I Sold A Book! (Actually, I Sold a Few)

     I receive an email every 90 days or so, informing me of how many, if any, books I've sold. The little report arrives, accompanied by the invoice for what they owe me for the sale. Sometimes, and I'm not kidding, I owe them. It's pretty sad when you realize that, from time to time, you owe the publisher and/or printer a little bit for having printed either one or only two books. It's an index thing, I believe, I could be wrong. It seems that when paper products are scarce and they have to print on demand for one book to be sent to one customer, they charge me as much as they pay themselves. Make no mistake, the publisher and/or printer will make more than I ever will on my books. That's the way it is.

    Well, today, again, minding my own business, I received an email stating that several of my books had been sold, and it wasn't the same as the other invoices. This one was either a special report or perhaps it was unusual because they were all purchased by one person, and the company felt that I needed to know. Here's how that went, because it made my day.  I had a really interesting day at the dentist's office, having half my mouth deep scaled. Coming home to read that I had sold a dozen books to one person somewhere in the United States made me smile.

    As an author, I don't write to sell my books. I love it when they do sell, of course, but I don't write to please anyone. I don't write because there is a deadline. I don't write because an agent or publisher expects me to. I write what I write, when I choose to write, about what I choose to write, and it literally makes me smile to think that anyone would be interested in buying one of my books. So, when someone out there bought 12 of my books - 12 different titles, that was something. I had to laugh.

    Of course, the report doesn't reveal the person's identity. I'll never know who they are unless they write to me and let me know. I sat around this evening thinking about that person, and I even said a little prayer for them. I asked God to bless their reading time, to help them understand me, appreciate me, and be kind even if they don't like what they read. I almost called my mom to see if she had been the benefactor, but I knew she didn't need to. I always give her free copies. Why would she buy them? Whoever it was bought all 12 books in print, not in digital format. They paid $$$.

    My newest book, "Amicus Curiae," was not among those that were purchased. That made me think that maybe the person has read that one and has decided to read the others. Whoever it is, they will read both the murder books and the romance novels. They even bought "Dion", which is both romantic and sort of creepy, too. I'm thrilled that they bought as many as they did, and I genuinely hope they like what they read. Perhaps they'll tell two friends, and they'll tell two friends, and so on. Wouldn't that be a hoot?

    My next book, "Cumberland", won't be written until after the first of the year. We're moving, and with the holidays and all the family-related activities, writing had to take a backseat for now. It's okay, I don't mind taking a break from my brain for a few weeks. I'll kick back into gear soon enough - and then I'll beat the clock with not only writing five novels in 2026, but I may put out another blog book after swearing Number 4 was the last. No, it can't be; I'm still talking!!  

Photo Credit: Me

Nose Gas, Please!

     Today was such a day! I mean to tell ya, I was sitting at my desk minding my own business, because that's what I do, you know; I mind my own business. I was sitting there, around 9:30 a.m., just thinking about what I was supposed to do that day, when a reminder text came in from my dentist. They do that up there; they remind you constantly that you made an appointment. They really want you to keep those appointments. 

    "Oh yeah," I said to myself, "I'm getting my teeth cleaned." I wanted not only to get my teeth cleaned, but also to discuss a certain spot in my upper gumline that felt as if air was getting into the nerve of tooth #9. That's right, I know how teeth are numbered in my head! I'm clever like that. I think I learned it in the 3rd grade or something, and I never dropped that odd and strange bit of information from my memory. It's in there. I won't ever not know how many teeth I had at one time. (The number has changed over the years.)

    So, tooth #9, the front tooth on the left upper side, felt as if air was getting to it, and although it wasn't causing pain, it was noticeable and nagging. I decided to talk to Dr. Bauman about it after my hygienist, Cathy, had her fun with my teeth. Little did I know that Cathy knows just about as much as Dr. Bauman, and when he's busy with dental work, she essentially takes over and handles the tasks without the pay raise. She's every bit as intelligent and knowledgeable, so I let her tell me the gory details of what was happening. When Dr. Bauman came in and said the same thing she had said, I fist-bumped her and told her she needed to ask for a raise.

    Well, turns out it wasn't a cavity, and it wasn't what I thought. It wasn't even tooth #9 giving me fits. It was the gumline between #9 and #10, as it was beginning to recede due to tartar buildup. Cathy took an X-ray and showed me. It was nasty - just nasty!  You may not realize how important it is to have all your gums and hidden areas cleaned at least every two years. It had been more than that. I'm too embarrassed to actually say how many years it had been.

    OK, now that I knew what it was, I decided to schedule an appointment. Lucky for me, Cathy tells me, their other hygienist, Gabby, had an opening at 3:00 today! Same day! Wow...OK, maybe that's good, I thought to myself. I'm already off work, I may as well make it a big, fat, fun-loving, scraping, pulling, sawing, pushing, drilling sort of day! Why the heck not? Let's do it. I scheduled the opening, and I went home. While I was home, I got another text reminding me that I had just made another appointment - as if I could forget.

    I took several of my books to give to the ladies who work at the dental office because none of them realized I was an author. To be fair, even though I've been going there for over a decade, I hadn't really talked about my writing. I took four different books, and now they want more. OK, I can do that. They do such a good job - all of them! I can't give them up when I move. I'll have to make the long drive twice a year for my semi-annual visits. It's a must. I love them all.

    So, 3:00 p.m. rolls around, and it's my turn once again to be the center of attention. This mouth required some heavy construction, which would necessitate the use of laughing gas. Sign me up. Don't even think I'm doing the deep scaling thing without the nose-mussle. Nope! It's turned up, and I want a little more Lidocaine than most people, too. I want my face to be NUMB when those shots hit my gums, and I want to be out of it when she starts the mechanized equipment. (She had a few toys to play with.)

