I know that sounds weird but I’ve discovered it’s totally true. For the past couple days I’ve been closely monitoring how I eat. I hadn’t realized before I started this monitoring that I tend to eat whatever food I see. If there is a bag of almonds on the kitchen counter and I go into the kitchen to get some tea, I’ll eat an almond or two without even thinking about it. Isn’t that awful??? So now that I’m trying to keep within my calorie range per day, I’m paying stricter attention to what I put in my mouth. Stopping the random grazing is not as hard as exercising self-discipline during mealtimes. I’ve always loved the book French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano because she teaches you how to be more thoughtful about eating--how to enjoy eating as pleasure without eating large portions. I had fallen out of that habit, so I started reading the book again to help me limit my portion sizes at mealtimes. I won’t say my mealtimes have been easy, but they haven’t been horri...

Speed Dating with Associate Editor Emily Rodmell Update: They're capping the list at 100 but sign up anyway so you can be put on the waiting list! Tired of searching and searching for the right match...for your manuscript? Ready for your characters to get the love and attention of a good editor they've been waiting for? Well, Love Inspired, Love Inspired Suspense and Love Inspired Historical are looking for new authors, and Associate Editor Emily Rodmell will be listening to your ideas in a new pitch opportunity we like to call: Speed Dating with an Editor. This opportunity is open to anyone not published with the Love Inspired lines and only requires that you have a synopsis ready and a desire to write for the inspirational (Christian) romance market. You'll have the chance to pitch her your idea in one paragraph, and she'll respond by filling out a comment card like the one below that shares her first impression of the idea. Check one: __I'll cry if yo...

Can you hear me squealing with glee???? Got a pint of strawberries in this week’s basket from my organic co-op. They were de-lish! The pint looks a little empty in the photo because I, er, ate one or two before taking a picture.

Warning: TMI post ahead! I was dismayed to find I’d gained 7 pounds since January, which I know doesn’t sound like a lot, but for someone my height (5’2”) it translates into one pants size up, and so I only barely fit into ONE of my pants and ONE of my pair of shorts! Aargh! I have been wearing sweatpants and occasionally a stretchy corduroy pair of pants ever since my Oklahoma/Texas trip because I was working on multiple deadlines and I got sick twice, so I was pretty much not going outside much. I didn’t notice my weight gain until I tried to squeeze into a pair of jeans for a lunch out with MaryLu Tyndall and I couldn’t button them. So I got back onto SparkPeople.com ( friend me! ), which I hadn’t logged into because I had been on deadline and SP tends to be distracting for me (so many neat articles and forums). MaryLu also inspired me to start watching my eating more than I used to. When I was training for the Honolulu Marathon , I didn’t put as much effort into my food ch...

I found this article by America’s Test Kitchen Cooking School about four myths when it comes to meat. I totally did not know that about marinades and I had never even heard the myth about chicken. Although now that I think about it, Mom always rinsed her chicken. What did you think? Anything surprising?

I was thrilled to find the first artichokes of the season in my organic co-op basket this week! I used this pressure cooker method to cook them. They were a tiny bit overcooked, so I might go for only 5 minutes next time. I grew up eating them with mayonnaise (plain, aioli, and also sometimes with soy sauce mixed in) but Captain Caffeine can’t stand mayonnaise. Normally he eats them with melted butter, but last night we ate them with extra virgin olive oil and garlic salt. How do you cook artichokes? Any favorite recipes? I’m looking for any good recipes since we’ll start getting more artichokes from the co-op in the coming weeks.

So, the backstory because I know you’re just dying to know: My aunt was classically trained in opera, and my father has a nice bass voice although I only occasionally heard him sing when I was growing up. I’ve always loved singing and I sang in an a cappella group in college, although I know that I’m nowhere near good enough for American Idol or Broadway. Right now, I lead worship music for church 1-2 Sundays a month, and I lead worship for youth group meetings at church 2-4 times a month. Singing worship songs is not the same as opera or Broadway musicals, and I’ve lost some of my upper range, so I decided to take voice lessons. I wanted to not only regain some of my range, but also I wanted to sing better for my own enjoyment and for my worship leading. I’m really fortunate because one of the staff leaders for youth group just graduated college and she majored in music, and she hooked me up with a friend of hers who’s a music major at one of our local universities who also teac...

