Ketch-up Day

 How are you? We are perking along here.

The HH got me this T shirt.  Ever feel this way?

AND

Pics of The Eternal Garden

And

A couple critter pics😊

As you can see, not a lot going on here. What about on your end?

Weekend Wishes

 

Writerly Wednesday AND Did You Know

 What is your synonym, sentence or meaning for:

Example:  That speaker was truly bodacious.

 AND

Did you know that MLK paid for Julia Roberts' birth?

 

For more information:

Julia Roberts' birth was paid for by MLK. Yes, really : NPR

 

Ketch-Up Day

 

 

Did you have a good weekend? Having a good week? 

I'd like to share with you an experience a wildlife rehabber I know had years ago.

She had taken in a litter (passel) of orphaned possums. One of the youngsters became friends with the dog. They ate together, slept together, and played together. Friends.

When it was time to re-home the possums, she took them into the woods and let them go. The little possum who was friends with the dog came back. This happened several times before it finally acclimated to the wilds and wasn't seen again.

A couple of years later the dog died unexpectedly and they buried it on the property. That evening, at twilight, my bud (the rehabber) looked out the window and to her stunned surprise saw the possum sitting on the grave. 

I have to believe it came to say goodbye to its old friend.

AND

The Eternal Garden pics

 

 

 

 

What about you, blogger buds? Got any unusual critter stories? Is your garden blooming yet?

Weekend Wishes

 

AND

AND

I'm blogging about Mysterious Airships in the Old West at Cowboy Kisses.

Writerly Wednesday and Did You Know

 What's your synonym, example or sentence for:

Example:  The protesters staged quite a ballyhoo.

AND

Did you know, dogs can sniff out cancer in humans.

 For more information: The science of sniffs: disease smelling dogs :: Understanding Animal Research

Ketch-up Tuesday

I hope you had a grand weekend and your week is off to a great start.

We scattered Penny's ashes in the backyard where she spent many a happy hour. I made a point to have some of them  scattered in my flowers she'd trammeled:)

Friday we went to see the baby boy graduate from the NC Community College Leadership Program he'd participated in. What about you. What did you do over the weekend?

Now back to our regularly scheduled program of cats and flowers 😄

 

That's all for now, blogger buds. Have a week filled with fun and creativity.

Weekend Wishes

 

Writerly Wednesday AND Did You Know

 What is your synonym, definition or sentence for:

,

Sentence: Watching the funambulist, high overhead, made his heart rise to his throat as she took one careful step after another.

AND

Did you know, Charles Dickens belonged to a paranormal society called The Ghost Club?

For more information: Charles Dickens was in a paranormal investigation society called the “Ghost Club.” — History Facts

 

Ketch-up Tuesday

 

How are you?

Last week was sad for us. Penny crossed the Rainbow Bridge. She was diagnosed with cancer recently and it was bad enough, and progressed so quickly, we had to put her to sleep a couple of weeks after the diagnosis. She was thirteen and of those thirteen years we'd had her eleven.   I'd like to share a few of her stories:

When she and Frank were younger and more boisterous, they liked to party down when the HH and I were gone. To this day I don't know who managed to get the door open since it was a regular doorknob, but they would break into the food pantry. Frank would knock the food off the shelves and Penny would cart it to the dining room and they'd chow down.  It got so bad we had to get a dead bolt put on the pantry door.

AND

She and the neighbor dog used to have races, each running on their side of the fence as fast as they could go.  Frank would even get in on the action but he was usually left in the dust.

AND

I was appalled to learn that one Thanksgiving when she was staying at the sitter's over Thanksgiving, she  stole the Thanksgiving turkey. (Though, she was generous enough to share it with one of the other dogs.) Luckily, the sitter discovered it before Penny and her partner-in- crime had done much more than waller it to the floor.  

On Penny's last day, her sitter came to say goodbye.

We feel her loss keenly.

RIP Penny. You're missed.

Weekend Wishes

 

IWSG Wednesday AND Did You Know

 

The first Wednesday of every month is officially IWSG day. IWSG was formed by Ninja Captain Alex Cavanaugh. Members post about their doubts and fears, discuss struggles and triumphs, and offer words of encouragement to others who are struggling.

 

Twitter handle: @TheIWSG  

Hashtag: #IWSG 

The awesome co-hosts for the April 3 posting of the IWSG are Janet Alcorn, T. Powell Coltrin, Natalie Aguirre, and Pat Garcia!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Remember, the question is optional
 

April 3 question - How long have you been blogging? (Or on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram?) What do you like about it and how has it changed?

 

Hmm. Good question. I’ve been blogging since dinosaurs roamed the earth. You?

