Category Archives: Susan Jeffery

It’s A Mermaid Blogoversary!

 

Seven years today, fishy friends! Can you believe it??? We mermaids are so happy to get to celebrate with you all here in the lagoon. Thank you SO MUCH for your readership and support over the years. Every comment and email subscription notice that lands in our lagoon-box is seen by each of us, and we absolutely cherish each and every one of you. Our blog would be a pretty sad little place without your love and visits. So again, THANK YOU! We thought we’d share with you on this very special day of what the Waterworld Mermaids means to us, and then also be sure and read all the way to the bottom for a little mermaid movie magic….

~Mermaid Alethea~

xox Mermaid Alethea

Over the years, the Mermaids have pulled me out of the darkness and inspired me so many times I’ve lost count. I am so proud of each and every one of them…I love them every minute of every day, down to every last crazy atom of them. Friendship is what I was looking for when we took the plunge in this Lagoon, and what I ended up with was a sisterhood. Here’s to many more years of US, my Mermaid Sisters!

 

xox Mermaid Carlene

~Mermaid Carlene~

Oh my goodness, what does this rich, diverse, totally unique but also completely down to earth group of writers mean to me? Ack. I could write, at the very minimum, a short story about this! When the Waterworld Mermaids first formed in 2011, my scope, my outreach, just my outside world in general, was very small. Not in a bad way, or anything. I was an Army spouse and stay at home mom–the quiet kind who just didn’t reach out much. So my life was good because I loved the army, and my family, of course, with all my heart, but I REALLY had no idea just how much I NEEDED these girls. I can say with 100 % certainty that had I not met my fishy sisters–my scope, outreach, outside world–would have never grown into the really full and wondrous entity it has become. I love cheering them on, and I love knowing they celebrate me too. I love you, Mermaids. Cheers!

~Mermaid Dana~

xox Mermaid Dana

A long time ago in a life that seems far away Princess Alethea suggested pulling together a blog group for the first-time attendees of the WRW Retreat. Since that time there have been a multitude of blog posts, a lot of awards won, and many books published by the members of the Waterworld Mermaids. But more importantly, there has also been laughter, tears, births, deaths, moves, illnesses, job changes and friendship. The most special thing that I have taken away from Waterworld Mermaids are the friends that I’ve made in the lagoon. Happy Anniversary Mermaids!

~Mermaid Kerri~

xox Mermaid Kerri

Sparkles, alcohol, laughter, writing, more alcohol, glitter, awesomeness, books, did I say alcohol?
I love the Waterworld Mermaids for so many reasons – way more than I listed above! I think my favorite thing is that I’ve always felt like I can be completely myself with the Mermaids. My crazy, weird, unique, glittery self. There’s been no judgement – just fun and laughter and support.
Also, I get to boss all of them around by reminding them of the blogging schedule. Being bossy pants has brought me great joy!

~Mermaid Kim~

xox Mermaid Kim

When the mermaids first formed, it was a group of women writers who met at their first writing retreat. Since then, these fabulous women have become my friends. Sometimes we text each other to see who wants to sprint. Other times we meet for drinks to discuss writer’s block or to celebrate successes. Here’s to way less writer’s block and way more successes!

 

~Mermaid Masha~

xox Mermaid Masha

Like water, the mermaids are a sustaining source of writerly life. A seemingly random jambalaya of people thrown together by a single event, on a single day. And yet, like water; tasteless, odorless, transparent and colorless, the magnitude of the mermaids is a living breathing microcosm of invisible strength, vitality and sustainability of an ethereal force called writing. Frustrating, confusing, exciting and awe inspiring, the mermaids, as a cohesive unit provided the support, encouragement and entertainment in an otherwise solitary pursuit. May the mermaid waters run deep.

Cinnamon Toast, Cocoa and Hot Tea, Oh My!

Hey, Susan Mermaid here, inviting you to take a dip in our lagoon! The water’s warm, the drinks are fresh and fruity, fizzy if you like, and always have umbrellas or a floral garnish. Welcome!

The topic this month is COMFORT FOODS. Wow, that’s a huge topic for this mermaid – I have so many. But hey, let’s get started!

There are some comfort foods I never tire of. Foods that bring me back to the child state. For me, cinnamon toast is my first comfort food, but it has to be made the right way. You see, the house I grew up in sported a double oven with a gas broiler, and Mom never made toast in the toaster.

Bread slices were buttered and laid under the gas flame, and we watched through the glass as the butter foamed and sizzled and the bread browned on the edges. For “special,” we sprinkled sugar and cinnamon on the buttered bread. The result was a sweet, crunchy, caramelized, taste of heaven.

