A Fifth of Monday

Posted on December 5, 2022 by Silver James

As I mentioned in a FB post yesterday, four weeks from yesterday is Christmas. I suppose I need to speed up preparations, huh? I’ll get right on that. Actually, as most of you are reading this first thing, I’m at Walmart for grociers but also scouting for stocking stuffers and possible gifts–or I would if people had…you know…given me their wish lists.

So, last week. It went by fast. I made some serious progress on CROSSFIRE. Until Friday. On Friday, my inner nitpicker started pounding on the door. And shouting. *sigh* See, I’m basically anal-retentive when it comes to factuality (is that even a word?) in my writing. I research. A lot. If I don’t know about a subject. Why? Because there are always readers out there who do know that subject. If they’re like me, a writer getting the facts wrong is as irritating as a sweetgum ball stuck in your fuzzy houseshoes. And yes, I’ve dinged writers and stopped reading them because they got things so blatantly wrong. Yeah, yeah. Again, y’all are asking yourselves “why?” Well, this story is going a certain way. And I started it without doing my research. Who knew Ukraine was basically flat? The fact they grow so much grain should have been my first clue. D’uh. 🤦🏼‍♀️ But I have mountains in the book. And hills. Oh, there are mountains, the Carpathians. These are famously spooky mountaints. But they are on the far opposite corner of were the actual battles are taking place. Because there are encounters with enemy soldiers. And then I picked a neighboring country to lend aid to the team that isn’t actually part of an alliance that would help them with logistics. That’s when Miz Nitpicky broke my brain on Friday.

Skip to now. I spent the weekend researching–and apologizing in the author notes to be included in the back matter of the book when it publishes. I’ve switched the aiding country–at least in my head an dnotes but now I have to go back and fix all the instances in the books. I’ve added a bit of transportation instead of the team walking so far. And they can still end up in the Carpathians but because the Ukrainian armed forces held and beat back the Russions, that’s the part I’m having to apologive for because I let the Russians incursion get farther in-country. Literary license. Sorry. Anyway, I’m backtracking a bit this week, cleaning things up and then moving forward full spead ahead because Miz Nitpicker will be locked in the cellar where I can’t hear her.

In other news, I finished listening to a couple of books and started on my relisten of Darynda Jones’s Sunshine Vicram series. Book 3 releases tomorrow so I am indulging my craving for Darynda’s brand of zany characters and suspense. A BAD DAY FOR SUNSHINE makes me smile a lot, occasionally laugh, and generally just enjoy the heck out of the story, writing, and writer’s voice. 

Saturday was First Saturday which means siren test and lunch at our fave Mexican restaurant with the family. This fall it included soccer, which occasionally precluded siren test because…watching Stormy play is more important. He’s started winter in-door soccer now. It happens on the weekends at night. The facility is awesome but with the plexiglass walls around the fields, it’s a little hard to see what happens at the far end of the field from where you might be sitting, plus the kids are playing on a bigger field. They were pooped by the time the games was over. Part of the team had also done a 1-mile “Jungle Bell” fun run on Saturday morning. I don’t know about Stormy, but I’m pretty sure his mom (who also did the mile) slept hard Saturday night. 

I don’t have much else to report. This week is more writing, figuring out Christmas stuff. Oh! I did switch the Thangsgiving door wreath out for the Christmas wreath. I’ll put out the porch lights at some point when it warms up a little. And that’s it for me. Anything new or interesting in your life?

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Friday Sinem: Peace & Goodwill

Posted on December 2, 2022 by Silver James

I had so many titles for today’s video. Cats and Dogs. Goodwill to Cats. Oh Come All Ye Playful… Around here, it’s sort of the opposite. It’s Loki who wants to play with Boone and Jake, and Pete, now that he’s in the picture sometimes. FYI, Loki is the Demon Lord Kitty of Mischief and Mayhem. Boone is our OLD man (at 17), 1/2 Newf-1/2 Golden, and Jake is 1/2 Newf-1/2 Great Pyrenees. Pete is the stray that has taken up residency in our garage. He started out as Pistol Pete, now he’s Pete the Garage Cat, who occasionally comes inside. Anyway, this is just a sweet little video of a cat and a dog just trying to co-exist, even if one of them would prefer to be an “only child.” Have an awesome weekend, all. It’s First Saturday around here so sirens, Mexican food, and family!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Advice

