Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Child #3 gets stuck in elevator

So, we're staying at a hotel in the OC for four days of water polo Junior Olympics. Child #3 is supposed to meet me and Child #4 in the lobby to leave for his 2nd game of the day. He doesn't show. Annoyed, I phone around to see if he's left with another family for the pool. Everyone, by now, is en route. No one has any idea where Child #3 is. I leave Child #4 in the lobby to watch for him, then race upstairs to see if he misunderstood and is at our room.

Nope.

Then....I'm standing outside our empty hotel room and...

I hear him spelling his name!

But I can't see him!

I sprint up and down the hall screaming out for him. While all these horrible thoughts crash around my mind. Like he's being held against his will in one of the rooms. And other thoughts of which parental nightmares are made.

Finally, I slow down enough to hear him say in a calm voice, "Mom, I'm stuck in the elevator."

I race over to the closed doors and, sure enough, I can hear him giving my cell phone number to someone.

Hotel management phones me, promising to have him out in 5 minutes.

Which doesn't happen. After THIRTY-FIVE minutes and several phone calls, Child #3 decides to try prying open the doors.

Which works!

Then he steps way up...and he's there, beside me.

We take the stairs down to the lobby to inform them of his escape.

I am very very impressed with Child #3. Did he panic while stuck all alone in an elevator for 35 minutes? No. Actually, he did his push-ups! And, according to the video tape, made a lot of silly faces. Child #3 is calm and cucumber-cool in a crisis. What an asset that will be in life.

This has not been a stellar hotel stay: a sink that doesn't drain; a phone that only works on speaker; and an elevator that swallows up 12 year old boys. Not staying at this Radisson again.

Here's a link to the New Yorker article on a guy trapped in an elevator for a weekend.

Monday, July 28, 2008

My Town Monday: Long Beach, CA


We're here in the OC for water polo Junior Olympics. Go, Child #2 and Child #3!!

So, on this fine and balmy Monday, my post comes to you from the not-too-far-away port of Long Beach.

Where a diesel-electric attack RUSSIAN submarine is moored next to the Queen Mary. You can take a self-guided tour of this still-operational sub. I should mention, though, it is a bit of a challenge to maneuver around.

In 1994, a group of businessmen purchased the submarine, known as the Scorpion. The Scorpion was built in 1974 just outside St. Petersburg and commissioned into the Soviet Navy where she completed secret missions for about twenty years. She was one of the quietest Soviet subs and was definitely used for US surveillance.

Climb down the hatch into the squishy quarters and see such things as torpedo rooms, the control room, bunks (which were shared), the kitchen, a periscope and more. Plus all the instruments are labeled in Russian. Something about that just grabbed me.

It'll cost you about $12 (adults) and $10 (kids). For more info, call 562-432-0424 or click here for more info about the Scorpion. Oh yeah, and the address is 1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90802-6390.

It's definitely worth the time and money to be able to brag, "I was on board a Russian sub." And, if you're looking to impress, here's how you say it in Russian:Podvodnaya Lodka. Sorry. No hints on pronunciation.

Many thanks to Travis Erwin for spearheading the My Town Monday posts. Click here for Travis' on-the-road post and for links to the other My Town Monday participants.

Back to more water polo...

Friday, July 25, 2008

BIG News!!

Sorry I've been such a slacker blogger lately. I'm way over-extended with going away for water polo Junior Olympics (Child #2 and Child #3 are both on teams who are entered) and getting ready for our trip to the Great White North next week. Get this. Between Junior Olympics and Canada, I'll be home for ONE short day during which time I'll do laundry like a mad woman and pack and tidy the house for our dog/chameleon/house sitter and finish up scoring entries for a writing contest and... Ack! If I stop to think of all that needs to be accomplished, my heart starts pounding like I've downed an extra-extra-extra large espresso. Or ten. Thank goodness for a helpful family.

About the Graber olives...The winner is Angela of Angel's Chocolate and Potatoes. I love reading about her daily life. So, Angela, email your snail mail address to barrie.summy@gmail.com and I'll pop the can of olives in the mail before heading north.


I received a delightful package in the mail from From Skilled Hands' art gallery. I won a contest on her blog and had NO idea the mailman would be delivering an entire boxful of goodies. Thank you. Can you guys see the adorable blue Santa? I buy one new Christmas decoration a year. And that's the one for 2008!

