UPDATE: The winner is…Wendy Vest!
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My daughter and I made the shopping list last night. She cooks the entire dinner every year all by herself, and she looks forward to it every year. I can’t imagine liking the prep. She even has a To Do list that tells her when to start what, with notes about how to make everything. She refines it every year. And the dinner is always amazing!

We have the turkey (we always get a 12 or 13-pounder because we hate having more than a day or two of leftovers). Then there’s creamed potatoes, mac ‘n’ cheese, pea (instead of green beans) casserole, bread dressing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, dinner rolls, a tray of olives, pickles, etc., and I can’t remember what else. Oh yeah, pies (pumpkin, chocolate, key lime or lemon meringue)!

So, to celebrate the prep and the “preppers,” solve the puzzle and tell me what your favorite Thanksgiving dishes are for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!  

UPDATE: The winner is…Diana Sallens!
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I packed the 10-year-old’s lunch bag today with the usual stuff, plus an apple. Then I added the one thing I knew would make her smile because she loves them as much as I do—a big fat juicy dill pickle. I’m sure her friends look at her funny, but she’d rather have a pickle than a piece of fruit. Seriously.

I LOVE pickles. Plain ol’ dills, kosher dills, gherkins—but I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE mixed, spicy pickles, too. Have you ever tried Korean kimchi? Yes, you have to get past the fermented garlicky smell (doesn’t bother me a bit!) to get to the yumminess. They do pickles with cabbage, carrots, beets, cucumbers, etc. I adore mixed, spicy Mexican pickles, too. There’s really an endless variety. Then there’s my great-grandma’s chow-chow. She had the best dill pickles and chow-chow ever. Like, to-die-for good.

Let’s celebrate World Pickle Day with a puzzle and a contest!

Solve the word search puzzle, then tell me about your favorite pickles for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Tara Leavitt!
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I have a lot of people to thank for their service on this day, starting with my late father who received recognition at his graveside. I thank my sister, Elle James, my brother and my nephew, who all served. Service is in my DNA. I had uncles who served in WWII, luckily all returned. I’m sure your families have their own heroes as well. So, a shout out to all who served! If you get a chance today, thank a veteran for their service.

Saturday Puzzle-Contest

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me whether you have a family or friend you’ll celebrate today.

The winner is…Cara!

And yes, the figure is Frank Poole from 2001: A Space Odyssey!
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Yesterday, I received my latest Funko Pop! figurine. Yes, I collect these, too. (Yes, I’m that big of a nerd!) But I only collect figures that mean something to me. So, who could this little guy be? Play along with me…

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle then tell me the name of the movie the picture represents, and if you want to go a step farther, tell me which character in the movie is represented by my new Pop! figurine!

UPDATE: The winner is…Diane Sallans!
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This is a reminder that my current call for submissions for the next Boys Behaving Badly Anthology is drawing near. I’m considering pushing out the submission date to accommodate writers but want you to keep this challenge in mind. Follow the link to learn more about what I’m seeking. These anthologies are always fun!

The link:  Call for Submissions

The Saturday Puzzle-Contest

Since “secret identities” are on my mind today, I chose a very pretty picture of a possible heroine in such a story! I have to choose a theme for my own story. It’s raining outside. It’s been raining a couple of days now and there’s no end in sight. The temperatures are warm for this time of year, but I’m at last ready for the cold to arrive. This picture feels “fall-ish” or maybe even a little “Christmas-y”—it’s the colors, I guess. Enjoy it!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me what sort of secret identity story you’d like me to write. Have fun with the challenge!

The winner is…Stacey Kinzebach!
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It’s Saturday, and my family has plans for tonight! It’s a movie night! I’m not sure what we’ll be watching, but I know it’ll be something scary because we’re getting ready for Halloween. We’ll watch a kid-friendly Halloween movie, followed by something truly scary after that for the bigger kids (me). No one likes to sit next to me when a scary movie plays because I tend to jump. Once, when I watched Carrie in the movie theaters, I tossed my popcorn into the air when that hand sprang out of the grave.

But that’s tonight. Today is an unofficial holiday that only folks in a few cities actually celebrate — Buffalo, New York; Detroit, Michigan; and Cleveland, Ohio. It’s the Sweetest Day and celebrates CANDY. I can get behind that holiday, so I’m sharing a sweet puzzle today. Enjoy!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me what your favorite Halloween candy is!

UPDATE: The winner is…Mary Ann Dean!
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I’ll be at the Arts Festival again today, all day, but once this weekend is over, my family and I will be gearing up for Halloween! We try to make every holiday an event! For Halloween, we start watching spooky movies on the weekends (Family Movie Night includes, fun snacks, a darkened room, and the big TV), and of course, we have to nail down the kids’ costumes.

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, then tell me what you do to get ready or in the mood for Halloween!