Hello from the long lost blogger...ME

So sorry I have not been keeping up with the blog. Lots of various reasons but the biggest is probably depression. I have been and will continue to battle it and one way is to get back into doing more things. One of which will be to become more active on the blog. Over the next week or so I will be cleaning up all the info here that isn't valid anymore. I have been doing some reviews on Goodreads and I will start posting them here too.
I've been wanting to get more of online presence for my crafting business since that is how I earn extra book money so you will probably see some posts about that part of my life too.
Oh, and animals and hot guys. Can't leave those out. :)
One of my recent selfies for your enjoyment. (wish my eyes hadn't closed at the flash)
Roku was purring his little heart out...while trying to choke me. :D

WOW!! It's been a long time.

Well, I really got behind doing any blogging. Real life drastically interfered with my online life in 2012.

Happy New Year everyone!

I got to be the end of the year and I suddenly realized that I hadn't kept up my Reading Challenge posts. I was a good girl in that most of the books I read this year I did record on Goodreads. I joined the 2012 Reading Challenge there and set a goal of 366 books(a book a day). I ended the year with 370 listed. I figure my total is actually closer to 400 since you can only count a book once for that challenge even if you read it more than once within the same year. Which I did for several books that I read early in the year if a new one in a series came out later in the year.
I am currently going through my Goodreads list and trying to match up what I read to the various reading challenges I attempted for 2012. I already know that I failed a few of the challenges. I also finished at least three, other than the one on Goodreads.

One good thing about my real life being so hectic the last few months is that I lost almost 25 pounds last year. Was I ever excited when I got on the scale a couple months ago and discovered that I was under 200 for the first time in almost a decade. YIPPEE!!!

I have several things I want to do this year.
First is to definitely blog more than I have been.
Second is to do fewer reading challenges this year, and keep better records for those that I do join.
Third is to get a website going to sell my crafts through.
Fourth is to work on polishing up one or more of the stories I have partially written and maybe finally get them submitted.
Fifth is not entirely up to me. Would love for both my 20+ year old daughters to finally be able to move out and stay moved out. They will always have a home with me if necessary, but they really need to get their own lives.
I was thinking about adding a sixth of doing more reviews of the books I read, but I really can't force those out. Occasionally a book will move me to do more than just give it a star rating on Goodreads, but not very often. And even those few that moved me to words, those words are few. A couple sentences usually.

Okay, I've rambled enough for now. Hopefully this weekend I'll have the information organized enough to post about my successes and failures in the reading challenges I attempted for 2012. And maybe have even figured out which few challenges I'd like to try for 2013.

I'm Back!!!

Well, I am really going to try to do a lot better this year. Less time on Facebook apps will help a lot. Fewer people in the house(at least for a couple months) will help too.
More time to do my crafting, to work on this blog, and to read. And to that end I joined a few reading challenges. I think I may have overdone it though. Am I reckless or just plain crazy? I'm hosting one challenge and signed up for 9 more. Well, really 10 more, but that last one is all about finishing the others. Check out the TWO pages devoted to 2012 Challenges(accessed from the pages bar at the top of the blog) for more information about my craziness. :)

My adventure for the evening!

My oldest daughter was outside mowing part of the lawn this evening. The younger one went out to ask her a question and they both came running back in the house a minute later, slamming the door. Once the initial scare wore off, we all ventured back outside, with a digital camera. Apparently, when she looked up from the area she was mowing, my oldest noticed our local bear ambling through our empty lot that is next to the area she was mowing. At least he didn't raid OUR garbage can this time like he did back on the morning of May 20th.

Here are the links to the videos that were taken today.

Bear Video One

Bear Video Two

And here are the ones we took on the 20th when he showed up at about 7:45am. He stuck around for about 20 minutes, until one of the garbage trucks came up the street. My daughter actually contacted the local news stations and a couple of them used the videos.

First

Second

My Adrenaline Rush for the Day

Yes, I know it's been a long time since I last posted. I'll explain that in another post later today. But right now I just had to share the morning excitement.

Last summer and fall, thanks to the cooled than normal weather, the blackberry bushes(and lots of other plants)didn't bear fruit like normal. Bears in the area started raiding garbage cans for food. There was one that visited my garbage can at least once a week for over two months. Then winter hit.

Recently, I've been seeing a lot of reports on the news about bear sightings. I began to wonder where our bear was. Maybe I shouldn't have worried. He visited us this morning. And today is garbage pick up so the full can was at the end of the driveway.

At 7:45 this morning I heard a thud outside that I knew well, but hadn't heard for months. He loved all the food remains(we had cleaned out the refrigerator just yesterday). He kept pulling stuff out and eating for a good 20 minutes, til a truck drove down the road and scared him off.

My daughter got some video of him while he was out there. She posted them on her YouTube channel here if you are interested in seeing our visitor.

Romance readers and writers UNITE

One of the first authors I read in the paranormal romance genre is also classified as erotic. Judy Mays.
In her day job she is a high school teacher. She does a great job of keeping the two careers separate.
Well, recently someone exposed her pen name to the parents of her students and they in turn told the local news. You can see the article here.
Make sure to read the comments. One of Judy's sons even made a comment. I like it.

And I have found a couple of other blog posts about the subject here and here.

There is also a page on Facebook for supporting Judy. Here's the link to that.
Support Judy Mays

I like the way the romance community is coming together to support Judy during all this.

I felt like baking

If you want to know how I turned this

 

into this

check out the recipe below.

BANANA BARS

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 c. butter(or margarine)

2/3 c. granulated sugar

2/3 c. packed brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. mashed ripe bananas(usually 2 bananas)

1 egg

1 c. mini chocolate chips

1/2 c. chopped nuts(optional)

Combine flour and baking powder in small bowl and set aside. Beat the butter, sugars, and vanilla in large bowl until creamy. Beat in bananas and egg. Gradually beat in flour mix. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts(if used). Spread batter into a greased 15x10 inch cookie sheet.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or til golden on top and toothpick inserted near middle comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Oh, and be prepared to make more in a day or two. They disappear fast.

UPDATE-4/18 at 7pm-I was right. The last one disappeared a few minutes ago. Less that 24 hours after making them. I think I'll have to make some more tonight