Current Listening: Seeing A Large Cat by Elizabeth Peters
Current Reading: The Devil's Cup by Stewart Lee Allen
Recipe of the Day: Ghormeh Sabzi, Makaroni, Cocada, Brigadeiros, Beijinho De Coco, Passionfruit Mousse, Pav Bhaji, Peruvian Chicken Soup (Recipes from my ESOL students)

I know that I have not written here in a while - the only writing I have done is that for my novel. I have written 37,037 words - and I finally got past December. I only have 13,000 more words to write in the next 6 days to make my 50,000 words - then I win! I also need to buy a t-shirt! If you haven't checked it out, my novel, A Year in Angers, check it out!

My mother sent me a link to The Gashlycrumb Tinies, a story written and illustrated by Edward Gorey. When we were in high school, we discovered him through his books, Amphigorey (there are three editions). Here is a link to some of the poems. I particularly liked the limericks. Here is one:

Each night father fills me with dread
When he sits on the foot of my bed:
I'd not mind that he speaks
In gibbers & squeaks
But for seventeen years he's been dead!

And, of course, there is a Quizilla to do:

The Lavender Leotard - You have been through quite
a bit and although at times clumsy, you always
handle yourself with grace.

Which Edward Gorey Book Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Hmmmm...

Well, we finally got our deck done and our trim painted - the neighborhood committee had better not hassle us. I spent some time on Saturday arranging my planters on the balcony. I have these "over the deck" planter hangers for window boxes and pots. It was a challenge making some of them fit, but I did it!

I have 4 window boxed on one rail, facing outward, with one pot hanger on the other side of the stairs. I have four flower pots and one window box on the rail perpendicular to that. Then, I have a landing, with a window box on one rail, and two flower pots on the other. Finally, I have two more window boxes that I have set up on either side of the concrete landing at the base of the stairs. In addition to that, I have two clusters of green and terra cotta pots by the front door.

I set off for Lowes to buy some pansies, violas, and snapdragons to plant. I know that it is a little late in the season, but, what the hell! I have to try! I also may get some poinsettias for the front door. I bought potting soil, and some plant food - I planned on doing my planting on Sunday afternoon.

Sunday, I slept late and went to my favorite sushi buffet for lunch. I came home, and set up my station for planting and cleaning the planters - with the soil and the new hose and cleaning tools - under the porch. I was looking forward to planting, and letting my doggy, Connolly, explore out back. She had been so good the day before, even though she went into the woods.

Well, I looked over, and Connolly was under my neighbor's porch, licking something. Immediately, I knew what it was - I had noticed the ant poison under their porch the day before. I cursed. I had no idea what she had eaten - or if she had eaten anything at all.

There was nothing to do but pack up and go to the vet!

Let me say that this is not the first time my dog has done something like this. One year after I got her, I took her to camp early and slept in the infirmary. I heard her in the other room, chowing down on something. Rat Poison. Strangely enough for an infirmary, there was nothing to induce vomiting. I had to take her thirty minutes away to the emergency room and she threw up on the way there. She was okay.

Then, four years later, I snuck her into a Patel hotel north of Mobile and I went out for 20 minutes to get a hamburger for dinner. While I was gone, she carried all of the roach bait "hotels" into the middle of the room. When I came in, she was trying to get into one of them. Yep, to the emergency room! She was okay - she may not have even eaten any poison. Still....

So, I went shopping at Cost Plus Warehouse until 5PM while they fed her the activated charcoal and observed her. She is okay.

And this morning, it was raining, and we are having a freeze tonight. So, I stowed my plants in the garage and I'm going to wait a couple of days to plant.

It is going to look nice. I especially can't wait until Spring. I plan on putting in lots of geraniums - red geraniums! I have a wonderful piece of oilcloth that I purchased in Mexico that I use as a table cloth - it is bright red with blue and yellow flowers. I can't wait to have meals out there in spring and summer. I also put out the beautiful blue and white mosaic tile table - over in the corner, for reading. I have plans for candles and other things to hang from the dividing wall then, too.

One more day of school - then my sister and her family are coming for Thanksgiving. Yay!