Happy New Years

Happy New Years. 

Good-bye 2014 and hello 2015. 

Let the new year be better to us than the old year.

Christmas Mood

Hubby was certainly in the Christmas mood, which is good because I haven't been. 

Our daughter had dragged in the tree and the box of old ornaments. 

After our daughter set up and decorated the tree, hubby went through the old Christmas ornaments,tossing out the old broken ones and cleaning the keepers.

He then took me Christmas shopping, and when we came home he wrapped the presents himself. 


Then we went back out so he could buy me a special gift. 


I had to come and okay the gift since it was for me. *sigh*

Home grown tomatoes

When I let the dogs out, I picked off fall leaves that had covered my tomato plants. 

Yup, they are still alive and producing. 

Usually we have a hard frost just before Thanksgiving and it kills all my tomatoes. 

But not this year. 

We're having a mild year. So mild, I ate one of my home grown tomatoes today.

The Generosity of Strangers

Sometimes things happen that just bring a tear to your eyes.

I was shopping today, and was behind a man with his little girl. She was such a cutie with long straight brown hair and big brown eyes. Her clothes didn't quite fit her and her tights were threadbare and had a hole in them.

After she helped her dad, she turned and smiled at me then waved. I smiled and waved back. Then I realized that her work worn dad didn't have enough money for the simple necessitates he wanted to buy.

As I thought about reaching for my wallet, the woman behind me drew out a twenty and said, "Take this and lets see how much it'll cover."

After the food was paid for and they left, I turned to the woman and thank her for her generosity. I said, "I thought about doing the same thing, but you were quicker."

She said, That's okay, we've all been there haven't we?" (Meaning the father and daughter and the rough time they were going through.)

"Yes, we have." I thought about how rough my husband and I have had it off and on and how blessed we are now.

The next time, I'll be a little quicker reaching for my wallet.

I won the Nanowrimo

I won the Nanowrimo with my story Son of the Matrix Crystal Hunters.

Which I will publish sometime this next year.

Yellow Cloud Is Me

Last week, hubby had new tires put on the car, then the big dummy decided he could walk home two miles after working all night. One mile from home he calls me to come and get him. 

My daughter recently got a new car but the old one is still at the house, so I hopped in it forgetting that the pine tree has been dropping pollen like crazy for the last week. 

Well.... I'm not sure how I looked pulling out onto the road, but it must have been a show stopper. Here I am driving this old silver car covered in pollen, and its making a bright yellow cloud around my car as I go down the road.

Nanowrimo

I'm doing the Nanowrimo again this year.

I forgot to remove the Nano widget from last year. It there on the right of my blog.

What interesting is it updated itself.

You can see how much progress I've made so far.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone!

What Do You Enjoy About Fall

It was my turn to post on Romance Books 4 Us.

What is your favorite thing about fall?

http://romancebooks4us.blogspot.com/2014/09/finally-autumn-by-janice-seagraves.html

9-11

Please take a moment to remember the day, the people who died and the heroes that were created that day.

Thank you.

5 Secrets No One Knows About My Book

I had the wonderful opportunity to guest post on Beverley Bateman's blog today.

I wrote about the five secrets you don't know about my book.

Please drop by and leave a comment.

BLOGGING WITH BEVERLEY: 5 Secrets (What No One Knows Abut My Book

Harvest Season and Writing

It was my turn to blog on Romance Books 4 Us Blog.

http://romancebooks4us.blogspot.com/2014/08/harvest-season-and-writing-by-janice.html

Phone verses Mailbox

My husband off to replace the mailbox with a new one

A drunk ran into the telephone pole across the street from my house.

The phone company, right away, had their trucks out there to put in a new pole and wires. Which is wonderful costumer service.

Unfortunately, they saw fit to park their big ass truck right on top of ours and our neighbors mailboxes. Both are smashed flat and the posts they had sat on is in splinters.

