Friday Snippet (#4)

TT was fun, but I'm tired and I want to go to bed. So in the interest of me not having to run around like a headless chicken tomorrow morning (despite the fact that its Friday and I get to wear jeans to work-Yeah) I am posting my snippet now. I'll take care of the linky thingy tomorrow. This is a continuation of the previouse Friday Snippets, which can be found here: #1, #2, and #3.
I need to get some work done over the weekend, so I probably won't post anything until Monday, so have a good weekend.

“Gracie?”

Laura’s voice woke me quickly, not usually the way I wake up in the mornings, but then again how often do your professors, or even former professors, come into your room to wake you up?

“Can you wake up for a minute?”

Opening one eye, I could almost see her face as she bent over me; just enough to see that she didn’t look worried.

“John is making breakfast for you both. He’s going to be bringing it up in a few minutes; I’ve grabbed a couple t-shirts for you both. Do you think you could get Caitlin awake and dressed? He wants to make sure she’s okay.”

“Yeah.” I yawned and stretched, rubbing my eyes before putting on the glasses she handed me. “Give me a couple minutes and we’ll be up and dressed when he gets up here.”

“Thanks.” Laura smiled at me before heading back downstairs to the kitchen.

“Caitlin, sweetie,” I whispered. “How do you feel?”

“Mmmm,” the sleepy girl beside me muttered, borrowing deeper into the blankets, and coincidentally into me. “I think my eyelashes hurt. Is that even possible?”
“I’m not surprised that everything hurts.” It felt very natural to put my arm around her shoulder as we lay there. “Can you sit up? Are you hungry? Dr. John is bringing us breakfast in bed, and I do believe that Laura would prefer that we were dressed when he brings it up.”

The eye that peeked out from the blankets was gleaming mischievously. “No. You think?” She did one of those full body stretches that cats seem to love doing, and sat up rubbing her eyes. “I have to pee. The bathroom would be?...”
"Almost to the stairs and through that door to the left.”

Climbing off the bed, she padded her way out to the bathroom, totally oblivious to the fact that she hadn’t a stitch on. Or maybe she just didn’t care.
I don’t know.

Coming back from the bathroom, Caitlin jumped on the bed and stretched, bending her back as far as she could without running out of mattress space. Far enough for me to see that the bruises on her ribs were fading, that her ribs were a little too prominent, and that her breasts were small and perfect.

Looking up into her eyes, I blushed when I realized that she was watching me watching her. Reaching for my own shirt, I pulled it on and arranged the pillows so that I could sit up leaning against the bed’s headboard. Looking back at Caitlin, I blushed again when I saw that she’d been watching me.

Seeing my discomfort, she laughed, a rich throaty chuckle, and then pulled on her own shirt before sitting up with her back against the headboard, leaning more against me than the headboard. “Breakfast in bed,” she said with a grin, sighing with pleasure, and laughing when her sigh was interrupted by a yawn. “How cool is that. I wonder what he’ll make us. I’m so hungry; I think I could actually eat cat food, which I must say leaves a lot to be desired.”

“I think you’re safe. I’ve eaten plenty of meals that Dr. John’s made and they’ve all been wonderful.” I brushed the hair off her face as she leaned against my side, her head resting against my shoulder and her eyes closed. “But I do think you’ll have to actually be awake to eat it.”

Her comment was interrupted by the sound of feet on the stairs, and not long after Dr. John and Laura both appeared, each carrying a covered tray.

“I know it looks like a lot of food,” Dr. John began, placing the tray he was carrying on my desk and walking over to wrap Caitlin in his arms. “But I want you both to eat everything on your plates. You both have been burning a great deal of energy, and I don’t want either of you to get sick.” Looking down at Caitlin resting comfortably in his arms, he began stroking her hair. “How’re you feeling, sweet girl. Do you want something for the pain?”

“Just a couple ibu, Uncle John,” the reply was muffled. Caitlin had buried her face in his sweater, leaning into his hug. “Can we go see mum today?”

“Of course we can. Laura and I have to run some errands this morning, but we’ll be back in time for a late lunch and then we’ll head out to the farm. Why don’t you two relax this morning, take a nice long bath, and maybe a nap or two?”

“Did you find anything last night?” I whispered to Laura while Caitlin was busy talking to Dr. John, and Laura was helping me get comfortable before she placed the tray on the bed straddling my legs. The tray was quite sturdy and well designed, with collapsible sides and a lip on the tray high enough to keep things from falling off.

“Not now,” Laura whispered. “We’re going back to the park this morning; to see if there is anything we missed in the dark. I’ll tell you what we find when we get back.”

And taking the cover off of the tray across my lap, she revealed a breakfast that was indeed looked delicious, even if there was more food there than I usually ate in a day: scrambled eggs and bacon, pan-fried potatoes, a small bowl of cantaloupe pieces, a small plate full of steaming hot biscuits dripping with melted butter and honey, a glass of orange juice, and a mug of hot coffee already laced with cream and sugar. Standing next to the mug was a small carafe of more coffee and a small cream and sugar set.

