Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

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Ready For Any Sun Break?

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by Kimberly A. Cook              (Twitter@    WarriorTales)

It’s March. It’s still raining. In buckets. There’ve been some limited reports of seeing sun breaks, but they are few, like leprechaun sightings. Gray is the current outside color. So besides buying bright spring color clothes I can’t wear due to the cold and wet, thought we might all like to be reminded of what the sun looks like.

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Sun on Suttle Lake.

 

There is also a request from my gardenia bush. I moved it into the garage to protect it from the cold for about a month, then finally put it back outside. It’s requesting to go back in the garage; it’s accusing me of waterboarding. Not me, Mother Nature!

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How cute is this sleeping baby alpaca in the sun? Cuddles!

So to give us all a perk up, here are a few favorite past photos which actually contain sun. Try to identify it!

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Heading out on the road again to the thunderegg beds! Luckily I’d just put new tires on Subie. Gorgeous scenery.

Sun in Eastern Oregon above, outside of Madras. They are under a Winter Storm warning right now. Sigh.

And last but not least!

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Sugar Beach, Maui, Hawaii. A vacation favorite.

Sun on my favorite beach in Maui. I checked and they have sun right now. With showers. But it’s 81 degrees! Let’s go to Maui. If only in our minds.

Might be time to start looking for some green beer. St. Patrick’s Day isn’t far away! Happy almost Spring?

Beauty And The Beast Movie!

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by Kimberly A. Cook               (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

One of my all time favorite scenes in the animated movie “Beauty and the Beast” is when he shows Belle the library. He had me at library! For any reader/writer, giving them a library is one of the greatest gifts on earth.

When I went to the Library of Congress for the first time I couldn’t even speak. The Mother ship of books! Pretty sure I teared up too.

So Disney brings us a live action and special effects masterpiece once again. Fire up the popcorn machine, we’re going to need tons! Make your plans now, it opens March 17.

Oh, I’m a sucker for guys wearing capes too. Zorro, Darth Vader, the Beast. Have a great weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!

California Dreaming?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                    (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

It’s raining. Again. It’s official, this is the wettest February on record in Oregon. Since before the pioneers. This time of year we should be looking forward to Spring break, posies popping out of the ground and humming vintage Beach Boys songs.

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This plaque set next to the squad of bunnies in the store. Beach trips! 

 

Instead I took a couple pictures of the first pink saxafrasia blooms yesterday and they blurred. Not enough light. It was 2 p.m. in the afternoon! But there are some soggy buds on the trees and the brave daffodils are trying to rise into the air once again. I need to get them life vests.

Of course, it’s pouring in California too. Good news for them, their drought is over. Bad news, Mother Nature is still pouring on the water. Just to be sure I guess. Maybe she’s been chatting with Smokey Bear. (I call him Smokey the Bear but it appears he’s changed his name. Hard to keep up.)

Since I prefer to live in denial these days, I am going to assume the sun will come out again and we will have a fabulous Spring. Plans for planting my garden pots, more development in the Fairy Rock Garden and wearing less than four layers of clothes fill my mind. Naked painted toes! Shorts! No parkas! I get excited so easily.

We can do this. We can plan for sun. Warm breezes. Farmer’s markets. It will happen. Raspberries. Visiting alpacas. Fresh pears. Gliding back and forth in the lawn swing on a warm summer’s eve smelling neighbor’s BBQ and hearing the birdies sing.

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Farmer’s Market bounty. Everything comes back to food…..

 

In the meantime I guess we can take a hint from Spec Ops Cat and spend some time like he did yesterday. Find a cushy bed and a fuzzy blanket. Proceed to tunnel, twist and turn into a cat burrito. Cats are so smart.

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Yes, Spec Ops Cat is inside that lump. Cats rule! 

 

Wake me when it’s Spring!

Up For A Joust?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                  (Twitter@   WarriorTales)

In line with this week’s romance theme, thought it time to check out a joust. While in the Air Force Reserve in the summer of 1990 I spent a couple months working at The Pentagon. One weekend a fellow officer and I rented a car and drove to a Renaissance Fair with horse jousting. I pretty much parked my butt in the bleachers the entire day and watched.

The Tennessee jousters in this video are true athletes and horse folk. Check it out, but don’t try this at home.

Have a safe weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!

Who Defines Romance?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                       (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Happy week after Valentine’s Day! Had planned on a fun post for V Day, but that creeping crud head/throat/chest thing hit me Feb. 12 and I went down like a rock. My leaking energy choices for Feb. 14 were to write my blog or bake Mom’s birthday cake and go to her party. You know what I chose!

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Always make Mom a mini-chocolate heart birthday cake and CTG. (Cupcakes to go!)

 

But since my head feels much lighter now, I’m trying to get back to my regular programming. If coughing counted for exercise I’d be ten pounds lighter, but it doesn’t work that way. Rats.

Pondering last week between cough drops and tissue use, I tried to rate my most romantic memories. So far. The interesting part is romance has many faces; not just the usual coupledom. Since couple season is now over, Halloween to Valentine’s Day, the rest of us can heave a sigh of relief and not be blasted with the commercial messages that romance involves only two humans.

Some of my most romantic memories have included family, friends and being alone. The only real ingredient which might be required for true romance in my book is chocolate; don’t be home or leave home without it.

According to the “Merriam-Webster Dictionary” on my desk, romance is

1. a medieval tale of knightly adventure.

2. a prose narrative dealing with heroic or mysterious events set in a remote time or place.

3. a love story.

4. a romantic attachment or episode between lovers.

So my blog might be number one, two and three at times; love stories can be with friends, pets and frogs. Many of my “romantic” memories involve travel and being in the moment. Being present to completely experience an amazing person, place or thing.

The point of this is to launch us all on a new quest for romance. Before Halloween rolls around this year, let’s all find pieces of romance to enjoy this entire year and expand our definition. I presented kid Valentine’s to my family, complete with Minion temporary tattoos. Perfect. Nothing says love like temporary ink.

What new romantic memories do you want to make this year?

 

 

 

Time For The Gummy Bear Dance!

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by Kimberly A. Cook                (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

You can’t beat a classic. This little bear always makes me smile, so let’s watch again. Everybody dance!

Have a great weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!