Scrapper's Block...and the Page for Malice

I read in one of the scrapbooking magazines that the one color that scrapbookers found to be the one they shun is...PURPLE.

This intrigued me. I love purple. In fact, I love all colors. Why would this one be so readily avoided? I wondered. Then I saw my new book cover--purple and pink. Hmmm. Kevin Brown, the genius who does my covers, seemed to be able to work with purple.

Fast forward several months. I agreed to again contribute a custom-made scrapbook page for the auction that Malice holds every year to benefit charities. Last year my page brought in $140, making it one of the pricier items.

Purple. The page had to be purple to match my book cover.

I went to buy purple paper and discovered there weren't many choices. Lots of pink. Not a lot of purple. I let the paper sit for a while. I started on the rubber stamped portions. But gee...the page itself seemed hard.

I don't know whether it was my mood, the fact I felt I needed to "top" last year, or what, but I had a full-blown case of scrapper's block. So I did what I always do in such circumstances, I found a magazine with a layout I liked and I scraplifted.

The page took me most of the day, between coloring and adding glitter to the teacup, punching and assembling flowers, and so on.

How do you like it? The book opens and has a small album inside so the buyer can add lots of photos. I figure there's room for a big photo in the upper left quadrant, too. Oh, and thanks to my friends at Spotted Canary and EK Success for the flower embellishments.

Large Print News and Is He Dead Yet?

Yesterday I learned that large print rights to Cut, Crop & Die were purchased by Library Publishing/BBC (UK). So, Kiki and Company will be available in the UK in large print. The ISBN is 978-1-408-4572-8. It's hardcover. There's also a softcover edition, ISBN 978-1-408-45753-5.

I bet the crowds are lining up at Waterstones right now!

Tonight's an MWA (Mystery Writers of America) meeting with a private investigator as our speaker. Stay tuned for more!

All That Other Stuff

Pam DeVoe did a nice interview with me for the St. Louis Sisters in Crime blog. Check it out here.

One of the questions she asked, one I get asked a lot, is, "What's a typical day like for you?"

Today was anything but typical. I worked all day on promotions. I love that, but it's really time-consuming. I worked contacting the media in St. Louis because I'll be there in May. I enjoyed hearing back from my friend Jane Henderson, the book editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, right away. I hope she can get Photo, Snap, Shot reviewed because I think her readers will love it. But I also know book pages are getting fewer and fewer inches to work with.

I worked setting up another signing while I'm there. I'd been trying to connect with Timmy and Nancy from For Keeps Sake, and finally did. I'll go to a crop at their store after doing my signing at Pudd'nhead Books, Friday, May 21. See, scrapbookers stay up all hours of the night, so I knew this would work! It will be nice to see my sister scrappers at For Keeps Sake. I always enjoy Nikki at Pudd'nhead Books. Few people are as knowledgable about this business as she is.

I ordered some cool aprons for the Killer Hobbies Blog Sisters to wear at various events. I looked into some postcards so we could advertise our progressive story, which is really long enough to be a novella. We'll start posting the story on May 2, so if you aren't a follower at Killer Hobbies, you'll want to be!

I followed up calling a local craft store about a signing. I emailed another bookstore about a signing. I set up spreadsheets so I could track blogs that I'll be giving review copies of Photo, Snap, Shot. I emailed handouts to Peter Green with the St. Louis Writers Guild. I responded to fan mail and sent out new bookmarks. (Want some? Mail a self-addressed stamped envelope to me at Joanna Slan, c/o Steinway Piano Gallery, Tysons Corner Center, 1961 Chain Bridge Road, McLean VA 22102.)

Also, I worked with a graphic designer to get an ad ready for Crimespree Magazine. Fortunately, I was organized enough that I had my release form for my new photos at hand. This is one of them. I hope you like it!

I beat myself up a little because I can't find the name of the adorable young lady who runs some of the forums on Splitcoaststampers. See, I use Outlook, but sometimes things slip past me! Sheesh.

Then, from six to nine, I wrote. I'm working on a short story for a competition. I don't know if I'll get that done, but...