And, though some of my comfort foods are true “memory” foods (chocolate pudding, lemon pie), others are foods I decided were my “new” comfort foods as I adulted through time, by ten, twenty, or even forty years. Such as…

In my twenties: graham crackers with peanut butter. Making my own popovers on a Sunday morning

Thirties: Toasted English muffins with sharp cheddar cheese melted during a second toasting. Learning to make rice pudding from the Southern Living Cookbook (hubby swears he’s never had better). Also, their banana bread recipe is killer. Also, scones from the Fannie Farmer Baking Book (more butter than is healthy, but who cares? It’s scones!). Also, my recipe for Half-a-Pound Cake. Yummmm….

Forties: Hot chocolate before bed. Or, on sleepless nights, plain warm milk. For Christmas, the joy of making and eating pizzelles. So tedious. So delicious!

Fifties: Hot tea. It’s amazing how a cup of hot tea fixes you up. The “younger me” always doctored my tea with sugar and milk. This afternoon, two months before my sixtieth birthday, I drank a cup of hot tea. Just the tea, no fussy sugar packets or dollops of milk. Just tea. Its heat and deep flavor warmed me up, calmed me down, and set me straight for the rest of the work day. If  that’s comfort, I’ll take it!

And that’s a short list (I promise! It’s shorter than it could have been) of Comfort Foods in my corner of the lagoon. Did your idea of comfort foods change as you grew up? Kindly post your thoughts on your favorites in a reply below!

 

 

Turkey Day, Comfort Food, and Why I’m Grateful

   Hey, friends, welcome to a very festive, happy and grateful lagoon!

Why? Maybe I’m just blown away by the mega-words flowing from our mermaids’ talented fingers during the Month of Nano. Or, maybe it’s the new titles falling from the sky keyboards in the lagoon this year (too many to list here!) Maybe it’s Pintip, who will emcee the 2018 Golden Heart Awards at RWA in Denver!

Congratulations, Pintip!

And those Nano totals? YOW. Denny, Kim, Carlene, Alethea, Pintip. You finny sisters are my inspiration.

If I could just stop doing this in my own writing:

 

Eventually I’ll get to do something like this:

This is not getting us to the topic today, however!

We’re talking Comfort Food in this post, and a big shout-out to those of us who will be in the kitchen. Not me, friends. My only job on Thursday is to bring brownies to the home of my friend Colleen – who is also going twenty-first century with her Turkey Day feast. She ordered it from DeCicco’s in Yorktown, NY, and my plate will be heaped with those trouble-free dishes. No sweat here, we’re kicking the roasting pan to the curb!

I think this is the third year I haven’t made a Thanksgiving dinner, and I admit – there are a few things I miss.  Things I learned from Mom, recipes I love to make, share and eat. Smell and taste are tremendous memory triggers. When I make these dishes, she’s a little closer – in spite of the years since she sat at the kitchen table with the newspaper while the timer ticked away. Here are two of my favorite recipes for the Thanksgiving table:

Sweet Potato Casserole

You haven’t lived until you’ve had mine: fresh sweet potatoes (or, in my house, yams) are peeled, sectioned and microwaved until tender (but not mushy). Wield your vintage potato masher until the (yams) are broken down, but retain character (lumps)(chunks). Blend in a carton of evaporated milk. Add some melted butter. A teaspoon of vanilla. Break up some walnuts or pecans into the mix, if you like the texture and flavor. A teaspoon of cinnamon! And lots of brown sugar. Don’t be shy, toss in a handful or so. Turn it out into a buttered casserole dish and give it 30 minutes or so in the oven at 350°. Yum. 

Cranberry Sauce

I miss my homemade cranberry sauce more than anything. You’ll want just three ingredients: a bag of cranberries from the store, a cup of white sugar, and 3/4 cup orange juice. Dump the berries into a colander and rinse, then pick them over to find the icky ones. Toss those out. Now, in a medium saucepan (2 quart or so), blend the orange juice and sugar. Set over medium high heat, and wait for some drama. When the sugar/juice starts to boil, toss in the cranberries. Stir, then settle back and wait for the mixture to boil again. Boil for FIVE MINUTES. Set a timer, woman, and watch that your heat is high enough to boil and low enough to keep from boiling over! The fun is hearing the cranberries pop and crack as they cook. Move the pan to a cold burner when the timer dings and stir it for a few minutes. Set it aside to cool completely. A pretty crystal dish will show off the jewel color of your creation.

Other family favorites include dressing (not stuffing), made with herb bread baked in our bread machine, and a rice pudding recipe from the Southern Living Cookbook (Mom never made that one, but the cookbook was a Christmas gift soon after I married, and I treasure it – p. 77, Best Banana Bread Ever).

