RWA ORLANDO!!!!

Sandra is from Arizona.

This is what her closet looks like.

I'm from New York...

Sense a difference there????

Oh my stars, am I THAT subdued???

Do ya' see how stinkin' colorful she is?????

Gadzooks.

Me at the Atlantic Ocean, water temp. 81 degrees.

Bath water.

Gorgeous. Beautiful. Cerulean blue-tinged aqua fading to green.

Just lovely.

Note I am NOT wearing a bikini.

The world is simply not ready for some things.

Sandra, taking a picture of me.

Silly thing.  ;)

This is where we had supper.

Yup.

Ghirardelli's Ice Cream Parlor/Soda Fountain.

You walk in and the scent of warm, gently melted

chocolate bathes you.

Assails you.

Teasing, taunting.

It would have been wrong not to succumb.

So....

Do you SEE that mountain of ice cream?

With fresh Ghirardelli fudge?

And sliced bananas?

And that GIRL looking at it???? Eyeing it up?

Don't go there, kid.

You do not want to go there. Trust me on that.

I'm a nice gal, but DO NOT threaten my ice cream.

Did a great session today on blogging (don't laugh, it isn't nice)

and websites...

Twitter and Facebook.

I'm like literally techno-savvy gal right now.

Now you can laugh.

RWA ORLANDO TUESDAY...

So...


Just found out today...
That "Made to Order Family" got
4 1/2 STARS from Romantic Times
Review!!!


YEEEEEEEE  HAAAAWWWWWW!


Thanks, MOM!!!!  ;)


And now for Florida.... Gorgeous. Lush. Delicious.


Oh my stars!!!!

The Atlantic Ocean...

Downtown Disney...

The Swan

The Dolphin

The Yacht Club and Beach Club

Cara:  You would love these hotels!!

I cannot find my pics in Sandra's

computer.

Imagine me with wet feet.

And Mickey ears.

What could be better than that?

MY FIRST RWA!!!!

MY FIRST RWA.

FIRST.

EVER.

Disney Swan and Dolphin Resort

Not exactly Unpubbed Island, eh???

Oh my stars. Pinch me, I must be dreaming...

AND I'M GOING THERE WITH MY FIRST SALE RIBBON, WITH THREE WONDERFUL BOOKS OUT, WITH A GREAT EDITOR AND AGENT, WITH CUTE SHOES....

AND MOST OF MY SKIRTS ZIP.

WHO COULD ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE?

WILL DO UPDATES FROM ORLANDO.

What a difference a year makes. Who'd a thunk all this last year?

Not me. 

And in all honesty?  I'm so grateful that I used the time "pre-pub" to keep writing, keep producing, keep piling up books on the old HP.

Patience. Perseverance. Persistence.

Nevah give up. (Winston Churchill)

Plenty of time for rest in the grave. (Ben Franklin)

No one can make you feel inferior without your permission. (Eleanor Roosevelt)

GIRLS UNITED!!!!

How to Handle a Pesky Boy Phone Call

"Umm.... HELLO???

I'm trying to drive here and it's clearly a

NO PASSING ZONE...

HANG UP THE PHONE, CUPCAKE!"

"Oh, sorry, didn't see you!!!" Dianna waves

phone frantically, a knowing smile on her face.

"It's a... boy!"

Brooke backs off instantly. "Well, in THAT case...

I'll just wait."

Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock...

"Yo, Aidan, gotta go. I'm keeping my BFF waiting

and that's just not cool.

What? Ditch her?

No way, Jose, and you've just joined the totally uncool kid

club.

See ya', Dude! NOT!!! We've got a tree to climb! And just maybe a tea party after."

Now that's what I'm talking about!

You're only a little girl once.

Make the most of it.

Kittens Are Cuter...

Meet Pete the Possum.

There is no real point to posting this, except to be glad I'm not that ugly.

Ever.

Even in the morning.

Even half-past morning.

Even when half-past morning meets late afternoon doldrums with bad hair and teeth.

