Part 2 of the Terry and Elaine Hallmark Christmas Movie version

Part 2: Reality show version: Elaine is on the couch with a stomach ache/head ache. Terry enters the living room with a stack of Christmas storage tubs. "Babe, (pronounced baeeeeb) lets get started decorating today.

Elaine, "What's the hurry? I don't feel good."
"Sorry babe, I'll get started on the outside. You just lay over there. Maybe you can get at it later."

Hallmark Christmas Movie Version:
Terry enters the living room with a stack of Christmas storage tubs. "Babe, let me help you decorate for Christmas today."
Elaine: "I don't feel so well."
Terry: "Put your little feet up and allow me to construct the fake tree and put the decorations on it." (In all honesty, we would be fired from Hallmark for using a fake tree, but even in my dreams, I don't want to sweep needles.)
Elaine: "Darling, you are the sweetest thing."
Terry: "Let me make you some hot lemon water for your tummy. I hope you feel back to yourself soon. However, I will gladly do all of the decorating this year."
Elaine: Sigh.

Hmmmm

Terry and I if we were a Hallmark Christmas Movie

 I don't know exactly how this will play out because this was a dream I kept havng last night. I dreamed that I wrote these blog posts about a Hallmark Christimas Movie being about us. Mind you, I have been watching all those movies for days and my mind is warped. (Well ...more than usual :)
The movie opens at Almosta Ponderosa Ranch with Elaine sitting in her big chair writing a book on her laptop. (excting huh?) Terry come barreling down the road to the house in his 18 wheeler. Upon finishing his post trip inspection, he comes into the house and hands me the junk mail. I barely look up from the screen of the laptop.
WAIT that's not a movie, that is what usually happens. Lets start over.
The movie opens at Almosta....Elaine is all fixed up in a cute and crisp outfit...she is slim and energetic. She runs to the door and greets her handsome, clean husband at the door with a big kiss. He gives her a stack of book orders and checks from the mailbox. They sit and disuss the upcoming books that she is writing.
The Restless Kansas Wind... who will the girl choose? How do we make the reader care? Terry is full of ideas as he hands Elaine a tall glass of iced lemon water...
"Darling, you are so clever!" Elaine exclaims.
"Why don't you have the Christmas decorations up yet?" Terry asks.
"I don't know...I just don't feel it this year."
"I will spend the rest of the month or however long it takes to ignite the Christmas spirit in your heart."
"You sound like a Hallmark movie!"
"Yes, darling, and in the end...alls well that ends well."
HMMMM now thats a lame idea! lol

Thanksgiving at Terry's Mom's House. With Viola, Daniel, Jamie, and Christine.- Pictures of the day

 

Thanksgiving 2013

 

Terry's mom, Viola, is 97 years old. We are blessed to still have her in our lives. Terry was able to have Thanksgiving off for the first time in years. It was a great opportunity to see her. Along with the pleasure of seeing her, we were blessed that Daniel (Terry's older brother)and Jamie and Christine (The wonderful women who take care of Viola) were also there.

This is a picture of her nice little home.

 

Viola was so glad to see us. Christine is looking on as Viola and Terry greet one another. Isn't her living room cute? She wanted the daybed in the living room so that she can rest comfortably during the day.

 

Daniel didn't know if I should take his picture.

 

Daniel and Terry were stealing a few pieces of candy before the meal. I caught them.

Terry is escorting his mama to the table.

 

Jamie put together a wonderful Thanksgiving meal for us. As you see, Terry was excited to get to the turkey. Jamie was making Viola's plate.

 

We are so blessed to have Jamie and Christine in our life. They not only take care of Viola, they love her. That is something that doesn't happen all the time. This Thanksgiving we are truly thankful for Jamie and Christine.

Thanksgiving Coffee with Terry - Pictures of the Day

This morning I am having Thanksgiving coffee with my sweetie. Do you see that homemade pumpkin roll? I didn't make it. Our friend and the official 'pumpkin roll lady', Lorie Tharp, is the expert who provides these wonderful treats for many in our area. (2000+ rolls a year) I heard that she is off to see her Thanksgiving granddaughter who arrived into their family today.

