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Military Romance Author

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A Fresh Start For Kindness

January 18, 2023 By Kimberly A. Cook 1 Comment

Happy New Year, my fellow earthlings. Think I was kind of waiting to see if we actually made it. So far, so good. Bumpy, but we’re coping.

My goals this year are kindness, play, writing, and decluttering.

While I have been doing the last two, I need serious retraining for play, plus I’m working on kindness by trying to do a good deed each day. If I make you smile, this post counts for today’s good deed.

One article I read a long time ago said if you changed three things in your morning routine, it would turn your world upside down. Can’t even imagine what a multiple-year worldwide tri-demic does, but we’re beginning to find out. Think we are upside down, turned inside out, and floating in space.

While the entire planet is in various stages of flux and upheaval, we can recognize we are all in recovery. And that will take as long as it takes and is individual for each person and animal. Basically, this event screwed everybody, mammals, insects, all organisms.

Kindness to ourselves and others is a powerful way to move forward.

On Dec. 8, 2013, I was standing in the customer service line at Kohl’s to pay my almost overdue credit card bill. My dad had died early that morning, and my family were on our way home from saying goodbye to him at the foster home.

Sleep-deprived, grieving, in shock, and pretty exhausted, I felt like an empty vessel. Standing in line was taking way too much energy. After I paid my bill, the clerk gave me a business card. On it said #SHOWKINDNESS. I held onto that little card as if it was a surprise daisy in winter. I still have it.

You never know how you will touch someone’s life in a positive way. And sweet sea biscuits, we need as much kindness and love as we can produce right now.

Take positive baby steps. Whatever you can handle.

Elizabeth Lyon, a favorite writing instructor, talked about one percent improvement a week at a long-ago writing conference. She said we have to “chop wood and carry water” every day to be better writers.       

That goes for kindness and love too.

In that vein, I’m adding some of my new favorite videos to enjoy. I need more play and nature in my life, and given our winter weather, these videos help a lot.

The Movie Squirrels are from Norway and their humans are working to save the forest for the animals. Let’s do this!

(It’s eight hours, so pace yourselves. I watch it on my TV. You have to see The Nut Bar!)

https://youtu.be/cIvEGjm0qGM

And let’s finish up with some positive news from the Oregon Zoo!

https://youtu.be/gwBkeiHfFds

Gear up people.

Let’s get kindness trending!

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Filed Under: Motivation Tagged With: A Fresh Start For Kindness, animals, goals, good deeds, Happy New Year, Kimberly A. Cook, kindness, later in life romance novels, later in life romance readers, military romance author, Norway, Oregon Zoo, recovery, romance readers, squirrels, winter blues

Be Kind To Yourself

December 21, 2021 By Kimberly A. Cook 4 Comments

In the midst of holiday chaos, gloomy weather, and a never-ending pace of challenges for us earthlings, I find it best to focus on what I can control. Which is not that much these days, luckily, so that works with my limited ability to concentrate. I’ve been thinking about what I’m grateful for at the end of this year.

Here is my starting list.

  • My HVAC was fixed and I have heat again. After eleven days. REALLY like that.
  • When I showed up for my free flu shot, I got the booster too. Bonus!
  • My favorite new gadget is a manual can opener which replaced the ancient, rusty one. I’m smitten. It actually cuts metal and has a large cushy handle. Be still my heart.
  • I’m able to keep the birdies, squirrels, and chipmunk’s fed in my backyard. Barely. But I may need to get a dump truck load of seed. Impressive appetites.
  • My family and friends are relatively stable after this crazy year.
  • There are still health care workers, delivery drivers, grocery clerks, police officers, restaurant workers, teachers, banking clerks, tech workers, airline pilots, postal workers, military members, and city, county, and state workers who keep showing up to support us all.  

I’d be happy with three things on my list, so six is golden.

Today we celebrate the Winter Solstice and getting one more minute of daylight. I’ll take it! At my former day job, we used to celebrate this day with Hawaiian shirts, Macadamia Shortbread cookies from the islands, and Jimmy Buffet music. It always perked me up.

I’ve had Beach Boys music playing in my car this entire year. When things get a little dicey, I bring in the big guns and head straight to disco. Never underestimate the power of music.

And being kind to others.

Animals show us how to stay in the moment and enjoy life. We need to be kind to them too.

