I have a little bit of a problem with a size 0. Seriously. If you're not big enough to warrant a number...do you exist? Haven't you disappeared?
I've always fought my weight. Except when I smoked and right after I had kids. Obviously, I quit smoking...and right now my kids don't want me chasing after them making sure they don't fall or hurt themselves or get into trouble...though there are days I think they might benefit from having me right behind them.
Anyway, about ten years ago I decided to give up the battle and, of course, I gained some weight. For a long time I stopped on a size twelve and was fairly happy there. Unfortunately, about two winters ago I put on some more weight and now I'm a size fourteen. But even though the research suggests that most of us are a size 12 or 14, no one seems to have told makers of women's clothing.
This causes all kinds of problems. At church on Sunday I sat down and my pants and shirt didn't meet. It might be cute for a twenty-something with a firm behind to show off the top of her butt. But...seriously...no one wants to see that little piece of flesh below my top and above my jeans.
Worse, one year for Christmas my husband asked me what I wanted. I suggested he buy me something (nightwear) that he wanted to see me in. Christmas morning I opened up a package containing a huge flannel nightgown. As I dialed the number of my lawyer, he hastily explained that he'd bought me flannel because I'm always cold and he only wanted to see me warm and happy.
Hum.
I bought the explanation because he does have a tendency to be considerate, but I re-explained my request...telling him that I wanted him to buy me some sexy little number he'd like to see me in. Then I sent him back to the mall with a bit of cash.
He returned with a cute little red thing that came with a thong. I went into the bathroom to put it on so I could come out and model it. I took off my clothes and put on the thong...and whoosh it immediately disappeared in my fat roll.
I looked at the box. Nowhere does it say "must have a hard body to wear this". Or "Danger, tight thongs will disappear into fat rolls". Nope. There were no instructions at all.
In the meantime, my husband was getting restless. While he was calling, "Hey, babe, don't you have that thing on yet?" I was debating calling the fire department to see if they could bring over the jaws of life to get the red thong out of my fat roll.
I have no clue why sleeveless clothes are so fashionable when most of us refuse to wear them. There are maybe ten women who can wear sleeveless dresses. And whose idea was it to bring ruffles back? Do I not look round and cuddly enough? I actually have a three-tiered gray dress that makes me look like a keg of beer. I would be incredibly popular at college dorms in that thing.
Short plaid jackets also make me shake my head. First off, if you've got any sort of bustline at all, you ruin the line of the plaid. But second, does any woman really want to look like she has the shoulders of a linebacker?
Seriously, they dress football players better than this. Have you ever watched a game that had even ONE PLAYER who didn't look like he had a tight butt? Heck no. They dress these guys to show off their broad shoulders and tight butts and hide their big tummies.
So why can't designers make fashionable clothes that make the rest of us look good? Face it. The football players have money. They will never lack for a date or companionship and no one would dare tell them they looked bad. They could wear burlap and pancakes and no one would say a word.
Forget the football players. Make the rest of us look good!
susan
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Apple Butter in Pennsylvania!
This weekend my husband and I traveled to a small town in East Central Pennsylvania, near Gettysburg, to make applebutter with the church ladies (and men!) at my husband's brother's church.
Thare are so many things I could talk about in this blog. First, making applebutter is kind of cool. LOL Second, everywhere you walk in that part of the state you find yourself face-to-face with history. Their little church is historic. The cemetary beside it is amazing. The farmland has been has been passed down from one generation to the next.
But the most important, most fun part of the experience for me was the people. As the men stirred the apples simmering in huge kettles outside, the women prepared a lunch of homemade soups. (I had the beef vegetable!) Three vendors sold their goods near the eating area. One had knitted and crocheted items, jewelry and little purses. (I bought my daughter two scarves.) Another had framed photographs. The third had handmade flower arrangements.
I worked in the far corner at the bake sale. The church ladies had been slaving away for days baking pies, (I bought cherry) and apple dumplings (I bought two). But individually they'd baked everything from cupcakes and cookies (I got the gingerbread) to peanut butter fudge (yes, I bought some of that too).
By now you're probably noticing a pattern. I spent a lot of money that day! LOL
We got there around eight and prepared the bakesale for the crowd that would be arriving around nine. We made pretty displays of cookies and cupcakes, pies and apple dumplings, fudge and pumpkin bread. When everything was packaged and displayed for sale, I asked how much we were to charge and was shocked to discover you could get a cupcake with a piece of candy corn on top for $.25. A quarter.