Some dishes became standards over the years as times changed and my own children grew up. Cup Salad (five ingredients: open, dump, stir, chill) replaced the Ambrosia (tediously hand-sectioned oranges and coconut) Mom made for my father.  A church cookbook I bought on a North Carolina beach vacation yielded a recipe that became a favorite each year at our transplanted New York table: a strange mix of lemon and lime Jello, mayonnaise, cottage cheese, chopped walnuts, and canned pineapple tidbits. When I set it on the table the first year, the assembled company recoiled at first. After their first tastes, however, they decided it was too delicious to have the plain-Jane name, “jello salad.” A raucous Turkey-day debate finally re-named it: Martian Salad.

And so it goes. Every generation finds its way to a new variation on the meet/greet/eat/drop theme of the day. In our own home, Andrews standards (creamed onions, creamed potatoes, turnips) never made it to the table. Hosford (maiden name) traditions like mince pie and green bean casserole were also set aside in favor of the new tastes and habits of our generation and our children’s.

One theme that remains, solid and unchanged, is the yearning for connection. Travelers make their way cross-country, clog highways or simply cross town to seek family and friends. New families form for the day, when distance and budget prevents travel. In another town, a church sets a table for “anyone who lacks a family today.”

This is why I’m grateful. In spite of the past year’s trials, I have friends who are eager to see me, and my brownies. My children will call home. One will probably celebrate with friends and his father; another is moving into a new home, and sitting down with her sweetheart’s family.

That connection, that love, those memories. They keep us grounded.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours this week, and blessings to you who set a place for “one more.”

 

 

HORSES, HORSES, HORSES, HORSES

Hi! Susan Mermaid here! First, a moment of truth: it’s been a couple of years since my last post for my beloved Mermaids in our always-sunny lagoon. I’m making time today, though, to slip on my fins again and take a dip in these balmy waters. Isn’t it wonderful the Mermaids chose such a lovely tropical hangout for their blog?

Our topic today: What are you watching this summer?   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve been binging on one particular show since June (well, after ANNE WITH AN ‘E’ finished).  Every chance I have (and there are plenty of chances with three months of vacation), I queue up another episode. It’s not the wrestling (GLOW) or the wars between royals (GoT), or even seductive mystery sleuth (VERONICA MARS).

There are lots of horses in this program (no, not a documentary series…). Lots and lots of horses.

A brief digression here: I loved horses when I was younger. What little girl didn’t crave her very own Breyer horse, her own flock of plastic ponies to train and groom and stable? I did. My family, however, being poor as mice, didn’t have $$$ for horses, either real or pretend. My friend, Maureen, did, however. We both “owned” our favorites in her “stable,” and our horses romped across her bedroom floor many afternoons. We might take a break to play a card game (War was a favorite), but mostly it was horses.

When we tired of the perfectly sculpted plastic bay or appaloosa, we took our horsey game to the next level. We snuck into the barn on the estate at the end of the street, where a lone horse was boarded. We looked and petted and fed it carrots from Maureen’s mother’s fridge. Once in a while, the owner was present. And, very rarely, only once or twice, she let us ride her horse. Bareback, with only a halter, we rambled across the fields behind our subdivision. I’ve never been more scared, or excited. I definitely was not saying ‘no.’

What a thrill! One at a time, we climbed the fence so we could scramble on top of this beast (my mother’s words running in the back of my mind: don’t go playing around up at that barn! And stay away from that horse!). Holding the rein, I steered the animal this way and that, knowing my legs were too short and barely strong enough to hold on. I didn’t know what I was doing. Mostly, I sat. Perhaps the young woman who owned the horse was giving it verbal cues and all I had to do was concentrate on not falling off. I never told. And, if my mother knew (she probably did), she never let on.

child_sits_on_a_horse-2560x1440

Years pass, and I don’t do much riding (twice, in college?). Horses were always fun to look at and think about, but oh – the money I would need! And, then:

HEARTLAND… The longest-running one-hour drama on Canadian television has ten (TEN!) seasons to feast on. They’re doing Season Eleven now! Laugh if you want, this is my binge jam for 2017.

Sure, the stalls always need cleaning, but that’s usually the fate of a secondary character (Hi, Mallory! Hi, Caleb!). It’s like Horse Central, without the manure. And, because it’s TV, our heroes, heroines, and supporting cast are never, ever dirty or unattractively coiffed. (Note: I watch rodeo TV when it’s on. Bull riding TV is almost as good as watching golf – high stakes for them, no stakes for me.)

