Dear Friends,
This is a science question I soon intend to answer. At what temperature does fat melt?
I left a stick of butter (by accident) on my desk last week. I returned to the office two hours later to find the cats licking melted butter off my desk. They loved it. I was horrified. Now, I worry that if I stay outside too long, the cats and dogs will take me down and…well, use your imagination! Just sayin’—I could be used to season some mighty fine greens.
Yes, I am whining about the heat. Again. Isn’t it lovely to be consistent in my whines? And I’m listening to someone in a Tigger suit read passages from FRANKENSTEIN in Congress. I am never bored!
I’m babysitting my friend Cissy’s little pup, Izzy, for a while. Izzy is known as Busy Izzy around here because she likes to get up in everyone’s business. But she is a doll and loves to sleep on my chest. That is a good excuse for taking a nap on the sofa, don’t you think?
The big news in Semmes is the new cover for LIGHTS, CAMERA, BONES. I love it. And I’m about halfway through writing TENDER BONES for Christmas 2024. I think LIGHTS, CAMERA, BONES is going to be a fun story for my readers, and I’m really excited about the Elvis story. I was texting yesterday with my friend Donna Bexley about the day Elvis died. My friend Gloria Howard and I were riding horses in the woods around Bexley when Donna came riding up on her horse. She told us that Elvis had died. I didn’t believe it at first. It just didn’t seem possible. But it was true. I can still remember the August smell of the dirt road, the sound of the horses’ hooves on the road as we headed home, the peculiar light of August that is both summer horror and a hint of fall. An era had ended. Mississippi’s best ambassador was gone. Like Millie, I often pretend that Elvis and Princess Diana are still alive. They make the world a better place, even if only in my imagination.
My older brother, Dean James, and Don Herrington came for a visit, along with Hope and Ed Oakes. We had a fun gathering. Lots of silliness and good conversation. It is wonderful to have good friends. Mandy has taken to calling Dean, Uncle Brother. I refuse to probe that situation. And she calls Don, Dimple Don. The dimples are obvious. I love watching my friends interact and knowing we all care about each other deeply.
I did a thing this month—a sleep study. It was not what I anticipated at all. I don’t understand how they can expect anyone to fall asleep with so many rules and regulations and knowing someone is watching them sleep. I write horror novels. This is not comfortable. Most poor sleepers have developed strategies to deal with a desperate need for sleep. Let it be said that I barely slept at all. It will be curious to see what the study shows. Maybe. Maybe not.
I don’t have a lot of scintillating news. It’s mostly heat and writing. I look out the window and see the promise of fall, but when I step out the door, damn! It’s not fall—it’s Hell! Ha ha ha. When I become ruler of the world, I will cast a magical spell and every living creature will snooze for the entire month of August. We will all wake up slimmer, fitter, and rested. Vote for me! I have a BIG dream! Ha ha ha.
Until next month! Here’s a songbird my mother and father loved: Little Things Mean a Lot. We would play her records and Mama would sing to me. Kitty Kallen. Enjoy!
Until next month—Carolyn and the critters!
