Author: Becky

Happiest of New Years to you

Happy New Year to you all. No big parties here. I tried to buy champagne for a little midnight toast, but it didn’t work out. So I made sausage and cheese balls, because nothing says New Year’s Eve like sausage and cheese balls, right?

I’m designing the little town where my novel is set to make writing easier. Tim was trying to post photos to his photo blog. His photos wouldn’t line up right; my software crashed when I hadn’t saved additions to my town for well over an hour.

Most of the fireworks were coming out of the mouths of the computer-challenged in the home office.

Beauty drives away

Today James, citizen of the world, currently residing in Maine, came by for a visit. He arrived bearing gifts, including a wonderful book and some homebaked cookies (chocolate/peanut butter, a passion he shares with his fellow Gemini Tim). Tim said that he would give him a manhandling welcome, except Tim has a cold. I plied James with Reeses Cups, charmed him with dogs, got the scoop on what’s been going on with him, solicited free gardening advice, and bent his ear for a while. Then we waved him goodbye…until next time. I miss him, but for me, the world is a happier place just ’cause I know he’s in it.

Bon voyage, James.

That moment has arrived

Whether because of panic over a looming deadline or sheer will, that moment has happened wherein a novel takes over my life. That’s good news (deadline!) and bad news (takes over my life!). E-mail will languish, phones will go unanswered, Tom will get stuck doing even more around the house, and people will be neglected (though never dogs; they’ve got it made, those dogs). Because these phantom people are with me from the time I wake up until I fall asleep–even longer, really, since they are in my dreams, and I am constantly working and reworking their stories on the computer and in my head.

I will end up with a manuscript that I will finally, with indescribable apprehension, hand over to Tom and Tim for comment and criticism. By the time it’s revised and sent away, I’ll be thoroughly sick of it, second-guessing everything I liked about it, thinking of great lines that I should have used in it, and certain that this will be the one that makes my editor say, “Hack! Give us back our money!”

Mechanics don’t go through this, do they? Maybe it’s not too late to learn what a carburetor is.

Why not…

I’m taking it from scottynola, who took it from docbrite…

Five things I did for the first time this year:

got a two-book contract on my own
evacuated for a hurricane
sold a short story
talked to Greg Herren on the phone
met five new (to me) authors in person

Five things I’m looking forward to in ’06

the release of Someone Like You
the release of my first solo novel
Saints and Sinners
two new great-nieces and/or -nephews
more rest, less stress

Best household additions in ’05

River
digital camera
wireless
little couch in office
wooden blinds

Five things within my grasp that delight me

Margot and Guinness
coffee
mouse & keyboard
Another Janet Evanovich mystery
photo of Timmy, Jim, and Tim

Five things I lost in ’05

sleep
five more pounds
hope for a certain manuscript
the setting for Three Fortunes in One Cookie
red reflector on my car bumper

Six people who really had my back this year

Tom, as always, but there is no way I can limit this to six. My support system is phenomenal.

Six things I should be doing rather than writing this list

Writing
Reconciling my bank statement
Paying bills
Calling my mother
Answering e-mail
Putting decorations away

Coasting through Christmas

Laura tried to hide how thrilled she was to get her lime-accented gifts of the sponges and candles. But I could tell that she was almost sick with joy when she opened her lemon-slice coasters. How often does a two-dollar expenditure bring that much emotion to someone’s face? I knew that my little offering meant much more than the diamond earrings from her husband and that iPod thingie she got from her in-laws. Why, they were struggling all afternoon to download songs onto the iPod thingie. But the coasters, sponges, and candles–those are things that she can enjoy immediately without having to read a bunch of instructions!
Continue reading “Coasting through Christmas”

Across town, I am being underestimated

When Tom and I got married, Lynne, who’s been my friend since I was 12, made our wedding cake. Layer after layer, creating roses after roses from frosting… She was delirious by W-day.

A cousin of mine came to the wedding with her husband and left a gift on the gift table.
Continue reading “Across town, I am being underestimated”

Going to the ‘burbs

Today, Tom and I went OUTSIDE THE LOOP to visit:


Jonathan

and

Ryan

and their parents, Amy and Richard. Rex the Escape Artist Dog didn’t stop long enough on his way to the food bowl to be photographed. Amy gave us a gift similar to one from our godson’s parents: photos of the little ones in ALABAMA shirts we gave them. This is a big concession from parents who graduated from Texas A&M and Auburn. So far, I’m being nice and not publishing them for the world to see. All bets are off when I get to be naughty again.

Misunderstood Lyrics

I sometimes go to web sites that provide song lyrics people think they hear. I’ve had my own experience with misunderstood lyrics, although I can’t share any because I don’t want to embarrass myself can’t remember them right now (although I never thought Jimi Hendrix was saying, “‘Scuse me while I kiss this guy”).

I didn’t realize there was a term for this, mondegreen, which arose from a misunderstood Scottish ballad. Snopes.com provides some misunderstood lyrics to carols.