Out with the Old and In with the New!

I promised myself I would slow down this Christmas, not spend so much money, relax and enjoy the season, but I have found it was the usual race against time to get everything done I felt was important . On reflection, most of the things I thought were important were not, I had no need to spend quite as much money and it is hard to enjoy yourself when you are tired and run ragged. I think I am speaking for a lot of women as men do not seem to have this frantic need that women do.

Now that I have seen all my five boys, (grandsons) and watched them open their presents I can relax and prepare for the New Year. Not having to go to work every day has been a bonus as being on vacation at Christmas time is a new experience for me. Just before I left work last Thursday I pressed the send button with my letter of intent to HR. Gasp! Gasp! July 31st 2011 I will officially retire. I have talked of this for a long time but now that it is round the corner well...... I know I need to stop and smell the roses or coffee and do some of the things I have not had time to do, but to be on a permanent vacation......

2010 was a year of many changes around the world. The newspapers and online reports have lists of the good, the bad and the ugly. The publishing world is changing also as more and more people use Kindle or their phone app to get their fix of the latest best seller. I have not bought into this yet but may have to. It is always another avenue for Liz and I to explore when we are ready to start querying agents again.

On a positive note lots of good stories come to mind to end the year. Twins were born to a colleague on Dec 20th. Everyone is healthy and happy.
The weather here in my neck of the woods has been great. We appear to be in a sweet spot with snow all around us. I should bite my tongue!!.
My daughter Courtney’s health is on the mend and she has a new position she is excited about.
Leanne, my daughter in-law has been promoted to a position she really deserves.
Most of all, I am so grateful my family is safe and healthy is these uncertain times. I wish for all of you the same in 2011.
When I have a quiet dinner tonight with friends this Hognamey night I will raise my glass and wish you all a very Happy New Year. Thanks for sticking with us this past year.

Slainte,
Pam

One Down and One to Go

Amazingly, Christmas has now come and gone – and so quickly!  We rush forward to the day so much at times and then its here and gone.  Hopefully wherever you are, you’ve enjoyed good times with family and friends and have stayed safe and healthy.   My daughter and her boyfriend flew south to Cuba on December 24 so we had our family Christmas the night before. Lots of laughs and time to spend with family.  It’s always a joy to see the excitement on the young ones’ faces.  They now range in age from almost 8 to three and Santa anticipation is still alive and well.

Amid the debris of coloured paper and gift bags, were some amazing toys and goodies for them.  But the best form of entertainment ensued when it was discovered that some computer-cleaning gook in a plastic jar made lovely (indelicate) noises when shoved back into its container.  I’m not saying who encouraged this activity.  Oh yes I am..it was me!  Long live Leslie Nielson and his whoopee cushion!

 On duty to feed my daughter’s  cats and water her plants (I hope that’s the right order) for the next few days, I’ve just returned from making sure Cujo and Ginger are all set for the next 24 hours.  And no, that’s not the name of her plants. No doubt they will be glad to see her return New Year’s Day.

Pam managed to book these days between Christmas and New Year as the last of her 2010 vacation days, but yours truly will remain at my post and keep things under control.  At least we are closed until Wednesday, so to enjoy a 4 day break is a treat in itself.  And the more staff who are taking the time off, the less problems (theoretically) there should be.

Today I’m enjoying some down time with writing and laundry, but as the afternoon wears on, I suspect a nap will be on the agenda as well.  The perfect time to curl up with a book and doze off if that happens.  Currently I’m reading Dan Brown’s Digital Fortress and am nearly at the end.  Next on tap will be the latest Louise Penny instalment – Bury Your Dead - which I’m most anxious to start.  My plan tomorrow is to be working on Body Perfect as well.  Hence the blog and laundry today, so that tomorrow will hopefully be a clean slate.

2010 is fast winding down – what will 2011 bring us?  I didn’t get the crystal ball for Christmas so I have no answer, but really, I don’t think I’d want to know.  Sometimes ignorance is truly bliss.

So with one last holiday to go for the year, I wish you all a very Happy New Year – may your troubles be small, your successes recognized and above all – lets be kind to one another.

Cheers!

Liz

Another blast from the past!

