30 November 2013

Happy St. Andrew's Day



St. Andrew is that Patron Saint of Scotland.  The festival is thought to go back to the reign of Malcolm the Third (1034-1093).  In recent times, Scotland gave the holiday the status of national holiday, celebrating on November 30th.

~~~ Là Naomh Aindrea - St. Andrew's Day ~~~




26 November 2013

Amazon editors pick two of Dawn's books to showcase

Amazon.com editors picked two of Dawn's books - her MacTavish historical.



These two books were special to Dawn's story.  Prisoner of the Flames was the first book she penned after she nearly died in a car accident.  She would wheel the wheelchair that would be her "legs" for the rest of her life to the Patchogue library, and they would find her the research books she needed.  She used to laugh that the book would never be published because the hero's face was scarred, and the heroine was a blind flowergirl.  I can still recall how excited she was when Chris Keeslar bought it on her second MacTavish contract.  She saw the cover, but never had a chance to hold the book in print.  I had to help her sister, Candy, go over the galley and edits to see it to print.

Renegade Riders is a book, Candy and I both think, that Dawn never anticipated putting into print.  It was a Western - not a period Dawn usually wrote in, and this was her first full finished book.  Her father loved Zane Grey Westerns, and I feel she wrote the book as a tribute to the man she loved.  She confided that she knew her father loved her, but he was a direct man and not often given to lavish praise and affection.  I can envision her writing the book just for him.  Dawn made me promise not to forget her, and I wrote to see she isn't forgotten, thus Candy and I went ahead and - with the help of Chris Keeslar - saw the book through production, to allow her fans one more of her wonderful stories.

Again, Candy and I cannot thank Montlake/ Amazon Publishing for keeping books available in Kindle and working to get them into library quality tradesize books.  So this Cyber Monday showcase, allows her many readers the chance to pick up these two titles at 85% off list price.

23 November 2013

A Christmas Romance by Maggie Davis available on DVD





http://smile.amazon.com/A-Christmas-Romance-Olivia-Newton-John/dp/B005CFBZC0/  
My dear friend, Maggie Davis aka Katherine Deauxvillle penned this romance that was made into a film with Olivia Newton John and Gregory Harrison

you can find it for only $5 at Amazon.com

22 November 2013

Help Blind Cats Rescue and Sanctuary - and it doesn't cost you a thing!!


I love kitties...not hard to suss out about me.  I have raised, adopted and loved many cats in my time.  Currently, I have three foundlings that someone dropped in my yard.  All three were half-starved when they found their way to me.  I am blessed by their presence in my life.  So blessed!

There are too many strays, worse, some are horribly treated.  There pitiful darlings have an even harder chance of having a good life or finding a forever home.  There are many shelters doing special needs and helping, but Blind Cats Rescue and Sanctuary in North Carolina touched my heart.


This holiday season while you are shopping on Amazon, there is a way to help Blind Cats Rescue and Sanctuary, and it doesn't cost a thing....

AMAZON SMILES - just name your charity, shop and 5% of your shopping total can be donated by Amazon to your charity.

You can select your character in your accounts settings

Just type in Blind Cats Rescue and Sanctuary and it will come up.  Select that and shop.

or just click on this link

http://lnkd.in/dZzTR8V 

What a great thing for Amazon.com to do!!!




20 November 2013

Finding the true holiday spirit



Dawning the line in the sand

1) NO SHOPPING on Thanksgiving. I wish all families would stay home, so others would not be forced to work

2) Boycotting Black Friday - no discounts are worth that madness. I want to LOVE Christmas this year (whatever version you practice), and I think when people say Christmas has lost meaning, or isn't as special as it used to be, it's because of this "Black Friday" greedy grab has undermined the true feeling and spirit of the holidays.

3) Doing Small Shop Saturday. I am spending my shopping money at the small mom and pop owner stores in town. They need help. Wal-mart and Target can get by without my dollars. I want money to go where it matters. You get more special gifts, and you help create jobs locally. Money spent in your town stays in your town. Instead of malls or superstores, I am going to wander the street and shop in our village, see the pretty lights, talk with people and find 
once more what has been missing from the Holiday Season.






13 November 2013

Mouse sleeping on my legs while I write


Miss Mouse sitting on my knees while I sit in the recliner writing.  She loves the afternoon sunshine.



