We've arrived!

After weeks of maintenance/repairs of the Freightliner and RV plus all the prepping of inside, we finally left the house on Christmas Day. We spent Christmas Eve in the RV while it was parked in the driveway, letting the #2doods get used to new surroundings as well as allowing me to wash and wax all the floors in the house. Always nice to come home to a clean home (yes, we spent a major part of the day cleaning...lol).

The #2doods did pretty well adapting, we set up one crate in the living room area and extra bed pad beside it.



They made themselves at home quick easily...and the evening passed quickly.



Next morning we got up early and did all the last minute things, including pulling in all the slides so Stu could air up all the tires. Then the two crates were stored in the garage beside the motorcycle. Then it was time to load the #2doods. Initially we planned on Cooper riding in the Freightliner with Stu and Murphy riding in the Jeep with me. First snafu, Cooper wouldn't get into the Freightliner without a LOT of help in addition to the ramp. Phew, both in their respective spots, we were ready to go. We had hoped to be out by 9am and managed at around 10am (which was actually 11am Eastern Time). Just in time to see some snow flakes!



We took I-40 over to I-75 and the traffic was as light as expected. Our first rest stop and the dogs had to be rearranged with both of them in the back of the Jeep. Cooper slept and traveled just fine, but getting out was worst then getting him in. Oh my! Not an issue for them though, they were doing wonderfully on the leash, behaving much better than we anticipated.



Due to the late hour, we planned to stop at the Flying J south of Atlanta and decide if we would boondock there or try to make it south of Macon and stay in a campground that night. We stopped and I got fuel but two issues. Stu was having some electrical problems with low voltage in the Freightliner. He was concerned we might have to replace the alternator before continuing. Second problem, there was no parking available at the Flying J so we headed over to the TA. Nope, full there, too. Fortunately there are two more truck stops there - Love's & Pilot. We found a perfect spot right next to a curb with a good grass area to walk the dogs behind us. With the rig backed all the way in, there was room for the car in front of it. Then came our next surprise. We had to use the side back door to get the dogs out. Murphy jumped right out! Cooper took a little persuasion.

The next day went well. The Freightliner batteries were recharged (we ran the generator all night to help charge them) and although it was showing only 10 volts when we headed out, it soon was up to 12 volts where it belonged. He thinks there might be a loose cable and we made it to the RV park around 1pm without further incident. Phew!

The park has nice wide spots on grass with a small concrete patio. We got the RV lined up and settled in quickly. The #2doods have lots of walking space with a very quiet road behind us and a huge field beside us. Initially we planned to board Murphy (who adapts quickly to most anything and anyone) so I would only have Cooper to deal with while Stu flew to Maryland for the funeral of a former coworker. But dealing with walking them both at the same time was much easier than anticipated. Oh, and another HUGE surprise. After using the ramp to get the dogs in and out at the truck stop and the first couple of times, as soon as we used the back steps into the garage both dogs quickly adapted to using the steps. No ramp! Then they did the same with the front door. SOOOOO much easier. Yay for smart pups!

Their crates are now set up in the garage, side by side. Their wet weather towels are stored on top and their toy box is available, too. We have A/C back there when it gets warm but for now we are more apt to be running heat. If the weather is bad, we can take them in and out back there and use the towels to dry and de-mud them. (Ignore the flattened boxes and paper piled on top...LOL)





This morning we crated the #2doods and headed out for the 45 minute drive to the Jacksonville airport. You do go through some small towns but the drive was easy, most of it on US Rt1. Back home and I got to open several boxes that already arrived from Amazon.

We originally planned to carry our older B&W laser printer in the RV but it was just too big since we took out the old wooden file cabinet, my computer card and rearranged the dining table into it's original position. After a little research I found and All-in-One HP inkjet printer for $20 on Amazon. Yes, you read that right. $20!! And the print cartridges are $15. Much smaller footprint and we will just pull the cartridges when we park the RV for summer. Since we no longer have a WiFi router in the RV, we will use it with a USB connection. It's been tested and works fine as did the scan function. Happy camper here! I'm sure this is an older model but for the price, it's hard to go wrong.