“Thank you Dr. John, this looks divine.” I had to laugh as I looked at Caitlin’s tray. Her tray had everything mine did, plus a thick rare steak and a glass bottle of milk, whole milk if my guess was right.

“Thank you,” Dr. John said, his voice rough as he smoothed Caitlin’s hair in obvious affection. “Thank you for saving our girl.” With one last look at both of us, the Drs. Watson made their way downstairs.

“She’s not really my aunt, you know,” Caitlin began, interrupting her foray through the scrambled eggs, which had been mixed with cream cheese and spiced up with a handful of chopped chives.

“I didn’t think so,” I replied noncommittally, unsure of where the conversation was going, and not sure I wanted to start talking about what had happened quite yet. I wanted to enjoy being with Caitlin as long as I could. Any talks we had about what we’d been through were bound to be painful and full of dark things.

“Mum and Aunt Laura met in college, and when mum got pregnant, she asked them to be godparents. Later on, Mum was Aunt Laura’s Maid of Honor and Da was Uncle John’s Best Man.

“And I bet they’re your favorite aunt and uncle,” I said after working my way around a mouthful of scrambled egg and potato topped off with a bite of steak that Caitlin had fed me.

“They’re my only aunt and uncle. But even if they weren’t, they would still be my favorites. And not just because they bring us the best gifts.” Another pause while I fed her a bite of my biscuit, which was divine.

“Oh they do, do they? Like what?” I teased her; happy to have dodged needing to talk about what had happened. I mean, I wanted to know what was going on, but I had the feeling that conversation would change my life. And I wasn’t quite ready for that yet.

“You.” She answered simply.

Oh.

Thirteen Books I’m Waiting For There not exactly in any particular order, they started out in order, they just didn’t stay that way. If you have a book coming out, and do not see your name on it, don’t be offended, it’s not that I’m not waiting for it, it’s that my memory is shot and I couldn’t think of it. . Besides, I walked almost 13,000 steps today (after schlepping 6 loads of laundry up to the third floor yesterday) and my brain and the rest of me hurt, so we’re going to bed early tonight. 1) HP #7-JKR (Duh) 2) Witch Hunt- Shirley Damsgaard- okay, technically it is already out, I just haven’t made it to B&N yet. 3) Murder in Chinatown- Victoria Thompson 4) Soul Song- Marjorie Liu 5) Sebastien and Belladona- Anne Bishop 6) Blood & Circuses- Kerry Greenwood 7) Earthly Delights- Kerry Greenwood- new series, supposed to be completely different from Phryne Fisher. 8) Cast in Secret- Michelle Sagara 9) The Mirador- Sarah Monette (okay- I should probably read book 2 first- picky picky). 10) Water Like a Stone- Deborah Crombie (yes, I know-it’s out already- but now that I’ve almost finished this J.D. Robb obsession- I can go back to reading other books as well- and possibly get caught up---nah). 11) The Harlequin- I know, I know. I still want to read it. 12) Creation in Death-J.D. Robb- B&N lists several entries for audio versions but none for the book. 13) Lick of Frost- Laurell K. Hamilton Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Numbers

I've been thinking a great deal about numbers lately (and no, not just because I'm addicted to Soduko). I've accepted some numbers, while others I have learned to let go. I have recently thrown away my bathroom scale (mostly because it no longer worked) and have finally admitted that I am no good at counting either calories or carbs.

That's not to say I've given up on numbers completely (Hi, my name is Ann, and I am addicted to Soduko). I've just decided to pick the numbers over which I will obsess (and clothing size isn't one of them- they number they attach to women's clothing is basically meaningless considering the staggering variation in sizing among manufacturers).

My two current favorite numbers to obsess over are 1) steps taken that day, and 2) number of words in my current WIP. These are numbers that have meaning, to me at least. Numbers that I can control, for the most part. My goal, for now is 10,000 steps a day. I read somewhere that 10k steps a day helps keep the heart healthy. The goal for the WIP is less modest. Right now I just want the number to increase, by how much is not as important as the fact that it does. The Dayjob is entering its busy time (crazy, insanely busy, thank you for asking, and how are you?) and there will be days then just getting out to walk will be a challenge, so forward motion, any motion, will be enough.

Have I lost weight? I don't know. I do know that I can now wear pants that I couldn't when I started walking. I also know that my mall walking partner and I can now do three laps around the mall in under 30 minutes while still talking up a storm.

And with summer coming, I can add two new numbers to obsess over (no not temp or humidity- those would only end in tears- and not necessarily mine): the number of books I'd read for the summer reading program, and number of days til my vacation.
Have a good evening, I must go. I have a Samurai Soduko to finish *g*.