I am on a roll. This is my week for Christmas/New Year cleaning. I know,I know, some of you do that all the time but I have never been accused of being a "housewife" or a domestic goddess. My mother always did the house from top to bottom the weeks before the New Year to clean out all the cobwebs. We could not have a mucky house, so we swept out the old and ushered in the new.

Now take Liz...... She has all her shopping done. And the baking is all in tins ready for consumption. I am sure she has polished the candlesticks and the tree and the house are decorated. Cards have been mailed and her grocery list is just waiting for her to use at the right time.

Now take Pam....... She has no shopping done. Who wants to bake when Cadbury's makes yummy chocolate shortbread and it is much better than mine. I have written some cards but whether anyone will receive them is another matter. It is a hit and miss affair. I prefer to call them New Year cards as that is when everyone will receive them.
The house is not decorated yet as the boxes I asked my husband to bring up from the basement have not appeared. My grocery list is still in the planning stages as one can't rush these things. I have scanned the ads for specials and looked at the discounted wine at the liquor store. You have to have your priorities straight!!

While I searched for the boxes in the basement I found another treasure. Well a treasure to me.

If you were wondering what the picture at the top of the page is all about, wonder no longer.
Does anyone remember going away suits????? No. It goes with the word trousseau. Oh, never heard of that one either. That is when brides would save up clothes for the honeymoon and a going away suit was for changing into after the wedding. Well, I found mine.CIRCA 1966. Imagine, Audrey Hepburn in an orange suit. ( or so I thought myself) Black patent pumps with a grograin bow and a small black patent pill box hat perched on her head. I never had my picture taken with that suit and I am having a hard time imagining myself with a 26inch waist but that is what it was.

Let me know if you are tired of my trip down memory lane. I am having fun with it but you are probably bored to death. I will see if I can dig out a few more treasures from the dark ages.

Liz just emailed to say she has finished chapter four of the ..we hope... final revision of Body Perfect. While I have been doodling around on here she has been working away. When the book is published she probably wants 60-40. Hmm we will see about that.

Talk soon,

Slainte,

Pam

isions

Christmas Thoughts

Well, we are but two weeks away from the big day and the momentum to get everything done is growing.

Kudos to the Leons Furniture company, for actually saying “Merry Christmas Canada” in its advertising. Its almost like a breath of fresh air to hear a major retail company utter those words which too often are seen as politically incorrect.  And another bright spot was the Eaton Centre in Toronto allowing the Salvation Army kettle stands to rings those wonderful bells once again.  They had been silent for several years because the sound was annoying!   Really -  guess it must have been drowning out the electronic bells of cash registers. 

Thursday morning saw me arrive at our local WalMart store for 8:30, Christmas shopping list in hand.  Ninety minutes later I was able to leave knowing that more than two thirds of my list was crossed off!  And no, I wasn’t playing hooky from work, but had the foresight to take Thursday and yesterday as my last remaining vacation days.  The goal was shopping (including groceries) and to get some baking done.  Two tick marks on my ‘to do’ list are now gratefully in place. Of course the wrapping is yet to be done, but that’s another story.  One or two more gifts are still required and hopefully those will be taken care of before Friday.

A white Christmas may materialize this year as well.  We have a light dusting on the ground right now, with more forecast over the next twenty four hours.  I haven’t checked the long range details yet to see if the temperatures will cooperate and let whatever snow falls over the next few days stay with us. 

Yesterday I glanced out the window in the kitchen and was tickled to see a living Christmas card.  It was lightly snowing, and the fence had a slight covering of snow. Perched atop it was a grey squirrel, industriously working to remove a candy cane from its wrapper.  He made short work of the cellophane and was soon nibbling at the candy.  A great picture, if only my camera had been handy.

Mall parking lots are crammed to their outer edges and must-have items are fast disappearing from retailer’s shelves. Stress levels rise as we remember yet another gift that hadn’t been thought about, or another social invitation is extended with obligations to attend.  Every year we seem to fall into the familiar routine of rush rush, spend spend, and arrive at Christmas Day exhausted – physically and monetarily!   And believe me, I’m no different than anyone else.  Our lives seem to go by at a dizzying pace as it is, and that just seems intensified at this time of year.