 

Honestly, there is nothing better on a Thanksgiving Day than sitting with Terry, eating a slice of Lorie's pumpkin roll, and sipping of strong black coffee. It seems like such a simple thing, but it is something in my life that makes it special. I am thankful for all the little things that make up my life. Of course, the big things are foremost on my mind, God - family - health - friends...and the list goes on. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

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New Kitties- Picture of the Day

Well, it is just a picture of one of the kitties. It looks just like its Mama. He was kinda scared when I knelt down and took this picture through the sliding door. Terry didn't know about this litter. I told him I saw 2 or 3 slipping under the front deck a few weeks ago but I hadn't seen them since. He's a cute little fellow.

"Pretty Is As Pretty Does" - Picture of the Day

 

This is a close up picture of the Christmas table that focused on the Nashville Series. It isn't really part of the title of this post, but I do think it is a pretty set up for a craft/book show.

I was Watching Home and Family this morning on the Hallmark Channel. It is one of my favorite morning shows after watching Joyce Meyer and the other preachers I like to listen to on television.

 

Today they were interviewing Mary McDonough, who is a life coach now. She played Aaron on the Waltons. It is interesting to me that she was intimidated about playing "the pretty one". It goes to show that even really pretty people have insecurities.

 

I think of how I have struggled as well as others I know to look acceptable to others. I remember buying Noxema face cream when I was a teenager in hopes that all the pimples would disappear after the first rinse. It never happened. I had to grow out of the majority of my facial blemishes. My face became dryer when I was expecting our first child.

 

Now, the extra pounds are something else. I have lost and gained more weight than I like to acknowledge. Three years ago I had gotten back into size 8/10. I am back to the biggest size I ever wore now. At times It really gets to me.  The older I get, the more I realize that outward beauty goes away quickly. The important part is the inside and how we treat others. (as well as ourselves - Don't forget to be kind to yourself.)

 

For my health, I am going to get the weight thing under control. I don't want to suffer from needless stress and exhaustion because of lack of self-control, but I will not think that I will be more worthy to be happy because of it. Does that make sense? I am a very blessed woman and I never want to forget it.

Snow at Almosta Ponderosa Ranch - Picture of the Day

 

This is facing east from our deck. A little more snow fell after this picture. I actually took it yesterday before the craft show. This really shows that this is a tree with two tops. When we planted it we didn't know it would turn out that way, but it is still pretty.

 

This is the other spruce tree we planted 20 years ago and the olive tree that was here when we moved in. I am glad I treated the wood on the tree bench to protect it from the weather. It doesn't look like a very good place to sit right now.

 

I do get excited about snow. (not so much about ice) It gives our dry ground a nice long sip and saves our trees and buffalo grass. There were a lot of cars that went off the road and some wrecks. On the Amarillo news there was a report of 4 deaths there from the storm. I was vey glad Terry didn't get out in the 18 wheeler on Saturday. He was so much help at the craft show and I could know he was safe and off the roads all day.

Terry Killing Wasps in the Dining Room - Picture of the Day

 

Terry is my hero. Although I told him not to stand on a swivel chair to do the deed, he was able to rid our dining room of the waspy critters. They have been really bad this year. I am glad he didn't fall down and break his crown. lol

 

This picture a day thing really does show how...how to say this...dull our life really is. lol . Next time I will have pictures from my booth set up at the Satellite Show. It is Sat and Sun so be sure and come to see me if you are in the area.

Guymon, Oklahoma Library Event - Pitures of the Day

This is the back area of the main part of the library. The wall to the right is where the children's area is. There were a bunch of kids in there and I didn't hear a sound from that room!

This dedication was a big deal for the city of Guymon, Oklahoma. They had a plaque and ribbon cutting ceremony with a lot of dignitaries from the state capitol. There were a lot of speeches, but you could tell from the things they said, so much work has gone on to put this beautiful library together. This picture in only a back corner. I didn't have time to look over the whole place, but what I saw was impressive.

