And yes, that gorgeous music you hear on the video is the Re'Generation. :-)
~~Angie
P.S. Painted the bathroom yesterday--from cranberry to sea foam. Had some curtains I loved hanging in the windows, but after seven years they were a mite dusty. (They're made of bits of silk from Indian saris--just love them!) So I put them in the dryer with some damp clothes, thinking they'd tumble and get the dust blown off. Opened the dryer . . . . and felt alarm bells ringing when I found bits of silk all over my other clothes. Some of the silk pieces had literally disintegrated. So I'll have to order new curtains. I'll post final before and after pictures when it's all done and spiffy. :-)
Looking forward to the Tour. Oh, and how I wish I could hear more from your ReGeneration group. Actually, as long as I'm wishing, I wish I could have sung with this group, too! Great harmonies and very uplifting little piece here today. Clyde
Yikes, I'm just getting ready to move into our newly constructed home, and I'm having some silk draperies made. You've got me scared. (I'll NEVER try to clean 'em!)
LOL! That is one persistent cat! I hope someone adopts it and takes it to a family where there are lots of kids to entertain him.
P.S. Yesterday, after paying the bills and addressing all the Christmas cards, I decided to paint our bathroom. For a bathroom, it's pretty big, and the ceilings are tall. So hubby came in to help climb the extension ladder, and he was a big help . . . except that now there's paint all over the ceiling, so today I'll be touching up. :-/ Photos to come when the room is put back together.
WOW ... I've had cats all my life and have never seen one like this! Knowing the effects of little claws, I cringe at the thought of him climbing up my leg. Ouch!
Are Gary and the doggers at all concerned that they might be next to change color? Clyde
Whew. The Christmas tree is up, the outside of the house is decorated, the lights are hung. Time to sit back and relax . . . until it's time to go back to work!
Okay, so I took this quiz and got ten right, which was "turkeriffic!"
How did you do?
~~Angie
P.S. This lovely Tom Turkey was running around Glen Eyrie one year when we were there . . . he was noisy!
By Angela on Saturday, November 28, 2009 @ 7:00 AM
I got 12 right, but they didn't tell me I was anything special ... *sniff*. But, on a happier note, I remember that turkey at Glen Eyrie, and also got shots of him coming and going. There were a couple of hens, too! That was such a great conference. Clyde
I got 13 right, and would have gotten 15 if I hadn't changed two of my answers! Always go with your first instinct unless you are absolutely positive!
Angie Hunt will "sit back and relax" - that's an oxymoron. You'll probably tell us tomorrow that you painted 3 rooms and refinished all your furniture today!
Whew! Finally had some time to relax. Built an entire living room suite out of toothpicks and cotton batting, and would you believe, it's sturdy enough to support Gary and I AND the dogs. And it's not even noon yet ...
Eleven--that first inclination thing, I should have followed them. That Glen Eyrie turkey is stunning. I've never seen such a colorful one running wild.
And a great big DITTO for Susan and Clyde re: all you do, Angie. I love your writing, and the blog chats, but really--you must fess up and show us your Wonder Woman suit sometime. I'm convinced that's the only way you could do all you do. Unless, of course, you pay all the neighborhood kids (or elves) to help. You do, however, provide an excellent role-model and motivation. :-)
P.S. from yesterday: the chess pie was DELICIOUS. My favorite of the things I baked. :-) I have been having some STRANGE kind of painting urge, so on Wednesday afternoon I painted my library. It leads into my office, and both rooms had been DARK green, so I painted the first room, the library, a new lighter bird-poop-green color. :-) I like it better . . . at least until I get the urge to paint again.
Thanksgiving was fun and family-centered, and I hope you enjoyed yours, too. I've attached a couple of pictures. My family always eats the traditional big meal, then we play "Dirty Santa" with inexpensive gifts we've brought from home. It's always a blast.
And Friday/Saturday are my big decorating days. I feel fortunate this year--my small neighborhood has decided to do our first ever yard sale on December fifth, so I'm having hubby pull EVERYTHING from the attic (where all the decorations are stored). If I can't find a place to put something this year, it's going into the yard sale pile . . . a pile that is rapidly outgrowing the space I've allotted for it. But I'm finding each year that I was to put less out, because that will mean less to ultimately put away and store.
