Feel Good Friday

Ah! Friday! 

What a freaking long and crazy week! 

Let's get to the list!

1. Sequestering was amazing! We did what we wanted and actually got a lot of things taken care of. That Man worked on his truck and I wrote, and we did a bunch of other things that needed to be done. It was a good weekend!

2. The day job is crazy! One of our coworkers left and her duties have been spread out among many of us, with me getting the most of it. Which is absolutely fine and good, but also a little nuts! I love it, and I am still getting used to everything!

3. I am writing again! Whooo! I finished my "old lady" story. And started edits on Sector Two.

4. Today I received my second round edits for my short. Yay! I have the edits done, but I have to do a read through before I send them back. I'm hoping to get a release date soon. 

5. My kid and her boy came home this weekend. They went to his house on Memorial Day and we haven't seen them since. We've talked on the phone a bunch, and of course, texted a bunch, so it's good to see my kid! We/They have a lot going on this weekend, and they have a ton of laundry to do. But it's nice to have them here. 

6. Friends coming this weekend! We haven't seen them since the beach, so we're looking forward to spending some time with them!

7. Sleeping in tomorrow. 

8. We finally got black out curtains for our bedroom. Oh! How nice! It's like a cool, peaceful, and dark cave! Sleeping has been amazing!

9. The tiny bit of rain we had earlier. It was a nice gentle rain and my grass and plants appreciated it. 

That's about it!

Behave!

End of May

First thing... Happy Birthday to my oldest! 

It's hard to believe you are as old as you are! I very distinctly remember the day you were born. I am so proud of the man you have grown into!

Camping was a blast! We had amazing weather and a lot of laughs. Mr. B slept in his tent all weekend and had so much fun fishing, swimming, and playing with the other kids. We had a pretty full meadow, which was awesome. K1 and J came for the picnic and Little B had so much fun with his cousin. They were super cute, even when they busted into a fellow campers tent and started ravaging toys. Friends came to visit, which was also great. It was a good weekend. 

We dropped the camper off for inspection on our way home and retrieved it last night. So good there. When we picked it up, we dropped our car off for inspection, so hopefully that's ready tonight or tomorrow. Then that's all done. 

This weekend That Man and I are sequestering ourselves at home. We've been on the run so much that we need a weekend just the two of us. So much. Yeah, we'll be working around the house, but that's one of the other reasons we're staying home. There are many things that need taken care of. I'm looking forward to it. Sleeping in a little, planting flowers, working on his truck, and hanging new curtains in our room... Oh and grilling. Nice! 

Other than that... the writing has been super slow. The goal is to change that asap. My brain is working, but my time hasn't been. The calendar is filling up, so I need to make a concentrated effort to put my writing at the top of the list. 

And Geeze! Tomorrow starts June! 

And that's all I have for now! 

Behave! 

 

Touching Base...

Here we are at Tuesday again... Time goes by so fast. Well, except sometimes. Ha! 

My edits and art sheet have been finished and returned to my editor. Now I just wait for the next round and the cover art. Excited for both. I don't have a release date yet. This one will only be available as an ebook since it's way shorter than my other books. 

So the weekend with the grandboys was a blast. Little B barely slept Friday night, but Saturday night he conked out early and slept until five am, which is amazing. Of course, he was exhausted. We spent the day playing outside. Took him to where we camp to run off some energy and he did so good. But That Man and I are still tired. Ha!

Camp is coming up quickly. We're trying to get ready, but it's a crazy week. The camper is almost ready, but then we need to drop it off for tires, so we're trying to get it packed up with everything but the cold food before we take it since we'll pick it up and drop it at camp when it's done. (The shop is only a few miles from where we camp) I've been rearranging cupboards in there and so far I'm okay with the results, but not completely. There's so much wasted space. I'm still thinking about how to maximize. 

I'm very much looking forward to the camping weekend. A little sleeping in. A lot of camp fire. A lot of chair sitting and hanging out with some of my favorite people. I am also looking forward to That Man and I going camping on our own somewhere. I've been looking at places, but so far haven't found a place that I want to go. 

And that's about it! 

Behave! 

Happy Birthday, Momma!

Hi Momma!

It's been eight years since you left us to go and be with Dad. Eight long years of missing you both and wondering what life would have been like had you both been able to stay a little longer. You would be turning 83 today. You were taken far too young. 

I know Covid would have seen you making masks and running to the fabric store even though you wouldn't have needed to because of your already impressive stockpile of fabric and supplies. That makes me laugh to think about because I could fully imagine our conversation in my head. Dad would have been annoyed, but he probably wouldn't have said much to deter you from your mission. And he would have been happy to sit in his chair and not have to interact with the world during that time. 

You've missed so much, Momma. I guess part of me knows that you've only missed things physically. That you're still here, watching and smiling at most of it. Your great grandbabies that never got to meet you. The weddings. The shenanigans. Triumphs. 

And you're not smiling, but you've seen the bad stuff that's happened too... the deaths, disappointments, stress, rejections, and the severing of important family ties. I wish I could talk to you about all of that. I can't help but wonder what you would say and do about some of it if you were still here. 

Not a day goes by when I don't reach for the phone to call you or text you something you would find funny or interesting. There have been so many times that I just needed to hear you tell me that everything was going to be okay. Knowing you weren't worried was enough to keep me from worrying. Now, though, I know that you really were worried, but didn't want me to be. 

But we go on without you. Not that we have a choice. This year has been especially hard for some reason, though it's never easy. I find myself remembering your last few days with absolute clarity. The surprise birthday party we managed to throw you for the first time ever. The relaxing Mother's day. And then everything bad that came after. 

I just miss you, Momma. 

Happy Birthday in heaven!

Better?

Hey! It's only been a week! That's better, right? 

Same old, same old around here. Mostly. 

I got my edits for my new short story. Not sure when it comes out, but it will only be an ebook, which is fine with me. I'll be digging into them over the rest of the week and will hopefully get them done before total chaos erupts this weekend. 

We'll have the grand boys this weekend. Sleepover at Nana and Pappy's! It should be a blast, but I'm a little nervous because Little B does not sleep well or much. We'll figure that out. K4 is borrowing our car for her camping trip to a festival, so we'll have to borrow K1's car to haul them around. I think it's going to work out okay though. 

This past Sunday was Mother's Day. So bittersweet. Saturday was the anniversary of my momma's death. I know it's been eight years, but this year felt harder. There was a lot of nostalgia and memories. The day was good though. We had a fire in the backyard, good food, lots of laughter, and my boys and grand boys came over. 

Next weekend is our first camp out of the year. So getting the camper the rest of the way ready has to happen soon. We'll figure it out. Still waiting on tires, so there's that. Mr. B will be along with us for camp. He's super excited and wants to sleep in a tent, so we'll figure that one out. It'll all depend on what the weather is supposed to be like. 

And that is all...

Behave!

Feel Good, Weekend Update, and Stuff

Yeah, I know I suck! 

Hectic is the only word I have...

1. The Jersey signing was fun, but somewhat of a bust at the same time. But it's a fantastic experience. It rained all day, which is controversial regarding did it keep people home or encourage them to come out since it was not a day to do yard work? No idea on that one.

2. The day job has been absolutely insane. I came back from being off and had one day to try to reset before I had to cover for my counterpart for eight days. It was crazy busy for both jobs and I still don't feel like I am caught up with myself.

3. Which leads me to the writing going super slow right now. Well, okay, not super slow...halted. I'm working on a critique and then I have another one to do, but I haven't touched my own stuff in far too long. That will change very soon, but it's killing me. 

4. The warmer weather is so nice. We've gotten the yard mostly cleaned up. Next is to get our fence fixed. We've been holding off because the tree in the neighbors yard is half dead and has already taken out a huge section of our fence. And you know exactly what will happen... We'll fix our fence and the damn thing will fall. This tree is the one that was hit by lightning two summers ago. It's ginormous, but half of it is dead. And of course, it's the half that faces our house. We've spoken to the landlord about it, but so far he's done nothing. So we'll see... We really can't put off the fence project any longer. It looks like absolute heck right now and I hate it. 

