Spencer Tracy

I've had fun reading about my fellow bloggers' pets and thought I'd tell you about Spencer. We've had our rescue dog for fifteen months. He had been abused and we promised him a quiet, stress-free life.

Of course, we lied. The dog has watched my husband weather several health crises and dealt with sirens, paramedics and visting nurses. He has adapted and now follows Doug around the house and watchs him obsessively. He loves his new family but we know his past still haunts him. He sometimes has nightmares and is afraid and barks when anyone comes to our door.

We have spent a fortune on dog trainers and he is a bit better with strangers. Mostly I think he is doing the best he can. He gives kisses and likes to be held. Sometimes he looks at us as if to say, "Before you guys nobody ever thought I was special."

Waiting for Me

This is what I come home to everyday. Woofy waiting for me on the back of the sofa, staring out the window. The minute I open the car door I hear his little meow of welcome. Then he runs and meets me at the door. It's a great feeling to come home after a long day of work, to something that loves you unconditionally. To something that misses you and is there to greet you. And all he expects from me in return is acknowledgement in the way of a hello and a pat on the head. He's a cuddler though and loves attention and contact, which he gets plenty of.

Gin Gin, on the other had, could care less. She's so darn independent and aloof. I think it's a big act because once in a while she slips up and cuddles with hubby or me, or gets friendly. Then goes back to being unfriendly when she realizes what she's doing. She's a good cat most of the time, a little too curious which lands her in trouble once in a while. But you know what I do to punish her? I pick her up and love on her! LOL She hates that.

Edinburgh

Here I am back from my trip. What a beautiful city Edinburgh, Scotland is. Ancient and modern, and very walkable. You can be in tiny little passages lined by huge stone houses, and then on a broad shopping street that is as good as anywhere in the world.

The Royal mile links the castle and Holyrood house, the home of Mary Queen of Scots at one time. It is wonderful. The only blight was that it rained from my getting there to my leaving. However, I enjoyed being with my friend, Loren from New Zealand, and we did not let the terrible weather stop us from doing anything that we wanted. I am going to attach a picture of The Royal Mile, but it is taken at night, still you might get the atmosphere.

I also saw the cafe where JK Rowling sat writing the Harry Potter stories, picture attached. Can you imagine - Scotland and Edinburgh in particular is very rich in the literary tradition.

I am looking forward to writing my blog on Thursday so will chat to you again then. By the way, the best news when I arrived home was a letter from my Publisher, Robert Hale, telling me he was going to buy my new romantic suspense! When that book comes out, it will be my 22nd - I have to say it of myself, "way to go Maggie!"

Cheers, Margaret.

Zucchini Friday

Good Friday morning. Please forgive me if I've been absent this week, not commenting anywhere or chatting on loops. I've been swamped, completely buried, and trying to keep up with the deluge has taken nearly all of my time.

Hmm? What's been keeping me occupied? Well, honestly, it's been...our garden. Or should I say gardens? We've got several, and they're all producing bumper crops. I've been busy making jam, and canning and freezing fruits and veggies, and of course we're eating fresh produce like there's no tomorrow. I've just been spending all my time either in the gardens or in the kitchen. I'm not complaining, just sharing.

Last night we had friends here to share dinner with us and of course we pretty much fed them from the garden. It was wonderful, and so healthy.

Today I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite zucchini recipes. I thought maybe some of you were buried under zucchini mountains too. I hope you enjoy them!

And I hope you have a wonderful weekend!


One of our all-time favorites...

Fried Zucchini Blossoms

zucchini blossoms
2 cups whole milk
4 Tablespoons flour
An egg, lightly beaten
Salt
Olive oil for frying

Trim the stems of the zucchini blossoms, remove flower parts from inside the blossom and wash gently them gently. Pat them dry, using a delicate touch.

Combine the milk, flour and egg.

Heat the oil in a deep pan.

Lightly salt the zucchini blossoms then dredge them in batter. Immediately drop them into the oil and fry them until golden. Drain on paper towels, then serve them hot.

Make more than you think you'll need. Believe me. Make more.

Zucchini Brownies

2 cups grated zucchini
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine all ingredients.

