# 575 - First Blogging, then BOOKS! What have I done?

Before I add my usual blog post, I want to let everyone know that I've been blogging for ages and will continue doing so...it's in my blood, but I've also enjoyed a long career that's included writing, but I'm now holding my own reins by publishing creative fiction books.

I've got several eBooks set for release, a novella series is the first on the schedule, and Book I was released a couple of days ago. It's a scary, spooky story balanced with humor, faith, and love. You can read it on any device...iPhone, iPad, Computer, Mac, or Kindle. You don't have to own a Kindle to read it! When you order, there will be a choice of where you want to have the eBook sent, and it's magic...it sends it to you with ease!

The button for choosing the place for the story to land will appear just below the purchase button on Amazon. It's easy and allows us to enjoy additional reading choices. You can read the eBook on the device you're using right now to read this latest blog post, it's super simple.

And here's summary of this first book...

Shelby, an energetic teenager, has recently returned from Scotland to America after living abroad with her family for a couple of years. They find a home in the Greater Houston area, close to her father's job and next door to a church, but Shelby doesn't like the house. From the moment she steps beyond the threshold of living room, into the heart of the home, she notices a dark presence, but she's the only one who senses it.

After moving in and experiencing terrifying encounters with an indescribable entity, she starts to question if her mind is the culprit. Perhaps her imagination is the source of terror...maybe her eyes are playing tricks on her, but she can't deny the blood. Circumstances spiral out of her control, preventing her from rationalizing all that she hears and sees. She can't escape the shadowed presence that targets her, but she'll find a way to fight back.

She won't give up or give in as she searches for a way to protect her family and herself from what lies in the middle.

Shelby's family includes a disabled mother, a workaholic father, and two siblings...Brother and Dovey. Brother keeps the humor coming as Shelby utilizes faith and bravery to accumulate useful knowledge to battle dark spirits, and she searches for a way to survive the necessity of sharing a home with a terrorizing presence. She refuses to live in terror, not in her own home, but how can she live with and battle the dark shadow that lurks around the corner from her bedroom, just beyond the threshold?

***

I hope you're able to gather the bravery to read this character-driven storyline of relatable people confronting irregular hurdles. This is the first book of the series titled "What Lies in the Middle."

I hope to discuss a few topics inspired by the book along with some personal experiences of my readers. I've made posts in the past of eerie experiences and reader-comments revealed many of us have experienced discomforting things that can't be explained. And even though this book is a fictionalized storyline, I know a lot of people have tried to explore strange happenings that might never find rational answers.

And to clear up any confusion...we decided to combine the book's title with a subtitle that is also the name of the series, rooting the two together; that's only for this first book. I'll let you know when the next book is due for pre-release with a definitive launch date.

There's a new Group on Facebook that I'd love for my blog buddies to join, and that link is at the bottom of this post

If you join the group, please let me know you're from our blog-sphere. And if you buy the eBook, especially let me know so I can thank you!

Just as I've written my blog and enjoyed a long-lasting fantastic interaction with my readers and fellow bloggers, I intend to maintain the same path with readers of my books, whether they are in the form of an eBook or paperback print...I want to stay in touch with you, give you behind-the-scenes details, and get your feedback along the way...hopefully you guys will be some of the first readers of this series.

***

As for building the never-ending farmhouse...it's still under construction. The long-time blog readers already know that we are slug-slow with finishing our house. We've had rains for months that have made the land a mucky mess. It can get quite depressing to be surrounded by mud, but I'm thankful we've not flooded. So many family and friends this last year were devastated by flooding in the Greater Houston area.

Despite the dreariness of the weather, we managed to work on the laundry room. I'll write a separate post about that experience. I LOVE my laundry room!

We used leftover tile to create a nice design in the floor, and I gave the bead-board a "weathered barn" paint treatment that I concocted on my own, which took me three days to paint.

The room is quite nice...mostly finished, but it still requires finishing touches, such as the trim around the windows and a window ledge for my little plants. I'll write a post about the laundry room because it deserves its own shining spot on the blog!

What can I say? I'm a thrilling woman who enjoys a great laundry room. After we finished this room to a certain point, I stood inside it to re-enact that scene from the Sound of Music as she spins around at the top of a pastured mountaintop with joy...yeah, that was me.

Of course, I wasn't escaping Nazis with a pack of children in tow; regardless, I spun around while surrounded by dirty clothes and stinky dog towels, and it was beautiful.

Aside from my laundry-room-moment, our family has also had some difficult and exciting things happening, which I'll share in my next few posts. With my new laptop, getting back to blogging is easier than sitting at my desktop. I don't know why, but for me, sitting at the desktop is a little claustrophobic. Blah.

