Hello,
Christmas is just around the corner, and I wanted to share with you the nice experience I had with my daughter and son-in-law shopping for a Christmas tree the old-fashioned way.
It's my job these days to assemble our nice looking, but fake Christmas tree. It works for me. It looks good, the needles stay put, and I can burn an evergreen candle if I want a little pine scent. In years past, my husband and I would buy a real tree, pre-cut, at one of the neighborhood lots, but Bruce became less enamored with picking out the tree, bringing it home and setting it up, and cleaning up all the needles.
I finally gave in and we bought the fake, and it is less trouble, but I do sometimes miss getting a real tree. So, I was delighted when my daughter Angie called me and asked if I would like to go to a tree farm and help pick out their tree.
We are not that far from Highland, maybe 10 miles, where a lot of open land still exists and most of the tree farms are located. We visited one of the most popular tree farms first, which featured hay-baled filled wagon rides pulled by a tractor. This was great as it happened to be a beautiful sunny day and only mildly cold. The three of us hopped on the wagon along with a few other people, and headed for the acres of planted pines beyond. It was fun! They dropped us off farther back, and we walked and walked, but couldn't decide between the scotch pine or the blue spruce, plus some of the pre-cut trees they offered looked good also. In the end, we decided to drink some hot cider, then check out another of the tree farms nearby.
Eventually, after more walking, we decided on a blue spruce at the next farm, where many of the trees were nice looking. But as we were ready to leave, the tree tied to the roof, Angie's best friend Darcey and her husband Jim, plus their toddler Andrew arrived. And so we did it all over again, walked through the trees for a third time, to visit with them and to watch while they picked out their tree. I'll admit I was getting tired by this time, also hungry, plus hadn't seen any signs of an available restroom for a while.
It all worked out though. We stopped at a McDonald's for a snack afterwards, then drove back with the sunroof open to make sure the tree stayed securely fastened to the roof.
All in all, I enjoyed myself immensely, and hope to do it again next year.
Enjoy the holidays!
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
Technorati Tags:
An old-fashioned Christmas tree, Christmas is just around the corner, Christmas tree, tree farms, hay-baled filled wagon rides, pre-cut trees, scotch pine and blue spruce, hot cider, walked through the trees, stopped at McDonald's, Enjoy the holidays!, visit my website, mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
A Little Disneyland ... My Bird Feeder
Hi there!
It is cold, cold, cold here in Michigan, especially today. I'm not sure of the temperature, but the winds are fierce. I went out this morning as I usually do and put out seed for the birds and squirrels, and they seemed especially anxious to get to their chow. I have an unusual feeder that my husband built for me. It is shaped somewhat like a cross, about seven feet high, but has three flat boards, one over the other, near the top. I spread the seed on each board, and a variety of birds, squirrels, and chipmunks show up each morning, usually immediately after I spread the seed. When I first started doing this, maybe five years ago, none of them got along. Each squirrel would shoo off the other squirrels and the birds too. Now they seem to know each other, and it's like a little Disneyland out there, birds and squirrels all eating and socializing together.
I originally wanted a bird feeder to amuse my cat Slicky. He gets bored being an indoor cat, and he enjoys watching it all in the morning, though now he is used to it and rarely tries to attack the squirrels that run across the deck. (The feeder is built to one side of the deck so I can reach it easily.) Of course, I really like watching all the action in the morning too. I put out wild bird seed, sunflower seeds, and peanuts. The unsalted peanuts were originally for the squirrels, but the jays usually get most of them. I read that blue jays store food for winter, which surprised me. They are quick, and funny to watch. The peanuts are in the shell, and being greedy, the jays try to stuff more than one in their beak, which doesn't work. After picking up one, then dropping it to get the other one a few times, they settle on just one and fly away to their nest. This repeats for a few minutes until all the peanuts are gone.
I've seen cardinals and woodpeckers, big ones and little ones, and the mourning doves are a large group, plus many smaller birds. I have a bird guide my daughter bought me, so I know most of the ones that come around. I used to see blackbirds and crows, but not recently. I think some birds come by just to see what's going on. One time a duck flew up and sat on the feeder. I tried to get a picture, but something scared it and it flew away. The ducks do walk up from the lake and get seed off the ground in the summer, and they bring their little ducklings. (This makes me glad I have an indoor cat.)
But I wonder how they can stand the cold on days like this, but they do. The squirrels cover their backbone with their long tail, and the birds puff up to capture some body warmth, and their hearts beat much faster than ours, pumping out the heat. Makes me glad I can provide them with some fuel ... and that I can watch them from inside.
Hope you're enjoying the holidays!
