Sunday morning, Sept. 30, 2007

Hello, Everyone.

My oh my how quickly time seems to be passing by. The days are getting shorter, the leaves are coming down, and autumn is arriving once again. The fall colors have not arrived here yet. The smell of autumn is so unique. It has a crispness and odor that is all its own and how easy it is to identify with the different smells of autumn.

Yesterday hubby and I took upon the task of splitting some huge logs he had brought up with the tractor that were near the edge of our woods and we used our new gas-powered log splitter. It is a beauty! One log in particular is at least five feet in diameter. That will be a task in itself to cut up and split with the new log splitter. He is going to adjust the setting of it to vertical instead of horizontal that he used yesterday. I was the "stacker of the wood" in the woodshed. I made many trips. Hubby said I did a good job.

Another log was also very big, but not as big as the huge one that is laying in the field. His little saw quit working so he brought out the "big guns" so to speak and started using the huge chain saw his father got him for Christmas last year. Wow! What a difference that big saw made. He went through that log in no time! We finally quit around 3 p.m. because that is the time we let the dogs loose for their exercise.

The dogs are really cracking me up. Lucy and Woodrow, two of the beagles, plus Clara the Labrador, are "vegetable thieves" as of late. They are stealing green and partially green tomatoes, and also green peppers right off the vines! Stinkers! They love the tomatoes!
I picked another zucchini yesterday too. They just keep coming on!

This past week has been so busy, I find myself trying to meet myself coming and going. The CCAPL meeting is Tuesday night. (I have to get everything together for that, plus an eye doctor appt., putting up signs for the big bazaar Oct. 13Th, taking neighbor lady to the stores, picking up the key for the meeting and a lot going on.)

I was able to procure a book signing in Wheeling, W. Virginia, October 17Th. on a Wednesday at a Barnes & Noble Bookstore at a college. Make sure you check the "Upcoming Events" this coming week as I will have my website fella post it as soon as I get all the details.

I am hoping a lady that used to come to my W.I.S.H. sessions will be able to attend the book signing as I have not seen her in over a year, since she moved to W. Virginia. We do keep in touch by email, and I let her know the other day I will be there. Sure hope she can make it. It will be good to see her. I am so proud of her. She left her abusive relationship, moved away, and found a really nice fellow who treats her wonderfully. She deserves it so much as so many do.
I do believe they got married last year also.

I have to get on the phone and see if I can have more book signings where ever I can before the weather turns and gets nasty.

I tried to do a website for the CCAPL on www.freewebs.com but something is amiss and it is not showing up when I do a "search" for us. They advertise they have over 17 million websites, and I sure do not have the time to search through all of them to see where we are! I just may have to have my website guy come out and help me with it. Bummer.

I thought of making one for myself and my books, but if it is going to be so much trouble, I don't know if it will be worth it. Plus, keeping up with it might be a challenge also. I'm still working on the www.Authornation.com website too. I am having trouble uploading images of my books, and I recently heard from their webmaster that the images I tried to download were too small and blurry. Now I have to wait to hear from Infinity and they are going to send me better images to upload, I guess.

Today I have to mow the yard as soon as it dries out some. Hubby has two tests to make for school and he is going to try and get those done this morning. When his Dad comes, maybe Dad can help him split more logs. I am going to try and take some signs in for the bazaar and put them up at strategic places.

I sure am looking forward to my up-coming book signings at Border's and Barnes & Noble. The Lord is good and has allowed more doors to open for me and it is so awesome this has happened for me. "Praise God from whom all blessings flow!"

Have a good week, folks. Stay safe and be blessed. I hope you are enjoying sunshine in your neck of the woods!
Best regards,
Becky :)

Good morning, folks,
Exciting things are happening for me, and I praise God for it. Not only did I get to have a book signing at my first Barnes & Noble this month, I have a book signing at my first Border's store in October. Then, I have also been invited to do a book signing at another Barnes & Noble in Wheeling, West Virginia. I am so elated!
Recently, Infinity Publishing, (my publisher), created a website, http://www.authornation.com/, and I have signed up to do this website too. I am still in the learning stages, and am working on getting more information on the website regarding myself, and my books. New things are happening, and it is exciting. The more public I can reach to share my stories, the better. I just want to save a life somewhere of the traumatic and overwhelming emotional roller coaster of suffering abuse and domestic violence. Everyday, somewhere, one out of four women suffer and are subjected to it. This staggering statistic is reality, folks, and the more you know about it, the more it can be prevented or reduced.