Meanwhile, I'll enjoy my laundry room while wrapping up the second book to this series, so if anyone reads "BEYOND the THRESHOLD: What lies in the middle?" by Lana R. Black, then be sure to let me know, then get prepared for Part II of the series! The novella takes about two hours to read...it's an easy-read of about 100 pages, so it's an enjoyable commitment. Feel free to go onto the given Amazon link and stay in close touch by FOLLOWING my author page...there's a button below the book info on Amazon to follow the author. Please give me a review on Amazon after reading and be sure to use the highlight feature that Amazon gives its customers while reading an eBook...then share your favorite parts with me.

***
I've included the Amazon link that takes you to the first couple of chapters, then it will prompt you to buy it for $3.99 --- and that's cheaper than coffee! Isn't that the old line?

https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B07MYTBL9B&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_-JwsCb7GFYWPT

Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/768805986830396/

As always, I'll be reading your comments. Happy reading to my blog-buddies!

# 378 - "Flowers in the Attic" Distraction

Pardon me for not writing very much lately...I've been keeping my nose in book after book. I've been addicted to a series of novels that my brother-in-law teased me for not reading YEARS ago.

I've head about the "Flowers in the Attic" books, but I had never read them, not until I stood in an aisle at Half Price Books and began to sift through several of V.C. Andrews books. I wondered if Andrews was a male or female. The answer was soon revealed in her later published books with her name Virginia Andrews as the author.

And I realized the reason I had not read "Flowers in the Attic" when I was younger...for I was only eleven years old when this book was published, not exactly prime reading material for a child of that age.

Standing in Half Price Books, I noticed there was ONE book left on the shelf, titled, "Garden of Shadows." "Garden of Shadows" had been written as a prequel to "Flowers in the Attic," so I grabbed up that solitary battered book with that title and added it to my basket growing heavy with many books by Andrews.

I have now read of this series...
"Garden of Shadows"
"Flowers in the Attic"
"Petals on the Wind"
and I am now finishing, "If There Be Thorns."

However, there are more books written by this author and I am going to Half Price Books to get ALL that I can find, tomorrow.

I don't want to give away the meat of these books, so don't read anything about them on-line because it is amazing to read it first-hand and to feel the story unraveling. I can say that these books have held me spellbound.

As I read "Flowers in the Attic," I told myself that this kind of story is so outlandish that it had to be based upon real-life circumstances. Only real-life could be so crazy. Then, I discover, the story of "Flowers in the Attic" is indeed based on a true story. It's disputed, but Virginia Andrews stated it had been based on a true story...the length of the attic-time-frame had actually been six years.

So, for the past couple of weeks, I've been reading these books. At my age, I've discovered that it takes me longer to read a book. Years ago, I'd eat-up a novel's words within two days time. These days, I find my eyes passing over printed words with more delicacy, as if I've learned to savor each line, sometimes having to reread the same line several times to let it soak into my own thoughts. Even so, this series has been difficult to feast upon, yet I keep going back for more.

It sickens me.

It disturbs me.

It haunts me.

Yet, even now, as I welcome two little girls into my home who've been cast into the CPS system due to their own home-of-horrors, I know such distorted family dynamics can be a reality for some people.

Even so, there is no "perfect" family out there to be found. Imperfect people form imperfect families and this is the truth of life. Our own imperfections give us the very reason we should be compassionate with the imperfections of others. The moment we become hardened and crass toward others in our desperate attempt to make others into our idea of what is acceptable, we have become unacceptable ourselves.

Still, this is also the reason we should try to give the BEST of ourselves to others. Giving our best is not play-acting, it is offering the side of ourselves that is above our own set of problems and above unrealistic expectations of others. If we all tried to give our BEST, then our discord would be reduced. However, when you don't get the best from someone, the solution is not in becoming worse than what you are despising. Lord knows I've travelled a bit down this road to discover this for myself. The old saying, "If you can't beat them, join them" is not always the best path, unless you want to veer toward self-destruction and become what you struggle against. Worse, you might become a darker version of what you fear.

"Flowers in the Attic" is the start of showing the destruction this kind of thinking can cause for the one who is hurting and lashing out. It seems the whip always cracks back around to injury the one controlling it, no matter the reason.

These books make you realize that the "normal" family full of fights, disagreements, and even of betrayal, is still not anything past ordinary human behavior. However, some people can cross the line of selfishness as they wander into truly evil territory. That's the devastation of "Flowers in the Attic" for the reader...that such evil can exist and seek to destroy lives, even the lives of innocent children.

