Dead Dog Walking

September 2, 2010 in Uncategorized | No comments

It’s lucky for Joe that winter is coming on. If Charlie catching him wallowing in the hosta bed again, he might not make it, at that.

Joe’s given name is Jolteon, a Pokemon character. I can’t say I see the resemblance, but I didn’t know him as a puppy. When he was a puppy, I mean, not when I was a puppy. Not that I was ever a puppy. I mean, I didn’t know Joe when he–Joe–was a puppy.

See the resemblance? Me neither.

Here is a song I posted earlier on my defunct blog. Sadly, it is still relevant.

Ballad of a Doomed Dog
by Marian Allen

Hang down your head, you Joe-dog,
Hang down your head and whine.
Hang down your head, you Joe-dog,
Poor dog, your butt is mine.

Caught him in the garden
Mashing down the plants
If he’d been wearing trousers,
I’d-a kicked him in the pants.

(Chorus)

Lily-of-the-Valley,
Hosta, moss and fern–
Joe will nap upon them.
–Dog, you’re a-gonna burn.

(Chorus)

Every time I catch him,
He slopes off with looks of shame
Says, “If it’s a plant bed,
What have I done to blame?”

Hang down your head, you Joe-dog,
Hang down your head and whine.
Hang down your head, you Joe-dog,
Poor dog, your butt is mine.

When the winter comes, the hostas will be gone, and Joe may live to see another season.

In other news, Mom and I watched GASLIGHT with Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer last night. I mean, last night, Mom and I watched GASLIGHT starring Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer. Chilling and wonderful.

WRITING PROMPT: Watch GASLIGHT. How do you know Gregory is a stinker from the first, even before the letter?

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September Update

September 1, 2010 in Food | 1 comment

It’s the first of the month, so I’ve posted a new Hot Flash.

I’m coming up on my blog book tour for EEL’S REVERENCE, so I’ve posted the schedule. And don’t forget the contest, which is running RIGHT NOW through September 26, 2010.

And, since Wednesday is food day here at the blog, here is a recipe for one of my faves. I’ve made it before, and it’s really REALLY good. It comes from Joe Barkson, The Chef of World Wide Recipes:

Curried Potatoes and Peas (Alu Mattar)

1/4 cup (60 ml) ghee (see recipe below)
1 Tbs (15 ml) finely chopped fresh ginger
1 Tbs (15 ml) finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup (125 ml) finely chopped onion or shallots
Salt to taste
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cumin
1/2 tsp (2 ml) turmeric
1/4 tsp (1 ml) cayenne pepper, or to taste
3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
2 10-ounce (280 g each) packages frozen green peas
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) cubes
1 cup (250 ml) water
3 Tbs (45 ml) finely chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)
1/2 tsp (2 ml) garam masala (see recipe below)

Heat the ghee in a heavy pot over moderate heat until it is very hot.
Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the onion and
salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and golden
brown, about 8 minutes.  Stir in the cumin, turmeric, and cayenne,
followed by the tomatoes.  Cook, stirring frequently, until most of
the liquid has evaporated and the mixture forms a thick paste, about 5
minutes.  Add the peas and tomatoes and stir to coat them with the
tomato mixture.  Stir in the water and bring to a boil, stirring
frequently.  Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 10 minutes, until
the potatoes are tender.  Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and garam
masala and serve immediately.  Serves 4 to 6.

WRITING PROMPT: Does your main character like any foods foreign to his/her culture? Cook any?

MA

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Fatal Foodie Tuesday

August 31, 2010 in Food | No comments

I’m posting today at Fatal Foodies on DIY Pizza and Plot. Pop on over and see something of how my mind works….

WRITING PROMPT: What does your main character cook when he/she MUST make something to eat but doesn’t feel like doing anything elaborate?

