Tuesday, August 25, 2015

AH, THOSE GRANDKIDS!

We were privileged to have our three grandchildren with us this past weekend, and boy, did we have a blast!

They love to ride their bikes, but their home is on a busy highway, and Mom is a bit nervous about their going too close to the road.  Thus, they don't ride often unless Mom or Dad takes them across the street to their church's parking lot (Dad is the pastor).

However, we live on a non-busy (is that a word?) cul-de-sac with a large concrete area on the side of our home.  And, our dear neighbor lady Jane told us they could also ride on her long, straight driveway anytime!   Duke enjoyed having them so much, and he ran several miles, keeping up with them on their bikes. So, they have our driveway and concrete area, the cul-de-sac, and "Miss Jane's" driveway in which to ride:


They also went swimming in the nearby city park pool; it was nearly deserted for the first part of the time they were there:


I made one of their favorite meals Friday night, pocket stew (a holdover from my Girl Scout days). It consists of a ground beef patty topped with onion, sliced carrots, and sliced potatoes, all placed inside an aluminum foil packet and baked in the oven.  It tastes yummy, especially on camping trips.  We also had English peas and corn to round out the meal.

We went out for some fine dining Saturday night at Steak and Shake, a favorite place of theirs.  Each had a milkshake, too.

And, on Sunday, they attended our church with us for the first time on a Sunday morning:

All ready for church
All too soon, it was time to take them home Sunday, after a lunch delicious lunch at a local Chinese restaurant.

Memories are made of this! 

Friday, August 21, 2015

E-BOOK ONLY 99 CENTS: I AM SARGE


FELLOW DOXIE LOVERS:
If you haven't yet read THE DACHSHUND ESCAPADES series, you will enjoy Sarge's comical tales about his friends, family, and life in general in I AM SARGE, Book 1. The price for the e-book is 99 cents for a limited time.
To borrow the book only, Amazon Prime members may do so at no charge!

Five-star reader review:
"Will melt your heart! As a dachshund parent, I was totally smitten with this book. I couldn't wait to see and compare the antics of Sarge with that of my own little clown dogs. A light-hearted story full of comical situations. I loved this book." --Nana58


I invite you to click on the link for more information:
www.amazon.com/dp/B00UNQSSDM
(The paperback version is also available: www.createspace.com/5295537)


Wednesday, August 19, 2015

BUYING A BOOK FROM AN AUTHOR



This is the truth, folks!  Writing the first draft is easy, because an author just gets those words on their computer screen as ideas flow.  The editing and rewriting often take weeks or months.  It is a labor of love, for certain.

My books were initially written for the grandchildren so that they would know about their great grandfather, Papa Duke, who died before they were born.  However, in the book he lives on, and they get to know him and love him.  That's the beauty of fiction--an author can make dreams come true.

And THE DACHSHUND ESCAPADES are my dream come true!  May God bless you and lift you up as you read them.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Monday, August 17, 2015

AIN'T IT THE TRUTH . . .



Oh, we can say NO all we want, but they'll pretty much do what they please, right?  

For example, I'll tell Duke to jump up on the couch and lie down if we are going out for a while.  What does he do?  He goes all the way across the room and jumps up in one of the armchairs--or better yet, goes into the guest room and jumps up on that bed.  It's called "selective obedience," and dachshunds have it--in spades!

Dachshunds . . . you gotta love 'em!

Duke the Innocent

Friday, August 14, 2015

FREE ON MONDAY, 08/17/15: DACHSHUNDS FOREVER




FREE E-BOOK FOR DOXIE LOVERS
DACHSHUNDS FOREVER, BOOK 3 of THE DACHSHUND ESCAPADES
(see the attached meme)

To get your copy, click on the link below:

If you don't have a Kindle, get your free app at the Kindle Store to read the book on your smartphone, tablet, or computer:https://www.amazon.com/gp/digital/fiona/kcp-landing-page/…

Monday, August 10, 2015

CAN YOUR DACHSHUND TELL TIME?



I ask this question in all seriousness, because I believe our doxie Duke knows when it is time for each meal!  Of course, when we get up in the morning, he wants us to eat immediately, in hopes that we'll drop or share a morsel of our food.  He loves eggs, bacon, oatmeal, pancakes (without syrup, of course), grits, hash browns, cereal with milk--that's why I call him a chow hound extraordinaire.

However, he also knows when it is time for lunch and for dinner.  He first tries to get our attention via stares.  He'll sit on the floor in front of one of us, wherever we may be, and just stare.  If we are too dense to pick up on that, he'll up his game--his next step is to jump up into one of our laps, get as close to our face as possible, and do his annoyed bark, something between a yip and a growl (you doxie owners know what I'm talking about).  If that still doesn't work, he'll flat out bark, in a tone that leaves nothing to be misunderstood.  We call it his "yelling-at-us" bark.

Yesterday, however, he outdid even himself.  We had gone out for a late lunch, so we weren't ready to eat dinner at our usual time, around 6:00 p.m.  Of course he started his routine about 5:30.  But last night, he REALLY meant business!  Clark was sitting on the couch watching the news, and after Duke's previous two steps didn't work, he got right up in Clark's face, barked, then looked toward the kitchen and back at Clark--twice.  It is important to note that our kitchen is right behind the living room couch.  It is separated by a wall, but there is a cutout, or window, that looks straight into the kitchen.  So, there was absolutely no doubt about what Duke was telling Clark:  "I'm hungry!  Get in there and get something good so I can lick out your plate!"

Although I usually cook, if we have leftovers, Clark often heats them up in the microwave.  Last
night we were having leftovers:  pork chops, buttered rice, black-eyed peas, and baked sweet potatoes.  That's why he was pestering Clark instead of me!  How Duke knew that we had leftovers residing in the fridge is beyond me, but he DID see Clark put them there after dinner the night before.

Dachshunds . . . you gotta love 'em!



Wednesday, August 5, 2015

MY INTERVIEW IN INK & FAIRYDUST MAGAZINE

Image result for ink and fairy dust magazine

I am happy to share that I have been interviewed by a fiction magazine, INK & FAIRYDUST, in their August/September issue.

I share about my life in a military family, how and when I started writing, and why. The editors also included a summary of one of my books as well as several photos.

To read it, click on the link below and the magazine is at the top of the page.  My interview is on page five.


 http://issuu.com/inkandfairydust/docs/aug_-_sept_2015_smaller2 



Monday, August 3, 2015

LOVE THOSE GRANDCHILDREN!



We enjoyed having the grands with us for the day last Thursday.  Their mom and dad (our daughter and SIL) wanted to go on a date, so they dropped them by.  Duke, I might add, was overjoyed to see them, too.  And Shadow came along to have some time with Duke.

We took them to Steak and Shake for lunch, which they love.  Their milkshakes are stupendous!  Too bad they're so fattening.  Oh well--they still tasted heavenly.

After lunch, we went to see the Minions movie, which they enjoyed very much.  Grandma?  Not so much.  I know I'm getting older because movies such as this one tend to be more annoying that enjoyable!

Their parents got back to our house around 4:30, and we ordered pizza for dinner--they left for home shortly thereafter.

They are growing up so quickly!  Enjoy the children while you can, because they'll be pursuing their own lives before you know it.

Duke enjoying tug of war

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