My name is Naomi and I'm an Etsyholic. Here's my latest purchase, a jeweled dragon-embellished RFID aluminum wallet case, custom ordered. I needed an RFID case for my credit cards, since after taking the Sheriff's Office Citizen's Academy, I learned that rotten thieves are among us everywhere. I try to buy handmade items whenever possible, thus my addiction, I mean, love affair with Etsy. I saw these cases at Peg's Embellished Gifts, and fell in love. But I wanted a strong image on the cover, and Peg's little sign said she would love to create a custom gift for me. So I asked her if she could find me a dragon. She hunted down the beauty you see above, and now I go out into the world, safe and happy.
Thanks, Peg!
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But in a good way. Not like handcuffed in the back seat of a patrol car. Though I was in that hard plastic seat for about ten nauseating minutes, being spun around the driving pad at high speeds. But no handcuff, and it was kind of fun.
I signed up to partcipate in the Brevard County Sheriff's Office Citizen's Academy. In ten sessions over seven weeks, a group of us got to tour the various places where the sheriff's department does their thing. We started at the brain, the communication center. Next we headed to the range/work farm and got a live SWAT team and K-9 demonstration, got to tour the farm and hydroponics lab, talk to the dive team and take an airboat ride. More fun as the weeks went on. We toured the jail (note to self: don't go to jail), visited the criminal investigative services and crime scene lab, learned about identity theft (another note to self: keep credit cards in RFID protected sleeves), prowled through the bomb squad truck, learned about search and rescue, participated in a faux car chase, saw an excellent motorcycle demonstration, found out I need to practice more before I can lift a Harley from a fall, learned about general crimes, and more. This was a free class, "designed to give our citizens an inside look and working knowledge of every aspect of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. This is a chance for our citizens to get a behind the scenes look at what the 1,200 proud men and women of the Sheriff’s Office do on a daily basis." They do a lot! In addition to keeping us safe and getting the bad guys off the street, they offer free driver's training for teens, range practice and safety lessons for gun owners, a free home safety inspection, and other services. I came away with a new respect for law enforcement. This class also helped keep my mind from dark places during a difficult time, as I said goodbye to my mother. They offer this class two or three times a year, and I'm encouraging anyone interested to attend. What a fun contest! I had a hard time picking the cat name I want to use from all the great entries. I am highly impressed with the clever scientific terms you guys came up with, and I learned some science history (thank you Amy Valentini). I have to admit, science was not my best subject in school, so many of these terms made me grab my dictionary. Which is a good thing!
My winner chosen by Random.org is Nancy, and the winning name of the cat is Molly, short for molecule. Thanks to several of you for that excellent suggestion. I said goodbye to my mother this month, which is why I'm so late posting this. Thank you for all the kind sentiments on Facebook, and thank you for your patience while I got myself together enough to finish this contest. Kindness from others means a lot during times of sadness. You think you're a big girl, all grown up, until your mother dies. Then, you just want one more hug from her. One more chance to rest your head on her shoulder and hear her say she loves you. Blog postings will be random for the rest of this year, as me and the siblings clean out the family house. A huge job since my parents lived there for, oh, a hundred or so years and never threw away one scrap of paper, or anything else. I exaggerate. Slightly. But it's daunting. Air travel drives me crazy these days and I find it takes longer and longer to recover from each trip. The day job has been super busy too, a sign our economy is charged up and lookin' good. But I will persevere, get this book done, and let you all know when it's up. Happy Spring and thanks again for participating in my contest! My current WIP has a cat in it, a female cat, that belongs to a scientist. The guy is a biotechnologist, to be exact. I came up with two names, but I'm not wild about either one. Do you have a cute idea?
Here is the link to a SurveyMonkey. (Yeah, I like any business with the word 'monkey' in it too!) Please vote for your favorite name or better yet, fill in another one. I'd love to hear your ideas. I'll chose a random winner on March 31st, and the lucky contestant will get their choice of one of my e-books. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YNQX7YD PS Oh, the adorable cat in the picture? That's my Lola. She loves to pose all cute-like. Thanks for entering, and good luck! I usually run in the opposite direction when my honey puts on a documentary about rock stars. Same story, all the time. They make it big, do drugs and drink to excess, have lots of sex, develop problems because they do drugs and drink to excess, blah, blah. But the History of the Eagles is different.