French Fries of the Apocolypse

Okay, I'm writing this down now, so I don't forget all the details. I'll post it tonight, to give the poetry the front page for now. So, onto the French Fries of the Apocolypse.
Today being Memorial Day, when all good governments give their employees the day off. I slept in. Got up, fed the cat, and went back to sleep. And dreamt. I'm not sure if the two are related, but here they are:

In the first I was at a beach, walking along the water's edge (actually the water I was walking along was either the intracoastal waterway or the Albemarle Sound, but the ocean was right there off to my right). Anyway, I'm walking alone and I come to the end of the sand. A channel has been cut through the center of the island, from ocean to sound, and it is filled with water. There is even a cottage (read shack) part in the water, part on the sand. There is talk of a shark, there are sightings of a shark's dorsal fin, I could even swear I heard the Jaws theme (Du dup, du dup, etc). Just when I told myself this was too weird for words. It changed.
I was in an apartment with my mom, and with her mom (who died over ten years ago). We were standing around talking, and I looked out the windows and saw...the Kennedy Space Center. Complete with not one, but two shuttles on the launch pad. Not close together as in Armageddon, but several miles apart (as they would have to be is NASA was nuts enough to launch two at the same place so close together time-wise). I also am watching this small plane shuttling people away from the center, when something shoots it down. and then the two shuttles explode with huge clouds (not quite mushrooms but close) and the wind from the explosions actually shook the building we were in. And that's when I woke up.
Okay, dream analysis 101. The first dream almost makes sence (or would if I'd seen Jaws lately, or even feared sharks). I totally get the references to Isabel, and the fact that we are coming up on hurricane season and that we've been lucky to not have anything hit since Isabel (where I almost lost my roof).
But, philosophical discussions about good and evil aside, where did the last one come from. They say that what you eat can influence what you dream, if so. What did I eat that brought that one out: French fries? Chocolate cake? Let me know, and I'll never eat it again. That one was too weird for words. Eeek.

Monday Poetry Train #1

I meant to post last week, until Monday came and went in the blink of an eye. I intended to be better at posting this week, until Monday came, and I didn't have to do the usual Monday morning get everything done rush. But it is still Monday, so I will post this today, and post what I originally came here to post tomorrow. Have a safe and Happy Memorial Day.

Infatuation

Trying to ignore you is impossible
Like driving into the sunset
Without noticing the colors
Or the sun’s blinding brilliance.

Wherever you are; my field of vision
Widens to embrace you, longing to caress you
My heart races, while my brain tries feebly to sit
Still and listen to the discussion
Floating in the air out of reach, like a balloon
Floating free, like a dream glimpsed at out of the corner
Of an eye: like you.

Friday Snippets

Yeah, I know, I'm early. Again. But Friday is my day off, so I have things I have to get done, and I wanted to make sure I posted. This scene comes directly after the one from last Friday. Enjoy.

“You know her?” I somehow managed to croak out: astonishment momentarily robbing me of my wits.

“She’s my goddaughter. Her family runs the farm I told you about last night. John and I intended for the two of you to meet, just not like this. Here, open that water.” Laura took charge, hoping to cleanse more of Shadow’s wounds while she was unconscious, and unaware of her pain. “I must admit, I wasn’t terribly surprised when Shadow followed you home. Do me a favor? Go turn down your bed, and grab the towel you’ve got warming over the radiator, could you?”

I ran to do what she asked me. I figured she would use this opportunity to do a more thorough check of Shadow’s wounds, not something I wanted to see.
She was pouring holy water through the unconscious girl’s pale white blond hair, gently massaging her scalp as she did so, when I came back carrying the towel, “Good,” she murmured almost to herself. “Can you carry her in and put her to bed?”

“Of course.” Wrapping the thin body in the warm towel, I picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. The bed was high enough that I needed to climb onto it with her in my arms, laying her as gently as I could on the down mattress without causing her any more pain.

“I don’t think there’s anything else we can do for her tonight,” Laura admitted at last, checking the unconscious girl for signs of fever. “I think we got the wounds cleaned in time. Can you stay with her? Keep a look out for signs of shock, keep her warm, and let her know she’s safe.”

“I can do that,” I assured her, looking down at the sleeping girl. “Where will you be?”

“John and I are going back to the park, see if there are any signs we can read. I’d really like to know if they were after you in particular or if you just looked tasty to them. And then I have to call her mother. With luck I can convince Bronwyn not to come into town tonight. We’ll have to take Caitlin home tomorrow, at least for a visit, but I’d like to keep her quiet tonight.”

“Okay,” I agreed. But then at that point I would have agreed to anything. The need to be alone with this girl, Caitlin, was overwhelming. So I tried to reassure her. “We’ll be okay, honest.”

I’m not sure she believed me, but at last she left with one last look at the girl lying beside me.

“Caitlin,” I whispered.

To my great relief, she opened one eye and looked up at me. She had only been dozing, waiting for Laura to leave.

“Here, let’s get you more comfortably settled.” And with a minimum of movement, I got her settled under the covers, with her arms and legs straightened out while keeping any pressure off her wicked looking wounds.

I had just finished getting her settled so I thought she was comfortable when she started making these little pain noises, as if the sheets were rubbing somehow.
Climbing under the covers, I lay down beside her and carefully wrapped my arms around her, holding her carefully. As the pain noises increased and she kept trying to turn over, I realized that the cloth of my nightshirt must have been rubbing her sores somehow. I got out of bed just long enough to strip off my clothes and crawled back in, cradling her body with my own.

