Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

Kimberly A. Cook

December Daydreams And Gnome Gratitude

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I haven’t gotten everything done on my to do list this year. I’m not even sure where the to do list is in the house. And I think there are several. One is on a steno pad. So I wouldn’t misplace it. Like that worked!

Not that I’m disorganized. The darn lists breed like rabbits. Don’t get me started on the Post-It Notes. I prefer to think of 2020 as overwrought. A nice Jane Austen kind of term for batsh*t crazy.

How do I cope right now? Denial and decorating. Didn’t have time to make my home festive the past two years, so I went a little nuts this November. And started early. I blame the gnomes at Dollar Tree, who showed up in October. Luckily, I pounced on the one I found like the combat shopper I am, because gnome mania hit. Scouring Dollar Trees masked up and spraying hand sanitizer became a new Olympic sport.

When I saw one YouTuber DT haul who ordered a case of the big gnomes, my thought? “Why didn’t I think of that?” I could have been the gnome elf, dropping off the little guys to friends and family doorsteps far and wide. Okay, my neighborhood is now far and wide, but you get the drift.

In the midst of my decorating frenzy before turkey day, my sister called. “What ya doing?” “Dressing my bear in his reindeer outfit.” Didn’t even phase her, she knows me. We find our jollies where we can this year.

Reflections on 2020? Almost over kids. Can’t wait to kick big parts of it to the curb.

But. There are many things I am grateful for at the end of this hairball of a year. I’ve kept a gratitude journal for over a decade now. It reminds me every night before I go to bed of the five things I appreciate from that day. Many times there are more than five. Some days it’s a challenge, but I always find five.

If I’m in a real bind, chocolate and cookies are always a topic. But most of the entries are family and friends support, noticing nature, sleep, and always the helpers; whether nurses, doctors, firefighters, law enforcement, frontline workers, veterans, active, reserve and guard military members. And our scientist warriors nailing it on vaccine developments. Science is sexy!

Normal holiday seasons are always fraught with peril; whether family disfunction, too high expectations, tight finances, crazy travel, or all four. I’m praying for boring holidays this year. Everybody go to their rooms and stay there. Cuddle up, wear sweats, Zoom friends and family, and make your fur baby’s day. Avoid holiday travel in any weather.

Take a complete time out for the holidays. As much as you can. No awkward work holiday parties. You can dress up from the waist up for Zoom. Be safe. Be sane. Save our health care worker’s lives and the ICU beds. Standing down in the military is called rest and relaxation. R&R. Even warriors have to come off the line. Now we can do it for those who can’t stay home for the holidays.

Stay cozy at home America!

P.S. If you’d like an ebook to read, Semper Parrot, my latest romantic comedy is available on Amazon. Or, you can dress your teddy bears!

Semper Parrot

 

 

Stomping Pumpkins Time!

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We’re going to be okay folks. There are cases of canned Libby pumpkin in my grocery store. Along with pallets of holiday baking ingredients. In a world gone wild, I focus on the few things I can control to relieve stress. Like baking pumpkin pies. As we head into the thick of the holiday season, buy your goodies, ingredients, and plan to snuggle in for the cold weather.

It’s cookie and hot cocoa time!

Life has been a blur these past two months, and now it’s almost Halloween. Egad!

My theme for this past year was “Simplify Everything.” I flunked. Because life has a way of throwing any plan into chaos. Especially in 2020.

I’ve added two more themes for next year. “Make Do” and “Good Enough.”

Simplify Everything. Make Do. Good Enough.

I think using those six words is about all I can handle for life goals right now.

Feel free to use them if you like.

Now is a time to be kind to ourselves. To say it’s been a crazy year is the ultimate understatement.

So let’s make cookies, find our favorite tv watching blanket, and snuggle in.

Two words. Baby Yoda.

So besides the annual pumpkin smash at the Oregon Zoo, let’s see more of Padu, our favorite Red Panda driving his mom nuts. 

Enjoy!

 

When Wildfires Come Calling

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Kimberly A. Cook

Is September gone? REALLY gone? I made one Instagram post about Smokey The Bear and being safe in the woods on Labor Day weekend. Then Mother Nature decided to burn down Oregon. We finally got rain during an epic three-fifteen a.m. thunder and lightning show over my house and the fires on September 19th.

The above photo is what heaven looks like; rain on my back deck compete with ash on the side and one of my favorite glass blown paperweights. 

A huge salute to all our professional, volunteer, and citizen volunteer fire warriors. Also to the fire fighters who came from across the United States and the world to help us. Those men and women are true angels. They continue to fight on here and in California, Washington, and Colorado, to name a few other states still on fire.

Also a huge debt of gratitude to all the helpers who pitched in to evacuate horses, goats, llamas, pigs, alpacas, sheep, cattle, cats, dogs, birds, and you name it. We love our animals in this state and folks did their best to try and get everyone out.

