13 Goofs-One of Those Days
I’ve been sick for four days now. You know, sore throat, headache, sneezing, coughing… yeah. I stayed home from church and knitting on Sunday, stayed home from work on Monday, went in on Tuesday and gave up by noon, got up this morning and said: uh-uh. I tried to go back to bed, but I can’t breathe thru my nose.I have an entire colony of used kleenex that didn’t quite make it into the waste basket next to my bed. All that is bad, right? But it gets worse. Much worse.
Around 11:00 I decided I needed to go to the store. I needed Nyquil, I needed more kleenex. I needed juice and soup and raspberry sherbet. The store is just a mile. I made a list and when I got to the store I couldn’t find it in my purse. Dangit! Goof #1. Well, I didn’t need that much. I didn’t need a list. I had done my shopping and was back in the car when I realized that I had forgotten the Nyquil. Goof #2. Back in I went and bought Nyquil.
Got home and tried to open the grapefruit juice so I could have a glass of deliciously cool juice on my raw throat. No go. I was feeling so weak that I couldn’t open it. Finally, after great effort, I got it open. Oh, it said to shake well. I put the cap back on and shook well. Goof #3. Since the cap apparently wasn’t fastened tightly, grapefruit juice went everywhere. I wiped it up and drank a glass. Then I decided I better have a slug of Nyquil too. Naturally, that cap wouldn’t come off either. I got a steak knife out of the drawer to cut the childproof seal off and had to ask myself a minute later what was wrong with a butter knife? Goof #4. I might have avoided skewering myself with a butter knife.
Okay, Nyquil drunk (bad faces made by me and all three of the cats, who were suddenly not so interested in sharing every blessed thing that mommy ate or drank) and finger bandaged, I decided I should take a hot steamy bath to try to open my nasal passages. I turned the light on in the bathroom and no light appeared. Ridiculous. All four of the bulbs burnt out at one time? Not likely. I flipped the switch on and off a few more times with no change. Okay, I checked the breakers and flipped them back and forth a few more times. Goof #5. I thereby killed all the clocks and eletronic devices into flashing 12:00. I reset the alarm clock in the bedroom and left the rest. The bathroom lights still didn’t work. Okay, either there was a problem with the wiring or they were all burnt out. I didn’t have the exact bulbs needed, so I made do. I replaced two of the fancy bulbs with plain 40 watt bulbs. Still no light. I flipped the breakers back and forth again. Goof #6. Went to re-set the alarm clock. Decided to unscrew the rest of the fancy bulbs. Goof #7. Fancy bulb slipped from my fingers and crashed into a million shards all over the bathroom. The last thing I had was energy to clean up the bathroom. I thought about just laying down. But I didn’t want to wake up, stagger to the bathroom and skewer my feet on glass. (neatly avoiding Goof #8) I cleaned up by the light of a camping lantern. On the way out of the bthroom I flipped the light switch without really thinking about it. Light flooded the bathroom from the 2 forty watt bulbs. I hacked, swore, coughed and swore some more.
Ah, bath time. Except the tub was kind of grimy. I decided to clean it. Goof #9. That’s when I realized that the drain was clogged. Wheezing, I got out the draino and poured some down the drain. I have asthma which is instantly made 10 times worse by inhaling such fumes. I needed to blow my nose. that’s when I noticed Goof # 10. I had bought the flimsiest excuse for kleenex you can imagine. I didn’t even blow very hard, and all I had in my splattered hand with torn shreds of kleenex.
My Cold/flu/Whatever The Heck This Is has decided that I have had enough. I didn’t need a bath. I needed sleep, and the Nyquil looks like it might deliver. Wanna to know what Goofs #11-13 are? Me neither. I’m going to bed now, to struggle with my breathing and coughing, and pray to God that #11-13 never materialize.
Steampunk Costuming Updated
It’s almost done! All I have left to do is put the skirt fastenings on and make the hat. I will make a blouse sometime in the future. That will be more useful if I ever use this costume for spinning demos. For the time being I will wear a lacy white camisole. I almost ordered Victorian boots, but honestly, I’ve already spent a lot of money on this costume, and I have some T-strap low heeled punps I can wear instead. At any rate. I’m feeling pretty pleased with the results.