So the #2doods and I are settled in for some alone time until Stu flies back on Sunday. He arrives so late, he booked a hotel room and I will pick him up on Monday morning. The weather forecast for next week is COOL but we have plenty to do. I still have a lot of computer/office stuff to get settled. Stu has a lot of repair/maintenance chores on his list. We also need to take the pups over to meet their eventual boarding spot where the will meet the lady who runs the facility and her Boxer. We also plan to have lunch with the sister of a fellow firefighter friend. Then there are several interesting sounding spots to try for breakfast &/or lunch. We will take the bike out and explore when the weather permits.

Ahhhh, life is good!

PS. Need a last minute gift? Book One in the Klondike Mystery series, Not a Whisper, is on sale for a limited time. Only $1.99 until 12/31. Grab your copy or share as a gift!


Ciao for now!

Phew! A few notes for now...

No, you didn't miss our cruise blog. I've been swamped with my latest book release and some other things, so hopefully, maybe, possibly, this weekend?

Here's a synopsis of what's been up with us since we got back on Feb 12th (ten days - where did it go?):

• Uneventful drive back from Tampa other than a windshield chip
• Insurance covers windshields at 100%, got the chip repaired (yay!)
• Rain, then more rain
• Stu had a dentist appointment, one wisdom tooth extraction, two crowns
• Still raining
• I had a mammogram and was offered the new 3D mammography (Medicare pays for it)
• We both had doctor appointments. All is well with us both!
• A break in the rain, had two sunny, beautiful spring-like days!
• We closed on the sale of our property in Jamestown. Sold to RVing friends who plan to build a cabin for non-winter residency. In fact, their plans pretty much echo our original plans!
• Did all the usual daily stuff - shopping, laundry
• Watched the Olympics!
• We started a lo carb diet (lazy keto) on the 13th. We are both down six pounds!
• Raining again!

Speaking of rain - this is before it got really bad!

Stu initially thought he had either a cold or sinus issues (we've both had the allergies nail us since returning home). A week later and he's currently getting a root canal for an abscess beside the extraction. Hoping he will get to feeling better.

On the down side, our son-in-law had to have surgery to remove a brain tumor that was found when he suddenly suffered a seizure. It came back cancer but they feel they have it all removed. He is now undergoing treatment to be sure. Also, my old neighbor from back before I went full-timing let me know her husband was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, spread to the lymphs and liver. He is way too young. Another very good friend was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer that has spread into the shoulder area and is currently in rehab with a fractured collar bone and two more in the hip. Lastly, a friend from Florida passed a day after entering hospice, he had a head/neck cancer and had been fighting his battle for a while. Sigh...cancer SUCKS!

The 2doods? They're doing fine...as always. Cooper lost a little weight and Murphy gained too much weight while at doggy camp. We suspect Murphy was eating some of Cooper's food. Ten days of normal eating and Cooper is back up and Murphy is slowly decreasing. LOL! I know everyone is missing their dose of the Doods, so here is a little compilation video of their indoor play this morning.

Funny story from yesterday as we headed to drop the pups at doggy daycare off before going to the closing on the property. It was early and I hadn't had breakfast so I went through the McD's drive-thru to get a cup of coffee. This was a first for the pups.

~ They didn't like the voice in a box. They barked. 
~ They didn't like the lady taking my money. They barked. 
~ And they were still barking when the coffee lady spoke to me. 

LOL! Guess we need to get out more...

I snapped a couple of photos in the doctors office. I fell in love with this hedgehog in my examining room. I want one!

And had to save this one from the waiting room.

Ciao for now!

Bargains, Busy-ness & More Cowbell!

I get a great email newsletter with bargains from all over the Internet. I've bought coffee from Bon-Ton, linens from Macy's, found great deals on clothes at Kohl's and even our rain barrel. It's called Brad's Deals. I don't visit the website much, too many temptations, but I am downloading the free app.

Our latest bargain was a 5 qt KitchenAid Tilt-head Stand Mixer. Stu had been salivating over them since we got the house - this was a price we couldn't resist. $175 with free shipping. I ordered around noon, it was shipped the same day and arrived two days later! Now that is service....

Our course we then had to order a couple more things - like a stainless steel bowl, fitted cover and grinder attachment. We discovered a good sale at Everything Kitchens and got free shipping there, too.