Nope. Still not that ugly.

Do not note that the porch needs cleaning. It was spring.

Mud season around here.

Firewood stacks moved off the porch and back to garage.

Residual clutter.

The porch is cleaner now. Flowers. Rocking chairs. Swings.

And the possum is .... wherever.

Possums love cat food.

Never, ever leave your cat food out at night.

But possums also love to lick old grills.

Yuck.

I do not have a picture of that.

Pete's actually small. Young.

But he'll grow quickly with a daily diet of Meow Mix.

Dagnabbit.

This is the porch now.

Sweet. Bucolic. Pastoral.

This is after a healthy dose of soap and bleach.

Winter hangs on a long time around here!

Medieval Dress Up!

So:

This looks.... fun.

Kind of.

Although dark and menacing.

Where are the princesses?

Where are the knights in shining armor?

And do you SEE that gleam in Tori's eye?

Oh my stars.

(And how did Davey Jones get in this picture? Isn't he RIP-ing at the bottom of the sea?

Inquiring minds want to know!!!)

Obviously Casey did something very naughty.

I'm sensing French Revolution "L'Guillotine" type naughty.

Yowza.

I do not even want to contemplate what Haley's doing with that doll.

Ilura Dannon, per chance? From "Willow?"

And is that my precious Taylor about to decapitate Casey?

With a yellow plastic shovel???

Improvisation at its best.

And Kyle (as the Dark Knight, mayhap?) is holding

off Davey Jones with a long spear, while Davey appears

to be wielding a short sword.

'Tis a rough world in which we dwell, readers.

Aaaarrrrrrgh!

A child's imagination is their best playmate. It never has to go home for supper or visit Grandma in Pawtucket

and it stays steadfast when you get grounded

or sent to your room.

Imagination.

God-given gift, wonderful earthly concept!

GO YANKEES!!!!

It's no secret that I'm a Yankees fan.

And a Jeter fan.

Lawyer Boy invited Dave and me to the Big Apple for Old Timers' Day.

I have always wanted to go to Old Timers Day.

See legends of baseball.

S-W-E-E-T!!!

Bob Sheppard, "The Voice of Yankee Stadium"

passed away last week at the age of 99.

And yet, despite his age, he will be forever young.

And wise.

A sage. A gentle man.

Derek Jeter has a clause in his contract that says

as long as he's a Yankee, he'll be announced

by Bob Sheppard. There's something intrinsically

awesome about the way Bob says:

"Now batting for the New York Yankees, playing shortstop,

number two, Derek Jetah. Number two."

Bob with a younger A-Rod... Bob often came to the dugout

to chat with players. He loved baseball. He often said, "Some people go to work. I go to a game."

Genteel. Precise. Concise. Correct.

I love the NYPD. We saw patrols, beat cops,

stadium security, and had the privilege to chat with

a security detail at the Federal Reserve on Maiden Lane.

The love of New York, its people, its sports.

Of course I asked him to keep an eye on Zach for me.

He assured me he would.

Wink, wink...

She has a great smile, doesn't she?

This is Dave.

With two (2) pretzels. TWO.

610 Calories each. I know. I read it on the sign.

610.

Do you see how skinny he is?

Life is not fair.

George Steinbrenner and Rudy Giuliani.

The tribute to George on Friday night was

amazing.

And I forgot my camera because we were late getting

into the city.

Dagnabbit.

But it was truly wonderful. Yeah, I know what you think.

How lovable could he have been?

But for all his tough-guy ways, he was a man

who liked to win and could laugh at himself.

He expected people to do their best.

Sometimes he expected that loudly.

But doing your best is never a bad concept.

George Steinbrenner.

Bob Sheppard.

We're gonna miss you guys.

Sharing the Wealth

Are you noticing the donut in Nolan's hand?

He's three.

He lives to eat. I can pretty much get Nolan to do

anything I want by using food and I'm not

afraid to do so. This is big sister Kenna offering

him a bite of hers.

