Moms vs. Dads
Filed under: Current news | Tags: author (7), boys, children, dads, Dianne Venetta (18), different, girls, kids (2), moms, raising, women's fiction (8) |
When raising kids, there’s something you must learn early on: men and women are different. Now this may seem obvious to you at first glance. Duh. But it doesn’t really hit home until you start diverging on how the day-to-day business of life is conducted with respect to said children. Moms and Dads can sometimes have VERY different opinions on what’s best for their children.
Do they fight back on the playground or walk away? Is it okay for boys to cry? Okay for girls to play football?
How about riding dirt bikes at the age of five? Gasp. “Five, did you say?”
Yep. For some Dads, riding dirt bikes is no different from riding a bike. Well, not really anyway. Now as a mother you first instinct may be to jump up and down and scream “No way! My baby’s not going to do anything so dangerous!”
Most fathers will wait the woman out at this point and when they sense you’re finished with your emotional tirade, they’ll quietly tell you that they rode a dirt bike at age five and by seven, were cruising the neighborhood on their own en route to their friend’s house. They will also remind you about all the potential for injury kids have on regular bicycles, swimming pools, baseball, soccer…. The list goes on.
Now that you’ve caught your breath, you rethink your position. Seems husband wants this dirt bike thing to happen. Do you have the right to demand otherwise? After all, it’s his kid, too. And you didn’t marry a man without a good head on his shoulders. You know your husband wouldn’t do anything to purposefully harm your child. So where do you go from here?
You go to the flat track. That’s where kids and adults alike race their dirt bikes and have the time of their life. At first your tentative on the trip out to the track. Not knowing what to expect, you pack your anxiety into your back pack and zip it closed. It’s still close enough to pull out when warranted, but hidden from public view. It’s not like you want to embarrass your son. If he’s going to do this thing, you want him to have a good time without the distraction of his crazy mom. More importantly, if you don’t keep your angst under wraps, you won’t be invited back.
Unthinkable. But I must confess, when the first ten-year-old laid down in his bike as he took the curve, his little rag-doll of a body sliding across the dirt track right in front of me, I almost yanked my back pack of nerves open and called it quits. My son was in the next heat!
But this young man was not hurt (though there was a medic on site in the event he was injured). Instead, he brushed the dirt from his uniform-clad knees (these kids are decked head to toe in full protective gear — including steel bottom boots, chest protector, neck brace, helmet — the works!) and marched right off that track returning moments later with his “back up” bike whereby he jumped back into the race and finished with dignity. Kids. Go figure.
Before anyone was the wiser, I quickly stuffed my worry back into its pack and resumed vigilance as spectator. ”Take another breath, dear. You’ll be all right.” :)
Phew. I only have one thing to say after a weekend like this one. For those of you who aren’t parents, beware: parenting isn’t for sissies. And from what I understand, it only gets harder as they get older. I can’t even imagine the anxiety that will become my “norm” when the kids are driving. And I thought dirt bikes were worrisome!
“Take another breath, dear. Just breathe.”
And The Winner Is…
Filed under: Current news | Tags: authors, Authors in Bloom (4), blog hop (4), Dianne Venetta (18), gardening tips (3), grand prize (3), recipes (3), spring (3) |
Virginia! Congratulations on winning my garden-inspired giveaway ~~ the sure-fire way to get you fired-up for the garden season. 
And thanks to all who entered. I appreciate you stopping by! And the grand prize winner…
YJ!! Woohoo ~~ the eReader and $25 gift card are yours! And just in time for the summer vacation. You’ll be kicked back and relaxed as you read from your slim and trim, sleek new tablet. Ahhh… Don’t let the waves hit it!
And congratulations to ALL who won across the 70 author sites. Not only did you gain a bounty of gardening tips, fab new recipes and wonderful new authors, many of you won prizes along the way! For a full list of winners, head on over to A Cozy Reader’s Corner where Tiffany will post the entire list of prizes and winners.
Thanks again to one and all for making this First Annual Authors in Bloom Spring Blog Hop a HUGE success (yes, you read that right – there will be more to follow!). Without energetic readers like you, we authors would be nowhere. Okay, crazy ones like me would still be writing, forcing their daughter to read, baby, read! But honestly, without loyal readers? Authors go nowhere fast. Hopefully you all enjoyed your “hop” and will join us again next year.
