Some of the nicest people I know...kill people...on paper.Barry Eisler is one of those nice people. He's unfailingly gracious. He doesn't take himself too seriously. He's smart as a whip. He's a heck of a businessman. He's a good sport.At SleuthFest this past weekend, he again proved why he's one of everyone's favorite authors. On Saturday, Barry was awarded the "Fla-MAN-go," an honor with a dubious past. Seems that one SleuthFest years ago, the … [Read more...] about The Winner of the 2010 Fla-MAN-go Award Is Barry Eisler
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World Premiere of "A Crop to Die For" Dinne Mystery Theatre
What do you get when you combine murder, scrapbooking and mystery theatre?A Crop to Die For! The new dinner mystery theatre that had its world premiere last Saturday at ScrapbooksPlus! in Chantilly, VA.The story begins when Kiki Lowenstein brings a carload of women along to a crop. Bit by bit, the women reveal their secrets, and tempers flare. Then we all take a break for dinner. BANG! Somebody "dies!" (Of course, it was all in good fun. We used … [Read more...] about World Premiere of "A Crop to Die For" Dinne Mystery Theatre
Courage–Why Pets Matter So Much to Us in Times of Trouble
As my mother lay dying, I held tight to Courage.No, I don't mean a sense of bravery or a feeling that I could prevail. I mean Courage the Chihuahua, pictured above. (Or as his owner, my sister Jane, calls him, he's Courage the Chee-whoie-whoie.)That tiny dog became my anchor in a rough and stormy sea. Mom's coma happened quite suddenly, and I was without the daily resources I usually depend upon to keep myself going emotionally. I was far from … [Read more...] about Courage–Why Pets Matter So Much to Us in Times of Trouble
The Return on Our Investment
I love this photo. My new pal Donna Manz took it for the Vienna (VA) Connection. You can read the entire article here.That's Vicky, on the left. You can't see her harness, but of course, it is pink. She's a girly-girl of a dog. We "adopted" Victoria in England, so she's a British Bichon and a little smaller than the American breed. Since her father was an English champion, Vicky is a bit of a princess. Sarah, one of the adorable little girls who … [Read more...] about The Return on Our Investment
Snow Ice Cream
When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. So it follows that when life dumps a ton of snow on you, you make ice cream. Yes, ice cream! Eliza Barclay wrote a fun article for the Washington Post about the history of "snow cream." She even checked with the EPA and learned that while they wouldn't recommend consuming snow in large quantities, a dish of snow probably couldn't hurt you. Furthermore, it seems that when snow falls in copious … [Read more...] about Snow Ice Cream
Roasted Butternut Squash with Apples
This is sooo good that I had to share it:Roasted Butternut Squash with Apples20 oz. container butternut squash (peeled, cubed & seeded)1 large onion (peeled and diced)1 T. olive oilsea salt to taste3 T. red wine vinegar3 T. low calorie maple syrup1 apple (peeled, cored and diced)1/4 C. chopped walnuts1/4 C. dried cranberriesToss oil, onion and butternut together and spread on cookie sheet with silk liner. (Or foil lined.) Sprinkle on sea salt. … [Read more...] about Roasted Butternut Squash with Apples
