Peg Kehret Blog

Kids sometimes ask me (usually to their teacher’s or parent’s chagrin) how much money I make. I respond by explaining how royalties work. They assume that if I wrote the book, I get all the money from the book’s sales so they are often outraged to learn that when they purchase a paperback book for $6.99, my share - a standard six percent royalty - is forty-two cents. I then explain that my agent gets fifteen percent of everything I earn, in this case, six cents. So that puts my share at thirty-six cents per book. I’m considered a business by the State of Washington so I pay a Business and Occupation Tax and, of course, I pay federal income tax, as well.

Why would anyone in their right mind work for such a pittance? Because I don’t sell only one book per year. And because my books continue to sell year after year so that I receive income from them long after I’ve finished writing them.

Yesterday I received a royalty check for $122 from The Dramatic Publishing Co. for a one-act play titled “Cemeteries Are a Grave Matter.” It had been produced by three high schools in three different states. $122 does not make me a wealthy woman. On the other hand, there has never been a time in my life when I was not delighted to have $122 that I didn’t have the day before. The amazing thing about this check is not its size, it’s that I published that play in 1975, which means I have been collecting royalties on it for thirty-five years!

I vividly remember how thrilled I was to open that long-ago letter and learn that “Cemeteries Are a Grave Matter” had been accepted. Now I am thrilled to know that the words I wrote thirty-five years ago still seem relevant to high school audiences.  That is why I write - not to get rich, but to entertain as I offer my view of the world.

Tuesday, Feb. 23, is officially Spay Day USA, when every pet owner is urged to spay or neuter their companion animals.  Pet overpopulation is the main reason why animals are abandoned, and euthanized in shelters. 

When a dog or cat is allowed to have a litter, even if you place all of the puppies or kittens in good homes, it means fewer potential homes for shelter animals.  The Humane Society nearest my home euthanized 1680 healthy, adoptable animals last year - simply because they could not find homes for them. Similar sad stories are told all across the U.S.

 To support Spay Day USA, many clinics, shelters, and private veterinarians are offering special low rates for spay/neuter surgeries.  If you have an animal friend who has not yet been spayed or neutered, please make an appointment to have this done. 

Today was Pampered Pets Day. I leave tomorrow morning to spend a couple of days with my son’s family, and to attend a memorial service. Like any conscientious mom, I always feel a tad guilty when I leave my “kids,” even though I have a wonderful pet sitter who stays at my house.  To make up for going tomorrow, I took Lucy for a long walk on the Foothills Trail. It was a warm, sunny day, and she got to sniff several other dogs. The trail is her favorite destination; she actually shakes with anticipation when I pull into the trail’s parking area.

When we got home, I took Molly out. She wandered around, ate grass, sniffed the dirt and stared at the trees. Favorite cat activities. While I was supervising her, I saw a pileated woodpecker. They are magnificent birds, and I don’t see one very often. We also startled a flock of mourning doves.

Because my legs always ache after a walk, I laid down for half an hour and was quickly joined by Lucy and Molly, who love to snuggle.

Pampered Pets Day - a long walk in the sun, time to daydream and watch the birds, and a nap. Maybe it was really Pampered Peg Day.

I am saddened this week by the death of my good friend, Frank Hall. Frank was my son’s father-in-law, and one of the most generous people I’ve ever met.

My favorite memory of Frank is from my son’s wedding. When they were dating, Bob and Pam had an on-again, off-again, on-again romance. My husband, Carl, and I dearly loved Pam and worried that Bob would let her slip through his fingers. We became fast friends with her parents, Judy and Frank Hall, who felt the same way about our son as we did about their daughter.

When the wedding finally happened, the two dads couldn’t contain their enthusiasm. As soon as the minister pronounced Bob and Pam husband and wife, Carl and Frank leaped to their feet and high-fived each other across the center aisle. Of course, the congregation, including the bride and groom, howled with laughter.  

Pam and Bob will celebrate their 23rd anniversary on Feb. 28. 

Today I baked Valentine brownies for my grandkids. My idea was to frost the brownies and then, before the frosting hardened, press a Valentine candy heart  (the kind with love-related sayings on them) into the top of each piece. I chopped the walnuts, cracked the eggs, measured and stirred. While the brownies baked, I sorted through the bag of Valentine hearts and chose the sayings I liked best (U Rock; Puppy Love; Call Me) so they’d be ready for quick placement. I also started melting the butter and chocolate for the frosting.

I tested the brownies with a toothpick (twice, since they weren’t quite done the first time) and then, when they were baked to perfection, I removed them from the oven - and dropped the pan on the floor! It landed face down and bounced, leaving hot brownie crumbles strewn across the kitchen floor. I stared in disbelief at the mess. The 9 X 13 glass pan had simply slipped out of my hands before I could set it on the cooling rack.

Lucy rushed to the kitchen to see what had happened so I had to clean things up quickly before she ate any chocolate. I used a large spatula to scoop the crumbles into a garbage bag.  About a third of the brownies had remained stuck in the pan. Those will eventually be a dessert served in bowls with ice cream.

I washed the floor. I looked at the melted chocolate and butter in the frosting pan. I re-read the sayings on the candy hearts. And then I did what every writer does when a first draft is a disaster: I started over. I chopped more nuts, cracked more eggs, and sprayed the bottom of my other 9 X 13 pan. I baked another batch of brownies and this time I was extra cautious when I moved the pan from the oven to the cooling rack. They’re frosted now, and the colorful candy hearts with their Valentine sayings look festive and fun. I can hardly wait to give them to the kids.

Earlier this week I posted a notice on my Facebook Fan Page that I would send a signed bookplate to any of my Facebook fans who requested one. I expected to hear mostly from kids, but it turns out I have a lot of adult fans who wanted an autographed bookplate.

One of my favorite requests came from a couple in Colorado who told me that they have always had “storytime” where they take turns reading aloud in bed before they go to sleep. When their kids were growing up, this was a family storytime. Now, when their adult offspring come home to visit, they still want to be included in storytime. Currently this couple is reading The Stranger Next Door, and having a good time doing Pete the Cat’s parts out loud.

A friend’s healthy one-year-old dog died yesterday after eating sugar-free gum that contained xylitol. The vet said this is a common ingredient in sugar-free products (it’s also in some toothpaste) and that it is extremely toxic to dogs. Please be cautious about what you leave where a curious, or greedy, dog can find it.