With nothing rubbing against her sores, she was at last able to relax, lying back against my arms. Caitlin struggled up from sleep to look at me. “You’re safe?” she whispered in a broken voice. “They didn’t get you?”

“I’m safe. They didn’t get me,” I assured her, holding her as tears leaked from her eyes. “They almost got you. What were you thinking?” I asked her, over and over, as I broke down and we both wept, until we cried ourselves to sleep.

What is kudzu?

Since so many of my Thursday Thirteen readers have asked, "What is Kudzu?" I thought I'd post the explanation here. Kudzu is evil. Okay, not really. It is a vine brought into the southern United States to be used to control erosion, particularly around hills and mountains. What the flippin' idjit who brought it in never bothered to find out was that 1) it grows like 4 feet a day (yes, really), 2) it's harder to kill than the rumor of an Elvis sighting, and 3) to get rid of it you have to dig up the tap root which in many cases is 4-6 feet deep. There's a joke that I've heard that goes something like this:
boy: Where's granny?
Grandpa: She was going to sit in her rocker and take a nap.
boy: Where'd she move her chair to.
Granpa points to a spot which is now covered in kudzu.
Granpa: Damn, I'm gonna miss her.

Thirteen Observations I've Made This Week 1. The wildflowers are in bloom along the highways of NC and VA (although calling them wild would be an exaggeration- the DOT for both states plants them. 2.NC & VA both plant trees as well as flowers in the empty places. 3. Those trees are all looking nice and green and leafy. 4. So is the kudzu. 5. Kudzu is evil. 6. If there are any two people who deserve to go down in infamy it would be the idiot who brought kidzu to the US and the idiot who took rabbits to Australia. 7. You can only truly appreciate just how stupid some drivers are by being the only driver on the road going even close to the speed limit. 8. Even a cat who likes to be alone for most of the day will get lonely if she spends the night by herself. 9. This doesn't, however, mean that she won't hiss at the person who came in with the sole purpose of feeding and caring for said cat. And doing so, while being petted. 10. This also doesn't mean that she wants the petting to stop. 11. As shocking as it may seem especially coming from a biblioholic like myself, some books need to be thrown out: 20 year old medical or legal books help no one and can do a great deal of harm. 12. There is something to be said for comfort food while on the road, followed by coming home and taking a nice long nap in your own comfy bed. 13. You know you are over worked when you can think of going out of town for traffic court as a vacation. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

One Word Meme

Okay, you all know I'm a sucker for a good meme. I saw this on Tambo's blog and again on Joely's, so I thought I'd give it a try.
Answer all questions using only 1 word:
1. Where is your cell phone?
unbought

2. Relationship?
which

3. Your hair?
curly

4. Work?
too much

5. Your sister?
which

6. Your favorite thing?
psychokitty


7. Your dream last night?
surreal

8. Your favorite drink?
coffee (iced)

9. Your dream car?
clean

10. The room you’re in?
Dining

11. Your shoes?
barefeet

12. Your fears?
numerous

13. What do you want to be in 10 years?
published

14. Who did you hang out with this weekend?
friends

15. What you’re not good at?
balance

16. Muffin?
Bagel?

17. One of your wish list items?
Free-time

18. Where you grew up?
Island

19. The last thing you did?
Nap

20. What are you wearing?
shorts

21. What aren’t you wearing?
contacts

22. Your pet
Savannah Jane (Psycho Kitty Extraordinaire)

23. Your computer?
Gateway

24. Your life?
mine

25. Your mood?
Hungry

26. Missing?
Mountains

27. What are you thinking about right now?
Olive Garden

28. Your car?
pollinated *g*

29. Your kitchen?
No comment

30. Your summer?
crazy

31. Your favorite color?
green

32. When is the last time you laughed?
pbw

33. Last time you cried?
tearjerker

34. School?
History!

35. Love
Family

Friday Snippet

This scene starts where snippet #2 left off.

