mrblog.website

Flashback Friday takes place on the last Friday of the month. The idea is to give a little more love to a blog post you've published before that maybe didn't get enough attention, or is something you think is still relevant or even a something that you really love and want to share again. Many thanks to Michael d’Agostino for starting Flashback Friday and inspiring me to go back and revisit some of our earlier blog posts. * * * A while back, at one of our Taco Tuesday get togethers, the gang started talking about some really random things like whether or not panda bears are actually bears, who starred in some old TV shows, the birthmark on my arm, and treasure map. I had this vague notion that I might have actually written a blog post about my birthmark and treasure maps once upon a time. And, lo and behold, I did - way back in September 2015. You can find the original post here .   When I looked back at this post, two things came to mind: (1) I think about weird stuff an...

Wordless Wednesday is supposed to be about posting a photo(s) without any words. But, I'm a rule breaker, so here are a few words: 1 - I want to be a starfish when I grow up. Well, maybe not completely, but the idea of being able to regenerate my limbs is awfully appealing. 2 - I have this weird thing on one of my fingers and Scott told me it was probably leprosy and then proceeded to do a Monty Python bit. ("Half a shekel for an old ex-leper?") Now, each morning, I count my digits. So far, so good - twenty every time. 3 - Starfish don't have to worry about this kind of things. And, if they did, they'd only have to count up to five. How lucky are they? What words does this picture(s) bring to your mind when you look at it? For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here .  Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi! Murder at the Marina - a lighthearted & humorous cozy sailing mystery - a...

  Do you ever wonder what life will be like 100 years from now? Or do you want to know more about what happened 100 years ago? If someone offered you a ride in their time machine, would you go forward or back in time? These are the types of questions I ask myself over my morning coffee. I also ask myself why anyone would have a peanut butter sandwich without jam. Then my mind works its way back to wondering what life will be like in the future and, on this particular morning, what sailing will be like. People have used the wind to power their boats since the dawn of time. Sure technology has played a role in modern sailing, but the basic principle is the same - take a piece of fabric, hold it up, and let the wind push it. It's kind of neat to think that at its core sailing probably won't change that much over time, but the experience of sailing might. Will there be more people out on the water, either voluntarily embracing a nomadic lifestyle or because they were forced to aban...

I've got a random assortment of oddities to share with you today cause it's feeling like one of those kinds of days. Let's start off with magazines. As part of my Amazon Prime membership, I have access to a number of free digital magazines. Although they can be fun to leaf through, I rarely buy print magazines anymore - they're so expensive for what you get. So sometimes I download a woman's magazine full of tips about how to keep your house clutter-free, despite the fact that I don't have a house or own many possessions. Other times, it's a food magazine full of gorgeous looking photos of exotic dishes that I drool over while I'm eating a PB&J, but which I'm never going to make. Lately, I've been having a closer look at what's on offer. There's a magazine for pretty much any interest or hobby you might have or lifestyle you aspire to lead. "Enjoy page after page of stunning photos of snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs and more in ...

Wordless Wednesday is supposed to be about posting a photo(s) without any words. But, I'm a rule breaker, so here are a few words: 1 - I was tempted to buy a box of Cap'n Crunch the other day. It's probably my favorite not-good-for-you-but-oh-so-delicious cereal. I used to eat it far more often than was good for me in college. 2 - These days I usually have a bowl of oatmeal in the morning. Not nearly as delicious. Unless, of course you sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top. Not that I would ever do that. 3 - Did you know that you can do more with Cap'n Crunch than just dousing it with milk? I actually found a recipe for Cap'n Crunch chicken. It sounds rather odd. I think I'll stick with just eating mine the old fashioned way in a bowl. What words does this picture(s) bring to your mind when you look at it? For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here .  Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and...

Image via The Graphics Fairy I've been slightly obsessed with raccoons lately. Hang on a minute - do "slightly" and "obsessed" go together? Isn't an obsession a full-on thing? Hmm...not sure, but let's go with "slightly obsessed" because a full-on obsession with raccoons sounds kind of weird. A slight obsession just sounds a bit kooky. So, anyway, back to the raccoons. I have a bit in the current draft of my next cozy mystery, Bodies in the Boatyard, which talks about teaching sign language to raccoons. I mentioned it on Facebook last week and immediately got an email from my mother which said, "Raccoons can read." Now, how many of you think raccoons can read? Go on, raise your hand if you do. Make sure to hold it up in front of the camera on your computer so I can see. 1, 2, 3...Sorry I lost count. But I do know some of you didn't have your hands up. Sounds like you need some convincing. So here you go, proof that they can read. ...

