Final shots of my kitchen remodel

A lot of you have asked to see the pics of my kitchen remodel. This is easiest (and involves a lot less download time. Unfortunately, I don't have before pics, probably because I hated the kitchen, just some taken during the remodel. Trust me when I say that this is a HUGE improvement and well over due. But, also, trust me when I say I had it done by Home Depot and their contractor, Pode Construction, who I would never recommend for any kind of work like this. The job took over 3 months. I had to argue with them to do parts of it right and I've had the floor tile repaired 3 times since they finished. I've also had to have them out to repair the outside faucet and now the dishwasher is leaking big time. At least I don't have to have Pode come out to repair that.



This is the ceiling over my sink with the new ceiling light and over the sink cabinets (which are almost purely decorative since I can't reach them :D)



This is the new ceiling fan. The old one was centered in the room but I had this one offset so it would be over the dining table (which is obviously no longer in the center of the room, lol)



A view of the sink, over the sink cabinets, and my dh who happened to be loitering in there for some reason.



This is to the left of the sink. We had an appliance garage put in there. It also makes a nifty bread box, LOL




A view of the peninsula counter.




The corner where I keep important cooking devices like the microwave and coffee pots :D

I'm still organizing it, even months later, and I'm still looking for art work for the walls. I do have a lovely large painting of a Bourbon Street party on the wall where the dining table now is but I don't have a pic of that apparently.

Confessions of a Research Whore

Hello. My name is Lynda and I’m a research whore.

I’ve always been this way but...I don’t necessarily research for a book I’m writing. No, I research just because I like to learn. Generally, this learning will involve something in the science field.


Here's a great pic of a star with a tail. Bet you didn't know a star could have a tail like a comet, did you? Me either until recently. But I once had seen a binary star that 'shared' matter with its smaller dwarf companion. That led me to write a short story entitled Magician's Tale several years ago.





I’ve always been drawn to astronomy, geology or the biological sciences. This picture is of a cross between a horse and a zebra. Think of how this could spur an alien creature! I recall once that George Lucas said he'd created a number of his Star Wars creatures by combining and intensifying creatures that were found here on Earth.



I also love to research history (who'd have thunk it? I hated History in school!) Ancient history, medieval history, or anything before 1900. And it includes things like paganism, mythological lore, cultural anomalies. I have books and books on cultural anthropology. When I decided to write Altered Destiny, I got information from books and the Internet on Scottish history, the culture, the language...kilts! LOL

I could go on and on but I won’t bore you.

So when I start to write, I already have a lot of fodder for my book. I can pick and choose from all the enticing tidbits I’ve learned over the years to start the story and feel confident enough to move along fairly well. Of course, as the story unfolds my characters will reveal a knowledge I don’t have. Yet. And I’ll sit and rub my hands with glee as I set out on a new learning curve.

It’s almost orgasmic. It’s definitely addicting.

That’s why when I read a book and find new bits and pieces of knowledge that I haven’t before encountered, I get a thrill. It means I have something new that I can check out.

Right now, I’m reading an ARC of The Reincarnationist by M.J. Rose and guess what? I’ve got the subject of reincarnation to research, ancient Rome (which I’ve already fallen in love with and done some research on but, hey, when you’re a research whore, you can always learn more!). MJ Rose has written this story with the confidence of a fellow research whore but she hasn’t just given us a brain dump of everything she’s learned for the book. No, it’s presented in a very logical, understandable fashion and coupled it with a very interesting story to boot. The Reincarnationist will be available in September, if I’m not mistaken, and I’d definitely recommend you read it.


Who knows? It may inspire you to become a research whore as well.

Perseid Meteror Showers - See them tonight!

It's August and it's time for the Perseid meteor showers! Of course, it's easiest to view these celestial sights from a dark country sky but you can see them even in the city. You just won't see all of them unfortunately due to the city light.

A little interesting history on these showers. August is known as the month of "The Tears of St. Lawrence." Laurentius, a Christian, was supposedly martyred by the Romans in 258 AD on an iron outdoor stove. During his torture, he cried out:

"I am already roasted on one side and, if thou wouldst have me well cooked, it is time to turn me on the other."

The Saint's death was commemorated on his feast day, Aug. 10. And the abundance of shooting stars seen evrey year between approximately Aug. 8 and 14 have come to be known as St. Lawrence's "fiery tears."

Rather than 'tears', these meteors are actually the remains left behind by the comet Swift-Tuttle.

Discovered in 1862, and most recently observed in 1992, this comet takes approximately 130 years to circle the Sun. And, like the Tempel-Tuttle comet in November leaves debris to create the Leonid Meteors, Comet Swift-Tuttle produces a similar trail along its orbit to cause the Perseids.

So every year during mid-August, when the Earth passes close to the orbit of Swift-Tuttle, the material left by the comet from its previous visits slams into our atmosphere at approximately 37 miles per second (60 kps) and creates bright streaks of light in our midsummer night skies.

Kind of reminds me of the old, old movie -- Day of the Triffids but hopefully will be much safer to watch than those movie meteor showers!

The best viewing time will be after midnight so get out a lawn chair, sit back, and have some good, science-y entertainment