My husband will be home in a bit. He had a long day, too. We'll sit in front of the television. While we watch, I'll tie ribbons on bookmarks.

Tomorrow, I start all over again!

Love Crafts and Mysteries? Malice is for YOU!

If you love mysteries and crafts, you won’t want to miss Malice Domestic, Saturday, May 1, 2010 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA. Mystery authors from all over the world will gather to meet their fans and talk about their books. Plus, there’s a live auction with cool stuff. Here’s a sampling--

* A collection of Peel & Stick stamps, a certificate for a free personalized stamp, and 7 colorful ink cartridges---a $400 retail value!

* A customized, one-of-a-kind scrapbook page by Joanna Campbell Slan, author of the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series. (Priceless. One like it sold last year for $140.)

* A basket from the Killer Hobbies blog sisters. There are 16 great books in this basket, and all sorts of crafting supplies. You’ll have tons of fun keeping busy with the KH Blog Sisters’ loot! Valued at $200.

(I'll post a photo of the customized page and the KH Blog Sisters' loot soon!)

A day pass is only $125. The Saturday pass includes the chance to bid in the live auction and the Agatha Banquet (only a few seats are left). The Sunday pass includes the Agatha Tea. Go to registrar@malicedomestic.org to sign up.

Authors attending will include Dorothy Cannell, Katherine Hall Page, JoAnna Carl, Elaine Viets, Rhys Bowen, and Mary Higgins Clark. For a full list of the authors go to http://www.malicedomestic.org/registeredauthors.html

Time for a Change...or Two

Nothing stays the same, does it? I keep casting my thoughts back to one calendar year ago. The amount of change in my life is positively dizzying. (Is that a word?)

I'm not just talking about a change in locale.

CHANGE IN WORD COUNTS

This morning I heard from my editor that Book #4 is a bit long. I'm not surprised. I had noticed that my original goal was 80-85,000 words. The more recent contract we're negotiating shows a final word count of 70,000 words. That's a big change. Especially since I've been working very hard to develop subplots that take my books to the next level.

CHANGE IN MARKETING STRATEGIES

Today, most publishers schedule books to come out yearly. When you think about that, it's a bit odd. I mean, I watch my favorite shows every week, and they've got me hooked. So why is it different with books? I would love to share my Kiki short stories between the book launches. We'll have to see if I can.

CHANGE IN MY HAIRSTYLE

For some odd reason, most of the curl in my hair has just...disappeared. I have no idea now. Maybe it symbolizes that I'm not nearly so tightly wound. Or maybe it's the result of living near Washington, D. C., where everyone seems to be very, um, personally conservative and straight-laced. Curly doesn't seem to fit my new life.

CHANGE IN MY WEBSITE

Stay tuned. Working on this.

CHANGE IN MY PRIORITIES

A old friend sent me a ranting political piece she'd written that was totally inflammatory--and then she asked me to critique it. This came totally out of the blue. I thought to myself, "I didn't sign up for this." See, when you work at home by yourself all day, and you get something that's so...ugly, it's hard to shake the mood. As a wise business coach once said, "The most important thing any entrepreneur can do is protect their confidence." Translated for writers that becomes, "The most important thing any writer can do is protect her mental state." I should have told my old friend, "Please don't send me anything like this again."

CHANGE IN STATUS

Used to be, I was the new kid on the block. My dear pal Emilie Richards came over for breakfast the other day, and we had a lovely talk about how to write a synopsis, how to keep track of a story in progress, and where we hoped to go with our next books. I reflected at the time that this isn't a conversation we could have had years ago. I didn't know enough to ask Emilie the questions I'm asking today. I guess I'm not such a newbie anymore! This lovely blog post by Pam DeVoe confirms it.

Where Ideas Come From--Mole Removal 101

While I'm writing I pop up now and again to do household chores. This morning I was moving clothes from the washer to the dryer. First I had to pick off all the pieces of tissue that had partially dissolved in the wash and where stuck all over the pants and shirts.

Sigh. No matter how carefully I search every pocket, I still miss a tissue or two.

