Heptadecagon

I found myself looking up "have got" on the internet the other day. Why? Because I was reading a book written by a British author and I was consistently seeing "have got" throughout the book, WHICH WAS DRIVING ME CRAZY. Before you go wondering why I was so bothered, let me tell you this. The author was not using the phrase in this manner: I have got to go to the loo! That usage doesn't bother me so much, considering we use that sometimes as a way of emphasizing something. I have even heard myself mutter, "I have got to see that!" before. What I found in my searching is that, according to a few sites, usage of "have got" is common in Britain (in place of just "have"). However, whether it's used frequently across the pond or by people over here, the combination just sounds plain wrong to me, especially when they use it in the present perfect sort of way. So, "I'm sure my night terrors have got worse but then I gues...

I had the wonderful opportunity to benefit from my writing group the other night. I gave them the first 20 pages of my newest WIP, Just Be . This is the novel that bounced around in my head for ages and then appeared on the pages during NaNoWriMo 2016. It has a long way to go, but my friends enjoyed reading it. They urged me to continue with my revisions. Encouragement like that is always welcome. Because the characters have been with me for a long time, I know a lot about them. But I think sometimes it is useful to write down the characteristics of these people I hold so dear. So, it's time for another character sketch . This time, it's of Matt Bennet, one of my POV characters. The other main character is Emme McCarthy. She comes up in the list only because of her entanglement with Matt. Matt is . . . A 26-year-old male. About 6'3". A musician (some would say rocker) who barely earned his HS diploma. A soccer fanatic. A man who draws people toward him, whethe...

Am I the only one tired of cooking? I know I can't be, because many of the moms (and dads) I know complain about that chore on a daily basis. Let it be known that if I had my druthers, I'd farm this task out. And just so you know, Tim would probably take the task on, like he did on many days when we were first married, but he gets home too late to routinely cook. Anyway, with another blast of cold weather on us, I took it upon myself to find my favorite black bean soup recipe . It originally comes from the Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home , a cookbook I own but cannot currently find in my house. Hope you enjoy it! Ingredients: 10 sun-dried tomatoes (not the kind that are packed in oil) 1 cup boiling water 1 1/2 cups chopped onion 3 minced garlic cloves 1 minced jalapeno chile or 1/4 tsp cayenne 2 Tbsp oil 1 tsp ground cumin 1/3 cup water 3 cups undrained diced, canned tomatoes (28-ounce can) 4 cups undrained cooked black beans (two 16-ounce cans) 1/4 cup fres...

OMG it's been so long since I've posted one of these. In fact, I had to look back and see when the last TMHYRF post was, and it occurred on April 13, 2016 . Many reasons exist for why I haven't posted another one of these since then, and we'll go into none of those reasons today. Maybe another time. But here we are, at the beginning of the third month of the new year , and I think it's safe to say that I'm already done with 2017. So what has prompted me to tell you how I really feel? How about all the headlines in the news? Or for that matter, scrap the headlines--most of them don't really tell you what's being reported. But the articles from reputable sources that reveal to me that hands down, I pretty much disagree with everything this current administration stands for? Yeah, those are getting to me. So much in fact, much of what I feel right now falls under the broad umbrella of anger. I'll still read the articles so that I know what's ...

Apparently, back in October 2014, I received an email letting me know that I could redeem my Starbucks rewards at Target, provided that Target store has a Starbucks cafe inside. (How do I remember this? Because this information, my friends, has been sitting in my drafts folder since that time. Yes, this is a draft makeover post.) For some of you, combining Target and Starbucks might be the best thing ever: a partnership like none other, the golden moment of shopping. Being able to sip your favorite latte while you cruise the aisles of the place you drop too much money. Sounds great, right? For me, it's worrisome. While I do like Target for the most part, I am not a fan of the Starbucks product. I don't like paying more for my drink than I do an entire gallon of milk, and I also don't like that any time I order a coffee, I have to be very careful not to get the fully caffeinated version. If I do, I will, quite literally, bounce off something after indulging. Plus, I have...

There's a beautiful saying (possibly lyric?) over at Tumblr that Reyna Biddy wrote. It has to do with learning to walk away, to let go when you know it's time. I'll let her do the talking, but you have to make the jump here to see it.  Happy Sunday!