Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

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Armed Forces Day and Elvis

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by Kimberly A. Cook                   (Twitter@   WarriorTales)

Since I returned from vacation and posted about Elvis, seems like all things Elvis are popping up. Saw the “Hawaii Five-O” tv show On Demand with the Elvis impersonators. Today’s paper had an article about a local couple who won their dream wedding at the Elvis Chapel in Las Vegas with Priscilla Presley as their Matron of Honor. And Graceland has an exhibit of Elvis memorabilia on display in Las Vegas.

Since tomorrow is Armed Forces Day, thought folks might like to hear from Elvis about what it was like to be in the Army. Even Elvis had to pull kitchen police, or KP as we call it. Happy Quirky Friday and have a great weekend!

Cookies, Sunshine and Duck Butts?

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by Kimberly A. Cook           (Twitter@   WarriorTales)

There is a lot to be said for serendipity, sunshine and the simple pleasures. Moseyed over to the opening day of my local Farmer’s Market to check out the wares and goodies. Came upon a booth with ginormous cookies.

Wait a minute. Those cookies looked familiar. I never forget a cookie! They were the size of pancakes with every kind from Cowboy Cookies to spicy chocolate cookies. Looked around and saw jars of jams and preserves, then some fresh fruit.

The Cookie Bar sign from Packer Orchards and Bakery in Hood River, Oregon. Or as I like to call it, Cookie Heaven!
The Cookie Bar sign from Packer Orchards and Bakery in Hood River, Oregon. Or as I like to call it, Cookie Heaven!

Yes! It was the Packer Orchards and Bakery from Hood River where I stopped on my way to the Alpaca yarn shop. Chatted up the booth cash register lady and she confirmed it was their first year having a booth at my market. It’s a miracle! Since the orchards and their store with the COOKIE BAR is a good 75 miles from my house, they moved the cookies closer to me!

Seriously, I’m going to have to take up running in addition to walking with this many treats so close. Procured a peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie and a marionberry pie sweetened with pear juice. Those gems were nestled right next to the cinnamon rolls with marionberry topping! I felt my jeans tighten just looking at them.

So I did a circuit of the rest of the market and found fresh asparagus, hanging baskets, jewelry, Hawaiian BBQ, all kinds of fun stuff. Then I parked myself in the line to get a chicken Greek gyro. Sun was out, great Spring day and cookies. Doesn’t get much better than that.

Yesterday at the day job the gorgeous weather continued and our resident pair of ducks were having a great time during lunch playing in the water feature in the man-made waterfall. I enjoyed my lunch in the sun and watched the ducks go hunting for morsels in the water, their cute butts going straight up into the sun.

You know it’s the perfect time of year when the farmer’s markets start to open, the ducks are playing in the water showing their butts and I can get humongo cookies every Saturday. Welcome Spring!

Got a favorite farmer’s market? Or cookie bar? Or cute duck butt sighting?

Can You Make Furry Friends?

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by Kimberly A. Cook           (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Somehow whenever I’m looking for Friday videos, I always end up watching Cesar Milan old “Dog Whisperer” shows. Then 45 minutes later I remember what I was trying to do. So what better way to head into a weekend then to learn about making friends.

We all need buddies and sometimes the furrier the better. Check out how this young kitten tried to make friends with a furry hoppy thing. Don’t think he was quite sure what kind of cat it was. There is also a follow-up video when the kitten is a teenager meeting the bunny again. And then there go a few more minutes out of my day.

Have a great weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!

What Flower is Your Grandmother?

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by Kimberly A. Cook          (Twitter@   WarriorTales)

Walked into the grocery store on the way home from the day job last night to get three things. Walked out with the three things plus three carnation plants and three tomato plants and one small pink flamingo with flapping wings to go in a potted plant. I’m a sucker for Spring flowers and odd yard art!

Gift plant from my Mom when I was under the weather. LOVE the color of the blooms. Must get more potting soil....
Gift plant from my Mom when I was under the weather. Celosia Intenz. LOVE the color of the blooms. Must get more potting soil….

Now I had specifically told myself not to buy any tomato plants until Mother’s Day, the best time to put them in the soil. Even though I had spied the coveted yellow pear tomato plants at the store last weekend, I did not purchase last time. They’ll be more I told myself. But when I sauntered by the same plant display last night and didn’t see the yellow pear tomato plants, I panicked. THEY bought them all!

