A mother is an angel in disguise. -Unknown

A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take. -Cardinal Mermillod

And funny:

“I know how to do anything – I’m a Mom.” -Roseanne Barr

“It’s not easy being a mother. If it were easy, fathers would do it.” -The Golden Girls

Happy Mother’s Day

So, to make myself feel better, I shopped After months of waffling, I finally bought one. Yes, I’m now one of the Kindle generation. Originally I wanted the Kindle Fire, but when I found out the wi-fi thingie didn’t work in Canada, I decided to buy the Kindle Touch instead.

I’m still not sure it’s the right thing for me. I like being able to see how much I’ve read. I love the smell of the paper and ink. But most of all, I love the way a book feels in my hands, especially in those few minutes before I turn off the light at night.

But I’m open to giving this a try. What about you? Do you have an e-reader? What kind? Do you love it? Hate it?

She’d get her story when he was good and ready to give it to her. Not one second before.

Except this redhead was nothing but trouble.

I love to hear your comments, so please don’t be shy. Tell me what you think. Don’t forget to check out the other fabulous authors here.

White lightning. Corn liquor. Hooch. There are a hundred names by which liquor was (and might still be) made illegally. It is believed that this practice began in Colonial times when colonists would sell liquor to the Native Americans. Production continued during Prohibition and beyond, often in the hills where government agents were scarce, then transported to the nearby towns and sold.

Making moonshine is an art, and some producers added a “special ingredient” to distinguish theirs from everyone else’s.

The basic recipe for moonshine can be found here. I wouldn’t try it at home, though, not unless you look good in horizontal stripes and you don’t mind spending the next few years behind bars.

Have you ever tasted moonshine?

Our street. The tree is huge compared to the cars.

Back when I was little, I loved weeping willow trees. I still do, but now, the live oak is my absolute favorite tree. How is it that the same tree, depending on the context, can evoke different emotions? Since there are no live oaks where we live, as soon as I start seeing them on our way south, I feel like I’m almost at my destination. To me, they are as synonymous with the South as palm trees, plantation-style houses and pecan pie.
Yet on a dark and stormy night, the Spanish moss that decorates their branches give me an eerie feeling that reminds me of axe murderers and haunted houses.

Live oaks are actually evergreens, so they don’t lose their leaves in winter. Their branches tend to grow out rather than up and they’re low to the ground, often creating a canopy over a road. One of the most well-known photos of live oaks is that taken on the way to Oak Alley, a plantation near New Orleands, LA.

In a historical cemetery in Savannah, Georgia

They tell me that Spanish moss doesn’t hurt the trees, but I disagree. It seems to me that when the moss covers the branches, it suffocates the leaves. Where there’s Spanish moss, there are bare branches. Could be that if the moss is removed, the leaves will grow again. I hope so.

Do you have a favorite tree?

Creating something out of “two sticks and a piece of string”, as a friend put it, is so relaxing to me. When I need to think over a problem, or brainstorm a plot point, I pick up my knitting needles and let my mind wander. In the evenings, I can’t just sit and watch TV without doing something else – usually knitting.

There’s only one problem with knitting so much – what to do with the finished products. I love to make baby clothes, but my friends and family aren’t in the having-a-baby stage.

There are only so many afghans I can use, so I’ve started giving them away.

I’ve donated squares to various charities to be made into blankets for those less fortunate than I am. But somehow, I still have bins and bins filled with yarn. I think yarn in like gremlins. Wasn’t it those little creatures that multiplied overnight?

Do you knit? Crochet? Do other handcrafts? What do you do with all your finished projects?

The ultimate jail of its time – Alcatraz.

I was surprised when I got on the boat that would take us into the San Francisco Bay to visit Alcatraz that it’s less than a mile from the mainland. It might as well have been miles from shore, because escape was practically impossible. In its 29-year history, only five escapees aren’t accounted for but they are presumed dead. Every other inmate who attempted it was either caught or died. So, the five who were never found – did they really escape?

I thoroughly enjoyed my day on The Rock. So many interesting little peeks into the lives of infamous criminals – cells with unfinished crochet projects, street signs on the corridors, the menu still on the wall of the dining area.

One little tidbit – Alcatraz was the only prison in the US at that time to offer hot water for prisoners’ showers. The reason – the frigid water of the San Francisco Bay would be a deterrent in an escape attempt because they wouldn’t be accustomed to cold.

One tip – if you visit Alcatraz, even if it’s not overly warm, wear sunscreen. I learned that lesson the hard way.

No one will dispute the number of amazing inventions that took place in the 20th century – X-ray machines, electric appliances for the home, and computers, to name a few. But there are some inventions that were just plain … silly.

Silly Putty – a mistake while looking for rubber substitutes, it became a hugely popular toy.

Furby – for people who wanted a pet but not the responsibility. So why not just buy a stuffed animal?

Bedazzler – this gadget made millions, but really, how many jewels can one person wear on their clothes?

Snuggies – the concept is ridiculously simple. Put your long bathrobe on backwards, give it a new name and make millions.

And of course, no list would be complete without the Chia Pet – I still don’t quite understand the logic of this invention. To me, it’s right up there with pet rocks.

Do you have an idea for a new gadget or toy? Patent it. Who knows, you might be the next millionaire.

PS: I’m blogging today at Sweethearts of the West. Drop by and say hello. I’m giving away a PDF copy of one of my western historical romances to one lucky commenter.

It’s a town few people have ever heard of, but it has a long and bloody history. Settled in the 12th century, it waeis an area of conflict between the Scottish and the English for centuries. By the 16th century, the border between Scotland and England had turned into a battleground. Those who lived here – the Turnbulls, the Scottls, The Douglas’s, the Kerr’s, for example – were loyal only to those they could depend on. They turned to cattle rustling, theft and murder – either from the English or from their own neighbours. Blackmail and treachery were a way of life. They became known as Border Reivers.

Those days are gone, but each year in March, The Hawick Reivers Festival takes place, with re-enactments, parades, etc. Every June, the Common Riding takes place, a week of celebration with the custom of riding the boundaries, the celebration of the capture of the English flag in 1514. The horse in the square commemorates this victory.

Hawick has come a long, long way from its violent past. These days, Hawick is better known for its rugby team and its garment and cashmere industry. But if you do stop there on a tour of Scotland, you’ll never lose your travelling companions if you tell them to meet you “at the horse”.

Grease is the word …

It’s cheesy, it’s so sugary-sweet you get cavities from just watching it, and it has no educational value whatsoever. But it’s one of my favorite movies ever.

John Travolta, coming off his Saturday Night Fever fame, is the perfect Danny, the tough guy on the outside who’s so concerned about how he looks in front of his friends that he can’t admit he really cares about sweet, naive Sandy, played by Olivia Newton-John. They spend the entire movie dancing around each other – Danny trying to impress Sandy (and failing) with his athletic abilities and Sandy trying to morph herself from her girl-next-door appearance into a sexpot. Finally, they manage to “go together, like rama lama lama ke ding a de dinga a dong” and they get their happy ending.

The romance is cliché – good girl/bad boy, girl gets boy, girl loses boy, girl gets boy and happy every after, but even thirty-something years later, it’s still a fun movie to watch. The music is infectious, the characters are enjoyable to watch, and even though the portrayal of the 50′s isn’t accurate, it’s still fun to look back at a time when teenagers hung out in a malt shop, wore bobby-socks and a big Saturday night was a movie at the local drive-in.

Hmm…it’s Saturday. Drive-in movies have gone the way of poodle skirts and duck-tailed hair, but I do have my Grease DVD. Now where’s the popcorn?