January 31, 1942

This is a photograph of my very beloved Grandpa & Grandma on the day they were married, January 31st, 1942.  They had been married 63 years when Grandma passed.  Of course, I cannot comment firsthand on their early years, but I can on their latter years.  The two of them were still totally cracking each other up into their 90s.   Grandpa passed at 96 1/2 with his extraordinary sense of humor completely intact.

 

Duane & Callie Mae

May we all find such happiness.

     

All Hail Mother Nature

I'm trying to be asleep right now, because I need to get up in less than five hours, but instead I've been listening to the rain.  What a beautiful sound.  The sound of rain at night- there is something about that.  Living here it is a very rare sound- so it sounds all the more beautiful.

Earlier there was also thunder & lightning which are even more rare than rare rain.  And then to top the whole thing off- it hailed!  Hard.  And man was it LOUD.  I was on the phone & couldn't hear the person on the other end.  Freaking amazing.   Loved it.

Of course, my doggy friend does not share my feelings about all this weather.  She hid under the table, and then as I was moving around trying to get the best view of Mother Nature's spectacular show poor Bean was trying to hide underneath me.  Perhaps, if I were an elephant that would have been a good place to take cover, but as you know I'm not an elephant.  Elephants can't type.  Though, they do paint.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He7Ge7Sogrk

MLK Day

When did Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday (Observed) become MLK Day? 

I remember when KFC was Kentucky Fried Chicken, and I'll tell you what- they're not fooling me just because they stopped saying the word fried out loud.  I'm actually sad that IHOP no longer goes by its full name, The International House of Pancakes, because I think there is an untouchable epic quality to a designation such as that.  Thankfully, I just peeked on their website to ensure that they had not also abandoned The Rooty Tooty Fresh N' Fruity, and it is listed under Signature Favorites.  Now, I'm wondering if Denny's still has Moons Over My Hammy on their menu, but I can't keep doing this all day.

I actually came in here to post this great quote that I just so happened to see in a book last night:

 "We may have all come on different ships, but we're all in the same boat now."

                                                                                             -Martin Luther King Jr.

Propositioning Publishers

(I didn't forget about you.  Sorry if you've missed me.)

I like this 2010 business- full of surprises.  And as I do say, Life is a surprise party! 

It being 2010 and all, I have a literary agent now, and have been given the homework of writing a book proposal to send out to publishing houses.  The only proposing I think I've done to date has been proposing a toast.  Not quite the same.  So, I am raising the bar on raising a glass, as it were.

You'd think that after having written a book you wouldn't have to propose or suppose what a book would be like if you were to write one when you've already written it- ya know?  Cuz, there it is- that's what it's actually like.  Apparently though, there is protocol to be practiced when a person propositions a publisher.  Mmmm hmmm.


*Happy Birthday today to my Aunt Gail!  She's not a publisher, but that in no way diminishes my desire for her to have a wonderful day. 





 

26.2

I just finished watching a documentary about marathon running.

...gets one to thinkin'

Bears Have the Right Idea

I've often thought that bears are much smarter than we give them credit for- take this hibernation situation:  Eat a whole bunch of food, get really cozy, sleep through all the inclement weather.  Turns out bears are geniuses.

      

Happy 2010!

This is a photo I came across from New Year's Eve in Sydney Harbor.  Woweeee!!!

Wishing you a happy & healthy 2010! 

Curiouser & Curiouser

I've been trying to plan & plot for this Christmas extravaganza.  (It has taken on an extravaganza quality in my mind.)  I went grocery shopping.  Made multiple stops.  I had a list, checked twice, thrice, four times, and again.  Everywhere I went they all kept asking me if I needed help finding something.  I can find things, it's cooking I could use help with!  And would any of them like to come wash my windows, vacuum, or dust?  Cuz that'd be great!!!  I'm not really a fully domesticated animal, but indoor plumbing really does have my number.

I am absolutely certain that no one is more curious about how this will all turn out than me!  I am not even going to reveal my attempted menu.  After the fact I will tell you what we ended up having.  But I do have high hopes.

*years ago after my brother & I watched Dances with Wolves we assigned Native American names to everyone.  The dog became Stands By Door.  I became Gets Hopes Up.  So, my kemo sabes- if I pull this off- all I'll have to say is, "Hi-yo, Silver!"

Floats My Boat

I do not know who first thought of decorating sailboats with lots of happy twinkly Christmas lights & then parading them through harbors, but I am totally for this.  I love a parade in general, but a parade on the water so satisfies my mermaid sensibilities.  A parade on the water preceded by fireworks?!  It is like this event was tailor made for me.

Then after the parade I always have a ride on the merry go round.  And oh how I do love a merry go round!  I told my friend who was on the carousel horse in front of mine that I wanted to get a CD of that calliope music to play while I drive in my car.

What is Figgy Pudding Anyway?

Even though if we were playing 20 questions with the answer being "my house"- when you asked if it was bigger than a bread box... I would have to say not really.  Even though my house is not really bigger than a bread box, I have invited the western faction of my family to my eensy weensy teensy tiny home for Christmas dinner.  (Oh, and also, I don't cook.  The dog & I just use the kitchen to get to the backyard.) 

