I'm almost finished with my first cup of coffee, but I'm thinking this could be a five cup day. And after I'm done drinking coffee I'm hunting down that police officer who doesn't understand proper night time siren use.
Once upon a time the country was quiet. Tree frogs, crickets, the occasional coyote howling. At 4:30 am you might hear a neighbor's rooster crow.
At 4:30 am this morning I was sound asleep (Which doesn't happen that often), dreaming a nice dream. Suddenly a firetruck showed up in my dream. What? Why is there a firetruck here in my dream? I tried to dream it away but it remained, blowing its horn, sounding its siren in short bursts.
What? Siren?
TORNADO!! I jumped out of bed, thinking the first responders were using that annoying fire truck foghorn, blasting their siren, trying to warn us, wake us up. Common Sense says a siren and horn at that time of night are a good sign that we're being warned to head for an interior room.
My husband and I jumped from our bed to see what was the matter. I threw open the door and stepped out on the porch. What to my wondering eyes did I see, but a cop with a spotlight, parked in the road. I yelled (not really) a bad name and shivered in my robe. I flashed my porch lights as if to say, "Stop that you dummy, we're awake, we're awake."
The police car flipped his siren again and hit that annoying horn. He flashed his spotlight upon the dark field. I flipped our porch light, thinking he understood, "we're awake, we're coming, stop it right now." The siren he did sound. The horn he did blare. He ignored my distress signal. My children he did wake. (I have a lot of respect for police officers, but seriously...all of this over a horse.)
My husband jumped in the truck, thinking the officer must need our help. I yelled, "he's an idiot, tell him to turn that thing off." (Is this a christmas story or Dr. Seuss. I've lost track) The kids were not sleeping, dreaming of sugar plums. THe dogs were all barking, wanting to go out. The neighbors were up. Their lights came on.
The nice police officer continued his sounds.
My husband rushed to his side, asked "what could be the matter." The officer shined his light and said, "Hey, someone has a horse out."
REALLY? REALLY? He couldn't back up fifty feet, turn in a driveway, knock on a door and say, "Do you have a horse. It's out."
My husband explained. "It isn't our horse. It doesn't belong to any of our neighbors."
The officer got another call, used my husband's phone, turned on his siren, and tore into the night. THe horse ran away, afraid of the siren. We all went back to bed until someone knocked on the door...Do you know you have a horse out?
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Dieting
What is it about spring that makes us think we need to diet? Is it the looming of swimsuit weather? Is it the thought of T-shirts and shorts. I mean, sweaters and jackets really do cover a multitude of sins (better known as too much chocolate, lack of exercise due to deadline, love of carbs, etc). In two months we'll be on our way to the beach. That gives me two months to diet. In honor of the season of dieting, I did two things at the grocery store today. I bought Agave Nectar for my coffee. It's healthy, you know. It also has more calories than good old sugar. I bought banana chips, trail mix and mixed nuts. And cupcakes. But I didn't buy the caramel cake or the Paula Deen Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. Any good tips on dealing with self-control? Never go shopping might be at the top of the list.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Me Again
Where has all the time gone? Months without a blog post! Amazingly enough the world kept spinning. So what has happened in the last few months? In my world, family, church and two books finished and another started. The first is a novella, Her Christmas Cowboy. It will be released in November along with a story by Gail Gaymer Martin. The second, The Cowboy's Christmas Blessing, will be released in December. Do we see a trend? Yes, the answer is COWBOYS. These two cowboy books kick off the beginning of the Cooper Creek series which means plenty of stories featuring cowboys! So what will I be doing this summer? Writing more cowboy books, of course. I'll also be running like crazy with kids, hopefully drinking a lot of coffee, and definitely making a trip to the beach. What are your plans for the summer? If you're writing, how goes the journey?
Monday, November 15, 2010
Giving
Yesterday I witnessed the sweetest example of giving. It happened at a birthday party for a 4 year old boy.
A little boy attended the party and he brought his gift wrapped in his coat. He set that coat on the counter of the church and said, "This has my present in it. I need to keep it right here so I can give it to him when he opens his presents."
The coat was then placed with the other gifts and when it was time for presents to be unwrapped that little guy went and got his coat. His little face beamed as he handed over the gift. He had brought it and wrapped it all by himself. When the coat was unwrapped the gift inside was a cracked and battered little truck. Both the giver of the gift and the child who received were thrilled.
As adults how many of us would be excited to have a dirty little coat to unwrap? How many of us would shout for excitement when we pulled out a very used toy?
We might pretend. But would we really be thankful? Would we pull back from that coat and wonder when it was last washed? Would we put the little truck on the table and move on to something else, something more worthwhile?
