Archive | June 2015

Tiny House Dream

A lot of things are going on for the princeling and I, and one of the things that happened was this: We turned too quickly to get into the rehab facility my dad is at, and ended up in the driveway for senior apartments over looking a pond/lake sort of thing. “Oh, I’d love to live here!” The princeling was all for it. Then we started talking and realized we both would love the same thing: An apartment or condo on the beach.

I am not a house kind of person. I rent a room at my dad’s house, and I love living here…. but. Not so much right now. For one thing, he’s not here. We are definitely missing our Poppa. Hopefully he’ll be home soon. But also because of the actions of another person, who… I don’t know. To me, it seems as if they either didn’t want poppa to come home, or they wanted the princeling and I gone. Personally, I’m starting to think they just throw stuff out there, hoping it will stick to someone and take the spotlight off of their actions.

Four people have a key to the house. I’m ok with that. I’m not okay with people coming in and complaining that the house is torn up, it’s horrible, it’s a mess. Yes, I keep my room a little messy. Yes, Ray’s room can get destroyed. He’s 9. And the doors shut. No one else needs to go into our rooms. However, in all the years I’ve been out on my own… Never has the public spaces in my home been too messy for anyone to visit. Anyone. When my brother came to check it out the first time, there were maybe 4 dishes in the sink. That’s it.

Four freaking dishes.

I enjoy apartment living. I don’t want to have to fix plumbing or air conditioning. There is no way on God’s green earth that you want me taking care of a yard, lawn or otherwise. Thankfully, I didn’t kill off the grass completely, it’s coming back… but in my defense, the sprinkler system stopped working as if someone had unplugged it. Then the freezer went kaput. Thankfully, a neighbor came over and figured it out. Whew! A little reset button for one, and the power breaker for the other.

The fuse box in an apartment is normally either in a closet, or in the kitchen.

Apparently, here, it’s on the side of the house.

There’s the cooking and cleaning, which is fine, I get it. Nothing more than what I’d have on my own in an apartment. However, if I was in my own place, my very home would not be in jeopardy because of someone else’s lies about my housekeeping. Right now, I have a pit in my stomach because there are 4 cups in the sink and a few spoons,  a fork and a knife. That’s not right– the house is not a mess. It looks like someone lives here… but we do! We live here!

But I’m ok. The great thing about smart phones is that you can record stuff with a time and date stamp. So for the past week I’ve been making a video of the house then texting it to my dad and my brother’s wife. Because yah, it got to that point.

And it’s sickening to think that someone would be that low. Especially when anyone around us can tell that one of the reason’s my dad is fighting so hard to come home is because of that little boy. Both of their faces light up when they see each other, and my son is definitely the star of the show.

But the star of the show told Poppa on Saturday that he and I were working on a Tiny Home Dream. I explained to poppa that it would be 5 to 10 years away… but yes.

The goal is my son and I, in a tiny home, where we will not have to live wondering what a certain person has said about us this day.

PS- I’m happy to report that the power bill was less than normal! Part of the reason is that I turn off the air when I leave. Even on the days when it hit 1-5. the house was only 85. Turn it on when I got home… BOOM. At least I won that one!

Later in the week, I plan to catch you all up on what we’re up to. Yes, I said we! I’m part of a writing group now, and I’m actually getting a bit prolific. I know I’ve been gone from here for a while, but I’m writing, it’s good… and you know what? It’s enjoyable! It’s fun!

.@TheMarySue Casually Smears Romance: Twitter and I Respond

What I love about this… is she says everything I feel about reading romances. I used to get looks from people while getting my MA in English, because my fun books are romance and epic fantasy. Don’t hat on a genre, especially in an article, without researxh.

And yes, romance novels are about hope. That’s why I love them.

Things Happen Along the Way

I alluded in my last post that something happened on Mother’s Day. It did, and it is something that the family is still learning to deal with. My son and I have been living with my dad for the past 5 years. On Mother’s Day, he had a stroke. Due to complications, he has only been home 2 days since then.

I still was hoping though… thee was that contest with a road trip…. and I couldn’t compete. Well, I could have but I could not have lived with myself if anything happened while I was away. There was a choice, and I took the one where I could live with myself.

But it hurt. Oh goodness, it hurt not to compete. To give up that dream.

And so… as things go… I was posting things on Facebook that were not my jolly, happy, encouraging self. A friend noticed (hi mel!) and we started talking. And amid everything else, it felt wrong to feel kind of pissed off at the world over a stupid missed opportunity. I hadn’t even won it, but to not even compete! My dream felt like it was crumbling, breaking apart in my hands. My dad’s health uncertain, fiction well dried up and now I can’t even go learn how to do this other type of writing…

Whoa. Wait a minute.

It was actually on one of the days that Dad was home that he mentioned… there was no reason why I could not write about local places to go. Or to send stuff into the local paper. I also can research like a boss, so check check check! It wasn’t what I had wanted… but really, the main dream has always been pen to paper… finding my path.

And a couple of friends along the way. The three of us all went to Jr. High together. We all enjoy writing, and are all at different points of where we are at with it, but ready to try new things. And it turns out that I’m not even writing about travel, per se, but instead about finding God in my nature journeys. The river grounds me spiritually, and I’m enjoying that. Fiction may or may not come back, but at least I’m writing.

I even wrote a poem! If you’re unlucky, I’ll post it! hahahahahahahaha……

Seriously, be good my lovelies…. or I might post my attempt at a poem.

I’ll be back again soon, I promise.

Lost Pathway

Lost Pathway

WINNER – THE UNSUNG EXPLOITS OF NELLIE BLY

Congratulations , Rie! I saw this in its infancy, and I am so happy for you!

eSpec Books

We received many good submissions, but this one caught our hearts with the budding wonder and curiosity that would develop into a woman of such grit and determination as Nellie Bly. Congratulations to Rie Sheridan Rose, winner of our contest and an ebook copy of The Weird Wild West!

 Chance Encounter

Rie Sheridan Rose

Elizabeth was bored. She leaned back against the porch post of the mercantile, arms crossed, toes scuffing the dirt—the perfect picture of a pouting child. She didn’t know why Ma insisted on bringing her if she wasn’t even allowed in the store!

“Ella! Where have you gotten to now?” cried a female voice she didn’t recognize. It was enough to roust her from her funk a bit. There weren’t many people she didn’t recognize in this town.

She craned her neck looking for the speaker.

“Alistair, I told you not to turn your back on her!”…

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