UPDATE: The winner is…Shirley Long!
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This post will seem a little strange to some of y’all. Or maybe you’ll just think I’m really, really old (although my dd feels the exact same way!). Today, our family decided to do away with our landline. You know, the old-fashioned phone you plug into the wall that never lets you down, power or no power. After all, we have five cell phones in the house that have proven they work and connect in the worst of conditions.

You’d think we would’ve cut the cord long ago because, at $40 a month, it’s not an expense we need to pay. We never used it except when we (okay, I) called my cellphone number to find the damn thing.

However, that landline, with that number, holds a lot of nostalgia for our family and extended family. My parents had that number since the ’70s. When it was first installed, I remember we had a “party line.” For those who’ve never experienced it, a party line was shared with neighbors. When you made a call, you lifted the receiver to listen to know whether someone else was using the line. It was a pain in the ass when one neighbor hogged the line. You’d be polite the first time you picked up and quietly disconnect. The second time, you might clear your throat. The third or maybe fourth, you’d butt into the call and ask how much longer she would be. Fun times.

My mother was the hub for family information and reunions for the extended family. Everyone knew our number and would call regularly to chat. When my brother and I were stationed all over the world, we’d call that number to let the folks know how we were doing or when we’d be coming home for a visit. That line, that number, is part of our family history.

But today, it is no more. I’m heaving a big, heavy sigh.

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, is there some object or service you had trouble letting go of because of the memories attached to it?

It is a thing, actually. And it’s celebrated the first Sunday of August.

To those of us who have sisters, and love our sisters, this is a great time to remind your sibling that you love them!

So, to my beautiful, talented sister, Elle James—Happy National Sisters Day!

Here’s one of my favorite pictures of the two of us together. I’m sure it was some Romantic Times convention pajama party, and of course, we went in polar bear pajamas and animal slippers rather than negligees!

UPDATE: The winner is…Rita!
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I’ve talked about scents on this blog before. Favorite scents. Mine is the scent of oranges. It always makes me happy and energizes me. Now, I want to talk about scents that invoke a memory because, you know, your brain uses scent to anchor memories.

One of my earliest scent-memories is the aroma of a certain vintage perfume, “Evening in Paris.” My father gave my mother a gift of a set of “Evening in Paris” perfume and cologne as a wedding gift, and she used it only sparingly because it was dear to her. They didn’t have much money then, so every gift he gave her was something she treasured. And he was a romantic at heart—he never forgot an anniversary or Valentine’s Day (except once, but that’s a story for another day). No matter how strapped they were for cash, or how far apart (he had many tours of duty during the Viet Nam War), he always managed to find something she would love, even if it was only flowers and chocolate.

I’m sure Mom’s “Evening in Paris” would have survived the length of their marriage (sixty years), except for the fact they had a nosy, sneaky daughter—me. I loved opening the precious bottle and just rubbing the cap on my wrists so I could enjoy that smell.

For one of her last Christmases, I found a store that specialized in vintage, popular perfumes and bought her a bottle of “Evening In Paris.”  Of course, I had to open it first and draw in that scent. So many memories came pouring through my mind of me when I was a kid, of sneaking it from her dresser to anoint my wrists. She had to have known, it’s a strong and distinct scent, but she never chastised me. I still wonder why.

Contest

Share a scent-memory for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Cindy!
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So, day before yesterday, my dd and I went phone shopping. Mine and hers were several years old and beginning to glitch. Her phone case was cracked. Our top priority was picture quality because we use photos for everything—TikTok, FB, Pinterest, Etsy, etc. Although it was #2 for picture quality, all the other features of the phone were tops, so we purchased Apple phones. Good Lord, the price! Mine’s blue—just like the picture!

And of course, I was also looking for a new watch. All of my Citizen Eco-Drive watches (all four!) are kaput. So…

So, yeah, phone is in hand, an Apple watch is in the mail… Add that to my Mac Air, and I’m a convert. However, my main computer remains a hyped-up HP (it’s a gaming computer with super speed and storage, which I need). I don’t actually play games on it.

I didn’t port over my contacts or files to the new phone. I figured it was a great way to clean everything out. I spent a damn day adding apps, redoing passwords—because I couldn’t remember passwords. The 16-year-old is an old pro with iPhones, so she helped me figure out how to do “stuff”. I’m a slow learner, she says. 🙂

So, the question for you is, are you an Apple girl/boy? Is there some feature you love? Or just tell me what you love about your current phone/tech for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Mary Preston!
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So, I have to share something really funny and exciting!

