Ladybug Farm Charms

Surprise for Ladybug Farm Lovers!

2011-12-07T12:06:00.000-08:00

Buy Christmas on Ladybug Farm by clicking

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

It’s Christmas Eve, and Cici, Bridget and Lindsay are busy preparing for their annual holiday party. The tree is sparkling, the turkey is roasting, the wreaths are hung and the eggnog is chilled. The scene is set for the perfect Christmas... with one or two exceptions.

The entire state is in the midst of a heat wave. No one can find any mistletoe. The Christmas tree lights keep exploding, and, perhaps worst of all, something has gone terribly wrong with Ida Mae’s fruitcakes. It wouldn’t be Ladybug Farm if everything went according to plan, and as the ladies deal with one mishap after another, they remember Christmases past, laughter shared, and lessons learned.

But when nightfall descends upon Ladybug Farm and one of their own still has not come home, they begin to worry that this Christmas will be one to remember for all the wrong reasons. All they can do is cling to each other as they watch and wait ... and pray for miracle.

Christmas on Ladybug Farm is a short novella-- less than 200 pages-- with a bonus recipe section, that I wrote specifically as a Christmas thank-you to all my loyal readers who have begged for another Ladybug installment. I hope you'll find it as much fun to visit the ladies of Ladybug Farm again as I did!

Now available in print and e-book editions!

New Suspense Thriller

2011-07-11T14:08:00.000-07:00

Have you ever done anything you're ashamed of?

Well, hasn't everyone? But if you're a celebrity talk show host with an uncertain past there are some things you would prefer to keep private. Because when secrets fall into the hands of a stalker, shame can quickly turn to terror.

Exposure one of my favorite books (yes, writers have favorites too!) because it has all the elements I actually like to read: psychological suspense, deep characterization, a tad of crime procedure-- but not too much-- and a hint of romance. The twist at the end had even me guessing-- and I wrote it!

From the back cover:

For Jessamine Cray it all started with a a piece of slightly weird fan mail, a single typed sheet that read: Have you ever done anything you're ashamed of? No one takes it as a threat until the second communication comes, and then the third… a blood-stained prom dress, a disfigured photograph from a high school year book, copies of private papers to which no one but Jess should have had access. Every celebrity’s worst nightmare has come true for Jessamine Cray: she is being stalked, and shame is her terrorist’s secret weapon.

For me, the most fascinating part of developing this book was exploring how that one question-- Have you ever done anything you're ashamed of?-- changed each character who had to answer it. Jess learns things she never wanted to know about her friends, her colleagues, her lovers, and even herself.  The way each character answered that question became so integral to the plot that now I don't consider a character sketch complete until I have answered the question, What is this character ashamed of?

I hope you enjoy Exposure, which is now available for 4.99 for your Kindle and other e-readers, and in trade paperback for those die-hard paper lovers.   And if you would like to write a review for Amazon.com on this title, all you have to do is contact me (DonnaABall@aol.com) for a FREE digital copy. I do ask that you post your review before the end of July, however, so better hurry-- this baby is 90,000 words long!

New Raine Stockton Dog Mystery

2011-05-16T17:54:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to announce the release of BONE YARD, the first Raine Stockton Dog Mystery since 2007-- and the only book I've ever written for no other reason than the fact that readers requested it! FULL DISCLOSURE: Bone Yard  is a novella, approximately half the size of a regular Raine Stockton Dog Mystery, and it is available only in digital format. You can buy it from Amazon.com for your Kindle, or read it on any e-reader with the Kindle app (or wait a couple of weeks and it will be available for IPad, Kobo, Nook, etc.), or on your computer. But the only way you can read it in print is to load up your printer with paper and push the print button. This is why it only costs $1.99!

This is breakthrough for me. I have not written a book that was not commissioned by a publisher since 1982.  What an oddly thrilling and terrifying experience it was to take my story directly to the readers, and to do it for no other reason than because they asked for it. But because they continued to ask for it, I had the incredibly satisfying experience of going back to a world I love-- the world of Raine and Cisco, the populace of Hanover County, N.C., dog training, search and rescue, therapy dogs, agility trials-- a world which, except for the arbitrary decision of one publisher 800 miles and an entire planet away from the land of Raine and Cisco, I would never have left. So thank you everyone for begging me to continue. Power to the People!

And this gives me the perfect opportunity to answer two of my most frequently asked questions: 1) Why did you stop writing the Raine Stockton books/ The Ladybug books/ the Devoncroix books? 2) Why aren't your new books available in print/ why can I only read them if I have an e-reader?

Everyone, please: I didn't stop writing; the publisher stopped publishing. I loved Raine and Cisco as much as you did, but the publisher was not making enough money to justify continuing to publish the books. The same is true of other series you've loved and can no longer find.  Fortunately, e-publishing has created a cost-efficient way for authors to continue to get books into the hands of readers who want them.  Whenever possible, I will try to create print versions of these books, but be prepared to pay print prices for them. In the case of novellas such as BONEYARD, however, the physical properties of a print book make it impractical to bind, so it is only available digitally. Of course, you can always download a free Kindle app for your computer, and you don't have to miss any installments in your favorite series.

And now to the good part:

BONEYARD takes place a month after GUN SHY ends. Cisco digs up human bones in Raine's back yard and all sort of mayhem ensues. Could this be the work of a serial killer, evidence of a long-unsolved mass murder, or something even more sinister... and closer to home?   Raine juggles her chaotic personal life, a persistently disappearing collie, and the ever-whimsical ways of her canine crew in order to find the truth. I have been so encouraged by reader response to BONEYARD that I am planning a full length sequel later this year. Look for SILENT NIGHT, in print and digital format, for Christmas.

Thank you to all my readers for cheering me on-- through tornadoes, power outages, and internet blackouts--to get this book finished. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Mother's Day Special on Autographed Books

2011-04-22T08:07:00.000-07:00

From now until Mother's Day I'm offering all of the Ladybug Farm books, plus Keys to the Castle, autographed to your mom--or any other special lady in your life---for only $10.00 each. This includes Recipes from Ladybug Farm. You can find an order form by clicking the "Order Books" form at http://www.donnaball.net./

Mother's Day is May 8!

New Book-- Free!

2011-04-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

Sanctuary

SANCTUARY is available for your Kindle, Nook or IPad!

I am so excited to announce the release of SANCTUARY, a supernatural suspense/horror novel and one of my favorite books of all time. And the best part is, if you are willing to leave a product review for Amazon.com, you can have this e-book free! Just follow this link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/50923

Scroll down to choose the format in which you would like to download the book, and when you get to check out enter this coupon code:AH67M. All I ask is that you post a review on Goodreads and/or Amazon.com's product page before the end of the month.

Warning: Bad things happen in this book. This suspense is intense. If you plan to sleep after starting this book-- wait! The chances are you'll wish you had waited to start reading until you had more time. But if you like good old fashioned scary stories with a strong moral imperative, not too much gore or graphic sex, and characters who could be your next door neighbors... I think you'll like this one. Here's the cover blurb:

Fleeing the violence and crime of life in the city, architect Laura Kane and her five year old daughter Christy move to an exclusive planned community deep in the untouched wilderness of the Smoky Mountains. Legend has it that their home is built on holy ground. Other legends tell of hideous beasts that roam the mountainside, Yeti-like creatures so terrifying that no one has ever dared disturb their sanctuary… until now.

First there are random acts of vandalism, then small pets begin to disappear, and then men go into the woods and don’t come back. When Christy’s nightmares begin to suggest that she can actually communicate with the creatures who are wreaking such havoc on their small and vulnerable community, Laura is terrified. Because Christy’s dreams tell her that the monsters are coming for her next.

And she is right.

In the terrifying tradition of the best of Dean Koontz, Sanctuary is a suspense-filled tale of love, courage and redemption that will take you in its grip from the first page and leave you breathless by the last. Because sometimes the real monsters are the ones you can’t escape, no matter how far you run...

I hope you enjoy Sanctuary!

