Stirring the Cup - Grab something to drink, Pull up a chair and chat awhile!

Last week I asked for name ideas for chatting about not-so-much. I got some cool ideas. "Coffeehouse" sounds nice, actually. Although I went with... um... both the other suggestions today. (Thx MADD & Trish!)
I'm not indecisive, or anything.

You wanna know how long it took me to come up with Colorimetry? Lol. A long time. And then longer to make it book related. My favorite thing about the name is how it's hard to say. It gets stuck in the back of your throat, which cracks me up.


Don't even get me started on "Burgandy Ice". *snort* ;-)

It's just that some things require a lot of thought, you know? Pre-planning, trial -n- error. Blogging isn't easy. I mean, it's not "hard" as in get-a-four-year-degree-in-English-and-minor-in-computer-graphics hard. Although... that's a good idea! If you could get away with it, do try. Just explain to your parents or spouse that blogging will be profitable some day, so it's worth dumping a bunch of money into figuring out how to do it well.

I don't have the degree. Hence Bloggiesta. Phew!!  (Wait... it doesn't start 'til the 28th? You're kidding me. *drums fingers* But I already changed my banner!!)

I've been blogging almost a year and my husband is starting to get suspicious that blogging will never profit anything we can trade for food. He sees the packages coming in and hears my squeals as I get more books, but he doesn't always see how that's important for the entire family. Occasionally he's gone so far as to pat me on the back with a sort of "keep the wife happy" kind of smile.

Dangerous. Better pat a lion on the head than hint at dissin' my library.

*cough* No, I mean, I'm working on the profitable side. Don't I have an excessive amount of ads everywhere? Sure!  If someone wanted to buy something, I'm a hub.

Of course, I can't stop pushing other great things like this grant for my kids' school. Did you see it? We're seriously in the running to get some moolah for the PE dept!  I mean, Deep Creek has about 500 kids in the 6 grades. We're a itsy-bitsy town that used to be Boring!  (No, really... we used to be called Boring). I've always known we were an enthusiastic group, but this is pretty exciting. Doesn't that make you want to vote?!  The little school wins the big grant!!  I can see it now!! (Seriously. Vote!)

Now onto the chocolate. These are rich, so go slowly so you can enjoy the sugar rush when it hits your blood stream. You can get the actual recipe HERE or by clicking on the picture. Or rather, don't... and pass the cucumber slices.

I'm back on our no-sugar, almost-no-carb diet thing and craving "contraband" something fierce. Not that I need any reason to desire chocolate any given day.

I was chatting with my friend who doesn't live in Costa Rica at the moment, and she was describing a 6th taste sense (I may have forgotten the number. How many taste senses do we have? This is an extra one.) It sounded really cool... like an enjoyment of the dark and bitter, maybe. I am inspired to ask...

Do you like your tea super-strong? Or do you prefer the proper boiling water on tea leaves for a specific amount of time and no more?

Do you like your coffee black and dark? Or do you spend gobs of money to find the lightest, most delicate, smooth fresh cup?

It's possible my preference is clear in the question. *cough*  I am VERY particular about how long my tea sits and I go QUITE out of my way to find a light, smooth coffee. My friend actually prefers the thicker, darker stuff. PREFERS. Unbelievable. I'm not sure if I should be embarrassed for "fixing" my mother-in-law's tea all this time? Or conclude that this 6th sense is purely fictional and all you dark lovers are nuts.

(I don't think this applies to chocolate. I, like most of my readers, seem to have a taste for all sorts of chocolate.)

I must thank Pinterest for the recipe for that obscene looking desert. And also an ENTIRE STASH of gorgeous pictures of old books on Sylvia's Simple Life. (Did you vote, yet?)

Cream -n- Sugar

I seriously canNOT make up my mind on what to call this chatty conversation-y type post. I keep changing my mind as to whether I want to do it or not, too. 'Cause I don't want to copy anyone, like Sheila's Morning Meanderings. There's just things to chat about nearly every day and I keep just...