Posted on December 1, 2022 by Silver James

I know “The Universe” (aka the fine folks at tut.com) are giving us inspiration and positivity to live our lives but dang it, so very often the messages just fall right into line with what writers deal with in our lives. Yes, we are human. Monstly. Yes, we live lives outside of writing caves and the imaginations that put us in those caves. Yes, there is more to life than making up stories and typing out the words to tell them. But writers, you tell me. Is this good advice for us or not?

When in doubt, Silver, show up early.

Think less. Feel more.

Ask once. Give thanks often.

Expect the best.

Appreciate everything.

Never give up.

Make it fun.

Lead. Invent. Regroup.

Wink. Chill. Smile.

And live as if your success was inevitable, and so it shall be.

Happy global domination,
The Universe
©www.tut.com

Especially wink, chill, smile, Silver!

And yes, non-writers, this is good advice for y’all too. Don’t get wrapped around the axel. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Find the humor and the joy and embrace both. And feel confident in yourself and the life you are living. Sound like a plan? For me, this is a solid plan to get this book finished, edited, and publsihed. I’m going to wink at this WIP, chill, and smile as I write. Upward and onward! Global domination, here I come!

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Wednesday Words: It Is…

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Silver James

It’s Wednesday and December officially starts tomorrow. *muppet flail* I did “win” NaNoWriMo back on Monday. I went just over 50K words. With this book remain that long or longer? Probably not. There is a lot of filler and side notes in its current configuration. As last Thrursday was T-giving, not Thursday Threads prompt so I had to riff along on the #1lineWed prompt: **IT IS: Finished. Only just begun. Green.** That last one is evidently a Star Trek reference. Something about Data and weird whiskey. I didn’t go there. And I cheated a little. I added the prompt and some extra words to a scene where they fit right in, and one I happened to be working on. So, hwere you go. This scene takes place fairly early in the “trekking” portion of the book. If you remember the chewed boot, this happens not too long after that.
****
“Kin?”

He didn’t snarl but it took every ounce of his willpower to leash his aggression. Duke was not a Wolf. Even if he had been, the man was the human equivalent of mated.

“Sorry,” he bit out.

“Talk to me.”

He wanted to ignore the order but Duke was his commander. This was a mission after all and his fecking moonstruck testosterone levels had no place on what could become a battlefield.

“None of your business.” And wasn’t that a stupid thing to say. He closed his eyes. “’Tis the girl,” he admitted in growled undertones.

“You have a problem with her?”

And that was the dilemma, wasn’t it? “Not like you mean.” He inhaled, forcing his wolf to relax. The bloody thing wanted to rip out Duke’s throat for touching Meg. All he’d done was assist her over a rocky spot in the trail, just like he’d helped the kids they were shepherding.

Loch suddenly appeared and Kin glanced up. Had the Russians gotten closer?

“You’ve not been around a moonstruck Wolf, have ya now?” Loch asked, his Irish brogue a lilt on the breeze ruffling through the surrounding forest. “We need t’keep the others away from the girl until Kin has a chance to claim her.”

Duke’s expression resembled a confused Golden Retriever and Kin almost laughed. “What the hell does that mean?” Duke barked.

“She’s his mate, mate,” Loch explained. “And until she’s his right and proper, no man is safe around her.”

Kin growled. “She’s not my mate. And this discussion? It is finished.

“’Tisn’t. ’Tis only just begun,” Loch countered.

Duke’s snarl was worthy of a Wolf. “Well, fuck.”

“Aye, Duke. That’s what they need t’be doin’ except this is not the place nor the time.”

Studying Kin intently, Duke finally spoke. “Can you keep it under control?”