Ideas are like that. They pop up in the most unexpected places. They get all clingy and refuse to go away. After they go through the wash, they don't look much like they did originally, but you can still tell what they were. Sort of.

Over on Cozy First Mysteries, a yahoo group, the members are doing a "buddy read" of Cut, Crop & Die. I've been following the comments of Julesy (their leader), Angie, Shannon, Shala, Mare, Vicki, Katie, Shauna, Mary C, and Melissa (did I miss anyone?) with much interest. (Oh, and the yahoo group owner is Beverly.)

Here's how it works: Julesy and Angie(as co-leaders) would post a short synopsis of chunks of the book as they read it. Then the leaders would solicit opinions from the others. It's almost like someone is doing a transcript of a real-time book group. And I love it. Seeing how readers react about my choices is incredibly enlightening. I'm improving my craft by taking note of their responses. And did I mention it's good for the ego? Oh, yeah. On days when I can't get anything written, seeing these nice ladies' responses makes me want to work doubly hard to create books worthy of them.

Of course, sometimes they don't like what I've written. That's okay, too. It's a great learning experience, and usually they have good suggestions. (In fact, one was so good, I wished I'd had it BEFORE the books were printed, but...)

Recently, they read the portion of Cut, Crop & Die where Kiki goes to the spa. Julesy said she was laughing so hard she could barely type her synopsis. My heart soared with joy. Someday, if I'm a really good kid, maybe I'll get nominated for an award for humorous writing. I'd love that because I totally ascribe to Minnie Pearl's comment that laughter is God's hand on the shoulder of a weary world.

The group also wondered where I got the idea for chasing moles away with vibrators. Here's what I wrote:

My husband was doing a “Sheila” about the moles in our yard. As I am wont to do, I started chatting with the pest specialist we hired. (I like to ask people questions about their work. He was initially very quiet, but once he discovered I was really curious, he opened up. I thanked him in the book. His name was Scott.) Then I went online. To my shock, I discovered some online place selling vibrators to get rid of moles. I wondered, “Do the vibrators just make the moles so crazy-happy they stay in their beds all day? What’s the deal here?” A short time afterwards, we were coming home from the airport in St. Louis and drove past all the adult sex toy shops on Lindbergh Ave. I guess every big town has such places. Usually they’re close to where lonely travelers might be.

I put two and two together. I mean, really, does a mole care what the shape of the vibrator is?

Remind me to post the photo of my freeze dried mole someday. I used to travel around the country giving humorous speeches, and that mole was a real highlight. I can't count the number of times I've had my picture taken with him. And no, as far as I know, he's never had a close encounter with a vibrator.

But then you never know, do you?

Taking Criticism (Kate, Are You There?)

I never, ever wanted to watch Dancing with the Stars (DWTS), but now I'm hooked. My reason for not wanting to be a viewer is simple: I love to dance. Therefore, watching other people having a good time is like...torture. I spend every minute wishing I was dancing along!(Check out the dancing scene in Cut, Crop & Die. I had to tone it down some, but that's me, bay-bee.)

Lately, I've been watching DWTS and thinking about criticism. It's always hard to take, isn't it? But I've noticed that the stars and participants who can't take it are usually the ones who don't make it to the final round. Makes sense.

Now I'm going to get snarky. Can you believe the way Kate Gosselin is acting? I shudder when I see people roll their eyes at the panel of dance experts. I mean, I don't care how snippy Bruno gets or how tough Len is. They do know what they're talking about.

But Bruno and Len and Carrie Ann are just part of the crew. The hardest working folks in the show, in my humble opinion, are the professional dancers. I mean, dancers have the lifespan of a gnat. It's just so incredibly hard on your body. These kids turn up, step up, and dance it up every week. So, spouting off to a dancing pro and telling him he doesn't know how to teach is just wrong. But that's exactly what Kate did. In the UK, they call that "cheeky." To be that rude, takes...well...it takes something. If Kate's goal is to show her kids how to act, gee, I hope the show airs after their bedtime. Especially if reports are true that she's also being a real pill by showing up late on the show. Whoa-doggies. Personally, I'm getting a bit weary of hearing Kate pull the "I'm just a mom trying to survive" card. I see a lot of moms trying to survive, and golly, their lives don't look at all like Kate's.

