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| A Kitty Who Needs Someone |
Hi All,
I am happy to see that you "renegades" who are forming an additional group on-line where you can talk are getting that going. I just can't seem to find time to put you in touch, and this way seems to be working find. I don't think we'll be left with a "graveyard" here because there are new people every day, and lots of people who want to stay on to read my weblog and to hear the latest crime news. But I know many of you want to have more space to talk,and more time--so you have my blessing!
My daughter Leslie has been very worried about a new kitty she has become aware of. Right now, Leslie is paying the vet expenses for this forgotten and forsaken cat. She and I are praying that there is someone out there who can find a way to help Maxine Loverly.
Here's Leslie's letter, explaining:
"Can anyone open their heart and home to a cat who is feline leukemia postive?
Maxine Loverly is a sweet old cat who is beautiful on the INSIDE. She is a "tuxedo" cat, black with white paws and a white neck. Until last summer she was one of 29 cats who lived with an eccentric elderly lady in Bonney Lake, Washington. The old woman died and most of the cats were whisked away to a "no kill shelter."
Poor Maxine was overlooked and as the months passed she grew thin. She ended up on the porch of the old woman's neighbor, Nancy. Nancy was shocked to see the sick and starving, flea bitten cat. She put out food and when she saw how affectionate the kitty was she nicknamed her "Lovey." But The cat was obviously ill and Nancy saw she needed more help.
Nancy recently lost her job and could not afford to take the cat to the vet. She spent an entire day on the phone, calling every vet and shelter in the phone book but no one would help. Finally someone gave her the number of my daughter, Leslie.
Leslie took over and Maxine is now at the vet's. Unfortunately, tests revealed that Maxine is FeLV positive. The vet recommended that Maxine be put to sleep, but Leslie said, "No, I want you to treat her."
Feline Leukemia is a disease contagious among cats. (Humans can't catch it.) It is known as the cat AIDS. It is passed through saliva. FeLV cats have weakened imune systems and must be kept indoors so they don't pass the disease to healthy cats. Their imune systems are severly weakened and their lives are shortened.
The vet was encouraged after testing Maxine for additonal illnesses and discovered only a treatable infection that the kitty is now receiving medicine for. He believes that Maxine is about ten or eleven years old and could live to be sixteen. She needs to go to a home where there are either no cats, or other FeLV postive cats. (We can't risk having her infect healthy cats!) Apparently, not many FeLV cat shelters exist. Someday, Leslie hopes to open such a shelter. She is inspired by the one at the Best Friends animal shelter in Utah. They help all types of critters and have an entire area for the FeLV cats! Here is the link to their site: www.bestfriends.org
Leslie was encouraged by the heartwarming article about the leukemia cats and sent met his "Cut and Paste" from the Best Friends website. (The photos didn't come through but you can see them by clicking on the above link!)
If anyone thinks they may be able to open their heart to Maxine Loverly (Lovey), please let us know as soon as possible! I always say my readers are the kindest people in the world and know their must be someone out there who can give love to this kitty. She may not live long, but she can live happy!
The World's Most Affectionate Cats
When some of us get sick, we become unbearable. We wave our Kleenexes around, looking for sympathy from strangers, dropping hints to friends that condolence cards would be welcome.
But cats, explains staffer Frank Monetti (pictured with his good pal Judah), are much better sports about illness than even less dramatic humans. Cats with feline leukemia, he says, neither require sympathy, nor desire it. For the most part, they consider themselves healthy and happy!
Frank, a former biker, came to work at Best Friends five years ago. He's worked in different areas of the sanctuary, but four years ago, he took over the special care of the cats at the Kitty Motel. They include kitties with neurological conditions (who live in the Incontinental Suite!) others with FIV, and two rooms for cats with feline leukemia.
Frank says that the Kitty Motel is by far his favorite place in all of the sanctuary. The reason? He finds that not only are these cats not depressing to be around, they are in fact the friendliest of all cats!
"They're the most affectionate," he explains, "Anyone who comes here will tell you that. The volunteers, the staff, anyone who comes here falls in love with them." And the feline leukemia cats are perhaps the friendliest of all. Why? Frank really isn't sure. But when we humans are sick, he points out, we tend to compare how we feel today to how we felt yesterday. Looking back in time and finding that we're worse off now than before worsens our mood. And then we look ahead to the future and ask, "How long before I'm better?" Again, if our predictions are dismal, we'll wind up adding sorrow to our list of ailments. And in the case of serious illness or injury, we may ask, "What would my life have looked like if this had never happened? How does it look now that it has?" and of course, the most torturous of thoughts: "Could this illness or injury have been avoided? How much happier would I be if I had done something differently?"
Cats don't engage in all the inner psychological banter that can exaggerate the depression of having an illness. Instead, says Frank, they simply adjust to how their lives are right now on this day, and remain in high spirits.
Many of the feline leukemia cats at Best Friends have been around a long time, and expect to keep going even longer! Frank says that the affection and attention they receive from visitors and volunteers, as well as from the staff is a large part of what keeps them healthy for so long. Of course, every now and then, one of the cats he cares for goes over the Rainbow Bridge, although in many cases it's as much from old age as from the illness! Other times, the leukemia takes them prematurely. But Frank says, "I don't feel sorry for them. They're just great cats."
And it sounds like these extraordinary cats really don't want anyone to feel sorry for them. They just want to enjoy today."
If you can help, please either write to my email address or to Leslie at Llrule30@aol.com ? She and I both have about our limit of cats and dogs, not to mention all the wild critters, but neither of us can stand to see an animal with no home.
Have wonderful weekends! I am going to be WRITING! I can feel it in my bones; my very rare (for me) "writer's block" is beginning to break up like the thaws in Alaska!
Love,
Ann
www.annrules.com
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| Posted by Ann on Friday, January 06, 2006 at 17:56 |
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| January 4, 2006 |
Hi Everyone!
I can see that you have now become autonomous. Whether I'm able to post or not, you are taking care of a lot of problems for each other, and also giving emotional support when it is really needed. I think that's one of the very positive aspects of the Internet. Sincere people find other nice people who have similar interests and/or need someone (who understands) to talk to. I will continue to post whenever I can, but the next few months will be a real challenge for me--with two books to finish by September 1. My trip to Georgia for the Dr. Bart Corbin trials has been delayed until April 15 because his trials have been postponed. So I will be working on NO REGRETS: True Crime Files #11, and also on TOO LATE TO SAY GOODBYE, Jenn Corbin's and Dolly Hearn's stories, although, of course, I can't finish that until after Bart Corbin's trials. If anyone who reads my weblog knows any of the people involved in the murders that Bart Corbin is charged with, please get in touch with me? I'm trying to find all the information in these cases that I can. Even if you have had only small contact with the people involved in these tragic Georgia murders, it would help me to have your memories and opinions. This book will be one of the most difficult I've ever attempted.
