Holiday Tips you might (or might not) want

Found on another writing e-mail list:

Just in time for the holidays--some "sensible" tips ( LOL)

1. About those carrot sticks. Avoid them. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an egg- nogaholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it.
Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas Holidays!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas or New Year's party is to eat other people's food for free. 
Lots of it. Hello? Remember college?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do.
This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. You can't leave them behind. You're not going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert?    Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards, mate.  (actually, I love fruitcake, but it doesn't seem
to be a universal thing.)

10. And one final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention.
Reread tips. Start over. But hurry! Cookieless January is just around
the corner.

By Craig Wilson, USA TODAY  (December 2001)

A Writing Retreat

At the end of February, our San Diego SCBWI held their bi-annual writer's retreat at the Mission San Luis Rey.  What a great, productive weekend we had.

One of my goals was to finish the revision of the picture book I'm writing with a friend. (we write under the pen name C.W. Bowie)
I sat on the grass near the giant, old Pepper tree (planted in 1830) with my trusty laptop.
I did complete it and emailed it off to her, thinking I now had time to work on another project. She emailed her response back to me with more suggestions for revision by dinnertime (her bedtime back east).
Darn.
I looked it over on Sunday, made some final notes, we went back and forth another time or two AND we decided it's ready to send out.
!!!!!
p.s. - yes I did get to work on that other writing project, too.



Here's the article in our local SCBWI newsletter written by Patricia Morris Buckley , RA.

There’s nothing like the peace of the San Luis Rey Mission — the gardens, the ringing of the bells, and hours of uninterrupted time to create. 

Almost 50 chapter members spent the last weekend in February at the Mission for a three-day retreat. The event began with a wine and dessert mingle, complete with a get-to-know-each-other bingo game ending in signed books as prizes. After the festivities, critiques were handed out and participants either relaxed, continued to socialize, got to work on revisions or called it an early night. 

The next day began with a huge breakfast (all the meals were wonderfully prepared) before heading off to workshops, critique groups or work. Three formal critique groups were held at various times over the weekend and 11 well-attended workshops covered everything from picture book revision and teacher guides, to web press kits and nonfiction writing. 

(Note - one of these workshop/ lectures was given by me. The final one on Sunday -- Persistence: Dealing with Submission and Rejection.  

By Sunday at 5 p.m., many members had made significant progress in their designated projects as well as making or deepening friendships, enjoying great food (including snacks a plenty) and being inspired by the beautiful grounds. 

In the end, it was hard to leave and return to the “real” world, but our time away was invaluable!

The year is winding down

Well, The Day of Many Presents is over.

And we ate delicious food.
And we gathered with friends and relatives.  (I had two gatherings. How many did you attend?)
And we were afraid to look at the scale to see how much we had gained.  (We'll wait to do that sometime in January.)
Some of us had rain, some had snow (and travel delays), and some had unexpectedly warm weather. (enjoy that while it lasts because Winter Is Coming.)
But, the best thing is -- the days are getting longer.  Someday soon we'll have daylight after 5:00 in the evening!

Celebration of food day

Evidently yesterday was Pie day.
or was it PI day?

And today is National PeanutButter Day.

Hmmm. is every day a celebration of food?

Nonfiction Monday -- poetry -- Bee-bim Bop!

Bee-bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park. Illustrated by Ho Baek Lee. NY: Clarion Books, 2005. Still available in paperback. Hardback is OP.

I know that you all know that Linda Sue Park is an award-winning author of novels, but how many of you know that she's a poet, too? Nearly everything she writes mentions food. However,this book is all about her favorite dish -- Bee-bim Bop.

"Hurry, Mama, hurry
Gotta chop chop chop!
Hungry -- very hungry
for some BEE-BIM BOP!

Bee-bim is the name of a popular Korean food
and Bop means RICE.
Bee-bim also means "Mix/ mix."
So the whole name of the dish means "lets mix/ mix other foods (chopped cooked meat, sprouts, stir-fried veggies, scrambled egg patties) with rice and EAT!"

"Time for Bee-bim Bop!"

Instructions are in the back for parents and children to create this meal.

Another poetry book by Linda Sue Park is Tap Dancing on the Roof: Sijo (Poems), also published by Clarion.

More Nonfiction Monday messages can be found at the blog, Wrapped in Foil.
-wendieO

Ummmm, A Cooking Blog for the Holidays

Here's a link to my friend Mary Ann Dames' blog. She's a marvelous cook, a professional dietitian, and a fun person. Enjoy her holiday, kid-friendly foods plus food activities. (holly leaves from green and red peppers?)

-wendieO

Merrie Christmas

Well, was it a Merrie Christmas for you?   It was for us.

This was the year to have a red and gold, Angel tree.  (last year the trim was all silver)  We put up the tree on Sunday and much to my surprise, the 8-year old took the remaining decorations and "decorated" the house.  I only hope she can find everything she put up when we take it all down on Three Kings Day.  I'm finding pine cones and bells and angels everywhere.

Yesterday, I bought new lampshades for the living room (ones that light will shine through) to replace the old ones which were  opaque.  Amazing.  The rooms I had thought were too dark to use are now brightly lit and welcoming. 

Everyone received something for Christmas that was totally a surprise.   Nick and Chip got remote-controlled helicopters.  and immediately had them buzzing around the living room.  The 8-year old got the locket she had always (always?) wanted.  And my sister sent me a shawl she had knit herself, along with an old-fashioned wooden stick topped with a painted bead to keep it closed.  It's cozy to wear in the evenings when I sit at the computer.  Like wearing a warm hug.

Today for dinner, we had ham -- Silver Label Ham -- for the first time in years.  yum!   Usually we have roast beast and yorkshire pudding.

And now everyone is out in the back yard playing wiffle ball.  The 8-year old is getting pretty good at hitting it.  If only she wouldn't attempt to hit every ball that passes her -- high/ low/ and inbetween.  Oh well, it's exercise -- for her if not for us.

On the writing side -- I got an invitation from an agent to send a full manuscript to her.  (and the Lance, the Fire Dog story got rejected.  Gotta get that one back out in the mail.)

-wendieO