Yes, another reading challenge for me to try.  This one is all about Louisa May Alcott, the author of Little Women . It was one of my favorite stories when I was a teenager.  I identified with Jo, the tomboy, the fun sister, the romantic,  the outspoken one, and the writer. Who didn't? So, this challenge, the All Things Alcott Challenge .  What's it about? Click on the link to read the details. Essentially, participants decide how many items related to Louisa May Alcott to read, listen to, or watch that they hope to complete by December 31. My goal is the number 1. Between now and then, I will read at least one book by or about Ms. Alcott. Update of Other Challenges The 200 sit-up challenge . I finished that last week. Did 200 crunches all in a row. Yep, I did. Jumping three times daily . That's on hold. My right ankle is now screwed up.

For more sky views from other places around the world, click on: And, if you're interested in learning more about my hometown, click over to Take 25 to Hollister .

Asking for help can be so difficult for some people. The mama, for instance. The nearly-90-year-old woman  is stubborn about asking me to help her with the harder chores in the garden. But, she gladly takes the help, if I happen to give it without asking, "Do you need help?" It's taken me awhile to recognize how silly that question is.  It's similar to asking a visitor if she would like something to drink. According to the Mama, you don't ask, you just serve the drink. So, I've learned to keep my eyes and ears open to what's going on when she's outside. For instance, when I hear the sound of metal scraping against cement, I head outside to see what the Mama is doing. And, usually she has set up the ladder against one of her many trees to pick some fruits or prune tree branches. "Here, let me do it," I say, as I shove my feet into my shoes. "I can do it," she says, as she's about to climb the ladder. We spar back and forth a coup

I took this photo of the clouds a few days ago. Like the sky, the events of this week have been simply glorious. The San Francisco Giants won the World Series. Yep, indeed! And, no wealthy fat cat was able to buy the governorship in our state. Ha! It's Skywatch Friday and Follow Friday 40 and Over! for me today. Join me, won't you? Click on the links to check out what other bloggers are posting.

San Francisco Giants, that is. Yay, Giants! I admit it. I jumped onto the bandwagon when the Giants won the first game of the National League play-offs. I watched some of the second game, they lost. I missed the third game, they won. I saw a bit of the fourth game, they lost. I decided I was a jinx. So, I stopped watching. I didn't even read Facebook updates on how they were doing, and just read the headlines the next day. Since I stopped paying attention to baseball after the 1995 baseball strike, I had to show my loyalty to the Giants by not watching them win the NL pennant and the World Series championship. Boy, did I miss some good baseball! Between 1986 and the baseball strike, I was a Giants fanatic. Those were great years. Roger Craig was the "Hummmm, baby" manager. What a crew he had.  Together, Craig and team eventually worked their magic to play against the Oakland A's in the 1989 World Series. Unfortunately that series played second fiddle to the 7.0 Loma P

In several hours I'll be meeting a friend to talk about blogs. Writing them and reading them. She's thinking about dipping her toe into the blog water. She wants to know if she would ever leave her house again should she venture forth. I told her it would be the opposite. She'd be out and about, her ears and eyes continually open for post ideas. Fellow bloggers, what say you? If the friend decides to go for it, she'll be doing it through Wordpress. Until three hours ago, my experience with that blogging platform was zilch, nada, nothing. Three hours ago, I was very hesitant about getting a grasp of the Wordpress blog basics. But, how was I going to give the friend an idea of what she would be getting into, if I didn't find out. There is definitely a difference between Wordpress and Blogger, which I've been using for the last three years. The first thing I noticed was how overwhelming the instructions were to do this and that. But, once I figured how to publish a

This is how the sky looked like this afternoon. Beautiful, no? It's another new meme in which I'm participating today: Skywatch Friday . Bloggers from all over the world post their shots of the skies above. Come with me to check it out by clicking here .

