Melissa's Diary

Rulers of the World

2012-01-27T05:53:00.000-08:00

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I laughed when I saw this LOLcat. Our cats' cuteness have turned them into rulers of the house. Pathetic, but true. When hubby phoned home last night, who could he hear in the background? Rocket who wanted a evening snack. If cats had opposable thumbs, they would rule the world.

So it's Friday, hubby returns home after spending another week away. I've started a new book, two really, if since I'm writing one and reading another. Not much else to say, so I'll leave you with one more cat pic. Isn't it cute? I had fun trying to pick out my cats from this list!

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Enjoy your Friday!

Running

2012-01-26T07:38:00.000-08:00

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I've been running for two days. I wish I could say it was all catching up on stuff, but it's not. Today doesn't look much better. Sigh...

I overslept and am the carpool driver this morning so I've gotta run!

Have a great day!

Reading

2012-01-25T08:11:00.000-08:00

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I love this LOLcat! My house if full of cat traps in a variety of sizes. It never fails that the smallest of the cats loves the biggest box while Yoda who is neck-and-neck with Rocket for biggest-boy status always chooses the smallest, giving a new definition to muffin top!

Slowly life is returning to normal after my working to reach my deadline. It's always crazy the week before. I haven't written at all the past two days after my writing marathon to get the manuscript in time. I wanted to take a short break and catch up on my sleep and some other things I've neglected.

I have been reading RITA books instead. If you're not familiar with Romance Writers of America aka RWA, they put on a contest (the RITA which is considered the romance genre's "Oscar") each year to select the best romance novels published the past year. The books are judged by published members (i.e. author's peers.)

I have eight books to read with some new-to-me authors. I can't say what books, but I'm hoping there is a finalist or two in the bunch. We'll see. One down... seven to go!

What are you doing?

Betty

2012-01-24T06:50:00.000-08:00

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This LOLcat made me smile. I know my furbabies think I'm theirs. When I'm not upstairs, Spirit will meow and slowly move down the stairs and become more annoying until I either pick her up or go back upstairs. She likes me in my writing spot. If I'm not there, she's not happy. It's pretty funny.

I've often heard that animals pick you. That was the case with the black cat we had growing up, DuPree, who walked into our house one day and stayed. It was also true with Smalls, though I'm sure her initial reasons for hanging around was not wanting to move away from her house. This weekend I heard about a story from a friend who volunteers at the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society. She's also the one who helped us adopt Yoda and Beauty. She volunteered at an adoption event at PetSmart on Saturday and with her permission, I'm sharing what she posted on Facebook:

We had a little nine year old girl walk into our event yesterday with her Dad. Her cat had just passed away. Her Dad told her she could choose any cat she wanted. Betty was patiently waiting in the first cage, at twelve years old and mustered ...her strength to hold her paw out to the girl. Next to Betty were two adorable, perfect kittens playing happily. The girl looked at her Dad and pointed to Betty...yes, that was the cat she wanted. Her Dad crouched down and said that Betty only has a few years to live. The little girl stated that is why she wanted to adopt her. She couldn't bear to think of her dying in the shelter. They then proceeded to go home to think about it....at 3pm that little girl came back with her Dad...with carrier in hand they walked into the store in tears. She looked at me and said they had come for Betty. Cheers went up and we were all elated...

Reading that warmed my heart and brought tears to my eyes. What an amazing little girl! I hope her parents are proud of her.

Betty is a black and white tuxedo cat who's owner died. I have a feeling she knew that little girl would love and pamper her the way her beloved owner did. Here is a picture of Betty if you'd like to see her.

If you're not already voting for an animal shelter in The Animal Rescue Site giveaway, would you mind taking a minute and voting for WCGHS? I've been doing it everyday, and I saw on their Facebook page they have been falling behind in the voting. Here's how you vote:

1) Copy this name: West Columbia Gorge Humane Society.
2) Click here.
3) Paste the name where it says Shelter Name.
4) Under State, choose WA.
5) Press Search. West Columbia Gorge Humane Society will show up below.
6) Press Vote.
7) You'll be taken to a page to type in a random letters and enter to confirm you're human. Do that and you'll be done.

If you vote again, you may not have to through all that again. It's just showing up for me.

Thanks!

Monday yawns

2012-01-23T06:56:00.000-08:00

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I'd gladly be a piece of modern art if it meant I could sleep like the cats above. I finished my manuscript and emailed it to my editor last night. Thanks to everyone for their well-wishes with my writing. Appreciate the support so much!

Now the wait begins to find out what changes I'll need to make during revisions.

I must admit I am so tired right now. But no rest for the weary. It's my day to volunteer at the kidlets' school they attend two days a week.

Then I want to catch up on the two episodes of Once Upon a Time that I've missed. I also received my RITA books to judge so want to get reading.

What do you plan on doing today?

Hai!

2012-01-22T05:43:00.000-08:00

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I feel like that kitty poking its head out of the box. I'm popping out of my cave to say hi!

I really need to send my book off tonight since I have to volunteer tomorrow at school and will have no time to write. Best get it finished! That means two things are on my agenda today. Mass and writing. Might have to add a third—the store. I may need a donut or two. The chocolate kind with sprinkles!

Have a good Sunday! I'm going to make the most of mine.

Random Saturday

2012-01-21T06:35:00.000-08:00

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Our cats have a bedtime ritual that includes chasing a laser light. They wait and wait for the time the little red dot comes out to be chased. It's pretty darn cute.

The rain is relentless here. I want it to stop! My sister's basement flooded. My dad's workshop in my parents' house flooded, too. Not fun.

Big dog show weekend in Portland. The Rose City Classic has come to town. My oldest daughter is competing. I'm excited to watch her today!

That's about it. Saving words for the manuscript that's due on Monday.

Have a great Saturday!

Two videos

2012-01-20T05:13:00.000-08:00

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In deadline mode, so this will be brief.

Last year, I posted the Volkswagen Superbowl commercial featuring the Darth Vader kid. We'll they've done another Star Wars inspired ad this year only with dogs. It's called The Bark Side. So much fun! I love the dogs that have costumes on!

I realized I hadn't talked about the book soundtrack of the continuity I'm finishing up. Like a couple of my other stories, I only found one song for His Larkville Cinderella. But it really fits. Enjoy!

Any big plans for the weekend? Bet you can guess what I'll be doing!

This...

2012-01-19T05:06:00.000-08:00

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So true!

I can leave my computer open on the bed where all the cats are, walk away, they won't touch it. As soon as sit down and pull it toward me to work, it's the new favorite toy. If mommy is using it, everybody wants it.

We enjoyed our snow day yesterday. I polished the first five chapters of the manuscript and wrote another chapter. Pretty good for a day I expected to get nothing done! But the book still isn't ready to send. I keep waking up earlier and earlier, which means I'm in full panic mode so I need to get working ASAP. Looking forward to having my life back next week!

Have a great day!

Awwww!

2012-01-18T06:26:00.000-08:00

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Too cute. It definitely makes me want a puppy. But I'm sure that feeling will pass quickly.

My crazy Wednesday just got a lot calmer due to a snow day! Yes, we finally have snow. The kidlets are going to be so excited when they wake up and see all the white stuff. Me? I'll be writing and taking advantage of the extra free time!

Have a great day! I plan to make the most of my time at home!

Cold

2012-01-17T08:49:00.000-08:00

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Not only is it cold, but it's snowing. We keep getting flurries off and on. A few school districts are closed in the area. Two field trips we had planned for today were canceled because of the weather. I could understand the Bonneville Dam tour, but OMSI canceling surprised me since it's right in downtown Portland. Better safe than sorry I guess.

I'll be spending my day writing and schooling the kids. Before signing off, I'll leave you with this...

Looks like Big Cats like Christmas Trees as much as our little Beauty!

Have a nice Monday!

Snowfall!

2012-01-16T08:07:00.000-08:00

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We had a feline watch committee yesterday. But they weren't looking at the neighborhood. They were more interested in what was falling from the sky.

This was Beauty's first time seeing the white stuff. She loved watching the falling store. Her cat tree gave her a perfect spot to peer out the window.

Unfortunately the snow didn't last long or stick. Still it was so much fun to watch the big, fat, fluffy flakes falling. We didn't get hardly any snow last year so have been hoping for at least one snow day this year.

We've got our fingers crossed more will snow is on the way. I'm sure the kidlets will be wearing their rally pajamas (pjs worn inside out!) tonight!

How is the weather were you are?

What could go wrong?

2012-01-15T11:11:00.000-08:00

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This pic pretty much sums up what Beauty and Yoda have been doing the past 24 hours. Crazy cats! Also applies to one of the kidlets who shall remain nameless.

We got a light dusting of snow last night. Hoping more falls! In the meantime, I'll be writing today!

Hope you have a nice Sunday!

Yep!

2012-01-14T06:04:00.000-08:00

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This pretty much sums up the first couple of weeks of January for me. But I'm not giving up on my resolutions and goals. Just need to get my continuity book finished and feel better, then I can get back to it.

It would also help to get my Christmas tree down and all the decorations put away. Still feels like December around here. Now that hubby is back after a week away it'll happen. I couldn't climb up and bring down the containers that hold all the stuff. So everything stayed up!

How are your resolutions for 2012 going?

Happy Birthday, Rose!

2012-01-13T07:11:00.000-08:00

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My youngest turns nine today! I won't have to worry about making a birthday cake like the LOLcat above. Rose decided she wanted an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen instead. All I need to do is pick it up today. Easy peasy!

Her presents are in my closet waiting to be wrapped. I meant to do it yesterday when she was at school, but lost track of time. Then I lost my keys and was in a panic to find them since I was pick up person for the carpool!

The kids are home with me on Fridays so it'll be a relaxing kind of day. Some school in the morning, but that's it. No big party, just eating out at her favorite restaurant, a trip to Build-a-Bear to stuff a new friend and of course, ice cream cake. Sometime in the future we'll squeeze in a trip to Great Wolf Lodge.

Of course, that means two birthday celebrations for her. She's going to milk this for all it's worth. Last night she asked her big sister if she could sleep in her room. She wanted to wake up on her birthday in there. Mackenna actually said yes!

Hope you have a nice Friday! I'm looking forward to mine!

Beauty vs. action figures.

2012-01-12T06:26:00.000-08:00

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My house is full of Star Wars figures and Legos. My son sets up battle scenes all over. The other cats have always left them alone, not Beauty. I found a Yoda Santa Lego guy in my shoe. One Lego piece can keep her entertained for hours as she bats it around on the hardwood floors. She seems to think anything left out, especially if it has a removable helmet, lightsaber or blaster is hers. A few clonetroopers never saw her coming. We'll be waiting for them to go on sale to replace.

Not much to report. I've been flying solo this week. That means I'm falling behind on my writing and am constantly tired trying to do all the driving, cooking, cleaning, etc. myself. I really don't know how single parents do it. Only one more day until hubby returns!

What are you doing?

How to Pet a Cat...

2012-01-11T06:56:00.000-08:00

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Replace the big cat with my thirteen year old and the kitten with my almost nine year old and this is my life right now. Sigh...

Typical Wednesday. Crazy busy so I need to get at it. But I want to leave you with something I found yesterday. This is funny and worth a look. It's from The Oatmeal and shows you how to pet a cat.

Hope you have a great Wednesday!

Titanic 2012

2012-01-10T04:55:00.000-08:00

I've been a Titanic buff long before James Cameron's Titanic debuted in 1997. I did my high school research paper on it and have a collection of books, including one that was published before the Titanic was even constructed called that bears a canny, almost eerie resemblance to what happened in the Atlantic Ocean on April 14, 1912. If you've read my blog for a while you might remember my posts from the Titanic dinner we attended a few years ago, complete with the Payless Shoe Store shoes I redid to look more Edwardian.

On the Titanic loop, I belong to someone posted two trailers for an upcoming Titanic ITV drama. The first clip can't be embedded, but you can watch it here on YouTube.

It looks really interesting. he stories revolve around real people who were on the Titanic. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, it's only being shown in Great Britain. I hope one of the US cable channels picks it up like they've done with other British shows. Fingers crossed because I really want to see this! And it would be nice to finally move beyond Jack and Rose...

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Have a great day! And if I ever win the lottery or hit it big with my writing, I'm so buying that Titanic Cat Tree. How awesome is that!!!! I love it!

Birthday Planning

2012-01-09T08:44:00.000-08:00

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I want one! Star Wars and cats. It doesn't get any better than that.

We have a birthday coming up soon. The youngest kidlet. She has flipped back and forth so many times about what she wants to do. It's insane.

I thought we had it all figured out when she said she wanted to go to this place in Oregon. I spoke with the owner last week to figure out the details and what not. The biggest problem I had was finding a date that would work between all her friends and swimming and dog shows and... You get the idea. But thankfully I didn't spend too much time doing that. Yesterday, Rose changed her mind once again.

It looks like she won't be having a party. Instead, she wants to go here with my sister's family. Of course, finding a date will be the tricky part. But she's willing to wait.