Can’t wait. Until then, happy spring and wishing you the discovery of many wonderful new books and new authors. It’s an addiction, I know. One I can’t seem to kick!
Authors in Bloom Blog Hop!
Filed under: Current news | Tags: Authors in Bloom (4), blog hop (4), Dianne Venetta (18), eReader, gardening tips (3), gift card, giveaways, grand prize (3), kindle, nook (2), recipes (3), spring (3) |
Welcome to the First Annual Authors in Bloom Spring Blog Hop! It’s that time of year again when the sun comes back to shine, the birds begin to sing and the flowers burst with the color of life! To celebrate this momentous occasion—okay, momentous may be a STRONG word, but not for us gardeners, it isn’t!—some of my author friends and I are sharing our favorite gardening tips and spring fresh recipes.
How great is that? It’s like a having a gardening encyclopedia and cookbook in one! LOVE it. But more than gardening know-how and gourmet delights, you’ll receive over 70 chances to win stuff! Woohoo! I don’t know about you, but I love anything FREE. So hard to come by these days, isn’t it?
My garden-inspired giveaway for this hop includes a wax melter for your fragrance tarts (a Cilantro Clementine tart included), Vera Bradley napkins and matching pencils, sugar scrub by Deep Steep (grapefruit & bergamot scented ~ mmmm….), custom-seed saving packets, a garden “help” booklet, adorable little “cauliflower” poodle figurine from Enesco and more! ($55 value, plant & plate shown in photo not included)
Now to my gardening tip: If you’re like most gardeners, tomatoes are on your list of must-grow or must-try. And who can blame you? Rich, ripe, ruby-red tomatoes are not only delicious fresh, but the key ingredient to the infamous “red sauce” ~ a recipe handed down through Italian generations like Blue Bloods hand down silver spoons and Southern folk’s dish out middle names. Italian by injection is what I am and red sauce is something I’m working to master.
So how do you grow these bad boys without spots, blemishes and cracks? Epsom salts and eggshells. Yep! Go ahead and start them from seeds indoors and then, when you transplant them into the ground, add a crushed eggshell and a tablespoon of Epsom salt mixed into the soil around your sproutling. No more spots! (a.k.a blossom-end rot.)
Got cracks? (We’ve all got problems, I know.) Watch that water schedule, because cracks are due to uneven watering–something awfully hard to prevent in Florida. Just when you have the automatic timer attached to the hose attached to the sprinkler head which is positioned just so all figured out—WHAM! Mother Nature blasts you with a good soaking. She calls it a sense of humor. I call it bad timing.
But like I said, we’ve all got problems. And I like to look at my relationship with Mother Nature as a challenge rather than a curse. Helps me keep the stress levels down, if you know what I mean. So what do you say? Aren’t these tomatoes gorgeous? Willing to give it a try? For more gardening tips & fresh recipes, visit my garden blog at BloominThyme! (You’ll find the template for my custom seed-saving packets there, too!)
Now, for the really important stuff: to enter my giveaway, you have more than one opportunity. You can leave a comment here, follow me on Twitter (make sure I know it’s you by giving me a mention along with the Authors in Bloom blog hop, ie. *Authors in Bloom rock!* @DianneVenetta), “like” my author page on facebook and fan me on Goodreads ~ be sure to leave a message regarding the same!
For all you gardeners out there, here are a couple of more ways to enter: you can subscribe to my garden blog: BloominThyme and like it’s facebook page. How’s that for increasing the odds? Six chances to win PLUS a whole heck of a lot of garden fun!
Phew, that’s a lot of entries per person. Did I mention I like free stuff? I like giving it away, too. And if you’re a bloomin’ warrior, or if you’ve already done any of the above, please let me know in the comment section of this post and you’ll get credited for the extra entries. (No penalties allowed here.)
So what are you waiting for? Grab the phrase below and hop on to the next author—you’ll find the entire crew listed in the linky list below. (You may have to check the blog section of their website.) Remember: to be eligible for the grand prize, you must visit each and every site—but you have 10 days to do so!
Line 1: Springtime is the season of blossoms.
