About Me
- Pamela Clare
- I grew up in Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, then lived in Denmark and traveled throughout Europe before coming back to Colorado. I have two adult sons, whom I cherish. I started my writing career as a columnist and investigative reporter and eventually became the first woman editor of two different papers. Along the way, my team and I won numerous state and several national awards, including the National Journalism Award for Public Service. In 2011, I was awarded the Keeper of the Flame Lifetime Achievement Award for Journalism. Now I write historical romance and contemporary romantic suspense.
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Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Things to look forward to this summer!
Spring, it seems, is finally here. After weeks of cool temps and late-season snowstorms, we seem to have turned a corner. Last week, it was 32. By the end of this week, it will be 85. That’s what happens in Colorado. You go from having the heat on to running the AC in the blink of an eye.
I started thinking about the things I love about summer. BBQs with my boys and their friends is at the top of the list. Good fruits and veggies from the farmers’ markets is another. Vacation. Woo! I’m taking two whole weeks off in July, and I can’t wait.
Here are some other things I love about summer:
Flowers
Those of you who've been following this blog at least since last summer know I love, love, love flowers. I have a very large flower garden out in my front yard that consists of four very large separate flower beds filled with shrub, Bourbon and old English roses, cosmos, columbine, lupine, lavender, herbs (sage, thyme, yarrow), sunflowers, hollyhocks, irises, delphiniums, geraniums, rose mallow, Russian sage, snow-in-summer, butterfly bush, dragon flower, pin cushion flower, daisies, purple coneflower and, yes, much more. (Did I mention the flower beds were big?)I have several additional beds in back, including what Benjy and I call the Faery Garden, which is pictured above (that's just a few of my rose bushes with King Arthur giant delphinium rising above them next to my back deck).
Summer is the time when I can walk out my door to the scent of sun-warmed roses and lavender. Do I love this? Oh, yes, I do. And thanks to my son Benjy, the garden keeps getting lovelier.
Writing
I have a love-hate relationship with writing. Every time I start a new book, I worry that this book will be the one that everyone hates, the one that proves without a doubt that I’m an idiot who can’t write worth a damn. I know I’m not the only writer who feels this way, but I often suspect I’m the only writer whose suspicions are correct.
When the words are flowing and the pages are coming together and the characters are divulging their inner turmoil without my having to hold a gun to their heads, life is bliss. When I decide (as I always do) that story sucks and I’m an idiot and my characters clam up, life is misery.
Still, I’d rather write fiction that do almost anything, and since I haven’t decided that Natalie and Zach’s story sucks yet, life is good.
Reading
I freaking love to read. If there’s one thing I love more than writing, it might be reading. This summer, I expect to be reading a lot of historical texts about the French and Indian War to bring myself up to 1760, the year Connor’s story is set. Yes, reading texts for research is just as fun for me as reading fiction because the facts and details in the texts aren’t a bunch of dry facts to me; they’re fuel for my imagination, grist for the mill, a shot of caffeine for my muse.
Still, I hope to make some progress through my TBR, focusing on Christy Reece’s books and a handful of other authors.
Season 3 of True Blood
I cannot wait! The bad part is that I have no choice but to wait because I don’t have television, let alone HBO. So I don’t get to watch it when True Blood starts up again this summer. I shall find a way...
Because who can resist Erik and Bill and Sookie and the world’s favorite dumb blond — Jason Stackhouse. This clip had me laughing out loud at work today.
James Frain, fresh from being beheaded as Thomas Cromwell on The Tudors shifts from Showtime to HBO to play... A vampire? I'm not sure from the trailer what he is. But he doesn’t look good for poor Tara. Still, I admire him as an actor and was happy to see him in the cast.
Guys without shirts
It goes without saying, doesn’t it, that one of the best parts of summer is seeing sexy men without shirts in the park, on the street, in their yards — all over the place. In Boulder, which is the sport capitol of a very athletic state, the sightseeing in terms of shirtless men is unparalleled. The temps go up, the clothes come off. And my eyeballs are ready...
What are you looking forward to this summer?
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13 comments:
Hey Pamela, whatever you have written we have loved - so don't you worry!
Love guys without shirts too :). We already get to see them here as its already blistering hot.
