New New House

     So, yes, I wrote a blog just yesterday or the day before about the new house we looked at, and we even put an offer down on it. The seller was uneducated, or at least unwilling to listen to the knowledge and expertise of a "REAL" realtor. He has it in his head that the house will appraise for what he's asking simply because he wants it to. That's not how it works. Besides, the house had extensive pier work done less than a year ago, and it hasn't been appraised since. It hasn't even been inspected since that time. It will not appraise for what he wants, and he's unwilling to accept what we offered. Next!

    My realtor has more than twenty years of experience in the business, and she knows what she's talking about. She is dead-straight with people and doesn't sugarcoat or over-exaggerate. She doesn't make you feel good just because it could help her get a sale. She is honest, and that's what we need. We literally have under 4 weeks to move. You can't find a home, put in an offer, expect it to be accepted, and then get the finances in order, have the inspection, and do the close in less than 27 days, usually. We're trying to make it happen sooner.

    As you know, the house I was supposed to buy didn't qualify with FHA, and the man who owns it, like the man with the new house we looked at, will not agree to my paying what FHA will appraise and loan. His stubbornness has caused us a great deal of disappointment, not to mention all the mental and financial pressure it is putting on us. We have to start over with escrow because we can't get the other check back in time. We have to do the inspection on my dime as well. I will have to pay movers again - it's just not a lot of fun, but my realtor is a great asset. She has found us one that we strongly believe will pass the FHA appraisal and inspection.

    The house is larger than I'm used to. I've never lived in a large house before, other than when I babysat mansions in the 80s...(which is another story).  The house is 2148 sf and is a one-story ranch-style house. It is "sprawling," as they say. It has two living areas, one right behind the other, in an open-concept style. You can stand at the front door and see the back of the house, and in the middle are the kitchen, dining, living, and second living. There is a fireplace in the middle with a supporting beam.

    There is a full-sized basement in the house, and Laura thought she would like to be down there to work, but decided she'll be upstairs in the second living area, and I'll keep my doors closed if she gets too loud - she is just so freaking loud, you know! (I think it's me that gets loud, and she needs to close my doors so I'm not being heard by her friends or co-workers.)

     Then, there's the walk-through office - mine. It's really cool. It has two doors and a closet all at one end, and the rest of it will house the two desks that I have, one for work and one for play.  There is a basement under the living room. I'll need to get a rail for that wall. The basement has vents to keep it from smelling, and it has a new sump pump and... if you know, you know, it has a Gary England Room! (This is Oklahoma! This is vital) 

    Laura's bedroom is 10x10 or so, and nothing too spectacular, but her bathroom is very nice. It's a new setup with a new tub, toilet, and sinks. The tile, backsplash, and shower components are new as well.  There is storage in the hall, and that leads to my room, which is about 14x12, I think. It has a cutout in the ceiling where the fan is, and a double walk-in closet. 

    There is another bathroom in it, and you'd think you've stepped into the Jetsons. It's really cool. The bathtub is really deep, wide, and it's a whirlpool. The shower is glass-doored, has tile all around it, and has a bench -- the shower itself has several knobs, sprays, and gadgets - I love it. I will have to read up on how to use it, but I love it.

    There is another room, maybe 8x12, behind the garage. That is our gym. The garage is a standard two-car garage with an opener. The laundry and water heater are in the garage. The gym area has an egress to the back door. There is no patio. I think they took it out to make the extra space for the gym area. I'm OK with it. I can add a deck if I need to, but I don't think I'll need to. Jeannie and I can sit outside on the front porch if we need to, or we can rough it in our patio furniture out back without a deck this year, and maybe I'll have one installed by next summer.

    The dogs will love the yard. I will need to get 6 fence panels and 1 gate. There is a park literally behind my house, so I'll get another gate for that area so Laura can go out that gate with Rose when she's walking her dog.  The whole thing is really very nice and in a wonderfully patriotic neighborhood with no less than 15 American flags flying around! LOVE IT. Mine will be just fine. Can't wait to start the process and hopefully unload my things in about 4 weeks. 

