DECEMBER WINNER!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Scarlet Wilson! You’re the December winner. Please contact Leigh Duncan and Lee McKenize through their Web sites to receive your autographed books.

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

So check back often and be sure to leave a comment. Good luck!

And HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 

FEBRUARY WINNER!!!

Congratulations KRIS!! You’re the February winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Marin Thomas and Trish Milburn 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.

RAIN. RAIN. LET IT RAIN!!

As I’ve blogged about before, Texas has been in the worse drought since the fifties. I don’t remember that one, but the last year has been brutal with parched pastures and lakes, ponds and creeks drying up. Everyone has been praying for rain for a solid year. Our prayers have finally been answered. In January we had several small showers and then a two inches rain, but Friday night we got the big one—at least five inches. Along with the rain though came bad weather. We were under a severe thunderstorm watch and then that turned into a tornado warning, which the weatherman was predicting would touch down near our neighborhood.

What do you do when a tornado is headed toward you? Panic is always my first choice, but luckily my husband is very calm. He gathered flashlights, bottled water and carried them to a bathroom in the center of our house. He grabbed a big comforter from the closet. I added Snicker bars. If I’m going to be stuck somewhere, I want a snack.

It was dark and pouring buckets outside, but the TV and lights were still on. Then the TV started beeping with an alert: People in these areas take cover. Our neighborhood was listed. The wind howled and rain pounded our roof, but other than that everything remained the same. The lights and TV stayed on. Strange. Then we got the news that the tornado had touched down about five miles from us. It did a lot of damage, but thankfully no one was hurt. Due to all the stress, I decided to eat a Snickers anyway.

The tornado has been the topic of conversation and it always ends with one sentence: But we got rain. Yes! Look at the difference. Lots of water.

I told my husband we needed to be more prepared. What would you do if a tornado was headed for your house?

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!!

Linda
www.LindaWarren.net

JANUARY WINNER!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Tammy Yenalavitch! You’re the January winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Jacqueline Diamond, Cathy McDavid and Linda Warren 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.

DECEMBER WINNER!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Marcy! You’re the December winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Lee McKenize, Laura Marie Altom, Linda Warren and Marin Thomas 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 NEW YEAR!!!!

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!!

LET IT RAIN!!

I’ve blogged a lot about the drought here in Texas. Not today. It’s raining. A slow steady rain is tap-tapping against my window screen as I type. Wonderful. I went outside to smell it. There's not a more pleasing scent than fresh much-needed rain. I hope it keeps drizzling on into the night. It’s going to take many, many more days of this to repair all the damage that has happened in the last few months with wildfires and lakes and ponds drying up. But it’s fall and a new season is here. No more 110 degree days. Our mornings have been in the low 50s. That’s a blessing because that hot sun was scorching everything. Our green lawn has taken a big hit. We water and water, but it’s not the same as God’s water. So let it rain. Let it rain!

I love to write in this type of weather. I love to read in this weather too. What type of weather gets your creative juices flowing?

Let it rain.

Linda
The Texan’s Bride – Oct ‘11

ADUSTING TO CHANGE

Recently my husband retired and I’ve had to adjust my writing habits. I was used to him leaving early and coming home between 5:30 and 6. I had all day to do my thing. I found I write best when everything is quiet. Now hubby is home and usually working on something that creates a lot of noise. That was an adjustment. But I love the man and he was worth a little change. It certainly keeps me on my toes, especially when I’m deep into a story and he hollers from the kitchen, “Have you seen my truck keys?” Or, “I wrote a number on a piece of paper and left it on the table. What did you do with it?” I can now write while questions are being fired at me. Muse gets a little cranky though.

So I was really happy when he took up a hobby. My family has been in ranching for generations and he’s helped many times to feed cattle and bale hay. He decided to buy ten Brangus cows and a bull and they have kept him busy. He’s gone most of the day and when the back door opens about 4 or 4:30 and he hollers, “I’m home,” I’m happy to see him. And to listen to his stories of what happened that day with the cows. With the severe drought we’re having in Texas, those cows are eating better than we are. Suffice to say we’re never going to make any money on these animals.

Hubby always carries a camera in his truck to get pictures of new calves when they are born. He came home a few months ago and said we had a new calf and then showed me this. A ram showed up out of nowhere and no one claimed him. My husband checked with all the neighbors. Now we had another animal to feed. Hubby wasn’t happy. After several months, he gave it away.

Brangus are Angus and Brahma mix and so far we’ve had only black babies...until recently. Then this little fella was born. He looks out of place with all the black animals. But he’s so cute. I might have to name him. Any suggestions?

Isn’t it wonderful that life keeps changing? It keeps life interesting. How do you feel about change?

Linda
The Texan’s Bride - Oct ‘11
www.lindawarren.net

AUGUST WINNER!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Linda S! You’re the August winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Cathy McDavid and Shelley Galloway 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.

JULY WINNER!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Barbara Scott! You’re the July winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Shelley Galloway, Leigh Duncan and Victoria Chancellor 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.