My co-worker (she is the Victim Advocate for the office and does a terrific job), and I attended a local health fair in another community nearby for the Victim Assistance office. Although there were not a lot of people in attendance, (so much going on that day in other areas), we feel we did reach some people, handed out valuable information on domestic violence and abuse, and hopefully someone will learn from it and pass the information on to someone else. (I did win a door prize- a really compact and valuable first aid kit!).

The garden is winding down, except for the tomatoes and peppers. They are still coming on, but need some rain. I have a basket of tomatoes sitting on the back porch table to do today. I did rip out the green beans. I picked so many, and froze so many, and gave so many away, I was done with them. Great season for the garden, even though we did lack rain at various times, it just kept flourishing.

The first day of autumn was yesterday, but with 80 degree weather, summer isn't over yet. Just a couple weeks ago, we turned on the heaters, and now we could almost turn on the air-conditioning, but I did not. Just the ceiling fans, and opened the window. That was enough. At least it cooled down in the evenings and has been very pleasant.

The leaves are falling, and I am trying to keep up with removing them from the pond. Still no sign of Herman/Henrietta. She/he must have sought out greener pastures or a bigger pond??

Hubby bought a log-splitter yesterday at Tractor Supply in Philly. It is pretty. Red in color. He tried out a large piece of log, and boy was that slick how fast it split it. That will certainly save his back! When his Dad comes down today, he is going to try and do some more. Hubby did manage to get a cold already. He usually does within the first few weeks of school. Never fails.
I hope he keeps it to himself, as I do not want it! No kissing allowed here-except on the cheek!
(Tractor Supply is building a huge store in our area. That is a good thing as it will create more jobs and help the community. It is being built right next to Dollar General Market on State Rt. 43 in Carrollton. It is supposed to be opening around March of 2008.)

I have been diligently painting signs in the garage for the CCAPL bazaar October 13th. I have three done, and have maybe three or four more to go. I hope to put them up soon at various locations. I will need hubby's help as stakes will have to be driven in the ground, and then attach the signs with wire. He is good at that. He is good at a lot of things!

The young author I met at the Writestuff writers conference near Cleveland is having some health issues. Her name is Debbie Alferio and she is a delightful and very intelligent person, plus a good writer. Please put her in your prayers for healing. She is trying to get her second book finished in her "Forever Kind of Love" series. I read the first book, and it was very good. I am honored to be acquainted with her and we email often sharing views and things. She was the person that gave me such valuable information on the Barnes & Noble, Border's, etc. bookstores that have given me the opportunity to get into these stores. Thanks, Debbie! God Bless you!

Lots of things to do today. I think I will catch up on cleaning our house! The sweeper has been sitting out for over a week, and I really need to use it. It just stares at me when I walk by it! Ha!

Have a wonderful week, be blessed, and be safe.
Becky :)

Sunday morning, Sept. 16, 2007

Hi, Everyone,

Sure hope you had a good week. It was very beautiful, but if you are in Ohio, you could see more leaves falling and the smell of fall in the air, plus the cooler temperatures.

When I got up this morning, cat woke me up at 3:45 a.m. (and he is still alive), then snuggled with hubby, (very cold in the house), then he got up and made coffee, I fell back to sleep, then woke up around 5:45 a.m., and got up. Brrr---was it cold---58 degrees in the house! So, hubby turned on the new electric baseboard heaters and it started to warm up. I did have to put on my flannel p.j. bottoms, as my legs were cold.

This past week I have been working on painting signs in the garage for the CCAPL's bazaar October 13th. I've been using black spray paint to cover the background, and then bright yellow 6" and 4" letters, painting them with a very small brush.

