Friday Fun Video -- Shelter Dogs, Surfing Dogs!

We've always had shelter dogs. Partly because we hate the idea of good doggies being killed because of overpopulation, but mostly because we're convinced they just make the best family members. We currently have three dogs. The first one was Shadow, whom we adopted because we were so lonely after Allie the Wonder Hiker died of cancer. He's a Shih Tzu/poodle mix who'd spent his first six months being kept in a tiny crate 24/7. Because he was punished whenever he peed in it, it took us a while to teach him it was okay to drink when he was thirsty. For the first few days, he'd only drink from my hand. Plus, he had such separation anxiety, my sweetie and I went six months unable to both leave the house at the same time because the poor pup would work himself into a panic frenzy in about two minutes of being left alone.

But noticing that he really enjoyed playing with other dogs at obedience school, we adopted Toby, a Maltese/poodle from East Tennessee Small Breed Rescue. He's the one in the above picture having a bad hair day because he'd just arrived at our house, so we hadn't yet had him styled.

Toby and Shadow instantly bonded, Shadow took on the role of alpha male big brother, and we were able to take them to the beach in South Carolina the very next week. You can see Toby, in blue, now looks much more stylish after a shampoo and clip. That was about nine years ago and we've all lived happily ever after. Shadow, the ultimate couch/bed potato, has even learned to enjoy our occasional Southern snowstorm. Well, sorta. Gortex helps.



Then, last January I was watching morning TV while making my cards for troops when the local news featured Jessie, a shelter dog, that we just knew would be perfect for our little family. But common sense told us that we already had two dogs. We really didn't need a third. So, liking to think of ourselves as sensible people, we talked ourselves out of it.

Fast forward two months later. It's March, and once again, I'm sitting in front of the TV on Sunday, making my soldier cards, when the Adopt-a-Pet segment of the news comes on, and the reporter's saying how they're bringing back a very special dog. Then went to a commercial break. Well, I told Sweetie that I knew it was going to be Jessie. And it was! Feeling bad that she'd had to wait for us to figure out that she was meant to be ours, we raced down to the shelter, arriving an hour before they opened and sat next to the door, prepared to claim her before anyone else could. As you can see from this photo, she settled in her first night home. She also gets along great with the boys, and even has Shadow chasing her in great laps around the yard, which is more exercise than he's gotten in years!





Jessie's also in her final training to be a hospital/nursing home visitation dog. As she's whizzed her way through the various courses, the trainer says that in all her years of teaching dogs, she's never seen one more suited for the task. Having spent many years volunteering as a "Friendly Visitor" at a nursing home, I know that pet visitation day is always a special treat, and we're thrilled that our darling Jessie's going to be able to make so many other people happy.

The one thing none of our furry babies can do is surf like the dogs on this week's Friday Fun video. Then again, we haven't given them an opportunity to try. Yet. So, who knows?

Lemon Garlic Chicken Recipe from Shelter Bay

Not far from the Oregon coast town of Shelter Bay is Rainbow Lake. There's an inn at the lake people have been coming to for nearly a century, partly to view the magnificent falls that tumble into the sparkling blue water. But over the last thirty years, the lemon garlic chicken from the lodge's Comfort Cooking Café has proven a popular draw.

Although it took some coaxing, the owner, Cora, who appears in the second book of my upcoming Shelter Bay series (launching July 6th!), understands that everyone needs comfort food, so she was kind enough to share her recipe with me. Now I'm sharing it with you. The best thing about this chicken is that it's super for winter snow days, but light enough to eat in the summer, too.

Cora's Lemon Garlic Chicken

Ingredients:

Four chicken drumsticks
Four chicken thighs
3 lemons
10-15 cloves of garlic (and yes, that sounds like a lot, but trust me, they mellow in the cooking!)
2 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or dried, enough to lightly sprinkle over over chicken in the pan -- Cora doesn't measure, but 2 teaspoons is a good estimate.)
Salt and pepper.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

LIGHTLY brown the chicken in light olive oil, or canola oil, or mixture of both. (Canola cooks at a higher heat without burning.)

