Showing posts with label Silliness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Silliness. Show all posts
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
What's cracking me up lately
The whole video is hilarious, but the 19:00 point is when they review "Sins of the Mother" and wonder about the book it's based on. Skorpion, Makael, email me and I'll send you an autographed copy of Orange Mint and Honey because you are right: there is more to the story.
Monday, February 08, 2010
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Stop! Hammer time!
A flash mob invades a hipster store. I am officially in love with flash mobs now!
Friday, May 08, 2009
Twouble with Twitters
So I'm collecting tips and stories about using social networking to promote books. This parody of Twitter cracked me up. Thanks to The Bottom of Heaven for the link!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Happy 11/11
See it?For those who've read Orange Mint and Honey, you'll recall that Shay has a thing for numbers, especially special dates and times of day. For example, when she first awakens to find Nina Simone in her room, it's at 3:33 a.m. An interviewer at Essence magazine asked me why that time, and I didn't have a real reason. 3:33 is just the time that came to me. She was curious because 3:33 had become special to her after she started seeing 333 combinations after her grandfather passed away (right before we did the interview). Believe it or not, I didn't do any research about the number before I used it. I looked up the symbolism after she told me about her grandfather and learned that "the number 3 underlies all aspects of creation - mind, body and spirit; birth, life & death; past, present and future." (according to The Secret Life of Symbols by David Fontana) I think it fits my novel and maybe the interviewer's situation with her grandfather.
Shay got that little habit from me. I very much enjoy that today is 11/11 and I'm timing this post to hit at 11:11 a.m. I'm not a numerologist, but I can't describe what a joy that will be for me. (And can I just point out that those 4 11s add up to 08--cool huh?!) Crazy? Maybe, but makes for great material when I need, cough, "quirks" for my characters.
While typing this, I decided to google the meaning of 11:11 and I find that I am not alone. As of this moment, there are about 170,000,000 hits for the topic.
Enjoy! And here's to all those who have made great sacrifices for our country: Happy Veteran's Day and thank you!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Friday, November 07, 2008
Have you ever?
From Judy Larsen, comes a meme for the Obama-brained among us. Things I've done are in bold.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis (just found one on my head last week!)
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb (no, but a baby chick)
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving (no, but I rode in a hot air balloon)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
39 out of 99. Not so good. Obviously, I need to travel more! If you want to participate, copy and paste and put things you've done (and will admit to) in bold.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis (just found one on my head last week!)
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb (no, but a baby chick)
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving (no, but I rode in a hot air balloon)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
39 out of 99. Not so good. Obviously, I need to travel more! If you want to participate, copy and paste and put things you've done (and will admit to) in bold.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
The jack o'lantern speaks!
Got into the holiday spirit yesterday and carved 2 pumpkins. Hope McCain fans don't find that one too scary!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Everything your family never, ever wants to know as an Xmas gift
Fellow (Sister?) Literary Ladies Janis Jaquith and Bella Stander often send announcements about freelance writing opportunities. This one takes the cake.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Denver dogs go Dem!
Lucky wears a "Bark for Barack" kerchief. Leslie, Lucky's person, got it at his daycare. She said the owner was also selling ones with a McCain slogan, but the "Bark for Barack" ones was outselling it 40 to 1.
(That's a Barackellini on the table--they were yum!)
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Quirky? Who me?
The fabulous Ladylee tagged me for a meme. Here are the rules:
Link the person who tagged you.
Mention the rules in your blog.
Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them.
Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger's blogs letting them know they've been tagged
My quirks (well 6 of them that I can share here, anyway):
1) I enjoy the sound of my husband chewing popcorn. At night, if I’m lying around reading a book and he starts to eat a bowl of popcorn, it’ll put me right to sleep. It’s very relaxing. I've been known even to ask him to make popcorn so I can listen to him eat it.
2) I have to keep everything I need to know in eyesight. So that means piled on my desk, pinned on corkboards, written on a white board or on a million sticky notes around my desk. My clothes are mostly in piles in my bedroom or hanging on the back of the closet door or the bedroom door (where I can see them). Seriously, if it’s out of sight I forget about it. Halloween candy can hide out until next Halloween as long as it’s put away. This is how bad it is: I’ve “found” clothes I actually forgot I owned because they were hung in my closet. I’ve bought a pair of shoes EXACTLY like ones I already had at home because I forgot I had them because they were in the back of the closet.
3) Since my friend Diane enjoys this quirk of mine so much, I’ll include it. Even though I no longer do it. I used to cross out the candies in the See’s Chocolates catalog I didn’t like and circle (and sometimes number in order of deliciousness) the candies I did like. Since I only have sugar-free or low-sugar chocolate now (Dagoba is the best!), it kind of takes the fun out of the See’s catalog.