    I sat down at 3:08 p.m. and she was finished at 5:21 p.m. She did the upper and lower left side of my mouth -- two quads, and maybe 8 shots, I think. I stopped counting. One hurt, the others I was able to breathe through without too much agony. That nose gas, though, makes you wanna close your eyes and causes you to wonder if the people working on you can hear your thoughts. I was inside my head wondering that, then another thought hit me. I couldn't tell if I was awake or not. I wondered if I had my mouth open wide enough -- I did.

    Believe it or not, I was able to tolerate the last bit without the nose piece, and because I was breathing real air again, my senses came back to me. Not my face nerves; no, they remained unfazed for another three hours, but I was able to suck down a soft pumpkin roll cake thing because it was sort of spiralled. You know what I'm talking about; the cream cheese thing. It was awesome. I'm living on Ibuphofen now, and will for the rest of the evening. I may substitute the last dose before bed for 5 or 6 children's 81mg chewable aspirin. The lidocaine and other drugs are wearing off, and I feel my nerves now.

    The entire event, both the cleaning and the deep cleaning, only cost me $153.00 after insurance. What a deal! I was so happy about it, I scheduled the other half of my face to be scraped and mauled on 12/30 - you know, to celebrate the end of the year! Woo hoo!! Party at Dr. Bauman's place! I'd say bring your own booze because (a) I don't drink, and (b) my lips couldn't hold anything - I'll have to pass on beverages at that point. Laura said she was going to give me a face piercing to see if I could feel it -- no, I'm good; thanks though!!

    If you haven't had the nose gas, I do recommend it. I recommend it because it allows you to relax. It allows you to not stress and not dig your claws into the arms of the dentist's chair. It allows you to stay tilted back in a weird position without giving a damn that you're tilted back in a weird position. It allows you to dream while you're awake - and that's worth every penny, right there. Do it. They now make the little nose covers smaller as well. I used to hate them, but I'm good now. I have learned to somehow talk myself through all the would-be fretting and say a ton of affirmations that not only get me through the experience, but some of them I actually believe.

    Such a day! Three to three and a half hours in the chair with people poking and prodding, scraping, scaling, and rough-housing under my gums! At least I know my teeth are clean, and half of my gums all the way up to my left nostril! I'll get the other done and feel like a completely different person soon. Joy of joy!! One of the affirmations I told myself is that in 2025, I have it so much better than Wyatt Earp did if he ever leaned on his good friend Doc Holliday to help him out with tooth/teeth issues.

Photo Credit: Pinterest.com

Addicted to U-Haul

     So, Laura and I are moving in 19 days (19 days!!!), and I have reserved a 15-foot U-Haul for the big stuff.  I thought about it, and it was a no-brainer for me. I have a few large pieces of furniture, a treadmill, a couch, and numerous boxes - so, yes, a 15-foot truck will work for the big stuff. It's just the right size for the larger load.  Laura and I will handle moving the boxes and smaller stuff. I can manage that with a 10-foot truck and take it to the new place a couple of days before the big items arrive. It will be a two-part process. 

    This way, we can unpack all the smaller items that go with the larger items before they arrive. I considered getting a bigger one for our load, but since it was just Laura and me doing the packing, driving, unloading, and driving it back, I decided the 10-footer was sufficient for just boxes and whatnots.  I have driven the bigger ones in the past, but that was the past, and I really didn't want to relive that anxious moment again, unless I had to.

    U-Haul has been such a Godsend in my life. I'm surprised I haven't taken the time to research the matter and explore other companies that can assist me when I need to move. I think in the very distant past, I may have used Budget, but if I did, I don't remember them being as easy to use and as friendly as U-Haul has been. I keep going back—and if I'm really lucky, this will be the very last time I have to use a moving service again.

    There have been too many times, far too many times, in my life, when I just didn't have the money to pay for a service. I had children and worked, but the money I made barely stretched from one week to the next. In some cases, far too many cases, it didn't stretch. Reserving a U-Haul would have been impossible. I relied on church friends, family, regular friends, and the occasional co-worker to all gather around and help me pull things together. I can't count the times I had to pack my things and move back to my parents because I couldn't afford rent. I can't count them because my mind has blocked such memories for good reason. It was such a difficult time in my life.

    Today, and by the Grace of God, I am able to afford any service company I wish. I could pay for them to come into my house and box things up for me if I wanted to. I'm not ever going to do something like that, but I could. I think the point is that life can be incredibly chaotic, but there are staples that remain strong and unchanging; things to keep you grounded, and good service is one of those things. You don't have to be rich to afford a U-Haul, and they make it so easy for you with 24/7 around-the-clock operators who are not only helpful but also friendly and willing to listen. I've just never had a bad (or remotely bad) experience with U-Haul. Not one.

    The most memorable experience was when I drove from Oklahoma City to Indianapolis in a 20-foot truck. That was stressful, but again, the truck was nice, the people were great, and the service was professional. Even if there had been an issue, it would have been taken care of immediately with the add-on package of insurance and roadside assistance. Perfect! I'm just so grateful for them. They're everywhere, and they have never let me down. I say I won't have to use them again, but someone will, and I will be there to give U-Haul the thumbs up if I'm asked. I highly recommend using them.

