I'm very happy to announce the winners of my first ever giveaway!
Grand prize winner of the Amazon Gift Certificate: Caren of Cat Chat with Caren & Cody
First prize winner of the True Blood box set: K.C. Woolf of The Woman Condition
Runner-up prize winner of 'Salem's Lot: Talli Roland of Talli Roland
Congratulations to the winners, and thank you again to everyone who participated. This was a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to doing another giveaway in the future.
I hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
So Excited!
I've been on cloud nine all week, as I signed a contract to write an article for Cat Fancy magazine!! This will be the first time I will have an article in a print magazine, and I'm beyond thrilled about it.
I couldn't believe it when I got the e-mail saying my query had been accepted, as I sent the query way back in January, and had completely written it off after all this time without a response. I was totally shocked when I saw a reply in my e-mail. For a few minutes I just stared at it without opening it as I was sure it was going to be another "thanks, but no thanks" response and, as I was having a good day, I didn't want to ruin my mood with another rejection.
I finally opened the e-mail, and needless to say it did not ruin my good mood. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that it was a personal reply from the managing editor, and she was interested in my article! I started doing a happy dance around my place, and I haven't really stopped dancing yet. (If you'd ever seen me dance, you would know what a scary spectacle this is. :D )
Anyway, I got the contract and it's all official, I'm going to write an article for the November, 2011 issue. I'm so excited I'm just bouncing off the walls, and I know when November comes I will buy up every issue of Cat Fancy that I can find. The people at my local Barnes & Noble will probably think I am more than a little crazy. Or that I just REALLY like reading about cats. :D
As I had shared in my Anniversary Giveaway post, June was already going to be a big month for me as it is my sixth month anniversary of blogging, and my first paid article in an online publication is scheduled to be published in June. Now, June just got even better! I still have to pinch myself to believe this is all true and my query really was accepted.
This writing journey has been such a thrill for me, and these past six months have been so wonderful, I honestly can't remember the last time I felt this good. I'm excited to see what comes next, and I am so grateful to have the chance to share this experience with my blogging pals!
I couldn't believe it when I got the e-mail saying my query had been accepted, as I sent the query way back in January, and had completely written it off after all this time without a response. I was totally shocked when I saw a reply in my e-mail. For a few minutes I just stared at it without opening it as I was sure it was going to be another "thanks, but no thanks" response and, as I was having a good day, I didn't want to ruin my mood with another rejection.
I finally opened the e-mail, and needless to say it did not ruin my good mood. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that it was a personal reply from the managing editor, and she was interested in my article! I started doing a happy dance around my place, and I haven't really stopped dancing yet. (If you'd ever seen me dance, you would know what a scary spectacle this is. :D )
Anyway, I got the contract and it's all official, I'm going to write an article for the November, 2011 issue. I'm so excited I'm just bouncing off the walls, and I know when November comes I will buy up every issue of Cat Fancy that I can find. The people at my local Barnes & Noble will probably think I am more than a little crazy. Or that I just REALLY like reading about cats. :D
As I had shared in my Anniversary Giveaway post, June was already going to be a big month for me as it is my sixth month anniversary of blogging, and my first paid article in an online publication is scheduled to be published in June. Now, June just got even better! I still have to pinch myself to believe this is all true and my query really was accepted.
This writing journey has been such a thrill for me, and these past six months have been so wonderful, I honestly can't remember the last time I felt this good. I'm excited to see what comes next, and I am so grateful to have the chance to share this experience with my blogging pals!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Travels With Clancy: Sharon Woods Gorge
Clancy and I got back to our Travels project last weekend by making a trip to the Sharon Woods Gorge in Sharonville, Ohio. The Sharon Woods park is north of Cincinnati, and is one of the largest parks in the Hamilton County, Ohio park system.
I'd never heard of this Gorge, which seems crazy since it is only about 40 minutes away from where I live. But that is part of the fun of this project, as I've already discovered several nearby places that I was not at all familiar with prior to starting my Travels with Clancy.
As we seem to have skipped spring and jumped right into the dog days of summer, Clancy and I got up early Sunday morning so we could walk the Gorge before the intense midday heat. Due to his thick black coat, the afternoon sun is not Clancy's friend.
We got to the park and, after asking directions from the man at the gate, parked in the shade near the start of the Gorge Trail.