Like everyone else in America, I am grieving and shocked over the way the West Virginia miners' story ended. I was so happy at 11 p.m. last night (Seattle Time,) and before I turned off the TV, I switched to CNN to see what I expected to be the reunion of the 11 "survivors" with their families in the church. Instead, I watched the awful news that the first reports that only one of 12 had died had been in error. Wha t terrible emotional pain for the relatives waiting for word--to be so happy, and then to learn that their beloved men were gone. I watched until 3 a.m. In my opinion, this wasn't anyone's fault. All of us were hoping for miracles--like we saw in the last mine disaster. So when someone mistakenly said most of them were alive (or perhaps the sound was garbled, coming from more than 2 miles into the earth), of course everyone grabbed onto the possibility of good news! As it turned out, the final word was a cruel shock, but I'm sure no one did it on purpose. Were they wrong to wait 3 hours to confirm the deaths? Maybe. But might not it have been worse to come up with more news that hadn't been verified? I was impressed with West Virginia's governor. He knew the lives of miners--he'd lost his own uncle to a mine disaster, and I believe he was truly devastated by the awful mix-up. When tragedy happens, we all tend to want to find someone to blame. Maybe, this time, there's no one to blame. We all mourn for the dead men, and feel such sorrow for their families.
At some time last night, I heard a reporter say that the miners made $700 a week. That's about $3000 a month, given the two or three extra days. And it's $36,000 a year. Not a huge salary today. Not at all.Think of what it must be like to go to work so many miles underground with the constant threat of disaster. They are really a brave bunch of guys with a brave bunch of relatives. Whenever we find our jobs tough or boring or low-paying, let's remember what it would be like to go down into the mines.
I'm not going to acknowledge that the first few days of 2006 have been kind of tough. That doesn't mean it's a precursor for the whole year! Yesterday, I lost a very dear friend. If you go to my photo gallery, you will find a picture of Austin Seth, his wife, Charlotte, and their dog. Austin was a Seattle police detective for many years--long before I joined the force. He was a Lt in Homicide for a long time. After he retired, he was head of security for the Olympic Hotel, Seattle's most posh place to stay. He was also a professional photographer who took the "photo finishes" at Longacres, our local race track for decades. Plus, Austin took pictures of authors at all the booksignings for Adams News, our dear--and departed--book and magazine wholesaler in Seattle. That's how I met him. Austin was like my dad, my uncle, my big brother, a genuinely nice man and I never heard ANYONE with a bad word to say about him. He used to bring me free magazines, and he always had some little gift to give anyone who had breakfast or lunch with him. I think Austin must have gone to scores of booksignings with me, and I have so many pictures he took of the crowds that showed up. Although he had some health issures--including a broken back, some bum knees where a pick-up ran over them, some aortic aneurysms, and pneumonia, he always snapped back and I kept hoping he would. But not this time. He was a big guy, about 6'3", but as gentle as they come. He and Charlotte celebrated many anniversaries beyond their Golden one. They were young sweethearts, only children of long-time Seattle families, and they had a good life with their two sons, Nils--a just-retired Seattle cop, and Erik, who inherited his father's talent with a camera.
Austin wanted to live to see his 90th birthday (12/26/05) and he made it with three days to spare, even though he has been ill for about two years now. Nothing definable--just everything breaking down after serving him well for more than nine decades. He was one of about 4 survivors of the very first class of the Seattle Police Academy. I think he knew he would not live to be the sole survior, but he would tell me about their reunions which grew smaller and smaller over the years. Austin had to have a leg amputated about two weeks ago, and from that point on, it was a tough fight for him to live. Although I will miss him, I am relieved that he is no longer in pain. He passed away yesterday, January 3, at 9:58 a.m.
Austin lost his partner, Don Sprinkle, about 45 years ago when Don died of a sudden heart attack. Like most detectives, the two were very close and seemed to understand what the other was thinking without ever having to say it out loud. I am smiling to think of the two old buddies together in heaven now.
If you want to know more about Austin Seth, please read my coverage of his most memorable case: The Accountant. I believe it is in Kiss Me, Kill Me, but it may have been in the True Crime Files before that. I also wrote a chapter called The Hotel Detective that told of the many adventures Austin had with U.S. Presidents, high profile Seattle lawyers, "ladies of the night," and con-men--all people who stayed at the Olympic Hotel. Despite seeing the dark underbellies of many people, Austin always saw the best in people. I feel bad now because the last time I spoke to him, I said, "I'll call you tomorrow," and then there were emergencies in my life that kept me from doing that.
We all have special people in our lives, people who seem like relatives even when they're not, and Austin Seth was one of those people for me. Happy landings, my dear friend.
I learned yesterday that someone else I cared about had passed on. Most of you have read A FEVER IN THE HEART, a book about a love triangle case in Yakima, Washington. I wrote this book because Olive Blankenbaker, the mother of the young football coach--Morris--kept asking me to do it. When I attended the trial in the mid-seventies, I had no hope of ever publishing a book and I explained that to Olive. She was about 65 then and she told me she was dying of cancer. Ten years later, I was speaking in Yakima and this familiar looking lady came up to me afterward. It was Olive, smiling broadly. "I didn't die, after all," she said. "Now will you write my son's story?' Well, I couldn't write it until the early 1990's but I was proud to be able to take a copy of A FEVER IN THE HEART to her. She was so happy to see it. Sadly, after I wrote the book, Morris's daughter, who had been keeping an eye on her grandmother, was angry and blocked all my communication with her. I called several nursing homes in Yakima looking for Olive but they couldn't tell me if she was a resident. I sadly concluded that she must have died in the ten years since I've seen her. But I always worried that she would think I'd deserted her. I didn't--I just couldn't get through to her. Yesterday, several readers in Yakima let me know that Olive died on New Year's Eve at the age of 95.
