UPDATE: The winner is…Melinda Barrera!
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I don’t know about you, but I’ve fallen out of the habit of writing letters—and I think it’s a damn shame. Worse, I think it’s very sad that penmanship and letter-writing are no longer taught in school. Did you have a teacher who helped you find a pen pal somewhere in the world for you to exchange letters with?

It’s such a civilized thing to do, I think. A tangible way of connecting. I think the last time I exchanged letters with someone on a regular basis was with my grandmother. She enjoyed getting letters and saved them. I have letters of hers that I saved. They were never of anything very important, just notes to catch her up on what was happening in my life. There was real joy seeing a letter from her waiting in my mailbox. She shared little tidbits of her daily life, and I could hear her voice when I read them. Again, that tangible proof of love.

My question to you today, for a chance to win a FREE download of one of my books, is… Do you write letters? Not emails. Physical letters? Do you receive them? And do you miss them, too?

UPDATE: The winner is…Brenda Rumsey!
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Well, I’m back with another obscure holiday! I love this one! And I’ve already paid two compliments today. Do I have you beat?

Yes, this holiday is a thing. NCD promotes—civility! That’s not a bad word, folks. It’s a way to brighten those around you and make you feel good knowing you made someone happy. A win-win! How did I accomplish mine? The two younger girls, 14 and 9-years-old, took time with their appearance this morning. The 9-year-old dressed up like a little old lady for a school dress-up day, and I told her she was the cutest little old lady I’d ever seen “The pearls really nailed it!” The 14-year-old dressed in all black like she normally does, but she’d taken time to straighten her hair, and I really do love her Sublime band T-shirt, so I told her she looked awesome. “Love that shirt!”

Actually, I have four compliments so far. My daughter worked on memes to advertise events at our art center, and I told her the memes were terrific. Pitch-perfect.

See how easy it is to work compliments in? If you’re going to work, compliment something about someone’s appearance. “I love your earrings.” Compliment their work. “Great work on that…” Easy. Going to grocery store? Compliment the cashier. “I know your feet must hurt, but you have a very nice smile. Thank you.” Yes, I do this anyway. (Yes, I’m that annoying person!) Can’t help myself. It’s a habit I don’t want to break. Do you think you could make complimenting folks around you a habit?

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me how you plan to work compliments into your day!

UPDATE: The winner is…Donna Bayar Repsher!
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I love gift-giving and our family looks for every opportunity to celebrate holidays with gifts, food, and fun. So, naturally, I’m already turning my attention to the next celebration.

Solve the puzzle, then tell me whether this is a holiday you like to get behind for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Julie Andrade!
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Here’s a little list of 10 things that make me sigh with happiness in December, listed in no particular order…

• ☕ Marshmallows in Hot Cocoa
• 🧝 Elves on the Shelf
• 🧥 Ugly Christmas Sweaters
• 🎁 Gift Giving
• 🍬 Delectable Sweets
• 🎵 Holiday Music
• 💡 Christmas Lights
• 👪 Family Time
• 🧙‍♂️ Christmas Gnomes
• 🎄 Christmas Decorations

You know what’s coming next! 😈

For a chance to win your choice of a download of any of my backlist of books, tell me five things that make you sigh during the holidays!

UPDATE: The winner is…flchen1!
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Yes, it’s a thing! And don’t you learn the least important stuff on my blog?

What are some of your favorites? Or maybe some tired ones you’d rather never hear again?

Here are some I’d love to go away: “Love is blind!” “All’s fair in love and war!” “A fool and his money are soon parted!” “Cold as a witch’s tit!” Okay, so maybe that last one isn’t quite so famous. My ex-Irish-husband liked that one a lot. (And no, he was not talking about me.) 🙂 We’re very good friends still.

So, with clichés in mind, let’s have a contest! Of course, we’re having a contest!

Tell me your picks for most annoying clichés and those you love for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift certificate!

UPDATE: The winner is…Eileen McCall!
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There’s just a slight chance of rain today, so we’re planning on hitting the pool this afternoon. The water’s still warm enough I don’t gasp when I step down into it. I have to make good use of the final days of our swimming season! The SIL worked 4-days-on/4-days-off as a police officer, so no impact there. He’s off though, so he can enjoy (hahaha) having the kids around today.

For those of you celebrating the Labor Day holiday—enjoy the day off! I hope you’re lighting up the grill and enjoying the sunshine.

So, in the spirit of Labor Day, tell me about your worst and best jobs for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift certificate! 

I’ll start.

Best job ever? Brand new butter-bar lieutenant assigned as a platoon leader to a unit that set up communications sites on mountain tops in the middle of winter in support of other units playing wargames. (Phew! That was a long sentence!) Living in a tent in 10-degree weather for a month (think about it—bathing in a bucket you warm on a Coleman heater, sliding on frozen paths to the latrine) was soooo hard and still so much fun. Climbing those microwave towers when they were coated in ice? Thrilling!

Worst job ever? Teaching 10th-graders history.

Your turn!

Psst! And don’t forget. I have contests to close out, but most of the ones listed on this post are still open!

UPDATE: The winner is…Karla Campos!
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First, solve the puzzle! Share your time, if you like. Then we can talk.

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me whether you have one, and if you do, what does yours feature?