We lost lives we can never replace. And some are still missing. Our compassion and shared sorrow surrounds those families.

But if not for the actions of such dedicated firefighters as Upper McKenzie Fire District Chief Rainbow, plus the Idanha-Detroit RFPD Volunteers, and all the city, sheriff, and state law enforcement personnel, the death toll would have been so much greater.

Mother Nature gave us epic high winds during a drought fire season. The equivalent of taking a blowtorch to a match stick factory storage room. When fire moves seventeen miles in five hours, you better have wheels and a clear road. That didn’t happen for everyone.

Then to pile on, Mother Nature tried to suffocate us with a weather inversion of smoke and the worst air quality in the world. For days. I’ve never been a big fan of the color orange, except on pumpkins, but that smoke messed with breathing. I really like my oxygen pure.  

While I was on Level One fire evacuation notice for a week, my family didn’t have to leave. SO GRATEFUL. I had close friends who did, and more who were on level two orders. 

So you might ask, what does a former military veteran author stuff in the car when you get the notice?

  1. Water
  2. Emergency meal bucket with 150 dried meals
  3. My external hard drive, all my SD memory cards, thumb drives, and cameras, phone and chargers
  4. My two in progress hard copy fiction manuscripts
  5. Cat carrier, cat food, litter, litter box, cat bed and toys
  6. Clothes, coats, personal hygiene items, drugs, precious jewelry
  7. Bedding, pillows, more food
  8. Rope, tarp, folding chairs
  9. There is always a go bag and emergency kit in the car.   

     For starters. 

I made an unpack list when we finally got the all clear, to assess my decisions, but I took my time over several days to unpack Subie; because Mother Nature is tricky.

The interesting parts are the weird thoughts you have with yourself. From my office desk I took four items. A Minion stress squeeze toy, two glass heart paperweights, and a plaque that says “Everyday a new story begins.”

An odd discussion I had with my sister revolved around whether I should pack Dad’s ashes. We agreed yes, since she thought it wouldn’t be right for him to be cremated twice. These are the odd things you ponder when you have the luxury of time. Think ahead folks.

And now Mother Nature continues to play Disaster Bingo in the Gulf Coast with another hurricane. Planet Earth needs a reboot!

So that’s what I’ve been up to. Also checking on friends and neighbors who are now back home and finding other friends whose families have lost homes.

Oregon’s official state animal is the beaver. And boy, howdy, we are going to rebuild our state and help each other out with that animal spirit. 

Filbert and Maple are on the job now at the Oregon Zoo, building.

Stay safe, sane, and get your emergency list prepared people. It’s still 2020!

Romance Books? Especially In Pandemic Times

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When last we chatted, my goal was to get my next book out pronto. Nothing happens fast during a pandemic, except transmission. Bollocks!

But with dogged determination, lots of cookies, and too many donuts in the house, my new book is out. Only about seven monthsMission: Canine Hearts behind schedule. I’m giving myself an A for effort. Because I could write like a wild woman in lockdown, but not edit. Brain fade, fog, or avoidance. Let’s assume all three.  Then family medical issues, not Covid. Focus can be a challenge. Right?

Please check out my new book, Mission: Canine Hearts.

Enough marketing. Back to our regular programming.

It seems, for some unknown reason, I can upload pictures again. Priceless! Through the power of procrastination, somebody in WordPress-land fixed that debacle from several months ago. Thank you so much. I hope it lasts. So, to celebrate before I lose that capacity again, let’s look at some pics!

@#$%^ Spoke too soon. I have to make my pics smaller. Argh! I’m sure it’s a pixel issue. Let me hunt down the frozen chocolate donuts first.

In that case, let’s look at some videos! This Oregon Zoo video made me howl a few weeks ago because it is exactly what’s been happening in my fiction critique group Zoom meetings. Someone’s tech is always going sideways. For no rhyme or reason, but we plow on. And look a lot like these humongo Hornbills in front of the webcams. Either Claudia’s smoke alarm beeps when we meet, never at any other time, or we can’t see Cindy.

She has tried to get us to see her face. Halfway through our last meeting, Cindy’s face popped up from a black screen and startled the rest of us. I’ve had to hack in from the main web site when the prior meeting email worked fine. Such are the times we live in. I like everyone’s creativity and the willingness to adapt.

Soapbox alert. The Army and Air Force taught me that masks save lives. Mine and others. Whether it’s a gas mask or an oxygen mask, they work. It’s an educational moment to be standing in the gas chamber in Army basic training. You can feel your skin crawl when they pop the gas. You learn to trust your mask in the chamber.

Then they make you take off your mask to really appreciate it. You have to repeat your name, rank, and something else unimportant, to keep you inside long enough to take a fine whiff of chemicals before getting permission to leave. Very educational.