5. Camping season starts soon! The camper is partially ready. Well, if you don't count the fact that it needs new tires. And state inspection. Those will be taken care of very soon though. It's been de-winterized. Now we just need to clean and load for the season. I am looking forward to camp fires and relaxation. 

And that's all I have at the moment...

Behave! 

Absent!

Yes, I have been absent! Sorry about that! 

Last week That Man and I took a trip to our favorite place on earth! We rented the same little cabana we had two years ago just steps from the beach. 

It was lovely and a much needed break. 

The weather was amazing! Top down on the Jeep kind of weather! We took the top down on the old girl when we arrived and didn't put it back up until we were ready to pack to come home. Of course, the little cabana has a parking area underneath, so even if it had rained, nothing would have gotten wet, so there's that. But it didn't rain.

Lot's of sunny beach days--mostly on the beach in front of our rental, but some days traveling to nearby beaches. One day we found what looked like a desserted tropical island. There were trees in the water, a huge sandbar, and absolutely no people. The tide was going out and the water was calm. We spent quite a bit of time there. Well, until the winds died down and the black flies decided we would make a good lunch. 

Our friends were down at the same time we were. They stayed pretty close to where we were, so we gathered for some meals, Jeep trips, sunset watching, and fishing. He used to work with That Man, and I've known her since high school. We always have a good time with them and this was no exeception. It was nice to have our own space, but also have the option for hang out time if we felt like it, and it was the same for them. Everything was optional and understood. 

Coming home was rough. Torrential rain and accidents everywhere. We ditched off the main road as soon as possible and took back roads home. Even though it took a few minutes longer, it was worth it to not have to deal with the insanity of the main highway. 

Anyway. We're back at the grind. 

This weekend is the big book signing in New Jersey. I'm on Saturday's schedule. It's a long drive, but a lot of fun, so there's that. So, hey, if you're in Jersey, stop in and see me. 

And that is all! 

Behave! 

Monday Again!

So I'm kinda peeved... 

Someone reported a post on here from 2009 for being offensive. 2009. 14 years? 

I have no idea what was even in the post because I can't see it now. All I know is that the title was about coffee. I cannot imagine that anything was offensive in the post. At all. I never post stuff to be offensive, rude, or anything. 

I'm not going to fight about it. I mean... 14 years? What the what? 

But it makes me sad and mad and it sours my love of this blog. 

I don't have any intention of getting rid of the blog, but I'm definitely disgruntled. And I don't appreciate it. 

Anyway...

Back to the grind today. It was a crazy and fun weekend. 

This week is insane, but next week should be better. In fact, I know it will. 

That is all. 

Behave! 

Week End Wrap Up... HaHa!

Look at that! It's actually Sunday! 

Haha! 

Okay... here's the list...

1. Getting stuff done. Closets have been cleaned out. Drawers have been cleaned out and organized. My office has been mostly organized. Also, plant stuff. Car stuff. 

2. I'm tired. 

3. Sleeping in both days. Not a lot, but still good. 

4. Getting through a looong work week. 

5. The holiday coming up. Looking forward to it. There's going to be good food, family and friends, and I'm going to say a lot of laughter! 

And that's about it... I'm tired (did I say that?)

Behave!

Another Weekend Wrap Up on Monday...

Ha! I guess this is the thing now... 

This weekend was super busy, so there's that. 

We took off Friday to help K1 & J out. Got the grandboys to school, did the shopping, and then had a "reverse" sleepover with them. J had to have surgery and K1 needed to be with her. We had a blast with the kids, but sleeping was horrible. Little B woke up around 4am on Saturday. And it rained all day which prevented our plans of running around and doing stuff. But it was fine. We chilled, made their mommy cards, and cleaned up constantly. Ha! Made them soup so they didn't have to worry about dinner, and made sure the house looked good so J wasn't stressed out by a mess. It was exhausting, but it was good. 

Finally got our snowmen off the front porch and replaced them with some spring flowers. And we got several other items checked off of our list. 

Easter plans are underway, too. 

It's hard to believe that it'll be April in a few days! 

I, unfortunately, didn't get any writing done this weekend, which I expected but it still bums me out. I didn't even take my computer! 

Other than that... it's the same old same old busy stuff. 

And that is all...

Behave! 

Weekend Wrap Up...On Monday

I'm not going to say I need another weekend day. You know it. You feel it, too! Ha!

It was a busy one. Lots of housework, laundry, and errand running...blah blah blah. No napping either. 

The taxes are done. All I have to do is write the checks. Ugh. 

My stupid leg has been giving me fits. I don't know if it's sciatica or what. I'll be walking just fine and all of a sudden I get a shooting pain down my leg that stops me in my tracks. I hate it. Though it's a little better today. Last night I could barely walk and don't even ask me about going up the stairs to hit the bathroom. 

I absolutely hate this cold. I'm super cranky about it. I'm done with being cold. The wind has been brutal. I know today is the first day of spring and I'm glad for that, but it's still too cold.

And that's all I have. Despite it being a busy weekend, there is nothing to actually report on that you would care about. Ha!

Behave! 

Weekend Wrap Up!

Sunday again! Oy! These weekends are just never long enough! 

And I forgot about the stupid time change! Oh how I hate it! 

For the most part, it's been quiet around here. Some stuff yesterday, but not bad. Today has been reasonably lazy. Laundry done. Kick ass dinner made, eaten, and cleaned up from (and it's only five...). 

Best part is that I just signed and returned a contract for my novella! Yay! Currently it's titled "Life After". It's about a woman who wakes up to find she's completely alone in the world. It'll be an e-book only due to length, but that's okay with me. 

Now to get some more words on the page! 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! 

Behave! 

Feel Good Friday!

Thank goodness! This week was also a long one! 

Here's the list: 

1. Sending my novella to my editor. Nothing guaranteed there, but fingers crossed that she likes it. 

2. New words. I'm cranking it on my new story. It's a mess, but my word count is growing. And even though it's a little messy right now, it's coming together.  

3. Light weekend plans. It's about time. I'm not saying we have no plans, but they are easy. Well, if you don't count potentially exhausting yard cleaning, weather permitting. There will be naps! 

4. Sleeping in a bit tomorrow. Which is good considering we were up before four am this morning. Today was our annual work breakfast and we had to cook our stuff and get into work super early. It was a huge success, though I'm dragging now. And still full. We had so much great food. 

5. Potentially seeing the boys this weekend and plans to see K5 next week. 

That's enough... Stay warm!

Behave! 

It's Monday...And I'm Tired...

Oy, Monday! 

I definitely could have used one more weekend day! 

Little B was a hoot on Saturday. We made brownies, played with magnetic blocks, and made nine-hundred and fifty six trips to the bathroom. (Ha!) He helped water plants, and wash dishes. He really wanted to go outside and ride bikes, but it was just too cold and windy for that. 

Then our friends came over, which was really nice. Dinner turned out well and we had a good time talking and laughing. 

Sunday's plans were waylaid by our niece and future nephew's sewer pipe breakage. We went over to help. Well, That Man helped. I heckled. But it got fixed. No mega store happened. When we got home I took a long and hard nap and I'm still freaking exhausted. 

But I got to see K1 for a bit and I talked to K3 on the phone when he got off work, so there's that bit of goodness. 

Tonight, however, it's mega store time. Ugh. But very necessary since there is no laundry soap or coffee. 

At this point, our weekend coming up is looking quiet, but it's too soon to tell yet. 

I got through quite a bit of edits on Friday night, but haven't had the time to sit down and work on it since, so that has to happen this week. I'm so close to being done! 

That is all...

