Wednesday, December 31, 2014

New Year's Eve

Got plans for New Year's Eve? We're quite the party people. We'll rent a couple of movies, chow down and crash. I'm hoping to make it to midnight:) What's your plans?

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Jail Break from (or into) High Security Prison

Okay, so we put up the storm door with extra mesh on the outside of the door, since the beast tore up the screen coming through the door. We ( I use this term lightly as the hh did all the work) added a higher layer of mesh to the screened in porch. We thought we were set and let the beast out. She decided to come through the cat hole.

Monday, December 29, 2014

It's Monday

Wow, it's Monday and I'm not at work. Weird. I have one more week off and since its back to editing, its a good thing. How was your holidays? My computer decided to die over Christmas, so after a brief moment of silence I went out and bought a new one. grin. I'm hoping this one is a healthier specimen. I bought a support package which I've never done before. Since my techno skills are limited I trust it will be worth it. I couldn't get Word downloaded, it didn't recognize my activation key so I called Microsoft. It's usually luck of the draw when I call in for any type of support from any company. This time, my tech was wonderful. He was really helpful and I have Word again. Good thing since I'm editing, huh? 
Oops got sidetracked. Back to Christmas. It was fun having time with the babies. I swear the little girl tried to give me a kiss. That's my story and I'm sticking to it:)  My daughter and her fiancee fixed lunch: twice baked potatoes, stuffing, fresh green bean casserole, stuffed squash (see below), roasted carrots, mushroom gravy, butterscotch and bourbon pie, and for the carnivores we picked up a couple of braised chickens. It was a vegetarian's delight:) Santa remembered we'd moved to a different local and found the house without difficulty. Whew. What about you? Did Santa stop? Did you have a wonderful day with family and friends? I sincerely hope so and would love to hear about it.


Friday, December 26, 2014

Happy Weekend

I'm going to be spending time with the fam. Hope you're able to do the same.

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Merry Christmas

'One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly.'~Andy Rooney

Merry Christmas, my friends.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Christmas Eve

'Christmas waves a magical wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful~Norman Vincent Peale

May yours be wondrous, my friends.

And on a lighter note....

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

What's Your Elf Name

Are you groaning, not again? If you don't want to play that's fine. If you do, tell us your name. My is Elvis Angel-Pants.  Hmm. I don't think its really me....Maybe I should change it to Elvia Angel-Pants.
My baby girl and her fiance are due in today. YAY! What's going on at your house?

Monday, December 22, 2014

Friday, December 19, 2014

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Where Am I?

Anybody else ever felt like this?
*
My news: I'm retiring from my day job in March. I've got a book due in May that I haven't started so the retirement is timely. I will miss my associates and friends, I've been at my current position nearly fourteen years. What I won't miss...the alarm clock going off at six a.m. Maybe, after I've retired, I should set it anyway just to get up and get going. Not. Any news on your end?

Monday, December 15, 2014

It's Monday and Captcha

Yup, it's Monday. Didn't do too much here. Still unpacking boxes and editing. What about you?
~*~
I've got a question. How do you turn off Captcha?  I believe when blogger updated they made it automatic, but since some of the blogster buds don't have Captcha  there must be a way to get rid of it. I've just been ignoring it when I make my comments and that seems to work. Is that what you do?
~*~
Leandra is having a fun contest. If you have an opportunity, check it out.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Happy Weekend

Happy Weekend, My Friends. 
A week from today, I'll officially be on Christmas Break.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Monday, December 8

Yikes! It's already December 8. A couple of blinks and its going to be Christmas. How's your shopping going? We started this weekend. It's an ongoing project. What about you? Got yours done?
~*~
On another topic. Do you use the term 'girl' when addressing any of your girlfriends? Do you find being addressed as girl offensive? No guys, not you:) Why I'm asking: My 1800's ghost addresses a young woman as girl and my editor finds it offensive. I'm really curious about it, because I don't find it offensive, and use the term all the time, but if she does others must as well.   What's your thoughts?