A Brief Commerical Announcement

2011-03-21T16:48:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that there are less than ten days left in the great 99- cents e-book sale, so now is the time to start downloading if you are looking for something fun to read. And that price includes my new suspense/thriller NIGHT FLIGHT (which I don't think anyone would call "fun", but it is a wild ride-- and a great price!).

Other 99-cents titles are:

The 99 cent sale ends March 30, but, as always, anyone who would like to review my e-books can contact me for a complementary copy.

Happy Reading!

New Suspense/Thriller

2011-03-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

An exclusive e-book limited-time promotion for 99 cents!

Cathy Hamilton was just a small town schoolteacher who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now her head is full of information that could get her killed, and she is forced to flee through the night across unfamiliar territory in a car that’s almost out of gas with no weapon, no money and no phone. A government agent has tried to kill her , the FBI has set a trap for her, and her only hope for survival is a man she doesn’t dare trust: a cop who’s willing to risk his badge—and his life—to save her.

You'll never look at a deserted telephone booth the same way again!

Praise for the Work of Donna Ball:

“A maelstrom of suspense… gripping, intense”

--Rendezvous

“[Ball] knows how to keep a story moving”

--Kirkus Reviews

“A Major talent of the genre”

--Publisher’s Weekly

“A must read”

--Examiner.com

E Book Giveaway

2011-03-09T12:17:00.000-08:00

There are a few days left in Read an E-Book Week, so if you got a new e-reader for Christmas this is a great chance to stock up! I am offering these e-books FREE on all platforms until March 12. All I ask is that, when you've read them, please go to Amazon.com and let people know what you think with a review.

The easiest way to purchase these books is to go to http://www.smashwords.com/, and use coupon code RE100. Enjoy!

Love is in the Air

2011-02-07T13:22:00.000-08:00

February means chocolates, hearts, flowers and...love stories! I have just undertaken an exciting new project in which I plan to bring back into print some of my favorite romance novels, updated, modernized, and rewritten for today's reader. The first book, A Man Around the House, is in print now! When I wrote this book in the early nineties I was busy trying to have it all, and my ultimate fantasy was a man who did the dishes. The more I talked about the concept, the more I realized that I wasn't the only woman whose idea of romance was a guy who made the beds, did the laundry, fixed the roof, shopped for groceries and took the cat to the vet... thus was born House Husbands, Inc. and one dreamboat of a hero, Michael Drake. I think today's woman will find him every bit as appealing as we did back then-- maybe even more so!

To celebrate the release of A Man Around the House, I'm offering a special Valentine's Day deal through the month of February for anyone who orders autographed copies of both A Man Around the House and Keys to the Castle through my website: buy both for $16.00 (plus s&h). And be sure to let me know how you like A Man Around the House!

"Love Letters from Ladybug Farm" review

2011-01-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a great review for "Love Letters from Ladybug Farm" from Coffee Time Romance and more:

http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/lovelettersfromladybugfarmbydonnaball.html

Happy Launch Day to Me!

2011-01-04T08:02:00.000-08:00

Keys to the Castle is available from Berkely Books January 4 at bookstores everywhere.

Forty-something workaholic Sara Graves thought her chance for an outrageous life was over... until she met and married a charming Frenchman who left her widowed three weeks later. Suddenly she is the heiress to an estate she can't afford to keep and uncovering secrets she never wanted to know. Does she have the courage to leave her home, her country, and everything she's ever known for a second chance at family... and love?

Keys to the Castle is my first non-Ladybug book in three years, and I loved every minute of writing it . Here's a brief interview telling why:

Q. Why did you want to write Keys to the Castle?

A. Keys to the Castle was actually inspired by an article I read about the owners of historic European castles. It all sounds so opulent and romantic, but the reality is that these grand old estates are just as much of a burden to their owners as my falling-down barn is to me-- in spades! So what would you do if you suddenly found yourself with the keys to a castle?

Q. But in Sara's case, she's only part owner of the castle.

A. Of course, I had to add a romantic complication! The reason why she is only part owner is the second piece of inspiration for this book. I've always been intrigued by the question "What happens after happily ever after?" Sara thought she had found Prince Charming. But what if he turned out to be more charming than prince-like?

Q. Though this book still centers around the themes of home and family that you've established in the Ladybug series, it has much more of a romantic flavor than the Ladybug Farm books. Why did you decide to deviate from the Ladybug books?

A. I write about relationships. The Ladybug Farm books are about the relationship between three women friends who build a very unusual family. Keys to the Castle is about a man-woman relationship, but it also centers on building a family in a very unusual way.

Q. But you got your start in romance, didn't you?

A. I did! I've written over 50 romance novels in my career under the names Rebecca Flanders, Donna Carlisle, and Leigh Bristol. Ten of my favorites are available now as e-books on Amazon.com, and one of them, A Man Around the House, will be available in print January 20. Check www.donnaball.net for details.

Q. Does this mean there will be no more Ladybug Farm Books?

A. The Ladybug Farm saga definitely is not over! However, it is up to my publisher, not to me, as to when or if the story will continue. The publisher makes this decision based solely on how many Ladybug Farm books are sold as new in bookstores. Readers who are on my mailing list will be notified when a new book is scheduled, or you can check my web site at www.donnaball.net.

Perfect Christmas

2010-12-25T13:13:00.000-08:00

The turkey is in the oven, stuffing is made, carolers are carolling, the wine is open,a fire is crackling in the fireplace...and all the guests I invited to share this Christmas with me are snowbound in their homes! It reminds of the ending scene from A YEAR ION LADYBUG FARM-- art imitates life. Snow in the mountains in not an unusual occurence, but this much snow this early in the season is definitely out of the ordinary. So when we awoke this morning to Christmas snowfall in Northeast Georgia-- four inches so far!-- all I could think was.... perfect.

For the first time in fifteen years I get to spend Christmas sitting by the fire, reading a book, watching the snow fall, counting my blessings. Everyone I love is safe is healthy. I am warm and secure. I've got firewood in the shed, cookies in the cookie jar , and that turkey smells fabulous. This could well turn out to be the best Christmas ever.

Here's hoping your Christmas is just as perfect!

Congratulations to Winners!

2010-12-10T08:56:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the five winners in my contest for a free preview copy of KEYS TO THE CASTLE, available to the public in January. They are:

Peggy Harkness
Jane Schoenherr
Cynthia Quinn
Lynn Deardorff
Virginia Snuggs

Your autographed books are in the mail. I hope you enjoy KEYS TO THE CASTLE!

Two Ways to Win

2010-11-20T09:16:00.000-08:00

Berkley Books, Goodreads.com, and I are giving away a total of 10 advance-release copies of KEYS TO THE CASTLE, a fairy-tale love story for anyone who has given up on second chances. KEYS TO THE CASTLE will not be available to the general public until January 4, but you can have your copy in December by entering to win in one of two ways:

1)Random drawing at http://www.goodreads.com/. This is a great place to find out about all kinds of of books.

2)If you're still looking for the perfect Christmas gift, maybe this will make your choice easier: The five people who order the most autographed books from me before December 10 will each win a free ,preview autographed copy of Keys to the Castle. To give you even more choice, I have added a limited number of copies of The Raine Stockton Dog Mysteries to the order form for the mystery lover and/or dog lover on your list. Don't worry-- everyone who has ordered an autographed book this year has already been entered, so if you ordered multiple copies of Recipes from Ladybug Farm or Love Letters From Ladybug Farm, your chances are good. But remember, the more copies you order, the higher your chances of winning-- and the easier your holiday shopping will be! Just make sure I receive your order by Dec. 10, and watch for the announcement of winners here.

Good luck to everyone!

Now on Kindle

2010-11-16T07:43:00.000-08:00

Recipes from Ladybug Farm is now available as an e-book for the limited-time price of 3.99. This is a great, low-cost way to add this souvenir edition to your Ladybug Farm collection. Download a free sample and see what you think!

And don't forget there is still time to order autographed copies as Christmas gifts. Just make sure I receive your order before Dec. 10.