This is the table they had for me to put my books. I did have a good time talking with the city people from several towns. Several took information and are in the process of setting up speaking engagements. I really look forward to speaking to their civic and book clubs. It looks like things will continue to be busy after the New Year.

I was blessed to meet the Library Director, Rachel Sides. She is a very sweet lady who has, with her staff, put in a whole lot of work for this event and more.

I intended to get a picture of author, Carla Stewart, who was another author here with her wonderful books. She is formerly from Guymon and one of the speakers for the night. I want to thank the people who put this event together for inviting me to come. God bless you!

Come Visit Me in Guymon, OK - Picture of the Day

 

This is an older magnet I had on my car. There are a lot more titles now, so I just put things like, writer, speaker, humorist.

 

Today I am going to be in the brand new Guymon, Oklahoma library for its dedication. There are going to be some other authors there as well. Carla Stewart will be there with her wonderful books as well as Sherilyn Polf with all of her books set in the WWII era.

There are probably more authors going to be there, but those two ladies are the ones I have heard news that they were attending. I am looking forward to this event. If you are in the area today drop by.(Wednesday) The event it from 4-6 p.m. and I would love to see you there.

Pee Paw and Maci -Pictures of the Day

 

This is Maci. She learned how to embroidery last year and it was time to teach her how to tie a knot at the end of the thread to get started on a new project. She also learned how to secure a knot when she ran out of thread each time.

 

She is working away at her project called Blossom and Rainbow the cutest puppies.

Gramps got home from work and it was play time.

When I got up this morning the picture above is what I saw. Maci working away at her project and Terry doing facebook on his phone.

It is play time again!

 

High up in the sky.

Fun with Maci - Pictures of the Day

We are working on crafts and watching cartoons. We don't have a hoop small enough to make a hat for the little kitty she is holding. We will probably go visit Aunt Geraldine, Uncle Bob, and Cousin Paul today.

Wow, This Was Difficult! Picture of the Day

 

What you are seeing is the back side of the backdrop poster I put together for my book booth. The scene on the front was on really thin plastic. (think disposable plastic tablecloth) I thought it needed to be bulked up a little, so I bought some clear shelf liner and put it on the back of it.

 

Now, I couldn't do this by myself. Terry helped me and he decided we actually needed about 4 more hands to do it right. It was awkward and funny. This top picture is where we had about 3 strips put down and the trash from peeling the paper off.

 

I stopped to take this picture of Terry trying to smooth the shelf lining out. It turned out okay...a little wrinkled but it is a scene of mesas from Monument Valley and we decided that isn't a smooth landscape anyway. lol

 

Next week, you can see this at the Satellite Arts and Crafts Show in Perryton, TX. If you can't make it to this show, no worries, there will be pictures coming soon.

Writing Challenge and Real Life - Picture of the Day

This is another handsome nephew and his pretty and sweet wife. Kevin asked me to come over on Tues to discuss a writing project he has for his college class. (I know, he is a smart guy.) We had more fun than we should have. Of course, when we are together it is always a fun time.

Dyan had to go back to work after this picture was snapped and after an hour or so she phoned home to be sure we were actually working on his assignment. (We were!) I wonder why she was suspicious. lol. We do get carried away telling stories.

One story he reminded me of was when he and his sister and brother were at a hair show and his brother needed some assistance. They gave his brother a double dose of exlax and a dose of this green herbal stuff. Kev and his sister left his poor brother alone at the hotel because he had 'problems' immediately. When they got back...well...the brother wasn't doing too well. We laughed until our sides hurt. I am in the middle of a writing challenge, but I welcomed the 'real life' break!

Seeing Stars & Picture of the Day

As you see, this is not a picture of the stars. This morning I got up early with Terry and as we walked out the door we looked up to the sky. It was absolutely amazing. The sky was filled with very big, bright stars. We were in a hurry to get him to his truck to start his day so I didn't think to snap a picture. Hopefully, I will get a picture of it tomorrow. When I got back home from taking him to town, the sun was rising and the stars were gone.