MA

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The Return of Laura Bickle

August 30, 2010 in Guest Posters, Writing | No comments

In May, Laura Bickle appeared at my now-defunct blog to talk about writing and to promote her urban fantasy novels, particularly EMBERS and SPARKS. I read EMBERS and loved it, and I scored a copy of SPARKS this weekend and have irritated my TBR pile by putting the new book on top.

I met Laura again this weekend at Context and asked if she minded if I reprinted the interview here. She said it would be fine, so here it is:

My guest today is Laura Bickle who, if I were prone to puns, I would call a hot new author. I never make puns, though, so I won’t say that. Laura has written you a post called

Writing Life – Taming the Day Job

By Laura Bickle

Most creative folks have a love-hate relationship with their “Day Jobs.” These are the jobs that pay the bills, the jobs that soak up the majority of our waking hours. Our writing gets squeezed into whatever scraps of time that are left, minutes that are stolen from sleep and personal lives.

The Day Job is a shadow. A necessary evil. A time suck. I freely admit to having an adversarial relationship with my day job. I inwardly grumble about all the writing that I could get done if I weren’t chained to the desk or the phone. I know that wouldn’t happen in reality, though. If I didn’t have the day job, I’d be spending all my free time trying to get another and worrying about money. If I didn’t have one, there would be absolutely NO writing happening at all – I’d be a ball of frazzled energy.

But my Surly Muse still gets cranky. She feels as if she’s stuck in the shadow the Day Job casts, relegated to second fiddle. The Day Job runs the show, and she gets the leftovers.

But I’ve been trying to reframe the Day Job, to view it not as the enemy, but as sustenance. As food for the Surly Muse. They’re small efforts, but I’m trying not to let my Surly Muse get lost in the hustle-bustle of the Day Job’s inflexible routine:

-Once a week, I make sure to buy my Surly Muse something pretty, a journal or a pen or a book about writing. My Surly Muse is a little shallow. She likes shiny things, and I can tell her that it’s an offering from the Day Job. That seems to placate her a bit.

-I’ve made a space in my home for writing, a shrine to the Surly Muse. It’s a desk in the corner of a guest room, a real space for writing with candles, computer, clippings, and images that inspire me. Every so often, I pick a flower from the garden and put it in a vase there. It’s a small thing, but creating physical space for writing has really resulted in more writing for me. It’s probably the guilt that I experience when I walk past the desk. I can feel my Surly Muse tugging at my sleeve when I walk by.

-I decided that some things just weren’t as important as I thought. I was habitually putting a number of petty domestic chores ahead of my Surly Muse. Like organizing my closets. I don’t know how having my shoes lined up became more important than putting pen to paper, but I’ve got to learn to loosen my standards and let go of things that really don’t matter. Cleaning out the fridge can wait another day (as long as there isn’t a science project on the verge of developing sentience).

-Making a date with my Surly Muse. My Surly Muse likes to be fussed over. We have a standing date after dinner for an hour a day. After the dishes are cleared and laundry’s in the washer, I take a hot bath and think about the next scene I’m going to write. I try to let go of all the job worries for tomorrow morning. When I’m all warm and woozy, I retreat to my desk, light a candle, and start tapping out the words.

They’re small things, really. But they convince my Surly Muse that she’s every bit as important as the Day Job.

How do you keep your Day Job caged?

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Laura Bickle has worked in the unholy trinity of politics, criminology, and technology for several years. She and her chief muse live in the Midwest, owned by four mostly-reformed feral cats. EMBERS, her debut novel, is first in an exciting new urban fantasy series that continues with her forthcoming second novel, SPARKS. More information on her work can be found at www.salamanderstales.com.

Laura also writes as Alayna Williams. Alayna’s “debut” will be DARK ORACLE, Pocket Juno’s June 2010 release. More information on the Oracle series can be found at www.alaynawilliams.com.

WRITING PROMPT: Just answer Laura’s question.

MA

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Restaurant Review, Lotus Grill

August 28, 2010 in Food | No comments

So the Lotus Grill, across the street from the con hotel, donated some food to the con suite. We missed it, but they cleverly left some menus. We walked across the street and had a nice sit-down meal.