Line 2: Buds burst open, leaves unfurl,
Line 3: and young flowers mature into gorgeous blooms.
And as a reminder, if you have any questions how this hop works, especially how to win the grand prize, get full details here: Authors in Bloom Spring Blog Hop.
While you’re here check out my novels! JENNIFER’S GARDEN recently received 4 1/2 stars from RT Book Reviews… Available for $2.99 on both your kindle & nook.
Authors in Bloom Blog Hop is Almost Here!
Filed under: Current news | Tags: Authors in Bloom (4), contest, Dianne Venetta (18), giveaway (4), grand prize (3), romantic fiction (2), spring blog hop, women's fiction (8) |
April 9th –April 18th
10 Days of Giveaways-Gardening Tips-Recipes-and more!
Plus GRAND PRIZE you’ll be digging to win!
What kind of prize are we talking about? How about an eReader (Nook or Kindle — your choice) and $25 gift card? PLUS you’ll have the opportunity to win at 75 author sites, everything from books to swag and garden goodies galore!
As for me, I’ll be offering up a selection of garden-inspired delights including a wax melter for your fragrance tarts (Cilantro Clementine included), Vera Bradley napkins and pencils, sugar scrub by Deep Steep (grapefruit & bergamot scented ~ mmmm….), custom-seed saving packets by BloominThyme, a garden help booklet, adorable little “cauliflower” poodle figurine from Enesco and more! ($55 value, plant & plate not included)
Easy and fun, this is THE way to welcome spring. So what do you say? Are you in? Need more information?
Of course you do! Head on over to the Authors in Bloom blog hop page for full details and make sure to mark your calendars for April 9th. It’s going to be 10 days of nonstop fun and giveaways you won’t want to miss.
Happy Spring!
Do Manners Matter?
Filed under: Current news | Tags: author (7), cotillion, daughter, Dianne Venetta (18), romance (9), spring ball, women's fiction (8), writer |
My daughter went to the spring ball with her cotillion group. What is cotillion, you ask? Manners class. Dance class. The formal training to whip our youth into shape.
I only know of this organization because as a youth, I was forced to attend myself. My first year was in ninth grade and I didn’t know a soul. The cotillion teacher happened to be a close friend of my Aunt Jan, a grand cotillion mistress herself, so having my brothers, sister and I join the club seemed to be a no-brainer. For everyone else but us, that is! You want me to dance with boys? Boys I don’t even know?
Ugh. The horror! But alas, I must confess, I am forever grateful. As an adult, this training has served me well. Through the years there has been occasion where I was glad to know how to follow a man’s moves on the dance floor without looking the fool. I was glad to be able to reply “yes” when the handsome fellow asked me to dance. Cha-cha? Of course I cha-cha! Who doesn’t?
My daughter is now in middle school and like her parent before her, is forced to attend cotillion. Do I have to go? I hate it!
Yes, dear. Once a month, it’s not going to kill you. You’ll thank me later. Good thing I can wait. The child is not happy, though you couldn’t tell from this image, now can you? Now slip on those little white gloves and paste a smile onto your face–you’re going. And don’t forget your dance card!
While she’s no fan of dancing with boys at the moment, she does enjoy the fact that they have to wait on her. Hand and foot, make sure she’s seated, isn’t thirsty, hungry. Would you care for more lemonade? (Yea, that was one my favorite parts, too.)
And all of the young ladies looked divine, especially when escorted by their equally fine clad young gentlemen!
The attire for this ball was quite formal, with a black and white theme. T he boys rented tuxedos and the girls secured beautiful ball gowns. Most are probably bridesmaid dresses or prom wear, but it was fun to dress up. Even my child will admit to that.
Next month? They’ll have a fifties swing-fling. Not sure why we’re still stuck on the fifties. That worked for my parents–they lived the music! But me? I have no poodle skirt stuffed into the back of my closet. No saddle shoes or hair bows. Hmph. Perhaps I’ll be making my way to the thrift store.
Because it is fun. Just to prove it, the cotillion headmistress allowed her third year students to line dance.
