The Plague is Upon Us

This has been a rough week. All of the humans living in my house have come down with the flu and various other complications associated with it, but it seems we're all finally on the mend. Hooray for drugs, fluids, and rest! So rather than come up with something coherent for the blog today, I'm just going to post random things that have either made my life easier or made me smile.

First, for my writer friends, most of you know that Duotrope went paid at the beginning of this year. If you're less than impressed with how they made the switch, you might want to check out the Submission Grinder. The Submission Grinder not only has submission information and a way to track data, but they've added some cool features recently that take obsessing over one's subs to a whole new level.

For all my knitting friends trapped in blizzards, you can knit yourself a chair, a toilet, or even a Ferrari. I've only crocheted blankets and snowflakes. Well, there was that sweater that one time, but when I tried it on, it was so tight that my arms stuck straight out at my sides and I couldn't bring them down. No, there are no pictures.

For the cooks and bakers out there, you might want to try this recipe for breakfast balls. I ended up making bars out of the mix rather than balls, and I didn't use coconut. Instead, I chopped up walnuts and added them to the mix. The mix was sweet and delicious. I think I've already eaten half of it. Darn sweet tooth....

And finally, for those with little ones, I stumbled upon a great way to get your rest when you're sick and your small, energetic child is home with you. I built a tent in the toddler's room using one of our spare king-sized sheets. He usually doesn't let me lie down, but in the tent I could. I curled up with a stuffed polar bear as a pillow and murmured encouragement from time to time as the toddler played in the 'tent.' I got to lie down for an hour. That's decades in toddler time. It also reminded me of nights spent reading with a flashlight under my bed's comforter. There's something secure and just plain nice about being in a little cave of one's own making. And the cat seemed to like it, too.