    I'm not sure, but I believe the price of their trucks has remained the same for over 20 years. It seems like 20 years ago, at least 15 years ago, when I moved to Indy, I would have paid the same $19.95 a day for the 10-foot, $29.95 a day for the 15-foot, and $1 a mile rate that I'm paying now. It's just amazing. I will spend about $80 on 11/21 when Laura and I do our load, and about $100 on 11/23 when my son Jon drives the big stuff in the 15-ft truck. So, for about $200 and gasoline, maybe another $40, I'm getting all of my things moved. I'm also renting a dolly each time, and allowing people with muscles and youth to do the heavy lifting. I'll drive the truck one day -- that, and paying for it, is my contribution.

    I have been slowly, methodically, and precisely packing things up in each of the rooms in my house for the past three weeks, and will continue for the next 19 days. Before we rent the first truck, this house will be packed and sealed up! Only the big pieces of furniture, such as desks, appliances, bookshelves, coffee tables, and guitars, will not be in boxes!  I've found the big fat Sharpie and I'm not afraid to use it! Each box is formed, taped, loaded, sealed, and labeled. We are one well-organized machine around here. If we've ever had time to move, this is it. If we've ever had time to pack, we do now. Again, my mind drifts back - slams back - to the days when I had 24 hours to box things up and get out, under Sheriff's orders. Those days are gone!

    I could write a book about how often I had to leave and for all the crazy reasons why, but instead, I'll just add a few of those more interesting events of my real life into the fictional books I write so I can tell the bloody-gory truth, and no one has to believe it was true. They'll think I made it all up! I prefer it that way; that way, no one feels pity for me. I survived. By the Grace of our Lord, I did in fact survive!  I drive down the road, and when I see a U-Haul truck pass me, I think about who is inside. I ask myself, where are they going, or where have they come from? I try to make up little stories about them, and I also tend to say a little prayer for them. I know that may seem or sound silly, but I feel a little connected to them.  If you have to move, as we all do, and you need a service, think U-Haul. 

Photo Credit: UHaul.com

Such a Dork.

     I am truly a major dork. I really am. I'm not sure if I've ever really sat down to compare myself to others, but I am one. I have stated that I am the Queen of Dorkville, so that may be akin to comparing myself to as many as possible. Either way, I am a dork. Today, your dorkiness was spotted driving her bestie around the city where she'll be moving to -- that's me, talking in the second person about myself. I took the opportunity when it arose today, and I took Jeannie, my best friend, to the new city where I'll be living in just three weeks. If I count today, it's actually less than three weeks. I'll move in 20 days!

    Jeannie is always up for a little drive, and this one was especially special because I had a carload of things to donate to Goodwill! That's another one of her favorite things to do. We drove up to the store and didn't see a donation space, so I pulled off into a spot in the parking lot and called them. The guy who answered, William, instructed me to pull around back and to unload. I had never been to that store before -- they helped. They always help. It was magical!  We filled a large blue rolling container with boxes, clothes, and books. I had a ton of books to donate. They were all the same title, too, and when the guy saw that, he asked me if I had raided a publishing house or something. I explained that I was the author, and these books (all 80) were just in a box in the closet, not being read.

    When you think about it, he said, it's like giving them $400 in donations if they sell each book for $5. I told him I'd be surprised if he could, but he could try! I was just happy to get rid of them, and maybe someone out there will have a really good laugh or twelve, because it was 80 copies of my first Blog Book! (Jude's Almost Daily Blog Book) William said he thinks they'll sell, and that's OK by me!  I also ended up giving him my coffee machine, a candy jar, a cookie jar, clothes, and some good (used) computer parts; keyboards, pads, and monitors. He was happy.

    Here's more of the dork stuff -- after we left Goodwill, I drove Jeannie to the city where I'm going to live and yes, I pulled into the driveway of the house I'm going to buy -- the for sale sign was still up, which upset me, but I will take it down myself on the 21st when I move into the house. It does make a person feel a little antsy when they see something like that. If there weren't cameras on the buildings across the street from me, I would have pulled the sign out of the ground myself. Damn that blasted CCTV!

    I drove into the driveway and continued past the house to the land, where I looked at the barn, the surrounding area, and the exterior of my house. Just 20 more days! Nineteen days and a wake-up! I can't wait. I visited a small thrift store in the city and found two really nice end tables that I'll pick up next week, and I'll also pay for a refrigerator. We really don't want anything fancy in the house; it's not necessary. I was going to get a side-by-side unit on Marketplace, but it's hard to trust people on Craigslist or Marketplace. They could lie.

    The man who owns the thrift store put one of the Frigidaire units in the back for me. I told him I'll come by Saturday (next week) and pay him cash. I only had a card on me today. He was cool with it. For $250 and $25 for delivery, I'll get a 2005 model Frigidaire white 20-cubic-foot refrigerator that still runs, and he'll give me a 30-day guarantee. I love small-town people. I really do. We were leaving the city and saw a large group of people in the park with their trucks and trailers, their tailgates down, sharing diapers, food, clothes, and other essentials with those in need. It's a monthly thing! I love that!

    I won't be able to do it next month, but after the first of the year, I can.  I may start volunteering for the concession stand at the baseball and/or basketball games. I won't do them all, but I can do one or two a month. That way, the parents can go see their kids play. I think small towns are the best. It really isn't too far-fetched to say where I'm moving, a person's word is gold, and they can shake hands and keep their promise. I love that. I hope the ideals of the olden ways can somehow rub off on a few others -- it's needed.

    I took Jeannie over to Tractor Supply, where I knew she'd be just as excited as I was that 6-foot T-posts were on sale for $5.09 a piece, and the three-strand twisted smooth wire was only $79 for a roll of 1320 feet! That's right! You read that correctly. I'll need that, some T-caps, and some connectors, and I am ready to go on that horse fence. I'll need three wooden posts and two 16-ft gates -which were a little high at the Tractor Supply, so I'll try Marketplace for those. It's hard to lie about a gate online - really hard to lie about it. It is, or it is not, a 16-foot pipe gate. 