Flashlight, that is. For years I’ve been teasing Captain Caffeine about how he likes to collect flashlights. And not the Maglights or anything so paltry as that. He likes the super expensive, heavy-duty, burn-your-eyesight-out flashlights. I keep teasing him about how many he has, because really, you can only use two flashlights at a time, one in each hand. But last night I dropped a glass and it shattered on our floor. No, no one was hurt, but we had to clean up the shards. The big ones were easy, but then we had to make sure all the tiny splinters were picked up so that our dog wouldn’t accidentally cut her feet on them. So the Captain breaks out his newest acquisition, an LED flashlight the size of can of soup that’s as bright as an outdoor floodlight. And he started panning the floor and the carpets, CSI-style. Needless to say, there’s a reason the CSI teams on TV use flashlights to find their evidence. The can of soup flashlight picked up several glass shards we hadn’t s...

In reading about chocolate digestive biscuits in some Betty Neels books I read, I looked them up on Amazon and bought them to try it. The chocolate biscuits are divine and need to be locked out of my reach or else I’ll snarf the entire package. Since I liked them so much, I also looked up the regular digestive biscuits on Amazon and bought them to try them. I must admit I’m not a huge fan of the name of this biscuit. “Digestive” reminds me of intestines and that super-creepy kidney/spit monster from the X-Files. But I absolutely LOVE these biscuits! I think because they’re both a little salty and a little sweet, but not too much of either. I also really like the texture--it’s like a more cookie-ish graham cracker, but not as sweet as a graham cracker. I really like good texture in my cookies and so I like the fiber-ish feel of these biscuits. I have been eating them with my afternoon and evening tea time. I feel very British. :) Anyone else tried these before?

Captain Caffeine sent me this link for how to make McDonalds’s French Fries at home . While I will be the first to admit I love their fries, my laziness is making me balk at this two-step process. The soaking in water I understand, and I had heard before from Alton Brown that you should fry your potatoes twice, but that fry-twice thing (plus putting them in the fridge) is the deal-breaker for me. Too much work! When I want fries, I want them NOW! I’d rather do fries In-N-Out style, just throw the fresh potatoes in the fryer until golden brown. Actually, I do soak my fries in water beforehand and then drain in a colander before frying in my Fry Daddy. I’ve only soaked them for an hour before, but maybe I’ll go for two hours like the article says just to try it. Do you make fries at home? If you haven’t before, it’s totally worth it. I admit it’s easier for me now that I have a Fry Daddy because I just plug it in and wait 15 minutes before frying. Of course, fries are not good for me...

This is going to sound weird, but if you’re a Reader, you’ll totally understand where I’m coming from. When you read a good book, that book becomes your friend. It’s totally strange and maybe even a bit psychologically deviant but it’s true. That book becomes like your closest friend, someone you’re spending time with and loving the conversation. I will admit, I have sometimes loved a book so much I will hug it like I’m hugging a person. There, I have confessed my mental disturbance to all the blogosphere. But those of you who are Readers will completely get me. You devour books by favorite authors because you became good friends with one of her titles, and you hope to find new friends in her other titles. Your chances are good since you already loved one of her stories. You’re always on the lookout for a new friend. Some books disappoint, but then suddenly you’ll stumble on a book (which might not even have that great a cover or back cover blurb) and you’re caught in an am...

