30. September 2009 by admin.

     The title and cover drew me to this book: a woman’s shadowed face, and the outward look from a dank cave…not to mention the title! Sarah travels to cover the disappearance and subsequent murder of a teenager. Another teen is kidnapped while our heroine, an investigative reporter with a knack for finding the truth, is babysat by a town representative, Kale.

     Our simple fisherman’s unofficial job is to minimize bad publicity but finds himself enthralled by this New York women who is hiding secrets.

     Small town foibles, hidden truths, scary moments, and hot sex pulls the reader in. I couldn’t put it down!

‘Find Me’ was published in 2009 by St. Martin’s Press.

Nancy Lee Badger

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30. September 2009 by admin.

 Not all of us have to possess earthshaking talent. Just common sense and love will do. -Myrtle Auvil, journalist

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25. September 2009 by admin.

When we met sons  Rob and Joey at the New Hampshire Highland games last week, they gifted us with bags of fresh-picked Vermont high-altitude apples. What flavor! I cannot wait  to make this recipe to enjoy their scent and flavor. Yum! 

4-5 apples peeled, cored, and sliced thin

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup melted butter

9″ pie pan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place prepared apples in the pie pan. Measure the salt, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Melt butter and pour into this bowl. Mix with fork. Spoon mixture over apples, covering completely.

Bake for 35 minutes or until apples are soft.

Apple picking season is here! Bake a couple and donate one to your local firefighters, paramedics, police, troop leaders, or whoever is YOUR unsung hero. And keep reading about all the heroes filling the great books I review!

Nancy Lee Badger

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24. September 2009 by admin.

      Zack Knight just ran into the most intriguing long-legged goddess. Too bad his mustang crumbled her back bumper. Cori Shannon is a sharp-tongued, mildly pissed-off exotic dancer who happens to have someone gunning for her. Her brassy, make-it-on-my-own plans and forward-thinking attitude are matched against our quiet, High IQ, Firefighter hero.     

      And…he’s a virgin.

      When Zack and the other ‘Firefighters of Station Five’, the name of Ms. Davis’ series of hot, tragic, fast-paced depictions of life as a hero, rescue Cori from near death, she suddenly becomes the one mending hearts instead of breaking them when she nurses Zack back to health. Especially after another bullet gets too close.

      Sexual tension and a romance doomed to failure kept this reader deep inside the book until the end. Even if someone has not read her first in the series, she has layered just enough description to give the reader a taste of another of the hot heroes of Station House Five.

      Under Fire was published in May 2009 by Signet Eclipse.

 Nancy Lee Badger

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24. September 2009 by admin.

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. 

-Muriel Strode, writer

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23. September 2009 by admin.

I could not face opening the laptop after we headed off on Monday morning. I will miss our two-story condo, but not the near-freezing mornings. We said good-bye to David Bruce and headed to McDonald’s for breakfast ($11.94) which we ate on the way to Belmont, New Hampshire. We drove by our last residence to see the changes and noticed more changes in the area. We stopped for gas in Tilton ($28.37)and made a brief stop at the NH Veteran’s Cemetery in Boscawen to pay our respects to family. Even there, more and more graves have been filled and more plots are being readied.

We hit the NH State Liquor Store ($44.98 after $15 discount for the coupon we found in the Highland games program) and headed for home. My feet, legs, and hips could not get comfortable and I tried to doze, but Ginny-the-GPS kept me awake. She wanted us to go one way, and we wanted to go another. We won. Near Hartford, Connecticut Eric drove in the ‘diamond’ lane for the first time. Neat!

We kept away from NY City and headed towards Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I looked up several hotels the night before and we decided to go as far as we could. We stopped for gas in Wilkes-Barre, PA then made it a total of 550 miles to the Best Western in Shippensburg, PA. ($148.22 for 2 rooms) What a wonderful place! Since we are again traveling out-of-season, the indoor pool and hot tub were ours, alone. Since we arrived at 7:30 p.m., we enjoyed the pool first, then headed into town. Lovely brick buildings built before the civil war era made for quaint surroundings. We ended up dining on the upper outside deck at Knute’s tavern ($49.26).

Morning came around 8 a.m. We devoured the free breakfast in the empty dining area. Waffles, bagels, and more! We loaded the trunk while a black cat purred and pleaded for a pet, then we headed south about 9 a.m.  The Smokey Mountains were gorgeous, as usual, and we stopped and I took pictures while the boys broke out beverages. Everything went flying (me included) when a pick-up truck swung into our lane, but Eric avoided disaster. The weather turned delightfully warm, but we arrived home around 4 p.m. under a horrific deluge. Soaked, we waited a while before unpacking. My sister Erla believes we got well over 2” of rain and many roads had flooded.