A couple weeks ago, a neighbor from down the street came by. They are the folks building on the lot across from us and needed our written permission for the power company to come on our property to install a new transformer and put in their service. Today was the first time we saw them...the 2Doods were very interested in watching. No barks, not even the two times one of the workers came to the door about unlocking the gate into the pasture. So good!

The 2Doods are doing great, loving the warmer weather (that is disappearing tomorrow) and just generally being goofs. Cooper still likes to bark at our neighbors (still not sure why he didn't bark at the power company workers) and often refuses to come when called (when busy barking). Stu can often get him with a whistle. Me? I can't whistle. LOL!

So I had a thought the other day. When we unpacked the things we had in storage, I found a big cowbell like this one on Amazon.

I have no idea why I bought it or why I saved it back in 2007 when I sold everything (and I saved it again when I downsized the half dozen totes at my daughter's house by half). But save it I did. It's been sitting on our lazy-susan on the kitchen island, more for looks.

Anyway, I had the bright idea to try using it to call the dogs because it's LOUD. Well, it worked. We are still rewarding them with a treat and lots of praise but so far so good. Who knew our dogs would come to the sound of a cowbell? LOL!

Stu is headed over Knoxville way in the morning. There is a car and motorcycle show he wants to attend. Originally he was driving over on Saturday and meeting our friend Earl for breakfast, then going to the show and coming back late Saturday. With some nasty winter weather moving in tomorrow with ice and snow accumulation, he's going earlier and spending the night at our friends.

I'll stay home and WRITE - I started off great guns on Wednesday but slowed down on Thursday. Keeping my fingers crossed I can meet my deadline.

One final note, if you've never read Lost and Found (the prequel) or Home Again, now is a good time to try them. Lost and Found is FREE and Home Again is reduced to only $1.99 from Jan 12th-15th. Oh, and tell your friends!!

Ciao for now!

A little more of this and that....

January rolled in with a lot of COLD temperatures, we even put a space heater in the RV to keep the washing machine from freezing (heat strip in A/C unit was running 24/7). The house is staying good but we did have to turn on the auxiliary heating since we have a heat pump. It was finally warmer today but we have freezing rain forecast for tonight. The good news is temps in the upper 40's-low 50's this week. Yay!

Murphy is still growing by leaps and bounds, weighing almost as much as Cooper and getting almost as tall. Turning six months old meant.....NEUTER TIME. He did just fine but wasn't a fan of the inflatable collar of shame.

It lasted less than 24 hours before his accomplice, Cooper, chewed off the velcro fastener. Fortunately, Murphy left things pretty much alone same as Cooper had several months ago. Cooper was on a roll, though, we crated him when we took Cooper to the vet and then later, picked him up. We stopped at Subway for sandwiches and while I was inside (Stu was outside in the car, keeping it warm for sleepy Murphy) Stu got a phone call from SimpliSafe, our security alarm folks. Seems like our motion sensor went off....oh, and if you have your volume on, you can hear the beeping (that was the alarm) and Cooper banging the bells hanging on the back door, asking out. LOL!

Yup, in my haste, I forgot to clip the bolt snap hook on so he couldn't manipulate the slide locks on the crate. When we got home, he was out and waiting for us. The top slide lock on the crate was still closed, the bottom one was unlatched and the bottom edge of the crate was bent inward. I still can't believe he slipped through that narrow space! Needless to say...we now remember to clip the bolt snap on every time we crate them (or one of them).

With the cold weather, Stu has been trapped indoors a lot, too cold to work in the garage or shed. So the pups have enjoyed getting some extra loving....whether being petted or brushed. Here are a couple of examples.

Of course the #2doods don't mind the cold temps, we have to watch how long they are outside and call them back in. They play and play and play...then they sleep, sleep and sleep. Oh, and you can also see the new pillows that I got in an after Christmas sale to add a little more color to the living room. It looked so drab when the few decorations (including holiday pillows) were put away.

By the way, Cooper still has bear paws! Compare the size of his paw with his nose!!

I won't be blogging much for the next month. We are cruising later this month, doing a two week back-to-back and we are driving both directions, to and from Tampa. AND, I have to have Paradise Drift written, edited and off to typo hunters and beta readers before then. Eeek!

Oh, and just an FYI. My short story, Lost and Found, will be free on Jan 12-15. It's the prequel to my only romance novel, Home Again, which will be discount priced at $1.99 on the same dates. If you haven't read them, hope you will give them a try. If you have, I hope you will tell your friends!