Sadly, the author, Virginia Andrews, died in 1986, but the book "Flowers in the Attic" was an immediate best-seller of 1979 and was made into a movie that had been terribly altered from the novel's key points, mostly because the content of the novel was too harsh to put on the big screen. However, there are supposed talks in Hollywood these days of re-making the movie to actually follow the novel. I will watch the old version, but I know it will be disappointing. Originally, Wes Craven was set to produce the movie back in 1979, but script changes caused all kinds of uproars and a fierce departure from the book resulted with the film. However, in this old version of the movie, the author has a cameo part of a maid scrubbing a window clean, and I will mainly watch it to honor the author of these books.

Of course, as always, a movie cannot ever capture the depth of a book because the details are usually described with precision and revelations are made that cannot always be included in a movie due to time constraints. If I don't read the book, I always feel cheated of storyline.

So, tonight I will be finishing the last few pages of "If There Be Thorns," and I will be sad for all children who experience consecutive horrors that would make most of our childhoods seem dreamy. Heck, all of us have our own little horror stories, but I am so darn grateful to have had a nutty household during my childhood that never went beyond hurt feelings and frustration at one another, even though we endured more than our fair share of mighty fierce belt whippings. Still, it was not all that bad. In fact, after reading "Flowers in the Attic," in comparison, I can say my childhood was outstanding. I feel rather elated to have had such a great childhood of immense freedom for being outdoors was my true treasure while growing up.

If you haven't read this series, be sure to find an old version of "Garden of Shadows," because it leads up to the story that is "Flowers in the Attic."

And, prepare to find it difficult to put down these books.

# 342 - My Goldilocks Chair

All the chairs in my house are nice, but they are designed for taller people. Most people are taller than I am, so it is rare to be able to sit in a chair that feels right for my body. I have longed to have a chair that would give me a Goldilocks moment, a chair that is not too big and not too small, but just right. This weekend, by unlikely chance, I found my chair.

Sunday, I had several errands to make and as I passed by the local Goodwill store, I decided to stop in and take a look around. As for Goodwill, if anyone ever has a donation to make, I firmly believe it should be made to Goodwill, founded by a good-hearted minister nearly 100 years ago. If you see someone working behind the counter at Goodwill, it just might be a woman who is living in a homeless shelter, trying to rebuild her life. Over the years, I have taken several car-loads and truck-loads of items to Goodwill for donating. This organization will continue to be my first choice for donated items.

This weekend, the store was filled with the Sunday church crowd. People were scurrying about, having a good look at things on the shelves, on the racks and in the back of the shop. So many items have a good solid structure, but simply need a face-lift, such as the lamps. Some of those lamps had to have cost a fortunate when they were first purchased, but the paint had worn away and the shades were missing. Still, many lamps had a sturdy foundation with great styling. There were two awesome lamps I wished to have been able to bring home to be renewed, but alas, they were left at the store.

As I walked around, I found this toy aisle with a large play horse laying on its side. After picking it up and taking a good look at it, I could not believe that such an old toy with deep character had been sent to Goodwill.

I put it in the basket. Little did I know the horsey would make such great friends with my four-legged furry friends at home.

All the while, I walked around the store and kept my eye open for a bookshelf to put upstairs in my spare bedroom. There were plenty of bookshelves, but they were the assemble-yourself variety and that God-awful cheap quality still shined through, time making them look worse off instead of richer through the passing of ownership.

In the back of the store, I spied this table. It had been mostly hidden because an old-style television was sitting on it. Closer, still, I ask a young gentleman nearby if he would mind moving the tv to the next table. He beamed and got to show off his muscles. And there it was...an awesome little side table. After some research, I've learned this furniture maker crafted these tables either from teak or walnut, but it is solid wood.

I can't pass on solid wood, not with those clean lines and the styling of the table's edges that are cast downward at every corner. Plus, who can beat $13.00 for a solid wood table?

Since I could not find a bookshelf, I decide to head out. I have found two interesting buys, a horse sporting a saddle and a Texas tribute-flag and a nice, sturdy solid wood side table.

Howdy is already trying to protect his new little friend.

Passing by the other furniture, I see people standing around looking at a couple of chairs. One of the chairs looks exactly like a chair that my great-grandmother would sit in while reading me books when I was about five years old. It sat there without a sitter and had just been unloaded to the floor for sale. I could not believe my eyes.

Like a magnet, the chair pulled me toward it, and in the midst of everyone looking and scratching their heads, and tapping their chins, I sat in the chair. Lo and behold, it held together like a dream, plus it rocked! The cushions had been cared for so tenderly that they appeared brand new. It was obvious that this chair had been well-cared for throughout the years.

Best of all, as I sat there, I felt relief from the near-constant back pain I endure. In 2009, I had a broken neck that required reconstructive surgery, so I'm held together by man-made engineering, which is never as good as the original plan. But, the comfort I felt while sitting in this chair is hard for me to find these days. My short legs fully reached the ground and this lessened the pull on my back, and I felt as if this chair had been built to my specific measurements. I closed my eyes for a second, enjoying the chair of perfection, only to open them to see more people wanting their turn at the seat.

