Sun. morning, July 28, 2008

Hi, Everyone,

Thanks for stopping by this past week!

I had a really successful book signing at the Waldenbooks Bookstore in the Carnation Mall in Alliance, Ohio yesterday. The staff I met, Betty, Terri, and John were very pleasant and helpful. Very nice store. Thanks, John, for the link for doing a radio interview and thank you,Pat, for allowing me to be at your fine store. Sure hope I can get one. That would be awesome!

I was very please to be able to converse with quite a lot of people, and many were receptive and took the literature I had on domestic violence and abuse. Plus I was able to hand out a lot of bookmarks! Hopefully this will generate new awareness on domestic violence and abuse, and also generate more sales of my books.

Many thanks to all who purchased my books! May my books enlighten you, and may they also educate and open your eyes to the world of domestic violence and abuse and how so many victims get caught up in the emotional roller coaster dealing with it.

Hubby finally got the left side of the truck fixed. After being a contortionist and working so hard at it, he got it done. Now he has to do the other side but is more knowledgeable to do it. Maybe it won't be as difficult for him.

The dogs are still trying to raid the garden! We have to watch them constantly to keep them from digging up the potatoes, and swiping the green and some of the red tomatoes! Bad dogs!

The peaches are getting bigger and soon they will ripen. The dogs love those too, but there are plenty on the trees to share with them as they fall! The red apple tree is slowly developing its apples. Not sure when they will be ripe as this is the first year for them.

My girlfriend and her son came out to visit the other night. She wanted me to show her how to cut her new puppy's toenails. What a little hoot he was! Our dogs checked him out from head to tail and all the parts in between! He is a happy little puppy and wanted to play and play but it was hot and we certainly didn't want to get everyone overheated!

Clara, our Labrador, really wanted to rough-house with him, but I would not allow it. He was so little and I certainly didn't want him to get injured. (She adopted him out of a shelter.) He is a little strong-willed, but with more training (obedience classes would help tremendously as I suggested this), and also getting him neutered soon will definitely help!

My boss gave me a project to do for the office. I have been working diligently on a four-part series on domestic violence and abuse for the local newspapers. I finished the first article on Thursday and submitted it to different papers. I sure hope they run it in its entirety as there is a lot of valuable information for public awareness. The next article will cover children, teens, the elderly, and more statistics locally and nationwide. My resources are from our office and also the ODVN (Ohio Domestic Violence Network) in Columbus, Ohio.

Gotta go for now, folks.
Stay safe, be blessed, and have a great week!
Summer is winding down and it will soon be my birthday!
Take care,
Becky :)

Sun. morning, July 20, 2008

Hi, Everyone,

Whew! I'm tired this morning! It has been a busy two weeks of company and family reunions and get-togethers. All of it was rewarding and things are quieting down some.

Hubby and I are almost finished with replacing the deck out back. We just have some of the top boards to replace and then that is done. Meanwhile, I did get my new washing machine-and wow does it save on water and really spins the clothes well. That should certainly save on drying time, which will be another plus. I guess I didn't realize how much water the old machine (25 y.o.) used, and then having to re-spin a lot of the loads which took a lot of time and was really a hassle. But hey, at least I have one and a lot of people do not. I am blessed.

Hubby discovered after he returned from getting a load of lumber for the deck that the old truck was leaning on the left side. After crawling underneath, he discovered the bracket that holds the springs has broken and the other one is about to go too. So, fixing them will be a major project for him. Hmm. Not sure how he is going to go about it, but he is so smart, and he will figure something out.

The garden is flourishing, and all the tomato plants are getting really high. I have basket around them, and also have them staked and tied. Miss Clara-Bell got in trouble last night as she went and snitched two green tomatoes right off the vine. She did bring each one to me and knew she was in trouble. I will definitely have to watch her from now on to make sure she doesn't get anymore. They are starting to ripen, yet they are small in size. With all the rain we have had, you would think they would be the size of baseballs, but they are not. Father-in-law's Romas are very plentiful, but still not ripening, and very few cherry tomatoes either but the plants are very tall! With the warm nights, you would think there would be many ripening. I suppose they will all at once, then I will be frantically trying to blanch and freeze them,plus giving them away!

I was up at 2:30 a.m. this morning when I heard the rain start. I went and removed the cushions off of the glider on the back porch and brought them inside. Then around 4 a.m. another rain came through. B-Bob and Tooter (the cats) thought it was time to get fed and be up, but I fed them and crawled back into bed. I got up late this morning. Haven't slept in that late for I don't know how long. Hubby did too.

It has been in the 90's this week. Very, very sultry. Hubby's family reunion was yesterday. About 50 people were there. Some we had not seen in several years. Even thought the pavilion was hot, the food was delicious and the auction went well. We had a good visit with everyone.