That's another thing we've missed by not moving in seven years--each move usually results in a major purge of STUFF, and if you don't move, you don't purge. So this yard sale is coming along at exactly the right time.
Don't wear yourself out shopping! Have a great holiday weekend!
Let me get this straight. You were up at dawn cooking all morning, and then you painted a room in the afternoon - all this on the day before Thanksgiving?! I'm weary just reading about it!
"Dirty Santa" sounds like a lot of fun! Where was it that I heard of an old, ugly lamp being passed around year after year in one family? Getting old, and the brain ain't what it once was. Upside is that I can continue to be amused by the same story over and over! Clyde
Your family Dirty Santa exchange sounds great. We do the same as a family, except we started playing a version of the party online... Called AlbinoPhant. Even the distant family members can get in on the fun gift exchange..
I like the bird poop, Angie, but if you don't need to do any more painting, would you please, please email me some of your excess energy and just sit down and read for an afternoon?
Since I never get much work done on the day-before-a-holiday, I've been up since dawn cooking for tomorrow. (My family piles into the car and heads out to a wee little town where my extended family commandeers the local Women's Club.)
So I'd like a share a southern recipe with you--I've made this, but I haven't tasted it, so I hope it's good!
Traditional Southern Lemon Chess Pie
2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
6 eggs, beaten
the juice of 2 lemons
1 t. lemon zest
6 saltine crackers, crushed
2 uncooked pie shells (regular, not deep dish). Or double recipe if you want deep dish pies.
Preheat oven to 375. Cream together sugar and margarine. Add the beaten eggs, lemon juice, and zest. Mix together. Add saltines, well-crushed. Divide between pie shells. Bake for ten minutes, then turn oven down to 300 degrees and continue baking for 25 minutes or until pies are set.
If your family has never had chess pie, they'll be dying to know what's in this!
Garnish with whipped cream.
Enjoy your holiday! And as we consider our blessings, I'd like to thank YOU for reading my blog and for occasionally chiming in with your comments. I appreciate you more than you know.
Blessings to you!
~~Angie
By Angela on Wednesday, November 25, 2009 @ 10:03 AM
Thanks for taking time to blog for us, Angie. You make us laugh, cry, think, and praise God for life. That's a tall order for any blog and you do it so well.
I'm a true GRITS (Girl Raised In The South) and I adore Chess Pie!! I echo your recommendation for the readers to try it. Yum! Reading your recipe made me drool just knowing what the outcome would be. Yum again!
Photos: new foyer, old foyer, new dining room; old dining room. On Saturday, I nearly painted myself into an early grave. I was exhausted and dizzy by the time I'd finished.
I got up early and cleaned the house, then decided to tackle the project of painting the dining room. But since it opens up to the foyer, I had to paint the foyer and a hallway, too. (Actually, the hallway became an afterthought, when I noticed how unfinished a certain corner looked without the paint.) I like the final result!
The old paint was a kind of violet, but the new is darker purple and a seafoam green that's light and nearly blue. I'm loving the difference.
On Sunday morning, I was rushing to touch up a little section on the ladder when I jiggled the ladder and spilled my paint tray . . . everywhere! It's a miracle it didn't paint one of my dogs, since they always stay so close to me.
I had to laugh as I cleaned it up--I've always thought spilling paint has to be the worst painting mistake you can make . . . short of a fall that sends you to the hospital. So now I've made it! :-)
It's lovely. It's feminine and tranquil. Speaking of dogs, I had a painting accident with my dog once. I was painting the "puppy room," when I noticed my paint brush, full of paint, was missing. I had put the paint brush down a few minutes earlier. Anyway, my dog, Doodles, had the loaded paintbrush in her mouth. When she saw she had my attention, she ran through the house with the paint brush. I did catch her. There was very little harm done. She left paint on the wall upstairs and she got some in the carpet in the living room. Thanks to a great carpet cleaner, the paint came out. I'm glad you didn't paint your dog.
