'Twas the night before Christmas...

Actually it's still the morning of the night before Christmas, my home is bustling with holiday preparations, and I love it! In a couple of hours we'll decorate the tree and then it'll officially be Christmas.

My whole family will be here and we usually have an informal buffet supper on Christmas Eve, but tonight I'm serving a four-course sit-down dinner—butternut squash soup, apple-pomegranate salad, boeuf bourguignon a la Julia Child, and lemon custard for dessert. Tomorrow, of course, I'll do the more traditional roast turkey with all the trimmings. For me, a Christmas filled with family and food is the best present of all, and I wish the same for you. Let's all have at least as much fun as these goats...

Until next time,
Lee
The Christmas Secret (Nov. '11)
The Daddy Project (working title, TBA)
Daddy, Unexpectedly (working title, TBA)
Lee's website
Lee's Facebook page

Holiday Wishes

This year I'm on deadline during the holidays, which means the tree is half-trimmed, only a few packages have been wrapped, and the cookies may not get baked at all. Oh, well. I can't regret any of that, when I'm so happily immersed in the lives of my characters. (Besides, fewer goodies around the house means we'll get a jump on our New Year's diet resolutions!)

Still, for your sake, I hope your preparations are moving along much better than mine are. LOL

One not-to-be-missed event is writing my Harlequin American Romance Authors blog entry.

My December appearance here never gets old—to me, anyway (smile)—even though I say some of the same things from year to year. How could I not? A blog post almost smack in the middle of December requires some very specific messages, don't you think?

The first is a huge thank you for your support of my books and for your letters and e-mails and social media posts throughout the year.

I look forward to staying in touch, both here at the blog and "out there" in cyber space.

Meanwhile, no matter what special days you celebrate, I wish you a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season.

See you next year!


All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

Barbara White Daille
THE RODEO MAN'S DAUGHTER (February 2012)
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
http://www.facebook.com/barbarawhitedaille https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille

Christmas Party Games

If you’re hosting family and friends at your house this Christmas holiday you can add to the fun with party games.  Just think how much more fun these games will be if you spike the eggnog!

Party ideas from Wryte Stuff

 Kiss it Relay: Place a large bowl of Hersey's kisses on a table. Divide your group into two teams and have them line up around 10-15 feet away from the table. Give the first people in the row mittens that are slightly larger than they would ever need. On the mark of "Go", the first player of each team runs to the table (with their mittens on), takes a Hershey's kiss out from the bowl and tries unwrapping it with the large mittens. After they unwrap it they have to run down and pop it into the next person's mouth. The next person takes the mittens and runs to the bowl to do the same.

Reindeer Antlers: Divide your group into teams of two to four people. Give each group a pair of pantyhose. Give each team eight balloons. Then, when "Go" is said, the race starts, and the teams start blowing up the balloons and stuffing them into the pantyhose. Once all the balloons are stuffed inside the pantyhose, a team member wears the "reindeer antlers" and the team yells "Rudolph" when finished. The first team to finish is the winning team.

Snowball Toss: Divide the group into teams each team forms a line. Place a 2 taped markers on the floor a few feet from the teams. Give each team a bag of marshmallows (large, not the mini size). The first team member in line stands behind the tape marker. On "Go" the 2nd one in line takes a turn trying to "catch" a marshmallow in their mouth. Once a team member catches a marshmallow, they get out of line. The team that finishes their line first wins.

Do you have a favorite Christmas game you play at your holiday parties?

Marin Thomas

A Rodeo Man's Promise (Dec 2011)

Arizona Cowboy (Feb 2012)

www.marinthomas.com

All My Heroes are Cowboys

To Grinch or Not to Grinch...

…that is the question.

My hubby worked in retail for many years and to say he was a Grinch is an understatement. He was in a district position which required him to be at various stores during the day so between the traffic and the craziness that surrounds malls during December, he was not amused. Add to that all the Christmas music that malls begin playing around, hmm, October, and Christmas was a dreaded event. If I put on one of my many, many Christmas CD’s, he grimaced and groaned in true Grinch form.