Check it out

2010-11-10T17:44:00.000-08:00

For those of you I missed on my whirlwind tour of the South :) to promote LOVE LETTERS FROM LADYBUG FARM, here is a video of the Book Your Lunch event in Greenville, SC:

Book Your Lunch Video

Kathy Roberts of The Bermuda Onion blog is even hosting a contest for a signed copy of A YEAR ON LADYBUG FARM, and anyone can enter. Thanks, Kathy!

Ladybug Lovers Unite!

2010-11-07T15:22:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again here in the mountains--the ladybugs are swarming! In honor of the occasion, a friend of mine got a ladybug pedicure. Isn't that wild?

Since I wrote A YEAR ON LADYBUG FARM readers have sent me pictures of all kinds of ladybug memoribilia-- watches, nose rings, fine china, dog and cat collars, birdbaths, just to name a few. What's the most unusual ladybug collectible you've seen?

2010-10-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

I love to talke about books!

Thanks to everyone at Fiction Addiction in Greenville South Carolina for an absolutely fabulous luncheon event on Oct 21. We were treated like royalty from beginning to end, and the gourmet lunch at the Lazy Goat was exquisite. I loved meeting all the readers who took the trouble to come out, and wish you all many happy reading days with the Ladybug Farm books!

Signing books and listening to stories in Greenville

Fiction Addiction hosts these Book Your Lunch events regularly throughout the year, and they have an exciting list of upcoming guest authors. I highly recommend checking it out if you're in the area!

Special Release Day Offer

2010-10-05T06:33:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the release of LOVE LETTERS FROM LADYBUG FARM-- and to help you get that early Christmas shopping done!-- today only, the first five people who order four or more autographed copies of either RECIPES FROM LADYBUG FARM or LOVE LETTERS FROM LADYBUG FARM (or mix and match!) directly from me will get a complete autographed set of the Ladybug novels (A YEAR ON LADYBUG FARM, AT HOME ON LADYBUG FARM and LOVE LETTERS FROM LADYBUG FARM) free! (regular shipping rates apply) You must e-mail me at DonnaABall@aol.com for a special order form.

Remember, I only have five free sets of the books, so hurry!

Welcome Back!

2010-09-22T08:03:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the newly redesigned Ladybug Farm blog. We've been dark most of the year as I worked on new treats for readers, but now I'm counting down to the October 5 release of Book Three in the Ladybug Farm series, Love Letters from Ladybug Farm .

A year has passed since we saw the ladies last, and there have been a few changes around the house.   For one thing, Ladybug Farm is famous!-- and the old house is being featured in a regional style magazine, which leads to all sorts of interesting developments. For another, Bridget has taken Lori's advice from  At Home on Ladybug Farm and has started a blog called-- you guessed it-- Ladybug Farm Charms.

Bridget's blog revolves around what she does best, cooking, so be prepared to get hungry as you read.  In fact, her fictional recipes inspired me to put together a real  collection of the most requested recipes from the Ladybug books, Recipes from Ladybug Farm. Over the next few months I''ll be featuring recipes from the book on this blog, and if you have tried one of the recipes and like it, let me know here (please don't tell me about the ones you hate!). I know there are some great cooks who read this blog, and if you have made improvements to Bridget's recipes, I'd love to know that too!

Announcements

2010-02-07T09:41:00.000-08:00

I know this blog has been silent for awhile, and this is why. I have just finished writing Book Three in the Ladybug Farm Series, which will be out in October. And may I say-- what a gorgeous cover! Once again the folks in the Art Department at Berkley Books have outdone themselves for the sake of Ladybug Farm.

So that's Announcement Number One. Announcement Number Two is that I will be closing this blog for at least the time being (although I will leave current posts up through the summer). As Bridget discovers in LOVE LETTERS FROM LADYBUG FARM, keeping up with a blog is time consuming and often takes your attention away from other things (in my case, writing books!). Also, I have discovered that my readers prefer to stay in touch with me through e-mail , which is easy enough to do if you click "contact us" on my web site. I always answer e-mails from Ladybug Farm readers! I will continue to send out my quarterly newsletter via e-mail, and of course if you have ever e-mailed me about Ladybug Farm, you remain on my list for e-mail notification about upcoming books, personal appearances etc.

If you don't already receive my newsletter and you would like to do so, you can sign up here. Just put "newsletter" in the comment box, and remember that you will have to set your e-mail service to allow group mailings, and to receive e-mail from me.

If you'd like to keep up with what's going on in my (very limited) view of the world of books and writers, check in with me at A Writer Reads, my other occasional blog.

Meantime, be sure to visit my web site often for updates on what I'm working on now and excerpts from upcoming books . And keep in touch!

And the Winner is....

2009-11-01T07:27:00.000-08:00

All of your blog comments since October 6 were printed out, folded and placed in a box. The completely random drawing produced the name

LTK

Congratulations! Please e-mail me your mailing address by clicking on contact us on my web site .

Thanks to all of you who followed the making of this journal and who were so faithful about posting comments. It was so much fun I just might do it again!

Meantime, however, I have another Ladybug book to write. I'll keep you updated on its progress, and I hope you'll continue to stay in touch.

Making a Book: Ta-Dah!

2009-10-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

Here it is: the finished product!

The pages of our ladybug journal are sewn with waxed linen thread in a chain stitch that's visible on the spine. You can cover the spine with paper, book cloth or leather, but with coptic stitching, most people leave the spine visible, as I have chosen to do. The journal is closed with a sliding ladybug bead on a ribbon. The next step is to add all the decorative touches. Do you think we have enough ladybugs? :)

To open the journal, you simply slide the bead to the end of the ribbon and flip the ribbon over the top and around the spine like this.

Your ladybug journal has deckle-edged pages which are torn by hand for an uneven look. In fact, much of the charm of home-made books is that they are uneven in many ways! The outside of the signature page is decorated with the leaf and ladybugs that show through the window on the front cover.
The last step is to sign my work! Good luck to everyone who entered the drawing to win this journal. I've really enjoyed working on it, and it's been so much fun hearing from you this past month. Remember every time you post a comment, it counts as another entry. The drawing will be held at 3:00 p.m. on October 31, so you still have a few days to get your comments in. The winner will be announced on this blog on Sunday November 1. See you then!

Making a Book Step 4

2009-10-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

Our ladybug journal consists of eight sections, or folios, of stacked folded paper. These decorative end covers make the book stronger when it's sewn, and also look pretty when the book is put together.
Now that I have designed the covers and the pages of the book, it's time to punch the holes for sewing. First I measure and mark the sewing stations on both covers and each of the folios (ARGH. Measuring again!), then I use a medium-bore punch for the covers, and a specially designed cradle and a paper awl for the folios.
Making a book is a lot like writing a book: there's an awful lot of planning and prep work to be done before you get to the "good part", but if you skimp on these steps, the whole thing falls apart at the end.

Next step: sewing!

For details on the drawing for this journal that's coming on Nov. 1, see this post.

Making a Book Step 3

2009-10-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

I'm still working on the covers of our give-away ladybug journal. These are the inside of the front (L) and back (R) covers. After much debate, I decided to go with a cut-out on the front cover just like the one on my original journal. This requires a lot of careful cutting and measuring, and then a lot of inventive decoration to cover up the mistakes!

What an absorbing way to spend a cold rainy day.

Remember, the drawing for the completed journal will be held Nov. 1, and all you have to do to enter the contest is post a comment by clicking "comment" below. Be sure to choose "name/url" on the "Choose Your Identity" option so I will know who you are. Every post you make counts as an entry. The winner will be announced on this blog November 1.

Making a Book, Step 2

2009-10-09T15:07:00.000-07:00

I think I'm going to start with the red color scheme for the ladybug journal. I've decided I want it to be 6x9 inches, which is a good size for journaling, so the first thing I have to do is cut the covers from book board (sometimes called chip board) or mat board. I have used plain old cardboard in the past, but it isn't as sturdy (though a lot easier to cut!). I had to cut these twice, because the first time they were 1/4 of an inch off. Arrgh. I hate measuring.
Once the covers are cut, I covered them with the papers I've chosen, and added a light coat of craft polyurethane, just to protect the covers from damage while I'm working on them (and beyond). The front and back covers of home-made books are often different patterns, which is one thing that makes them unique. Once the polyurethane is dry, I'll press the covers beneath something heavy over night. A book press would be great, but my giant, 2-volume Oxford dictionary works just as well.