As far as liking it, I prefer it to Facebook. I know it’s out there for everyone to see, but blogging doesn’t have the audience it once did and it feels more intimate. Almost like messaging  your friends.

AND

March/April Reviews in no particular order.

* Disclaimer. If I run into an occasional typo, I ignore them and don't factor them into my review.

 

FINDING ME, THE DEFIANT SISTERS: Book 2 by Jacquie Biggar

Renee and Izzy were as close as sibs could be till their father killed himself and Renee took off, leaving Izzy to take care of their younger brother and deal with the heartbreak of desertion from the person she trusted most in the entire world. Now Renee has come home to heal the breach. She’s determined to stay, and make a life for her and her family, even if Izzy is trying her best to run her off with hurtful words and lack of trust.

FINDING ME touches on the raw subjects of suicide and abandonment with the delicacy of feeling we have come to expect from the author. Ms. Biggar is a master at putting her finger on the pulse of acerbated emotion and she tips the scales with this tale. Her worldbuilding adds another layer to the rich fabric of this story. Once again Ms. Biggar has delivered.

Her fans will devour this latest offering. And for those who have never read her, I’m sure they too will be polishing off this story at breakneck speed. A must read for those that love new adult romance.

Available at Amazon

 

ZODIAC ACADEMY, THE AWAKENING: Book 1 by Caroline Peckman and Susanne Valenti

Twin girls who have practically raised themselves find out they are not only fae but of royal blood.  They are taken to Zodiac Academy Where they must prove themselves to werewolves, vampires, dragons and a host of other magical creatures.

ZODIAC ACADEMY, RUTHLESS FEY: Book 2 by Caroline Peckman and Susanne Valenti

The Celestial Heirs fight back against the powers that are trying to destroy them, specifically four male students that want to rule the fae kingdom.

ZODIAC ACADEMY, THE RECKONING: Book 3 by Caroline Peckman and Susanne Valenti

 In this series, the girls take on their magical form. Keeping the reader, and the twins, guessing as to what they’ll become to the very end.  I’ve got to admit, I didn’t see what creature they’d turn into coming. AND if that’s not enough, Darius’s evil father uses them for his own twisted ends.

Available at Amazon

 

THE KEEPING PLACE by Mae Clair

Nicole Seabrooke is riddled with guilt about the death of her sister and the part she played in it. Ten years later when her sister’s body is found, she goes home to face the devils that drive her and solve the mystery surrounding her sister’s death.

Of the many books of Ms. Clair’s that I’ve read, this is my hands-down favorite. I was enthralled with this story and found it hard to put down.  The book keeps the tension building as it travels seamlessly back and forth from past to present, keeping the reader on edge, caught up in one era and wondering what’s happening in the other. The world building is well done, painting a backdrop that allows the reader to glide onto the page and join the characters. Characters that are flawed but relatable. And with all these threads to pull together, the pacing never falters. All in all, this is a read I highly recommend, particularly for those that love a good mystery or just an enjoyable, well-crafted tale. 

Available at Amazon

 

JUBAL STONE: U. S. MARSHAL: BLOOD TRAIL TO HELL by Casey Nash

This is the first book in a series of fifty so you can see it’s quite popular with Western readers.  In this book we meet a very young Jubal and find out how he became a U.S. Marshal. The storyline is interesting and the language authentic. My only minor grumble with the book: I would have liked to have seen more showing and less telling.

Available at Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HELL AND BACK by Craig Johnson

Book #18 takes a deep paranormal turn when Walt wanders in a different time dimension while his body lies battered and broken.

DAUGHTER OF THE MORNING STAR by Craig Johnson

In Book #17, Walt is trying to discover what happened to a missing Cheyenne girl while making sure her sister doesn’t meet the same fate. The story line continues in book 18. Like many in the series, this book contains mystical overtones.

Available at Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve gone back and started rereading Joan Smith’s Regency Romances. Has anybody else out there read her? I love her books. They are sweet, sparkling and witty. I read both e and paper, but I have Joan's books in paper and they are a gazillion years old. In fact, SWEET AND TWENTY is literally falling apart. I was going to read it, trash it and order a new copy, then I realized the only way I could get another one was too get it in e, so I hauled out the packing tape and taped it back together:) If you like regency, I highly recommend her. Just don’t pick them up, if you’re looking for steam. They’re gentle romances. 

With all the divisiveness in our world today, sometimes you just need the sweet. 

Available at Amazon

 

 

AND

Did you know, Louisa Mae Alcott, among others, wanted Mark Twain's THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN banned?

For more info:

'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' | Top 10 Censored Books | TIME.com