I feel so bad that I couldn't say goodbye to her or even send her flowers or letters over these years. Olive was a pioneer in many ways. She was a court reporter who took down the testimony in long hand, traveling around the State of Washington. Divorced in an era where most women didn't resort to that, Olive raised her only child, Morris, by working so hard. She had one man in her life--decades ago, now--whom she loved so much, but he was killed in a terrible accident. She had a hard life, but she never gave up. The last time I saw her, Donna Anders and I visited her in Yakima. She was living in a mobile home, had three or four beloved cats, and she was still a lovely looking woman. She even had a gentleman caller--although she wasn't very interested in him. I think her heart was broken when she lost the real love of her life. She was 85 years old and an inspiration that showed people could go on after suffering terrible losses. I remember all of her sisters had "botanical" names too. There was Iris, and, I think, Ivy, as well as Olive. They grew up in the 20's and Olive remembered how exciting it was to have RADIOS!
I hope she knows that I never forgot her, and I hope she is with her true love and her son, Morris.
Let's see--for some questions. I have thought about the Pickton case in Vancouver, B.C., the serial killer pig farmer, and I've talked to the RCMP and Vancouver Police. But, truthfully, I just can't bear to write another serial killer book after doing Green River, Running Red. That was my 5th serial killer book, and they are so terribly hard to do emotionally--at least for me. I may never do another one, and the Vancouver case is particularly disturbing.
In 2006, it's not likely that I will be able to go anywhere in America to sign books or give talks--except to Georgia, when I'm there for the Corbin trials. Next winter, I'll surely be signing around Seattle, and I now I'm going to Alaska for a mystery writers' conference in the Spring of 2007. God willing. Remember. you can always send books to me for signing. Just be sure to enclose a self-addressed, stamped, return mailer, and a note on what to say--and to whom. My mailing address is P.O. Box 98846, Seattle, WA 98198.
I haven't read Lacy Peterson's mother's book yet. About six months ago, her mother and stepfather's attorney contacted me to see if I wanted to ghostwrite her book. I just had too many things on my plate at the time, and could not do it. I suggested my daughter Leslie, but we didn't hear back. I hope that it does sell well, and that Lacy's family gets the opportunity to get all of THEIR feelings out. (By the way, I still get an occasional email from women who believe that Scott is innocent and got a raw deal in court. . .)
Loved your posts about your "angels" who look after you. The one about the ghost man who turned on the elevator light was especially heart-warming. Whenever I am in a far-off city where I know no one and I feel very alone and vulnerable, I can feel my father looking after me. He was such a great guy, a big old football coach with a tender heart who thought I was absolutely perfect and should have been "Miss America." Every girl should have a father like that. Too bad I never found a man in my life who was that loving and caring. Maybe I set the standard too high?
I planted some paper white narcissus bulbs this week, and it is a joy to see them wake up even with our dark and cloudy days! The bulbs I bought in November are still in sacks, but I'm going to put them in the ground and cross my fingers! I did lose some geraniums with our cold spell, but my life was just too chaotic at the time to get them inside
Tennessee Bev, hope your bronchitis heals up really fast. And I hope the chemo isn't as bad as you feared. You know we are all thinking of you. And of our other regulars who are going through challenging times. The Guestbook is so packed with posts now that it's all I can do to read every post every day, much less respond to each person, so I hope you understand? It's either write books or focus all my energy on the Guestbook and my email. As I said, I have faith in you that you will take care of each other!
As far as getting email addresses so you can write to one another. Here's the situation. Neither I nor my webmaster can tell what your email address is. That's to protect your privacy. If any of you want to give your email addresses to anyone else you've met on my website, send it to me at AnnieR37@aol.com, along with a list of the people you want to communicate with. I'll then ask those people (in my weblog) if they want to send meTHEIR addresses. If everyone is o.k. with that, I'll put you together.
To Debbie P., worried about your son's girlfriend. My best advice is that when our sons hit 18 or so, we have to realize that other (younger) women are going to appeal to them. They love us as Moms, but they don't need their Moms as much. When, like you and I, the Moms have raised the sons (and daughers) alone, I think we unconsciously look to the sons as being the men in our house. And, to some extent, they are. I've been in your house and it is a warm, loving, rollicking, demonstrative, Italian family. Not all families are like that. Ralph's girlfriend may just have come from a family where emotions aren't demonstrated very much, people don't hug because it embarrases them, people don't kiss relatives on the mouth. (My Ohio relatives always did that--and it seemed strange to me because my Michigan relatives were somewhat stoic Danes.) Think of how you must threaten Ralph's girlfriend. From her point of view, you are perfect, he adores you, you may not be all that welcoming to her when you think about your son leaving you someday to be with her--"cleaving only unto her," as the Bible says.
I've told you for a couple of years that you are a young, vital, attractive woman and that you should get out and make some friends of your own, accept some dates, think about a romantic future, as you realize that both your children are going to grow up and fly away. They all do, and , if they don't, THEN we should be worried. Give the girl a break. She may not know how to express her thanks, she may never have been taught manners, and she may be scared to death of you. Don't press her with too much show of affection, and don't expect too much of her. The one thing I do know is that if you show disapproval of your son or daughter's dates, it will only drive them further into the arms of someone you would not pick for them. I've found that keeping my mouth shut is the best thing I can do, and also the most difficult! :*) Hey, get out there and meet some gorgeous 45-year-old man and let the kids worry about whether they approve of your choice! You'll have a lot more fun than being disappointed in your son's girlfriend. He's young, you know, and so smart and he probably won't even end up with this girl--UNLESS you make her more desirable by criticizing her so he feels he has to defend her!
Oh, wouldn't it be fun to be Dear Abby or Ann Landers? I'd love to have an advice column. It's so much easier than figuring out your own problems! And I would dearly love to have my own show on satellite radio. I look so young on radio!
I'll be posting some more recommended reading, and I will have a page on www.amazon.com by the end of the week--a new idea they have to introduce writers to their customers. They will let me link that site to this site.
For those who ask, I don't really have definite opions on Darlie Routier or Dr. Jeffrey McDonald because I haven't researched their cases myself. I would sure like to see JonBenet's murder solved this next year. If her parents are not involved, what hell they have been put through since her murder--but I am leery of their innocence. I also was always suspicious of the neighborhood Santa who always seemed to be in front of the cameras. I was shocked to see him in the front row of the crowd at the Today Show shortly after JonBenet's murder.
Perry March's case is very interesting, and he did write to me once to ask me to tell HIS story, but I don't see how I can tell the Janet March story until after I finish the Corbin book in Georgia.