To that little boy, his coat held the most precious gift in the world. It was the best he had to give.
A little boy attended the party and he brought his gift wrapped in his coat. He set that coat on the counter of the church and said, "This has my present in it. I need to keep it right here so I can give it to him when he opens his presents."
The coat was then placed with the other gifts and when it was time for presents to be unwrapped that little guy went and got his coat. His little face beamed as he handed over the gift. He had brought it and wrapped it all by himself. When the coat was unwrapped the gift inside was a cracked and battered little truck. Both the giver of the gift and the child who received were thrilled.
As adults how many of us would be excited to have a dirty little coat to unwrap? How many of us would shout for excitement when we pulled out a very used toy?
We might pretend. But would we really be thankful? Would we pull back from that coat and wonder when it was last washed? Would we put the little truck on the table and move on to something else, something more worthwhile?
To that little boy, his coat held the most precious gift in the world. It was the best he had to give.
Friday, September 3, 2010
SUMMER'S SLIPPING AWAY
This has been a crazy summer. I hadn't realized it had been so long since I visited my own blog. How sad is that?
So, what happened to make the summer crazy. Not a lot, really. Writing deadlines, kids, kids, kids, vacation, the RWA NATIONAL CONFERENCE in Orlando, kids, kids, kids....
My husband and I celebrated our 24th anniversary this summer. Twenty-four years...and we actually still like each other!
Yes, people are amazed. Most particularly the people who wonder why he married me in the first place. Yes, I know who you are.
We've been asked how we do it. How has our marriage survived. I've thought about it and i think the secret is this: friendship. Okay, there is more to it than just friendship. Communication. Mutual Respect. Determination. Communication. Firm Grasp on Reality. Yes, seriously, reality. It's that place where you leave behind the fantasy you built around marriage and your partner and you accept REALITY.
But friendship is a great place to start building a healthy marriage. Friendship will get you through the tough times,( and there will be tough times).
We need to put the same energy into building a relationship with our spouse as we put into our friendships. The difference between our BFF and our spouse is the time spent together. Seriously, if our BFF moved into our house and left her dirty dishes on the coffee table, we'd get tired of her, too.
Your spouse is the best friend that moved in.
Remember when you were a kid and a friend spent the night. It was great. You played, rode bikes, stayed up all night. The next day you did't want the fun to end, so you asked your friend to spend another night. By the next day the two of you were fighting, tired, and never wanted to speak again.
Of course someone threatened to walk home or said the infamous words; I don't want to be your friend anymore. And of course you always made up. Why? Because you were friends and that's what friends do.
Marriage is a slumber party times infinity. There are going to be times when you just want the other person to go home. But then you remember: THEY LIVE WITH YOU.
Build a friendship with your spouse. Spend time together the way you spend time with your best friend. Learn to communicate. (that includes listening as well as talking). Drink coffee together. Go to lunch. Talk.
I think I can speak honestly and say, you aren't always going to feel in love. But if you have friendship, you'll have a foundation to stand on.
So, what happened to make the summer crazy. Not a lot, really. Writing deadlines, kids, kids, kids, vacation, the RWA NATIONAL CONFERENCE in Orlando, kids, kids, kids....
My husband and I celebrated our 24th anniversary this summer. Twenty-four years...and we actually still like each other!
Yes, people are amazed. Most particularly the people who wonder why he married me in the first place. Yes, I know who you are.
We've been asked how we do it. How has our marriage survived. I've thought about it and i think the secret is this: friendship. Okay, there is more to it than just friendship. Communication. Mutual Respect. Determination. Communication. Firm Grasp on Reality. Yes, seriously, reality. It's that place where you leave behind the fantasy you built around marriage and your partner and you accept REALITY.
But friendship is a great place to start building a healthy marriage. Friendship will get you through the tough times,( and there will be tough times).
We need to put the same energy into building a relationship with our spouse as we put into our friendships. The difference between our BFF and our spouse is the time spent together. Seriously, if our BFF moved into our house and left her dirty dishes on the coffee table, we'd get tired of her, too.
Your spouse is the best friend that moved in.
Remember when you were a kid and a friend spent the night. It was great. You played, rode bikes, stayed up all night. The next day you did't want the fun to end, so you asked your friend to spend another night. By the next day the two of you were fighting, tired, and never wanted to speak again.
Of course someone threatened to walk home or said the infamous words; I don't want to be your friend anymore. And of course you always made up. Why? Because you were friends and that's what friends do.
Marriage is a slumber party times infinity. There are going to be times when you just want the other person to go home. But then you remember: THEY LIVE WITH YOU.
Build a friendship with your spouse. Spend time together the way you spend time with your best friend. Learn to communicate. (that includes listening as well as talking). Drink coffee together. Go to lunch. Talk.