And now for my BIG AND EXCITING NEWS!

Guess what's in this envelope?

The contract for another two-book deal from Random House!!

HURRAY! HURRAY!

I will be celebrating later this evening. With my water polo friends. After we put the players and their siblings to bed.

Anyway, I'm off to explore the hotel with Child #4 who has high hopes of buying everything from the gift shop at the end of the hall. Ha!

Wish us luck at the games!

(P.S. The internet connect at this hotel is s-l-o-w. Hopefully, it'll speed up soon and I'll go round visiting you guys.)

Monday, July 21, 2008

My Town Monday: Ontario, CALIFORNIA

I spent most of the weekend at a water polo tournament in and around ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA. Which was named after ONTARIO, CANADA by the two Canadian engineers (George and William Chaffey) who helped develop the area.

In NINE days, I'm heading to ONTARIO, CANADA.

Ontario, California is obviously calling to me as a My Town Monday post. Obviously.

So, early Sunday morning, while our water polo players slept in, Child #4 and I snuck out from the hotel room for a very interesting visit to...

The Graber Olive House

The Graber Olive House is famous for its gourmet olives. Crossing the threshold of the Graber Olive House is like taking a step back in time. Graber olives have been cured and canned here since 1894. The operation is still very much hands-on. To the point that government health inspectors always think they've arrived at a museum and not the actual canning facility!

Spanish missionaries planted the first olive trees in 1769 at the Mission San Diego de Alcala. The Franciscans then traveled north to establish more missions and they planted olive groves along the way. The Graber olive ranch is located about 250 miles north of Ontario, in Lindsay, at the foot of the Sierra Nevadas.

So, what makes a Graber olive special? Well, these olives aren't picked until they're cherry-red ripe. A tree might be visited 7 or 8 times before all its olives are removed. This ripeness factor results in a meatier, nutty-flavored olive. VERY delicious!

Here's the process:

This is the grading line where women stand at the conveyer belt, on the lookout for olives with bruises, lumps, broken skin. Olives that remain on the conveyer belt are sorted according to size. #16 is the largest Graber olive. At times, there's a waiting list for cans of #16 Graber olives. The grader was built in 1932.



550 concrete vats in the Vat Room soak the olives for 3 weeks in a secret brine. The brine is changed daily.




Women hand-scoop the olives from the rotating filling wheel into cans. There's a can under each hole. The women fill about 45 cans per hour. If the Graber Olive House switched to machines, they could fill about 1500 cans per hour. There are no plans to switch.



Olives are packed in 200-degree-Fahrenheit water. The Panema Paddle Packers slap on the lids. No photo. Sorry. I guess I forgot to take one. I am so not a reliable photographer. Neither was my mother. It's genetic. In fact, when my mother took a picture of me on my first day going to university, she inadvertently chopped off my head. Not a prophetic shot, as it turns out.



Child #4 is examining the label machine. A label is applied to each can. The labeling machine is from the 1940s. It's only operated during after-school hours. When the local high-schoolers are available to work.



The cans of olives are sterilized in here at a high heat (I forget how high) for 62 (I think) minutes. Child #4 was beginning to wane at this point in the tour. Which means I wasn't as focused as I could be.

Here's the Graber Olive House info:
315 East Fourth Street, Ontario, CA
1-800-996-5483

If you want to see the grading and canning process in action, call ahead to find out which week in October the plant will be running. It all depends on when the olives ripen. Besides the "plant" (now located in the NEW building which was built in 1921 and has one original wall from 1894!), the grounds include a one-room museum, a couple of gift shops, a picnic area, a video of the olive canning process, some very nice people AND OLIVE TASTE TESTING.

In addition to producing world-famous olives, the Graber Olive House doubles as a halfway house for abused animals. This is, after all, California with all her idiosyncrasies.

AND if you comment on this post between now and Wednesday, July 23 @ midnight Pacific Time, I'll send you a can of Graber olives. For real. I bought an extra one. Just for you bloggy people. I'd post a picture, but blogger is way slow and lazy tonight.

