Well tomorrow is the official stuff yourself silly day. We got started early today at my house. Since the kids couldn't come on Thanksgiving proper this year, I prepared a "Thanksgiving Eve" turkey dinner with all the fattening trimmings and Laura made a pumpkin cheesecake and homemade bread. When Danny got home from work, Laura, her guy Paul, Danny and I sat down to feast with drooling dogs arranged on the floor around the dining room table. Afterwards, we groaned a whole lot. The dogs munched on leftovers. The only slightly weird thing was that I had to start decorating early for Christmas since I am having two parties in early December. So, we ate on a table set with turkey stuff next to a Christmas tree with a chandelier bedecked with cranberries over our heads.

On Thanksgiving day, after watching the Macy's parade, dog walking, and addressing Christmas cards (my TD tradition), Danny and I are going to our friends Cheri and Carl's house for yet another yummy feast with their family and our friends from California and their kids.

I have a lot to be thankful for this year. Wonderful friends, wonderful children and grandchildren,
wonderful Danny, good health, a paid off house, finishing another book, dogs to cuddle up with on cold nights, sunshine and blue skies, chocolate, and a nearby Ikea store.

God bless us every one.

this week in my world

Well boys n girls, Thanksgiving is almost here. The food in my fridge purchased for the day is already singing a drool song. We're celebrating a day early on Wednesday with Laura and her guy since he has to work two shifts on Thursday. Then on the official day, we are joining good friends for a feast with their families. Yummy fun!

Did you know that the first Thanksgiving Day celebrated on American soil was not at Plymouth in 1620 but in St. Augustine in 1565? Of course, the Spanish settlers probably did not have turkey! It was President Abraham Lincoln who declared it an official national holiday in 1863 and suggested a date of the 3rd Thursday in November. I don't know what Honest Abe ate that first official Thanksgiving either. Benjamin Franklin supposedly suggested the wild turkey as our official national bird in lieu of the eagle. Speaking of wild turkeys, they can fly. They actually fly well. Some folks think they can fly after consuming the bird's namesake brew. They do not fly well. Our domestic turkey birds, raised for food, are too heavy to fly. So very American. Fat and unfit.

Okay, enough Thanksgiving trivia. My book, Between The Lines, is done, title is live, and I have received my author's proof copy! I am proud of self. That's two books in two years. A short story collection and a poetry collection. Danny says, "Next one novel." I do have one in progress about a girl in 1960s West Virginia and her dog.

Tomorrow, Danny's mom and sister Robin come for their annual fall visit. We're taking them to the St Andrews Night Scottish celebration and dinner and to Festival of Trees at Orlando Museum of Art.

I spent the earlier part of the week reclaiming my original home office-- later home gym and turning it into an official 2nd guest room. I was determined that Robin would sleep in a real bed instead of a blow up one next to a weight machine. Since the existing guest room is very "Laura Ashley" girly I did the other room in more masculine New England sea motif using my real baby grandson Alex as my imaginary grown up boy resident inspiration. Okay, yeah, I did help with one Designer Show house too many fund raisers a couple years back and I do watch alot of HGTV. We put the home gym in the garage. Takes up half of the space. Since Danny is a former trainer, it is a very professional set up. I should use it more! Especially after Thanksgiving.

Don't tell, but I'm getting an itch to go to Ikea again. I haven't had an Ikea 'fix' in two weeks. I want to buy buy buy...and I want some more meatballs! It is my duty to do my part to keep the economy afloat. In a responsible Swedish socialist way of course.

I'm starting the Christmas decorating next week since I have two parties to do in early December. I can't wait to dig into the boxes (all 14 mostly large) and get started. Its interesting thinking that last year at this time Amy was still pregnant, baby Gavin wasnt born either, and Laura was separated but not yet divorced. We were still getting over the death of my mother and I had not yet sold her house or paid off mine. America was sliding into a recession but we still hoped to avoid it. We thought maybe Hillary would be President. So many changes.

Well, ta, I'm off to do...something...maybe I'll remember when I leave the room what it was!

Wow, this week has flown on mariposa wings. Don't you just love that word? Mariposa.The sound just rolls across the tongue. Means butterfly in Spanish. Danny had Veteran's Day off and we went to Sea World. Hoped to catch the Polar Express but it doesn't open until this week end. We consoled ourselves by having a really good dinner at Sharks Grill which overlooks the underwater section of the big shark encounter tanks. In case you are wondering, there is no shark on the menu, so the big guys are safe.

My new book is in print! I am expecting my author's advance copy any day and once I approve that, the first fifty copies will be shipped to me. Definitely in time for Christmas giving! Won't my family be thrilled, eh? Just what they've always wanted: a poetry book from me! Okay, quit laughing. I wrote this one, makes it special and its not like I won't be giving them stuff they really want, too. As soon as I get the publicity files, I will post the cover in all its glorious fall colors and it will be available in December on Amazon.com for your holiday gift giving. Don't forget to read Between The Lines. This message brought to you by unfamous live poet.

Only four doggies showed up for dog agility class last night, so Ginny got quite a workout. I got stung by a bee.

This week end we must finish the garage work! Danny's mom and sister come next week end and I want the 2nd guest room to be free of work out equipment with a real bed instead of a blow up bed in place. I'm getting excited about decorating for the holidays in two weeks. Wrote my annual Christmas letter and poem yesterday and am planning my two holiday parties already. Fun!!

Well, happy Friday. Tonight, we're off to Home Depot to keep the economy afloat for another wek end and get stuff for the garage. Then dinner at El Potro. Ole. Adios.

some new pictures

Bits n bytes:
We got to visit with Danny's "boys" Stephen and Brett, Stephen's young son Gavin, and Gavin's pretty mom Casey in Lakeland last week end. Also made progress in the garage clean out although I have two suspicious bites on me that might be from evil arachnids. Hoping they're just ant bites. Waiting anxiously for my book to be in print. Starting Chili on more Epilspsy medicine tomorrow. Today is Amy and Elias's second wedding anniversary. Happy Day!! Off to writing workshop. Cheers...

early november update

Hey y'all,

Well, the election is over (thank God). No more annoying robo calls and endless mailings full of
half truths and outright falsehoods. As you probably figured out, I wasn't an Obamite. I voted for McCain. But, now I believe that everyone should fully get behind President Elect Obama and give him a chance to...hopefully...succeed or even fail without any of that political partisan crappola.

I am sorry the dawgs lost so dramatically to Florida tho...not the first time a dog has been eaten by an alligator I guess. Even big dogs get eaten. Speaking of dogs...real ones that is...I fully approve of the new first family getting a puppy for their daughters. All kids should have a dog. It would be really nice and a good example if the Obamas would adopt a shelter dog. Plenty of full bred dogs as well as mixed breeds to choose from and saving a life is important.

Speaking again on dogs did you like the funny pictures of Ginny yawning? How bout them choppers! The other pictures are Alex and daddy on halloween and Auntie Laura, Uncle Paul and Alex the same night. Speaking of Laura and Paul, its going to be a baby girl!! Just what they wanted, too. So, look for baby Bailey Lynne Brown to appear around Easter bunny time.

One more news byte. My book edits are done, corrections approved, cover approved, book in production. With luck, Between The Lines will be available for your Christmas gift purchase. Buy it, make an author smile. More bout that later. Ta for now.