4) I like raisins and bread. But I only like raisin bread if there aren’t too many raisins in it.
5) I lost the ability to tell right from left (without a lot of thought and then I’m still wrong half the time) after my mother died. When giving directions, she used to have to pretend to sign her name to figure out which way was right and which was left. (She was right-handed so the hand that was moving was the right hand.) Before she died I didn’t have a problem with it.
6) We feed our cats every 3 hours. We can’t leave food down all day because Vishnu will eat until the food is gone or he explodes, whichever comes first. But Hazel spent the 10 years before Vishnu came to live with us (a dark day in Hazel history) eating 60 3-bite meals a day. So if she “meal feeds” twice a day, she barfs. The compromise is small meals throughout the day. Whether we trained the cats to eat every 3 hours or they trained us to feed them every 3 hours, I couldn’t tell you. But I’d put money on the cats.
What an exercise this would be for developing characters!
I’ll tag Sustenance Scout, Mary Ann, Lafreya, Urban Conjure Woman, Gina Black, and Kwana.
Link the person who tagged you.
Mention the rules in your blog.
Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them.
Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger's blogs letting them know they've been tagged
My quirks (well 6 of them that I can share here, anyway):
1) I enjoy the sound of my husband chewing popcorn. At night, if I’m lying around reading a book and he starts to eat a bowl of popcorn, it’ll put me right to sleep. It’s very relaxing. I've been known even to ask him to make popcorn so I can listen to him eat it.
2) I have to keep everything I need to know in eyesight. So that means piled on my desk, pinned on corkboards, written on a white board or on a million sticky notes around my desk. My clothes are mostly in piles in my bedroom or hanging on the back of the closet door or the bedroom door (where I can see them). Seriously, if it’s out of sight I forget about it. Halloween candy can hide out until next Halloween as long as it’s put away. This is how bad it is: I’ve “found” clothes I actually forgot I owned because they were hung in my closet. I’ve bought a pair of shoes EXACTLY like ones I already had at home because I forgot I had them because they were in the back of the closet.
3) Since my friend Diane enjoys this quirk of mine so much, I’ll include it. Even though I no longer do it. I used to cross out the candies in the See’s Chocolates catalog I didn’t like and circle (and sometimes number in order of deliciousness) the candies I did like. Since I only have sugar-free or low-sugar chocolate now (Dagoba is the best!), it kind of takes the fun out of the See’s catalog.
4) I like raisins and bread. But I only like raisin bread if there aren’t too many raisins in it.
5) I lost the ability to tell right from left (without a lot of thought and then I’m still wrong half the time) after my mother died. When giving directions, she used to have to pretend to sign her name to figure out which way was right and which was left. (She was right-handed so the hand that was moving was the right hand.) Before she died I didn’t have a problem with it.
6) We feed our cats every 3 hours. We can’t leave food down all day because Vishnu will eat until the food is gone or he explodes, whichever comes first. But Hazel spent the 10 years before Vishnu came to live with us (a dark day in Hazel history) eating 60 3-bite meals a day. So if she “meal feeds” twice a day, she barfs. The compromise is small meals throughout the day. Whether we trained the cats to eat every 3 hours or they trained us to feed them every 3 hours, I couldn’t tell you. But I’d put money on the cats.
What an exercise this would be for developing characters!
I’ll tag Sustenance Scout, Mary Ann, Lafreya, Urban Conjure Woman, Gina Black, and Kwana.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Rights for furniture-lovers
A few years ago I was one of the Colorado Voices writers in the Denver Post. It's an opportunity for "regular" people to write op-ed pieces. One of the essays I wrote was called "Don't Defend My Marriage" and it was about the fact that the arguments against gay marriage are the same old ones they used against interracial marriages not so far back in the day. (As I noted in my essay Colorado's anti-miscegenation laws weren't repealed until 1957...six years after my house was built.)
As you might imagine, I got emails. Boy did I get emails! My favorite was from someone who was apoplectic about the idea that allowing same-sex folks to marry would not only lead to man-and-beast nuptials, but where would it end?! he or she wondered. "Why don't I just marry my couch! What would you think of that?!"
Hubby had the best response. In his deep seductive voice he asked, "Is it a leather couch?" We laughed. A lot. But now this guy makes me realize that perhaps my e-mailer was on to something. Perhaps I reacted too quickly. So I've thought long and hard about this and I want to note for the record that what goes on in the privacy of someone's house between consenting human adults and pieces of furniture is none of my business. And if the human adult and the picnic table should decide to get married one day, who am I to stand in their way?
As you might imagine, I got emails. Boy did I get emails! My favorite was from someone who was apoplectic about the idea that allowing same-sex folks to marry would not only lead to man-and-beast nuptials, but where would it end?! he or she wondered. "Why don't I just marry my couch! What would you think of that?!"