His first instinct was a snarling, “Yes.” Instead of voicing that, Kin actually thought through things before answering. “Aye. I haven’t lost control since I was a pup. I won’t be losin’ it now.” He gestured toward the clump of kids and the rest of the team. “Too many lives dependin’ on it.”

“Okay, then. Maybe you should take sentry duty, Kin.”

He shook his head. “Assign one of the others. I need t’prowl. I’ll shift and scout a wider area.”

Not waiting for Duke’s response, Kin turned his back and walked away. Loch laid his hand on Duke’s biceps and shook his head. “Let it be. His wolf is ridin’ him hard. He needs t’let the beastie out to work off some steam. If we’re lucky, he’ll find some game and make a kill. Good eats for us, energy release for him.”

Duke rubbed his forehead. He’d just thought dealing with a bunch of surgically and genetically enhanced SEALS had been a pain in his ass. Now he had those plus guys who could change in wolves, humans, and a dude that talked to the animals—at least his falcon and dog. For all he knew, Uri could communicate with the two wolves the same way. Which was a strategic advantage to be sure. There were times when radio silence and the need to communicate slammed up against each other.

Moshe suddenly sat up, ears pricked, gaze zeroed in on a section of the woods. Duke glanced at Uri, who knelt beside his dog. Golda, the falcon, perched on his shoulder. With a soft coo, the bird launched, wings beating as she rose above tree level. Loch relaxed.

“Just Kin’s wolf,” Loch said. “The Ladyhawke will keep an eye on him and she’ll let Uri know if there’s trouble.”

Duke flashed the other man a narrow-eyed look. “Ladyhawke?”

The Irishman grinned. “T’was a favorite movie of mine.”

“Because Rutger Hauer turned into a wolf?”

Loch’s grin turned impish. “Naw. T’was all about Michelle Pfeiffer. In fact, I swore back in the day should I ever have a little cailín of m’own, I’d be namin’ her Isabeau Michelle.”
****
And there you have it. No obscure Star Trek reference but a semi-obscure movie reference. Have you seen “Ladyhawke?” 🙋🏼‍♀️ Yeah, I’m with Loch on this one, except I was all about the wolf. I hope y’all enjoyed this little peek into current conditions in CROSSFIRE. Writers, feel free to start creating. Readers, do you have a favorite shapeshifter movie? (And writers, you can answer the question too, LOL)

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Under the Cubano Moon

Posted on November 29, 2022 by Silver James

I’m still celebrating the release of UNDER THE ASSASSIN’S MOON. So…when it came time to pick a recipe for today, I considered something Brazilian, since the bulk of the story is set in Rio de Janeiro and the Amazon jungle. I even mention some Brazilian food in the book. However, the heroine is 1/2 Cuban and the granddaughter of Cuban immigrants. And I happen to really like Cubanos. I won’t get into the discussion of whether these delicious sandwiches are traditional Cuban or a creation from South Florida. Don’t care. They’re good. Also, I lean toward the Miami version rather than Tampa, because I’m not a fan of salami. Anyway…

YIELD: Makes 2 sandwiches
ACTIVE TIME: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes

Ingredients
2 (8- to 10-inch) sections Cuban bread, split open horizontally (see note)
4 tablespoons yellow mustard
6 ounces sliced Swiss cheese
6 ounces thinly sliced dill pickles
8 ounces sliced honey ham
6 ounces leftover Cuban-style roast pork
4 ounces sliced Genoa salami (optional; see note)
2 tablespoons butter

Directions
1. Preheat a panini press or a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. Lay bread, open side up, on a work surface and spread the bottom and top halves with mustard. Layer bottom and top halves with Swiss cheese. Working only on bottom halves, layer on all of the pickles, ham, roast pork, and salami (if using). Close sandwiches, pressing gently.

2. Butter top and bottom of panini press and press sandwiches with moderate pressure until crisp on both sides, about 8 minutes. If using a cast iron skillet or griddle, melt half of butter in pan and add sandwiches. Use a second pan to press on them as the first side crisps. When crisp, flip sandwiches, add remaining butter, swirl to coat, and continue cooking while pressing until crisp on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Slice sandwiches in half diagonally and serve immediately.

