Movie Review Monday

Sunday was a rainy day in P.O. so I watched a couple of movies I had wanted to see when they came out in the theater but didn't have time to see.

Daybreakers was one. I am a true fanpire and always love to watch vampire movies. This one had a new twist on an old theme. The vampires were living the lives of human - only at night. And the vampires were farming the people for their blood. But being greedy, blood-sucking creatures, they'd overeaten or maybe I should say over-drinken - anyway there were not enough people left to feed the humanity or vampirity. So, what to do?

If you want to find out, you'll have to watch it 'cuz no spoilers here. However, even though it was interesting - I wouldn't say it was recommended by me. Not a "must see" but like Arte Johnson used to say, "Very interesting. . ."

Aren't Weekends Wonderful

The rat race is over

so we can sit, read, or nap
if we want

Hope y'all have a great one :)

June 9th Poetry Reading

This is at Barnes & Noble in Vancouver, Washington

An invitation to hear some great poetry:

"Strand by strand a spider strings
Her scaffold stalk to stem,
And when a passerby drops by
Midflight, she draws him in…"

Would you like to witness some wonderful words woven together for children? Poetry appealing to literature lovers of all ages?

Barnes & Nobel welcomes local poet Susan Blackaby for a reading of her beautifully written and illustrated book Nest, Nook and Cranny. Nest, Nook and Cranny is broken into different sections - Desert, Wetland, Woodland, etc. and contains work that's visually appealing, with a large variety of metaphors that also provides a great way to learn about our natural world. It’s intended for kids ages 8-12 but would make a good gift to anyone.

This is a rare event for Poetry Group regulars and for everyone's children and grandchildren.

Barnes & Noble Vancouver 2nd Wednesdays Poetry Group
Wednesday, June 9th
Everything in back left-hand corner:
Critique Group 6 pm
Author Reading 7 pm
Open Mic 7:45 pm
7700 NE Fourth Plain Blvd., 98662

You’re Invited,


Shawn Sorensen
Community Relations Manager
Barnes & Noble Booksellers
Vancouver Plaza
7700 NE 4th Plain Blvd.
Vancouver, WA 98662

tel: (360) 260-3854
fax: (360) 253-5414

Sherpani - Earth-Friendly Friday

My daughter bought me a present today. She got me the Switch shoulder bag by Sherpani. When I asked her why, she said because my purse is so ugly. And then she asked me if I noticed that it has an Earth-friendly Fabric? It's made from 67% recycled fabric.

Very cool. Check these bags out - I think you might like them.

Hope you all have a sunny weekend - I've got my fingers crossed.

WANNA FIGHT?

Well, if you're a writer you should want to - or at least have a lot of conflict. That's what makes a story interesting.

Tuesday night I went to Willamette Writer's mini-seminar at the Old Church in downtown Portland to listen to Elizabeth Engstrom talk about the structure of a good story. She said that we want to live vicariously when we read. Most of us have calm lives but that's not what we want to experience when we read. So, as writers, we need to provide some excitement for the reader. Let them live through our characters. And they have to connect with them too.

So, we need to create a world of conflict and then amplify it even more. Now, I'm off to my WIP to ratchet up the conflict. I have to tell myself I wanna fight.

Wednesday Wonderful Meals

Pork Pot roast can seem pretty bland but if you score the fat side and stuff the scored edges with chopped, fresh, garlic it will be even better. But then I like to top it with apricot/pineapple jam and sliced apples. Then I sprinkle fresh chopped oregano and thyme on top. I also stuff a couple of bay leaves into the slits and cover the pork with aluminum foil to roast at 450 for about an hour, then I turn down the oven to 350 and pull off the foil to let the top brown (I actually like to let my top get a little darker than most people.) I love to snack on the crunchy sugarified topping. This is a typical Danish type meal but it's called Fleskesteg

I use a meat thermometer to make sure the inside of the pork reaches a temperature of at least 150 degrees - but I prefer to let it get closer to 160 degrees. Plus, I place the meat on a rack inside the roasting pan, so that the drippings fall into the pan to make gravy.

Try it - I think you'll like it.

Make a Wish

Allium reminds me of giant wishes. They are so big and bold and yet so delicate. It's hard to believe they are from the onion family but they are. Just like the little white flowers. You wouldn't know, except if you break the stem and squeeze it, then you'll get a strong whiff of onion aroma.

These allium bulbs can be expensive but you can get a similar effect by buying leeks and letting them go to seed. And leek bulbs are about 25cents per bulb and you can buy them at any feed store.

I've planted a bunch of basil - different kinds - so I can make plenty of pesto this summer. I might even try freezing some - never have had any left before to freeze but you never know. Plus, I put in about three tomato plants because I can eat tomatoes like candy. I still need to plant some cucumbers and zucchini but there's time.

How 'bout you, have you got your garden going? I'll leave you with a few photos of some of the flowers in my garden.