Behave! 

Feel Good Friday!

This has been the absolute longest week! 

Let's just hit the list! 

1. Getting almost through my critiques for my short story. I'm halfway through the last one. Then I'll give it a final read through and send it off to see what my editor thinks. Whoo! 

2. Sleeping in a tiny bit tomorrow. 

3. Little B is coming to hang out tomorrow while his mom and brother go do some stuff. We'll have fun. We went to the store and loaded up on his favorite snacks and drinks. We'll make cookies or brownies and probably play chase through the house per usual. He's so funny and is a joy to be with. 

4. Most of the laundry getting done tonight. 

5. And the grocery store. Except for the mega store run, which will happen probably Sunday. 

6. Work stuff working out. Ha! There was a slight situation that caused me a lot of worry and dismay, but it has been settled and all is well. Cryptic? Well, maybe, but do you really care? It wasn't anything I did, so there's that. 

7. Scoring a like new office chair. The one in our guest room is in terrible shape. I managed to snag the new one before it was tossed in the dumpster. There is literally nothing wrong with it. I'm not sure why it was being thrown out. (except that it is a little...okay, a lot... ugly)(but it kinda fits with the retro theme in the guest room, so there's that)

8. Getting to see my little boys briefly last night. 

9. Seeing our friends tomorrow night. It's been a while. It's our turn to cook and we're making Butter Chicken. Very much looking forward to the evening. 

And now...

We had a handle on the skunk smell. Our jackets were washed and no longer smell. The house, after boiling apple cider vinegar with lemons and limes, no longer smelled. 

I soaked her collar in white vinegar and blue dawn. This morning, there was white chunky stuff all through the container. And her collar did not smell at all. So there's that. 

But it's raining...

And the dog absolutely reeks again. She's currently sitting beside me and depending on how she moves, I cannot take a deep breath. Oy! 

And that is all for now! 

Behave! 

Stay Away From the Striped Kitty...

So yeah... you can probably guess what this is about based on the title! Ha!

This morning our dog got sprayed by a skunk right in the face. My poor old girl. 

That Man was outside with her. I was in the bathroom. I heard him yell "nooo". Got out there and...oh boy...

Almost threw up. She's trying to rub her face on my pants, on the rug, on our chairs...That Man is wiping her face down with water and blue Dawn. It's not helping. 

We bathe her, which is always a fun treat. But she actually cooperated. More blue Dawn and being careful around her eyes and ears. It helped, but not. 

Our whole house stinks. We stink. It's vomit inducing. 

Got to work and it was immediately pointed out that we reek of skunk. I have a headache. The smell doesn't appear to be around and then all of a sudden it hits me in the face. 

Texted K4 since she's off today. She said her room, which is on the third floor, reeks. I'm afraid to go home. (We made it into work only two minutes late, so I guess that's something)

I know she'll need another bath when we get home. I've looked up all of the things related to how to get rid of the smell. K4 is also on it. 

She got sprayed about five years ago, but this time is far worse. And no, I don't think she's going to learn. Ha! 

Oy! And that, folks, is what kind of week it's been for us. No lie. Every single day it's been something different. 

The weekend is coming! 

Behave!

End of February...

No, I'm not going to say how fast this year is going... 

The past week has been super hectic and chaotic. Nothing major, just a constant flow of obligations and stuff--most of which are boring and you don't care about. 

We had Mr. B over the weekend. It was a chill and relaxed time. He got a break from his little brother, lots of outside time, and he earned a few bucks by cleaning out flower beds. He helped cook, wore out the dog, and made our grocery bill go up. Ha! Then, Sunday we took him home and hung out with both boys while their parents got a little break. Little B is a riot. 

This weekend is more craziness with multiple obligations. Little B, friends, and more friends. So much to look forward to, but oy! I'm still tired from last weekend! But this is where our calendar picks up steam, so it's going to be this way for a bit unless something changes. 

Needless to say, the writing has taken somewhat of a hit, but it'll come back around. I figured out where I went off rails and am in the process of correcting it. I also finally remembered to send the novella to the critique partners. So, nervously awaiting their comments on that. 

And that is about it...

Behave!

Mid-Week Check In

See? I'm trying! Ha!

Retreat was awesome. I ended the weekend at the halfway mark of my new book, which was amazing! (Of course, we won't talk about how I haven't done crap since coming home...) 

My ice maker died. I am so very sad. That Man has to take it apart to see if it can be fixed, but we're pretty certain it reached the end of life. It's been five years though, so that's not a terrible run. But now I need to find a new one. And a new blender since we fried ours. 

So Mother Nature is having a breakdown or something. Right now it's snowing. Tomorrow it's supposed to be in the 70's. And then the temps plummet over the weekend. It's no wonder everyone is sick right now. Our trees are trying to bud and my flowers are trying to grown. I mean, at this point, my vote is to just stick with the 70's temperature from here on out. 

And that's all I have...

Behave! 

Retreat: Day Three!

And Retreat is almost a wrap! We're in the final hours. 

No, I didn't post this morning because, really, how much do you care about how I slept and what I had for breakfast? Ha! 

Today has been writing, writing, and more writing. There were no adventures. Plus, damn. It's cold! 

I did manage to sleep in a little. And I smashed yesterday's word count into dust! Not by much, but I did beat it. I only have about 1,800 words to hit the halfway mark, which is my goal before I leave tomorrow. 

But for now, my brain is a little on the fried side. I am loving this story and how it's coming together. The words are flowing so well, but I've been marinating this one for a while. 

Oh and no nap today. Damnit! I had a plan, but lost track of time and the next thing I knew it was time to start my dinner. Oh well. I know I'll be in bed early tonight. I'm already feeling it. Ha! 

I probably won't post in the morning, but hopefully it won't be weeks and weeks until I get back here. 

These retreat days have been excellent and exactly what I've needed in my writing world. Though, sadly, this will be our last retreat for this year. I was already on the probably no more because of trying to cut expenses, but one of our members officially cut herself out for the rest of this year. I mean, it is what it is and we'll pick it back up next year. 

And that is all! 

Behave! 

Retreat: Day Two! Evening!

What a stellar day! Oh! And it's also Feel Good Friday! So let's do that!

1. Hitting a grand total of 12,006 words for today! I am loving this new story and it's flowing so well! I hope to get at least that tomorrow, which would put me around the halfway point. 

2. Our little trip to the outside world for fudge, cookies, and hot pepper jelly. The place was pretty cool, though most of the shops were still closed. We wanted to go in between rain sessions, so we hit it early. I could have spent a ton more money, but I reigned myself in. Ha! I didn't partake in the fudge or cookie part of it, but I did get the hot pepper jelly and some mango salsa. And some cool wax melts. And some cool coffee. 

3. Trying to take a nap. I did try. I might have nodded off for like ten minutes. It was still good and the option to nap is awesome. The best thing is that I have that option tomorrow as well! Ha! 

4. Drawing the lucky straw and getting the master bedroom. Though it's only a master while I'm sleeping. If I'm up, then the bathroom is free for anyone to use. Though this decision was based on how many times each of us gets up to pee during the night. And that's what made me the winner. Ha! But it's nice not to have to put pants on every time I need to get up. 

5. So much talking and laughing going on! It's good for refilling the well, especially with people who don't think I'm super weird. 

6. One more day of retreat! I'll head home Sunday morning. We have a long standing social obligation with friends on Sunday. Though because I'll just be coming home, the option to opt out is there. We'll see. So far I'm still a go. 

And that's about it. I am currently hating the wind and the dropping temperature, but I'm hoping that means a better night of sleep. 

Behave! 

Retreat: Day Two! Morning!

Good Morning from Retreat!

Here I am setting in my spot on the couch, drinking coffee, chatting, and listening to the horse and buggy's go by. And yes, my manuscript is open and I'm getting ready to write.