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
Technorati Tags:
a little Disney Land, my bird feeder, cold here in Michigan, birds, squirrels, and chipmunks, spread the seed, Disney Land, bird feeder, blue jays, cardinals, and woodpeckers, squirrels cover their backbones, enjoy the holidays, mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter
It is cold, cold, cold here in Michigan, especially today. I'm not sure of the temperature, but the winds are fierce. I went out this morning as I usually do and put out seed for the birds and squirrels, and they seemed especially anxious to get to their chow. I have an unusual feeder that my husband built for me. It is shaped somewhat like a cross, about seven feet high, but has three flat boards, one over the other, near the top. I spread the seed on each board, and a variety of birds, squirrels, and chipmunks show up each morning, usually immediately after I spread the seed. When I first started doing this, maybe five years ago, none of them got along. Each squirrel would shoo off the other squirrels and the birds too. Now they seem to know each other, and it's like a little Disneyland out there, birds and squirrels all eating and socializing together.
I originally wanted a bird feeder to amuse my cat Slicky. He gets bored being an indoor cat, and he enjoys watching it all in the morning, though now he is used to it and rarely tries to attack the squirrels that run across the deck. (The feeder is built to one side of the deck so I can reach it easily.) Of course, I really like watching all the action in the morning too. I put out wild bird seed, sunflower seeds, and peanuts. The unsalted peanuts were originally for the squirrels, but the jays usually get most of them. I read that blue jays store food for winter, which surprised me. They are quick, and funny to watch. The peanuts are in the shell, and being greedy, the jays try to stuff more than one in their beak, which doesn't work. After picking up one, then dropping it to get the other one a few times, they settle on just one and fly away to their nest. This repeats for a few minutes until all the peanuts are gone.
I've seen cardinals and woodpeckers, big ones and little ones, and the mourning doves are a large group, plus many smaller birds. I have a bird guide my daughter bought me, so I know most of the ones that come around. I used to see blackbirds and crows, but not recently. I think some birds come by just to see what's going on. One time a duck flew up and sat on the feeder. I tried to get a picture, but something scared it and it flew away. The ducks do walk up from the lake and get seed off the ground in the summer, and they bring their little ducklings. (This makes me glad I have an indoor cat.)
But I wonder how they can stand the cold on days like this, but they do. The squirrels cover their backbone with their long tail, and the birds puff up to capture some body warmth, and their hearts beat much faster than ours, pumping out the heat. Makes me glad I can provide them with some fuel ... and that I can watch them from inside.
Hope you're enjoying the holidays!
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
Technorati Tags:
a little Disney Land, my bird feeder, cold here in Michigan, birds, squirrels, and chipmunks, spread the seed, Disney Land, bird feeder, blue jays, cardinals, and woodpeckers, squirrels cover their backbones, enjoy the holidays, mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Book Signing at Leon & Lulu
Hi,
A friend of mine, Maureen, was nice enough to tell me about an opportunity to do a book signing at an unusual place. It actually used to be a roller rink, and I'm pretty sure I used to roller skate there as a kid. Leon & Lulu, formerly the Ambassador Roller Rink, is located in Clawson, not far from Rochester, the town I grew up in. My mother used to drop me and my sister off at the rink for the day, and we had great times hanging out with the other kids. The only bad thing about it was we both would come home with blisters on our heels after the many miles of floor we circled.
Now, the former Ambassador is a wonderful furniture and accessories store. You would have to see it to believe it, fifteen-thousand square feet of eye candy for the decorator minded. The floors are still part of the old roller rink, but beautifully refinished, and roller skating employees smoothly maneuver throughout the store helping customers. Leon & Lulu held their first "Books and Authors" event the Sunday before last, and many customers and book lovers turned out to join in the fun and meet the thirty-six authors in attendance. Part of the proceeds went to charity, and I believe they did very well in that regard. Stuff like this is always fun for me as I meet other authors who are inevitably fun to talk to. I always seem to learn something new from them. I had a great space to set up my books, my own little living room near the front of the store. I had a beautiful couch, a chair, coffee table, and art objects surrounding me. I felt like I was part of the display, except I smiled and said hello when people passed by or stopped to chat with me. To my surprise, we were allowed to drink coffee in our area (offered free that day to the authors and customers) and also to eat free muffins and other goodies, and later on, free hot dogs. I had to leave my area to eat the hot dog though. I don't trust myself with mustard around furniture.
I told friends I was going to be there, and my friend Chris showed up to spend time with me, then my friend Maureen, then my sister and her husband, and then my daughter, who took a picture of me holding up my novel. It was a great time and I sold and signed some books too.
It's going to be an annual event, so I'm hoping to be invited back next year also. By then I should have two books to display.
Have a great day!
Visit my website to read FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
Technorati Tags:
Book signing at Leon & Lulu, roller rink, Ambassador Roller Rink, Clawson, fifteen-thousand square feet of eye candy for the decorator minded, roller skating employees, Books and Authors event, book lovers, proceeds went to charity, free hot dogs and other goodies, mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter
A friend of mine, Maureen, was nice enough to tell me about an opportunity to do a book signing at an unusual place. It actually used to be a roller rink, and I'm pretty sure I used to roller skate there as a kid. Leon & Lulu, formerly the Ambassador Roller Rink, is located in Clawson, not far from Rochester, the town I grew up in. My mother used to drop me and my sister off at the rink for the day, and we had great times hanging out with the other kids. The only bad thing about it was we both would come home with blisters on our heels after the many miles of floor we circled.