On her actual birthday hubby will be out of town. Many tears have been shed over that. Hers, not mine. But I've already purchased her presents. I think she'll be happy. Her siblings and I will take her out to eat and to Build-a-Bear. Maybe invite a couple of the neighbor girls to go with us. Which means I'd better make some phone calls today. Yikes! Where does the time go?

What's your week looking like?

Breakfast time

2012-01-08T09:24:00.000-08:00

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This LOLcat made me laugh. Just yesterday, I told a couple of the cats that they were only being nice to me because I feed them.

They have also been trying to trick me into feeding them more. This weekend, hubby and Rose had to be at Mount Hood Community College by 7:30 am for warm-ups before the swim meet. Needless to say they left early. When I woke up, all for cats assumed their positions...their positions to be fed. I assumed hubby hadn't fed them. So I did what any good ~~butler~~ cat owner would do—I fed them.

With their stomachs full, they surrounded me on the bed to nap the morning away while I wrote.

Sweet kitties.

Until I found out they had tricked me. Hubby fed them breakfast before he left. Argh. Double feeding. Of course, they also wanted lunch! Grrr!

They tried the same stunt this morning. But I was smarter. Well, until they wouldn't leave me alone so I did gave them a tiny little snack. Now they are sacked out on the bed with me again. And will sleep until their tummies tell them it's time for ~~the butler~~ mommy to get them food again.

Wonder what they'll try tomorrow morning when hubby and I wake up at the same time.

Squeee!

2012-01-07T09:23:00.001-08:00

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The kitten above reminds me so much of Spirit when she was little! I must scan in some old photos of her and Rocket!

Not much to report. Still not feeling great. Oldest daughter caught what I have so is skipping the swim meet. Son's wrist is hurting so he's skipping the swim meet. Hubby has youngest daughter at the swim meet.

I plan to stay in bed and write! What are you doing?

Two LOLcats

2012-01-06T05:28:00.000-08:00

I've always said I can usually find a LOLcat that fits what's going on in my life. Today is no different. Let's start with this one...

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This was me yesterday. I wasn't on the floor flat on my stomach, but I was in bed on my back. Not exactly lazy, but sick. I woke up not feeling well. I made it to the orthodontist's office at 7:30 am or Mackenna's retainer appointment, then drove the kidlets to school. When I got home, hubby took one look at me, told me to get in my jammies and go back to bed. That's what I did and stayed there all day long.

Then there is this LOLcat...

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While I was at the kids' school, I received a text hubby. Yoda managed to get into the Magic Box (aka the pantry.) He found an unopened bag of dry cat food. I've moved all the cats to a canned and raw food diet. (I think they miss the all day eating whenever they want of dry food, but this is healthier for them.) The little devil ripped open the bag (one I was planning to donate to the humane society) and had himself an extra serving (maybe four) of breakfast. Hubby has no idea how long Yoda was in there eating, but he seemed to be enjoying himself! Bad kitty! But we still love Yoda no matter what he does. And I've gotta admit, our Ninja Cat is pretty resourceful.

Hope you have a nice Thursday!

Favorite Things

2012-01-05T05:19:00.000-08:00

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I was back to my crazy Wednesday schedule yesterday, but it turned into a favorite things kind of day. I ended up sleeping (fave thing) through my alarm yet managed to get my daughter to her orthodontist appointment so she could have her braces removed.

Three years of metal and a year of hardware to move my jaw/bite has given her lovely straight teeth. She was all smiles (fave thing) yesterday.

I received an email (fave thing) from my editor who gave me an extension (fave thing) on my continuity book.

To celebrate the braces coming off, I brought home Wendy's for lunch (French fries are a fave thing.) While the youngest stayed home with hubby, I took the other two kids to their band class. I got an hour of unexpected writing time (fave thing.) Then it was off to set up for the session I lead at church.

It was so good to see all the kids (fave thing) again. It's only been a couple of weeks since our last Atrium session, but I noticed some had grown over the holidays. The air of excitement was so much fun (fave thing). Though the noise level was a bit high!

We had a great discussion (fave thing) about the Three Magi as well as an Epiphany feast (fave thing)! A few days early from the actual day, but it was a fun celebration with lots of yummy treats (fave thing)! I worked with the Sacramental Kids last night, and though we did the same things, we had a completely different discussion.

I was tired by the time I arrived home, but it was worth it.

What are some of your favorite things?

Life-sized Barbie Kitty

2012-01-04T07:18:00.000-08:00

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This LOLcat made me smile! I think it's applicable to both two and four-legged creatures. I must say even my cats are polite at the vet which is the only public they come in contact with!

I wanted to share the latest pic of my newest troublemaker. Beauty is four and a half months old and into everything. She can now reach the top of a five drawer vertical dresser in a single bound. Well, this is what she got into yesterday.

Beauty...the newest toy from Barbie!

Big day here. My thirteen year old daughter gets her braces off. The appointment is at eight and I slept through the alarm so need to get ready.

Have a great Wednesday!

Random Tuesday

2012-01-03T08:27:00.000-08:00

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So sweet! Beauty is growing, but she'll still be running around and playing then just drop down and sleep. Kittens are so adorable!

I need to get my day started so this is going to be quick and random.

My friend and Rose's godmother visited yesterday. We had a nice lunch, prepared by my wonderful hubby, and caught up. We hadn't seen each other since Rose's First Communion in May.

I was bummed Stanford lost in the Fiesta Bowl last night, but it was a good game. I couldn't believe how many friends of mine were there. I only know this from Facebook, but the statuses and pics from Arizona kept appearing on my newsfeed last night! Too bad when I lived in Tempe that never happened.

Another ER visit last night. This time my son, who had been playing Futsal and fell on the same arm he broke in a soccer tournament in July. It hurt enough we wanted it looked at. Not broken, but they splinted it and want him to go see an orthopedist to make sure something hasn't happened to the growth plate. Always something.

Rocket's mouth is so much better. Amazing what two shots can do for a cat. Just wish I knew why it got infected in the first place so I can make sure it doesn't happen again!

I have my Happy New Year's cards in hand. As well as address labels. I also wrote a rough draft of our annual letter. Now I need to check all the addresses on my list with the cards that arrived to see if anyone moved. My goal is to get everything finished by the end of the week so we can stuff envelopes this weekend. Seems like a good watch football kind of task!

What's going on with you?

Fraidy Cat

2012-01-02T05:34:00.000-08:00

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I can so relate to the LOLcat pic above. But I did manage to do a few of the other ones I made so all isn't lost!

Today is the final day of vacation for the family. Well, them, not me. I only took a couple of days off writing completely. I still didn't manage to get caught up either. Talk about a bummer! All those revisions put me behind, then the holidays. But I'm going to keep at it!

I read this article yesterday and wanted to share it given I have characters who are firefighters in my Hood Hamlet books, especially Firefighter Under the Mistletoe. It's an amazing story about a cat who was trapped in a fire. There's both a text article and news clip from the CBC.

There's still one more missing in the rubble. I hope and pray Fraidy is found soon! I've heard people are looking for her and someone is going to try to get flyers posted in case someone finds her. But given the name, I'm guessing she's not a people-cat. Poor baby must be so scared!

Hope the New Year is treating you well so far!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T09:58:00.000-08:00

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2012 arrived the same way as 2011...with me comforting a dog who was terrified by all the fireworks being shot off! Poor Chaos. The cats weren't too happy, either.

A new year always brings about talk of resolutions and goals. Last year I wrote this:

Which is one of the reasons I didn't post New Year resolutions for 2011. After two difficult years, I want to focus on successes, not failures. 2011 is going to be the year I take care of me. I want to keep things as simple as possible. Not adding on worries or stresses over trying to stick to a resolution that's supposed to "help" me. I want to feel energized, not dragged down by "need tos" or "shoulds."

That didn't work too well for me. None of the things I'd hope to "work" on really happened. I sure didn't take care of me. Though I doubt the kidlets and animals would have too many complaints!

The truth is I'm goal-oriented. I like making lists and checking things off. I, gulp, need dates and deadlines to get things done. So in that vein, my resolutions goals for 2012 are:

1) Get more sleep during the week. (No going to bed past midnight!)

2) Eat healthier so the extra weight will come off. (I haven't stepped on the scale in two weeks so have no idea what this number is. And not sure I'd post it if I knew!)

3) Exercise. (I still can't do the stuff I love doing, but enough being down about that. I can do other stuff like walking. Three times a week. Chaos would love it!)

4) Read a book a week. (I failed miserably in my reading this past year due to lack of time. There were only a few months I read two or more books.)

5) Focus on the positive. (This is a big one with a teenager in the house who seems to have embraced negativity!)

6) Smile everyday. Laugh, too.

7) Tell someone I love them everyday.

8) Pray more.

9) Get organized. (This is going to be a long-term maybe by next New Year kind of thing. But it is a goal! A big one!)

Do you have any resolutions for the new year?

Before I forget...

My December contest winner is Jane, who commented on my post Happy Christmas. Please use the contact button on the menu bar above, Jane, to send me your email address and whether you want a $10 BN.com or Amazon gift certificate. Thanks to all who entered!

Remember, a comment on the blog gets you an entry. I don't always update my contest page, but I usually have a monthly giveaway here. And sometimes another contest somewhere on the Internet.

Speaking of which...

Don't forget to enter the Twelve Days of Christmas Winter Garden contest at Fresh Fiction for your chance to win a Kindle Touch and a bundle of books from lots of different authors who are members of The Story Garden. That includes me!

New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T09:11:00.000-08:00

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I love how kittens will pick some unusual places to sleep. Yesterday, I didn't realize Beauty was napping behind my Mac screen when I pushed my computer to get up. Poor baby got startled awake!

She loves the cat tree that Santa brought. We find her on it all the time. She's still hanging out at the Christmas tree, but hasn't had too many more climbing adventure.

What we have noticed is how much she's growing. She's 4 1/2 months now. Hard to believe.

Do you have any plans for this final day of 2011? I'll be writing (big surprise.) I also need to get my Happy New Year's cards ordered (never got around to Christmas ones.) I'd also like to check out some lamps if I have time. Those are the only things missing from our newly decorated Great Room! Not sure if I mentioned it, but our braided rug arrived a couple of days ago. Love it!

I have to admit, I'm not really sad to see 2011 go. Looking forward to 2012.

Have a great day! And a fun and safe New Year's Eve!

Almost over

2011-12-30T08:57:00.000-08:00

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I want a remote to put life on pause for a minute. Where has 2011 gone? That may sound weird, but I feel like this year has just flown by. I hope the new year isn't like that because I keep thinking I've lost a couple of months somewhere! Anyone else feel that way?

I've been thinking about my goals for 2012. They are pretty generic so far, but my focus has been on the manuscript this week. Well, in between ER visits and vet appointments and family birthday's, etc! Today is hubby's birthday so we'll be celebrating that.

Have a nice Thursday!

The Story Garden

2011-12-29T08:26:00.000-08:00

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The Story Garden is a Facebook page put together by a group of authors who have been friends for years. It'll be a page to talk books. I've known many of these women since 1995 so it's fun to be a part of this!

To kick off our new page, we're holding a contest on Fresh Fiction with some great prizes including a Kindle Touch! For more info about our Winter Garden contest, go here. Here's the link to like the Facebook page.

Also, it seems blog readers like gift cards so my Decembers website contest prize will be a $10 gift card to either B&N or amazon (winner's choice.) To enter, just comment on the blog and check back on the 1st or 2nd of January to see if you won.

Hope you have a nice Thursday!

Cats vs. Dog

2011-12-28T08:20:00.000-08:00

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The cats vs. the dog battle around here has settled down considerably since Smalls passed. She was the cat commander who would put aside her own differences with the other felines to plot against Chaos. They held a doorway and a staircase hostage, but never a chair. We're still a long way from this house being even close to a peaceable kingdom though. Spirit still hisses and swats whenever Chaos walks.

Not much happening around here today. The family is going to see We Bought a Zoo. I get to stay home and write. Pretty much sums up this week for me. If I want that to end, I'd better get writing. How is your week going so far?

Feline Couture

2011-12-27T09:26:00.000-08:00

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Poor kitty! I'm guessing if someone dressed me up like that I'd be wanting meteoroidss to fall, too! Of course, it doesn't stop me from putting funny hats and outfits on my furbabies. Santa even brought me a book called Fashion Cats. It says "Feline Couture from Japan's #1 Cat Tailor." Didn't realize that was a job. The pics are very cute.

My brother-in-law sent the kidlets this game. It's called The Crazy Cat Lady Game. One of the kids said, "Hey, mom, this game is about you!" We haven't played yet, but will soon!

I'm dragging today. Had to take my oldest to the ER last night with breathing problems after swim practice. They got her breathing better after a treatment, but they aren't sure of the cause. She's never had asthma (and she wasn't wheezing.) This wasn't in her lungs, but upper resp. Yet the treatment worked. One possibility is a reaction to the chlorine in the pool. They swim under a bubble in the winter. I'm just hoping this never happens again. It was very scary!

Hope you have a nice day! I'm plan on writing and taking a nap with my cats at some point!

On the 2nd day of Christmas...

