tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45759687259294183172011-12-05T08:19:30.309-05:00Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.comBlogger1521100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-12091336805982983822011-12-04T19:24:00.011-05:002011-12-04T20:38:55.410-05:00

I have survived another term as "Princess" of the Portsmouth Holiday Parade with a minimum of problems and a maximum of gratitude that my desire to add a food drive benefiting three local food pantries yielded approximately 5,000 pounds of non-perishable goods for their shelves. Students from the local high school volunteered to push grocery carts lent by Hannaford along the 1.5-mile parade

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-71880184512548152592011-09-18T11:53:00.008-04:002011-09-18T12:29:32.772-04:00

More than once, my sister and I told the woman who married our brother that we got the best end of the deal. And for 33 years, we were reminded how fortunate we all were that she chose him and became part of our lives, too. We spent nearly every Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving together. We celebrated births and birthdays, First Communions and Confirmations, graduations and anniversaries,

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-20037523995748547552011-06-19T17:24:00.008-04:002011-06-19T21:25:39.088-04:00

"Spidey sense: Derived from the "Spidey sense" of the comic book superhero Spiderman, it is generally used to mean a vague but strong sense of something being wrong, dangerous, suspicious, a security situation." No. 1 son and his partner were on patrol recently when they spotted a car that caused their spines to tingle. It was, my child said, the "Spidey sense" that prompted them to pull the

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-40818791136032421752011-05-22T15:11:00.016-04:002011-05-22T21:29:26.747-04:00

No. 2 son's check-in call at the beginning of his Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge archaeology adventure began with, "I probably shouldn't tell you this...."And here is where I began thinking, "Seriously? Are we really going to have ANOTHER one of these conversations that were not included in the Mom Handbook*?" (*This would be that Motherhood How-To book no one shared with me, as

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-26988310291494851202011-05-08T13:08:00.015-04:002011-05-08T22:19:40.817-04:00

I recently read about an English guy whose self-published book is topping Amazon's UK charts. It consists of 200 blank pages beneath the cover entitled: "What Every Man Thinks About Apart from Sex." On this Mother's Day 2011, I wonder if I could also publish a blank book, although my cover would say: "What I Knew About Motherhood Before I Became a Mother." Although I've since learned some Mom

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-28962577044650918902011-05-01T20:34:00.040-04:002011-05-02T12:17:15.042-04:00

I've never been ashamed to admit I relish celebrity encounters, which is why I'm sharing this rather goofy-looking photo of me to accompany my gushing about meeting some of the rock stars of the mystery world last week, including these two gentlemen:New York Times best-selling authors Nelson DeMille (16 novels) and Michael Connelly (23 books including the Lincoln Lawyer, also the subject of a new

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-36883192384684308732011-04-24T16:24:00.007-04:002011-04-24T19:59:20.211-04:00

Do you think appliances talk to each other?Is it possible that one might somehow communicate to another: "Hey, she's not treating us very good so let's teach her a lesson and stop working two hours before 20 people arrive for Easter brunch"?This might explain why the vacuum cleaner wasn't cleaning, the dishwasher seemed to be smoking, and a heating element was disintegrating shortly after we put

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-6049828281947601332011-04-17T16:25:00.012-04:002011-04-18T07:38:10.852-04:00

Although I've always wanted a smile that lights up a room and teeth that sparkle, I didn't mean literally. But that's what I'm getting for at least the next eight months, thanks to some very expensive metal installed on my teeth last week. And while I cannot adequately describe the way light reflects so brilliantly off my braces, I can tell you I'm beginning to wonder if there exists a purse

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-37407051926127210822011-04-03T12:33:00.023-04:002011-04-03T21:44:04.252-04:00

As I was leafing today through one of those freebie please-use-our-hospital newsletters sent out under the guise of genuine interest in my health, I noticed the headline "Eco-exercise." Say what?? According to the article, eco-exercise means that with your physical activity, "you also collect litter you find along the way." Apparently you only need your usual workout clothes, environmental

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-61077561005920776042011-03-27T20:35:00.030-04:002011-03-28T08:07:52.294-04:00

Did you know that the nation's second-largest St. Patrick's Day parade takes place in Manchester, NH -- and 10 days after most people celebrate the holiday? Observing holidays on days other than the actual date is not unusual in our "Live Free or Die" state, where we are practical and frugal to a fault. For example, the Fourth of July fireworks in Portsmouth are on July 3 because it's cheaper. (I

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-4350047392120510762011-03-20T18:41:00.012-04:002011-03-21T07:37:52.869-04:00

According to the calendar, it’s officially spring, although these photos taken today might seem to indicate otherwise. I do hope it was a lovely spring day wherever you are.Here in NH, Husband No. 1 observed the new season by attempting to remove some of the Christmas lights from the bushes and trees now that enough snow has melted to extricate some of the extension cords from the ice. But as

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-63648408080097445382011-03-06T17:06:00.008-05:002011-03-06T20:14:29.059-05:00

When a writer friend recently asked why I write mysteries rather than other types of fiction, I realized for the first time that the reason has more to do with a young murder victim named Deborah Sue Williamson than the fictional girl detective Nancy Drew.Like many, my initial encounter with the mystery genre occurred at a young age when I discovered the adventures of Nancy Drew and the thrill of

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-49277503166024053022011-02-27T20:00:00.027-05:002011-02-27T22:05:59.453-05:00

