Cuddles, my mini-poo, woke me up this morning, gagging and spitting up pink foam and drool. She's lethargic and apprehensive and uninterested in eating. I think I'm going to have to take her to the vet later.

Today, September 19 would have been my mother's 87th birthday. It's also International Talk Like a Pirate Day. This curious fact gives me one of my favorite memories of my mom.

I wrote this for Bob using characters from Donna Lamb's Blue Moon and Green Sun:

Indigo Sky

by Donna Lamb and Erin Halfelven

I've had something so good the last few mornings that I had to share it. I call it an Egg McMelton. :)

For each sandwich:
Chopped onion, about one thick slice chopped
Another slice of raw onion, red is really good
Two slices of crisp bacon, or not so crisp if you prefer
Some lettuce, iceberg is fine, leaf lettuce is good, or spinach
A slice of tomato, optional because I seldom have tomato in the house
An egg, the star of the sandwich

We had a great time at the BC picnic yesterday! We stayed so late, we had to take down the tents in the dark. LOL.

I'll let someone else who's better with names list who all made it, I'm afraid my memory would fail me and I would leave someone out.

It was great to see some old friends and meet a few more new ones in person. I think we talked about everything from document hassles to where to put the period at the end of a quotation. :)

I don't know when we can have another of these but we can probably talk about it in chat.

Hugs to all,
Erin

A cheap room, an expensive suit, what could be better?

A lonely night in a dark alley, but Sam is unafraid of darkness.

Sam Valentine in on a mission; going home to take a bath. There's no time to deal with random insults from people who think they're bad.

Sam just wants to go home and wash off the grime of the city.

Here's a link to a sketch of the next project Daniel and I are working on, Sam Valentine.

There are folk who are hungry,
But we have food.
There are folk who are cold and in danger,
But we are warm and safe.
There are folk who are alone,
But we have each other.
There are those who have sacrificed
Peace, comfort and joy
That we may have all of those things.
Let us be thankful then,
In memory of them.

Book One comes to an end....just in time for All Souls Day.

Quillian is not a picky eater!

The girl has a BIG smile, full of teeth and hellfire!

Ydde can't escape, can he? Q and I seem to have him -- right where he wants to be!

Quillian has some fun and Ydde tries to call for the Brute Squad!

A buff demonette? Why not?

George had lived a long time, then he'd been dead for awhile. Now he had a message to deliver.

Poetry can be quite transformative...

The Man with Red Boots

by Joyce Melton

I've done another Jodie and Miranda story which I posted over at Bob's F&SF site, OtherWorlds. I hope you enjoy.

The aisles of the warehouse store wound around like a worm committing self-abuse. High up on one shelf sat a fifty-five gallon drum. All frosty white and silver on a midnight blue and black background, letters spelled out "Winter" like that was the name of a new energy drink.

"Why would anyone want a can of Winter that big?" asked little Jodie.