It’s not the same in our home right now, but it’s still a “wonderful time of year.” Though the totes of decorations remain in storage, Dan did hang our front door wreath. Guess he felt we needed something to bring the holiday in to greet visitors. We are down to the last few weeks push before we hit the road…and this has been an adventure in and of its own. Instead of storing all of our furniture, we decided to sell it (minus our antique pieces)…how hard can it be, right? Part of my dilemma was the proverbial question of when, where, and how. Dan calmed the storm in my brain by reminding me if we sold everything before we were ready to drive away, we have a beautiful new camper to sleep in…oh, yeah, right…lol. So, I took pictures, edited to add corresponding numbers to match the list of items, and posted them on Craigslist, and FB Marketplace. Then a friend mentioned “OfferUp” as a selling avenue. I looked at the website, and journeyed around in an effort to understand, but found I was too tired that day to figure out how to post/edit/sell. When she and another dear friend of mine had lunch and a Christmas movie day she asked if I was using OfferUp. I admitted my lack of tolerance for grasping another selling avenue.

By the next morning…and I mean the wee hours, I decided to check it out again to determine if I wanted to go through the work to post on the 3rd selling avenue. After all, it was 3am…not like I had anything better to do. After carefully dissecting and touring the website I figured it out, and by 5am (two hours = old brain) I had all twenty-one items tagged, listed, and posted. What shocked me was within a few seconds of posting the last item I had interested buyers flooding in. The email/message process was in full swing. When Dan got up about 8:30am, I had sold (potentially) five items, including our boat/trailer. The day continued in that crazy mode to the point I had to have a notebook so I could list who wanted to buy what, and when they wanted to pick the item up. It was like being at work again…full speed ahead.

Three days have past and we have sold all but a couple items…Merry Christmas to me. But, …lol…you knew there would be “a but”…that is not where the story ends. Now, understand that I do, indeed, love my husband and I have since put my broomstick away and calmed down from this situation. Picture this…we, and by that I mean Dan, had just helped a buyer pick up the front porch plant stand…and this is how the conversation went when he came back in the apartment:

Dan: You need to take a picture of the table on the porch and post it for $20.

Me: What table, the gal already picked it up…remember? You took it to her car.

Dan: You need to take a picture of the table on the porch and post it for $20.

Me: What are you talking about???

Dan: You need to take a picture of the table on the porch and post it for $20.

Me: Daniel, what are you talking about???

No answer – my blood is warming up here folks…

I open the door and find a table I’ve never seen before, sitting in all its glory, before my eyes.

Me: Where did you get that thing?

Dan: You need to post it for $20.

Well, you wonderful people who are actually still reading this blog, I’ll tell you the words were flying out of me so fast and furious they bounced around putting dents on the walls. The mission of these not-so-kind words was to make my sweet husband know I was NOT running a business here. I was NOT selling other peoples items they have put in the trash for the recycler. He had a great idea for us to earn an extra $20…and I, under no uncertain terms, told him it was not happening.

Needless to say, I’ve stuck to my guns (my stubborn streak runs deep) and not offered, through any avenue, this lovely trashed out table. And there it still sits…

Table aside (three days later), we spent Sunday morning with family enjoying an early Christmas celebration due to school break schedules. We arrived on time and were greeted by a grandchild, Jo, running to thank us for the pajamas. Every year since Sav and Jo were babies, I have given them “Christmas Eve” pajamas. I know there may come a day when they outgrow that one package to open on Christmas Eve, but until then it’s a tradition we all enjoy. The house was festive, smelling of breakfast and hot chocolate. Everyone was generous with their hugs, smiles, and laughter…especially when my husband pushed his tie button (the Rocky theme) and pretended he had no idea where the music was coming from…he is a hoot. It was a beautiful morning and one I’ll treasure forever.