I've known this for some time, but now it's confirmed: there are two Angies--maybe three. That's a given, because no one woman, not even an Amazon, could do what you do in one day.
I could envy you these beautifully redecorated rooms ... but you deserve them. What I *really* envy is your energy.
I'd love to know more about it, too, Angie. Susie Warren may be able to explain more. The very short time I was in Belarus and Moscow, I fell in love with the depth of Russian and Belarusian music. They continue to grieve their war losses and honor their lost soldiers.
Beautiful! Here's a time line. No wonder the haven't forgotten. The Germans executed or hauled them off to labor camps and when the Russians liberated the Ukraine, they exiled many to Siberia. http://www.infoukes.com/history/ww2/page-28.html
I'm one of those rare women who LIKES to move. There's something about settling into a new place and redecorating that just thrills me. I wouldn't want to do it every year, of course, but I just figured out how many times we've moved since we came to Florida--four times--and how long we stayed in each house. The longest was eight years, so we have moved an average of once every 5.5 years.
But I really LIKE this house, and even though we've been here seven years, I don't want to move. Plus, the market is terrible, and though we've always lost money on the houses we sell (I have a tendency to over-improve), we'd take a real bath if we moved during this market downturn. So I have to stay put and quell my urges to Start Over.
Or maybe not. I have decided that the best way to satisfy my urges and keep the budget intact is simply to redecorate. And I'm not talking about major expenditures. I've been watching that "Sell This House" show that airs on Saturday mornings, and I think I can do a lot to make the house look and feel different by simply investing in . . . paint.
And so I've been formulating grand plans. I'm going to try to repaint/redecorate one room per month, until my urges have died down and the house looks fresh. Seven years ago when we moved in, the trend was toward Mediterranean colors, bold golds and cranberries and oranges. Now I've noticed that colors are more muted, and a model house I recently walked through was painted top to bottom in a lovely light mint green. That seems appropriate for a house near the beach, doesn't it?
In any case, last night I redid my kitchen, in the simplest way. The walls are gold and I LIKE my gold walls, so I kept those. But I had a bay window lined with cranberry, so I painted that over again in a light peach. Also painted over the bold green and gold stripes beneath the island (not pictured--I did those on another whim last month). Not a huge change, but brighter. One small step in the grand scheme.
I'll try to post some pictures as my projects progress. I'm thinking of doing the cranberry bath and master bedroom in light aqua, the violet dining room in mint and purple, moving my office from deep green to a light butterscotch . . . who knows? :-)
~~Angie
By Angela on Thursday, November 19, 2009 @ 7:00 AM
When I first moved back to Santa Barbara from Boston, I rented a condo with the prerequisite white walls and beige carpet. Then I bought an identical condo, painted the main walls a satiny mauve with white trim, wallpapered the two bathrooms in stripes and flowing florals, and wallpapered the MBR in teal moire. Same layout but an oh-so-different feel! Now in Texas I am back to the subtlety of whites and off-whites ... at least 10 different shades ... and my condos walls have been repainted white for the renters. The bold colors were fun while they lasted, and, new paint does quell the urge to pack up and move ... most of the time! Have fun! Clyde
I don't know much about this movie--I have a feeling that it's going to be pretty raw--but the trailer alone made me cry. Listen to Precious as she cries out with the rest of the world "Nobody loves me."
Isn't that what the world wants? As one of my characters said in THE DEBT, the world doesn't want our programs, our churches, our lists or standards. What it needs, what it cries out for, is love.
Did you recognize Mariah Carey as one of the social workers? Looks like a powerful movie.
I blogged the above paragraphs several months ago, and PRECIOUS opens this weekend. I've heard the movie IS raw, and I still cry in the trailer. But I think this is one of those movies I ought to see, so I'm going to see if I can slip out sometime this coming week to see it. I'll probably go alone so I can sit in the corner and sob.
It's not for the kiddies, of course. And if you go, I have a feeling that you'll need a box of tissues. But oh, how powerful this film could be . . .
