What I’m Reading
I finished Stephen J. Cannell’s On the Grind last night. This morning I began reading Vanished by Joseph Finder. This is one of the novels I bought at Bouchercon 2009 in Indianapolis last fall, right after I participated in the small group discussion with the author. I won that opportunity as part of a lottery in which several well-known authors offered their time to chat with ten or so folks in a private conference room. It was one of the many highlights of Bouchercon.
I’m toying with the idea of attending this year’s mystery convention as well. It will be in San Francisco. My daughter and her family are about to move from Boston to San Francisco. Really, could anything be more serendipitous?
The Daffodils
I used empty flower pots and a bucket to cover my budding daffodils when that last snowstorm hit. I finally uncovered them this morning and found they had thrived under their covers. Two of the buds are fat and yellow and almost ready to bloom. Spring is here (even though we’re supposed to get snow again tomorrow so I need to replace the covers tonight).
Bird’s Nest Under the Satellite Dish
As I pulled into the driveway after running errands this morning, I noticed a bird fly under the small satellite dish on our house, then saw little twigs and grasses sticking out the side of the base. A bird is building a nest in the stand that attaches the dish to the house. I reported this invasion to my husband and will let him handle the problem. He said, “I hope there are no eggs in it yet. I have a real problem removing a nest that has eggs in it.”
Isn’t that sweet?
The Good Thing About Having Company
Thanks to the upcoming visit from our daughter and her family, I’m knocking chores off my To Do List that have been there for months and months (and months). I’ve cleaned the utility room, toted stuff to Goodwill, given away more books, and turned my office into a thing of beauty (meaning the clutter is now organized into storage boxes and you can walk around the room without tripping over stacks of files and paper). I’m even going to clean the oven and straighten the garage.
Getting Read for the Conference
Just need to practice my pitch a couple more times and decide what to wear. The conference hotel is about three miles from my house. It doesn’t get much better than that.
I love the bits and pieces report, too! Glad your daffodils are doing well in the variable weather — the deer ate mine. I know they’re not supposed to, but no one told them that.
Have a great time at the conference. It sounds like it’ll be the best one yet!
After your company leaves and the conference is over, come organize my office! Practice makes perfect, over and over again!
I was 4 miles from the RT conference, but I still got a room. Saved time, and gave me a place to retreat and stash stuff. (It was one of those sprawling resort hotels). Conference activities ran very late. I’m lazy. Didn’t want to deal with losing my parking place!
Having company is like having a deadline – for me an absolute necessity in order to get things done!
Isn’t that an amazing thing about company? I always get so much cleaning done beforehand…
Elizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder
Going to a conference would be so exciting! Have a great time – I’ll be jealous 🙂
Oh Patricia – I love a bits and pieces report. I get such a sense of your life. And I’m glad that you like me needs visitors to get at the organizing! also – I love your dear guy – what a special thing that is!