2011-12-26T09:14:00.000-08:00

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I wish this were a picture of Spirit, my now-seems-to-be-sick-again-furbaby, using the litter box last night and this morning. Then I might not have spent my morning cleaning up after her. She left lots for me on this second day of Christmas. All of which I could have done without. Hubby cleaned her. I took the rest. I did what I could for almost an hour. Advanced Nature's Miracle is now soaking in for my next attempt. Then we'll be renting a carpet cleaner. I also see a call to the vet. I'm hoping she just ate something she shouldn't have and her IBD is not acting up.

Christmas was so nice! A nice leisurely morning since we'd gone to Mass the night before. Hubby smoked a Prime rib and later neighbors stopped by for dessert.

I guess Santa was right after all. The kidlets did make it back onto the nice list. Santa brought lots of Legos, Barbies and a dog grooming table. Some wii and DS games, too! Some pretty cool stocking stuffers, too! Santa also brought the cats a climbing tree and Chaos a new pillow.

I don't think I'll hear the kids asking for much for a few days. At least I hope not!

My parents got the two younger ones an Xbox with Kinect and the oldest the new iPod Touch. We did the usual pajamas, slippers and a Hallmark ornament for each of the kids, then I tried to get something I thought each would really like.

Finn received the third season of Clone Wars on Blu-ray, some Sports game for the Kinect and a very cool book called The Jedi Path. It comes in a vault like box. You press a box and the door open and the book is raised up.

Mackenna got a grooming bag with her name monogrammed (ordered this in August at a dog show), a hat, scarf and glove set and a set of books that includes the Uglies. It was out of print so I had to do some searching to find a new boxed set and Alibris came through for me.

We got Rose an iPod shuffle (an orange one since that's her fave color) and an American Girl novel about soccer and a Victorious Xbox Game. She left a note for Santa, reminding her that she really wanted an iPod! I had to smile when I read that!

Hubby and I don't exchange gifts. For a long time, we've taken the money we'd spend on each other to do giving trees, adopt a family gifts, etc. The kids gave me some really sweet things. Finn got me a pair of lined Crocs to wear around the house. Not exactly steel-toed slippers, but close enough to save me from breaking or bruising any more toes. My foot still isn't looking great after last Monday! Mackenna gave me a pair of tall, red glass candlestick holders with white tapers. They'll be perfect with our new living room decor! And Rose gave me a coupon book for foot rubs and a pair of Mary Jane-type Crocs.

How was your Christmas or Hanukkah, if you celebrate?

Happy Christmas!

2011-12-25T07:44:00.000-08:00

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I dreamed of a white Christmas, but it's not going to happen this year unless we want to drive up to the mountains. Not today. We're spending it at home and having a nice, quiet day. Dinner will be a rib roast. Later a family from out street will join us for a dessert buffet. Chocolate fondue, a Happy Birthday Jesus ice cream cake, a Noel log (had to get one of these after writing Firefighter Under the Mistletoe1), some cookies and candy.

I hear creatures stirring so that's my cue to get downstairs!

Beauty, my other furbabies along with me and my family hope you and yours have a wonderful day full of laughter, love and Christmas Magic.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T05:07:00.000-08:00

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I hope Santa Paws uses the list above when it comes to getting my furbabies their Christmas presents! I know they can't wait to see what's inside their stockings on Christmas morning! Though the wrapping paper and any empty box will be more exciting for them.

Can you believe it's Christmas Eve? I sure can't. I feel like I've lost a few weeks. I can't blame it on missing time due to alien abduction. It's just everyday life with a traveling spouse. The weeks he's not home seem to go extra long while the ones when he's home sprint by!

One big item got checked off my To Do list yesterday and I'm so grateful. My youngest actually asked to see Santa Claus. She usually keeps her distance from him. Of course, even though we had all of December to go, we didn't. That left yesterday or today.

So after hubby picked them up from my parents' house, he drove to Bridgeport Village in Tualatin, Oregon. They were in line before Santa arrived at his house. The older two kids actually joined in so I have a pic with all three! Score!!!! I only have a few pictures with Santa because all three of the kidlets went through stages where they wouldn't get near the guy in the red suit!

To my utter surprise and amazement, Santa told them they were at the top of his nice list. Really? I wonder if that card Rose sent him after getting in trouble last week made a difference. Otherwise, Santa needs to check his magic ball or whatever he uses to see if kids have been naughty or nice.

Telling Santa what they wanted for Christmas really emphasized the difference between my eleven year old son and my eight year old daughter. Son wants an Xbox 360 with Kinect. On the lists they sent to Santa a few weeks ago, Rose added her name to that request in hopes two wanting that would warrant the gift, but yesterday she told Santa what she really wanted was a Barbie car.

Hmmm. A couple hundred dollars (no idea how much an XBOX costs, but a good grooming table vs. $20 or so. It'll be interesting to see what Santa brings them. Personally, I think they've still been naughty. But who am I to argue with Santa.

I also wanted to post this:

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It reminds me of my latest release Firefighter Under the Mistletoe. Have you been kissing anyone under the mistletoe? Unfortunately, I haven't. We don't have any in the house due to the animals.

Enjoy your Christmas Eve!

Scary Elves

2011-12-23T07:26:00.000-08:00

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This is what I've been looking like lately. Not because of a NO! but because of a certain toy elf that my children have been terrorizing me with. I took a pic of it, but decided the last thing I wanted was a picture of it on my blog!

I've had a few days break of the scar tactics, which has been a welcome relief. The elf came from hubby's mom years ago. She sent us a box of ornaments and Christmas things from his childhood. A nice gesture, except there were several of these elves in various sizes. They are from the 60's or 70's with plastic faces and cloth bodies. Some elf ornaments are just heads with caps. I'm sure some might think they were cute or kitschy. Not me. A chill shivers down my spine just thinking about them!

I don't like putting the elves out before because they freak me out. I let this be known this year. Big mistake. The kids made sure every elf in the ornament boxes were found and put out. On the tree, in the midst of other decorations, on the back of the toilet, on my pillow.

So not funny! The kids, however, think it's hilarious.

My fear stems from a movie I saw when I was a kid. I think the title was something like Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. It terrified me. These little acorn head things came alive and terrorized the woman (maybe actress Karen Black, I can't remember) living in this house. For some reason the elves remind me of those acorn-head things. Needless to say, I worry I will find myself being dragged down the staircase by these scary little elves in the middle of the night!

Hope you have a great Friday! I'll be grocery shopping and writing. The kidlets stayed an extra night with my parents and will be coming home today. Let's hope they've forgotten all about the elves!

A Hood Hamlet Christmas

2011-12-22T08:18:00.000-08:00

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Not all of us have a hottie firefighter waiting under the mistletoe for us or a sexy mountain rescuer who knows just the perfect present to buy you. Either would be perfect to fix the Christmas tree in the LOLcat above. But one reader of my Hood Hamlet/Christmas Magic series found a way to bring a little Hood Hamlet to her Christmas in England!

A few weeks ago, Stace asked about the popcorn and cranberry garland that I mention in one of the books. I think it's Christmas Magic on the Mountain since there's a tree trimming scene in that one. There's also one in Firefighter Under the Mistletoe, but this just makes me think of Sean and Zoe for some reason.

I have written about those garlands, but never made one myself. We have a cranberry colored wooden bead garland on our tree. Fortunately, Harlequin Romance author Shirley Jump had made one. Turns out it's very time consuming. Oops. But Stace wasn't deterred. And this was the result!

Very pretty and festive, don't you think?

Here's what Stace had to say about it:

About two hours which included teaching how to do it, making five garlands, taking photos and making the kids tea. Loving my Christmas magic in Guildford tree.

I love it! But I can imagine what our kitten, Beauty, and our dog, Chaos, might do with real food on the tree. It wouldn't be pretty. So I'll have to stick with my wooden cranberry bead garland! But here are directions if you want to make one.

Have you ever made a popcorn and cranberry garland?

Where is kitty?

2011-12-21T08:28:00.000-08:00

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This LOLcat is so true. I remember when I had to go to Tacoma to attend a training class at St. Patrick's and I couldn't find Rocket. I searched everywhere. Hubby said he'd find him so I drove north only to get a call five hours later saying the cat was missing. I was getting ready to drive back home when my oldest daughter called to say he'd been hiding in the closet, a place I'd checked a few times. Hubby, too.

I had that same moment of panic yesterday when I arrived home from an indoor soccer tournament. Beauty wasn't in my daughter's room. She wears a little bell, but there was no jingling. She usually comes running when her name is called, but she didn't this time.

I searched everywhere. No kitten. Given what happened with Pumpkin, I was getting more worried by the minute.

I called hubby who was driving the three kidlets to my parents so they could spend a couple of nights. Turns out my daughter didn't leave Beauty in her room, but in our room. I finally found her with one leg on the wrong side of her cone of shame. I have a feeling there was a story behind that with Yoda involved. But I wasso relieved to see her. She'd had a bit of an exciting day.

We ended up having to take Beauty into the vet. The area around her stitches had swelled. Turns out it's just a reaction to the sutures. It'll take a few months to go away, but she's fine. Huge sigh of relief after all the cat stuff (okay, deaths) we've been through the last few months.

Not the best pic (from hubby's cellphone) but this is her napping on the new ottoman last night. She loves being with us. We've had her out when we could watch her (and keep Yoda away.) The vet said she could have more freedom since things are healing nicely.

She'll have to wear the cone of shame until the scabs on her scar go away. But this one seems a little better than those hard plastic ones.

With a kidlet free household, I'll be wrapping presents and writing. How does your day look?

Cats and crying

2011-12-20T05:55:00.000-08:00

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My cats love all kinds of strings. They have no concept of making a mess or what kind of trouble they could be causing when they play. They also act jealous if they aren't allowed in on the fun.

With Spirit's food change from dry to canned, she not only looks years younger, but she's become more playful. If a string or toy comes out, she wants in on the action. It's been a remarkable change in her after only a couple of weeks on the new diet.

Some people just don't get cats. They much prefer dogs, which is perfectly fine. I understand. I happen to like both. My dog Chaos gives love in a totally different way from my feline furbabies. Cats may be more independent, but they love their humans, too. They just give love on their own terms.

Which leads me to this video that I saw yesterday. It's from a few months ago, so you may have seen it already. It's a cat soothing a crying infant.

The comments by viewers are pretty interesting. Some think it's a disaster waiting to happen. Others hope the cat is declawed (did you know declawing a cat is illegal in some countries? Wish that were the case here in the U.S.) Others think the cat is agitated by the noise. I'm not sure what was going on in the background. It appears someone maybe holding the cat and another person is nearby, but I still think it's sweet. What do you think?

It reminds me of my cats. To this day, not one likes it when the kidlets cry. Rocket come running whenever he hears tears. He meows and rubs his head against whoever is crying. Maybe he just doesn't like the sound, but it's very sweet and usually his interaction with them helps the tears stop.

As for the pat of the baby's face, my cats, who all have their claws, do that to us. We call them love pats.

I'll never forget when we got Yoda. He was so tiny. But he would annoy the older cats, especially Smalls, who would bop him on the top of the head with her paw. I remember the first time when he, our no longer so little copycat, did that back to her! She was so shocked!

I hope you have a great Tuesday!

Stocking stuffer

2011-12-19T08:45:00.000-08:00

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I would love to find one of those in my stocking! How about you?

Our stockings are hung. Human stockings on the fireplace. Furbaby ones on the staircase. That way the animals can stick their paws through the railings and play with them! Plus there are just too many to all fit on the fireplace.

I came across an ornament from 1997. I'd had it made somewhere. I think a Christmas Bazaar at our church's school. There were four names on it: Tom, Melissa, Rocket and Spirit. How times have changed since then! Both family size as well as house size!

Today begins Christmas vacation. Hubby is home and off for the next two weeks. The kidlets still have to do lessons this week. (See Naughty post from yesterday if you want to know why.) Unfortunately my hope of a break isn't going to happen, but I'm hoping to get things done early and late so I can be with the family in between. Lots going on with cookie making, gingerbread house decorating, etc. I also realized I better start figuring out Christmas Cards. One year I sent New Year Cards. That may happen again. LOL!

Hope you have a nice Monday! Are you off or are you working?

Naughty

2011-12-18T10:27:00.000-08:00

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No one in our house seems to hear the rules. Kidlet, cat, dog. It's as if I'm speaking to a brick wall. Yet no one, including lil' Beauty who actually has big ears for a kitten, can use the LOLcat's excuse.

I'm pretty tired of it. So tired I went to a website and emailed Santa about the naughtiness going on in the household. Of course, I'm sure Santa already knew this, but I felt better. I read my email to the kids before hitting send. Rose ended up writing Santa herself asking if she was now on the naughty list.

On the dog front, Chaos continued to be sick all day long. I'm waiting to see how she feels today. The vet said if she got blocked it wouldn't show up until today or tomorrow.

On the kitten front, Beauty is still wearing her cone of shame. Yesterday she got into the big cats' food and made a mess of herself and the cone. Food was everywhere!

On the hubby front, he's home!