I’m really fortunate to have several Christian novelists who live nearby and I can have lunch with them! Yesterday I had lunch with Christy-nominated author MaryLu (M.L.) Tyndall. We went to Cheesecake Factory and had their wild mushroom soup (YUM!) and salads. Yes, we were very good girls. :) If you haven’t read any of MaryLu’s books, you should try the one coming out in July, Veil of Pearls . It’s set in the Regency time period in America, and I mean, just look at that cover!!! Back cover blurb: Be swept away to Charleston of 1811, a city bustling with immigrants like Adalia, who is a runaway slave so light-skinned that no one guesses her past. Terrified her secret will be discovered, she settles into a quiet life making herbal remedies for a local doctor. But when Morgan, the handsome son of a prominent family, sweeps her into his glamorous world—a world in which the truth about Adalia’s heritage would ruin them both—suspicions and petty jealousies are aroused. What will Mor...

I absolutely love Charice--she has an amazing voice--and I love this newest song from her! "Louder" Louder [x4] I'm staring out of my window And the rain is pouring down When you left, I was so low But I'm not gonna drown I don't need no shoulder I'm gonna be a soldier I just wanna feel somethin' I don't understand I'm just gonna run right through the rain I'm just gonna dance right through the pain I just wanna feel that rhythm, feel that drum Let my heart beat louder Let my heart speak louder than my head (head, head, head) Heart beat louder than my head (head, head, head) Heart speak louder Wanna feel that rhythm, feel that drum Let my heart beat louder Let my heart speak louder than my head I, I am over overthinking of how to get you back I'm checking out for the weekend And I ain't going back I don't need no shoulder I'm gonna be a soldier I just wanna feel somethin' I don't underst...

Sotheby’s is auctioning off a 35 carat diamond that’s 400 years old , estimated 2-4 million dollars. I think the diamond’s history is pretty darn neat, but really, what do you do with a diamond like that? I mean, seriously, would you set it as a pendant and wear it to a party? A jewel like that is probably only for display. If it goes to a private collector, it’ll be in some private vault or display case that maybe a couple hundred people will ever see. That kind of saddens me, but I guess that’s the way things go with valuable jewels like that. I think I’d rather spend the money buying books. Yes, I have just confessed my plebian tastes to the entire blogosphere.

I wrote a book for Guideposts that’s one in a continuing series and I need a title for the book. Here are the themes in the book, in no particular order: Lighthouse Maine coastline Beach Tourist town Old historical church building (250 years old) Bell tower in the church Bronze bell in the church bell tower Secret rooms in the church Mysterious times when the bell inexplicably rings to warn of danger A cipher found in the back of an old (250 years) Book of Prayer A secret treasure hidden in the bell tower A woman novelist working on her second book, and also working on interviews and guest blogs for a blog tour A pastry chef shipping cakes, cookies, and other goodies in an internet business A widow selling her husband’s grand home and packing up the remnants of her married life, needing to move on but it’s difficult An artist whose painting has been stolen from her gallery My editor said that titles should be only TWO WORDS. So who’s game to...

I couldn’t resist when I saw this article on Yahoo about unusual grilled cheese sandwiches . I could totally try some of these at home, I think. I’d actually like to try the glazed donut grilled cheese (I can hear your collective eeewwwwwww!!! s). Captain Caffeine would probably enjoy the short ribs grilled cheese--since he smoked ribs yesterday maybe we should try it! If you click the link on the bottom of the article, you’ll be taken to a few more grilled cheese sandwiches, and one of them caught my eye because it’s so unusual: brioche bread, black bean hummus, guava jam, smoked gouda cheese, and pickled jalapenos! It sounds so weird I want to try it! Which one would you try?

Captain Caffeine fired up the smoker yesterday and made meatloaf and ribs. The meatloaf was a little bit of an experiment. He combined veal chorizo and ground beef (1:1 ratio), plus 3/4 cup oatmeal and 1/4 cup crushed saltine crackers, one egg, 2/3 cup milk, and 1-2 tablespoons of ketchup. It turned out extremely tender and delicious. The chorizo spices were so strong that even cut by the ground beef, the meatloaf had a chorizo kick to it. I would have expected it to be a little drier, because of the veal, but it was actually very juicy. The Captain even poured off some of the oil that pooled on top and the sides. Any favorite meatloaf recipes you want to share? I absolutely love meatloaf!