I think I can speak honestly and say, you aren't always going to feel in love. But if you have friendship, you'll have a foundation to stand on.
Monday, May 17, 2010
The Haunted Crescent Hotel
This past weekend I had the great honor of being invited to Books in Bloom, a book signing event at the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. What a wonderful time, and wonderful people! The weather didn't cooperate, but it really didn't matter. We sat on the veranda, under shelter, and with plenty of coffee to keep us going.
My husband and I really NEEDED this weekend to get away. We've planned it for months, booking a room at the Crescent, preparing the kids for our departure. And booking a room at the Crescent.
The Crescent Hotel. Yes, I'm easily spooked. It isn't really that I believe in ghosts. But I do have an wild imagination and I am afraid of my own shadow. I didn't read up on any of the Crescent Hotel ghost stories. Instead we went bravely, even laughing when our bellhop, John, made this comment, "Oh, room 218. Wow, they put you in the haunted room."
We laughed and happily checked into ROOM 218!! ewwwww, scary.
Saturday evening we snickered as we followed the ghost tours. Yes, they give tours. They stopped outside our door and discussed the construction worker that died, the crazy doctor who did research on patients, and on and on.
And then inspiration hit. We hurried into our room, laughing and plotting. I tossed a towel over my head, joking that I would run into the hall and scare the ghost hunters. When I opened the door, still joking, Doug pushed me into the hall and in the path of a couple of wayward ghost hunters. I yelled boo. They were less than amused.
That evening we had fun sitting on our veranda making ghostly noises.
And then we went to bed. After a full evening of MOCKING THE GHOST. Now, if I was a ghost and I'd been mocked all night by a couple singing the theme song from Ghost Busters, I'd be thinking of ways to get back at the non-believers.
At 3:30 am, I woke up. What was that noise? Oh, the TV. AND THEN, wait, the curtains are moving. Why are the curtains moving? Back and forth, back and forth. I kept watch, one eye cracked open. (because everyone knows that you can't be attacked if your head is covered up or your eyes closed)Back and forth, back and forth went the curtains. Shouldn't the ghost's arm get tired?
Oh, never mind, it was the air conditioner blowing the curtains.
I have to admit, I made my husband leave the bathroom light on.
Perhaps I'm just not a ghost magnet, but I can happily say that nothing appeared the night we stayed in room 218.
My husband and I really NEEDED this weekend to get away. We've planned it for months, booking a room at the Crescent, preparing the kids for our departure. And booking a room at the Crescent.
The Crescent Hotel. Yes, I'm easily spooked. It isn't really that I believe in ghosts. But I do have an wild imagination and I am afraid of my own shadow. I didn't read up on any of the Crescent Hotel ghost stories. Instead we went bravely, even laughing when our bellhop, John, made this comment, "Oh, room 218. Wow, they put you in the haunted room."
We laughed and happily checked into ROOM 218!! ewwwww, scary.
Saturday evening we snickered as we followed the ghost tours. Yes, they give tours. They stopped outside our door and discussed the construction worker that died, the crazy doctor who did research on patients, and on and on.
And then inspiration hit. We hurried into our room, laughing and plotting. I tossed a towel over my head, joking that I would run into the hall and scare the ghost hunters. When I opened the door, still joking, Doug pushed me into the hall and in the path of a couple of wayward ghost hunters. I yelled boo. They were less than amused.
That evening we had fun sitting on our veranda making ghostly noises.
And then we went to bed. After a full evening of MOCKING THE GHOST. Now, if I was a ghost and I'd been mocked all night by a couple singing the theme song from Ghost Busters, I'd be thinking of ways to get back at the non-believers.
At 3:30 am, I woke up. What was that noise? Oh, the TV. AND THEN, wait, the curtains are moving. Why are the curtains moving? Back and forth, back and forth. I kept watch, one eye cracked open. (because everyone knows that you can't be attacked if your head is covered up or your eyes closed)Back and forth, back and forth went the curtains. Shouldn't the ghost's arm get tired?
Oh, never mind, it was the air conditioner blowing the curtains.
I have to admit, I made my husband leave the bathroom light on.
Perhaps I'm just not a ghost magnet, but I can happily say that nothing appeared the night we stayed in room 218.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
THE COWBOY'S SWEETHEART
My August Love Inspired. And I LOVE this cover! This is definitely my favorite so far. I kind of like the story, too. Andie Forester is twin to my March heroine, Alyson.(The Cowboy's Courtship)
Ryder Johnson, her hero, has been her best friend forever. You'll have to read the book to find out what happens! Oh, and make sure you read The Cowboy's Courtship so you don't miss anything.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)