The ladybug won't actually be attached until the last step, but I wanted to see how it would look!

Making a Book, Step 1

2009-10-07T16:24:00.000-07:00

You all are so kind with your compliments on my ladybug journal. Believe me, these little books are far from professionally done (my teacher is known for saying to the class, "You could do it the right way, or you could do it Donna's way":-)), but they are so much fun to make. My favorite part is choosing the color palette. I will use several coordinating papers to form different parts of the book-- the front and back covers, the end papers and/or inside cover, and the folio covers. The trim and embellishments, ribbons and closures, are like jewelry for the book and should complement the total look. I really like this subtle dusky rose palette, which reminds me of something Bridget might have on her night table. The ladybugs are a very tiny, tone-on-tone part of the pattern.
But the red is really fun, too, and seems a lot more "ladybug"-y. What do you think?

Remember, all you have to do to enter the drawing for the finished journal is post a comment on this blog, or a review of At Home on Ladybug Farm on Amazon. com (be sure to let me know you've done it so I can enter your name in the drawing!) Every time you post a comment, either here or on A Writer Reads, your name will be entered. The winner will be announced on this blog November 1 so stay tuned!

Ladybug, Ladybug

2009-10-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the release of AT HOME ON LADYBUG FARM(which hits the shelves tomorrow, October 6), I'm giving away a one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted, ladybug-themed journal like the one pictured at right. You'll be able to watch the book come together over the next several weeks on this blog, and it will be signed by the artist... me!

Book crafting is an ancient art that is just beginning to come back into vogue among artists and hobbyists. It can produce anything from the truly exquisite, museum-quality leather-bound volumes, to playful journals like the one pictured here. This example uses book board and artist papers, and has a whimsical cut-out in the cover that serves no useful purpose whatsoever except to make me smile.
I use this one for making notes on Love Letters from Ladybug Farm, book three in the Ladybug Farm series, which will be out this time next year.

Your hand-made book will use book board, coptic stitching, stationary and artist-quality papers, and lots of whimsy. You can follow the progress of this book over the next several weeks on this blog. Maybe you'd even like to give me an idea or two!

Everyone who posts a comment on this blog between October 6 and October 31 will be entered in a drawing for the journal, which will be held on November first (it should go without saying that any offensive or inappropriate posts will be deleted from both the blog and the contest, because everyone who reads this blog is a nice person, right?) . If you're not familiar with the process, it's fairly simple to leave a comment on this blog: just click on "comments" at the end of this or any other post , write your comment, and then scroll down to "choose an identity". Click on "name" and enter your first name or a screen name so that I will know who to enter in the contest. Every time you post a comment you will be entered for the drawing, so post as often as you like.

And of course, I can't wait to hear what you think of the ladies' latest adventures in At Home on Ladybug Farm!

Just What I Needed

2009-09-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

When I started this blog the one thing I was determined not to do was to write cute stories about kittens-- particularly since I am a dog person.

So we are going to call this a story about mice.

And dogs.

When you live in a hundred year old barn, the one thing that quickly becomes a fact of life is the mouse situation. No matter how determinedly you renovate, no matter how many holes you patch, no matter how modernized you become (hey, I have satellite t.v.! And a Roomba!) no barn is complete without its share of resident mice. Maybe the mice of centuries past have left their ghostly imprint on the place, staking their claim for future generations. Maybe there is some kind of mouse underground railroad upon which the word quickly spreads: Hey, did you hear about that barn on the other side of the mountain? Cabinets full of cookies in paper wrappers and no one lives there but dogs! Now, I'm not one of those women who jumps on a chair when she sees a mouse but come on; enough is enough. And when the mice start holding their nightly poker games at 2:00 a.m. in the attic above your head (whoever said "quiet as a mouse" clearly did not know what he was talking about) a rational person does start thinking about Taking Measures.

So the thought of a resident cat has crossed my mind from time to time, usually about this time of year when the mice start throwing their final block parties before finding a place to bed down (hopefully outside my house) for the winter. It has never gone beyond the daydreaming stage, though, until this morning. As my Collie, Kodi, and I were finishing up our morning walk we heard a demanding, insistent, and really rather desperate yowl coming from the woods. When we stopped, a tiny gray striped kitten climbed down from a tree and scampered over to us. He introduced himself to Kodi, who was quite gracious if I do say so, and fell into step beside us, mewing all the way. You know the rest.

I read somewhere that, unlike dogs and most other land mammals, cats do not use their vocalizations to communicate with each other, and that they developed the meow solely to communicate with humans. When I think of that kitten, watching from the tree until a human happened by and then starting to cry as though his heart would break, that seems entirely plausible to me. I often suspect that when it comes to domestic animals, we're the ones who are domesticated and they're the ones the who really know the score. After all, you don't see the stray kitten rushing into town to buy me wild salmon in a delicate cream sauce, do you?

What you see is a stray kitten snuggled up in a flannel-lined basket sound asleep after having consumed a bowl of milk, a cup of kitty crunchies and the afore-mentioned wild salmon. Of course this is a temporary arrangement. After all, there are the dogs to contend with. And lots of people who would love to have a kitten, I'm sure. Maybe I'll put an ad in the paper.

On the other hand, I did hear the mice have canceled their poker game for tonight...

Power Blogging

2009-09-14T16:30:00.000-07:00

I finally got to see Julie and Julia this weekend. I'm still craving fresh baguettes and brie. My friend went home and made bouef bourginon for her husband, who liked it just fine except for the wine sauce :(

I have been looking particularly forward to this movie because it was the Julie/Julia Project that actually inspired this blog many years ago. Yes! The difference being, of course, that Julie had a blog she wanted to make into a book and I had a book I wanted to make into a blog. Well, and the fact that Julie earned millions from her blog/book.

And got a movie deal.

Nora Ephron, where are you?

BTW, loved the movie.

Apple Season

2009-08-29T11:11:00.000-07:00

Fall has come to Ladybug Farm. Yes, I know the calendar reads AUGUST but here in the mountains the signs are unmistakable. Overnight we've gone from shorts and tank tops to jeans and socks, the morning fogs lie low in the valleys and shroud the mountaintops like tattered blankets, the dogwoods and the sassafras are turning red and my deck is covered with hickory nuts. The black walnut trees are dropping yellow leaves, the tomato vines are shriveled and brown. And the apples are coming in.

In my yard there is a 100 year old native apple tree that produces a small, speckled, tart fruit so completely unlike the ones pictured here as to be almost unrecognizable. Picked straight from the tree they are, well, fairly inedible (although my Golden Retriever loves them!). However, generations of mountain folks have dried these apples, pickled them, baked them, canned them, made them into jellies, compotes and pies that lasted throughout the winter. These apples were meant to be cooked, and since my tree is now bent to the ground with an abundance of fruit, I've been searching for new recipes. Here's a great one from Jennifer for Sour Cream Apple Cardamom Quick Bread.

And here's variation I came up with that's almost as good:

Apple Cheddar Bread

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups grated apples

1 to 1 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Cream butter, oil and sugars. Add vanilla, eggs, sour cream. Sift together dry ingreients and add gradually. Stir in apples, walnuts, and cheddar. Pour into 2 standard buttered and floured loaf pans or 4 small ones. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hours, or until wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

And if you have any apple recipes out there, send them on!

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

Glitter takes the day off. You can do that when someone else puts food in your bowl. I had to work:)

Strawberry Season

2009-05-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

Here in the mountains we know spring is here when the strawberries appear at our local produce market. Word spreads like wildfire: "The strawberries are in!" "The strawberries are in!" and, as readers of A YEAR ON LADYBUG FARM know, there is absolutely nothing like the taste of a fresh, local, sun-ripened strawberry. Here is Bridget's recipe for strawberry pie. Enjoy!

