Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

Blog

Juliet Gazelle Is A Track Star!

By 5 Comments

by Kimberly A. Cook                (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

The sun is out, it’s going to be maybe 86 degrees on Monday and Oregon Zoo baby gazelle Juliet is burning rubber! The wacky wet winter here in Oregon now seems like Spring is racing into summer.

Can’t blame Juliet for enjoying her speed and the sun. She almost didn’t make it as a baby, so now five months later she’s a healthy girl getting her groove on. The camera can’t even keep up with her at times. Juliet could go out for the Oregon Ducks track team no problem.

Have a great Quirky Weekend and run like Juliet!

How About A Private Camellia Show?

By 2 Comments

When I motored over to my writer friend’s house April 2nd for writer support group, I arrived a little early and got to wander in her yard. It was a week before the “official” camellia show and I had a private viewing.

IMG_4250.JPG
How fabulous is this? He told me the name but I forgot, stunned by its beauty. 

 

These gorgeous flowers are award winners on many levels and they grow them all around their home. With the warm Spring weather and hot days, my friend’s husband was concerned they might not have the best buds for the show. Lucky for me I always have my camera.

Looking at some of the beauties in their yard, he told me about how much work went into making the different varieties and how he had been sought out by growers for plant starts. Seems camellia fanatics check out the winners of these shows and then hunt down the growers for stock, nationally and internationally. Who knew?

IMG_4251
This reminds me of candy. Maybe peppermint circles?

 

All too soon it was time to head off in our carpool to the writer’s group and leave the lovely blooms behind. The amazing symmetry, beauty and jaw dropping designs of these camellias are simply stunning.

IMG_4252.JPG
The petals on this camellia take my breath away. Certainly a show stopper!

 

In the backyard of my parent’s house is a gorgeous fuchsia pink camellia with a bright yellow center. I’ve grown up with that bush and it’s still there, blooming away. My friend and her husband have the same one in their yard besides all the other amazing varieties. I had no idea there were so many types. Their camellias are all truly award winners, official and unofficial.

Got camellias? It’s show time!

 

Twiggy Rides Again!

By 4 Comments

by Kimberly A. Cook                (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

One of the most popular videos I’ve posted featured Twiggy the water skiing squirrel. So when I checked in on Twiggy today, seems they are making the rounds in Canada at the boat shows, complete with water safety gear. There have been several Twiggys it turns out.

Given we just had two days of 80 degree weather here in Oregon, water safety for squirrels and humans is a must. Hope you’re having a great weekend!

Got Art Projects?

By 2 Comments

by Kimberly A. Cook                        (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Perfection is overrated and a creativity killer. It’s a challenge to ignore all our inner and outer critics and go with our heart. This past sunny Friday I had an afternoon to squander cleaning. Garden or garage? My motto is to do what is bugging me the most and the garage was top on the list.

IMG_4243.JPG
Banker box tops, bark pieces and the sun. Old school supplies. Cheap too. 

 

Between the monsoon rains in December and the usual crazy, the garage had become another sad victim of the drop and go syndrome. My goal was to excavate my work bench and tidy the joint. On top of the layers of stuff on the bench were banker box tops full of bark pieces I had picked up at Suttle Lake. Took the trays out on the patio and let them have a final sun shot before bringing them inside to my jewelry workbench.

When I first started gathering these bark pieces on one our trips to Sisters, I thought they might make nice pendants. I used a plastic bag in the car to collect my bark booty. Last September I used an orange Home Depot bucket, I was prepared. Another form of treasure hunting for me.

IMG_3748.JPG
Have bark bucket, will travel. Bark booty!

 

Do I have enough pieces of bark now? Probably. Maybe. Do I know what I am going to do with them all? Nope. But I like them. I’ve been playing with different ideas. The first thought to be jewelry pendants is morphing into maybe little bark vignettes on tiny easels. Not sure. And that’s the best part of art projects; we don’t have to know what it will become.

I’ve also been on a glitter buying terror recently too. Combo of a half-price sale and the bark pieces. Bling bark? Whether folks color books, paint, sew, cook, sculpt, weave, woodcraft, garden or put glitter on bark, the creative process is all about not being perfect.

Because imperfect is priceless. Got art projects?

Time For A Sun Bath?

By Leave a Comment

by Kimberly A. Cook                        (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Sun fever. That’s my excuse. Missed my second Friday posting due to the distraction of the sun and warm temperatures. It was in the 70s! I wore shorts and sandals! Naked toes! It’s the little things in life.

So we need to take a lesson from these kitty cats. Sun bathe when you can. Nap hard!

Have a great weekend!

 

 

Can You Master Lazy Entertaining?

By 1 Comment

by Kimberly A. Cook                 (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Easter is one of my favorite holidays since it’s an all bunnies all the time zone. This past Sunday I hosted the family holiday again but I entertained in full mosey mode. Its been a busy couple months with a surgery, an accident recovery and general chaos in the family.

So my plan was to air lift the vittles from one of our favorite restaurants. I ordered the ham and cheese quiche and the four different pieces of pie online from Shari’s Restaurant on Thursday. Picked them up at 10 a.m. on Saturday and put all in the frig. Since I also picked up lettuce, tomatoes, Hawaiian Sweet Rolls and two bouquets of flowers on Thursday night after work, fini!

IMG_1139.JPG
Bunny booty bag, name tag holder and chocolate eggs. Step 1.

 

Since the cooking was done except for heating up the quiche on Sunday morning, I decided to do some bunny table decorating. I always have to make bunny booty bags to go for all my guests; it’s the perfect excuse to buy more Easter candy. Found the name tag holders for the table, the pink tablecloth and the bunny candy dish.

IMG_1160
Add more bunny candy and flowers. Step 2.

 

My collection of rabbits from around the world sits right next to the dining room table, so adding the candy dish with Hershey’s Kisses and the chocolate candy covered eggs in the blue measuring bowl, almost perfect. I added two bouquets of flowers and all was set.

IMG_1144.JPG
Years of bunny collecting, hares everywhere!

 

Some folks might call this slacking, but after years of cooking and baking, sometimes a person just needs a break. In the past we’ve tried this for Mother’s Day and it worked out quite well. There’s nothing like zooming past the waiting  line of 10,000 people at The Olive Garden to get lasagna, bread sticks and salad to go. The whimpers from those in the line is always followed by someone saying “Why didn’t we do that?”

IMG_1148.JPG
Then right before guests arrive some gate crasher always shows up looking for his name tag on the table. Step 3. There are fewer chocolate eggs in the bowl in this picture. No idea how that happened. That’s my story ……..  

 

So after we had our meal, a nice chat and some folks took a little power nap, it was time to unbox the pie. We had one piece of everyone’s favorite, because you can’t buy a chocolate cream, peach, Marion berry, chocolate silk pie. Plus I sent home a piece of quiche for all to go with their bunny bags of chocolates.

Totally unexpected was a bunny booty haul I made with gifts from my sister and family. A mini bunny baking cake pan, chocolate bunny, chocolate carrots, bunny napkins, bunny marshmallow decorating kit and a bunny centerpiece. Bunnypalooza! Does life get much better than that? I think not.

Sometimes lazy really pays off. Viva la online food ordering! Plan ahead, Mother’s Day is coming….