Hubby had the best response. In his deep seductive voice he asked, "Is it a leather couch?" We laughed. A lot. But now this guy makes me realize that perhaps my e-mailer was on to something. Perhaps I reacted too quickly. So I've thought long and hard about this and I want to note for the record that what goes on in the privacy of someone's house between consenting human adults and pieces of furniture is none of my business. And if the human adult and the picnic table should decide to get married one day, who am I to stand in their way?
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Happy Dance
"Just Fine" is church, the club and aerobic class for me. Seems I'm not alone. Mary J's video for this song makes me happy, but this video of NBC's chief White House correspondent shaking his groove thang while Mary J sings cracks me up, in a good way. (his moves get the thumb's up on YouTube). It's 41 seconds of joy! Thanks to Lolita Files for turning me on to it.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Vishnu is a star!
Vishnu made his debut on Galleycat (Dec. 26). As did Amy's pal Babe (Dec. 26) and Bella's Max (Dec. 28). I hope it doesn't go to his head!
The humans in our household just returned from a Christmas trip to Seattle. I'll post pics after I recover from our 10-hour trip back home (which included 4 hours at Sea-Tac, 2 hours sitting on the runway and an icy drive from DIA) and shoveling the foot of snow that greeted us.
The humans in our household just returned from a Christmas trip to Seattle. I'll post pics after I recover from our 10-hour trip back home (which included 4 hours at Sea-Tac, 2 hours sitting on the runway and an icy drive from DIA) and shoveling the foot of snow that greeted us.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Meme-of-the-Month
Tayari Jones (check out the best-dressed writer I know here) has tagged me for a fascinating meme. You post the first line of the first post for each month of 2007. Let's see what I was going on about this year.
January. I don't really make new year's resolutions.
February. Stay tuned for the Pajama Chat with Stephanie Rose Bird. (better late than never!)
March. Got cabin fever?
April. Hubby took this group of pictures today.
May. On April 24, my grandfather, William Oliver Melton, passed away.
June. "Boldfaced Lies," a self-published first novel by Charlene Porter has been nominated for a NAACP image award. (A Denver writer I've never met, btw.)
July. "Shakespeare, Maya Angelou and Nikki Giovanni just to name a few."
August. Happy Birthday Yuh Yuh! (my middle brother)
September. Last Labor Day I was in a completely different space physically and mentally.
October. I finished No Place Safe yesterday, turning the pages as quick as I could.
November. Extreme Cover Make-over
December. Snow Miser vs. Heat Miser.
I guess this shows a little of what this blog is about: books and family. Not one of the first lines was about gardening though.
So, on to tagging. I will tag: Ms. Peri, Iyan and Egusi Soup, Sage and Thyme, Judy Larsen, Sustenance Scout. Have fun!
January. I don't really make new year's resolutions.
February. Stay tuned for the Pajama Chat with Stephanie Rose Bird. (better late than never!)
March. Got cabin fever?
April. Hubby took this group of pictures today.
May. On April 24, my grandfather, William Oliver Melton, passed away.
June. "Boldfaced Lies," a self-published first novel by Charlene Porter has been nominated for a NAACP image award. (A Denver writer I've never met, btw.)
July. "Shakespeare, Maya Angelou and Nikki Giovanni just to name a few."
August. Happy Birthday Yuh Yuh! (my middle brother)
September. Last Labor Day I was in a completely different space physically and mentally.
October. I finished No Place Safe yesterday, turning the pages as quick as I could.
November. Extreme Cover Make-over
December. Snow Miser vs. Heat Miser.
I guess this shows a little of what this blog is about: books and family. Not one of the first lines was about gardening though.
So, on to tagging. I will tag: Ms. Peri, Iyan and Egusi Soup, Sage and Thyme, Judy Larsen, Sustenance Scout. Have fun!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
In the spirit
It's snowing here in Denver. Last night, Hubby and I packed up 6 fruitcakes to mail to family. Every year, my husband makes fruitcakes. It is a major production. Six pounds of fruit. A pound of butter. A pound of pecans. Fifteen eggs. Wine and brandy. I thought he and his brothers and father were the only ones on the planet who liked them, until I found out Grandmama LOVES fruitcake. So he started sending her one. Well, my father and brother heard about this most delicious fruitcake so now THEY get one every year. And it turns out our families aren't the only ones who adore fruitcake. There are the Fruitcake Sisters and the Fruitcake Anti-Defamation League (you have to scroll down). Who knew?
Anyway, between the snow and the fruitcake (which I enjoy from afar since it's loaded with sugar), I am definitely in the holiday spirit. So here's a little Christmas wish from the Pajama Gardener to you.
Anyway, between the snow and the fruitcake (which I enjoy from afar since it's loaded with sugar), I am definitely in the holiday spirit. So here's a little Christmas wish from the Pajama Gardener to you.
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