As I stood up, my mind had been settled. I took a quick look at the underside, the backside and at other parts of the chair, blocking the chair from another sitter --- hey ---- it's still my turn and the inspection continues. Then I glanced at the pricing/inventory tagged on the upper cushion, it had been taped to the fabric. As a few other people began to push on the cushion and to tap the legs of the chair with their stubby shoe, I suddenly reached in between everyone, ripped the tag off the cushion and immediately "walked" to checkout.

Unbelievably, on my way to checkout, racing there, I had FIVE people either stop me, block me or tap me on the shoulder to ask if I was really going to buy that horse. Every person asked with such a sparkle in their eye, I wondered why everyone had been drawn to it. One lady said she had intended to go back for it, but she did not have a basket on her and wanted to see what the rest of the store had to offer. I smiled, while thinking, "...tsk, tsk, if you had truly wanted it, you would have taken it, laid claim to it, and not let another person get a chance to buy it."

I actually told her, "It's a beauty; I'm sure it will provide hours of fun for the kids in my family."

As I reached check-out, another person was behind me, asking about the chair. I was in line to check-out, I held up the tag for the chair and said said to the clerk, "I already have the tag and am buying the chair."

The clerk smiled and said to the woman, "That's how it works, the person with the tag is the one buying it."

I must say, the great  humorous thing about shopping at Goodwill is that you find one-of-a-kind deals in the store. If you find a good thing, there will not be a shelf lined with duplicates. If you see something you like, you better make up your mind and claim it. The next fun part is to get through check-out without someone wanting your chosen item as their own. There is something about watching another person with that beautiful vase heading out the door.

The next funny part was to get all the items home. Even though my purchases were of minimal value, I am not one to spend money. The budget for my leisure and recreation activities is rock-bottom. Plus, I spend very little gas because I am a home-body and proud of it!

I put the table, the horse and the chair cushions inside the truck and a young man loaded the chair into the truck bed for me. Driving home, in my rearview mirror, I could see the chair rocking and could not help but smile from ear to ear.

Finally, I pulled into the driveway at home and wondered how I was to get my goods inside the house.

I am not the kind of person who would hide a purchase, but the things I bought on this Sunday were kind of funny.

I make my first trip inside with the horse as my house-mate stood there ironing his uniform and watching a football game. I marched straight upstairs with the sizable horse and left her in the playroom. Then, back the stairs I went and out the door to get the table out of the truck's backseat. Back inside the house, up the stairs I climbed to my room and I set down the table. Whew, that solid wood table might be little, but it sure is hefty. Back down the stairs, out the front door, to the truck I go and I grab the chair's cushions. First, I give them a good beating to dislodge any potential dust, then I haul them back inside the house, through the foyer, past the man ironing clothes, and up I go around the curved staircase. Out of breath now, I take a moment to breathe --- in --- out ---- in ---- out --- and off I go downstairs again.

This time, I have a chair frame to manage. How will this be possible? Outside, I pull the chair to the end of the truck bed, attempt to lift it this way and that, then I find a good holding position and OFF I GO with the bulky chair in my arms. I get to the front door, manage to use part of the chair to catch the front door knob, open the door, and since I was on a roll and feeling incredible, I kept going...up, up, up, up the stairs I went with that chair until I reached the gameroom and down she went with great care.

What a trip!

I took a moment to look at the old-fashioned techniques used to construct this piece of furniture and wondered how old the chair might be. It's definitely an antique, and I know that some of the furniture building methods can help date a piece of furniture, so I will look into it.

But, the seat is not made of that flimsy crude we see today, the seat cushion is held firm by straps.

The wood pieces are doweled together, The rocking mechanism is made of metal springs.

I believe the wood is maple.

I cleaned it up. Vacuumed the cushions. Put it in my cozy room upstairs, along with the table, and I now have the most awesome reading chair I have ever owned.

Last night, after I watched a movie from the overstuffed leather chair in the gameroom, a chair that is comfortable enough, I retired to my room and sat in my chair for about an hour to read my book. Slowly rocking back and forth while reading, I began to fall asleep. I wondered who had owned this chair. What had she been like? Who gave her this chair? And I could not help but wonder, "Why was the original owner no longer able to sit in it?"

I said outloud, "You must be onto bigger and better things, but I promise you that I will take care of your chair and will enjoy it for a long time to come."

And I will.

# 341 - Books Without Batteries

Electronic books are great and have their place in today's society. However, I will never feel that hardcopy books can be completely replaced with the plug-in, charged-up version.

One of the things that the news is now releasing is that today's children have so much access to electronics that they are missing out on the real world. The real world of parks, bike riding, skate-boarding, hopscotching, jump-roping, hide and go seeking, and all of those other wonderful activities that only a child can tackle with a massive amount of energy and exuberance.

