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Military Romance Author

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holidays

It’s Holiday Hustle Time! Or Not

November 30, 2022 By Kimberly A. Cook 5 Comments

Holiday hustle
Walked into the big box store on October 17 and was greeted by this. Gah! But isn’t the penguin cute?

Everybody still full of turkey? Not me. Due to my sister’s dental surgery, we opted for spaghetti take-out this year. With garlic cheesy bread. I’d give up the keys to the kingdom for that amazing delicacy. Since I figured spumoni ice cream did not go with pumpkin pie, I adapted and made brownies instead. Worked like a charm. No complaints.

I’ve made my holiday gift list and pulled down the box of Christmas cards to mail. No idea when that will happen. The shoemaker elves appear to have gone to the North Pole for better wages, because they’re not in my house.

My current work in process has moved out of town with my editor, who sold her house and had to move in two weeks flat. It’s a miracle the manuscript isn’t in their storage PODS waiting for delivery. Yes, we are old school. She edits on actual paper. So do I. Computer screens are tricky and can disguise and change words without your knowledge. That’s my excuse and I’m using it.

Then this past week, I decided to rip my home office apart and purge and reorganize books. Do not attempt this without massive amounts of chocolate on hand. Everything was going great until I realized the cable connection would be behind the tall bookcase. Sigh.

A five-day craft project ensued to move the cable box using a sheetrock saw, drill, tape, mud, sanding, and texturing from my construction Ninja friend. My desk and office were draped in pink sheets. Dusting and vacuuming happened. Then I applied two coats of paint after hunting down the original color chip and getting it matched. 

Today the books go in the bookcase!

I think that epitomizes the past couple years. No matter what you start out to do, something is going to make it a challenge. For those of us not quite ready to go prime time with naked faces, heading outside to be with people seems like a complete Indiana Jones type adventure. More snakes and rolling rocks than fun treasure. And that’s okay.

I’ve always walked to a different drummer, expect during Army basic training, but every person on this planet has a story about this pandemic. We’re all doing the best we can, except for the usual outliers who prefer crazy all the time. I’m going for boring.

We’ve had enough drama. With all that is going on in the world, you have my permission to hide under your bed until 2023. I plan on doing that myself.

But I bet I will find dust bunnies I need to clean.

First world problems.

Know there are others out here with anxiety issues, holiday stress, lockdown syndrome, and obsessive-compulsive office rearranging impulses. I’ve got all of those on any given day. Reach out for help when you need it. That makes you a mental health warrior and a badass. Trust me.

We don’t know how to do all the things all the time.

That’s why coaches get big bucks to teach the rest of us how to do things from football to writing.

Same goes for mental health; get a coach if you need one. That might be a friend, a pet, or a professional counselor.

Last time I checked the majority of us were not around during the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic, so this pandemic rolling dumpster fire is new for all of us. And apparently relentless. Nobody make a song about Covid, flu and RSV unless the Minions sing it.

For those of us in the sexy senior category, it does feel a bit like we have targets on our butts. But don’t count us Baby Boomers or our older scouts out. We grew up without seat belts, bike helmets, the Internet, and cell phones. We have vintage skills, survival know how, and power tools.

And we are happy to welcome the Zoomers, aka Gen Z born 1997 – 2012, to the table who have gotten a baptism by fire and appear up to the challenge. Whatever the cool word is now, you folks are that. I salute you.

As we move into holiday central, be kind to yourself and others.

And feel free to make brownies. It helps.

Thank you to all our veterans, active duty, reserve and guard military members, hospital and medical staff, law enforcement, and fire fighter personnel for keeping us safe 24/7 around the globe.

Santa has you on the very nice list.

Digital hugs to all and to all a good night!

P.S. There are never enough cat videos and this month our local feline celebrity is my favorite! I give you OwlKitty!

