I was just tired–beyond tired, really, after (finally) finishing THE MARRIAGE PACT (also known, around the Triple L, as ‘The Other Neverending Story’). What an irony. I don’t think I’ve ever written a book that was more challenging–and yet, I truly believe it is among my best.
Just be glad you weren’t here on Monday. 🙂 I started the revisions, as requested by my new and much-loved editor, Paula Eykelhoff, (Paula, I hope I spelled that correctly), at–wait for it–4:30 am. By 10 am, I was pretty sure I’d done what needed doing–only to lose the entire morning’s work into the mysterious realm of cyberspace. ERRG!! I came downstairs, where Mary Ann and the rest of the crew were gathered, having the usual plan-the-day meeting, and I sobbed. Hugs and words of comfort were administered, and I remembered to eat breakfast. 🙂 All of which helped. Those who were better versed in computer-eze (that would be just about anybody) tried to retrieve the lost efforts, but to no avail. So I had to–sniffle–start over. I can only assume there was some good reason for this, but I may never know what that reason was–as I often say, God operates on a need-to-know basis where His children are concerned, and there are a heck of a lot of things He evidently doesn’t think we need to know. 🙂 I spent another 5 or 6 hours redoing what I’d already done, and when I was finished, I had something to eat and fell right back into bed until morning.
Since then, I’ve pretty much been in recovery mode. I visited some of my favorite Spokane haunts on Tuesday–Wonders of the World, where I was befriended by a number of beautiful new crystals and gemstones (more on that later), the Kitchen Engine, where I bought more of these marvelous little spikes used to bake restaurant-style potatoes–more on that, too–plus the bead shop, which is part of W of the W, but across the hall. I even visited a jeweler, who will set a beautiful Ametrine I bought on eBay into a ring. 🙂 All these places, conveniently, are housed in the Flour Mill, so it was pretty much a one-stop-shop. I even indulged in a single, absolutely delicious confection called a Mayan Truffle–yowzer. Now that, my friends, is the way to eat chocolate.
On Wednesday, which, of course, was yesterday, I went to Weight Watchers–weight stayed the same, which happens, especially following a big loss (3.6 pounds) like the one I registered last week. (And, no, it wasn’t the truffle. 🙂 That luscious morsel was the size of a regular piece of boxed chocolate, but oh so much richer–rich enough, in fact, that I might not need chocolate again for months.) This was a real paradigm shift for me, I realize now. If you’re going to have something like that, have the best possible–not the low-fat, sugar-free, no-taste version. 🙂
Found something new at JoAnn’s after WW–have I mentioned how much I LOVE new things??–blank (darn computer ate the first version of this paragraph!) artist trading cards, made of sheet metal. Can’t wait to run them through a dry-embossing machine and see what happens.
Now for the stuff I promised to say more about: the new gemstones and crystals, to start. I’m reading a book called STEPS ON THE STONE PATH by Robert Sardello, and I must say it’s giving me a whole new slant on the properties of my beloved minerals. I have respected stones from the beginning, and deeply, but Sardello takes this to a new level–the basic premise is, rather than expecting a stone merely to, well, perform for us–bring love, relief from aches and pains, etc.–these wondrous creations are not, it’s true, meant to be trick ponies–but to meditate with and get to know that particular stone, allowing it to reveal its qualities to us at its own pace, if you will. The attributes listed in the reference books are indeed accurate, but they are only the merest glimpse of the real meaning the stone can convey over time. And that makes a whole lot of sense to this cowgirl–which is not to say there’s anything wrong with collecting stones because of their traditional qualities. It’s just that there’s more.
The second thing I promised to say more about: potato spikes. These are essentially large nails (please don’t use the kind from the hardware store or your husband’s wood shop, however, because they can contain some VERY harmful things, such as L.E.A.D.)–purchased at the kitchen store. They are coated with something–probably silicone–and cost a mere $2.99 for a package of 6. In any case, you spear them length-wise through a raw potato, prior to baking (NEVER microwaving, obviously), and stick them into the oven. Not only do they cook more evenly, and perhaps a little more rapidly, but they develop that wonderful, leathery “skin” that one usually only finds in restaurants. Now, this might not be any big revelation to you, but I have been trying to get that effect for years. None of the prior methods worked for me. This works like the proverbial charm, though, and I like to share my discoveries with you.
Alas, that’s the blog for today. Tomorrow, this week’s contest winners will get the good news, and so will the rest of you. New round on Monday, so stay tuned.
Stay well and warm, too.
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.