That youthful exuberance is what makes a childhood so dang magical! Once that time-frame in our lives has passed, we can never clamour enough to get it back. After that time has passed, it is truly in the past. For electronically-driven people who have children, I cry out for them to let those kids have a full, active childhood while they still can! The days of electronics dominating their lives will come soon enough, and there is a time for enjoying such things...for older people, such as me, such as right now...as I am 44 years old and sitting here involved with my "Reality Writing" in this blog.

With the fun times of video-gaming being trumped by online access with hand-held devices on all sorts that can be taken anywhere, it will probably become necessary for parents to eventually schedule actual play time outdoors or schedule a play date with another real live child for some old-fashioned interaction.

Sitting in the empty park with the rusted swings hanging from not being used, will those children with their scheduled dates know how to actually laugh instead of telling the other they are LOLing?

One of the fears of today, for the kids of the future, is that communication will be learned electronically, but that direct communication between two people or a group of children might be a thing of the past. Just as how my generation would watch couples do the jitter-bug on television, yes it looks so fun, but people of my time NEVER or RARELY actually experienced such a thing ourselves. What activities will the children of the future be left NOT experiencing for themselves?

For me, it is unimaginable. My children were raised in the time of video games, but I spent so much time outdoors with my daughters that they could not imagine being forced to stay indoors...that would have been pure torture.

Heck, I spent many a day laying on the concrete driveway with my girls, looking up into the sky and doing our best to perform some serious cloud-watching. Each of us would spot an image in the clouds...oh look, it is a giant heart with Cupid in the rear as wild horses go prancing by!

Well, not that detailed, but you get my cloud picture. We saw many bunny rabbits in those clouds.

For us, many days, for years, were spent riding bikes around the neighborhood. If my children were too young to ride a bike, they rode on a seat attached to the back of one of our bikes. Eventually, they got their own bike with training wheels. Finally, they would graduate to a bike of their own, usually pink.

One of the most fun things I can recall is riding bikes with my children, us each taking turns to lead the others, and the goal would be to wind our way down each neighborhood street in search of water sprinklers. On a hot day in Texas, riding a bike with the breeze flowing past, cycling through the water droplets, was incredible. Spending time on an electronic cannot give a full body experience such as that.

Virtual water sprinkler droplets? Really?

An electronic cannot impart the true smell of fresh air, the wind blowing through your hair, and the sun upon your skin.

More than that, I cannot picture a toddler in a house that does not have an assortment of books to explore. Can you imagine the young child who is not given the chance to hold a real book? The child who does not have the opportunity to feel a book's pages in their hands, to smell paper, to see print on a page that becomes a bit worn with time...that is indeed a sad picture.

I love holding a book in my hands and for my eyes to scan a printed page that I know my mother had once held and read. How can an electronic substitute that connective sensation?

What are children supposed to do to in order to have their grandmother's books available for their little hands to grasp?

All I know is that I will be one of those grandmothers who has a full children's library. My grandchildren will be able to hold and to read the same books their mothers read when they were little children. My grandchildren will be taught what it means to take great care of books and to have reverence for their existence. They will not have to plug in when they come over to get a good read, they will have access to old-fashioned books bound within a cover instead of within the glossy confines of an electronic device.

Through the years, I have taken great pains to keep many old books preserved and ready for the future to enjoy.

How much longer will be it before these books are no longer considered "worthwhile?" I already have a family member who is a teacher, an English teacher, and she refuses to buy another hard copy book; she insists the future of books is strictly an electronic future and that home libraries will soon be a waste of time, money and space. Shudder! This from an English teacher!

Needless to say, I was shocked, yet could not disagree more heatedly. My personal library will stand testimony to the fact that bound books are never to be a discarded piece of history.

If that is indeed the situation for our future, then I will be the grandma who has the library full of books that are considered antiques; these books will be the heirlooms of their keeping.

A few of the books below will be part of that collection...

This book is great for the kid who feels that their younger sibling is a pure monster. I had two little monsters while growing up, so I loved this book myself.

Every child loves to read about being able to torture their babysitter. Maybe this is the reason today's generation is reading "Fifty Shades of Grey." Just a disturbing thought...

Amelia Bedelia is always a treat.

And if your kids like a good scary book so they can be traumatized, "Bony Legs" is an excellent choice. Both of my daughters would cheer and cringe to have this book read to them. I promise, the kids can lay in bed and look at the terrifying pictures for as long as they want when reading this hard-copy book and it will not require new batteries, ever.