However, no advice will be given, because its all been heard before.  And do I pay attention to it?  You probably know the answer to that one!

I’ve promised myself tomorrow to spend some time with Body Perfect, because some momentum needs to be built for its completion.  Amid all the seasonal activities, I can’t lose sight of that!

Cheers!

Liz

The sweater on the left, taken this morning is the same one I wore in June 1965.
Must be some kind of record as it is good as new and no moth holes. A little bit tight around my pleasingly plump rump but other than that its good to go. Mohair is not to my liking now as it's a little scratchy.

I mentioned to Liz as she left work on Friday that I had enough agnst... It is used in English to describe an intense feeling of strife. to choke a horse or to at least write a decent blog.It was the week from hell and Friday was the worst. I am not multitasking as I used to and feel a little overwhelmed. I depend on Liz to bail me out of my techie problems. Very unfair of me as she has her own responsibilites. I must have asked her the same question three times!! One time I saw the steam coming out of her ears and as she percolated away she continued to help me out. It's great to have such a supportive friend and co-author.

One of the reasons for my strife...isn't that a lovely word.. is the fact that I must make the decision to retire next year and for some reason I have mixed feelings about it. I started working in March of 1961 so.....50 years should be enough. No?So what's my problem? You tell me. I will have plenty of time to write and not be quite so tired all the time. See my grandchildren when I want and maybe travel a bit. Maybe it is just thinking that another segment of my life is over. There was the growing up years with four siblings, then the early married years before the children came along. The next twenty or so bringing up the kids and I worked right through it all.

I think what brought this nostalgia and reminiscing about the past was a Christmas card I received from my Scottish friends, Glynis and Alistair. We have been friends since 1961 when Glynis and I worked together. She sent me a picture taken when I was nineteen, the year before I married. See above**

Before you get the impression that I must be a hoarder, that is not the case. I do have a few items that I have hung on to and that sweater is one of them. I looked up the makers name and a wonderful story and a life was in that sweater. The name was Bernat Klein, a wonderful textile designer from Serbia(formely Yugoslavia) who settled in Scotland. He is in his 80's now but was renowned for his Haute Couture designs in the 60's. Who knew I had a Haute Couture sweater in my closet!! Maybe there is a Bernat Klein museum and I can donate it.

Liz was so correct in her last blog about the eating and spending . Especially the eating. I have four lunches this week and numerous buffets will be spread out in the centre. As I walk through numerous times a day I will do my best not to graze. Spread out is the operative word. As for the spending...... Do you think if I told the kids and grandkids that granma is going on a pension, I will now be a senior.......that will make a difference. Of course, then I won't have the pleasure of hunting down the must have gift or seeing the joy of the wee ones opening their presents.

There.... I have said it. Pensioner.. senior. Must look on the positive side and make a list of all the benifits.. If you know of any let me know. Must be hundreds!!!!

The writing has slowed down but will be in high gear come January. A calendar and a plan is in the making.

Supposed to snow today but nothing so far. Hope it clears up by morning as this senior to be does not like driving on slippery roads.

Talk soon,

Slainte,
Pam

December is Arriving....

…and so is the eating and the buying and the eating and the socializing.  Did I mention the eating?

I’m just home from a  very nice get together with two long time girlfriends; this was our annual Christmas dinner.  We get together every couple of months, but always ensure we see each other for a good meal just before Christmas.  This time we agreed to abstain from buying gifts and instead just enjoy each other’s company.  We chose Moxie’s as our restaurant and the food was quite good.  I was smart and just stuck to a salad..good choice because it was quite filling!

But, oh the eating!  Today we had a pizza lunch to celebrate some team birthdays; next week will be our team Christmas luncheon and then the following week yet another big lunch for our whole centre.  Then we have the always available candies and treats, of which I am a guilty party.  So what’s my point?   We eat too much!  And then we sit at our desks and in our cars for most of the day.  Anyone see a problem with this?   I haven’t even mentioned the family get togethers over the holidays!  Even as I write this I have a container of chocolate covered almonds at the ready.   I think enough is enough and a change, for myself, needs to be implemented.