Today is all about writing. I need to run to the store for some groceries to donate, too. Later the girls and I will be delivering presents and food to a family the 4-H club adopted. That will be nice!

What are you up to today?

I eated it

2011-12-17T08:08:00.000-08:00

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We had some eating going on last night, but it wasn't the cats.

This morning, I didn't wake up until 6:44 am. This is not normal. Usually our Norwegian Elkhound, Chaos, wants to eat by 6. I figured she was just sleeping in. It happens once or twice a year, and we had been up late last night.

The cats began stirring which meant soon they would be in my face wanting breakfast. I headed downstairs only to be met by Chaos who was already down there. That is very strange. She always stays upstairs with us at night.

I let her outside then went to get her food. The door to the Magic Box (that's what we tell Chaos it is since her food and treats are kept there) was wide open. (No doubt one of the kidlets got a midnight snack.) My heart dropped. Elkhounds will eat anything and everything. The last thing I needed is a sick dog and a trip to the vet or animal hospital.

Fortunately I didn't see a big mess. So I fed her breakfast.

Then I went to feed the cats.

That's when I noticed the bag of Bone-bones (that's what we call the dental sticks she gets each morning) over by the couch. It was an almost new bag, too. The bottom had been chewed out. Guess the ziplock top was too much for her. Only six Bone-bones remain. Someone had been busy last night.

I guess I should be grateful Chaos didn't eat everything in the bag or tear apart the pantry. But I have a feeling her tummy is not going to be feeling all that great today. Still she's right now trying to figure out how to eat the cats' breakfast. Darn dog!

A few people, including my kids, watched the animal version of Jingle Bells done by the same people who did the Deck the Halls clip I posted yesterday. So here it is since it fits in with the LOLcat above:

Hope you have a nice Saturday. Hubby arrives home after being in Taipei for a week. We all miss him so much!

Deck the Halls

2011-12-16T08:35:00.000-08:00

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LOL! So yeah, I dress my animals in funny costumes. And I'm sure they hate when I do that. When I opened the stocking box, once I got past the sadness of seeing Smalls' stocking, I realized the cat Santa/Elf/not-sure-which suit was in there. It was too big for Beauty, but fit Yoda. Unfortunately, pics were not possible. I'm actually lucky he didn't try to cut open an artery. The reindeer antlers have gone missing. I'm guessing I'll find them around Easter time.

For your holiday listening enjoyment. Here's a fun version of Deck the Halls by some fur-covered and scale covered friends:

That song has totally put a big smile on my face and given me a nice dose of Christmas cheers. Not that I wasn't feeling all Christmassy before watching it thanks to something I read this morning. This article appeared on Yahoo Finance. It came across my Facebook newsfeed this morning and is worth a read. It's about anonymous donors who are helping strangers in a wonderful, generous way. Christmas magic, indeed!

Hope you have a great day!

For Hubby...

2011-12-15T06:34:00.000-08:00

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The above LOLcat is for hubby. It's now been two days I've yet to speak with him. Oh, he's called, but every time I've been driving so the kids answer my cell phone. They've had lovely discussions with him, keeping him informed of what's going on here at home. There's just no time to talk given the sixteen hour time difference, his schedule there and mine here. Between 7:30 am and 8:30 pm I think I was home maybe 45 minutes.

I hope today will be a little better. I really want to finish up the Christmas decorating. The mantle and the staircase banister are what's left. I've definitely taken the spirit of Advent (i.e. the season of preparation) to heart this year. A good thing I have another week and a half to get completely ready. I'm Catholic so the celebrating doesn't really begin for us until the 25th then it continues on for three more weeks though we usually take decorations down after Epiphany. Given I have a book due on the 9th of January, things will most likely be up a while longer this year.

Are you ready for Christmas?

Random Wednesday

2011-12-14T05:21:00.000-08:00

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This LOLcat made me laugh and grimace. My printer has not worked since I bought my new MacBook Pro. It no longer works with my iBook, either. I have no idea what happened, but I hate being printer-less. Sometimes I just try it to see if I can print something. So far no such luck. Hubby has spent hours trying to troubleshoot it. No luck. I really don't like revising on the screen. I much prefer paper.

Last night I watched Thor on Blu-ray while I wrapped 60 presents for the children in the Atrium I teach. I had wanted to see the movie when it came out, but never got around to it. We enjoyed it. And a good thing I had four things left to wrap during the credits. I would have missed the scene at the end. Now to watch Captain America so I can be ready for when The Avengers comes out!

Our little kitten is off to the vet today to be spayed. I'm sure she'll come home with the cone of shame, too. Poor baby. She remains totally captivated by the Christmas tree, but no ornaments have fallen off or been damage. Fingers crossed we make it through the Christmas season with zero casualties! That would be a record if it happens.

I've spent the last week getting Spirit off dry cat food. They say it's not good for IBD cats so I've been wanting to do this for a couple months. After her getting sick over Thanksgiving, I decided to go for it. She, however, would always turn her nose up at canned food. I ended up meeting someone through the FOJs (Friends of Jack-the lost at JFK cat) who familiar with weaning cats off the dry stuff. Her tricks/suggestions worked.

I also stopped free freeding the cats. Now to get get down to two feedings a day. That would be so nice,I also would like all the cats to eat the same stuff. That would simplify things immensely. Of course I've heard a raw food diet would be the best thing for Spirit, but I'm not there yet!

How are things with you?

Gotch ya

2011-12-13T06:23:00.000-08:00

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It never fails when hubby goes away, life says "Gotch Ya" to me. Stuff just seems to happen. Coincidence, I know, but sometimes the coincidences make you go, "Hmmm." This is nothing we won't get through, but I did not have the Monday I expected to have. I'm also hoping today is better.

One good thing that happened yesterday was I came across a new-to-me site called cuteoverload.com. You don't have to be a Crazy Cat Lady to enjoy it, but I did find this Maru video there which does appeal to CCLs. Some regular folks might like it, too. Enjoy!

Holes in boxes. I must try this with Yoda! I seriously love the super-hero-cape-box-look, how about you?

Have a nice Tuesday!

How could they?

2011-12-12T05:26:00.000-08:00

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Last night on ABC's Once Upon a Time, Regina showed she didn't have to recharge her evil at all. She's one mean queen, make that mayor.

If you are planning on watching last night's episode, stop reading this blog now. There are spoilers. If you don't watch the show, this probably won't make sense so feel free to stop, too.

I only watch one show each year because I don't have a lot of spare time on my hands. I usually watch all the premieres and sometimes the second episode then decide which show I'll follow. Last year it was The Event. This season it's Once Upon a Time.

I've been enjoying the show so much, but last night's episode was so amazingly awesome (from the acting to the storytelling) until the last couple of minutes. Acting continued to be top-notch, but I was left stunned by the turn of events.

My new crush, my fave hottie of the moment, the gorgeous Sheriff Graham aka The Huntsman from my new fave show Once Upon a Time has bit the dust. Well, his heart did. In the land of Storybrooke that means he's dead. So sad!

The guy (played by Jamie Dornan) is gorgeous, an animal lover (the volunteering at an animal shelter comment now makes more sense plus there's something about a guy and a wolf!) and has an accent. Definitely a catch and the chemistry with Emma was great. Romance novel worthy. Or rather was. My only hope is that he's still alive in the Fairytale world. Please, oh, please let this be the case. Did I mention his accent?

Of course, the show is now on break until January. If you haven't seen it, you should. I'm sure it doesn't appeal to all tastes, but it's gathering quite a following thanks to the acting and if the writing keeps up like this episode watch out!

So what's your fave new show of the season?

In My Closet

2011-12-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

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My 13 year old daughter wasn't rummaging through the recycling bin this morning, but my closet. She wanted to my black boots. My new black boots that I've never worn except for trying them on in the store.

So it begins. Sigh...

I wonder if I'll ever see them again.

Hope you have a good day. Lots going on here. I got my AAs for the soccer book turned in. Now it's to get more words written on the continuity. I really wanted to take some time off over the holiday, but that's looking less likely. Two days off won't be same as the two weeks I was hoping for, but it's better than no time off at all!

What are you up to today?

Caturday

2011-12-10T07:33:00.000-08:00

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The above pic could be Yoda and Beauty. The two have bonded, soul mates most definitely. When Beauty is in another room with the door closed, they stick their paws underneath the door to touch each other. Sweet. Of course, when they are together their love is expressed like the LOLcat above playing and fighting.

We hung unbreakable ornaments on the tree. So far so good. We have a few more items to put on, including the angel, but it's a work/test in progress. Beauty has stayed out of it without us doing anything. Not sure if it'll last, but we're hopeful!

I wanted to share a cat link with you. It's from catswhothrowupgrass.com. Some of the stuff is familiar, but this is worth a quick look. It's called How To Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You. The format is different than the cat journal that made the rounds a couple of years ago. And yes, it looks like mine are plotting against me as I type!

Hope you have a nice Saturday. I'll be spending some of mine at a swim meet. Hubby is off this weekend since he did the bulk of swim stuff last week!

It's beginning to look a little like Christmas

2011-12-09T08:39:00.000-08:00

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The above LOLcat is exactly how a couple of my cats were last night as I cleaned. The stuff I found, no doubt the result of little paws and teeth, as well as bigger kidlet sized hands, had me shaking my head.

I also couldn't believe how long it had been since I dusted. I think the dust bunnies were on their third or fourth generation of off-spring. This is what happens when deadlines get stacked upon deadlines. The basic stuff gets done around the house, but all the extra stuff like corners and window ledges and what not kind of slip through the cracks.

It didn't help that my cleaning efforts, though needed, were being done in a complete and utter mad dash aka panicked frenzy. My parents called yesterday afternoon to say they were coming up tomorrow. I had my new furniture, but all the old stuff was still there, too. As well as all the boxes and containers of Christmas stuff.

So I decided to clean and decorate. At the same time. That way I could be finished by the time my parents arrived.

Yeah, right.

In my defense, common sense wasn't a class I took when at Stanford. But the thought of parental comments about the state of my household can make even a reasonably intelligent person go crazy. (i.e. motivated by past experience.)

So hubby took the kidlets to swimming. I started the cleaning/decorating. I would clean an area then decorate. This worked well with the built-in shelf unit in the Great Room since my daughter had already packed everything up for me. All I had to do was dust. Then put up the water globes, shelf sitters and other decorations. Easy-peasy.

I switched out all the DVDs, putting away the regular ones and replacing them with holiday fare. I also organized two basket with Christmas books to go on the hearth. And fought the dust bunnies (dusting wouldn't do, disinfectant wipes were required) and clutter the entire time.

Unfortunately, I had the bright idea to sort through the decorations to find all the unbreakable ones (see yesterday's post as to the reason why I needed to do this.) Suddenly both the new and old ottomans were covered in ornaments. When the kidlets got homed they hung on a couple ornaments then were hungry for dinner. After that they were too tired. I have yet to go downstairs because I'm almost afraid to see if the cats got to them last night.

Of course in the midst of my cleaning efforts, the phone rang. It was my mom telling me that they'd decided not to come up today after all. I had to laugh.

At least the house is almost finished. I ended up stopping to have dinner. Hubby outdid himself last night with Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, rolls and a chocolate cake. After realizing no more decorating was going to happen, I headed upstairs to work. (There's only so much cleaning I can do at once. A domestic goddess I am not!)

So today, I'll get back to it after I get a little writing done this morning. And then the house will be all nice and Christmassy and I can post pics of my new furniture!

Hope you have a great day!

Going, going, going...

2011-12-08T10:59:00.000-08:00

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The day started early due to Mass at 7 am and I feel like I've been scrambling ever since. Lots going on. Holy day of Obligation. School day for the kidlets. Words that need to be written. A house that desperately needs to be cleaned.

The furniture arrived last nigh. Hubby had no trouble putting it together except for one nut that needs to be replaced. It'll work for now though. I love it. I came home from taking the kids to school this morning and it was all set-up! I will take pics once we can get the old stuff out of there. It's a bit crowded at the moment. But I love it. The colors are gray, red, black and off-white. So very pretty with the Christmas tree, too.

Speaking of the tree...

Beauty, our kitten, loves it. All the other cats are content to lie underneath it. Not her. She wants to be in it. As high as possible.

I thought it might be a one-off kind of thing yesterday, but this morning she was back in there with no intention of coming down. I managed to get a few pictures then took her out. She jumped right back in as soon as I let go of her.

She's so darn cute though it's hard to get to upset at her.

Right now there aren't any decorations on the tree. Just lights. I've gotten some advice from cat people on what to do since none of my other cats have done this. This website is funny. It shows how this family's cats help them decorate their tree. Definitely worth a visit!
We haven't put any irreplaceable ornaments on the tree the last two years due to Yoda. We were never sure if he'd climb the tree or not, but he did like to bat at the branches. I bought a set of unbreakable colored balls last year at the after Christmas sale. I think they might come in handy this year!

A funny cartoon was posted on my Facebook page by my friend Emilie about this very thing if you want to see it. I would put it here, but I'm not sure about the copyright of cartoons and use on blogs so I'm just pasting this link instead!

Okay, that's all I've got for now. Gotta run!

Awl Mine...