But the past couple years he’s been in a different career and I love the change in his mood. I love Christmas so it’s refreshing that he’s now getting into the spirit of the holiday. He even decorated the outside of the house without too much grimacing. But when I came home from a weekend trip, I had to laugh. In a special salute to his favorite Christmas show, he’d decorated my palm tree in true Whoville fashion. He was quite impressed with his handy work. But if he pulls out his Scooge shirt, we’re going to war.

Anybody else have a Grinch in the family or a good Grinch story to share?

Having Myself a Very Weird Little Christmas!!

Christmas Eve 2010 

Christmas this year in the Altom home is following a little closer to fiction than I'd like.  Similar to the characters of last story in my Buckhorn Ranch series, A Baby in His Stocking, our holiday will be much different than it has ever been before. 

Hannah is still dating her New Jersey hockey player.  We talked about maybe spending the holiday on the beach in Gulf Shores, taking Antonio with us, but as he's been away from his family for months, playing with a Minnesota team, he's of course spending the holidays in New Jersey.  Here's where things get dicey.  He invited Hannah to spend the holiday with him.  Now that Hannah's not going to be here for Christmas, my parents have decided they're not coming, either.  Suddenly, our typical houseful of fun has dwindled to Hubby, me and our sons.

Not gonna lie, I'm freaked out.  With a family this small, each member counts.  Having just lost my last grandparent literally like a week ago, the child in me feels like this is a time when we all ought to come closer, but instead, it feels as if everything's falling apart.  I'll be the first to admit I'm a drama queen, but when it comes to Christmas traditions, I hold on tight.  Now, I'm a little scared--like there's nothing left to hold on to.

On the flip side, all of my men are excited by this change-up in plans.  A new video game has them all held captive.  Skyrim--a sequel to Oblivion for you non-gamers--is a HUGE deal in the gaming world.  I have a copy for my PS3, but I've had deadline after deadline and it's sitting in a drawer unopened.  My guys have this new and--in their eyes--improved Christmas all planned out.  Open gifts as fast as humanly possible, cook feast, play Skyrim with said feast on laps while casting spells and slaying dragons.  No cleaning, no leisurely sitting around the fire cherishing each gift, no laughing at the dining room table, no cleaning or dressing up or using manners--just a full-fledged Man Fest they're promising me is going to be a great time.

Part of me is psyched about not cleaning, but another part is apprehensive, like if I let something as sacred as Christmas traditions slide, our family has a problem.  Every book I write is focused on the sanctity of family, but the one topic I've never dealt with is what happens to my fictional families once the kids grow up and start their own traditions.  Dealing with the transition from high school to college was tough enough, but this new kink in my world is a beast.  One I'm in no way ready to slay. 

I know Hannah will be with a huge, wonderful family having a ball.  Not sure what my parents will be doing.  I, however, will be surrounded by three of the best looking guys in the state, feasting on ham with all the trimmings, downing "magic" eggnog and embarking on a fantastic quest for gold and power.  All of which, now that I think about it, doesn't sound half bad!!

How about you?  Switching up your holiday traditions?

Harlequin Annual Christmas Open House

On Wednesday December 14th Harlequin will is once again sponsoring their Annual Christmas Open House where readers can chat with the authors from the various Harlequin lines.  Be sure to stop by www.harlequin.com for more information on the event and how to register for the chat rooms.

American Romance Authors, Ann Roth, Barbara White Daille, Jacqueline Diamond, Tina Leonard and Marin Thomas will be on hand to chat with readers or aspiring writers about everything and anything from holiday cookie recipes  to upcoming books and series for the line.  The authors will also be giving away copies of their books throughout the chat so please stop in and say "Hi".

www.Harlequin.com chat with American Romance Authors Wednesday December 14th from 7-8 pm (Eastern Standard Time)

Happy Holidays!

It's Party Time!

No doubt, at this time of year some of us attend catered soirees where waiters in black tuxes circulate trays of canapés and caviar among the gowned and bejeweled guests. Much as I'd enjoy those events, the parties I'm usually invited to are much simpler affairs, gatherings of friends or family or--best of all--both. Events where I'm typically asked to bring "a dish."