    I will, of course, keep you posted. The fact that the house is in a cul-de-sac really makes me happy. It's quiet, less traffic than the other house, and it feels really good. Today is a Sunday, and I saw people cutting their lawns, walking around, and talking to each other. It just looks like it's going to be a great place to live - prayers!

The Gary England Room in the basement.

End of a Dream (Start of a New One)

     I am not going to lie, I was hurt. I was upset, I was close to being gutted, but the entire time I was thinking about being that affected by the news, I knew God had a plan. I haven't been quoting Jeremiah 29:11 my entire life for nothing! I mean it. The  Bible is clear, and it doesn't matter which translation you use, God said, "I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future."

        God is not going to take me somewhere and leave me. He is not going to set me up to watch me fail. He is not going to tease me and give me only a portion of my blessing. I may not agree with Him, but that only proves just how amazingly stupid I can be. When God sets out to do something, He does it in His timing and perfectly. I can't tell you how often I've been smacked right up side my head over and over again with that fact, because time after time, I still fail to trust Him when I should have.

    Well, this time is no different. We found what we thought was our home. Everything just really fell into place, and despite all the uphill battles and financial obstacles I had to maneuver to get to the closing of our new house, it just didn't seem to be happening. FHA just wasn't willing to loan me a penny for something outside their regulations or rules, and the thing is, none of it was known to me. My realtor and my lender should have made me aware of the situation long before now, but they didn't, and now I'm being asked to leave the very house I intended to buy.

    It's a really long story, and I've decided to not only blog about it, but to actually write a fiction retelling of the entire story; one that will definitely tell the truth about what all we've been through, and just who to lay the blame on, and where to start with finger-pointing. Right now, we have another hurdle to jump, and God has this - I'm just letting Him shine right through all the muck these other people caused. It's not easy! It's about as nerve-racking as it could be, but again, I'm hit right squarely between the heart valves with the words "Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." (ain't that the truth?)

    OK, so I have a new chapter to start very, very soon. Tomorrow we look at two houses, and I'll make an offer on one. I think I'm OK to be honest and say that I'll see one and make an immediate offer. The house, "coincidentally," became available less than one hour after we were told we had to move. Less than one hour after being told that we were no longer going to be allowed to buy the house we've lived in for seven months, and thought we were not only under contract to buy, but when the contract ended with FHA denying us the loan, we were told that somehow it would work out for us. Until it didn't. (But, God did)

    We'll put an offer on the house. It will be accepted. We'll put a contract on the house. I'll pay an escrow amount. We'll start packing, and someone will do an inspection. There won't be a damn thing wrong with the house because it went through a total and complete overhaul over the past 9 months. It is the epitome of "move-in ready" -- and we could not be more grateful. We'll hopefully close at the end of July and hire a couple of big guys to move the boxes and furniture 1.6 miles from where I live now to a regular home without land. I know; it's really sad, but true.

    Yes, we had to sell the horses. Yes, Laura will have to leave her garden where it is (in the ground). Yes, we will miss the land, the quiet, and the solitude we've experienced in this semi-rural spot, but you know what? We're happy to gain a lively, happy, clean, and safe neighborhood. We're excited to be within walking distance of so many other places we like to go to and have gone to. We are gaining an extra bedroom; Laura will have her own office - a real office. I'll find a way to make the new place my home, and it won't take an hour. God's love and His guidance are just too amazing.

    Keep an eye out for the new book - it will be titled "The Trust" and will be a suspense thriller. I'm sure someone will die. Someone always dies in my books - even in the romances; geez, what does that really say about me? 😁😕  I'll keep you posted. I'll post photos when we go under contract - which will be very, very soon.

Photo Credit: Pinterest.com

My First Actual Pair of Prescription Glasses.

     Well, at 64.5 years of age, I'm finally breaking down and getting my first-ever "real" pair of glasses. By real, of course, I mean that they aren't readers. They have an actual prescription. The lenses have the poly whatever it's called, a good thickness, and blue light protection, along with the scratch resistance. These days, lenses are all "built-in" with the standards; you just have to say whether you want single or double vision and whether you want transitional or not. There is, of course, the bifocal thing and the progressive thing. I opted for the reader vision, 1.59 poly something, and standard blue light. 