I love books. I love to read them, hold them, touch their spines and pages, smell them, admire their covers, collect them, discuss them and even write them. There are hundreds of books already in this house, but I still can't resist adding more or searching for new ones in bookstores. I consider myself a true bibliophile and as such, I'm becoming concerned that this whole e-book phenomena

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-46062247714023798982011-02-13T20:45:00.006-05:002011-02-13T22:06:03.949-05:00

Given that Valentine's Day is this week, I've been thinking a lot about chocolate, which in my view has always qualified as a major food group. There's a reason the Aztecs called it the "food of the gods," you know.There are estimates that over $1 billion worth of chocolate is purchased for Valentine's Day and while 75% of chocolate purchases are made by women during most of the year, in the days

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-90073927775762020562011-02-06T23:03:00.012-05:002011-02-13T20:45:30.480-05:00

I have just returned from a seven-day cruise in the Caribbean with my best friends from high school and while I do feel bad that at least two feet of snow and ice were dumped on New England in my absence, I feel even worse about returning to the mountains of snow piled so high that they're now towering about four feet above the mailbox and halfway up the house.Have I mentioned how much I hate New

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-9586644760502844032011-01-23T08:59:00.008-05:002011-01-24T07:55:05.904-05:00

I hate February in New England. And right now, I hate the end of January, too.It's bitterly cold, there's so much snow piled up outside that it's nearly reached the bottom of the light pole in the front yard, and the ice is a constant source of treachery. I find myself in despair over winter and without much hope that spring, never mind summer, will ever return to New Hampshire.But in less than a

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-84944127747432634632011-01-16T19:45:00.017-05:002011-01-24T20:05:03.722-05:00

I may seem a little behind here, but I am still thinking about the New Year and what it might mean for me and everyone else.I received one inkling that 2011 might be a bit different when No. 1 son telephoned early on New Year's Eve to announce he would be unavailable for our traditional call just after midnight because he'd be at work, waiting in the shadows, to seize any illegal guns the bad

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-67439917360451888632011-01-02T12:22:00.008-05:002011-01-03T10:20:24.138-05:00

I think it's entirely possible that there are red warning notes attached to my files in offices throughout the area to alert medical professionals that they are dealing with a difficult patient.Consider my dentist's office, which I diligently visit twice annually for a dental cleaning, as does the rest of my family. And nearly every time, the hygienist advises it's time for my annual X-rays and I

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-529635358056184902010-12-12T22:16:00.000-05:002010-12-13T00:00:55.338-05:00

Husband No. 1 and I recently returned from a roadtrip to Washington, DC, to engage in some "parental units bonding," a phrase our sons use to describe what they term our "interesting" visits to their worlds.I fear that in their view, bonding with parental units includes far too many occasions to be interrogated by a mother who seizes upon the opportunity to also closely monitor their reactions

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-23799699125169863832010-12-05T12:49:00.017-05:002010-12-05T19:10:50.570-05:00

The bulky white jacket I am wearing over multiple layers of clothing in this photo has the words "Event Staff" on the back, but it really should say "Parade Princess."I much prefer this term to "Coordinator" of the City of Portsmouth Holiday Parade, which means I have been in charge of this seasonal venture for four consecutive years now. Besides, "Parade Princess" sounds so much better than "

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-89169588160233318492010-11-29T07:42:00.002-05:002010-11-29T07:47:41.626-05:00

I'm still recovering from a weekend trip to Washington, DC, and Thanksgiving with my beloved sons so instead of a blog entry about that "bonding with parental units" experience (look for it next week), I offer instead this amusing look at what some people believe is involved in writing novels.... (Press the arrow and enjoy!)

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-1316654980091706422010-11-21T22:30:00.007-05:002010-11-22T07:50:36.873-05:00

Notice anything different about me in this photo?(Other than the fact that I am holding my third consecutive award for Excellence in Annual Reports from the NH Local Government Center, she noted quite immodestly.)The real answer is that I'm wearing contacts instead of the eyeglasses that age forced me to add to my daily apparel almost 15 years ago.And I feel inclined to mention that I'm wearing

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-45061970030492046022010-11-14T22:40:00.019-05:002010-11-15T05:54:57.280-05:00

I'm delighted and relieved to report that my year of hard work came to successful fruition this past weekend at the New England Crime Bake for Mystery Readers and Writers.While it has been exciting and stimulating to be co-chair of a conference totally run by mystery-loving volunteers, it also has been challenging and required much effort. It also has eaten up a great deal of writing (and other)

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-86271324463385668122010-11-07T21:17:00.016-05:002010-11-08T07:29:12.146-05:00

A male reader (yes, there a few beyond Husband No. 1) noted following last week's blog entry about "The Beauty Bias" that women demand honesty in their relationships with men but:"Those same women won't allow men or other women to see them before they have covered their lips in gloss, colored their hair to be something it isn't and in other ways changed their appearance so that they don't appear

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-52898262607771141962010-10-31T17:43:00.013-04:002010-10-31T22:04:43.684-04:00

In her recent book "The Beauty Bias," Stanford University Law Professor Deborah L. Rhode asks: If men can manage to be sexy without help from their footwear, why can't women?I wish I knew the answer to that, but right now I'm obsessing over the possibility that my search for blood-red heels for a major event two weeks hence might indicate I'm not a feminist. And this troubles me nearly as much as

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-42717787217463732202010-10-24T20:59:00.018-04:002010-10-25T07:06:26.162-04:00

Husband No. 1 considers spending $20 for a travel coffee mug excessive given that his commute is down one flight of stairs, although I have tried to convince him a Contigo container would mean he, too, could have hot coffee still waiting in his car after a workout at the gym.I love a mug that can keep coffee hot for four hours and cold items in that state for 12. And as we were driving 1.5 hours

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-61067197284302108632010-10-17T19:45:00.010-04:002010-10-17T22:02:53.208-04:00

As Husband No. 1 tells the tale, we were mid-meal when I looked down at the dinner he had prepared and announced: "I can't eat this -- I don't eat red meat."This declaration apparently came as a great surprise to my family, especially HN1. As he noted in our holiday letter that year, no such aversion to meat, red or any other kind, had been expressed during the preceding 25 years of marriage.

