A New Moon Is Rising July 30: It's a Sign

This weekend a New Moon will greet us once again before August arrives. I know the photo shows a Harvest Moon but that's because it's what's on my mind. Summertime in a tourist town is a challenge. Visitors are playing and locals are working. It seems unbalanced. But only a month and a half and it will be a different place, calm, cool, and superb.

Meanwhile, I am looking forward to receiving advance copies of my new book The Healing Powers of Honey (Kensington Books, Sept. 27) on my doorstep. And tomorrow, I'll wake up buzzing like a honey bee in its hive to greet new superfood gifts: chocolate, chocolate, chocolate with a healthy dose of coffee as I am in CoffeeWorld. It is odd. When I work on a book it is consuming. It's like real life is not real and you're in another world on another planet.

Next week some stories I've written will be published in online mags: A dog and man's best friend quiz; The Honey Bee: Friend or Foe?; Chocolate in the Summertime...And I'll be working on a piece about how I found my "Zen" and how I helped a caller on the psychic network lose her "soul mate" due to being duped. And, I guess, I'll be putting some sort of edibles together for Callie's Cabin.

Come October, vacation, vacation, vacation...and my birthday. I can see it. I can feel it. Till then, the New Moon will have to suffice. It'a a sign that my season will pay me a visit soon. I can feel it already. I need another batch of peanut brittle. Still don't get why it's a seasonal treat.

Intuitive & Zen: The Mancow Show

This morning at 3:38 the alarm clock woke me up with a song, of sorts, much like in the film "Groundhog Day." Usually, Zen, my Siamese-mix meows me to get up. Not today. I staggered to the kitchen, brewed a cup of Coconut flavored coffee and saunterd back to bed. At 4:15 PST, I, the "author-intuitive" was on air--The Mancow Show. I'm a cool cat in the wee hours of the morning--perhaps it's the presence of my new sensitive kitty Zen (an author-intuitive's dream companion) who thinks he's a dog. Or maybe I'm more lively as the nightowl.

So, there I was, cozy in the waterbed (wishing I was in Hawaii as I sipped the tasty brain juice), flanked by two Brittanys under the comforters and one pussycat by my side. And, it was my job to dish out world predictions--gloom and doom stuff. I talked a potential West Coast quake to a potential financial meltdown to come before 2012.. I noted two more forecasts, from a category 5 hurricane (Mancow perked up with that prediction) to another anti-prediction for Harold Camping. (I beat the first one because we're still here.) And most likely we'll still be here but a bit more weathered come October 21.

After my cameo appearance, I cranked out an excerpt of my forthcoming book The Healing Powers of Honey (Kensington Books, Sept. 27, 2011). It's for a mag that the rich and famous read. Then, I made the decision to go back to sleep--and it worked.

All was not lost for the day. Food for "What's Cookin' at Callie's Cabin" for the Tahoe Daily Tribune was snagged at our store, and I fixed my quirky modem all by myself. Still feeling a bit seasick and sleepy, and I'm working hard for the money on the new superfood Healing Powers series book.

Lastly, taking a break from the psychic networks (I ranked a "top producer" for the week) so I'm giving the psychic vibes a rest. And Zen, he's cool. We played with his neon mouse and that kept us mellow. Note to self: Find out which type of coffee can perk up you up when getting up before dawn.  I wish I had my own swimming pool. But I will visit it tomorrow.

P.S. Later today, a 5.6 hit Aleutian Islands; a storm in the Atlantic; and the stock market and fear of money madness fed the media. The year is young. Bracing for turbulent times.

It's a Peanut Brittle Day

Today is Thursday and it feels like Wednesday. There is a nip in the air at Lake Tahoe and that makes me smile. Just returned from a lovely swim (not too cold but cold enough) and it's back to CoffeeWorld. Read: The Healing Powers book I'm working on as I type. Ah, I received a box of awesome flavored coffees--several kinds, including Coconut Creme to Wild Blackberry. How exciting is that? (It's got me giddy as a honey bee...The Healing Powers of Honey (Kensington Books, Sept. 27, 2011) is flying to me in August, prior to harvest season and this worker bee is thrilled as a queen bee in the comfort of her hive.)

