Winter Snow is Coming? It's Already Here

I love snow. I’ve said that many times.  But the recent storm has outdone itself. It started Sunday evening.  I shoveled the steps and a walkway for the dogs

And went to bed.

Monday brought a surprising amount of snow.  I had put the garbage can out the night before and the snow was deep enough to cause a problem getting it back up the driveway. Snow was past the bottom of the doors and I spent much of Monday shoveling the steps and walkway for the dogs.  The snow was coming down so heavy that 30 minutes after I shoveled, the trench would be filled again. The dogs were not happy. Unless forced, they would not have left the steps.

To keep snow from getting too deep. We cleaned off the cars and shoveled snow throughout the day. We were proud of ourselves for staying ahead of the snowfall. We went to sleep expecting a fairly normal Tuesday.

But instead of the planned relaxing day of stretches, breakfast, and a day devoted to writing, we woke to snow deep enough to prevent opening the doors and snow literally up to our car’s doorhandles.

One of my favorite fantasies is curling up in front of a roaring fire, drinking hot chocolate, and napping or reading.  Just enjoying the snow. While I have seen a lot of snow and drank a lot of hot chocolate, I have never fulfilled the rest of this fantasy.  Today was not to be the day to live this dream.

Instead, we spent the day shoveling snow and brushing the snow off cars.  Lest you think this was easy, remember that the snow was up to the doorhandles.  And some genius decided to use a snow blower that threw THAT snow onto our car.

We didn’t shovel every moment, but my muscles would debate that.   We shoveled enough that coming inside and using ICE PACKS on our backs was necessary. We had scraped and shoveled the driveway to the street.  And driven over patches of snow to get our car near the end.

As evening fell. I went outside to survey our progress.  The city trucks had made a couple of passes and our driveway was blocked by a wall of snow and ice we could not possibly drive over. Snow had slid off the overhang and covered a good part of the area we had shoveled with 3-5 inches of snow.

At this point, I had the choice of crying or watching a few episodes of my current favorite TV show. To quote Scarlet O’Hara, “after all, tomorrow is another day.”

Snow

A few pictures of today’s snow.

I don’t consider myself to be a winter person. The reason is simple: I don’t like being cold. I feel sad, however, when it doesn’t produce a classic colossal snow.

When I was a child, a huge snow storm meant home from school with mom. She made cookies and hot chocolate of course (what’s a snow day without them!), but she also made her special snow ice cream.

You heard me. Snow ice cream. My mom’s snow ice cream was the yummiest treat ever, some combination of sugar, cream, and condensed milk. Go ahead, look it up. You’ll find a few different recipes. None of them will be mom’s. If you want to try it, I have one caution—today’s snow is nowhere near as clean as the snow of my youth. Be careful.

While I can’t reproduce the ice cream, whenever it snows my partner and I grab the hot chocolate and watch it come down. Sometimes, like today, we bundle up and head outside. It wasn’t a lot of snow, three inches, maybe. We prefer at least six. In fact, the more snow the better—which you’d find hilarious if you knew the magnitude of our back and knee problems. But it brings us joy. That’s what snow is.

Joyous.

Take good care.

New Year, New Books!

Everyone likes free books, don’t they? I sure do. Actually, I LOVE books, even the ones I actually buy but free books just make me happy.

The event below contains 36 books and samples of all genres.

Books Galore!

“Hot and Dirty Books” is a Kindle Unlimited promotion. Take a chance on new authors and new steamy books and series’ starters.

To check them out just click on the pictures! Enjoy, and let me know if you find anything you like!

My Empowerment Garden

I’m not much of a gardener. In fact, I hate gardening, indoor and outdoor. The irony is that I love flowers so I do keep trying.

Over the years, it’s seemed that despite my brown thumb and hatred of dirt and bugs, some plants seem to thrive in my yard and in my house. The fuchsia below has been close to death many times but just when I’m about to call it over, it blooms. Isn’t it beautiful? It looks like a painting.

Here is a ZZPlant that my sister gave me ions ago. Originally, there was one stalk. What you see here is what is left after making two additional full pots. I’m convinced this thing cannot be killed. I call it my “little shop of horror plant”.

Here’s one more example, a Peace Lily. My partner and I found it about a decade ago in a discount rack of nearly dead flowers, for less than a buck.

My philosophy of gardening, much like the philosophy I use when it comes to my lawn, is “grow if you want to”. I’ll give the grass and flowers a good shot with water and sunlight as appropriate but in the end, it’s up to them. For my lawn, this has resulted in a mini nature reserve at the foot of my yard. For my flowers, it means some stick around and others don’t. But they are welcome to grow if they want to.

Oh, Look! Presents!

From time to time I have the opportunity to point my readers and followers to a few new authors and a few new books. In honor of the holidays, I have a slew of them!

Click on the pictures and ENJOY!

The books here represent a variety of genres.