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-90986602607736821152010-10-09T22:17:00.026-04:002010-10-10T19:59:06.173-04:00

Pink has never been my color and quite frankly, I've always considered it a little too girly for my personality and politics.In fact, prior to this weekend, my only piece of pink attire was a "Keep Austin Weird" baseball hat given to me by a dear friend. I wear it partially as a joke because my dad's name is Austin and he's a bit unusual, though in a good way (sorry, Dad).But, as you may have

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-57902222356412123562010-10-03T22:27:00.007-04:002010-10-03T22:58:04.888-04:00

This will be brief because I've been a mite busy this weekend:Friday afternoon and part of Saturday at the New England Independent Booksellers convention in Providence, RI (great fun and too many free books);3 meetings connected with Sisters in Crime New England in Boston on Sunday (fabulous and fun presentation on the mysterious world of social networking), and Almost 4 hours in the ER Sunday

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-89516174998111926362010-09-26T20:35:00.026-04:002010-09-26T22:53:46.271-04:00

The following is a true and (mostly) accurate rendition. The federal official's name was removed to protect his earning potential as he is the father of my godson and the husband of a woman with an expensive shoe habit. Friday, Sept. 24, 2010 Dear Federal Official, For reasons even we can't comprehend, we have decided to try climbing a mountain tomorrow. Husband No. 1 was in charge of research

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-77298589526807722612010-09-11T22:06:00.015-04:002010-09-12T23:48:28.924-04:00

I made three trips by ambulance in a five-hour period last Friday night and was never examined by medical personnel.That's because I was riding the Portsmouth Fire Department's Ambulance One for research on my novel-in-progress, which has a paramedic as one of the main character's love interests. Any member of the public can request permission to do an ambulance ride-a-long and I wanted a busy

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-58575741393882573562010-09-05T08:59:00.016-04:002010-09-07T23:28:01.662-04:00

Last weekend I stayed at No. 1 son's apartment during a whirlwind "Mom this really would be the most convenient weekend for you to come down and help me set up my apartment" trip to Washington, DC, on behalf of the College Junior -- also known as No. 2 son.Needless to say, my credit card was well-used, I was grateful No. 1 was available to help with the unloading (this photo was taken after the

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-84100574482077903442010-08-30T12:19:00.006-04:002010-08-30T12:47:05.715-04:00

Since I'm still trying to recover from an 11.5-hour drive back home from DC last night, I'm delighted to have my writing friend Jessie Crockett paying a visit today to talk about the joys of "Ta-Da" instead of "To-Do" lists.Jessie's debut novel "Live Free or Die" has just been published (and available at Amazon by clicking the title link) and although I haven't yet had the opportunity to read it,

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-11645003700176411232010-08-22T09:33:00.005-04:002010-08-22T22:37:04.500-04:00

Since we had not seen each other in well over three decades, the experience of sharing coffee with my high school boyfriend this past weekend was somewhat surreal. But the biggest surprise came when he handed me a packet of long-forgotten stories and poems I had composed during our youthful romance.The pieces would, he assured me, provide an interesting insight into my thoughts and aspirations

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-52025790184400993002010-08-15T22:02:00.016-04:002010-08-16T20:48:39.897-04:00

My recent high school reunion and the related social activities were a blast, but I was a little surprised by some of the things people I hadn’t seen in decades chose to share. And, as always, it was all novel material.It also was a delight to see classmates from that intense, hormone-ridden four-year period known as high school and walk away believing that for the most part, they now lead

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-32997843119178792822010-08-08T00:01:00.003-04:002010-08-09T08:06:13.248-04:00

(Warning: Intimate body parts will be discussed in this week's edition)In my never-ending quest to continue being a good mother beyond the time my children apparently need me to do so, I apparently stepped over the line recently and I'm now worried that it could lead to years of therapy for each of them.It all began when I recently attended a health fair and spotted some nifty little placards to

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-43693370376937196602010-08-01T15:38:00.014-04:002010-08-01T19:57:07.794-04:00

I am giving serious thought to buying a gun. As a woman who has marched for gun control and who does her best to live in the Land of Denial about the piece of metal her son carries to work every night, this is a radical shift in attitude.OK, it won't be a really bad gun. Maybe just an airgun or a squirt gun. But desperate times call for desperate measures. And what is made me so desperate? This

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-5971883052605410042010-07-25T20:17:00.017-04:002010-07-27T07:01:15.657-04:00

Last Sunday I got on an airplane for the first time in 24 years. I decided that if my friend Phil Valley could face his impending death with such courage and dignity, I could overcome my fear of flying to get to Texas in time to say goodbye to a man I've known longer than my own husband.It wasn't easy. And yes, it did require a little chemical help, although far less than expected. I considered

