Blogging today feels something like trying to jump aboard a moving freight train–but here I am! I don’t mind telling you it was touch-and-go for a while there. 🙂
Our first Amazon and Barnes and Noble winners have been chosen and notified–congratulations to Brenda Cates and Janet. (Guess we don’t have Janet’s last name; if you are the Janet in question, you will have received an email from Jenni by now.) Brenda and Janet will each receive an autographed book as well as their $50 gift card.
Those of you who didn’t win, do not despair. There are three more weeks left in the contest. 🙂 Keep trying!
What I did today: I got up very early, prayed and meditated, drank coffee, fed the cats and the dog and let them all out and then in again. (And then out again…) I made a run to Walmart–nobody has a better selection of Weight Watchers products, plus it’s a one-stop shop. Grabbed a few stocking stuffers, pet food, Linda food, etc. Returning home, I put everything away (Kat was here to carry it all in from the truck, bless her), had lunch–WW Chicken Fajitas, 7 points–and then went upstairs to write. I’m making some progress on the book, and I’m loving the characters, too; plan to go back for a couple of hours after I finish this blog entry.
I’ve had dinner–an adapted WW recipe featuring 93/7 ground beef, canned tomatoes, garlic, onion, oregano, and spaghetti squash. The squash has to be baked first–(I put it in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes, making sure to puncture the skin first so the thing won’t explode.) Once cooked, the squash should be allowed to cool, then seeded. When you scrape the “meat” out of the shell with a fork, it looks just like spaghetti, and it can be substituted for pasta, too. Having simmered the other ingredients in a frying pan for a while, I mix in the squash and pop the works into the oven for about 30 minutes. This is a great dish–I made it yesterday for supper, (charged myself 6 points total, 4 for the very lean burger and 2 for the 1/3 cup of grated WW cheese I sprinkled over my portion and melted). The stuff is so good, I had it again tonight. The batch serves four, and it gets tastier after being refrigerated overnight, like stew or chili. Sometimes, I just have spaghetti squash with some spray-on I-can’t-believe-it’s-not-butter (actually, I CAN believe it) and a little salt and pepper–delicious. There are lots of things a person can do with this particular veggie, and I plan to try some variations after checking the web for ideas. I added a green salad and, good to go.
The rocks continue to arrive–I have a combination of moss agate and Labradorite in a pretty dish, to offer visitors. 🙂 (So much healthier than candy.) I’ll encourage my company to pick out half a dozen or so, the ones they’re particularly drawn to–have I mentioned that the gemstones you need most at any given time will attract you?) These two minerals are very handy, and when I hold them or even just hold my palm above them, I really feel a buzz. Last night, I put some in my bath water, and that was very soothing indeed. (There are some, like Selenite and salt crystals, for instance, that shouldn’t get wet because they will dissolve.)
I remain amazed!
And that’s not such a bad way to be. 🙂
About Linda
The daughter of a town marshal, Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 100 historical and contemporary novels, most of which reflect her love of the West.
Raised in Northport, Washington, Linda pursued her wanderlust, living in London and Arizona and traveling the world before returning to the state of her birth to settle down on a horse property outside Spokane.