I said, Are you kidding? In the city we'd sell this for seventy-five cents and they looked at me as if I were insane and said, Who would pay $.75 for a cupcake? (The crazy people who live in the city and don't bake! LOL)
They were great, witty, fun companions all day as we began to realize the difference between this city mouse and those country mice. By the end of the day I'm sure most of them genuinely believed I didn't know the value of a dollar! LOL And I wished with all my heart and soul that I could bake about half as well as any one of them.
We ate soup and talked about kids...whose problems, by the way, are universal. What school to go to, how to handle bullies, worries that they'll maintain good grades, get a part in the school pay, pick the right mates. We talked about husbands...and, let me tell you there are no more honest wives than a group of church women waiting for bake sale customers. We sold fresh-in-the-jar applebutter to people who'd driven miles just for a jar of warm, cinnamony delight.
The sun was warm. A breeze rippled through the orange and yellow leaves on the trees surrounding the old cemetary beside the church. Good moods abounded.
It was probably the last little festival of the year. Thanksgiving and Christmas will soon be upon us all so everyone's attention will be drawn to more spirital matters as they plan and prepare their own family celebrations. So everyone seemed to take the time to just smell the applebutter sputtering in the copper pot and share a few minutes with friends and neighbors.
No matter how much I love living in my small city, being beside Walmart (not right beside but close enough to get milk at 5:45 if I want to) and not having to walk down a lane to get my mail, I thoroughly enjoyed that weekend in the country, with good people, fresh apple butter for saltines, warm, wonderful homemade soup and warm, wonderful people!
susan meier
THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS, 11/09
Thare are so many things I could talk about in this blog. First, making applebutter is kind of cool. LOL Second, everywhere you walk in that part of the state you find yourself face-to-face with history. Their little church is historic. The cemetary beside it is amazing. The farmland has been has been passed down from one generation to the next.
But the most important, most fun part of the experience for me was the people. As the men stirred the apples simmering in huge kettles outside, the women prepared a lunch of homemade soups. (I had the beef vegetable!) Three vendors sold their goods near the eating area. One had knitted and crocheted items, jewelry and little purses. (I bought my daughter two scarves.) Another had framed photographs. The third had handmade flower arrangements.
I worked in the far corner at the bake sale. The church ladies had been slaving away for days baking pies, (I bought cherry) and apple dumplings (I bought two). But individually they'd baked everything from cupcakes and cookies (I got the gingerbread) to peanut butter fudge (yes, I bought some of that too).
By now you're probably noticing a pattern. I spent a lot of money that day! LOL
We got there around eight and prepared the bakesale for the crowd that would be arriving around nine. We made pretty displays of cookies and cupcakes, pies and apple dumplings, fudge and pumpkin bread. When everything was packaged and displayed for sale, I asked how much we were to charge and was shocked to discover you could get a cupcake with a piece of candy corn on top for $.25. A quarter.
I said, Are you kidding? In the city we'd sell this for seventy-five cents and they looked at me as if I were insane and said, Who would pay $.75 for a cupcake? (The crazy people who live in the city and don't bake! LOL)
They were great, witty, fun companions all day as we began to realize the difference between this city mouse and those country mice. By the end of the day I'm sure most of them genuinely believed I didn't know the value of a dollar! LOL And I wished with all my heart and soul that I could bake about half as well as any one of them.
We ate soup and talked about kids...whose problems, by the way, are universal. What school to go to, how to handle bullies, worries that they'll maintain good grades, get a part in the school pay, pick the right mates. We talked about husbands...and, let me tell you there are no more honest wives than a group of church women waiting for bake sale customers. We sold fresh-in-the-jar applebutter to people who'd driven miles just for a jar of warm, cinnamony delight.
The sun was warm. A breeze rippled through the orange and yellow leaves on the trees surrounding the old cemetary beside the church. Good moods abounded.
It was probably the last little festival of the year. Thanksgiving and Christmas will soon be upon us all so everyone's attention will be drawn to more spirital matters as they plan and prepare their own family celebrations. So everyone seemed to take the time to just smell the applebutter sputtering in the copper pot and share a few minutes with friends and neighbors.
No matter how much I love living in my small city, being beside Walmart (not right beside but close enough to get milk at 5:45 if I want to) and not having to walk down a lane to get my mail, I thoroughly enjoyed that weekend in the country, with good people, fresh apple butter for saltines, warm, wonderful homemade soup and warm, wonderful people!
susan meier
THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS, 11/09
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Halloween?