The trail is .7 miles long each way, so it's an easy 1 1/2 mile walk to complete. It starts in the Buckeye Falls area of the park.
Clancy and I started down the trail, and quickly came to another waterfall.
This area of the trail is simply beautiful, and there is a nice overlook with a bench where walkers can sit and enjoy the falls. It's quite peaceful to sit on the bench and listen to the sounds of the rushing water, and the morning songs of nearby birds.
Clancy wasn't interested in sitting for very long, but he did agree to have his picture taken at the overlook.
As you can see from the picture, the drop is steep. Since Clancy and I are both as clumsy as you can get, we had to be extremely careful near the edge.
Not far from the falls, we came upon this "Blueprints of the Past" sign. The sign informed us that the Gorge used to be covered by the Ordovician Sea, which was a tropical body of water.
Apparently, the Ordovician time period was more than 4 million years ago, and is considered part of the Paleozoic Era. It is named for a Celtic tribe called the Ordovices. According to the sign, the Gorge is filled with fossils from this era, and I would imagine it is a great place for geology students to visit.
The trail continues along the limestone creek bed, and I was struck by how lush and green everything was.
While it was a very bright and sunny morning, the trees were so dense that they functioned as a canopy, only allowing peeks of sun to get through. As a result, the trail was quite cool regardless of the day's temperature.
We kept walking, and eventually came to a quaint wooden bridge.
After crossing the bridge, the trail makes a fairly steep ascent, and the cliffs reach a peak of about 90 feet.
Once again, my partner in clumsiness and I needed to be very careful.
I was surprised to come upon yet another waterfall, probably the tallest of the three.
Not long past the final waterfall, the trail ends at Kreis Dam and Sharon Woods Lake.
There is a paved trail that circles the lake, but the sun was a bit much for Clancy by this time, so we returned to the shade and headed back the way we came.
The Sharon Gorge is an absolutely beautiful trail, and feels like stepping into a forest in the middle of the city. I intend to return to the Gorge in the fall, as I have no doubt that the foliage will be stunning.
As we left Sharon Woods, we passed a few mastodons near a "Mastodon Crossing" sign, a cute nod to the geologic history of the area. Fortunately, we didn't have to stop for any mastodons crossing the road.
Clancy and I had a fantastic morning at the Gorge, and enjoyed meeting other dogs and walkers along the trail. It's safe to say that our second Travels project was a success, and we're looking forward to trip #3 this weekend.
We hope you'll continue to follow us on our adventures!
I'd never heard of this Gorge, which seems crazy since it is only about 40 minutes away from where I live. But that is part of the fun of this project, as I've already discovered several nearby places that I was not at all familiar with prior to starting my Travels with Clancy.
As we seem to have skipped spring and jumped right into the dog days of summer, Clancy and I got up early Sunday morning so we could walk the Gorge before the intense midday heat. Due to his thick black coat, the afternoon sun is not Clancy's friend.
We got to the park and, after asking directions from the man at the gate, parked in the shade near the start of the Gorge Trail.
The trail is .7 miles long each way, so it's an easy 1 1/2 mile walk to complete. It starts in the Buckeye Falls area of the park.
Clancy and I started down the trail, and quickly came to another waterfall.
This area of the trail is simply beautiful, and there is a nice overlook with a bench where walkers can sit and enjoy the falls. It's quite peaceful to sit on the bench and listen to the sounds of the rushing water, and the morning songs of nearby birds.
Clancy wasn't interested in sitting for very long, but he did agree to have his picture taken at the overlook.
As you can see from the picture, the drop is steep. Since Clancy and I are both as clumsy as you can get, we had to be extremely careful near the edge.
Not far from the falls, we came upon this "Blueprints of the Past" sign. The sign informed us that the Gorge used to be covered by the Ordovician Sea, which was a tropical body of water.
Apparently, the Ordovician time period was more than 4 million years ago, and is considered part of the Paleozoic Era. It is named for a Celtic tribe called the Ordovices. According to the sign, the Gorge is filled with fossils from this era, and I would imagine it is a great place for geology students to visit.
The trail continues along the limestone creek bed, and I was struck by how lush and green everything was.
While it was a very bright and sunny morning, the trees were so dense that they functioned as a canopy, only allowing peeks of sun to get through. As a result, the trail was quite cool regardless of the day's temperature.
We kept walking, and eventually came to a quaint wooden bridge.
