DebWrites

@deborahz.bsky.social

158 Followers 125 Following

Biliary cancer survivor — I write romance, hor-rom, bad pun poetry, CNF, and the occasional blog post at newnormal2016.wordpress.com. Frequent smart ass. I like taking people to breakfast. You can find my latest CNF, Are We Not Evil, in the third Annual.

The black and tan short-haired doxy is on my bed, which is against the white wall of my bedroom. She’s standing, back legs on the bed, front legs on the window sill stretching her nose up, up, up to smell all of the smells coming in on the morning breeze through the open window. Outside, green-leafed trees in early summer light are visible.
A snip from the Pittsburgh Patch digital news feed. The headline reads “Suri Cruise No More: CMU Student Drops Famous Father Tom Cruise’s Surname.” The subhead, however, says, “Suri Cruise, the daughter of Tom Hanks and Katie Holmes and a Carnegie Mellon University student, legally has changed her name.” The phrase starting with “the daughter” and ending with ”student” has been highlighted.
A screenshot of a weather app page for Erie, Pennsylvania (about 30 miles across Lake Erie to the Canadian border). The air quality warning is purple, 212, very unhealthy.
A large female stag beetle on a cream-colored cushion. The picture is lit from above and her shadow, beneath her, shows her open pincers.
A close-up of homemade lemon meringue pie, the meringue tips toasted to a deep brown.
White-capped waves against the shore of Presque Isle in Erie, Pennsylvania, USA.
The tortie cat is curled on her side, white paw tips gathered, one side of her white snoot in a patch of morning sun.
The under-construction UFC wrestling ring and stadium seating in front of the White House.
The black cat is sleeping on an old, white quilt with big red stars, his paw draped over his eyes.
The torty cat is sitting in the open window, looking out at the rain-soaked world. Her view is the bright yellow-green of spring.
The front paws of the chocolate doxy and the tail of the black cat are an inch apart on a worn handmade quilt in cream with a patterned pink edge.
A picture of tall pines, taken from the ground looking up into the sky. The trees loom, towering a hundred feet above, backed by grey sky.
Over medium eggs, definitely basted!, bacon and a bowl of buttery grits. All displayed on a diner plate with a few chips on the edges.
Close-up of the golden brown meringue tips on a lemon meringue pie. The sun is shining through the window in the background.
Red, 2-door, Dodge Colt from the 1980s. Mine had no floor on the passenger side but we put a rug over the hole for “safety.”
A longhaired, chocolate, mini-doxy sleeping like she’s dead. She’s stretched out, on her back, on a vintage quilt. The quilt has a worn cream background covered with holly hobby forms in once-bright cottons. The doxy is wearing her red beaded necklace collar and nothing else.
The sun is shining on Freya, the chocolate mini-doxy, who is stretched out along a pair of jean-clad legs on a wooden deck.
Freya, the mini-doxie, is asleep on the cream quilt. Her left ear is spread out, fur in all directions, like a really bad case of bedhead.
The snoozing face of a black and tan mini doxy. She’s sleeping on a cream-colored quilt. One curled paw is visible in the picture. This girl is OUT. Must have had a busy day doing important dog tasks like eating, napping, barking, wagging, begging for treats, receiving pets.
A close-up of a sliced loaf of sweet bread. The crumb is light brown and looks tender. A smidge of the sugary top of the loaf is visible.
Legs, a black cat with yellow eyes, is lying on a lap. He’s looking to the left. There is a mound of quilts behind him.
A close-up video of the chocolate doxy snoozing. She’s on the colorful crocheted blanket she loves.
The black cat is on my lap, snoozing. The pink-striped sleeve of my blouse is in the foreground. The gold upholstered (antique) sofa is in the right background. A lovely cream flower-embroidered quilt is visible in the left of the picture. It’s difficult to see but Legs the Cat has his front paw firmly on my sleeve. *Things* may happen if I attempt to move. Yes, I am a prisoner of his love.
Four foot tall brass elephant on display at an auction house.
The chocolate, long-haired mini-doxy is pressing against my legs as firmly as she can. She’s lying on a crocheted blanket of many colors—pink, yellow, orange, and purple are all visible in the picture.