And if you look carefully, you'll note that Nolan is holding

the white frosted donut with rainbow sprinkles...

Not the chocolate glazed he vehemently insisted his mother buy for him.

Boys. Sheesh.

So much donut. Such a small mouth.

And yet, he strives.

"Kenna, wanna bite of mine?"

"Sure."

Note that Kenna's almost vanished donut says

she's no slouch in the 'wolf-down' donut department

either. A girl after my own heart.

But here's another girl after my heart.

Please note that Dianna is not your typical princess.

We've got the gown thing working, oh yes.

But then we've layered with a gauzy lilac shawl, hip draped,

very 8th century.  (I just made that up but I figured you

won't know either, unless some of you smart

historical writers tumble by in which case I KNOW you'll

correct me.)

And then the pink cowgirl vest, just in case the night turns chill.

It's 90 degrees right now.

And the armor. A girl can't be too prepared these days.

Toss in a touch of Antebellum with the hat,

and you have Today's Girl.

Love it.

Hey, I brought homemade ice cream sandwiches, using

my famous chocolate chip cookies.

It's best to let them thaw a few minutes to avoid

brain freeze.

But that's quite impossible, so just be forewarned and enjoy.

Life-giving Waters!!!!

So, admit it. He's adorable.

This is the same little guy made famous

in Seekerville a few weeks back when

I gratuitously used him to draw crowds of

people to my writing post.

Yes, I am that shameless. Because he's THAT cute.  ;)

So this was his Baptism.

He's wearing the sweet outfit I made for his Uncle Matt

thirty years ago.

Go ahead, ask me: Do I sew now?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

But I WRITE now, and that's just amazingly wonderful.

Mike and Miranda are 'Lijah's Godparents.

And that's Father O'Brien directing affairs.

He's a sweetheart.

And do you SEE Elijah eyeing that gold bowl?

Like: Whassat???

Whereas Max has obvious latent pyro tendencies

because he's got his eye on the candle.

And then cake.

Of course.

Gotta' have cake, right?

Elijah Thomas:  May God bless you and keep

you always.

Love,

Your Grammy

Reader Letters: A True Gift

Reader Letters amaze me. Seriously. The thought that someone would sit down and take the time to write to me for ANY reason is mind-boggling. I have siblings that would consider that over-the-top attention.

"WHAT????? WRITE TO HER????  WE SAW HER JUST LAST YEAR!!!!!"

And they'd be right.  :)

And yet perfect strangers do it because somehow, through my words,  my thoughts, my books, the Holy Spirit reaches out and graces their cheeks with a whispered touch, or maybe a gut-punch, or maybe a teeth clench. (The HS isn't all that gentle sometimes, and I know this first-hand for very good reason...)

What a treasure that is, the feelings of elder women, gentle men, young women, lost women, sweet guys....

I am honored beyond belief and overwhelmingly touched by their letters, their words, their thoughts.

Stories come to me from nowhere. But since that is obviously not true (because everything comes from SOMEWHERE, right?)

I know when a sentence fragment, or an old man's stance, or the smile of an urchin child sets my wheels spinnin', the hints of a new Ruthy-story, I know it's God.  Divine inspiration. I have no doubts.

We do nothing to earn our talents, they're a grace-given gift, but we must do everything within our power to hone our skills, whatever they may be, or else the gift is wasted, gone like chaff on the wind.

I'm so blessed to be able to do what I've long dreamed of doing and get paid for it. But more than that is knowing I make people smile, grin, laugh and cry. Feelings are another gift from God, priceless and endless.

My path was an interesting one, but it taught me a great many things that easier trails would have minimized. Character-building is never a bad thing, just a little painful at times.

Remember Wesley in "The Princess Bride":  "Life IS pain, Highness. Anyone who says otherwise is selling something."

I hope today that regardless of what's on anyone's iPod, they feel good. Empowered. Blessed. Ready to share a smile, a hug, a touch. Pass it on, pay it forward, pay it back....