After crossing the bridge, the trail makes a fairly steep ascent, and the cliffs reach a peak of about 90 feet.
Once again, my partner in clumsiness and I needed to be very careful.
I was surprised to come upon yet another waterfall, probably the tallest of the three.
Not long past the final waterfall, the trail ends at Kreis Dam and Sharon Woods Lake.
There is a paved trail that circles the lake, but the sun was a bit much for Clancy by this time, so we returned to the shade and headed back the way we came.
The Sharon Gorge is an absolutely beautiful trail, and feels like stepping into a forest in the middle of the city. I intend to return to the Gorge in the fall, as I have no doubt that the foliage will be stunning.
As we left Sharon Woods, we passed a few mastodons near a "Mastodon Crossing" sign, a cute nod to the geologic history of the area. Fortunately, we didn't have to stop for any mastodons crossing the road.
Clancy and I had a fantastic morning at the Gorge, and enjoyed meeting other dogs and walkers along the trail. It's safe to say that our second Travels project was a success, and we're looking forward to trip #3 this weekend.
We hope you'll continue to follow us on our adventures!
Monday, June 6, 2011
It's All Fun & Games Blogfest
Hello and welcome to my fellow Fun & Games bloggers!
My three games? Euchre, Oh, hell, and Yahtzee.
1) Euchre
I love playing cards, and have ever since my brother taught me to play poker when I was a little kid. When I was in college at Ohio State, I learned to play Euchre. It's been my favorite game ever since.
Euchre is a trump game, and is played with four players, who pair off in sets of two. The highest card is the jack of the selected trump suit, called the right bower, and the second highest card is the jack of the same color, the left bower. All other cards are ranked according to face value. The hand above would be the perfect, unbeatable hand for a round with spades as trump.
I've never been particularly great at the game, but I've always loved it. While I usually end up with a hand full of 9s (the lowest card in Euchre,) nothing beats picking up your cards and seeing those jacks and aces.
2) Oh, hell
I learned to play Oh, hell as a child, when I was about 12 years old. My mother's cousins were big card players, and I remember visiting them and learning to play Oh, hell. Even though I was only 12 and the other players were adults, I took to the game at once. It became a family joke as I was so serious about the game, I acted as if I was in Vegas playing high-stakes poker. Unfortunately, I didn't win, and my 12 year old self was not the least bit happy about that.
I don't take it seriously any more, but I still enjoy the game, which involves taking tricks. The object of the game is to bid the exact amount of tricks you think you will be able to take in each hand. I often play the game now with family members on holidays, and we always have a lot of laughs while playing.
3) Yahtzee
This is another game I've loved since childhood, and the picture above brings back wonderful memories. This is the original Yahtzee game that was sold back in 1956, and the set my family had when I was a kid looked just like this. We would bring the game with us to Martha's Vineyard each summer, and play while we sat around the table after a day at the beach. I loved rolling the dice in the little wooden container, and keeping track of my score with the little golf-style pencils. I have no idea what happened to this set, but I'd love to find it again.
So those are my games. It was fun to pick these, and I want to say thanks again to Alex J Cavanaugh for hosting this blogfest!
My three games? Euchre, Oh, hell, and Yahtzee.
1) Euchre
 |
| Source: Wikipedia |
I love playing cards, and have ever since my brother taught me to play poker when I was a little kid. When I was in college at Ohio State, I learned to play Euchre. It's been my favorite game ever since.
Euchre is a trump game, and is played with four players, who pair off in sets of two. The highest card is the jack of the selected trump suit, called the right bower, and the second highest card is the jack of the same color, the left bower. All other cards are ranked according to face value. The hand above would be the perfect, unbeatable hand for a round with spades as trump.
I've never been particularly great at the game, but I've always loved it. While I usually end up with a hand full of 9s (the lowest card in Euchre,) nothing beats picking up your cards and seeing those jacks and aces.
2) Oh, hell
 | |
| Source: publicdomainpictures.net |
I learned to play Oh, hell as a child, when I was about 12 years old. My mother's cousins were big card players, and I remember visiting them and learning to play Oh, hell. Even though I was only 12 and the other players were adults, I took to the game at once. It became a family joke as I was so serious about the game, I acted as if I was in Vegas playing high-stakes poker. Unfortunately, I didn't win, and my 12 year old self was not the least bit happy about that.