Put the browned chicken pieces in a large bowl. (I've tried them both with skin on, and skinned and they're just as good skinned, which is healthier. I would suggest getting thighs with the bone in, since bones do add flavor.)

Slice the lemons in half. Juice them. Cora's trick for those rock hard lemons you often get in the store is to microwave them for 10-20 seconds, then roll them between your palms or on the counter to release the juice.

Add juice, halved lemon rinds, salt and pepper to taste, garlic, and thyme to the bowl with the chicken.

Mix well, then pour into a large baking pan. (Aluminum, Pyrex, it doesn't matter, I've used both successfully.)

Bake for 30-45 minutes, basting every 10 minutes. When the skin gets a bit crispy and the meat is cooked through, it's done.

Serve with the pan sauce. Enjoy!

Cora and I both serve this dish with rice. Although she cooks it up big pots, I've started cheating by using the easy microwave bag, but I sauté it in a frying pan, substituting chicken stock (I make my own, but you can buy low sodium canned), for the water listed in the instructions.

Friday Fun Video -- Super Cheese Commercial

This week's Friday Fun video, which was passed on to me by author Toni Blake, is one of the best commercials I've ever seen. (Don't panic in the middle!) I still haven't figured out how they did the amazing animation. Enjoy. Oh, and turn up the sound. The soundtrack so fits the storyline!

Dr. Oz's Prescription for Calmness in Our Lives

This valuable prescription for calmness was shared by Elen, the dear friend I mentioned yesterday. I felt it so important, that although I'm attempting to stick to my Tuesday and Friday blogging schedule, I wanted to pass it on right away because it definitely works and we could all use a little more calmness in our lives. By following simple advice heard on the Oprah show, you too, can find inner peace.

Dr. Oz proclaimed, "The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started and have never finished."

So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of White Zinfandel, a bottle of Tequila, a package of Oreos, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos, and a box of chocolates. You have no idea how freaking good I feel right now.

Pass this on if you know anyone you think might be in need of inner peace.

Celebrating the value of friends with a greeting card

I'm a little late getting around to this subject, but I have to say that I'm not the least bit sad to see 2009 in my rear-view mirror. Although I experienced some fun things -- such as receiving a contract for my upcoming Shelter Bay books, having a good friend Elen Grey and her husband come visit and spend the night at the fantabulous Opryland Hotel in Nashville with us, and buying the motorhome, aka dogmobile (which we're already planning to take on a day trip) -- it definitely wasn't a super year for anyone I know.

Which is why I feel so fortunate to have Elen, who is wise, witty, and always knows when to offer advice or just let me whine, as a friend. So I wanted to begin this year by making a card to let her know how much I value how close we've become over the years of sharing our lives, even with so many miles (1523!) between us.

Here's the outside. The bird that looks brown on my computer screen is actually a dark burgundy:



And the inside (the comment is centered on the card; it's my photo that's not):



And, of course, no card's complete without the proper envelope:





I recently saw this definition for a girlfriend: N. a female friend; someone to share fun times with and tell secrets to; a special friend who listens with all her heart.

Elen is all of that and more. My belated wish for 2010 is that everyone should be so lucky to have such a friend.

Next Tuesday I'll be sharing another bright spot in my life: a super easy recipe for lemon garlic chicken that makes a fabulous comfort food for any season.

Friday Fun Video -- Pants on the Ground

I'll admit I'm ambivalent about American Idol. The past few years I've skipped the auditions, which seemed to have just become a way to hype the show and humiliate people who should have known better than to sing in public, but I guess sometimes fantasy and a dream conflicts with maintaining a realistic view of talent your talent.

However, although I didn't see it live, I couldn't help getting caught up in the Pants on the Ground phenomenon. (Also have had the song stuck in my head for the past twenty-four hours!) Personally, I think they just ought to cancel the season and declare General Larry Platt, from Atlanta, Georgia, the new American Idol.

For those who haven't seen it, or like me, can't resist watching it again, enjoy!