Thank you once again to Travis Erwin for spearheading My Town Monday. We're glad he's back in his leadership role this week. And that he'd didn't lose the family fortune in Vegas last week. Click here for Travis' post on Amarillo, TX and for links to the other My Town Monday participants.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Friday's Forgotten Books




Crackpot by Adele Wiseman
1974, McClelland and Stewart

Adele Wiseman (1928-1992) was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her parents had emigrated from the Ukraine to escape the Jewish pogroms. Adele did her BA at the University of Manitoba and then worked at a variety of jobs to support her writing habit. She took about three years to complete her first novel, The Sacrifice, which won the Governor General's Award in 1956. That bears repeating. Her FIRST novel won the Governor General's Award! THE most prestigious Canadian literary award. Over the years, Adele was writer-in-residence at several Canadian universities: Toronto, Manitoba, Trent, Western, Concordia). She also headed up the writing program at Banff School of Fine Arts. Oh, how I wish I'd taken a class from her.

A description of Crackpot from amazon.com: "Hoda, the protagonist of Crackpot, is one of the most captivating characters in Canadian fiction. Graduating from a tumultuous childhood to a life of prostitution, she becomes a legend in her neighbourhood, a canny and ingenious woman, generous, intuitive, and exuding a wholesome lust for life."

This story takes place in Winnipeg from World I to World War II. The voice in Crackpot is incredible. The symbolism is incredible. The language is incredible. Parts of this book were uncomfortable to read, though. I squinted my eyes and kept muttering, "No, no, no, don't do that" or "Don't go there." For example, Hoda is the town whore. She gives birth to an illegitimate son, whom she leaves at the door of the orphanage. He grows up to be a teen. I'm sure you can do the math. But Adele Wiseman is such a magnificent writer that I couldn't stop reading.

Oh, and a little trivia. Guess who Adele Wiseman's BFF was? Margaret Laurence! Another amazing Canadian writer.

You can read excerpts of Crackpot here.

Thank you Patti Abbott for coordinating Friday's Forgotten Books. Please visit Patti's blog for book posts and for links to the other participants.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Tidying up



We have a WINNER! 

Child #4 donned her brand new 99 cent drugstore sandals and pulled a name from the bloggy bowl.

The lucky winner of Read My Lips by Teri Brown is ... 


So, Shelli, email me @ barrie.summy@gmail.com with your snail mail address. Congratulations!

I have officially arrived. My ARC (Advance Reader Copy) is for sale ILLEGALLY on ebay. $16.95 + $4.99 for shipping (in the US).  Even though it says right on the cover, "Not for sale."I am so not linking to it.  Also, can I just say they're have been ONE HUNDRED TWENTY changes since the ARC version. Not that anyone's counting...

At the end of last week, Editor Wendy sent me the 2nd set of revisions for I So Don't Do Spooky. So, if I seem less here, you know what I'm up to. Good revisions. Not too too tough to fix. Yay! Just new and improved with Wendy's brilliant and insightful observations. I have to turn it back in this week.

Child #4 is hugely enjoying her week-long Girl Scouts' day horseback riding camp. She has been assigned Echo, apparently the most beautiful horse on the farm. As it should be. So that the beauty of the horse and the rider match.

There are ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SIX days until the release of I So Don't Do Mysteries. Not that anyone's counting that either...

Saturday, July 12, 2008

My Town Monday: Gilroy Garlic Festival

Travis Erwin, who is off gambling away the family's Texan fortune, put me in charge of My Town Monday this week. I will try not to let the power go to my head.

BUT since I AM the current big kahuna, I'm making an EXECUTIVE decision and allowing my post to highlight a location in NORTHERN California. Just call me a major rule breaker. Confession: I've never even been to this location, although I have smelled it with the car windows down.

It's the Gilroy Garlic Festival!



The Gilroy Garlic Festival is held annually on the last full weekend of July. Gilroy is about 26 miles south of San Jose, in the Santa Clara Valley. 2008 marks the festival's 30 year anniversary. The Garlic Festival is probably California's best attended food festival with a weekend crowd of around 100,000 people. This is because, in California, we know fun when we see it. Or, rather, when we smell it.

I am determined to make it to the Gilroy Garlic Festival one of these years. With or without the dh who favors sporting stuff. While there, I will check out Miss Gilroy Garlic, the garlic cook-off, various demonstrations, the arts and crafts' tables.