I stood speechless, staring at the two black creatures. Hounds that were so large just one of them could have dwarfed Cormac’s pair of Newfies with room to spare for my grandmother’s neurotic poodles (all four of them). I had never seen anything on four feet that was so large in my life, outside of perhaps a wild buffalo or maybe a Budweiser Clydesdale. Part of me was still trying to break the spell and run for it, but another part of me was waiting, wanting to see their attack.
But before either could happen, a small black body flew across the intervening space and threw herself on the Hell Hounds, her puffed up fur making her look twice her normal size as she fought them with everything she had. Those Hounds, however, were huge compared to my brave little Shadow and I had to find a way to help before they killed her. Her first cry of pain decided it.
I grabbed the first big branch I could reach, and went in swinging. The smaller of the Hounds was trying, unsuccessfully thank God, to snap her neck. The other looked as if he were trying to mount her. Thinking that I needed to stop him first, I stepped up, took aim, and nailed him square in his dangly bits. He squealed like a pig and fell to the ground writhing; I hit the smaller Hound in the same place with the same result.
The hounds were, for the moment, out of commission, and I took advantage of the situation to get the hell out of Dodge. I didn’t want to give them a chance to get back at me, hell I didn’t even want them to chase after me.
Wrapping Shadow in my sweater, I scooped her into my arms and ran for home, praying to Mary with every step I took. Running as fast as I could, I felt Shadow struggling for every breath, as I prayed for her to hold on, to live. I made it home without running into any more monsters, or getting hit by any cars, or the truck I’d not seen as I ran across one street after another.
I was momentarily stumped when I realized I couldn’t reach my house key with Shadow in my arms. Something told me that putting her down right now would be bad. Very, very bad. I pounded awkwardly on the front door, praying all the while that they had not yet gone upstairs where they might not hear my racket. A few well placed thumps brought Laura and Dr. John out of the library to the front door, where they met me with questions on their faces and a troubled look in their eyes.
Brushing past them, I stumbled across the threshold. I shouldered the door closed, and then leaned against it and tried to explain. The cold night air had bit into my lungs, making me cough painfully as I panted in exhaustion. “I went…for a walk…in the park. Was followed…by a pair… of Hell Hounds. She attacked them… They started hurting her, so I hit them until they let go and ran for home…. Can you help her?”
“Wait here,” Laura ordered, walking back into the library and coming out carrying, of all things, a two liter coke bottle full of water. “It’s Holy Water. Take her upstairs, put her in your tub, and pour this over her wounds.” I nodded my understanding, such as it was. I was so worried about Shadow I didn’t even think to wonder why she had two liter bottles of Holy Water, or where she’d gotten them from. “How did they attack her? Teeth? Claws? What?” Laura examined Shadow while she questioned me, looking into her eyes, checking her paws, and counting her pulse and watching her breathe.
“The smaller one was trying to snap her spine,” I answered. The adrenaline had run out, leaving me shaking with shock and a growing exhaustion. I was even beginning to hope that Shadow and I could sleep down here tonight. “It looked as if the Alpha was trying to mount her. He was the one I hit first, right in his privates.”
“That’s the wound you have to clean first. As soon as you put her into the tub, lift her tail and pour as much of the holy water over it as you can. I’ll bring up more, but whatever you do, don’t leave her alone.” Laura stared in my eyes as she handed me the bottle of holy water, and I was stunned to see not just concern but a very real fear.
“I won’t,” I assured her, and ran up the stairs, placing Shadow’s small battered body in that big tub. Gently lifting her tail, I didn’t even want to see what was or wasn’t done, I just poured the holy water over her back end until it was almost all gone, and then started on the scratches on her sides. And that’s when I got the second shock of the night.
My sweet little Shadow shifted, as I watched. Suddenly a young woman was lying naked and shivering in my tub. She was small, shorter than I and weighing much less than either of those hounds, with bright red hair and Shadow’s brilliant green eyes. The wounds that had looked bad on the cat’s small shape looked even worse on her pale, thin body. Looking up at me, she smiled in obvious relief. “You’re safe? They didn’t get you?”
“No, they didn’t get me.” My voice broke, caught on my heart where it had lodged in my throat. “They almost got you.”
But she wasn’t looking at me, but over my shoulder at someone or something she had obviously expected. Her strength was visibly at its end, and as she struggled to stay awake her last words before she passed out were, “Hi Aunt Laura.”

Thirteen of My Favorite Vampires For the sake of brevity (and my sanity- so I don't have to remember everyone's flippin name) I am going to list authors and titles instead of characters. The order in which they are written reflects nothing but perhaps the order of recall. 1. Laurell K. Hamilton- I know, I know. I still like them. 2. Lynn Viehl- well, duh. 3. J.R. Ward- Dark Lover, Lover Awakened, Lover Revealed- great books. 4. Kimberly Raye-Dead End Dating and Dead and Dateless-I love her parents, and the werewolf who lives next door? Priceless. 5. Douglas Clegg-Priest of the Blood (book 2 is one of many to be read once I finish this J.D. Robb/Stardoc reading binge that I am currently on). 6. Mary Janice Davidson- I must confess the last one I read was Dead and Loving it- and I will go back and read any that I've missed, they're on my TBR list. 7. Katie MacAlister-Even Vampires Get the Blues (great stuff). 8. Kim Harrison- I had a complete Dory (the blue fish in Finding Nemo) moment over this book- the library's copy came in and I checked it out and started to read it (and even renewed it once) then in the process of cleaning my apartment...I found my own copy, I'd bought it when it first came out (oops). 9. Tanya Huff-TV show is great, the books are even better. 10. Savannah Russe-Beyond the Pale and Past Redemption- Vampires as Government agents-kind of like if the monsters ran the X-Files. 11. Mercedes Lackey-He only shows up in one of the Diana Tregarde books (and at the moment I can't for the life of me remember which) but he's quite memorable. 12. Charlaine Harris-I love Sookie's books, and the Vampire Bill, to say nothing of Bubba. Great fun to be had by all. 13. Fred Saberhagen-An Old Friend of the Family, Thorn, A Matter of Taste, Seance for a Vampire, and A Sharpness on the Neck (Started reading these because of the whole Holmes and Dracula in the same book- kept reading for the stories). and as a bonus 14. Tony Ruggiero- Team of Darkness- Vampires as Spec Ops soldiers (you don't see that everyday!) Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

New Day- New Tarot Card

So I took the test again and came up with a different card (and used a different set so it wouldn't be as spooky). Here's today's card (maybe I should do this each day for a week and use the average).

