UPDATE: The winner is Mary Ann Dean!
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I hope you love the puzzle! I found this image and knew it would make a great puzzle! Very inspirational—cool and creepy! We are getting close to Valentine’s Day, and I have a ton of cards to make. Or maybe just a couple. Depends on my inspiration. Now, I feel like Santa making his nice and naughty list. Anyways, it’s Saturday! I got to sleep in, it’s cold outside, and I’m wearing fuzzy socks, so you know it’s the beginning of a great day!

For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, have you ever made a homemade valentine card for someone special?

UPDATE: The winner is…Cindy Bartolotta!
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Well, I’m up at O-dark-thirty again. Dratted insomnia. I don’t ever fight it. So, this morning I went ahead and made a cup of coffee and headed in the dark to my computer. The house is quiet; I can Google without feeling guilty. LOL. So, yeah, I’m how old? Self-employed? And I still feel guilty not “working” when I power up.

I went to bed a little early for me last night feeling a little angry. Why? The ending of Star Trek: Enterprise! I’ve been binge-watching the older series for a while now. Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager. All were unique but the same. Know what I mean? I was comfortable with the progression. Enterprise was uncomfortable from the beginning. I liked the idea of it happening before Kirk and was intrigued with the idea of watching “the first” Enterprise begin the star-trekking adventures.

**WARNING SPOILERS**

Problems? I didn’t like the captain. Over the seasons, Captain Archer seemed…a bit irritated and sometimes too aggressive. While I’d found Janeway annoying the first season of Voyager, I came to admire her (after the “Rambo” episode, I loved her). Archer never had that moment where I came to accept his personality. I struggled through the first season, but the show caught me in the second. I loved the evolution of the conflict with the Xindi, and it was odd, but my favorite castmate wasn’t a “regular”. He was a frequent guest—an Andorian commander in the Imperial Guard named Shran. Over the 4 seasons, I actually found him and his mobile antennae to be quite sexy. 🙂

He had a fiery temper, was stubborn, but at heart he was an honorable alien male who loved deeply.

And what did they do to his character in the finale? They made him a criminal! I wanted to see him as an ambassador, having moved up the chain of command through his heroism and good deeds. Nope.

And what else did they do in that finale? They killed my favorite regular cast member, Trip. He never got his HEA with T’Pol—even after they lost their child and all the years they yearned for each other. In fact, the finale fast forwarded years and said they’d broken up six years prior. WTF?

Yeah. I’m not happy. And now, I have to start into the newer Trek series and hope the Powers that Be redeemed themselves. Okay, deep breath. That’s the end of my rant.

Tell me, have you ever been fighting mad over the ending of a series? Tell me about it for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card! 

Saturday Puzzle

Following my Star Trek rant, here’s a picture of what my imagined first encounter would look like. Enjoy the puzzle!

UPDATE: The winner is…Tamye Whitener!
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My day starts with a cup of coffee. I need a couple of cups just to get going in the morning. Then I have another around noon because I don’t dare have one later in the day or I’ll be up to the wee hours of the morning.

Coffee is more than just my jumpstart. Always has been. When I was in the Army, we called it “Lifers’ Blood,” and yes, we drank out of an urn of coffee that kept it warm all day, but the coffee had the consistency of molasses by the time the afternoon rolled around. Still, we drank it. Actually, it was a badge of honor to sip a cup of the sludge without grimacing.

These days, my daughter and I sit sipping coffee outside in the morning, rain or shine, warm or cold weather, while the dogs have their morning run. We talk about what we’re doing that day, gossip about family and friends, share news about politics and celebrities—all over our favorite beverage.

I’ve decided that since my daily brew is the center of so much of our lives, that we deserve an upgrade. For convenience’s sake, we both have Keurigs. Truly, it makes terrible coffee. We’ve tried different brands, but they all pretty much taste the same coming out. We do love how fast we can get our cup in the morning, but I’m willing to put in the time to produce a decent cup for our morning “share” session.

Years ago, I had an espresso/cappuccino maker. It was a pain in the ass to operate and clean. However, espressos, cappuccinos, and lattes are my favorites when I go out to someplace that actually makes a decent cup. Hell, I’d also love a coffeemaker that makes a decent plain cup of coffee.

So, for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, help me out. Share your recommendations for improvements. Do you love a particular brand of K-cup? Do you have a coffeemaker you love? Do you have a recipe for a fancy coffee that I could try making with what I have?

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…Diane Sallens!
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Enjoy the puzzle! Then tell me how you plan to spend your New Year’s Eve for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card! Let’s ring the new year in right!

I finally wrapped presents last night! Woot! The last-minute “dump & go” edit job is done! Now, I can coast through Christmas without any stress and just enjoy being with the family.

I hope you like the puzzle! It’s a silly, whimsical one that struck my fancy (and yes, I know that’s “old-people” speak!). Enjoy the holiday, enjoy the puzzle. Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to you all!

Open Contests

1. Michal Scott: Continuing the Family Legacy: Sarah Jane Woodson Early (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
2. Saturday Puzzle-Contest! Counting Down to Christmas! — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
3. A Christmas (sort of) Puzzle! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Things on a Christmas Tree Word Search! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
5. Merry Christmas Gift for you! — This giveaway ends soon! Everyone can get a FREE read!

UPDATE: The winner is…Sandy Kelly!
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I couldn’t help myself. I was looking for a topic to talk about this morning, thought I had one, then went looking for a picture to use and found the cutest Christmas (sort of) picture. I knew I had to use it in a puzzle, but I have to do it this week, so… If you want to know why I love it, you’ll have to solve it!

My topic was going to be about having kids underfoot all week, being covered up in pets (we have 9 dogs, 4 cats, a bunny, and a betta!), and me being driven mad by dog hair, cat puke, and cleaning bunny cages and fish tanks, while, I might add, trying to wrap up several editing projects this week. There’s no rest for a self-employed writer/editor. No vacations allowed! EXCEPT, I think I’m going to Hawaii in July, so I’m giving warning… I WILL NOT BE HELD HOSTAGE BY DOGS, CATS, FISH, RABBITS or EDITS! There. I got that off my chest. Now, let’s play!

Comment about anything at all—topic of your choice—for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!