09 November 2013

Serendipity all decked out for Christmas


Holiday Wonderland at Serendipity Cafe and Gifts

Seriously, this is the neatest place - come have lunch or dinner - excellent food, great service by happy staff (buy ten meals and you will get one free - just have them stamp your card each time).  They have Jim Shore Collectibles, Snoopy, Disney and more.  Handmade items, the best candles, and ice cream parlor.  They also do catering and parties.  So drop in and visit Lillian and Becky -- it's a magical place!



 


 



Serendipity Cafe and Gifts


Phone(502) 222-4216 
Emailserendipitycafe@insightbb.com

Candy gets to play Elf...


This summer past, Candy was sitting and watching a mascot for the Woffery - a big spotted dog.  She confessed she had always wanted to be a mascot.   Never had she wanted to be a cheerleader, rather she wanted to be in suit outfit running around having fun.  Candy nearly did in January of 2011.  Since then she's undergone a big turnaround in heath.  Instead of spending her days mostly confined to a wheelchair, she is taking daily walks -4-7 miles.  She's lost a tremendous amount of weight and is just enjoying life so much.  So I ask her, "What is stopping you from being a mascot?"  If that is what she's always wanted to do then - like the Nike ad - just do it.

 The wonderful ladies at Serendipity Cafe and Gifts - Lillian and Becky (owner and daughter) were thrilled with Candy asking.  So far, she's been a witch handing out candy for the village's Halloween and Zombie Walk.

This Friday she was the Serendipity Elf for the Holiday Walkout.  She made her costume, all hand sewn, even the shoe covers.  She got to hand out candy canes and Serendipity card (they stamp the back when you have lunch - 10 lunches and you get a free one).  We soon found out she was giving out more cards than candy!

So, I wish to thank lovely Lillian and Becky for allowing Candy to live out here dearest wish.

The Serendipity Elf will put in more appearances this season 
- Light Up La Grange (December 6th and 7th)
and Shop Small Saturday (November 30th)


 




Official Elf Wrangler




07 November 2013

05 November 2013

Happy Guy Fawkes Day!!


Some holidays make people scratch their heads at the rituals and customs.  None more stranger than Guy Fawkes Day, which doesn't seem to migrate beyond it's English origins.

Guy Fawkes is oddly celebrated.   He is, after all, a failure.  Rarely does history recall losers and failures, especially one on such a massive level.  But old Guy goes down in history for his failed attempt to blow up the king of England and Parliament.  Catholic dissident Fawkes and twelve of his co-conspirators (hey, Guy, maybe the number 13 should have clued you up?) decided James I should die when he opened Parliament on November 5th, 1605.  Their plot was months in the planning, but all came to naught when Guy was discovered lurking below in the cellars of the House of Lords.  Tellingly, there were 35 barrels of gunpowder with him.  I can just hear it now, "Hello, hello, hello...what have we here?" LOL.

Parliament declared the day a public holiday of Thanksgiving (nothing connected to US Thanksgiving), and soon the day became known as Bonfire Night, because of the bonfires lit in celebration of the plot failing.  Rather odd, since nothing blew up, no fires took place, yet this is how it's celebrated.  Go figure...lol.




My Kitty Boots, walking on his leash


Boots is such a good kitty.  He's taken to being an indoor kitty so well, but he still longs to go outside.  Solution: walk him on a leash.  You say cats don't like to walk on a leash...check him out walking

02 November 2013

Feral cat shelters for poor kitty babies tossed away and have to fend for themselves

With winter weather coming on, it's time to think of our feral kitty friends.  You can build feral cat shelters with very little and it could  mean life or death for a poor stray cat that someone heartlessly dumped.  You could put them until a bush or shrubs.  It could mean so much to a poor cat that was toss away like a piece of garbage.




Also, cats will find shelter under cars at times, in the tire wells or the space around the engines.  Just give the hood a couple raps on cold days to make sure they are out before you move the car.

Halloween Redeux...

We had a huge wind storm, rain and thunderstorms on Halloween, so the town permitted the kids to trick or treat on Friday.  All Soul's Eve was beautiful so we have one of the biggest Trick or Treating every.  I ran through 5 big bags of candy.  Over 1500 pieces of candy found a home...lol.  They kids were polite, fun, and had a wonderful time.  

So I had a magical Halloween -- Twice! 











 It started with a glorious sunset that heralded the arrival of the kids.



A Halloween wreath Candy Thompson made for me.


 

the witch dolls Candy made were on the porch

  

 



 


 


Happy All Soul's Eve