You are The Moon

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.

The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Sleep and dreams, sounds like a good plan. In fact, that's where I'm headed. Good Night.

New Huh?

Rhian very generously made my Tarot card much less creepy, so I decided to share it with everyone. Here it is:

Huh?

You are the Hanged Man

Self-sacrifice, Sacrifice, Devotion, Bound.

With the Hanged man there is often a sense of fatalism, waiting for something to happen. Or a fear of
loss from a situation, rather than gain.

The Hanged Man is perhaps the most fascinating card in the deck. It reflects the story of Odin who offered himself as a sacrifice in order to gain knowledge. Hanging from the world tree, wounded by a spear, given no bread or mead, he hung for nine days. On the last day, he saw on the ground runes that had fallen from the tree, understood their meaning, and, coming down, scooped them up for his own. All knowledge is to be found in these runes.

The Hanged Man, in similar fashion, is a card about suspension, not life or death. It signifies selflessness, sacrifice and prophecy. You make yourself vulnerable and in doing so, gain illumination. You see the world differently, with almost mystical insights.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Icon Envy and a Drawing

Okay, it's not high drama, or even terribly important in the Grand Scheme of Things, but still...I see all of these really cool icons that people show when they post comments and things, and I want one. No pictures (don't want to frighten small children *g*), but I thought I'd maybe find something in clipart that would work. There are a couple that I really like, so I thought---why don't I let all of you decide? So, I will post my choices and you can post a comment telling me which one you prefer, and that will be my icon. Post your comment by midnight Friday and I will draw one lucky name to win an as yet undecided prize (I might even pick something up from my Roadtrip Sunday). So there it is, wish me luck.
Here is your first choice:

Here is another (I didn't mean for the first one to be soo large- sigh):

I had a third one, but I can't get the bloody thing to load, so I will try again tomorrow.

Friday's Snippet

It's Friday again, and I actually have the day off! I work tomorrow of course, but we're closed Sunday so I even get two whole days off this week (first time in a month). We'll try for a whole weekend off next. We're also trying to get more staff, but not having much luck (sigh). Anyway, have a good and relaxing weekend for me (one of us should), and here is my snippet:

We got back to the townhouse to find Shadow sitting by the back door patiently waiting to be let in. Following me upstairs, she sat on the bed and watched as I put my new books on their shelves, next to the Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Almanac that had been Laura’s contribution to my library. Remembering that I had yet to unpack my own books, I opened my traveling trunk and unpacked the few necessary paperbacks, in addition to my Shakespeare, Renaissance Poets, and of course my mysteries.

Putting up my office supplies, and arranging my desk the way I liked it made me feel like I was ready, even if I was missing my trusty, but deskbound, computer. But ready for what? I was waiting for something, something momentous, something that was the reason for my being here. Not just here in London, but Here, alive in this time and in this place. This sense of waiting followed me as I went downstairs to join my hosts for dinner.

Still feeling restless after dinner, I decided to take a walk, and perhaps explore some of the squares around the area. Ours wasn’t the only square in the area. Many of them, like ours, had parks in the center, and several of these parks were within walking distance. The one I walked in that night was quiet and still and so shaded by trees that the streets bordering it had faded into the distance, and the few cars that drove past made no impression at all as I meandered along its paths. Dr. John had told me about a fierce storm the night before I flew in, and several times I had to walk around fallen branches and debris that had yet to be cleaned up.

Shadow had been asleep upstairs when I left, but I was almost half expecting her to join me, so when I first heard the soft shuffle of steps, I thought it was her dainty steps I was hearing. Until I heard the second set, and realized that whatever was stalking me was much larger than one dainty black cat. Their deep, panting breaths alone told me I was in some serious trouble.

Turning slowly, very slowly, painfully slowly, I faced two of the largest, blackest dogs I’d ever seen: Hound of the Baskerville large, their angry red-rimmed eyes glowering blackly at me. The Baskerville Hound had been created by Mr. Conan Doyle, but if my eyes were not deceiving me, these were much, much worse.

Hell Hounds, it seemed, were real: real, living in London, and preparing to attack me.

