Snow Day!!

I was watching my hubby and son snow plow and shovel the driveway this morning thinking, man, don't we ever get snow days???  I mean, I hear of them in Idaho and Washington and stuff...but we never seem to get them.  Well, after they finished (and the snow plow came by of course and buried the driveway again) the district called and said SNOW DAY!!!  YAHOO!!  So... day of relaxation and fun for me, I tell ya!  lol  ;)
Enjoy!

I know we will sure try!

Happy New Year!!

Well...I realized the other day that I hadn't posted in a while.  I'm afraid that I've not really got an excuse for it, but there ya go.  I just let life go, and it got in the way.

I hope you had a great New Years Eve.  We had fun, freezing our buts at the neighbors house and watching the fireworks....munching on snacks with the kids and then watching the Rose Parade the next day...which is always my favorite.  This years was a bit odd, but still fun.

So...I hope that all you could want to have happen does so in the coming year.

It's all up to you anyway - so go get it.  ;)

No Such Thing as Anonymous Anymore

I had to speak out.  I mean, it's what we do now, isn't it?  But the bit about the policeman who gave the homeless guy some shoes...he wasn't seeking for national or even world wide attention.  But that's what happened.  We never know when someone is watching us.

Our actions rarely go unnoticed.  Whether for good or ill.

Should make all of us rethink our actions, but it doesn't.  It makes me second guess myself.

Am I doing this because I'll know I'll get blessed?  Am I doing it because someone will think I'm nice?  WHY am I doing this??  is what we should always ask ourselves.

If we are doing some small act of kindness because we feel to do so in our hearts...then amen.  That's the reason to do it.

That's all I'm saying.

Created!!

do you remember when I did a review on her first book?  They just get better and better!  Here's the release info for her newest one!

Just released!! Created by Cindy M. Hogan

Do you love a great suspense novel 

with a dash of romance?

Then you should try Created!

Here's the teaser-

A spy school.

A choice.

A destiny discovered.

Can you imagine being only 17 and having to choose between a normal, everyday life of a college teen and being put on the fast track to being a spy? That's the choice Christy has to make in this explosive third, and final book in the Watched series. Get ready for a fast-paced thrill ride that you won't be able to put down once you start.

Get yours here, today!

Here's what readers are saying:

"Unique, suspenseful, and hard to predict." -E. Baker, reviewer

"Created is an exciting ride full of surprises at every turn. It was thrilling, and sometimes terrifying to watch    Christy's transformation as she was further introduced into the world of espionage, and decides how far she is willing to go to fulfill her first real assignment."   -Jenny Moore, reviewer

"Clever and action-packed." -Cindy Anderson, reviewer

Don't walk, RUN to pick up this fantastic series!

A few fun facts about Cindy

Favorite treat in the summer- 

watermellon wins every time.

Favorite activities to do?

I love to cook. Just made the best chicken pot pie, ever.

Are you a coupon girl or do you pay full price for everything? 

I don't have time to clip coupons, but I almost never pay full price for anything.

Read any good books lately? 

I listen to a lot of books so I can do two things at once. I'm in the middle of Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck and liking it more and more and just  picked up Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor I'm also reading four eBooks right now and my mom just brought over Micheal Vey

Want more information? Stalk Cindy in all these places (just click on the place and you'll go there)

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Facebook

Twitter

Blog (sign up for her newsletter to get the latest scoop)

Goodreads

DON'T WATCH IT!! Really...

Okay - I know I've been pretty lame about posting so far this year...with my daughter's wedding and stuff, it's been hard to divide my time.  Now it's NaNoWriMo and I'm writing, but we went out last Saturday after I got my words written and saw Hope Springs...UGH!!!

Please, unless you like sexual explicit talk and some embarrassing situations, you do not want to see it, and it is NOT appropriate for unmarried people, in my opinion.

