese grits. Brought most of the grits home for breakfast.
My hosts tonight were Jean and Charlie Tipps. She is vice-president for advancement at the osteopathic college, and he edited the 40-years history of the school to which I contributed and which is still not published. But, as we worked together, I found he had a background in pubishing and had been at  UT Press in Austin in the '70s. So we had a high old time telling publishing stories. Good food and wine, and very good company.
Truly a pleasant day, one in which I both enjoyed myself and feel like I made a slight dent in the tasks ahead of me.

A family day--and the day after my big evening

It's kind of hard to see through the acrylic plaque but that's my award from the Texas Literary Hall of Fame, and the picture below is the program. Jordan promises to send more "people pictures" Monday, and so I'll post them then. Meantime for a grandmother who had all seven of her grandchildren and all four kids and their spouses in town, I spent a really leisurely day.
When I went to bed last night, the kids had pulled out the trundle and raised it to make a sort of double bed. All four grandchildren then present were going to sleep there--Jordan, Kegan, Morgan, and Maddie, who was sort of the chaperone and discipline dispenser. I cannot say enough about how good and patient Maddie is with the little ones. But when I got up this morning, about seven-thirty, Maddie was alone in the bed; Kegan and Morgan had gone out to the apaartment with their folks, and Jacob was sound asleep in bed with Jamie--talk about musical beds. Jacob is so hard to wake up--I loved, and I rubbed, and I talked, but it honestly took him almost an hour and then suddenly he was full of his lively self. He's so much better when he wakes up on his own!
Got all the kids and Colin out the door for Jacob's nine o'clock soccer game. Jamie, who has been sick, slept until eleven, as did Lisa out in the apartment. About 10:30, I discovered most of the rest of the gang was at Ol' South, so I rushed down there.  Back home, they scattered again--picked up what they needed for the day, Colin and his bunch headed to the deli, Megan and Jordan and their famlies went to Jordan's house. Jamie and I were left alone, and we both quietly worked at our computers. Kind of a nice break. He left about two, though I later found out he went out to Jordan's and took a nap. I stayed home and napped, and Megan came to get me close to five--with Jacob sound asleep in the back of the car. We picked up barbecue and beer (and batteries for my camera) and went to Jordan's, where the kids ran and played. I am so blessed that all of them absolutely love being with their cousins. They laugh, scream, and build wonderful childhood memories that they will carry through life. Christian's sister and her husband joined us with their two little daughters, both of whom have grown so much. The little one is now about 15 months, and Maddie loved pushing her in a trike and just holding her.

Uncle Colin has constructed a pinata in the shape of a UT Longhorn but the trouble was he constructed it too well--in spite of many swats, it refused to release its cargo of small toys. Finally, he made cuts in it and the kids scrambled for the toys. We ate barbecue from Railhead with all the trimmings, and then the evening detriorated into the adult watching the UT/Baylor game while keeping an eye on the Rangers score. Mel and Edie had baked cookies for the children to decorate, so Maddie directed tht operation. If you look closely, you can see all seven gtrandkids in this picture.

Colin said, 'You mean it's only 7:30 and I'm this tired?" We were all home early, and I am now the only one up, enjoying some peace and quiet once again, but it's been a lovely day--lazy and yet full of family.

Porch weather,old friends, and good food

This is the new "bistro set" I purchased today for my front porch--at guess where? My local Albertson's  grocery store. They even delivered it for free. Gives me more table space and replaces two old scarred faded green plastic Aidirondack chairs. I think it's time to move beyond the green plastic I've had for years. John is going to put the old chairs down by a stock tank under a grove of  trees on his ranch--there's already a worn picnic table there, and it's a quiet, wonderful place to sit. This week it's supposed to hit 90--ouch! I hope that doesn't mean and early and hot summer. But Elizabeth and I are thinking we might hold our first Writing from Life class on the fronbt porch this Thursday.

I had lunch with a friend I talk to fairly frequently on the phone but don't often see today. We were supposed to take Charles ( he was Charles landlord before nursing care came into the picture) for barbecue, but Charles has taken yet another fall. This time he was in his wheelchair and apparently couldn't stop it before he got to some stairs. A friend caught him and avoided total catastrophe, but it was still a scary experience. I went to see Charles tonight, and he was obviously not feeling well. After a few minutes, he "dismissed" me. But back to Bill--our families have been friends since our kids,, now in their 30s and 40s, were infants. We used to be neighbors, and they remain among the people I consider my permanent and longtime friends. Sharon was at school--she's chair of drama at the University of North Texas--but Bill and I had a good visit and a good lunch at Carshon's.