A kid’s gotta have some fun, right? Absolutely! Dulls the pain and convinces them to come back next year! Really it’s not so bad. Not once you get used to it–kinda like jumping into a pool of cool water. At first it’s *shriek!* but then, not so bad. Actually, once these kids get the hang of ballroom dancing, they tend to enjoy it. Oddly enough, especially the boys.
Poor Daddy… (Get your hands off my daughter. Where’s my rifle–I need to clean it. If she cries, you cry. And so on…) But he too, will survive. Besides, everything is more fun when you have friends with you, right? Our grand scheme for next year’s grand ball?
Enlist some friends to sign up for cotillion, of course! How about you? Ever had to endure the dreaded cotillion ball? Did you enjoy it? Would you recommend it to a friend?
Could prove to be a memorable experience for them. Was for me. And my siblings. Thank you, Aunt Jan!
And I’m living proof my daughter will survive her bout with manners school. Not only survive, but thrive! Not to mention being the only one at the table who knows where that fussy teaspoon is supposed to go. Or which way the knife blade should face. (I can hear my mother now: Didn’t I send you to cotillion?)
Yes, dear.
We Have a Winner!!
Filed under: Current news | Tags: author (7), Authors in Bloom (4), blog hop (4), Dianne Venetta (18), gardening tips (3), recipes (3), spring (3) |
Thanks to all who stopped by the St. Patrick’s Blog Hop! I enjoyed all the comments and after hearing all the gorgeous colors, don’t you know I went right out to my flower garden today to primp and prune those babies? I sure did and it was a beautiful day to do so. Will share pictures on my garden blog BloominThyme come Monday!
But right now we’re talking winners and congratulations go out to Savannah Miller ~~ woohoo! Congratulations, Savannah. I hope when this garden-themed package lands on your doorstep it brings a smile to your face and puts a spring in your step. (Corny I know, but it works for me!) And you will smell divine with that lotion.
If you didn’t win, don’t dismay. You’ll have another chance in a few weeks when I host the “Authors in Bloom” blog hop. Each “stop on the hop” will include a gardening tip and/or recipe — just in time for garden season!! And the grand prize will be much like this hop: an ereader and gift card, not to mention more garden goodies from me!
So mark your calendars! The hop begins April 9th and starts right here.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!
Filed under: Current news | Tags: Dianne Venetta (18), giveaway (4), green, lucky Irish, romance (9), St. Patrick's Day, women's fiction (8) |
Welcome to my corner of the St. Patrick’s Day blog hop, hosted by Carrie Ann Ryan! Not only am I talking with Elise Rome today–I’m hopping with Carrie! (Some gals have ALL the luck, don’t they?) Not sure where this celebration originated, but does it matter? I love this day!
You get to drink green beer and eat cupcakes and no one gives you a second glance. Nada. Nothing. You can wear green and pinch folks you suspect may have forgotten to wear theirs–without getting the hard glare in return. (Love that part.) And need I remind you of the cornbeef and cabbage? My garden is all in a tizzy over this holiday because after all, it celebrates one of their best colors AND paves the way for spring.
How about you? Does St. Patrick’s Day mean anything special? Perhaps you’re Irish? Like the color? Enjoy pinching fannies? Eating cabbage?
And did I mention? This blog hop is full of chances to try YOUR luck and win prizes galore. Like a “spring greenie basket” inspired by my love of gardening. What is that?
Glad you asked! It includes a host of goodies like custom-made seed packet holder and seed saving packets, white nectarine & orange blossom silkening body lotion by Organic Indulgence (one of my new favorites and BloominThyme Prize Picks!), veggie-themed votive burner including scented votive from Swan Creek Candle (Cilantro Clementine…hmmm) PLUS a packet of delicious “peas and carrots” Jelly Belly beans. ($35 value)
How do you win? Simply leave a comment revealing YOUR favorite color along with your email and you’ll be entered for a random drawing to be held at the end of this hop! (Limited to US residents only–international entries will win free ebook of my novel, Jennifer’s Garden.) Winners will be notified by Sunday.
Now be sure to visit The Jeep Diva—you’ll find her link at the bottom of this post (#119). Thanks and have a great rest of your day hopping (and *pinching*) along!!