And I will definitely try some of this:



And some of these:


After the Festival, I'll visit the Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs and the Mission San Juan Bautista (depending on how far away the mission is).

Now, onto some exciting posts from other Mondayers, including Travis who got his post organized before hightailing it out of Amarillo:

Travis Erwin--Amarillo, TX

Barbara Martin--Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Pattinase--Detroit, Michigan

The Education of a Pulp Writer--Rayne, Louisianna

PreTzel's Place--mostly places in Iowa

Clair Dickson--Kensington, Michigan

Women of Mystery--Setauket, New York

SUV Mama--Columbia River Gorge

Word Vixen--Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Shauna Roberts--Riverside, California


Friday, July 11, 2008

Friday's Forgotten Books


The Sweet Second Summer of Kitty Malone by Matt Cohen
First published: 1979
Nominated for the Governor General's Award

I recently picked up my old copy of this book, but wasn't sure why. I originally read The Sweet Second Summer of Kitty Malone for a university course and promptly fell in love with everything Matt Cohen. But I haven't read anything by him for several years now.

The Sweet Second Summer takes place in a fictional town in eastern Ontario, near Kingston. I'll be near Kingston in August, and I think that's what brought this book to mind.

Anyway...The Sweet Second Summerr is the story of two fringy characters, Kitty Malone and Pat Frank, who're looking for happiness and actually kind of find it. Kitty and Pat finally figure out how to mesh their past and present. Matt Cohen writes great characters, great scenery, great atmosphere.

Here's partly why I'm headed to the Kingston area (except for the winter part!) (from page 114 of the Bantom Seal version):

"Looking through it (the air above the burning tip of a cigarette) he could see the whole flat surface of the lake stretching miles in front of him, so smooth and icy-serene it could have been a giant eye frozen and buried in earth and rock. And the trees around the lake were like dark green lashes, thick and tipped with snow..."

Matt Cohen died of lung cancer in 1999. He was private, prolific (publishing over 20 novels). Weeks before his death, he won the Governor General's Award for Elizabeth and After. After his death, it was revealed that he wrote several children's books under the name Teddy Jam.

I'm happy to be participating in Patti Abbott's Friday's Forgotten Books. Please visit Patti's blog for book posts and for links to the other participants. I noticed Lesa's Books Critiques also reviews a Canadian novel.

Also, there's a surprise post by a bestselling author on the Class of 2k8's blog.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Kelly Couric interviews TERI BROWN!



Kelly Couric here! (waving hands and dancing around madly). Barrie usually introduces me as..."the slightly chubby, super sassy and trailer-trashy KELLY Couric." I'm all that and more, folks. All that and more.




(Door squeaks open.) Hi, I'm Teri Brown. Is this where Barrie's doing my interview? Are you her secretary?

(Hands on ample hips, Kelly glares at Teri.) Her secretary? I so don't think so. If I weren't such a huge fan of Read My Lips, I'd quit talking to you. (clears throat) Okay, blogsphere people, I'd like you all to meet Teri Brown, member of the Class of 2k8, debut YA novelist of the fantastic Read My Lips.


Thank you. Thank you. So, Barrie put you in charge of my interview?




(looking around) Well, ya certainly don't see her around, do ya? In this cutthroat biz, you snooze, you lose. And that's literally what she's doing. Napping.



Oh, That's right. I heard Barrie's having a tough time with insomnia. Poor thing.


Poor thing? She's a major wimp. (claps loudly) Okay. On with the interview. Teri, pretend I'm a really rich and famous literary agent. And you're lucky enough to get to pitch to me. What's your book about?




I guess that depends on whether it’s an elevator pitch or a longer pitch! My elevator pitch was this: A deaf skater chick moves to a new school and uses her amazing lip reading ability to infiltrate the popular crowd, bust up an exclusive secret sorority, and tame the school rebel.

If we were actually talking over drinks I would expand on that!


Do you outline?





Do I what?

Um no. I actually start off with an idea and then write a back cover type blurb on it. Then I write out a three or four page synopsis and try to capture the major plot elements as well as the MC’s emotional journey. Then I start writing. Usually the finished product differs quite a bit from the first synopsis!

Now that you've achieved your publishing goal, are you actually working on anything new? Or do writers publish, then chill on the couch, guzzling cocktails and bonbons?