This year has been challenging for everyone.

Take time to be kind to yourself during these winter days.

Happy Holiday Hugs for you and your furry or feathered friends. Like the ones below at the Oregon Zoo.

I plan to have fun in 2022.

Who’s with me?

 

 

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Filed Under: home Tagged With: 2022, animals, be kind to yourself, gratitude, holiday blues, holiday stress, Kimberly A. Cook, military romance author, New Year, Oregon, Oregon Zoo, pets, romance readers, Winter Solstice

Kick 2020 To The Curb!

December 31, 2020 By Kimberly A. Cook 4 Comments

I’m sitting here with Crunchy Cheetos dust on my fingers while I fire up a send off to 2020. A year that defies description. But like steel, when forged in fire, we get stronger. And part of that is to acknowledge the staggering loss of life here in the United States and around the world, due to the pandemic. A moment of silence with respect and compassion for all the families and friends grieving right now.

Things will get better. Our science and health care warriors are geared up and wearing invisible capes every day.

So let’s celebrate what makes us human. Joy and laughter. Because without the pain, we wouldn’t appreciate the joy. And we will work together to make sure this doesn’t ever happen again. I’m thinking AI robot dogs virus sniffer teams. They’re working on them!

So let’s dance with robots, appreciate the animals, support our troops serving around the world and thank our veterans. 

Happy 2021 everybody!

 

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Filed Under: Personal Essay Tagged With: 2020, 2021, animals, dancing, dancing robots, Happy New Year, Kimberly A. Cook, military, Oregon Zoo, pets, zoo animals

Pandemic Puttering In Place?

March 25, 2020 By Kimberly A. Cook 3 Comments

Thought I’d revisit some favorite Oregon spots we can’t go to right now. This is near Boiler Bay, just north of Depoe Bay. Inhale the sea air!

Welcome to the Middle Ages. This is what happens when new viruses hatch. It’s the ultimate game of keep away.

Hope you all stay safe and distant from each other, try not to wash the skin off your fingers, and don’t breath anyone else’s air.

Given my military and medical disaster background, wanted to offer a few ideas.

If you have shelter, stay there.

Now is the time to inventory your food. Frisk the pantry. Not only does this let you know what you have, but there are bonuses. A friend of mine found a purse she was missing.

Inventorying Spec Ops Cat’s canned food, I found my rum! Score. Gonna need that at some point. I did have to pour out the expired (2007) bottle of Baileys on St. Patrick’s Day, no less. But even I can’t drink chunky Baileys. Zombie apocalypse? I’d chew it. For sure.

I suggest an Indiana Jones adventure if you’ve got a refrigerator freezer or one in the garage, like I do. I checked online to see how long a frozen turkey is good. There is one hiding behind the blueberries. I’m afraid to look at the date on the tag. But, good to know all your assets.

Inventory your technology. Thought my power computer got hit by malware last week, but it checked out okay. In the meantime there are five computers in this house, I think. Most can be used as boat anchors. I bought a used Apple from my friend Carol, to help with manuscript formatting. But I’ve never used an Apple. My tech doctor told me not to start now. I believe he is heading my phone calls off at the pass.

For gold bonus points on the tech inventory, try to locate the matching manuals too. HA!

And now I have all the time in the world to fix all the online tech issues I’ve got with my web site redesign, my WordPress photo upload issue, and trying to remember how to use Instagram.

Which are all reasons why I am actually getting some writing done. Avoidance and procrastination. A two-fer!

Normally I enjoy being home and puttering in place as I call it. PIP. Now we’ve upgraded to Pandemic Puttering In Place, so PPIP.

Since I have a lot of boxes in my house from clearing out my mom’s apartment the end of February, plus my own boxes of papers to sort, I can keep busy for months. Then there are all my hoarded craft supplies.

Used some of my craft paint to make a big sign to wave at mom through her window at the Assisted Living Center. Because we got her moved in just in time for a pandemic lock down. That’s how my family’s luck rolls.

But the staff is doing a great job of keeping her safe and trying to entertain everybody and keep them fed, medicated, and active. Lessons we can all take to heart.

So, since I can’t add new photos to this post yet, I’m going to use old ones and make up new captions. Because I can.

But I wanted to leave you with some fun and calming videos to watch in your spare time. And to possibly save the hair of some parents who now have to teach their kids. All the time.