I ordered the McVitie’s dark chocolate digestive biscuits last week and they came today!!!! I can totally understand why people snarf these down by the packetful. They are SO good! Now, I’ve had the Le Petit Ecolier (The Little Schoolboy) chocolate cookie-biscuits by LU Biscuits and I loved them. I was expecting the McVitie’s biscuits to be similar, and they are, but at the same time they’re very different. McVitie’s chocolate biscuits have a thinner layer of chocolate that melts more easily, so rather than a block of chocolate in my mouth, it’s a delicate, creamy chocolate flavor. The McVitie’s biscuits are also more crumbly than what I remember of the Le Petit Ecolier biscuits, and I kind of like the more toothsome texture of the McVitie’s, which I think is from the whole wheat flour. Of course, now I will have to get the Le Petit Ecolier cookies again, just to compare, you see.

A rip-roaring, special-effect thriller in which the past, the present and the future all collide. Evolutionary biologist professor Nick Cutter and his team battle creatures from the furthest shores of evolution that have mysteriously appeared in the present day. In Primeval, nothing is certain, the past is as real as the present and it's just an anomaly away. The special effects aren’t quite Jurassic Park , but Primeval is a totally fun Sci-Fi series! I first discovered this show on Netflix and watched seasons 1, 2, and 3, but seasons 4 and 5 weren’t yet out at the time. Now they’re all out and there’s even going to be a North America (Canadian) spinoff! I was thrilled because you can watch seasons 1-4 online via Amazon streaming, and it’s free if you have Amazon Prime. Season 5, unfortunately, is not free, so I have it on my Netflix queue. I hope you’ll check it out and let me know how you like it!

More pictures that Captain Caffeine took of the goose, which is still in his work’s parking lot. The goose was gone for a little while but it returned yesterday. I still feel very sad for the goose. Where’s its flock? Captain Caffeine said that unlike the nasty/psycho/attack geese in the park near our home, this duck is very sweet and shy. I told Captain Caffeine that he should feed it. He gave me a look and said, “I don’t like it that much.”

I just finished this book and it's AWESOME!!! Definitely my favorite of all the books I've read by Tracy. The untold story of King Nebuchadnezzar's daughter For seven years the Babylonian princess Tiamat has waited for the mad king Nebuchadnezzar to return to his family and to his kingdom. Driven from his throne to live as a beast, he prowls his luxurious Hanging Gardens, secreted away from the world. Since her treaty marriage at a young age, Tia has lived an opulent yet oppressive life in the palace. But her husband has since died and she relishes her newfound independence. When a nobleman is found murdered in the palace, Tia must discover who is responsible for the macabre death, even if her own freedom is threatened. As the queen plans to wed Tia to yet another prince, the powerful mage Shadir plots to expose the family's secret and set his own man on the throne. Tia enlists the help of a reluctant Jewish captive, her late husband's brother Pedaiah, who c...

Saw this article on The Top 10 Germ-Infested Household Items You Probably Never Clean and screamed. I’m not OCD and only slightly a germophobe, but the article sent me running for my disinfectant. I also want to add keyboards and mouses to that list since I have my hands on them ALL DAY.

I read yesterday about the Post Office consolidating and closing some facilities , which kind of makes me sad because I use the Post Office a lot for mailing my books. But then I thought about it--I don’t actually use the Post Office, I use the US Postal Service. I have a program and monthly subscription with Endicia.com to allow me to print postage from my computer. That way I can print up postage whenever I need to, and we drop the mail off at the Post Office whenever we’re out next doing errands, or my husband will drop it off on his way to or from work. It helps out in terms of the time I spend standing in line at the Post Office, and I don’t use up gas to drive down there just to send mail. I’m sad about the jobs that will be cut because the economy is hurting as it is. And this isn’t really true in my neighborhood, but in Hawaii, the postal workers are a friendly bunch. They’ll chat with you if they happen to see you when they’re delivering mail, they’ll sometimes pick up you...