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-15716501838935673842010-07-11T17:14:00.015-04:002010-07-11T21:25:37.034-04:00

The new TNT series "Rizzoli & Isles," based on the two primary characters in a gripping series authored by thriller writer (and Maine resident) Tess Gerritsen, premieres tomorrow night (Monday, July 12) -- and I'm not sure how I feel about the way the people I've imagined in my head for seven books are being portrayed on screen.I suspect I reacted like a lot of Gerritsen's avid readers when I

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-28458530440724022872010-07-04T22:39:00.001-04:002010-07-04T22:41:37.730-04:00

Enjoy.... a tiny taste of the fireworks from Portsmouth, NH (and yes, in frugal Portsmouth, we have fireworks the night BEFORE July 4th because it's cheaper)!

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-77668334154343382582010-06-27T15:51:00.013-04:002010-07-01T20:42:09.111-04:00

Last week I attended an author event at my local independent bookstore that drew over 100 people and because I'm involved in one scheduled there this week, I really hope all those readers don't stay home to finish his book.RiverRun Bookstore has been predicting Justin Cronin will soon be a household name for "The Passage" -- as big of a name as Stephen King and Dan Brown, which helped draw a

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-73823796921656415762010-06-19T15:45:00.015-04:002010-06-20T11:07:48.960-04:00

I am such a fan of the television show/crime-solving character "Monk" that I even have a "Monk" bobblehead doll at my workplace.Adrian Monk, if you're not familiar with the series that ran for eight seasons on the USA Network and whose finale in December was the most-watched basic cable original drama series telecast of all time, was a brilliant -- but obsessive-compulsive -- and damaged

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-17459024235392196522010-06-13T09:12:00.024-04:002010-06-13T12:21:45.144-04:00

When you open a new book, what makes you continue reading it? Where do you make your decision that the book is worth the investment of your time --first line, first five lines, first page, first chapter? Do you keep going until you reach the end, no matter what? Or will you stop reading when you become bored, confused, disgusted, etc.? These are important questions to book publishers, literary

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-59938297692815205062010-06-06T09:55:00.015-04:002010-06-09T22:07:03.871-04:00

I gave Husband No. 1 a nifty iPod Nano for his birthday, the first iPod to be owned by the older folks in our house, but he almost didn't get to enjoy it because we couldn't figure out how to open the package.I kid you not. For 20 minutes, we passed this tiny plastic box back and forth, trying to see where the opening might be so we could remove the device without breaking it. Then we considered

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-63458503040484575072010-05-29T17:15:00.008-04:002010-05-29T21:06:26.610-04:00

The main characters in mystery fiction should have at least three or four secrets that are revealed through the course of the book, according to the instructor of a writing workshop I recently attended.I've been thinking about this for weeks, both in terms of constructing fiction plots and also how our secrets can change people's lives -- and even history. In this age of instant communication and

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-65843099489105998462010-05-23T16:49:00.021-04:002010-05-23T22:13:51.723-04:00

Are you angry at BP and its massive oil disaster destroying our environment?Day after day, there’s more bad news – and no hope of fixing the problem. We see photographic evidence of the goop and gunk washing up on shore. It scares me to think about the damage going on beneath the water. Can our planet survive this?Can anyone solve this problem? It’s not like we can trust BP. They’ve lied about

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-38297306770108075712010-05-16T21:34:00.008-04:002010-05-16T23:42:13.908-04:00

In the past two months, I've seen the inside of the county jail, holding cells in four police stations, the district courthouse and a police cruiser.I've become familiar with TASERS, trafic radar, illegal narcotics, SWAT teams and K-9 dogs.I've had a taste of what it's like to be so drunk you can't walk in a straight line, along with the adrenaline rush and fear of facing someone who might want

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-21472162700694084092010-05-09T21:26:00.013-04:002010-05-10T13:13:34.948-04:00

I've worried many times whether I am a good mother or if my failures will lead to years of therapy for my children. As I write this on Mothers Day 2010, I know how blessed I am to have two wonderful sons who tolerate me with humor, patience and love despite my many failings.I'm glad they don't remember the day I got so angry that I threatened to leave one of them at the store -- and nearly did.

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-71615461115622311432010-04-25T20:46:00.015-04:002010-04-26T07:48:39.312-04:00

On the first day of the Citizen Police Academy, each of us was handed a card with an indistinguishable black and white photo on it. We were told to keep looking at it until the subject became clear. First one, then another of my classmates raised their hands.It wasn't long before nearly everyone else but me figured out what was in the photo. Finally, someone took pity and told me what I was

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-12243636009311920192010-04-18T19:41:00.017-04:002010-04-18T22:30:59.133-04:00

That was the subject line of a message that popped into my emailbox early Friday morning and as you might expect, I totally freaked out over what the rest of the missive from No. 1 son might say.With my imagination in overdrive, I feared something had happened on his overnight shift that was too terrible to tell us over the telephone. Or had the "I want a bike" message on his Facebook page

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-38785723091375993852010-04-11T21:15:00.011-04:002010-04-11T22:55:57.103-04:00

My knees felt weak as I grasped the cold, heavy metal weapon and adrenaline surged through my body. I didn't know if the angry trucker reaching into his pocket would pull out his driver's license -- or a gun.My brain exploded into overdrive. Should I shoot or wait -- and pray? Was my life in enough danger that it would justify taking his? What if I missed? Or what if I guessed wrong -- and the