2011-12-07T05:19:00.000-08:00

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...or it will be sometime between 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm today!

After 16 1/2 years of living with a couch that I've never liked (it came with hubby when we got married, and I've been buying slipcovers for it ever since), I'm getting a new one. I'm also getting some chairs and an ottoman. Tables and a new area rug will follow once I figure out what I need!

I am so excited!

I have been looking at furniture for years. I had an interior designer put together a master plan for our current house when we moved in six years ago. Our plan was to buy one piece at a time paying cash. We managed to get a few of the pieces (dining room set, built in bookcases in office, built in buffet in dining room, desk, dinette set and matching bar stools) but then the economy tanked and all non-essential buying was put on-hold. And has been on hold for years.

But an unexpected check arrived from Harlequin. Last year's free on-line read Snow-Kissed Reunion was published as a bonus novella in a book. I'd never received a check out of the blue before. Hubby said to put the money toward the Great Room furniture.

When another check arrived, this one was expected (acceptance payment for the soccer book) hubby said wit was time to redo the Great Room so start figuring out what I wanted.

I'd already decided that the Great Room furniture in the master plan binder was too nice for our current lifestyle. With three active kids (13, 11, 8), a dog, cats and puppies that come and go as needed, I had to be realistic about what we needed furniture wise and how much I wanted to spend. I looked at several furniture places as well as on-line vut decided to go with what seemed most practical and reasonable—slipcover sofa and chairs from IKEA.

I ordered them yesterday. (Got 15% of my purchase back as a gift card, too, which easily covered the additional costs of gathering the items and home delivery!) As I was talking to the home delivery guy, he said I sounded really excited. I told him I was and explained about my hubby's couch. He said they could dispose of it for me, but hubby said no. He wants to move it to the bonus room instead.

Sigh... But really, I can't complain!

The furniture will be delivered this afternoon. My hope is that when I finish teaching at church hubby will have at least one piece put together and the old sofa will be upstairs!

Once we get the sofa and chairs arranged (could be interesting with our Christmas tree in the way!), I'll decide on what area rug and tables I want. I have a few ideas, but I need to see how everything looks first. And I'm beside myself imagining having a set of slipcovers for each season! Though I'll need to add that to the budget first!

Of course, hubby may want to throttle me once he has to put all the things together. But hey, he's got an engineering degree. He might as well use it. (And even though my degree is in Mechanical Engineering, I'm sure he won't let me anywhere near the furniture. That's his territory.)

Fingers crossed it all works out and looks as nice as I think it well!

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

2011-12-06T08:04:00.000-08:00

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The kidlets set out their shoes last night in hopes St. Nicholas would come. He did, leaving gold covered chocolate coins and little presents in their shoes.

I love the story of St. Nicholas and how his saint day is celebrated in the Catholic faith. A few families exchange their Christmas gifts today, rather than on the 25th. Others hang stocking instead of shoes. It all depends on one's traditions.

If you want to know more about St. Nicholas Day, check out the St. Nicholas Center that has loads of info, including how the day is celebrated, recipes and crafts.

Hope you have a great day!

Wenty

2011-12-05T09:59:00.000-08:00

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I wanted something badly last night. I wanted Wenty, a cat who had gotten lost while flying on Alaska Airlines, to be found. I belong to a group on Facebook of people who met on Jack the Cat's FB book. Needless to say there was lots of activity going on once word of this came out. Calls for help, humane traps, you name it. No one wants another outcome like what happened to Jack at JFK.

In this case, thanks to Alaska Airlines doing the right thing amd getting word about about Wenty being lost, Wenty was found at 1 am by a United Airlines employee who saw two white paws sticking out from under a conveyer belt (could have been a baggage carousel since both have been mentioned.) Great news for Wenty and his family!

If you want the full story from the people who were involved in the search, click here. Lots more details!

Wenty is currently with is mom at the vet's. Praying we hear good news about his condition!

A little Christmas Magic? Or perhaps a little help from above by a cat named Jack? Either way, a great way to start my week!

Christmas Movie Disappointment

2011-12-04T09:06:00.000-08:00

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If actions speak louder than words, my cats don't think much of me. None have left little hearts for me ever.

Today we decided to tag team it to the swim meet. Yesterday we all went, including the dog. That made for a long day. This morning hubby and the two younger ones set off at 6:15 am. Hubby will then bring the youngers home so they aren't stuck at the pool all afternoon when Mackenna swims. I will miss seeing Finn and Rose swim, but I think this will work better. Plus Chaos can stay home. She won't be alone for long, either, due to the break they take between the two sessions! A win-win situation for all involved.

I was very disappointed with last night's Hallmark movie, A Princess for Christmas. I'm a Christmas movie junkie. I watch only one TV show a week, but I tune into as many Christmas movies as I can in December. I usually love Hallmark Christmas movies. I know I'll have that same warm and fuzzy feeling I get when I finish a romance novel. I can't wait to watch them over and over again.

But this one left me shaking my head and thinking, huh? Needless to say I won't be watching it again that's for sure. Which is a bummer because it had all the elements I would have normally loved in a holiday movie. But I just can't get into a movie with such weak characters. Not the actors. I enjoyed their performances, but the plot structure and the character conflicts/arcs didn't work for me.

(There are spoilers in the next couple of paragraphs!)

The Duke (played by Roger Moore) was the only one with any kind of character arc and conflict. The heroine (Aunt Jules) starts off as the kind of heroine I love. She's trying hard to do her best, but not really succeeding, still she's spunky and not about to back down against the duke. She's willing to do what it takes to give her orphaned nephew and niece a good Christmas. Anyone can see why the prince would fall for her over the aristocratic shrew who he's dating. It was a very enjoyable movie up to this point.

Then Jules overhears a conversation between the prince and his father, the Duke, and thinks it's about her when it isn't. Rather than be her spunky self and prove them wrong, she turns into a weepy wimp and runs away, leaving her niece and nephew at a castle with a bunch of people they just met to spend Christmas without her. I can imagine what my editor would say if I tried doing that.

Maybe there were other scenes that explained her motivation that got left on the editing room floor, but this just didn't work for me or the rest of movie. Even hubby, who isn't a writer, mentioned how badly Jules was acting out of character.

If you're an inspiring romance writer, this is a perfect movie to watch to show you what editors mean when they say not to use misunderstanding as the conflict and/or plot device. A couple sentences of dialogue resolved this at the ball. It was a total non-issue that Jules was willing to run off for. Watching this movie is also a good lesson in keeping characters consistent. That is don't make them act out of character without good (strong is probably a better word) motivation.

I realize movies aren't books. You can't get into the heads of movie characters and know what they're thinking regarding conflict the way you can in a novel, but just watch Borrowed Hearts if you want to see a made-for-TV Christmas movie that does it right. There are others, too, but this was the one that popped into my head when I started thinking about Christmas movies of the past.

Okay, it's time to get writing. It's easy to read page proofs at the pool so I'll do those this afternoon. It's a little harder to write so I'm going to do that now. I want to get my words in so I can watch Once Upon a Time tonight.

What are you up to?

A very long day!

2011-12-03T19:10:00.000-08:00

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I'm late posting a blog today. I feel like I've gone nine rounds of Rockum Sockum when all I really did was sit at a swim meet. But when you get up at 5ish and are out the door at 6ish and at the pool until 4ish. It makes for a long day. We swung by a different church so we could attend Mass because why not make the day longer while we're at it!

But I'm home now. Huge sigh of relief.

It was a fun day watching the kidlets swim. They dropped some time on a few events. I managed to proof four chapters of my AA's (page proofs) of the soccer/crush book in between their races.

Tonight I'm taking a couple of hours off and watching a Christmas movie about a princess. I can't remember the title, but it looks right up my alley. Not sure a princess would ever visit Hood Hamlet, but who knows where my imagination will take me when it comes time to write the next Christmas Magic story!

Hope you had a nice day! I'm hungry and need to eat dinner!

Christmas Guest Blogging

2011-12-02T05:17:00.000-08:00

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I'm guest blogging at Rachael Johns' blog. I'm talking about the things I like to see when I'm reading a Christmas romance!

Rachael is having romance authors blogging all month about Christmas. Rachael's first book, One Perfect Night, has just been released by Carina Press! I'm so excited for her.

I was scheduled to guest blog next week, but an author needed to change so I took her place. Of course, with everything going on this week, I messed up the dates and it appears as if my post went up yesterday. Those who know me are probably not surprised this happened! LOL! I hope you'll still stop by and say hi today!

As for the new contest here this month, I'll let you guys decide on the prize. Is a e-gift card an okay prize or would you rather I pick something else since it's Christmas?

Have a great Friday! I have to take Finale back home today. We're going to miss her so much!

Random Thursday Redux

2011-12-01T07:10:00.000-08:00

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My oldest daughter is reading To Kill a Mockingbird. She, however, doesn't think it's boring like the LOLcat above!

My soccer book which was titled Return of Her Secret Crush has been retitled It Started with a Crush. It'll be out in May in the US and June in the UK!

It's time to announce the winner of my monthly giveaway. The random generator picked #37. That's Brandy, who commented on my post Return of the Puppy. Brandy, please send me your email address using the comment button above and I'll send you a $10 Amazon gift card. You have a week to contact me or I'll pick another winner.

Thanks to everyone who entered. I'll post a new contest tomorrow, but comments made today will count!

We all love Grand Finale, but it's time to return the puppy. Not sure if I have time today, but I know I'll have time tomorrow. We'll miss her a lot. She's fit in so well. But we'll get to see her again. She's our Norwegian Elkhound breeder's puppy!

This is my morning to volunteer at school so I need to get going. A shower is a must and I'd like to eat since I was so busy I forgot to have dinner last night.

Anything random you want to share?

Writer's Block and Guest Blogging

2011-11-30T05:57:00.000-08:00

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This is exactly my problem! If it's not a cat blocking my writing, it's a Norwegian Elkhound. Chaos was bad enough, but now the puppy wants to be on top of me, too, and she has no qualms about the keyboard. Either does the new kitten, who is becoming quite the typist. The older cats prefer to lie on my manuscript pages. Sigh...

Today I'm over at Paty Jager's blog. I hope you'll stop by and say hi! Paty writes western romances and has a special gift for readers, a free download of her novella Christmas Redemption from Smashwords, Nook, Kindle and iBook.

Don't forget! Today is the last day to enter my two contests. Here and at Jennifer Shirk's blog: Me, My Muse and I! Comment here and there to be entered. One commenter from each blog will win a $10 Amazon gift card.

Can anyone else believe it's the last day of November? I am in complete denial!!!!

Hats and gloves and mittens, oh my!

2011-11-29T07:10:00.000-08:00

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As the temperatures cool, I've been trying to gather our winter accessories together. Emphasis on trying.

The long underwear, fleece type stuff was easy. I have a shelf in my closet where I keep it all. But it appears as if there's a glove/mitten and hat thief in our house. All of mine are missing. Considering I have at least four pairs that's a little frustrating. I have searched everywhere. No purple fleece gloves, no red wool gloves, no gray fleece mittens and no brown heavy duty lined gloves. As for hats three of those seemed to have vanished, too. A gray fleece hat, a brown one and a very nice North Face maroon striped one.

Maybe the sock monster got tired of living in the laundry room upstairs and moved to the hall closet downstairs to munch on some winter gear. Or maybe I need to teach a certain kidlet if she borrows something of mom's she needs to put it back where she found it!

Back to the standard routine today. Yesterday I volunteered at school so that threw everything off. I've got kidlets to school, words to write and another guest blog to submit.

I haven't posted any pictures, but we've had Grand Finale, a Norwegian Elkhound puppy, since Wednesday. We'll have her a few more days. It's going well. She's not as much work as Nicki was. I have a feeling that's more of an age thing than anything else. We're having a lot of fun with her!

What's going on with you?

My LOLcat and Guest Blogging

2011-11-28T05:03:00.000-08:00

I usually post LOLcats from icanhascheezburger but today I had to use this one instead. My friend, Sherri, who is not only a great climber but a very talented and amazing artist, made this LOLcat for me. Isn't it cute?

Hubby took the pic yesterday. That's our kitten Beauty in Rose's baby stroller. A few hours after I'd uploaded the pic to Facebook, Sherri "fixed" the picture for me and placed it on my wall. My own personal LOLcat photo. I love it! A big thank you, Sherri!

Today I'm guest blogging at Me, My Muse and I. I'm talking about the research I did for my heroine's career as a firefighter paramedic and volunteer mountain rescuer. I'm also giving away a $10 Amazon gift certificate to one commenter there. I'm not sure how long Jennifer, the blog owner, will be running the contest, but be sure to post a comment so you're entered.

You still have until the end of the month to enter my giveaway for a $10 Amazon gift certificate here on this blog. Each comment gets you an entry. Check back on December 1st to see if you won.

I can't believe Advent has started and December is almost here! But I have my candles, wreath and most importantly for the kidlets, their chocolate Advent calendars.

I also want to wish my mom a very Happy Birthday if she's reading this! I love you!

Hope you had a nice weekend!