I hope you check it out! http://destiknitions.blogspot.com/2012/04/april-authors-who-knit-camy-tang.html

Bento box lunches were a huge part of my childhood in Hawaii. Rather than PB&J, Mom (or Grandma) packed for me cold lunches with musubi rice balls, fried chicken, fried spam, or fried hot dogs (see a trend?). There are also lots of small restaurants/fast food counters that sell bento lunches, and sometimes I'd get a plate lunch with fried noodles or potato croquettes. Well, bentos are still alive and well in Hawaii and Japan, and my mom sent me some pictures of bentos like I've never seen before. I certainly didn't get lunches that looked like these! I thought it might be fun to see the pics and guess what food they are. Rice for the kitty body, but what did they use for his arms and legs and ears??? Maybe white fishcake. And then either pink fishcake or luncheon meat. The dark gray part is nori seaweed, the yellow strip is pickled radish, called daikon (sweet-sour, my parents love the stuff). The red dot is half an ume , or a tiny very sour pickled plum (...

Not that I’m the authority on predicting any of this stuff, however, if Apple does come out with a smaller tablet later this year , I don’t know if I would use it. Right now, I am not really using my iPad as a substitute computer. I do use it when I write--I have my scene index displayed on it while I type on my Alphasmart. I use my iPad to watch movies and read books, but it’s a bit heavy for bookreading if I don’t have it propped up on a table in front of me. For reading, I still prefer my Nook because it’s smaller and lighter and the eInk technology makes it look like a book, so the screen doesn’t fatigue my eyes. Since I’m at the computer so much, that’s a key factor for me. For the other stuff I use the iPad for, a smaller screen wouldn’t be appealing. How many of you guys have Kindle Fires or Nook Tablets or Nook Colors? How do you use it? Primarily for reading or for other things?

The Price of Truth, book 20 in the Patchwork Mysteries series published by Guideposts! Back cover blurbs (I think you can click on it for a larger picture): Sorry, folks, these babies aren’t yet available to buy at online stores although you might be able to get them secondhand from eBay or Amazon.com. I loved writing for this series. I had no idea how much I enjoyed writing cozy mysteries until I wrote for the Patchwork Mysteries series. I even liked the quilting research I did! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised about that because I tend to like crafty stuff like knitting and spinning. Any crafts you like to do? Anyone of you guys do quilts? I tip my hat to you. I know exactly how time consuming it is to create something so beautiful!

Write a guest post for Girls, God, and the Good Life blog! You don’t have to be a perfect writer, you only need to be authentic. Make sure you get a feel for the blog before you submit.

The list is here at Wynn-Wynn Media . I’m most happy about my friend Ronie Kendig being nominated in Contemporary Romance!

But I think this is hilarious! I got this from a friend on Facebook.

One of my Daily Guideposts devotionals,  Helping Others Find Jesus , is posted on the Guideposts website! I hope you enjoy it!

My rant against Amazon's monopoly has only made me love my Nook more. :) World’s #1 Reader now with breakthrough GlowLight™: * First & Only Reader designed for perfect bedtime reading * Breakthrough technology creates a soft glow optimized for low light reading * Warm light illuminates entire screen evenly * End bedtime reading debate-when you want to read & your partner wants to sleep * GlowLight turns on instantly and adjusts easily with a touch * Revolutionary built-in anti-glare screen protector delivers just-like-paper experience – great in bright sun * Exclusive Best-Text™ & adjustable fonts make words crisp & clear * Fastest, most advanced E Ink® display for seamless page turns * Lightest NOOK ever – perfect for long reading sessions and carrying everywhere * Unbeatable value: "2 Readers in 1" - Best of E Ink & Lit Display' -Amazing in bed and at the beach Camy here : Doesn’t this look totally neat??? I am so wanting one!!!!...

But at least it’s on the comfy grass now. I wonder if it’s hanging out in the parking lot because someone is feeding it? What do you feed a goose anyway? (In case you missed it, earlier I blogged about the lone goose and posted pics .)