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-24835274786901154142010-03-28T17:20:00.003-04:002010-03-28T17:40:21.497-04:00

I hope you'll take six minutes out of your day to watch the video below. It's a beautiful portrayal of another aspect of the Pease Greeters story and was filmed by AARP to accompany my story on the program. It became available just a few days ago.Not only is it incredibly inspiring, it provides a glimpse into what happens when the troops touch down in Portsmouth. I think you'll agree that the

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-79231442097253482672010-03-21T15:15:00.006-04:002010-03-21T22:15:09.557-04:00

This is one of my favorite sayings from the many hundreds of smart-ass phrases I've read and laughed at over the years on cards, napkins and a variety of other products created by Anne Taintor.While you may not know her name, I suspect you've likely seen her products in fun gift shops over the past two and a half decades. She always uses vintage photos and adds sarcastic, funny captions like "

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-49663309523599334262010-03-14T20:18:00.008-04:002010-03-14T21:55:34.821-04:00

I have this habit of ripping stories out of the newspaper that intrigue, amaze or just amuse me and in an effort to clean off my desk, I thought I'd share some with you this week:Good Morning to AllEver wonder why you rarely hear the song "Happy Birthday to You" on television or the radio? Apparently America's most popular song, originally written as "Good Morning to All," is copyrighted until

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-86914013967782421062010-03-07T20:10:00.014-05:002010-03-08T07:21:22.253-05:00

It seems as though I've been thinking a lot about books lately, but not enough about my own.Last week I attended two of my friend Paula Butturini's readings for her beautiful and touching memoir, “Keeping the Feast: One Couple’s Story of Love, Food and Healing in Italy”, while she was making a rare visit to my part of the world before returning to Paris.I don't think it will be long before most

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-87540556632381051712010-02-28T21:54:00.007-05:002010-02-28T23:01:06.692-05:00

Because Dan Brown of "The DaVinci Code" fame lives in the next town, it's not unusual to see him out and about when he's taking a break from writing bestsellers. It was during an unexpected encounter at a local bookstore that Husband No. 1 seized the opportunity to ask the author about the ending to "Angels & Demons," which had troubled my beloved spouse for some time."Could someone actually

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-89920587003034670622010-02-21T21:02:00.013-05:002010-02-21T22:11:43.416-05:00

When I opened my local newspaper Sunday morning, the face of a woman I’ve known for more three decades was smiling back at me.Paula Butturini, whose beautifully written memoir “Keeping the Feast: One Couple’s Story of Love, Food and Healing in Italy” is earning fabulous reviews, was featured in a story in the Portsmouth Herald because she is coming to town March 3 for a reading at our beloved

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-82880858905575965532010-02-15T10:53:00.008-05:002011-05-16T22:20:30.735-04:00

After more than three decades of marriage, I should know by now that Husband No. 1 does not always follow the rules when it comes to gift-giving. So even though we'd agreed not to exchange gifts for Valentine’s Day, it wasn't a total shock to see the white envelope on the kitchen table.I should note here that the classic example of these rules violations occurred the year we agreed not to spend

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-49922966781564090352010-02-07T22:34:00.011-05:002010-02-09T20:01:10.962-05:00

I've spent the past month working on two short stories, rising early to write before work (and believe me, spending your first 1.5 hours awake thinking about murder sets an interesting tone for the workday) and devoting many hours on weekends. It hasn't been easy. Most people think writing a short story must be far less difficult than completing a novel. Although I’ve yet to finish mine, I do

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-60314364820731924202010-01-31T21:43:00.044-05:002010-02-02T22:43:29.777-05:00

I had the honor and privilege spending part of Sunday afternoon with 110 members of the Army's 113th Field Artillery Regiment returning to the United States after more than a year in Iraq and the approximately 300 strangers welcoming them home to America. It was an experience that will stay with me forever. As I watched the men and women in camouflage walk down the corridors crowded with

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-54070446014897731672010-01-17T20:47:00.015-05:002010-01-18T11:09:37.624-05:00

As promised, I’m going to reveal whether Husband No. 1 or I won the Mystery Writers of America-New England monthly flash fiction contest, but first I want to ask:Have you ever read a book and thought to yourself: “Why did anyone publish this? – it’s terrible.” Have you ever loved a book that others hated -- or vice versa?Of course you have -- because evaluating (and also writing) fiction is

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-48021858311651245552010-01-09T19:35:00.010-05:002010-01-10T08:34:53.947-05:00

When Husband No. 1 and I both entered the most recent monthly “Flash Fiction” contest sponsored by the New England Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, I certainly didn't expect one of us to win -- and be such a bad sport about it.This, as you might imagine, has caused some tension in the house. I suppose the winner wouldn't be taking so much pleasure in the victory if the loser hadn't so

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-79110518374607581822010-01-03T20:16:00.015-05:002010-01-03T21:43:14.793-05:00

We’ve launched into a new decade, but what should we call it -- Twenty-Ten or Two-Thousand-Ten? If this is the major controversy of the year, I’d be delighted. After all, don't you think it's more pleasant to ponder pronunciation than the fact that people are sewing bomb materials into their underwear to try to kill us?Since we can't do much about that, you might be glad to know the National

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-64824155754568705232009-12-20T22:22:00.015-05:002009-12-20T23:11:55.593-05:00