Special Equipment
Panini press or 10-inch cast iron skillet or cast iron griddle

Notes
Cuban bread is a soft white bread made with lard. Look for it in Latin bakeries or groceries. If unavailable, use any not-too-crusty, soft white rolls, preferably with some lard or fat baked into them. Salami is a traditional ingredient in Tampa-style Cuban sandwiches, but can be omitted. In a pinch, you can use Italian bread, so long as it isn’t a hard crust.

For step-by-step instructions and a very entertaining description of how to make a Cubano. CLICK HERE. As I mentioned above, Izeta Cordero, the heroine of UNDER THE ASSASSIN’S MOON, is half Cuban and was raised by her grandparents. Even though she’s a CIA operative, in the quiet times beween assignments when she’s curled up at home on the Outer Banks, Zeta would definitely make herself a Cubano. And trust me, Brody thinks these hit the spot. They can even make them when they’re motoring around on The Moonstruck. You’re new and improved copy is only one click away. Just put your mouse on any place I mention the title or there’s a pic with book cover and click to see what on-line booksellers have it available. only have to wait one more week to read their story. Just click on the cover to pre-order it now from Amazon!

Do you have a favorite warm sandwich? If so, share with the rest of us!

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The Monday After

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Silver James

So, this is the Monday after Thanksgiving–at least here in the USA. Other places, it’s pretty much a regular Monday. I wonder if other places have Black Friday, Small Business Saturday (which usually stretched into Sunday, as does Black Friday, actually), and Cyber Monday. There’s supposed to be all sorts of deals on-line today for Christmas, and all the stuffs are supposed to arrive BY Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, I’ve started. I have two presents for Stormy, one for Lawyer Guy, some stocking stuffers, and I know of at least one I’m getting Only. Nothing big. Nothing fancy. But…it’s stuff I hope they’ll like. I’ve been known to be buying stuff the week before Christmas and wrapping gifts on Christmas Eve. Madness. And crazysauce, especially if folks were coming here for Christmas Eve dinner. That doesn’t happen any more. Family situations change and so do family traditions. Ah well. Time marches on.

Case in point: A friend mentioned seeing a FB post about the iconic “WKRP in Cincinnatti” episdoe where the radio station’s ad manager Herb and Les Nesman, their weather guy, did a turkey drop from a helicopter as a Thanksgiving giveaway sponsored by a grocery store. It was…a massacre. See, domesticated turkeys don’t fly, not to mention the downdraft of the helo’s rotor blades. Anyway, back in the day it was funny, and those of us who remain politically incorrect still giggle over it. But back to my friend. She couldn’t believe how many comments there were about “What? What are you talking about?” So, at T-giving lunch at Uncle Fix-It’s house, I mentioned the scene. Only laughed (she is my daughter after all), LG laughed, Cousin K laughed. Then Niece Two asks, “What?” So we all explain it. Only even pulled ithe YouTube up on her phone. We all laughed. Except Two. She just blinked. “I don’t get it,” she said. “And I don’t remember that show at all.” Dear Lord, I’m old.

In other news, I didn’t finish one book last week. In fact, I barely listened to the one currently queued up in Audible. Why? I’VE BEEN WRITING!!!! I figured out a snag in the prologue that had been niggling at the back of brain for months. I got the wording right and BAM! As Emeril would say. Y’ll do know who Emeril is, right? Anyway, I’m almost to 50K in chapters, notes, snippets, and full scenes. Will I be left with that many when I’m done? Probably not. I’ll be happy with about 45000 words finished and published. I have 5 solid chapters that just need a final edit, I’m not quite 1/2 way through #6, and all those snippets and scenes are now pretty much in chronological order so I can write them in, adding more words. I may not have CROSSFIRE publsihed before Christmas, but 🤞🏼 I get it out before New Year’s.