Not KFC.  Not Starbucks nor 24 Hour Fitness Center. Franchise, a s in the right to vote.  Take advantage of your right as a U.S. citizen.  Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Just saying.  Today being Thursday means I'm playing in Alphabe-Thursday , a meme hosted by Jenny Matlock at Off On My Tangent . Click here to check what other F's are out there in the virtual world today.  Absolutely, after you watch and listen to the Beatles. Of course. 

Check out other Wordless Wednesday snaps with me by clicking here . Enjoy!

I'm still not reading books for fun regularly like I did before there were blogs, but at least I'm getting back into it. Last night, I finished Craig Ferguson's autobiography and picked up my latest to read from my pile of books yet to read. Really, I shouldn't even be thinking of buying new books or browsing for books at the library. But, I am. Since I have new book, I'm participating in the weekly book meme called Teaser Tuesday . Basically, you open the book at random and choose two sentences (though some bloggers choose more) to quote. The objective: To provide enough of a tease that others may be interested in reading the book, too.  So, after reading my offering, come join me at Teaser Tuesday to discover possible future reads. "Bart was right to warn her it wouldn't be easy. The mayhem, the turbulence, the mushrooming growth, the scope and pervasiveness of underworld activity, topped off by the massive disruption of the earthquake and f

Who doesn't like awards, especially when they are received unexpectedly? I do!  Last week, blogger Sarah of Sarah Who Reads Too Much surprised me with the One Lovely Blog Award. Whoo-hoo!   Thank you, Sarah, I appreciate the honor. The award does come with a wonderful catch. I must now play it forward and pass it on to up to 15 other bloggers, which according to past awardees are writers of blogs that I have recently discovered. (What's considered a recent discovery is up to me, since no one else is saying.) I'm continually finding new blogs to read, many from blog hops, linky parties, and memes in which I participate. The following are my picks of some of the many engaging blogs to which I subscribe. You may find one, several, or all blogs that appeal to you, dear gentle readers. Check 'em out! A Matter of Opinion Bungalow '56 Chaotically Me Crunchy Betty   Miranda Moments of Whimsy   Monterey Daily Photo My Life as a Domestic Nerd Naked Without Books Off on

I went looking for orange in the sky. Kinda found it with my camera (back in June). Definitely found it when I edited the photo in Photoshop. What I want to know is which image represents the colors in the sky at the moment—the photo untouched or one of the edited versions?  What do you think? To check out other Photo Hunters' interpretation of the theme, click over to the site of our host, TNChick. The original print. How it looked when I clicked auto color in Photoshop. How it looked when I clicked auto levels.

Here's what this week looked like for a professional writer who hasn't been doing much writing lately. Be forewarned: You may fall asleep. That's okay. I may already have. Sunday The husband and I bought a Dyson vacuum cleaner. Although several friends had recommended it, I did not put it on our list of choices because of the cost.  At the store, we got curious and looked at it. Then all of a sudden Jesus appeared. "Can I help you?" he asked politely. (Really, the sales guy's name was Jesus. Not Hay-soos, but Gee-sus.) Very long story short, with Jesus' confidence about the machine and the store's return policy, we decided to invest in the machine. Monday I vacuumed part of the house. Result: Three containers full of dust. The mama made a mistake on her absentee ballot, so I took her down to the courthouse for a replacement. As we headed up the stairs, she said, "I feel so ashamed for making a mistake." In all her 50 years of voting, this was

Eccentric. Adjective: Unconventional, extraordinary, offbeat, quirky. Noun: Character, individualist, free spirit, odd duck, kook. "My beard is flapping in the wind," said the husband. He was standing patiently next to me as I first snapped photos of a corn maze, then videotaped the corn swaying in the wind. He mentioned his beard flapping in the wind several times that afternoon. As some of you know, the husband and I shaved our hair completely off in January, just to see how long it would grow in a year. The husband also shaved off his beard and mustache. He is allowed to trim his mustache, but no can do with the beard. The husband says his beard is the longest he has ever had it. So, of course, I had to shoot a video of the husband's beard flapping in the wind. Enjoy! If you want to read more (or again) about our haircuts, please click here . This will take you to all the posts (I think) about our hairy adventure. Scroll all the way to the bottom to read about how we c