Bridget's Strawberry Pie

Slice 1 QUART STRAWBERRIES and cover with SUGAR (About 1/2 CUP)
CRUSH SLIGHTLY (leaving some of the slices whole) to release juice
Stir in ONE TABLESPOON CORNSTARCH, SIFTED

Let the mixture sit on the countertop for about half an hour. Meanwhile, use your favorite recipe for a DOUBLE PIE CRUST (top and bottom). My favorite recipe comes from the freezer section of the supermarket.

Line a 9 inch pie pan with the bottom pie crust, pricking with a fork to ventilate. Stir the strawberry mixture and pour it over the crust. Top with the second crust and crimp the two edges together around the circumference by pressing with a fork. Cut four decorative slits in the crust to allow steam to escape. BAKE AT 350 until crust is golden brown (ABOUT 30 MINUTES).

Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

A Faux Plaster Technique

2009-03-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

When I moved into the old barn, it was decorated in a combination of country cottage, Victorian lace and 1970s orange. There was wallpaper everywhere– sometimes as many as three patterns on one wall. Actually, with the exception of the seventies orange (which I replaced before I even moved in) I liked the decor– it was charming and eclectic and perfectly suited to the character of the house. I added brocade drapery panels to frame the rooms and lots of little round tables covered in velvet and cluttered with knick-knacks to play up the Victorian theme. Several housekeepers and four dogs later, I got tired of the upkeep on the frilly Victorian look and decided to go for something simpler. The wallpaper that covered every surface– sometimes two and three layers thick– had to go.

I could have spent the rest of my natural life with a wallpaper steamer, chemical stripper, and manual perforaters, and I still would have had an uneven, bumpy surface that would have to be repaired before it could be painted. That was when I discovered the wonders of faux plaster– otherwise known as joint compound. The technique is really simple and you can be as creative as you like– there’s no such thing as a mistake!

First, if the wallpaper is loose or peeling, get as much of it off as you can. You don’t have to be meticulous about it, and you don’t have to remove the backing that sticks to the wall. If the wallpaper is firmly adhered, leave it. You will need regular joint compound and a trowel or joint compound knife (which isn’t really a knife at all but more like a spatula). For a small bedroom, start with a five gallon bucket; for an average bathroom you’ll need a couple of gallons. Start applying the joint compound in a random sweeping pattern. Every now and then lightly tap the trowel into the wet compound on the wall for a rough, stucco-like texture, and turn it this way and that for interest. This will give you a nice Tuscan farmhouse look, or you can go for a more traditional plaster feel simply by smoothing out the joint compound until it has the look of sheetrock.

The mixture will need to dry completely before you paint it. This can take a couple of days, and the mixture will usually change colors as it dries, from light grey to white. I like to finish the look with several complementary colors of glaze, which are washed on with a sponge. To ‘set’ the look, or make it look like an integral part of the plaster treatment, I apply a final glaze of very thin off-white. You can either mix this color with an acrylic polyurethane, or apply a separate coat of polyurethane to finish and preserve your project.

In the picture below, I used three-dimensional stencils to create the leaves with joint compound, and then hand painted each one. Yes, it was time consuming, but fun!

Book Signing

2009-03-04T16:10:00.000-08:00

If you're in the Atlanta area, stop by Borders Books Mall of Georgia Saturday March 14 and say hello. I'll be doing a reading and signing copies of A YEAR ON LADYBUG FARM beginning at 2:00 p.m. Hope to see you there!

Ladybug, Ladybug

2009-03-03T17:35:00.000-08:00

When I first moved into this old house twelve years ago it was a lot like the opening scene in A YEAR ON LADYBUG FARM--ladybugs,ladybugs everywhere. To this day, when I happen to see one of the real estate agents who showed the house all those years ago, the greeting usually is, "Did you ever get rid of all those ladybugs?" The answer is: No! Here are some of the places I've found ladybugs only today: in my shoes, on my toothbrush, tangled in my collie's fur, swimming in my orange juice, clogging the sink drain, and trapped underneath the space bar on my computer keyboard!

Ladybugs, so they say, are good luck, so I hate to do anything drastic. A few ladybugs here and there are cute, but this is starting to feel like an invasion. Any suggestions?

Shrimp and Grits

2009-03-01T18:11:00.000-08:00

In A YEAR ON LADYBUG FARM Bridget is The Cook, and she’s proud of it. With this recipe for low country shrimp and grits, I think she could have opened her own restaurant!

Bridget’s Shrimp and Grits

Serves two generously

½ cup grits
2 1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon granulated chicken bouillon
2 ounces (1/4 cup) neuchatel cheese (or 2 triangles Laughing Cow original flavor)
1/4 cup milk or cream
4 slices bacon
1 small onion, chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2cups peeled, de-veined shrimp
Salt to taste

Bring the water and chicken boullion to a boil; add grits. Bring to a rolling boil and lower heat to low. Cover and cook 12 minutes. Remove from heat and add milk and cheese, stirring to mix well. Recover and allow the cheese to melt.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a heavy iron skillet until crispy. Remove bacon and add chopped onion, garlic and pepper to the bacon drippings. Cook over medium heat until soft. Add shrimp and cook 2-3 minutes longer, until shrimp are pink and curled.

Add vegetables, shrimp, and bacon to the grits and cheese mixture. Stir well and serve.

For extra flair, you can put the mixture into a casserole dish, top with grated cheddar, and broil until the cheese melts. In this case, be careful not to over-cook the shrimp.

Make no mistake about it, this is not a low calorie dish. Enjoy!

Sundays

2009-02-22T14:21:00.000-08:00

For some time now I’ve tried to make it a tradition to devote Sundays to my favorite hobby–painting. Of course, sometimes I end up painting the porch,or a piece of furniture, or the trim around the doorway. But on the best days I get to do something a little more fun– like this!

Look! It's Spring!

2009-02-16T18:45:00.000-08:00

For days now I've been wandering through other peoples' yards, enviously admiring the tiny shoots of green that were poking up through half frozen ground. "Oh look!" I'd exclaim. "You have daffodils." I was so busy admiring the not-quite- ready flowers in other people's gardens that I didn't even notice the ones in full bloom in my own!

Happy spring!

Ladybug Valentine

2009-02-13T17:23:00.000-08:00

I have a dear friend whose mother has been as much of a mom to me as my own. I'd love to say that's because I'm so special, but Lee is "mom" to every young woman she meets. She worries about us, checks up on us, inspires us, advises us and encourages us-- and best of all, this 92 year old woman is always ready to party! The other day she said to me, "Gosh, honey, I just can't find anything good to read. You haven't written anything new, have you?" I promised if she could just wait a few more weeks I'd have a new book for her.

Meantime, her daughter Karen and I were trying to think of something special to do for Lee for Valentine's Day, and both of us lamented the fact that A Year on Ladybug Farm would not be released until March. It would have made such a perfect Valentine's Day gift. We decided to take her out to lunch at our favorite restaurant instead. On my way to meet them both for our Valentine's lunch, I stopped at the post office, and what should be waiting for me but a package from my publisher containing a single advance copy of A Year on Ladybug Farm !

Receiving your first copy of any book is always a special thrill for an author, but this one was probably the most special of all. It arrived just in time for me to autograph to my favorite valentine, and the excitement on her face was definitely the best Valentine's Day present I've ever received.

Unfortunately, in my haste to get the book to its new owner, I didn't have time to actually appreciate it myself. Now I have something else to look forward to-- the day the book is released, so that I can sit down and see what it looks like!

Countdown

2009-02-09T17:22:00.000-08:00

There’s nothing more exciting than the weeks leading up to the release of a book you’re really excited about. I’ve waited a long time to see A Year on Ladybug Farm in print, and when it hits the shelves on March 3 it will feel like Christmas for me! Today I began arranging a series of local signings and readings. Be sure to check my web site for the times and places I will be appearing.