The restaurant was clean and pretty, not over-decorated. They had hot tea but only paper or Styrofoam cups. I was like, “I wish I could have a real cup. I don’t like drinking out of paper or Styrofoam.” So the man said, “You can drink out of a bowl. You want to drink your tea out of a bowl?” I said, “Yeah!” So there was a fairly active discussion in another language with somebody in the kitchen, who came out and gave me the eye, but I got my bowl of tea. Bud Blossom would not have been as nice, I can tell you–not unless he was in a particularly good mood, or really liked you, or meant to be sarcastic.

I ordered vegetable Double-Fried Noodles, which I have never had, and it was the most divinely delicious food imaginable! I’m all about noodles, anyway, and this was sheer heaven. We don’t have a microwave in our room, so we couldn’t bring back leftovers, so I had to stuff it all down–oh darn.

If you’re ever in Columbus, Ohio, look for the DoubleTree hotel and then look across the street for the Lotus Grill.

Oh, and it’s cheap, too.

WRITING PROMPT: Does your main character have any particular opinion of paper or Styrofoam or plastic?

MA

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Chianti–Splogging and Sipping

August 28, 2010 in Food, Sparks o' Joy | 1 comment

Okay, I’m at Context and we had a long drive and an exciting evening because WE’RE AT CONTEXT! So we finally had to retire to the room and unwind with a bottle of Chianti. And it’s a new day, so I feel compelled to post, but nothing has happened yet, so I don’t have anything to say.

Oh–except I had a cool dream. I dreamed Sara and I were in the car at this convience/gas place in Lanesville–Southern Harrison Countians, you know the place–and a guy in a white pickup truck kept calling to Sara, “Hey, girlie! Come over here and mumble-mumble!” And I said, “Sara, go in the store and tell your grandmother to call the cops.” But as soon as she got out of the car, two guys jumped out of the truck and grabbed her. And I got out of the car, and she and I kicked their butts and the people in the store had to call the cops to bring an ambulance for them.

So anyway, I don’t have anything to say today, so I’m plagarizing my own old blog and posting my Song for Chianti.

SONG FOR CHIANTI

The best of all wines is Chianti,
A wonderful, wonderful drink.
Dry sherry’s all right for your auntie–
Chianti is better, I think.
Red wine is a cure for what ails you
(Except that it makes my head ache).
Chianti might try, but it fails to
So that is the drink that I take.
Oh, I love Chianti
It tastes like the Tuscany sun.
Chianti, Chianti,
Deli-ci-ous bottles of fun!

WRITING PROMPT: Does your main character have a beveredge he/she drinks to relax? What, why or why not?

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Steampunk Is in the Eye of the Beholder

August 27, 2010 in Grab bag, Sparks o' Joy | 2 comments

I did one of my favorite things the other day–went with my husband to a home supply store. He was buying paint and fluorescent light bulbs, since you ask. I just love looking at the paint samples and the little booklets that put different paints together for a “look”. It reminds me of coloring, and you know how I love to color. I also love wandering around, looking at the fancy doors and light fixtures and cabinets and toilets and kitchen counters and doorknobs and stuff. There was this one light that looked like a headless fish with its intestines dangling down. I snapped a picture, but the light wasn’t good for that, so it didn’t come out. There was another one that looked like Madonna. Well, part of Madonna. You know what I mean. She probably gets royalties every time they sell one.

But this was the payoff for this particular trip. I came around a corner, and there were all these brass-tone fixtures, and I was like, “OMG! Steampunk!” Again, the lighting wasn’t great for photography, so I’ve futzed with it a little and that’s why it maybe looks kind of overheated. My husband was like, “What are you taking a picture of bathroom fixtures for?” I said, “Steampunk!” He gave me an odd look, but he let it pass. Upon reflection, I wonder if he thought I was saying, “Steam, punk!” in reference to hot running water or something. This is, after all, the man who thought the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were the Teenage Mute and Injured Turtles for over a year.