Thirteen Things I Cook Really Well One of the Thursday 13s that I read last week was about favorite foods, so I’ve been thinking about food lists since then. I thought about foods I enjoy cooking, and foods that I cook well, what I haven’t felt like doing was the actual cooking part (or the grocery shopping). So I came up with today’s list: 1) Chili- I use stew meat instead of ground beef, and it’s quite yummy if I do say so myself (recipe finally given to me by my brother- but changed because I never have it with me when I make it). 2) Crock-pot Beef Stew- easy to make and perfect for cold winter nights. I use red wine instead of broth as the liquid. 3) Crock-pot barbq ribs- yup, they’re pretty good when you want ribs but can’t fire up the grill (ribs on the grill are best, but not always possible). 4) Spaghetti Sauce- my dad’s recipe cooked low and slow. 5) Baked Chicken with garlic (the original recipe is called chicken and 40 cloves- way too much garlic for me, the most I can handle in this recipe is 32 *g*) must have Italian bread with it so you can take one of the garlic cloves and spread it on a piece of the bread (instant garlic bread). 6) Lasagna- I haven’t made this in a while, it’s too much food for anything less than a large group. 7) Happy Husband- this is a casserole recipe that has been handed around my family for a while now, similar to lasagna but with cream cheese and cottage cheese and sour cream instead of ricotta. Quite yummy, and even better the second day. 8) Cheesy Eggs- Scrambled eggs with creamed cheese in them while they’re cooking, they come out creamy and fluffy. 9) Chicken and Dumplings- It’s been a while since I made this too, I might have to start cooking again *g*. I do the Bisquick dumplings, not the ones that are practically pasta. 10) Steak- I cook a mean steak on my little electric indoor grill, with sliced summer squash marinated in olive oil, and sautéed onions and mushrooms, I’m making myself hungry. 11) Bangers & Mash- Okay, it’s practically impossible to find real bangers around here, it usually ends up being brats and mashed potatoes. But it’s a good combination. 12) Soups- I once made Tomato Soup from an Amish recipe, I’m currently looking for good recipes for corn chowder and Brunswick stew (there’s a restaurant near me that puts lima beans in their stew- tons of lima beans- that’s just wrong). 13) Left-overs- give me something to work with and I can usually throw something together, of course I don’t often have left overs these days. Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

The Meme

Da Rulez:

Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

1. I have a cat, or she has me. Sometimes it's hard to tell.
2. I love coffee, these days I jones for Iced Mocha (but iced tea is my second choice).
3. I drink soda like its water, even though it gives me the hickups.
4. I like to read, more than watching tv or going to the movies.
5. I like to go out to dinner with friends, and then go to Barnes & Noble.
6. I would really, really like to go on a vacation.
7. The three tv shows I like to watch (if I remember) are Monk, The Dresden Files, and Blood Ties (you see my dilemma, right?)
8. My internet was down for two whole days, but it's back up. Yeah.

I tag...You.

Friday Snippets

I live for memes *g*. I didn't even know that Holly Lisle had started this meme when I posted the opening of my WIP Thursday night, I was just fishing for something to post. I've even figured out how to use Mr. Linky. Have a good weekend everyone.

Intro, part II

I posted the opening paragraph of the third draft not long ago and had a request for more, so I thought I'd post the rest of the first scene. Tomorrow I will be busy all day with the dayjob and unable to do any bloghopping, so everyone have a safe and happy weekend.

I don’t think “How I came to be a Witch” would be considered the typical title, or subject for the average essay applying to the ordinary grad school program. Nor do I imagine that most grad school applicants begin their essays by stating that if they don’t get accepted into the particular grad program to which they are applying that they most likely will be dead before the year is out. But the wounds are too new and I now have hostages to fate, innocent souls who are more dear to me than my own life, and for them I will say this, if you do not help me I will die and they who depend on me will be at the mercy of those who brought about my ruin. I’ve been told that you need to know this, and as I trust implicitly the one who told me this, I will tell you my story.

It all started on January second, three weeks after I graduated from college with a double major in English and Religious Studies. The day I landed at Gatwick Airport. I had come to London at the invitation of friends, former professors who had asked me to housesit for them when they were out of town. Their invitation very likely saved my sanity and I flew to London convinced I’d never be able to repay that debt. The surprising thing was not that I was wrong, but how quickly it all happened.

I’d dreamt about London my entire life, beginning with my first favorite books, Make Way for Ducklings and of course Paddington, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be living just blocks from the British Museum. Yet here I was: I had flown across the entire Atlantic Ocean alone, alone I had faced the gauntlet that is British Immigration, and alone I had found my way from Gatwick into London to the townhouse that would be my home in this fair city.

Facing my first afternoon alone in the city I’d dreamt of my entire life, I decided to explore the city and take the walking tour my hostess, Dr. Laura Watson had left for me. Shrugging into the LL Bean Storm Coat I’d borrowed from Cormac, my mother’s twin, and grabbing my Day Pack and the copied pages that Laura had left for me, I took to the streets of London that cold January afternoon as if I belonged there: as if I’d returned to some long forgotten home. I discovered that Knightsbridge was the answer to a different dream as I took a brief detour to cash a traveler’s check and drool over the possibilities inside that wonder of wonders, Harrods.

Once that was done, I was off.

Following directions for the walking tour that Laura had copied for me, I made my way down to the Strand and Covent Garden. Walking its bustling streets and watching the people around me, London was alive for me in ways that I’ve only felt in two other places in my life. I don’t know if I can quite describe it, but I felt different merely being there: more alive, more present, more engaged with the world.