    I won't need four wooden posts because there is already an existing metal one in place -- I knew you were thinking the project through in your mind -- just three wooden posts.  The fence guy will install it, and we will have a place for the new mare in no time. I am just too happy — and by 'too happy,' I mean incredibly happy. I know there are people who would rather die than buy a used fridge from a local man at a thrift store, but that's just who I am. Why spend $1390 on a new unit if an older one works, looks good, and can help a neighbor? Yep, the world needs more dorks! That's what we need -- more dorks!

Photo Credit: Pinterest.com

The Peabody Kill Pen - To the Rescue.

     See what I did there, with the title? Yeah, I'm clever like that. So, the Peabody Kill Pen in Kansas is a horse rescue venue where you can (and should) go to get your next horse - or seven. You should and could go there, or online, if you think you're just weeks away from owning property that will need to be fenced so you can host and/or provide shelter for said animals. It's a must, and it is exactly what I did. You just can't trust me around sites like this one, not when I'm about to buy a house with land. The fact that it has a barn on it already was a deciding factor, but let me just say that the Peabody Kill Pen is an awesome place to do your last-minute or pre-minute horse rescuing. 

    Laura and I do quite a bit of pretending when it comes to horse-shopping. We haven't had our own land since 2011; it's been 14 years since we've had horses on land that we lived on, so she can look out the window and count their fuzzy noses. Copeland was just a baby -- it was Thanksgiving 2011. Then, when we moved back to Oklahoma, we lived in an apartment for 10.5 years and this house for 1.5 years, and we just never had the same experience. We boarded for a while, but it became too expensive to continue. When our board was the same as our rent, we knew it was time to let the horses go. That was 2020, I think.

    Now, we can hope and dream, and even do a little horse shopping for real. We have the barn and the plans for the new fencing to go in on the first or second day we move into the place. The dog fence is being done professionally, and the horse fence will be sort of us helping the professional to cut down on some of the costs. By "us," I do mean Laura. My contribution to the building of anything starts and ends with me funding the project. That's fine by me, too; I'm not a builder. 

    Knowing that we had a place coming and a barn to house a horse made it all too easy for us to go online and start looking for what we would eventually buy -- you know, down the road. That lasted a good thirty minutes, and then it was my turn to hit the message button on Facebook to ask about a horse we both liked. We both liked it for me, which is weird, because I usually don't have a teenage sorrel and white pregnant Paint mare topping my list of must-have horses. I typically say I'll look for a teenage gelding, probably sorrel, but definitely not a mare, and most definitely not pregnant. 

    What we both found - separately, because she was looking online in her office and I was in mine- was a teenage, sorrel and white Paint mare that stands about 14.2H, and she was just starting to show. Her teats were drooping, but not dropping. She's likely about four months pregnant, which will put the baby's arrival in the summer or late spring. I liked her eyes. They were kind, soft, easy, and relaxed. She didn't try to push or outwalk the man handling her. She was quiet, soft-footed, sweet, and just sort of rambled. She had no intention of pushing through or even lifting her head to take control of the situation. She was content.

    Laura liked her eyes as well, and the comments from the lady running the facility helped. I don't know who was talking, but she said the mare was about 15 years old, had been ridden in the past, but not recently. She was covered likely, and recently, by what she said was a grulla stallion - they all say that. They say the mystery sire is a grulla or a blue roan to get you suckered into buying the mare and keeping or selling the baby. I know us, we'll keep it. We'll keep it no matter what color it is, no matter what sex it is, and listen, if it comes out a big-earred mule baby - we would do the dance! We'd love that.

    So, Laura is sitting there in her room thinking about the mare, and thinking about how she could train her for me, while I was thinking about the mare and how Laura could train her for me.  I love my sorrel quarter horse geldings, don't get me wrong, but I am not picky. I'd be just as happy with an Appy. I'd be just as pleased with a bay, roan, you name it, I'd love it. I don't mind good quiet mares - it's the you-know-what mares that I don't like; who does? Well, that's another story for another time.

    The little mare is solid. She has thick stout legs, all four of them are white. Her blanket, top, and backside are sorrel, as is her head, and she has a big side patch over one hip, a couple of splashes, one on each side, and her neck has a white patch with sorrel dots. Her mane is mostly white, but her forlock is sorrel. Her tail is a mix of both colors. She is gorgeous!  We'll never know her background. We'll never know her original name or what others called her. We won't know if she's been scared, abused, turned out, forgotten, used, loved, or whatever -- but we know we'll call her "Jace" and we'll spoil the tarnation out of her.

    The moment we get her, which will be around my birthday, we'll have her teeth floated, her hooves trimmed, her shots given, and her worming done. She'll have an indoor bath at the vet's office, and she'll be groomed every day and probably every night, because when we have horses, we don't do much else other than hang out with them. Laura doesn't care if she has one for herself yet - she's gonna be too busy getting this one all toned up and ready to go - and after that baby is born, Laura will be even busier!  It's just the way it is - at least I know where she is at all times.

    That's it. Peabody Kill Pen to the rescue! It was EASY! We saw her, we asked about her, we paid using Venmo, and they'll take her to QT for us too; it's a small charge, but worth it. We have a man to watch her for 2-3 weeks, then she'll be hauled down this way -- I can't wait. I think the most exciting part of it is the cost -- it's not as much as people may think. It's reasonable when you go the route we usually go to find an animal. We don't buy them from breeders. This horse will be registered as an American Pinto in the American Pinto Association, but she's a grade horse; no known pedigree.