Finally, if you have sent me an email and I haven't answered, it's only because I just barely have my nose above water. It will be this way for at least the first half of 2006. I'm urging everyone who writes to move over to our Guestbook. That way, if I can't answer, YOU can!
Finally sent out about 27,000 addresses to New York today so the newsletters can go out. But I promise to have a much updated, and continually updated, newsletter on these web pages that will surpass the mailed newsletter. Plus I'm going to scan lots more photos for the photo gallery. Most of them will be pictures of victims, killers, crime scenes (not bloody though--I won't use those), and the houses I've visited to research the crimes I write about.Most of my books have lots of pictures, but there are dozens that I wasn't able to use because the publishers will only go for a certain number of photo pages.
My shoulder feel sooooo much better after the cortisone shot, and I'm encouraged. As always, I appreciate you, your friendshiip, your willingness to help me AND each other.
Love,
Ann
www.annrules.com |
| Posted by Ann on Wednesday, January 04, 2006 at 19:07 |
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| 2006! |
Happy New Year!
We don't know what the next 12 months will bring, but I have a good feeling, and I send my love to all of you.
Tennessee Bev sent me a photo of herself, and she is truly a beautiful woman. If she gives me her permission, I will have it scanned onto my photo gallery. How about it Bev?
I am feeling so much better after the cortisone shot in my shoulder. It hurt alot for 36 hours--just as the orthopedic surgeon warned me it would--and then--Hallelujah!-- the pain began to go away. I am so thankful!
I've been watching shows on TLC all day--first--how to clean up a house that has been totally junked by TOO MUCH STUFF, and now, "Flip This House" on how to buy a house, fix it up, and sell it for a profit. This totally fascinates me!
I'm ashamed to admit that I was sound asleep by 9:30 p.m. on New Year's Eve. Just plain tired out,and no "Prince" called to ask me out to dine and dance! The rain is pattering, the wind is howling, and it's the kind of weather in Seattle where going to sleep early seems like the reasonable thing to do. Went to the Safeway today to stock up, and came home to find a very large tree had blown over and fallen on the road, blocking my access to home. Wires were down, too. I just didn't want to carry all those bargain canned goods down to my house, so I drove around the one-way loop and headed home on a WRONG WAY street, honking all the way! Made it! Now, I can stay in for a week or more and work on NO REGRETS and TOO LATE TO SAY GOODBYE. I love the quiet days after the holidays when I can get back to writing.
I wish the happiest of years to all of you, no matter what challenges you face! Everyone who posts here has courage and guts and compassion and the capacity for joy! Please let me know how you are doing.
Love,
Ann |
| Posted by Ann on Sunday, January 01, 2006 at 21:24 |
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| 2006 Around the Bend |
Counting Down . . .
I approach every single New Year with high hopes because I am still a "glass half full" kind of woman. Think I will do the "Wish Chart" this year, although I'm kind of proud of myself already for making some of my goals come true in 2005. I actually went out and bought some things for ME this year. Don't know why that is so hard for me to do--think it's the "Mom syndrome" where we tend to put everyone else first. And, you know, we don't have to do that, especially when the "babies" are old enough to vote. I got a new hardwood floor in my living room, new blinds to replace the ones that had kind of rotted away in 15 years, and new deck furniture. I'm getting my disintegrating deck replaced, too, as soon as my handyman is all the way recovered from his double pneumonia! It's just too stormy for him to work out there in the wind and rain. January in Seattle usually brings a few weeks of blue skies and dry weather. As far back as I can remember--pretty doggonned far--New Year's Day itself has been sunny.
I went to the orthopedic surgeon today, and even though he didn't have the MIR results, I think I passed the tests that suggest I DON'T have a rotator cuff tear! I am so relieved. With the trials in Georgia coming up and the book I need to finish before I go, I need both arms and hands, thank you very much. He gave me a cortisone shot in the shoulder. Of all the medical procedures I've experienced, this is the one that has always scared me the most--but this young doc was GOOD! Bless his heart, he froze my shoulder first with some kind of spray, and then put the needle in. I feel better already, although I suspect it's just the placebo effect. I'll keep doing my exercises, but I am absolutely thrilled that the X-rays showed I have a wonderful, thick bunch of cartilege in my shoulder joints.
I got through the MIR yesterday with ease, even though I have a little bit of claustrobia, and really didn't like being inside that crowdy tube for half an hour. I closed my eyes, and listened to the music in my ears (easy listening) along with the rat-ta-tat-tat of the MRI. I had four 9 pound babies without anesthesia, so I told myself I could be a big girl and not panic inside that cylinder they slid me into. It helped that they pump fresh air in all the time. I know that my dear Bev is having much harder tests of what she can deal with, and that nearly every day some of our pals on this site face challenges. So far, we're all coming through with gold stars. And I've even stopped kicking myself for being so dumb as to walk out on my deck in slippers with no treads and blithely stepping into wet leaves. No wonder I went airborne!!
I have a theory on regretting what happened to us last week or last year or even 30 years ago. I once had a friend who kept harking back to his childhood--which no one would describe as anything but horrific. But he continued to let it scar him so many years later. I remember saying to him: "You are like someone who is carrying a basket of apples up a hill. Your goal is to get to the top with as many apples as you can--but you keep looking back and regretting what happened a long time ago, and blaming that for all your pain. When you DO look back, you tip your basket, and a few more apples spill out. You don't need to look back, and you really don't need to go to a Freudian psychiatrist five days a week where you keep going over what happened when you were 9 or 10. Try to set your basket straight, keep your eye at the top of the hill, and quit losing even more apples regretting what you--and no one else-- can change. "
Maybe this is too pragmatic--but there ARE things we can't change. Parents who were never meant to be parents will erode your serenity if you expect them to give more than they are able to give. Forgive them for their inadaquecy even as you know in your heart that YOU will give your children a much better start in life. Elizabeth, Queen of all she Surveys, is right when she describes her mother as poisonous. She can't change who her mother is, but she can change how she reacts to her. We aren't necessarily who our parents are--or were. Some of our strenghts come from ancestors way back in our family trees. If you can forgive close relatives who let you down, do it--because YOU will feel better. If you can't, that's o.k. But don't let them continue to hurt you. I've found that some of my closest friends are more like family than people I've been related to by blood. We CAN pick our special families, the people who appreciate what we do for them, and who give us love and support.