Well enough of that topic for now. Also on my list is trying to do something about my procrastination.

November is leaving us on  a wet and dreary note.  We had a brief taste of winter over the weekend, and flurries are in the forecast for tomorrow.  Although I’m not a winter person, I do like to see a good covering of the white stuff for the Christmas season..but after that…be gone!  My apologies to those who love to ski and snowmobile.  I’ll take a compromise if it could be arranged that it snows everywhere but on the roads.  Sounds reasonable, don’t you think?  Well I suppose the weather will be what it will be and we just have to adapt.

And so tomorrow is the first of December and the end of 2010 won’t be far behind.  A time for resolutions perhaps (see above re the eating),  and wondering what 2011 will bring.  I’m sure there will be more contemplation on that the closer we get to New Year’s Eve.

And on top of everything else, all the holiday activities cut into quality writing time!  And you thought I wasn’t going to even mention anything Jamie Tremain related.  Pam and I talked this morning about how difficult it seems to be of late, and how when the New Year starts we must  make a concerted effort to get into a productive routine.  So now  the implied commitment is here in writing for all to see and any motivation or encouragement from our followers would be greatly appreciated!

This has been a bit of a ramble..no apologies.  Now that my dinner has digested somewhat, I think I can say goodnight and

Cheers!

Liz

FOG VS MIST

I promised not to write about the weather again but it is impossible not to mention. The weather affects my life in so many ways. My moods, what I am going to wear and even what direction I am going for any given day. Let me explain....

Friday night and I was looking forward to an evening with my girlfriends. Changed out of work clothes and glammed up a bit. Nothing fancy. Ignoring the warning.... "It's bad out there" from the resident pessimist I drove off. I had only gone about 400 yards when I realized it was not my implanted cataracts failing me but white tendrils of thick as pea soup FOG. I am terrified of fog. I had heard the weather forcasts but was thinking maybe heavy mist, but no, this was the stuff where you can't see 10 feet in front of you and only see traffic lights when you arrive at them. I made it to my left hand turn onto the main hwy and proceeded to travel at a snails pace. Needless to say lots of cars whizzed by on either side of me.

Usually an optimist and sometimes foolhardy, I decided to head for home instead of 30minutes of nerve wracking, nail biting tension. It took another 20 minutes to find my way but was very glad to make it home. I heard later that I missed a lovely evening. How did they all make it? Must be no fog in their part of the world.

Saturday fared a little better. A planned day in Guelph revising with Liz. It started off with more fog. I dropped my husband off at the local College where he takes an Art class.He was full of dire warnings about the weather. I told you I was foolhardy. It was daylight so...... Well, it took 25 minutes to drive to the 401 hwy that usually takes ten minutes. I could not see to turn around so I decided to go on the hwy and come off at the next exit and try to head for home.

Halleluia, as I drove onto the 401 the sun broke through and no more fog. The rest of the journey was bathed in sunlight and blue skies. Not much traffic.. (they all stayed home because of the fog no doubt). I made good time and arrived at ten when I said I would.

Lovely day in Guelph and very productive. We worked steady for nearly six hours with a break for a lovely omlette lunch. We managed to revise another three chapters and were really on a roll. Cutting and adding and rearranging a few details and when we finished we were well pleased. Liz has her work cut out for her with the rewrite while I will continue with a different synopsis adding a few more details.

We have not given ourselves a deadline but if we can get together every few weeks we can make better progress.

My reading these last few weeks has been mainly magazines such as "The Writer" and "Poets and Writers" looking for contests that we could enter. Lots out there so I will follow up with those. Hope to pick up a couple of books this week. Mary Jane Maffini , a delighful and funny lady I met at Bloody Words is very prolific and has three series in print. Fiona Silk, Camilla MacPhee and Charlotte Adams. Check her website http://www.maryjanemaffini.ca/ for more details.
Another is R.J.Harlick http://www.rjharlick.ca/index.htm with her Meg Harris mysteries. R.J's latest is "Artic Blue Death" and she has a new one in the spring of 2011 called "A Green Place for Dying" Check them out.

Busy week ahead at work but plan on writing at least two or three evenings.
Weather today is typical November weather. Dreich as they say in Scotland. It says it all but as long as there is no fog I will take dreich any day.