Blaze seemed very happy to see us. The cat meowed and purred…unusual traits in him. We dropped everything where they lay and I figured all could wait until today. The men went to the movies and Hooters (don’t ask) and brought home pizza then we bid our son Eric goodnight. I stayed up until 11:30 cleaning out most of my accumulated e-mail.

The entire week is now a blur and I will make a point to re-read my blog submissions to remind me that we endured the long miles (900 miles each way), painful feet, long hours without rest, cold winds, as well as lots of fun for a very good cause…the New Hampshire Highland Games and their continued effort to bring the sights and sounds of Scotland to New England.

Nancy Lee Badger

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21. September 2009 by admin.

It is about 6 a.m. on Monday and I could not physically post anything about yesterday. My legs and feet ached and we stayed out late. To crash in a comfortable bed was my only goal after the Highland games closed down about 5 p.m.  

We had a wonderful day. Started with a chilly 39 degrees and Eric had frost covering his car. We dressed in layers and by 10 a.m. I was down to a T-shirt. It was a pleasure to see the sun and NOT have hurricane-force winds blowing our raffle tickets away. We did good and raised thousands of dollars for the organization to use towards bringing more pipe bands here and for giving scholarships for young people to pursue the Scottish arts of dance, harp, and bagpipe. I lost track of money spent but not much passed through our fingers. We have become a thrifty lot and spent more on pitchers of beer in the Piper’s Pub (upstairs in the Gov. Samuel Adams Ski Lodge) during the impromptu, but always crowded, after hours jam session. Wall to wall people, mostly co-workers and officials, gabbed and drank amid drummers and pipers who would gulp a few then serenade us with song. 

Invited to join the ‘big guys’ for dinner, we grabbed Dave Bruce and headed for the Beacon Resort. Ed Clermont served up a grand meal and Eric’s night was complete when a boiled, Maine lobster arrived in front of him! Watching him devour the orangey-red crustacean was priceless! We do miss being able to get lobster around the corner as we did when we lived here, so close to Maine and the ocean.   We offered Dave a bed since Rob and Joey headed back to Vermont earlier in the day. Again, we were all tired from helping people and holding the raffle and cleaning up our 20-foot by 20-foot tent. Now all we need to do is pack, close up the condo, and head south. We plan to swing by our last house in Belmont, New Hampshire then stop to pay our respects to family at the NH Veteran’s Cemetery in Boscawen, NH. Home is only 900 miles away! Nancy Lee Badger

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20. September 2009 by admin.

I awoke at 6:30 unsure of my surroundings. I slipped from my extra high, king-size, four-poster bed, and met the family for a quick bite of food. We arrived at Loon Mountain at a breezy 7:30 a.m. I chose to wear my all-purpose, floor length, black skirt with a purple, satin, long-sleeved shirt, and a peasant vest, laced up the front. Too bad I had not included a ski parka. Last night’s wind wrecked several tents in clan village. Ours was unscathed. 

People arrived early and in droves;  pipers needed directions to the Piper Steward; cute little girls with mom’s in tow, who carried dress bags, searched for the dance competition area; muscular men in kilts arrived to populate the athletic demonstration area; and venders started up the cook-fires.

 My band of volunteers grew when son Robert and his partner, Joey, arrived from Burlington, Vermont. They made me instantly jealous when they announced they spied two moose on their drive. Sue Boska arrived as well as Jan Bruce. With my annual clan of knowledgeable helpers, the day could only get better! We sold raffle tickets for a trip to Scotland as well as official programs. These full-color souvenirs contain photos, an explanation of events, a schedule of events, a map, and the name of all our volunteers…except poor Eric. Maybe next year? The day flew by as my fingers chilled into ice cubes and my feet began to spasm. I am no longer used to standing for long periods and the pavement won. Sue and I took a break, now and then, to eat and shop, but I still never made it near the Gov. Adams Lodge where more vendors and the infamous historical village sat. Sunday will prove our first chance.  

People filled the bleachers at the closing ceremony at 5 p.m. , enjoying the bands and pipers so we held off on closing up. By 6 p.m. we buttoned up our tent and sighed with relieve. One injured woman, several lost, then found, wallets, cell phones, keys, driver licenses, and a lost child filled the day while we directed visitors around the huge ski area.

The lost keys were retrieved by an Asian man who came to enjoy the Highland games. He bowed several times when he saw we had them. As we drove over the bridge which connected the ski area to the main road, hundreds still stood in line for the shuttle buses. A lone piper played while he stood on a huge boulder in the river. Nice touch. Back to the condo, take-out Chinese, and family.    We look forward to Sunday at the games. More low-key, less visitors, more time to drink in the sights and then the beer in the pub after closing. But I will share a bright spot today. While I stood freezing with my hair whipping around in a snarled mess, I stepped out of the tent and spied a great ‘X’ in the sky! Two military planes on maneuvers must have given us their blessing. God Speed. Nancy Lee Badger

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19. September 2009 by admin.