Again, please pick some one or some group in 2006 who can use your particular kind of talent or energy or love. You will feel better and so will they. Be kind to someone who is rude to you; chances are they are just very unhappy people.The meanest people are the unhappiest inside. (And I'm not counting sociopaths who ARE just plain mean and interested only in themselves.) Smile at everyone even if you don't feel like it. Give someone a small compliment. You may well make their whole day. Revenge is such a cold dish. Being kind to a stranger will warm your heart as well as theirs.
I can hardly wait to start writing my 10 pages a day and to see how NO REGRETs will turn out. I never do know even though I know how each case I write about has ended. I get up in the morning to see how the stories unfold on the pages of my books. I've had scores of suggestions for books lately, but it will be 2007 before I can really take on a brand new case. A lot of the suggestions are about very high profile cases, and they have already been picked over and examined by A&E, Court TV, Nancy Grace, and a half-dozen documentary shows by the time I would write them, and I don't want to write stories that are so familiar that there are no surprises. The Perry and Janet March case IS interesting, and Perry, himself, called me to ask me to write about his "innocence," but I think this may well be the next JonBenet, OJ or Laci Peterson case and totally saturated in the media.
I want to say Thank You to the dozens of people who have written to me saying that they did come to know the Green River victims and appreciated seeing them in my book as real human beings, young girls who never had a chance. That was my chief purpose in writing this book. Somebody had to step up and speak for all those lost girls when they could no longer speak for themselves. I hear almost every day from someone who knew one or the other of the victims, and I will add details of their lives in my UPDATES section of this website.
We're getting close to mailing out the newsletter. It's my fault now for every day that's delayed; I'm trying to get all the mailing addresses updated and correct. If you sent me books to sign and return just before Christmas, they are mostly here, and I'm getting to them this week.
I sent Rainey--my web master-- a bunch of new photos and I'll be sending her more, but she's having a nice vacation up in the mountains of Oregon and she'll get to it next week.
Leslie, my daughter, is writing her new book on Ghosts and Murder which promises to be absolutely fascinating. If any of you have stories of hauntings that came with violent crime, please write to me at AnnieR37@aol.com or to Leslie at Llrule30@aol.com . Donna Anders, my best friend,(DAnders730@aol.com has just finished her new book--which takes place in New Jersey across from New York City--and I think she has a winner too!
Happy New Year to all of you. I appreciate my ARFs so much! United, we are an awesome bunch of people, and we will sweep into 2006 with all flags flying!
Love,
Ann
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| Posted by Ann on Thursday, December 29, 2005 at 19:18 |
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| Heading toward 2006! |
Merry Christmas! Happy Hannuka! Happy Kwanza!
I meant to post some holiday thoughts yesterday and even earlier today, but yesterday was a blur of shopping, wrapping, cooking, entertaining, and finally, blessedly getting to bed at midnight. Today I felt as if I'd run a marathon and just didn't have any creative energy! The days seem so short when it doesn't get light until eight and the sun goes down about 3:45! But at least they're headed in the other way now! We've finally returned to our seasonal rain in the Northwest--after being spoiled with lots of sunshiny days, and that makes the days seem even shorter. Luckily, I love rain, although I do seem to have a leak in my roof, and the thing is a number of roof contractors have looked for it and just can't find it, so it's probably going to mean a whole new roof. Sigh.
We had a good Christmas with most of my family here, except for the few who live so far away. I made my famous clam dip (small curd cottage cheese, cream cheese, minced clams, garlic powder, and dill weed), roast beef, and bought take-home-to-bake pizzas, and my daughter-in-law brought salad and her fudge (I have never been able to get fudge to set up. It's always liquid.). Meant to serve ice cream sundaes but we were so stuffed, everyone just groaned at the thought of it. About half of my "family" members aren't blood related or even connected by marriage, but we all love each other a lot. My daughter, Leslie, got me a number of "interesting" items to put in my garden in the spring--everything from an old-fashioned copper kindling box to a chamber pot. If you have to ask what the latter is, you're not old enough to know! I carved the roast beef with one of my usual dull knives, and then opened presents later and found a wonderful butcher block full of REAL carving knives in my present pile. I've never had a good set before. Got an Enya CD and a Ricky Martin CD, too! And my former son-in-law Kevin gave me a perfect miniature old-fashioned skating rink that lights up and shows the skaters circling inside. It fits exactly into my tiny pretend town. He also gave me an exquisite cut glass container to hold the fragments of beach glass I collect. My friend, Donna Anders, gave me a huge basket full of good stuff--everything from brie cheese to tiny blue vodka bottles to bubble bath to perfume, all kinds of things to relax with! It was a lovely evening, but I was sure tired after the last company left!
New Year's Eve is coming up now, and I'll toss out something I like to do on December 31st. I take a big colored sheet of tag board,construction paper-- whatever the proper name is. Then I cut pictures out of magazines of all the things that I'd like to accomplish, or buy, or achieve or maybe have given to me. It helps me focus on what is really important to me, and it's fun to do, too. I've saved those big old "posters" from years past and it's amazing how many things I wished for did come to pass--and which ones never did. It's also a little like a diary to see how my ambitions have changed. I also save all my old calendars, going back to the 70s. Since I put floral arrangements on there about 12 years ago, I never quite seem to run out of bouquets. It doesn't count if I buy them for myself, though. Some of the cut-outs are pedestrian--a lawn mower, a power washer, or a burglar alarm. Some are things like "Joy" and "Serenity" and "Peace of Mind, " and they help me to slow down and think about how important it is to stop and appreciate what I have. I do put "Best Seller" on there every year, and so far, so good.But I also put "A perfect Romance" on and that sure hasn't been a magical formula for success! Anyway, you might try it. It's fun and it is good to hang on a wall someplace to remind you what it is you're looking for. I don't guarantee they'll all come true, but some of them will if you focus your energy.Sometimes, I have a girlfriend or two join me and it makes a good "girls evening."
I've had a couple of private emails from ARFs worrying that something is wrong because I haven't posted for awhile, but there isn't anything to be concerned about. As I've said, with Christmas, deadlines, a new book out with all the signings and talk shows, I just don't have time to post. During a slow spell, you'll probably get sick of having me post something every day. And I know now that you are there for each other so if I'm gone for for a week or so, there are plenty of people who can give advice, information, and comfort or just add something fascinating from YOUR lives. Remember, I demand ten pages of writing from myself every day to be sure that a book is growing as it should, so that can take me until nine at night and my fingers get tired, not to mention my brain.