Yep. I found us—you, dear gentle readers and—another blog hop to check out. This is a fun, short one for all of us book-loving readers.  Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading . The idea is to randomly pick two sentences from a book you are currently reading.  Check it out! Of course, read my offering first, then head over to here . "Giants and fairies was how he described classical music. He could just as well have been talking about show business." ~ American on Purpose by Craig Ferguson page 26

The mama constantly works. She sows and maintains her gardens. She breaks to eat lunch and to read the daily news. Today she also napped.  Unusual. We both wondered. The Sunday 160 is hosted by the Monkey Man. A 160 is 160 characters, including spaces. To learn about it and to read other bloggers' Sunday 160, head over to this page .

Dinengdeng was what the mama prepared for dinner almost every day during summer when I was a kid. It's an Ilocano dish made of a variety of vegetables, which was quick and easy for the Mama to put together and cook after a long day of work pollinating vegetables. Because dinengdeng has such a musical sounding name, the dish ought to have been delicious, a comfort to my aging soul. Nope. The dish—the way the mama cooked it—continues to be a memory of Yuck! It wasn't because of the vegetables. I liked them all: eggplant, long beans, squash flowers, saluyot (jute leaves), parda, bittermelon, and whatever other else was growing in the daddy's garden. When the Mama cooked the same vegetables as pinakbet, a vegetable stew with a tomato base, I couldn't get enough of it. But, dinengdeng. Shudder! Still, I ate it. Quickly. This summer, I started cooking my rendition of dinengdeng. That's only because I try to beat the Mama to the kitchen to cook the combination of veggies t

I want to do this: Go bouncy-bounce on a trampoline over here . So, I'm doing this: Jumping/hopping on my two feet 10 times, at least 3 times a day. Every day. Why? I have this crazy fear of jumping, including jumping into a pool and bouncing on a trampoline. Sure, four years ago, I stepped off a plane from 18,000 feet high. But that was different. I was dropping into air while hooked to a professional skydiver. No jumping involved there. The thing is I'm not getting any younger. It's time for me to get rid of this silly fear. My first day of 3 x 10 times of jumping was scary. My feet cleared the floor by a couple of inches, if that. I had to use my arms (Imagine: arms in broad jump pose) to get my momentum going. I got a lot of pounds  of gravity to contend with, mind you. But, I did it. I was actually amazed that I did it. I'm also pretty proud of myself. I think the husband is too. When he's nearby as I'm jumping, he cheers me on.What a guy! Today is my four

"Stripes" is the theme of this week's PhotoHunt, hosted by TNChick. My offering is this photo of a chapel door at Mission San Juan Bautista . To check out other PhotoHunters, click here .

This is how I think my mind looks (the cabinet, that is) when you look at me: Blank. This is how I think my mind looks like a lot of the times: Disorder! This is how I think my mind looks like when it really should be taking care of business: La, la, la, la. I'm hanging out at Wordless Wednesday today. Come check out other bloggers with me by clicking here . P.S. It's early Friday morning. I'm hooking up at Java's Never Growing Old: Follow Friday 40 and Over. Come check out other blogs with me by clicking here .

Night clouds? Nope. I took this picture of clouds in the middle of the day. This morning I was playing with Photoshop, and this is what happened when I used the auto color adjustment button on the original photo. Amazing, huh? If made me wonder if Photoshop stripped out the blue color because the blue really isn't there in the sky. We see a blue sky during the day because of the way light waves rush through the atmosphere. Something like that. For the actual explanation, click here . Anyway, I thought it was rather cool how the clouds looked in a darkish sky. Here's what the original photo looked like when I used the Auto Contrast adjustment button.  Clarity of blue. And, here's the original photo untouched by Photoshop voodoo magic. By the way, don't the clouds look like two people dancing or maybe two people having a gab fest? All this musing about blue skies got me yearning to hear  Willie Nelson's rendition of Irving Berlin's Blue Skies . I thought you wou