Ciao for now!

9/22/2017: Celebrate the Small Things

It's Friday and time to post my Celebrate the Small Things on this blog.

If you'd like to join in the fun or check out some other participating blogs, click the image to the right or the link at the bottom of the page.

My small things for this past week, some not so small, but all great!

Late this week (but dating it yesterday). Been BUSY!!!

Stu spent the week getting ready to head out on the motorcycle for three weeks. He has several firefighter events to attend and since he hadn't done a long motorcycle ride, I encouraged him to go enjoy! We might have both gone but I have an author event the same day as one of his events. Oops! Besides getting his gear ready, he also did a lot of little things around the house so I didn't have to deal with them - just the dog (that's enough). Cooper helped him prepare on the morning he left!

I've had a lot of busy time, too. First was getting my long awaited wedding ring tattoo. While I absolutely LOVE our gold Celtic wedding rings, mine has gotten too small. Due to the pattern, it can't be enlarged (it was stretched once already. Last summer, we camped with motorcycle friends from Canada and they both had ring tattoos, each different to represent their spouse. I had considered getting one more tattoo, a double heart on the inside of my write, but never got around to it. So, that is my wedding ring tattoo! It's still healing but I love it.

But had that's not all, I just put Almost a Touch, the long awaited third book in my Klondike mystery series. Yippee!! I still have some edits to do in the next couple of days, but on October first, it will be LIVE! Hoping for a lot of pre-orders....[hint, hint]

GREAT week, hope yours was the same.

Ciao for now!

A little of this and a little of that...

I've been so busy with my last book release (Paradise Dead, only $1.99), this blog has been largely ignored other than dumping all our news into the Friday Celebrate the Small Things posts. September will be just as crazy, so bear with me.

But here are a few notes from this week...

Cooper had a good vet visit on Saturday and was okayed for a bath & grooming on Monday. Here is a little before and after shot.

What a difference a bath, cutting off the scraggly ends, and doing a blowout makes. I know it won't last and while we can bathe him, we're not supposed to use our hair dryers on them. Ones for dogs are WAY too pricey so he will continue to get a grooming every once in a while.

We did get to see two cute little hedgehog pets while at the vets. Wish I could have gotten a photo of their adorable little faces!

Stu's been busy working in the yard, mowing whenever the weather allows and cleaning up the landscaping. One big accomplishment was buying a rain barrel (flat back) to put where the gutter spout was letting the water drain back into our foundation. Bonus? It looks great!

I've kept busy helping a friend with a new website and spending time in the kitchen. Banana Nut Muffins may have replaced banana nut bread baking. Perfect size! The last six were a bit larger due to using up all the batter and I also forgot to sprinkle nuts on the top of those. LOL! But they were delicious! This is the recipe I used:

• 2 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 overripe bananas
• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 3⁄4 cup soft unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄2 cup nuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two standard 12-cup muffin tins with baking cups, or use non-stick pans.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
Mash the bananas until smooth. Add the butter, then sugar.
Add the eggs, and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
Mix in the dry ingredients.
Fold in the nuts if desired.
Spoon the batter into the muffin tins to fill them about halfway or use 2 oz scoop.
OPTIONAL Sprinkle with nuts and sanding sugar if desired. (NOTE: I didn't use any sugar when I sprinkled the nuts)
Bake until a toothpick stuck in the muffins comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes.
Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

When I finished baking, I made some refrigerator Bread 'n Butter pickles - two jars worth. Here is the recipe I used. Alton Brown's B&B's

I put them in used Mt. Olive Pickle jars we had saved and will shake them daily until they are a week old. Next time I will intersperse the onion pieces rather than layer them. Also, be sure to pack tightly or you will end up with a lot of liquid with the ingredients just floating in the jar. LOL!

And remember, if you have read and enjoyed any of my books, PLEASE and THANK YOU!

Ciao for now!

Love romance novels? Cowboys? Military Vets? Horses?

Here's your chance to steal a new box set of six full-length novels (pre-order for $.99), get some good books AND help a wonderful charity, Heroes & Horses.

The authors of this box set write military heroes (or plan to real soon!) in our Western romances. While they guarantee happy endings for our heroes, they know that the men and women who serve our country often aren’t so lucky. Twenty-two veterans commit suicide each day, and countless others are grappling with PTSD.