I will make the hat next weekend. If you’d like to see the step-by-step of this project, I have a photo log of this over on my facebook page.
Thursday 13- Things that Compete with my Writing Time
What would it be like to be able write whenever I wanted to? A friend of mine seemed surprised that I couldn’t write whenever I wanted to. After all, I’m single and I don’t have children. But there are things that keep me away from my Work in Progress, some that I could avoid with a little more self-discipline, and some that I cannot avoid. Do you have any of these issues?
1. The Day Job. I love to write, but I have a Monday to Friday job that pays the bills and rent and buys the groceries. And we’ve been on overtime since November, so I spend about 50 hours a week (including lunch times) at my desk at work. Not avoidable.
2. Cleaning and Laundry. I really ought to put more of my time into this, but i don’t. Sue me.
3. Knitting and attending knitting/spinning functions. This is something I love, so I don’t try to avoid it. Besides, it is my sanity savior, so I don’t want to cut it out.
4. Sewing. I actually don’t enjoy this, but I need to do it for my SCA stuff. Again, sanity saving.
5. SCA functions. Meetings, fight practices, events where I get to hang with friends. Again, the sanity thing.
6. Reading. I haven’t done this very much lately. Pity. I want to.
7. Zuma Blitz. One of those addictive games on Facebook. I probably should try to cut back on this. It is neither productive nor sanity saving.
8. Facebook in general. It’s good to keep in touch with friends, but a limit must be imposed.
9. Romance Divas. I LOVE this site, where other writers support each other and share. But I need to use my time wisely.
10. Twitter. I’m doing pretty well at managing my time there.
11. Church. I’m certainly not saying I need to cut back. Just mentioning that Sunday mornings are not a time for me to write.
12. Baseball. Watching, not playing. I’m a huge Minnesota Twins fan, and April is just around the corner. I can knit while watching the game, but not write.
13. The cats. I love them, but if Merry Miaow isn’t in my lap, Little Bit is. They seem direly offended that I have something in my lap other than one or both of them. I’ve tried to explain that the black thing accross my legs isn’t a special bed for them to sleep in. I don’t think they get it.
Cover Art For Wolf’s Glory is Here!
Here’s the cover art for After the Crash, Book 2: Wolf’s Glory. I fell in love with this the first time I saw it. The artist, Lyn Taylor, did an amazing job. I got word from my editor that she will send me my first round of edits for Wolf’s Glory over the weekend, so I’ve been working hard on Tracking Tami. I just wanted you all to get a sneak peek at Glory in all her gothy goodness 🙂
Steampunk Costume Attempt
Petticoat front
Petticoat back is fuller, for bustle
There’s a sci-fi/fantasy con in Moorhead in April and one of my friends is having a Steampunk themed hospitality room. So I’ve decided to sew myself an appropriate costume. I’ve ordered a corset and jacket from an online store. I won’t have time to sew everything by April 15. Hope they get here on time. Since I’m into historical costuming I decided to go with a Victorian outfit but since it’s fantasy anything goes, right? Anyway, yesterday I began the costume by making a petticoat out of white muslin with ribbon trim. I didn’t have a pattern (it’s a petticoat. 4 gores, a ruffle hem and a casing for an elastic waistband. How hard can it be?) so I measured my hips, divided that number by 4, measured myself waist-to-ankle, and laid out the fabric to cut 4 gores.
Then I sewed the gore sides together, made a casing for two rows of narrow elastic, sewed the black ribbon over the edge of the eyelet ruffle (can you believe how much that stuff costs?!!) and and sewed a couple red ribbon roses over the black ribbon.
I also picked up a black hat and I will be putting ribbon and a silk rose on the crown, and maybe some netting?
I wasn’t planning on spending a lot of money on this outfit, but between the jacket, corset, hat, fabric for the petticoat, blouse andskirt, I think I’ll be sinking around $200.00 into this project. I will have to go to every con I can find to get my money’s worth out of this outfit!
I’ll be posting as I go with pictures of the items I make.
13 Thursday-Costume Layers
Have you ever read a historical romance where the hero has his lady out of her clothes in about 3 seconds flat? How realistic is that? I can say from experience that getting dressed takes some serious time and effort. I expect getting undressed would take less time, but still a heck of a lot longer than a few seconds. Here is an example of what a noblewoman in England in the year 1540 might be wearing.