Groundhogs

2009-02-02T13:37:00.000-08:00

Here in north Georgia we have our own weather- predicting rodent by the name of General Beauregard Lee. His opinions often differ considerably from those of his northern cousin, What’s-His-Name. Today he scrambled cheerfully out of his winter home to declare... there will not be six more weeks of winter! Just exactly how many more weeks of winter there would be, he didn’t say, but it will be less than six.

General Lee, I could kiss your furry little face. I told you spring was on the way!

2009-02-01T17:17:00.000-08:00

In A Year on Ladybug Farm, Cici says, “I used to think being rich meant having a new Lexus in the garage every year. Now it means have a shed full of firewood in the winter.” My priorities certainly changed when I gave up city life for the joys of living in a hundred year old barn. I start making plans for winter in August– cleaning the chimneys, polishing up the fireplace tools, and stacking my first cord of wood. By December, I usually have to order another cord or two, and believe me, there is nothing more gratifying than having a full wood shed for Christmas. Well, maybe one thing ... today I noticed the shed is half empty. Can spring be far away?

More Resolutions

2009-01-01T19:43:00.000-08:00

*Eat more chocolate
*Read fewer bad books
*Write more good books
*Spend less time online and more time outside
*Get to bed earlier

Happy New Year to all and to all a goodnight!

In Retrospect

2008-12-31T18:41:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again, and before I launch into a whole set of new resolutions, I like to take a quick look back to see how I did with the old ones. Scrolling down to this time last year, I see I resolved to:

*Watch more sunsets. Check. I'm happy to say that rarely has the sun set over the mountains this year that my Golden Retriever, Glitter, and I could not be found in the swing, watching it. My friends learned not to call me during sunset. Glitter trained herself to sit by the swing and wait for me. Now that's what I call a well-kept resolution.
*Learn to belly dance. Check. Fortunately, I did not resolve to learn to do it well. But I intended sixteen lessons, which my teacher seems to think qualifies me as an "intermediate" student, and learned the choreography for an entire two-minute routine-- not as easy as it sounds. And in the process I learned things about myself I never even guessed I didn't know.
*Eat more comfort foods. Check and duh! Didn't include a plan for those ten (or fifteen?) extra pounds that came with that one. Guess what next year's resolution will be?

May the coming year bring peace and prosperity to each and every one of us. See you on the other side!

Chapter Two: In Which I Whine

2008-12-22T18:07:00.000-08:00

I know that if you live in the midwestern United States right now (blizzard conditions, minus-minus zero temps, snow drifts the size of skyscrapers) you're not likely to feel sorry for me, but when I awoke this morning the thermometer on my porch read 9 degrees. Yes, NINE. I live in Georgia, and for the past the week the temperatures here in the Blue Ridge Divide have been an unseasonable 65 degrees. I sat on the porch in the evenings (the very porch on which it was nine degrees this morning). I left the doors open in the afternoon. I was just getting used to living in the South. Nine degrees seems brutally unfair.

What's interesting is that, after donning two layers of clothing, thermal underwear and a polar suit for my morning walk (when you have dogs morning walks are not an option), I couldn't believe how warm my house had gotten while I was gone. It usually takes half a day to get the temperature in this old place up to a point that's suitable for human habitation when the mercury dips below twenty outside. I started stripping off sweaters, gloves, socks and outerwear, but it was hot inside. When I finally checked the indoor thermometer I discovered that it was, in fact, only fifty two degrees inside my house. Everything is relative, I suppose.

Now, close to ten o'clock at night and with three heat sources going, it's almosty sixty degrees in here and downright cozy. I guess the lesson of winter is that if you want to feel comfortable living in a drafty old barn, spend a little quality time out of doors when it's nine degrees.

On the other hand, I notice the mercury in the porch thermometer is dropping by the minute, and is already below twenty. Time to put another log on the fire and count my blessings. I guess.

Quick and Easy Holiday Decorating

2008-12-20T12:51:00.000-08:00

Here at Ladybug Farm Annex, decorating for the holidays has always been a very big deal. There’s just something about the big old sprawling house with its Victorian details that cries out for a tree in every room and miles of garland decking the halls. In the early days I did the place justice, and it took a crew of six four days to string all the lights, decorate all the trees, and hang all the wreaths. As my crew of helpers has gradually diminished over the years to just one– me– I find myself going more for quality, not quantity, and taking shortcuts wherever I can find them.

One of my favorite shortcuts is the use of live greenery– everywhere! I’m lucky enough to have two giant hemlocks as well as a gorgeous holly tree, and they keep me supplied with holiday greenery year after year. Here in the mountains there is no shortage of pine trees, and I’ve often used native rhododendron and mountain laurel to line a mantel or a holiday table, or to place around serving dishes. In the southern part of the state, magnolia leaves are used much in the same way. And if you don’t have evergreens growing in your yard, use the trimmings from your live Christmas tree– I’ve done that too!

Some people suggest spraying evergreen boughs with clear floor wax to keep them fresh looking, or soaking them overnight in a pail of water to which a few ounces of glycerin has been added. I have tried both methods and they will, in fact, keep your greenery supple throughout the month of December. However, I’ve also used completely untreated green boughs and found they worked just fine if I don’t leave them out more than a week or two.

So here is my trick for making my house look like a winter wonderland with very little effort and almost no expense. The night before my holiday guests arrive, I place evergreen boughs on every flat surface– the mantle, the sofa table, the serving buffet, the stair rail, the bathroom vanity and tub surround, the coffee table. I tuck springs of greenery beneath the chargers or plates at each place setting and lay boughs down the center of the dining table. I generously scatter colorful glass ornament balls throughout the greenery, and tuck clear mini-lights inside the greenery on the dining table, the buffet and the mantle. When the lights are turned on, the Christmas balls pick up the reflection and turn the centerpieces into an enchanted forest. The whole thing takes about half an hour to lay out, and less than ten minutes to clean up. And best of all, assuming you already have the lights and glass ornaments left over from your Christmas tree, it’s free!

A bouquet of red carnations from the grocery store for less than ten dollars can fill three or four vases when supplemented with evergreen from your yard. Place the overfilled vases in strategic places throughout your house and it will look as though you went to a great deal of trouble and expense for your party. Carnations are notoriously long-lived, and with almost no care at all, your evergreen arrangements should last throughout the holiday season. I have also tucked red carnations (or, occasionally, roses) into the evergreen on my dining table or other surfaces, but keep in mind these will have to be tossed out after the party is over.

Here’s a fun idea I came up with this year. Rather than flatten and dispose of all the boxes that various things arrive in throughout the season, I saved them and wrapped them for an outdoor Christmas display. I used Christmas fabric for the ones that are out in the weather, but the packages under the cover of the front porch are covered in gift wrap leftover from last year. At the end of the season, the boxes will be crushed and recycled, so there’s nothing to store throughout the year. And the cost is next to nothing!

Ladybug Cookies

2008-12-14T17:37:00.000-08:00

Here in northeast Georgia the ladybugs appear October 15 on the dot, and if the winter is mild we’re still brushing them out of our hair in March. There are always plenty of them around by Christmas!

These Ladybug Cookies are an easy variation on the traditional snowmen and reindeer Christmas cookie, and will really brighten up your cookie platter. They also look great hanging on a cookie tree!

Ladybug Cookies

Use your favorite recipe for roll-out sugar cookies. Here’s an oldie but a goodie:

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla OR peppermint extract
1 and ½ cups baking flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix first four ingredients. Add dry ingredients a little at a time. Add red food coloring until the dough is a bright red shade (you may have to knead this with your hands. Wear gloves! The food coloring stains)

Cover and refrigerate at least one hour. Roll out 1/4 in thick on floured surface. Cut into small circles with a juice glass or a biscuit cutter dipped in flour. Roll one quarter teaspoon of dough into a small ball for each cookie, then flatten and attach the ladybug “head”. (This is a great job for children, who can shape the head of each ladybug and give it personality). Bake 8 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet until light golden . Cool and decorate.