It's tough to take criticism. I know. I stomp around the house after it comes my way. But notice, that's my house. We don't have cameras rolling here.

Right now I'm working on a new idea. I keep showing it to my husband. He keeps telling me how I can improve it. I HATE his help. Hate it. But he's usually right and I remind myself that if I can put my ego aside and listen, my work and I will both be better for it.

Here's the deal: If you're going to live a public life, you better grow tough skin and a poker face. At the very least, keep your mouth shut when people give you good advice. Oh, and if you want proof that sneering is not a good idea, here's a tip--anytime you can put "sneering" and "your name" together and get google hits, honey, it's time to clean up your act. Even if Bruno did just compare you to a shopping cart!

Besides, didn't anyone ever tell Kate her face could freeze that way?

Notes to Self after Trip to Costa Rica

Note to self: When sitting out in the sun, first remove cartouche so you don't have a weird white rectangle in the midst of your tan.

Note to self: Just because you are allergic to them, doesn't mean you can't enjoy them. It's okay to love cats from afar. Taking pictures of them is cool. Very cool.




Note to self: Don't forget to look UP. You might miss something beautiful if you don't.



Note to self: Sitting and thinking is important. Take time for it.



Note to self: Sunblock, every day. Even if it's raining outside. Or you will look like this.



Note to self: Pouting is very unattractive.

Joanna's Schedule for April, May and June

If you are along the way, or near to one of these events, please let me know. If I can stop in and visit, I will. Also, this isn't complete. I'm still working on it, so feel free to let me know if there's someway we can meet!

**

Wednesday, April 21, 7:00 PM
Spring Ridge Club
9090 Ridgefield Dr., Frederick, MD 21701-6728
Private event

**

Sunday, April 25
Kensington (MD) Day of the Book
Details to come

**

Friday, April 30-May 2
Malice Domestic
Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel, 1700 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA
Panel on Sunday, May 2 at 9 a.m.
Will host a table at the banquet.
Will participate in Malice-Go-Round, partnering with Penny Warner.

**

Monday, May 3
Festival of Mystery
Greek Orthodox Church 12 Washington St., Oakmont PA
Includes tea with local library


**

Tuesday, May 4, 11:30 a.m.
Fan event at Union Grill, Pittsburgh PA
Private event

**

Saturday, May 8, 2-4 p.m.
Mother’s Day Tea and Booksigning Event
Scrapbooks Plus!
14502A Lee Road, Chantilly, VA 20151

**
Start of Kiki Lowenstein’s World Tour—

Monday, May 17, 7 p.m.
Foul Play Mystery
27 E. College Ave., Westerville, OH, 43081

**

Tuesday, May 18, noon
Mooresville (IN) Public Library
220 W. Harrison St, Mooresville, IN 46158

**

Tuesday, May 18, 6 p.m.
Oprah’s Book Club of Monroe City
1242 Main Street, Monroe City, IN 47557

**

Wednesday, May 19, 6:00 PM
Professional Investigators Council of Greater St. Louis
Syberg’s, 2430 Old Dorsett Road, Maryland Heights, MO 63043
Private event

**

Thursday, May 20, 7-8:30 p.m.
St. Louis Writers Guild
Barnes & Noble Booksellers
8871 Ladue Road, St. Louis, MO 63124

**

Friday, May 21, 11-1 p.m.
Mystery Book Club
Barnes & Noble Booksellers
721 Gravois Road
Fenton MO 63026

**

Friday, May 21, 7-8 p.m.
Pudd’nhead Books
37 S. Old Orchard Ave., Webster Groves, MO 63119

**

Saturday, May 22, 1-4 p.m.
Daisy Lane
2619 Lakeland Blvd., Mattoon, IL 61938

**

Saturday, May 22, 7-10 p.m.
Scrapbook Factory
“A Crop to Die For” Dinner Mystery Play and signing
2004 W. Hwy. 50, O'Fallon, IL 62269-1645

