Kitchen Renovations

Today I’m waiting for a new stove to be delivered. My stove recently broke (after 20 years), so a new one was in order. And of course one thing leads to another.

Would you believe my kitchen was mauve, complete from the countertops to the wallpaper? When we built in the early 80’s, I copied the kitchen in the show home, and it was pink! Recently, we changed the countertop to  a more modern and neutral brown with little specks of other colors. Beautiful! I’m in the process of stripping off the old wallpaper. 

My stove was a color called “almond.” They don’t even make it anymore. There was one stove at the store called “bisque,” but almost all were stainless steel with black tops. And no more drip pans to catch food! Now I’ll have an easy-to-clean flat range top.

But, as I said, one thing leads to another. Now I’ll have to replace the refrigerator and dishwasher so everything matches. *evil grin*

Oops! The truck is here…… 

Hooray for Technology!

  I love movies where smart (usually wild-haired) techies zoom their fingers over computer keyboards and have all kinds of amazing things show up on big screens. Or they hack into databases to solve monumental problems. I’ll never be that good–not even close. But when I do learn something new, I’m always amazed at how technology helps perform tasks more quickly and efficiently.

Our latest innovation with Nebraska Romance Writers is new Yahoo groups. One allows us to upload our 2008 writing goals. We can see what everybody is trying to accomplish, what they’re working on, in order to encourage them. Our second new Yahoo group is for critique. We can upload manuscripts; then anybody who has the time or inclination can provide feedback and critique. We have Robin Rotham to thank for setting these up. Thanks, Robin!

Another innovation which I’ve learned to use at work is the “track changes” feature of Word. I always knew it was there–I just didn’t know what it was good for or how to use it. Lately, I’ve become quite proficient at critiquing and editing, tracking any changes along the way. It’s a whiz!

Next on my list–I’m taking an online course to learn about Styles and Templates in Word.

Do you use all these marvels of technology? I know–maybe some of you are thinking, “Well, duh!” Maybe I’m behind the times, but I’m learning! See my wild hair?

3:10 to Yuma

  Run and rent the movie, 3:10 to Yuma, now out on DVD. I watched it last night and was thoroughly enchanted. It’s a Western as good as Unforgiven.

Based on a short story by Elmore Leonard, the movie has multiple twists and turns in the plot that keep you guessing. Atmospheric scenes evoke the Old West, everything from Pinkerton detectives to the Chinese building the railroad.

The best thing was the fascinating characterizations. Every character is well-drawn and rich. My favorite was Ben Wade, played by Russell Crowe. He’s a bad bad man–a thief and a murderer–but it was fascinating to see the little touches that softened him. He would gun somebody down without hesitation, but in the next moment, he would make whimsical drawings of birds and people. His thoughtful smiles were infectious. His crew and horse were devoted to him. He was hardened, but infinitely gentle with the woman he hooked up with.

I plan to watch it again and again. Writers who study this film will learn lots about how to build their characters on multiple levels. Plus, it’s just a darn enjoyable movie!