I slept okay. Had to get up and open a window, but that's just me. Was up far earlier than I wanted to be, but that just means a nap will be well deserved later. It's raining right now, which is nice. Makes my position on the couch even more cozy. You know and the fact that my only actual requirement today is writing. 

I managed over 3K words on my new manuscript! So, yeah, that's going well so far. 

We have plans to head down to the local farmer's market in a bit. Little field trip. Hopefully that's cool. 

That's all for now!

Behave!

Retreat! Day One!

Well, here we are at retreat! I haven't been on retreat since last May!

But here I am! I already have my couch seat picked out. It's a recliner and it's very comfy. We haven't picked bedrooms yet since one of us isn't here yet, but food is put away, the heat is on, and writing will commence shortly. 

Right now it's a lot of talking, which is normal. Yeah, we all saw each other on Saturday, but we were busy, so it's not the same. I think the last time I saw everyone together like this was last May, so...

Getting ready to start a new project. I even have notes! 

That's it for this first update...

Behave! 

Oof!

Sorry for the long silence! 

Now we're halfway through February! How does that happen? I mean, I know how it happens, but still! Time is flying!

So what's been going on? 

1. I finished the novella! Yay! It's going for critiquing very soon. 

2. The annual booksigning at the greenhouse happened this past weekend. Always a lot of fun! I sold a few books, got to see my writing friends, and my sister and bestie came out to support me. 

3. Normal day job craziness. It's all good. Nothing too stressful or insane. 

4. Getting to hang with the grand boys. They are fun and definitely wear us out, but it's so worth it! 

5. Writing retreat commencing in just two days! It's been a minute since I've been to one. I'm looking forward to it! (This is why I haven't sent my novella to my critique partners. Retreats are for doing your own stuff, not critiquing someone else's work) I plan to start a new story while there, and then I will try to balance edits with new writing. 

6. Looking forward to warmer weather. I mean, I know it's pretty danged warm for February right now. Since it doesn't appear we're going to get any significant snow, it's time for Spring! We're trying to figure out our vegetable garden situation. The squirrels ate ALL of our tomatoes last year, so I don't think we'll be planting them this year. Also, the little peckers dug up my rosemary bush that I've had for three years. We'll probably end up with a lot of peppers of all varieties and some herbs. I'm sad about no tomatoes, but it's not worth the frustration. I tried everything to keep them off the plants last year and nothing worked. 

I think that's about it!

Behave! 

Weekend Wrap Up!

Sigh... The weekend is pretty much over. 

It's been nice and quiet. And lovely. 

I did not sleep in on Saturday, in fact, I woke up stupid early. Today, however, I did stay in bed and it was amazing. So amazing that I didn't take a nap today. Which is kind of sad, but okay, too. 

We made burgers on the grill last night since it was such a nice day. And then we tried to have a little fire in our pit, but the bottom of the pit was wet and the wood wouldn't catch. We gave it a good shot before we got too cold and gave up. But the try was nice. 

I worked on my novella all weekend and have gotten it to the place where all I need to do is add a new ending. This is something I finished a while ago, but sat aside. I'm pretty happy with how it's turning out and I'm happy with having the time and motivation to work as much as I did this weekend. It feels better than I can try to explain. 

My print copies of Prelude came today! It's awesome to hold that one in my hands again. It's been a while. 

Tonight's dinner was the last HelloFresh of our delivery this week. It was a different one. I liked it, but That Man and K4 were less impressed. They said it was okay, but didn't go on their favorite list. 

And that's about it. Tomorrow we go back to the daily grind. And this week will be kind of nuts. We have our big inventory day where we close to customers and everyone pitches in to count. The company pays for the main course for lunch and everyone brings side dishes and desserts. It's always a crazy, but fun, day. 

Feel Good Friday!

On Friday! How about that?

It's been a long week, but here we are at the start of the weekend! Yay! 

So let's do the list!

1. FINISHING THE BOOK! WHOOT! It still needs a hell of a lot of work, but it's finished. I have a list of research items to take care of, and a list of all of the things I think I forgot, but it's going to sit for a little bit before I tackle edits. 

2. The greenhouse booksigning coming up fast! I have my list for that, too!

3. Ordering swag. Most of it will be shipped to the organizer of the big New Jersey signing I do every year. She wants to fill goodie bags for the visitors. She does an amazing job with this signing. This year is the first time it's two days long. I'm only there for one day, but next year I might do both days. We'll see. 

4. Did I mention that I finished the book? :)

5. Very low key weekend plans. It's the first weekend in a long time that we've had no obligations, even small ones. The grocery shopping is done for at least the weekend. There is no reason for us to go out unless That Man decides to work on his truck and needs parts. But that's different. 

6. Getting my mammogram done today. Yeah, it sucks and it hurts, but it must be done. I also saw a new gynecologist, and I really liked her. (My old doc retired) 

7. Sleeping in tomorrow. At least I hope. (Oh and Sunday, too)

8. Starting edits on Sector Two. Or a short. Or the other short... Not sure yet. I'm still reveling in the glory of finishing. Ha! 

That's about it! 

Behave!

Feel Good Friday - On Saturday

Ha! I beat myself by a day! Eh...it's something, right?

What a week! It was long!

Here's the list:

1. Busy. Busy. Busy. At the day job. January is always a super busy month with all of the tax stuff and such. This week was one thing after another and I am so far behind. While it was a busy week, it was still a decent week as far as day job goes. I like to be overly busy, so there's that. 

2. Less than 5K words until I am done with my current project! I am super excited! I got in many words this morning and am at the point where I need to think about the sequence of events for the end. I mean, I've known what's going to happen since before I started actually writing, but now I have to think about how it's all going down. 

3. Being warm. Man, it's getting cold outside. I mean, it's been cold, but today didn't start off as cold as it is now. It's a damp cold. Hopefully that means we're going to actually get some snow, but I doubt it. 

4. My writing retreat coming up in about 3 weeks! So excited for that! I plan to start a new book while there! In the meantime, I will finish my current and do edits on a full length and two shorts. It feels good to be at this point. 

5. Unfortunately, finding a hole in our bed this morning. Yes, we still have a waterbed. Don't judge. I absolutely love it and cannot imagine anything else. We have always had one. Anyway. hole found and waiting to be patched (once I find the patch stuff). Which means, I have to wash everything. The mattress pad is the worst - it cannot be dried in the dryer, so it's currently hanging over the furnace. 

And that's all I have for now...

Behave! 

Feel Good Friday on Sunday...Again

Yeah, I know... What can I say?

Well, here we are on Sunday evening again. I'm tired. Ha! What else is new? That Man is working on his truck headlights at the dining room table and I am trying to catch up with myself after a busy day. 

Here's the list:

1. Managing to get the words in despite a hectic week. 

2. The greenhouse booksigning coming up! I've ordered books and I cannot wait. It's one of my favorite events of the year and I would love it if you would come and see me! I will have copies of my first book with Soul Mate! It was out of print for a while, but it's back now! 

3. So...remember how I said things were quiet? Ha! We have stuff on the calendar every weekend going forward now. 

4. Getting to hang with my grand boys! Last night we had Mr. B over for dinner for his birthday. Uncle K3 and Aunt A came and we had a lot of fun. We had build your own subs and homemade ice cream cake at Mr. B's request. 

5. Then today was his friend party doing laser tag. We kept Little B and had a blast with him. He's very smart and always busy. (Which is one of the reasons I am so tired. We played chase a ton and then had to "race" in the back yard.) 

6. Hanging out with my son and daughter-in-law when they came to pick Little B up. We fed them and had a little dance party in the kitchen. Little B is offended by Nana's dancing, which was hysterical. 

7. The plans for the week are minimal. Day job. Regular chores. Nothing too crazy. That's good. Next weekend we have a birthday party for a friend and there's something on Sunday but I can't remember what. 