Dan and I will continue to pack/sell/toss as we come to the end of our journey at the apartment, and begin our new adventure. Tensions can be evident at times, but we know it’s not to be taken personally. Other times are filled with playing cards and having a good laugh over one of our favorite shows. Oh, yeah, and then there is me crying over a Christmas movie, often one I’ve watched every year for more than I can remember. Including with that scene is Dan checking to be sure I’m okay by reminding me I’ve seen the movie before, and me explaining “every time is like the first time” as the tears stain my face. All of these moments are part of the adventure..and I know that regardless of decorations, or should I say lack-there-of, busy schedules, packing/selling/tossing and being sure the cable etc has a shutdown date, along with a P.O. Box ordered…it’s a wonderful time of the year after all.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all…xoxoxo

I have two titles for this blog…and couldn’t decide so there you go. Many of you know my husband, Dan, and I will be traveling around the states for about a year once we get past the holidays. With all that comes the drudgery of packing, deciding what to take, what to store, and what to sell to keep the storage costs down.
I started with the lightest to move items, my photography backdrops, and a backdrop stand. They are in good shape, multiple scenes, colors, and patterns. I hoped to get them to someone who is starting photography or adding to their current setup. Putting feelers out didn’t drum up a sell, so I went to the next option…Craigslist. I posted photos of the equipment so that the potential buyer would get a visual. Then headed off to meet my daughter and friends for a fun meet & greet lunch. On my way to the restaurant, I received a text. Now, I promise I don’t normally check a text, for the most of 99.9%, but I wanted to be sure it wasn’t my daughter canceling due to a work/child emergency before I got on the freeway. It was someone responding to my ad…wow, I thought to myself, it’s only been a couple of hours.
When I park at the restaurant, I read the email stating this person’s mom would be interested and I was to email the mom at the provided Gmail account. Sounds good so far…right?
My lunch took priority, so when I returned home a few hours later, I proceeded to let this person know I heard of her interest and to please contact me when she would like to make the financial/item exchange.
Dan and I headed out to run an errand that evening to purchase a car alarm for his truck…it has been broken into twice over the past week and a half…(insert very unhappy face here). While he drove I noticed an email from the “mom”…so I opened it. Reading her story sounded legit, so I provided the information (my full name and address) she needed to get a Cashier’s Check to me. I was to cash it and then make arrangements for someone to pick up the items for her. She said her husband handles the finances and was out of town…so the check would be overnighted from his destination.
Okay…let me insert here that I have gone off Paxil, due to a health concern, and even though we reduced the dose down while getting off, withdrawals are pretty much inevitable…my brain has been misfiring a bit as the withdrawals take over (not fun). My zapping neurons didn’t see any issues. Until the middle of the night when I woke up in a panic realizing I was about to become the victim of a SCAM operation. I picked up my phone at 2:30 am and emailed the “mom” telling her I will not accept the check. If she was interested in the items, she will have to come up with cash, and meet me in a public place – I suggested the Lynnwood Police Dept.
I didn’t hear back for a couple of days. Whew…that’s off my yuck detector. Then suddenly someone else tries to do the same SCAM deal. I quickly deflected this new intruder. Later that day I hear from the first one saying the check is on the way…good grief, what about cash/police didn’t she get. In the email, she is saying the check will be for considerably more than the sale price…that I am to deposit to my bank, withdraw what I have coming to me…along with transfer fees…what are those for you ask??? Well, she told me once the check clears, I was to withdrawal the remaining amount and wire transfer it to UPS…the instructions are endless and blurring my eyes at this point.
Anyhow, I blasted back I was NOT accepting the check and that the items had been sold (yes, a lie…but I felt justified). Well, guess what came in the mail today. A Cashier’s Check for $1,500.00 – yes, that is $1,350.00 more than what I was selling my items for. Naturally, I won’t be doing the depositing…transferring…or any other business.
I hope you are still reading at this point because here is the real reason for writing this blog. How many times do these people get away with these, or other scamss like it?? Obviously enough to be profitable or they wouldn’t keep going. I would love to take this check to the police and get an investigation going, but they don’t have time for this…hence, the reason these “SINNERS’ can continue to exploit good American people. I stand by that assumption partly because when Dan’s truck was broken into the first time (they used a slim jim), they left their Walkie-Talkie…nice to know these thieves communicate during “their” business hours. We put in a report and got a case number, but when we told them we had evidence they could get prints off, they told us they wouldn’t bother with it, and instructed us to throw it in the garbage. To top it off some of Dan’s tools, and paperwork was found by a man who lives close to our apartment. He called the police, and get this; they told him just to throw the stuff out. Thankfully, he is a better citizen than that, so he dug around and found Dan’s cell number and called him. Next thing we know we are standing in front of a man with Dan’s items in his hands. We didn’t get everything back, but it was something.
However, this is exactly why good American citizens are getting scammed, ripped off, robbed, and violated. There are so many Whales swimming around that the police have to handle that these little “Sinning Minnows” can easily swim past without being noticed.
I know there isn’t anything I can do about it, but I feel better talking to all of you and hoping you can see past the slime that slithers amongst our good people.
Take care everyone; we only have each other and God to see us through.
As for the original items, I was selling, and the furniture I will be selling as “Moving Sale” items…I’ll be doing more research in an attempt to find legitimate post avenues. I’m sorry to be a Debbie Downer during the holiday season, but, unfortunately, crime doesn’t take a vacation, so fighting back can’t either.