Forty percent of U.S. adults intend to change their holiday plans due to the risk of being exposed to the H1N1 flu virus this year, according to a nationwide survey commissioned by JohnsonDiversey, a leader in the commercial cleaning and sanitizing industry.Another survey, this one by the Harvard School of Public Health, found that one in 10 Americans stopped shaking hands because of concerns

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-54303513282731668502009-12-13T20:55:00.004-05:002009-12-13T21:31:30.801-05:00

I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. In fact, I’ve been eating them my entire life but until this past weekend, I had no idea that I was making them wrong.At least that was the pronouncement from Husband No. 1, the same guy who just an hour earlier returned from Market Basket -- crazed with grocery store rage -- because the Cool Whip had been relocated with “no advance notice”(he emphasized

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-23414561675588321332009-12-06T19:58:00.012-05:002009-12-06T21:28:07.774-05:00

The truth is that lots of women hate the holiday season, although most of us don't dare to admit it to anyone beyond our closest friends. We don't want others to know we're not perfect or that we may have difficulty dealing with the harsh December reality: holidays are a ton of work and most of it falls on women -- and not because we "enjoy it," despite what some people want to believe.Even

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-89676815708715391902009-11-29T19:11:00.032-05:002009-11-30T06:57:22.617-05:00

My Thanksgiving holiday included an encounter with camels, hearing Bon Jovi perform, meeting a Rockette, seeing two famous Christmas trees in process, getting free books at a highway restaurant and spending quality time with my sons and their new accessories -- a gun for one and a full beard for the other.Definitely not my typical Thanksgiving experience.With No. 1 son on the job with DC Metro

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-66303957322984697102009-11-22T20:50:00.012-05:002009-11-23T08:32:11.027-05:00

Are you as flabbergasted as I am by last week's medical task force recommendations that women need far fewer mammograms and pap smears?Do you believe, as my just-short-of-paranoid liberal friend does, that these ridiculous suggestions are part of a grand plan to make people fearful that if Congress finally passes health care reform, the government will deny people live-saving tests? I'm not sure,

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-52711096026236733302009-11-15T22:01:00.015-05:002009-11-15T23:46:54.239-05:00

This past weekend was beyond magical for me as a mystery writer, led by the incredible opportunity to escort the guest of honor at the 2009 New England Crime Bake for mystery writers and readers -- New York Times-bestselling author Sue Grafton, creator of the alphabet mystery series that begins with "A is for Alibi" and will see her latest installment,"U is for Undertow, on Dec. 1.Twenty-one

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-11789682418085603922009-11-08T20:26:00.008-05:002009-11-09T07:28:49.251-05:00

Husband No. 1 took the wrong route to the restaurant where we were meeting friends for breakfast today, although he continues to insist it was the most efficient.I should note that my definition of “wrong” here is selecting the route I would NOT take to this destination. Mine would have gotten us there in record time and ease, though he foolishly disagrees. Our conversation pretty much went like

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-41926505666339692422009-11-01T21:08:00.015-05:002009-11-02T06:38:48.617-05:00

My sister is an elementary school teacher and says one of her students recently looked at yet another H1N1 flyer being sent home to parents and moaned, “Not another paper about the ‘hiney' flu!”I can understand how a child might mistake the one’s for I’s. But that’s about the only thing about the flu that makes sense to me these days.I’m still trying to adjust to the switch from “swine” to H1N1,

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-39446568457074926802009-10-25T14:49:00.012-04:002009-10-26T07:58:40.451-04:00

No. 1 son accuses me of being cold-hearted for telling him he's now on his own when it comes to car insurance. With our policy up for renewal and him now living in another state, it seemed appropriate to advise him it's time to take on this adult obligation. In fact, it was a pleasure after years of watching our rates skyrocket due to his automobile adventures.But he says half-jokingly that we've

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-52712293412698983222009-10-18T22:36:00.014-04:002009-10-19T06:43:43.877-04:00

There were two "fun" things on my list of 2009 goals: seeing a moose in the wild and meeting author Dennis Lehane. I figured that fulfilling either would be fascinating – and I was correct.I met goal No. 1 in June when, using the “but it’s my birthday” excuse, I dragged Husband No. 1 and Son No. 2 to northern New Hampshire to find not one, but four, of the magnificent creatures in their natural

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-61782324870623340712009-10-11T20:29:00.007-04:002009-10-11T20:41:49.334-04:00

A perfect fall day – the piercingly blue cloudless sky, the gentle warmth from the sunlight dappling the trees, and the air crisp from the tiniest hint of cool weather to come.It used to be that such achingly beautiful days filled my heart with gratitude that I live in New England. Now they fill me with dread.Those of us who live in the Northeast will never forget that September 11, 2001, began

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-63808749097488775882009-10-04T18:32:00.024-04:002009-10-04T23:48:42.501-04:00

Did you know that last week was "Banned Books Week"? Ironically, I spent part of it surrounded by books and those who love them at the trade show for the New England Independent Booksellers Association convention. There was no talk there about banning books in Hartford, CT, I assure you.Nonetheless, it does my heart good as a writer and a bibliophile to know we live in a country where we have

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-19103936472633454432009-09-27T23:19:00.001-04:002009-09-27T23:27:50.219-04:00

By Frank CookInvariably when I go to writer conferences like the New England Crime Bake (Nov. 13-15 in Dedham, MA, with Sue Grafton as this year's guest of honor) one of the most frequently asked questions is “where do you get your ideas?”And invariably the author’s answer almost always has something to do with some soaring experience or the depth of their soul. Some build their stories around a