    The rescue bail was $950. The transport to QT is $150. The QT is $15/day, and the hauling to the house is $2 per loaded mile. That's about $350 from where she'll be located in southern Kansas to our home in El Reno, Oklahoma.  All in all, somewhere around $1800-1900, and for a broke mare that's going to give birth to something beautiful -- that's a steal anyway you look at it. Two for one!

Photo Credit: Peabody Kill Pen

PENDING!! (Our House)

     So, we looked, and our house is listed as PENDING on all the MLS websites! Yep, that's right, it's no longer up for sale. The contract has been signed by both sides, and the inspection(s) have begun. Today, we had two of those inspections. The actual physical inspection took place, followed by the pest control inspection.  Let me just say that when you decide to buy a house, you really should consider all the little expenses that can certainly add up rather quickly.

    My real estate agent is the best, but I don't remember her telling me that we'd need a pest control inspection. I think she mentioned it, but it was more of a thing we needed but wasn't required. Then, after the regular inspection guy was scheduled, I was told that the pest control person had been out at the same time—two invoices! Oh, OK! The home inspection was $620, and the pest inspection was another $129; doable! Nothing was out of line or too expensive, but when you aren't expecting it, it can be rather surprising.

    One of the best things about looking for houses is seeing what's out there. When you're actually hoping to buy, if you're like me, you'll want to exclude anything listed as "Pending" because it's under contract anyway, and you can't see it. You can't even hope to peek into the windows without someone notifying someone -- at least, I think so! Our house is now in "Pending" status!! It won't show up when others look for their new home. I wasn't too worried about it, but then, I sort of was. 

    When I was first looking, I didn't exclude the pending listings. I wanted to see anything and everything that was out there—to get an idea of what I hoped to end up with. I remember the first time I saw the house I just went under contract on; it was for sale, and they had a rather steep price attached to it. I saw the photos, we set up a time to go see it, and when I opened the door, I knew it was overpriced and no one was going to make any offers.  I was even more sure no one would buy my house out from under me when I saw the outdated kitchen, wallpaper, bathroom vanities, windows, and light fixtures. It was, for lack of a better term, a time warp machine right back to the yesteryears.

    Though the sellers had replaced the flooring in the bedrooms, they hadn't finished the cabinets, countertops, tile in the kitchen and baths, and they hadn't even attempted to replace a single old, old, old window. This house was going to be mine - no doubt about it. As for the price, that's always negotiable. In the end, we ended up spending even more than the posted price, which sounds crazy, but it's true. In the end, we wound up buying twice as much land as we thought we were buying, and only paid $12,000 more for those seven acres—that's a steal, anyway you look at it.

    The inspection told us two things we had no idea were happening at the place, and about 35 things we knew would need attention. The sellers will have to pay for some of these fixes, but even if they balk and refuse, we'll end up buying the house and going down on the price to compensate for our own investments. I can see that happening if you want the truth. There's nothing about that that would be too much for us to handle—we won't cancel the contract. We're moving into that house! It is mine! (She says, smiling, and inhaling a long, deep, and very satisfying breath.) 

    The kitchen cabinets, the gun cabinet in the hall, and the bathroom vanities in that house were made around 1980, a few years after the house was built. A man in his late 40s built them, and they are rock-solid, gorgeously fitted, and feature some of the best craftsmanship I have ever seen.  Having been raised in a home where the garage was made into a make-shift carpenter's haven, I grew up discerning the smells of wood, their grain, and the way each tree species sounded when being sawed in two by a table-top spinning saw blade. The shrill of it lingers in my brain.

    Now, you're probably asking yourself how in the hell I would know who built those cabinets, when they were built, and how old the trim carpenter was at the time -- because the man who built the cabinets, and topped them off the way he did, and put in the countertops of the house I'm going to buy was my daddy! MY DADDY built those cabinets - I knew it the second I walked into the house. I knew it the second I saw them - I was going to buy that house come hell or high water, and I did! Nothing will stop me from getting it —at least, I hope not. 

    Some things are worth investing in—and this is one of them. If we have to pay for all that the inspector found, we will.  I'll replace the Formica countertops, but the rest will stay just the way it is now -- perfect.  The seller didn't know what I knew, and he was going on about the cabinets' ageless design— how they were just as beautiful today as when the builder put them in. I smiled, and then I corrected him. "These weren't built in 1970, sir. They were built sometime between 1976 and 1990, but not before." He shook his head, saying he didn't think so—and then I told him who the trim carpenter was.

    Some things are just worth investing in—and I am doing that right now.

Photo Credit: Me

Let the Comparisons Begin!

     Laura and I are about to move to a city that is 25 miles west of where we live now. The challenges and the changes will be there, of course, but it is certainly with an open and grateful heart that the two of us have the feelings and opinions we have regarding the matter.  The two of us, my daughter and I, were born right here in the middle of Oklahoma City.  We were raised in and around the area, having left it for about 5 years when we moved to Indiana. I won't go into all the places I have lived; we're talking about where we've lived since 1989, when she came into my world.

    I should have figured it out in 1995, when the day of the Oklahoma City bombing (and I was misstaken by her father as being one of the people who had passed) that I wasn't going to be able to shake Laura loose from my side -- that was literally 30 years ago, and she's still making decisions for me; for us both. I can't hardly go to the other side of the house without catching her secretly watching to be sure I've not gone somewhere -- she was shaken once; she won't allow it to happen again! I am most assuredly under her watchful eyes at all times.