Pour batter into a greased, floured baking pan and place in a 350-degree preheated oven.

Brownies will be completely cooked in 30-45 minutes. Check by poking with a skewer to test for doneness.

You Got to Have Friends

I've been all work and no play for a long time and a vacation is out of the question. So I've decided to designate Monday as a fun day. I meet a couple friends for a light breaksast and then we shop. We don't go anywhere expensive just a local outlet that may lack ambience but has lots of bargains.

I come home with a jump on my holiday shopping and an eagerness to get back to my writing. Between breakfast and shopping we never spend more than twenty dollars, but the relaxation and the conversation is priceless.

My mom used to play bridge every Sunday and I never understod the appeal of that card game. Now I realize it wasn't the cards but the weekly ritual of being with friends that she enjoyed.

Time is precious but so are our friends. I find if you gather at least three prople you get laughs and good times. Wasn't it the three bears and three muskateers? So I'm one of the three shoppers. And yes I've orchestrated this whole blog just so I could use this photo.

Cutting Back?

Kathy had an interesting post below about making changes. It's funny because lately I've been thinking seriously about doing the same thing. I find as I get older I want to simplify my life to suite what I want. And in the fast paced world we live in I know it's not going to be easy. Sometimes making choices isn't easy, because we all want to make the right choices. How do we know what those are?

I just got back from spending three days with my daughter and her family. My little granddaughter, Alivia, turned two. My niece was there, my dad showed up from South Carolina to surprise us all. We were all together. As small a family as we are. We had a little birthday party for Alivia and for the first time I got to hear her say "gamaw". My niece and I discussed taking a short cruise together. All is good. No cut backs to be made here:)

So what changes will help simplify my life? Having a housekeeper is a good place to start, but I like cleaning my little house and it doesn't take up that much of my time. Hubby keeps the outside done. No worries there. Taking care of two little kitties isn't all that hard. They're pretty independent and besides, I enjoy having them around. No cut backs to be made here:)

Work? These days who can quit work? I enjoy that part of my life because I'm around co-workers who have become my friends. The job isn't that hard and I make decent money, that's always a plus. Sure, I wish I didn't have to work 5 days a week, 3 would be perfect! Still, I'm not special. If the rest of the world has to work 5 days a week then so should I. Gee, when I was younger I held down three jobs! No cut backs to be made here:)

What then? My writing? I can't give that up! Writing is in my blood, it's my passion. Sure, it became more complicated once I became published but I wouldn't give that experience up for the world. But there are aspects of writing that I can...trim. Getting back to Kathy's earlier blog, she said she belonged to 20 something groups. I belong to almost twice that many, several different networking sites, I have two websites and a blog of my own I need to maintain. Ah! Here's where I can start to cut back.

So like Kathy I will eliminate some of the groups I belong to. A couple of the networking sites will have to go, too. My websites and personal blogs will definitely stay, though. I will start eliminating my time on the Internet so I can do more writing, which has suffered because of all the time I spend playing. And I will stop committing myself to so much that I can't keep up with it anymore.

Sound like a plan?

Fluffy and Fido

This is our cat Piglet. She's 12 and we think she's the sweetest little thing around. She's got a personality that could charm a snake and purrs so loud she sounds like she's hiding an engine somewhere on her furry self. We love her. A lot.

Have you noticed that most people have at least one pet? Or, if they don't currently live with a pet, they've had one. Or plan to get one. Yes, animals do play an important role in our lives. I know our world wouldn't be the same without our Piglet.

I've noticed that so many of our favorite characters have pets. Pigs, birds, fish, cats and dogs seem tame. I've read books where falcons, wolves, penguins, sharks and ferrets have filled out the family unit. I think one of my favorite pets was in the Laura Kinsdale novel Midsummer Moon. In that story the pet of choice was a hedgehog!

I believe pets belong in novels. So far I haven't brought any odd pets into my books but there's usually at least one cat, and sometimes a dog. After all, in the real world we love our feathered, furry and sometimes slimy friends. Why not invite them into our characters' lives, too?

How do you feel about pets in novels? Do they belong on the pages? Or should they be left on the author's lap?

Have a nice weekend! :)