The Oregon Zoo staff is working hard to take care of the animals while the zoo is closed. But even a flamingo needs a hug. I have not seen an order for flamingo distancing yet. So they’re good.

If you want to go to the beach from your couch, this week the Oregon State Parks is live streaming whale watching on the Oregon Coast from Depoe Bay from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. PT through March 29th on YouTube live. Depoe Bay is one of my favorite places on the planet. We had our family beach house there for twenty-five years. World’s smallest harbor located between Lincoln City and Newport. Plus, I Iived there when I worked as a reporter and photographer on the Newport News-Times newspaper. 

If you miss the live stream during the day, you can watch the reruns! Four hours of glorious coastal waves and fabulous Park Rangers giving whale info every day. So park the kids in front and go for it. They even sighted a pod of orcas yesterday! (Time stamp 3:28:20)

In the meantime, I am going to try and find my Scooby Doo postage stamps, which have been missing for eighteen months in this house. Luckily, they are forever stamps. 

P.S. And for those of you who might enjoy ebooks, Amazon KindleUnlimited is free for two months! You could read my two romance fiction books for free! The next book in the Vintage Veterans military romance series is almost ready to go. Doing my best to concentrate and get that out there.

Stay safe, stay inside, stay sane.

Clean if you must.

And eat chocolate.   

Hugs from Oregon!

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Filed Under: home Tagged With: #covidcoping, animals, covid coping, flamingo hugs, gray whales, home alone, Kimberly A. Cook, Kindleunlimited, Matchmaker Cat, military romance, orca sightings, orcas, Oregon State Parks, Oregon whale watching, Oregon Zoo, Pandemic Puttering In Place, pets, PPIP, romance authors, romance readers, Vintage Veterans, whale watching, whale watching livestream

Happy Spring Moon!

March 20, 2019 By Kimberly A. Cook 1 Comment

True sign of Spring? Wall of flip flops at the store Monday!

Spring! Finally! We’ve had a great couple days of nice weather and it gives me hope the sun will return again this year. For those of you still freezing your body parts off, my condolences. Mother Nature will share the sun again. I promise.

This is my favorite season, to see the daffodils peeking open, the pollen launching itself into the atmosphere and the plants showing up at the garden center. I did prevent myself from buying a five-foot tall metal flamingo the other weekend, but now there are three-foot ones in at my garden store. I might be tempted.

Carnations have arrived at the Garden Center. I did stop and take a whiff.

My yard art needs makeovers, the garage needs a major and continuing muck out, and all I want to do is nap in the sun spots like Spec Ops Cat. And read some good books. Which I have piled on the floor in my office and bedroom. I corral them in the rest of the house. Kinda.

Renewal. Hope. Bunny supplies! It’s time to buy the Easter candy and stock up before all the good stuff is gone. That includes accessories, basket booty and colored plastic eggs. With glitter. I have been in four bunny retail sections this past week. Two of them twice. Bunny bliss.  

Bunny candy! Bunny bags! Bunny cling stickers! Make me stop…..

My craft addiction continues apace and I ordered some Penny Black bunny stamps too. I know I can’t draw, but I can color inside the lines. Of course, I couldn’t stamp until I bagged a bottle of vegetable glycerin to help clean the stamps. Every endeavor requires equipment. I am a go for bunny stamps arriving soon. 

Now I get to plan the Bunny Brunch I am going to host for the family next month. Thought about bringing all my collected bunnies into the dining room for the event. But the living room may not be big enough. I’ve got BUNNIES! Will have to work on that idea. My own personal bunny rodeo.

Enjoy today’s first day of Spring and tonight’s full moon.

Spring is back!

Hug a bunny!

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Filed Under: home Tagged With: animals, bunnies, bunny, Easter, Easter crafts, flip flops, full moon, Happy Spring Moon!, Kimberly A. Cook, Penny Black, readers, romance readers, Spring, Spring Moon

Happy New Year’s Eve!

December 31, 2018 By Kimberly A. Cook 2 Comments

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!

 

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Filed Under: Quirky Fridays Tagged With: 2018, animals, cat, cat shaming, France, French Chateau, goats, Happy New Year, Happy New Year's Eve!, humor, Kimberly A. Cook, Merry Catmas, New Year's Eve, Oregon Zoo, pets, relax, travel, Warrior Tales, zoo babies

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