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-31262848984097110602009-09-20T20:32:00.008-04:002009-09-20T21:13:50.760-04:00

When I heard the noise coming from outside at 1 a.m. Sunday, I thought perhaps we had fallen victim to thieves who have been rummaging through neighborhood cars. I rushed downstairs, flicked on the outdoor lights and looked out the window to see an adult white-tailed deer less than 3 feet of way. The animal glanced toward me, flicked its tail and slowly ambled off. I suspect it had been grazing

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-32714043841126607952009-09-13T19:36:00.014-04:002009-09-14T08:13:46.895-04:00

There was a moment last week when I truly feared someone might have to peel me off the walls and push me through the opening of the hallway where Husband No. 1 and I waited our turn to pin a D.C. Metropolitan Police Department badge on No. 1 son's dress blue uniform. My eyes were welling, my breathing was rushing toward hyperventilation and panic was racing through my body.This would not have

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-4611613658883785582009-09-05T15:36:00.023-04:002009-09-06T09:29:46.822-04:00

Let's see if I've got this right: parents upset over the idea that President Obama is going to address the schoolchildren of America Tuesday to urge them to study hard and stay IN school are threatening to keep their kids OUT of school so they won't hear that message.This proves it: We are living in "Idiot America" (see definition below).Not only do we have a major brouhaha going on over whether

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-91927967692197527782009-08-24T00:01:00.006-04:002009-08-30T17:43:07.816-04:00

I recently read an article that said oxytocin levels almost double in people – and in dogs -- when humans talk to and stroke their dog friends. Beta endorphins and dopamine levels supposedly go up, too.So, in the interest of science, Buddy and I are increasing our efforts to generate those feel-good chemicals. Oxytocin also is believed to be involved in social recognition, bonding and the

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-35981975866482028742009-08-23T08:16:00.007-04:002009-08-23T21:27:00.377-04:00

I've spent the weekend in Washington, DC, returning No. 2 son to college and checking up on No. 1 who lives a few miles away, and it reminded me once again how much different life in the Big City is compared to mine.I'm not just talking about the traffic or the bad drivers (more than half of them don't have driver's licenses or vehicles that have been inspected, according to my personal law

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-9506346202024130392009-08-16T21:29:00.007-04:002009-08-17T07:51:51.440-04:00

I have been touched by da Vinci but the results weren’t exactly a work of art. Looking at the big picture, however, it was a masterpiece of technology.The da Vinci I encountered was a machine. Actually, it’s a surgery system using robotic arms. Yes, a robot cut me open and I’m glad.Basically, the da Vinci Surgical System consists of a computer console where the surgeon sits, a three-dimensional

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-73559466526538366272009-08-09T22:14:00.007-04:002009-08-09T22:28:31.498-04:00

I'm still recovering from a little medical adventure so I thought you might like to hear from this guy who shares a connection with Stephen King...By Frank Cook (aka Husband No. 1)“Be yourself.” Oh, com’on people. What kind of advice is that?You hear it all the time. Going for a job interview? “Just be yourself.” Pitching an agent? “Just be yourself.” Going out on a date? “Just let her know who

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-14346171201664584242009-08-03T00:26:00.009-04:002009-08-03T12:00:04.829-04:00

Award-winning Canadian folksinger-songwriter David Francey recently graced a stage in my town and prior to performing each song, he shared its backstory with the audience.As a writer, I appreciated these tales as much as the songs they generated. I was especially intrigued by the background for “All Lights Burning Bright.” Francey told us it was inspired by his discovery that the same final entry

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-62969504008430557792009-07-25T18:07:00.022-04:002009-07-26T21:05:02.145-04:00

In honor of comedian Bill Cosby's birthday this month, a local artist created this portrait from approximately 1,000 Jello shots. It seemed like an appropriate medium to artist Andrew Salomone, given Cosby's years as a pitchman for the colorful jiggly stuff.Apparently the exhibit didn't last too long -- some of the art patrons decided to rearrange the shots to see how Cosby would look with a

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-13857107141472434942009-07-19T11:35:00.004-04:002009-07-19T23:19:38.485-04:00

Nine family members hovered around the bed of Donald C. Cheney when his breathing gave a sense that the end was near for the 85-year-old man known for his quick wit, irascibility and pure joy of living.Don opened his eyes, glanced around his bed and said, “Do you people know something I don’t?”Did you laugh out loud? I did when I read this gem in the recent obituary of the former Marine, National

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-46017182029679828022009-07-12T21:06:00.004-04:002009-07-12T21:23:38.472-04:00

I have discovered the joys of redbox and may never visit a video store again.Am I the last person in America to know about this fantastic (and cheap) innovation that allows you to reserve movie DVDs online and then pick them up from a kiosk that resembles an ATM machine – or just go to the machine and use the touch screen to borrow a movie that interests you – all for just $1 per day?I learned

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-83502562426455511682009-07-06T11:57:00.004-04:002009-07-12T21:46:40.370-04:00

Although I am aware that my penmanship may not meet the standard that Catholic schools once were famous for, you’d think the man I live with might be able to figure out my handwriting after nearly three decades together.After all, I can read his writing and it’s far worse – written left-handed in a slant that makes people dizzy. My kids -- they of the 'Net and texting generation – endured just

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-51742537378819707362009-06-28T22:24:00.022-04:002009-06-29T00:33:10.324-04:00