Layer 1: Chemise. shift. This is the layer closest to the skin, so it should be easily laundered (unless you’re high nobility, and then the chemise will be loaded with embroidery)
Layer 2: Farthingale/hoopskirt. In the 1500s this shape should be a cone, not a bell like in the 19th century
Layer 3: Corset. This was not intended to give an hour glass shape like in the mid-1900′s. Have you ever tried to edge your hand inside the top of a corset or had your hero do that to his lover? Not as easily done as you might think, depending on how tightly it is laced. This is an actual corset from the 16th century
Layer 4: Bumroll. To make the skirt stand out from the body and take some of the weight off the hips. A stuffed half-donut that tied around the hips
Layer 5: Kirtle (or petticoat and bodies). In hot weather or for casual dress (or the lower class), this could be worn alone.
Layer 6: Partlet. A neck covering for warmth and ostentation rather than modesty. Often plain black, but sometimes richly embroidered or lined with fur, edged with pearls or other small jewels. Later in the century it evolved into the back standing open ruff.
Layer 7: Forepart. A decorative panel of rich fabric that was pinned to the kirtle to show through the split in the over skirt. Often matched the lower sleeves. A woman with a couple of these could mix and match to extend her wardrobe. The black an dwhite photo is of an actual forepart rom the period.
Layer 8: Gown. Sometimes the gown was one piece. More often it was a skirt that hooked or tied onto the bodice edge.
Layer 9: Sleeves. In Tudor times, uppersleeves were stitched to the dress, but undersleeves were tied on underneath and could be changed to match the forepart.
Layer 10: Coife. A small linen cap to protect the heavier, more expensive headdress from oil in the hair.
Layer 11: Head dress. In Tudor Engand in 1545, this would have been a Gable Hood or a French Hood. These would have been ornate and decorated with pearls and gems.
Layer 12: Shoes and stockings. Stockings would have been made from fabric cut on the bias and sewn together. Knitted stockings were still another 20 or 30 years from being introduced. Shoes wereoften a Mary Jane style, with very square toes.
Layer 13: Jewelry. For the high nobility, this would have included necklaces, brooches, rings and girdles (belts made from strung pearls and jewels, or silk cords). But just about every garment was embellished with jewels, from the neck edges of the dresses, the edges of the split in the skirt, to the sleeve slashes. One of these coomplete outfits probably weighed a ton! Or at least 20 pounds.
I think the layers would have been similar in other times. The Georgians? Definitely. The Victorians? Oh, yeah. Maybe not the Regency period as much, but still layers.
So after reading this, how quickly could your hero get his heroine undressed?
Romance Trading Cards
Hey, all you romance readers, here’s something fun for you!
Romance Trading Cards are the freaking awesome idea of Jeannie Lin, Amanda Berry and some other authors. On the front of the card is an image of a book cover, and the back has somne info about the book or featured character. Who knows, these might be collectors items in the future. Do you know how much some rare baseball cards go for these days? Well, okay, maybe they won’t ever be that popular … But this is wicked cool. The idea is that authors will bring them along to conventions like Romantic Times and RWA, and other conferences for people to collect. I’ll have mine at Lori Foster’s Reader Writer Get Together. Kim Killion ofwww.hotdamndesigns.com did mine for me (since I’m so totally clueless when it comes to graphic art type things). Thank God for Kim and her talent.
I should be getting them in a few weeks or a month. If you would like one and are not going to Lori Foster’s get together, you can email me atmaddybarone@gmail.com and I’ll get one mailed out to you.
To see the ever growing list of authors who are involved with this and their cards, go towww.romancetradingcards.com
Isn’t this great?
13 Blooms of Spring (and Summer)
I don’t know about anyone else, but I Am Sick of Winter! I want spring! Green grass! Flowers!
I went to the doctor today for my semi annual kenalog shot. The purpose of this shot is to help me breathe. I have nasal polyps, and one of the results of that is that they make my nasal passages swell and block my airway. I also cannot smell anything. Mucus gets traps up there and I get terrible sinus headaches. My asthma reacts too. Luckily, kenalog is like a wonder drug for me. In a few days I’ll be breathing easier and in a few weeks I may be able to smell things too. So I’m already planning to cook my favorite foods. I can ‘t wait to smell coffee brewing, and cinnamon rolls baking, and homemade spaghetti sauce simmering. And I’m looking forward to the brightness of spring and the scent of spring flowers. Here are some that I will enjoy seeing and smelling:
1. lilacs. 