8. Making plans to head to the middle states to see our aunt and uncle. Looking forward to making the trip with my brother and sister-in-law, and maybe my sister. We didn't go last year because they came to us twice. But our uncle doesn't travel well anymore and whether we like it or not, he's getting up there in years. He's the only close family we have left, so of course we'll do whatever we have to do to see him. 

9. Okay, I'm procrastinating now. I'm working on a critique for a friend, plus I have my own words to write. And I need to shower. 

So I'm going now! Ha!

Behave! 

Feel Good Friday on Sunday!

I know it's Sunday, but it's still the weekend...

I don't really have a list. It was a relatively decent work week. A little crazy, but I managed to get my stuff done. It seemed both long and short, if that makes sense. 

On Friday we finally got to see our friend who worked through the holidays. He came for dinner and we had a really nice time hanging out. We made pesto chicken. It wasn't that good, but it wasn't terrible either. 

Christmas has been removed from the house. The snowmen are still hanging out because they're cute and it's still winter. But all of the Santa trimmings are packed away, even from the front porch. Though I still have a few things to put away. I'll get there this week. 

We did the shopping and errand running. I took a really good nap yesterday, but never really got that far today, though I did try. But the laundry is all done and the house is in decent shape. 

This week coming up is pretty quiet. I guess there's potential for some winter weather this week, though it's too far out to figure out for sure. 

Now we're in the long dark of winter--there's no holidays, no big plans, no social gatherings on the calendar. We're not going on our annual cabin trip this year, which makes me sad, but when we calculated the vacation time this year, it just wasn't happening. I am going on a writing retreat next month and I am very much looking forward to that! 

And that is all I have for now!

Behave!

Happy New Year!

I hope you rang in the new year in a way that was amazing for you! 

We had a nice evening and did stay up until midnight. I'm a little shocked by that because I hadn't planned on it. We'd watched a movie and were heading in the direction of bed when we realized we were close to midnight. 

Yesterday was amazing chaos. The grandboys and my boys were here. We had a fire outside and lots of fun conversations. The food was good and we didn't have a ton of leftovers. Dishes were done quickly and there was time to relax before everyone went home. 

We were in bed early and did sleep in a little this morning. And we've been absolute bums all day. We didn't get much Lord of the Rings watching done yesterday, so we're doing that today. I've taken two naps and got a decent amount of words on the page. 

Tomorrow is back to the day job and facing the long quiet of winter with not too many events planned or obligations at the moment. Which will be nice after the intense last few months. (Notice I said at the moment... Ha!)

And that is all! 

Behave!

Feel Good Friday - A New Year is Coming

So let's back up to last week...

1. Christmas Eve was good even though we were missing some ill family members and some working friends. Dirty Santa was a riot and the soup turned out pretty good. 

2. Christmas Day was equal parts chaos and relaxing. If that makes sense. We weren't up super early either. Scotch eggs and breakfast sandwiches were first. K3 & A came for breakfast and then skedaddled to A's family. We headed over to K1's to take the boys their gifts and hung out there for a while. Back home for a nap. Then it was birthday time. Lasagna and garlic bread for dinner. Chocolate cake with peanut butter icing for birthday cake. K3 & A returned and our niece and nephew to be came to harass K4. The young adults played a game while That Man and I watched a movie. We were in bed pretty early!

3. Monday was a completely lazy day. We did nothing but what absolutely had to be done. I slept in, then dozed on the couch. We had leftovers for dinner. Nice.

4. Back to work on Tuesday. So many people are on vacation that the office has been quiet. But there's end of year stuff to attend to, so the week kind of went fast for me. 

5. Off at noon today. We swung by our friend's house on the way home and spent some time hanging out with them, which was nice. We hadn't seen them in a while. 

6. And tomorrow is New Year's Eve. And I could not care less about it. Our plans are to lounge on our couch in our jammies, eat some shrimp, and go to bed early. I don't want to do anything else. 

7. New Year's day will be the traditional Lord of the Rings marathon; pork and sauerkraut, black eyed peas, and more chaos. I know my boys are coming for dinner, which is fun. The kids rarely get to hang out together since they work different schedules. We're off on Monday again, which will probably be another lazy day, but we'll see. We have car stuff to do and the tree to take down, though I'm not in a huge hurry to do that. 

So, I doubt I'll be back on here before Monday. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. 

Behave! 

Christmas Eve Eve & Feel Good Friday

Well here we are! Almost there!

And today is Friday! 

So let's just get to the list!

1. We were supposed to leave the day job at noon today. Due to the winds and potential for ice, the bosses kicked us out at eleven. That was cool. It was a super quiet day, though my system glitched and caused me a lot of hassle when I tried to write checks. But it's all good now. And we don't have to go back until Tuesday!

2. Getting home and getting stuff done. (And I took a nap!) Now all that's left is the bathroom, dusting, and vacuuming. And cooking. Lots of cooking. Which I love, so I'm good with that. (The cooking, not the cleaning.) (That Man and K4 will take care of the cleaning while I cook)

3. We did go out to dinner on our anniversary. We had a blast and then took care of some shopping. It was a really nice evening. 

4. We had no plans for dinner tonight and there was no way we were stopping at the grocery store. (we drove by. it was insane looking) We found some chicken patties and then made potatoes au gratin. It turned out pretty well, even though I accidentally shut the oven down halfway through the cooking time. 

5. Except for the cleaning and cooking, we're pretty much done. I'm sure I'll find a million things to do tomorrow that have nothing to do with what I've planned, but that's par for the course. 

6. Looking forward to hanging out with family and friends tomorrow! 

7. Despite the crazy week, I have managed to get some writing in. Yay me! 

8. Man, it's freaking cold out there! I'm sure if you live on the East Coast, you're well aware of that fact! But holy cow! My dog is so clueless though. She just wants to stay outside and play. She sulks when we tell her it's time to come in. Also, I almost froze my hand to the screen door after taking a bag of ice to the cooler on the back porch. 

9. Sleeping in a little tomorrow. Ha! Like that is even going to happen! 

10. It's not feel good, but I'm definitely missing my folks this year. I'm also missing other family members, but there isn't anything I can do about any of it. 

And that's about it! 

I doubt I'll get back on here until after! So I hope you have an amazing holiday!

Behave! 

Five Days...

Oof. I could have sworn I posted sometime in the last 11 days!

Obviously not!

Well, here we are at five days before the big day. We're mostly ready. 

The tree is up and so far the cats are just messing with it a little bit. Though when an ornament hits the floor, it's free game. Apparently. Yeah, we keep the fragile ones at the top. We did have to stuff some more lights in the tree. So... years ago we had a little gathering when we decorated the tree. Our lights didn't work, so we sent the young adults out for lights. They came back with bush lights. And ever since, that's what we've used, mainly because people keep giving them to us. Ha! So half of the bush lights went out. There's no easy way to remove it, so we just shoved string lights in so we didn't have to undecorate. It works and you can barely tell. 

The shopping is 99.9% done and wrapped. We went pretty small this year. There are too many expenses and upcoming expenses and let's face it, everything is more expensive right now. Not that we ever go huge on Christmas. 

And today is our anniversary. 36 years married and 40 years together. How crazy is that? I'm not going to get mushy, but I wouldn't change a thing. He still makes me laugh after all of this time and we still have tons to talk about. We're going to dinner tonight, and just goofing off.

We had the older grandkids this past weekend, which was an absolute blast. Little brother joined them for a few hours on Saturday and he was hysterical. We made cookies, did a present exchange between the three of them, and laughed a lot. Having the two oldest for the weekend was a lot of fun. They're at the age now where conversations are a little more real. K5 and I spent a long time talking about writing, which she loves. That was cool for me. There was hair fixing, sock races, stromboli making, and a lot (and I mean a lot) of scaring--hiding under the bed, popping around corners, and doing their best to get me (which they did. Once.). Oy! That Man and I absolutely loved the weekend, despite the fact that we were wore out! Ha! 