This documentary kept me captivated. First, because they played a bunch of the Eagles' tunes through the whole thing and damn, those guys made some good music, didn't they? So many hits. I love the words, the harmony, the diversity of their songs. This is what happens when magic occurs; when the right people get together at the right time. Synchronicity at it's finest. History of the Eagles is not a tell-all about drugs, sex and rock and roll. The movie starts with how they got together, and goes into how they kept it together. How they learned, as young men, to work hard, to get along with each other, to keep the creative juices flowing. And what happens when you hit burn out, which they eventually did. The second part of the movie shows the band reuniting (and it feels so good!), writing new songs, and touring again. There's plenty of footage from the old days, including an epic scene where two band members have an argument right on stage during a concert. *snicker* Not funny at the time, but you got to love those male alphas strutting their stuff. The interviews with the band members during present time are beautifully done and interwoven with the music and clips. I love the candid way they talk. These guys, who I regard as exceptionally skilled artists, have the same worries, doubts, and insecurities as the rest of us. They wondered, could they still write songs together? You betcha. Would anyone want to see them on their second round of shows, after being away for fourteen years? Hell yes! If you're a fan of the Eagles, you'll most likely enjoy this movie. Check it out here on Netflix http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/History-of-the-Eagles/70267553#movieDetails RIP, Glenn Frey I love to experiment, don't you? I had an adventurous 2015, as I decided to try a few different writing paths. First, I explored ghostwriting romance fiction. I found an online company that's easy to work with and dove right in. *teeth chattering* I wrote for seven clients and had a good experience with them all. One other client wanted a story style I wasn't comfortable delivering, so that contract didn't work out. There are pros and cons to ghostwriting, and if I had more time, I'd do that along with my other stories. But since I work a day job, I have a limited amount of writing hours.
Something else new I tried this year; self-publishing. Yes! I put on my brave girl panties and dove into that also. I decided to write under a different name, because I wanted to try a totally new genre. I figured, having another persona would help me get into that groove. During my ghostwriting, I discovered BBW (big, beautiful, woman) stories were fun, so I wrote one as Arlanna Sterling. I also wanted to try releasing a book as a serial, so I could price the first section low or free, to give readers a chance to try out my work. I learned oh-so-many things about self-publishing, and one of the biggies is, having more than one writing name is waaaaaay too hard to maintain. *eyes crossed from many hours at computer* So Arlanna Sterling will be merging with me and won't have her own identity. Maybe. One lesson I've discovered, things change in a heartbeat in this crazy world of publishing, so I never say never. Another lesson is, I have to maintain my sanity and keep my attention on my day-job business, my loved ones, and my health. I'll work hard and push myself, but not to the insane-girl point. Life is short, and I intend to enjoy it! These days, I'm working on a rockin' new series and plan to keep my butt in the chair and write. A lot. That means less time on Facebook and Pinterest *sob, my precious* and not much promotion. But, I do have a fun idea to share and get you involved with my books. More about that as it comes together. For now, if you like suspenseful romance in a tropical setting, take a break with this fun BBW Billionaire book from Arlanna Sterling, The Romance Challenge. Part one is FREE at Amazon from 1/21 to 1/23. I hope you read it, enjoy it, and want the Complete Series Box Set, which is the whole book. I love comments and honest reviews, as always. Thanks for being an adventurous reader and trying new things. An open mind makes for an open heart and a fun life! Blurb: She's too busy for romance, and too afraid to give her heart away, but he's never backed down from a challenge. When Amber is chosen to be Nathan's assistant for a week at a resort hotel he acquired in Key Largo, she jumps at the chance. She desperately needs the bonus money to pay for a private detective, to find the man who brutally attacked her sister and left Michelle an emotional wreck. Amber is all business at Bay Paradise Resort, until she shares an unexpected kiss with Nathan, setting every inch of her curvy body tingling and begging for more. Nathan has vowed to never date an employee again. He blames himself for a tragic accident involving his ex-fiancé, and refuses to let his billionaire lifestyle ever corrupt another innocent woman. But Amber challenges that vow as he learns more about her. After a night of intense passion, he wants more, and is determined to show her, they belong together. As Amber pushes away her feelings for Nathan to concentrate on Michelle, he's drawn more deeply to her. When news about Michelle's