I find myself marveling at the intricacies of Mallory’s hair. Her parents are always on the road for Dad’s country singing career, so who fixes her hair in the morning? How do her braids stay put with all that shoveling of manure? I never see the characters sweat. They might be feeling uppity which boy is taking them to the dance. Or, they might not have gotten up the courage to apply to vet school. But, when these folks have a problem to solve, they don’t just lie around and engage in fruitless mental gymnastics. Nope, they saddle up and ride out to look at the mountain scenery and Think It Over. Somehow, they nearly always manage to work it all out.

            I like that approach. Don’t you?

My practical questions are many. What about the feeding of these equine heartthrobs? I looked it up (and every other question that occurs to me as I watch one episode after another.) A horse needs to eat 1 to 2 percent of its body weight every day in hay or forage. If the beastie is let out in a healthy field to forage, that’s one thing. Otherwise, it needs a quarter to a half bale of hay. Every. Single Day. And the poor horse-loving dopes on Heartland still need to consider additional feed (Grain? Pellets or cubes? Quick, let’s look that up, too!). Note to self: you’ve never seen them write a check to Maggie’s for all the supplies they pick up on their trips into town to Stock Up.

Scene-stealing vistas of the Canadian Rockies give me a break from all that equine riding, roping, and stall-cleaning activity (did I say the horses are pretty?). Amy and Ty are a shoo-in for Best Couple, Mallory wins for Cute While Annoying – or maybe it’s Lou. Jack is Best Dad – and he’s conquering his fear and flying to Paris to woo his beloved, Lisa, away from her evil ex-husband!

Other questions: Is Katie the cutest baby ever? Or not? And when will we see the house Miss Bell gave Lou and Peter? How will it be refurbished? Will Ashley ever show up again (hope not).

Yup. This show has lasso’d my heart. I’m on Season Five and doing all the watching I can before September 8, when my school librarian job starts again. Amy just made a Significant Discovery, and Tim is falling for Miranda! Excuse me, while I watch the rest of the episode.

Swoon!

My Weekend in A Bigger Pond

SusanMermaid

Greetings on a lovely Tuesday morning!  With all the rain behind us for the moment, I can calm down and think again about my fabulous weekend at WRWDC’s annual retreat, In the Company of Writers.

This is one of my favorite retreats. It’s small and relaxed, but still has the energy that comes from friends meeting for two full days to talk about writing and publishing, in every possible format.

What were my favorite parts of the retreat?

A serious moment - the Magic Crystal service award.

A serious moment – the Magic Crystal service award.

  • The food. Seriously. It just kept coming – although the Saturday night desserts caused a near stampede. One poor waiter saw his tray of cheesecake slices vanished before he could get them to the serving table.
  • The seminars – My favorites: Bella Andre’s Ten Tips to Indie Success, Elaine English on Copyright (yes, it really was interesting) and the Keynote speeches. I know I’m leaving something out, but everyone put on such a great presentation, and I couldn’t be everywhere at once!
  • The bar. Yes. Seriously. We all were given a ticket for a free drink to start the weekend off. Need I say more?
  • The Editor/Agent appointments – where we are ushered into a private room with our editors and have a chance to chat. I had a request!
  • RAFFLE2

    Mermaid Kerri’s first author basket – I won it!

    Raffle baskets. This is a big deal with WRW – the drawings took nearly an hour on Sunday afternoon. I won two baskets!

  • Camaraderie – Should I have listed this first? The dynamics of the retreat is that of meeting old friends, rekindling friendships, and making new friends. For me, it was my first retreat under my new pseudonym.  On one level, I expected someone to tell me, “Who are you kidding? That’s not your name!” Didn’t happen.

Last, the Elvis Romance Jeopardy game. Imagine 100 women, many dressed in varying degrees of Elvis-ness. You had to be there. You really did.

elvislives

Wild and Crazy at Elvis Romance Jeopardy – at least we didn’t lose!

Seriously. You had to be there.

susan

 

 

Packing for Nationals – NOW? Why not?

 

Susan-Mermaid-avatarI know, I know – the RWA National Conference is in July. So, why am I getting all het up about packing already?

Because the finalists for the Golden Heart and RITA awards are being announced on March 26th. And I am pretty sure there are some writers who, after jumping up and down, screaming, crying, calling everyone they know

and some they don’t, will suddenly have that dull, ugly lump of dread blooming in their innards: WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I GOING TO WEAR?

Back in the day (1986, to be specific) this finalist/winner wore a chic white cocktail dress she found in a bridal shop, and some very nifty gold-and-black jewelry. The dress is long gone – thank goodness shoulder pads went out of style – but the necklace still lives in my jewelry box, a beloved and respected treasure. The medal has changed since I received mine, and the Modess rose is replaced with the organization’s pensive author.

goldenheart86Nice change, huh?  And, no, I can’t find the photograph.