**

Sunday, May 23, noon-2 p.m.
Barnes & Noble Booksellers
320 Mid Rivers Center Drive, St Peters, MO 63376


**

Sunday, May 23, 4 p.m.
Left Bank Books
399 N. Euclid Ave
St. Louis MO

**

Wednesday, June 23, TBD
Scrapbooks Plus!
Scrapbook journaling class. Call ahead for details.
14502A Lee Road, Chantilly, VA 20151

**

Friday and Saturday, June 25-26, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Great American Scrapbook Convention
Teaching classes and selling books.
Dulles Expo Center
4368 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly, VA 20151-4016


Saturday, June 26, TBD
Scrapbook Crop and Signing
Scrapbooks Plus!
Scrapbook journaling class. Call ahead for details.
14502A Lee Road, Chantilly, VA 20151

**

Sunday, June 27 TBD
American Library Association
Signing at Midnight Ink table

World Tour News

I'm working like crazy on upcoming special appearances to promote Photo, Snap, Shot.

I wish I could visit each and every one of you. Really I do. I've had so many nice invitations. Please know that they warm my heart. I'm trying to keep good records, although we've moved in the middle of this venture and I've since found out that my computer program did NOT archive messages as it should. I figure that if I keep records of your requests I might be able to visit you sometime in the future, if not now. You see, I have a difficult choice to make when I tour. I can see you in person or I can be about the business of writing. As you can imagine, touring takes money and time, and the latter commodity is very hard to replace. So please know that I keep trying to show up in as many places as possible.

I do have a few alternatives to offer. If I can't visit you in person, we can always talk by phone to your group, or we can try Skype and you can actually see me in my natural setting, or we can use the "chatroom" function on my website.

Meanwhile, to view my most current travel schedule, I invite you to go to BookTour, plug in "Joanna Campbell Slan" and see where I'll be.

"A Crop to Die For"

Looking for a fun and different idea for your crop group? Why not hold a dinner mystery theatre event? I've written a play you can put on with only six actors and very few props. It makes a great "frame" for a crop. The cost is only $30, which makes it perfect for a fundraising event. You can use the script as many times as you want for that one fee.

The script, instructions, a "Whodunnit Form" and a form for ordering books is available at YouPublish Just look through my "library" and you'll see "A Crop to Die For" as one of the offerings.

Kiki Goes "Irish"-- and You Get a Lucky Break!

Kiki has gone "Irish" for today! In honor of St. Patty's Day, she has arranged a special deal with The Stamp Maven for any of Joanna's readers who want to get a head start on crafting supplies for Easter and beyond. Any leprechaun who places a $50 order with Anne before midnight Friday, March 19 will receive free shipping on that order. That's a savings of 10%!

Check out Anne's blog for TONS OF TIPS, specials, and classes on scrapbooking and stamping, http://stampmaven.com. While you're there, you may want to sign up for her monthly newsletter. You'll also find links to all of the catalogs and you can browse to your heart's content without even kissing the Blarney Stone!


(Leave a comment on the blog and Anne will send you a free class tutorial by email!)


When you are ready to place your order, or if you have questions, email anne@stampmaven.com or call (972) 234-9118.

Publisher's Weekly Weighs in on Photo, Snap, Shot

Photo Snap Shot: A Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mystery Joanna Campbell Slan. Midnight Ink (www.midnightinkbooks.com), $14.95 paper (336p) ISBN 978-0-7387-1976-4

In Agatha-finalist Slan's diverting third scrapbooking mystery (after 2009's Cut, Crop & Die), Kiki Lowenstein's 12-year-old daughter, Anya, a student at St. Louis's fancy Charles and Anne Lindbergh Academy, ventures with another girl into the balcony of the school theater, where they stumble on the dead body of an unpopular teacher, Sissy Gilchrist. Hired on the basis of her family's social standing, Sissy was dating a black man—an act that may have given someone motive for murder. Kiki teams again with her crush, the unfortunately married Det. Chad Detweiler, who investigated her husband's still unsolved murder in the first book in the series, Paper, Scissors, Death (2008). Kiki's job at Time in a Bottle, a scrapbooking store, sometimes distracts from the murder investigation, but the subject of racial prejudice makes this a cut above the usual craft-themed cozy. (May)

The Winner of the 2010 Fla-MAN-go Award Is Barry Eisler

Some of the nicest people I know...kill people...on paper.