    The exam took almost an hour. The doctor was fantastic, very lovely to work with, and she was very funny. She's been in the business since 1980, so you know she's been doing this for a minute. She and her husband own the clinic, and they do three days in our town and two days a week in a neighboring town. They have a good practice, and I really love the other people working in the office. The two up front are even a grandmother and her granddaughter. You have to love that.

    Well, turns out my right eye (the one I thought was better) has a greater astigmatism than the left, but the left is actually blurrier. It has the floater, while the right is just "less than great" in terms of optics. When we did the exam, it was very obvious which eye was stronger - it's the right. My left was having a field day with some of the gizmos I was looking into.

    When it was all said and done, we couldn't get the lenses and frames down to the price I wanted. It would be around $290, and I really wasn't thrilled with the available frames. This was after my discount, mind you; insurance paid some, but they just didn't have the cheaper frames.  My $5 readers had better-looking frames than some of the ones I saw in the office. I asked if I could bring those frames in and was told yes, but here's the thing: they send it off to a lab, so why not just go to the lab myself online? It was going to be $210 with my frames.

    The lady who sells the frames told me that I could do that, and if they didn't work out, I would be stuck. No, that's not the case at all. I found that GlassesUSA offers 30-day returns with no-questions-asked returns. If you don't like them, you return them. If they don't fit, if the lenses aren't transitioning, it doesn't matter; they'll replace them. I found a pair I liked, and after I entered the required information, the price was $208. They had the same thickness, the same protection, the same blue light, and the same everything, but I got to pick my lenses. 

    I picked a frame that over 30,000 people have picked and reviewed with a 4.8-star rating. The company has more than 133,000 reviews with a 4.8 rating, so I'm guessing I'll be OK. If not, I have 30 days to return them. I also bought the same 2-year protection program. I bought the same smudge resistance; nothing is different. I think maybe buying online is the way a lot of things will go these days - it makes sense.

    I got an automated message stating my order was received and will be set up and worked on within the next two hours. I will expect my glasses to be here this time next week, and that's not rushing it. At the office, I was told 2 weeks. That's because they have to send off my frames to that lab. Why? Why can't that lab have them in stock? That's the difference. That is the actual difference. If I need them adjusted, I'll just send them back and buy some at the office - but I'm going to give this a go. It's 2026. 

    I think I'm doing pretty well at 64.5 years of age, having only readers to use in the recent (3 years) past. I'm hoping I can still drive in the new glasses, I may not be able to - distance is another thing entirely, and I'm not going to lower my head like a buffalo to see out the top part. If I can't see to drive, I'll let Laura take the wheel. 

Photo Credit: Adobe Stock

REDUCED BOOKS - KINDLE EDITIONS

     Well, I haven't done it yet, but I'm about to. I'm about to use Zeely AI to promote my books, and when I do, the first thing they ask me to do is lower the price of the book to just about nothing, so you can promote them without costing readers much at all. That's fair. I want to get the books out, so for the next 90 days or so, throughout the summer months, I'm going to lower the prices on all of my EPUB (Kindle) books online. The only one that is slightly higher is my first Jude's Almost Daily Blog Book, and that's because the system wouldn't let it go below $2.99. I have no idea why, but it may be the same system issue that prevents me from lowering "Pinball" in Australia.   (I changed their prices today!) 

    For all the Nick Posh books and the other novels I've written, I was able to get the system to accept their lowest price of $1.99 per download. In Canada and the European Nations other than the UK, it's $2.99 (but not USD). In Australia, some are $3.99, two are $7.99, and I can't figure out how to lower it. I'm checking into it, but it's crazy weird.  It throws up a red triangle and says I can't. So, I guess I can't.  The books are pretty cheap, though! You'll be able to buy more than a few. (Please do!)

    I just finished "The Mother Road," and it will be published on June 22. The Kindle edition will be out around June 30, or as late as July 6. It takes time to convert it from print to EPUB, and I don't do the heavy lifting. I just pay them money to make it happen. They tell me to wait 3 weeks, and I do. I'm a very obedient author.   I'll be honest with you; not having to spend $$$ on publishing is awesome. I pay zero for Ingram Spark to accept my book and upload it to Amazon for print and publication. I could promote my books through Ingram Spark, but I'm going to try Zeely AI first.