For the Michigan poster who asked about my connection to the Basoms and the Sampsons, I'll explain: My grandfather, Chris Hansen, was the sheriff of Montcalm County, Michigan, and Stanton is the County seat. He and my grandmother, Anna, had a number of children: Sophie, my mother, Millie, Emma, Carl, Freda, and Donna. Our family lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but I spent every summer visiting my grandparents. Karen Sampson and her brother Jim are Freda's kids, my first cousins. Bruce and Jan Basom are Donna's children, also my first cousins. Dianne Basom is my cousin-in-law. My brother, Don, and my cousin, Dave, tragically died at 21 and 18, but we have a lot of cousins scattered around America, and we try to keep in touch. My aunts and uncles and my parents have all passed away--except for Freda--so it is kind of bittersweet for me to go back to Stanton now. But I am thankful that I grew up in such a great family. Almost all of us are either teachers or attorneys or in law enforcement in some way. (This is probably totally boring to everyone in the Guestbook who doesn't live in Michigan. . .:*))
I go to the surgeon this week after I get an MRI on my shoulder. I really don't want to have the rotator cuff operated on. It would mean a long time without my being able to type. Also, lots of people have told me they were able to heal their shoulders with exercise, and that surgery wasn't a guarantee that the pain would go away. If any of you have experience with torn rotator cuffs, would you let me know your opinion? And, remember, I just can't write by dictating. My creative sense needs to see the words go from my fingers to the page. I remember I was feeling negative and grumpy that morning 7 weeks ago when I walked out on the porch to feed the seagulls--and that's when I slipped on the wet leaves and went sailing and landed on my shoulder. Should have stayed inside and taken a bubble bath or something. It really proved to me that negative thoughts can lead to WORSE problems than I have to begin with!
I always say, "The world starts up again" on Mondays, and after Christmas, and I'm kind of glad we're headed for a new year. Let's hope it will be the clean slate we're all hoping for. I wish that all of you who are ill will overcome it and be free of pain and worry, and that those who are grieving will be able to accept the loss although your lives are changed, and go on to find happiness again. I want all of your good dreams and ambitions to come true. I am grateful for all the friends I have found on this Guestbook, and for your loyalty. Whatever your faith is, I do believe that it can move mountains, and that prayer can give us serenity and hope.
Please think about volunteering to help others, reaching out a hand to someone who needs it, trying something you've always wanted to do but didn't have the nerve (UNLESS it's robbing a bank), getting out of a relationship that is demeaning or frightening for you, believing that you are a special person who has real value and capabilities, and understand that every single person (except, perhaps, sociopaths) is afraid sometimes and worried about what other people think of them. It's just agony for me to walk into a party alone or into a strange police department where I don't know anyone, but usually I can paste on a smile and do it. I have heard successful public speakers say that the trick is to imagine everyone in the audience sitting there naked. I think the best insight I ever obtained came when I was about 22 and realized that everyone is scared sometimes.
I know from private emails that a lot of you are shy and timid about posting, but when you feel comfortable, please join us with your opinions? In the meantime, we're glad you are here and reading the posts. It looks to me as if we're getting about 2500 people a day logging on to see how things are going and what we are all up to, and that's an amazing thing!
God bless you, and I hope 2006 brings you joy and fulfillment!
Ann
P.S. Oh yes, here's an assignment. I'm hearing that lots of stores are completely sold out of WORTH MORE DEAD and GREEN RIVER, RUNNING RED, so feel free to create a scene, stamp your feet and say, "What? And you call yourself a bookstore? I certainly hope you will place a new order right away!" (Tee hee. It might work???)
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| Posted by Ann on Sunday, December 25, 2005 at 21:22 |
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| 12/20/05 |
Hi Everyone,
I know I've been absent from my blog most of the time, but I have to keep running these days just to keep up with my life. Today, like every day this week, I didn't get to have "breakfast" until 5 p.m.! I checked the scales and I'd lost 7 pounds. But don't worry; I don't need them!!
The month that a book comes out is very hectic, and it's getting toward Christmas, and I have so many humans and critters to keep track of that finding time to write and to post is difficult. Found out yesterday that I probably DID tear my right rotator cuff on my shoulder when I fell 6 weeks ago. It hasn't gotten better, but has gone in the other direction. When they told me that I'll probably need surgery, my first question, as you probably can guess,
was: "How long will I be unable to type?" And the answer was "two or three weeks." Maybe I can learn to hunt and peck fast enough with my left hand. Sigh. I wish I could dictate my books, but my brain doesn't go into gear until my fingers touch a keyboard.
Looks as though Bart Corbin's first trial will be in Gwinnett County in April, another delay. Much harder on the families than on me. In the meantime, I'm finishing up NO REGRETS, although it isn't scheduled for publication until next November.
Tonight, it's quite warm at my house--50 degrees--and raining hard. I like that, very cozy.
I'm going to scoot off to bed early for a change. Elizabeth, the Queen of the World, I need your email address AND your home address. Could you send them to me at AnnieR37@aol.com. Contrary to what many people think, I have no idea what your email addresses are when you post to this guestbook. It's designed to give you complete privacy.
I decided not to mail the newsletters until AFTER Christmas.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and Happy Quanza to everyone. I may have mispelled some of these, and if I've omitted other holidays, let me know? It was only out of ignorance.
WORTH MORE DEAD hits the N.Y. Times list this next Sunday, Christmas Day, at #2, something that makes a very nice present for ME!
I am reading all your posts, but I haven't had time to respond personally as I like to do. I will find time this week, though, and I am thinking and praying for those of you who are having a rough December
Love,
Ann
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| Posted by Ann on Tuesday, December 20, 2005 at 20:30 |
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| Freezing Friday |
Hi guys,
Just got back from a booksigning in my own hometown. We had a good turn-out, and the Fred Meyer folks were so nice to me. (Fred Meyer is a Northwest chain store that you might compare to a Walmart. Groceries, dry goods, plants, everything. They ALWAYS keep at least 15 of my titles in stock, and I really appreciate that. I met a bunch of incredibly nice readers today, and "Freddy's" gave me a poinsettia and a fruit, nut and candy basket to boot. I finally realized that Christmas Eve is a week from tomorrow! Whoops.
I know this is going to be a tough time for many. Remember that real people aren't like Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, that troubles don't necessarily vanish over Christmas, and that sometimes they just get more painful and poignant. My son, Mike, came over today--worried because Toys for Tots was running behind so he and I chipped in. If you have the means, consider buying a couple of toys or some groceries for families who are in trouble right now. The little kids still believe in Santa, and we want them to be able to trust.