I knew that they would all accept my invitation out of sheer disbelief.  We will be like Christmas sardines stuffed into a wee wooden beach cottage can.  But, we'll be together!

It's potlucky, so at least some of the food will be really good.  Oh, and!  And!  It's all vegetarian.  No roast beast.  Possibly, roast beets. 

I am prepared to never live this down with my family.  I imagine the curiosity will be quite peaked with the eastern faction of the family as well, and there will be an inquiring of details.  I think that I can make up for what I lack in square footage & culinary prowess with twinkly lights, candles, and wine, wine, wine!

Wish me luck!

Snoopy Snippet

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUQX2B67KL4

This really reminded me of The Bean when I just watched it.  Though of course, here we are always pro-dancing.  Dance like no one is watching, that's what Bean always says.

Guacamole, Aircraft Carriers, Etc.

The shop's Christmas party was tonight.  May I start out by saying how much I love guacamole?  In fact, may I finish by saying that too?  Oh, how I do love the avocado!  Genius invention, the avocado.   I have a friend who makes such good guacamole that I have actually dreamt of it.  Delicious.  I tried to recreate her guac once & ended up so very happily consuming 8 avocados in less than 24 hours- not to worry, its the "good fat."

So anyway, the party- we were instructed to bring "some weird thing from our house" wrapped up for a White Elephant Gift Steal.  As soon as I got there I feared I would be the one to have the weirdest things in my house from which to choose.  Some of these gifts the others brought were not at all weird- some were.  Surprisingly, there was a clamoring for a bright blue Snuggie.  And the thing that seemed the least popular- a Lexmark Printer/Scanner/Copier/Faxer even with extra ink thrown in is now sitting just to my right.  No one else wanted it!  I was told by the person who'd been saddled with it to just take it, she said I didn't even have to trade anything- "just please take it."  I insisted on trading- so I exchanged, not the first gift I'd opened (a blue ceramic penguin cookie jar- someone "stole" that one,) but the second gift I'd opened, a travel size bottle of bath gel & the like.   The Lexmark looks a bit like an aircraft carrier to me, but I taunted that once I started making photocopies of my bum with it- they'd all be sorry they hadn't chosen it themselves. 

I love guacamole.

 


 

Tis the Season

Love it....    

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddVZOK_9UUI

Bailey the Unknown Reindeer

Bailey looks like he's probably good at reindeer games!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sUL0KCIc48

Direct Line

I was told another good story when I was over at the shop.  That place is a treasure trove of good stories.

A fabulista was telling me that it has been getting crazy busy there with the holidays approaching.  This day in particular being, I believe she said, "Crazy.  Crazy crazy busy," and there was a look that accompanied that statement that showed me that she was not kidding.  The phone was ringing off the hook, etc.

That night when she and her husband sat down to dinner he said, "You say grace tonight."
When she opened her mouth to say grace this is precisely what came out, "Thank you for calling the Pannikin."

Awesome.

I asked her what her husband's reaction was when that happened, and she said he just looked at her and said he'd say grace.  I couldn't get over the fact that he didn't laugh hysterically.  She was surprised too, but said that the next day while her sister was eating she told her the story.  Her sister laughed so hard she spit out her food which to me seems the appropriate response.

She also told me that once when her mom was saying grace she was going along just fine, and then closed with, "Ok, bu-bye, I'll talk to you later," as opposed to the usual more standard, "Amen."  They all looked at her mom, and her mom said, "What?    ...oh."

Perhaps, if I didn't find it so hilarious when our minds do this to us I would be completely unnerved by how often our mouths work completely without the aid of our brain.  But it is irrelevant to even ponder that, because I do find it so hilarious!



 

Book Signing

Who:     Eliza Rhodes

What:    Signing copies of Sign Language 
When:   Sunday December 6th 3 - 5pm 
Where:  Pannikin
Why:      Fairy Godmother's idea!

Happy Thanksgiving!

This photo made me laugh when I came across it.  It turns out that Dave Barry posted it on his blog.  I read a few of the comments people had left after he had posted it, and one of them was, "Drunk turkeys are hilarious." 

My Remote Sales & PR Departments

When I offered up my book for pre-order my mother sent an email saying, "I want ten."  That email was soon followed by an email saying, "No, I want twenty.  I'll sell them at work."

Very very early this morning I got an email from her telling me that she only had 2 or 3 left.  She wondered should she possibly need more could she get them before Christmas?   That email was followed an hour later with one asking, "How about 5 - 7 more books before Christmas?"  Later in the afternoon she sent me an email which read, "I was thinking that maybe you could send 10 - 15 books if you are able to.  Let me know the chances of getting them."  Then she wrote some very nice things relating to how well the book is being received, etc. 

The very last paragraph of that email consists of a single sentence which states that yesterday my father sent my book to Oprah. 

My father, who could bench press your father, sent something to Oprah Winfrey yesterday. 

I imagine after reading this you will want them for your own parents, but I am sorry, my brother & I beat you to them.  

Tap Dancing in Roller Skates

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfJIarhYYZQ&NR=1

Roller skates never had it so good.

S & D

The book is sold out.  There are still people trying to buy it.  From what I remember from my 8th grade Economics class- I think this means that I am on the right side of Supply & Demand.