 

“It’s Holiday Hustle Time! Or Not,” copyright © 2022 by Kimberly A. Cook. Image at top of the blog copyright © 2022 by Kimberly A. Cook

 

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Filed Under: home Tagged With: baby boomer women, cats, holiday hustle, holiday stress, holidays, It's Holiday Hustle Time! Or Not, Kimberly A. Cook, later in life romance readers, mental health, military, military romance readers, owlkitty, romance readers, Top Gun with a Cat, veterans

Need A Break From The Holi-Daze?

December 17, 2019 By Kimberly A. Cook 4 Comments

Kimberly A. Cook
Spec Ops Cat offers his holiday advice. Including letting me know it’s time to scram with the camera, so he can nap.

It’s official. The holiday crazies are here. At a time of year when life is normally hectic, between crazy weather and a quick-turn between Thanksgiving and the holidays, coping is required. No matter how I try to slow down the days, get organized, and stay on top of things; life happens.

So here are a few tips for my fellow crazed humans trying to survive this time of the year. Heads up. If you’re visiting Costco from now until New Years, it’s official combat shopping season in that arena. Be prepared, take your patience, and pack protein snacks.

At any point in the day, except while driving snowplows or piloting the space station; sit, stay, breathe, blink, repeat.

This is a hectic time for family pets too. Make sure you give them the required cuddle time to calm their nerves. And yours. A two-fer!

Making memories doesn’t require money. A visit and laugh with a good friend does make the world go round.

Everybody has hard times. Reach out to others you know who could use a boost. Positivity is catching.

Get some rest. I saw a USPS truck being towed away yesterday. Obviously it had given it’s all for the busiest season. Nap like a champ.

It’s okay to buy pre-made cookie dough. I have three rolls in my refrigerator right now.  Remember, Martha Stewart has 300 staff. We don’t.

As long as Christmas/holiday cards are mailed before or after the holiday, they count. Friends understand and are just glad to hear from you.

There are no calories in December. Just know they rollover to January, like a cell phone plan.

Cozy is a good four-letter word. Practice it.

We miss folks we have lost this time of year, so let’s revisit a favorite happy memory to be grateful they were in our lives.

The Winter Solstice arrives this weekend. Shortest day of the year? Done! We get another minute of light! Wear your Hawaiian shirts!

If you missed National Chocolate-Covered Anything day on Monday, feel free to celebrate late. It’s all good.

Need more light this time of year? I switched my light bulbs from soft to daylight in the bathroom and about fried my retinas. I may be seeing things I’d rather not, but my body thinks its Maui in there. Wear sunglasses if necessary. Who needs makeup?

Send good wishes and prayers for all the folks dealing with family and health challenges this time of year. And all the first responders and medical staff working to support them. There are angels amongst us.

Buy yourself a present. There are tons of cool and fun things at Dollar Tree. Like my pink paper clip holder in the shape of a mini to-go coffee cup. Cute, functional, and cheap. Three of my favorite words.

Hugs are power transfers from one person to another. Ask permission first when it comes to strangers.

Greet the bell ringers and wish them happy holidays. Thank them for their volunteer time. Give a buck or two if you can.

Take time for yourself. Even five minutes. Take a walk, watch the sunrise, or refill the hummingbird feeder.

Say a wish of gratitude for all our troops serving around the world and their families who support them, whether they are home or far away.

Keep an eye out for Santa. The North American Aerospace Defense Command is on the job clearing his air space. The NORAD Santa Tracker launches in six days.  Rudolph on point.

Hugs and happiness to all my blog readers. You guys are fabulous and extremely good looking.

Let’s gear up for 2020!

Right after I eat all the cookies and finish the eggnog.

 

“Need A Break From The Holi-Daze?” Copyright © 2019 by Kimberly A. Cook. Image Copyright © 2019 by Kimberly A. Cook.