Now, the former Ambassador is a wonderful furniture and accessories store. You would have to see it to believe it, fifteen-thousand square feet of eye candy for the decorator minded. The floors are still part of the old roller rink, but beautifully refinished, and roller skating employees smoothly maneuver throughout the store helping customers. Leon & Lulu held their first "Books and Authors" event the Sunday before last, and many customers and book lovers turned out to join in the fun and meet the thirty-six authors in attendance. Part of the proceeds went to charity, and I believe they did very well in that regard. Stuff like this is always fun for me as I meet other authors who are inevitably fun to talk to. I always seem to learn something new from them. I had a great space to set up my books, my own little living room near the front of the store. I had a beautiful couch, a chair, coffee table, and art objects surrounding me. I felt like I was part of the display, except I smiled and said hello when people passed by or stopped to chat with me. To my surprise, we were allowed to drink coffee in our area (offered free that day to the authors and customers) and also to eat free muffins and other goodies, and later on, free hot dogs. I had to leave my area to eat the hot dog though. I don't trust myself with mustard around furniture.
I told friends I was going to be there, and my friend Chris showed up to spend time with me, then my friend Maureen, then my sister and her husband, and then my daughter, who took a picture of me holding up my novel. It was a great time and I sold and signed some books too.
It's going to be an annual event, so I'm hoping to be invited back next year also. By then I should have two books to display.
Have a great day!
Visit my website to read FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
Technorati Tags:
Book signing at Leon & Lulu, roller rink, Ambassador Roller Rink, Clawson, fifteen-thousand square feet of eye candy for the decorator minded, roller skating employees, Books and Authors event, book lovers, proceeds went to charity, free hot dogs and other goodies, mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter
Sunday, October 4, 2009
A Great Review from Midwest Book Review!!
I can't tell you how happy I was to discover I'd received a great review from Midwest Book Review on my Amazon page! Not only was it a wonderful review, it was six paragraphs long, written by their senior reviewer Shelley Glodowski.
I sent the book in for a possible review about a year ago, and had given up on ever hearing from them. They do get a lot of books, so my guess was they just weren't that thrilled with mine. I was also aware it is their policy to post a review of a book only if they believe it is worthy of five stars. Otherwise, it is not reviewed, and this is a great policy as far as I'm concerned, because the only thing worse than receiving no review is receiving a bad one. Of course, whether a reviewer or reader likes or does not like a book is very subjective. While I, of course, believe my novel is a well-written and exciting read, not everyone is going to agree. (Though I have to brag a little that readers have written me, or told me, that they absolutely loved my book and could not put it down.)
Around this same time period, I also found that my novel, Her Last Letter, was included on another of Amazon's Listmania! lists. This particular list was compiled by MN Mama (from Minnesota) and titled, "Great Suspense Thrillers and Mysteries."
So, if either happens to read this blog post, I want to thank both Shelley Glodowski and MN Mama for giving my book praise and making me very, very happy!
Here is the review as it reads on my Amazon Page:
***** A great read!!, September 8, 2009
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)
Nancy C. Johnson has been making up stories since she was a child. She is a complete bookworm and loves to create a romantic world for the reader. She craves excitement, and wants her stories to engage the imagination of the reader.
Set in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, a town in close proximity to Aspen, Nancy's story begins with Gwyn Sanders, recent heiress, discovering a letter from her dead sister hidden in a desk. The letter indicates that her sister slept with the boyfriend of either Gwyn or Linda, the third sister. Gwyn and Linda decide to hire a private detective to conduct a background check on both men. After all, new money and its owner can easily be separated. Unfortunately, this situation puts a strain on both fairly new marriages:
"When I returned home I sought a good hiding place for the report. Later tonight, after Trevor went to bed, I'd read it in depth. I'd decided that my discovery didn't mean a thing, that if anything, having a father in prison had taught Trevor one thing and one thing only. DON'T END UP THERE. Look how diligently he went about his business, about his life. Of course he didn't want his father's mistakes to reflect on him. That's why he'd kept it a secret."
There is no better place to set a mystery than in an exotic place or in the mountains. Nancy Johnson makes excellent use of this backdrop to set the stage for a smashing mystery that is chock full of romance; sexual tension; and true mystery. Her dead sister seems to be speaking to her from the halls of their childhood home, and the reality that follows is just as startling as if her ghost had jumped out at Gwyn.
The idea of new money creating possible targets is also explored in this mystery. Naturally there are "other women," and it all adds up to a spicy and juicy read that is impossible to put down once the first page is read.
Nancy C. Johnson has created a winner with HER LAST LETTER. Hopefully this book is the beginning of a career that is sure to thrill her growing readership for years to come.
A great read!!
Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
Technorati Tags:
book review, Midwest Book Review, Shelley Glodowski, Amazon's Listmania!, MN Mama, Great Suspense Thrillers and Mysteries, bookworm, romantic, reader, mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter
I sent the book in for a possible review about a year ago, and had given up on ever hearing from them. They do get a lot of books, so my guess was they just weren't that thrilled with mine. I was also aware it is their policy to post a review of a book only if they believe it is worthy of five stars. Otherwise, it is not reviewed, and this is a great policy as far as I'm concerned, because the only thing worse than receiving no review is receiving a bad one. Of course, whether a reviewer or reader likes or does not like a book is very subjective. While I, of course, believe my novel is a well-written and exciting read, not everyone is going to agree. (Though I have to brag a little that readers have written me, or told me, that they absolutely loved my book and could not put it down.)
Around this same time period, I also found that my novel, Her Last Letter, was included on another of Amazon's Listmania! lists. This particular list was compiled by MN Mama (from Minnesota) and titled, "Great Suspense Thrillers and Mysteries."
So, if either happens to read this blog post, I want to thank both Shelley Glodowski and MN Mama for giving my book praise and making me very, very happy!
Here is the review as it reads on my Amazon Page:
***** A great read!!, September 8, 2009
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)
Nancy C. Johnson has been making up stories since she was a child. She is a complete bookworm and loves to create a romantic world for the reader. She craves excitement, and wants her stories to engage the imagination of the reader.
Set in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, a town in close proximity to Aspen, Nancy's story begins with Gwyn Sanders, recent heiress, discovering a letter from her dead sister hidden in a desk. The letter indicates that her sister slept with the boyfriend of either Gwyn or Linda, the third sister. Gwyn and Linda decide to hire a private detective to conduct a background check on both men. After all, new money and its owner can easily be separated. Unfortunately, this situation puts a strain on both fairly new marriages:
"When I returned home I sought a good hiding place for the report. Later tonight, after Trevor went to bed, I'd read it in depth. I'd decided that my discovery didn't mean a thing, that if anything, having a father in prison had taught Trevor one thing and one thing only. DON'T END UP THERE. Look how diligently he went about his business, about his life. Of course he didn't want his father's mistakes to reflect on him. That's why he'd kept it a secret."
There is no better place to set a mystery than in an exotic place or in the mountains. Nancy Johnson makes excellent use of this backdrop to set the stage for a smashing mystery that is chock full of romance; sexual tension; and true mystery. Her dead sister seems to be speaking to her from the halls of their childhood home, and the reality that follows is just as startling as if her ghost had jumped out at Gwyn.
The idea of new money creating possible targets is also explored in this mystery. Naturally there are "other women," and it all adds up to a spicy and juicy read that is impossible to put down once the first page is read.
Nancy C. Johnson has created a winner with HER LAST LETTER. Hopefully this book is the beginning of a career that is sure to thrill her growing readership for years to come.
A great read!!
Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
Technorati Tags:
book review, Midwest Book Review, Shelley Glodowski, Amazon's Listmania!, MN Mama, Great Suspense Thrillers and Mysteries, bookworm, romantic, reader, mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter
Friday, August 7, 2009
Battle of the Crabgrass
Hi,
Well, all in all life is good. I was not feeling too good several weeks ago, and I have to blame it on one of Mother Nature's peskier weeds.
I've never had an encounter with asthma until recently, and I feel really sorry for anyone who has to deal with it on a regular basis. Not being able to breathe well is awful...
Anyone who reads this blog knows I like to bicycle, in fact I like to bicycle a lot. And breathing hard when needed is certainly a part of that. I don't let myself get too scared about many things, but the asthma episode scared me. I have good lungs, and don't normally worry much about paint fumes and other types of fumes. I know they aren't good for you, but I figure I can deal with them if necessary.
Anyway, for the last six years I've hired a reputable company to kill the weeds in our lawn, and they did a good job on everything except the crabgrass, which was the reason I hired them. I can kill most weeds myself. I have no problem using a lawn spreader. It's not a big job, nor is it particularly expensive. I just can't seem to kill the crabgrass. I've tried the pre-emergents, but never had much luck. I even sprayed the crabgrass with total weed and grass killer, didn't faze it, just left visibly brown patches with little green shoots poking through. One year when I was really mad, crazy mad, I picked every blade of it out of the front lawn. Took me all day and made my back hurt. It was gone for a while, but returned the next year. I'm told it's an annual weed, so where did the new seedlings come from? It never got a chance to seed that year.
I've tried ignoring it, but I swear it laughs at me. It grows for the most part next to the driveway, where I can't help but see it. I thought I had its number this year. I bought spray bottles, big ones, of crabgrass killer. I planned to spray it, and spray it, until it was dead, at least dead for this year. I didn't want to see it. I wanted to see nice lush grass take its place, the kind all my neighbors seem to have.
But whatever grows in my yard is not easily defeated. The first round of spray stopped its advance. The second round a week later stopped me. A couple hours after the application I found I couldn't take a deep breath. It felt as if half my lungs, the bottom half, had shut down. That was on Saturday. I figured it would go away in a few days. I wasn't wheezing yet, just couldn't get a good deep breath. In retrospect I should have seen a doctor right away, but instead I waited until Monday morning.