Barry Eisler is one of those nice people. He's unfailingly gracious. He doesn't take himself too seriously. He's smart as a whip. He's a heck of a businessman. He's a good sport.

At SleuthFest this past weekend, he again proved why he's one of everyone's favorite authors. On Saturday, Barry was awarded the "Fla-MAN-go," an honor with a dubious past. Seems that one SleuthFest years ago, the women attendees discovered that the men attendees were discussing which of the women were "hot." In retaliation, the ladies decided to have their own award ceremony. But to add to the drama, the contest results would be public. All the male contestants are called to a podium. The winner, when announced, is awarded a trophy and a pink boa.

Yeah, you read that right...a pink feather boa.

On Saturday, Barry won the coveted "Fla-MAN-go" Award. After they draped the fuzzy pink stuff around his neck, Barry graciously strolled through the ballroom of the hotel on his "squawk of shame." When asked about this, his newest honor, Barry said, "This represents the pinnacle of my career as an author."

In a world full of people who take themselves too seriously, Barry Eisler is a great reminder that nice people finish first, always.

Gee, I've never had my photo taken with a Fla-MAN-go before. Pretty cool beans! (I really was smiling, honest! I thought I had a cold all weekend. Turned out, I'm incredibly allergic to tree pollen, and Florida was chock-a-block full of it. ARGH. Nothing like having red eyes and a drippy nose when you are standing next to a handsome guy, huh? Does wonders for your confidence!)

World Premiere of "A Crop to Die For" Dinne Mystery Theatre

What do you get when you combine murder, scrapbooking and mystery theatre?

A Crop to Die For! The new dinner mystery theatre that had its world premiere last Saturday at ScrapbooksPlus! in Chantilly, VA.

The story begins when Kiki Lowenstein brings a carload of women along to a crop. Bit by bit, the women reveal their secrets, and tempers flare. Then we all take a break for dinner.

BANG! Somebody "dies!" (Of course, it was all in good fun. We used acrylic paint on our "victim" for the bullet hole in her forehead.)

The crop participants had a good time figuring out "whodunnit." Those who guessed right were given a discount coupon by Debbie Chabot (the store owner), and one lucky person (Larcey) won a special prize.

Many thanks to our wonderful cast: Lisa H., Michelle V., Beverlee S. and Kate S. (You all did a splendid job.)

You can read what my new friend Marlynn (who's with me in the photo above) said in her beautiful blog "Honeysuckle Breeze." Check out her ATCs. Aren't they gorgeous?

Want to put on a dinner theatre featuring Kiki Lowenstein at your store? As soon as I make a few adjustments to the script, it will be available for you to use at your own gathering. (By the way, I had lots of fun playing Kiki. It sure wasn't much of a stretch.)

Courage--Why Pets Matter So Much to Us in Times of Trouble

As my mother lay dying, I held tight to Courage.

No, I don't mean a sense of bravery or a feeling that I could prevail. I mean Courage the Chihuahua, pictured above. (Or as his owner, my sister Jane, calls him, he's Courage the Chee-whoie-whoie.)

That tiny dog became my anchor in a rough and stormy sea. Mom's coma happened quite suddenly, and I was without the daily resources I usually depend upon to keep myself going emotionally. I was far from home, without my husband, and without my own dogs. I didn't have a car and I couldn't use my typical lifeline, the computer. Like a spaceman in zero gravity, I had a hard time finding my balance.

Our mother's sick room was my world. Courage was my comforter. Small and portable, he would crawl into my lap for petting. As I stroked him, I felt the tension and fear leave me. A sense of zen-like calm came over me. As long as I could lift my hand, run it over his tiny back, and start again, I could go on.

I could handle what was happening, handle the horror of watching my mother's body fail her, handle the anguish that came from realizing I couldn't ease her suffering, and handle the emptiness of the long future ahead without her...as long as I could keep petting Courage.