A Purrfect Rescue

2011-11-27T06:55:00.000-08:00

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My current release, Firefighter Under the Mistletoe features both a hero and heroine who are firefighters. I'm always on the lookout now for fun firefighter stories and I found one yesterday on a cat group I belong to.

On Thanksgiving Day, a kitten got stuck in a pipe in El Cajon, California. For three hours, firefighting crews, police and Emergency Animal Rescue worked to free the cat. Here's a link to the East County Magazine story on it if you prefer reading to watching.

This first clip is from ABC in LA. It's short and to the point.

If you want to see more, here's a newsfeed of the rescue. It's longer, over seven minutes, of raw footage.

A great story! Firefighters and cats are a perfect combination. Well, at least us crazy cat ladies think so. And of course, I love happy endings!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Post Black Friday

2011-11-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

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I wasn't quite pummeled by Black Friday shopping, but I sorta looked like this cat by the time I'd gotten home! I'd done two blocks of bargain shopping, one in the morning and then again in the afternoon. In between, I ordered items on-line that needed to be sent to family and friends. Shopping overkill for sure, but I really did get some amazing deals!

Of course, I was so tired. I worked on a guest blog for Monday last night (they'll be a $10 Amazon gift certificate giveaway there, too!) and watched a new Hallmark Christmas movie, my first of the season. It was very reminiscent of Miracle on 34th Street with a struggling lawyer (widowed with a young daughter) taking on Santa Claus as a client. It was cute.

We're having fun with Grand Finale, the Norwegian Ekhound puppy who is staying with us. She wasn't sure what was going on Wednesday night when she arrived, but she's settling in nicely. Boy, is she cute. I'll get some pics up this coming week. It's just been so busy around here with the holiday I haven't had time.

Today is all about writing and cleaning! The house is slowly getting there. We don't start decorating until after Advent begins. That begins tomorrow. I doubt I'll be ready, but I will have my advent wreath and candles ready so we can light them tomorrow evening.

What are you up to?

Black Friday

2011-11-25T14:03:00.000-08:00

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I didn't have any help this morning when I hit the stores to find some bargains, but I did get some interesting texts while waiting to check out. Turns out Yoda is back to his old playing with the curtains in the bathroom and knocked the rod and drapes into the bathtub! Hubby was amused. By the time I got home everything was back to normal.

My sister took Mackenna and my niece out shopping last night. They started at 9 pm at Toys R Us. They finally got home at 3 am. They slept and are now back out there. I didn't wake up that early. I got to the stores around 7. I'm definitely out of early shopping mode and routine since I've been on deadline the last couple of years. But I still managed to find what I was looking for!

I've been shopping in person and on-line since I turned in the proposal on Sunday night and have put a huge dent into my list. I heard from my editor yesterday and she likes it. Huge sigh of relief.

How are you spending today?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T07:49:00.000-08:00

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I have much to be grateful for especially my family, friends and readers! Today, I'm looking forward to spending time with my family, eating turkey and pouring over sale flyers! I hope you have a wonderful day! I'd love to hear how you'll be spending your turkey day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful...

2011-11-23T05:27:00.000-08:00

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I know I complain about things (lack of sleep, deadlines, weight, left arm, etc.) but I truly am blessed and feel thankful for all I have. Not everyone is so fortunate.

The video below came across my Facebook wall yesterday. It was posted by my wonderful friend Tiffany, who has lost a couple of good friends to breast cancer.

If you have a minute, okay four minutes, please watch the video below. The reason? I'm pasting this from the video's page on You Tube:

Help us hit 5 million views by December 13, 2011! When this video reaches 5 million page views, UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania will donate $50,000, to the Philadelphia Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure to empower the fight against breast cancer. Please help us achieve this goal by clicking the "share" link above to tell your friends about this video via email, Facebook, and Twitter.

For the first million views, UHC has already contributed $100,000 for this inspiring, powerful campaign.

Thank you for your support!

If you could share this on Facebook, Twitter and/or your blog, that would be awesome. Thanks!

Frontal Attack

2011-11-22T05:49:00.000-08:00

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On the cat front, I saw a Huffington Post article on a cat group I belong to about a blind kitty named Oskar. They included this video of the kitten learning to play with toys. So cute!

On the book front, I was on twitter when a link to an awesome review of Firefighter Under the Mistletoe on Harlie's Book Blog came across my @mentions. I don't get reviewed very often. I'll usually get a couple amazon reviews, a mention in Dru's book blog and RT so it's really exciting when someone I don't know takes the time to post a review! Needless to say I was smiling all day yesterday!

On the writing business front, I got amazon gift cards sent. Am pulling together all the RTC requests and wins. I also realized I'd never sent in my RITA books to be judged. Oops.Now to figure out what books go where and find them all! I also realized I owe some guest blogs. Those will be top on my list after getting some words written on the continuity.

On the holiday front, I bought a couple Christmas presents yesterday. A couple of places had Monday-Tuesday specials going on so I took advantage of the sales. I was starting to feel some pressure since I'd done almost nothing except for a present I'd purchased a couple of months ago. Several of our neighbors have their lights and trees up. That's way too soon for me.

What are you up to?

Monday!

2011-11-21T07:48:00.000-08:00

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Yeah, this pretty much sums up my face this morning! I'm tired, but happy the proposal is off. Of course, I still need to finish writing the book. But that'll give me something to do while I wait for feedback from my editor.

I am participating in NaNoWriMo this month, but my word count is pathetic (22K) considering this is the final week. But that's what happens with deadlines. There are all these write-ins and gatherings where I live, but I haven't had time to participate. One of these years, I'm going to have to schedule a free November so I can really do it right.

Now that I have one month without a deadline, I'll be pulling out my To Do list. I'm still in denial that Thanksgiving is on Thursday and Advent starts Sunday, but I'll just have to suck it up and get into holiday mode in the next couple of days. I never managed to get caught up. I have contest prizes to send, books and RTCs to get in the mail. I also have a house that desperately needs cleaning. Hubby did a bunch yesterday which was so awesome. He's off all week so we should get a lot crossed off!

Hope you have a nice Monday!

Random Sunday

2011-11-20T09:47:00.000-08:00

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I've always said my life could be summed up by LOLcat pics which is why I usually post one each day. Today is no different. The above pic equals Spirit. That expression matches hers right now. She is not a happy cat, with understandable reasons, and I do believe if she had the opportunity to kill us or at least a few of us, she would without any hesitation. Sigh... Animals and kidlets always make things interesting around here!

Finn's soccer team suffered a hard loss yesterday in the semi-finals. They played well. But after two OT periods, it went down to penalty kicks. One of his team missed a shot. Game and season over.

Yoda and his box

Yoda has discovered a new favorite place. It's a Wizards of Waverly place shoebox complete with a pic of Selena Gomez on it. A very cool box actually. (Please ignore the mess around him. One of the cats knocked everything off my desk. Paper, books, contracts, you name it. I've yet to have time to clean it all up, but that's on my To Do list once the proposal is off!)

The only problem with Yoda's box is it's on the small, size 1 1/2. We all think he needs a bigger box. I'm guessing he needs at least a size 4 maybe larger to fit comfortably. We've put others out for him, but this is the one he likes. The sides of the boxes are starting to cave in a little, too.

But he's happy so that's all that matters.

I need to get writing. I have to send off my proposal tonight. I'm still working on the synopsis and polishing the chapters. Hope you have a nice Sunday!

A cold, rainy day

2011-11-19T06:58:00.000-08:00

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This kitty has the right idea for the weather around here. My son's soccer team is in the semifinals of the end of the season tournament. Of course, the game will be played in the rain with temperatures in the thirties. Brrrr. I've pulled out my winter gear and dug out my rainproof pants. At least I'll be warm and dry. Just need to find an umbrella. I'd rather not have rain dripping on me for the entire game! I'd much prefer if it was going to snow, but the temperature right now is 38 degrees so not cold enough.

The dog show yesterday went well. Mackenna got fourth. It was a long day and an even longer drive home in the rain. We got home around 9:30 pm.

I did get some work done, but my proposal (that was originally due on the 31st) is due on Monday morning so besides the soccer game (and another if they win today) and church, I'll be spending my weekend writing. I was supposed to host Thanksgiving, but my mom offered because I'm so busy right now.

I'm absolutely stunned Thanksgiving is coming up. Black Friday, too. Where has the month gone? All the Christmas decorations and carols playing on the radio are freaking me out a little. I'm so not ready for it to be the holidays! How about you?

On The Road

2011-11-18T07:51:00.000-08:00

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I wasn't quite as messy as this kitty eating my breakfast this morning, but mine sure tasted good. Why? My mom made it! I spent the night at my parents' house and when I woke up my mom wanted to know what I wanted for breakfast.

Why am I not at home today?

I headed out last night with two Jr. Handlers (one being my daughter) and two dogs (one being my dog.) There's a dog show in Roseburg, Oregon today. With all the rain we're having, I thought it might be a good idea to break up the drive so we're staying at my parents. I'll drive the entire way home later tonight.

By staying with my folks, it also means I get a little extra time to write without being surrounded by dogs and noise at the show! Still playing catch up with my word count!

How are you spending your Friday?

Crazy Busy

2011-11-17T10:18:00.000-08:00

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This pic pretty much sums up the past couple of days. I have so much to do, but it never fails a cat, dog or kidlet needs something right when I should be heading out the door or doing something else. Heaven forbid someone should actually want to talk to me on the telephone. That's when everyone, two or four footed, needs me right then! I'm thinking another getaway to the coast is in order if only I had time! LOL!

How is your day going?

An early winter?

2011-11-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

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My cats don't go outside, but there helpful like this when it comes to folded laundry I've left on the bed, paper I want to put away or recycle and piles of books.

The weather is changing here in the Pacific Northwest. It's getting downright chilly. There's a prediction of snow this weekend. We're not high enough for it to reach us, but I have a feeling we're going to need to bundle up for soccer and not all of us are going to want to attend the game! My son's team won their flight (division) so is playing in the semi-final of an end of the season tournament. They will be playing a local rival.

Yesterday was spent driving and having to write on my Alphasmart while waiting for kidlets. I'm in catch up mode. I'm currently two weeks behind where I want to be. The goal is to be all caught up by December 1. Otherwise, I won't be able to take the time off I planned for Christmas. That would not be good.

I better get to it while only the animals are up! Well, and hubby. But he's locked away in his office on a conference call. I won't see him for hours!

What is hour Wednesday going to be like?

Goodbye Puppy!

2011-11-15T07:31:00.000-08:00

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One of our four-footed cuties will be leaving us today—Nicki. I'll be taking the cute little Norwegian Elkhound puppy to her mommy.

We've had so much fun having a puppy around. Chaos has, too! They have been so cute together.

The cats, however, will be happy to have free reign of the house back. They've been staying upstairs. Rocket, who prefers the downstairs, just stairs longingly from the banister.

Getting this puppy experience has been great for us. We weren't dog people until adopting Chaos so have lots of learning still to do. Puppies are a whole new world.

We did better with the potty training yesterday, too. Amazing the things you can learn by googling! Only a couple of piddles to deal with so definite progress.

Nicki will be missed. The house will definitely be quieter without her!

With puppies the main topic of discussion around here, I wanted to share this link with you from the Times-Gazette in Hillsboro, Ohio. It's about a dog, a Saint Bernard named Hercules, who was adopted and what he did a few hours later. A great read!

Hope you have a nice Tuesday!

Puppy Cuteness!

2011-11-14T07:57:00.000-08:00

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Too cute! Our Norwegian Elkhound puppy visitor aka Nicki has been pretty cute herself. Well, except for the barking. She barks a lot more than Chaos. But then she'll settle down.

So sweet!

That's Chaos' pillow, but she's been so good with the puppy. They are getting along even better than the first time Nicki and Pink Puppy were here before.

We've still had a few piddles and poops to pick up, but we've been working on potty training with her. We're a bit confused about puppy brain, too. Not sure why when we take her outside and she goes only to have her go again as soon as she gets inside the house. The same thing happened after a nice walk last night. But we keep at it!

Not sure how long we'll have Nicki, but we're enjoying our time with her!

Hope you have a great Monday! I'm hoping to finish up the rest of the continuity proposal. What about you?

Craft Kitty

2011-11-13T07:01:00.000-08:00

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This picture reminds me so much of Rocket. Not the color and appearance of the kitty, but the way the cat is lying on whatever project is being worked on. Rocket is my craft kitty. Whenever I get crafty, he is right there.

His favorite thing is the sewing machine. He loves when I pull that out. I don't know if it's the fabric scraps, the up and down motion of the needle or what, but he's right there watching and getting in the way the entire time.

He also loves when I scrapbook. All those scraps of paper! He likes to see what I'm doing though so that makes the papercutter a little tricky at times. Of course, he likes to lie on the paper which is always challenging. That's one reason he's not allowed in the room when I have to wrap a present. It just takes to long with his help!

I wish I was doing something crafty today, but I'm working on my new proposal while the kids are at a swim meet this morning with hubby. It's just me and the animals at home. I should get a lot done. Well, if they let me.

What are you doing today?