Share the wealth.  Like the credit card commercials say:  "Priceless."

Dinosaur Soup

This is Chef Logan.

It's recipe day here at Ruthy's Place, and today our guest chef is none other than the esteemed Logan. Logan's wearing the latest in Ruthy's Place fashion, a shirt that proclaims: "I do my own stunts."

And he does.

First, for good dino soup, you must encounter a herd of assorted dinosaurs, preferably with a meat-eater or two in the mix.

And here they are!!

Logan appears unfazed by both number

and type, seemingly unafraid of sharp horns

and big teeth.

What a brave lad!!!

For proper dino-chowder, you need a BIG pot.

If you cannot find a big pot, an unused garden

pond will do.

Place dinosaurs IN the pot/pond.

Simmer at low temps until meat falls off the bones,

watching pot carefully. As you can see,

Logan does this quite well.

Salt and seasonings may be added as desired.

If none are available, a handful of wood chips adds

 nice flavor to the broth.

Thicken with dirt for a more gravy-like consistency.

And there you have it. Enough for an army.

                                                  Photos courtesy of Logan Food Productions,

              All rights reserved

MONDAY, MONDAY....

MONDAY...

I confess...

I love the start of a new week.

Just love it.

New beginnings.

Countless opportunities.

A new day, no mistakes in it yet.

Yup. It's Monday.

I'm totally psyched.

Have I mentioned my Keurig?

Oh my stars, best invention ever. Well, sliced bread is pretty nice, too.

But my Keurig coffee maker, that brews PERFECT cups

of coffee, flavored or not,

hi-test or low,

caf or decaf... My friend Sherrie gave it to us.

Dave is now addicted.

But he's safe to drive with, so that's okay.

And at least he's not struggling to put on pantyhose

and drink coffee while driving.

You think cell phones are dangerous?

Pantyhose are much worse. Really.

And just look at the choices....

I LOVE choices.

Best thing ever.

Although Boyer Mallo-Cups are still high on the list of amazement.

Not rivaling God, but pretty darn good by human standards.

I'm just sayin'....

Happy Monday. May God bless you with a wonderful start

to a new work week.

And good chocolate and coffee.

Is Good Hair All That Important????

"Not always," says McKenna. "I find that my inner self

shines through when I brush off mundane concerns

like fancy, over-the-top hair styles. Don't you?"

"Bad hair? Whuzzzat?" adds Brooke.

"Frankly, I'm too cool to care. Like McKenna said: Don't

sweat the small stuff. I mean, seriously:

Look at this face? I'm stinkin' adorable."

"I think McKenna and Brooke are both pretty."

giggle....

"Can we have lunch now?"

"Who's gonna notice my hair when I'm this doggone cute?"

(This is an unfair advantage that boys of ALL AGES enjoy. Someone should do a scientific study of why this is.

Because it's wrong. Just plain wrong.)

And as we all know, a really sweet ride makes up

for all the bad hair in the world.

Obviously McKenna had car trouble

and Nathan and Nolan ran to the rescue.

Heroes in the making.

This is why I write... I help mold the heroes of tomorrow

with the urchins of today.

Weddings...

In the Land of Make Believe:

Little girls dream of the big day...

They primp and prepare long before

it's absolutely necessary.

Sometimes they have second thoughts...

But who doesn't?

Enter the disgruntled bridesmaid.

Doesn't every wedding have one?

Do you think it's because her

flowers are so lame?

I suspect that might be the case.

Our groom is pondering his fate.

At length...

But the bride seems to have come to terms

with her decision. Or else she sees cake.

Or she can't wait to get to the dancing part,

music courtesy of WBEE, "Today's Country", 92.5

(If you're scoring at home, THAT was a shameless plug)

While Bridesmaid Brooke's smile seems a mite forced

(ya' think?????)

the rest of the bridal party looks quite happy.

Except the groom looks a little impatient

with all this picture taking nonsense.

He's hungry.

Bring on the cake.

Don'tcha just love a nice wedding???