Monday, December 1, 2014

Hanging Tree


Have you seen Mockingjay yet?
Both the HH and I thought it was great. One interesting thing I noticed, instead of mainly teens and tweens most of the theater goers were adults.  It was a Sunday matinee and that probably had a bearing still the series seems to have a large adult following. If you've seen it let me know what you thought.

~*~
 Can you believe it's December? Yikes!

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Have a Happy Thanksgiving

'Over and over I marvel at the blessings of my life: Each year has grown better than the last.'~Lawrence Welk.
Happy Thanksgiving, Friends.

Monday, November 24, 2014

I'm Back.....

So much to say so little time.
Oh my gosh, I need an exorcist, my head is still spinning. We finally got moved, though we were still driving back and forth with boxes at twelve thirty at night.We had to ask the movers to stop because it was pitch black, raining and the outside steps were slick. The hubby got so wet his feet were pruney;)
After the move, we put up a privacy fence for the hound and the outdoor cats. You're no doubt thinking cats could get out of a privacy fence and you're probably right. Because of this we added cat arms to the top of the fence. Every seen them? If any cat owners out there are interested, we ordered the extension from www.purrfectfence.com. Here's what it looks like. We haven't let the cats out yet. Still cat proofing the yard.


While we were waiting on the cat extension to arrive the hh reinforced the bottom half of the screened in porch, figuring the hound would try to come through it. Unfortunately, he underestimated the mutt's tenacity. As you can see from the picture, he climbed over the reinforcement and broke through the top. Needless to say, he's crated until the hh gets the entire porch reinforced.

Before and after the move I was writing like a crazy woman, when I wasn't wringing my hands thinking it couldn't be done. I finally got the rewrite turned in--a few thousand words short of the original--and was ready to kick back and relax...right after I finished unloading boxes...when I got an email from my editor along with another edit. I've got back to backs coming out in August and September.  So while she's working on one set of edits, I'll be working on the other.

Got my award. Yay! Though, I'm not sure what box it's packed in.
 Last weekend we went to Williamsurg VA and hooked up with my daughter, her fiance and his family who are in from Minnesota. While there we celebrated the hh's birthday. What could be better than spending it with his baby girl?

We went to the Southern Christmas Show in Charlotte Saturday. Where you there? If not, you must have been the only person that wasn't. It was packed.
Whew. That's about it. So what's been going on while I've been gone? Please, catch me up.






Monday, October 20, 2014

Hiatus

How are you blogster buds? We were packing fools this weekend and continue to be as the big day draws near. I'm afraid I'm going to have to shutdown shop for a few weeks. In addition to the move, I've been given a month for a rewrite and my muse is cowering under the covers. She and I are both plodders, so we may or may not get to the finish line in a timely manner. On the upside, Tall, Dark and Undead did win the ankh award.
I hope you have a pleasant and productive week, my friends. I'll be chatting with you again around the middle of November.

   

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Senseless and Sad

Hunters came into a cove community. My friend's pet ducks swam straight to the boat and the men shot and killed them. She'd raised them since they were babies. They'd never learned to fly. They were so tame, they'd go up to her back door and quack till she fed them. They pit stopped at the other homes on the cove regularly. I don't get it.I don't understand hunting anyway. The thrill of taking a life from an animal that's defenseless against a gun or bow. How is that sport? But to me, this is like going in someone's backyard and shooting their dog. It's senseless and sad.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Monday Mish Mash at Sandra's

Doing another Mish Mash. If anyone wants to grab the Mish Mash pic for their blog, help yourself.

I am so glad I am no longer dealing with that stomach bug. Knocked me on my butt.On the up side it certainly cut the grocery bill in half since neither the hh or I was inclined to buy much food. grin.

Lo these many seasons I've been getting the flu shot... I thought it was for stomach flu. I had no idea it was only for upper respiratory.  Yikes. Did you know that? 