Catvertising

2011-11-12T05:48:00.000-08:00

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I see pictures like this and wish my animals would sleep together. I would love to come home one day to find the dog and the cats all cuddled together like this. Highly doubtful, but one can hope!

A while ago I posted the Kittywood Studios who made cat videos. This one is the advertising version. Check it out.

It's cute, but I like the Kittywood Studios one better.

Which one do you like better?

Happy Veterans Day!

2011-11-11T07:34:00.000-08:00

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A big thank you to all the Veterans who have done so much for us!

I saw this on Facebook last night. Given the dog's name is "Tank," I thought it would be good to use today! Enjoy!

Hope you have a wonderful Friday! I've got my hands full with Nicki the puppy and a bunch of other stuff going on today.

Return of the Puppy

2011-11-10T07:38:00.000-08:00

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I imagine the pic above is what my kitties are going to be doing very soon. Nicki, one of the Norwegian Elkhound puppies we watched a few weeks ago, returns today for a few more days. She needs a little more exposure to different things before she goes to her family to live happily ever after.

The cats tolerate Chaos.(That's putting it nicely.) Last time the puppies were here, the cats did not come downstairs. I'm guessing it'll be the same thing this time! Which will not please the cats since they like to be with us. Okay, me!

This morning I'm off on a field trip with my youngest. We're going to a Rock Museum. I've heard it's a cool place so looking forward to it.

What's going on with you?

Who ate...?

2011-11-09T06:25:00.000-08:00

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The big discussion around our house is who's been eating the kidlets' Halloween candy. One clue... it didn't start disappearing until a certain someone returned from his business trip! At least the kids' reactions weren't like some of these from the Jimmy Kimmel show:

Hope you have a great Wednesday! It's a typical crazy day for me, but after having the last two Wednesdays off, I'm ready for it!

Ring o' Cats

2011-11-08T07:12:00.000-08:00

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I love this pic! I can't imagine my cats eating in ring like this (nor do I have enough though I guess they could be points on a triangle), but I wish they would! It's so cute. Bet all those bowls fill an entire dishwasher.

Last night we had an extra dog in the house. It was so fun. Astra, a Norwegian Elkhound, is going to be Rose's dog for 4H so on Mondays she'll be here. It was so cute how Astra followed Chaos around. They got along great. The one thing Astra wouldn't do it go upstairs. She wanted no part of that!

This week is all about playing catch up. I had some extra revisions to do on my soccer book last week and with being sick the week before, I'm behind on my proposal. I also have a newsletter to finish for the Norwegian Elkhound group I belong to. As well as a lesson for the Wednesday class at church. Plus I still have Romance Trading Cards to mail out and contest prizes!

I wanted to remind new blog readers about the free on-line read I wrote for eHarlequin last year. It's a short eight chapter novella called Snow-Kissed Romance set on Mount Hood and takes place in November. My heroine, Leanne Thomas, from my new release Firefighter Under the Mistletoe appears in one of the chapters. You can read it here.

Have a nice Tuesday!

Cats and Jack

2011-11-07T07:28:00.000-08:00

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Today I'm guest blogging at Long and Short Reviews. Stop by LASR and say hi! Here's the link.

A friend from high school posted a link to this Simon's Cat cartoon on my Facebook wall this morning. It pretty much shows what I go through when I try to write. The only difference is I have more cats and a dog to deal with! Enjoy!

On a sadder note, Jack the Cat who was lost at JFK had to be euthanized yesterday. His condition had worsened and he was suffering. I'm so sad for his owner Karen and his aunt Mary Beth and all the Friends of Jack who have been praying and pulling for this kitty since he went missing in late August.

Here's a link to a picture of the Karen and Jack taken on Saturday. Having been through this recently with Smalls, my heart is breaking for her. I can't imagine the emotion of having lost Jack, then found him, only to lose him again. I really thought he would pull through.

Jack pulled people together from all over the world. The Friends of Jack (FOJ) are a group of strangers who came together because of a lost cat. So far the likes on Jack's Facebook page are over 24K and growing. They searched for him at JFK, contacted businesses around JFK, saved cats rounded up by the Port Authority during the search for Jack, prayed for him and yesterday, when the news was posted, cried.

Now is time for mourning, but this incident as well as American Airlines response to Jack being lost isn't going to be forgotten by the Friends of Jack. Calls for reform to the transport of animals by airlines have begun. According to Mary Beth, Jack's aunt who was also the administrator on the Facebook page, a website is going to be created in addition to keeping Jack's page going.

RIP Jack. I hope you know how many people love you! We were praying and pulling for you, handsome boy. You will live on with all of us who have been touched by your story and with those JFK cat who have now found forever homes because of you! I've been imagining you playing with Smalls and Lil' Pumpkin at the Rainbow Bridge. I hope you're having fun!

Release Party and Giveaway!

2011-11-06T03:00:00.000-08:00

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If you're not doing too much and have time, be sure to stop by the Goddess Fish Party Pavilion. Today I'm there with nine other authors celebrating our November releases. I've written four posts about Firefighter Under the Mistletoe that will be posted throughout the day.

The gracious ladies at Goddess Fish are giving away a $10 gift certificate to one commenter so if you head over there, be sure to comment! Each post gets you an entry so comment away on the various authors' posts!

I will be checking in there as I can. I have a swim meet to attend in the early morning so hoping I'll have the right connection so I can comment via my iPhone!

What are you up to today?

Trapped!

2011-11-05T09:26:00.000-07:00

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This picture is perfect for the morning I had. One of my kitties needed a password this morning!

When I woke up and went downstairs to feed the cats, one was missing. Given this was Rocket, my fat cat, who lives for his wet food I knew something was wrong. I did a quick search of the house. No Rocket. I grabbed a bag of treats and shook it as I made another pass. Still nothing.

My concern ratcheted. Rocket is the kind of cat who would never pass up a treat.

I phoned hubby who was already at a swim meet with our youngest. No he hadn't seen Rocket this morning. No he hadn't opened any doors to the outside except when they'd left. And no Rocket hadn't been there to get out.

I was pretty confident Rocket was in the house, but where. Even though we keep most of the doors shut to keep the cats out of the kids room and playroom, I went through the entire upstairs and looked in each closet. I checked under beds and on window sills, shaking the treat bag the entire time.

I called hubby again a little more panicked. He said to check under the buffet in the dining room. It's built-in, but there is a little space.

As I got closer to it, I shook the treats and yelled his name. I heard a noise. I knew it wasn't Yoda, who had been following me around on my search. He doesn't make a lot of sounds. I called again. This time I heard Rocket's distinct meow. It was coming from inside the buffet.

What?

I opened the doors and he jumped out. Meowing and not looking too happy. He is the kind of cat who likes sleep inside things, but I guess he must have gotten trapped somehow last night or this morning! Poor baby. He's not happy, either. When I tried to pick him up he hissed.

But he's had his wet food and some treats. A nap, and I hope he'll be back to his old self.

Hope you have a nice Saturday!

Friday Links

2011-11-04T05:14:00.000-07:00

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It's been crazy this week. Halloween, more revisions, proposal writing, sick kidlets, grieving kidlets, and traveling spouse. Needless to say, I'm ready for the weekend.

Here are some links I came across this week that I thought I'd share. Enjoy!

If you have been following the tale of Jack the Cat who was lost at JFK, here's one of the better articles on him since he fell through the ceiling into the customs' office at Terminal 8.

A video clip from 2006 about an autistic basketball player came across my FB page. Somehow I'd missed it when it first went around. Given my life and age of my kids back then, I'm not surprised! So I googled to see if it was on YouTube and found this. Definitely worth watching. I also found a follow-up article on the from ESPN written in 2008 here.

For all you cat lovers, this might be old news, but I found a new-to-me website called Life with Cats. You can check it out here.

Random Thursday

2011-11-03T07:35:00.000-07:00

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This pic makes me think of both Yoda and Spirit. Spirit was the first kitty to sleep inside the box spring. Yoda has followed suit and still naps inside there!

A big thank you to all who purchased my new release, Firefighter Under the Mistletoe. It's always fun to watch a book climb on Amazon's Kindle sales ranking after it goes on sale!

I'm rewriting the new chapter I added to the soccer book today, then I'll go back to work on the continuity book. I'm doing NaNoWriMo this month with it, but have yet to add any words due to revisions on my revisions. I'm going to have lots of writing to do to catch up and have 50K by the end of the month.

We watched Once Upon a Time again on Sunday night. That's become our family show to watch together and the one show a week I watch. The kids really like it. I'm curious to see what they do with it since I love fairytales. Hubby thinks it'll be canceled.

Here's a humorous article from Guest of a Guest about Things that Began and Ended in 72 days (think the recent Kardashian-Humphreys marriage!) They include Jack the Cat on page 4!

Not much else going on except I need to get the Halloween decorations down. But it's been raining, and I haven't been all that motivated to do it especially in the rain. Maybe this weekend!

Remember to check out the contest page on how to win some gift cards this month!

Anything random going on with you?

Puppy takes a train ride!

2011-11-02T08:04:00.000-07:00

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I love this cat's expression! As soon as I saw this LOLcat this morning, I thought about an article one of my Facebook friends had posted on my wall last week while I was stuck in bed. This is what she wrote with it:

Trains. Firefighters. Puppy. Happy Ending. Thought this might be a good story since you are sickly.

It was a good story though I don't know how the puppy could have found her way to the top of the boxcar by herself since it took firefighters and a ladder to get her down. It was a very good thing someone saw her up there.

The story made the rounds last week, but it's worth a read if you haven't heard about it. The article is exactly what she said it would be, puppy being the key word. Well, and firefighters! Here's the link to the story on Huff Post Green.

And here's a news report about the incident. You can also hear the 911 call:

Hope you have a nice Wednesday!

Release day!

2011-11-01T05:14:00.000-07:00

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If you're looking for a Christmas romance novel to sink your teeth into, you're in luck! Today my latest Harlequin Romance Firefighter Under the Mistletoe hits the shelves.

Here's the back cover copy:

Christmas magic in Hood Hamlet...

For Leanne, infuriatingly charming firefighter Christian Welton is out of bounds. Not only is he too young for her, but his trail of broken hearts is legendary. Leanne's fought hard to be one of the boys, and won't let anyone see that Christian's smile makes her want to melt into his arms!

Christian wanted to discover the softer side of the tough-talking paramedic, but hasn't counted on how much the real Leanne affects him. He's vowed never to settle down, but under the mistletoe it's certainly the season to be tempted.…

Firefighter Under the Mistletoe received a 4 from RT Book Reviews. Here's what the reviewer had to say:

FIREFIGHTER UNDER THE MISTLETOE (4) by Melissa McClone: Great chemistry between primary and secondary characters and a detailed rescue narrative bring this story to life. McClone revisits characters from previous novels without slowing the pace. When rescue paramedic and firefighter Leanne Thomas saves her colleague Christian Welton and his cousin after a skiing accident, unexpected sparks fly. The slow admission of their feelings fits well for a romance set in a male-dominated workplace. The revelation of past trauma in Leanne’s life makes her a character that readers will care about.

Reviewed By: Roseann Marlett

For more info about the book and an excerpt, click here.

This title is part of my Hood Hamlet series featuring mountain rescuers on Mount Hood. Each book is stand-alone, but share the same setting and cast of characters. Firefighter Under the Mistletoe features paramedic Leanne Thomas who was first introduced in my November 2008 release Rescued by the Magic of Christmas. She also appeared in my free eHarlequin on-line read Snow-kissed Reunion. Both Leanne and firefighter Christian Welton appear in my 2011 RITA® finalist book Christmas Magic on the Mountain.

I haven't forgotten that today is also the day I announce my October contest winner. The winner is Jackie S., who won with her comment on my post titled Fashion Fun with Scarves. Jackie, please use the contact button on the menu bar above to send my your email address as well as tell me if you want a $10 gift certificate to Amazon or Borders. You have seven days to contact me or I'll pick another winner. Thanks to all who entered!

Be sure to check my contest and news pages for what's going on to celebrate my new release! Remember a blog comment gets you an entry into my monthly giveaway here at the website. A new contest begins today!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T06:39:00.000-07:00

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I hope everyone has a happy and a safe Halloween! I'm looking forward to seeing all the candy the kidlets bring home tonight. Hope there's a Butterfinger or two in there. I know better than to buy any of my faves for us to pass out! The kidlets, however, asked hubby to buy their favorites!

Are you passing out candy? What kind?

I thought I'd post a few pics from two years ago. This is the time we adopted Yoda from the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society during their Black Cat Adoption event at Halloween time at PetSmart.

I just saw this next LOLcat on-line an had to add it to this post! They are just too cute! I love black kitties!

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Happy Halloween!

RIP Pumpkin

2011-10-30T05:24:00.000-07:00

On Friday afternoon, my sister found this stray kitten on a road down in Oregon where she lives. She moved the kitten off the road, but it went right back to the middle. My sister thought it was cold and perhaps the road was warm.