Our scientists, healthcare personnel, and essential frontline workers have become our modern day fighter pilots, like in the movie Independence Day. As ground support crew to them, our cloth face masks are one crucial tool to fight this global enemy and support our new pandemic fighter pilots. Mask up America!

Off my soapbox. Where was I? See, this is what happens during these times. Squirrel!

I’d like to close with a few items I’ve been doing to keep me from going nuts. (And I bet you think it’s not working!) 

  1. Taking walks.
  2. Listening to Great Meditation on YouTube
  3. Following The Minimal Mom on YouTube to help edit out the clutter in my home.
  4. Watching way too many YouTube videos.
  5. Major League Baseball. (I’m an NFL gal, but I’m enjoying their efforts. Calms me down.)
  6. Giving myself a break. If we only get one thing done a day, bloody brilliant!
  7. Taking flower pictures.
  8. Laughing with friends on the phone and on Zoom.
  9. Filling up my local Goodwill with donations.
  10. Writing things in my After Pandemic To Do booklet.
  11. Being grateful to write the stories of my heart.

Hope you are all healthy, safe, and coping. Hugs to all. We are in this big earth SUV together, so let’s quit fighting in the backseat and get along.

Moving forward together is the best way to defeat this damn virus. Onward America! 

We’ve got a lot of work to do.

Right after I chomp on a frozen chocolate donut.

Blessings.  

And because we need it. The Red Panda cub at the Oregon Zoo!

 

 

Pandemic Puttering In Place?

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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!

Happy Valentines Day! Eat Cake!

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This is the mini chocolate cake I made for my Mom’s 94th birthday. I took a picture of today’s, but WordPress won’t let me upload it. Gah! Suffice it to say, it looks like this, but on a red heart plate. I use Betty Crocker Super Moist Devil’s Food cake mix and also Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy milk chocolate frosting. In case you need the secret recipe. For emergencies.

Happy New Year! Happy Valentines Day! I lost a month. More like two. Actually three, to be exact. Long story short, my mom had medical challenges and three months later here we are, coming out the other side. Tonight we get to celebrate her 95th birthday at her new Assisted Living home.

Since she is also a Valentines Day baby, it is especially sweet she is doing much better and we know she has a fabulous group of minions helping her out. Besides my sister and myself. We’re good, but very human. We wear down.

So now that mom has more staff, we are trying to get back on track with our to do lists, right after we finish clearing out her apartment this next week. And sell the car. And sort paper files.

Can we chat about stuff? I had too much of my own mess before this move. Still haven’t cleaned out all the stuff from Mom’s prior move two years ago.

If you’re thinking about downsizing or moving, start cleaning out yesterday. But not my new craft supplies I purchased when I had five or ten minutes to kill between running errands, buying groceries, and helping mom. I call it craft therapy for when you don’t have time to get to an actual therapist.          

On this holiday I am grateful for family, friends, hugs and well wishes. Good thoughts helped too. Especially appreciated my friend Kathy helping me wrangle two bookcases, one LaZBoy, and a very stout round kitchen table into my house. My dad built the kitchen table in my youth and it could withstand a nuclear blast.

It also didn’t fit inside the hatchback. I volunteered to be ballast and we drove with the tabletop on the bumper and me holding on for dear life to the bottom pedestal. It was a long block, but we made it. Now Spec Ops Cat thinks he has a new cat enrichment gym. And I need to rearrange my house and get rid of more overstuffed chairs. Still stuff.

While we celebrate this day of giving thanks for love, I want to acknowledge all the good in this world. Especially by the people who give a small part of themselves when they don’t realize how much it can mean to a brain dead, exhausted caregiver unable to even do simple math. Bless you all.

Like texts from friends just checking in, when they know all you’ve got time for is to maybe send an emoji. And they still care.

Grocery checkers who smile at you and make you laugh, when you really need a lift to your spirits.

Medical professionals who can’t give you a definite answer, but try to help.

Your dentist gets you in pronto to fix a tooth you just broke in half eating a Wheat Thin.

Your brother-in-law figures out why the new GFCI plug isn’t working so you don’t have to keep manually hurking your garage door up and tripping over the extension cord running from the house to the freezer in the garage.

Les Schwab mechanic angels figure out your flashing low tire pressure light isn’t right, but it needs to be replaced. And they do it.

The two sets of craft stamps you really want and thought you missed, miraculously show up on a flying trip in and out of Tuesday Morning.

Chocolate chip cookies, Goobers, cinnamon toast, a Big Mac and fries. And I only started gaining weight this week. It’s back to chicken, broccoli and rice!

For all the caregivers out there, hugs and best wishes. There are no calories for you today. Really. Take a deep breath. Now another. You’ve earned it.

Yes, you can make a cake just for yourself. Or buy cupcakes, cookies, or anything else you need to cope. And there are free meditation lessons on YouTube.

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day everybody!