Now I have confirmation my feelings weren't unique. I just finished reading "Making Rounds with Oscar," an extraordinary book by David Dosa, a geriatrician who works at Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, RI. Seems that Oscar (pictured below) would instinctively know when a patient was dying. The little cat made it his duty to be there as a sort of handmaiden to the process.

When Oscar's "talent" was first reported to Dr. Dosa, he dismissed it. Nothing in his scientific background could explain Oscar's intimate knowledge. Indeed, if you've ever lost a family member, you know the answer to the question, "How much time does she have?" yields wildly inaccurate responses. Health professionals are the first to admit how hard it is to predict someone's demise.

Yet, Oscar proved himself to be an incredibly accurate prognosticator of time of death. Dr. Dosa found this hard to believe. After all, most of the patients at Steere were in poor health. The doctor reasoned that Oscar simply noticed an increase in activity and followed the "crowd" to the room of any patient who was dying.

But even so, Oscar's abilities were hard to explain. One evening when two people were dying at once, Oscar sat with one patient until he passed and then raced out of the room to jump onto the bed of a second patient who died shortly thereafter.

Dr. Dosa decided to take a scientific approach and interview families who shared their loved ones' last moments with Oscar. The doctor quickly discovered that Oscar's predictive talents were not nearly so important as the measure of relief his presence afforded grieving families.

One woman said, "I think of Oscar as my angel. He was here for my mother, and here for me, too. With Oscar at my side...well, I felt a little less alone." Another interviewee said, "...Oscar gave me the feeling this is all natural."

Since Oscar and Dr. Dosa had a rocky start--Oscar bit the doctor when they first met-- Dr. Dosa begins the book with a sense of skepticism. He accepts the presence of the cats in the nursing center (there are two on each of the three floors of the facility), but he doesn't really see the animals as intrical. In a way, Dr. Dosa thinks the center is doing the animals a favor by providing homes for these strays. At best, he sees them as decorative, a homey touch much akin to having living plants and hanging pictures on the wall.

All that changes as Dr. Dosa begins to explore the comfort Oscar provides to grieving families. Dr. Dosa writes, "Maybe we started adding cats to make this house feel more like a home. But I was starting to think they were the ones teaching us that what makes a home is a family."

Courage did the same for me. He reminded me that even though my mother was leaving us, I was surrounded by her legacy. We all loved her, and one of her gifts was her love of animals. Another was our love for each other. Nothing, not even death, could steal my mother's love from us.

The Return on Our Investment

I love this photo. My new pal Donna Manz took it for the Vienna (VA) Connection. You can read the entire article here.

That's Vicky, on the left. You can't see her harness, but of course, it is pink. She's a girly-girl of a dog. We "adopted" Victoria in England, so she's a British Bichon and a little smaller than the American breed. Since her father was an English champion, Vicky is a bit of a princess. Sarah, one of the adorable little girls who lives down the street, told me (with a look of total sincerity on her face), "When I die, if I come back, I want to come back as Victoria."

Sarah also said, "I'm not sure if Vicky's very smart or not."

I said, "Oh, she's plenty smart. Let me ask you, does Vicky get you to do exactly what she wants?"

"Hmm. You're right!" said Sarah.

Believe me, Vicky knows her loyal subjects. She only does what she wants, when she wants.

And that's Rafferty on the right with the blue harness. He's a Bichon-Poodle mix. Would you call that a Bi-Poo? (You might if you knew Raffi!) He's only got three legs, but golly, he certainly makes the most of all three. He can jump up on furniture, a trick Vicky only recently mastered. (Actually, I think she was simply accustomed to having us, her humble servants, lift Her Majesty.)

They're my posse. When I'm hard at work writing, they keep me company by sitting in my office. Raffi whines unless I get him his own cushion because Vicky does NOT like to share. At night, Raffi jumps from sofa to chair to my lap. He doesn't know he's too big to be a lap dog!

Yeah, it's a bit of a hassle to plan for letting them out or getting dog sitters, but you know, I'd be so very, very lonely all day without them. When they're at the groomers, I feel a bit lost.