On Saturday, after I returned from doing my workshop, (which turned out really well, and we have decided to start a "Writer's Club"), I laid two more sheets of fiberboard down on the gravel driveway to spray paint. Well, the wind was a little up while I was doing it, so I do believe I managed to breath in some of the paint fumes. I had a little difficulty yesterday with coughing and breathing, but hopefully it is better today.

Today I am heading into the fairgrounds to help with a horse show. The horse show is called "I Believe I can Fly" and it is to help mentally challenged and handicapped children have a fun day.
I sure hope the weather warms up a little for them. It is supposed to be sunny, so that will help too.

Hubby and I went down to the edge of the woods yesterday afternoon, (I got to drive the tractor), and he dragged out four huge pieces of cherry and maple trees that the Power Company took down when they went through last year doing there "thing" for the power lines that go through our property. This will be good wood for our fireplace in the basement starting this fall. Hubby cleaned out the chimney yesterday too. He is trying to find a log splitter, but may borrow one from the neighbor fellow until he can find one. His back, that he injured over two weeks ago, is somewhat better, but chopping and splitting wood would not do it any good right now.

Father-in-law will be here today, and he will probably help hubby with getting more wood too.

I sure hope you have a safe and wonderful week. Pray for those in need, those that are hurting, alone, or in desperation for companionship, our country, and for the victims of domestic violence and abuse, especially the children.

Be blessed, stay safe, and until next time---be kind to others-you never know how much that person next to you may need a smile to lift their spirits. Yours might be the only one they get all day.

Becky :)

Sunday morning, Sept. 9, 2007

Hello Everyone,
I woke up at 3 a.m. and read for a while, then just got up. I do that now and then.

I had a very busy week, and it's not over yet. Still lots to do with the garden. I was able to dig up one sweet potato, and I had it last night with supper. Yum, yum. According to the research I've done regarding sweet potatoes, it says not to dig them up until the first frost hits the vines. Well, I couldn't wait, and hubby and I went out and found one. There was a small one beside it, and I have no idea if it will grow anymore or not. We'll see later on.

I also tried and hopefully succeeded in canning sauerkraut. Oh, my. What a mess that turned out to be! The old fashioned shredder I had, well, let's just say, it certainly did shred it, and I had shredded cabbage everywhere, and the first jar turned out to be more like Cole slaw. Then I tried using the other part of the shredder, but was really getting to close to my knuckles and fingers, so I ended up just cutting up one very large head of cabbage and a smaller one in small pieces. I did end up with five quarts. The recipe I used was out of the local newspaper and was by an Amish lady that puts in articles each week. I didn't think just a teaspoon of salt and vinegar per quart of water was enough, so I added a little more to each jar. Couldn't hurt could it? Anyway, I put them (actually hubby did), in the basement. The Amish lady said to wait two months before using. Hubby is not anxious to try this, as he told me he ate home-made sauerkraut once and got really sick! Uh-oh.

I do believe the Hummingbirds have flown the coup! Also, we have not seen any Cardinals, Blue Jays, or Red-bellied Woodpeckers for a long time and some other species. Hubby and I were talking about his, and he recalls at this time of year, certain types of birds disappear for a while. Not sure why that is. Maybe they are getting enough to eat elsewhere such as natural stuff instead of birdseed. I marked the calendar and we will see if it happens again next year. There was a Nuthatch yesterday, but basically it is only Yellow Finches, Purple finches, and those goofy English sparrows that seem to be multiplying before our eyes! They are not the greatest bird. Whomever introduced them over here from England, sure wasn't thinking to clearly on that one. Those birds can have as many as 3, 4, or even 5 clutches of babies from early spring to late summer. No wonder there are so many of them. They are not pretty, and they do not even have a pleasant song, but an irritating chirp. They run the Bluebirds off every spring. They even kill Bluebird adults and their babies. Not nice birds.