Decorations:

1 recipe butter cream frosting OR 1 can pre made white frosting
1 bag chocolate chips
Red food coloring
Red colored sugar (you can easily make your own by combining 1/2 cup white sugar with red food coloring to the desired shade–10-20 drops. Mix with a fork)

Decorating:

Melt ½ cup semi- sweet chocolate chips in a double boiler. You can add up to 1 tablespoon of milk or cream to keep the consistency smooth.

Add red food coloring to the frosting until you obtain a deep pink or red color,and frost the body of the ladybug
While frosting is wet, sprinkle liberally with red sugar (or dip the cookie in a plate of red sugar and shake off the excess)
Dip the “head” in the melted chocolate
Place chocolate chips on the body of the cookie for the ladybug’s spots.

Get the whole family involved and set up an assembly line. These cookies are almost as much fun to make as they are to eat!

Resolutions

2008-01-07T08:38:00.000-08:00

You’ve all heard the statistics about the increase in suicides, divorces and anti-depressant prescriptions during the month of January. And is it any wonder? Look at what we do to ourselves.

*We swear off chocolate at the exact time our bodies’ serotonin levels are at their lowest
*We go on diets just when our ancestral memories are telling us to eat, eat, eat in order to build up that fat layer that will keep us from freezing during the months ahead
*And speaking of freezing, we start that new exercise program when the predicted highs are in the twenties and the wind chill off the lake is –excuse me??– minus 12? I don’t think so!!
* We decide to give up drinking– all drinking– at a time when every fireplace you pass calls for a glass of wine. Believe me, curling up at the end of a long day with a good book and a glass of ginger ale just isn’t the same.

If we keep our resolutions, we’re miserable. If we break them, we’re failures. Combine this with the lack of daylight, the afore-mentioned wind-chills, and the inevitable holiday letdown, and it’s a wonder that the whole of western civilization doesn’t simply join hands and walk into the ocean on January 2.

So this year my resolutions (which any life coach worth her fee would insist we call goals) are a bit more practical. In addition to a daily dose of chocolate --which should go without mentioning-- they are:

*To pause at the end of every day to watch the sun set. When I first moved into the old barn, this was a ritual that filled me with an almost transcendental delight. With a western exposure and what real-estate agents like to call a "270 degree close and distant layered mountain view" it seemed almost criminal not to take a glass of wine to the deck at the top of the hill and simply sit, for the 15-20 minutes it takes the sky to pass through all the shades of the color wheel, and say "Thank you, thank you, thank you." I was shocked to note, when flipping through some of my old journals, that it has been close to eight years since I sat and worshiped a sun set. What happened? Trees grew, partially obscuring my view. Deck boards rotted. Cement trucks came and violated the serenity of my woods. But guess what? The mountains are still there, distant and layered. The sun still sets and turns the sky shades of magenta and cerulean and lemon and peach that the greatest artists who have ever lived could only dream about capturing on canvas or film. And this year, it’s mine.
*To dance once a week. True confessions, here: originally my resolution was to dance every day. I love dancing. It shouldn’t be hard. But sometimes the frantic pace we are forced to live–yes, even in Paradise-- takes precedence even over the things we love. Not right. Not fair. Wish it could be different. But let’s get real. I hope to dance every day. I resolve to dance once a week.
*To learn a new skill. This has actually been one resolution I have made– and kept– every year since I was thirty. One year I learned to sew. Another year I learned to make jewelry, and yet another I learned yoga. Another year I learned to oil paint. (Please note that nowhere do I claim to have learned any of these skills well). This year I will learn to belly dance. That is to say, I will take one lesson. We’ll see how it goes.
*To eat more macaroni and cheese. I firmly believe that comfort foods, particularly during these dark winter months, are the key to happiness. To that end, here is a recipe I came up with the other night when there really wasn’t much of anything else in the kitchen. Tell me how you like it!

Three-Cheese Macaroni

Prepare pasta according to package directions to measure two cups cooked (try using a mixture of pastas–angel hair, spinach noodle, penne for different texture and taste)
Melt 2 tbs butter in a 1 quart saucepan
Add 1/4 cup flour and stir
Salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Add:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup shredded asiago cheese
1/4 cup sharp white cheddar
1/4 cup shredded swiss cheese
Cook and stir over low heat until cheeses are melted and mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat.
In a small buttered casserole dish layer half the pasta. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup grated cheddar. Pour half the cheese sauce over this. Top with remaining pasta, remaining cheese sauce, and a mixture of ½ cup cheddar and 1/3 cup bread crumbs. Dot with butter.
Bake at 350 until bubbly and golden brown, app. 20 minutes

Approximately 4 servings
Calories per serving: If you have to ask, you can’t afford them

The Year I Skipped Christmas

2007-12-23T12:41:00.000-08:00

For years I’ve maintained that we’d all enjoy Christmas a lot more if we celebrated it every four years, like the Olympics. After all, it seems we barely get the last of the pine needles out of the carpet before it’s time to start hanging garland again, and would we really get all that excited about downhill skiing and speed skating if the Winter Olympics were held every February?
So this year I decided to do it. The parties, teas, lunches, pageants, concerts and Christmas plays that usually keep me running around in circles at this time of year would just have to proceed without me. The only holiday obligation I couldn't abdicate was my traditional Christmas luncheon for my reading group, but that would be just as much fun without all the Christmas falderol. The more I thought about this idea, the more I really, really liked it.

No weeks upon weeks of decking every hall in this gigantic house with boughs of whatever I could find that was green; no fully-decorated tree in every room and two in each bathroom, no miles of outdoor lights cascading from every post and eave. No homemade Christmas cards, each one carefully designed and composed using personalized photographs and messages, printed and mailed to thirty or forty of my closest friends, relatives and business acquaintances. Hey! No Christmas newsletter for my business clients and no cutesy-pie Christmas photos for my web site. No trips to the mall searching for the perfect gift (times ten or fifteen), no agonizing over just the right remembrance for colleagues– not too showy, not too cheap, but significant enough to stand out from the crowd– and no more struggling to remember who was Jewish and who was not. No scrambling to get these perfect gifts wrapped, packed and off to the post office before the deadline. No scouring cook books for original recipes or spending entire days chained to the kitchen with cookie dough under my fingernails. No wrapping, packaging and delivering baskets of said cookies to people who were already hiding five or six similar baskets in their back rooms. No staring at leftover turkey and ham two days after New Year’s. No holiday weight gain. I am loving this.

This Christmas season I declare myself free. And with the time and money I save on foolish, seasonal activities, I will invest in me. I’ll paint the ceiling in my great room. Install new floors. Tile the screen porch. Buy a new sofa! All of this could have been mine years ago had I not wasted so much of my resources on Christmas. Why didn’t I think of this before?

So here, in more or less accurate chronological order, is how it’s going so far:

Dec 1 Well, okay, a little Christmas never hurt anyone. Had dinner with friends and it just happened to be the night of the tree lighting in our little town. What could it hurt to walk around the luminary-lined sidewalks, visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, sip hot cider and wander in and out of all the decked-out over priced shops? I didn’t buy anything though! (well, not much)

Dec. 3 Moved all the furniture, taped off the walls, draped plastic over the stone work and hung drop cloths from the loft, covered the floor-to-ceiling windows with paper, painted the great room ceiling. Moved all the furniture back, untaped the windows, folded up the drop cloths. I keep forgetting the joy of do-it-yourself is highly overrated. Next time I’ll hire a professional.

Dec. 4 Since I’m not really doing anything else to contribute to the Christmas spirit, I could hardly refuse a request to walk in the Christmas Parade to support the Humane Society. So Kodi the collie and I donned our Santa hats and off we went to fight for a parking place, shove our way through the crowd, and take our rightful places in the line up on Main Street. The truth is it's been years since I was in the Christmas parade, and it's a great way to celebrate life in a small town. I should do it every year.

Dec. 5 Okay, the pictures of Kodi at the Christmas parade are just too cute to resist. Maybe just a few homemade Christmas cards....