I didn't know what kind of picture to take today, so I took a picture of a painting I did years ago. It hangs in my dining room. It is a lot like me...not perfect, so it is a good reminder. God bless you today.

I am going to plunge back into the book writing process and get more done on the NaNoWriMo challenge. Yesterday I was at 25,845 words toward the 50,000 goal for the month. After I reach the goal, the book will take another 10 to 20,000 words to round it out. It is exciting to have permission to write like a crazy person.

Remembering Those Who Serve and Those Who Are Now Serving.-Pictures of the day

 

This first picture is famous. Every time I see a flag with this image on it, I think of the things worse than death that have happened to some of our soldiers. Last spring I decided I had to know more. I started reading on websites the first-hand stories of those who were captured. Because I was writing a book about the 1970s I focused on the Vietnam POW and MIA. I wanted to write of a fictional soldier who was a POW and experienced some of the horrors the men went through. The stories haunted me and some of the things that happened to them were so bad I couldn't write them into a book that has a rating for younger readers as well as adults.

 

Telling bits of these stories put a face on these men for me. I know that I could never really know the pain and suffering each day held, but appreciation for all of our soldiers grew in my heart from doing this research. I wanted to write about how the people from the area of the USA where I live, care about what they went through and always held them in their prayers. We love our soldiers and feel bad for the families of those who never knew what happened to their loved ones and also for those whose loved ones died serving our country.

 

 

 

This is  picture that my great niece posted on Facebook. (She is Ambera, the little baby on the end in her mama's arms.) I think the man on the far left is my sister's brother-in-law.(Her husband's brother) The lady next to him is my eldest sister, Donna Mae. The little girl in the middle held by her sailor daddy is Libby, another great niece.  The sailor is my oldest nephew, David. The lady next to him is his grandmother. The lady holding the baby is his wife.

 

 

This picture takes me back to the 1970s. When I told my sons I was writing a modern day book they asked me about it. I told them the action started in 1974. They let me know that was almost 40 years ago and not necessarily modern. I beg to differ, but I see where they are coming from. Isn't it funny that it doesn't seem so long ago, but it is?

Oh What a Beautiful Morning

This is the sunrise from my patio door. This is facing South. The Eastern sky didn't have clouds and the sun hadn't gotten above the hill. November morning skies are very pretty. Usually there is a foggy bank of clouds. This morning there wasn't.

18,084 Words on The Restless Kansas Wind. Time to Jump In for the Day

"The Restless Kansas Wind" is moving along really well. I do love the challenge that The National Novel Writing Month provides. It is a kick start that has helped me write "The Eyes of a Stranger", "Some Happy Day", and "Six Miles from Nashville" in record time. Although I came a little over 10,000 words short on the challenge last year with "Six Miles from Nashville", I was able to get it finished soon after the challenge.

It is like having permission to dive in and neglect day to day tasks for one month. Of course, some things have to be done. I am cutting this post short. Hopefully the number will be much higher by bedtime.

Thankful for Some Orders to Send Out- Picture of the Day

The picture today is of two book orders from readers who purchased through my personal website. When I look in my email and see that books have been ordered, it is thrilling to me. Sometimes I have the opportunity to meet the people behind these orders face-to-face at craft shows and speaking events. That is thrilling to me also.

While I am thankful for the money connected to these orders (I will not lie about that.) it is heart warming to think that there are people who desire to read my books or give them to readers they know. Some reviewers have said that the stories are simplistic and plain. That is okay. I am a pretty simple person. I am not saying that  am not intelligent, it is only that I try to be honest in who I am. I write as I see situations and imagine things to have been long ago. Most of the people I am closest to are not pretentious. I am drawn to people who speak and live the truth. It is my desire to be trustworthy.

This Thanksgiving season I am striving to look around and not take for granted the blessings in my life. I feel privileged to be able to write the books the Lord lays on my heart. I am blessed to speak to a lot of the readers and authors in person. The authors I have met in this process of this writing job have been some of the sweetest people. I have not met most of the authors face-to-face, but am in contact with a lot of them every day. It is a joy to pray with them and love them. They have expanded my heart. You have expanded my heart.