Kimberly A. Cook

Military Romance Author

Valentine's Day

Happy Galentine’s and Valentine’s Days!

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Happy Galentine’s Day Eve and almost Valentine’s Day!

As a romance writer, this is my season. It’s the best time to shop for Valentine goodies to decorate my home office. I start doing recon in January to get the good stuff. And this year I scored big time. A welcome mat with Snoopy mailing Valentine’s Day cards. On sale. For $13.99. (See above)

Pretty sure it’s staying outside until the Turkey mat switches in November. If I can get a perfect Valentine doormat on sale? Golden. It was the last one. Obviously, divine intervention.

My rations are stocked up too. A new candy obsession is the Reese’s thin peanut butter cups made with dark chocolate. Be still my heart. Somehow, I’ve convinced myself they save calories. I write fiction for a reason, people.

We are having crisp weather here in Oregon with lots of sun. But that ends early tomorrow morning with potential snow and freezing rain. Always a good time to stay inside when my neighborhood becomes a skating rink. After all, tonight is the full Snow Moon. But I switched out my dead TV cable box all by myself, so let the romantic comedy movies play!

Sending you all Galentine’s and Valentine’s Day wishes.

And candy, if I could. You know my top favorite right now.

Never forget.

Love is the most powerful force in the world.

Snoopy believes.

And so, do I.

Sending Valentine Wishes

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The Double Delight rose is one of my favorites. You can see why. From my backyard in a past summertime. Ah, summer. Soon…

They say people give the gifts they want to receive, so I must love cards, Dove dark chocolate, and roses. I do! But I can’t push those things through the interweb, so a photo will have to do. Was going to use a picture of my blooming Yuletide Camillias, but it snowed on them last night. They’re a tad droopy and cold this morning.

So, into the archives! Wanted to share a rose bloom from a while ago.

The thing I love most about today is we celebrate love.

And the world needs so much more love these days.

Only one of many reasons I am proud to be a romance author.

Spreading love every day of the year!

Cheers to more love on our planet.

And the comfort only love can provide in challenging times.

Love is the greatest power in the galaxy.

I hope you take some time to be kind to yourself and others today.

And all the fur babies.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

P.S. Happy 164th birthday to the State of Oregon too! 

 

Sending Valentine Wishes

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Wanted to make sure everyone gets a Valentine today. And if it’s from me, you know it’s going to be a little quirky. Because that’s how I roll.

First, I wanted to share some chocolate cake. Too bad I can’t send it through the Wifi, but feel free to scavenge your own. I use Betty Crocker Super Moist Devil’s Food cake mix for birthdays and Valentine’s Day. Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting tops it off. I got the small six-inch heart pan from Michael’s some years back. Think it’s the Wilton brand. Takes about twenty-four minutes to bake. See box for directions. And the leftover mix makes cupcakes. A two-fer! You still have time to bake. (If you only have a round or square cake pan, just carve a heart after it bakes. Frosting hides everything.)

Second, do something for yourself today. First thing in my home office this morning I went to my craft corner and die cut a pink foil paper castle. It’s an Anna Griffin die set I adore. Made a purple one earlier, and a couple for cards, but I needed a pink castle to add to my writing desk. Because writers are dreamers and castles in the mind are where we spend a lot of time. Now I have a classy abode to stay in when I visit.

Third, hug a fur baby, a loved one, a stuffed animal, a potted plant, a friend, a tree, chocolate cake (though that might get messy – go for it.) Given the roller coaster tilt-wheel ride we’ve all been on these past several years, do what works. A walk around the block can help too. I’ve been keeping a close eye on my neighbor’s crocus patch, and they opened yesterday. Spring is coming!

Enjoy your day.

And try to light up somebody else’s. 

From me to you, Happy Valentine’s Day!

For a cute bonus? How about Leaping Lemurs from the Oregon Zoo. 

 

 

 

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!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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This is the mini chocolate cake heart I made for my Mom’s 94th birthday today. She is a Valentine’s Day baby! The leftover cake batter produces a dozen cupcakes. Cake AND cupcakes. Perfect!

Wishing you a very merry Happy Valentine’s Day! Sending everyone chocolate cake wishes and gifts you buy for yourself. I am always a hopeful romantic, but life doesn’t get to decide if I get Valentine’s today or not. Thanks to Amazon I bagged myself a bunch of Hayley Mills movies arriving tomorrow to add to my collection. Binge watch party this weekend!

The other day I was pondering where I got my sense of adventure and crazy from, besides my family. Who were my roll models growing up? Hayley Mills definitely sticks out. One favorite Disney movie of hers is “That Darn Cat,” but my all time favorite Hayley Mills movie is “The Truth About Spring.”

In the past only bootleg copies of the movie were available, but low and behold the other night on Amazon I discovered Universal released a new copy. It is winging it’s way to me as we chat. My military romance writing incorporates a dash of my real background, the fiction characters who inhabit my head and a healthy dose of Hayley Mills. 

No matter where we are in our life, romance and adventure spectrum, we need to keep a piece of Hayley Mills alive in our hearts.

Rock this Valentine’s Day! Buy yourself an oldie but goodie something and celebrate. (I got a pink light up rubber ducky at the store this week. Just saying.)

Hugs and pink hearts to all!

Thank you for being my Valentines! 

And a Veteran’s Honor red rose and pink The Fairy roses from my backyard last summer for you all too!

Happy Valentines Day Eve!

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Stocked up and ready for V Day. Actually, I always have Dove on hand. Because.

by Kimberly A. Cook

Waiting in lines is golden for writers. Running errands yesterday, my last stop was the grocery store. The checkout clerk was chatting up customers about Valentine’s Day.  Some of my neighbor’s customs shocked me.

“We don’t give candy to the kids,” said one woman. “The holiday is for the parents.”

Say what? My family uses any excuse, er holiday, to give presents, especially candy. At first I thought maybe she had young kids, I could see that. Nope, teenagers. Well between energy drinks and coffee they inhale, how bad could a couple pieces of candy be?

Another lady said she gave her young kids coloring books. That is fabulous. While I love the demon sugar, I too have to ration it. Processed sugar is addictive, but like everything else, if used in moderation; just don’t drive heavy machinery afterwards.

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One of the plates I use for Mom’ s cake. Plus research wrappers.

An on air tv personality last night talked about going out with her galentines for Valentine’s Day. Fabo. Sometimes the Valentine’s Day holiday feels like a poke in the eye to all single, divorced or widowed folks. So adapt!

To me Valentine’s Day has always been my mom’s birthday. Tomorrow we get to celebrate her 93 young years at lunch on the river. Not in a boat, a restaurant. Though Mom is game for most adventures.

For me? Stocked up on Dove and Kit Kat candy to share with family. Will bake a heart shaped mini-cake for Mom and cupcakes for the crew. Bought myself a bouquet of pink carnations for the kitchen table; keeping Spec Ops Cat out of them is a different story.

Then threw myself into research for this post by testing the Dove dark chocolate. Actually, I eat two pieces every day so I had plenty of wrappers available.

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So you’ve still got time to stock up and treat yourself. Candy, coloring book or carnations? How about trying the last wrapper saying I got this morning?

Hug someone today!

Happy Valentine’s Day everybody!