This is for the 'I don't really care' appraisers out there. grin. Most of them are great. But there are a few.....
Two years ago we had to get an appraisal to refinance. After the appraisal and the refinance we redid floors, added a half bath, added a closet, new roof, new appliances in the kitchen, etc. So I wasn't concerned about this appraisal, figuring it should come back higher. Silly me. It came back fifteen thousand lower than the appraisal prior to remodeling and lower than the contracted selling price. Luckily, we've got a good agent. She went back to the lender and asked for a redo, pointing out what she felt was inconsistencies and low and behold, this time the appraisal came through at nine thousand higher. It was still lower than the appraisal prior to the remodel but higher than the selling price.  It's a head shaker.

We have emergency phone alerts where I work, used for fire alarms,  lock downs, weather etc. They happen to sound a lot like the amber alerts--which by the way are wonderful things. Anyway...my boss's cell had an amber alert bleep. I went racing for our office phone thinking we had an emergency message, before she pointed out it was her cell. At the same time the hh was teaching class when a student's cell bleeped the amber alert. The hh hustled the whole class outside thinking it was a fire alarm. grin.

The bro sent me this one.
Have a pleasant and productive Monday, blogster buds.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

New Book Cover

Lookee, lookee. Vampire Bay has a new cover. What do you think? Or do you like this one better?
Madelene Martin designed them. http://thebookcoverdesigner.com/designers/madelene-martin/
I think she did a wonderful job. The price was reasonable and she was a joy to work with. 

~*~
Sorry I've been AWOL on responses and visiting blogs. The grandson shared the flu with us.


Tuesday, October 7, 2014

One Average-Sized Heart

I ask myself how one average-sized heart had the capacity to care for so many.

The community college where I work lost an employee last week that left the whole campus reeling. Lamont Kinney didn't have a high-powered job that grossed him a large salary. He didn't have a lot of degrees attached to his name. What he did have was a huge heart, one that made him the most loved person on campus. Students, staff and faculty alike turned to Lamont for security, help and friendship. It was as if he derived his energy from taking care of others.

His passing made the front page of the local newspaper. The reporter, Amy Fuhrman, summed it up with her opening: 'The gates of Heaven are surely shining a little brighter, the angels’ welcome must be a little warmer and there are certainly no lost souls left to wander.' If there were, Lamont would find them and guide them home.

At least, one student credits his education to this dear man. When he came on campus for the first time, alone and unsure, with no one to help him, Lamont took him under his wing. The student said later, he would never have gotten his education if it weren't for Lamont. Another student said his dad passed when he was fifteen and Lamont became his father figure. And so it went.

The school president not only attended his funeral but spoke at it.

It both humbles and awes me that this man was capable of sharing himself with so many and doing it with a 'glad heart.' He gave a piece of himself to everyone he came in contact with. And he came in contact with many. Knowing Lamont was both a gift and a responsibility. A gift of friendship. A responsibility to pay it forward. His mantra: 'I'm here to make a difference.'

"Lamont, you succeeded beyond your wildest expectations. Till we meet again."
~*~
Campus Memorial Monday, Oct 6, 2014

Monday, October 6, 2014

Monday Mishmash

Thanks, Kelly, for sharing this picture
1.  Saw the babies this weekend and the little girl recognized me. Awesome:)

2.  Attended the funeral of a very dear man. More to follow.

3. I'm packing...slowly....very slowly.  I have to decide whether each and every object is trash or treasurer. 
Do I pack it, send it to goodwill or put it in the garbage? Decisions. Decisions.

4. Lyrical accepted Ghost For Sale.  YAY.

5.  I've changed some book covers. Blog reveal coming.

6. Love, Lattes and Mutants comes out February 23.

7. Love, Lattes and Danger is now in the hands of my editor.

8. And last but not least, my computer screen is dying.sigh.

What about you, blogster buds, how was your weekend?
~*~
For your viewing pleasure. FYI: Language in first few seconds.