I’m Growing Gills!

 

Dear Readers and Friends,

We managed to survive Thunderstorm Arthur—and may he never return! Because the weather was so bad, I left my big garbage can on the road yesterday. When they dump the trash, they leave the can open. I walked the dogs down there this morning and the can was half full of rainwater. Half full! Insane. The rain is gone for a few hours, but the humidity is 99 percent. It is like soup. I hate summers. I just hate them.

Flicker, my little horse with Cushing’s Disease, is struggling in the heat. I put a misting system in the barn and bought a huge industrial fan to try to help. The vet gave me some advice on what to do and she is scheduled for an acupuncture treatment next week. I sure hope it helps because she is miserable. I’m doing everything I can except trying to AC the barn, which is just not possible. And horses are meant to be out in the pasture grazing, not kept in stalls. Keep a good thought for Flicker.

My sweet little Kismet has been diagnosed with lung cancer. They didn’t do a biopsy so the diagnosis comes from x-rays—which is not the most definitive way to diagnose. But I couldn’t put him through a surgical procedure knowing I would not send him to the vet school in Auburn for chemo. He would have to stay there and because of the other animals here I couldn’t stay with him. People may disagree with this, but I think he would give up if he was in a strange place and afraid. It is a very hard decision for me. I am watching him closely and giving him meds to help slow the cancer and keep his breathing good. So far, he is doing okay. Life is so very hard sometimes.

The book Daryl and I are writing, THE AGGRIEVED, is coming along. I’m excited by the way it is taking shape, though writing with a partner is a very new process. It was exactly what I needed when I ended Sarah Booth. (JOY TO THE BONES comes out Oct. 27) It’s a supernatural thriller set in Bay St. Louis. Magic, Fae, witches and a serial killer! Add a hurricane to that and it’s a wild ride!

The weather has been bad, and I haven’t had a chance to make mischief, which is my chief joy in life. I may postpone mischief until October! Ha ha ha. It is sad when my greatest fantasy is a dry, cool day!

Please be sure and check out some of my older books that my assistant is bringing back as digital books and some print. All are free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, but they are for sale too. And very reasonably priced if you want to buy them. Priya does an amazing job on the book design and covers. And don’t forget the Pluto’s Snitch series. All four books are available now—just look under my name on Amazon. And the Jexville Chronicles. Three books there spanning 1926 to contemporary. They follow various women in the McVay family. For the print books, you can ask your library to find them or your local bookstore can order them to sell from Ingram.

I’m planning to do a book signing Oct. 24 at The Haunted Book Shop in downtown Mobile. And one in Columbus, MS in early November. Halloween is not a good time to plan a signing. Most people are busy either making mischief or handing out candy. And y’all know, Halloween is my favorite holiday. Good memories from the past.

Gatsby and Olli came for a visit with their mama Rebecca. They have been on a diet, so I had to be careful to keep the cat food out of their way. They are little food vacuum cleaners!

Because I don’t really drink anymore (old age really sucks, guys! Party down while you are young!) I bought some Willie’s Remedy. It’s a THC-infused alcohol alternative. I’ve walked around it for a couple of weeks, but this may be the time to give it a try. I’ll report back later. I’m a person who likes control—this may be relaxing or anxiety producing. We shall see. I adore Willie Nelson. I’ll have to listen to some Willie, Waylon, and the gang when I decide to sample it. I have almost no vices now—Diet Coke. If I don’t find something naughty to do quickly, they may try to Saint me. Ha ha ha.

Here’s a song for you from Willie—and then Priya! (Which is what I know you are all waiting for anyway.)

Click me to hear the song “Crazy.”

Enjoy, from Carolyn and the Critters!

Dear Readers, 

I have an addiction to Indian mangos. Specifically, Kesar mangos which you can’t find in a regular ol’ supermarket. You have to source them through small mom and pop Indian grocery stores here in the U.S., but those shops make me nervous. There’s a manager of one store but I can’t bear to go in there because his momma wanted me to marry him two decades ago! Cringe. And the other stores are packed with Indian aunties, some quite nosy. So I tend to shy away from such a battleground, but luckily I have a mom who happily secures these mangos for my sister and me. She gave me a crate full of ripe Kesar mangoes yesterday and boy, when I tell you I stood over the kitchen sink to devour 3 of them, I’m not kidding. The taste was so sweet and juicy and the flavor is a party in your mouth. I’ve been spoiled rotten from these Kesar mangoes from childhood that I now cannot tolerate any other variety. 

I do offer Jim a few slices here and there, and he enjoys them very much, but is it wrong of me to secretly cheer that he’s not as mango-crazy as I am? Now hold on a minute, I do generally like to share food with the ol’ chap, but I am somewhat territorial when it comes to Kesar mangoes, French fries, and spring rolls. Don’t feel too sorry for him because I give him all of my hush puppies (bland to me), pimento and blue cheese (ugh, barf), and my side of cornbread (because they’re usually sweet and I prefer savory). So it’s a fair trade. 

The four of us went out to the movies tonight and we did a mango exchange in the parking lot. My sister needed a pick-me-up, so she was grateful for this gift. We’re convinced that this particular fruit has some kind of serotonin in it¬– since we feel so much better about life after eating one. Drawback being they’re so dang expensive these days since they’re imported and prices have gone up. I’ve got to find me a friend who can grow these Kesar mango trees somewhere in the States. In India, there are lots of public streets paved with mango trees and the fruit is for all to enjoy. Isn’t that beautiful? And actually my sister just texted me that we can lease a mango tree in Kerala and get the bounty shipped to us for less than a hundred bucks. She is suggesting we lease a tree together. My word, what a wild concept. 

I adore hearing stories about neighbors coming by to share their surplus of fresh fruit and veggies that they’ve grown. If I didn’t have a black thumb, I’d be the queen of harvest. But I am terrified of insects. One time I bought a bird’s eye chili plant, and it was glorious and I had this tradition of picking off a pepper to munch on before my daily evening walk… but one day, my precious pepper plant was suddenly populated with around thirty scary-looking black and orange bugs that were sucking the juice out of my beloved peppers. Eh, I tried. 

Anyway, if you have an Indian grocery store in your town, maybe you could visit it and ask the sales clerk if they got a Kesar mango around. Say that you have an Indian friend named Priya who highly recommends them. I’m sure they will be happy to help you. And of course, it has to be ripe (soft and deep orange in color) for you to fully understand my joy. Holler back if you try one as I aim to be an iNTeRNeT iNFluEnCeR in your choice of fruit this summer. 

X’s and O’s, 

Priya