attacker is revealed, danger threatens Amber, and Nathan must find a way to protect her body and claim her heart. Tantalizing Excerpt: Standing outside the office he was using for interviews, I gave my hands a quick wipe down the side of my skirt, gripped my notepad tight, and walked in. Nathan was pacing and talking on his phone. OMG. Becca hadn't lied. He certainly was fine in person. Tall, slim, wearing a suit that had to be custom made it fit him so well. Don't look at his butt, don't look at his butt. I looked. Yep, that ass had seen one or two workouts. It took a moment, but he finally noticed I was there and turned to face me. Those eyes; dear Lord. I'd seen his face on a computer screen, but in person, they radiated power and passion. I froze in the middle of the doorway, as though caught in the headlights of a semi-truck. He stopped in mid-sentence on his phone call and stared at me, with this intense look on his face. Uh-oh. Was something wrong? Did I have a poppy seed stuck in my teeth? Becca would have told me. Or not. My mouth. It hung open like a car door. I closed it and made my lips smile. Calm down. This is a nice guy who likes to work with me. "I'll call you back." Nathan put his cell phone on the desk. "Hello Nathan. It's good to meet you in person. I'm Amber." I moved towards him, smacked my hip into the corner of the desk, and bit back a curse as pain shot through my leg. Do not drop the F bomb. Smile still in place, I stuck out my hand, praying it wasn't damp. He kept staring for another second, then kind of shook his head and smiled back. "So nice to meet you too, Amber. I've enjoyed working with you long distance." He took my trembling little paw and shook it. Wow. What the heck was that tingle running up my arm? His grip was firm, but not like he was crushing me. By the way his eyes widened, he felt something too. Maybe I'd picked up static electricity walking across the room. Not real likely, on tile floor, but I couldn't think of any other reason for this surge of energy. We stood there for an awkward moment while he studied me, then he dropped my hand. I wanted to glance down to see if there were scorch marks, but I grabbed it with my other hand and clasped them both in front of me. Before they did something silly, like reach up and stroke the slight shadow of a beard on his face. "Sit down, please." My legs shook as I took a seat in the chair across from the desk. What was I, a love-struck teenager meeting a rock star? Jeez, this was Nathan, the guy who laughed at my corny jokes and liked the pictures of my cat I emailed him. Why did a wave of heat flood my body, particularly in my girl parts? Because he was hotter than hell in person that's why. I didn't get that energy, that piercing awareness, when I talked to him on the phone. And I sure never smelled him. Kind of woodsy, with a bit of musk layered in. A hint of spice too; bay leaves, or cardamom. From his slightly messed up hair to his shiny Italian loafers, the guy radiated sex appeal. And those laser-beam eyes. No. I gave myself a mental bonk on the head. I had zero interest in his hotness. I had no time to think about men, with my jobs and my family situation. And anyway, gorgeous billionaires like him didn't look twice at plus-size girls like me. "So Amber, tell me why you'd be a good candidate for this position." Right down to business. I'd hoped for a few minutes of small talk to help me loosen up. "I'm detail oriented, as you know from working with me. On this job at Bay Paradise, you want your assistant to take accurate notes and prepare reports. That's one of my specialties, summing up information and presenting it concisely." Okay, so far so good, I guess. He had given none of us much information as to what he wanted an assistant to do in Key Largo. We'd all discussed it and the only thing we knew was, Cameron Industries bought the hotel recently and wanted to keep it going. He nodded at me to continue. Link for The Romance Challenge Part One: Amazon: http://amzn.to/1WJNpAR Right on, Albert! There are many wonderful groups in my area that help those in need. I'm in awe of people who dedicate so much time to helping others. Below is a picture showing what my credit union does. They set up two bins, the first for members to donate food to put in the backpacks of school children who won't have meals over the holiday break. The second one is for help with our elderly population, a group that often gets neglected. The credit union did a great job by sending out a list via email, so when I headed to the stores to shop for items, I knew exactly what to get.
If you have a chance during these last weeks of the year, give to someone who needs help, no matter what it is. Like the saying goes, even if it's a little thing. It will make you feel warm and fuzzy, and happy to be part of the human race. Holidays make me kind of edgy. There's more stuff to cram into an already busy schedule, expectations of what life should look like (and usually doesn't), and memories of past holidays to compare to. My brain goes on overdrive, if I'm not careful. After a steady diet of thrillers, killers, and general mayhem on our TV viewing, I need to lighten up anyway, so the honey, the cat and I curled up for a couple of feel-good movies.