Oh, the joy of books. Electronic is nice, a great bonus and a fun way to read, but for me, it will never replace the version that takes up mass, is purchased, then gets to remain on your bookshelf or someone else's until it falls apart at the seams. A little dust collected along the top portion of an old book is a wonderful part of the experience as well, until it's time to do some dusting. But, I will contend that book dust is different from other types of dust. It's more "literary."

A hard-copy book, if taken care of, will probably long out-last the latest electronic device that will soon need to be upgraded. The real version of the book will have the capacity to sit on that shelf, ready and waiting for the next person to experience it first-hand.

And I will be falling asleep tonight with my latest read at my side. My books...so comforting.

# 313 - Creepy Happenings

This is a post that requires old-fashioned imagination. I didn't have the time or inclination to take pictures as I wrote it last night.

Well, it's not even Halloween and there have been creepy happenings around the house this week. I don't like walking into one of the bedrooms to find the ceiling fan chain swinging wildly back and forth as I'm looking around trying to figure out how it can be moving so fast, on its own.

I put my hands around the chain to make a circle to feel if the A/C register is blowing on it. Then, I watch it swinging and figure it's one of those things. Perhaps the fan brace that is in the attic has been impacted by wind blowing through the attic? Sounds good to me.

Then, I've heard sounds coming from the attic, as if someone was in there stomping around...it's probably another critter trying to find refuge where it can be found, but I don't like it. Sounds in the attic are ultra creepy.

If you are from the North, you probably deal with basement sounds. In the South, we have attics. Either one is not good when it comes in creepy-form.

Then, this evening, I'm cleaning the gameroom upstairs and going from the playroom to the gameroom to the playroom to the gameroom, both rooms located on the second story. I'm passing through the hallway upstairs to get from the playroom to the gameroom and there's nice large closet with deep shelves for storage located in this hallway. Yes, this house has AWESOME closet space with plenty of room for extra storage---there's my sale's line for the week to market this house. And no, I'm NOT a heavy walker because I don't like the sound of footsteps. Besides, my footsteps are not powerful enough to shake this house in the slightest, at least, I'd like to THINK that way!

Okay, going between these two rooms in cleaning mode, I stop to gather the trash sack from the far corner of the gameroom. The sack is in my hands, I'm tying it in a knot when I suddenly hear CRASH, BANG, BOOM from the hallway behind me!!! I glance backward, then slowly finish tying the trash sack into a knot while on auto-pilot.

Initially, I thought I'd pretend that I didn't even hear the sound. Sometimes, that works well. I don't get scared easily, but this crash was loud. In fact, as I'm trying to go about my household business upstairs and trying to pretend to hear nothing...enjoying my peaceful existence while cleaning, I now hear Deputy Dave yell from downstairs, "What was THAT?"

Augh! I look over to the hallway. I'm about 20-25 feet from the crash impact. Automatically, I yell, "It's nothing!" I don't want him to come upstairs to start inspecting when I am fine and I can handle it on my own.

However, he persists in wanting to know, "What WAS that?"

Now I must go to the closet. But, I know it's nothing important because the closet only has books and games and decks of cards...boring, non-breakable things that are nothing to be concerned about, so I yell down to him, "It's nothing! Something just fell in the closet, no biggie!"

Augh! At least he was satisfied and stopped asking what had fallen.

I just want to clean the gameroom! But you know how that gnawing feeling is deep in your gut when you've GOT to find out what has happened...well...the gnawing was present, I had to investigate, so I dropped off the trash sack next to the stairway banister on my way to the hall closet.

Yep, my brave self goes to the closet. To the closet I go. Carefully, I open the door because something might have fallen from the top shelf and be stuck between the door and the shelving, UNTIL I open the door and catch it on my pumpkin head. Yes, being over 40 teaches you wise lessons.

Slowly I open the door to find a good-sized book lying on its side. As I open the door fully, the book tumbles onto its side, out of the closet to plop open at my feet. Really? I guess the door wasn't there for it to lean against any longer. Well, that sounds good to me.

From the position the book had been laying, on an upper shelf, it did fall about five feet onto hardwood flooring within the closet itself, so it's understandable that it made a loud noise upon impact. And everyone knows that anything that falls on the second story, especially with hardwood floors, will cause a resonating sound to take place.

I look up at the shelves. There's no way this book could've fallen on its own. The books are all positioned in a manner that is non-falling. Books are not positioned on the edge. The shelving is deep and adequate to prevent toppling-prone books from taking the plunge.

Oh well.

I reach down to pick up the book that is now blocking the closet door from being able to be closed...and I AM CLEANING, so I grab the darn book and have to let out a little gasp because this particular book belongs to Stefie and was purchased from the Christian bookstore last year. It's title is, "Preparing for Marriage."

WHAT?

Geez, of ALL books! Why couldn't the crashing book have been the title NEXT to the one that fell? That one is, "The Road Less Traveled". I'd prefer it had been that book to decide to leap off the shelf. How about the James Patterson book above it? Any other book would've been nice.