I took my hubby thinking it was a fun date movie.  We both like Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep, so we thought it was going to be good.  While there were some cute scenes, and the ending was sweet, the majority of the time I spent with my hands clenched around my hubbies, wondering if we were going to get up and leave.  Steve Carroll actually played a straight man, and he did good, but of course he was the marriage counselor advising them on all these sexual fantasies and stuff.  Seriously. I  mean, he advised her to get a book called "Sex Tips for Straight Women From a Gay Guy."  Really??? It was NOT what we were expecting, and I thought I'd toss it out there if any of you were thinking about it.  Just don't...you won't like it.

There's a scene in a public theater where she's trying to perform oral sex with him.  Another scene where they are being intimate in a hotel room, but I'm really impressed that the clothes are still on - there's no tossing of the clothing and pumping the chest in this movie at least!   The only saving grace.

Anyway - just a word of caution.  It's not your normal here's how you save your marriage subjects and it's not comfortable.  Amazingly enough Elizabeth Shue was in it!  We saw her and just about fell out of our chairs.  Haven't seen her in something for a long time.

sigh.

Anyway - have to get back to other things, hope you have a fantastic Monday!!  ;)

Technology is Our Friend

by G.Parker

Well, at least that's what I keep telling myself.  This isn't quite the post I would have done had I had more time, but since I'm using my daugters little tablet, this is the best I can do this week.  My computer (my lovely large keyboard that is erogonomicly friendly- sorry if there are any spelling errors, she also doesn't have firefox or chrome and IE doesn't have a spell check!) has been suffering due to the switch my hubby has that doesn't like me right now.  He's a wonderful computer tech, and we have a switch to have multiple computers on the internet at the same time.  Well, the switch seems to be dying, and the wireless connections are working, but not the wired ones.  Sigh.  So, I started work this week and don't have time to access things at work, so I'm stuck.  My hubby is studying on his computer, and when he's not, it's a little tablet like my daugter's and it's also locked with a passwrod I haven't bothered to memorize.  I mean, what's the point?  I never use it...  lol.

So.  As a writer in today's world, I've come to rely on computers.  I used to write with a pen and paper.  I even used to use a pencil, which makes me shudder to think of it now.  (Pencil fades)  But when my fingers were able to type almost as fast as I thought, it was much easier to write my stories on a keyboard rather than on paper.  I loved the electric typewriter.  Remember the movie You've Got Mail and the one guy's fascination with the electric typewriter?  I can totally relate.  Well...to a point.  I wouldn't collect the same one. :)

It has also gotten to the point where to submit to a publisher you need to be able to do it in electronic format.  I remember the first time I saw that on a submission requirement.  I wondered what the world had come to.  I guess that gives away my age - but then, how many of you actually used a typewriter anyway?  There's a reason they call it keyboarding instead of typing now. 

Well, since I'm using my daughter's computer, I need to cut this rambling short, so I'll sign off now.  Have a great weekend, enjoy your internet connections and reflect on how strange your writing life would be without the computer.

We'd be back in the dark ages!  ARGH.  I'm okay now.

The Winner is....

Well...the one and only person who even tried, and so the WINNER is Pennylessteacher!  YEAH....let's hear it for her!!  You win the three books, so way to go!  I'll be getting the information to the shipper this week.  Sorry I wasn't able to announce it Monday, but we've been having internet issues with my comptuer and I had to borrow my daughters...lol
Anyway - fun stuff.  Aren't we thankful for modern technology???  Ugh.

Book Giveaway!!

Okay...now that I'm a grandmother, and have to think about what my grandchildren are going to be reading in the future, I've begun to look at books for children and young adults.  I have come across a series of books that are sooo cute and hilarious, that I just know my grandkids are going to love them.  If only they didn't have to wait 6 years!  lol

Anyway, if you haven't heard of the Piper Reed series, you've missed out.  My mom would have loved these books, which is another vote in their favor.  I was fortunate enough to get in on a free copy of the latest book, which is Forever Friend, and now I wish I'd read the other ones.  I'll have to go find them...

