Fry...day for Father's Day

Okay, maybe not Fry, but BBQ. And this is one idea for what to give to Dad for his special day:
Homemade BBQ sauce that suits your Dad's taste.

BBQ sauce is so easy to make.

Essential Ingredients:

1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar

There you have it...now, add the tastes your dad likes.

It could be 1/4 a cup of honey, 1/4 a cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of chili flakes, or whatever is tasty to Dad. Maybe he likes raisins, boil 'em down to a thick paste and add them in.

Then simply bottle up your "potion" I mean "elixir" and label it with something that says: Here's to one HOT PAPA, or TO MY SUPER SWEET DAD - and you could include a Superman Logo on the label...whatever you think your Dad would like, do it, or add it to it.

This will make a unique handcrafted gift meant just for your DAD. And it's one that he'll never forget - especially if he likes the taste. :D

Old Sheets

So I have a wonderful pair of benches out in the front yard and I love to decorate for just about every holiday...except for maybe groundhogs day but if I could come up with something to do for that day, I might even decorate for it. Anyway, like I was saying, I have some old sheets...yes, a red one, a blue one and I might have to run to Goodwill to get a white one...but I'll see if I can't find an old one down in the basement and then, I'm going to make new cushion covers for my benches to help roll in the holiday.

So now you know what my next project will be, come back this weekend and see what progress I've made on the slipcovers for my cushions.

How 'bout you...any projects coming up for the holiday?

Twitter for Writers

I just wanted to give everyone a quick reminder that Heidi Schulz will be giving her “Mastering 140 Characters (Twitter for Writers)” presentation tonight in Salem. If you missed her SCBWI talk in Portland in March and you can make your way to Salem, join her (Wednesday, June 11, 2014, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Macy's Salem Center).

No need to sign up. Free to Willamette Writers members. $5 for guests of WW members. 

Details are here: http://willamettewriters.com/salem/

Riding and Writing

Portland is known for its bikes -- yeah, maybe not the motorized kind but still it's a very Portland thing to be out in the wind...and yea, rain...while we commute to work.

So, when my son got a motorcycle, I thought it might be fun to try to ride it. There were only a couple of problems:

1) His bike is BIG. My son is 6'5" tall so just getting my leg up and over the seat was a feat of athleticism. . . seriously.

2) His bike is heavy. And I'm not a wimp but we're talking hundreds of pounds.

3) I'm old to be picking up a new hobby.

But, like everything else, I always seem to end up comparing things to writing. And riding and writing are a lot alike...and not just in the sound of the words.

First off, it's always good to have the proper gear...like with riding, you have to have a helmet and should have protective clothing (don't judge me by what I had on in the photo above--I know better). And, when you're writing, you might need to be in a quiet room, with your computer, or just a piece of paper and a pen, but whatever it is you need, you should have it at hand so there are no excuses.

Second off, you need to set aside time for a new hobby and you need to set aside some time to write. Time flies - so make a date to do ride or write.

Third, don't be afraid to try something new. You never know how much fun you might have if you're willing to try new things. Like riding. . . or writing in a different genre or for a different age group. When you stretch yourself, you just might find out you feel better ;D

FOUR....

It was my first golf lesson ever. And when the instructor said, "Okay, pull out your putters..."

I had to turn to my S.I.L. and say, "Which one's a putter?"

Yeah, we all gotta start somewhere..."write"?

Well, golfing is a lot like writing...or so I'm thinking.

We all start somewhere, and each of us come to the task with different backgrounds, different training and different experiences.

So, one good way to make progress is to hook up with other more experienced golfers, or writers.

That way, you can ask questions, learn a little and sometimes a lot along the way. And you might even catch a few tips, tricks and hints simply by being near people who have the same interest...like golfing, or writing.

Another great thing to do is to link up with a network or community that can help you along the way. One great writers group, is the SCBWI. They'll be happy to help you along the path to publication. And, even if that's not your ultimate goal, you'll definitely make a few friends along the journey.

TWO-FACED

Yep, that's me. I am such a two-faced person. Now, I know that's supposed to be a bad thing...but I was out shopping today at lunch with a gfriend and I was looking at some weird (yes, weird) jewelry and I said to her, "It's so weird, I just love it."

She laughed and said, "You're such a conservative person, who loves such weird stuff."

And, it's true. The stranger it is, the more I like it. Now, that doesn't mean I'm going to dye my hair purple and tie it up in a knot on top of my head...or maybe it does.

But, I've always heard that being two-faced is a bad thing. . . and now I'm thinking it's not so bad--to be weird.

It only took me a few decades to learn that lesson.

OR-7 Oregon's Celebrity Wolf has pups

If you've followed the "Journey" of OR-7, you know what a miracle it is that he has survived as a lone wolf after he struck out on his own in search of a mate.  Even more miraculous is the fact that now he has found a mate and (just in time for Father's Day)...yep, that's right, Journey is the proud papa of pups.

It's a confirmed fact. And if you want pictorial proof, just pop over here and check it out.

Wolves have nearly been wiped out but they were put on the Endangered Species Act and are making a come back.


They used to have a bounty hanging over their heads, but the last wolf bounty was collected in 1947. Now Journey has made history by being the first confirmed wolf west of the Cascades since 1947.  

This is a great way to celebrate father's day. 

ade history in the spring of 2011, when he struck out from the Imnaha Pack’s home territory in northeast Oregon in search of a mate. After an epic journey across the state, the two-year old male became the first confirmed wolf west of the Cascades since the last wolf bounty had been collected in 1947.  Since that time, Journey has traveled up and down the Cascades, from the Crater Lake region down into the Mount Lassen area in Northern California, then back again. The wolf is the focus of a documentary that will premiere in Portland on May 25th and an expedition retracing his steps that is set to leave on May 17th. - See more at: http://www.oregonwild.org/explore-oregon/press/conservationists-cheer-news-or-7-mate-pups#sthash.5TLeBpTl.dpuf

ade history in the spring of 2011, when he struck out from the Imnaha Pack’s home territory in northeast Oregon in search of a mate. After an epic journey across the state, the two-year old male became the first confirmed wolf west of the Cascades since the last wolf bounty had been collected in 1947.  Since that time, Journey has traveled up and down the Cascades, from the Crater Lake region down into the Mount Lassen area in Northern California, then back again. The wolf is the focus of a documentary that will premiere in Portland on May 25th and an expedition retracing his steps that is set to leave on May 17th. - See more at: http://www.oregonwild.org/explore-oregon/press/conservationists-cheer-news-or-7-mate-pups#sthash.5TLeBpTl.dpuf