Looking for Housemouse88

Housemouse, I have a gift here that I would love to send to you, but you need to send me your address. Email me at karenefoley@comcast.net so I can get this to you.

Thanks!

Karen

Jane Porter Appreciation Day

I'm declaring today to be Jane Porter Appreciation Day, partly because she sent me a gorgeous red mug with gift cards and pretty Jane Porter promo items in it as part of a blog giveaway (I love getting fun things on days when I'm feeling down), and mostly because I just admire this lady so much. I've been reading her books for years, and although I love her Harlequin Presents stories, I'm a big fan of her single title books. I swear that her book, Flirting with Forty, raised my sister out of her post-divorce depression and allowed her to find love again (she got married again this past weekend to a really great guy who swears he's been waiting his whole life for her).

If you've ever read Jane's blog, then you have a pretty good idea what kind of person she is; caring, energetic, enthusiastic, courageous, generous, loving...all those positive, upbeat, good things that I wish could I emulate a little more. Not only that, but she looks fabulous...like she's closer to 24 than her real age. She's one of the few 40-something women I know who can put on a glittering little dress and kick butt on women half her age. Yes, she is my idol. And her own personal story reads like one of her books. I think I cheered along with all her other fans when she found Surfer Ty.

I make a point of attending her workshops at writer conferences, because she's honest and real and funny, and it's like you're talking with a good friend. I'm happy for all her hard-earned achievements and well-deserved success, and I'm looking forward to her next book, Easy on the Eyes. So, Jane, here's to you! Thank you for being such a great role model and inspiration.

In Like a Lion...

I woke up this morning to find an email from a friend in Virginia, about how happy she was to see her daffodils coming up. Her message made me happy, too, because it meant that Spring isn't that far off and in just a few weeks, I might see crocuses and daffodils begin to appear, too.

But then I looked outside and saw snowflakes falling. At first, I wasn't too concerned since they were so light, but they didn't stop. They continued until dinnertime, and although the total accumulation was only a few inches, I've been told it's only a prelude to the real show. The news reports say we're in for a pounding tonight, beginning about...now...and ending sometime tomorrow afternoon. Which means that instead of looking like early Spring int the morning, it will look more like this:

So the silver lining in all of this is that I get one more day at home with the girls (yes, I'm a total wimp and will not drive to work). We'll light a fire and watch movies, and I'll cook grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for lunch, and in between, I'll work on my manuscript.

That sounds like heaven to me...