And tonight--here I go on food again--I fixed myself a wonderful dinner. I'm not someone who orders French dip sandwiches often (if at all) but the recipe for the roast I cooked this weekend had a French dip recipe for using leftovers. I had found something called sandwich rounds by Nature's Own and bought some--whole wheat of course. Minimal bread, which I like, because I'm not addicted to bread as so many people are--unless it's slathered in butter and I've learned to avoid that. Anyway I toasted both pieces, piled the bottom one with thin slices of roast beef (not as much as the recipe suggested), sauteed onions, and a slice of provolone. Broiled it and then put the top on. The recipe  recommended dipping in au jus and I thought, "Oh, I just won't bother with that!" But I had the au jus and I dipped, and it made the sandwich. Really really good.

I'mn reading a mystery in which the method of murder is the one I had thought of using in my current work-on-progress--that's a joke. It hasn't been in progress for quite a while. But I'm going to do some research on digitalis/foxglove poisoning--and now I'm going to finish reading the mystery. If I didn't read so much, I might write more! But then, I'm happy and as Bill said today there are a lot worse things than being a "swinger of birches."

Are You Ready for Winter to End?

I think this is the endless winter. Cold rain and wind today, although the predicted snow flurries didn't seem to materialize unless I missed them hiding in my house. I heard that we can expect the possibility of snow for three more weeks, which is really weird--we always say March 15 is the safe date for planting, when there will be no more freezes, but not this year! It was the kind of day you want to hide in your bed all day and forget the world, though I did get out for lunch with Fred Erisman. We decided it was also a perfect day for split pea soup at Carshon's, though he chose lentil. We had a pleasant visit, discussed projects we're both working on, and talked about what worries us--tea parties and other things--but didn't solve the world's problems.
Other than that, I've really had a working day. The manuscript I thought I got off yesterday came back to bite me as I suspected it would--had to redo some notes and re-check one of the longer chapters. I think this may go on for a while. But I got an excerpt from a novel off to our editorial board, proposed a class on doing your own cookbook to Story Circle Network, and read most of a neighbor's manuscript. Will finish that off tonight and write up some notes for her.
Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and much warmer,and I have a bit of work to do at the office and a lunch date, so I'll get out. Last week I was too much of a recluse!

The Heroic Amateur Detective

It's a given among mystery writers that editors and readers alike want strong female central characters. They can have a few flaws (probably should have), but they are intelligent, resourceful, brave, friends with the world, etc. They never do dumb things or act ditsy, like a dumb blonde. One blog says they may or may not have a romantic relationship. Whoa! Hold on a minute. It's dawned on me (I think I'm slow to pick up on this) that many of the protagonists in the cozies I read are not only unattached, but they're unhappy about it. They've recently been dumped by the love of their lives, or they never have found the right man. And often they're prickly about it, not trusting any men, not fixing themselves up, mulling over their empty lives and problems. Sometimes when they develop a relationship, they shoot themselves in the foot with suspicion, etc., to the point that I want to reach into the pages and shake them. Sure, it's a way to add complication to a plot--and, believe me, I understand that need, but it's frustrating for the reader. After reading three books in a row with this kind of heroine, I sort of breathed a sigh of relief that in my never-published series (about which I'm always hopeful and so is my new agent) I created a heroine with a pretty good relationship--in fact, in book two I let them live together, and in book three they'll get married (unless tragedy intervenes, which it well might--plot you know!). But then it occurred to me that in the new series I'm starting, I'm falling into the same trap--a young woman who deserts the bar-scene life in Dallas, after her lover deserts her, and flees to her small hometown in East Texas. Hmmmm. I'll have to think about taking it out of the formula.
Today was my day for ethnic food. Last night I mentioned to my neighbors that I really like the roast chicken sandwich at Carshon's, the local deli. Sue said whenever she ate there, she wanted ethnic food. We were then ejoying the best corned beef ever, sent by Jamie from the Carnegie Deli in New York City. Today I had lunch at Carshon's and had pickled herring--for the first time in my memory it came with rye toast and cream cheese, and to my surprise it made a great sandwich. The cream cheese softened the harsh taste of the herring--and much as I love it, I do admit it sometimes makes you pucker. So tonight I came home and had more corned beef for supper. It is absolutely the best--lean, tender, flavorful. I may be spoiled to any other kind.
My neighbor Jay (the handsome one:-) says he reads my blog only to find out what I cooked for dinner the night before.
Colin and his family are coming up this weekend, which means another lunch at Carshon's--he won't come to Fort Worth unless he can eat there.