Talk soon,
Slainte,
Pam

True Crime

Phew!  I’ve just finished reading “True Crime” by Andrew Klavan and I can’t remember the last time I read a book with such a mixture of dread and anticipation as the ending drew near.  As one of the reviewers stated…”a harrowing portrait of a killer’s final hours.”.   If you’re familiar with Dead Man Walking you’ll get my drift.  I don’t want to give away the ending, but if you enjoy a book that keeps you riveted this is a story for you.   At more than one point in the story I debated whether to just stop reading it because I didn’t want to face the outcome.  However my sense of “obligation” to finish reading what I started won out, and with a sense of relief I can now put it to rest! 

And now for something completely different!

Thursday marks Remembrance Day; a day which I hold in very high esteem. War is always such a huge tragedy on so many fronts (no pun intended) and affecting so many lives. We who are privileged to live in this amazing country of Canada owe a tremendous debt to those of our veterans who sacrificed so much in order for us to enjoy the freedoms we have today.  Please wear a poppy and take some time on November 11 to reflect upon the meaning of Remembrance Day.  How very different our lives might be today if the outcome of past conflicts had gone another route.

November, so far, has provided some glorious autumn days.  Rather than the gloom and dampness so typical of this time of year, one could almost  imagine its Spring on the way and not old man Winter.

Pam and I are hoping for another day of writing this coming Saturday, although she has been fighting a miserable cold this week and I’m getting over a cough.  So we’ll see.

The new addition to the household, Winston, had discovered its much easier to pee in the bathtub than head down two flights of stairs to the basement where he should be going! Hopefully once he is neutered later this month this new habit will be curtailed.  Still it could be worse I suppose, at least it’s the tub and not one of the new dining room chairs.

Well that’s about all the thoughts I have for today…so from True Crime to almost bedtime….I’ll just say

Cheers!

Liz

Halloween

Halloween

Tis that time of year once again, and while I’m not a fan of the occasion, I like seeing the small children (under the age of 10) get excited about their costumes and forthcoming treats to anticipate.  Too often though the night is used as an excuse for those with too much time on their hands to be destructive and downright mean.  This evening will find me once again behind darkened windows waiting for the event to be done.  And hoping that my vulnerable car will survive unscathed.

I was able to enjoy an unexpected sleep-over with 2 of my grandsons last night so that their parents could attend a costume party.  Before they left I was able to provide them with some early candy treats as I won’t be seeing them dressed up this evening.

Every year at work it seems that people get more and more creative with the decorating theme of Halloween; it certainly has become a huge commercial venture.  The team where Pam and I work  did a spook-tacular  job of decorating, even winning the Best Decorated department contest held on Friday.  Personally I’m much more looking forward to decorating for Christmas!

A few rebel snow flurries made their appearance this morning, and the furnace is getting more of a workout as the days grow shorter and colder.  November has never been a favourite month.  Its an in-between time,  with naked tree branches scratching against  leaden skies, and often rainy, dreary days fill in the time before a blanket of white makes things seem fresh and clean once again.

Weekend chores are done, so now I hope to turn to some more Body Perfect revising.   We revamped the opening pages of the story and will revise the opening excerpt here on the blog shortly.

I see a pot of tea and shortbread cookies have arrived – a lovely treat to enjoy on a Sunday afternoon, whether its Halloween or not.

Cheers!

Liz

Back to the First Five Pages!

I decided to skip the IFOA at Harbour Front ( International Festival of Authors)this year as Liz and I needed to concentrate on our own writing. I usually go religiously to see my favourites, i.e. Louise Penny, Giles Blunt and Peter Robinson to name but a few excellent mystery/crime writers, especially since this genre is getting more and more exposure. Maybe next year.

Instead I arrived in Guelph to spend the day with Liz. I was greeted by two enormous cats, one middle size and later by the new kitten. I am not particulary a cat lover so we said hullo and left it at that. Settling with a pot of tea we made good progress over the next six hours with just a stop for a lovely lunch.