I’ll make this a short posting as it is late,  and I am BEAT. Remind me again why I am up and on the mountain at 8 .m., cannot get coffee or the programs we are supposed to sell until after 9, and the wind and rain threaten to take my long hair and whip it into a frenzy? Things actually went well. The ‘doors’ opened at  10 a.m., I missed the sheep dog trials but made it up at lunch. Sue Campbell Boska, a former co-worker of mine from NH 9-1-1 joined me for fish ‘n chips and a soda ($11.25) Best part? The rock band Albannach was playing not twenty feet away! Drums and bagpipes and lots of clapping hands. 

A short rain shower in the afternoon and the growing winds had us shutting down at about 4:30 but not until we did a substantial business with programs and the raffle. A trip for 2 to Scotland, a made-to-order kilt, and a lovely gift basket of Scottish items made for good sales.  Spent TOO much time dropping off the money, then rushed to the condo, dressed up, and arrived at the Beacon Resort for the Chieftain’s reception and Tartan dinner. Yummy! We all snuck out early but not until Eric tried his first taste  of haggis. 

We shall arrive at our post no later than 7:30 Saturday with high hopes sons Rob and Joey will arrive raring to go from Burlington, Vermont. The more people we have in our information tent, the more time we have to go off and eat, drink (soda), hear music, buy souvenirs, and enjoy the crowds. About 50,000 usually expected. What a crush! Glad we have rented a ski area. I do believe someone saw snowflakes today. EEEK!

Nancy Lee Badger

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18. September 2009 by admin.

Thursday September 17^th, 7 a.m.  Up and out to join Eric and Rich at the complimentary breakfast before departing our hotel at 8 a.m. We swing through Albany and Troy and make our way to Bennington, VT. We travel the new bypass (partially under construction) then stop for coffee and rest room at the McDonalds in Brattelboro, VT ($9.30 because I wanted a hash brown and Eric had a cheeseburger….so early?) after filling the gas tank. ($33.97) Traveled through Keene, NH and began to see lots of trees, pumpkins for sale, and more road construction. Is every town paving and painting stripes before the snow flies?  

We head in the capital of New Hampshire (Concord) and follow some campers who exit onto the bypass to the New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon which is about 10 miles northeast. Why are the games AGAIN competing for hotels and highway space with the races? Years ago the date was pushed back a week so as NOT to compete. We hit the Wal-Mart in Tilton at about noon and buy windbreakers. Rich forgot a coat and I could not pass up a new, unlined, windbreaker for warmer North Carolina for $12, and NO sales tax. Had to make a pit stop at Home Depot so Rich could say ‘Hi’ to his old cohorts, then headed for Plymouth. Picked up our several pints of made-in-Rumney-NH maple Syrup ($55) at the Peppercorn Natural Foods and I snuck a peek into Rands Hardware where I passed 22 years before 9-1-1 and writing fulltime. 

We barely made it into Annie’s Overflow Restaurant for a late breakfast ($30.60) before she closed at 2 p.m. Her diner used to be across the street before they built a new bridge and ran the road through her property. She is still in a flood plain, hence the name. We bought Rich some scotch at the liquor store ($36.98/2) and I bought 2 lottery tickets ($3), then we drove past our first home in Rumney where we lived for 22 years and raised our boys. It is in sad shape which makes me want to cry. They have let it go. I don’t know who ‘they’ are since it has changed hands several times. 

Drove over the Smith Millennium Covered Bridge, totally rebuilt in 2001. An arsonist took it down when the town could not decide whether to tear down the closed and unsafe one-lane structure and rebuild, or simply remodel it. Both methods sounded expensive. I believe insurance helped build a huge and beautiful two-lane bridge. Arrived in Lincoln, NH about 3:15, got the keys to our Forest Ridge 3 bedroom condo, and drove onto the mountain. Loon Mountain Ski Area is again host to the three day NH Highland Games and was a bustle of activity. Our tent was there but completely empty. Thanks to a young man names Josh, we suddenly had tables AND chairs!  

Tomorrow we hope to find flags stating ‘Information’ and ‘Raffle’ have gone up. Giving away a trip to Scotland only works if we sell enough tickets. Anyway, the total mileage for the day (including our little side trips) was 260 miles. My hips are a bit stiff, and tomorrow is a BIG day.   We plan to be at our post by 8 a.m. and I hope the temperature is above freezing. I find it hard to draw posters when my fingers are frozen. We will work the tent until about 4:30 then go back and dress for the Chieftain’s reception and the Tartan Dinner & Dance. We scored free tickets! (otherwise, $43/person) I may not be able to blog about Friday’s festivities but believe me when I say I do not plan to sit on my throne directing people…on the other hand, maybe I will! Nancy Lee Badger

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