Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

Kimberly A Cook

Up For A Joust?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                  (Twitter@   WarriorTales)

In line with this week’s romance theme, thought it time to check out a joust. While in the Air Force Reserve in the summer of 1990 I spent a couple months working at The Pentagon. One weekend a fellow officer and I rented a car and drove to a Renaissance Fair with horse jousting. I pretty much parked my butt in the bleachers the entire day and watched.

The Tennessee jousters in this video are true athletes and horse folk. Check it out, but don’t try this at home.

Have a safe weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!

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?

 

 

 

Time For The Gummy Bear Dance!

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by Kimberly A. Cook                (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

You can’t beat a classic. This little bear always makes me smile, so let’s watch again. Everybody dance!

Have a great weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!

 

Big Bark, Fairies And Spring?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                         (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Last Saturday at my fiction critique group, my author buddy Cindy Hiday surprised me with a gift. When I unwrapped the item, it was a humongo piece of bark. Score! She felt it might be perfect for the Fairy Rock Garden. It fell off firewood she and her Air Force veteran hubby were unloading.

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What a beautiful bark piece. It’s drying out in the front foyer, watched over by garden bunny. This may become a fairy diorama… 

 

Cindy’s husband joked if she needed any bark. “Yes, for Kim,” she replied. He’s learned just to go with it when these events happen and my name comes up. Very smart man.

Another writer in our group puzzled by the bark present wanted me to explain my Fairy Rock Garden. Most Fairy Gardens are little scenes in the garden with plants and mini-furniture and houses in pots or tucked under trees.

In my case, I decided to make a Fairy Rock Garden so I don’t have to deal with the plants either. I have the start of an entire development; more rocks, less plants to water. My fascination with Fairy Gardens started while attending Camp Fire summer day camp at Camp Nadaka.

We split nut shells to make fairy bowls and put them on top of tiny wood tables we made in the forest. That’s all it took for my imagination to take flight. Also explains why “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is my favorite Shakespeare play; fairies rule.

On the way home from our fiction critique group, I stopped at Joann Fabrics to pick up some bead craft containers. When I walked in the door, this is what I saw to my right.

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Flipping Fairy Garden gear everywhere! On sale too!

 

I almost screamed. Fairy Garden booty as far as the eye could see. I immediately began taking photos. The thirty percent off tags were very tempting, but I only bought two things. Think I was so overwhelmed with joy I couldn’t shop. Hard to believe, but true.

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You can get apple houses.

 

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Or stone and moss houses.

 

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Or lawn swings and camp fires and Welcome doors.

 

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Or a chicken coop. They even have rabbit hutches.

 

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I had to buy the Fairies Welcome sign on the left. Then I purchased a little round wood table with cookies on a platter and a pink tea pot. Priceless.

 

If you want to get some Bloom Room Littles, then Joann Fabrics is the place to go. But not before I get back to clear out some fairy garden stock. I have coupons for Thursday. Good thing I’ve got a Subaru Forester for hauling.

Got Fairy Garden furniture and accessories? Let’s all get ready to play in the dirt!

 

P.S. Checked online and the Camp Fire Organization sold the former Camp Nadaka in 1995 to the city of Gresham, Oregon. It is now the Nadaka Nature Park, 10-acres of natural area and a 2-acre neighborhood park on the former Nelson property.

Check out these clean-up and construction pictures which just happen to show some big fairy houses. Told ya!     http://friendsofnadaka.org/photos/

Football, Felines, Food And Fufu!

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by Kimberly A. Cook                    (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Break out the dip, chips and snacks, its the great football weekend of Kitten Bowl IV! I know you’ve all been looking forward to it, but we’re concerned about field conditions given the weather. Seems the ground keeper plow puppies have it under control. Snow removal is on target.

There is also that other game between the Falcons and Patriots, but Kitten Bowl IV comes on first on the Hallmark Channel and repeats all day. Go cathletes!

Have a great SAFE weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!

P.S. So happy to know Fufu the predicting hedgehog at the Oregon Zoo overturned Groundhog Phil’s forecast yesterday. Early Spring here we come. Girl hedgehog power! FuFu rocks!

Can Warm Memories Fight Snowmares?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                  (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Mother Nature is cranky. We just got a Special Weather Statement predicting another snowstorm and possible freezing rain. Weather Service says small accumulation, tv stations say two to four inches; last time they both predicted that we got a foot of snow followed by ice. Sigh.

I’m sure the ice cream and chip rush is on at the grocery stores, especially with Super Bowl this weekend. Snacks rule! Since December when this weird weather started, I’ve cleaned out my bathroom cabinets and drawers, my pantry, three stacks of old newspapers and started my taxes. At this rate my house will be spotless by May, a rare occurrence.

So to perk us all up, I’ve decided to recycle some of my favorite photos. I need to remind myself there is a warm season when my toes can run naked in sandals, I don’t have to wear four layers of clothes and there are actual rose blooms in my backyard. Note to self, must get busy on more Fairy Rock Garden building plans….

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My favorite place on the planet, my lawn swing. Nap heaven.

 

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The Double Delight. A favorite rose in my back yard.

 

 

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Chipmunk hijinks! This Batman and Robin pair in Eastern Oregon gave me a run for my money to catch their pic.
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Let’s not forget the berry bounty! Before baking it looks fabulous. After, not so much. More practice needed.

 

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And a sunny summer day at Depoe Bay, Oregon. Break out the flip flops!