One Down, Five to Go

Craft shows, that is. Yesterday's show was a wonderful venue with the nicest people one could hope to meet. Unfortunately, it rained all day and made for the worst sales ever. Still, it was fun, but tiring. (I went to bed at 7:30 and slept until nearly six. Today I'm ready to slay dragons.)

The photo below shows my booth. The counter in back made a great area for additional displays. Note my books in the right-hand corner.

Late Harvest should appear live on Amazon maybe as early as tomorrow. Yay! I'll post the link as soon as it's available. Thank you Kim, for making this possible.

The Arts and Crafts Season has Begun

My first autumn craft show is tomorrow. Went down today to set up tables, coverings, etc.I've been making pendants, earrings, rosaries and many other items in anticipation of robust sales.

On the book front, my editor should be approving (or not) the proof copy of my book. As soon as that happens, she places the print order. Yahoo, it's almost in my grubby hands. I might break open a bottle of late harvest riesling to celebrate!

Getting close

My book release date, that is. It's hard to believe that LATE HARVEST is four short weeks away from becoming a book I can hold in my hands. Yep, I just finished the final read of my galley and sent it back for the last tweak. I have an ISBN number, so it must be happening.

On the jewelry front, I am madly working on a few items for the autumn arts and crafts events that start October 30th. Just finished a garnet and sterling rosary--great for a Christmas or birthday gift for a January gal.

I am currently reading BREAKTHROUGH by Suzanne Somers. Have come to the conclusion if anyone's gonna take charge of my health and well-being, it's going to have to be me. Lots of excellent information about how the body functions, especially as we age.

Autumn is truly here. Warm days, cool nights and our first rain of the season.

Wishing all of you a lovely fall season.

A Bit of This 'n That

After one last stand, summer has bid goodbye. We awoke to howling winds and an overcast sky. Working in my art studio, I was obliged to turn on the space heater. Wow! Only last week it was the fan that I had running.

I made a moonstone pendant wrapped in gold, and in less than two hours it had sold. I wish I could find more stones like this. I also canned several pints of salsa from an abundance of ripe tomatoes. Tomatoes, onion, diced jalapenos and cilantro. Yum!

Okay, it's now October and time to gear up for my book launch. I'll be blogging at several sites and will be offering prizes (think jewelry), maybe a recipe or two. I'll also be offering a Hallowe'en article for The Romance Studio's Spookapalooza starting October 6th. To get you in the mood, here's an Irish recipe for Barm Brack.

Photos are of the moonstone pendant and my beloved kitty Debra on a pumpkin we grew from seed and a scary house--Coppinger's Court in County Cork. Seasonally appropriate, don't you think?

Natural Weed Abatement - Too Cute!

This has absolutely nothing to do with jewelry, books, cookery or home gardening, but I thought it might be of interest. Pasatiempo, a world-class golf course in Santa Cruz, is built on hilly ground with numerous barrancas that are hard to clear of brush and poison oak. Enter an alternative weed abatement control: goats courtesy of Brush Goats 4 Hire. These cute guys were trucked in three days ago and immediately set out doing what goats do best...eating everything in sight.

My husband does the photography for the Audubon Wildlife Program at the course, also for any improvements such as the new low-water landscaping just completed. So here are some shots of the horned critters arriving in their special trailer, "on the job," and generally being photogenic. Note the dog with them in the trailer, one of two Anatolians--Turkish guard dogs--who safeguard the goats from coyotes.