Alice Duffy's Broadway Debut Congratulations Card

As many of you know, I've spent Sunday mornings making blank inside greeting cards for troops to send back home to family and friends for about five years. But not all my cards are for the military. Some are for family and friends.

A reader who also blogs about scrapping, card making, books, and life suggested I share some of my cards on my blog. So, here's a recent one that's very close to my heart because I made it for my deceased dear friend and editor Kate Duffy's mom, who's making her debut on Broadway this month in Noël Coward's Present Laughter. Which is remarkable enough. But actress Alice Duffy is 83! Talk about sticking to your dream!

For those card makers and scrappers out there -- I used Paper Pizazz Use 'Em for Anything Chocolate paper for the front of the card. The Take a Bow ticket sticker is from Karen Foster Design and the three-dimensional chairs, stage, and lights are from Jolee's. The photo of Alice as Lady Saltburn on stage with Victor Gaber (from Alias) was not taken in the theater (there are rules against that!), but from a photo Kate shared with me the last time we had lunch together in New York. Since it was a vertical photo, I stitched together more of the background to fill out the stage, and used my clone tool on Photoshop to turn the half shot of a man standing to the left of Alice into balcony railing. Finally, I used a razor knife to cut back the curtains so I could slip the photo behind them.

On the top of the inside, I used a scaled-down Playbill, using a slightly larger font and bold red type for Alice's name because it's definitely a red letter day! The frame is from PrintShop 2 for Mac; the words are rub-ons. The card itself isn't as shiny as the flash made it look; it's actually a soft, subtle cream gloss. It's also straight -- it's my photo that's crooked. Then, as a final finishing touch, I lined the inside of the envelope with the patterned paper used on the top of the card front.

Kate was so excited about her mom's debut, this has to be a bittersweet time for Alice. Hopefully this card will make her smile.

Guest Blogger-- Susan Crandall

We have a guest blogger today! Unlike so many writers, Susan Crandall did not emerge from the womb with a pen and paper in hand and a fully formed story in her mind. Instead, she was born with an incredible love for books. This must be genetic, because her father and now her son, both hated school, but are somehow addicted to books. She's also always been fascinated with words - those of you who catch yourself reading the dictionary when you cracked it open to look up mesopelagic you just might have a writer hiding inside you, too.

Then, her younger sister admitted that she'd been writing, secretly of course. That admission led to Susan editing her sister's work (as the older sister, Susan was never short of opinions to share). Then Susan and her sister co-authored four novels, none of which were published. Her sister decided to move on after those four books, but Susan was totally addicted. She'd learned too much about the process of writing, the craft of storytelling and the world of the written word to give it up.

BACK ROADS was Susan Crandall's first solo work, her first published work, and her first award winning novel, winning a RITA for Best First Book and (wow!) two National Reader's Choice Awards.

1. Welcome, Susan! Thanks for visiting. Why don't you begin by telling us a bit about your book?

SLEEP NO MORE is the story of Abby Whitman, who was a sleepwalker as a child, setting a fire that destroyed the ancestral home and scarred her younger sister for life. Abby's sleepwalking passed with puberty, but the guilt did not. She lives alone, structuring her life to insure that if her sleepwalking reoccurs no one else will be in harm's way.

Now Abby's mother has recently died, her sister is being her usual manipulative self, and her father is showing signs of Alzheimer's. And her sleepwalking has returned.

One night Abby awakens behind the wheel of her van at a fatal accident. Sleepwalking, or more specifically, sleep-driving, is the only explanation she can come up with for her presence at the scene. But it soon becomes clear that there was a third party involved, and that person begins making threats for Abby not to tell what she saw. But Abby has no recollection of the accident. She seeks the help of a family acquaintance and psychiatrist, Jason Coble to try to figure out what happened at the accident and why someone is threatening her.

Abby's journey toward truth and self-forgiveness uncovers long buried secrets in both her family and her town. Secrets someone will go to any lengths to protect.