A tortie is sleeping, her head tilted down. Her white face and whiskers are stark against the red background.
The chocolate mini doxy is asleep (and snoring) in the foreground. The black cat is asleep in the background. They are lying on my crocheted granny square blanket. The yarn ends are not yet sewn in (which the cat appreciates). The blanket is a vibrant mix of magenta, yellow, rust, dark purple, and emerald green.
A photo of Lake Erie. The foreground is wet sand. The middle third of the photo is crusty ice dunes, a mix of sand and snow. A sliver of Lake Erie, as gray as today’s sky, is just visible beyond the mounds of ice. It looks cold and still.
My Merriam-Webster word of 2026 is moribund, which seems a trifle dark.
A green wall converted in hand-cut snowflakes. Some are minimalist and some are incredibly intricate.
A red tray filled with cookies—swirled shortbread, chocolate-covered butter cookies, gooey butter bar cookies, ginger snaps, tea cookies, nutmeg bites, peanut butter blossoms, shortbread bites, and frosted gingerbread bars.
Snow-covered tree limbs block most of the view from an upper-story window. The snow is fresh. There are few footprints visible in the early morning light.
A dessert plate with a wavy gilded edge, red and pink roses and gladiolas. A thatched-roof cottage is in the left center of the plate. There’s a stainless fork, tines up, in the right third of the image. Other than a tiny dollop of cream at the top center of the plate, there’s no sign that the plate ever held a slice of pie.
The cover of the third Annual, the Korm Plastics yearbook on music. "Everything you never knew you were interested in."
Mina, the miniature black & tan doxie, is wearing a red hoodie and lying on a gray fluffy blanket. Her ears are up. There may be treats in her near future. In the background, the red cast iron base of a bubblegum machine is visible. Yes, there is a bubblegum machine in the living room. Mina will not be taking any questions at this time.
A close-up picture of the White House. There’s a sign on the building in gold script: The Oval Office. The picture also has a text bar that reads: There’s a new sign outside the Oval now.
An image of Mark Cuban with a microphone. Over the image are the words “If you eliminate billionaires, the stock market will go, too, according to Mark Cuban.”
The long-haired chocolate mini doxy, Freya, is face-down, her snoot fully buried, in a colorful crocheted blanket.
A short yellow school bus — yes, the real deal — is parked in a yard and decorated for Halloween. There are skeletons hanging out the bus windows and leaving via the open back door. In the foreground of the picture are several skeletons that appear to be crawling through the grass.
The Kiltman is striking a pose in Market Square, Pittsburgh. He’s wearing red glasses and a formal black kilt ensemble with a pale pink shirt, black bow tie, cream knee socks, and black tennis shoes. There is a very large pink flower boutonnière on his lapel. His face is tipped up toward the gray sky. His hair is long and white.
Torty cat curled up in a traditional cat pose, chin on paw, tail curled all the way around. Her white nose and mittens are in an autumn-muted sun spot on the bed.
The front cover of the comic book, My Boyfriend Is a Bear by Pamela Ribon, illustrated by Cat Ferris. Pictured is a woman being carried in the arms of an upright black bear, who is also carrying a sweet gray cat on his back. They appear to be walking through a forest.
Penne in a ceramic bowl. It’s covered in fresh ground black pepper and more freshly grated Parmesan cheese than allowed by law. We’re talking mounds of cheese here. And butter. Did I mention butter?
A pile of leaves gleaming gold, yellow, and rusty brown on a sunny morning.
Purple beautyberry stands out against pale green leaves. The bright morning sun makes the tiny purple fruit glisten.
The torty cat is curled at the end of the bed, front feet tucked. She’s looking into the camera. Her whiskers are very apparent, practically bristling at the idea that she should “get up” on this Monday.
A very angry chipmunk is biting the bright blue Tiny Desk Concert hoodie that it’s wrapped in. Its left front paw is extended. Its left eye, black and shiny in the flash from the camera, appears to be staring directly into the photographer’s soul.