There are far too many dance styles to mention, but a few that come to mind are the Twist, the Waltz, and the sexy Salsa dance…but I think the most important dance we can learn is Life’s Little Dance. It carries the most steps and is the hardest to figure out. As I write my autobiography (no release date at this time) I find my steps were a combination of missteps, trying new steps, easy steps, and clumsy steps. Some of them actually landed me on my bum…but if I’ve learned anything it is how to get back up and try again.

Raising kids, definitely, has a tune all its own I like to call Crazy Train…it holds the fast movement of the Swing with the grace of a ballet as we kiss their sweet faces at the end of a long day. Add full-time jobs as most parents have (insert: single moms get a special shout out) and you’ve got yourself a combo of many steps…likely adding the “two left feet” theory to a lot of those days.

And let’s not forget the Dance of Marriage. I’ve had my share of missteps in this dance routine, but age and experience paid off…finally. Sure we have a misstep here and there…in fact, some days we are so out of sync we need a break from the music altogether. But we start over the next morning by pushing the reset button to the music…and suddenly we could be on Dancing with the Stars. Except when we can’t hear each other…then the Dance of Miscommunication starts playing in the background. Here is an example, and one we laugh about often. We were driving on I-70 in Colorado. It’s a four lane highway but is split so the west bound is higher than the east bound in this particular spot. We are east bound. Construction was in full swing taking advantage of the dry and sunny days. I asked Dan, “Do you think rock slides cause the damage?” – dead silence filled the truck for a few minutes. I waited…and waited…and waited for an answer, but the one I received still makes me laugh. He said, “I suppose peroxide could cause damage.” I responded with a “What?!?!” and then the laughing started…but not for him until I told him I said “ROCK SLIDE, NOT PEROXIDE” loud enough for him to hear me clearly. He had been picturing a truck hauling peroxide tipping over and was analyzing what damage it could possibly cause, and thinking hey, anything is possible. Not every miscommunication is as funny as we have found this one to be over the years, but they still happen. Getting older has its advantages to knowing dance steps better since we’ve had plenty of time to learn them, but we still misstep, too.

To sum it up…no matter what your abilities to dance are, even if you fall flat on your face, remember ‘Life’s Little Dance’ is a dance you can continue to learn, so, turn up the music my friends and dance.

It was just over four years ago I began a personal project and successfully brought it to fruition. With every word typed I pondered over what it might mean to others. I questioned how they would connect, or how they might view the project. But I forged forward, and when the last word was written, I knew the real work was about to take place…editing.

It’s one thing to write the words while feeling the emotions, the experience, the moments…it’s another thing to read them over and over again. However, editing is part of any writer’s life, so the process continued.