    We are living in a very nice house; a renovated 1937 stone and brick home with three good square bedrooms, two very nice bathrooms, a big dining and living space, and a kitchen that could be better if either of us had designed it, but it's really very pretty until you look a little closer and realize there isn't any true countertop space. There isn't a dishwasher either, but the pantry is nice!  It's a really nice house; I'll give it its due. We rent from the same complex we've been at for over 10 years, since we returned from Indiana. It's time to buy our own place. It's just time.

    I think I held out and didn't buy anything because I thought surely, Laura would fall in love and get married and move away -- when that didn't happen, I decided to do the next best thing. If I want any peace and quiet or "me" time, I'm going to have to get the woman a horse...or five.  In order to make that happen, I had to buy a place that could host at least five horses, and by God... yes, by His grace, we have found it. It has a very lovely home on it, and the 14 acres (already fenced for the most part) will suffice -- my plan is working! 

    Let's compare.  Oklahoma City has 712,000 people. I'll narrow it down to my zip code.  Our current zip code has a population of 33,000+. The one I'm moving to has about 17,800.  The area of my current zip is 7.6 sq miles, while the new one has 80.5 sq miles. The density factor is amazing! We're virtually living on top of each other now, but where we are moving to, there are only 142 people per square mile. I can deal with that. The crime is different, too. Where I live now, the prevalent crimes are property and violent in nature, whereas where we are moving to, it is more about drug possession and public drunkenness (and usually after midnight in a certain area far from where I live).

    There are approximately 150 uniformed police in the zip code I currently live in, and 26 in the one I'm moving to. Let's do the math:  Old = 1:220, one cop to 220 people. Where I am moving to is: New = 1:712 — oops, that's not good. Lucky for me, it's a much less dangerous area, and of course, we're armed.  I think it's a given that every home in my new zip has more guns than residents - let's see what the stats say. Oh, wait, you don't have to register your guns in Oklahoma -- not like other states. I have 3, and there are 2 of us in the household. It's the same here and there, but I may buy a shotgun just because we will live a bit further out.

    One of the best differences and/or changes will be the sounds. We have constant traffic sounds now, but we won't have it there. We have cars, buses, sirens, and large trucks. There's a highway literally 1/4 mile from my window, and two hospitals within a stone's throw of my backyard. That won't happen where we're moving. We'll hear the dogs bark, but no one else will - and that's awesome! There are two neighbors now who like nothing more than to complain about our dogs, even though they're the ones making them bark constantly! I won't miss that.

    OK, here's a funny one -- we have our groceries delivered to us by Kroger. It's just the way we prefer it. We don't want to venture to the stores here. We will do more of it when we move, but we'll still ask Kroger to deliver the bulk of it. Our nosy neighbors literally asked the Kroger deliveryman how much the groceries cost and how much the delivery is, rather than taking the time to Google it. I was super happy to hear the driver shout out, "You can Google that, or you know, go to the Kroger website yourself and apply online. I'll stop by your place if you do." I think of just how many fewer noses I'll be dealing with, and how many fewer eyeballs! I've stopped going out into my backyard to work out -- if that tells you anything.

    One last comparison -- It won't just be the lack of traffic noise, but the lack of any noise that I'm looking forward to. Like I said, we'll hear the dogs bark, and that's about it. The street we live on is a rather busy street for a small town, but our house is 1.68 acres from the ingress -- silence. Unless it's a siren, I won't hear it.  No more car alarms. No more honking horns. No more screaming fights from those who just can't remember that they live in a civilized neighborhood -- unless you count Laura screaming at the computer when she's died in the games she plays online -- that won't change.

    To say I'm excited is an understatement. I've not had a dishwasher in about 5 years since the one we had gave out in the other place and was never replaced.  That one thing is so very wonderful -- and yet, it is only one of so many great and marvelous changes about to take place in my life. Being happy is good, but being thankful is more. I choose joy!! Thank you, God, and thank you, Jesus, and Spirit. I am so very grateful. By the way, we're also bringing the angel we asked to protect us in this house - he's going to join his friends at the new place.  He's ours -- the new renters can get their own guardians!

Photo Credit: Havenlight.com 

Packing and Praying !

   Today is our Employee Appreciate Day at work, so we're off for the day - it's actually a little more complicated than that; it involves us doing a great job for X-amount of $$ to bring in, and yada-yada, so we earn the 1/2 day, but then the other 1/2 of the day is a semi-annual thing where the company gives us off the top 1/2 of the day and wants to celebrate with us at a certain venue. Wow, was that all one sentence? Crazy.  I didn't go to the venue; we have a family matter, but it's OK -- I know I'm loved, appreciated, and respected--I don't need the validation. I'm just really happy I was able to sleep in, pray a little, pack a little, and get things moving forward.

    The move is less than a month away now!! It's 28 days, only four weeks! We are so excited. We're doing the packing thing ever so slowly so that we don't strain ourselves. I have about 40 boxes, a bunch of tape, and a big fat black Sharpie to mark them all. I'll end up taking stuff to the dumpster, to Goodwill, and keeping only what we need.  (I say that every time I move, but this time I really mean it.) I'll ask Jeannie to help. She's really good at telling me what I need and don't need.

    I opened up a bookshelf today to pack it, and there were no less than 6 completely unused notebooks that I could have and should have been using this year. I went out and bought others because I didn't know I had those. I won't buy them this coming year! I blame the "Back to School" advertising for any excess supplies I may have. I can't stand not buying cheap notebooks when I see them at the stores. I don't think it's reached the point of addiction, but it's close.