Is this a sign? If so, who is it intended for? Just because it lands at MY feet, what does that mean? Perhaps it means a person should read these kinds of books BEFORE they get married? I kind of giggled to myself at all the thoughts rolling around in the spare space that is called my brain.

For a brief second, I take a leery glance at all the shelves. I look up at ALL THE BOOKS ON THE SHELVES, as if I feel rebellious and I put it back on the shelf. Then, I do a double-take to make sure it is snug in its spot. Same as it was before the fall.

I don't like it.

Stefie, Why couldn't you have taken your book along with all the furniture to your new apartment? That book has come to life in my closet, Not funny. Quit laughing, I said it wasn't funny.

Heather, you better not be laughing either. Even though we've already had one creepy episode with this closet and the beads...another story for another time...the book is a different story. Maybe I'm supposed to mail the book to you...after all...you're about to get married! Let the book hop around in your closet!

Closet, the next time, I want you to throw something like "Fifty Shades of Gray" at me. Then, I can be creeped out and amused while trying to figure THAT one out!

# 245 - Playboy Articles...Not Likely

Being on our land gives me the most peaceful moments, ever. It also gives me the most hectic, scary moments, ever.

Part of my peaceful moments has included reading, as usual. If I can't read my blog buddies entries, I'm reading a book. For now, we don't have Internet connection on our land. I hope that will change very soon.

Lately, I've been re-reading a favorite book, "Outlander." In fact, I last read this book about ten years ago. So, when I came across it again while browsing the shelves at Half Price Books, I purchased my dad a copy as well so that we could read it around the same time and talk about it. I have one of those awesome dads who loves to read.

Outlander is a novel mostly about characters based in Scotland, which includes a few interesting English characters. The main time-frame is circa early-mid 1700's, and it is fantastically written with historic facts and tidbits weaved into the storyline. Since I lived in Scotland for part of my childhood, it's a book that brings back fond memories of the climate, the language, the people, the traditions...it is a land that will be a part of me until the day I die.

However, if you are thinking about reading this book, let me give you a friendly warning...if you are hesitant to read "red-zone" material or are uncomfortable with reading "sex" subject matter, then don't consider this book because it's an integral part of the book. The hot-topic doesn't come up until later in the book, but it is a definite eye opener for those of us, such as me, who do not watch Rated-R movies. I've probably seen less than five Rated-R movies my entire life.

Until this past year, we NEVER had more than basic cable in our house. Then, for a couple of weeks, after the cable company added "free" movie channels to our selection, without a choice, I received an education into how shocking television can be...it's not to be underestimated. To put it lightly, I was HORRIFIED. I never allowed this kind of material into our home because I didn't want to chance a "bad" channel being watched by any of the kids coming in and out of our home.

Now, I'm not from the dark ages, I'm sure my kids saw their share of Rated-R movies through the years, and I did allow them to watch "The Shining" at one point, but the options in our house were extremely limited. I'm thankful for it, personally, because I learned very young to keep my mind from being a trash container. Unfortunately, once something goes into our mind, we can't dump it out...it stays. So, I am selective. Just because something is available to read or to watch doesn't mean that you should allow it free entry...guard yourself...having a selective memory is truly a joke.

Regardless, I found "Outlander" worth traipsing through the red-zone. If you like historical reads with lots of twists and turns along the way with details that appeal to every sense we were born with, then this is a read for you. The author did her research, it is evident. It's not a light read, but it is a worthy read.

Speaking of red-zone, I must say that one trip to Bourbon Street in Louisiana during my late twenties probably exposed me to more Rated-R material to hold me over for a life-time. Frankly, I don't want my mind filled with that rubbish, so Deputy Dave and I decided to never go back. One time was enough. Although I did learn to proficiently tie a cherry stem with my tongue in 30 seconds flat during that trip. I'm one talented woman. I'd never seen that done before that trip, so I had to learn. And, I was sober. Of course, I had to teach this amazing feat to my daughters. I'm also easily entertained. But, you'll be pleased to know that I put my foot down when they asked to do this for Show & Tell at school.

Bourbon Street...I can only imagine the other things learned from being in that kind of setting for too long. Like I said, I can live without it.

Regardless, I felt as if I needed to be clear about part of the contents of this book. Since I am not a nun, I'm not afraid of broaching the "sex" subject and am not afraid to read a bit of fiction with it included, as long as the storyline is INCREDIBLE. I guess that would give the Playboy reader validation..."I only read it for the articles." Sure. Right. The articles are the magnet...skim the photos and read the articles. Blah.

