A Duck In Her Pond » Stories

Friday Five

Blond Duck — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:00:13 +0000

Five Things You Never Knew About the Blond Duck

1) I draw snails all over everything. Even when I’m doing interviews for work.

2) They’re all named Snuffy.

3) When Ben and I had class together in college, his papers were filled with lots of Snuffys. And Snuffy’s girlfriend.

4) The other thing I draw is swirls and flowers.

5) I took advanced art in high school… And I’m thinking about picking it up again.. What do you think?

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! We have a new Blue Eyes tomorrow!

Recipe and Review: Page by Paige

Blond Duck — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:00:28 +0000

There’s nothing sweeter than a good book and treats made by your mama.

In Page by Paige, Paige is a 16-year-old artist being raised by two writers who has no interest in writing. Through her art notebook, a collection of drawings, she finds herself through her drawing and finds confidence as an artist and person.

Though I’m not one for graphic novels, I loved this. As an artist and writer, I related with so much of what Paige struggles with: feeling like an alien in your own family, filling like you can’t relate to others, total social awkwardness, living in your head, self-criticism, taking criticism for others and putting your art and soul into the world…

It can make you feel very, very crazy.

Paige captures all this in a cute, sweet way. I loved it so much I read it three times.

Then I ate a ton of these.

Mom and Danielle came over to celebrate the Babies’ birthday and brought these tasty twists on cookie bars.

Let’s just hope librarians don’t mind sticky pages.

Mom’s Cookie Bars

Printable version

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups quick oats

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups butterscotch chips

1 1/3 cups coconut

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix butter and quick oats and press in pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk over crust. Layer coconut, chips and pecans. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until lightly browned. Cut in squares and serve.

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! We have a new Friday Five and Giveaway tomorrow!

Wings 11

Blond Duck — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:00:17 +0000

To find out more, go here.

“So what am I supposed to do in a cloud?” Sitting square in the middle of white, I kept my eyes squeezed shut. One hand clutched Gabriel’s hand, the other clutched a fist full of Lucky’s fur.

“We’re waiting.” Gabriel’s shoulder nudged mine. ”You can open your eyes, you know.”

“Excuse me, you stuck me in a cloud.” My voice shook and I bit my lip. ”A CLOUD. Hundreds of thousands of miles above the ground. And you want me to wait for what?”

“Until they’re gone.” Gabriel’s fingers tightened, his thumb tracing the back of my hand. My stomach fluttered and I gulped. ”My butt’s wet,” I griped. ”And I’m cold. It doesn’t seem like them are leaving.”

“She’s got a point.” Lucky squirmed under my hand.

“Plus,” I continued, “All we’ve done in the past 24 hours is run. I haven’t even had breakfast. I need to know what’s going on. I need to know what is happening.”

Lucky rested his chin on my knee. ”Gabriel. I think she needs to know.”

“She needs to see it first. To understand.” His thumb slowed, slowly stroking the inside of my palm.

“Understand what?” My shriek pierced the air. ”The only thing I understand is I’m wet, cold, hungry and pissed. Some weird woman wants all the feathers in my back pocket and some shadow is chilling in my front yard. You said I’m an old soul and a dog I’ve saved from a million accidents is really another angel. So what am I waiting on?”

The silence was broken by Lucky’s sigh. ”You have to tell her.”

“I know.” Gabriel dropped my hand. My icy fingers curled into a fist, tucking under the edge of my soaked long-sleeved shirt. “We’re waiting for you to see.”

“To see?” I couldn’t help the sarcasm. ”What, me tumbling to my death as soon as I fall off this cloud?”

“No, not that.” Gabriel touched my chin. ”You’ve got to open your eyes and look down.”

“What?”

“Trust me.” His whisper tickled my ear, his breath warm on my cheek. ”Please.”

Gulping, I gripped Lucky’s collar. ”What if I fall?”

“Trust me.” A feather brushed against my left hand, another fluttering past my cheek. Gripping them both, I tucked them behind my ear, a placeholder for the white ringlets bursting around my head. Humidity and curly hair do not mix.

I exhaled, long and slow. ”Ok.” Leaning over, I slowly cracked my eyes open.

Through miles of white wisps and endless blue, I stared down at squares of green and yellow. ”I’m going to die.”

“You’re not looking. You’re seeing. You’ve got to look. Really look.” Gabriel placed his hand on my back, Lucky nuzzling into my side.

“What am I looking for?” I focused on my breathing. In. Out. In. Out.

“You’ll know it when you see it.” The fur under my hand on Lucky’s back sprouted, soft feathers tickling my fingertips. Glancing down at the wings spreading from his back, I smiled.

“Ok. I’ll try again.” Closing my eyes, I reopened them. I sucked in a breath as everything I’d ever known had swirled around me.

Gabriel steadied me, a whisper of worry dancing across his brow. ”That’s what we were waiting for.”

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! We have a new recipe and review tomorrow!

Creative Woman of the Pond: Tina from Florida Girl with a New Life

Blond Duck — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:00:23 +0000

Hello, Invisible Friends. Queen Bitty here.

I’m happy to bring you a long-time Invisible Friend today, Tina from Florida Girl with a New Life.

A fellow writer, Tina often features women doing remarkable things in their life through service or art, which I think is cool.

Let’s meet her, shall we?

1) What made you start writing?

When I was a little girl, reading and writing were the two things I enjoyed most. I spent hours locked away in my room scribbling in notebooks and reading my latest library find. As a young adult, I found myself quietly writing in my head when I should have been paying attention to other things, like the work that was sitting in front of me or whatever boyfriend was floating through my life at the time. The truth is my need to write has always weighed on me, but I pushed it aside in my twenties because aspiring to become a writer felt a little like aspiring to become a professional ballerina. Impossible. I finally started writing my novel-in-progress and my blog because I was simply fed up with my own excuses. It was and is time to live in my truth.

2) What do you write?

I write women’s fiction/chick lit with a supernatural twist.

My blog is really a running conversation between me and my readers on chick culture, women’s stories, and joyful living.

3) Tell me about your book.

My novel-in-progress is a story about three women who each experience something miraculous; they are each granted their most secret ambition. While one woman seeks the power to force men’s hearts, another seeks social status. The last of the three covets the power of revenge. Crashing into and away from each other in a cycle of envy, deception and love lost, each woman is left to look deeper into her own heart. The real miracle, as it turns out, might have been a life that included one another.

4) Tell me about featuring courageous women on your blog.

I believe that in sharing our truths we discover more of ourselves. I feature “truth-tellers” on my blog who are willing to offer up their honest experiences. The stories range from marriages, break-ups, chasing dreams, and starting life over again.

5) Why do you think it’s important for women to be creative?

As nurturers, women give to a fault, but we often forget to nourish ourselves. Creative endeavors help us to water our souls and replenish our hearts.

6) Why do you think it’s important for women writers to connect?

I think Toni Morrison said it best.

“Solitude, competitiveness and grief are the unavoidable lot of a writer only when there is no organization or network to which she can turn.”—Toni Morrison

7) What inspires you?

All of the bittersweet and beautiful nuance of life.

What’s your favorite type of pie?

Well, I’ve never met a pie I didn’t like, but I have to go with coconut cream pie.

9) What’s your favorite book?

My running favorite is The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

10) Future plans?

In the short term I am seeking publication on my first novel. Mostly, I plan on seeking my joy, wherever that comes.

Be sure to go visit her!

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! We have a new Wings tomorrow!