But along with that, I get to give away three books!!  A hardback of Forever Friends, and then a paperback of Navy Brat and Rodeo Star.  Everyone raise their hand who would love to win a free book!!!???  Okay - giveaway rules:

1 - leave a comment on my blog with email so I can contact you for mailing address.

2 - like Piper Reed on facebook (and tell me about it)

3 - tell me the craziest thing you ever did as a kid!  lol

The top entries will be the winner!!

Contest runs through Friday the 17th and I'll announce the winner on Monday the 20th.

So, give her books a try!  You'll love it.  I think it's a great story about how a young navy brat (to quote the title above) deals with moving around so much.  I really liked the idea of a gypsy club, I wonder how many clubs have been sparked by reading the book!  Anyway, get your kids to read it, it's clean, it's funny, and it has silly illustrations.  You'll want to get the whole series so they can start at the beginning!.

Well, they're over for now...

Well, the closing ceremonies have played, and the flames were extinguished.  Interestingly enough, it wasn't as sad a thing as it had been in 2012, so perhaps the reality that they aren't that far away dulls the pain.  lol.  I realize it's a bit silly, but I love the Olympics, and it's always a little sad when they end.  My family, on the other hand, takes a deep breath of relief, as they won't have to face every evening of watching the coverage on TV.  Though, there were several nights we missed and they should be thankful...lol

What cracks me up is the review of the closing ceremonies I read this morning.  You would think that the whole audience hated the party and the guy that did the show had no taste.  While those of us 'on this side of the pond' as they like to put it, thought it was pretty fun.  Strange - but fun.  There were aspects that we didn't like, thought were bizarre, but we put it down to the strange English humor. I could have done without the girl, Jessie J? and her skin outfits, but she did a good job with Queen, and my kids liked most the show.  I figure that's a pretty good feat.

We're excited for Rio, though I figure the opening ceremonies are going to be one big carnival.  What do you think? lol

(I was going to post a photo, but since there is a big stink right now over copyright and stuff, I don't have one.  Sorry!)

True Joy

There was a discussion a couple of weeks ago among my daughters about an Institute lesson.  My oldest was complaining that the Institute teacher was saying something about having joy, not fun.  My other daughter was pointing out that it's not joy in the way the world views it.

She wasn't happy with the idea that we're not here to 'have fun'.  We're here to learn, grow and have joy.  There's a big difference between having fun and feeling joy.  Fun is a fleeting thing.  Joy is something that resonates in your soul.

This past week we were privileged to participate in my brother and his wife going through the temple.  The past year has been such an amazing one, with him coming back into activity and her joining the church.  Having them go through the temple was like the pinnacle of the mountain -- what an amazing day!!

When we thought of how our parents were feeling in the spirit world, our emotions couldn't be held back.  In the Celestial room, we had a group hug and I reminded them that mom and dad were there, watching us and so very happy that their children were back where they wanted us to be.  I still tear up just remembering it.

And then they were sealed.

I had really not felt such joy before!  I mean, the day I married my wonderful hubby was pretty close, but I knew so much more how special this was!  This shot is when they came out of the temple and my daughter was blowing bubbles for them.  Inez was helping the bubbles to float up, and it was the cutest thing ever!!!

The emotions and feeling of that day are forever engraved on my heart.  To see my brother so very happy, and to know that he is now part of the eternal family circle, just makes me so very thankful for the many blessings our Heavenly Father has given us.  It's difficult to express!  And I claim to be a writer!  Sigh.

Such a romantic day, so many feelings and such JOY.  That was what I would have loved to have pointed out to my daughter.  There was fun stuff, but this day was all JOY.  We were content.  We were thrilled.  It was such a strong wonderful feeling, that I hope they never loose.  

Thank you Lord.  For my brothers, my wonderful sister-in-laws, and my amazing husband.  I have been so richly blessed.