I wish! Once you’re published you immediately start worrying about the second book! It’s so important for your overall career to get that second book contract, to say nothing of your self esteem!

Then there is the whole book launch to worry about! And then of course, sales, etc. Being a writer entails so much more than writing!

Tell us something weird about yourself. Preferably juicy and scandalous. We're all friends here. Seriously. What's said on this blog, stays on this blog.



Except of course that the blog is PUBLIC!




Drat! You're pretty AND smart.






I’m afraid I’m going to have to abstain from anyting scandalous, because my past is pretty checkered!

One cool thing is that I survived a brain tumor. At least, it’s pretty cool to most teens! Especially when I get into the gritty details on how they had to slit my nose open and break it in order to get up to where the tumor was and… what? Kelly are you alright? You’re looking a little green…





(plugging ears) This is NOT a medical blog. I repeat, this is NOT a medical blog.




(Teri smiles) I think Barrie could've handled that.



(Kelly rolls eyes) Whatever. So, what's your favorite cookie? Are you willing to share?




Share cookies or recipes? I am seriously dieting so I haven’t had a real cookie in ages. My favorite cookies are Oreos. Honestly. So I am currently stuck on the 100 calorie pack Oreos. They don’t have any cream filling, but I think it’s overrated anyway.

Thanks so much for stopping by. You're definitely my type of gal. Well, except for the gross medical details. But I'm definitely into the checkered past thing. So, did you bring me a gift? Like, say, a bottle of Glenfiddich? In that cute triangular bottle?


(Teri laughs.) No gifts, sorry. But thank you for interviewing me. And tell Barrie I hope she's sleeping better soon.



Sure. I'll tell her. You can count on me. Yada, yada, yada.




Okay, people. Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Read My Lips by Teri Brown. You have until Saturday, July 12 at midnight (Pacific time). The next day, because Child #4 is only eight and doesn't get to stay up until midnight, Child #4 will randomly choose a name from a bowl. Barrie'll send you the book.

Kelly tosses a boa over her shoulder, then sashays off. When she's halfway across the room, she stops and turns. "Hey, and don't worry...I'll be back!"

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Insomnia! Arrrgh!



Oh my gosh. I am having the worst insomnia.

I have no idea how I'll function tomorrow. And be halfway nice, that is.

I think I have too much going on and I just can't settle down.

We go to Canada in THREE WEEKS, and I'm so not ready. We have water polo tournaments for TWO kids for the next THREE weekends, and two of the tourneys are out of town. I So Don't Do Mysteries comes out in FIVE MONTHS (on Wednesday!), and I still haven't done anything about a proper website. Or a launch party. Or bookmarks. I still have touch-up painting to do. At least I managed to buy a cute little brush this evening. I have boatloads of bills to pay. I'm supposed to meet my exercise partner at the gym in THREE HOURS. There's no way. With so little sleep, I'll be even less coordinated than usual and would topple off the treadmill, necessitating a trip to the ER. Which I don't have time for. And I have a new book that I wanted to get started on. It won't get out of my head. And I keep forgetting about the two-hands-free thing. So, I'm breaking the law by answering my cell while driving. Poor Child #4; I'm driving (no pun intended) her nuts. Plus, I don't want the $97 ticket. Yes, I have a blue tooth (thank you, dh), but it hasn't left the kitchen counter.

And then there are those darling children who are home for the summer and want to have fun. And I don't want to blow it off because, well, I'll never get this summer back again.

See. No one could sleep with all that going on.

Wednesday on this blog: a interview between KELLY Couric and Teri Brown, 2k8 debut YA author of Read My Lips. There'll be a giveaway of an unsigned copy of the book.

Next Monday on this blog: I'm filling in for Travis Erwin who's taking off for fun times in Vegas. So, I'll be coordinating My Town Monday. Any of you interested in posting about your town (you can look at my My Town Monday posts and/or check out Travis' and/or the links to some really fun hometown posts), let me know you did so in the comments of NEXT Monday's post here, and I'll link to you.

Off to do Tooth Fairy duties. Child #4 lost a tooth at the fair. Then, I'll try a mug of warm milk. Wish me luck.

Monday, July 7, 2008

My Town Monday: Del Mar Fair

First off, thanks to everyone who participated in last Thursday's Summer Recipe Round-Up. The recipes look scrumptious!