There's no easy solution, but every little bit helps. That's why they decided to put this box set together and to donate the proceeds to a program that helps veterans adjust to life after the military. They want to raise awareness and make a positive impact for our real life heroes. What better program could they choose than Heroes & Horses?

Heroes and Horses is a three-phase reintegration program that uses the remote wilderness and the horse/human connection to challenge and inspire personal growth in veterans suffering from mental and physical scars.

*All proceeds go to Heroes & Horses, an organization helping veterans in a new way—with horses and wilderness.

Also available at iBookstore, kobo, Barnes&Noble

Ciao for now!

Cruising over, Cruise 'in yet to come!

Just a quick post about our last cruise and our cruise-in to come! Our Western Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Magic was fairly uneventful. Or not. It all depends on your point of view.

• Stu dove three ports, all of which he has dived before. Roatan, Honduras is still his favorite.
• I wrote, and wrote, and wrote - getting six chapters written for my upcoming novella in the Lei Crime Series, Paradise Dead.
• I managed to stick to my diet, for the most part. Dinner in the Italian specialty restaurant was tough but I tried to not eat too much pasta. My downfall was iced cappuccinos. I held out until the last two days though!
• Karaoke on a cruise ship is just as painful as it is on land.
• We had an absolute blast getting to know two of the new members in the #sixappeal band. They are now both added to the cast of characters in the upcoming book, Paradise Dead.
• We went cave tubing and zip-lining in Belize with five members of the #sixappeal band. What a hoot!!!
• Formerly referred to as our foster grandsons, they are now our BAND-sons (and daughter). We will miss them all and hope to see a few of them as we cross paths in the future. Talented folks!
• Stu can dance it up when the right song comes on. {snicker}
  
• We briefly met John Heald, the brand ambassador for Carnival Cruise Lines. We love his humor and follow his Facebook page. He was kind enough to send us a gift - we now have a bottle of wine in the fridge and a ship-on-a-stick to add to our memorabilia. The fruit was gifted to a family traveling with several kids.
• To me, this song will always be known as "Night at the Museum", but now I know better.
• Guy's Burgers taste just as good without a bun! (and I did eat 5-6 french fries...snicker)
• The snacks in the Red Frog Pub are very reasonably priced at $3.33 each.
• The Magic is a HUGE ship for us. We liked many things about it but still prefer the smaller ships. The Conquest class is currently our favorite.
• Too many kids! Stu ended up with a chest cold at the end of the cruise.
• We took a few photos, mostly of the band and stage performers. We took several short videos as well.
• Yes, I'm still addicted to iced cappuccinos.

Most of the pictures/videos were taken with an iPhone or a GoPro. The quality varies from okay to wretched. LOL! No time to edit, just uploaded and going with them as is. Here are some shared by others. Dinner in the Italian Specialty Restaurant. Front to back, left to right: Steven Zimoski (saxophone), Stu, Me, Jacob Bowker (keyboard), Anna-Julia King (singer/dancer), David Tarr (singer, guitar) 

 

Way too early in the morning for these guys - taking the tender into Belize. Front to back, left to right: Steven Zimoski (saxophone), Federico Gironelli (lead guitar), me, Teddy Grant (drums), Jacob Bowker (keyboard), David Tarr (singer/guitar), Stu (You can enjoy an original composition from Federico on YouTube.) 

 

Getting ready for the zip-line. David Tarr, Teddy Grant, Federico Gironelli, Steven Zimoski 

Me, coming in for a landing on one of the five platforms. 

Late night chatting with our band-sons.

 

What musicians do when the cruise director comes over the intercom and overrides their microphones. 

The BEARD photo... 

And here are links to two short video clips from the stage production "America Sings" and the Chicago song, "25 Or 6 To 4".  Video one is the horns coming in (their stage rose from underneath) and video two is the end of the song with Federico on guitar.

A few pics of the ship, Carnival Magic.

All the photos are HERE and, unfortunately, not in order taken. Most of the videos are at the bottom and the first photos at the top are ones friends shared with us. LOL! Enjoy..

So that's it - cruising is over. BUT we now have a CRUISE-IN to attend. April 1st in Chattanooga.

Facebook Event Page
Website Event Page

Ciao for now!