Once again, let’s not talk about sports, um-kay? Except maybe FIFA. Big upsets there and the USA is doing better than expected. Also, speaking of upsets, go Michigan! Thank you for running over that other OSU, you know, the one that tried to trademark the initials and when that didn’t happen they started calling themselves THE O State U. Really? Anyway, no offense to anyone in the state of Ohio. I have nothing against y’all. In fact, I have friends there. It’s just the arrogance of that university that puts my hackles up. And it’s not personal. I feel the same way about Notre Dame, the Red Sox, the Oakland/LA/Las Vegas Raiders, and about half the teams in the SEC. See? I’m an equal-opportunity disliker. 🤣

In other news, I’ve hit a smilestone with this blog. (And yes, I mean SMILE as well as MILEstone.) According to WordPress, I’ve had 100,000 views. Holy cow! Now, if even half those views bought a book, I’d be a best-selling author. Still, glad folks find something interesting enough to drop by to check me out. It’s appreciated. And to my regulars? Y’all rock my world!

So… *scratches head*… that seems to be all the news I have to share. Off to Wallyworld this morning and then back to work on the ol’ WIP. I’ve been stuck high-centered for so long, I’m a little weirded out by how much I’ve accomplished this past week. I’m hoping the streak continutes until this puppy is ready to upload and hit PUBLISH. What about y’all? How was your weekend? Whose ready for Christmas–decorations, shopping, etc. Or any of the other winter holidays because there are some cool ones coming up. Inquiring minds and nosy people (me!) want to know.

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Friday Sinema: BUC-EE’S!

Posted on November 25, 2022 by Silver James

Okay. I admit to be jealous of Texas for one reason. They have Buc-ee’s travel stores. All along the highways. I ❤ Buc-ees. And kolaches. And yeah, I’m still in a “I find this hilarious” mode with these videos. Raise your hand if you’ve been to a Buck-ees! 🙋🏼‍♀️ Be careful out there if you’re going shopping today. If I had a BUC-EE’S nearby, I’d do all my Christmas shoping there. Just sayin’… Have a great weekend.

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Thursday Thoughts: Holiday Mayhem

Posted on November 24, 2022 by Silver James

No wise words from the Universe today. Sorry. It’s Thanksgiving. Even the Big U gets time off. Instead…

True story. I had two jobs for Thanksgiving lunch at the BiL/SiL’s house today–my homemade Ice Box Rolls (hot yeast rolls )and pie. I have been making the dough and rolling out and baking the rolls since I could stand on a stool, erach the counter, and turn on the electric mixer. I don’t even look at the recipe anymore. I mean 60+ years? Even my brain can remember that. Except…

I digress, for a moment, to the pandemic and supply chain issues. I don’t bake  from scratch like I used to but I had a canister just a little over half full and a parial bag of flour in the pantry. As lots of things were hit or miss at the store, I went ahead and grabbed some Shawnee’s Best. They’re a local company, comparable in price and excellent quality. Skip ahead to Wednesday morning. The rolls are supposed to rise in the fridge over night, hence the reason they are called Ice Box Rolls. However, you can do them in the morning, let the dough rise during the day and roll them out after dinner for rising at baking first thing in the morning. This beats getting up extra early to rolle them out, let them rise, and bake on the morning of. Or you can do them early and freeeze them. Except I have no room in my freezer.

Hang in there, I’m getting to the part where you’ll laugh. So. Wednesday morning. I start making the dough. I do the liquid mixture using the “sticks” of Criscoo–handy things those are! I had just enoug for that and greasing pans. I thought to myself as I used the Crisco to the first batch, “Self, you need to add Crisco to the grocery list for next Monday.” So, I’m mixxing up all the wet stuff and start adding the dry. It’s all good, even though the flour seems a bit…coarse? I end up with some on my finger and I taste it. And it’s salty. Now, 4 teaspoons of salt are NOT notciable in the mix of all the other ingredients. In fact, the 1/2 cup of sugar completely hides the salty. So…

I pick up the bag of “flour.” It’s Shawnee’s Best. Shawnee’s Best WHITE CORN MEAL MIX. 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️ Too bad I wasn’t making the dressing too. I would have had some incredibly fluffy and rich cornbread to stick in it. Instead, it all went into a plastic bag and to the trash because we’d NEVER eat that much corn bread. Not in a year. Or two.  So now, I need more yeast and flour. REAL ALL PURPOSE FLOUR. Cuz, gotta start over don’cha know. I run up to the grocery that’s only a few blocks away, grab TWO sleeves of yeast–because you know, just in case–and I had the very nice young man stocking the shelves verify that I was getting FLOUR, as I explained WHY I wanted him to double check. He was nice and admitted the packaging did look similar and he was trying hard not to laugh. Until I adivsed him not to get old because it sucks. He lost it at that.

