Dropping in to point out a few events going on this month. As you know, October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. The phrase “think pink” has become synonymous with various charities and fundraisers during this time. (Sad to say, I’m noticing that not every pink-related, pink ribbon item is associated with a legitimate charity, though.) Penguin Group (fine publishing purveyors of many exciting tomes) has put together a campaign of their own — to read pink books. Now in their third year, there’s a variety of books you can read by these authors: Nora Roberts, Jayne Ann Krentz, Catherine Anderson, Jodi Thomas, Carly Phillips, Madeline Hunter, JoAnn Ross, Jillian Hunter, Karen White, Natasha Solomons, Eleanor Brown, Wendy Wax, and Kathryn Stockett.

Of course, October is also leading up to my favorite holiday in all the land — Halloween. My decorations have gone up; many are not coming down. Each year, our place gets spookier and spookier. (Victorian-style, thank you. I only have so much patience for serial killers.) No All Hallow’s Eve would be replete without an atmospheric tale or two, stories that creep, thrill, scare, and turn you inside out. All Hallow’s Read, spearheaded by author/screenwriter/etc. Neil Gaiman, encourages folks to give away books on the holiday. Save those sugar-laden treats for Christmas; provide the gift of story and give trick-or-treaters a thrill ride like no other! My Halloween-related recommendation is The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury. It’s a stunning narrative that explores the history of the holiday and highlights its ancient roots.

This is also the month for advocates to promote anti-bullying. StopBullying.gov has a lot of information about Bullying Prevention Month. Adjacent to that, it’s also Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

While I understand that situations get to a “harm one another” point, it appalls me that people would resort to such terrifying tactics to exert one’s power/influence/etc. over another. I love humanity and its myriad facets but, sadly, I do not always admire what humanity is capable of and what dark deeds they’ve accomplished in reality. Perhaps that’s why I explore these issues in my storytelling, because I want to understand it, and hope the hero/heroine can pull through to a better day.

So, on the subject, I believe this picture I took sums up my feelings better than the words I’m using here:

I do believe, deeply and truly, that one way we can achieve mutual understanding/respect/love/joy and the overall betterment of our species is through the Artes. If you do no other activist-related thing this month, consider that October is also the National Arts and Humanities Month. There has never been a better time to support your favorite authors, game designers, artists, musicians, sculptures, crafters, cartoonists, toy designers, etc.

There has also never been a better time to create your own Arte, either, regardless of what that happens to be.

Live long and prosper, may the force be with you, don’t forget your towel and remember — when all else fails? Call the Doctor, watch the skies. The question of whether or not we are alone in the universe has been answered. There’s no better place in the ‘verse. Nanu, nanu.

Mood: Go forth and do
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: TINY BUBBLES, MAKE ME WARM ALL OVER
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Didn’t count them, but I did them.
In My Ears: An eerie refrain.
Game Last Played: Tetris
Movie Last Viewed: Harry Potter collection
Latest Artistic Project: In progress!
Latest Release: “Fangs and Formaldehyde” from the New Hero anthology through Stone Skin Press

Deadlines. The word didn’t even exist until the Civil War; it was a military term used to denote a line that if you crossed it? Well, you get the idea. Deadlines can bring about a certain sense of foreboding and finality — and stress. With NaNoWriMo just around the corner, many of you will have a deadline — November 30th.

When I’m stressed and frantic, I sometimes make the mistake of eating out. Less dishes, less fuss, less hassle, and a break away from the computer. Realistically, though, this isn’t an economical idea and it can be too much of a distraction for me. For those times when I’m staring down the line, the weather usually dictates what I eat. Sandwiches and peasant meals are easy options, sure, but as soon as the leaves start to fall? I’m planning ahead and freezing a portion of the larger meals to have on hand for future lunches.

Here’s some options I leverage when I’m short on time. Everything listed here takes a half an hour or less of prep. Though, I should warn you. . . None of these solutions are fancy. For that, you’ll probably want to look elsewhere. 😀

• Crock Pot – Oh, how I love my crock pots. We have one big enough to hold a roast and another smaller one. There are several cookbooks out there and these are great for soups, chilis, ham and potatoes, applesauce, etc. What’s really interesting about the crock pot, is that it takes less energy to cook with, too. So you can dump your ingredients into one in the morning and by dinnertime? Voila.
• Stir-Fry – Frozen bag of veggies, plus meat or tofu, and a sauce? You’ve got a stir-fry that takes no time at all. A super easy sauce is one teaspoon Siracha, two tablespoons peanut butter, dash of honey, and 1/3 cup of low sodium soy sauce. Use a wok for extra bonus points. We often skip the rice; if you want a quick and easy carb, add dried chinese noodles.
• Calzone – This is one of our favorite quick-and-easy meals, because if you do it right? There’s nothing to “cook” when you’re prepping this. Take one tube of refrigerator pizza dough, a package of pepperoni, a small 8 to 10 ounce can of pizza sauce, and shredded cheese. Spray a rectangular cookie sheet and roll out the dough onto it and press into the edges. Visualize three “rows” length-wise. In the center row, pour out the pizza sauce, leaving a one-to-two inch gap at either end. Then, arrange the pepperoni in the sauce and add the cheese. Now, you’ll make an “envelope” with the dough. Take the top and the bottom and seal over the end. Fold over one side, then the other, until you’ve blanketed the filling. (For fancier presentation, you can cut strips in the dough and criss-cross all the way down.) Then, bake as directed on the tube of dough; usually about twenty minutes. These homemade pizza pockets can be made with sausage, eggs and bacon, broccoli and alfredo, and a lot of other fillings, too.
• Breakfast. Not just for mornings, anymore. – A lot of breakfast foods are filling and easy to make. Pancakes can be made out of a box. Bacon and eggs. Skillets or omelets take a bit of work but frozen potatoes are great for making a quick hash.
• Soup and sandwiches – There’s a ton of soups out there from canned to homemade recipes and sandwiches require a little ingenuity. I love grilled cheese and portabella with roasted red pepper myself; we often opt for the low sodium brands and add our own spices. If you’re just wanting soup, don’t forget the crackers or the rolls.

If you’re even shorter on time, here’s some other suggestions:

• Cook a large portion of meat at the beginning of the week.
• Meal plan, meal plan, meal plan. Can’t tell you how much time and money this saves us.
• When you do have time, cook larger portions and freeze for the future.
• Skip the meat and use recipes that require beans or other vegetarian options. For example, veggie nachos!
• Make a ritual out of your deadlines and have a default option when you’re in crunch time. Peanut butter and jelly isn’t just for kids!

What about you? What do you do when you’re facing deadline?

Mood: I drew a line. And I’m staring right at it.
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: HAH.
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: I am yogi master.
In My Ears: A screaming cat. (Seriously, when will he ever be full?)
Game Last Played: Tetris
Movie Last Viewed: Harry Potter collection
Latest Artistic Project: In progress!
Latest Release: “Fangs and Formaldehyde” from the New Hero anthology through Stone Skin Press