There are two and a half days to work the day job. Then it's cooking, cleaning, and prep. K4's birthday dinner has been decided and ingredients are mostly purchased. She wants stuffed shells, and we're having a heck of a time finding the shells, so we might have to slightly switch gears, but we'll see. 

And that is all for now...

Behave! 

Feel Good Friday!

Ho Boy! What a week!

But it's Friday! And Friday is always a good day even if you end up in the dental chair for twice as long as you expect and bleed a lot... But more on that later... 

Here's the list:

1. Ladies Night at the greenhouse! What a freaking blast! Hanging with my friends. That was amazing. We don't see each other enough even though we talk every day. Selling books! I did pretty well, which was unexpected and awesome! I'm super happy about that! Talked to a lot of really great people, too. It was an awesome evening!

2. Lunch out with the work people. We went to our standby place, which is never disappointing! The food is amazing. We talked about all manner of things not work related, laughed, ate cheesecake, and had a really nice time. 

3. Leaving early today... (Here's where the blood comes in) My hygienist (first time with this one) saw some stuff on my x-ray's and went to town on my mouth. She scraped and sprayed. I was a little stunned because I was just there six months ago and there was no mention of this crap. (and that's when x-ray's were taken. Apparently it was there and nothing was addressed. I'm at odds with that and will need to discuss with my sister who works there) Anyway. It's all fine even though my mouth and face hurt now. But my teeth feel good. And she suggested a water flosser, which has been ordered and I will use religiously so I don't have to go through what I did today again. Ha! 

4. Pretty easy weekend plans. We're getting our tree (I hope), and hopefully seeing the grandboys! Tomorrow is sleeping in. (I hope) We already did the big box store run, but we forgot a bunch of stuff. 

5. Making good progress on my story. Whoot! 

That is all! 

Behave! 

19 Days to Go...

Yeah, I'm counting down. But not really... Ha! 

It's been a long week so far and it's only Tuesday! 

One more full day to work and then some easier stuff. Thursday is our lunch out with the boss, so I'll be out of the office for at least two hours or so. And we always have fun on these lunches. It's been a while. We used to go out as a department every few months, but we haven't since last Christmas. Not sure where we're going yet. It's not my turn to pick, but I know it'll be good. 

Next week is our Christmas lunch for the day job with everyone. Things are coming together and it should be a good time. Our department is in charge of getting everything together and so far so good. 

And then on Friday, That Man and I have dentist appointments. We'll leave a few hours early and likely not make it back. We've been making up time, so there's that. Not that having a dentist appointment is fun, but it's not terrible either. 

What else?

The porch is decorated and the fall stuff is put away. The Christmas coffee cups are in use, and the dish towels are washed and folded (I only did it tonight because I need a tablecloth for tomorrow). The porch looks pretty good, though it still needs some touches. Tree procurement is this weekend. We've started the shopping and the birthday shopping. But I have no idea of anything else at this point! Ha!

We're still watching ridiculous Christmas movies. I know they're stupid. I like them because they're brainless. 

Tomorrow evening I'm participating in a ladies night at the same place where we do the Valentine's signing. I did it last year, too, and it was a lot of fun. I don't expect to sell a lot (or any) books, (last year it wasn't the right kind of crowd) but I get to hang with my friends, so there's that! I can hope though... 

That's about it...

Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Trying to Be Here More Often Edition

I made it back! Yay me! 

So let's recap the good this week! 

1. Friday! Obviously! It was a long day job week. Very busy. 

2. Putting the day job Christmas tree up! It was a fun time. I had the help of a coworker, and I hooked the television that hasn't been used since we went home for the pandemic to the Internet and found some Christmas music. Every day since, I have put a fireplace background for the work day time and it's been a huge hit. I love it. 

3. That Man and I having a impromptu date night. We had to stop at the store and we ended up going out to eat just the two of us for the first time in forever. We went to our usual favorite place, but the service was terrible. As it's been the last three times we've been there, so unfortunately, I doubt we'll go back. 

4. Words on the page! I've done reasonably well this week, so I'm happy with that. 

5. Watching ridiculous Christmas movies. Most of them are so poorly acted and filmed, but some have a good story. It's just something we do. It gives us something to talk about, I guess. But it's fun. 

6. Sleeping in tomorrow. I need it. 

7. Being warm when it's so cold outside. 

8. Plans to get our tree and get the decorations done. No, I haven't gotten the fall decorations put away yet, nor have I made any progress on getting Christmas stuff out. But it's coming. 

That's about it... 

Behave!

Gone Too Long

Yeah, I know... what else is new? I seem to always be missing... I'm trying to keep up. I swear. 

So what's been going on? 

1. Our youngest son got married. It was a beautiful day and they did a fantastic job with their decorations and the ceremony. They sang to each other during the ceremony and it was amazing. I will admit that this momma cried several times. They both looked fantastic in their wedding clothes. The bride was absolutely gorgeous. 

2. The funeral was as nice as a funeral can be. It's a hell of a way to see people you haven't seen in a while. The work place is adjusting, but he'd pulled away from actively running things a while ago so the transition has been mostly easy. 

3. Thanksgiving was nice. We had a good time and good food. Both of us had to work on Friday so we were home at a decent time and in bed early. 

4. We've been running around so much. And we're freaking exhausted. This weekend we did not much of anything. Yeah, we did the usual stuff like laundry and cleaning up after ourselves, but nothing more. (not like the extreme leaf raking we did last weekend) We both took naps--many naps. And we made food. We only left the house to go to the grocery store once. I slept in both days and it was glorious. 

5. We'll start getting Christmas decorations out this coming week. I have no idea when we'll get our tree. Our weekends are all booked. And there was talk of an Ugly Sweater party, but I have no idea how we can fit that in, so I think it's going to be a no go this year, which is sad because it's been a hot minute since we've had one.  

That doesn't look like much of a list as far as not getting on here goes, but there's, of course, far more that I don't/can't share. Lots. 

I will say I'm looking forward to Christmas. I think. My brain is turning with ideas and things I need to do/take care of. It's not going to be a big and fancy day for sure, but it should be fun. 

That's about it...

Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Gone Too Long Edition

Sorry for the silence! It's been a little crazy! 

Let's get to the list, okay?

1. Friday! It's been a rough week. Not just this week, but the prior weeks as well. Work has been crazy with changing of job duties and learning new things for me and regular insanity for That Man. We also had the crud here. Tested negative for the big C more than once. The flu probably. It was pretty gross and rough around here. K4 missed almost an entire week of work. I missed time, too. But we're better now except for a lingering cough. 

2. A new book! Yeah, I know I haven't completely finished the one that's already finished and currently in rewrites, but I got this crazy idea and I couldn't do anything but write it. I'm about a quarter way through it and the words are coming really easy. I love it. I haven't had a moment of doubt about it since I got the idea and the words have been flowing. 

3. Trick or Treat night was kind of lame here. It was a rainy night. We didn't have a lot of trick or treaters--probably half of what we had last year. And only one puppy! Last year we had so many! In the past, our house has been used as a base for friends and family trick or treating or just visiting to hang out and hand out candy. This year was probably the first time in ages (excluding the past few Covid years) where we didn't have that. It's kind of sad and kind of not. It was really nice to sit on the porch with That Man and chill while we waited for the costumed ones. 

4. The weather has been really nice this week. It's been my perfect temperatures. I can wear a sweatshirt and have the windows down. Cold is coming though... But I am excited for snow. Like stupid excited! 

5. Our youngest son is getting married next weekend. It will be a super small thing--like immediate family and their best friends only. I'm sad that my siblings, nieces and nephews, and mutual friends can't come, but I get that weddings are expensive and that sometimes smaller is far better for the bride. We're helping as much as we can to ease the stress and take care of things.