My doctor gave me a breathing test and I flunked. Allergy induced asthma was the diagnosis. I then had to breathe medicine through a tube to calm the inflammation and open up my lungs. It felt like heaven after the previous two days. I also got a device to use twice daily, and was told that in a couple weeks I would be okay. It actually was over three weeks before I felt normal again. The medication I was prescribed actually didn't help much, and when I read that one of the possible side effects was "death," I decided to just deal with it until I felt better.
So, the crabgrass won again this year, and cost me three weeks of biking fun.
I noticed that the small park near to us has no crabgrass. No one weeds it, or waters it. It does get mowed occasionally. Sometimes the grass goes brown when the rain doesn't fall for weeks and the temperature rises. Mother Nature obviously knows how to keep her pesky weed in check. Maybe I should follow her advice. If so, all I really have to do, is do nothing.
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
Technorati Tags:
life is good, Mother Nature, I like to bicycle, crabgrass, asthma, fumes, kill the weeds, crabgrass killer, couldn't take a deep breath, allergy induced asthma, free excerpt, mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter
Well, all in all life is good. I was not feeling too good several weeks ago, and I have to blame it on one of Mother Nature's peskier weeds.
I've never had an encounter with asthma until recently, and I feel really sorry for anyone who has to deal with it on a regular basis. Not being able to breathe well is awful...
Anyone who reads this blog knows I like to bicycle, in fact I like to bicycle a lot. And breathing hard when needed is certainly a part of that. I don't let myself get too scared about many things, but the asthma episode scared me. I have good lungs, and don't normally worry much about paint fumes and other types of fumes. I know they aren't good for you, but I figure I can deal with them if necessary.
Anyway, for the last six years I've hired a reputable company to kill the weeds in our lawn, and they did a good job on everything except the crabgrass, which was the reason I hired them. I can kill most weeds myself. I have no problem using a lawn spreader. It's not a big job, nor is it particularly expensive. I just can't seem to kill the crabgrass. I've tried the pre-emergents, but never had much luck. I even sprayed the crabgrass with total weed and grass killer, didn't faze it, just left visibly brown patches with little green shoots poking through. One year when I was really mad, crazy mad, I picked every blade of it out of the front lawn. Took me all day and made my back hurt. It was gone for a while, but returned the next year. I'm told it's an annual weed, so where did the new seedlings come from? It never got a chance to seed that year.
I've tried ignoring it, but I swear it laughs at me. It grows for the most part next to the driveway, where I can't help but see it. I thought I had its number this year. I bought spray bottles, big ones, of crabgrass killer. I planned to spray it, and spray it, until it was dead, at least dead for this year. I didn't want to see it. I wanted to see nice lush grass take its place, the kind all my neighbors seem to have.
But whatever grows in my yard is not easily defeated. The first round of spray stopped its advance. The second round a week later stopped me. A couple hours after the application I found I couldn't take a deep breath. It felt as if half my lungs, the bottom half, had shut down. That was on Saturday. I figured it would go away in a few days. I wasn't wheezing yet, just couldn't get a good deep breath. In retrospect I should have seen a doctor right away, but instead I waited until Monday morning.
My doctor gave me a breathing test and I flunked. Allergy induced asthma was the diagnosis. I then had to breathe medicine through a tube to calm the inflammation and open up my lungs. It felt like heaven after the previous two days. I also got a device to use twice daily, and was told that in a couple weeks I would be okay. It actually was over three weeks before I felt normal again. The medication I was prescribed actually didn't help much, and when I read that one of the possible side effects was "death," I decided to just deal with it until I felt better.
So, the crabgrass won again this year, and cost me three weeks of biking fun.
I noticed that the small park near to us has no crabgrass. No one weeds it, or waters it. It does get mowed occasionally. Sometimes the grass goes brown when the rain doesn't fall for weeks and the temperature rises. Mother Nature obviously knows how to keep her pesky weed in check. Maybe I should follow her advice. If so, all I really have to do, is do nothing.
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
Technorati Tags:
life is good, Mother Nature, I like to bicycle, crabgrass, asthma, fumes, kill the weeds, crabgrass killer, couldn't take a deep breath, allergy induced asthma, free excerpt, mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Biking in the Heat...
Hi,
The weather is hot, hot, hot here in Michigan. It makes it a lot harder to make the effort to go ride my bike, because I know how drained I will feel once I'm finished. And it will show. My face will be red, my body will be gritty with dirt and salt, my hair damp with sweat. I can't shower before I go to dinner with friends (my treat for working out) so I won't exactly look my best. But we all look bad, and we're used to seeing each other that way, so it's no big deal. It's sometimes surprising to see friends I don't see other than when I ride. Usually we see each other just as described, with helmet head, hair flattened on the top, then flaring at the sides, or if short, completely flat. The make-up, if added, disappeared after the first ten miles of sweating. One time, Beth, a biking friend, stopped by the ride to deliver a message after she'd just left work. I had to stare. She was gorgeous, hair done up, lipstick on, fashionable clothes, even heels... I had to compliment her, of course. It was quite a transformation.