Sleep Deprivation? A whine...

Well....it's happened again.  sigh.  I'm going through a stage of having difficulty sleeping again.  I went through this a couple of months ago, but things settled down and I was able to sleep just fine.  I'm sure part of it is the heat...just because our AC can't handle the size of our house, and the inside temperature is only slightly cooler than the outside temperature...especially at night when sometimes it's way cooler OUTSIDE the house, so we turn off the AC and turn on the attic fan...  But then, that was such a long sentence you're probably wondering where the vehicle in the hit and run-on went ...lol  that was pathetic!  But I don't sleep well when it's hot anyway, so that's problem number 1.  And it's getting to the point where I might kick my daughter out of her room as she's in the coolest room in the house.  
Anyway - so part of the problem is this whole summer has been averaging going to bed about midnight.  Which isn't really good for getting up when it's cooler...
And so then I decided it was getting ridiculous because I'd go to bed about 11:30 and then toss and turn for 2 hours.  Yes, I did say 2 hours.  Sigh.  I'd finally get to sleep about 3 ish, and then my hubby has to work at 6 in the summer, so he gets up at 5, we have family prayer and then I try to go back to sleep.  It takes a bit to get back to sleep, and sometimes it never really comes until it's really time I need to get up...so I'm a zombie for the first couple of hours of the day.  UGH.  Then I kind of wake up by 3 pm, and I'm not really getting anything accomplished!!
So I start with the melatonin, my standby when I just can't continue like this anymore.  It has ALWAYS worked for me in the past, even taking quarter dosages!  But last night I took a half pill, and it didn't work.  NADA.  My poor hubby couldn't sleep either, and he still had to go to work today.  I'm worried about him making it home...
To top it all off, it appears I've got Restless Leg syndrome.  We've suspected it for a while, but it's never been a big deal.  I can usually get up, walk around a little bit, and be able to go to sleep.  Not last night.  I got up several times, walked around, stretched, even ate a snack (I was starving at 1 in the morning...what's with that???) and then went back to bed.  Hubby was a sweetheart, and since he wasn't sleeping well, helped massage the muscles.  He even got a damp cloth to help cool me off, can you see why I married this man??  Can you say Saint???  YES!
sigh.  I'm not sure when I finally fell asleep, but hubby mercifully let us all sleep and went to work.  I managed to sleep till 8, then tossed and turned till 9, and decided to get up. Face the world.  Be the mom.  You know...
But I think I've also got an inner ear infection going, because I've been having some dizziness.  We don't have the money to go to the doctors today, it's gonna have to wait till next week after we get paid.  Maybe it will settle itself out on it's own?  Who knows.  But it's just little trials, no big deals, and I'll get through this with no worries.  I just decided to whine a little.  I think I have some cheese here somewhere if you want some to go with it...

The bright spot of yesterday (and there were several, it was a great day) was the surprise visit of my daughter, her fiance and my granddaughter!  She was dressed so cute!!

I don't know why the photo is loaded sideways...it's saved right side up.  So, you're going to have to turn your head to see how cute she is, but it's also sad it looks like she's picking her nose...sigh.

But she's a cutie - even if she was in a violent mood.  She was hitting everyone, but I guess when they're going on 2, that's some of the behavior.  Doesn't mean they should be allowed to get away with it, right??  lol

Anyway, now that I've rambled on, I need to try and get my brain to function.  I've got to get some things done today, so I need to focus.  I had a WONDERFUL fruit/veggie smoothie for breakfast, and that's probably been the best part of my day so far.  Have I mentioned how much I like these in the morning now??  I've become a real green smoothie convert.  You should try it.  Really.  ;)  You'll like it!

This mornings was carrots, kale, banana, plum, frozen strawberries, frozen blueberries and plain greek yogurt.  I don't normally add yogurt, but since my spinach went bad, I needed a little protein.  ;)

Have a good one!