2. Oh, I LOVE long buried secret stories, so this is one I'm going to have to read! When did you first begin writing?

I didn't actually begin writing until I was in my thirties. My younger sister sort of dragged me into it. She came to me one day with a stack of paper and admitted she'd been writing in secret and wanted me to look over her work. Being the older sister and an avid reader, naturally I had an opinion. We worked on some stories together, then she stopped writing, but I was totally hooked. I could no more stop writing than I could stop reading. The first novel I wrote solo was RITA and National Readers Choice winner, BACK ROADS.

3. What's your favorite thing about writing? Your least favorite thing?

I absolutely love the beginning stages of writing a book. I love the brainstorming, the research, the exploring of possibilities, the laying awake at night pondering "what ifs." It's the stage when everything is possible and you aren't yet hampered with the reality of making all of the parts work.

My least favorite? This may sound contradictory, but it's the blank page, the blinking cursor waiting like a teacher with a tapping foot. It's that stage between all of the daydreaming and actually having something concrete to work with. It's the place where you have to begin to make the real choices that will chart the course of your character's journey. Once I have something started, it's fun to work with it, expand, delve more deeply into my characters.

4. Do you have any advice to aspiring writers?

Because my son is writing his first novel, this is an easy question; I give the same advice on a weekly basis:

1) Read widely, and read like a writer. When an author has elicited a particular emotion from you as a reader, take the work apart and figure out how he/she achieved it. Study the story construction, the pacing.

2) Continually hone your craft. Learn from workshops, classes, and just chatting with other writers.

3) Learn to trust your writing instincts. We writers are filled with self-doubt, constantly questioning the quality of our work. If you're a writer, there is something special inside you that lead you to it. Don't follow every suggestion made by everyone who has glanced at your work. Carefully evaluate criticism. It's a valuable tool, but it must be weighed.

4) And lastly, put on your armor and send your work out there into the world. No one is going to come knocking on your door and say, "I heard you're writing a book. I'd like to publish it." Yes, you'll probably receive rejections. That's all part of the process.

5. What's next for you?

Now that SLEEP NO MORE is safely launched, I'm focusing on two novels. One is a mainstream women's fiction. The other is a slow-boil psychological suspense. I'm having a great time with both of them!

Thanks for visiting, Susan! Here's hoping SLEEP NO MORE sells gangbusters, and wishing you happy writing on those next two books!

Friday Fun Video -- Happy New Year, Rose Parade & Game

Happy New Year!

Every year, as long as I can remember, I've watched the Rose Bowl parade, which, during my childhood in Oregon, meant getting up way earlier than it does here in the Southeast. One year, back in the '80s, we sprang for a Rose Bowl tour package, which gave us an insider look at the volunteers building the floats (which are way bigger in real life than they appear on TV!), grandstand seats at the parade, and great seats at the game.

Since we didn't have a team playing that year (Sweetie went to Oregon State, and I attended Arizona State), we rooted, as we always do, for the PAC 10 team, which that year was USC. They were playing Ohio State, and every time the Trojans scored -- which was a LOT of times -- the gorgeous white horse Traveler would run up and down the sidelines, mane flowing in the bright California sun. After a while, one elderly, very annoyed Ohio State woman fan hit Sweetie on the head with a necklace of buckeyes. (Which, for those who don't know, are large, very hard nuts.) Still, we had a super time, even though, due to a Dec 2nd deadline, I had to proof a manuscript during halftime surrounded by thousands of screaming fans.

This morning I'll be enjoying the parade from the couch while drinking Mimosas and eating Sweetie's traditional New Years Day biscuits with marmalade and honey.



And then, later, there's the game. This year it's Oregon State's nemesis, the University of Oregon Ducks, against those Buckeyes again. The Duck's mascot once caused quite a commotion with his takedown of the BYU Cougar's mascot, which earned him a suspension. Today's Friday Fun Video depicts both that takedown, how the repentant duck spent his suspension, and his subsequent apology. Enjoy.

And, although it's hard for this Oregon State Beavers household to say -- Go Ducks!