You might wonder why someone would ride if it's all sweat and grit, but it's the wonderful feeling while riding that makes it a great experience. It's the closest I feel to being a kid again, only now I can leave the neighborhood. The beautiful scenery we pass is always uplifting, and I love the feeling of camaraderie riding as a group, flying up and down hills, around curving roads, through woods and alongside lakes. We stay off the main roads as much as possible, weaving through the neighborhoods, our ride leader determining the route.
This last Tuesday night was great. We did a long ride, 37 miles. We only stopped once to adjust someone's seat that had come loose. We talked when the pace slowed, kept quiet while going fast. That might be part of it too, the focus needed to make sure the ride goes well. You don't have time to think about bills, or problems. It's all about keeping an eye on the road, and the rider in front of you, and an awareness of everything around you. I ride with people I know, and that helps a lot. You know what to expect of each rider, and trust them to maintain their line and not brake unnecessarily. When riding with a group time flies, and the miles with it. It's fun. It really is.
It helps that I am in shape now. Riding when you are not in shape can be hell. I won't deny that. I had my share of heavy breathing earlier in the season. I lost the group once, and had to find my way back. I trailed them for almost a mile, and could not breathe. No one knew I was back, and I did not yell out. The unwritten rule is, the group will stop for a mechanical problem, but not if you can't keep up. You're supposed to come prepared to ride. Still, if I see someone having difficulty, I will yell, "rider back." Most other riders will too, if they see it. But when the group is going fast, you don't have time to look around. That is what happened to me.
The temperature is supposed to rise to 90 degrees today. It was 92 yesterday with high humidity. I think the hottest weather I've ever ridden in is 95 degrees, so chances are I'll try to ride tonight. My group, the Wolverines, has never canceled a ride because of the heat...
I'll look forward to dinner, and then a nice cool shower. :)
Talk to you soon...
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
Technorati Tags:
weather hot, Michigan, dinner with friends, helmet head, biking, sweat and grit, wonderful feeling, camaraderie, 90 degrees, riding with a group, in shape, Wolverines, mystery romantic suspense novel, Her Last Letter
The weather is hot, hot, hot here in Michigan. It makes it a lot harder to make the effort to go ride my bike, because I know how drained I will feel once I'm finished. And it will show. My face will be red, my body will be gritty with dirt and salt, my hair damp with sweat. I can't shower before I go to dinner with friends (my treat for working out) so I won't exactly look my best. But we all look bad, and we're used to seeing each other that way, so it's no big deal. It's sometimes surprising to see friends I don't see other than when I ride. Usually we see each other just as described, with helmet head, hair flattened on the top, then flaring at the sides, or if short, completely flat. The make-up, if added, disappeared after the first ten miles of sweating. One time, Beth, a biking friend, stopped by the ride to deliver a message after she'd just left work. I had to stare. She was gorgeous, hair done up, lipstick on, fashionable clothes, even heels... I had to compliment her, of course. It was quite a transformation.
You might wonder why someone would ride if it's all sweat and grit, but it's the wonderful feeling while riding that makes it a great experience. It's the closest I feel to being a kid again, only now I can leave the neighborhood. The beautiful scenery we pass is always uplifting, and I love the feeling of camaraderie riding as a group, flying up and down hills, around curving roads, through woods and alongside lakes. We stay off the main roads as much as possible, weaving through the neighborhoods, our ride leader determining the route.
This last Tuesday night was great. We did a long ride, 37 miles. We only stopped once to adjust someone's seat that had come loose. We talked when the pace slowed, kept quiet while going fast. That might be part of it too, the focus needed to make sure the ride goes well. You don't have time to think about bills, or problems. It's all about keeping an eye on the road, and the rider in front of you, and an awareness of everything around you. I ride with people I know, and that helps a lot. You know what to expect of each rider, and trust them to maintain their line and not brake unnecessarily. When riding with a group time flies, and the miles with it. It's fun. It really is.
It helps that I am in shape now. Riding when you are not in shape can be hell. I won't deny that. I had my share of heavy breathing earlier in the season. I lost the group once, and had to find my way back. I trailed them for almost a mile, and could not breathe. No one knew I was back, and I did not yell out. The unwritten rule is, the group will stop for a mechanical problem, but not if you can't keep up. You're supposed to come prepared to ride. Still, if I see someone having difficulty, I will yell, "rider back." Most other riders will too, if they see it. But when the group is going fast, you don't have time to look around. That is what happened to me.
The temperature is supposed to rise to 90 degrees today. It was 92 yesterday with high humidity. I think the hottest weather I've ever ridden in is 95 degrees, so chances are I'll try to ride tonight. My group, the Wolverines, has never canceled a ride because of the heat...
I'll look forward to dinner, and then a nice cool shower. :)
Talk to you soon...