I got up early (for me) and headed out to a garage sale this morning. Excuse me, an estate sale. The belongings were those of the widow of the late publisher of our local newspaper, who gave me my first paying job as a writer when I was in high school a long time ago. I was hoping that there might be stuff from the publishing world for sale. But, that was not my intent for checking out the sale. I never met the missus of my first publishing boss. I did get to know a bit about her this morning as I rummaged around her belongings. She liked Christmas. She enjoyed traveling and playing bridge. She was into doll making and crafts. And, for a costume party, I'm guessing she was Little Bo Peep or some kind of doll. Because the husband and I are supposed to be downsizing our stuff, I managed to stay focused on my mission. Kinda. I have been seeking cups and saucers to make more teacup bird feeders . I found two perfect sets. Right after I paid for them, I broke one. Ka-pow! I've sav

Click on the photo for a full version of it. See if you can find the blue dinosaur. I'm having fun at two blog hops today. Come join me at Wordless Wednesday and at Watery Wednesday .

It's very hot in my part of the world, today, dear readers. Summer switched into autumn. Voila, hello heat wave. Temperatures climbed to 104 degrees yesterday, according to some weather reporters. The day before, 102 degrees. The weather widget on my computer shows 91 degrees. I looked a few minutes ago and it was 88  degrees. Dearest One in the Universe, please blow some breeze through. May I humbly ask that if you could possibly, please with natural raw sugarcane on top, roll some fog into Monterey Bay. Its fingers will definitely make it over the low mountain ridge and sneak through the mountain passes. Ah, is that a bit of the breeze I feel?  Thank you, Dearest One in the Universe.   For a nonsequitur, dear readers, let's listen to some Ella, as in Miss Ella Fitzgerald, the one who had a voice magnificent and smooth. I had the fortune of seeing her perform towards the end of her career. I was in awe of how a rich, vibrant voice came out of a sweet, little old lady. Listenin

"Natural" is the theme of this week's PhotoHunt. My photos are from a drive the husband and I took on our anniversary . For the longest time, we've been wanting to explore a certain back road between out county and the next. It was well worth the bumpity-bump drive on the dusty road. To view other bloggers' interpretation in this week's PhotoHunt, click here .

The Moai Murders by Lyn Hamilton is my last entry for the Cozy Mystery Challenge . Hurrah! Lara McClintoch is an antiques dealer from Toronto, who Lyn Hamilton has made as the main character of her archaeological mystery series. The Moai Murders is the ninth tale in the series. It's the first one I've read. The story is based on Easter Island or Rapa Nui.  The author sidesteps the mystery of the Easter Island statues, but does weave the history and culture of Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, into the plot. Lara and her best friend Moira go to the island after Moira, who just won her bout with cancer, decides to go somewhere that she always wanted to go. Lara goes because Moira has asked her. Upon arrival at their hotel, the women walk into a lobby full of Rapa Nui enthusiasts who are attending a conference. They decide to sign up for the conference to learn more about the maoi. Almost immediately, they are witnesses to the ugly rivalry between the two Rapa Nui experts.  Not one, no

Fourteen years ago, about the same time as I'm writing this, I'm getting food ready for the next day's festivity. Getting married to the husband, it was. Fourteen years ago, about an hour or so from now, I will have finally laid down beside a very anxious husband-to-be. He would be so anxious, he would not be able to sleep. And, that would mean I would not get to sleep. "We can still call it off," I will have said. "No, we can't," he will have replied. "Yes, we can." "No, we can't. People are coming." "We can call them up first thing in the morning." "No, we can't." "Yes, we can." "You've already made the food." "I can put it in the freezer." "We don't have to get married," I will have said. "We already got the license," he will have replied. "Do you want to marry me?" "Yes, I do." "What's the problem?" "You

What do you see standing on top of the hill?  A choo-choo train? A Viking ship? The hookah-smoking caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland? That's what I saw as I was pedaling along the road this afternoon. I'm hopping around at Wordless Wednesday today. It's a great place to find a lot of new bloggers. Check it out.

