Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

Kimberly A Cook

Congratulations To The Oregon Ducks!

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by Kimberly A. Cook                 (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

My neighbor’s dog may never recover his hearing, but the University of Oregon Ducks won the Rose Bowl yesterday and I cheered and yelled for all I was worth. It’s so nice to see good folks win. Especially when they represent our state. Hat’s off to Florida State for trying, but the Quack Attack undid them in the third quarter. Reminded me of the swarm scene from the movie “The Birds.”

Best of luck to the Ducks in the National Championship, but win or lose, this team is classy and works with the “we” mentality.  And it shows. The team arrives back in Oregon today, so after a 10 minute celebration I know they will be getting back to the business of football to get ready for the next game. In the meantime, thanks for the great memories you’ve already given us. Go Ducks!

P.S. Yes, that is the song “Shout” they are singing at the end, since the movie “Animal House” was filmed at the U of O, it’s a fan classic at the games. Have a great weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!

Moving Into A New Year Of Possibilities?

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by Kimberly A. Cook               (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Here we are getting ready to move into 2015. A New Year brings high hopes and fond memories. Since five is supposed to be a lucky number, I’m thinking good things for all of us ahead. That is my wish for all.

Weather is odd once again, woke up to 25 degrees outside and high winds. But we have brilliant sunshine so I can bundle up no problem. Most of the U.S. is in the Arctic Cold outbreak once again so here are some fun things to do this week.

Spec Ops Cat demonstrating his Olympic level napping skills this week. He's a black belt Nap Master. Watch and learn.
Spec Ops Cat demonstrating his Olympic level napping skills this week. He’s a black belt Nap Master. Watch and learn.

1. Figure out what is bugging you the most and clean it out. Did this recently with the container next to my stove that holds my utensils. Couldn’t even get one more in the container, so sorted it out. Stuffed the overage into the kitchen utensil drawer, so now I need to clean that out. But I accomplished one thing!

2. Take a nap. Spec Ops Cat demonstrates his professional level at this activity in the photo. Remember to relax like a cat. Just wish I was as limber as he is.

3. Play a game from your childhood. Taking the Yahtzee game over for New Year’s Eve celebration treats tomorrow to play with family. Nothing like rolling dice and not losing money to make me a happy woman.

4. Read. A magazine, book, cookbook,  ebook or cereal box. It feels like a guilty pleasure to do this during the day in the sunlight, so count me in!

5. Socialize. Whether your watching the bowl games with friends and family, Go Ducks!, or visiting family and friends during the holidays, make time to bond. Actually listen and talk with people. Unplug! It’s a wonderful thing.

6. Be grateful. It’s easy to get wrapped up in all the stuff and things and expectations, but the true joys in life are the little things; always have been, always will be. My favorites this past week were my sister’s pumpkin bread, a calm and happy Christmas, healthy family and friends, donating books to the library, spending Christmas Eve with my Mom, sleeping in and Spec Ops Cat cuddles. Priceless!

Hoping your holidays are going well and let’s all make fun plans for 2015. Happy New Year!

Spring and Summer are just around the corner!
Spring and Summer are just around the corner!

Wishing Our Military Service Members And Veterans Around The World Peace On Earth

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by Kimberly A. Cook                          (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

While much of the nation heads into the heart of the holiday season today, I want to remember and thank our active duty, reserve and guard service members keeping watch at home and around the world to keep us safe. One of my all time favorite marching band salutes seems appropriate to let them all know we are thinking of them and their families during the holidays. A big thanks to my fellow veterans and always remembrance of the service members and families who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to keep us free. Wishing all Peace and Goodwill.

http://youtu.be/MjPmmCtHmfE

(P.S. In the Coast Guard tribute the boat is upside down for the other side of the grandstand. Of course here at the Oregon Bar where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean, the Coast Guard’s special surf boats are designed to flip upside down and roll back up again. Yikes Coasties!)

So best wishes to all and let’s pass on some fabulous California Raisins for some holiday cheer for the troops!

http://youtu.be/Gs–phzj2TQ

 

Can You Be A Veteran Detective?