What to bring? Each year, I search my recipes for something a little different, a little “out of the box.” Which is a challenge since I’m not a fancy cook. A good one, perhaps, but I wouldn’t know a piping tool if it bit me. So forget anything that requires carving radishes into roses or creating them out of icing.

This year, I’ve chosen a spinach artichoke dish as my to-go selection. To be honest, it started out as an Emeril Legasse recipe, and you can’t go wrong with Le Bam! I have, however, played around with the ingredients a bit. His version called for Brie and marinated artichokes. My crowd prefers Swiss and skips the marinade. Whichever suits your fancy, serve with good chips and enjoy.

Leigh's Version of Kicked-Up Spinach Artichoke Dip

2 boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed, rinsed and drained
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup Swiss cheese, grated
1 cup extra sharp, white cheddar cheese, grated
2 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
4 strips of bacon, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Green onions, sliced (optional)
Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9-inch ovenproof serving dish with cooking oil. Set aside.

Fry the bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Squeeze excess liquid from thawed spinach and drain well.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic, salt, black pepper, cayenne and cook for another minute.

Sprinkle flour over onion mixture. Slowly add cream and milk, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat while continuing to stir, for 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture is thick and creamy.

Remove from heat. Add the Swiss and Cheddar. Stir until melted.

Add spinach, and lemon juice. Stir.

Set 1 tablespoon of bacon side. Add the remaining bacon and artichoke hearts to the spinach/cheese mixture and stir well.

Pour into greased casserole. Top with Parmesan cheese, reserved bacon and, if desired, sliced green onions.

Bake about 15 minutes or until heated through.

Serve with chips.

ENOUGH

Is everyone in full holiday spirit? This time of the year life gets a little rushed and hectic. The planning, decorating, shopping, cooking, parties and on it goes. Sometimes it’s just too much. I’m always rushed to finish everything that I don’t take time to enjoy the moment. I have a poem on my desk that I cut out of the paper in 1999, the year I sold my first book. It’s very simple, a little sad, but says a lot. It was written by Jeremy Richard Frampton, one of the twelve who died in the tragic Texas A&M Bonfire collapse. The university is about ten miles from our house.

Enough
If I stare long enough
If I talk hard enough
If I touch soft enough
If I look good enough
If I love deep enough
Will I live long enough
To love life enough

I love this poem so I’ve decided to enjoy the holiday and my family because it’s time to say enough is enough. I plan not to agonize over gifts and drive myself crazy. And to keep everything simple. We’ll see how that goes. It’s really nice Mother Nature has decorated our yard. That’s even better. These are Texas Yaupon holly shrubs and the bright red berries are gorgeous. After the drought, I thought they wouldn’t make this year, but they did.

Are you ready for the holidays?

Wishing each of you the best holiday ever.
Linda
http://www.lindawarren.net/
The Texan’s Christmas – Dec ‘11

Fudgey Christmas Memories

I have to keep with the spirit of the season posts here, as today I'm baking cookies. I've been gathering new recipes and might stir up some rum balls for a change of pace. However, my family demands I make Chocolate Chip cookies, and people tell me they hope I give them some in tins. Which is strange because my "secret" recipe is the Nestle Toll House Cookies recipe on the bag of semi-sweet morself. LOL So everyone could make them, if they wanted to. The only thing I do that's not listed on the bag is put foil on my baking sheets (because I reuse the cookie sheets during the baking of a batch). Here's what I made for Santa last year. He didn't eat all of them, but he made a pretty big dent.

I like rolled cookies that are pretty shapes and have icing, but not sprinkles or sugar. Making them is a chore, however, even though I like to decorate the ones that turn out. There's something about rolled dough that challenges me. You can use your Valentine heart cookie cutter for Santa, just put heart tip at the top for his hat. For a few years, I made Linzer cookies, which are basically shortbread-like cookies with red raspberry preserves. Again, they're not easy--too much rolling and cutting and perfecting. I'm more the drop-from-a-spoon type. Maybe that says something about me in general, but I'm not going there. :)