With the Department of Justice filing an antitrust suit against Apple and other publishers , the bottom line is that ebooks will continue to be devalued. Amazon will again lower their ebook prices and create a monopoly, continuing their bullying policies. What’s more, people will expect a book to only be worth $10 or less. Usually less. They’ll become upset if a book is priced at the "exorbitant" price of $10. This article explains that the cost of a book isn’t in the paper, it’s in the other work that goes into it. Editing. Cover design. Interior design and typesetting. Marketing. The several editors and proofreaders who go through a manuscript so it can be as free of distracting typos as possible. I’ve read tons of Amazon reviews about people distracted and annoyed by typos in those $0.99 ebooks. Well, when there are only 2-3 people (if that many) who go through a book before it’s self-published, you have to expect some errors. I don’t know the exact number, but ...

I just saw the email from Amazon and then saw this article via Yahoo . The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling (available September 27th) The darkly comic novel, Rowling's first for adults, follows the residents of the little town of Pagford after the unexpected death of resident Barry Fairweather. While Pagford appears to be an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, Fairweather's death reveals that behind the pretty facade is a town at war. Camy here: I am totally preordering this book! It’s available on BarnesandNoble.com and Amazon.com . The best part is that I can preorder it on Nookbook, too! Woohoo! What do you think? Will you preorder it?

I’ve come across “digestives” in the Betty Neels books I’ve read and finally today I looked up what it was. They’re cracker-like cookies called “biscuits” in the UK although they’re nothing like Southern-style biscuits. I had read about chocolate digestives and decided to try some, and lo and behold, Amazon has them. So I bought some. I am about to embark on some British culture, folks. :) I hear they’re fantastic. The milk chocolate digestives are the most popular but I couldn’t resist getting these dark chocolate digestive biscuits . And according to Wikipedia , they’re called “digestives” because originally they were thought to have antacid properties due to the sodium bicarbonate used to make them. I think these days, the ingredients make them a decent source of fiber. Anyone had these before? I just hope the weather stays cold so they won’t melt before I get them.

I have always loved Ashley Judd as an actress because I think she’s gorgeous and I’ve liked her in all the movies she’s done that I’ve seen. I have been loving her in her new TV series “Missing” but recently heard about the critics who said she’s clearly had work done because her face looks puffy and because she has no wrinkles. Really? Figure out what you’re saying, people. Ashley wrote this column to refute the critics (she’s amazingly articulate--I had no idea) and also here’s a short video: Why are we so quick to criticize a woman’s appearance? I’m ashamed of every time I’ve thought an actress looked like she gained weight. I actually really like Ashley in “Missing” because she looks about the right age to have a college-aged son, as opposed to other shows where the actress looks like she’s in her late twenties and yet she has a teenager. What do you think of all this?

This blog post is by my agent, Wendy Lawton. I was one of the unpublished writers who she took on and she and I have been together since 2005. She is a very good friend and a spiritual mentor to me. If you're at all interested in writing (fiction or nonfiction) this is an excellent blog post about what to work on if you're looking for an agent.

Little known fact: I used to sing in Testimony A Cappella group when I was at Stanford University. It was a fantastic experience because it was the first time I ever met Christians my age who truly loved Jesus. I was a baby Christian and I learned so much about walking with Jesus from my fellow Testimony members. This is one of the songs we sang, although we were definitely not as good as the Maranatha Singers. Our soloist was Luke, and while the rest of us were only so-so, Luke was flippin’ awesome.

For a long time, I have had a second monitor that Captain Caffeine bought from Goodwill but hadn’t taken the time to set it up. I finally figured out I needed a special adapter and the Captain bought it for me, but I only yesterday redid all my cables to set up the second monitor. It took a few tries but I finally did it! For those of you who may not know, I stand at my computer because it’s better for my back. I also have a laptop that I switch to when my feet get tired, so I go back and forth between sitting and standing. I’m on the computer most of the day, so the sitting/standing helps keep the blood flowing in my legs and prevents my back from getting sore from sitting for too long. The gray mat on the floor is an Ergomat, a special anti-fatigue rubber mat that’s exactly like what I used to use in biology work when I had to stand for long hours at my workbench. It’s very cushy. :)

So what do you think about Facebook buying Instagram ? Do you use Instagram? A lot of the teens at my church use Instagram, and I have an account but I admit I’m not entirely sure how to use it. :P How do you use it? That being said, I’m not happy about Facebook buying Instagram because Facebook is notorious for it’s horrible privacy policies and it’s sad to think of yet another app following those policies and potentially exposing people through their pictures.