Dec. 6 The new sofa arrived ! It looks great. I moved the old sofa down into the sun room, which gave me an idea. Maybe I could have the book club luncheon downstairs in the sun room this year, which would mean confining the chaos– not to mention the cleaning and polishing-- to one level of the house. Simplify, simplify.
Meanwhile, you can’t have a new sofa without new floors. Must get busy!

Dec. 7 Attended a marvelous Christmas tea hosted by a dear friend. Gosh, I really need to have some people over. I owe so many people for so many invitations... hmmm. Maybe that’s how I got into the habit of doing so much entertaining at Christmas. But this year they’ll just have to understand. No parties. No presents. No decorations. I mean it.

Dec. 10 Moved all the furniture, installed 700 square feet of flooring, moved the furniture back. Of course the floors are neither level nor straight so what I now have are wavy, crooked new floors, as opposed to wavy crooked old floors. Next time I’m hiring a professional.

Dec. 11 New paint, new furniture, new floors... what a shame not to have just a little Christmas color. So I decorated the dining room table with a small tree, gold cloth, Christmas china, some shiny ribbon, wreaths on the backs of the chairs, filled a few bowls with red and gold balls... nothing elaborate. The secret is moderation.

Dec.12 Had a craving for eggnog, and what’s eggnog without cookies? But here’s the sneaky thing about cookies– you can’t make just a dozen! Five pounds of cookies later, I realize I’ll have to have a few people over for cookies and eggnog, or I’ll run out of freezer space. Not a party. Not really.

Dec. 13. Okay, I said no presents, but that doesn’t apply to pets . I ordered $100 worth of dog toys, and while online found the perfect party favors for the book club. We're reading Eat Pray Love (who isn't?) so I ordered Italian charm bracelets with charms for each of the categories-- eat, love, pray. What fun.

Dec.14 The sunroom has no insulation , no kitchen facilities, no furniture, but I’m convinced it will be easier to host the book club party there. For six years I've used it mostly for the dogs, crafts, and painting. One year when it was really cold, I split and stored wood there. It's really kind of a mess. But all I have to do is dust, paint, vacuum, scrub every surface with bleach, wash all the windows, put up curtains, make some holiday cushions, string a few holiday lights, it’ll be fine.

Dec. 15. The thing about living in a 100 year old almost-renovated barn is that it really starts to show its age in the dead of winter with no trees,flowers or shrubs to brighten it up. Time to paint. Need new gutters. I’ve got to do something about that sagging gate. Meantime, a few red bows couldn’t hurt...

Dec. 16 Three trips to WalMart in one day. Two trips to Home Depot. There isn’t a silver or blue ornament within three counties that I don’t now own. I’ve got sparkly blue curtains with mirror dots, miles of white tinsel, approximately one million blue lights. Someone stop me. It’s a sickness.

Dec. 17 I know I said no Christmas tree, but this one is the prettiest ever. Pale blue and white. 2 trips to Lowe’s, one trip to K-Mart.

Dec. 18. What I really wanted to do was to knock out the back wall of the library and make a direct entrance into the sun room. Unfortunately, that’s a foundation wall, and I'm not sure I want to tackle a job like that this close to Christmas. The only other access to the sun room is through the sewing room. Kind of a problem, since the professionals who installed my new heating system ten years ago took out the ceiling in the sewing room and never could figure out how to put it back. (One of the reasons I now think twice before hiring professionals). But I had an idea– silver wrapping paper on the ceiling, covering up all the gaps and holes. It looks like tin. I may leave it up permanently.

Dec. 19 Okay, so I may have gone a little overboard with the book club party. The theme is winter wonderland. Everything is blue, silver and green. White garland wrapped in blue lights on all three arches in the foyer. Sprays of cedar sprayed silver over the mirrors and pictures, snowflakes on the floor, silver and blue beads draped over doorways and tables. Blue and green ribbons on every chair. Sparkling blue curtains and table cloth and place mats made out of silver wrapping paper. Every surface decorated with blue ornaments and silver lights. Martha Stewart, eat your heart out.

Dec. 20 I think the book club party was the best ever. Certainly the decorations were! But all this leftover food! And gosh, the house looks so Christmasy it’s a shame not to share. I think I’ll have some people over.

Dec. 21 Since I’m really not doing anything to celebrate the spirit of Christmas, I could hardly refuse when I was asked to bring my dancing dog to the nursing home and do a little Christmas program for the residents. I mean, how selfish would that be? So Kodi and I don our Santa hats and our flashing reindeer antlers again, and off we go to entertain at the nursing home. Kodi has been a certified therapy dog for six of his eight years, but he usually works with children. I’ve never volunteered at the nursing home before, and what a great thing to do at Christmas! I got so much more out of the visit than the residents did. And we’re signing up as regulars for the new year.

Dec 22 So here’s the toll so far on the year I skipped Christmas:
Man hours of labor since Dec 1: 896 (at least by my count)
Trips to WalMart :42
Social Events attended: 6
Social Events hosted: 5
Pounds Gained: don't even ask

Money spent: Are you kidding me????

But I got to experience the enchantment of a small town Christmas tree lighting, walk in a parade with my dog while children crowded around to touch him, see the faces of nursing home residents light up because I was there. I ate about a million Christmas cookies and had some of the best times ever with friends. I am now, like everyone else I know, fat, exhausted and way behind schedule.

Was this skipping Christmas? Well, not exactly. What I managed to do , in an odd and unintentional way, was have a different kind of Christmas.. and in many ways, a better one. It may not be possible to completely ignore Christmas in this society, and I'm not entirely sure I'd really want to. But it's worth trying again... in about four years!

Introduction

2007-12-23T10:38:00.000-08:00

In 1996 I left a perfectly nice contemporary house with heat, air conditioning, running water, and many other similarly outrageous amenities for a century-old Dutch barn in the heart of the Blue Ridge Divide. The barn had been disassembled, moved to its current location, and converted into a house in the seventies, and despite the fact that a few details had been overlooked--wiring was spliced together with duct tape, shingles were stapled, not nailed, to the roof, and none of the toilets were bolted down, to name a few--the place had an inexplicable charm that hooked me at first sight.

Maybe I thought I had too much time on my hands. After all, writing one or two books a year, serving on the boards of several volunteer organizations, writing and publishing two monthly newsletters, keeping up with my art group, my writing group, and various other colleagues. friends and family, must have left a vacuum in my life on some deep unacknowledged level. Or it might simply have been, as my mother used to say, "Be careful who you date. You can't help who you fall in love with." I fell in love. I never should have gotten out of the car.

I have always believed that your home is a reflection of who you are, but until this experience I never realized that a house could actually change who you are. When you are the keeper of a historic property, even one that has little or no historic value at all and is, for the most part, falling down around your ears, you feel a constant need to rise to the occasion. You don't just dust; you polish. You don't just buy a lamp; you scour antique shops for a hand-blown glass shade that can be retrofitted with electrical components. And a plain table or plant stand in the foyer simply will not do. It must be an antique French fainting couch upholstered in brocade velvet.

Suddenly I, who previously considered a formal meal one that utilized plastic plates instead of paper, was buying cloth napkins, subscribing to Victoria magazine, and making jam. This house changed who I was.

It made me a virtual slave.

When your house hearkens back to the age of gas lamps and bustle skirts, a Christmas wreath on the door and a string of lights across the front just won't do it for the holidays, either. We're talking moss-covered topiaries decorated with ribbons and lace for the guest rooms, live greenery woven into garlands to drape every banister and doorway, themed Christmas trees in every room, and enough twinkling white lights to illuminate a small city. It's not enough, in other words, to replace windows, resurface floors, patch siding, prop up garden walls, pour concrete, strip wallpaper, shore up sagging doorways and restore forgotten gardens-- you have to look gorgeous while doing it. And come to think of it, hasn't that always been the lot of women-- and old houses-- everywhere?

My love-hate relationship with the house was the inspiration for a work of fiction, A Year on Ladybug Farm (Berkley 2009)-- as though I didn't already have enough to do. In the meantime, the real-life story continues to unfold, starting with an update-- almost twelve years later-- on how we now do Christmas in the old barn. Enjoy!