Pining Away for Spring
Filed under: Current news | Tags: blooms, Dianne Venetta (18), garden, organic, photos, romance (9), Springtime, women's fiction (8) |
As I gear up for the garden season, I’ve been searching through my photos in an attempt to clear out the old and unwanted from cluttering my computer. It is that time of year, right? You rummage through your closet and if you haven’t worn an item in the last 6 – 8 months, you toss it out of your life and into the pile for Goodwill. Someone will breathe new life into it. God knows I’ve done the same thing for countless other items! Crocs, shorts, purses–you name it! (It’s one of the reasons I have to drop off at the back door, now.) Can I help it if I’m an excellent bargain shopper?
But in the process of going through these photos, I discovered some really neat ones and just thought I’d share. For many of you, it may be too cold for these lovelies to flit about your garden. Not here in Florida! Though it is a bit rainy today… A fact my sprouts LOVE.
Caught this little fella a few weeks back, hovering about the broccoli flowers I’m currently drying in an attempt to save seeds.
This gal lost her way and wound up indoors. My daughter wasted no time adopting it as her own. Who knows? She may start a new trend. Ladybug rings, anyone?
This beast is not welcome in my garden OR my yard. Thankfully he was found in the school garden and not my own. I’d have dispatched him by now. The kids? They love icky stuff like him so we oohed and aahed for a while before pitching him over the fence. He’ll survive. Just not on our side.
Happy to say I haven’t seen the likes of this guy in a while. He gives Eric Carle’s The Hungry Caterpillar a run for his money! Shoot, who are we kidding? He’ll send that sweet little caterpillar running for the hills.
Gives my tomato sprouts the shivers just thinking about it. So as not to leave you in the same condition, here are some brighter images! I love these colors.
Just gazing at them brings a smile to my face. Actually, something about them makes me think of Hawaii. I ask you: What’s not to smile about Hawaii?
And of course it is strawberry season here in Florida. Delicate and white, this little bloom will soon turn plump and juicy and oh so delicious!
This is a peach blossom. A friend of mine has her heart set on creating an entirely edible yard and this is but one contribution to the cause. Pretty.
And these are my blueberry blossoms. Located outside my actual garden, these are my contribution to an edible landscape. Unfortunately, I won’t see these babies until March or April. Until then, I’ll simply have to dream…
Valentine’s Giveaway!
Filed under: Current news | Tags: |
Enter to win a basket full of goodies!
The basket will include a digital copy of my newest release, Love on the Rocks!
Happy Valentines Day! Spread the luv to those you love and share the giveaway!
Why I LOVE Pink Bras
Filed under: Current news | Tags: Dianne Venetta (18), fun (2), lingerie, men (2), pink bras, romance (9), women (2) |
Not that they’re practical by any means, because they’re not. Unless you’re a seventeen year old girl interested in drawing attention to your under garments. Me? I wear a lot of white T-shirts making pink bras non-conducive to my attire.
But they’re too cute not to wear. I mean, who doesn’t feel delightful when wearing hot pink? It energizes me every single time! And hubby? Never know when he might want to have a think pink fest of his own. (Don’t mind if I do!) This young man reminds me of Victor in my current release, Lust on the Rocks. *yum*
Pink is pretty. It’s the ultimate in feminine and totally sexy. It can be frilly or spicy, depending on how you wear it. And it’s memorable—especially on blondes. And I’m blonde. Okay, not naturally—but who’s checking roots?
Now mind you when I say “memorable” we’re not talking memorable as in that’s what the emergency crew will be thinking in the unlikely event you’re in an accident.” Didn’t your mother always tell you to wear clean underwear in case of accident?
Mine did and I found it to be wholly depressing. Listen, I’m as prepared as the next gal, even for the unexpected. But planning for an accident? No can do. I’m a believer in HEA and anything less simply will not do.
So back to happy thoughts and pink bras. I love them! They’re fun, romantic and oh-so-irresistible. How about you? Do you have a favorite color?
About Dianne
A girl's gotta have fun, right?
When she's not knee-deep in dirt or romance, Dianne contributes garden advice for various websites and volunteers in her kids' school garden (a crazy existence to be sure). But at the end of the day, if she can inspire someone to stop and smell the roses--or rosemary!—kiss their child and spouse good-night, be kind to a neighbor and Mother Earth, then she's done all right.
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