Speaking of Excitement...I had Tahoe quakes on the brain. "What if we have a shaker and the coffee beans fall out of the pantry/fridge/freezer and my food-loving Brittanys eat 'em?" No dancing goats legend here. DOA doggies on java beans. Note to self: Get dog-proof coffee containers.

Back to the quakes. It's odd, but King (another quake sensitive) believes people eat popcorn before the Earth moves. It could be the crunch factor which can release anxiety linked to sensing oncoming quakes. I've been craving peanut brittle--a lot. The stores are all out. They had gourmet stuff and now they tell me it's a seasonal thing. Great. Now that I'm hooked it's AWOL.

Anyhow, thought I'd stop by ("writer's block") and spread the word that we had a minor quake today 3.1 (yes, I predicted it but something stronger could be in the works now through August due to the CA quake drought). Nothing to write home about -- yet, or even to share on The Mancow Show this coming Monday a.m., when I make a cameo appearance. Well, I predict something earthshaking should happen by the 18th.  Blame it on the Full Moon.  Gosh, I think I'm going to cave and order peanut brittle via online.
UPDATE: Soon after I scored 1/2 lb. of peanut brittle at Tahoe.  Not gourmet but doable. Then, the quakes came... A 6.1 (strong) hit AK.  Bottom line: More to come for the West Coast, from Alaska down to SoCal--or somewhere in between. Worse, I need more peanut brittle.  Wonder if order it online they'll FedEx it. Read: Shaky times ahead.

Summertime Cats, Chocolate & Croissants

By Cal Orey

The

Writing Gourmet

I used to love the summertime. The glitch is, when you live in a resort town like Lake Tahoe it changes things. Ever see the Stephen King film The Langoliers? Well, it's like that, especially, during holidays like Independence Day. The tourists invade and I see 'em coming over the hill...

Imagine: You're on deadline to pen and finish a 300 page book. Plus, you're on call as a phone psychic. But I'm whining because of the chaos factor. Blame it on tourists' dogs off leashes (see I Am Legend canine dark seekers), rowdy backyard hot tub goers at midnight, police sirens, echoes from concerts at Stateline, and screams from kids to grown ups, not to mention the neighborhood barking outdoor dogs (a lot of 'em) that get my indoor boys (sporting dogs on their best behavior for mom) going bonkers. Not to forget the sweet anti-dog cat teaser next door. He prowls the winter weathered fences outside and peeps into my kitchen and backyard windows to taunt my calm Brittany duo. He flees when we flee outdoors to say "Hello, Kitty." I'm assuming he'll be AWOL come the Fourth when those loud fireworks happen (but I'll turn up the tunes and try to tune it out and calm my critters). And so it goes around the hood...
Feeling Blue. I just read an interesting article on msnbc.com about Summer SAD. I knew about it. In fact, I have interviewed the doc--Norman Rosenthal--who coined the term. I may have it--or perhaps get it. Or not. It's not that I don't love gardening, getting a nice golden brown, walking the pooches, watering the trees, and drinking cold water, and no-cook meals--it's the noise pollution. Maybe I'll ring up Victoria and order a bulky sweater and skinny jeans to give me incentive that I know that everyone knows that fall will come.

I long for fall, off-season when it's quiet. The day I receive the fall Victoria's Secret catalog I know my time is just around the corner. Two and a half more months. Barking dog alert. As I was saying, 75 more days, give or take, and the town will be back on even keel. I wish I could move to a place where it's autumn year-round. Note to self: Relocate next summer (or before.)

Meanwhile, it's cool cats, like my new Zen (he looks like a Siberan Husky in cat), chocolate (I confess I consumed a large amount of dark covered chocolate malt balls the other night while inputting the history chapter in my new superfood book); and warm croissants n' hot mocha java in the a.m., that make me smile during these warm summer days. It's cats, chocolate, and croissants when I field the psychic phone network calls and decide which chapter to input for "the book" that are helping me to stay centered. Oh, oh, oh. The swim today took me to Fishheaven (again) and I had my very own lane. (Plus, my new fish like the warm weather. All are alive and enjoying the aquariums.)

P.S. Getting a lot of network calls from folks around the nation who are feeling the lovesickness of summer fever and asking me the question: "When will I fall in love?"  I turn to Tarot Cards and sigh inside wishing the leaves would turn color and that catalog would arrive sooner than later.