Our local county fair is going on this past week, and I feel badly for the animals. Sure hope they release them after they show. They did do this one year when it was very hot. Today is the last day for the fair.

I'm looking forward to the book sales and signing at the Waldenbooks Bookstore in the Carnation Mall next Saturday!

It seems when my birthday rolls around in August, we are on the "down-side" of summer, and winter is around the corner!

Until next time: Stay safe, be blessed, and enjoy your summer while it lasts.

Becky :)

Monday evening, July 14th, 2008-Company gone

Hi, Everyone,

We certainly had a grand visit with my sister, her husband, son and daughter last Thursday. We had a cook-out, and then lots of stories to share. They were pretty tired from a long drive from Tenn. The next morning we met for breakfast at a local restaurant in town. Off they went for a road-trip up north to visit former residences they lived in, and meeting up our brotherand with other niece and her family.

On Saturday, we all met at our niece's house for a family reunion. Very nice, great food, and their little Dachshund dog was adorable!

The other part of the company has been gone all week. They were in New York visiting friends. I'm not sure if we will get together before the boys have to be back in Iowa, then brother-in-law drives back to Nebraska where he lives.

The weather was very cooperative on Thursday, but then showers hit on Saturday. We moved everything indoors. Yesterday was overcast, then later on it was really beautiful. Today is lots of sunshine and will be for about three days.

Hubby and I got into a project on Friday and again on Saturday morning. We started tearing apart a deck near the back door entrance. We discovered that most of the posts were all rotten on the bottom, and instead of replacing them, hubby came up with the idea of digging holes, mixing and pouring cement in them underneath the cross-beams, then setting cement blocks on them up with treated 4x4 boards on top of the cement blocks between them and the cross-beams. That will work and support the structure better than before. Then he has to get the treated lumber for the floor and replace the large boards around the top.

When I got home today from work, I saw that the whole basement door apparatus was were sitting around the yard in pieces. He discovered that the boards underneath it were also rotted. So, now he has to replace those, then put the double door covering to the basement back on, then work on the deck. He has a lot to do. Will we get to go fishing again? Don't know at this point!

Yesterday morning I discovered my washing machine was overflowing at the end of the fill cycle. Yikes! The water was not shutting off! I was grabbing towels like crazy, throwing them on the water pooling on the floor and hubby walks over and shuts the water off at the valves. He is so quick and smart! So, the washing machine is history, and I went into the local appliance store on my lunch-hour and purchased a new one. Hey, the old one lasted close to 25 years or so, so we did good! Stuff breaks and gets old.

Speaking of breaking...hubby was going into town to get the lumber for the deck and the truck would not start. I guess it is the starter, so he has to replace it soon. Hopefully it is that and not the flywheel. Yikes! If so, the truck will probably be on the selling block. It is old, but it has been a good truck and served us well over the years. A little while ago, we hooked up the tractor to the truck, I was at the helm of the tractor and pulled truck and hubby out of the garage with a chain. He got it running, and then backed it close to the other garage. When he shut it off, it would not start again. Bummer. So, tomorrow before I leave for a presentation, I will have to pull him with the tractor again. Stuff happens. We just deal with it.

The garden is flourishing, and hubby's corn is so tall! It is starting to tassel, and we should have delicious corn in about two weeks! Very late this year because of the cold and rain early in the season for planting. I ate two cherry tomatoes tonight. Yum. I already picked a cabbage head, and have two more huge ones out there to pick too. The zucchini is starting to grow, and we will probably have it coming out of our ears soon! The other tomato plants and father-in-law's Roma plants are really getting tall. Lot of smaller tomatoes on them, but not ripening yet. After planting the green beans FOUR TIMES, I might get some soon. They are finally starting to blossom.

The neighbors finally got our field and the one next to us mowed and round-baled this past week. They were held up because of all the rain as a lot of the farmers have had the same situation in our area.

It has been difficult mowing the yard, but we are getting it done. We even had to mow it two times last week because of all the rain. Sheesh. It takes a good two and a half hours to mow, then week-whack then trim with the hand mower. Hard to keep up this summer with all to do!

Ann B. Keller, Author/Screenwriter whom I met at the (B&N) Oberlin Bookstore, Oberlin, Ohio, graciously ave me a review and her comments were posted. (We are doing another signing together in October back at Oberlin.)

Gotta get going for now. I'm behind on my computer work and I need to get caught up!
Great to hear from all of you.
I am so blessed!
Stay safe, enjoy the sunshine, count your blessings.
Until next time...
Becky :)

Sun. morning, July 6, 2008 Celebration and company

Hi, Everyone,

We had a delightful time yesterday at LaPizzaria for my Aunt's 90th. birthday. There were people from a lot of different of Ohio and also other states such as Boston, (her daughter and husband). My brother was there, my Aunt's sister, other nieces, nephews, and I'm still trying to figure out who was who! I had not seen my cousin from Boston since high school. She looks great and her husband is a very nice fellow. We had a great time. I took lots of pictures.