A screen capture of a truth social post by the president. He’s making recommendations to pregnant women and parents regarding use of Tylenol, as well as vaccination recommendations. I won’t repeat his nonsense because it is grossly inappropriate for medical advice to be offered by a president. If you have questions about the use of fever-reducers or the schedule for vaccinations, your care team is the only appropriate source for answers.
Breakfast on a red diner plate: Over-medium eggs, crispy home fries, bacon, and a buttery English muffin. In the background is a glass of ice tea. To the right on the wooden two-top table is the traditional condiment holder. Further back there are several empty tables and murals on the blue wall. One of the pictures is a little blond girl in a pink shirt blowing bubbles. The other picture is a Black man in a black Pittsburgh rivers tshirt and gray basketball shorts. He’s laughing, his glasses sliding down his nose, ball cap pulled low on his head. His arms are wide, embracing the world.
The early sun is coming in at an angle through the east-facing window, shining across the bed. Freya, the mini-doxie, is lying on her back, directly in the path of the sunlight, her head turned to allow maximum sun on her snoot. The light has given her chocolate fur red, gold, and caramel highlights that would cost a fortune from a hair salon. She’s deeply asleep, her paws twitching.
A close-ish view of a torty cat. She’s lying on her side on a flower-decorated sheet and facing the camera. Her eyes are slightly open, though she’s snoozing. Her white muzzle is very prominent in the picture, as is her pink nose. Behind her, slightly out of focus, is her favorite cat tree in front of an open window.
It’s a poster of Menudo, specifically the official 1984 poster, as if there were additional posters of the band later. All five young people are wearing bright tanks with matching pants and smiling goofily into the camera. They are standing in front of a pink backdrop with their band name taking up the bottom third of the poster.
Mina, the short-haired, black and tan, miniature doxy, is mostly covered by a top sheet patterned with roses on a cream background. Only her rather round butt, right hind leg, and part of her tail are visible.
A stereotypical cheeseburger. The top bun on the left of the orange ceramic plate is topped with lettuce, tomato, red onion and pickles. The burger on the bottom bun is covered with melted cheddar cheese and a slice of Virginia ham. Severe with the burger is a honey mustard sauce in a small metal container. Beside it is a large metal holder stuffed with thick cut fries. Will it crush your soul to know that, while it looks delicious, the burger is tough and overcooked? The fries are pretty good though, especially when dunked in the honey mustard sauce.
On a rose-patterned bedsheet, a middle-aged tortie faces slightly away from the camera. Her tongue is covering the top of her nose, which may have dipped into the remnant of buttercream frosting on the plate in front of her. The cake was consumed from the flower-decorated porcelain tea plate by the middle-aged camera-holder who is not in the picture. Both sentient creatures are quite pleased with themselves.
A cat is lying on a bed covered in a fitted sheet with a pattern of pink roses. Only the tail and bright white back paws of the cat, a tortie, are visible. It’s clearly an attic room with traditional knee walls, painted white. There’s an oak side table to the right of the image. On the table is a box of lactase pills and a Tiffany style lamp with a flower motif shade and a heavy cast iron base.
Dusk in Colonial Williamsburg. Several buildings in the historic area are lit up, their windows aglow. The clapboard structures are painted white with a black-shingled roof-line against the deepening blue sky. In the foreground is part of a paved road with a wide cobblestone berm and a post for tying a horse or carriage. A large tree is visible on the left, two more in the distant right of the picture.
A black cat wearing a light blue harness, walking on a leash. The cat is checking out a pot of flowers that sits on a brick sidewalk. The legs and feet of the cat-walker are moving out the left side of the photo.
A plate of French toast covered with strawberries, dotted with butter, and dusted with a light sprinkle of powdered sugar. Next to it is a small plate of crispy bacon. It’s a diner-style table, a two-seater, with a black top. There’s a fork to the right of the French toast plate. The plates are Homer Laughlin’s black checkers design from his American Diner line. Barely visible at the back of the picture is the condiment stand.
The back two-thirds of Freya, the chocolate long-haired, mini-doxie, are visible. Her very furry tail looks like it’s been awkwardly attached after the rest of her was created. Also, her butt area is very, excessively furry. She’s standing on a cream colored carpet filled with pink squares and surrounded by a pink border.