Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

holiday

Sending Valentine Wishes

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The Double Delight rose is one of my favorites. You can see why. From my backyard in a past summertime. Ah, summer. Soon…

They say people give the gifts they want to receive, so I must love cards, Dove dark chocolate, and roses. I do! But I can’t push those things through the interweb, so a photo will have to do. Was going to use a picture of my blooming Yuletide Camillias, but it snowed on them last night. They’re a tad droopy and cold this morning.

So, into the archives! Wanted to share a rose bloom from a while ago.

The thing I love most about today is we celebrate love.

And the world needs so much more love these days.

Only one of many reasons I am proud to be a romance author.

Spreading love every day of the year!

Cheers to more love on our planet.

And the comfort only love can provide in challenging times.

Love is the greatest power in the galaxy.

I hope you take some time to be kind to yourself and others today.

And all the fur babies.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

P.S. Happy 164th birthday to the State of Oregon too! 

 

A Veterans Day Reminder

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ARCTIC OCEAN – (From left) Carl Felten, U.S. Coast Guard Ensign Annabelle Gagnon, Merchant Marine Academy Cadet Taylor Crisci, Luc Rainville and Jeremy Wilkinson pull a buoy across the Arctic ice Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, about 350 miles northeast of Barrow, Alaska. The buoy was deployed in the Arctic and contains a series of sensors to measure wind speed and direction, air temperature, barometric pressure and other measurements to study stratified ocean dynamics. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB-20) is underway in the Arctic with about 100 crew members and 30 scientists to deploy sensors, buoys and semi-autonomous submarines to study how environmental factors affect the water below the ice surface for the Office of Naval Research. The Healy, which is homeported in Seattle, is one of two ice breakers in U.S. service and is the only military ship dedicated to conducting research in the Arctic. (NyxoLyno Cangemi/U.S. Coast Guard)

Election Day. Brought to you by the good women, men and military animals of our armed forces, Coast Guard, National Guard, veterans and their families. The first time I voted was by military absentee ballot on a pool table at Fort Carson. Colorado. My Lieutenant had to observe to make sure I complied with the then rules for voting out of state. The Recreation Room seemed the logical place.

For the past twenty years Oregon has had vote-by-mail and I highly recommend it to all the other states. Except Washington and Colorado, they have it too. No online, no clunky machines, mail with a stamp or drop off and a complete vintage paper trail.

This year I even got to track my ballot through the mail using www.ballotscout.org by way of my ballot address bar code. Simple. Effective. Private. And nobody messes with United States Postal Service employees; a lot of veterans work there too.

For those of you who might think twice about getting to a polling place stateside if you need to, don’t. Do it. Vote. The men, women and military animals in these photos are working hard right now around the world to make sure we all keep our right to vote. Use it or lose it.

It’s not like you’re a Marine hiking in Iceland!

Happy Veterans Day on Sunday to all who have served. Thank you for your service to your country.

 

Members of Team Andersen load water purification equipment onto a 36th Airlift Squadron C-130J Super Hercules to be delivered to Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Oct. 28, 2018, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. Service members from Joint Region Marianas and Indo-Pacific Command are providing Department of Defense support to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’ civil and local officials as part of the FEMA-supported Typhoon Yutu recovery efforts. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Donald Hudson)
Candidates participating for the Expert Field Medical Badge disassemble and reassemble an M4 rifle as quickly as possible during the standardization phase of EFMB testing on Fort Bragg, N.C., Oct. 30, 2018. The first week of testing introduces the candidates to all the tasks that they’ll be expected to complete to earn the coveted badge. The EFMB was established to showcase and recognize medical Soldiers for their exceptional skill level and competence in the medical field. The testing consists of a written exam, land navigation, three separate combat testing lanes and concludes with a 12-mile ruck march. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Liem Huynh / 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)
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NORWEGIAN SEA (Oct. 27, 2018) An F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the Sunliners of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 81 is prepared for launch aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) in support of Exercise Trident Juncture 18. With more than 50,000 participants from 31 allied partners, Trident Juncture 18 is taking place in Norway and the surrounding areas of the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea, including Iceland and the airspace of Finland and Sweden. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Thomas Gooley/Released)
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Angela Cardone, a military working dog handler with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, conducts training at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Oct. 19, 2018. Military working dog handlers are military police who are trained to employ a military working dog to conduct searches in open areas, buildings and vehicles. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Seth Rosenberg)
U.S. Marines with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit hike to a cold-weather training site inland, Iceland, Oct. 19, 2018, during Exercise Trident Juncture 18. Trident Juncture training in Iceland promotes key elements of preparing Marines to conduct follow-on training in Norway in the later part of the exercise. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Menelik Collins/Released)

Have A Safe And Fabulous Fourth!

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by Kimberly A. Cook                    (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

It’s our nation’s birthday on Monday and I’ve got a lot to be thankful for these days. The simple things in life are the biggies for me right now. Since my military days I love indoor plumbing, electricity, baggage with wheels, automatic transmissions, not walking post guard at 4 a.m. at Fort Carson, Colorado and a queen size bed to name a few luxuries.

A big shout out to all the military, law enforcement and medical personnel working this long weekend at home and around the world to keep us safe. I salute you all. Thank you.

Sometimes it’s not easy being citizens of the United States of America, but it’s never boring. We may be a very large dysfunctional family at times, be we are family. Have a safe and Happy Fourth of July.

Happy Quirky Friday!