    If I had gone to the corporate meeting today, I would have shown up in my new onesie. It covers me well, and it's pretty. I could pull it off because they were having a costume contest. If anyone told me I was supposed to change into my costume after the meeting, I would have said "Oh, I didn't know that" and just smiled. I'm sure if everyone had thought of it, we would have had more people show up, and we would have been both relaxed and had a good time. 

    It will take us the full four weeks to put all that is in our house into boxes and have them stacked up and ready to be loaded into the U-Haul. I'm getting a dolly so we can make it as easy as possible. I'll drive the U-Haul right up to the door and use the ramp thing so I don't have to bump down the stairs and then up the ramp - nope, I don't care if I park in the grass for the hour or so we'll need it there. It is what it is. I'll take two loads: one that doesn't require my son's big muscles and one that does.

    When we get to the new place, there is only one step, so I may have to pull or bump the dolly up it to get everything inside, or I can unload everything into the garage (most likely going to do that) and just unload the boxes from there -- that's a good idea. After we're done, we'll donate the boxes - I'll put it on the Facebook page to see if anyone needs 40 good boxes to move. I bet someone will be happy to take them. Of course, if not, we'll have our fire "wood" for the year!  There's a thought.

    I went online to watch Bowie's Livestock Auction so I can pretend to buy a good broke horse for under $1000 or right at $1000. The three I pretended to buy last night were $800, $900, and $1050. All quarterhorses, all 11-14 years old, all geldings, and all broke to ride without bumps, scars, knee issues, or stifle problems. It's amazing what you can find. There was a Jack mule I pretended to buy for $1450, and that would be an amazing price for one. He was broke to drive and ride, but needed more time under saddle. I would do it in a heartbeat!

    Since I'm only going to get one, it will likely be an 11-16-year-old gelding, probably a quarterhorse or a gaited horse (Tenn. Walker, Standardbred, or Fox Trotter) for about $1000. It will be between 14.1 and 15.1 HH, and I don't care if it's registered. It will likely not be since it's going to be on the red light, sold as-is; those AQHA horses tend to pull in more $$$ even if they are old, broke down, have health issues, or buck under saddle. The people want those papers. I really don't care.

    We watched a mare being abused by her owner in the sales ring yesterday, and although I don't necessarily want a mare, I wanted to save her from her owner. He was beating on her to make her move, and she was clearly not in the groove with the guy -- I came close to "buying" her, but again, it was pretend anyway, and she did get sold, so someone else hopefully did the job for me. People never cease to amaze me, and not always in a good way. I think you can tell a great deal about a person by the way they treat their animals.

    Four weeks. I can smell the newness of the place. It's actually older. The house was built in 1970, and the land has been there for literally the entire time the Earth was created; it still feels good and new to me.  Our sellers put in new carpet, new appliances, paint, HVAC, water heater, and roof so they could sell it. We gave them the exact price they offered; we never even tried to haggle the price. They were happy about that. We did that because it was worth it. The house appraises for a good amount, and the 14 acres just seals the deal. We couldn't and wouldn't have moved there without the land, and having been on a property with great land and a bad house, I am very happy to say this house is awesome.

    One of the quirky and fun things about the house is that there is a gun cabinet at the end of the hall. It doesn't have a lock because in 1970, you never needed to lock your gun cabinet. It's where you kept your weapons - you didn't worry that your kid would shoot you or anyone. You didn't want to find a key to unlock if someone was outside, and it was just a better and simpler time. I love the cabinet. I may actually buy a rifle and stick it in the ready-made, beautiful gun cabinet because I can.

    I can't wait to move - and by that I mean I can't wait to be moved. I'm not really looking forward to all the packing and the moving part. I will be really happy when everything is set up, put away, and ready to just live in -- yes, that is what I mean when I say I can't wait to move.

Photo Credit: Bowie Livestock Auctions

Happy Birthday To Me!! (November 22)

    Because I can, I bought myself a little present for my upcoming birthday. I won't open it until the night before, and I may even do the official unwrapping at midnight, just to be traditional. I bought myself (and my daughter) twin-sized air mattresses so we can sleep in the new house on the 21st, and I can wake up in my new house on my 64th birthday. Happy Birthday to me! That really is probably the best birthday present I have ever bought myself, if I had to think about it.

    When I unwrap the mattresses, I'll be sure to have the compact air pump with me. I don't want to have to huff and puff my way through a heart attack just to have a place to sleep the first night. There's a reason I'm not going to sleep in my own bed the first night -- it's because the bed will be back at the old house for another night!  I take occupancy of the house on the 21st, my birthday is the 22nd, but my son Jonathan can't move me until the 23rd, so that's when the big stuff gets taken over.

    Laura and I will move about 3-18 loads in the car, probably on the first two days. Then, by the time we get the U-Haul, most of our stuff that doesn't require big muscles to move will already be taken over. We may have one more load in the truck before Jon and his helper take the one big furniture and/or stuff load. Once he does that, we should be OK to rest from the 24th to the 26th, and then come back to the old place on Thanksgiving to sweep, mop, wipe down, and clean out the fridge and oven. We're not going all-out because I have a $$$$ deposit I paid last year that I'm forefeiting. Why am I forfeiting? Because the complex would never give it back, no matter how clean I left the place. (Sorry, that sounded mean, but it's true.)

    We've lived in the complex for just over 10 years, I think, and I've lived in the complex another 3 or 4 times in my life. I have a lot of experience with their rules and regs when it comes to giving back the deposits. No one gets it back. The lady who lived in the house (the only house in the complex) before me nearly sued them because she put in over $500 to have it immaculately cleaned, thinking she'd get back her $1500 deposit for the house. And nope, she did not. She had it steam cleaned!! This place was amazing when I moved into it. 

