Fruity!

I'm pleased to report that we have achieved that most enviable of states for a small ranch: Year-round fruit from our own garden. Right now, we have Fuyu persimmons ripening, as the pears go from ripe to overripe and are recycled into our compost. I still have a handful of raspberries every morning for breakfast, and there are a few winter apples left.

My lavender is ready to harvest, though I missed my chance for rose hip tea, as the first frost took care of that as well as the tomatoes and basil. A few strawberries are hiding in the weeds.

And the cycle continues, with persimmons into spring, and blueberries in May. Something to look forward to.

Here's wishing you a healthy and lovely Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

ML

Winter Winds

You know what they are—those winds that cut to the bone, right through your clothes. Cold feet, cold hands. Time to head for milder climes. It was 28º last night, which may not seem like much to you Easterners, but those of us who live in NoCal (Northern California), forget what winter feels like and are astonished every year when it comes.

Tomatoes are truly dead now, but I still have fresh raspberries from the garden every morning, so it's not too bad here!

I'll be incommunicado until next Monday, so will post again next week.

Ciao!

Mary Lynn

Post-Thanksgiving Blues

Well, it was a quiet Thanksgiving. Our children were elsewhere and we two just made a couple of yummy recipes out of the November Gourmet (the Turkey Roulade and the Brussels Sprouts with Wild Mushrooms and Fried Shallots). It was yummy! Still is.

Now, my sweetie has me out fertilizing the roses (we have about 100) before the rain which is promised tomorrow. It better happen, is all I have to say! But I think about the thousands of lovely blooms we will have in May, and I am cheered.

Hope your holiday was wonderful.

—ML

Rain and Publicity

I can't get enough of Joan Stewart—She's a genius!

Anyway, she's helped me so much with my marketing. She's been at it a lot longer than me, and it sure shows...

Tomorrow is the Big Launch! My press release goes out all over the country. Scarey! But I'm ready. I just hope the world is ready for me!

My book sales go okay, but I really need them to climb, to pay off my book expenses. If you've ever published a book, you know what I'm talkin' about. Whoee. But it's fun.

Rainy and gray in Northern California. I hate it, but it's great writing weather.

Later.

ML

Here Comes the Sun!

Today finds me, little freelance writing beaver that I am, writing about alternative energy systems for one magazine, and tiny hamlets in Sonoma County California for another.

It's a good thing it's not difficult for me to switch gears, even on a burnout Saturday, but I can't complain. I get paid for the articles, the sun is shining, (appropriate don't you think?) and soon I plan to be out in it, pulling weeds to my heart's content. To add to the thrill, my house is finally clean and my desk is nearly organized.

I find when my weeds are pulled, my book is published, and my house is clean, I'm happy little freelancer.

How about you?

—ML

More Tomatoes, Plus a Rumination on Blogs

We still have tomatoes, even outside. I hear it's getting more difficult to find them for sale, according to our local paper, the Press Democrat, which I write for from time to time (usually quarterly, and lately in the weekend Simply Real Estate section, where lately my writings have been about local history—a little column called, "Hamlets."

But on to blogs. How do people find time to read them?

That is the question of the week.

Also, my erstwhile newsletter should be appearing on my website later this week, so keep the faith!

ML

Tomatoes

Folks are starting to wonder what to do when the fresh, garden-raised tomatoes are gone. Some have already had enough frost to kill their tomato vines.

We had a surplus this year, and I froze some for soups and stews as the weather cools. Rain tomorrow, or the next day. We need it. I already miss the extra sunlight, though.

The folks at Simple Living have some terrific gardening expertise. Check 'em out. And if you've got any tomatoes left, pick 'em now, before it's too late. There's always spaghetti sauce.

New Technology

Well, I finally bought what is now called a "thumb drive," but what is actually a SanDisk® Cruzer® Micro USB Flash Drive. Reminds me of Pampers™, but will, I hope, serve me better than those!

Now I can put both of my books (Briarhopper: A History, available so far at my site www.winecountrywriter.com, booklocker.com, and barnesandnoble.com) and Accidental Cowgirl: Six Cows, No Horse and No Clue, on this handy 1 GB storage device that I can carry on my key ring! Quelle miracle!

I'll let you know how it works.

Meanwhile, have you tried acupuncture for what ails you? I don't get migraines any more (though I've suffered from them since I was fifteen—right after the earth's crust cooled).

That's got to be a miracle: one in which I participate once a month, for the balance that's in it (I am a Libra, after all!)

If you've had a similar experience, please let me know.

ML

Thoughts on Aging

I happened to be thinking about aging the other day, as it was my birthday.

Also, I'm about to have another publicity picture taken, to promote my new book, Briarhopper. I worry about this, as I have noticed recently that I don't take good pictures anymore.

I try to be philosophical, but even my dog looks at me with pity.

