Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

family

Happy Thanksgiving Eve

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A prior classic Libby’s recipe pumpkin pie from my very own kitchen. Can you smell the joy?

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Family, turkey, friends, mashed potatoes, football, pumpkin pie, gravy, whipped cream. You get my drift. It’s also a time to reflect on all we have and how lucky we are to live in the USA.

When Debbie, my Australian friend, happened to visit our family during Thanksgiving one year, she totally endorsed this fabulous holiday. Everybody can get behind a time to be thankful.

Whether you’re having turkey, spaghetti, ham, a breakfast burrito, McDonald’s Happy Meal or eating Meals-Ready-To-Eat or mess food on a ship, it’s time to reflect.

My sister and brother-in-law just got back from a trip to California to visit family. On the way down I-5 they traveled on the road with Oregon fire crews going to backup our California neighbors in need. At the hotel in Redding they shared space with more fire crews and the displaced folks who had lost their homes in the fires.

It’s times like these that those of us who are not directly touched by the wildfires, hurricanes or other natural disasters can do our part to help. Donations are always welcome. The Red Cross is a good place to start. 

So while we thank and honor our firefighters on the lines in California, our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq spending another holiday away from home, and all our military members, veterans, law enforcement and intelligence personnel around the world protecting us, it truly is a time to say thank you for what we have.

I am blessed to be able to work on my writer dreams, have a funny family and supportive friends; plus cuddle Spec Ops Cat who thinks I’m his waitress and personal mobile heating pad.

And to my blog readers, I send you hugs and wishes for peace, prosperity and pumpkin pie.

Which means I’m now heading off to whip up the pumpkin pies for tomorrow. Somehow there always seems to be leftovers. Because we plan to feed an army on purpose so we can take turkey and pie home. Life is logistics!

The only thing better than turkey day, is turkey day leftovers.

Have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!

 

Giving Thanks For Small Pleasures

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by Kimberly A. Cook

Thanksgiving is hands down my favorite holiday. Food, family, food, friends and leftovers. Notice the pattern. It’s also a time for me to reflect on what I am thankful for at this time of year. Besides pumpkin pie.

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Spec Ops Cat letting me take a gazillion pictures of him.  Even though you can tell he is not amused. But he is ready for the holidays with his festive blankie.

So here is a quick list of some moments and small things that have recently made a big difference for me.

  • Five birdies having a great time in the bird bath yesterday
  •  Spec Ops Cat stalking the hair dryer cord
  • Reading the book “Soar” by T.D. Jakes
  • Hallmark Christmas movies
  • A hot shower
  • Laughing with family and friends
  • Two new kitten cousins, Thelma and Louise
  • Sunshine, rain, sunshine, wind outside
  • Reading in bed
  • Icy Hot, Tens machine, heating pad and massage
  • Dove Dark Chocolate
  • Donating furniture to homeless veterans program
  • Planning Christmas cookie baking
  • Holiday songs
  • Shopping in my Fire Mountain Gems bead catalog
  • Gathering leaves to dry
  • Spec Ops Cat cuddles
  • Spending time with family and friends
  • Folks who read my blog – the best and brightest people on the planet

What is on your thankful list this year?

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

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?

 

 

 

Holiday Observations And Blessings?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                      (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

This week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve is always a time for me to think about what the past year taught me and what I might learn in the New Year. Part of that is because between all the cookies, cashews, pie and turkey I’ve eaten, I can’t move from my LaZBoy coma of watching Hallmark holiday movies with football thrown in for variety.

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Spec Ops Cat is a Zen Master at relaxing and enjoying the moment. Watch and learn. 

 

I’ve convinced myself that thinking about exercise counts, but my jeans do not agree. The treadmill is waiting patiently for me to return, but it knows I will not be as nimble and light as the last time I jumped on it. Cookie weight. Hope it’s ready for 2017. May need to get a roll bar for it. Plus a Wide Load strap.

Family and friends are worth more than their weight in gold; up that to diamonds and platinum. The folks who put up with me each year should be getting Starbucks stock for their challenging duty. Thank you all for the support. Cuts the cost of therapy.

Dreams are for all of us. Especially when we think they are not. I’ve had more fun starting my Fairy Rock Garden in the backyard. Playing in the dirt can be the best idea. We all need time to play and dream and create. Fill up your creative well. Take time to be.

There are a lot of things that can be cured by a purring kitty snuggle or a doggie lick. Our four-footed friends are much better at living in the moment than we are. They also don’t carry smartphones and calendars. That must be a big part of their secret to relaxing.

This is a time for renewal. We get a new calendar! A time to start over and give it another shot. Life has bumps, dumps and sinkholes, but it also comes with joy, fun and laughter. I try to lean toward the fun side if at all possible. Being a cranky pants ends up annoying even me, besides others. I’ve always found the best antidote is to MOVE. Do something.

If I’m really upset, I clean. Not only does it accomplish something positive, it also poops me out and gets out some of that bad juju. I can’t keep that stuff inside, it will constipate me in too many ways. Medicinal dark chocolate is a good reward after cleaning too. Just saying.

Here’s wishing you new dreams and adventures in 2017. In the meantime go find a pet to cuddle, a person or a cookie. I’ve got my chips and dips for the holiday weekend. Let the parties begin!

 

 

Making A Thankful List?

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by Kimberly A. Cook               (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Spending time with family and chowing down on turkey, stuffing and pie is always a winner. Each year I think about what I’m thankful for and make a mental list. The more vintage I get in age, the simpler the items on my list have become.

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Nature views like this one by Suttle Lake Lodge.

 

  • A day off to relax.
  • Sleeping in.
  • Real whipped cream on the pies.
  • Mom’s famous lime Jell-O with pineapple and cream cheese.
  • Laughing with family.
  • Gravy.
  • Full tummy.
  • Stopping the rat race for a national holiday.
  • Kitty cuddles.
  • Nap time.
  • Claymation Christmas.
  • Leftovers.
  • Pumpkin pie.
  • Good health.
  • Cozy warm home protecting us from the rain.
  • Taking time to listen.
  • Grateful for the good fortune we have.
  • Remembering family members we have lost but reliving the fun memories.
  • Thankful for the military personnel around the globe protecting us while we relax.
  • A Charlie Brown Christmas.
  • Hoping for peace and goodwill toward all women and men.

Wishing all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Let the competitive napping begin!

A Walk In The Woods?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                      (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Last week I headed out on an adventure with my Mom. Decided to take her to see my favorite places in Eastern Oregon, the town of Sisters to be exact. Showed her all the hot spots from the place where I get my bark pieces at Suttle Lake, to the Crescent Moon Alpaca Farm, the always great Camp Sherman and the Richardson’s Rock Ranch.

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We both tried our hand at taking pictures of this cabin on the Metolius River by Camp Sherman. This one is for my Mom.

 

We had a good time and made memories. The weather was sunny and clear, while it rained back home. Somehow that made it even better. We both took pictures and had fun testing our photo skills. We had laughs, good food and slept a lot. Perfect vacation.

When I attended Elizabeth Gilbert’s author talk last Fall, someone in the audience asked her what was on her bucket list. She said she didn’t have places or things on her list, but people. That hit a very strong cord with me. She took her Mom on a walking trip in Ireland. We had fun in Eastern Oregon.

With the first great days of summer heading towards us, it can be easy to forget to slow down, enjoy friends and family and snooze. Must be time to break out the lawn swing.

Who is on your bucket list to visit with this summer?