Pizza Hut in the UK released this menu item and I totally want to try it. I am unashamed to admit I LOVE hot dogs. I don’t care what’s in them (or not in them), I will continue in ignorant bliss because I love eating them. Corndogs are my favorite. My love of hot dogs might be because when I was little, my family would go to town (downtown Honolulu) for my mom’s hair appointment. While she was there, Dad would take me and my brother to a matinee movie, and we’d always get popcorn and hot dogs. We saw all three Star Wars movies (episodes 4, 5, and 6) with my dad. Those are good memories for me. So, yes, I would want to try this pizza!

I ate some leftover pot roast and had some gravy left over. I looked at Snickers. “Do you deserve a treat?” Snickers looked at me: “Yes, you deserve a treat!” I gave her the gravy with a little bit of kibble. I am so pathetic.

My mom bought this hair clip for me and I just got it yesterday. Isn’t it super cute? And it’s PINK!!! Here’s the view of the underside with the little white flowers and bell. Here’s the view of the top with that little rosette. I love it! If I could sew I’d totally try to make something like this.

While the movie only made me cry, the historical articles on the Titanic are super interesting. In this one about the dogs on the Titanic , the story about the Great Dane made my cry. :(

We’re really fortunate in that we subscribe to an organic co-op, Live Earth Farm , where we pick up a basket of organic veggies every week. We don’t get to pick which veggies we receive, but there’s always a good variety and we’ve learned to eat veggies I wouldn’t normally buy at the grocery store. It allows for a lot of really good variety in our diet, because typically I’d buy the same veggies every week. Where we really spend money is on meats. I don’t know if this is only true in California, but meat is incredibly expensive. Chicken and pork are both cheaper than beef, but my problem is that I have noticed several things; 1) If I eat only chicken, beans, and soy products, I start to feel run down. I’m not sure why, especially since the chicken I eat has no growth hormones. I need to eat beef at least once every two or three days or else I get that run down feeling. 2) My stomach reacts badly to pork. I can eat maybe an once or two, but any more than that and my stomach beco...

Forgive me, I have to brag on my hubby a little. Captain Caffeine smoked a lamb in his smoker for Easter dinner and here’s the pics! He used a garlic and rosemary-infused olive oil to coat it, plus he added some sliced garlic and rosemary on the skin. It turned out perfectly medium rare. Naturally, Snickers was hovering. And a little too interested in droppage. For me, Easter has always had good food and family. I couldn’t be with my family this year, but we definitely had good food! How about you? What did you do for Easter?

Can you tell I’m excited??!!!!!!! It’s very interesting--you click to buy it on BN.com , which takes you to Pottermore.com where you register and then buy it via credit card, and then on Pottermore.com you click to download the ebook and authorize it to send the ebook to your BN.com account. It’s fantastic! I hope this also prevents people from illegally distributing these ebooks. That’s the only thing I hate about ebooks--it’s so easy for people to rob the authors and post free downloads of books.

I’m leading worship this morning for our Easter service and here’s one of the songs I’ll be playing! I love the chorus because it speaks to us as the church to rise up from slumber and apathy to new life in Christ. I am praying for true revival in the church! Christ is Risen Let no one caught in sin remain Inside the lie of inward shame But fix our eyes upon the cross And run to Him  Who showed great love And bled for us Freely You’ve bled for us Christ is risen from the dead Trampling over death by death Come awake, come awake Come and rise up from the grave Christ is risen from the dead We are one with Him again Come awake, come awake Come and rise up from the grave Beneath the weight of all our sin You bowed to none but heaven’s will No scheme of hell, no scoffer's crown No burden great can hold You down In strength You reign Forever let Your church proclaim Christ is risen from the dead Trampling over death by death Come awake, come awake Come...