She sent me a text with a picture of the kitty and said if ever a cat needed rescuing it was this one. I spoke to the kids and hubby. We decided to offer it a home, so my sister took it home with her. She cleaned the kitty up. They thought the kitty was a girl and named her Pumpkin. At first they kept her in their Airstream trailer, but realized Pumpkin was a total love bug and snuggle bunny. They moved her into the house. She spent the evening being held, cuddled and most importantly loved. If you put her down, she would jump right back on top of you.

While this love fest was going on, I found an animal hospital down there and called them. I told them about the cat and asked if they could examine and test it before I brought it home. It was getting late so we decided to wait until Saturday. Pumpkin slept on top of my sister all night long. My sister said this was a very clingy, but a very special cat.

Yesterday, we were full of anticipation waiting to hear whether or not Pumpkin would get to come home. Because of my other cats, I needed to make sure she wasn't FIV+ or FeLV+.

My sister and niece took Pumpkin to the animal hospital. She received a full exam and tests (not to mention a bath!). She turned out to be a he! They thought he was 7 or 8 weeks old, but didn't want to vaccinate him until he was feeling better. He had an eye infection and an URI (upper respiratory infection) both things I expected based on his pictures. But the best news was both his tests came back negative. Other than his eyes and cold, he was healthy! He could come home to us. All I had to do was keep him isolated for two weeks. The doctor suggested having some sort of smock or robe for the kids to wear with him (or change their clothing) and said hand washing was a must before touching any of the other animals.

We were all so excited. I drove down and got Pumpkin from the animal hospital. The poor little guy was so sleepy. The vet staff told me he would be tired due to all the activity of the examination and his bath/blow dry. He slept most of the drive home. At one point he flipped over onto his back and stretched out in his box. It was so cute. We held and loved him, gave him his URI medicine, but he wanted to sleep so we fixed a nice little bed for him in the bathtub so he could take a nap.

Mackenna and I drove to PetSmart to buy kitty toys, little bowls since he was so tiny, a blue collar with a bell on it and some kitten can food. Hubby checked on Pumpkin while we were gone and he seemed fine, still tired, but moving around. But when I took him up his food in his new bowl something was definitely wrong.

Hubby and I immediately took Pumpkin to the emergency 24 hour vet, but it was too late. Pumpkin had stopped breathing and was dead. He'd been home only a couple of hours. We were in shock. There really are no words to express what coming home to the kids from the vet was like.

My sister told me that Pumpkin had the best last 24 hours or so that a stray kitten could hope to have. Our Norwegian Elkhound breeder said that in rescue there aren't always happy endings, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't keep trying. She said for Pumpkin his last day was a great one because he'd been loved and finally had a home, a warm place to snuggle and nap, which was much better than dying on a farm road, outside and cold.

I see their points, but it's hard, especially after Smalls dying in August. We had her for fourteen years. We had Pumpkin physically for only a couple of hours. But it still hurts so bad. And this loss is affecting the kids worse. I think much of that grief of losing our old cat is now wrapped up in losing this new little one.

It really sucks. We thought we were saving a life and adding a new member to our family. Now we are heartbroken. Again.

I've always told the kids that God brings these animals into our lives for a reason. But I have no idea what Pumpkins' way-too-brief visit was for or if we'll ever know why. Sherri, a friend who I met on a climbing forum and is an animal lover, posted this on my Facebook page in response to my status message "Kitty died"...

Not before he had someone fall in love with him. Perhaps that was all his little spirit needed before it left.

Perhaps that was why. And if love was what Pumpkin needed then he got it. He was very loved by everyone he came into contact with these past two days. I just wish it didn't have to hurt so bad for those who still love him.

Pumpkins

2011-10-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

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This week was suppose to be when we went to the pumpkin patch. The kidlets had been looking forward to it all week! Unfortunately we never made it due to getting sick. Instead, we stopped by the local QFC store to pick out pumpkins last night. This weekend is soccer and dog show so no time to hit one today or on Sunday!

We all joked this was our pumpkin patch. They have all the pumpkins outside so at least that's better than being in the produce department. At least it's been that way for the second year in a row. You see, this is where hubby took them last year because... I'm not sure why. We must have run out of time (end of soccer season) or it was too rainy or deadline or something.

But next year we will be going to Bauman's Farm and Garden in Gervais, Oregon. I'm not going to put it off. I'll buy them the wrist band and they can do every corn maze and zip line and whatever else there is until they are pumpkin patched out!

Today is carving day so I'll have pics for you tomorrow! Have you gotten your pumpkins yet?

Costumes

2011-10-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

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I can't believe Halloween is almost upon us. I've spent much of this week in bed which means I'm behind with my Oct. 31st stuff. The kidlets finished the decorating so the house is ready for Trick or Treaters now. But the costumes...

The costumes still aren't finished.

I'm close only because earlier in the month I ran to a couple of thrift stores.

The oldest is being a gypsy/fortune teller. I have to sew an elastic waist band into the skirt I found at Value Village. I also need to find her some gold bangles to wear on her wrist.

The middle kid just needs a black turtleneck and some white for his hair. He's being Draco Malfroy from Harry Potter. I found him the perfect black suit jacket at Value Village for $3.50 (it was a half price ticket!)

The youngest is going to be the Cheshire Cat. I think she has everything she needs, but I will double check. I heard a rumor she'd lost her tail. I so hope that's not true!

Of course, I still need to get over this crud that has kept me in bed since Tuesday.

Is anyone dressing up at your house? What are they going to be?

Another day of rest...

2011-10-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

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I don't feel quite as bad as yesterday, but am still taking it easy and spending another day in bed. My day will consist of sleeping and writing. Right now the dog is with me. Yesterday, I sounded so awful not even the cats would come close.

Hubby is taking my shift in our youngest's class this morning. I homeschool, but the kidlets attend classes two days a week at a school. I'll be curious to hear what he has to say since he's been so busy and traveling so much he hasn't been as involved this school year or spent much time at the new facility.

Okay, I'm getting tired. Hope everyone is healthy where you are!

Jack the Cat is Back

2011-10-26T09:11:00.000-07:00

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I hope to spend my day like the kitty above. Minus the funny hate, that is!

I'm late posting this morning because I'm so sick, even worse then yesterday. Rose, our youngest, who was the only healthy one in the house complained of a sore throat. Not good. That's how it starts.

But I had to tell you the good news I found out yesterday evening.

The missing since August 25th cat who I've blogged about was found last night in the Custom's room at JFK last night! American Airlines posted a note about it on their Facebook page.

Jack was taken to a vet where his microchip was scanned. It was confirmed to be Jack and his owner notified! So exciting for all of us "Friends of Jack" (FOJ) who have been following the story via his Facebook page!

Two women, Bonnie and Angela, who've been part of the group on the ground at JFK looking for him, went to the 24 hour vet last night to see Jack (and meet him for the first time.) They said he was dehydrated and dirty, but had beautiful eyes! It's pretty amazing how a group of strangers brought together by a Facebook page has been looking for this cat. Jack's owner Karen lives in Los Angeles and her sister Mary Beth, who runs the Facebook page, lives in Florida. Yet all these people spent weeks helping on-site at JFK looking for Jack and trying to get the word out about him. For those FOJ's who lived far away, they emailed, called and faxed fliers to make sure local businesses knew about him. Very cool!

Here's an article from the NY Post about Jack! He fell through the ceiling into the Customs office and that's how he was found.

Hope you have a nice Wednesday. I plan to spend mine in bed which is exactly where I spent my Tuesday, too.

2 Brothers with Lots of Cats

2011-10-25T05:58:00.000-07:00

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Many of us spoil our animals. I've moved boxes and beds and toys because that's what the kitties or dog wanted. I've also ended up in some uncomfortable positions through the night because I didn't want to disturb their sleep.

I want to share an article I found on the Internet at a site called Care2. Here's the link. It's about two elderly brothers who took in three strays. They loved these cats the way I love mine, but there was one problem. The cats hadn't been neutered or spayed. Because of that those three cats turned into 40 adults and numerous kittens.

The gentlemen couldn't afford to feed or take care of themselves let alone all those felines, but they managed to purchase food for their cats, who they loved so much. When they realized they needed help, they couldn't turn any of their pets over to the authorities for fear the cats would be put to sleep.

Common sense may not have been at play here, but when rescuers heard about the situation, they didn't condemn or vilify. Instead, they tried to help both the men and the cats. I've just condensed a three page article with pictures, but take my word it's worth a read if you have a few minutes.

The article also shows why it's important to spay and neuter your pets. It can be expensive, but many rescue organizations have programs to help with this cost. You may have to ask around, but there are many programs throughout the U.S. I'm assuming this article happened in another country, assistance can be found worldwide. In the long run, as the brothers probably realized too late, it's worth doing! But it's much easier to spoil three cats, then forty plus kittens! And a whole lot cheaper to feed, too!

Hope you have a great Tuesday!

A quiet house

2011-10-24T07:38:00.000-07:00

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The cats are getting back to their old routines now that the puppies have gone home. But the house is so quiet. It's strange. I'm amazed how much two little furballs can liven things up around here. My 13 year old says it's so boring! We miss them already, but it looks like orange puppy (Nicki) will be coming back soon for a few days. She needs to be exposed to more things and the breeder thinks another visit with us will be good for her before she goes to her family.

On the writing front, I'm working on the Larkville continuity book and waiting to hear if my revisions were accepted on the soccer book.

I did finally take time out and watch a TV show. Once Upon a Time premiered last night on ABC. It was definitely intriguing and I'll be tuning in next week. Did any of you watch it?

Hope you have a nice Monday!

Puppies!

2011-10-23T05:28:00.000-07:00

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We are having so much fun puppysitting this weekend. The Norwegian Elkhound pups are so cute. Granted we've had our share of piddles and poop to pick up, but all in all its been a great time.

They have so much energy. Well, until they crash and sleep for awhile. Then they are right back at it! We set up an X-Pen in the Great Room so they have a place where they can sleep safely, but also be near us. Mackenna has been sleeping downstairs with them. We've worked our schedule so they've yet to be alone since arriving!

The cats have retreated upstairs. They want nothing to do with the puppies. Spirit sits up at the banister meowing. She wants me with her, but that's just not happening right now. She'll get me tonight while we sleep! Yoda is happy under the bed. Rocket is fine hanging out on the window sill by our bathtub. I'm sure we'll see all in their normal places once the puppies leave.

Chaos had her issues on Friday night, but Saturday she was a new dog. She got in trouble for growling and baring her teeth. We were very careful with the three of them, but one of the puppies got really scared and cried. The sad sound just broke our hearts. Chaos figured out fast if she did anything like that she wouldn't be with any of us! Needless to say, we've had no trouble with her and the pups since. It's cute to watch them all together.

I have to admit it's going to be hard to say goodbye to them later today. Pink puppy will be meeting her potential family next weekend. But orange puppy's family can't pick her up for a few more weeks so maybe we'll get another chance to spend some time with her. Here are some more pics of them.

Puppy Invasion

2011-10-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

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Two Norwegian Elkhound puppies arrived last night. We are puppy sitting for the weekend. They are so cute. I am sitting at a swim meet right now (and had to leave super early to get here) so no time to get the photos uploaded to the blog, but if you want to see a couple they are on my Facebook Book/Author page Wall. Just click here. (If it takes you to my landing/like page, just click Wall on the left!)

Needless to say, the cuteness level is overflowing at our house. The cats aren't too happy at the moment. Chaos, either. But they're dealing with it. And Mackenna is doing a great job taking care of them. She slept downstairs by their X-pen last night in case they needed anything. She'll be with them this morning while I'm at the swim meet! Hubby isn't sure what to think about them!

Full puppy report tomorrow with pics!

Revisions are outta here!

2011-10-21T00:37:00.000-07:00

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This is me right now. It would just be one less manuscript to write rather than a test to take.

I just emailed my revisions to my editor. I'm happy how the book turned out, but I'm too tired to cheer. Plus, no matter how I feel about a manuscript the final verdict rests with my editor so I'll be waiting to hear what she thinks!

I wish I could say I got a break, but I have a proposal due on Halloween so I'll sleep for a few hours then start back to work on that.

Also, I have to get ready for two visitors who are coming to our house later. Pink puppy and orange puppy from the litter of Norwegian Elkhounds I've been posting about all summer will be out our house for a couple of days. Yes, we are puppy sitting! Doesn't that sound like a lot of fun? Of course, I know nothing about taking care of puppies so who knows how I'll feel come Sunday. But be ready for a lot of cute puppy pics!

Have a great Friday! I'm only 35 minutes into mine and I have to admit, I'm tired, but feel pretty darn good getting the soccer book revisions sent off.

Baby Dolphin

2011-10-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

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If you haven't seen the pics of a baby La Plata river dolphin rescued in Uruguay, here's a link to the Real Coastal Warriors Facebook page that has them. She's absolutely adorable! She was so young when she was found she still had her umbilical cord attached. If you can't get to the Facebook page, here are the same pics on Global Animal.

If you haven't heard about her, here's an article from glogalanimal.com. Isn't she cute?

I really want to finish up the revisions today so better get working on it. I've been fighting something, too, so trying to lay low and just write. I can't afford to get sick. Too much going on right now.

Hope you have a nice Thursday!