    This week is a learning week. I'll get on the computer and figure out things - and share them with my readers. If I can get the books out to the readers better, faster, or in a really cool promotion, I'll do it.  This week, the murder books are selling more than the other novels. I can't say "romance" anymore because "Dion" is not a romance book - it, however, is the best-selling novel so far. Tells me what I need to know; people like creepy things -- I guess it's also a romance, but it's creepy. I had to step way out of myself to write it.

    First, I'll do the Zeely AI thing, and then, I'll try another method, probably another AI tool - it seems to be the fastest and most dependable way to promote. If I do end up being a millionaire, I'll probably still work where I work now. There's no sense in giving up the fun I have every day. I could, I suppose, offer to buy the company, but it would take a few more $$$$ than I can hope to earn in the next few months. I'll put that thought on the back burner, circle around, and come back to it.

    For now, suffice it to say, I'm in the mood to lower book prices, get them into the hands of millions if I can, and hope for the best. If you like one, you may like the next one. If you need to know the order of the Nick Posh books, they are:

• Murder Book
• Pinball
• 1211
• Mesa
• Stratford
• Cask
• Amicus Curiae
• Cumberland
• The Mother Road.

The other books are:

• Of Kilted Pleasure (1700s Scotland / Romance)
• Edinburgh (Modern romance)
• Bay Sorrell Ranch (Modern Drama / Romance)
• The (Modern romance)
• Dion (Modern creepy romance)

There you go - tell your friends!!  The new pricing hits tomorrow, I think.

Photo Credit: Minot Public Library 

Calories Count!

     I've been on my "diet" now for 6 full days. Tomorrow will be a week. I'm really good with things like that. I know, almost instinctively, that  Friday usually follows most Thursdays. The sun sets in the west all the time, but when you're in New Zealand, that may or may not be true. The toilets flush differently, from what I'm told. I think I went down a little rabbit hole - I should get back on track. I've been dieting, or eating better, for just under a week.

    I don't like the word "diet" because of all the times we used it and tried to force it on others, as well as ourselves. We think it means we're separating ourselves from the crowds or the "others" somehow, when really we're not. If we're honest, we should always be aware of our diet. If we're honest, we'd see that doing so is a better choice - we'd know, and yes, instinctively, that making the better choice is usually almost always better.

    Starting last Friday, I decided to stop eating as many calories as I was. No, I can't tell you how many calories I was eating because I didn't count, and if I were counting, I would have known the truth. The truth was the last thing I wanted to face - it wasn't depression; it was denial. I did not want to have to admit to myself that I was doing all the damage that was happening and continuing to happen to myself. It was me!

    So again, as I've done a number of times in my later adult life, because I tend to drift from the better-choice wagon, I decided to make it stick. I decided to COUNT the calories and to keep track of what goes into my mouth. I never did that before. I just sort of kept a running tally in my head, but this time, it's different. I really am writing it down. I really am checking, and I really am running the actual tally from the online calorie counter if I can't find the calorie total on the package of whatever I'm eating.

    For instance, you're not going to find the calorie count of a medium-sized egg on the carton. You will find it on the back of a frozen sausage patty bag. You will find it on protein bars, but not on a plum. You will find it on just about everything that is sold in the store that isn't produce, but you won't find it on a Little Caesars pizza box! Today, after six great days of dieting, my daughter decided to go to Little Caesars, and yes, I did eat two pieces - but I counted them! I wrote them down and decided not to have anything other than a handful of peanuts for an evening snack, and I ended the day under my 1500-calorie count by nearly 300! Good on me!

    According to my Renpho app, for a 64-year-old woman at my height and weight, I'm allowed 1,500 calories a day to meet my goal of 160 by January. I stayed within it. I did it. I'm doing it, and I'm not missing the "good stuff". I'm eating what I want, but I've changed my mind about what I want. I still eat all that I want - it's a good thing. I eat better, I eat less, and in just six days, I've lost over 4 pounds. Yes, I know it's probably all water weight, but I'll take it.

