Of pie reveries and smooching

So Happy Thanksgiving, my pumpkins! And yes, though I realize "pumpkins" might be a greeting more seasonally appropriate to say, October, what with Halloween and all, I just couldn't bring myself to say "Happy holiday, my turkeys!" or "Happy holidays, my pilgrims!"  So "Pumpkins" it is. Plus, there's the whole pie thing, right?? I actually love pumpkin pie, provided it's more spicy than it is sweet. Well, if I'm being honest, I probably love nearly any kind of pie (excluding the cow variety). Key Lime, Pecan. Boysenberry, Coconut Custard, Strawberry Rhubarb, Apple, Peach—

Ahem. I better stop before that pie list evolves into a full-blown, day-wasting pie reverie. I think I might be ready for the feast, however.

And I know you lovely Canadian girls already had your feast, but please feel free to take this opportunity to eat until you might just burst if poked in the tummy in honor of us Yanks. :) Or at least toast us with sparkling cider, or with something so alcoholic holding it near an open flame would be perilous.

I've posted another excerpt from POP on my site, and smooching is involved. It's below the one I posted earlier. My little Thanksgiving present to you. :)

Hope you're all doing splendidly! I'm writing my brains out and purging and rearranging my flat so I don't have to do a sort of slalom around  mounds of books and manuscripts in my office anymore. I keep the most random things, I've discovered. I'm not a pack rat, per se, but some of the things I do keep baffle me. I found a teeny tiny pine cone carefully packed away. I honestly can't remember why now. I seem to have an aversion to throwing away cords of any kind, even if the electronic equipment they were meant to plug in gave up the ghost decades ago. Yesterday I recklessly threw away about three hundred feet worth of cords. I just opened up a lovely red velvet box on the top of my closet shelf, and inside were three sponge hair rollers. Why the royal treatment for the hair rollers? I'm mystified. Given that my hair trends toward the enormous, I haven't used rollers in forever (but check out my graduation photo if you want to see the net results when I did use them.) I do keep cards and postcards for eons—I found one from a long-ago friend that says "You're Eight!" on the front and "That's Great!" inside. I won't tell you how long it's been since I've been eight. At least eight years. :)

Anyway, while I'm stirring up dust and memories and prodding the words from my brain which will eventually become The Dangers of Desire (next book!) and preparing to feast, I wanted to pause and wish you a happy, peaceful, satiating holiday surrounded by your favorite  people and your furred or feathered loved ones. XO from me!

Comments

[Diana]

Happy Thanksgiving to all those who are celebrating it. I am so ready to chow down! :)

[Charlene]

As one of the Canuck gals who had Thanksgiving last month. ;) I would still like to wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with lots yummy turkey and pie!!!

[Haven Rich]

The Dangers of Desire <~~~ You're already dropping hints??? Acks!!! I'm going to faint here!

I think pumpkins fits just right! Just don't be calling us chubby santa's next month..please!!!

Ah, this must be the season for cleaning because just the other day I was going through random boxes and found the strangest things. I tossed a bunch in the trash as I have NO CLUE why I had them. While others, I knew exactly why they where there and smiled at the memory.

BTW, I still use rollers, how else am I to get my hair to do anything! Also, you're not a day over 21, swear!

Hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving!

small ps. RI will be having a wonderful contest for x-mas featuring two of Julie's books!! Details will be posted in the coming week or so.

[Michelle]

Julie... you do know that if you only post once a month, it's really more of a newsletter than a blog, right? LOL

You made me laugh with the cords. I have cords and I don't even know what they're for anymore. I'm thinking maybe the Atari I had in the eighties.

[Julie Anne Long]

Thanks for the Thanksgiving greetings, Diana and Charlene!! Hope you enjoyed, Diana!! And hope you stuffed yourself in honor of your American neighbors, Charlene. LOL. I mean, it's only neighborly.

And I think you're right, Haven!! NOw that you mention it, half the people I know are going through some sort of Winter Purging. That's what I've decided to call it, anyway. LOL. Given that I hardly ever engage in Spring cleaning, I thought I'd give it a name and pretend it was a formal ritual. :) Maybe it's a Feng Shui type thing -- you clear stuff out, you make room for more cool stuff to move in. LOL. Good Lord, though -- the dust!! I'm almost done. Comcast will be here this morning to make my flat wireless. Fewer cords!! Between 8 and noon, they said. How much you want to bet it's closer to noon?? LOL. I'll spread the word re the contest, too, on MySpace and elsewhere!!

Michelle -- you crack me up!! I've decided my blog is a free-form, ongoing, meandering, water-cooler conversation only *peripherally* requiring me to post something to anchor the conversation. LOL. Call me a trailblazer. Man, I have way to many places to update!! I'd hang onto that cord if I were you!! I think it'll be worth more on the Antiques Road Show in 2020, if you have the Atari box AND the cord. :)

[Haven Rich]

Oh fewer cables is always a lovely thing! I love my laptop for this very reason. I can unhook it from everything and still be completely connected. Whoever came up with this is a genius!