Driving to my mother's this afternoon, I enjoyed the views of coloring trees on the mountains. It made me think of last Halloween when my nieces and nephews dressed up as the Flintstones and took first place in the town's annual Halloween Parade.
So I wasn't surprised when I arrived at my mom's and my younger sister asked me if I wanted to dress up as a killer bee for a new family tradition. Instead of having a stagnant Halloween Party, Jessica (my niece) has rented a bus for the family to ride from place to place to trick or treat.
Sounds like a good time to me! LOL
But can I carry off the black tights and black and yellow striped tunic? Probably not. I'm probably going to have to go as an M&M or maybe a beer keg. Something that takes advantage of my new "round" shape.
susan
P.S. Don't forget THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS will be released in November. Still haven't seen it on Amazon...but I swear...it really is coming! LOL If you search under books for Meier THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS, the UK edition will come up. Then click mass market paperback.
So I wasn't surprised when I arrived at my mom's and my younger sister asked me if I wanted to dress up as a killer bee for a new family tradition. Instead of having a stagnant Halloween Party, Jessica (my niece) has rented a bus for the family to ride from place to place to trick or treat.
Sounds like a good time to me! LOL
But can I carry off the black tights and black and yellow striped tunic? Probably not. I'm probably going to have to go as an M&M or maybe a beer keg. Something that takes advantage of my new "round" shape.
susan
P.S. Don't forget THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS will be released in November. Still haven't seen it on Amazon...but I swear...it really is coming! LOL If you search under books for Meier THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS, the UK edition will come up. Then click mass market paperback.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Link to Journey Steps Workshop
http://www.yosemiteromancewriters.com/6.html
I mentioned on Cata that I was doing the Journey Steps workshop in November.
It's for Yosemite Chapter
That's the link. You might have to cut and paste it.
susan
I mentioned on Cata that I was doing the Journey Steps workshop in November.
It's for Yosemite Chapter
That's the link. You might have to cut and paste it.
susan
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
You Know It's Fall...
Last Friday afternoon, my husband announced he was in the mood for a high school football game. Immediately, my son and I pounced. We'd wanted to go see Zack...my nephew... play but Zack plays for a small town team. The field is beside the town park, and over the years houses have been built almost to the fence. Needless to say, parking is a nightmare so I wouldn't even attempt the trip. But, if my husband, storm trooper driver, was willing to drive, we wanted to see Zack play.
My husband balked. He didn't want to say it, but Zack plays for the team which has been the rival team for his old high school. For decades (lots of them) he's cheeered against this team. Did I really want him to go and watch them play...seriously?
Well, yes.
We bundled up and got in the car and drove to the field an hour before the game just to be sure we got a parking space. Believe it or not, we just barely found one. I pity the people who thought arriving fifty minutes before the game was early enough. LOL
Now, to sort of add fuel to my husband's not-quite-happy-fire, it was also homecoming. Before the start of the game we were introduced to quite a long line of homecoming queen contenders. I didn't mind. Mikie spent most of the time at the concession stand and looking for other "cousins" who'd come to watch Zack play. But my husband sighed a lot and kept looking at his watch. He's not much on seeing the latest fashions in eveningwear for high school students. LOL (Luckily, I am.)
Finally, finally, the game started. At first it appeared the other team might beat Zack's undefeated team. For those five or ten minutes that the other team strutted their stuff our stomachs clenched. So when Zack's team got the ball, we couldn't help cheering for them. Even my husband rose to his feet to cheer for his high school's rivals. I saw him sort of twitch afterward. But he wasn't cheering for the high school as much as he was cheering for family. LOL
Zack had some great plays. It really is fun to go to a high school football game and see someone you love do so well. And even my husband enjoyed the game.
It's also fun to see cousins in the refreshment stand, cousins walking around the field, nieces and nephews with new boyfriends and girlfriends...and even a younger cousin in the band.
The small town in which most of my family lives is nearly perfect. And when I say perfect I don't mean perfect in the sense that they do no wrong. But perfect in the sense that they have two competing grocery stores so there are sometimes price wars. They have used car dealers run by guys they actually trust. And wonderful restaurants with homecooking that give the one and only McDonalds a real run for its money. They have a Main Street with a genuine volunteer fire department, where volunteers sit on their off hours like guardians. Ready in case someone needs them.