Will nanotechnology rescue me from the knife?

Will it rescue you? If you're a good deal younger than me, it's possible.

ML

Another Reflection on Aging Gracefully

On the other hand, even though nobody asks me for my ID anymore, I sat next to a woman recently whom I thought to be nearly 10 years my senior, and she said she was the same age. I was shocked.

Guess I should just be happy with good genes (and maybe good jeans, as well).

ML

The Book!

I almost forgot! My memoir, Briarhopper, is finally at Booklocker.com, for viewing and/or buying. Check it out, at: Booklocker.com or BarnesandNoble.com.

She's Baaack!

Well, NYC was a mixed bag. Weather was great, Ground Zero was profoundly depressing and difficult to comprehend, train trip was a blend of equal parts gorgeous scenery, lateness and mediocre food.

The dog was mildly glad to see us, but since she had been allowed into her host's bed in our absence (something we never allow), she was ready to go back to her house where the accommodations are better and the treats show up more frequently.

Back to the grind, and getting caught up!

ML

Greetings from Sunny New York

Big storm last night, but all is mostly sunny today.

Took the train to Newark from Martinez, CA. 3 1/2 days of terrible food and gorgeous scenery, but it was worth it. I love the train, and I've got the bruises to prove it!

Met a lot of nice people on our travels. We had a roomette. This is a compartment so small that you need to be well acquainted with your fellow traveler or it is terribly awkward, especially when you go to sleep.

More expensive than a plane, for sure, but feels safer. NY skyline looks naked without the Twin Towers. So unbearably horrific, what happened here 5 years ago, it strains the mind's credulity.

Change of subject: If you can, get your flu shots, and soon. People over 50 are especially vulnerable (not that I'm admitting to anything, you understand).

Back to CA on the 14th. Many heavy-duty family affairs between now and then. Wish me luck!

My first book, Briarhopper, has just been uploaded to Booklocker.com. Yay! It's a memoir, and a long time coming. Wish me luck on that one, too. Anyone want to review it? If you do, it's free!

Best,

Mary Lynn

Wine Words

According to Kevin McCallum of the Press Democrat, "Sonoma County's $2 billion wine industry is in a broad recovery from the lean years of 2001-2004..." This is good news and bad news.

We who live in wine country would like to see the wine industry grow more slowly and sustainably, but it sure helps the local economy. But that's a minor thought for today.

Today, my thoughts go out to the survivors of 9/11 and their fragmented families.

I've heard folks referring to 9/11 as a "tragedy." It was that and more. We must never forget that on that day in 2001, the U.S. was attacked. This made it not so much a tragedy, which it was, but an act of war on our own soil. Looked at that way, I think we need to stop being so politically correct (which the enemy, rightly, regards as weakness, and remember we are, and will be for generations to come, at war, with terrorists who have no regard for human life, least of all their own.

Plant your victory gardens and keep the faith.

Dieting Again...

Got to fit into my new jeans and the black cocktail dress. Problem is, I never diet. At least not lately. Does anybody out there know of a good one, besides of course, eating less and exercising more.

I did go back to the gym last week, but fretting over publication of Briarhopper (my first book), and finishing my second has me searching for chocolate and something stronger, which hasn't helped yet as far as the diet is concerned.

More later. Gotta go to a writer's group meeting on book marketing.

ML

The Wine Country Word

The Wine Country Word
Ahhh...holiday weekends. Sleeping late, doing a little gardening, thinking about what to plant for the winter garden.

Still enjoying the summer's bounty: Tomatoes, summer squash, watermelons, peppers (both hot and tame), strawberries, raspberries, cucumbers. A freezer full of blueberries. Fresh pear tart. Blueberry and rhubarb pie. Apples dropping. Figs getting ripe. Heaven!

Ongoing Struggle

Still trying to add a photo and a voice message. Shot half my day trying yesterday. I am a self-confessed HTML dummy.

I'll keep trying, but now I have to get back to my forthcoming book, Accidental Cowgirl: Six Cows, No Horse and No Clue. I'm in the editing stage now—sigh. But it has to be done.

I also must write my September 1st newsletter—it being September 2nd already.

Harvest has already begun in the wine country. I'm predicting an early winter.

More later.

Ciao,

Mary Lynn

New Month; New Resolution

Okay. I failed miserably at posting regularly in the past, but I've changed! Honest. (I'm even writing in my journal again).

First, thanks for the visit. Second, I'd also love it if you'd visit my brand new website. And third, I'm going to make another stab at posting a photo. I got so balled up last time I tried, I gave up. If any of you blogging vets out there can talk me through it, I'm open to help. Help!

When that works, my disposition is sure to improve. So will my husband's. Heck, even the dog will feel better, because as they say, "If mama ain't happy, ain't NOBODY happy!"

—ML