Could be I'm missing the rolling-dough gene. My mom wasn't a cookie or pie baker, but she made moist cakes with frosting that would make your knees buckle and FUDGE to die for, just from the smell. I'd love to be able to make it like she did. But Mom cooks by experience, not by a recipe, so we may have lost this treat forever. She can't cook with anyone in the kitchen, nor can she cook when trying to write down what she's doing. This doesn't bode well for us, especially as Mom hasn't been able to make Fudge for a few years now. Since I don't have a grasp of what a "hard ball or soft ball stage" looks or feels like (or how a drop of fudge cooked to that stage reacts in a cup of water!), I tried to make fudge using a candy thermometer. No luck. I tried different measurements of liquid to attain a "messy but not sloppy" consistency. I kid you not! That's how much milk to add, according to Mom. Now you're getting an idea of what I'm up against. I won't even try to explain how you know when you've beat it enough, but it includes the words shiny and glossy (however, you only want one and the other is bad).

But even if we can't have the Fudge itself, my siblings and I will cherish the memories of buttering the dish, getting to eat the fudge off a beater or scrape the bottom of the saucepan, waiting for the fudge to set enough to eat that first cut bite, still warm, or cheerfully assuring Mom that the "bad" batch of spoon candy (when it didn't set up) was not really a disaster because it tasted so good. Same with the rock hard, chisel-a-chunk-free batches. That smell of rich, luscious fudge cooking on the stove--aaah, my mouth waters!--would bring us from wherever we were in the house.

So, no, I never missed home-made cookies when we had something a zillion times better. Fudge, cooked with love, by Mom. Thanks for the memories, Mom.

Is this peculiar to my family, or is there a food in your family that no one else can make or there's no written recipe for? Do y'all have any suggestions for me--perhaps a good recipe I should try?

Wishing y;all a happy holiday season, with warm fudge, warm times with loved ones, and warm memories for your future.

Megan Kelly
www.megankellybooks.com

Red Kettle History

In the midst of all your shopping, last-minute errands and trips to the grocery store as you prepare to celebrate Christmas, please remember those less fortunate in your communities.  Make the holiday special for someone in need by dropping a few coins into the Salvation Army Kettles outside your local grocery store or favorite big box retailer.  Dig between the sofa cushions, check beneath the seats in your car and ask your kids to spare a few pennies from their piggy banks…a little goes a long way!   

Here's a little history on those famous RedKettles.

In 1891, Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee was distraught because so many poor individuals in San Francisco were going hungry. During the holiday season, he resolved to provide a free Christmas dinner for the destitute and poverty-stricken. He only had one major hurdle to overcome -- funding the project.

<><> <><> Where would the money come from, he wondered. He lay awake nights, worrying, thinking, praying about how he could find the funds to fulfill his commitment of feeding 1,000 of the city's poorest individuals on Christmas Day. As he pondered the issue, his thoughts drifted back to his sailor days in Liverpool, England. He remembered how at Stage Landing, where the boats came in, there was a large, iron kettle called "Simpson's Pot" into which passers-by tossed a coin or two to help the poor.

The next day Captain McFee placed a similar pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing at the foot of Market Street. Beside the pot, he placed a sign that read, "Keep the Pot Boiling." He soon had the money to see that the needy people were properly fed at Christmas.

Six years later, the kettle idea spread from the west coast to the Boston area. That year, the combined effort nationwide resulted in 150,000 Christmas dinners for the needy. In 1901, kettle contributions in New York City provided funds for the first mammoth sit-down dinner in Madison Square Garden, a custom that continued for many years. Today in the U.S., The Salvation Army assists more than four-and-a-half million people during the Thanksgiving and Christmas time periods.

Captain McFee's kettle idea launched a tradition that has spread not only throughout the United States, but all across the world. Kettles are now used in such distant lands as Korea, Japan, Chile and many European countries. Everywhere, public contributions to Salvation Army kettles enable the organization to continue its year-round efforts at helping those who would otherwise be forgotten.

Do you have a favorite charity you like to donate to during the holidays?

Marin Thomas

A Rodeo Man's Promise (Dec 2011)

Arizona Cowboy (Feb 2012)

www.marinthomas.com

All My Heroes are Cowboys

Nuts about the holidays! (recipes)

Looking for tasty snacks to have on hand when family and friends drop by?

Here are two easy make-ahead recipes to put out for your guests.