    Calories do count. They count for us, they count against us. They are not good or bad -they are what they are. We need to figure out what is needed, warranted, wanted, and good for us. We don't need the doctor shoving it down our throats; we need to figure it out on our own. That's the only way it will stick. That's the only way it will matter, and I, for one, have me to take care of - and of course, I'm counting on God to make it happen. He knows me. I quit too easily - He won't let me. I love that about Him.

PHOTO CREDIT: Cleveland Clinic

Blasting! (Music in my ears)

     If you know me, you know I was born in 1961, and though you can turn that number upside down and it is still the same number, that is not the coolest thing about being born when I was born...but it is pretty cool. For the past 64 years, I have known that I was born when music was music. It was something to talk about; something to brag about. I don't have to prove it; it just is. I'd take the music of my youth over anything they call "good" these days. No, just - no.

    I am happiest, and I should never forget this, when I am sitting by myself with my earbuds in with my music just a little louder than maybe it should be. If I can't hear Steve Perry scream the way he was meant to be heard, there is no sense in turning up the volume. I am there again -in my happy (very happy) place. I'm at home, at my computer, and not watching videos. I am rocking my head off - and I am in Heaven. 

    After Journey, there will be .38 Special, Kansas, Loverboy, Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac, REO Speedwagon, and yes, yes, there will be Bee Gees. I can't live or breathe without them. They are my haven, but I do have to spin a little Head East now and then, and put Boston up to 10 or 12 for at least an hour. I typically have the music going when I dance, and since I was injured two years ago, I've really not done it - I've not put the music up like it is today. I couldn't dance. I won't say I was depressed, but I can freakin' guarantee you that tonight -- I am NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT depressed. I couldn't be. I'm dancing, but not traditionally. 

    I bought a recumbent bike - yes, I blogged about it. Laura put it together, and I've gone 5 miles already -- it only takes 20 minutes, and with my earbuds, I could do 10, but Laura would put the kibosh on it as soon as she realized I was still going. I promised her I wouldn't overdo it. I will, however, ride when she's sleeping in the morning. She won't hear me (Ha!).  I'll ride at noon for 15 minutes, after work, and then again at 9:30 p.m before bed. Yes, and you know what? I may keep the earbuds in while I'm working tomorrow. I could get so much done -- it's literally so much better than caffeine.

    Again, if you know me, you'd know I worked for Concerts West for several years. Concerts West was a music industry promotion company. I wasn't paid a dime. I was allowed into all the concerts, worked backstage, ran errands, drove people places, got them meals, and made sure they were comfortable. Yes, I was offered a few things you may imagine would go along with the job, but nope...I was THAT girl - the one who said no.

    I dated Alex Van Halen and hung out with a few more, including Steve Walsh and Brian Adams, but I preferred to have control. I said no - A LOT.  The music is the reason. The beat, the words, the fire, the atmosphere, all of it. I went to and worked over 300 concerts, and I was, by no means, among the ones who worked the most. I stuck pretty close to Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas. I wish now that I had taken the extra legs and worked California, but nope, it is what it is. I think I had enough fun - made enough memories. 

    The thing is - when I hear "Jump" I don't think what you may think. I don't hear what you're hearing. I go back to the studio where (and when) it was created, and I'm there. I watch the mistakes and relive it over and over again. I think Journey holds the record for me. I saw them at least 10 times. Kansas was next with 6, I think. I only saw the Bee Gees and Andy Gibb (separately) 1 time each. I'd love to have changed that. Again, it is what it is -- the music kept me smiling. It still does.

    So, here I am, riding the recumbent bike, hard and fast, and I have to watch myself because, believe it or not, I'm not 22. I wish I were again sometimes, but I am not. I have to stop and think before deciding to go another mile - but I can be talked into it. This will be the way I escape this big fat body -- in time, and not too much time, I will be svelte again -- ready to take on 10-12 miles a day, and able to do it without my watchful overseer.  (God, I love her!) 

Photo Credit:  Pinterest.com