Do folks still wear cocktail dresses when they final? I wouldn’t know, since that hasn’t been a blessing for me since re-activating my membership in 2009. What I do know is, you’d better get your Oscar vibe going as a finalist! You’ll be expected to be wearing some serious flash when you’re at the awards – and before! Still, let’s not forget: New York is a shopping capitol of the world (if not THE shopping capital). I know it’ll be late, late, late to be thinking of which dress to wear. But we can dream, can’t we? Which is why you want to browse this list before you land in the Big Apple.

New York Magazine lists the drool-worthy shopping destinations. I know you’re going to be super busy chasing down editors and agents and making appointments, and maybe you can fit in one more session (thank goodness for Starbucks!), but seriously: make time to hit just one of these icons. Personal favorites: Saks Fifth Avenue and Tiffany. Not like I go buying things there all the time, people. I mean, really? I can look, though. And you can, too! (Another FYI I heard from a cabbie: New Yorkers take cabs. Tourists walk. Don’t be shy, take a cab.)

 

Now that you’ve had to stop off in some going-out-of-business dive somewhere off Broadway to buy a second suitcase, let’s not forget the ultimate Mecca of all that is good in the pursuit of loveliness: Sephora After all, you’ve been selected as a finalist – stop doubting me! I know you will. So, hie thee to this website when we are closer to your magnificent appearance in the GH/RITA pre-awards reception: http://www.sephora.com/stores/new-york-times-square

And make youself an appointment for a glamming up. Or just head over at some odd moment to admire the wonders of everything that is promised – to make you a sultry vixen or a stylish know-it-all or just… you, but better. And, just an FYI, makeup with SPF doesn’t photograph well, as all my RWA Atlanta photos include happy people and one ghost.

Finally, what do I *wear* at Nationals?

Good question! I’ll leave you with this list – an incredibly kind post on www.makeupalley.com by a kind and organized (and fashionable!) member named Asphalt. Her words:
Makeup  Board Bath & Body Board Fragrance Board Skin Care Board Hair Care Board Fitness Board Nail Care Board FOTD Photo Board Cosmetic Procedures Board Cafe Board Fashion Board Wedding Food & Nutrition Home & Garden Board Entertainment Board Travel Board Work & Money Board Go Green Board Pet Board Family Board 40+ Board Technical Support Board Testing Board

i would bring +

  • bright pencil skirt
  • white jeans
  • pretty silk blouse
  • nice t-shirt graphic t-shirt
  • button down (chambray, cotton, whatever)
  • cocktail dress (2 of them)
  • linen blazer
  • scarf
  • sandals
  • neutral heels (or flats)
  • evening heels
  • and whatever fun jewelry you have

then you could wear:

  • day 1: bright pencil skirt, pretty silk blouse, scarf, neutral heels
  •  day 2: bright pencil skirt, nice t-shirt, linen blazer, neutral heels
  • day 3: white jeans, button down, neutral heels
  • bar: white jeans, pretty silk blouse, neutral heels or sandals
  • party 1: cocktail dress 1, evening heels
  • party 2/dinner: cocktail dress 2, evening heels
  • bar: white jeans, pretty silk blouse, neutral heels or sandals
  • playtime 1: white jeans, nice t-shirt, scarf, sandals
  • playtime 2: bright pencil skirt, graphic t-shirt, sandals
  • playtime 3: white jeans, button down, sandals
There. Change out one of the cocktail dresses for an evening gown, and you’d good to go. PS, I used this list for Anaheim and Atlanta, and had a blast. Only, in Anaheim, I broke down and visited a Skechers shop to replace some incredibly impractical sandals. On the big day, after all, we want to still be fresh enough to look like this:
In another post closer to Nationals, I’ll share the rest of my suitcase. I have lists of lists for conference packing!
(Share your rules, mores, shibboleths, must-haves and DoNotPlays for Nationals – we want to know!)
susan

 

 

Mermaids Present: The Way to Your Sweetie’s Heart…A Valentine’s Day Menu!

Yellow love

Greetings, fishy friends! With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, a few of the mermaids and I have dug deep into our treasure chests to put together one sweet menu for you and your special someones out there. Lots of stuff went into these culinary masterpieces, but the key ingredient was of course, Love. So enjoy and hey, if the food doesn’t wiggle its way into your lover’s heart, then give these delicious words a try…

“You are the butter to my bread, and the breath to my life.” ~Julia Childs

Susan-Mermaid-avatarMY FUNNY VALENTINE, a drink to liven your spirits by Susan Mermaid:

Rim a glass in sugar, fill with ice, add:

1 oz. Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey

1/2 oz. Drambuie

1/4 oz. Triple Sec

Slice lemon, squeezed and dropped into glass

Top with seltzer to taste!

