Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

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This is the mini chocolate cake heart I made for my Mom’s 94th birthday today. She is a Valentine’s Day baby! The leftover cake batter produces a dozen cupcakes. Cake AND cupcakes. Perfect!

Wishing you a very merry Happy Valentine’s Day! Sending everyone chocolate cake wishes and gifts you buy for yourself. I am always a hopeful romantic, but life doesn’t get to decide if I get Valentine’s today or not. Thanks to Amazon I bagged myself a bunch of Hayley Mills movies arriving tomorrow to add to my collection. Binge watch party this weekend!

The other day I was pondering where I got my sense of adventure and crazy from, besides my family. Who were my roll models growing up? Hayley Mills definitely sticks out. One favorite Disney movie of hers is “That Darn Cat,” but my all time favorite Hayley Mills movie is “The Truth About Spring.”

In the past only bootleg copies of the movie were available, but low and behold the other night on Amazon I discovered Universal released a new copy. It is winging it’s way to me as we chat. My military romance writing incorporates a dash of my real background, the fiction characters who inhabit my head and a healthy dose of Hayley Mills. 

No matter where we are in our life, romance and adventure spectrum, we need to keep a piece of Hayley Mills alive in our hearts.

Rock this Valentine’s Day! Buy yourself an oldie but goodie something and celebrate. (I got a pink light up rubber ducky at the store this week. Just saying.)

Hugs and pink hearts to all!

Thank you for being my Valentines! 

And a Veteran’s Honor red rose and pink The Fairy roses from my backyard last summer for you all too!

Snow, Puppies And Winter Storms?

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Since we had sunny skies and 50 degree weather last week while the rest of the nation froze their giblets off, Mother Nature decided to share. We got snow earlier this week and very brisk temperatures, for us, low 20s. Obviously pleased with herself, we now have another storm warning for snow this weekend which could be between three inches and a foot. Maybe.

Good thing the African Painted Dog pups up at the Oregon Zoo got out earlier this week to learn about snow. They get more practice. The pups are growing so fast.

Everybody stay safe, warm and bundle up your fur babies too!

Happy Quirky Friday and have a great snow weekend.

Happy Middle Of January?

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Double Delight rose, a top favorite.

So much for organization. Ended up in sick bay during the holidays and clawing out of it now. Many people I know did the same thing. Seems like the germs see you slowing down a bit and then jump onboard. Very bad actor germs.

But it does give one pause to take the time and reflect on the joys of good health, when you don’t have it. Then there are the people who seem to get hit with everything; including the kitchen sink, the garbage can and the dumpster down the road. Send comfort, support and hugs whenever you come across these people. They are disease warriors.

I filled my time by cleaning out my clothes closet, watching football, cleaning out Spec Ops Cat’s bathroom, watching playoff football, and spying on the construction workers across the street. One needs a hobby when recuperating.

I’ve also watched a complete ton of YouTube videos on everything from writing to marketing to cats, comedians and some things I’m still not sure why I watched. Then I played solitaire on my tablet. There are so many ways to kill time in this modern age.

But in the grand scheme of things I am doing great and so is my family. Last year was catastrophic for so many folks, that I am truly blessed with all I have. One of those lifelong dreams is indie publishing my military romance books this year. Still on track, but delayed a little. Life isn’t linear it seems.

Here’s hoping you all have made it into the New Year in good shape and are looking forward to Spring. My favorite season. To remind us all of the coming outside festivities, here are some of my backyard photo memories to perk us all up.

The bulbs will rise again!  

 

This is the Peace rose. Another of my backyard favorites. The color of the sun.

 

Happy New Year’s Eve!

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It’s amazing to me how the holidays can roll right over us. Sometimes like a steamroller. So to wind up the year I thought I’d offer a trifecta of Quirky End of the Year videos. Then I plan on getting organized for 2019. Wish me luck!