If you’ve been following me online for any time at all, you know I’ve shared about my different hobbies now and then. I mean, I make jewelry and I do mixed media art. I’m not particularly spectacular at any of it, but I do make some wearable shit, some cool refurbished boxes, and some art you can hang in the bathroom.

Anyway, I belong to a local art guild with some really, really accomplished artists who make me feel like a newbie/no-nothing (not them, they’re really nice) when I see what they can produce. Some of them make their living as artists.

So, our little town is holding a festival this fall, and it’s being billed as an “Arts Festival” with artists from all over the region being invited. The artists’ work has to be “juried”, meaning experts look at samples of your work and decide whether you’re good enough to be a part of the event.

I thought why not try. I’ve never gone through the process. I might learn something. I submitted in two categories: Jewelry and Painting.  I figured maybe I’d get through on jewelry because I’ve been doing it longer, and I do have samples of more intricate stuff—wire-wrapping, leather, etc. Anyway, I got an email the other day. I was accepted for…PAINTING.

First, I laughed hysterically. Then I told me daughter, and her eyes got wide. “Mom, you have to start painting now!” Because, you know, I don’t have a lot of goodish pieces to offer.

But now, you know what I’ll be doing this summer during my free time (when I’m not writing books!!!).

The puzzle below is a picture of one of the pieces that got me approved. Have fun with the puzzle. Then share a little story about something that caught you by surprise—a blue-ribbon at the fair, a compliment on a piece of furniture you refurbed—anything like that. You’ll be entered to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Margaret!
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The one year we’ve really needed a break and Mother Nature is being a huge asshole. We’ve been good for fifteen months, staying cooped up and being creative about our “adventuring”. All we asked for was a little pool time on Memorial Day Weekend…

For one, spring came really, really late. Usually, our pool becomes swimmable sometime in April—sometimes as early as mid-month. This year? Here we are, a day away from Memorial Day, which is always roasting hot, and we’re looking at more 75-degree weather—the coldest it’s been this time of year in fifty freaking years. So, yeah. Not happy. Wearing long-freaking-sleeves. Staring at a pool I’ve only braved twice so far this pool season.

So, last night we cuddled up on sofas and watched The Curse of La Llorona. Not the greatest horror movie, but enough jumpy-outtie stuff we giggled a lot. Hope your weekend is wonderful! Today’s puzzle is a photo of the youngest member of our family taken a few years ago. Enjoy!

Puzzle-Contest

For a chance to win a download of your choice from my backlist of books, tell me what you’re doing this weekend!

UPDATE: The winner is…Laura!
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I wasn’t born self-employed.

I spent years in the Army, years in a corporate cubicle, a stint in a classroom, a non-profit, etc. My time was mine to manage inside my employers’ bubbles. In fact, I was a project/program manager for years, and I planned work for others. None of that really prepared me for being a self-employed, full-time writer.

Most days, I happily hit the keyboard. I’m enthused about my story that has a drop-dead date to complete or I’m staring at a deadline to return a set of edits. Deadlines do help with motivation. However, there are days when I have my lovely month-ahead calendar sitting in front of me, with all the work parsed into numbers of pages to get me to the finish line within a very doable timeframe, when I look at it and think: But I don’t wanna. Not today.

This week is soooooo hard. It’s the last week of school for our four online students. Their mother and I have been their support/mentors/tutors all year long, bending our work schedules around theirs to make sure everything gets done.

Online schooling is hard. But we managed to help all four kids, 7 through 16-years-old, get through it. And we managed to have fun along the way, with family movie  or game nights and special dinner rewards, and with limited excursions to the park or the flea market (large areas, few people). We’ve followed the rules and kept everyone healthy and happy for 14 months. We’ve drawn closer as a family because we had to be each others’ friends and playmates.

During all of this, I have managed to write. Not as prolifically as I did maybe eight years ago, but more so than I did three years ago. I carved out hours in my schedule to retreat to my “mole hole” and write.

So, why am I dragging ass lately? We’ve made it through a huge commitment. Next year, we’ll only have one child staying home because the rest have been vaccinated, and all of us have learned how to use a mask. Next year, should be easier, right? A cakewalk, really.

So, back to why I want to blow off today… There’s not anything special happening to draw my attention. I simply don’t want to open the files I need to open and bury myself in another world. I want to drink some coffee, sit on the back patio, and play some Charm King on my phone. Something that will add pages to write to all the days that follow.

In my brain, that seems like a wonderful tradeoff—until tomorrow morning comes.

I love this quote…

My answer today is tomorrow!

Contest

For a chance to win your choice of a download of one of my books, share a motivational quote or tell me how you deal with self-motivation. Are you a Last-Minute-Mary or do you do today so tomorrow is free?