Unfortunately, my uncle, (my mother's youngest brother and only living sibling of her family), tried to come up from Marietta, but after stopping at a roadside rest near New Philadelphia, O., the car would not start. My uncle called just as hubby and I were leaving, so I took my cell phone with me and called him when we reached the restaurant. He told me they were heading back via a tow-truck. Bummer! Thank goodness he had extended AAA coverage, and that helped with expenses a lot. Well, he tried, and he and his wife were very disappointed they could not attend. I called him later after we got home around 8:30 p.m., and he said the car was in the repair shot and hopefully will be fixed today or tomorrow.

So, now I am planning an get-together here at our house sometime in August. My brother offered to come down to and bring our Aunt with him. That will be nice. My Uncle and Aunt have not seen each other in about 20 years or so. My Aunt was married to my Mother's oldest brother. She is a dear lady.

Company from Iowa, and Nebraska, and Canton are coming within a short time. Hubby's brother is from Nebraska, and his two boys live in Iowa. Father-in-law is coming too.
I made the potato salad this morning, baked beans, and also prepared the hot sauce for the plate of shrimp. Father-in-law is bringing corn on the cob and rib-eye steaks. I will also pick new onions from the garden, and we should have a feast!

Yesterday, at the start of the birthday party, my cousin from Boston took me aside as soon as we greeted on another and said she had read my first book. She thought it was so sad and that if I had told her dad, (my Uncle), what was going on with me and about all the abuse and violence, he would have done his best to put a stop to it. Unfortunately, I was not living in his area, and had lost contact with my Uncle and my Aunt, and besides, at the time, no one believed me anyway. Another factor was, it was too embarrassing to tell many people, and the ones that I did, blamed me for his actions too. Those who showed concern, asked what I did to provoke his abusive actions towards me. On several occasions when I did confide in someone, it got back to my ex-husband, and I suffered unmercifully for telling on him.

This week, on Thursday, my sister, her husband, and their two children are coming up from Georgia and Tennessee for a visit. It will be great to see my nephew as he has been living in China for the last five years. I haven't seen my niece in Tennessee since her wedding almost five years ago. Then on Saturday, there is going to be a family reunion at my other niece's house. That will be wonderful to have our little family together. It has been a long time.

Uh-oh. Company is here.
Later, folks.
Thanks for stopping by and keep in touch!
Becky :)

Wed. July 2nd, 2008 - The sun is shining!

Hi, Everyone,

Thanks for stopping by and visiting! I appreciate it so much.

I have been really busy with trying to get things done and organized. The CCAPL had a big meeting last night, and after it was all said and done, explained and gone over, the Board of Directors met after the meeting and voted to cancel the Purchase Agreement on the 24 acres we wanted to get. It is disappointing, but because ODOT said we can't put an entrance to the property off of their State Route for safety reason, but instead want us to put an entrance from a side road into the property, (very expensive), we voted not to go ahead with it. One of the contingencies in the P.A. was that approval had to be from the State Highway to put an entrance to the property off of the State Route. We tried. Another property will become available I'm sure. We sure learned a lot in this experience and at least have some concept of what we need to do, have things in order and ready for the next time. Learning lessons. We are all a little more knowledgeable now, and that will be a plus for us in the future.

We had over five inches of rain in our gauge from all of the many storms last week. Just Sunday alone produced at least seven storms. Good grief. I'm going to try and mow the yard today, even though it is still fairly wet. It's either that or hubby will have to get out the brush-hog and do it. We are fortunate we are not in the lower-lying areas as their ground is so saturated it is unreal.

I'm trying to get a book signing at Carnation Mall in Alliance, Ohio, and possibly one in Kentucky. I'll sure let you know when it happens.

Hubby's brother and his two boys are coming in from out west this week. We are looking forward to seeing all of them.

This Saturday I am going to a 91st birthday celebration for my only living Aunt. I will get to see cousins I haven't seen in many years, and also my brother and possibly my only living Uncle from Marietta and his sweet wife.

The following week, my sister, her husband, their daughter from Tenn., and their son will be coming up here for a visit. We haven't seen my nephew for almost five years. He has been living in China. It will be a great reunion and I'm looking forward to it immensely. Then on Saturday, I'm going to my other niece's house for a family get-together. Lots of pictures to take!

Lots to get done today, so I will post ASAP again soon.
I appreciate all of you so much, and thanks for the emails. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Stay safe, be blessed, and have a safe holiday- July 4th!
My best regards,
Becky :)