So first we will have a late Merry Catmas, then a walk through Christmas decorations at a Chateau being refurbished in France, and then wind up with a compilation of 2018 Oregon Zoo babies. All topics I can get behind for the New Year!

Have a great, safe, New Year’s Eve and let’s make 2019 stellar!

 

How About Naughty And Nice?

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Seems to be a trend in my recent purchases…….watch out 2019.

About this time of the holiday season I am ready for a break. Not that I do that much holiday stuff, but the expectations seem to spill out of every tv, ad and social media post about all the fun everybody else is having. I think we’re all stressed. Whether we celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan, Kwanza or the Winter Solstice too, it’s a busy time.

It has not slipped my mind that these big holidays in the old US of A also correspond with the least amount of light and what would be a slow down in shopping given the bad weather. Cagey advertisers back in the day.

Holiday decor items I have bought this season include a lot of naughty and nice references. I’m veering toward naughty. Think this means 2019 might be a pretty fun year for me. One can hope.

What I like to focus on is rediscovering the kid inside each of us. Monday I was weaving through crowds at Target in search of cat food and peanut butter. I spied an adorable ice cream truck toy in someone’s cart. Instant love. I wanted to take a picture after getting the peanut butter, but the cart had vanished.

Our Generation Sweet Stop Ice Cream Truck from Target web site. Be still my heart! (Photo by Our Generation)

I did a quick recon around the toy department, but seriously without full combat gear it was a dicey proposition. Finishing my shopping I came around the aisle into the shampoo area and there it was again. Now, the cart owners were right by it so I couldn’t easily take a picture. I would have if the store wasn’t so packed, but it confirmed I could find it online when I got home.

Looking on my tablet I discovered it is the Our Generation Sweet Stop Ice Cream Truck and a Good Housekeeping Toy of the Year in 2016. A total of 129 parts! How did I not know this? It is for an eighteen-inch tall doll. I just measured my vintage Chatty Cathy. She is nineteen-inches tall. I bet I could stuff her inside. On sale at eighty-two dollars, that is still pricey.

Do I need a Sweet Stop Ice Cream Truck? No. Do I have room for one? No. Do I want one? Yes! Welcome to the holidays. While I should be balancing my checkbook and finishing the Christmas cards, I am dreaming about an ice cream truck for my doll. It comes in light blue or pink. I can’t decide! Chatty Cathy’s dress is pink. But I like the blue. Curses. 

What was I thinking? Costco must have cookies by the ton, right?

In the meantime I have a stack of holiday tins to fill with cookies by the end of the week. I do believe I may have over-reached on this project. So operation cookie bake commences on Thursday afternoon. Wish me luck.

Pristine. Before I started cutting into it each morning.

To indulge my inner child, this year I bought a Crafters Companion Advent Calendar on HSN. I’ve been having so much fun opening each door every morning and getting a new metal paper cutting die. My inner kid is so excited when I take my fifty-plus vitamin.

So let’s all give ourselves a break right now and indulge our inner child. It can be as simple as hiding under the blankets for five more minutes, having hot cocoa instead of coffee, taking a jammie day or evening, or calling a good friend we haven’t laughed with recently.

 

Or dreaming about an ice cream truck for your doll.

Dear Santa,

Please bring me a Sweet Stop Ice Cream Truck.

Or Aquaman. Or both.

I’ve been mostly nice in 2018. I hope to be naughty next year.

Cookies galore at my house!

Love Kim

 

New Goat In Town

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The holiday season is crazy, even if you’re just trying to keep out of everybody else’s way. Then you go to make a blog post and they changed the format again. Tech. The digital nightmare that keeps on giving.

But then we get to see the new goat in town at the Oregon Zoo, Bruce Wayne. Officially the smallest goat on campus at the Zoo’s family farm, he doesn’t seem to know it. Let’s all take a break from crazy and watch the baby goat. I’m in!  

Have a great, safe, weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!