Gifts of the (Covid-19) Season

For most of my adulthood, I’ve had a vision of the holidays. Picture this: Sitting in front of a fireplace, looking out of a large (well-insulated) picture window as it snows. On the coffee table is a bowl of popcorn, my mug of hot chocolate (overloaded with marshmallows), and my book. My partner and I spend days on end reading, snuggled with each other, our dogs, and our favorite comfy throws.

What’s your holiday fantasy?

We’ve gotten close in some years, but the days have always been so hectic. As odd as it sounds, this year we’re going to finally do it. The odd and fragile year has give us the gift of time. The gifts of a slower pace and opportunity to focus on our true priorities. Health, happiness, serenity, and love. Oh—and there’s a snow storm coming.

We’re taking advantage of these gifts. I wish you the same.

Weathering the Weather

Wise County, Va.

Admittedly, I have a love/hate relationship with the weather. I cherish the scents and sounds of the ocean, so I appreciate the summer’s warm, sunny days at the beach—as long as it isn’t too warm. I love the smells and scenery of the fall, although the days are often dreary, especially when the leaves turn from colorful to brown. And the winter…Oh, it’s so frustrating.

I do love the snow. It’s so beautiful as it comes down and when it lands. I have an ongoing fantasy of sitting on the sofa with warm fuzzy socks and a cup of cocoa or coffee, holiday music on the stereo and my beloved snuggling next to me, watching the snow fall. Thankfully, I’ve been able to turn it into a reality from time to time. We also love putting on winter duds and sitting on a bench with a thermos of hot chocolate or taking slow walks down our street to take in the view.

Wise County, Va.

Unfortunately, my partner and I both spent years driving in winter weather, in deep snow and ice. I remember nights of white-knuckled fear trying to make my way home from work, seeing numerous cars spun off to the side of the road or in ditches. We’ve both also had too many close calls to count. Even glorious, rejuvenating winter has its downsides.

Then there is spring. Not too cold. Not too hot. Flowers in bloom. Sunny and enough warmth to enjoy the outdoors. Oh wait…It’s also allergy season. And when we’re fortunate, lots of rain.

I suppose the lesson is that I—all of us—have to appreciate both sides of the coin. After all, we don’t get flowers without rain and pollen. And we don’t get snow to enjoy without snow to drive in.

I have my hot chocolate ready. Bring it on.

We Go All In.

Between the two of us, my partner and have 40+ masks. We’ve collected them since March starting with two a friend sweetly dropped off to us. She knew we didn’t have any so she asked her mom to make them. Soon we heard that masks have to be washed after each use—we needed more. That was fine, since information was changing about which material and what thickness worked best. Ultimately, we began searching out masks we simply liked.

One could say we have a tendency to go all in.

Nothing like the sound of music on vinyl.

When we decide to embark on a new exercise plan, we buy all the equipment we could possibly need and new outfits. (You can’t exercise without the right clothes, right?) One weekend we watched The Blacklist with James Spader, fell in love, and bought every movie he’d ever made. We watched The Masked Singer and rushed to iTunes to buy Jesse McCartney’s live albums. Many years ago, I saw Prince in concert and IMMEDIATELY had to have his entire catalogue. Then I had to find everything in multiple formats and collect every magazine that had him on the cover. We all know where things went from there.

We do have fun, from time to time, putting all our energy into something. The only downside is that sometimes, looking back on our quests, we wonder things like, “NOW what do we do with this stuff?”

What kinds of things tempt you to go all in?

5 Things You Can Do to Take Better Care of Yourself

I don’t know about you, but I’m taking far worse care of myself now than I did in the “before times”. I know that I have to do better with the basics—#movemore #eatbetter. I have plans to improve, and I’ve forgiven myself for my transgressions. But in the course of thinking about how to feel better and make the most of my time in isolation, I’ve come up with a short list of ways I can take better care of myself.

#1 Stop Worrying. This one has been a hard lesson to learn. I’ve been a worrier all of my life. At points in my life, my worrying was debilitating. But one evening, as I shared a current worry with a friend, my loving friend said, “Don’t waste your time worrying about things you don’t have control over. It doesn’t help. Plus you ruin a good day due to the possibility of a bad one.”

Well, damn.

That simple truth hadn’t occurred to me. Now every time I start to worry about something I can’t control, I hear her voice.

2. Tend to someone. Or something.

Sometimes we are in our heads too much. At least I am, especially when it’s quiet or I’m engaged in some routine activity like washing dishes. But when we step outside of ourselves and take care of someone or something, we are immediately warmed. Happier. And it’s not all due to appreciation from those we’re caring for. It’s also because it just feels good. It reinforces our connection to the world. Sometimes, it’s inexplicable. When my Toby lays in my lap because he wants lots of petting, it’s joyous—Even though his boney knees dig into my tender flesh. Shaving Molly, my furry senior dog, feels good. Not that it is truly an enjoyable process for me or her, but shaving her feet helps her to walk better. My partner loves to tend to flowers. It makes her happy to see them grow.

