A Writer’s Christmas

You know the stereotype about writers being drinkers. And in some cases, it is true. I know a few aspiring writers who like to imbibe and then there a few of the famous ones that probably started the stereotype. If you happen to know a writer who likes to drink, I’ve got the gift for you ($14.95 courtesy Mental Floss).

Here’s what they say:

Is there a connection between literary greatness and alcohol?

The Great Drinkers Shot Glass Set celebrates six immortal literary figures who are as famous for their drinking as they are for their work.

Raise your glass and down a shot in the company of Oscar Wilde, Dorothy Parker, Winston Churchill, Yeats, and Baudelaire.

Each 2 oz. shot glass features an illustration of the author along with a memorable quote about drinking. Please remember to drink and write responsibly.

A Hometown Honours and Remembers

A little over a week ago yellow ribbons started popping up all over town. Driving past the elementary school the day after Halloween I figured someone had decided to prank the town with a prettier version of toilet paper. Every fence post on the block plus of chain link fence had a lovely yellow ribbon tied to the top of it and was fluttering in the afternoon breeze. For a prank it was a pretty nice one.

I continued through town, wondering. Ribbons on streetlights. Ribbons on trees. Ribbons on sign posts. Ribbons, ribbons, ribbons. Random ribbons. Rows of ribbons. But yellow ribbons everywhere.

Then my daughter came home from school with a ribbon. A Canadian soldier who had grown up here and gone to her school had passed away in Afghanistan. (That’s a nice way of saying he was killed in the war.) At that point, only days after his death, the city had been covered with 1000 ribbons. Since then many more have popped up to join the first 1000, several of them with small Canadian flags tucked under the ribbon. The amazing part is that I have never seen anyone place one of these ribbons other than my daughter who with great thought and care tied one on the tree in our front yard.

This man has been honoured over a thousand times over in our city and stepping outside or even looking outside one’s window brings his sacrifice to mind. Today, we remember all soldiers and particularly those who were unable to attain the status “veteran.”

How will you remember and honour those lives?

Hollerweenish

Halloween, or as I like to say, “Hollerween,” was two days ago and this year I had a lot of thoughts on the holiday. And because I like to share what’s in my brain, here are a few of those thoughts in no particular order:

• Wouldn’t it be cool if everyone started calling Halloween, “Hollerween?”
• Why isn’t Halloween and other ‘lesser’ holidays featured in novels more often? For example, wouldn’t it be great if two characters were trying to have a serious, deep conversation about their relationship and they kept getting interrupted by trick or treaters?
• People thought I should dress up my baby and take him trick or treating.
• What was with all the super-gory, slasher-esque, violent, gun toting, bloody mess trick or treaters this year? Yes, in years past I got tired of serving 8 Ariels, 10 Sleeping Beautys, 12 Sponge Bobs, and 14 Knights and wished for some originality, but really. (I take it back.)
• How is it that I got 120 trick or treaters and our right next door neighbour got 152? Am I that scary?
• Streets with sidewalks get more trick or treaters.
• Kids are pretty good about folks who leave a bowl of treats on their front step.
• Houses that are well lit up get more treaters.
• Houses with lots and lots of decorations get lots more treaters.
• In neighbourhoods that get more than 100 treaters per house are less likely to give out chocolate. (That gets freakin’ expensive!!!)
• Some parents allow their kids to treat for hours and then throw out most of their kids’ candy because they don’t want them to have that much.
• Teenagers and pre-teens still treat with pillow cases and still try to get them as full as possible. I figure half a case is worth at least $40 in candy. (I wonder how much neighbourhoods spend on candy?)
• Teens find going door to door just as the treating is ending to be particularly prosperous.
• Parents who come to the door with their kid’s trick or treat bag and say, “My daughter’s in the car and I’m trick or treating for her” need to be visited by the ghost of future Halloween. Or maybe the ghost of future parenting.
• Snow doesn’t stop trick or treaters–but we already knew that, didn’t we? (Okay, maybe it stopped one little overly pampered brat.)
• And last but not least, if you are taller than the person handing out the treats (i.e. me!) you are too old to trick or treat.

How about you? Any interesting Halloween notes?

Christmas Links!

What good is Christmas if you can’t have a little themed fun online? You know, once you get over the spirit of giving, seeing family, drinking eggnog, and all that other good stuff.