Wordless Wednesday is supposed to be about posting a photo(s) without any words. But, I'm a rule breaker, so here are a few words: 1 - While I was on my blogging break , I posted pictures of random cats (and one dog) to keep you all entertained. Turns out my mom's cat, Kashi, was deeply offended that I didn't include any pictures of her. "Why did you forget all about me?" she asked with a plaintive meow. So, here you go, pictures of the cat who secretly wants to be an internet star. 2 - To be honest, I'm not even sure this is my mom's cat. She's rarely seen, preferring to spend most of her time sleeping under the bed covers. She pretty much hates everyone except my mom, and that's only cause she's the one who makes sure her food bowl is full. 3 - Did you notice how she's trying to file herself next to the ABCDE folder. She knows C is for cat. What words does this picture(s) bring to your mind when you look at it? For more Wordless Wedne...

There are a lot of fun aspects to being a writer. There are some not so fun ones as well. Learning how to format books and marketing come to mind. But let's get back to the fun ones, because that's more. . .fun. And let's talk about a super-duper fun one that involves sea turtles and other creatures, because turtles are the ultimate in fun. A friend and I visited the Florida Oceanographic Society in Stuart, Florida as part of my research for my next cozy mystery, Bodies in the Boatyard . One of the characters is a marine biologist specializing in {drum roll, please} sea turtles! We had a blast and we learned stuff too. We also sweated a lot because it's freaking hot in Florida in the summer, but it was worth it. Here, let me show you how awesome it was. First off, we fed stingrays. I have to confess that I made a little yelping sound when the ray swam over my hand and ate the piece of fish I was holding between my fingers. I love how the girl on the left is wearing a ...

I was working on a blog post last night when the power went out. It would have been a great post. At least, I think it would have been. But I can't be sure. You see when the power goes off here, I'm never quite sure when it will come back on. So I close up my computer to conserve the battery just in case we have an outage that lasts longer than a few hours. When the power did come back on and I opened my laptop back up, the post had vanished, along with any desire to try to recreate it. So instead you get this sub-par post about three things that start with the letter "P" that bug me. 1 - Power outages - No surprise there. 2 - Plot holes - I'm battling a multitude of these in my current work-in-progress. 3 - Punctuation - Specifically hyphens. I never know where to put them, so-I'm-just-going-to-start-putting-them-everywhere. And now for an apology. I've been so busy lately with #2 on my list and trying to get Bodies in the Boatyard ready to sent out to b...

Wordless Wednesday is supposed to be about posting a photo(s) without any words. But, I'm a rule breaker, so here are a few words: 1 - A few weeks ago, some friends and I had a girls day out complete with lunch at a restaurant on the beach at Hutchinson Island in Florida. 2 - It was stinking hot out, but people were still lounging out on the beach soaking up the sun. I stayed in the shade near a fan. 3 - I feel like I shouldn't admit this, but I'm not a big fan of beaches like these. I kind of find the long expanses of sand boring. I much prefer beaches that are nestled in coves, or next to craggy hills, near interesting rock formations etc. Anything to break up the monotony of the endless beach. Anyone else feel this way? What words does this picture(s) bring to your mind when you look at it? For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click here .  Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi! Murder at the Ma...

From time to time, I post about five frugal things we're doing to save money and keep our cruising kitty happy. {By the way, that's not the furry kind of cat, but rather what sailors call their savings. So cute.} Those posts are inspired by Katy at The Non-Consumer Advocate who regularly posts about five frugal things she's done. Some things are big, some things are small, but they all help keep her spending down and her savings up. Today, I thought I'd shake things up and share five decidedly unfrugal things I've done lately. Embracing a frugal lifestyle is about making conscious choices regarding where you spend your money. Sometimes those choices involve "splurging" on something. As you read my unfrugal things, keep in mind that what might be a splurge for one person is a normal expenditure for someone else and vice versa. 1 - Coloring Books & Markers Someone gave me an Amazon gift card and rather than spend it on something practical for the boa...

In addition to the usual blog posts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday about our eccentric travel adventures and day-to-day life living aboard a sailboat, I also occasionally post on Saturdays, focusing on things related to writing such as cover reveals, book launches, reviews, interviews with authors etc. So if you're a bit of a book nerd like I am, check in on Saturdays - you never know what might pop up. * * * Today I'm featuring Diane Burton and the release of her romantic suspense book, Numbers Never Lie . I love suspense and I'm a sucker for romance, so this sounds like a great read. Thank you so much Ellen for inviting me to your blog. I’m hoping to meet Simon the Time Traveling Cat. Is he around? [Editor's Note: Sorry, Simon isn't here today. He's off chasing lizards. I'll tell him you said hi.] Ellen and I are members of the Insecure Writers Support Group that meets on the first Wednesday of each month. We can write about our insecuri...