Somewhere along the line, nervously I might add, I decided to get an outside opinion. With shaky fingers, I searched for a critique group and found Critique Circle on the Internet.

I thought about this option for many days, wondering how others would receive a snippet of my story. It is, after all, what the website is about – helping writer’s hone their craft. Joining the website and exposing my heart to strangers is never an easy decision.

This story, buried in my heart, was to give my deceased son a voice. He was an infant when he died, and never had a chance to share his view on life, love, or his experiences thus far. When the idea to write our story came to me, it was because I realized how easily the comfort of animals goes dismissed because they cannot express their needs. If that was true for them, how could it not be true for my son or any child who died in infancy? Because of this thought process, I began the journey of bringing Brook’s voice to life. Also, hoping my words could help another parent feel less alone in the brutal pain the loss of a child leaves behind.

When I submitted the first few pages of my story to the critique group, I shut the website down and began waiting anxiously for a response from someone. It was a few days before my first critique was done. When I saw there was a message, I moved my mouse over the link, then off, then on, then off again. It was hours before I could bring myself to read it, but finally, after a few deep breaths, I opened the message.

What I found was words of encouragement and understanding. Yes, there were small suggestions, but minor grammar issues. All good ideas, but the most important was the positive response to my story. I received multiple critiques, and as I read each one, their advice was great, but most importantly they brought validation.

Since taking that huge step and obtaining the opinion of strangers, I was able to complete my project. I have published this reality/fiction novella and couldn’t be more proud of my finished book. With it also came healing, which is a wonderful result of telling a personal story.

My normal genre of writing is suspense. I have a stand-alone suspense novel, and recently finished my fourth novel for my Sara Series (expected to be published the end of June 2017). I was also hired last year to write the memoirs for a business owner.

But Watching Over Her will always mean the most, maybe because it is personal, or perhaps because of the healing that took place. I’m so happy I completed the journey of writing it, and will always be proud of it.

If, after reading this blog, you are interested in reading my book, you can pick up a copy in paper or eBook on Amazon, or Smashwords. If perhaps, you are a member of the Critique Circle and joined in the critique of my book snippet, a special thank you for taking the time out to help me push forward to travel a successful journey. Thanks to everyone that takes the time to read my blogs and novels. I appreciate your encouragement and positive reviews.

And still another day rolls around and Thanksgiving arrives tomorrow. Wow, where did the year go? Each year for the past six years I have celebrated Thanksgiving in different ways, in different places, and with different family members. No matter where I am, or whom I am with my heart is always with the ones I love…and for me, they are enough to be thankful for every day throughout the year.

I have my favorite memories, of course, and those are the holidays spent with family, friends, good food, lots of laughter, and game time in the traditional manner we had developed. When I owned my home in Shoreline, it was small, but we fit in just fine…usually on the high side of twenty people as the count would go. The men would retreat to the basement family room to cheer on their favorite team, while the women would gather around the kitchen and living room to share stories, laugh, and enjoy a glass of wine…or two. I had one bedroom set up with my PlayStation for the older children, and one for the younger children to occupy themselves with toys. No matter what part of the house you were in, a good time was enjoyed.

Over the years the manner in which I celebrate this all-important holiday has changed. The reasons are there, but I’d have to say one of the biggest changes happened after my sister, Cathy, passed away. Perhaps she was the glue that kept so many of us together, though I fear it was events afterward that changed the dynamics of our celebrations. Sometimes change is good…sometimes it just is.

This year Dan and I will be with my daughter, her equal half, Jason, and some of Jason’s relatives. I know there will still be Thanksgivings that bring our family down from Canada, and my siblings with their families together to celebrate, but for the years a different celebration is enjoyed I’ll continue to be thankful. Not just for the memories, but for the chance to celebrate at all. I have many family members that love me and that I love beyond words. So, no matter how you celebrate Thanksgiving, I truly hope you spend it with someone you can call a friend…someone you love…someone who loves you.

May your blessings be many, your troubles be few, your smiles be plentiful, and your tummy be full. Happy Thanksgiving to all.