One must watch at least one Christmas romance, and Holidaze was the winner for me this year. The premise was fairly typical; woman has fast-paced career in the city, gets a chance to see what would life would have been like if she'd stayed in her hometown and married her sweetheart. The acting is not overdone and what makes this one worth staying awake for, there's enough of a twist on this familiar trope to keep it fun and moving along nicely. You don't get bogged down in a pit of heavy drama. Pixels really has nothing to do with the holidays, so it's a welcome break if you're ready to scream the next time you hear a Christmas carol. Adam Sandler plays the lead nicely without going overboard. Kevin James does a good job as costar, and Peter Dinklage is a hoot to watch as a narcissistic gamer. The subtle romance made me giggle, and you know the two total opposites are going to get together in the end. The best part? All the '80's pop culture references. Anybody else remember Pac Man, Centipede, and Donkey Kong? If you do, you'll enjoy the sing-along music too. If you're feeling overwhelmed, put a little soft fuzzy into your brain with a couple of light movies and don't stress out this holiday season. http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/80037476?trkid= Who has a giant, inflatable turkey in their front yard? Come on, raise your hand. Both hands if you have a spotlight shining on it. Go ahead, be proud of your holiday cheer. I kind of enjoy Thanksgiving, so I had to work a holiday scene into Sins of Long Ago, and have fun with it.
Vincent and Gen end up in a Denny's on Thanksgiving and I have to confess, I've been there, done that. A boyfriend and I were in a new city, without family or friends. I didn't want to cook, so we planned to have dinner at a restaurant we knew was open. We walked in, were led to a dirty table by a hostess with a bad attitude, and sat down. The place was so dismal, I could feel a grey cloud hanging over it. No one was smiling. I mean no one. Not the patrons, not the servers, not even the poor kids who landed in that depressing spot. We waited at our table for ten minutes and hadn't even been acknowledged, so we took off, certain we could find another place open. We were wrong. By the time we made it to Denny's, we were tired, hungry, crabby and not in a real festive mood. In Sins, when my hero and heroine visit the restaurant, at least the the server and the other customers are cheerful. This was not the case at my Holiday Disaster Dinner and I vowed to never end up in that situation again. This year, I'm thankful to have my honey and his mom and a friend to share the day with. Sad because I can't be with my out-of-state family. I'm sure there will be some weirdness involved in the day, and I'll embrace it, because weirdness makes good stories. Have a beautiful holiday and find the joy in whatever you do. I'd just said goodbye to a friend in hospice and stepped into an empty elevator, ready to cry a few tears. The elevator moved down, stopped, and I got out. Wrong floor. I stepped back in, pushed the button, nothing happened. I got out again, thinking maybe I was in the lobby after all. But no, I was on another floor and in the hallway nearby, a group of three people stood, talking and laughing. How rude of them to be happy, when I was so sad. I jammed the button again but the car wouldn't move.
The noisy folks moseyed over to the elevator, pushing a big cart, smiling at me. So I had to smile back. Sort of. The last thing I felt like doing was joking around with strangers. I must have looked upset because a man in the group with a mustache apologized, and told me he'd been pushing the button to keep the elevator there. No wonder I couldn't get the doors to close. I kept my polite smile in place but really wanted to get outside so I didn't have to be nice to these people. Then, he opened the cooler on the cart and offered me ice cream. This group, apparently, was connected to the human resource department, or something along that line, and they were passing out treats to employees that night. They had leftover ice cream bars and granted, they just wanted to get rid of them, I'm sure, but still. Being offered a treat felt like such a kindness to my sad little heart. When we made it to the lobby, Mustache Guy saw me looking around somewhat confused (I didn't wear my glasses inside. Vanity, vanity). He offered to show me to the front door. More kindness. We chatted politely, shared a laugh, and I headed home, my soul lighter than when I'd left the hospital room. Thank you, strangers in the elevator, for making a sad night a little less painful. Big thanks to Paul Wilkinson at Flickr for the photo http://bit.ly/1PxPiLe |
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February 2024
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