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
Technorati Tags:
weather hot, Michigan, dinner with friends, helmet head, biking, sweat and grit, wonderful feeling, camaraderie, 90 degrees, riding with a group, in shape, Wolverines, mystery romantic suspense novel, Her Last Letter
Monday, May 25, 2009
Chicago
Sometimes opportunities just drop into your lap. For instance, I was having dinner with a group of friends when one of them, my friend Sharon, mentioned she was attending a workshop in Chicago. She was excited about the weekend workshop, but had never been to Chicago and was wishing she had someone to go with her. Though the workshop ran all day, she would be able to see a bit of the city in the evening, but only if someone came with her. Otherwise, she would likely spend the evening in the hotel or close to it. Her workshop was in Rosemont, about 16 miles from the city, and though she could easily take a taxi into town, it just wouldn't be that much fun for her alone. I thought about it for a moment, then told her that depending on the date, I would be happy to join her. I had a book signing coming up, but other than that, my weekends were pretty much free.
(On a side note, my husband just called out for me to come outside. Some World War II planes were flying overhead in formation. Today is Memorial Day, so my guess is they were headed to an air show. So cool... )
Anyway, back to my topic. We had a great time. Sharon booked the Doubletree Hotel in Rosemont and got a low rate. Her event was at another hotel, a block and a half away, which she could easily walk to. We drove to Chicago, about a five and a half hour trip, early on a Thursday morning. Since we forgot about the one hour time change from Michigan, we also gained an additional hour. The event didn't start until one o'clock, so we asked the hotel connoisseur if he might suggest a good restaurant for lunch that wasn't too pricey. We went to Maria's, a Mexican restaurant about three blocks away, and they were featuring an all you can eat buffet, really really good ... all types of delicious Mexican dishes, plus fruit: watermelon and grapes, along with a sweet apple tart of some sort. We also each ordered a margarita, very tasty. The buffet was really inexpensive, $7.50, and even including the $7.00 margarita, was a great deal.
The Doubletree Hotel was beautiful, and the rooms large, with a big picture window in our sixth floor room for viewing the surrounding area. We had a flat screen television, large bathroom with a huge walk-in shower and a separate bathtub, two comfortable queen size beds with "Sweet Dreams" sheets to curl up into, and even a desk for your computer plus two more comfortable chairs to sit in if you felt like reading or just relaxing. The hotel had everything you could need, restaurant, business center with computers, a bar lounge connecting to another restaurant, banquet rooms. It was quite the hotel. I was happy to find out about the indoor heated pool and hot tub, plus a small, but adequate exercise room. I especially liked the ice filled water coolers, in both the lobby and exercise room, in which they added fresh lemon and orange slices. Totally refreshing.
Instead of taking a taxi into Chicago, we used the elevated train located only two blocks from the hotel. It was an adventure for us for sure. We had to ask a few questions about obtaining tickets and which stops would take us downtown, but everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. I had not been to Chicago for many many years, and had never used the 'L.' The trip took about twenty minutes, then we followed people out and eventually ended up on the street. After a few more questions and lots more walking we found Michigan Avenue. It was a beautiful night, the tall buildings lit up and thousands of people strolling. The boulevards were lined with tulips, and about every third street corner we would be entertained by musicians with saxophones and violins, or just singing their favorite songs. We stopped by Millennium Park and walked under "The Bean," way cool, then continued down Michigan Avenue as we were getting hungry. My daughter had suggested several restaurants for us to try, and since it wasn't too far and we were getting tired of walking, we decided to try The Cheesecake Factory. People were eating outdoors under tall heat lamps, but we chose the interior of the restaurant instead so we could do some people watching. It was a great restaurant. Sharon chose a delicious salad and I chose a shrimp and angel hair pasta dish. I don't know how they prepared the shrimp, but Sharon and I agreed it was the best we'd ever tasted. The pasta was incredible too. The restaurant was really crowded considering it was a Thursday night, but not hard to believe considering the quality of the food. By the time we returned to the hotel it was almost eleven-thirty, so it was lights out for us. Sharon's workshop resumed at eight-thirty the next morning.
Unfortunately, the next day was cool and rainy and a bit windy, not a good day to walk Chicago again. Instead we visited Navy Pier, and that was active and very crowded on a Friday night. Many were attending the IMAX Theater located there; others like us, were just hanging out. The big Ferris wheel was closed, but Sharon had indicated to me she didn't want to ride it anyway. Rides like that upset her stomach. I might have taken a ride had it been great weather, but it definitely wasn't. We enjoyed walking through all the stores and checking out the restaurants. It's a lot bigger than you might guess considering it is actually built on a pier. I was impressed. We toured the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows, with huge intricate stained glass pieces donated for the public to view. I've never seen anything like it. You could spend many hours there. After all our sightseeing we decided to have dinner at Riva Chicago, and wow, what a meal. I chose the salmon and Sharon the scallops. The view from the restaurant is awe inspiring, two story windows look out at the boats with the city of Chicago as a backdrop.
I could go on and on about my trip to Chicago, and possibly I'll add some more highlights next time I write. For now, I intend to spend some time out on the deck in this near eighty degree weather...
Enjoy your Memorial Day!
