Military Romance Author
by Kimberly A. Cook (Twitter@ WarriorTales)
With all the craziness in this world, it seems animals have more play skills than we do. We can learn a great lesson from Arthur the cat in this video. While he may be thinking he’s scored the best catch of all time, he really does play with the dolphins and want to be friends. Here’s to more play time for all of us! Happy Quirky Friday!
by Kimberly A. Cook (Twitter@ WarriorTales)
A couple Saturdays ago I had the pleasure of speaking to the Air Force Sergeants Association about the importance of getting their stories written or recorded. For the non-writers, I showed off my tech collection of a digital recorder and Flip video camera. Not everybody is a writer, but seems many folks are willing to talk their stories and these gadgets make recording a breeze.
The Association holds their meetings at Camp Withycombe in Oregon. This Camp is a major center for training and drilling Oregon National Guard troops. It did my heart good to see the two tanks standing guard outside the front door. Having served with the Army’s Fourth Infantry Division (Mechanized) ( = tanks) I love me some tanks.
From the fun and spirited group of Air Force Sergeants in the meeting, including Charlie who served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, to the displays in the building, history was everywhere. When we look for military stories to write about, our own neighborhood can be full of tanks and cannons.
Camp Withycombe became a defense site in 1903 and in 1909 the U.S. Government bought the camp and opened a rifle range. The original 234-acre parcel has been a training site for the Oregon National Guard for more than 80 years. Recently several armories were consolidated to serve and train in a new building at the Camp.
The rifle range opened here on May 15, 1909 making it “one of the oldest National Defense ranges in the western part of the United States,” according to globalsecurity.org. The Camp was determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places by the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office in 1994. Some of the buildings include the Adjutant General’s House built-in 1938 by the WPA.
The Camp is also home to the Oregon Military Museum, temporarily closed for renovation. A fundraising campaign is underway to build a new home for the museum at the Camp, www.oregonmilitarymuseum.org I toured the museum several years ago and they have artifacts galore. Imagine all the stories in that new building! Like shooting tanks in a barrel.
by Kimberly A. Cook (Twitter@ WarriorTales)
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, I’ve always thought my home town was special. Recently the rest of the world has been finding this out with the tv shows “Portlandia,” “Leverage,” and “Grimm.” But now the best ever proposal made in Portland has rocked YouTube with more than 10,800,000 hits this past week.
For a dedicated romance writer who loves a happy ending, a Happy Quirky Friday ending, this video will make your day and year. Wishing this special local couple the best ever happy ever after!
by Kimberly A. Cook (Twitter@ WarriorTales)
Last Saturday I fired up the computer and watched a combat veteran ship off to her new home. With fresh paint and dedicated crew, she left Richmond, California and is on her way to her new home in Los Angeles. The last of the Iowa class battleships, the USS Iowa is ready to go back into service as a museum and education site.
The USS Iowa is a big girl and it is easy to see that by the size of the pleasure boats around her. These ships are home and haven to the men and now women who sail upon them. True mother ships to their crews, these battleships provided safety and shelter and sometimes they became their last duty.
Memorial Day is always a time to remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice to secure and maintain the freedom of our nation. The USS Iowa deserves the same respect. I am so glad to see her off to her new life and mission in Los Angeles. Can’t wait to go visit her!
by Kimberly A. Cook (Twitter@ WarriorTales)
Ever have plans that just don’t seem to get off the ground? This kitten is having the same problem. When the target thinks it is in charge and pretty much ignores you, it takes the fun out of hide and seek. Have a safe Memorial Day weekend. Happy Quirky Friday!
by Kimberly A. Cook (Twitter@ WarriorTales)
An author talked about how most of the writers she knew had some type of hobby where they made things. She felt even though writers have all this creativity streaming onto paper and keyboard, we still needed a way to be physically creative.
Besides hoarding, er collecting, books and shoes and fabric and yarn, my preferred hobby is jewelry making. Started at age ten, the same age when I knew I was a writer. Being the packrat, I still have most of my jewelry treasures and continue to add to the collection.
An unexpected surprise occurred last week that made we wonder what treasures we all have and overlook so easily. A work colleague recently lost her grandmother and sister-in-law. She met with her family to divide things up, sort memories so to speak. They both had jewelry. She asked if there might be anything I would be interested in. “If you have leftovers, I will give them a good home,” I said.
The next week she arrived with two bags of jewelry and this fabulous jewelry box for me to take home and add to the collection. I was stunned. Not only is the jewelry box adorable, I’ve never seen one like this before, but I was touched to know she felt I would give her grandmother’s special treasure box loving care.
When I thought about it, I realized my jewelry collection contains beads from my editor Cindy’s mother, my friend Joann’s mother, my brother-in-law’s mother’s button collection, my grandmother’s jewelry, and my mother has given me rings she can no longer wear.
Each piece of jewelry is an intimate possession from another person’s life. When I started collecting jars of broken jewelry at Goodwill at age ten, somehow I knew those treasures needed a loving home. Perhaps that is one reason I’m a writer who collects and tells veteran’s stories too, so they have a new home and sparkle for all who want to read the tales.
Never underestimate the power of an unexpected gift. Take the time to wonder about the types of stories you write and how you started to collect those tales. Perhaps all writers are treasure hunters of a different sort, always looking for gems in the rough. Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, according to the song, but gathering and writing stories are the true gems in a writer’s life.
You must be logged in to post a comment.