So, I get to the checkout. My total is $6.61. I have excatly $4.00 in cash. 🙄 I use my debit card. I get home. I wash the mixing bowl and beater than had been soaking and I start up the water, Crisco, sugar and salt (that gets poured into the activated yeast and eggs mixture before adding the flour. Except…Crisco. I need 3/4 cup of Crisco, plus Crisco to grease rising bowls and baking pan. I had 1/4 cup.  🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️ Off I go back to the store. Remember that nice young man? Yeah, he is now stocking stuff right next to the Crisco. I said, “Don’t ask, just go ahead and laugh.” He did. I did. We wished each other a Happy Thanksgiving. The girls at the checkout who’d been flirting with the local firefighters who’d been in line in front of me the first trip, tried not to laugh. I told them to go ahead and since was laughing on the inside, they wouldn’t hurt my feelings if they laughed out loud. My tab thistime is $6.72. I STILL only had $4.00 in cash.

Anyway, I made it home in the cold drizzle–yeah, I haven’t mentioned that it was a lousy day to be out and about–got the new batch of dough mixed up and it turned out pretty darn gooe. This morning I thawed the pecan pie and made the pumpkin pie and baked the rolls. Off to the BiL/SiL’s around 11-ish. There could be 20+ people there and y’all know how much I love peopling. 🙄

That said, it’s Thanksgiving Day here in the USA. And I do have things to be thankful for. I may be old but I can still get around and I remember things if I write them down. 🤣 I have a wonderful family and friends. I have furry critters to love on. I have books to write–thank goodness the imgination still works! And best of all, I have y’all. Thank you for hanging out here, for buying and reading my books, for leaving reviews, and most of all for being totally cool people that I’d actually people with. In person, even. Anything you’re thankful for today? And is anyone watching the Macy’s Parade?

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Wednesday Words: Far-feteched Explanations

Posted on November 23, 2022 by Silver James

Happy Thanksgiving Eve! I suspect some of us here in the US will be cooking or otherwise preparing for tomorrow. If you’re busy, take a break and check out our #1lineWed prompt **.FAR: Beyond the world I know. And away. Near and.**  Plus, we have our #ThursdayThreads inspiration: “Then explain this to me.” I managed to write a 250 word snippet that received an honorable memtion from last week’s #ThursdayThreads judge. I’ll admit I had fun with a silly bit of fluff. Sometimes I forget to lace some humor and lightheartedness into a WIP. I’m working on that with this one. Anyway, here’s your break-time snippet, which occurs toward the beginning of the book.
****
“Time t’rise and shine now!”

Meg groaned inwardly at the Irish soldiers pronouncement, which was followed immediately by Petro’s in Ukrainian. The kids whined too. At least she wasn’t the only one feeling tired and sore. They’d only been walking for four days. She just thought she’d been in good physical condition when taking the internship with the wolf refuge. After all, she jogged every day and worked out. Usually. One would think she’d be in even better shape by now. Walking was supposed to be good exercise, right?

She stretched her legs and toes, gratified when no cramps hit. Bracing up, she winced, missing civilization like crazy. She’d give everything she owned for a hot bath—for stiff muscles and to just be clean. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had more than a quick rinse off with a wet rag. Ugh.
The kids stirred around her so she reached for her boots, snagged one. She managed to get it on and laced while still inside the sleeping bag. She reached for the other. It was gone. Unzipping the bag and standing, she checked the area around her. Nothing. Walking on one boot and tiptoes with the other foot, she went searching far and wide around the camp.

Maxim called, “Miss Meg, what do you look for?”