I don't take it seriously any more, but I still enjoy the game, which involves taking tricks. The object of the game is to bid the exact amount of tricks you think you will be able to take in each hand. I often play the game now with family members on holidays, and we always have a lot of laughs while playing.
3) Yahtzee
 |
| Source: Wikipedia |
This is another game I've loved since childhood, and the picture above brings back wonderful memories. This is the original Yahtzee game that was sold back in 1956, and the set my family had when I was a kid looked just like this. We would bring the game with us to Martha's Vineyard each summer, and play while we sat around the table after a day at the beach. I loved rolling the dice in the little wooden container, and keeping track of my score with the little golf-style pencils. I have no idea what happened to this set, but I'd love to find it again.
So those are my games. It was fun to pick these, and I want to say thanks again to Alex J Cavanaugh for hosting this blogfest!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
It's All Fun & Games Blogfest and The A to Z Followup
I just learned of the It's All Fun & Games Blogfest, hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh, while visiting Bards & Prophets over the weekend. I'm glad I learned of it in time, as it seems like a great blogfest. The Fun & Games are tomorrow, June 6th, so there's still time to sign up if you want to participate.
Here is the description of the Blogfest from Alex's sign-up page:
"It’s All Fun & Games Blogfest, June 6, 2011 - list your three most favorite games and why. Board games, card games, RPG, video games, physical games, drinking games - even mind games! If it’s a game you enjoy playing, it’s worth sharing."
To sign up, visit Alex's page here. I'm looking forward to reading everyone's choices for their games. Thanks to Alex for hosting this fun event!!
Also, I'm thrilled to be co-hosting a follow-up to the April A-Z Challenge. Shannon at The Warrior Muse and Tina at Life is Good came up with the idea to challenge ourselves to visit all of the wonderful blogs we missed during the crazy days of April. I thought this was a fantastic idea, as my favorite part of participating in the April Challenge was meeting so many great bloggers. There were so many participants that I know I missed tons, so I'm excited to go back and catch up now.
There's no official start or end date for this challenge, but the intention was to make it a summer event. I know Shannon wrote that her goal was to work on this from June to September, and that sounds like a good plan to me. So I am looking forward to meeting many new bloggers over the summer!
I'm delighted to have the chance to co-host, as this is the first time I've ever hosted any type of blog event. I'm still figuring out how to add the linky to my site so I don't have the sign-up list here yet, but if you want to sign up, visit Shannon at The Warrior Muse. You can access the list of A-Z participants through the Tossing It Out page here.
Thanks again to Alex, Shannon, and Tina for these fun opportunities!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Giveaway Reminder, a Blog Award, and a Free Book!
Just a reminder that the deadline to enter my Sixth Month Anniversary Giveaway is Saturday, June 11th, at midnight, Eastern Standard Time. If you want to enter for a chance to win an Amazon gift certificate or some great vampire books, just leave a comment here. Thanks to everyone who has already entered or commented in the thread!
Also, I was thrilled to win a giveaway myself earlier this week. Amy at The Ramblings of Amy gave away some copies of her book They Walk, which is the first in a trilogy. I haven't had the chance to start reading it yet, but I've no doubt it will be great, and I was very excited to win a copy of the book. So I wanted to send a big thank you to Amy, and encourage everyone who is not already familiar with her blog to check it out!
Thanks are also due to L. Carroll at Lor Mandela. She was kind enough to surprise me with The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award, even calling my little home here "the cat's meow." :D I am very grateful and appreciate the award so much. Lor Mandela is another great blog and I would encourage everyone to take a look if you are not already a follower.
So thank you again to Amy and L. Carroll for bringing smiles to my week with these great surprises!
Happy weekend, everyone! :)
Also, I was thrilled to win a giveaway myself earlier this week. Amy at The Ramblings of Amy gave away some copies of her book They Walk, which is the first in a trilogy. I haven't had the chance to start reading it yet, but I've no doubt it will be great, and I was very excited to win a copy of the book. So I wanted to send a big thank you to Amy, and encourage everyone who is not already familiar with her blog to check it out!
Thanks are also due to L. Carroll at Lor Mandela. She was kind enough to surprise me with The Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award, even calling my little home here "the cat's meow." :D I am very grateful and appreciate the award so much. Lor Mandela is another great blog and I would encourage everyone to take a look if you are not already a follower.
So thank you again to Amy and L. Carroll for bringing smiles to my week with these great surprises!
Happy weekend, everyone! :)
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
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