And if you package them in pretty glass jars, they also make great hostess gifts!

Spicy Almonds and Pecans

1 cup whole almonds, with skins on
1 cup pecans
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toss all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until the nuts are coated with seasonings. Spread the mixture in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the baking sheet, let the nuts cool, and store in a tightly sealed jar for up to a week.

Curried Cashews

3 cups roasted cashews, unsalted
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons coarse salt
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Toss all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until the nuts are coated with seasonings. Spread the mixture in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the baking sheet, let the nuts cool, and store in a tightly sealed jar for up to a week.

The preparation instructions are pretty much the same but temperatures and times are different, so they have to be roasted separately.

Happy holidays!

Until next time,
Lee
http://www.leemckenzie.com/
The Christmas Secret (Nov. ‘11)
The Daddy Project (TBA)
Daddy, Unexpectedly (TBA)

NOVEMBER WINNER!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Marcie! You’re the November winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Lee McKenzie, Shelley Galloway and Julie Benson through their Web sites.

To enter the contest simply leave a blog comment and your name will go into the drawing. Simple and painless. And FREE BOOKS.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Holiday Spirits

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, these days the Christmas decorations don’t wait until December. But I wish they would. For me, the magic of the season sparkles more if it isn’t stretched over such a long period.

Well, at last, it’s December, when the lights shine a little more brightly. To those of you living in Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica, happy midsummer! To those in northern climes, I hope you get just enough snow for a pretty holiday.

Here in Southern California, I’m still harvesting a few tomatoes and peppers. And still digging up weeds. Isn’t there always a tradeoff?

Last year, I had a December Harlequin to toot about. This year, after October’s release of The Surgeon’s Surprise Twins, I’ll have to wait until February. That’s when the seventh book in my Safe Harbor Medical series, The Detective’s Accidental Baby, will be available.

In the meantime, I’m pleased that readers are enjoying the reissue (for Kindle and Nook) of my earlier romance, A Warm December. There’s a hero who dresses as Santa, a heroine named Merrie who’s a veterinarian, and even an orphan. It’s set in my hometown of Nashville, Tennessee.

I wish you all a happy season!

Christmas Craft ideas

Christmas is right around the corner...those of you Mom's who are room mothers or have been put in charge of coming up with holiday craft ideas for a school christmas party will enjoy this site I stumbled upon. 

My kids are college age so the days of school Christmas parties...at least the kind with crafts and treats are long gone, but I still enjoy making a small craft that I can attach to a present or a tin of homemade cookies for my neighbors. 

Check out this Link for lots of cute ideas.  When you click on the picture of the craft you'll be taken to the blog where the idea originated.

Here are a few samples...

Reindeer Gift Bag

Christmas Peanuts Gnomes

Candy Wreath

If you have any cute Christmas craft ideas or Christmas cookie decorating tips please share them! 

Marin
A Rodeo Man's Promise (Dec 2011)
Arizona Cowboy (Feb 2011)
All My Heroes are Cowboys
www.marinthomas.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

One of my favorite things about holidays is that every year, even though it’s a day steeped in tradition, a fresh new memory is made.

I live in Canada where we celebrate Thanksgiving in early October, so I thought I’d share something new I tried this year. First I should tell you that I love to set the dining room table for a special occasion so I tend to go all out with the china, crystal, candles, linens and fresh flowers.

This year I decided it might be fun to add placecards. I started by searching online for “vintage Thanksgiving graphics” and this one caught my eye.

I printed the image on white cardstock, trimmed it to size, glued it on a piece of gold paper, and added the names by hand. Then, at each place setting, I propped the card on tiny white pumpkins I found at a local farmers' market.

My pink-and-white china doesn’t lend itself to traditional fall colors, so the gold and white worked well with my color scheme. Best of all it was easy and inexpensive!

Now I’m planning my Christmas tablescape. I think moose placecards will be fun because I have a lot of moose-themed holiday ornaments. What do you think of this?

Or this?

I haven't decided how to display them, but I might use pinecones. If you can think of a better idea, please let me know!

For now I’m wishing you a very happy Thanksgiving filled with everyone and everything you love.

Happy holidays!