Take care of flowers, pets, family members. Drop off some cookies on your elderly neighbor’s porch. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you’re tending to others.

3. Do something fun, with intention.

Whether you work from home or go into to work, times have changed. I feel like I work 24-hrs a day because if I’m not actually engaged in work, I’m thinking about it. But when I plan something fun, like doing a craft or going for a drive with my partner, there is a line delineating “NOT WORKING TIME”. Moreover, I have something to look forward to.

Plan something fun every week. If you can, every day. It will make a difference in how you feel.

4. Find time to treat yourself to something special.

Rather, something that feels special to you. I like a cup of coffee and a book to read. Some people like a glass of wine and a book, or a bath. Or you could color. Tend to your garden. Crochet. Paint your nails.

You deserve time that is DEVOTED TO YOU BY YOU. This offers an opportunity to relax, reflect, or rejuvenate. Do what you like.

5. Smile more.

Research tells us that smiling is good for us. It improves our moods, alleviates stress, and can boost our immune systems. It can also make people around you smile—Bonus! I would bet that you have a few things that are guaranteed to make you smile. For me, some movies make me laugh every time. Ever see “Cold Turkey”, or “Arsenic and Old Lace”? Also my partner has a silly sense of humor that resonates with me, so she makes me smile and laugh all the time.

Find a reason every day to smile. Especially the days you just don’t feel like it.

What nourishes you? Let’s share and encourage each other!

Strangely Beautiful

I know many people who spend a great deal of time and money on their lawns and flower beds. I’ve never been so fortunate to have either tons of cash or talent in that area. Consequently, my partner and I have always had a “grow if you want to” sort of approach.

It works for us. We plant from time to time, but often end up with beautiful flowers in giant pots. We mow, but not as often as other people in our neighborhood. The wild look seems to suit us, and well, when our neighbors have killed their grass from too much mowing in hot weather, our lawn flourishes. Mostly. When it wants to.

As you can see in the pictures, we keep as many leaves as possible on the lawn and in the flower beds. It works for forests, right? No one rakes them. Past the big tree is a downward incline—much of our property is down the hill. We don’t do anything with that except occasionally get rid of the poison ivy or this nasty invasive vine that wants to have its way with our trees and bushes. But hill is lush and green, with lots of bunnies and squirrels and even foxes.

Okay, fine. It’s messy. Strange. Uneven. Wild. But gosh. It’s so beautiful.

Oops! I've Done It Again--NaNoWriMo

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I have embarked on that nearly impossible task of writing 50K words in one month.

This means 30 days (now 26) of quick and easy food, minimal cleaning, barely any laundry, and sleepless nights. (Not sleeping is the only way I can do this, as my full-time gig won’t give me the month off to write. Go figure.) Moreover, Thanksgiving falls right at Nano crunch time. If I’m ahead, I can maybe take a minute to cook a real turkey dinner. If I’m behind…

It’s only turkey.

NaNoWriMo is a huge challenge I give myself. Part creative, part stress, it’s right up my alley. What tough challenges do you take on?

Coloring=Mediation

My partner and I have effectively quarantined for 8 1/2 months at this point.  I would love nothing better than to shop for myself, spend a lazy afternoon in Barnes and Noble scanning magazines and books. I want to have breakfast at our favorite diner and have coffee from my favorite shop.  As much as I love my partner, our dogs, and our house, I want to go out again.  I won’t of course.  I understand the reality of the pandemic right outside my door, literally.

Experts often recommend meditation.  I’ve tried and I always fall asleep or my mind becomes even more scattered.

But I have found something that allows my mind to rest. Coloring. I know I have mentioned it before but I feel that I have not recommended it strongly enough.  When I am concentrating on finding every tiny space to color, I let everything else go.  All I think about is the picture and the color.

I admit I like paper and crayon coloring too but I prefer using coloring apps.  Apparently, I am not the only one as there is an amazing array of apps to choose from.  I’ve downloaded probably twenty of them.  But I find myself using the same three.  Happy Color gives me new pictures every day.  My favorites are the ones labeled RARE.  With those pictures, each swipe brings not just a color but designs and shades of the color.  There are never enough but they keep me coming back.  I’m addicted to pictures of rooms and table settings. I am always excited to find several in my morning haul. 

Another is Colorscapes.  As I touch the space I intend to color, I enjoy the puff of blue smoke that lets me know I hit the space.  This is especially helpful when the pieces are very small.I know that I’m finished with a section when no more smoke appears when I touch the page.  Paint By Number is similar to Colorscapes.  It has similar projects but no blue smoke. I have tried others that are beautiful but keep returning to these for some reason. 

I am not sure if it’s  pathetic or a good thing that a puff of blue smoke or swatch of color can leave me feeling happy and peaceful.  Do you have activity that works like meditation for you?