There may be no power lines or other signs of civilization along the almost 30 miles of "moose alley" between New Hampshire's northernmost town and the Canadian border, but as you can see from this picture, there are moose!By the time the Great Moose Quest of 2009 ended, we'd sighted four of these magnificent AND HUGE creatures in the wild, deer, a baby fox and assorted other forest creatures --

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-6725900395189512052009-06-21T10:19:00.006-04:002009-06-23T07:58:34.422-04:00

By the time you read this, I will be on my way to the Great North Woods of New Hampshire to fulfill my goal of seeing a moose in the wild in 2009. I don't know whose job it is to do the counting, but there are an estimated 7,000 moose in that region. Surely we can find one of them.Just in case, Husband No. 1 snapped my picture in front of what he also hoped was a reasonable facsimile that might

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-26912320287210423442009-06-14T18:45:00.005-04:002009-06-15T07:24:32.040-04:00

I’ve walked the equivalent of 900,000 steps – or 450 miles -- over the past 10 weeks. But I didn’t strap on a pedometer every day since April 7 just to improve my health -- I wanted the money.However, when the dust settles on Tuesday, I won’t have logged the most steps or likely lost the largest percentage of weight in the 10-week “friendly” competition at my workplace. I am not a good loser so

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-46926306128932360232009-06-08T23:41:00.008-04:002009-06-09T09:38:11.303-04:00

Sometimes in this life you’re fortunate to meet people with such interesting histories, personalities and idiosyncrasies that any fiction writer creating such characters would be told they were too improbable to ever be believed.A. Preston McGraw was one of those people.When I learned last week that “Mac” had died in a Texas nursing home at the age of 94, it brought back many memories of a

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-37103144982077500472009-05-31T19:25:00.004-04:002009-06-09T09:38:34.013-04:00

As I was driving out of my neighborhood yesterday, I spotted a police car parked alongside the road a short distance ahead. I quickly pumped my brakes to meet the 20 mph speed limit. I was relieved to escape without sirens or flashing lights following me.But it did seem like an odd location to monitor speeders. Maybe a second patrol car would be waiting when I turned onto the main roadway, hoping

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-18066574712354174852009-05-24T17:14:00.007-04:002009-05-25T10:36:31.394-04:00

Can a cake catch on fire and if so, does it emit deadly gases?After this weekend’s Pistachio Cake mishap, I consider it important to know the answers to these questions. They could determine whether I almost killed my kid, I’m exhibiting Alzheimer’s symptoms and/or suffering from Baby Boomer Attention Deficit Disorder.Husband No. 1 and I were driving back from a Saturday morning trip to the

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-91583200536488199862009-05-18T13:34:00.009-04:002009-05-18T15:57:02.094-04:00

When '60s activist Abbie Hoffman wrote the cult classic “Steal This Book,” his intent was to inspire people to challenge the status quo. I don't think he meant for people to go out and literally steal books – or their plots.But I wonder if that's going on with authors today who use characters and plots from literature as foundations for their own work. Did they “Steal This Book” or are they

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-44612611560446107302009-05-10T14:45:00.006-04:002009-05-10T17:29:19.612-04:00

At what age is a child too old to be ordered home by his mother?That question has been nagging me since a recent conversation with No. 1 Son, now just a few months shy of Police Academy graduation. (Again, I blame myself for this. If I had let him have a toy gun as a child, we might not be having discussi0ns that make me incredibly grateful for my hairdresser and the miracles of hair dye.)

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-68158897363710732612009-05-03T22:17:00.009-04:002009-05-04T00:01:30.983-04:00

Like many people, I’ve spent more time than I'd like in emergency rooms. But until this past Saturday, I'd never spent time in one for animals.It looked a little different from the ERs I’ve frequented. The sick and injured couldn’t tell the doctors where they hurt. The magazines had names like “Bark.” And instead of a soothing art featuring flowers or exotic places, there were portraits of

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-20641776496559568342009-04-26T19:44:00.006-04:002009-04-26T22:44:13.303-04:00

Earlier this year, Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper published a list of the Top 10 most irritating phrases. Some reflect British culture, but I suspect you’ve heard (and horrors, maybe used) a few of these yourselves:1. At the end of the day2. Fairly unique 3. I personally4. At this moment in time5. With all due respect6. Absolutely7. It's a nightmare 8. Shouldn't of (instead of "shouldn't

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-31050155513692802762009-04-19T14:40:00.005-04:002009-04-19T14:59:48.837-04:00

I'll be blogging over at http://workingstiffs.blogspot.com this Tuesday so in the meantime, I'm sharing one man's view of technology in this guest blogBy Frank Cook, aka Husband No. 1 How old is that geezer in the window?“Some folks, in looks, take so much prideThey don’t care much ‘bout what’s inside.But as for me, I know my faceWill n’er become a thing of grace.And so I think I’d rather seeIf I

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575968725929418317.post-59675957104804769422009-04-12T20:30:00.000-04:002009-04-12T20:30:13.821-04:00

If you’re reading this on Monday morning, I’m still in Washington, DC, after an Easter dinner with my children at No. 1 son’s apartment (though we had to bring our own plates so we didn't have to eat off paper) and interrogating No. 2 son about his newest life plan.Who knew parenting could be such an adventure – and for so long?When the phone rang last week and I heard the words “aaahhh, Mom?” I

Pat Remickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12478872586059541151noreply@blogger.com2