    Our last place to rent; it doesn't seem real. I'm 100% for renting if you can do it. I enjoyed letting others do the lawn work, take out the big trash, and fix things that broke. It was great to have so many wonderful, crazy people around and near me for as long as I did. I truly will miss and love some of them. Many of the old folks I've lived around have passed - it's almost as if the complex has changed to the point that it's no longer the hub it used to be. The neighborhood has changed as well. It's time to leave.

    My birthday will be celebrated first by waking up in my new house. Then, Laura and I will go to the little bakery in town and get pastries. I may get 3! I can!!  I will force her to get at least one load before noon and then force her again to go out to eat with me in El Reno -- I'll even pay for it. She just has to enjoy herself. I think she can do that. There are a dozen really good places, maybe more. I'm thinking Sid's Diner, Las Vazquez, or maybe Swadley's BBQ!  

    We'll bring the dogs and cats, as well as her new lizard. I thought we were lizard-free for a minute, but she couldn't do it. She broke down and got a Star Agama. If you have to Google that, go ahead. It's really cute, though. We'll have the crickets delivered to the house, which, when you say it out loud, makes one laugh.  We'll return to the old house (this one) a couple of days later to clean, sweep, mop, wipe, and straighten things. There won't be too much to "repair". I don't know that we will have anything that's broken, just muddy from the dogs—nothing a quick rinse from the hose can't fix.

    We're really hoping that the new house isn't as dusty as this one is. We think that because the dogs run in from the backyard and traipse through the mudroom into my bedroom that it accumulates, but it's just the way the house sits and where it sits - there's a natural spinning of air around it. It's rather hard to see it, but in just over a week, we find ourselves sweeping and wiping down dust constantly, where we didn't have to do that in the 2nd story apartment we lived in, or in any of the ground floor houses or apartments we've ever lived in. This house is a dust magnet. 

    There you go - 30 days! Just 30 more days and nights, and we will be in the new place. We'll probably visit it 3 or 4 times before that and just walk the 14 acres, checking the fences, taking pictures of the inside of the barn and the creepy storm shelter - we need to get estimates to fix them both. I will leave the shelter in the ground, but I want the entrance improved so it doesn't let rain into the place. The thing took a BIG hit in 2013 when the F6 came through -- BIG hit! I want a safer and more attractive front to my storm shelter!  The barn will either be demolished or refurbished. It's about the same amount of money either way.

    I have to pinch myself -- I'm giddy!!  Can't wait. Oh, and I have a fence guy! He's been contracted and will be there on the 21st to put in the fence for the dogs. 75' basically, 5' tall - new wire, posts, and accessories, a 5x5 gate, and two small areas that connect the house and barn to the existing fence on the other side.  The dogs will be thrilled. 🐶

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

Onesie Season Approaches.

     I don't know if you know me well enough, but if you do, you know I am a big fan, a huge proponent of the adult onesie. I have a few - and I just bought another one online. They're some of the most comfortable things ever, and most of them are under $20. I mean, sure, you can buy more expensive ones, but I have a nice little collection including animal-themed onesies, and I think the most I've ever spent on one was $19 if I'm honest. I bought my mother one as well -- I'm really nice like that. I believe the world should relax and just chill out wearing onesies.

    What I tend to do is to wear a T-shirt under them so that when I do have to strip out of it to go to the bathroom, the top half of my body won't freeze in the Arctic air. It's not quite that bad, here in Oklahoma, but it can be rather chilly at times. Those times, however, have not arrived - not as of yet. It is October 19, 2025, and we're still hovering in the lower 80s for the most part. I'm not happy about that fact. What I am happy about is that the forecast for the next 10 days does show promise. We won't enter the month of November in sweltering heat!

    Tonight, while browsing Amazon as I often do, I decided to see if they have any of their onesies on sale - sort of a pre-season thing. They did!! I was pretty happy to see it. One of the problems with cheaper pajamas or any other attire is that they are often made of polyester - not my thing. I don't like polyester really, preferring the material of the old folks. I am a cotton fan from many years back. If it's 100% cotton, I feel as if I can justify paying a bit more - but I didn't have to do that; they were all $14-19, and yes, I bought one.

    Because I'm expected to be on camera at least once or twice a day at work (I work from home, but we have TEAMS meetings), I do buy the onesies that could pass as regular clothes - for work. I didn't get anything to pajama-oriented or wild and crazy -- my options were slight, but I found one.  The boss will never know - I mean, sure, he knows, but he won't point it out - it won't be obvious.  It's not like my Tigger one, or the shark one that someone else wore last year on our "Onesie Day" TEAMS meeting - that was a good day.  One guy wore a Woody from Toy Story Onesie, and another had on an Eeyore, so we hung out! 

    Onesies just make the world a better place. No one can take you too seriously, and you can't take anyone else too seriously when you wear one. You're not upset about anything, and the air is cleaner while the colors are more vivid and clear. Onesies can change everything to a very good degree, and more people should find themselves collecting and wearing them when they can. I can't sleep in mine, I get too hot, but as soon as I wake up, I can put one on and keep it until I go to bed. (It could be the four dogs in my bed that keep the heat in...I may have to think about that.)

    If I could change one thing about corporate America, it would be their attire. If the entire country could just relax, pull on a onesie, and get their job done, I think they'd be so much more productive. I think they'd be so much more apt to listen to one another and to help others who needed help. It's really next to impossible to be mean or nasty to someone while wearing a onesie and/or someone wearing one. I just realized I haven't used the word "an" in front of the word "onesie," and you'd think you should do that. Huh...see, even the English language takes a break now and again.

Photo Credit: Amazon.com