My Town Monday is devoted today to the Del Mar Fair. Which I guess is really the San Diego County Fair, but because it's located at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, many call it the Del Mar Fair.

Tidbits about our fair:

The Fair runs for 21 days, ending the weekend of July 4th. The Fair was born in 1880. In the 1930s, racetrack betting was used to help fund the Fair. That tradition continues today. During WWII, the Fairgrounds were used to train and house military personnel. And parts for the B17 Flying Fortress Bomber were manufactured here. In 1958, Raquel Tejada, a local woman was crowned Fairest of the Fair. She later changed her name to....RAQUEL WELCH!

More Fair Trivia:

Over 1,154,868 people visited the Fair this year. I stood in line with many of them.

All 41 kids who were lost at the Fair were reunited with their families. I managed to keep track of all my kids, even the Ever-Wandering-Always-Goes-Missing Child #3. I am deeply grateful to Verizon.

Several pairs of prescription glasses remain unclaimed. Hmmm....It would obviously be wise to get a back-up pair of glasses before I go to Canada this summer. Who's to say my one pair won't topple off the CN Tower or jump overboard from the ferry to Centre Island or slip off my nose and get smashed to smithereens on the subway tracks?

Some pictures from our Fair visit last week:

Naturally, a trip to the Fair is not complete without a trip down Cholesterol Lane. Yes, we tried deep-fried twinkies. We now have a shelf-life of 25 years.



I have a child up at the top. Negligent parenting?



Slightly more responsible parenting.



A big fat honking slab of fudge. A very photographed guy.



Little Miss Piggy who, the day following our visit, went to market via the livestock auction. No doubt she's arriving soon to our grocery store's meat section.



The San Diego County Fair. Ahhh. A good time was had by all.

Info for this post came from: http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/07/06/news/coastal/del_mar/ze7abf476c44c9c6d8825747e0081f4a5.txt,http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/07/01/news/coastal/del_mar/zd9862d68375062d68825747a000d764a.txt,http://www.sdfair.com/fair/index.php?fuseaction=fair.home

Thank you Travis Erwin for organizing My Town Monday. Please check out Travis's site for a post on some interesting Texas Panhandle flora and fauna trivia AND for the link to the other My Town Mondayers.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Summer Recipe Round-Up





And, finally, it's here!

Today we're sharing recipes for side dishes, salads and desserts. With these tried-and-true recipes, we'll be extremely popular and get invited to all sorts of picnics this summer. And if we don't want to go, we'll stay home and be very well fed.

My recipe is great for kids. It's been a HUGE hit at bar-b-cues and kids' birthday parties. Here goes!

ICE CREAM IN A BAG

1 gallon ziploc bag 
1 quart ziploc bag (heavy duty)
4 cups ice (1 liter ice)
1/4 cup salt (60 mL salt)
1 cup whole milk or 1/2 and 1/2 cream (250 mL milk or 1/2 and 1/2)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 mL vanilla extract)
2 Tablespoons sugar (30 mL sugar)
cups and spoons

1. Pour milk, vanilla extract and sugar into the small ziploc bag. Squeeze as much air out as possible and seal the bag carefully.

2. Place the small ziploc bag down into the large bag. Cover with ice and salt. Seal the large bag tightly.

3. Shake, toss, flip this ziploc "ice cream machine" for 5 to 10 minutes. 

4. Open both bags and spoon the ice cream into small cups. Enjoy!

Variations: 
1. Substitute other extract flavors for the vanilla.
2. Omit the vanilla and half the sugar. Add strawberry or chocolate syrup to the milk mixture.
3. Use chocolate milk.
4. Garnish with sprinkles, gummi candy, M&Ms.

(I've played around with it, but the recipe is originally from: http://home.att.net/~candlers/resources.htm)

Okay, bloggy friends, let me know (via the comment section or an email to barrie.summy@gmail.com) when your recipe post is up.

Please, please please check out the delicious recipes found at the links below:



























Ack! I can't believe I forgot to remind you guys to visit the Class of 2k8's blog this week. It's N.A. Nelson's launch for her middle-grade Bringing the Boy Home. N.A. Nelson is responsible for me being in the Class of 2k8. She found me wandering around, lost and lonely, on myspace and invited me to the class. Thanks!!