Welcome to Dee's Pad

My life as a writer, and as a wife, mother, and grandmother.

Monday, April 23, 2007

Easter at Gamy and Pappaw's house


Gammy Dee and Autumn
Messy Autumn
Baby Emma

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Carol Quinto Mini Conference

The Volusia Country Romance Writers had a great conference on April 21, 2007. Guest author speaker was Haywood Smith, author of the Red Hat Club, a New York Times Bestseller, and The Red Hat Rides Again. The Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch appeared on both the USA Today's list and the New York Times Extended Bestseller list.

We found Haywood very entertaining and good choice for guest speaker. If your writing group is looking for a speaker, I'd recommend Haywood Smith.

Also a guest speaker was Elaine Spencer from the Knight Agency. Elaine acts as the liaison between clients, publishers and agents. She is experienced with legal contracts and executive management as well as writing, editing and publishing.

I also found Elaine to be a terrific speaker, giving us a lot of useful information. She's easily approachable and our guests were happy with the way she would answer their questions.

I am happy to say that I was given this year's Carol Quinto Service Award. Carol passed over several years ago. I know she's up there looking down and saying, "You're doing what I wanted you to do--volunteering to keep the chapter going."

We're fortunate in our group to have great people who volunteer and keep our small RWA chapter going. Carol was big on volunteering. I remember the time she called me to say the newsletter editor had to drop out of writing and she wanted me to be the new editor. I tried to tell her I didn't have time, with working and the family. She said, "yes, you can do it. I'll help."

I did it! It was hard to say no to this great lady. She and her husband, Mike, passed away within two months of one another, both from cancer. She's greatly missed.

So now, it's time to get busy and work on my manuscripts so I can send one to Elaine and keep my fingers crossed that she doesn't dislike my work!

Dee

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Wow! The Easter bunny is arriving soon!

Here it is--nearly Easter. I know--I haven't posted in a long time. Bad Dee.
We've opened the pool and I'm waiting to see if Bad Icarus falls in. He spent the winter walking across the winter blanket and along the edge of the pool. Now--well, he'll have to swim to the steps and get out.

So, have any of you ever thought about how the Easter bunny gets all the credit for Easter while the chickens actually do most of the work? I mean, they lay the eggs. Others fill the baskets and all the rabbit has to do is hoping around delivering the baskets. Yeah, well, some of those baskets these days are dang big and probably heavy to carry around--if you're the size of a rabbit. But hey, they get all that credit and everyone loves bunnies!

I got a perm a few weeks ago. Can you imagine being at the beauty shop for 4 hours, being soaked from your neck to your britches? Sitting around in AC and freezing? And then being told yeah, your hair does need dyed. Can you wait a little bit while she cuts two others? It won't take much time. Forty-five minutes later, you're sitting under the dryer trying to stay warm, pulling your shirt up under the dryer as far as you can to dry it--didn't work. Finally, the time comes. And you have to say, "Hey, I have food cooking in the crock pot. Just finish me and I'll have to come back another time." That's what I did.

Do driving down the highway with my sunroof open, glancing into the mirror, I nearly panicked! Gray hair! Gray hair! Where'd it all come from? Was it really there all along? So now it fits--the old gray mare she ain't what she used to be!

Getting a dye job on the 19th--before I pick up the author and agent at the airport and hear them snicker--"did you see that gray hair on that head? Yeah, look close and you'll see it's about every so many hairs in that old head."

Grandkids: Baby Emma seems to hold her bodily functions for about 5 days. And she seems to hold it all back until it's my turn to sit for her. She pooped all over herself, all over me, too! Yuk. If that wasn't bad enough--she threw up on me later. I know make sure I'm wearing my oldest clothes when I watch her. No sense in messing up my good clothes.

Baby Autumn: She was baptized a few weeks ago. The church is very, very small. Our families and friends took up nearly half the church. She didn't cry during the sprinkling on her head. But she was so sober all day--for all her pictures, nary a smile. But when I visited her last Sunday, she was smiling. She's trying to walk now. She and her Auntie Em have the same color eyes and hair.

Maggie is watching me type. Think that means, hey maw, you haven't mentioned me! Oky, so Maggie is 70 lb of shedding hair dog. She's sweet, but likes to slap her brother Zeus with her large paws at times just to irritate him. And poor Zeus, Maggie and Icarus play together and we find Zeus out in the yard throwing sticks in the air and catching them while the other two are playing tug of war with their sticks.

Zeus is a Leo and fits the cowardly lion on the Wizard of Oz. If we sneeze, he runs and hides. Maggie, however, slinks away if we raise our voices. And both are scared of storms. Icarus likes to watch storms. Icarus doesn't care if we sneeze or yell or whatever. He's our Bad Ass dog. He weighs 15 lbs!

Have a great Easter. I have to get ready for company, work around the house and well, you all know how it goes--not enough time in our days!

dee--who has to wonder if anyone reads this