Until next time,
Lee
http://www.leemckenzie.com/
The Christmas Secret (available now!)
The Daddy Project (TBA)
Daddy Unexpectedly (TBA)

The thing about technology...

Technology is a beautiful thing. I love my computer, couldn't live without the word processing program I use to do my writing, and—as my husband would no doubt be very quick to tell you—I am...oh, let's say...just a teeny bit captivated by e-mail. LOL

When you're a writer on a deadline, technology can be a wonderful thing. Or not.

Recently, I was plugging away at the work-in-progress when a new program I'd installed on the computer began acting up and my screen froze—and proceeded to freeze every ten minutes.

As I continued to plug away, the program began to spontaneously combust and shut itself down every five minutes.

Then, even though I had set the backup feature to do its thing every two minutes, I discovered it had decided not to do its thing at all. So I lost countless pages of writing.

And this program's designed to help make the writing process go smoothly! Grr...

But wait, there's more.

A few days later, I was deep into the best part of drafting a story, the part where thoughts burst into your brain so quickly, you can barely type fast enough to get them down before you lose them, and...and... The keyboard died. (sigh)

The computer settled down, finally, and that seemed the end of the catastrophes.

Although, today—I suppose just to make sure I didn't get too complacent—this blog post refused to go live....

Yes, technology is a beautiful thing, isn't it? When it works. LOL

Well, despite all the recent frustrations, the good news is that being on deadline means I'm due to have a new book out. (smile) That's just one of the many things I have to be thankful for in this week before Thanksgiving.

Another of them is you.

Thanks so much for stopping by. And, if you celebrate it, I hope you have a wonderful turkey day filled with family and friends and good food.

All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

Growing Old Gracefully...or Not

How many of you like to watch Doctor Oz's TV show?  I've become an Oz junkie.  There's just something about his no-nonsense approach to good health that appeals to me.  He understands that being human is just that—human, not a machine.  And even when we "know better" we still make bad health choices on occasion.  But he forgives us and encourages us to keep trying.  No matter what the topic on his show, by the end of the sixty- minute segment I already feel better about myself and I feel like I have control over my health.  One episode that made a big difference for me was a show about hair color and how choosing the right color can make you look younger.   
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/hair-colors-take-decades-your-face

For years I used boxed hair colors and I usually chose a dark shade of brown…the color my hair had been in my youth.  Dr. Oz's show taught me to "lighten up".  Now I'm a lighter shade of brown and have highlights that add depth and dimension to the color and make my face appear less harsh. 

It's been a process of sorts, but over the past few years I've learned to embrace getting older….to be the best I can be for whatever age I am and the Dr. Oz  show has been a great motivator in encouraging me to take care of myself.

Is there someone…a show…a book…that's given you sound  advice on growing old gracefully? 

Marin

A Rodeo Man's Promise (Dec 2011)

Arizona Cowboy (Feb 2012)

All My Heroes are Cowboys

Veterans Day and WWII

After living in Waxahachie over two years, my husband and I finally went to the Veterans Day festivities this year. They had set up both an American and a German camp and they did battle for the bridge coming into town.There were vintage vehicles and airplanes. People dressed in vintage WWII uniforms and costumes. Even an evening USO show with Georgie Burns. Sorry, Bob Hope couldn't make it this year.

Such a wonderful opportunity to honor all the men and women who have served this great country, both past and present. So proud of my dad, sons, daughter-in-law, uncles and all the other people out there who have served.

WWII has always seemed like such a romantic time period to me. I grew up listening to my parents stories about how my dad was a tail gunner in a B-17. How my mom left her parents’ farm during the war and moved to Dallas to find a job. Looking back at my dad’s pictures from overseas. Many of the war and the planes and even a few of him dancing with women he met while in the military. He actually returned after the war ended and taught dance for a time. He was the king of the jitterbug. Our house was always filled with music . He’s been gone nearly twenty-five years, but I still treasure his vintage big band record collection.

Anyone else have a particular era that they find romantic.

Hockey is Waaaay More Fun Than Lounging on the Sofa!!

Remember our Romance Road Trip?  Gorgeous Louisa and her

super-talented Oilers goalie, Ian, are still an adorable couple!!

