Piney, woodsy, and enough to make me conjure up all sorts of delights. When I'm in the backyard, I make sure to run my hand over a branch. Cheap perfume of the best kind.
Did you know you can strip the needles off a stem, leaving a few at the tip for presentation, then sharpen the other end and use the stem for a skewer for grilling? Shrimp and Chicken both work well.
In one of my books that has yet to spark a response from an editor, rosemary and lavender play a role in the meeting of the gentleman and lady who will fall in love in a very romantic way.
There are many herbs I love, lemon verbena and basil being two. Some lend their flavor best to cooked dishes, like oregano and thyme. Mint is another great one and comes in tons of flavors now including chocolate.
I once had several scented geraniums and made a pound cake with the leaves placed in the bottom on the pan so they came out on top. My family frowned at the idea of eating geranium leaves and they don't like chive blossoms in their salad. None of the geraniums were hardy enough to survive my less than great gardening skills and the wonderful herb farm where I bought them went out of business after the death of the owners.
Heading north sometime this month. Having grown up in northern US, I miss the far vistas of fall's brilliant leaf colors.
From my heart to yours.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
The Big Wind Didn't Blow Down The House
On Friday the dire predictions about Hurricane Irene cancelled our weekly grocery shopping. No sense in filling the freezer and frig with more stuff if we might lose power.
On Saturday Irene made landfall in an almost direct line to the West of us. Thank heavens the winds had slowed to a Cat One level. We got a few gusts, some rain, some downed trees and limbs, but it wasn't the Big Bad Wolf threatening to blow our house down.
My heart goes out to those who lost a loved one and to those who may have suffered damage to their abode.
This time we were blessed.
On Saturday Irene made landfall in an almost direct line to the West of us. Thank heavens the winds had slowed to a Cat One level. We got a few gusts, some rain, some downed trees and limbs, but it wasn't the Big Bad Wolf threatening to blow our house down.
My heart goes out to those who lost a loved one and to those who may have suffered damage to their abode.
This time we were blessed.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
A Stunning Movie
The Help. It will make you laugh--more than once. And it will make you cry--more than once.
I did not read the book before seeing the movie. Which is always my preference when a book is made into a movie so my mental image of the book characters doesn't conflict with the movie characters.
My Saturday late afternoon was spent in a movie theater watching this incredible movie. Not sure if it is more of a chick film or not. I didn't take my husband as he ruins movies for me if he doesn't like them so I don't have his reaction to go by. But there were a lot of men in the audience. It's a long movie. I don't have the exact running length, but it started at 3:10 (not sure if that time includes the ads and the upcoming previews) and by the time I got back to my car (steps from the theater) it was after 6. The acting is incredible. And the movie never drags. At least it didn't for me.
For the first time in a long time, (although its may be my choice of movies or the times I attend) the theater was near full. A mixed race audience. And a very responsive (in a good way) audience.
I'm just glad I didn't see this movie with the two youngest of my four daughters. They both would have been sobbing--with no restraint.
Even when the days and times look dark, I pray that decent humans stand at their peril against wrong.
From my heart to yours.
Susan Ralph
I did not read the book before seeing the movie. Which is always my preference when a book is made into a movie so my mental image of the book characters doesn't conflict with the movie characters.
My Saturday late afternoon was spent in a movie theater watching this incredible movie. Not sure if it is more of a chick film or not. I didn't take my husband as he ruins movies for me if he doesn't like them so I don't have his reaction to go by. But there were a lot of men in the audience. It's a long movie. I don't have the exact running length, but it started at 3:10 (not sure if that time includes the ads and the upcoming previews) and by the time I got back to my car (steps from the theater) it was after 6. The acting is incredible. And the movie never drags. At least it didn't for me.
For the first time in a long time, (although its may be my choice of movies or the times I attend) the theater was near full. A mixed race audience. And a very responsive (in a good way) audience.
I'm just glad I didn't see this movie with the two youngest of my four daughters. They both would have been sobbing--with no restraint.
Even when the days and times look dark, I pray that decent humans stand at their peril against wrong.
From my heart to yours.
Susan Ralph
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Confessions of a Romance Writer
Steamy, spicy? Nah. My books are sweet and tender and short. At least for now.
But, about my Lady Aruleius, who has progressed no farther than she had the other day, she may be a bit more scintillating than my previous heroines. A bit of wildness lies beneath her proper demeanor.
And about my chicken salad. I am really into Ina Garten's cooking. She made chicken salad (I think her dressing calls for tarragon which I don't like) one day. She recommended roasting the chicken breasts on the bone for flavor. Always before, I have poached the chicken. Yesterday, I roasted the chicken breasts and will use my forever favorite chicken salad dressing.
I also made her lemon chicken which calls for boneless breasts with the skin on. No such thing in my grocery so I had to bone out the breasts, a tedious and messy and, if your not careful, a painful job.
I seem to have recovered from whatever was affecting my ability to stay awake. Got in some good writing yesterday on my latest contemporary.
Winners never quit, and quitters never win, says this characters mother. Which is oh so very true in the fiction writing business. Writer's write for years, suffering rejections from many different agents and publishers and writing contests, but perseverance can result in one accomplishing the goal of having an agent or a publisher say we love your story and we want to represent or publish it.
Keep going. Learn. Improve. Stay focused.
From my heart to yours.
Susan
But, about my Lady Aruleius, who has progressed no farther than she had the other day, she may be a bit more scintillating than my previous heroines. A bit of wildness lies beneath her proper demeanor.
And about my chicken salad. I am really into Ina Garten's cooking. She made chicken salad (I think her dressing calls for tarragon which I don't like) one day. She recommended roasting the chicken breasts on the bone for flavor. Always before, I have poached the chicken. Yesterday, I roasted the chicken breasts and will use my forever favorite chicken salad dressing.
I also made her lemon chicken which calls for boneless breasts with the skin on. No such thing in my grocery so I had to bone out the breasts, a tedious and messy and, if your not careful, a painful job.
I seem to have recovered from whatever was affecting my ability to stay awake. Got in some good writing yesterday on my latest contemporary.
Winners never quit, and quitters never win, says this characters mother. Which is oh so very true in the fiction writing business. Writer's write for years, suffering rejections from many different agents and publishers and writing contests, but perseverance can result in one accomplishing the goal of having an agent or a publisher say we love your story and we want to represent or publish it.
Keep going. Learn. Improve. Stay focused.
From my heart to yours.
Susan
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