Welcome to my daily blog. If this is your first time, I'm a romance writer and a misplaced city girl currently living in the wild Sierras. I tend to have a lot of I-Love-Lucy moments that I share here but sometimes we talk about books, TV, and our favorite cookies. Okay, my favorite cookies. In any case, please feel free to comment by clicking on the Comments at the bottom of any entry. If you're too shy, that's okay, just know I love having you.

August 28, 2009 | Filed under: Stuff

I knew from the moment she fell asleep like this on her first day home with us that she was going to be something special.

It was in her eyes.

They always, without fail, revealed her thoughts. Granted, her thoughts were simple, such as “hey dudette, it’s butt ass cold out here, how about some hot chocolate?”

One of her finest traits was her laid-back-ness, her easy-going ways that allowed her to love everyone and everything, including a very bitchy cat who liked to used Mountain Barbie to sharpen her claws.

But Mountain Barbie’s greatest love was the water. It didn’t matter if it was a puddle or a sprinkler or the lake. She was game.

And I realize that this picture gives the impression that she was a hard working dog …

But actually, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Mountain Barbie mastered in nap-taking, and had it down to a fine science.

She wasn’t much for complex thinking, our Mountain Barbie.

But she was truly one of a kind.

August 27, 2009 | Filed under: Stuff

I have four teenage girls living in this house, five if you count Oldest home from UCLA. I love each and every one of them.

When they’re sleeping.

Because I have to tell you, with this much estrogen in the house, it’s not always pretty. And it’s NEVER silent. I think Alpha Man is starting to lose it. He came home from work, plopped on the couch and went straight into King Of The Remote land. Neither a fight over a hair brush nor a bbq fire (don’t ask) broke his concentration, and this was during a commercial. Five different times someone different tried to get his opinion on something and he managed to maintain eye contact with the glowing box. You know what this meant, right? That I got to navigate the muddy waters of negotiations and deciding who lived and died.

In my next life, I get to be the penis-carrying human in this house.

August 26, 2009 | Filed under: Stuff

Update:
I am blown away by the response and the wonderful recipes! You guys ROCK!!! Thank you for coming through for me, can’t wait to try these out!!!

Original post:
Okay, I need your help. I’m tapped out in the kitchen and bored with my dubious cooking talents. So here’s what I’m thinking. I’m thinking that you can save the day. Do a hungry, overworked, underpaid author a favor and list me a favorite, relatively EASY dinner recipe?

My kids will thank you. Alpha Man will thank you.

My tummy will thank you.

P.S. I’ll draw names from all of you who post, and you can pick a book from my backlist OR an ARC from the October novella Kissing Santa Claus, which I just got in the mail today!

P.S.S. And for those of you whose last name is Shalvis, yes you are still in the dog house and will remain there until whoever stole my chocolate glazed donut replaces it. I NEED THAT DONUT.

August 25, 2009 | Filed under: Stuff

Found out I’ve been nominated for Most Humorous Blog by Book Blogger’s Appreciation Week. You know, if I let myself think about the fact that I blog about my life, and that people seem to find my I Love Lucy adventures (or misadventures, depending on how you look at it) funny, it might make me just a little self conscious.

So I won’t think about it. I’ll just say thanks for reading and listening to the things that go on in Jill’s World. As for what’s going on today, it’s the last day before school starts, which means we’re going to sit by the lake and eat too much and in general bemoan and groan the fact that it’s over.

Sob! Tomorrow I return to the land of adulthood instead of the land of teenagehood that I’ve been living in all summer. Tomorrow I will for the first time in two months be alone in the house without music blasting, teens whining, and having to fight for the best chair on the deck.

Huh. Maybe it won’t be so bad after all.

August 24, 2009 | Filed under: Stuff

Sure, you were late to show up, but you did eventually make your appearance, and I loved you for it. In fact, I’m having a hard time believing it’s almost over. Thanks for sticking around this weekend, when we finally had Oldest home, and we were all together.

It was the bestest weekend ever.

Of course, Summer, as you know, sometimes togetherness has it’s price. With estrogen in overflow, there was plenty little tiffs. Like when Middle tried to get Youngest to smile.

It didn’t work.

But I appreciated your efforts to keep us warm, Summer. Here Oldest and Alpha Man, two peas in a pod by the way, having a daughter/father moment beneath your lovely rays.

Middle pretending to be sweet.

None of us bought it, of course. And dear Summer, I loved it when you shined so bright as Oldest climbed the boat tower to jump into the water, looking quite adorable if I say so myself.

Good by dear Summer, good bye dear Oldest. Good bye boat hair.

Thanks for seeing the last of your season out with a bang, I’ll remember you fondly throughout all of autumn, and by winter, I’ll be crying for you. Maybe you’ll think of me too, and won’t take as long to show up next year?

August 21, 2009 | Filed under: Stuff

We’ve had some wild thunder and lightning storms. On my hikes, I’ve seen some fairly awesome damage. Look at this tree which was hit and knocked clear in half.

And then this virtual graveyard from a particularly violent storm.

But this one really drew me. Not sure why.

I know I was obsessed with the sky the last time I had my camera on my hike, but today, it’s poor, dead trees. My family probably wishes I’d be obsessed with things like laundry and putting food in the fridge, but I’m just not feeling it.