I second you on the Christy Reece books - they are fantastic!
I started out loving True Blood then cooled of, I have no idea why :(.
Hope you have a great summer and enjoy your time off. I would have a two-week reading fest if i could :).
I love my veggie garden! And, I love canning the veggies. And, making jam! My strawberries and raspberries are looking amazing this year. Must be the cool, wet, spring.
I love planting flowers. I put a ton of new perennials in my front flower bed a week ago.....and so far, they're all still alive!
I love the robins nesting in my trees. The babies are so cute. Especially when they're learning to fly and they look like Woodstock from "Peanuts".
I love reading on my front porch with an icy drink in my hand!
The shirtless man thing is good here, too! Just south of an Air Force base, when those guys go running around my neighborhood, I'm ready to sing "God Bless America"!! ;)
Diane :)
Hi Pamela,
What a lovely garden, gorgeous flowers! I'm jealous, I have a "blackthumb," I kill every plant I come in contact with. Seriously.
You thought Naked Edge stunk, I hope you feel the same way about Breaking Point too, that will mean it's great, LOL!
Summer. I'm headed to Cali for two weeks tomorrow! I plan to get alot of reading done. My TBR is simply ridiculous. Nicholas (Ride The Fire) and Reece (EE) will be joining me :-)
Hmm...I think maybe I should consider moving to CO. Enjoy your shirtless men.
Ah, summer. Your roses are beautiful! I'm lookig forward to weekends at the family cottage, playing in the water with our dog, and writing. I only wish I knew how much I'm going to be working. Oh well, all will be revealed soon. Passport in the works, RomCon still up in the air.
I love your flower garden. I'm trying to think of what to put in the flower bed in front of the house...delphinium (?sp) have been rec. What do you think? It's pretty rocky/hard soil.
BBQs, yep! LOVE to BBQ. So much fun. Playing outside with the kids. doing yard work *gasp* is fun too. And of course, the guys without shirts is a no brainer. LOL
love ya
R
With that said I guess I am looking forward to moving to Boulder! Yum...I think I may have to learn to rock climb when I get there too! lol
Anyway back to the subject....I am looking forward to my 8 year old step daughter spending the whole summer with us. She usually only gets to stay a couple weeks or every other week if we are close enough. So I am super excited. She is the sweetest little girl who stole my heart long before I knew I'd marry her daddy. I got double lucky when I latched onto him.
By the way Pamela the flowers were beautiful! I just got sidetracked with all that male flesh on a rock. Mmmm Have a good day all!
As someone once said, we would read your grocery list and be thrilled! Never doubt yourself! You are among friends here. We love you!
Do I need to get out the pink whip? When are we going to get a peek at Natalie and Zach when they are not in chains and near death? Hummm?
I love your flowers! I've been moving my irises around, planting here and there. Still not sure of their permanent places yet. LOL
With lakes nearby, it's good to watch men without shirts on. I love popping on my shades and perusing the male form at my leisure. It's too bad the grandgirl won't be taking swimming lessons at a time I can take her.
"...Santa?" HA!!! And seriously, if Eric's telling you to invite him, you do it! He shouldn't have to ask ;-)
I love Christy's books! They're never for long in my TBR pile. Currently reading Stephanie Tyler's SEAL series. Loving!
I love summer, though it still feels like early spring here in Seattle. It should warm up one of these days :)
~Jess
And sorry for the deleted post, I apparently don't know how to edit :)
Nice post Pamela.
I love tennis outdoors.
BBQing means I don't cook.
Fresh herbs from the garden.
Sandals & not needing a sweater.
Re: thinking that your writing sucks. May I remind you that during our chat we established a new rule - you were NOT allowed to use that word except in a sex scene. Just reminding you.
Your flowers are gorgeous! Your writing is extraordinary and never doubt it!! I'll read anything you write!! (By the way, your article Much Ado About Melons was great, too!) The shirtless guys are droolworthy! I'm in total agreement on Christy Reece's books - she's a winner!
And I love summer, too -- fresh fruits and veggies, flip flops, swimming pools, backyard BBQs with friends and family! Adventures at the lake, a boatride at sunset! Yummm - I'm ready!
Enjoy the weekend!!
2 weeks off in July -- YAY! :) I love summer, too!