I found this photo gallery on the San Jose Mercury News page.

How sad! He died yesterday. I didn’t realize he lived in the Bay Area. Not that I would have visited his house or anything. :) Any of you have favorite paintings of his?

"The centre of salvation is the Cross of Jesus, and the reason it is so easy to obtain salvation is because it cost God so much." --Oswald Chambers

Whitney Houston was A.MA.ZING. But having her autopsy report available for anyone to see seems kind of an invasion of privacy. I feel a bit nasty just thinking about it. Poor Whitney.

I have confessed my black thumb before and made some of you cringe at my sloppy gardening , but this article I saw on Yahoo made me wonder if I should exert myself and get a couple of these plants in our home, since they help detoxify the air. The peace lily is pretty but I wonder how hard it is to care for. Will it go the way of my cyclamen ? Any of you gardeners have advice for me?

Are we adorable? This is me, Mary DeMuth, and my editor at Zondervan, Becky! We're having scrumptious ice cream at Marian's in Santa Cruz! I had the lavender ice cream and it was TO . DIE . FOR .

I read this article about how Google is no longer offering to sell ebooks via independent online ebook stores, but only through Google Play. Okay, I feel rather dumb, but I had to look up what Google Play was. I had actually looked at it briefly when it first came out, but haven’t even thought about it since. (Maybe not a good sign?) It looks like an online iTunes/iBooks. However, I think you download ebooks as .epub format, which can be read on your Nook. You have to use Adobe Digital Editions on your computer, which is a free program and what you have to use to borrow most library ebooks, too. It’s also what I use when I buy ebooks from ebooks.Harlequin.com. Not my favorite interface, but it works. Have any of use bought books from Google Play? What do you think of this? I’m not sure how this will do. It seems like we have too many places to be able to buy ebooks. Kindle owners can only buy from Amazon. Nook owners have more options, but they tend to buy from BN.com because ...

Looks like some sushi in restaurants in Virginia had an outbreak of salmonella from their spicy tuna rolls . That makes me sad! I love sushi! I don’t want to have to worry about salmonella! Actually, in Hawaii, my parents always taught me to go to a really reputable sushi restaurant rather than the smaller ones that cater to the younger crowd. There are no sake-bombs at the bar, but you’ll be less likely to be put in the hospital from bad fish. We go to Kabuki, a Japanese restaurant in Pearl City (on the island of O’ahu) where my parents know the sushi chefs. They were trained in Japan for many years (as opposed to some sushi chefs now who are trained only a few months or even a few weeks). They personally pick the fish and it’s always fresh enough to almost jump off your plate. Because of Kabuki, I’m a bit spoiled when it comes to sushi, I admit. :) Anyway, don’t let the salmonella scare you off sushi. Just make sure if you do go, go to a really reputable restaurant. And it u...

I blogged yesterday about the poor lone goose that Captain Caffeine saw in his work parking lot, so he sent pictures: Doesn’t the poor thing look so lonely? Where’s its mate? Captain Caffeine said it can’t be lost because the park is only a couple blocks away.

I'm over at ChristiansRead blog today: My name is Camy, and I have plebeian reading tastes. Yup, uncultured, unrefined, lowbrow, philistine reading tastes. My tastes do not run to poetic prose. I want the common, vulgar fiction known as popular fiction or genre fiction. Come join me!

I saw Ramin Karimloo singing in the 25th Anniversary Les Miserables performance and looked him up and saw he performed in a show called Love Never Dies . I was surprised to see it was a continuation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera ! So I got the CD and have been listening. The music is very Andrew Lloyd Webber, it’s very different and yet similar to the Phantom. The storyline is fascinating and theatrical, although I have a hard time believing the events of the song “Beneath a Moonless Sky,” even though most of the story hinges on them. I would have loved to watch this but unfortunately I think it’s no longer playing. There’s an Australian version DVD releasing but it doesn’t have Ramin Karimloo in it, which is disappointing. He’s supposed to have created a more dynamic Phantom than any other actor who has played the character.