~~Angie
By Angela on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 @ 7:00 AM
Wonder of wonders? I don't think so, Angie. I think God loves you and He watches out for those He loves. And, just as He loves you, He loves all His other children, such as the Preciouses in the world. That movie will have a happy ending ... I can sense it from the trailer. But, oh, it is so hard to watch how people treat their own children. Pray for all of them. Clyde
I love the fact that you Angie are not a prude and you know the truth when you here it, even if it is dressed up a little differently than you. Thanks. It was informative as well as entertaining.
In 2002, I bought an orchid. The tag assured me it was an orchid, and not just any orchid--this was one of those big, frilly orchids; the kind your mother used to wear in her Easter corsage.
So I planted it. And waited. And watered. And waited. Years passed--2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006. The plant didn't grow and it didn't die (like many of my plants). It just sat there.
And then in 2007, it put forth one bloom. The poor bloom was tattered and half-eaten by some kind of vermin, but I was so thrilled with it I brought it into the house, took a picture, and blogged about it.
In 2008, the plant put forth several bloom--about a half dozen. I was so thrilled I blogged about it again, and cut several blossoms for my kitchen window. (The cut flowers last a LONG time).
And this year . . . that little frilly orchid is outdoing itself. It is loaded with flowers AND buds, so I'm going to enjoy a glorious show for several weeks to come. I moved it to the front door, in a place of honor (especially since the button mums have mostly died without even opening their buttons).
And every time I look at this flower, I think of all the people who wait and water and wait and water . . . for some gift to burst into bloom. And finally, it does.
I just wanted to thank you for your Twilight reviews about a year ago. I had been hesitant about reading them but when you recommended them I jumped at the change and am so glad I did. :D
Thanks! (I already want to see the movie again. :D)
Yesterday I learned that LET DARKNESS COME is available EARLY and is now shipping from Amazon.com. Wow!
This week I also learned that my publisher has entered DARKNESS in the Edgar Awards competition (big deal from the Mystery Writers of America) and the Mary Higgins Clark Awards.
Tee hee--I didn't even realize I'd written a mystery until I had finished the book!
And if you've read the book already, would you be so kind as to post your thoughts at Amazon.com or other web sites? Thanks so much!
And one of my pals sent me to this blog to read an essay--it's well worth taking a moment or two to read. Very insightful!
Have a great Friday the 13th! (Great things always happen to me on Friday the 13th. I'm braced for fun.)
I'm afraid I'm a day late for Veterans Day, as I was traveling yesterday. But someone reminded me of this poem, so I'd like to share it with you . . . and then send you to read a story about its origin:
In Flanders Fields By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow Between the crosses row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.
Now, visit this website and read the true story of how this memorable poem nearly wasn't published.
A heartfelt "thank you" to all who have given their lives in the defense of freedom not only for this country, but for people around the world. God wants people to be free to live in peace . . . and unfortunately, that often requires bloody resistance to the forces of tyranny.
~~Angie
By Angela on Thursday, November 12, 2009 @ 7:00 AM
What a wonderful post! When I was a child, my mother used to recite that poem to me, she had learned it in school when she was a child - when WW1 was simply called "The War." It is so appropriate now, especially that last stanza. Thanks Angie!
Photo: the ceiling of the China Pavillion at Epcot.
Last night we were driving back to my hotel and suddenly, wham!, there was a deer right in front of us. He bounded away safely, but we came *this close* to hitting him . . . and I'm sure you know that hitting a dear is a very dangerous thing. People are sometimes killed in deer/car collisions, and yet this was IN TOWN.
Anyway, we thanked the Lord for putting a couple of angels near by to shoo that deer along, and I was soon safely tucked back into my hotel room. We'll work all day today, and then I'll fly home tomorrow.
I only recently watched the movie based on the Novel The Note. Great story, but BUT, BUT again.... WHY OH WHY DO THEY USE THE LORD"S NAME IN VANE? The seen where Payton talks to her assistant and says OH MY GOD! and again later in a seen again she says " OH God no...Is this not suppose to be a story about forgiveness and finding God as well? I only recently started reading your novels and find it different to other christian novels. Could you please comment on this.