On Saturday, I decided to experiment with baking savory and sweet scones in the same pan. Hmm, I could've baked a full pan of both and stuck half of the scones in the freezer. That just dawned on me. But then, I'd have to remember to rotate the pans in the oven so that they each became evenly undercooked, burnt, or just right. Besides, if I had tried going for full recipes that day, I would've found out I didn't have enough rice flour. As you can tell, I'm a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants baker. (Do I need all those hyphens?) Heads up, all you gentle readers who are precise measurers (measurists?) out there. Be prepared to shudder. Savory Scones Ingredients Handful of fresh chives, minced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1.5-inch chunk of cheddar cheese, grated Sweet Scones Ingredients Brown sugar (almost 1/2 a cup) Chocolate chips (just more than a 1/3 cup) I made the scones gluten-free because I didn't have whole-wheat flour on hand. Better on the tummy anyway. I shook th

I got my front door key stuck in the lock yesterday. I unscrewed the lock from the door last night. That oil you use for sewing machines? I put a bit of that into the lock last night. Nothing. "Did you fix it?" asked the Mama. "Did you get the key out?" asked the husband. No. No. In case you're pondering why the husband wasn't involved in figuring out how to remove the key from the lock, it's because I was bogeying the lock and he was washing dishes. I had handed it to him before he started the dishes. I needed him to use brute strength to jiggle out the key. He had success last week when his key got stuck in that same lock. But no such luck this time. How did I get the key stuck in the first place? "You used the wrong key," the Mama declared. "Did you use the wrong key?" asked the husband. Think, remember, recall. Yeah, I did. I left the lock, with the key stuck in it, on the stairway stoop. I was very confident the house ghosties wo

Setting: The Monterey Peninsula. It was a very windy afternoon. It's a wonder, we didnt' fly away. Suddenly we're in fog, then suddenly we're not. Today, I'm blog hopping at Wordless Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday . Come join me and check out photos of other bloggers. I know you want to.

The Dark Tort is part of the Goldy Schulz cozy mystery series written by Diane Mott Davidson (The link takes you to Davidson's website).  It's adventure #13. Davidson has written 15 thus far. The title is a clever play on words: tort/torte.  The tale opens with Goldy stumbling over a dead body at the law office for which she has been catering the last several months. At first, Goldy thought the lawyers were playing a joke on her. Pretty sick attorneys, if they were. But, it turns out the law firm is full of dysfunctional people, from the rich head partner to the very uptight office manager to the young paralegal-in-training who was murdered. After many outings of solving murder cases before the cops in her town, Goldy is known for her detective skills as well as for her cooking prowess. So, it's believable for the murdered young lady's mother to ask Goldy to solve the case. The mother thinks that the cops will overlook her daughter's case because they aren't r

“Pretend that you are a car,” Lisa said to us three novices. “Show confidence.” We four pedaled onto the busy street. 100 feet later, we signaled and turned left. The Sunday 160 is hosted by the Monkey Man. To learn about it and to read other bloggers' Sunday 160, head over to this page .

I'm feeling pretty smart and down right proud of myself right now. I managed to create a new web site for my professional self without a single bit of swearing. Yep, that's a very good accomplishment for me. I'm also happy with the way it looks with its baby-blue background, which I didn't think I would like at first.  Ya, pat, pat, pat.  Some people think I'm a smarty-pants techie, but that's only because I know the things they don't know. I honestly don't know a lot of technical stuff. Don't ask me to write or analyze HTML because I have no idea what that is about. But, if you tell me to go find a specific piece of code, delete it, and insert another piece of code, which you've given me, I can do that. Once I've done it, I shall promptly forget what I just looked for and how to repeat the step. That, dear readers, is how I went about creating a web site out of a Blogger blog template. Every time I wanted to make a change to the template, su