So, without further ado…

Elf Yourself (courtesy of Office Max)

This is a total blast–be sure you don’t take a sip of that eggnog before you preview this singing and dancing video featuring YOU as an elf. All you need is your internet connection and a picture of yourself (if you have a webcam, you can snap a shot using that and voila!)

Track Santa (courtesy of NORAD)

Can’t get the kids to go to bed on Christmas Eve? Wondering where Santa is? Pop online and find Santa as he makes his way across the world.

Bailey The Unknown Reindeer (courtesy of YouTube and Bailey’s Family and Harry Connick Jr. too)

I won’t spoil the video for you, but wow! That’s a lot of snow!

Santa’s Got a Message for you! (courtesy of PNP)

Fill in a few fields and add a picture if you are so inclined and watch your inbox for a personalized video message from Santa Claus! Kids will be amazed! (There is an adult version too if you want a message from Santa as well.)

I hope you’ve been good little boys and girls! Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy the season.

Dip, Dip, Sha-na-na-na-na-na…

I’m really not much of a recipe swapper or foodie or fancy food maker. I know, you figured me for someone who makes elaborate meals, didn’t you? Well, nope. Not so much. But ’tis the season for warm comfort foods as well as dips and other goodies that must be presented at parties, etc. And that is a bummer when you have other things to do… like write!

So, without further ado, I present two yummy, healthy, and filling warm dips that I discovered this week and will please your palate and make you look like a super-star!

Black Bean Dip

Ingredients: 1 can of refried black beans (or whole black beans), 1 cup of salsa, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a 9×9 inch pan layer in the beans, then the salsa, and then the cheese.

Pop that baby in the oven for about 15 minutes (until middle is warm and cheese is melted). Voila! You have dip.

* You can change the amount of each ingredients you use. For example, use more cheese for a cheesier dip, or try other cheeses, use more beans, more salsa, etc.

Hot and Scrumptious Spinach Dip

Ingredients: Spinach (either one package of frozen or a big bundle of fresh), 1/2 cup to 1 cup cream cheese (you can use light cream cheese if that is your preference), garlic (about two cloves worth–for convenience, look for crushed garlic in a jar–so easy and just as good!), salt.

Cook the spinach in a bit of water along with your garlic on the stove. Drain really well. Cut it up if you are using fresh spinach. Place spinach back in the pot along with cream cheese. If you are using a package of frozen spinach, use 1 cup (8oz?) of cream cheese. If you are using fresh, add cream cheese until it looks like you have about half cream cheese and half spinach. Over low heat, mix and stir the cream cheese and spinach. Add salt to taste. (Just a sprinkle works well.) When warmed all the way through, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

Dippers

What to dip into these yummy dips?

Crackers, nacho chips, pitas (either fresh or baked. To bake, cut or tear into small pieces and lay on a cookie sheet. Place in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes, until hard and just starting to brown. You can do this with wraps as well. Handy for when they’ve been sitting in the fridge for too long and have gone a bit stiff!)

Yum, yum, yum. And what I love about these dips, other than they are so simple and quick (and yummy) is that all the ingredients are ‘real.’ Enjoy!

Out of Office

As you may have gathered, I haven’t exactly been near my computer lately. Which I know, in today’s world, is no excuse for not blogging. But I’m using it. I’m going to go see Mickey Mouse so I’m going to spend at least another week not blogging.

Eastern Alberta, July 2010
Or is this my house pre last week’s renovations?

See you all later! I hope you are having exquisitely wonderful summers and that all your wishes are coming true! (I know mine have been. Even those ones I thought were pinned up on the ‘ain’t gonna happen’ side of the fence.)

Word of The Day

Amative: Pertaining or disposed of love. Full of love. Amorous.

Happy Hallmark Occasion, everyone.

You would think for someone who writes romantic comedies I would be a little more…romantic. But I’m not. I am listening to the everso romantic and amative melodies of Alice Cooper at the moment. That gets a girl in the mood.

(Suppressed mirth.)

If you want to read a truly great love poem, or simply the best poem ever, try doing a search for ‘The Cinnamon Peeler’s Wife’ by Michael Ondaatje. If I could write like that, wow.

Happy day, everyone.

Too Late?

Is it too late to put out that Christmas website? We never did actually finish it. I’m not sure if anything even got posted. Ah well. There is always next year. Am I going to make a resolution. Damn straight I’m not!