Spectacular: Blue Whales Feeding

Screen shot from the YT video of a Blue Whale feeding
Screenshot from the YT video

On my last trip to southern California, part work for Full Sail and part graduation trip for my niece, we went whale watching. I desperately wanted to see Blue Whales, but they eluded us that day. It was still a great day to whale watch on a small 8-person boat.

Someone shared this with me tonight and I was so moved by it, I needed to share it. You really need to click on full screen to experience the beauty of this drone footage.

Work Wednesday: Feeling Accomplished

1920 flapper woman on black pillow
The Enchantress by Rolf Armstrong

The rewrites for Full Sail – the third book in the TJ Wilde Trilogy – are completed and this draft feels solid enough to send off to the editor. It will be sad to say goodbye to TJ, but there are so many other stories waiting to be told.

Work Wednesday: Mysteries Abound

Girl sitting on top of a dragon, painting with watercolors along with a stack of book

It has been a ridiculous few weeks. Busy with all sorts of things, both fun and work related. I’ve been steady in the progress on the final rewrites of Full Sail. With that wrapping up, the Duxbridge Mysteries gets notes and plot scribbles when I need a break.

This fun fact came up in the town I’ve used as my model for Duxbridge:

Soup of the Week: Zuppa Toscana – Spicy Potato Soup

Revisiting from 2023:

I was under the weather all weekend and this soup seemed like the perfect remedy.

Spicy Potato Soup (Zuppa Toscana)

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • ½ lb spicy ground sausage (or ground beef)
  • ¼ tsp crushed red pepper (opt)
  • 1 bay leaf (remove before serving)
  • 1 tsp crushed garlic
  • 32 oz chicken broth
  • 6 potatoes, well scrubbed, unpeeled – cubed or thinly sliced
  • 2 cups milk
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 8 oz shredded cheddar or jack (opt – I like parmesan myself)

saucepan or instant pot