6. Next weekend is going to be insane for us though. The owner of our company passed away. It was expected, but still rough. He was a great guy and will be missed terribly. The funeral is the Friday before the wedding. Work is closed for the day. We were invited to the luncheon afterwards, and of course, we're going. So we'll go directly from the funeral to the rehearsal, and hope that we have enough time to do everything we need to do and get there on time. I still don't have a shirt or shoes. That Man needs to try on his clothes and find shoes. K4 is in the same boat. It will all get done for sure and it will be awesome. 

7. We have a lot of birthdays this month! Well, starting last month with K3. Then my brother-in-law, our adopted sister, my brother, my niece, and my niece. We used to have a family birthday party for everyone, but that kind of fell by the wayside. It would be fun to bring that back. 

8. Okay... I will admit that I'm excited to decorate for Christmas. But I will wait until after Thanksgiving. There's no shame in making plans though, right? 

And that is all! I will try to post, but please forgive me if I don't! I promise I will be back!

Behave!

I'm Not Missing...

Just a little buried...

Instead of boring you with the details, I will leave you this picture of my dog...

Behave!

Feel Good Friday

Woo! Made it to Friday! 

This has been a crazy week and next week is even crazier! If you don't hear from me, you'll know that I got sucked into the miasma of life! Ha! 

So here's the list: 

1. Living through the Parade. We already talked about that! Ha!

2. Not cooking tonight. That Man has a plan for dinner and has said he doesn't need my help. Nice. 

3. Upcoming plans! Most are good things! But the next month is going to be nuts. 

4. Leaving the day job early today! 

5. After a week of not sleeping well, I am hoping for some good sleep over the weekend! Seriously. I woke up at 3:30 this morning and could not go back to sleep, so I got up and did laundry. 

The stupid things this week:

1. I was gifted a cool 3-crock crock pot. I decided it needed to be put away to make room for whatever people were bringing for the parade. I took it downstairs, set it on the washing machine, and headed to the storage room to make sure there was space. The second I hit the door, the washer went on spin. And the crock pot crashed to the floor, breaking every single crock. I had used it once...

2. I typically keep a basket in the Jeep with things that might be needed - Wipes, masks, fixaflat, flashlight, bug spray to name a few. I had placed it in the back and I knew the gate didn't latch, but didn't think much of it since I wasn't done messing around with the Jeep yet. Only I got sidetracked and never got back to it. As we were driving to work, a truck behind us was flashing its lights. We couldn't figure it out. Until we heard the gate slam shut. Yep. Tossed my nifty basket right into the street. We couldn't find it, so someone must have snatched it up. 

3. I had to replace the battery in my Jeep earlier this summer. On Wednesday, That Man was trying to grease the joints underneath and asked me to move it. Again, I figured we weren't done so I left the key. And I left it on... Overnight. Luckily, everything is fine. But Geeze! 

I've had my fill of insanity this week! I sincerely hope there is some relaxation in my future!

Behave!

Parade Survived

We made it! After running around like crazy people, we were prepared and ready for guests. 

The weather was gorgeous. The chili turned out good. We had plenty of chili and hot dogs. (Not a heck of a lot of chili left though--which is good) We had amazing treats and sides brought by folks. 

The whole grass strip in front of our house was full of chairs and friends. And, no "Karen". Ha!

Everyone had a good time. The little ones in attendance were dancing and cheering. That was fun to watch. 

An old friend from the old day job showed up and surprised me. That was fun! We were missing a few, but I was still surprised by how many people came. 

It was a good mix of people. It was hard for me to remember that, as the hostess, I needed to mingle. Ha! It's been a long time since I've played hostess. 

The parade itself was good. The bands played as they got onto our street, which is always fun. There were dance schools, who also did their dances instead of just walking by like in years past. Also, back in the day, they forbid the parade participants from throwing candy. Well, that rule seems to have gone by the wayside. They threw out tons of candy and even had some left when they got to us. The little ones (and teenagers) were excited about that.

It was over by 9. We cleaned up and relaxed a bit. I was beat. I think I sat down maybe a total of ten minutes all night. The house held up and there wasn't a ton of clean up. 

And that's all until next year. 

Next up is Trick or Treat night. We usually have a bunch of people that come over since they don't have trick or treat in their neighborhood, and that's fun. It's fun either way. That Man and I enjoy sitting on the porch and handing out candy.

Behave! 

Monday...Again...

Man, last week went fast! And this week looks to be about the same. 

Our town's Halloween parade is this week. Now for me, I could not care less about it, but since it goes right in front of our house...

Last year we kept it low key. That Man and I still weren't feeling the best so we didn't make a fuss about it at all. We had a few drop ins to watch the festivities despite that. 

And I had a near altercation with a "Karen". 

She parked her chairs right smack dab in front of my porch. 

I politely asked her to move down to an area of curb that is not directly in front of my house. At that point, we knew we were getting company, so yeah, we were using the space. She came back at me and said "it's a public street. I know my rights."

To which I replied..."I pay taxes and maintain that area and I know my rights, too. I politely asked you to move so that I, the homeowner, can use the space I maintain."

She moved, but she bitched about it constantly and let her little kids run all through my flower bed. 

So... We decided since the parade will happen whether or not we care, we might as well go with the flow. 

We are making a huge batch of chili. We have extra chairs. 

I don't know how many people are coming, but it could be a lot. And the entire area in front of my house will be full of friends.

Take that "Karen". Yeah, I know it's a little petty, but she was so rude. In all of the years we've lived in our house, that is the first time a visitor to the parade has acted like that. I typically don't mind if someone parks their chairs along our road frontage as long as they aren't in front of my house, but right in front of someone's porch is rude and entitled. 

And that is all I have for today...

Behave!

Weekend Wrap Up

Well, it's Monday again... 

Having another day involved in the weekend would be amazing! 

Anyway...

The book signing was pretty good. It rained, so they moved us inside. The crowd was small, probably due to the torrential Ian rain. There were a lot of kids. Sales were slow. I did meet an amazing author and I really enjoyed talking with her. I talked to a teacher from the nearby school and enjoyed talking with her as well. I got to see friends I haven't seen in a long time and my sister came with me as my helper. We went to dinner after and that was really nice. 

Rain all weekend. And cold. I mean, it's fine. Saturday it didn't matter, except for highway driving in a heavy downpour and taking a wrong turn. Ha! 

Breakfast and supply shopping with That Man on Sunday. This is the second week in a row we've decided to grab breakfast out before our provision run. And the second week in a row that we've both been disappointed in our food. And expensive! Holy cow! But we purchased supplies and things and were back home at a decent time. Changed back into my comfy pants and did a metric ton of laundry and vacuuming. 

Our daughter-in-law and her bestie were driving by and randomly stopped in, which was really nice. I had stuff for Mr. B and my son, so it worked out perfectly. We had a nice quick visit. 

Our nephew came over for dinner and we had a nice visit with him, too. 

I was exhausted by bedtime, but couldn't get out of my own head so I could sleep, so I ended up roaming the house for a bit and then was finally able to crash. And, of course, after early wake ups both weekend days, today was the day I could have stayed in bed for a lot longer. 

The next few weeks are a little on the crazy side, so expect a disappearance from me. I will try not to, but you know how that goes...

And that is all.

Behave!

Feel Good Friday!

Yay Friday! 

What a long week! Seriously! 

Let's hit the list!

1. Tomorrow is the big book signing! I am ready! I have books, a tablecloth, and change. And my Square now takes "tap to pay". I checked it out and it works great! Fingers crossed that the rain doesn't keep folks away!

2. Pizza for dinner. Tonight was K4's turn to take care of the meal and pizza was her idea. It was very good and the fact that there are no dishes is epic. Our pizza shop just changed owners and I love the new people. She delivered and we stood on the porch and chatted for a few minutes. 