Franciska: first, I didn't write the script for either movie, so I had no control over such things. I don't say "Oh my God" personally, and would not write it in a book, but others might because 2) "God" is not God's name, it is his title. His name is Jehoval, El Shaddai, Jesus, Yeshua, and a host of other things, but technically, it is not "God." Still, I don't write that because I know a lot of people are sensitive to it. Enough people say "Jesus" in vain, and that always makes me cringe much worse than someone saying "God."
. . . I'm up north, interviewing the folks who will be the subjects of my latest collaborative book. My publisher asked me to set THE GRANDMA GENE aside for a few weeks in order to help someone else write their story--and it's fascinating. So the WIP is going to percolate for a few more weeks while I shiver a little bit, and then come home to write up this story. Shortly after Christmas, however, I'll be putting my nose back to the grindstone to get THE GRANDMA GENE shaped up and out the door.
I'd appreciate your prayers for safe and healthy travel. Since this is flu season, I tend to be a little paranoid on airplanes . . . germs! But I carry a bottle of Purell and trust the Lord to keep me functional. :-)
P.S. Have you heard about fictionfinder.com? It's pretty cool--you can go there and look up your favorite authors to see about any books you might have missed!
Angie! Welcome to the North...if you are in southern New England we are having unseasonably mild weather. Most of the leaves on the trees of your picture are now on the ground or raked up and in a bag. Blessings upon your trip. Catherine
If you watched the "what novelists do" video I posted earlier, then you saw my friend Robin. :-) She has a new release I'd love to tell you about:
FIT TO BE TIED
by Robin Lee Hatcher
Who says a woman can’t do a man’s job?
Cleo Arlington dresses like a cowboy, is fearless and fun-loving, and can ride, rope, and wrangle a horse as well as any man. In 1916, however, those talents aren’t what most young women aspire to. But Cleo isn’t most women. Twenty-nine years old and single, Cleo loves life on her father’s Idaho ranch. Still, she hopes someday to marry and have children.
Enter Sherwood Statham, an English aristocrat whose father has sentenced him to a year of work in America to “straighten him out.” Sherwood, who expected a desk job at a posh spa, isn’t happy to be stuck on an Idaho ranch. And he has no idea how to handle Cleo, who’s been challenged with transforming this uptight playboy into a down-home cowboy.
Just about everything either of them says or does leaves the other, well, fit to be tied. And though Cleo believes God’s plan for her includes a husband, it couldn’t possibly be Sherwood Statham. Could it?
BIO
Best-selling novelist Robin Lee Hatcher is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. She makes her home in Idaho where she enjoys spending time with her family and her high-maintenance Papillon, Poppet.
About FIT TO BE TIED, the Library Journal said: "A master of lively historical romances, Hatcher demonstrates an expert ability to craft spunky, unlikely heroines who go against the tide of the times in which they live, making for fun, exciting stories. She also pays close attention to historical detail. This second series entry (after A Vote of Confidence) is highly recommended for readers of inspirational and historical romances and women's fiction."
A Note from Robin
The Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series sprang from the question: Who says a woman can't do a man's job? And I can't fully express just how much fun I've had looking for the answer through the eyes of my heroines in this series. Although I have no favorites among the novels I've written (each were special to me at the time I wrote them), I do have some favorite characters. Cleo Arlington is one of them. I love her for her strong faith, for her quirky turns of phrase, for her confidence with horses and her lack of confidence with men, even for her impatience with Sherwood, the English aristocrat that she's supposed to turn into a cowboy. I've been so delighted that readers have taken her into their hearts the way they have. I hope you'll feel the same way about her.
Christmas is just around the corner! So we're giving away another ten-pound box of autographed Chapter-a-Week books to one Chapter-a-Week member. If you get a friend to sign up (and they mention your name in their email) you'll be entered twice! The more friends you sign up the more times you'll be entered! Simply send an email with "Chapter-a-Week Christmas Giveaway" in the subject line to cawcontest@gmail.com and you'll be entered in the drawing. Do NOT reply to this message. We'll draw the winner November 27th, the day after Thanksgiving so the books will arrive in plenty of time for Christmas!