I've had fun conversations this past year with my mother-in-law, specifically about today's romance novels. The first time she gave me a load of her books, I read a few and told her, "I'm surprised that you are reading porn!" She laughed hysterically and replied, "I can't believe you said that! It's NOT porn!"

I decided to think about it for a moment, then agreed, "You're right, it's not porn, there aren't pictures; therefore, it's smut."

She and I shared a hearty laugh over that observation.

Even though "Outlander" is FAR from smut, it has its smutty parts. Still, I'd not miss this read and look forward to reading Diana Gabaldon's other books in this series. Those will be a first-time reads. My kids are grown, so I definitely have more reading time on my hands.

Regardless, smut pages or no, the book is awesome. I love how this author writes without fear. She seems to immerse herself into the feelings of the moment in such a manner that you are drawn into her world. Sometimes, it is great to mentally travel to another time and another place, even if you are already sitting in the most magical, natural environment you've ever visited. I'll take a trip back to Scotland any time.

This afternoon, I'll be calling my dad to see what chapter he's reading. I'll be truly laughing out loud after he reaches the red-zone and tries to pretend he hasn't read it yet. Well, since my dad and I are good friends, he might readily admit that it's better than the Playboy articles he studied in his younger days.

I'm sure.

#22 - Rooster on Guard in the Backyard AND Bookstop

During the day, we often let the chickens and two roosters out of their chicken tractor so they can wander around in our backyard. My blog friends have been telling me about the value of a rooster and I've been blessed to see this in action. Even though we won't be able to keep these roosters, it has been an awesome education to see the roosters in action as they protect their flock.

Leaving a gap in the coop for them to explore and to eat goodies in the backyard.

But, this protection surprised me today when the large rooster saw me heading out the back door - he could see me through the panes of glass and he was very alert to my appearance. In fact, Big Rooster ran for the back door and began yelling warning calls at me, "Cock-A-Doodle-Do!" He'd step a bit closer while shifting his head from side to side to get a good side-glance at me and he'd issue another loud warning.

Howdy is now having to help protect ME from the roosters, especially while I am picking tomatoes.

I cracked up. Big Rooster did not intend to let me come into the backyard. At the least, he wasn't going to let me come into the backyard without him letting me know that he was on guard and aware of my presence. He was positioning himself directly in my way at the patio near the back door so I couldn't exit. His girls were about thirty feet away in the garden.

Howdy and Big Rooster are on guard in the backyard for the lady birds.

Frankly, I never could imagine that a BIRD could be this confrontational and this brave. My blog friends have shared their knowledge about a rooster's behavior, but to see it in person is pretty awesome. It impressed me. As Big Rooster prowled the yard, separate from the girls, it was clear that he was on official duty. I found it chivalrous. Such a gentleman beneath that Rooster exterior.

Howdy the Chicken Herding dog prefers to keep the chickens herded into the raised garden beds.

Another Farm Life Lesson I learned as a backyard farmer this week is that I should stay clear of Big Rooster because he can charge full speed ahead like a raging bull. This was a shocker...another surprise. Roosters are slick and quick. Beware.

Howdy, my Black-Tri-Color Australian Shepherd working to herd
the chickens, but Big Rooster is not as "herdable."

This makes me more sad to have to give our roosters another home because I can certainly see the huge value in having a rooster in the hen house. They are protectors. They are intimidating and they don't seem to have much fear of anything. They simply charge into the direction of danger for their ladies. My heart has warmed to these beautiful creatures in a way I could not imagined that it would. I have always wanted chickens, but they have endeared me toward them more than I thought possible, and I'm just getting started!

Always watching, watching, watching...

So, this week I've learned that Big Rooster is definitely a threat to be reckoned with and I won't step into the backyard without my bamboo stick in hand to shoo him away. But, I'm not so sure this will work much longer because he's learning to flex his Big Rooster muscles. Forget the bamboo stick, I might need a bat.

*****************************************

THE BOOK STOP

DROWNING RUTH

I've just finished reading an old book I had shelved at the house.

I found the it to be interesting, but the jumping around

in the time-frame of everyone's lives during the story made

it a chaotic read. But, the storyline was one that made

you think about several points in life and about

family relationships. It's kept my mind busy on nights with insomnia.

Drowning Ruth seemed to be an easy read, but

the shifting time-frame could get a little wearisome.

The storyline moved along and I first thought it

was going to be about a family with mental

illness, and I think it ended with the main idea being more

about the lengths that family and people will go to so they

can hold the family and the farm together. It's also about

learning to appreciate what you have in life. It is fascinating to 

consider whether the relationships in the book are present because of

love, obligation, duty, secrets, guilt or as a blessing.

If you've read this book or will read this book, shoot me a comment on what you think

about it as well. I read a broad expanse of books, no set genre.

I'd like to know what your thoughts are, good and bad, about this book.