So, what should I call this?!  "This" is me inviting you into my kitchen for a sip of something and a snack (virtual, whatever) and a chit-chat about something book-ish (or whatever.)



I've tried...

Have a Cup of Tea

& 

Table Discussion

&

Cookies on the Brain  ????

But they just don't have a ring to 'em, you know? 

I kind of like cream and sugar in whatever I'm drinking, almost. 'Cause I love coffee - I'm very picky about my coffee. And I love tea all day long. And I love 'em hot or iced or blended... with cinnamon rolls or carrot sticks or nuts and bolts.

*Sigh*  I just don't know. Lil' help here?

I finished Shadow Kiss last night - at the football field again. The wind blew warm all evening, which is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. for Oregon. Like miraculous. Glorious reading!!  I stay and "watch" practice because of the gas. I drive a Suburban and a few trips in that delivering players around and I'll be stranded at home for a week. So, it makes sense to hang out especially if I get a chance to read.

Finding time to read is like GOLD. I almost wish I had to commute on public transportation just to get a chance to read. Almost. Hanging out at a football field in the warm sunshine is much nicer. :-D

I started writing again yesterday, too. I started at the beginning, with a Prologue, to set the stage for my story. There are questions left unanswered and this scene is so vivid. I've got my Mer Spawn all clustered around Nurse just when the Sea Witch is brought before the King, caught in her power struggle for the throne. This is the only view of the King before he rescues Anahalia near the end of my story, so he is a Big Deal. And this explains how the Sea Witch ends up the way she does where she is when Anahalia finds her.  Of course... one scene explodes, effecting so many others. And I get so darn hoppin' excited to write it all down. I can never write fast enough.

BUT... I needed to finish painting the shop. It matches the house, now, which is so very... domestic!!

AND... I butted heads with Bear over homework. He's going to hate me publishing this, but it flavored the entire second half of my day (creating a great atmosphere to set writing aside and read at football practice.) He is so busy with school and it's his first year having separate classes for each subject and separate teachers giving him assignments. So, suddenly, he has something to do in so many classes PLUS a new instrument to practice (Trombone) PLUS football three nights a week. PLUS he's trying to keep up with Mine Craft and Pokemon at the same pace he was during summer. It's just not possible.

Since he was unable to progress on the homework last night, I got all the kids to be early. Well, earlier, which isn't saying much. (9pm) And he woke up with plenty of time this morning to get his homework done. Muahahahaha  :-D  Yes... I'm a scheming, stubborn mom.

I read a great post on the importance of passing on RESPONSIBILITY this morning. I'm not always a great example. But I'm stubborn enough to try to teach it one way or another. You know? (I can't find where that post went... here posty-posty-posty...)

Speaking of reading posts... I was trying to visit folks who've visited me this morning. BECAUSE I finally realized that "later" will never arrive. Arriane wrote this crazy-great post on bloggers who don't visit back. I feel like she meant ME!!  I comment back, but I haven't gotten to visiting much. Like Joy pointed out:

Joy Weese Moll 

Fall, to me, feels like a time to read more and write more and do pretty much everything else more. Like, I wasn't busy enough all summer? Oh well, It will all get done or it won't and that's okay, too.

Yea. I keep feeling like I can do more, now, and, well, I am, but not what I thought I would be doing.

Now I'm talking in circles.  

This week is all about pausing to evaluate and DO the stuff I want to do instead of letting all my time flit away into random busy-ness.

SO:

1. I'm visiting bloggers and it's sooo fun!!
2. I'm writing, making progress on my book!
3. I'm getting the kids to bed earlier and helpin' get homework completed.
4. I'm working on projects with my honey.

Those are in backwards order. Which is why some of my wonderful posts waiting to be posted aren't up, yet.  AND... why some of my giveaways are old.

I seriously need to do a bunch on Colorimetry... but I think I've blathered plenty for today. Hey... maybe Cream & Sugar Blatherings?  Yuck. That sounds like spitting in the sugar bowl.