The other day, Mandy the one beagle we have, came running back from the field. Hubby noticed she had something in her mouth. He yelled at her, she dropped it, and he went over and discovered it was a baby rabbit. It was so cute. Hubby thought it might be about 3-4 weeks old. It was really lively. While he held it, I took a picture of it. He then took it down to the woods and released it. We don't often see rabbits around, as the neighbor lady lets her cats run all over the place, and they are notorious for getting baby rabbits. Hubby really gets upset about this at times. The neighbor lady lets her dogs do the same thing. Recently I called the dog warden about it because her dog was over in our front yard doing his business, and then our dogs chased after it, and Mandy the beagle, ended up being attacked by her dog and the dog put a hole in Mandy's neck. I was livid! This lady is the President of the local humane society and I guess she feels (justified?) she is allowed to let her animals roam and run wherever they want to go, plus do their business in any one's yard, because of her position?? Hmm.

For you dog and cat lovers out there-Beware of two dangerous and potentially life-threatening foods to your pets. RAISINS AND GRAPES! Yes. Believe it or not, they are poisonous to dogs and cats. They can cause immediate kidney failure and very possibly DEATH within hours!

Still no sign of Henrietta/Herman. Gone forever I guess. Sure hope he/she is doing well in some pond somewhere.

I did hear from the lady at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Wheeling, W.Va. She will let me know ASAP when I can have a signing down there. I am really excited about it and looking forward to it immensely.

I will be giving the Author's workshop this coming Saturday. I will be calling the Arts Center later in the week to see how many have signed up for the class. I have so much to share with them.

I start back with my W.I.S.H. sessions tomorrow. I went into the office on Friday and called about twelve women, and invited them to come to the session. I do hope some come in so I can give them valuable information to help them with their situations of abuse and violence against them.

Till next week, have a safe week! Fall is just around the corner. The leaves are starting to come down, the birds (Starlings) are gathering on the wires and the trees, and another summer is coming to a close. Where did the summer go?

Be blessed,
Becky :)

Sunday morning, Sept. 2, 2007

Good morning everyone,

Well I do believe yesterday's book signing was successful. I met a lot of students rushing by to get their books for classes that start at Oberlin College on Tuesday. Some seemed very preoccupied with things on their minds, but did stop at the table to chat in their rush to get downstairs in the bookstore and get those college books! I met some students from California, Idaho, Boston, to name a few. Their life as they knew it is now on a different level and will never be the same. But, as I said to them, "Now a new door has opened and you have the opportunity of a lifetime to change the course of your life." They liked that. (A little bit of wisdom from an "Older Person.")

The trip was 215 miles from where I live. I got there about an hour early and walked around and checked out the various stores in the block. I did happen to go into one place that sold a variety of goods, plus there also seemed to be a flower shop, which was set up in the rear of the shop. The shop-lady-owner, wasn't the most pleasant person. Hmm. Perhaps she was having a bad day or a lot on her mind. Anyway, I purchased some things for Christmas presents for some of my friends, which totaled about $80.00, and she didn't even say "Thank You", "Thanks for stopping in", etc. whatever. I told her she had a nice store and nice things. I think she did say "Thank you" on that one. Anyway, I don't know about you but I feel "Customer Service" and being polite today has pretty much gone out the window. My sister and I talk about this at different times. Wonder why that is? Do the store clerks or owners feel we (as customers) entering in their establishments, should obligate ourselves to purchase something when we walk in? Have they forgotten what "browsing" is all about? Anyway, maybe she was just having a bad day.

The manager of the bookstore, Cheri, is going to try and set up a book signing at her Barnes & Noble store in West Virginia, possibly in October for me. She is temporarily working the one in Oberlin and will return to her store after Tuesday. I am really excited about this and am looking forward to going down there in the near future.

Hubby made his fantastic spaghetti last night for supper. It is the best. He did manage to hurt his low back in the morning, moving an old lawn mower out of the shed. It stuck on one of the tractor tires and he reached down and gave it a jerk, but his low back snapped along with it. Ouch! Now he will have to see his Chiropractor possibly on Tuesday after school if it is not better by then.
Father-in-law is coming down today for his usual visit. I have things to get ready for the CCAPL meeting Tuesday night. Lots to do.
Take care, be blessed, stay safe, and have a great holiday. Hard to believe it is September already. Where did the summer go?
Best regards,
Becky :)