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Filed Under: joy Tagged With: cat, cats, Christmas, Christmas cookies, cookies, coping, December, hectic holidays, holiday blues, holiday stress, holidays, Kimberly A. Cook, Matchmaker Cat, memories, military, military romance, Need A Break From The Holi-Daze?, NORAD, pets, romance readers, SADS, Santa Tracker, stress, USPS, veterans, Vintage Veterans

Pumpkin Attack, Cinnamon Rolls Or Speedy Squirrel?

October 31, 2019 By Kimberly A. Cook Leave a Comment

Packer Farm Pumpkin Patch Hood River

Fall is officially here. I can’t deny it. During this time of year I have two distinct urges:

  1. Stay in my cozy warm bed in the morning and eat an entire pan of warm cinnamon rolls.
  2. Rush around like a squirrel on two double=espressos preparing for the winter zombie apocalypse.

The challenge is I’d look to do both at the exact same time. Does not work out. So far. And Spec Ops Cat refuses to deliver any type of warm food to my bed, so I must get up and feed him breakfast. And the time change is coming this weekend, so I have even greater incentive to linger in bed!

Last month I went on vacation for a week and had a hard time getting out of mosey mode. But I did since I was editing another book, Spec Ops Pig, which is now available on Amazon. Romantic comedy if you need a laugh. It’s the first book in the Matchmaker Cat series, starring our very own Spec Ops Cat, a spin-off from my earlier Vintage Veterans series, Mission: Purple Hearts.

Now I am editing the sequel to Mission: Purple Hearts. Whoever made up this schedule needs a firm talking to; that would be me. Dang it. So, I escape the computer when I can and head out into the wilds.

Earlier this month that included the Packer Orchards & Farm Place pumpkin patch in Hood River. There were rocking chairs in the orchards and the pumpkin patch! My kind of place. Photo above. It was a bit breezy. Bundle up time.

But now I need to get back to editing, so I leave you with this Happy Halloween video. This is one YouTube Channel I follow for research and enlightenment. Shawn Ryan’s Vigilance Elite Channel. He is a former Navy SEAL and CIA contractor. Great guy. Pretty sure pumpkins were harmed in the making of this video. 

Happy Halloween!

 

 

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Filed Under: Fiction Writing Tagged With: Cinnamon Rolls or Speedy Squirrel?, Fall, fiction, Halloween, holiday stress, holidays, Hood River, Kimberly A. Cook, military, military romance fiction, Mission: Purple Hearts, Navy SEALs, pop smoke, Pumpkin Attack, Pumpkin carving, romance readers, Spec Ops Pig, Warrior Tales

How About Naughty And Nice?

December 18, 2018 By Kimberly A. Cook 1 Comment

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

 

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Filed Under: home Tagged With: Be a kid again, Crafters Companion, enjoy the season, holiday season, holiday stress, holidays, How About Naughty And Nice?, Kimberly A. Cook, Santa, toys

Friday Finds And Holiday Crazies

November 30, 2018 By Kimberly A. Cook Leave a Comment

Digging out of the trenches. Okay, I still have one foot in the mud from moving from my eleven-year-old computer to the new one. I’ve been dreading this, but almost done! So when one of the YouTube channels I follow had a quick video on feeling overwhelmed and anxious, what better gift to forward for everybody. It is the holiday crazies!

Then I wanted to wind up with a calming hour of holiday music and snow. You can watch for a few minutes or an hour. Relax. Get a cup of cocoa and breathe.

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

P.S. These new computer keyboard keys are really SHORT.

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Quirky Fridays Tagged With: anxiety, be kind to yourself, decompress, Do It On A DIme, Friday Finds And Holiday Crazies, holiday crazies, holiday stress, holidays, Kimberly A. Cook, PTSD, relax, screw perfect, stress, Warrior Tales, writer life

Happy Thanksgiving Eve

November 21, 2018 By Kimberly A. Cook 3 Comments

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!

 

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Filed Under: Food Tagged With: authors, CA wildfires, family, holidays, intelligence, Kimberly A. Cook, Law Enforcement, military, support the troops, Thanksgiving, veterans, Warrior Tales, writers

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