 

kimVALENTINE’S DAY SPREAD, a delish appetizer to leave them wanting more by Kimberly Mermaid:

1 3 oz package of sun dried tomatoes

1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar

1 tsp olive oil

1 large garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp lime juice

1 package of cream cheese, softened

8 oz feta cheese, crumbled

7 oz prepared pesto

1.  Pour boiling water over the sun dried tomatoes and let soak for ten minutes to soften.  Then drain.

2.  Put sun dried tomatoes in food processor with vinegar, olive oil, garlic and lime juice.

3.  Mix softened cream cheese with feta.

4.  Line a round cake tin or pie plate with plastic wrap.  Cut out a piece of wax paper to fit on the bottom.

5.  Spread a third of the cheese mixture on the bottom of the tin/plate.  Freeze for ten minutes.

6.  Spread tomato mixture on top of the next layer.  Freeze for ten minutes.

7.  Spread a third of the cheese mixture on top of the tomato layer.  Freeze for ten minutes.

8.  Spread pesto layer over the cheese mixture.  Freeze ten minutes.

9.  Spread last cheese layer over the pesto.  Freeze for ten minutes.

10. Put in refrigerator until ready to serve.  When ready, flip the tin onto a plate.  Surround with crackers.

11.  Enjoy.  🙂

 

Mermaid-Carlene-300x225SMART & SEXY CEVICHE by Carlene Mermaid for the seafood lover in us all:

Warning: I’m not a cook, therefore certain parts of my recipe might be missing but guess why that rocks? Because it’s oodles more fun that way!

First get yourself some large, fresh shrimp. I don’t know exactly how many, maybe a couple hands full. You’ll want to remove the tail and clean and de-vein them. Cut the shrimp into bite size pieces and then put them in a medium bowl. Next you’ll want the juice of several fresh limes or lemons, your choice, to squeeze over the shrimp. This is how you will “cook” them so be sure you have enough juice to give your shrimp a good soaking. Next you’ll need to dice up a red onion, a cucumber, a couple roma tomatoes and some cilantro. Toss all that into your soaking shrimp, season with sea salt and pepper, and let sit until the shrimp are a pretty pink color. Enjoy over a crunchy tostada shell or with tortilla chips or crackers. Oh, and if your honey likes it spicy, feel free to add a few squirts of your fave hot sauce or even some diced fresh jalapeno. Easy peasy! xoxo

 

pintip-mermaid-300x231SIMPLE, INSANELY GOOD RASPBERRY PIE to delight the senses from Pintip Mermaid:

Very simple, but insanely good recipe for Raspberry Pie. The key is to use fresh raspberries. We make this every summer after picking our own raspberries.

Ingredients:

– 1 recipe pie pastry for 9 inch double crust pie

– 4 cups raspberries

– 1 cup white sugar

– 2 1/2 tablespoons tapioca

– 1 tablespoon lemon juice

– 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

– 1/8 teaspoon salt

– 4 teaspoons butter

– 1 tablespoon half-and-half cream

Directions:

1. Mix together the raspberries, sugar, tapioca, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt until raspberries are well covered.

2. Pour into 9 or 10-inch pastry shell. Dot with butter, top with crust.

2. Make slits in the top crust and brush with cream. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, then at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

*recipe taken from http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/12349/raspberry-pie-iii/ *

 

Susan-Mermaid-avatarBACON IS FOR LOVERS because hello, it’s chocolate and bacon together! by Susan Mermaid:

Very simple!

– Heat the oven to 350.

– Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

– Lay the desired number of bacon strips on the foil. Make sure they don’t touch!

– Place in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

– Check to see if the strips are crispy enough – don’t let them burn!

– Remove baking sheet from oven. Sprinkle dark chocolate chips on the hot bacon and allow them to melt.

– Remove to paper towel to drain.

– Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

– Serve with a side of ice cream – yum!

 

Susan-Mermaid-avatarALL WRAPPED UP IN YOU APPLE TART to end your meal on a fruity sweet high, but one that comes straight from the heart, by Susan Mermaid:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

–       Remove a ready-made pie crust from its box and set it aside to come to room temperature (20 minutes or so).

–       Peel and slice in a bowl: 3 large Macintosh or Granny Smith apples (4, if they’re small).

–       Toss apple slices with 1 T. lemon juice.

–       Mix ½ c. brown sugar, 1 T. flour, and 1 tsp. cinnamon.

