The lowly acorn

If you missed yesterday's blog, this is just a reminder that I'm featured in the premier issue of eMuse at http://www.emuse-zine.com/ with two lovely reviews for Dancer's Delight and Traveller's Refuge plus a wonderful interview. Please have a look.



I have mentioned in my blogs more than once about the importance of research when you write. My time-travel book certainly will have some pretty odd research paths. Currently, I'm working on the nutritional properties of acorns. After searching the net for a while, I found directions on processing the acorn to a usable form.



So! First of all, I needed acorns! Fortunately, it's the time of year that acorns are lying around on the ground, free for the taking. Oh, my aching back and knees. Who knew what a pain in the back it is to harvest acorns? And for what? Perhaps we ended up with half a gallon of acorns.



Next we roasted them. Now, I cheated here as I really don't have any possibility of using anything other than my oven. But in my story, I believe that my hero had a cast iron dutch oven in his camping gear, so that should work to roast the acorns. Put acorns in pot, no more than two deep and set in coals to roast.



Tomorrow, when they've cooled, we get to peel them. That should be fun. I'll keep you up to date on my hands on research with the acorns. I can hear you asking now, "Why is she doing this?"



I believe that knowledge is a good thing to have. And I also believe that first hand experience is better than book knowledge whenever it's possible. Of course, sometimes that is not possible because it's immoral or unethical or even illegal. Processing acorns for food is not in any of those categories.



Already, I learned something that I didn't know. Acorns come in two different sizes and shapes, depending on the species of oak tree. We happen to have both kinds of oak tree within yards of each other so we collected some of each kind. The larger acorn is twice as big as the smaller acorn. I can already see that if I depended on acorns for food, I would hope I lived close to a tree with the bigger acorns! Food yield from the bigger ones is much higher.



I expect you're wondering who the "we" is in this little tale. Well my husband of course. I think he's more fascinated by the process than I am. We'll see how interested he is when it comes time to cook with them!

There's an old expression--"From little acorns, big oak trees grow." I never realized the exact truth of that until I stood beneath the oak tree that towered six stories above me. So it is with our words. One hurtful word can grow into a painful rage. One loving word can save the world.

Anny

Amarinda - www.amarindajones.blogspot.com
Kelly - www.kkirch.blogspot.com

Zoltan the Great

First of all I want to say that I'm incredibly proud to be featured in the premier issue of the e-zine, eMuse. My books, Dancer's Delight and Traveller's Refuge were reviewed, plus there is an in-depth interview at http://www.emuse-zine.com/?page_id=9 so please drop by and read all about it!

Reviews and interviews are always such a thrill for the author, but a lovely showcase such as eMuse did for my work is very special. I want to say how very much I appreciate the honor!

When we left the Blogga Saga last, Amarinda left me somewhat in a tight spot with this little nugget:

“Because to keep us alive, I am going to have to kill the man who is about to walk through that door.” She now knew where she was and who was coming for her. His last lesson had nearly killed her. But this time he would not succeed.

“I don’t understand…”

“Don’t blither. Just give it to me.” She snatched the pen from his hand just as the door flew open. Emmeline locked eyes with the darkly handsome man before her. Sex on a stick. “Hello Zoltan.”

“Come to try to kill me again, Emmeline?” Zoltan asked in amusement.

“Who is he?” Sam could feel the tension crackle in the room.

“I’m Emmeline’s husband.”

As you can see, I had my work cut out for me. But I do believe I added my own little twist...

“Zoltan the Great!” Sam looked at Emmeline in amazement. “You’re married to Zoltan the Great? That’s incredible! He’s the greatest magician that ever lived!”

“What do you know about it?” Emmeline jeered. “He’s a maniac. He nearly killed me the last time we were together. He sawed me in half!” She threw her hands in the air and screamed with frustration. “Why doesn’t anyone understand?”

Sam snatched his pen from her hand and tucked it in his pocket. “It was a magic trick,” he explained patiently. “It isn’t real.”

“Well, it felt damned real to me!” she declared.

Zoltan brushed his dark hair back, gathered it in a neat tail and tied it with a leather strip. He grinned at Emmeline’s temper fit. “That’s what I tried to tell her. Instead of listening she ran off to work for the Galaxy Network in some weird two-bit show about zucchinis.” He shook his head in puzzlement. “We had a show contract in Vegas and she ran out on me. I was stuck finishing the gig with some chick named Rinalda.”

“Rinalda.” The temperature dropped thirty degrees when Emmeline snarled her name. “You worked with that two-timing, back-stabbing witch?”

Zoltan shrugged. “If you run around with those lounge lizards, Shade and Rafe, what do you expect? You blew away a major contract, Emmeline.”

Sam scowled at both of them. “This seems to be something the two or you should work out. I’m just going to take my purple box and go home. I’m going now…” He vanished, leaving a haze of purple smoke in the huge bedroom.

Zoltan sat down on the side of the bed and crossed his arms. “Well, Emmeline? It’s all up to you!”

Heh. So, what will Kelly do with this on Monday? Tune in to see. In the meantime, I'm sure both Kelly - www.kkirch.blogspot.com and Amarinda - www.amarindajones.blogspot.com will have something entertaining to say today so drop by.

Anny