Get your entries in and be sure to tell your friends to sign up for Chapter-a-Week! To qualify, the return email address must be on the Chapter-a-Week membership list. Continental U. S. residents only, please. Industry professionals should refrain from entering, and though we'd love you to share our books with your friends, these books are not for resale. Thanks and happy reading! Your friends at Chapter-a-Week
P.S. To join Chapter a Week, sign up at this link. You'll receive no more than one email per week.
By Angela on Saturday, November 07, 2009 @ 7:00 AM
You probably know how books are written (or you've figured it out by now!) . But wouldn't you like to know how they are MADE? Follow the fascinating journey of one man as he makes a dictionary. Now I understand why quality leather-bound books are so expensive!
A tip of the hat to Jerry J for the link above. :-)
WOW - That was an incredible field trip! Regret the video was a little static-filled and it skipped some, but the basic idea of what was happening was not lost. Loved the baby every so often. Thanks for today's "what I always wondered about" tutorial! Clyde
. . . so I got some friends to send me some video and I put it together to observe NaNoWriMo . . . or "national write a novel month." Seems that every November, thousands of Americans set out to write the first draft of a novel, and here's to 'em. :-)
Those of us who do this full-time tend to search for reasons to NOT write, but eventually we have to . . .
I've been on a movie-making binge. I was waiting for another project to shape up (details to come once they solidify), and so I found myself pulling images together for my WIP, The Grandma Gene. Before I knew it, I had a completed trailer.
This story is only in rough draft form, but there's enough here to know where I'm going. Enjoy!
Did anyone else watch "V" last night? My paper said that only "middle-aged geeks" would remember the original, so count me among the geeks who not only remembered it, but loved it! The new version has been updated with some interesting and relevant references to terrorist cells and universal health care. I tell you, the latter gives me the willies without involving any lizards.
Have a great day!
~~Angie
By Angela on Wednesday, November 04, 2009 @ 7:00 AM
About V...my most vivid memory was of a woman swallowing a rat...because, of course, she was actually a lizard! hmmm.....not sure I'll be watching this time around.
I couldn't watch V last night, but believe you me, I had the DVR set up to record it, and I'll be watching it as soon as I can make the time to sit down and do it! I LOVED the original. I noticed it was playing on some cable channel last week -- almost recorded it, too.
Sorry but I'm not even close to middle aged yet and I remember the show quite clearly. I was very young when it originally came out, so I may have seen re-runs of the two mini-series, but I belive that I did watch the actual tv show "live"
I recorded the original shows on SyFy this weekend and was having a very fun time watching. I did watch the new show last night and enjoyed it.
Here's something to get your brains working: There are quite a few people that do think aliens are *real* - that they are actually manifestations of the enemy designed to get our minds focusing elsewhere (and not on God). As I was watching both the original and especially how last nights' episode was very "Left Behind-ish" in a way. I've already seen how the enemy has used the media to brainwash the masses; I'm having a laughing fit about how in many ways the show seems to outline the last days.
As an expert in procrastination, I loved this. It's brilliant, artsy, and sooooo true. And one of these days I just might stop watching videos and get up and do something. :-0
I love "Thesaurisizing" your words. I do that all the time. And sometimes I STILL don't find the right one. He missed a big one tho' by not mentioning how much time is lost by playing with kitties or the doggers. Really cute! Clyde
Too funny! I had a cat that would "answer back" when I spoke with her. The only talent my current cat has is giving the teacher stare and rolling her eyes.
In no particular order, Angela Hunt is a novelist, teacher, nana, mother, wife, mastiff owner, reader, musician, student, aspiring theologian, and bubble gum connoisseur. The things that enter her life sooner or later find their way into her books, hence "a life in pages."
Looking forward to the Tour. Oh, and how I wish I could hear more from your ReGeneration group. Actually, as long as I'm wishing, I wish I could have sung with this group, too! Great harmonies and very uplifting little piece here today. Clyde
Yikes, I'm just getting ready to move into our newly constructed home, and I'm having some silk draperies made. You've got me scared. (I'll NEVER try to clean 'em!)
Ooh, can't wait for the tour!
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