Photo 365 #350: Change is afoot

July 23, 2015July 21, 20156 Comments

Just look at this sky.

*inhales deeply*

*exhales happily*

Isn’t it beautiful? I snapped this picture on my way back from lunch on Monday. This has been one heck of a crazy week, and as a result, I’m going to have to make some changes.

For starters, I think I’m going to let my Photo Friday feature go on hiatus for a while. I completely forgot about it last week (and possibly the week before), and with trying to learn a new job, things are pretty hectic here right now, so the fewer things I have to worry about, the better.

This also means that once I finish my Photo 365 project, I’ll probably stop posting quite so frequently. I want to be able to publish quality blog posts, and if I’m so zonked at the end of the day that I can barely string together a coherent sentence, there’s probably no way I can put together a coherent (to say nothing of entertaining) blog post. I’ll try to post at least three times a week, but if I go silent for a couple days, try not to worry.

I’ll be Bach. 😀

With that said, I’m pretty zonked right now, so I’m going to go hit up the caffeination station and pray it kicks in soon. Have a great Thursday, everybody!

Photo 365 #349

July 22, 2015July 19, 20157 Comments

Buddy is looking so much better. It’s been over a week since we cleaned out his wounds again, and he is in much better spirits.

Best of all, he’s no longer mad at us. Now that he’s feeling better, he seems to have forgotten last week’s misery, at least for the most part. He didn’t take too kindly to Thumper’s attempts to pet his eyeball, earning my hoppy boy a scratch on the arm.

Of course, if someone tried to pet my eyeball, I’d be a little grumpy, too.

Just sayin’. 🙂

And now, the review!

July 21, 2015July 19, 20152 Comments

The Ark_version 1 You know, I really feel like I don’t read enough. I mean, I read oodles of blogs, plus about a dozen articles a day from The Guardian, plus random articles on Facebook, and I always try to check in on Twitter at least once a day, but I don’t read nearly as many books as I used to.

I know, I know – writing is reading. To write well, I need to read widely.

And the thing is, I love reading. I actually really miss the days when I could zip through a book in a day or two. Sometimes I still do, but it’s becoming more and more rare. I just don’t make the time for it that I used to.

*cries*

But then this spring, I heard about this book called…

Photo 365 #348

July 21, 2015July 19, 2015Leave a comment

I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed the comfort of a shady hammock Sunday morning:

The boys, however, wanted it to go faster.

*sigh* 🙂

Talking books with Laura Liddell Nolen

July 20, 2015July 19, 2015Leave a comment

Happy Monday, everybody! It’s a great Monday, isn’t it?

If you said no, then prepare to have your mind changed, because today I’ve got with me Laura Liddell Nolen, author of the fantastic book The Ark. So kick back, relax, and let’s talk books!

KK: Tell us about yourself.

LauraLNolen LN: Hi! Thank you so much for having me! I do love your site. I’m a sci-fi/fantasy fangirl turned writer. I grew up in Mississippi, and I live in Texas now. The Ark is my first book.

KK: And The Ark? What’s it all about?

Photo 365 #347

July 20, 2015July 19, 20152 Comments

Seymour took me out for supper last night, and it was grand. The food could have been better (and definitely cheaper!), but it didn’t really matter because it was just the two of us.

Alone.

Without the kids.

It was glorious. When you don’t have four kids constantly clamoring for your attention, it’s easy to take silence for granted, which is why I love date nights so freaking much.

But I digress.

Partway through supper, my new job came up in the conversation, and I confessed to being nervous about it. Seymour pulled out a package and handed it to me, saying, “Well, I thought you might like this for your new desk.”

I have! The best! Husband! Ever! 😀

“This way,” he continued, “when you’re having a bad day, you have something to look at and remind yourself that it could always be worse.”

“Yeah, at least I’m not going out on an away mission in a red shirt!” I quipped.

Seriously, though, the thing is awesome. And it’s going to look great right next to my Voyager figurine. 😉

Photo 365 #346

July 19, 201512 Comments

It’s a beautiful day! Not too hot, not too humid, a little bit sunny – completely gorgeous.

I could spend all day like this. Just give me a book and a drink and I’ll be good to go!

How do you like to relax on lazy Sunday afternoons?

Photo 365 #345

July 18, 2015July 19, 20154 Comments

After playing catch-up pretty much all day yesterday, I woke up this morning feeling like I was already behind on things. Despite that (and despite an unanticipated stop at the fairgrounds), I managed not to be late for anything today, which is pretty amazing. In my experience, kids move at their own speed, which is generally not as fast as I would like (unless the occasion calls for slow and quiet, in which case kids move as quickly and loudly as physically possible), so me getting anywhere on time is something of a miracle.

Today’s destination was my nephew’s wedding. The actual ceremony was outside, where it was downright tropical, but it was a beautiful ceremony, with beautiful vows spoken by beautiful (in every sense of the word) people. The reception was inside, which was wonderful because all the groomsmen (and the groom) looked exceedingly warm in their long sleeves. It was a beautiful wedding, and I’m so happy we could go.

The boys had an absolute blast playing with their cousins. My niece’s kids are the same ages as Cricket and Thumper, and Cricket couldn’t stop talking about how much fun he had playing and dancing with them. I’m glad they had so much fun together. I got to see three of my siblings, which was another treat as I don’t see them very often. It was a great evening.

I think Cricket’s going to have to teach Bubbles his dance moves. After picking up break dancing (kid style) from his cousin, Cricket busted out his own moves and managed not to break anything, unlike his big brother, who broke his glasses this spring when he tried break dancing at a school dance.

We did ‘t stay to dance as long as I’d have liked, but Seymour was super tired, and the boys were getting that way, too. Still, we had a lot of fun, and I can’t wait for the next big family event. 🙂

Do you like weddings? What’s your favorite part?

Photo 365 #343

July 16, 2015July 17, 20154 Comments

So today was crazy! I had my first book signing at Smith’s General Store in the morning, and it was a lot of fun. I only sold three books (five if you count the two I sold on Wednesday), but it was still a lot of fun. And we’re talking about doing another one in November during the town’s annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony, where hopefully I’ll do even better.

Woo! …

Photo 365 #342

July 15, 2015July 17, 20152 Comments

It was a long and busy day yesterday, but this moment made it all worth it:

I just love moments like these after a long, stressful day. They make everything seem so much better and really put life’s petty irritations into perspective. 🙂