Old houses aren't demolished. They're remodeled and become some of the prettiest properties in the town. Flower gardens abound. People actually grow their own tomatoes and share zucchini recipes. In the morning, kids in raincoats stand along the street on the sidewalk waiting for the bus.
And everybody goes to the football game! Which is why it's hard to find a seat, harder still to find a parking place. LOL
But what great fun!
susan
My husband balked. He didn't want to say it, but Zack plays for the team which has been the rival team for his old high school. For decades (lots of them) he's cheeered against this team. Did I really want him to go and watch them play...seriously?
Well, yes.
We bundled up and got in the car and drove to the field an hour before the game just to be sure we got a parking space. Believe it or not, we just barely found one. I pity the people who thought arriving fifty minutes before the game was early enough. LOL
Now, to sort of add fuel to my husband's not-quite-happy-fire, it was also homecoming. Before the start of the game we were introduced to quite a long line of homecoming queen contenders. I didn't mind. Mikie spent most of the time at the concession stand and looking for other "cousins" who'd come to watch Zack play. But my husband sighed a lot and kept looking at his watch. He's not much on seeing the latest fashions in eveningwear for high school students. LOL (Luckily, I am.)
Finally, finally, the game started. At first it appeared the other team might beat Zack's undefeated team. For those five or ten minutes that the other team strutted their stuff our stomachs clenched. So when Zack's team got the ball, we couldn't help cheering for them. Even my husband rose to his feet to cheer for his high school's rivals. I saw him sort of twitch afterward. But he wasn't cheering for the high school as much as he was cheering for family. LOL
Zack had some great plays. It really is fun to go to a high school football game and see someone you love do so well. And even my husband enjoyed the game.
It's also fun to see cousins in the refreshment stand, cousins walking around the field, nieces and nephews with new boyfriends and girlfriends...and even a younger cousin in the band.
The small town in which most of my family lives is nearly perfect. And when I say perfect I don't mean perfect in the sense that they do no wrong. But perfect in the sense that they have two competing grocery stores so there are sometimes price wars. They have used car dealers run by guys they actually trust. And wonderful restaurants with homecooking that give the one and only McDonalds a real run for its money. They have a Main Street with a genuine volunteer fire department, where volunteers sit on their off hours like guardians. Ready in case someone needs them.
Old houses aren't demolished. They're remodeled and become some of the prettiest properties in the town. Flower gardens abound. People actually grow their own tomatoes and share zucchini recipes. In the morning, kids in raincoats stand along the street on the sidewalk waiting for the bus.
And everybody goes to the football game! Which is why it's hard to find a seat, harder still to find a parking place. LOL
But what great fun!
susan
Monday, September 14, 2009
Two Fall Online Workshops and one Live in New Jersey
I've finally begun accepting workshop offers for 2010. I love to teach. Love to do online workshops and live presentations. Plus, I've had a long career with all kinds of ups and downs so I've got some great info to share. Fun stuff. I'm every bit as energized to write after a presentation as the attendees are! LOL
But time is always a consideration. Technically, workshop presentation is a "second job"...and one that frequently doesn't pay! LOL So it's always a challenge to figure out which months I'll have enough time to do an online workshop and/or accept live teaching opportunities!
Teaching is really fun for me because (as I told a friend yesterday on the phone as I was plowing through all my workshops, reading them as I transferred them to a different drive) my workshops are like a journal of my career. Each introduction tells the story of why I chose to write that workshop...what I had to learn to be able to write and teach the material and usually why I had to learn it! I tell on myself because I think it's important for authors at all stages of the game to realize that everybody makes mistakes and that sometimes even seasoned authors have trouble when editors, the market and reader tastes shift.
So I have a lot of fun admitting my checkered past! Showing attendees that I've studied nearly all 26 years of my career and that it's not bad or wrong or shameful to say, Hey, I don't know something! I think I better study.
So ultimately I did carve out some time in next year's schedule to teach, to share, and I still have two online workshops scheduled this year and one live for the New Jersey conference. So if you're interested in one of my workshops, Yosimite RWA chapter is hosting one in November and RWA's Online chapter is hosting one in December. Come and get as energized about your career as I'll get from teaching! LOL
Don't forget THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS will be out in November. I got fan mail this morning from a few ladies who read last year's Christmas story and loved it. People must be getting in the mood for everybody's favorite holiday!
I hope to be doing a booksigning for that book and will post the info if I get one scheduled!
susan
But time is always a consideration. Technically, workshop presentation is a "second job"...and one that frequently doesn't pay! LOL So it's always a challenge to figure out which months I'll have enough time to do an online workshop and/or accept live teaching opportunities!