Wait one. They’d just rearranged the plant display. They were shuffled to the middle. Retailers are tricky that way. Not taking any chances I scooped two yellow pear tomato plants up and added one sweet cherry 100 for good measure. I prefer to grow the baby tomatoes; easier to cut in half for salads and I think I have a huge crop when I see all the produce on the vines.

While sniffing the carnation plants at the garden center, the clerk asked if I needed help. “Found the carnations,” I said. “Carnations always remind me of my grandmother,” I told her. “Pansies and fuchsias remind me of mine,” she replied. Even flowers have stories and memories. Scent and smell are powerful things. So I bought the carnations of course.

Now I have to buy potting soil to get these gems planted before the big rains come later this week. I usually don’t plant before Mother’s Day, cold soil and all, but with this warm early Spring, perhaps I can get away with it. Gardening is an adventure!

Got tomato plants? Got carnation plants? Got potting soil?

What’s Sugar Free, Fabulous And Holds Bling?

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by Kimberly A. Cook            (Twitter@   WarriorTales)

Couple years ago I got serious about losing weight because my fat jeans were strangling me. One of the things I did on “The Belly Fat Cure” by Jorge Cruise was to substitute Truvia natural sweetener for Splenda. Cruise advocates cutting excessive sugar grams and processed carbs in your diet and staying off chemical-based sweeteners.

Truvia container with label. Then naked containers with baubles inside. Like my jewelry tools mug holders?
Truvia container with label. Then naked containers with baubles inside. Like my jewelry tools mug holders? Who remembers the tv show “Northern Exposure?” My kind of crazy!

So 18-months later and 33 pounds lighter, I was accumulating a stockpile of said clear plastic Truvia containers. Since we have to up cycle everything around here, just like in “Portlandia” on tv, I thought they would make great storage holders for the odd-sized beads and things I use to make jewelry.

They work so well! First, I’m buying Truvia all the time anyway which makes the storage containers free to me. Score! They’re wide-mouthed and have a nice snapping lid, but I can also unscrew the top to wash it out and easily clean inside. They are fun to arrange, they stack well and are see-through!

Even spent bullet casings leftover from my Dad’s weapons collection fit inside one; I know I can turn those into jewelry some day. They’re great to take in the car for shell collecting on the beach and also putting screws and nails in for safe-keeping. In life as in recycling, it only takes a different perspective to change ourselves, our career or our sweetener containers into something different, fun and useful.

Perhaps that’s one reason I enjoy watching Flea Market Flip on HGTV so much. I like to see other folk’s visions about re-purposing items and know right away what works for me or not. Sometimes I cringe when I see a piece of furniture I think is perfect the way it is get all gussied up or turned wacko, but everybody’s got their own design style – mine is French country Victorian with lots of books. And beads. And teapots. And shoes.

What’s your design style? Got fun up cycled storage container ideas?

P.S. For those of you keeping track, I am back down under my 5-pound big no no limit after the Easter candy/ham/potatoes/gravy and leftovers week food fest. Lettuce is my friend. One must be ever vigilant!

Happy Pink Chickens Easter!

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by Kimberly A. Cook             (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Obviously I was out of action last weekend with a cold because I didn’t hear about the pink chickens alert until I got back to the day job Monday. Seems a Portland chicken daddy drank way too much spirits and decided to dye his two pet chickens pink to make people smile. He then relocated them to a tree on the downtown waterfront for a day out on the town, deciding he would pick them up in the afternoon.

Not in my hometown! The pink chickens were spotted at dawn by an observant Rose Festival employee and the great pink chicken rodeo was on. Between social media and the chicken lovers it was an all out chicken hunt to find the perpetrators. You can cause bodily harm to people here but do not mess with our fowl or animals.

Picked up by Multnomah County Animal Services to be kept in protective custody, the chicken daddy soon came forth and proved he was a) a good daddy since the chickens were in fine health, b) used only beet juice and food coloring to color the chickens – and his dog and c) he was told not to release domestic chicken pets into the cruel city.

All’s Well That End’s Well for the chickens. However, chicken daddy might need to watch his back. Those two pink girls looked none too happy about being dyed pink. Just saying!

Happy Quirky Friday and have a great weekend!

https://youtu.be/0GQEcctD8Bc