A day of small pleasures and accomplishments

My Saturday was to consist of a trip to the grocery store and keeping Jacob tonight, but other things came along. Mary Lu called from Dallas, said she'd be in Fort Worth, and could we have lunch--we did, at Carshon's, the local deli and one of my favorite places. We had a good visit and I had comfort food--a half of an egg-salad sandwich. When I got home I found Fed Ex had delivered an author's revisions to final copy--I swear he just got it yesterday. But I entered the revisions and got the whole project off to the publisher by email. I dealt with two manuscript proposals on my desk and had a long phone conversation with a physician I'd been trying to contact for some time to get information for my chapter in the osteopathic history. He had a couple of wonderful stories that will be great additions, and then we talked about the future of both the local ostoepathic college and the profession. Since osteopathic medicine has always been part of my life, that was really interesting to me.
And I got a good nap, rode my bike before Jacob came, and generally felt well pleased with the world.
Getting Jacob to eat his supper was not such a success--he rummaged in the backpack his mom had brought and found a tiny box of raisings, plus a bag of trail mix which he brought to the dinner table and I finally took away. I think his dinner consisted of a few blueberries and a few green peas (I'll use the rest of the small can for pea salad for lunch tomorrow). I saved his dinner--untouched hamburger with cheese on it--thinking his mom might want to reheat it for lunch tomorrow. Best part of the meal? I let the cheese on his meat (which I cooked longer than mine) melt a bit too much and some dripped into the pan and mixed with some crisp beef crumbles. I scraped the whole thing--less than one good bite--off the pan and saved it until I was doing dishes. So good!
One of my small triumphs was getting Jacob to try raspberries--he declined, saying he had tried them at "my home." Well, I knew better than that, because his mother never buys them. But I popped the last one in my mouth, which of course, led him to say, "I want one!" He ate two--a good start. I'm determined to enlarge his taste beyond that of his parents.
We had a peaceful evening, and as far as I know (and the monitor tells me) he is quietly in bed, leafing through a book. We read one chapter--about pirates--before I said goodnight. Someone wrote me today about learning patience, and I replied that grandchildren can really teach it to you. I've learned to cuddle with Jacob--somthing I rarely had time for with my own children--and to patiently sit with him when he's on the potty, to concentrate on him at meals rather than read a book (well, he's turning to watch the Disney channel all the time). But I am also a firm grandmom--when I tell him something I expect him to obey. We're having a battle now over throwing his sippee cup of milk on the floor when he's through with it. Tonight, he looked at me to see if I was watching and then deliberately dropped it. I told him, in no uncertain terms, how disappointed I was, and he kept saying, "I a good boy." If he does it in the morning, he goes to the time out chair--which he has told me is dirty!

Peace and quiet, and alone--a mixed bag

Everyone's gone. Megan and family left at 7:15 this morning--I barely dragged myself out of bed to say goodbye. Colin spent the morning doing chores--tacking my rugs down with double-stick carpet tape (so I don't fall again), hanging pictures, and cleaning out the air return duct on my furnace--enormous amounts of cat hair. I do change the filter regularly, but this is before the air hits the filter. We had an early lunch, meeting Jordan, at Carshon's Deli--no trip home is complete for Colin unless he goes to Carshon's. We made an earlier run to the local hardware store, and he said in a kind of dazed manner, "I grew up here." It was a rainy, cool morning, and Lisa and the children and I sat outside a lot. Really nice slow, easy rain, after some early thunder which amounted to nothing more than to scare Scooby.
After they left I caught up on emails, paid some bills and generally piddled, though I will say I have done four loads of laundry today--folded all the linens to go back out to the guest house, folded and put away my personal load of pastel clothes and underwear, probably won't make the guest bed tonight, though the linens are in the dryer. I have two more sets of bed clothes to do, plus kitchen towels, dinner napkins, etc. For some reason one of the chores in life I don't like is making beds! I have to grit my teeth and do it.
Tonight Jay and Susan came to help me eat leftover tamale pie--it costs such enormous points on Weight Watchers, I want it all out of my house. Susan took some, but I still have almost a whole casserole full--will send it home with Jordan and Christian Wed. night. We also finished the bean salad and Black Forest cake, though I ate small modest amounts. I had thought at noon we could eat outside but Jay vetoed that saying it ws really humid. The downside of this weekend is that I gained over two lbs. Fun, but . . . .
And, yes, I'm tired. Going to read one cooking essay and call it a night.