The sense of History as a living for was palpable that day: around every corner I found reminders of the centuries and the events that this great city had witnessed. And nothing exemplified this quite as much, or as well, as the River Thames. Once again a living ecosystem, the Thames was now home to a thriving variety of water plants, migrating birds, and other assorted sea life.
The first stop on my walking tour was the Savoy Hotel. My English thesis had been on the Thames in Art and Literature, and in my research I had found out that Monet’s paintings of the Thames had actually been done from the window of his suite at the Savoy. Next to the Hotel stands the Theatre, home of Gilbert and Sullivan’s wonderful operettas. Laura and I had already agreed to see a matinee when we both had an afternoon free. I was hoping for the Mikado, but seeing any of their plays in their original home would be a dream come true.

Sitting in front of the Savoy, I indulged in my favorite guilty pleasure: people watching. I sat for quite a while and watched as the posh people entered and left the hotel, but eventually left without going in myself. I was definitely not dressed well enough to feel comfortable in such an elegant place.
On the Embankment, I stood at the water’s edge and for the first time looked down at the Thames with my own eyes, at the Tower Bridge in the distance downriver and the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben behind me. I had studied this river and its city for most of my life and it had left a profound impression on my heart.

And that is the only excuse I can offer for it taking me so long to realize that I was being followed.

Sitting down on one of the benches that lined the walkways, I turned to face my shadow, now sitting beside me on the bench looking up at me as if I’d disappointed her somehow. Looking into those startlingly intelligent eyes, I had the overwhelming urge to apologize, which I did. “Did you at least enjoy the tour, or is this old hat to you?” She was sitting daintily, with her tail wrapped around her paws, looking so ladylike that I pulled out my notebook and drew a quick sketch of her, pleased with how well it turned out.

“So, Miss Shadow, what do you think?” I asked, showing the dainty black cat my sketch of her. In the bright sunlight, I could see that she was not actually a solid black, but black with very dark gray stripes.
Miss Shadow, for her part, looked at the sketch before rubbing her head against the notebook’s wire binding. I guess she approved.

“Shall we finish our walking tour?” I invited her, and leaving the bench, we made our way along the Strand onto Portugal Street to Portsmouth Street, to the Old Curiosity Shop: an old cramped little building where Dickens had once stood, a necessary stop for any former English major, even if the only Dickens’ book I’d ever read was Oliver Twist.

From there we went to Lincoln’s Inn, one of four of London’s Inns of Court, where lawyers still wear gowns and wigs as they walk through medieval buildings that still bear the coat of arms of Henry the VIII. St. Paul’s Covent Garden and St. Martin-in-the-Field had both been on my must-see list long before I arrived here: St. Paul’s (built like a barn and known as ‘the actor’s church’) because in front of St. Paul’s is where Eliza was supposed to have first met Henry Higgins, and St. Martin-in-the-Field for its history and its music (Handel and Mozart both performed there- and in addition to free concerts at lunchtime, they still perform choral evensong daily- something else Laura and I planned to do).

We ended our walking tout in Trafalgar Square, where my shadow was briefly distracted by the pigeons. We parted amicably when I told her I was taking the tube home. Entering the tube station, I turned back for one last look at the small, sleek body poised ladylike in the entrance, watching me.

That meeting was to change my life.

Thirteen Things on My Bulletin Board It's been a long week, and a busy month, and a hectic year. I'm too tired to think of anything else, and am going to go to bed as soon as I post this, and sleep in tomorrow morning, so here it is. 1) Mardi Gras Beads- Okay, so I actually got them at last year’s Relay for Life (I’ve been walking more this year, so I should last longer before I wimp out *g*). 2) Framed photos from Ireland – mountains, baby, it’s all about the mountains. 3) Two boxes of ink cartridges for my printer- to prevent that out of sight out of mind panic which says that if you can’t see them you don’t have them (or have forgotten where they are). 4) A piece of a laminated poster that says “Take Me to Your Reader!” 5) An iron on transfer that I think I printed off of the HP site- if you look at it in a mirror it says “When Penguins Dare”, “Fearless Fowl”, and “Beakbreaker Hill” around a picture of three penguins sitting on a sled on the top of a hill whose sides go straight down. (I think- I tried but couldn’t find it again). 6) A 4” tall picture of a rubber duck- a momento of a duck tape program (okay, it was a duct tape program). 7) A small Kokopelli- used to be a pin until the pin part came off and I couldn’t get it to reattach and stay. 8) A framed post card of the walled garden at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC (more mountains). 9) A hanging ornament that says “Future Award-Winning Author At Work”- part of a birthday present last year. 10) An ornament of an angel with miracles happen inscribed on one wing that hangs from a white ribbon- part of a birthday present this year. 11) A small watercolor, a landscape study of the Lake District, that I bought on spring break my junior year in college and have traveled with ever since. 12) A handmade bookmark signed by PBW. 13) A post-it note with the following poem fragment: Hope is a thing that grows in pots Of rich dark earth And water collected In advance. With flowers that bloom and stick To your window As they look out at the world. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. Joely Sue Burkhart 2. SciFiChick 3. Milady Insanity 4. Charlene Teglia 5. Rhian/Crowwoman 6. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants