This is my backyard here at Doright Manor. Today the temps were in the mid-70’s, and while rain is in the forecast through next Tuesday, we’re enjoying the gift of pleasant weather today. I know we’re very lucky right now.
Wherever you are, I hope you’re warm and dry. Maybe you’ll have a cup of hot chocolate, or a bowl of stew. At bedtime you might enjoy a hot toddy. Heck, now I’m almost in the mood for winter weather. Almost.
Peace, people!
I almost died yesterday. I don’t think I’m being hyperbolic either. Driving home to Doright Manor from Tallahassee I remembered that we were out of the Gardein “chicken” noodle soup I love so much. It’s vegan, but you’d never know it.
I’d just passed a grocery store, so I found a place to turn around and after assessing oncoming traffic, began my turn. A small hill hid an oncoming car, and as I applied the brakes, my foot slipped off the pedal. Somehow I managed to react just quickly enough to avoid being broadsided. The guy might’ve been speeding a little, but if I’d been hit it would’ve been my fault.
When I finally made it to the store’s parking lot I sat for a moment, shaking like a leaf. And the thing is, I’d had a wonderful driving day before this. I don’t know if anyone else can relate, but it was one of those days when my timing was impeccable—until it wasn’t, and my guardian angel had to intervene.
So here I am being granted another day. I hope I’m worthy.
My guardian angel must be exhausted.
Peace, people.
Folks, I promise I’ll try to keep my sales pitches to a minimum, but as many self-published authors have discovered, we really are our own best cheerleaders. And who knows? I get new followers on WordPress almost daily and perhaps they have yet to hear about my book. Honestly, it’s a public service I’m performing here.
You see my debut novel, Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort, is my baby, and I’m proud of her. Oh, I’m well aware that she has a few flaws, but those just make her more adorable. And everyone knows that only grandchildren can attain perfection.
If you have a moment today, I’d love for you to visit Amazon, look up Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort and take a moment to read the reviews. Yes, some of them were written by personal friends, but most are from innocent bystanders. Innocent. Bystanders. Who genuinely seem to have liked my story and my characters.
I know eventually there’ll be less than stellar reviews. I’m trying to prepare myself mentally for those. An author in one of my groups said her favorite bad review was along the lines of, “This story seems to have been written by a constipated rock. Just let it GO!”
Oh, if you have read Mayhem, THANK YOU! Please leave a review. A few words mean so much and reviews are the key to keeping one’s book in the spotlight on Amazon.
End of sales pitch. Carry on (to Amazon). And peace, people.
Last week I posted about an afternoon spent watching the film, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. https://nananoyz5forme.com/2021/02/01/the-ghost-and-mrs-muir/
The resulting comments from friends on WordPress and social media led me to purchase a copy of the book, and thanks to Amazon, I’ll soon be comparing the book to the film. Seldom do I do the reverse order thing. Usually I’ve read the book first and then often find the film disappointing.
As a newly self-published author I can’t help but imagine what the screen version of my book might look like. Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Express would work well as a movie, but I’m afraid one scene would need to be cut or altered and that would be a shame. Since Hollywood isn’t going to come knocking on my door anytime soon, I guess that’s a senseless waste of a good worry.
A couple of years ago I got to hear author Louise Penny speak when she launched one of her Detective Gamache books here in Tallahassee. Someone asked what she’d thought about the screen adaptation of her first novel. I can’t provide a direct quote, but Ms. Penny said she’d not been happy with the way the book was transformed for the film and that she’d felt as if she had let her characters down.
I totally understand that. My characters, Paula and Cassie, the 3M’s, and Dr. Hunky, are all important to me. They’re like family. I find myself wondering, WWPD (What Would Paula Do) in certain situations. As I write the sequel to Mayhem I ask myself that question multiple times a day. So if I allowed someone to take my characters and change them in ways that weren’t true to my images of them, I’d feel awful. Again, a baseless worry, but hey, that’s how my mind works.
So buy the book. Support those characters, so you too can think of them as family.
Peace, people!
Have you ever awakened from a nap only to think, “Just shoot me now?” After lunch, I couldn’t keep my eyes open, so I plopped down on the couch and went to sleep for a little less than an hour. Now I feel as though I’ve been tackled by a 6’5”, 320 pound linebacker and left to nurse my bruises on an unforgiving astroturf field. Ugh.
To make things worse, I startled the cat when I raised my head from the pillow, and she left an inch-long scratch on my left shin in her mad dash to escape. Now, it’s throbbing to some weird staccato beat: Thrump, thrump, thrumpety-thrump, thrump, and my head has joined in on the refrain.
The cat has recovered nicely and is out on the screened-in porch enjoying the sunshine and warmth. Meanwhile I’m trying to cure a headache with a cup of hot tea while my leg continues throbbing. Things will get better soon. Right?
Super Bowl Sunday is my favorite day of the year. Even if I’m not emotionally invested in either of the teams that have earned a spot in the NFL’s championship I look forward to the big game day, and this year I have warm and fuzzy feelings for both teams.
Studly Doright and I live in Florida—home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so it’d be nice to have fans of the home team sporting championship t-shirts for the next year. In fact, if they win I know what I’m getting Studly Doright for Valentine’s Day.
But, Patrick Mahomes is the star quarterback for Kansas City. He’s a Texas Tech alum, and my loyalties were given to Texas Tech before I even left the womb. It doesn’t hurt that Patrick’s adorable either.
The Chiefs have their work cut out for them today. They’ll play in Tampa Bay giving the Buccaneers home field advantage. And then there’s the Bucs QB, Tom Brady, who even if you hate him is indisputably the greatest quarterback of all time.
I refuse to make a prediction for the game since my guesses always seem to jinx the team I’m rooting for, but may the cutest quarterback win.
Peace, people!
Does anyone else feel a sense of lightness since the Biden administration took over from the previous potus? Are you sleeping better? Enjoying ordinary stuff that you feared was gone forever?
I know I am. Good, eight hour nights of deep sleep. No more high blood pressure or indigestion. As God is my witness. I’ll never take this feeling for granted again.
Peace, people.
Shoulder sent me to the chiropractor today. We’ve been working on giving me some range of motion without making me howl in pain. At the end of the session Dr. Cal (who kind of reminds me of Matthew McConaughey) sent me to a walk-in orthopedic center. There, they x-rayed my shoulder, determined that I have some arthritis, bursitis, and maybe even other “itises“ yet to be named.
The orthopedist gave me a shot of cortisone and hopefully that, along with continued physical therapy, will help me get back to my normal wacky activities. All this pain—has resulted in my gaining five pounds, and it’s ticking me off.
I’ll be more chipper tomorrow. Oh, if you need something to read on this cold February weekend, might I suggest a couple of books? Suitable for Framing, a cozy mystery by Lori Roberts Herbst and my own novel, Mayhem at the Happy Valley Motor Inn and Resort, a quirky road trip story set in east Texas. They’re both available from Amazon and as an ebook on Kindle. And the reviews are really good. It’d probably make my shoulder feel better if you bought the books.
Ah, the things I can’t remember:
What I had for dinner yesterday.
The name of the little doohickeys that cover the valves on my tires. I had to pantomime yesterday while having my car serviced.
At least once a day, where I last put my phone.
How to knit. I once knew how, but now I don’t. Apparently knitting is nothing like riding a bicycle.
How to dance the Macarena.
The last time I had real cheese. This one made me cry. If only I’d known it was the last time, I’d have savored every single bite.
Similarly, I can scarcely remember what a Dr. Pepper tastes like. All I’m certain of is that it’s nothing like cheese.
How to diagram a sentence. I once was skilled at this task.
Names. Faces. It’s awkward when I have to ask my husband, Studly Doright, to wear a name tag.
How to play a saxophone. I was never a great musician, but I miss the camaraderie of band. I wonder if I could join an air band…
But I do remember most of the dialogue from Star Wars, A New Hope, and all the words to The Heart of Rock and Roll. I know John Cowsill’s birthday and Studly Doright’s social security number, as well as my own.
I remember the day I realized I couldn’t marry Elvis Presley. Not because of the immense age difference (I was five; he was in his twenties), but because my name would then be Leslie Presley.
I remember how it felt to hold my babies for the very first time. That new baby smell is still fresh in my mind. And I remember all five of my grandkids’ birthdays. Sometimes I don’t remember how old they are, but at least I get the date right.
Going to high school football games in late November when it was so cold I couldn’t feel my cheeks, but loving being squashed in between the grownups in my life, pretending my hot chocolate was coffee just like they were drinking.
I remember saying “I do” and meaning it, even though I didn’t really understand the commitment I was making at the time. Does anyone?
I remember my mom’s smile and my dad’s laugh, and honestly, what else matters?
Peace, people.
My esteemed husband, aka Studly Doright, and I only discovered Netflix a couple of years ago. Yes, we were living in our own special version of the Stone Age, but now we have seen the light. Not only do we enjoy Netflix, but we’ve also dipped our toes into the Disney streaming service and Amazon Prime. We feel enlightened.
Here are some of our favorites and the ratings we’ve arbitrarily assigned them in no particular order:
Godless ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hell on Wheels ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Schitt’s Creek ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Ranch ⭐️⭐️
Arrested Development ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Mandalorian ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Shameless ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ozark ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Peaky Blinders ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Witcher ⭐️⭐️⭐️
We tried watching The Good Place, but it felt too contrived.
Currently we’re enjoying The Wire. It’s really good, but I’m hesitant to rate it just yet.
What’s in your watch list?
Peace, people!
Praying for Eyebrowz 