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
Technorati Tags:
opportunites, group of friends, weekend workshop, Chicago, see the city, Rosemont, taxi into town, book signing, Memorial Day, World War II planes, air show, Doubletree Hotel, hotel connnoisseur, Mexican restaurant, margarita, Sweet Dreams, elevated train, 'L', downtown, Millennium Park, The Cheesecake Factory, Navy Pier, IMAX Theater, Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows, Riva Chicago, mystery romantic suspense novel. Her Last Letter
(On a side note, my husband just called out for me to come outside. Some World War II planes were flying overhead in formation. Today is Memorial Day, so my guess is they were headed to an air show. So cool... )
Anyway, back to my topic. We had a great time. Sharon booked the Doubletree Hotel in Rosemont and got a low rate. Her event was at another hotel, a block and a half away, which she could easily walk to. We drove to Chicago, about a five and a half hour trip, early on a Thursday morning. Since we forgot about the one hour time change from Michigan, we also gained an additional hour. The event didn't start until one o'clock, so we asked the hotel connoisseur if he might suggest a good restaurant for lunch that wasn't too pricey. We went to Maria's, a Mexican restaurant about three blocks away, and they were featuring an all you can eat buffet, really really good ... all types of delicious Mexican dishes, plus fruit: watermelon and grapes, along with a sweet apple tart of some sort. We also each ordered a margarita, very tasty. The buffet was really inexpensive, $7.50, and even including the $7.00 margarita, was a great deal.
The Doubletree Hotel was beautiful, and the rooms large, with a big picture window in our sixth floor room for viewing the surrounding area. We had a flat screen television, large bathroom with a huge walk-in shower and a separate bathtub, two comfortable queen size beds with "Sweet Dreams" sheets to curl up into, and even a desk for your computer plus two more comfortable chairs to sit in if you felt like reading or just relaxing. The hotel had everything you could need, restaurant, business center with computers, a bar lounge connecting to another restaurant, banquet rooms. It was quite the hotel. I was happy to find out about the indoor heated pool and hot tub, plus a small, but adequate exercise room. I especially liked the ice filled water coolers, in both the lobby and exercise room, in which they added fresh lemon and orange slices. Totally refreshing.
Instead of taking a taxi into Chicago, we used the elevated train located only two blocks from the hotel. It was an adventure for us for sure. We had to ask a few questions about obtaining tickets and which stops would take us downtown, but everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. I had not been to Chicago for many many years, and had never used the 'L.' The trip took about twenty minutes, then we followed people out and eventually ended up on the street. After a few more questions and lots more walking we found Michigan Avenue. It was a beautiful night, the tall buildings lit up and thousands of people strolling. The boulevards were lined with tulips, and about every third street corner we would be entertained by musicians with saxophones and violins, or just singing their favorite songs. We stopped by Millennium Park and walked under "The Bean," way cool, then continued down Michigan Avenue as we were getting hungry. My daughter had suggested several restaurants for us to try, and since it wasn't too far and we were getting tired of walking, we decided to try The Cheesecake Factory. People were eating outdoors under tall heat lamps, but we chose the interior of the restaurant instead so we could do some people watching. It was a great restaurant. Sharon chose a delicious salad and I chose a shrimp and angel hair pasta dish. I don't know how they prepared the shrimp, but Sharon and I agreed it was the best we'd ever tasted. The pasta was incredible too. The restaurant was really crowded considering it was a Thursday night, but not hard to believe considering the quality of the food. By the time we returned to the hotel it was almost eleven-thirty, so it was lights out for us. Sharon's workshop resumed at eight-thirty the next morning.
Unfortunately, the next day was cool and rainy and a bit windy, not a good day to walk Chicago again. Instead we visited Navy Pier, and that was active and very crowded on a Friday night. Many were attending the IMAX Theater located there; others like us, were just hanging out. The big Ferris wheel was closed, but Sharon had indicated to me she didn't want to ride it anyway. Rides like that upset her stomach. I might have taken a ride had it been great weather, but it definitely wasn't. We enjoyed walking through all the stores and checking out the restaurants. It's a lot bigger than you might guess considering it is actually built on a pier. I was impressed. We toured the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows, with huge intricate stained glass pieces donated for the public to view. I've never seen anything like it. You could spend many hours there. After all our sightseeing we decided to have dinner at Riva Chicago, and wow, what a meal. I chose the salmon and Sharon the scallops. The view from the restaurant is awe inspiring, two story windows look out at the boats with the city of Chicago as a backdrop.
I could go on and on about my trip to Chicago, and possibly I'll add some more highlights next time I write. For now, I intend to spend some time out on the deck in this near eighty degree weather...
Enjoy your Memorial Day!
Visit my website to read a FREE EXCERPT of my mystery romantic-suspense novel, Her Last Letter.
http://www.nancy-cjohnson.com/
Books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and can be ordered through most bookstores.
Technorati Tags:
opportunites, group of friends, weekend workshop, Chicago, see the city, Rosemont, taxi into town, book signing, Memorial Day, World War II planes, air show, Doubletree Hotel, hotel connnoisseur, Mexican restaurant, margarita, Sweet Dreams, elevated train, 'L', downtown, Millennium Park, The Cheesecake Factory, Navy Pier, IMAX Theater, Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows, Riva Chicago, mystery romantic suspense novel. Her Last Letter
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)