Heather Kinser
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Halloweensie Contest Entry

10/27/2014

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This week, children's book author Susanna Leonard Hill--who has a fun and informative blog (www.susannahill.com)--is running her long-awaited annual "Halloweensie" contest. In this event, contestants put together a 100 word (or less) children's story that must include three specific words. This year's magic words are "pumpkin," "broomstick," and "creak." We then post them on our blogs, and send Susanna the links. I love the way this contest forced me to think small! I'm sure there will be tons of clever rhyming entries--and I look forward to reading them--but I decided to stick with prose. I spent half the last month tangled up in a rhyming story, and am now on a poetry hiatus. So, without further ado, here's my little contest entry!

Every Little Piggie Wants Pumpkin
Lunchtime!
The piglets are hungry.
Every little piggie wants pumpkin for lunch.
“Not yet,” says Mama. “I have a surprise.”
“But Mama, we always have pumpkin for lunch!”
“Patience, my piglets,” she says.
Mama waddles into the barn.
Will she come back with pumpkin?
Piggie bellies rumble.
Soon they see a crooked snout,
a pointy hat,
a broomstick.
The barn door creaks.
Out comes…
    …an old witch!
“Boo!” says the witch.
“Brave piggies
    …follow me.”
She disappears around the corner.
Five pairs of piggie eyes
    … peek behind the barn.
What do they see?
A pumpkin patch picnic!
It’s Halloween!

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Dozens of Teeny Tiny Cookies

10/22/2014

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Today--when I wasn't steam cleaning my living room rug to get out the milk spill; or doctoring a jar of pasta sauce by adding sauteed mushrooms, garlic, ground beef, carrots, red wine, and spices and simmering it on the stove for hours; or wrapping my daughter's birthday gifts--I baked a batch of several dozen teeny tiny cookies. Aren't they cute? They're about the size of a silver dollar. Notice one empty space in the very back? Yeah...that was me. I ate it, and it was good.

Shoot! It's hard to plop out a ball of dough small enough for these mini cookies--each drop was supposed to be only a whopping half teaspoon. Anyhow, these are for my daughter's 3rd grade class--a birthday treat I'll hand out tomorrow after being the guest storybook reader just before the lunch hour.

I'm really looking forward to sharing the book I picked out--"The Glorious Flight: Across the Channel with Louis Bleriot", by Alice Provensen. It's a charming historical picture book about the first man to cross the English Channel in a plane. The author tells the story of Bleriot's many engineering failures, and of his triumphant persistence, with a tone that's so endearing and accessible to children.

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Meet Shop Dog!

10/21/2014

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I was thrilled this morning to see that Shop Dog (that's what we call him)--the inspiration for my story of the same name--had wandered out of the mechanic shop where he usually hangs out. He was on the street corner, and I was able to whip out my iPhone and capture a photo of my little muse. "Hi, Shop Dog!" What a cutie!

He lives at the auto repair shop pictured below, which is on the way to my kids' school. On any given day, if you peek into the dark cavern that is the shop's entryway, you are likely to see this charming little dog sitting serenely among the tough-looking mechanics, tires, tool boxes, and cars--like a mini mascot.

I don't know what his real story is...but, clearly, he's worthy of one! So I decided it was my job to write it. "Hey, little guy...hope I did you proud!"
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Yes, I'm hoarding pumpkin butter...

10/21/2014

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...but I swear, there's a logical reason for it! I'm "collecting" Trader Joe's Pumpkin Butter because it's a seasonal item. If you shop at Trader Joe's, you know what that means. Your favorite products are here today, gone tomorrow! Right now it's October, high season for pumpkin butter. But I suspect the coveted product will be gone from the stores within weeks, trickling and dwindling until there's nothing left by mid-November. ...And not a jar to be found again for 11 months, when October rolls around again.

Here's the deal. I can't run out of pumpkin butter. That just can NOT happen. It's the key ingredient in my Saturday morning signature dish--Swedish pancakes with pumpkin butter (aka Pumpkin Pancakes). Mmmm. You can't spell "M-O-M" without the Mmmm of pumpkin pancakes. My very identity is tied to that elusive Trader Joe's seasonal ingredient. And so...I bought 5 jars today.

Ah. Pretty little jars of pumpkin butter. One more and I could have had a little pyramid. My mom persona is safe for another year. Whew! Or is it? How many jars constitutes a years' supply? I'm not sure.

But...hm...what's this? Shhh...don't tell anyone. I just found three more old jars already in my pantry. Drat! Looks like there's a problem in my procurement department. Well, I'll just have to develop another pumpkin-based recipe to use up a jar or two. No problem.

Pumpkin butter bread, anyone? Pumpkin butter cookies, perhaps? How about butternut squash ravioli with pumpkin sauce? Chicken baked in a pumpkin glaze? I'll think of something!

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Rabbit Earwax

10/9/2014

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This handsome fellow is our miniature Rex rabbit, Sparky. So...last night was interesting. I heard a thumping commotion coming from Sparky's hutch, and went to investigate. I found him repeatedly scratching and flicking his ears, clearly freaked out and irritated about something ear related. My husband and I investigated with a flashlight. By the way, you need a really good flashlight to get a look inside a rabbit's flicking ear. What did we find? A big, scabby, thing-from-outer-space crust of rabbit earwax. Time for a little medical procedure...we got out the Q-tips and went to work. Had to clip his nails too, so he wouldn't scrape up his tender ears. Well! At the end of the procedure he was all fixed up and content--back to nibbling his carrot. No more incessant scratching or flicking. And we had an interesting adventure. No way did I expect, when I settled in for a night of writing, to end the evening by cleaning out rabbit earwax!
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