David and I were talking the other day about traveling, and we decided that we want to go places where we can bring the dogs along, too. It's just hard on all of us to leave them in a kennel or with sitters.

I realize that a lot of folks decide that once their children leave the nest, it's best not to be encumbered by a pet. But, our dogs own our hearts. They've made our new house a home. They're my posse, my small, furry personal herd of friends.

So if we have to open a wallets a bit more frequently, if we have to work a little harder at planning our lives, and if we have to glance at our watches and race home to let them out...it's really such a small price to pay for all the love we get in return.

Snow Ice Cream

When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. So it follows that when life dumps a ton of snow on you, you make ice cream. Yes, ice cream!

Eliza Barclay wrote a fun article for the Washington Post about the history of "snow cream." She even checked with the EPA and learned that while they wouldn't recommend consuming snow in large quantities, a dish of snow probably couldn't hurt you. Furthermore, it seems that when snow falls in copious quantities as we've had of late, the tiny flakes actually scrub the sky clean. (Clean-ish?)

Fortified by this research, and by the total mind-numbing boredom of cabin fever, I decided to give the treat a try.

First, I grabbed a long handled ladle so I could reach deep into a snow drift. Then I filled a bowl with scoops of snow.

Next, I opened a can of condensed milk, a bag of Spenda and my bottle of vanilla. I stirred a can and a half into the snow, added a layer of Spenda and three teaspoons of vanilla. (I suggest you adjust the amounts and taste as you go along.)

Finally, I poured the semi-frozen mix into a plastic container and set it in the freezer for an hour. Voila! Tasty, yummy, ice cream. Oh, and that dark dollop on top is chocolate syrup. (Yes, I know. It looks like ... well...it isn't!)

Read Eliza's enchanting article here:

http://http//elevatedsouthern.wordpress.com/2010/02/11/when-life-hands-you-snow-make-dessert/

Roasted Butternut Squash with Apples

This is sooo good that I had to share it:

Roasted Butternut Squash with Apples

20 oz. container butternut squash (peeled, cubed & seeded)
1 large onion (peeled and diced)
1 T. olive oil
sea salt to taste
3 T. red wine vinegar
3 T. low calorie maple syrup
1 apple (peeled, cored and diced)
1/4 C. chopped walnuts
1/4 C. dried cranberries

Toss oil, onion and butternut together and spread on cookie sheet with silk liner. (Or foil lined.) Sprinkle on sea salt. Roast for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
Remove. Whisk together vinegar and syrup. Pour liquid over the squash and onion mix. Add in apples, nuts and cranberries. Makes 6 servings of less than 155 calories each. About 2 Weight Watchers points.

Valentine's Day Special: Stamping with a Cork and Broccoli Salad Recipe

Let's face it, crafts rock. They can cheer up the gloomiest day. Even the smallest accomplishment can give you a boost when you're feeling low. Or in my case, when you're living through a historic snowfall!

Today I dipped into my basket of recycling supplies and pulled out a champagne cork. I'd wanted to carve them into my own stamps for a while and today was the day!

Here's how:

1. Create a simple template. I used a heart punch. You don't want to get complex!

2. Glue that to the flat edge of your stamp.

3. Use a craft knife and carefully peel away the excess cork. I found it worked best to slice into the outline of the image and then sort of flick away at the cork, pushing the excess AWAY from the design.

4. Sand the flat surface with an emery board or piece of sandpaper.

5. Test your image. You'll see if you need to remove more cork or clean up an edge.

6. Enjoy! I made the hearts that the pandas are holding, and the hearts on the index cards.

Now for the Broccoli Salad:

1 bag of broccoli salad pre-chopped mix from grocery store

1 C. carrots, chopped

1/2 C. shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican will work)

8 slices of bacon, fried to crispy and cut with kitchen scissors into tiny bits

3 small packages of raisins

Dressing:

1 C. light mayo

1/2 C. sugar

2 T. cider vinegar

Mix all the broccoli, cheese, bacon, raisins and carrots together. Pour 1/2 of the dressing over your mix. Reserve the rest of the dressing for another salad. Enjoy!