James Joyce can bite my ass

After so much procrastination, I'm finally doing it. I'm becoming a novelist.

At least for the month.

I'm pretty excited about it, actually. I intend to take my laptop to obscure coffee shops around the area, dressed in a tweed sport coat and silk head scarf, observing the locals and using them as fodder for my clever plot twists. I'm looking forward to spending the month of November blowing off chores in favor of hunching over the keyboard. I'll screen my calls so as not to disturb my muse. When friends ask what I've been up to, I'll casually respond, "oh, not much, I've been really busy writing my novel."

and I have already bought the first item of our novelist wardrobe. Now I have just under two weeks to find some giant Jackie Onassis sunglasses, cover the sweater in cat hair and stink the house up in patchouli incense.

Sugared Pecans

This recipe came from my mother's Aunt Millie. My mother usually only makes these during the winter. We generally would make them and put them in coffee mugs to wrap up as gifts. It can be a bit tricky to get the stirring right and the spreading of the pecans without being tangled up in it like a glue trap. But the reward is worth the mess. Also, remember to not use a non-stick pot as you'll be doing some failry intense stirring and don't want to gouge it. 1 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup white KARO syrup 1/2 cup hot water 1 tsp vanilla extract 3 cups of pecan halves (cleaned well to remove bitter bits)

Boil sugar, syrup and water until it forms a soft ball. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Add in nuts and stir until nuts get "set" or it starts to thinken like candy. Pour and spread over waxed paper. Nuts will continue to "set" while drying. After completely dry, break apart and put into a jar away from moisture. Be sure to eat all the bits of sugar left over on the waxed paper.

So what do you do?

We just were at the rehersal dinner for Byron and Sarah's wedding this evening. And a friend of Rich's, Jay, asked me what I did in the SCA. It was kind of an odd question, but a valid one. And I didn't really have an answer. I could tell him things I did a long time ago (back in the day when I was a baroness in Southwest VA). And I could mention things that I plan on doing in the near future (perhaps finally picking up an epee and doing something with it besides taunt the cats). But as for right now? In some statement that could be made in under an hour of rambling? Um ... not much.

Part of me is okay with that. The times when I was doing a lot in the SCA were not necessarily some of the happiest times for me ("Oh you kids go off and have fun, I'll stay here and die a slow documentable medieval death."). But I think now I'm ready to do something. I feel like a newbie all over again. But I'm stuck somewhere between boundless energy and withering cynicism at the moment. Look for me at your next local event causing trouble while I try to find something to do all day.