It was like starting all over again as we were on page one and made quite a few revisions at the beginning. After a while it started to flow, taking some words out here and adding others. We managed three chapters and I left it in Liz's capable hands to do the revisions on Word. (She types faster than me). It was fun acting it out and putting yourself in the place of the characters. We will be watching for the domino effect. When we meet again in two weeks time we will accelerate the rest of the revisions and work on the ending chapter that may or may not need some changes. After that there will be a polishing read through and then we can start sending out queries.

We can't do a blog without mentioning the weather and I enjoyed the drive to Liz's home yesterday. After a frost and much rain recently all the trees are in their glory. I have a Linden tree outside my office window and it is all yellow and gold. Beautiful! I know... along with all this it is dark in the mornings and will soon be dark on the way home from work as well. Time for the fireplace and cosy undershirts.

Only nine weeks until Christmas!! Oops, sorry, we have Halloween first.

Okay, time for the fire and a read of Louise Penny's latest in the Armand Gamache series. "Bury your Dead" . http://louisepenny.blogspot.com/
I am in the home stretch and have to get back to it. Not going to tell you a thing about it but just to say it's her best yet. Go buy it!

Just read John Moss's blog, http://johnmossmysteryblog.blogspot about the Thousand Islands Writers Festival he just attended. Might check that out for next year. Read his Quinn & Morgan mystery series. R.J. Harlick was also there. I like her Meg Harris series. http://rjharlick.blogspot.com/

Talk soon,
Slainte,
Pam

October - And the Frost is on the Pumpkins

How did it get to be the middle of October already?  Is there someone I can complain to about time speeding by?

And this comes as a week off work draws to a close.  Beautiful weather for the most part, chilly and frost heavy mornings leading to pleasant afternoons.  The evenings draw dark so much earlier now and when I struggle to awake on a darkened morning I can endorse the ancestors’ view of sleeping when it is dark and working in the light!  At times that sounds mighty civilized to me.

The First draft of Body Perfect is basically done.  The last chapter has now revealed gaps  made apparent with some recent changes made along the way.  Pam and I have tentatively booked a Saturday to see how much revising Draft One will need.  I’d like to be optimistic and say none, but realistically I’m pretty sure that won’t be the case. However it will be good to start from page one and see how the story, and characters, have grown.

A new member of the family  has been welcomed into the household since I last wrote – Winston is a 10 week old rescue kitten.  Really, it was only a stop for cat food at PetSmart!

His cage labelled him as being very shy and needing time to get used to humans.  He had been there about 3 weeks along with his brother, whom he hid behind until he was adopted.  Shy he is, but he is making progress and likes to sleep next to me.  The challenge is getting him to the vet for a checkup.  Yesterday’s appointment came and went as he wouldn’t cooperate with being rounded up and put in the pet carrier.  Can’t imagine why not!  So another appointment is booked for two hours from now; needless to say the first opportunity presented to catch him will not be wasted!

And some kudos to the Brick Furniture company as well are in order.  Recently a dining set was ordered – table and 6 chairs, all needing assembly.  The chairs were fine, but when the table was unpacked a good sized gouge was discovered along the table top edge.  Dreading to make a call to complain (after recent battles with Bell Canada) I spoke to a representative.  No hesitation on replacement, and I was even told that I could go ahead and finish assembling the table and use it until the replacement arrived.  They would even deliver straight to the house; normally items are delivered to the local outlet and customers go and pick up their purchases to take home.   The replacement arrived when promised and the driver even took the time to assemble it!    I’m still waiting on a dresser to arrive, and once that’s here and set up, I intend to let the Brick know that they do have a very happy customer.  So easy to complain, and easy to not bother commenting when something does go right.

So aside from an oil change, and installation of snow tires on my vehicle, it hasn’t been a very exciting week off work.  But it has been a rest from work and that is the main purpose I suppose.  Managed to finish reading Linwood Barclay’s “Never Look Away”.  Wow…what a thriller, so many twists and turns.  I hated putting it down and stayed awake till midnight last night to finish.  Excellent story and keeps you turning the pages!

Well kitten catching time approaches, and as the sun rises higher the frost is melting away.  I’m thinking it’s time to find the ice scraper for the car before Monday arrives.

Have a great weekend.

Cheers!

Liz