–       Combine apples and sugar mixture.

–       Measure out about 15 inches of parchment paper. Lay it on a flat clean surface beside a baking sheet.

–       Unroll the pie crust on the parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the pie crust out a bit – It will be a little more tricky to handle, but having it thinner will make it SO much more tender.

–       Soften 1 T. butter in the microwave (15 sec. or so). Spread across the pie crust.

–       Pile the apple/sugar mixture in the center of the pie crust.

–       Now for the fun part. Lift the edges of the pie crust up and over the apple/sugar pile, and see it you can make it into a pastry pouch.

–       Ease the parchment paper, with the pastry bundle on it, onto the baking sheet.

–       Bake 45 minutes in 350 degree oven.

–       Remove. Let cool.

–       Serve with whipped cream.

And as the wise and culinarily talented Susan Mermaid once said, “You can’t get it wrong – it’s like love: be patient!”

PhotoFunia Chalk Writing Regular 2015-02-10 09 42 00

From our kitchens to yours, dear friends, 

Have a Happy Valentine’s Day filled with love, sweets and lots and lots of laughter.

Fishy kisses,

The Waterworld Mermaids

xoxoxoxo

 

 

 

 

 

Clutter Blocks My Brain – Or Does It?

 

Susan-Mermaid-avatarNo, this is not a blog about clutter (sort of). I’ve been reading a lot about clutter this month, however – when I’m not reading yummy romance novels, that is (Jamie Beck’s Worth the Wait  – so good!). It *is* the first of the year, though – and resolutions are made (and broken) every New Year. Mine is all about getting my house under control.

I’ve been reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo, and it is a fascinating read. And the best part of using her tips, is the number of bags that have already left the house. I can almost see myself gliding through a perfectly organized home. *brief pause* Okay, done with that mirage. But…

I remember a moment, years ago, at the beginning of my writing career, when my friend said to her mother, “Susan is one of those neat freaks. We have to pick everything up before we’re done playing.”

“She has a very small house,” her mother answered. “Small houses require a person to be very picky about being neat, or she will be overwhelmed in no time.”

And I patted myself on the back. I was a tidy person! I could clean the house, top to bottom, in a single day (it was a really small house).  I took care of my family that way. And I wrote while my daughter napped. It wasn’t hard at all!

(Fast forward thirty years….)  

Where did that woman go? Who is this aging writer, with Too Much Stuff in her clutches and Too Many Stories in her brain? My children are grown, I have a big(ger) house, and it’s a mess. I recently read an article about how creative people thrive in disorder and I wonder: how? I’m a creative person and, whenever I sit down to write, I find myself contemplating the clutter around me. I mentally shame myself for not leaping to my feet and cleaning it all up. Then, I tell myself, I could write in peace, loving the house I’m living in and having freedom to spin my glorious tales (which would immediately make every bestseller list known, and gain me a gazillion dollars).

 Something tells me my fantasy is a lie. Clutter and brain block are separate problems, and it’s blame-shifting to allow myself to delay writing because I’m bothered by the mess around me. I’m either going to write, or I’m not. (And, even as I write this, the devil on my shoulder whispers that cleaning up just the area in front of my would open the floodgates of creativity.)

Where I write, before stuff crawled began to surround me... !

Where I write, before stuff crawled began to surround me… !

 What do you think? Have you ever been stopped dead by clutter? Or do you thrive in it? Do you enjoy settling down to a pristine, tastefully decorated desk? Do you color code your file folders? Or are you a whirlwind of disorder, obsessed with spinning  your tales and too darned bad if the junk doesn’t get picked up – you have stories to write!

Maybe it’s a fantasy I have, that my house will be perfect one day. Maybe I need to write a story about the house that could be perfect. Wait – I already have that story in progress!

Where do *you* like to write the most, and what atmosphere makes you the most productive?

 

 

 

Conference Magic: MerSisters, New Friends, and life altering moments

SusanMermaidI will confess: I live via nega-talk too often. The devil on my shoulder whispers, “Why do you even bother going to the gym? You never get anywhere, and then you cop out. Save yourself the trouble: stay home.”  She says, “Why do you keep banging your head against writing? You start and stop, change your mind, and doubts are your best friend.  Nobody will miss you…” And “Why in God’s name are you going to a conference? You spend so much money and you spend too much time being I didn’t know that last Friday and Saturday were days to change a life:  getting up early, driving with The Man down the New Jersey Turnpike and over to Iselin for the NJRWA Put Your Heart in a Book conference

put-your-heart-in-a-book Nor did I realize Sister Mermaid Denny S. Bryce, fresh off her Golden Heart win, would stroll into the hotel lobby around noon and we would get to be MerSisters for the next 36 hours. SoFreakinFine!