“My other boot. Do you see it—” She broke off when Petro held up her missing boot—what was left of it. The man handed it to her, his expression blank. Examining her boot, she was even more confused. “This looks like a dog chewed it up.” She glanced suspiciously at the children. “Are you hiding a puppy?”

At their chorus of denials, two other people caught her attention. Loch and Kin. The Irishman stared at the Scot, who ignored his comrade. She glowered at one then the other. “Do either of you know what happened to my boot?”

Loch continued staring at Kin as he answered, “Possibly.”

“Then explain this to me.” She shook the chewed-up boot at them.

“Wolf,” Kin said, his face completely deadpan. “A playful one.”

“Are you serious right now? That’s not even funny, dude. A wolf sneaks in here and decides my boot makes the perfect chew toy? Yeah, right.” She stomped, though her balance was a bit precarious, back to her sleeping bag and pack. Good thing I have another pair or you lot would be piggybacking me.” She faced them again. “Just sayin’…”

She could deal with old boots and stupid explanations. She jerked off her remaining boot, tucked it into her pack just in case, and pulled on the worn pair. Fine and dandy. She could deal with whatever this situation threw at her, but the whole hot bath thing? That was nonnegotiable. They couldn’t get to civilization fast enough.
****
Dear Kin, liar, liar, pants on fire. And yeah, there are times when we all want to just hide in the bathtub while yelling, “Calgon, take me away!” Am I right? Writers, hopefully today’s prompts will give you the impetus to create new words. They did me, even in retrospect because I took the original 250-word snippet to 468, almost doubling the word count. Yay! Readers, have you had a “Calgon moment” lately?

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: 1905 Moons

Posted on November 22, 2022 by Silver James

No trip to Tampa was ever complete without having lunch at the historic Columbia Restaurant. And my favorite meal there was their famous 1905 Salad. This is mixed and served tableside. What a tasty way to use your leftover Thanksgiving ham, turkey, or both! I’m a big fan of using both. 😉

1905″ Salad®​
Makes 2 full salads or 4 side salads

4 cups iceberg lettuce, broken into 1½” x 1½” pieces
1 ripe tomato, cut into eighths
½ cup baked ham, julienned 2″ x ⅛” (may substitute turkey or shrimp)
½ cup Swiss cheese, julienne 2″ x ⅛”
½ cup green Spanish olives
2 cups “1905” Dressing (recipe below)
¼ cup Romano cheese, grated
2 tablespoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
1 lemon

Combine lettuce, tomato, ham, Swiss cheese and olives in a large salad bowl. Before serving, add “1905” Dressing, Romano cheese, Worcestershire* and the juice of 1 lemon. Toss well and serve immediately. Makes 2 full salads or 4 side salads.

“1905″ Dressing Recipe
1/2 cup extra-virgin Spanish olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
⅛ cup white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix olive oil, garlic and oregano in a bowl. Stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper. For best results, prepare 1 to 2 days in advance and refrigerate.

Tips:

  1. You actually dribble the Worchester sauce over the lettuce and then do the same with the lemon–cut it in half, squeeze both pieces over the salad, then toss it. Do NOT add the Worchester sauce to the dressing. Just sayin’…

Take a moment and CLICK HERE to check out the Columbia’s website. The place is absolutely amazing! I’m not the only one who thinks so. Izeta “Zeta” Cordero is of Cuban descent and while her occupation and personality don’t lend themselves much to cooking, she has a hero who can and does fix all sorts of things. Of course, he’s used to cooking on a boat and hey, this salad is perfect for that! Also, they can sail into Tampa Bay, dock and head into town to indulge at the Columbia. Brody might even be tempted to stop into the family-owned cigar store next door. I’m pretty sure the scent in there drives him a little crazy. Want to find out why? Grab your copy of the newly revised, updated, and released UNDER THE ASSASSIN’S MOON from the on-line retailer of your choice. Just click on a pick or the title to find the universal link page that with the list of stores. What about y’all? Do you consider a salad like this a full meal or would you rather share it as a side salad? Me? I don’t share. 🤣

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