3. Sleeping in a little tomorrow. At least I hope. Lately, I've been getting up super early on the weekends, so I can only hope. 

4. In that vein--good sleeping weather. I love the cool. And it's supposed to start Ian raining here soon, so we'll see what that's like. 

5. Getting many words on the page this week! Woo! 

And that's all! 

Behave!

Scary Stuff...

We had a pretty big scare the other night...

Around midnight, K4 kicks our door open screaming "fire"! We run up to her room, and sure enough, an electrical cord had shorted out and started a fire. (Apparently extension cords can do that randomly. Scary!) There was nothing turned on that was plugged into the cord either. 

Luckily, she did all of the right things and stopped what could have been completely devastating. As it was, the wood floor had a hole burned almost through, and the smoke was toxic and thick. 

If she hadn't heard the sizzle and pop, or if she wasn't home, we would have had a much different outcome. 

It was completely freaky. We all tried to sleep in the living room after because there was no way any of us were even sleeping anyway and there was no way she could sleep in her room. We checked and double-checked and made sure every single smoke detector we own worked (they did), but every noise had us all on edge. 

Just below where the fire started is where we opened the top of our closet and made a very deep and wide book shelf. Had the fire burned through any farther, and that would have gone up like a dry Christmas tree. 

It was scary! Still is, but the burned area cleaned up okay and the smell is gone. She's back to sleeping in her room and we're checking all of the cords. 

I know time helps with stuff like this, but I hate it. 

Behave! 

Mid-Week Check In

I was doing good posting for a couple of days there... Ha! Things got busy and I didn't even have time to write. I don't think I even turned on my computer. 

The first thing that happened besides the super crazy day job was That Man and I ended up with some dumb sinus crap. No. Not Covid. Confirmed not. But it sucked. We're still dealing with the last vestiges of it, but it is getting better. And now allergies have joined the party. In all of my life, I have never dealt with allergies, but apparently things change as you age, and here I am. The neighbor cut his grass the other day and it was not good with my sinuses. Whatever. It is what it is. But that's one of the main reasons for my disappearance. 

The weekend was mostly dealing with our moaning selves and a little bit of house/car stuff. I felt like I'd climbed a mountain after catching up with laundry, so there is that. And I took a day off from the day job and slept most of the day. So that's saying something. I haven't taken a sick day in almost two years. 

Anyway. It's been a year since I've been sick, so there's that. Last year though, I did have Covid and am still struggling to get my smell back. It's coming though. I'm getting more and more of it back and the nasty smell I used to get seems to be gone. That's amazing and I am very happy about it. (And no, I didn't go into the office with Covid. We were working from home and I managed to work and moan about being sick at the same time.)

Cool stuff is coming up. We have our town's annual Halloween Parade, which should be fun. Well. It's not, but we're going to make the most of it. And we have a birthday party. And a beach trip. (woohoo!)

Next weekend is the big library book signing. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, but I know it'll be fine. My sister is tagging along to be my helper since they strongly recommend having someone to help/watch money/give bathroom breaks. That Man and That Sister are heading to see their brother so That Man can't help. The brother is coming to the east coast for his son's graduation and they are all meeting up. K4 is working. My sister was my helper at the winery, so she knows the routine, which is awesome. 

And that's about all I have. I have managed to get quite a few words on the page the past few days, so that's good. That should continue for at least the next little while. 

Behave! 

Weird Stuff...

Yeah, don't say anything about me being back so soon. Ha! 

Here are some weird things...

1. Smelling something that was like "almost" overbaked food in our bedroom. It was not from our house. We didn't use the oven and K4 didn't either. It only smelled in our bedroom. Our window was shut. That's not the first time we've had a strange smell in our room, but it was very powerful this time. Usually it's a dryer, or the smell of cigarette smoke, a few times it's been bacon. I just don't get it though. The house next door really doesn't have windows on our side. It's weird. 

2. Weird bugs. The Spotted Lantern Flies are bad enough. I mean, they are everywhere! It's hard to sit on the back porch in the evening without getting dive bombed and we can't park our car under the tree out back because it becomes covered in their pee. No. That's not an exaggeration. It rains out of the tree. The bushes are shiny with it. But now! Now I found out that we have a "monkey slug" in our area. No kidding. It turns into a Hag Moth. And it is the scariest looking creepy thing I've ever seen! Google it! 

3. Noises. The other morning That Man got up and said it sounded like there was a chicken in our neighbor's yard. Not the rooster that crows all day long every single day, but a clucking chicken. Also, the Blue Jays have started mimicking the hawk. Which freaks out the squirrels, but I kind of think they're doing it on purpose so they can gather all of the nuts? 

4. Cats. I think I've talked about how weird our cats are with water. Especially our oldest boy, Max. He's the one we found abandoned in the back yard. He had fleas really bad, therefore he received a lot of baths. I think that's why he loves water so much. Bath time made him feel better, plus he got cuddles afterwards. (Not that he likes cuddles now, but that's a different story) Every morning we turn the faucet on to a trickle. Instant cat magnet. They all hang out there, but it's mainly Max. A few months ago we had to get a new faucet and this one has the sprayer built into the main faucet. Just a few days ago, we started turning the sprayer part on for them instead of the regular one. Lordy. He loves it. He soaks himself and is the happiest boy. 

Okay. I think that's enough. I know there's a ton more weird stuff, but I'm not getting anything done this way. 

Behave! 

Man, I'm Lame...

Sorry for the silence! I think I say that every time I post! Ha! It's only been almost 3 weeks and I didn't intend for that much time to pass. 

Anyway!

Let's hit the list of what's been going on...In no particular order...

Camping... We had our last campout of the year and it was a blast. We had Mr. B for the weekend and he had a great time! He and his cousin bonded and he caught a really big fish. My brother, sister-in-law, niece, nephew-in-law, and great niece came for the first time in a while. It was a lot of fun to have them back! The young adults chose a new camping spot in a new nearly cleared area and they had it looking cute and comfy with solar lights and tapestries. We got up Monday, grabbed a cup of coffee, and then it started raining. As we knew it would. We were home early and even had dropped Mr. B off.

Hanging with my siblings... We've been trying really hard to have "family dinner" with the four of us. It's been working out pretty well for the most part. It's supposed to be monthly, but with our schedules we're lucky if we hit quarterly most of the time. But we're trying, so that's fair. We traveled to my middle sister's house for the last one and we had a good time catching up, eating, burning stuff, and watching true crime dramas.

The other stuff...Just your run of the mill home maintenance, vehicle maintenance, and errands. 

Our weekends have been booked, but mostly with boring stuff you don't care about. And they continue to be booked with mostly the same kind of thing. We have a few friend birthday parties coming up, and a beach trip, and then a wedding on the fun side of things. 

The writing is going okay. Slow. But that's been the norm. The big book signing is coming up in a few weeks. It should be good. It's the first time for this one, but I know some of the planners and they know what they're doing, so...

And that's about it... I'll do my best not to make it three weeks again. Ha! 

Behave!    

Tuesday Nonsense!

Yeah, it's a great post title! Ha! It's fitting though because everything seems to be nonsense these days.

Well, mostly.

The book signing was pretty good. Got to see some of my writing friends that I haven't seen in way too long. Sold some books. Talked a lot. 

We had K5 Saturday, so after lunch, a tame trail ride (where she slept pretty much the whole time), and some ridiculous video watching, it was time for me to get ready for the signing. That Man and K5 dropped me off and went in search of dinner components. By the time they picked me up, dinner was almost done. K5 planned the menu and did most of the cooking. She made fettucine alfredo and garlic bread and it was really good. She was a hoot and we had a blast. 

Summer is winding down, which I'm happy about! I'm so sick of being hot and sweaty! I much prefer sweatshirts and fuzzy blankets. Though I can't say much for this week because the temperatures have sucked. But I have hope that things will change soon. 

...and that's about it! 

Behave!