If you are having a hard time, remember that next year will be better! I promise.
I think I told you about the Christmas when I was so poor--had $100 for Christmas, and someone pick-pocketed my wallet in a dime store. It's amazing what I could do with $25 in 1975. I roasted a turkey hind quarter, made pumpkin pies, and bought little knicknaks for my kids. It was a good Christmas after all because popcorn doesn't cost that much. In the final analysis, some of our "tough" Christmases are the ones that we remember the most fondly. At this late age, I finally realized that other peoples' lives may SEEM easier, but all of us have our stuff to deal with. And we will come shining through!
If any of you are in pain after losing a loved one to violence, please go to the Home Page of my website at http://www.annrules.com/ and contact Families and Friends of Violent Crime Victims. If you feel lonely, just post on my guestbook. We have the nicest, most understanding bunch of people on here you could hope to find! We all care about all of you. It's that simple.
It looks as though the Bart Corbin trial in the murder of his wife, Jenn, will take place in April in Gwinnett County, Georgia. I will be there, and I will also be sure to set up some signings where I can meet my Georgia (and general area) friends. In the meantime, I will be building the structure of Jenn's and Dolly's stories for TOO LATE TO SAY GOODBYE. In my heart, I feel that this book might be the most important that I ever write, and I want so much to do a good job of it.
I'm also working on NO REGRETS which will be next year's pre-Christmas book.
And, call me crazy, I'm going to buy myself something for Christmas that I really, really want. Sometimes, the hardest thing to to do is to take care of ourselves. So many times, women bring me a book to sign, and they say, "It's only for me." Hey! We all deserve something just for us. If we don't take care of ourselves, we can't take care of the people who need us. So please: take a bubble bath with candles, eat something really delicious, watch the TV show YOU want to see, take a nap, look in the mirror and say,
"You know, you're a pretty nice person!", read a good book (hint-hint), write to an old friend that you have missed, and take time to enjoy nature, and how wonderful our lives are despite all the sadness that can come along and punch you in the gut.
I am so grateful for all of you, and now I'm going to go eat supper, something special. And, if there are typos in this post, I'm not even going to check them. You will understand that it's been a long day. Tomorrow, I am going to list books that I found really, really interesting. A good book can cure almost everything!
Love.
Ann |
| Posted by Ann on Friday, December 16, 2005 at 20:39 |
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| Finally! |
Thursday Night,
Well, finally, here I am with enough time to write a little post. And it's only 7:20 p.m. It seems as though I have been running from morning until midnight, and yet I haven't even had time to write on NO REGRETS or TOO LATE TO SAY GOODBYE for more than two or three weeks. For a writer, that makes you crazy, thinking of the pages that you SHOULD have been piling up! And you have all been very patient with me when the weblog seems stalled at the same spot for so long..
I've been able to read all the posts to the Guestbook, although sometimes it's been after one in the morning, and I'm sorry I can't respond to each and every one as I'd like to do.I'm glad people feel they can share both the sorrows they carry in their hearts AND the happy times, and that you can feel close toone another. . And I like that you are all ARF's now. That was clever of Larry to think it up! Have you noticed how big the Guestbook Gang--all the ARF's--is getting? It seems as though we were at 100,000 posts about a month ago, and now we're over 150,000! That is great. And, as I've said before, I'm really grateful to those of you who can answer questions for other posters--so they can get the scoop long before I might have time to respond. I worry about those of you who have health issues and scary stuff happening, and for everyone who has a sick pet or have lost a pet to illness or trauma. People who not "cat" or "dog" people have no idea how much they mean to us.
My daughter Leslie has found a very good animal-lovers' site which I will link to soon. It's a place in, I believe, Oklahoma where some very kind people are still taking care of thousands of Katrina animals who lost their people and haven't been claimed.
I think you know that when an author has a new book come out, there's a tremendous amount of publicity work that comes with it? Or at least we hope there is. When our publishers get behind us to set up interviews and signings, that means a lot. Some authors don't get any help and they have a hard time getting on any bestseller lists. They have to set up all their own signings, try to get interviews on radio, TV, and with newspapers, and send out postcards to bookstores. It's time-consuming and expensive. Simon & Schuster-Free Press-Pocket Books all really help me to get the word out, and I appreciate them. So I try to do everything they ask.
A week ago, I had the satellite radio tour--the one that started at 5 a.m. and went on without a break until 1 p.m. And then I had some other radio interviews that night. The good part is that I can do the interviews sitting in bed, (as long as I don't fall asleep!!) I've done a couple or TV interviews, too,but I look SO much better on radio! :*) Ever see yourself on TV? It's usually a shock because we are used to the mirror image we see, and TV is the opposite, plus I swear it makes you look fatter, older, and all that stuff. Gee, I'm watching Oprah's show now on "Body Dismorphia" about people who think they are ugly and really they're handsome or pretty. It must be an awful disease--like the people in the tabloids who have had so many plastic surgeries that they DO become strange looking. And what we look like on the outside really doesn't matter that much because it's the inner warmth that makes us likeable, and draws people to us.
Whoa. I got off the track of what happens when a new book comes out. Booksignings, for instance. When THE STRANGER BESIDE ME was published in 1980, I went on my first book tour, and there were lots of signings in cities. And NOBODY bought my book. It was like sitting on the gym bench at a highschool dance when no one asks you to dance. The people who worked in the bookstores used to come and talk to me so I wouldn't feel so bad. Gradually, over the years, I began to sell books and signings weren't so discouraging! To this day, I am so happy to see people lined up to get a book signed. My hand, back, and eyes might get tired but it means so much that anyone would want to have my autograph. I never could understand movie stars or rock stars who suddenly began to feel as if it's a nuisance to have fans who want autographs. How do they think they got where they are? It seems to me it's the younger stars who didn't have to work that hard to make it who begin to believe their own publicity.