Teaching is really fun for me because (as I told a friend yesterday on the phone as I was plowing through all my workshops, reading them as I transferred them to a different drive) my workshops are like a journal of my career. Each introduction tells the story of why I chose to write that workshop...what I had to learn to be able to write and teach the material and usually why I had to learn it! I tell on myself because I think it's important for authors at all stages of the game to realize that everybody makes mistakes and that sometimes even seasoned authors have trouble when editors, the market and reader tastes shift.
So I have a lot of fun admitting my checkered past! Showing attendees that I've studied nearly all 26 years of my career and that it's not bad or wrong or shameful to say, Hey, I don't know something! I think I better study.
So ultimately I did carve out some time in next year's schedule to teach, to share, and I still have two online workshops scheduled this year and one live for the New Jersey conference. So if you're interested in one of my workshops, Yosimite RWA chapter is hosting one in November and RWA's Online chapter is hosting one in December. Come and get as energized about your career as I'll get from teaching! LOL
Don't forget THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS will be out in November. I got fan mail this morning from a few ladies who read last year's Christmas story and loved it. People must be getting in the mood for everybody's favorite holiday!
I hope to be doing a booksigning for that book and will post the info if I get one scheduled!
susan
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Labor Day Weekend
This past weekend, my family visited my husband's sister and her husband who live in the eastern part of the state, near Gettysburg. (His younger brother and sister-in-law also live in that part of the state.)
Friday we golfed. Saturday I helped my sister-in-law at a fundraiser then she and I shopped. Sunday we golfed again then we had a picnic.
It doesn't sound like all that exciting of a weekend, but the truth is this family gathering is always a blast. My brother-in-law got a new puppy who was so excited to see so many people that you'd swear he had springs in his back legs. John's wife rode along with us on the golf course and saw just why we laugh so much when we golf. I got some amazing bargains. My youngest son made us laugh. My daughter amused us with her fear of bugs. My sister-in-law, Jan, made her fabulous pies!
The best parts of the weekend are the times we just sit and talk and catch up on each other's lives. Too many things are forgotten on short visits, but long, stay-all-weekend visits lend themselves to great conversations!
On Thursday before we left my editor emailed me with the offer of a new contract, including a 100-page story for one of Harlequin Romance's Holiday 2-for-1's. Because it's a Christmas story, that book is already in production!
A few people have also asked about the Ezine, which hasn't been updated since June. Never fear. LOL. I'm updating that in months when I have a book out so the new edition should be out November 1.
Today I had breakfast with two of my sisters, my mom, my son and my nephew Bud. It's always fun to get together with family, but we had an especially good time because we talked about my sisters' new baking venture. In a few weeks you will be able to order some fabulous baked goods from their Something Yummy website!
I'll keep you posted.
Don't forget...THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS...comes out in November. This is one of my favorite books! I'm excited for it to hit the shelves and excited to hear your comments!
susan
THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS
Friday we golfed. Saturday I helped my sister-in-law at a fundraiser then she and I shopped. Sunday we golfed again then we had a picnic.
It doesn't sound like all that exciting of a weekend, but the truth is this family gathering is always a blast. My brother-in-law got a new puppy who was so excited to see so many people that you'd swear he had springs in his back legs. John's wife rode along with us on the golf course and saw just why we laugh so much when we golf. I got some amazing bargains. My youngest son made us laugh. My daughter amused us with her fear of bugs. My sister-in-law, Jan, made her fabulous pies!
The best parts of the weekend are the times we just sit and talk and catch up on each other's lives. Too many things are forgotten on short visits, but long, stay-all-weekend visits lend themselves to great conversations!
On Thursday before we left my editor emailed me with the offer of a new contract, including a 100-page story for one of Harlequin Romance's Holiday 2-for-1's. Because it's a Christmas story, that book is already in production!
A few people have also asked about the Ezine, which hasn't been updated since June. Never fear. LOL. I'm updating that in months when I have a book out so the new edition should be out November 1.
Today I had breakfast with two of my sisters, my mom, my son and my nephew Bud. It's always fun to get together with family, but we had an especially good time because we talked about my sisters' new baking venture. In a few weeks you will be able to order some fabulous baked goods from their Something Yummy website!
I'll keep you posted.
Don't forget...THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS...comes out in November. This is one of my favorite books! I'm excited for it to hit the shelves and excited to hear your comments!
susan
THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS
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