So, do tell, what are you wanting for x-mas this year? I have my fingers crossed for a new desk and possibly some new shoes hehe.

[Julie Anne Long]

Well, of course, Comcast got here at 12:20 yesterday!! LOL. AFter this night owl dragged her carcass about of bed at 7 in the morning to prepare for that "8-12" window. But I"m wireless! You're right, Haven -- it's nice to be off leash!! I can work on DOD (the next book!) anywhere in the house, AND google things while I"m doing it. :) My little Samsung printer, however, is not wireless, and my PHotoshop, etc. software resides on my other computer. One thing at a time.

Man -- what do I want for Christmas?? Do you mean, what can i reasonably expect *getting,* or what I really, really want?? :) I want two armoires, one unfinished pine, the other large, dark and antique. :) A fancy new scratching post for the cat. :) A new set of teacups (and I'm oddly very particular about teacups) as most of mine have met their demise. Maybe I'd like some pearls. :) Season ballet tickets. I'm generally quite delighted, however, with socks, lotions, gels and books. :)

[Haven Rich]

I'm often picky about my gifts too, which is why I always create a list with images and locations.

I so know what you mean about the night owl bit. I don't see how people do the normal 9-5 gig. I'd die!!! I don't go to bed till 5-7am and get up at 3pm. I'm so not the normal lol.

BTW your guys were better than ours. They said they'd be here between noon and 5pm. They got here three days later at 10am. Needless to say, I was not thrilled. Ok, I was thrilled after it was done and I sat at my pc...while on my bed minus the cord.

Oh speaking of photoshop... have you seen that there is a new paint shop pro? It's X2!! It's on my x-mas list. And you should add a wireless printer. Those things are awesome!!

Ok, I've rambled on enough hehe.
Enjoy your new freedom.

[Kathy K]

You know I coulda sworn that I was here and posted awhile ago! Really!
Well I was here, but I obviously didn't post... my apologies. And a belated Happy Thanksgiving... (can I do that? *grin*)

Julie when you mentioned the winter cleaning I could fully appreciate what you were saying. My oldest daughter, now 22, is living far, far away from us ~ 19 hours drive time ~ in Whitehorse, Yukon Territories and has been since January ~ 10 months now. And, as of January 4,2008 she will be in Cairo and from thence will be travelling with her friend, Heather. The two of them have decided on Egypt and India as their first two places to visit... Huh?? Beats the heck outta me I tell you.
So, back to the cleaning.... Well, because Lisa won't be home for Christmas *sob sniff* and will only come to visit, her room has been undergoing a transformation.
Speaking of dust... holy cow! I was sneezing and suffering all kinds of allergies for 2 or 3 days after I was done. There's still a bed (our youngest's twin, and she now has Lisa's double) but I've taken Lisa's books and CD's and stored them for her and made room for a small playroom for the little ones that I babysit.. and will be babysitting more full-time come January.

Man, changes can really bite, but at the same time I'm really happy for Lisa. She's become such a confident and outgoing person which, 5 or 6 years ago I would NEVER have guessed. But it's great... now I'm going to do my very best not to worry overmuch with her plans to travel (a few years?? she said in her last phone call).
I remember being 22 and on my own.. but she was just my baby a few years ago. LOL

Well, anyway, I've got to run some errands in our snowy-cold-winter weather. And then I'm off to court this afternoon as a witness for the prosecution (sounds like an Agatha Christie story.. hmm) regarding the accident back in May that destroyed my beast. Should be interesting anyways!

Hope you all have a good one... or 10 ~ and I promise to be around a little more... now that the worst of cleaning binge is over. Praise be! *grin*

[Julie Anne Long]

Hey Kathy!! I had a hunch you'd pop up today!! LOL. And I was pretty sure you were doing OK. :) It's consuming, isn't it -- the cleaning?? Once you get started it's hard to stop!! And I have to tell you -- I don't know a soul right now who isn't going through some big adjustment, usually about where they live, or who they're living with, or family stuff. So it's interesting to hear you talk about LIsa. She's quite the adventurer, sounds like!! And while I admire the spirit, I sympathize with you -- she'll be so far away!! :) Think of the interesting emails and postcards you'll get. :) ANd I'm thinking of the wonderful, life-changing experiences she's bound to have -- travel in particular is so confidence-building and perspective-shifting. And throughout my life, whenever I've found myself nervous about an event, or shying away from some experience (apart from, you know, the dangerous or illegal ones. LOL!) -- I know for certain there's something about that experience that will help me grow as a person, and I need to tackle it. I've never been sorry! So I'm kind of vicariously thrilled about her adventure. LOL. Will you have the rest of the family in for Christmas? HOw's everyone else doing??

GL in court! That should be interesting, too! It's raining here -- at long last! We've needed it. And check your MySpace bulletins for one from me!! LOL.

[Office 2010]

I’ve been opened to listen and understand what the bible says..god