Such wonderful scent gets to be almost too much sometimes. But I’ll suffer through it. 
2. Tulips.
Not much scent, really, but so springy. I love a dozen of them on the table.
3. Daffodils. Again, not much scent, 
but so cheerful and bright.
4. Lily of the Valley. Possibly my favorite scented flower. 
These little bells are so elegant in the greenery, don’t you think?
5. Crocus. 
Often the first to poke up through the snow.
6. Johnny Jump Ups. 
Cute!
7. Cherry blossoms. I’ve never gone to the viewing in DC or Japan
but I’d like to someday. I wonder how they smell?
8. Queen’s Anne’s Lace.
Grows wild all over the place. *snicker* Poet I am not.
9. Apple Blossom. 
I think I remember that these have a light sweet scent
10. Snow drop. 
I’ve never actually seen a snow drop as far as I know. But a lot of people thing ‘spring” when they think of snow drops.
11. Cabbage Rose. Hot house roses are beautiful. 
But I really like the look of the old cabbages roses.
12. Peonies. I find their light fragrance delightful; their ants less so.
They remind me of the old fashioned roses.
13. Easter Lilies.
They have a heavy sweet perfume. Elegant.
What makes you think of spring? What are your favorite flowers?
13 Facts about March
It’s March! That means that here in North Dakota winter will be over in a month or so. Hooray!!! But March can be a treacherous month. Did you know that some of the worst weather on record occurred in March? Here are some random facts about March:
1. The word March is from the Roman god of war, Mars. March was the first month of the Roman year.
2. The Great Storm of March 12-13, 1993 affected 26 US states and much of eastern Canada. Syracuse NY had 43 inches of snow. Birmingham AL had 13 inches, Atlanta GA had 4 inches. Several NASCAR races had to be postponed for weeks.
3. On March 4, 1793 George Washington delivered the shortest inaugural speech ever, at just 135 words.
4. On March 15, 1941 the northern plains were hit especially hard by a blizzard. It was 20 degrees and sunny in the morning so folks went into town wearing their spring clothing, but by that evening over 150 people were dead in North Dakota.
5. In the US March is Women’s History Month.
6. In Japan, the spring equinox (around March 20-21) is a national holiday. I like that. It’s better than St Patrick’s Day.
7. On March 1, 1983 the low temperature in Quincy Missouri was -21 F. Yowza. That would be low even for North Dakota.
8. On March 22, 1457 the Gutenberg Bible became the first printed book.
9. On March 25 31 AD the first Easter is celebrated in recorded history.
10. On March 26, 2009 the previous record for flood level was broken in Fargo ND. It crested a week or so later at over a foot higher than the previous record.
11. On March 2, 1962 Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a basketball game. NO one has come even close since then.
12. In March of 1949 Newfoundland became Canada’s 10th province. (Not the Yukon)
13. The first St Patrick’s Day parade took place in New York City on March 17, 1762. That was before the Irish Potato Famine drove large numbers of Irish immigrants to New York.
Does any of this surprise you?
Far From Perfect by Portia da Costa
FAR FROM PERFECT – Portia Da Costa
Enduring passion, turbulent emotions, and an engagement of convenience…
Anna Felgate and Nick Lisitano shared a night of passion together four long years ago, and even though the sex was perfect, the emotional aftermath and the estrangement that followed were about as far from perfect as it’s possible to be. Both strong willed individualists, they’ve been keeping their distance ever since – even though they both secretly admit that they’re still hot for each other. But the best laid plans of estranged lovers never run smoothly, and a crisis in Nick’s family brings the two of them back together again. For the sake of his ailing father, Nick proposes a daring plan – a temporary engagement – and even though she knows she’s playing with fire and putting her heart in deep peril, Anna is compelled to agree to it.
Can these two former lovers pull off their deception without tearing each other apart in the process? And will they manage to resist their mutual desire and keep their hands off one another… or will they plunge headlong into an affair, perfect or otherwise?