We had a huge booksigning at Barnes and Noble in Silverdale, WA ten days ago with about 300 people showing up. (Donna Anders and my daughter, Leslie Rule, came with.) I sold out all the Worth More Deads and Green River, Running Reds and Donna and Leslie signed a lot of their books, too. Please take a look on the Home Page of this website for the titles of their latest books. Last Saturday, as Larry told you, we went to the Fort Lewis Army Base PX. We were supposed to be there at 2 but the PX advertised that we'd be there at Noon, so all these people were waiting and we felt really bad. We almost didn't get onto the base because I thought we could sail right through by showing the guards our drivers' licenses--but since 9/11, security is much tighter. They even called the police to watch us, and made us turn around and go back through the security check on the OTHER side of the gate. How embarrassing, and we were a half-hour more late. A lovely crowd and nobody was mad because they had to wait so long. I didn't get to look up for three hours--only at the next person in line. Lots better than my "wallflower" days! Sunday, I spent three hours at home signing books that the Barnes and Noble store had sent over to me--another 160 books--and then I taped them all up and got them to UPS to get them back to the store before Christmas. Tomorrow, (December 16th) Donna, Leslie, and I will be signing at Fred Meyer in Burien from 3 to 5 or whenever. . .We do this every Christmas season. If I'm repeating myself on all this, forgive me. I'm really sleepy tonight.
For those of you who live far away and would like your books signed, I will be glad to do that if you send the books to me at P.O. Box 98846, Seattle, WA 98198. I do ask that you include a stamped, self-addressed, return, mailer AND a note on what to say to who. It may be too late now to get them back before Christmas, but I can get them back before New Year's. I usually get about a dozen books a day to sign and return.
Last week, I signed at another "Freddy's" over in Bellevue with Steve Poole, our local meterorologist on Channel 4 (ABC in Seattle). He has a great book on weather. I have no time to shop, but I saw a rug on sale on the way out of the store, and it just matched my living room--purple, beige, and soft green. So I bought it and somehow stuffed it into my car, and even got it down the hill to my house. My dog, Lucy, has taken to "christening" all my new rugs. She doesn't like "change." They're not expensive rugs--only about $100 apiece--but I liked them. This one is shag, and it could be a disaster if she made a pile in it. ( A pile on the pile, so to speak!) So last night I was on the phone, and I heard her crash through my chair barricade and saw she was about to. . . .well. . .I shouted as loud as I could and saved my shag area rug. Today, my former son-in-law put up baby gates so she can't get in the living room OR the dining room. I was curious what she would "say" when she saw the barricades, but she simply pretended she didn't even notice. She was not going to give me the satisfaction of seeing her look chagrinned or surprised. But she cannot get in there anymore!!! Hooray.
Andy is doing much better, but I'm not going to talk about him anymore in my blog. I don't want to invade his privacy. I appreciate your thoughts and prayers so much, but his recovery is up to him and his lifestyle choices. There comes a time when a mother just has to realize that. We all carve our own paths in life, I guess. I simply have to get back to my life, my writing, the things that make me feel just a little serene and cheerful. I know I worry too much! When I signed up for being a Mom, I didn't realize you've got that job as long as you live. Sometimes, it's easier than others. Many of you on here will agree with me, I'm sure. Heaven knows, most of us do the best we can. We make mistakes, sure, but it's not from lack of trying to do the right thing. I know Jerri agrees with me, and my friend, Pat C., in San Francisco. They both have more on their plates than I do.
It is sooooo cold in Seattle tonight. Well, for us. Below 30 degrees, and I fear for my geraniums and other plants I haven't had time to bring in or cover with branches and straw. I just hope they have hardened off for winter. And I tend to wake up in the middle of the night and count off where the cats all are. They're pretty good about getting themselves inside to a cozy spot by bedtime. Sometimes, though, I tiptoe down and open the door at 2 a.m. and call their names. Then they pop up from INSIDE the house and laugh at me for being so dumb.
The shoulder I fell on isn't getting any better,so I'm going to ask for an ultra sound to be sure it's something that will gradually get better on its own. It doesn't hurt to type or to sign books, but it sure hurts to pick up heavy stuff, shut the car door, reach behind me, or pull the covers over my head. Back in the day, we could fall down, do somersaults, pull weeds for hours, dance all night, and all kinds of things, and nothing ever hurt. And we took it all for granted, didn't we? O.K. O.K., I know some of you are really young and don't hurt anyplace. Good for you! But some of us have our achy spots.
I am already reading the autobiography of Peter Lawford's son, and it's interesting, although a little bit too self-involved. Nowhere near as classy as What Remains, the book I mentioned earlier. It's hard to write your own life story, I'm sure, without sounding self-involved. Mostly, I'm trying to read book galleys (the last version of a book before it goes to press) of other people's books who would like to have quotes to put on their covers. I remember how kind Thomas Thompson was to me when he wrote a great review of THE STRANGER BESIDE ME. His book, BLOOD AND MONEY is still one of the all-time best true crime books every written. A lot of the galleys I'm reading are good true crime books, and I will put them on the recommended reads on the Homepage. I know I get on my high horse about every two months and promist that, this time, I I really, really, am about to give up on tabloids. There has to be someone in the world more interesting than Jessica and Nick, Britney and Kevin, Angelina and Brad and Jennifer, isn't there? So much ink spattered across pages about pretty boring people. And Paris Hilton. Bleahhh! Have we become a nation of sheep really concerned about the love lives of people, most of whom aren't even 25 yet? I used to love to relax on Fridays with the good old tabloids that had a VARIETY of stories about lots of people. I will quit complaining and stop buying these silly, glossy, magazines that I probably only liked because I never had enough money to buy Photoplay and Modern Screen!!! Just so you don't give up on me completely, I also subscribe to Time, The New Yorker, Ladies' Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, Readers' Digest, and Sunset.
Can't believe Christmas is only about 9 days away. I guess I'd better start shopping? It seems as though every year the holidays come faster and faster.I'm grateful for good, old QVC and The Vermont Country Store and Sharper Image, too. On-line and catalog shopping really helps.
I decided it would be better to wait until after New Year's to send out the newsletter, for fear it will get lost among all the Christmas mail. And because I keep getting more names and addresses to put on the list. If we can figure out how to send mass emails, I'll send out the email version of the newsletter sooner.
And my computer highspeed Internet is fixed, along with my ability to send photos so I will be sending a lot more pictures to my webmaster to put in the photo album, and I think it is time to take the picture of Gary Ridgway in his underwear out. Bleahh, again.
Way behind on my email here, but I think people will understand. I started this four hours ago, and now I'm going to send it.
Oh, remember if it's really cold where you are and if you are in a place like Washington State and Oregon (West side of the mountains,) remember to leave a little trickle of water running so your pipes don't freeze up! It's awful to wake up and realize you have no water and you're not going to have any until the thaw--and then sometimes your pipes burst. That's my "Heloise" hint of the night!
Keep warm wherever you are.
Ann
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| Posted by Ann on Thursday, December 15, 2005 at 23:23 |
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