NJRWA DENNY I hadn’t realized Roxanne St. Claire would offer such an amazing pre-conference workshop. She didn’t realize she would talk herself into laryngitis and have to hire/persuade/inveigle a substitute reader/speaker for Sunday’s Novelists, Inc. engagement. Poor dear! She has my heartfelt sympathy and thanks.

More than anything, I learned that a small conference can be a hidden trail to change your life. The National conference is a tremendous opportunity, to be sure. But these small conferences are a little more casual, a little less intense, and a lot of fun. I saw people I’ve known for years and made new friends (a special shout-out to Kathleen Ann Gallagher – yes, it was meant to be!). The pubbed author’s roundtables offered in-depth insight into the challenges we’re facing today, with the changes in publication formats, the shrinking market, the possibilities, the challenges, and the JOY of a career in writing a romance.

Have you been to a conference you felt changed your life? Share!

 

johannes-vermeer-dutch-1632-1675-a-lady-writing-c-1665-1349363744_b

Is it Christmas yet?

SusanMermaidFriends, I have a confession to make today.  And a story to tell.

Confession: After a summer of industrious writing almost every single day, my writing urge came to a screeching halt.  Sometime in August, I believe. Definitely about a month ago.  Maybe more. I didn’t panic, because I was sure the root cause would be discovered eventually, and we’d get our little writing choo-choo back on track.  And, with the school year started, I’m not exactly eager to strain my back getting pages out. I have Freshmen to train, and Seniors to tame, and a library to run – that is the priority now, until next May. If the writing waits, it waits. I’ll live.

At least, after the CTRWA Cherry Adair workshop last weekend, I do know more about why my story is stalled. Gang, it’s not pretty. Ms. Adair diagnosed my story as “thin”. She had ideas, and my chapter mates backed me up with suggestions for an intriguing bad guy and a twist. Once I get her plot board out of the car, I’ll clean off the dining room table and get my butt back in chair.  And that’s my confession.  Which brings me to my story, which is about a much earlier stall in my writing career.

Where I write these days.

Where I write these days.

Story: A long time ago (about 1992), I hung up my keyboard and quit writing. I’d moved to New York two years before, and I was so homesick I really wanted to quit everything – family, home, marriage, kids, all of it. Sitting at the keyboard was an anxiety-riddled exercise. I was an award-winning author with a book out, and I needed to produce, but I was stressing myself out of it.  I’d been writing for ten years, and I couldn’t think of a thing to say. There had to be some peace, somewhere.  I was desperate to escape my disappointment and self-hatred, so I killed it, my writing, that part of me.  Writing couldn’t fight back, because it was in me, and my struggles with it were damaging me.  I announced I was done with writing, refused to think about writing, and said I was moving on. Done, Dead, Fini.

Except it wasn’t dead. Part of me knew I was able to write, just that I couldn’t or wouldn’t make a story happen at that point. I wasn’t going to write a book, but I would write letters. I wrote looooong letters to friends (in the days when people still wrote letters, before the internet killed written correspondence). I wrote notes to my mother and sister.  I wrote directions to patterns for the sewing classes I was teaching.  And I wrote Christmas letters.

My Christmas letters eventually became the highlight of my year.  I started them by mid-November, knowing I would need a month to create and polish what I wanted The World to know about Our Life This Year.  Each character would get his/her own summary of the year’s ups and downs. I chose a theme each year, opened with a question, wound up with an answer, and a recommendation for calming down, loving everyone and eating another slice of pie. I wrote, trimmed, condensed, and molded my story to fit a single typed page. I reduced margins, added my own illustrations and signed all our names.

    I wrote every letter to a friend I had in mind as I wrote, as if I were telling the story to her.  And I wrote the ending until I cried. It was probably my favorite part of the process, because if I could write something that made me cry, I could be pretty sure my readers would feel my depth of emotion for the topic, and maybe they’d be moved, too.

Not all of the letters are in my Christmas closet, the cubby where we keep all the trimmings. Somehow I don’t worry about this much, because another friend has kept all of them, and I know she’ll send copies if I ask. It’s not so important that I have the record of them.  Writing those letters made me happy, and made other people happy. That was enough.  And yet…

Going back to my lack of interest in the summer’s writing this past month, I was wondering just this week – would I be able to kick start my writing a little bit, if I started my Christmas letter early?  I feel better, knowing I could have fun, writing another. Maybe it’ll start the juices flowing. And, since I’m wondering about it, I’ll also ask you the question:

How do you get yourself back in a butt-chair-write mood?