After a freakishly hot summer here in Oklahoma, it's cooling down and time for Oilers Hockey!!  I've been sick for so long with that *&^%$ mystery tummyache, I was beginning to doubt if I'd even make it to the first few games.  Finally, the last test with the last specialist showed a not-so-little problem that landed me in surgery a few days later.

Fast forward a little over a week and while I tire easier than I'd like and still have twinges of surgical pain, the mystery knife pain that's held me prisoner since May is gone.  Can I get an Amen? 

I'm not just being a drama queen when eluding to pain being the ultimate warden.  After a while, I felt caged.  Pain pills made me nauseous, which only made me feel worse.  Thus, I've spent months on the sofa and it was getting old.  Now that I'm sprung, I've been deep cleaning the house that's felt dormant and at least trying to catch up on laundry.  Hannah and I went girl-shopping Saturday afternoon and I did lunch with Russell Sunday afternoon.

Another task Hannah and I tackled is buying silverware--more specifically, forks.  We were down to three.  How does that happen?  Where did they go?  We now have a nice, new set I'm counting after meals!!

Wish I had some clever moral to this story or a definitive reason for what I went through.  I have gained a new respect for anyone suffering from chronic pain.  Having had one doctor tell me it was all in my head, don't take that sort of disrespect!!  Only you know your body and insist the search for the problem doesn't end until you say!!

Quick shout-out of thanks to my amazing family and friends who've suffered this with me--Big Terry, Little Terry, Hannah & Russell, Mom & Dad, Margaret, Winnie, all of my fab Facebook friends local and far away, and of course Sweet Pea, Cocoa and Daisy--at the worst of this, you all made life worth living.

As for my Oilers, they're doing great!!  Yesterday, since Hubby's out of town and Hannah was doing her Ice Girl thing, Louisa and I cheered them on to a HUGE win over Wichita!!  Let's Go Oilers!!! 

 

 

 

SMELLY THINGS AT OUR HOUSE...

The drought in Texas has caused many problems, the least of which is an armadillo rooting up our yard. Every time my husband waters the grass the next morning the yard is rooted up with deep holes. The armor-shelled creature is digging for ants, beetles, worms and other unpleasant little insects. In the photo below he burrowed into the ground. It’s ruining our lawn so the hubby devised a plan. He was going to trap the armadillo and take him far far away deep into the woods away from houses.

He went to Lowe’s and bought a trap. The instructions were to bait it with table scraps, fruit or sardines. Well, I wasn’t giving the armadillo my fruit and we didn’t have any table scarps so he baited it with stinky sardines. Three days went by and nothing. The armadillo rooted all around the trap but didn’t go in it. On the fourth morning my husband came in and said, “I caught something.”

“What?” I asked.

“Come out and see.”

I had on my robe and didn’t want to go out at 7 in the morning, but I did. This is what he caught. A SKUNK!!

I looked at him and he looked at me. ‘How do you plan to get that out of the trap?” I asked.

“I was hoping you’d have a suggestion,” was his response.

“No,” I told him. “I’m going into the house and lock the door and not let you in if you’re all stinky.”

“Thanks,” he called.

I went into the house and made my way to the front bedroom so I could see what he was doing. He got his long rod and reel he uses on the Texas Gulf Coast. He stood as far away as he could and slowly lowered the hook. The skunk couldn’t see him because of the solid aluminum piece in the middle. Several times the hubby tried to catch the latch with the hook. I was holding my breath. Finally he caught it and reeled the hook upward and the latch popped and opened. (photo taken after skunk was released. Didn't want to get too close) Hubby slowly laid the rod on the grass and walked several feet away and watched. The skunk turned around and trotted out of the cage and into the woods without spraying that foul stinky scent on anything. Ingenious. I was so proud of the hubby.

So far it’s armadillo 28. Hubby 0, if you don’t count the skunk. But fall has arrived with cooler temperatures and a few showers so he hasn’t watered lately and the little devil has moved on to someone else’s yard.

What’s happening at your house? I’d love to hear some stories.

Thanks,
Linda
http://www.lindawarren.net/
The Texan’s Bride – Oct ‘11