Sunday Sundries--Gratitude Redux

Ah, so grateful you made it back for another week of Sunday Sundries! Hope your Thanksgiving and weekend after was super and that you still fit into your jeans....

Alas, I had an injury at work on Thanksgiving day, so I spent the next two days sleeping and recovering.

Boris actually got up on my lap and slept with me a couple times and Natasha wanted to be right up next to me. I'm feeling better now, thank you.
Two more things I'm exceedingly grateful for:

Found this just the other day:

I'm very grateful for libraries, physical and digital.
This is an unfortunate choice of fonts--I'm grateful for laughter and I love Christmas ornaments, though we haven't put up a tree in years:

I mentioned my kitties--Natasha's meowing at me right now, because she can't sit beside me when I'm in the office chair. I'm very grateful for all the pets I've had in my life:

Isn't she sweet?
I've been going through a ton (literally) of my needlework patterns, honestly assessing if I'll every do them and getting a box ready to go to a resale service. I might have to do this one, though...

I am so grateful for the fictional world I have created and my main goal is to finish the first book by the end of the year to get ready to share it with others. This made me smile:

This one was shared by my father-in-law during the election hoopla. I'm grateful for my family:

I'm grateful very much for the books I have on shelves, in boxes and in my Kindle:

I am grateful beyond words at my husband of almost 25 years. He truly:

Finally, I am grateful for all of you out there, who have taught me, encouraged me and listened.

Love to all--be back next week. Keep writing!

Sunday Sundries--Gratitude Edition First Installment

Coming up on Thanksgiving, I needed to get a few things down in a gratitude journal. It had been a few years since I put a bunch of pages in one of my blank books. So, here are some things to share.
1. Just got a call from my sister in law and my brother will have to have some surgery later in the next year. I'm grateful for my brother and his family and I worry. This made me smile:

As I'm his only sister.
2. I'm so very glad this year's elections are over. I hate the divisiveness it caused and I pray everyone will pull together to take care of all the issues that need to be dealt with. I tried to keep this blog and my Facebook page fairly free of politics. This is all I'm going to say:

What a great ad campaign, huh?
3. I love word play, writing and I even love editing. I have a few friends who are serious about using proper grammar and spelling and I truly respect that. This made me smile too:

Yes, it is important.
4. Friday nights are Girls' Night Out and friends and I have been going out to do things for a very long time. Three of us headed out for lunch and a craft show yesterday afternoon. While this continues the kind of adult theme, it's true:

Can't have enough friends, can you?
5. I have a carved wooden box some friends gave me that I use to keep memories in, until I can get them in the larger storage bin downstairs or organize. I've had a wonderful life and I'm grateful for the pictures, program books, invitations, etc., that make me smile. But:

Keep moving forward.
6. While I was raised to be a lady, my mother taught me to not be afraid to strategically use a curse word. So, here's another thing that sounds funny to be glad for, but sometimes we need "that kind of day" to make the rest of your life feel great:

I just pray they don't hit that often.
7. Earlier in the year, my buddy Pam Asberry went to the Magnolias and Moonlight conference and got me an autographed book from one of my favorite authors. This was a huge thing, as I have been collecting autographed books since I worked at a bookstore in the 1980s. This was the book:

So, this gratitude includes books in general, romance and friendship also.
8. I had an unusual childhood, but we had some great adventures. I need to get this button:

It's made me what I am now, so no need to look at the past with regrets.
9. Those past experiences have made me very practical in my perspective on life. I need to get this t-shirt:

Besides, I look good in red.
10. I'm grateful I've been able to lose almost sixty pounds in the past year and keep it off. This shirt made me laugh, though:

11. I do occasionally have what I call "brain farts," but I've learned not to sweat it as much. This is true and made me smile:

12. I'm also grateful for the space program and all the wonderful science it's given us:

There's the first installment of my gratitude list. More later, I promise. Everybody have a great week--I'm grateful for all of you!

Sunday Sundries--Some Military Things

One of my characters is based upon my much older brother, who graduated from The Naval Academy. He was a trainer pilot and was killed in 1969, buried in Arlington, near The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

I think I channel Joe sometimes when I write. He was quite the horn dog, but when he found the woman he loved, he knew. I'm honored to give some voice to veterans with my story and I hope they will find it authentic. I thank every one for their service.

Kind of puts things in perspective, doesn't it?
I didn't forget the kitties:

Or the puppies:

My one hero graduated from The Naval Academy, then went into The Marines Officer Candidate School. He works on veterans' issues and tries to be there as his fellow solders come home.

I have another novel planned with two Marines that were in his unit in Afghanistan, both injured in the line of duty, but still serving.

Because every veteran is still serving:

Though some are more active duty than others:

So, thank you to all those who served and continue to serve.

I pray I will be able to do you honor in my fiction and in my heart. Everyone have a great week, ok?

Sunday Sundries--November Already?!

Can you believe it's November already? Can you believe the election will be Tuesday?

 My husband works for a TV station and lives to argue with the TV, newspapers and magazines. Me, not so much. But, come Tuesday, I will be proud to post this:

And I hope you will too. I have to admit, I've hidden many hateful, wrong posts. I really wanted to do this:

I'll be glad to get back to cute kitties and handsome men. Speaking of:

It's true--you may bask in my fabulousness. Here's some eye candy:

Hugh Jackman in "Kate and Leopold." It's one of those movies I've probably seen the whole thing, but not all at one time. I can watch it with the sound off, though and drool.

This was one of my favorite Halloween costumes:

That's right--50 shades of gray. Clever and cute. But, back to the kitties:

OMG--attack mode! This jumping kitty is cuter:

Speaking of running and jumping:

What a good-natured dog, right?
I took today off of work to catch up on some things. I've organized a box of retirement and bank statements into folders, getting a whole bag of recyclables and another pile of stuff to shred. I organized on a flash drive 168 (!) pages of notes I'd transcribed from my notebooks and cleared out a couple of flash drives that were duplicates. I did some grocery shopping, visited a craft fair and I'm making some chili tonight. I've also written a couple of scenes for future stories and made two bracelets. All in all, a good week.
I've been driving a lot. I'm grateful that we're not suffering the gas rationing my friends on the east coast are living with and I hope all of you and yours are safe and warm and dry. But I liked this one:

I am trying to continue on with my mission of service, while doing things I love and want to do, because:

Have a good one--love to all who stop by here. Let me know what you did this week and dammit, go vote!

Sunday Sundries--Halloween Edition!

While my husband and I both have to work Halloween night and we no longer have a black cat to love on at home, we'll give this friendly feline the chance to say Happy Halloween! It's amazing that we're looking at the end of October, isn't it?
While there aren't many kids around here for Halloween, there's been a lot of candy around. We've discovered the joys of Almond Snickers bars. Sad to say, none are left for the kids.

We only have the tabby twins now. Every once in a while, we see an odd look from one or the other. Could it be:

We've had some great Halloween parties. Our science fiction convention held Contact 13 on a Friday the 13th in October, so we promoted it with different room parties. My favorite was "Prom Night Massacre (Follow the Trail of Blood to Contact 13)":

Crazy stuff. While I haven't carved a pumpkin in forever, these always make me laugh:

On the other hand, they can be pretty too:

I was always sick with allergies and sinus problems, so I didn't get to go trick-or-treating much as a kid, but thought this was super cute!

Too fun! Wouldn't this be a great party idea?

Freeze water in a glove and float in a punch bowl. Here's another decorating idea:

Gotta love Pinterest. This made me laugh too:

Here is another pumpkin, a little more gruesome:

So, have a fun week--those of you out on the East coast and Hawaii stay safe, okay?