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by Kimberly A. Cook           (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

With the holidays only hours away, perhaps you can be a veteran detective this year. What’s that? If you’re with family members or friends who are veterans, see if you can get them to tell you a story or two. Some may not want to talk about their experiences, perfectly okay, but if you can find out their military unit and what years they served, you can do research on your own.

Maybe someone will remember a stash of military letters this holiday season, like these found by my family in my Dad's dresser drawer. Gold mine!
Maybe someone will remember a stash of military letters this holiday season, like these found by my family in my Dad’s dresser drawer. Gold mine!

Many times we don’t ask people about their military stories and they are lost forever.

When journalist Mark Bowden interviewed the soldiers and wrote the book about Somalia  titled “Blackhawk Down,” he found that out first hand. When he asked the military personnel involved why their amazing stories had not been told before, they replied, “Nobody asked.”

If you have time this holiday season, ask some questions and find out a few stories you can write down to keep for memories and t0 honor the veteran who told them, whether she or he even thinks they’re important. Truly listening to someone is an act of love. What better way to celebrate the holidays?

Update: Promised to let you know how the great military records hunt turned out. I filled out the forms and sent them off for my Dad’s World War II records. Found out his were in the fire which destroyed many WWII Army records. I paid $25 to have copies made of what they had and it turned out to be about six pages, two items we already have. So now, more hunting. I’ve actually got more than the archives from Dad’s personal record stash.

We requested my Mom’s military records and she received those. Now I am waiting for my grandfather’s and uncle’s.  Here is the link to the blog post I wrote about how to request military records. https://kimberlyacook.com/2014/07/22/know-how-to-request-military-records/

Wishing all of you a safe and wonderful holiday season.

Blog Programming Note: I’m posting an early Quirky Friday blog post on Christmas Eve, so I’ll be posting again next Tuesday. Thanks for reading!

 

Let’s Celebrate With Penguins And Skating Walruses!

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by Kimberly A. Cook            (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Nothing says holidays like penguins. Well, probably not, but I’m going with it because I can. Another favorite Claymation Christmas clip is the spunky penguins and the annoying walruses (walrusi)? Anyway, the battle over who owns the ice. Power to the penguins!

The sun  is out and I can see how dirty my windows are, so what better activity before the holidays than to ignore the windows and watch skating animals? The big soak is coming this weekend to Oregon. We might get five inches of rain in three days, so prepare the animals for the ark and pack snacks! Shop today while we can still see to drive!

Have a great weekend and Happy Quirky Friday!

 

In The Mood For Chicken And Dumplings?

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by Kimberly A. Cook                     (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

We are in the full court press run up to the holidays and things are getting wacky. From crazed drivers to potluck parties and trying to get two minutes to think, taking a break is a great idea. A comfort food timeout is even better.

Dumplings cooking away on the stove, right before the lid went on. Can you smell the magic?
Dumplings cooking away on the stove, right before the lid went on. Can you smell the magic?

I’ve been trying to make chicken and dumplings for two months and I finally accomplished it Sunday.

My co-worker gave me her quick and easy recipe which included using meat from four leftover baked chicken thighs, 6 cups low sodium chicken broth, 1 bag frozen peas and 1 bag frozen corn, 1 drained jar sliced mushrooms, 3 stalks cut up celery, 1 bag cut up baby carrots, minced garlic, 1 small white onion and 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil to sauté the onions and then veggies.

The fun part was making the dumplings. All it required was 2/3 cup of Heart Smart Bisquick mix and 3 tablespoons of milk. Mix together and drop on top of the simmering soup, leave for 10 minutes uncovered and then put the lid on for another 10 minutes and dumplings! Too easy.

When I got home from the day job on Monday night, heating up the chicken and dumpling leftovers in the microwave was super easy and left me to watch Monday Night Football. Sometimes we just need to slow down and smell the dumplings.

You could even put these dumplings on top of canned soup. The possibilities are endless. Try the Crock Pot too. The next best thing to Bisquick strawberry shortcakes is dumplings. So take some time in this busy holiday season to treat yourself. Dumplings for all!