Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

SADS

Need A Break From The Holi-Daze?

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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.

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!

Signs of Spring?

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by Kimberly A. Cook               (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Spent part of Sunday dragging things out of the house into the garage between football games; some folks call it cleaning, I call it pile management. On one such trip I heard a chorus of birds that sounded like an invasion. Looking up I tried to find geese, but no birds.

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A reminder of one of my favorite roses, the Double Delight. These blooms will return right after Spring!  

 

Following the cacophony around to the front of the house, I spied a bird convention taking place across the street in a very large tree. Birds were packed in like sardines; which is an odd visual if you think about it.

Too dark outside to grab the camera, I fished the camcorder out and tried to focus and get the sound. Got a few clips, but still couldn’t tell which kind of birds. Maybe crows? Either way, it’s a sure sign of Spring when the birdies start to return and congregate.

I noticed the heads of daffodils peaking above the ground over at my Mom’s house on Saturday. Since she’s in a warmer area her daffodils always beat my daffodils out of the ground. Her yard maintenance folks had also trimmed the roses, which I wait to do until President’s Day. Yet another sign of Spring.

Since we were drowned in December with 17 inches of rain, any sign of the round yellow orb causes us to rush out of our homes like Meerkats and squint at the sky. Monday was a no rain day and I had to scramble to find my sunglasses. That sun thing is bright!

Of course, according to the retail world, Valentine’s Day shopping started two days after Christmas. I kid you not. I went to the store to find holiday bows and wrapping on sale.

The bows had vanished and the only gift wrapping paper left was the weird designs, you know the ones, grumpy Santa’s, odd elves and goth reindeer. I walked around the end of the holiday treats on markdown and smacked into the Valentine’s Day candy. Rows of it. On December 28th!

While I can’t wait for Spring, my favorite time of year, I think I’ll pay attention to nature’s calendar and ignore the retail buying calendar. On Jan. 4th we had snow and ice. This past weekend the retail ads had bikinis on sale. Stock up on flip flops now!

Got signs of Spring?

Ready For A Holiday Time Out?

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by Kimberly A. Cook           (Twitter@  WarriorTales)

Between fighting the creeping crud the last three weeks, dark nights, wind, rain, holiday craziness, news nightmares, and a neighborhood zoning fiasco that would break Ghandi’s patience, it’s Holiday Time Out Time.

What do I do when the Grinch grumpies hit this time of year? I have a plan of attack. First I bake. Food therapy. Sunday’s treat of choice was a box mix of poppy seed muffins. Perfect. I used up some leftover milk and all I had to do was stir.

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After tons of time watching the Barefoot Contessa on HGTV, I use the big scoop to transfer the batter from the bowl to the muffin tins. Works like a charm. Much faster too. I do the same for cookie batter except I use the smaller scoop. Tip: you have to push the round dough balls down for cookies. Took me awhile to figure that out, had cookie globes for a bit.

Next on the agenda is to move. While I may need to have the LaZBoy surgically removed from my butt after this siege and replenish my tissue stockpile, moving is the key to getting energy and endorphins.

I always like to start with what’s bugging me the most in the house. Sunday it turned out to be the toilet bowls. Yucky. After a quick cleaning I felt much better and happier. Sometimes it’s the  dishes, or vacuuming or piles of mail, but this time it was the toilet bowls.

Then I get on the treadmill for at least ten minutes. When you’re trying to get energy back you have to expend energy. It’s some stupid physics law, but it’s true. Always add my workout tunes – disco to movie themes – and that helps too. Grinchy moods don’t like music.

Then I work up to walking twenty to thirty minutes a day. It really helps having a treadmill in the Oregon monsoon season, since we have flood warnings this week I prefer to walk inside instead of using a scuba suit and rubber raft.

Third action on the Grinch grumpies be gone list is to create.  Anything. It can range from my holiday shopping list to printing out photos or gluing on the top bead to the mini Christmas tree that fell off. Wrapping a present works too.

Any hands on activity helps the left brain relax and the right brain engage. Another reason I’m taking my knitting back to the day job. Knitting also keeps me from eating since it’s hard to snack and eat at the same time as it mucks up the yarn. A good way to prevent too much holiday grazing.

Last but not least I review my gratitude list. Since I write down five things every night I’m grateful for, it’s always a good time to sit and ponder any time of day and reflect on my blessings. Some days it’s clean toilet bowls, kitty hugs, friends, family and sleeping in on a day off.

And today it’s knowing there are some fine folks out there willing to read my little blog and make comments or likes and communicate with me. Those are Big Magic Moments Thank you. And before I know it the Grinch grumpies are gone!

So my Grinch grumpies be gone action plan is bake, move, create, and gratitude. What’s yours? Got clean toilet bowls? Poppy seed muffins? 

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