And speaking of Steampunk, last summer, when we went to the concert on the river in Jeffersonville, this fake steam fake paddlewheeler came by and I snapped a picture of it.

Well, I’m setting this up to post tomorrow. By the time you read it, I may be on my way, or I may still be running around in circles going, “Where’s my pills? Where’s my books? Where’s my car? –No, thanks, I know where my Chianti is….”

Have fun. I intend to.

WRITING PROMPT: Go to a home supply store or section of a department store and think about what kind of character would use this or that.

MA

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Heading to Context

August 26, 2010 in Uncategorized | 3 comments

I’ll be heading out tomorrow for Context science fiction convention. At the last con I attended, we were expected to pay for internet access. If you know me, you know that this meant I didn’t have internet access. So I may be offline this weekend. I hope I don’t go into blog withdrawal.

So today, I have to get everything together to take:

  • clothes (don’t laugh–I once went off without my suitcase and had to buy a change of raiment with my food money)
  • books to sell
  • promotional items–business cards, excerpt sheets, posters
  • sleep apnea machine
  • food
  • chianti

I’m baking bread, and I’m getting either pre-cooked chicken or un-cooked chicken to smoke. I’m getting sharp cheddar cheese and apricot preserves, which are AWESOME mixed and made into a sammich. Probably taking some peanut butter. There will be food in the con suite, but one never knows if one will be in the con suite at the same time the food is.

I’ll try to pop in tomorrow for Grab Bag day. After that–the CON!

WRITING PROMPT: If your main character went to a convention what would he/she take?

MA

p.s. My whole life, I’ve been saying “rainment” when I meant “clothing”. Now, Mr. Spellcheck teaches me the word is “raiment”. You live, you learn. I guess rainment is what you wear in wet weather.

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Shakespeare’s Concession Stand

August 25, 2010 in Food | No comments

This is a column I did June 15, 2009 for World Wide Recipes. The fabulous Karlis Streips is the current editor of the Culinary Chronicles, and an excellent job he does, too!

———-

Is this a hot dog I see before me, its mustard on my hand? I just learned something new, which isn’t really surprising, considering the vast quantity of things I don’t know. Back in the day–yes, children, even before Granny Marian was born–innkeepers allowed traveling shows to set up in their inn-yards in hopes that the shows would draw crowds. The crowds would get hungry and thirsty and there they would be, hungry and thirsty and in the yard of a convenient inn which was more than happy to serve their needs. Some inns would even build tiered galleries, so more people could fit in. Some inns had such frequent entertainment, people forgot they were inns at all, and considered them playhouses that sold refreshment. When open-air theaters were built, they were built along those lines–in the shape and style of inn-yards without the inns. They still sold refreshment, though. Common theater foods in Shakespeare’s time were apples and pears, nuts and oranges–all equally good for throwing at bad actors or for eating–and gingerbread. Drink was usually water or beer or ale. The next time I go to the movies and start to complain that it’s gotten to where the concessions earn as much as the show, or watch tv and reflect that the commercials matter more than the program, I’ll remember that it hasn’t gotten to that point, it’s still at that point. Tradition!

——–

DRESSED FRUIT SALAD

  • apples, diced
  • pears, diced
  • nuts, chopped
  • orange marmalade

Mix fruit and nuts. Warm marmalade or other preserves and stir into fruit/nut mixture. Serve cold or at room temperature. If desired, warm salad and sprinkle with goat cheese.

WRITING PROMPT: Write a character who was pretty good at a job but is superseded by someone who turns out to be better. Is the character bitter? Relieved? Does the character try to undermine the replacement, support him/her, try to ignore it?

MA

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Busy Tuesday

August 24, 2010 in Uncategorized | 1 comment

Posting today at Fatal Foodies about Fair food and about blogging at The Write Type.

WRITING PROMPT: A character goes to the fair and meets a blogger he/she hates or is a great fan of.

MA

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