Huh? They could have at least apologized for the disruption in mail service until such time as when they replaced our damaged mailboxes, but no. Not even a note. They just went away.

Hubby is out buying a new mailbox and a new post to put it on.

On the bright side, no one shot our mailbox this time.

Funeral, breakdown and a tow

Went to my uncles funeral today. He's been cremated and today was the internment of his ashes. I had a hand in placing them into the hole dug for them. 

Our view from the front seat of my daughter's car

Then on the way home, my daughter's car broke down. It took two hours until the tow truck come. Then I found out we had to ride inside the car while we bumped and jostled our way down the road on the back of the tow truck. My daughter said my face dropped at the news. You see, I'm afraid of heights.

I managed to get through it by repeating the song lyrics "Let it go, let it go." It took an other hour until we arrived home.

On the way, my back got smacked pretty hard a couple of times. The good news is I think that place on my back that's been out for a couple of months is back in. The bad news, we're pretty sure it's the transmission on the car has burned out.

****A special thank you to the nice man who helped push our daughter's car to the side of the road so were weren't in the way anymore, and to the lady who was so kind as to give us four large bottle of cold water to drink. It was a really hot day and we really needed the water. You two wonderful people showed us how there is still good in the world.****

Sizzling Summer Night Blog Hop

I'm on the Sizzling Summer Night Blog Hop.

Please drop by and tell me how you beat the heat. Leave your email addy for a chance for a prize.

http://janiceseagraves.org/2014/07/31/sizzling-summer-night-blog-hop/

Guest Blog: Desert

Please stop by and leave a comment, and learn how a trip to the desert inspired my recent book.

http://www.delilahdevlin.com/blog/2014/07/24/janice-seagraves-matrix-crystal-hunters/

Happy Fourth of July

For those living in the states, Happy Fourth of July.

R.I.P. Uncle Bruce

My Uncle Bruce passed away last week. He was the last of my uncles. My mom and I were by his side and held his hand when his heart stopped.

My mother, his caregiver and I have felt a great feeling of loss. He had such a strong will and such a strong presence that it's like the world is a little dimmer with his passing.

This Saturday, I will be reading a elegy that I wrote for my uncle at a small gathering in his home. It's for the neighbors and friends he had in Modesto. The last place he made his home.

R.I.P. Uncle Bruce

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my dad. He would have been nine-two this year.

And to all the other dad's out there, Happy Father's Day!

June Bug Attack

Took our Pomeranian out and then checked on my plants. Somethings been eating them and I've been checking nearly every evening to see if I can spot the culprit. 

I did seem to waken something that rose in my flashlight beam and came right at me. It hit my throat several times until I knocked it away. 

It didn't sting me at least, but it gave me a bit of a scare. 

My hubby thinks it was a June bug. 

Hours later I can still feel the hits on my throat.

Life in the Country

Oh, the excitement of living out in the country.

I let the dogs outside and saw a snake. I put the dogs back inside and picked up my camera. I told daughter and her boyfriend there was a snake outside.

I thought keep the dogs inside would be a given.

Apparently not.

The dogs bolted outside as soon as the door were open, and here I am knelt down taking photos in a dress no less. The dogs got between me and the snake.

I grabbed one dog which yelped and backed up, toward the by now alarmed snake, and yelled at my daughter to grab the other dog.

Dinky our Pomeranian, must have thought it was a game, because she bounced around like a wind-up toy and avoided being picked up. She eventually stepped on the snake.

The snake, upset by the dogs and the yelling, bit her.

Don't worry, it was a gopher snake and nonvenomous. I checked the end of the snake's tale for a rattle, before I went to get my camera.

I grabbed Dinky and gave her to my daughter. We got the dogs back inside.

I picked up a garden tool and scooped the snake up and toss it out into the field. No harm came to the snake. I was gentle.

Dinky's bite was treated, she's okay.

Just another day in the county.

Date Night Friday

Since we didn't get to celebrate my birthday last Friday, because of rescuing daughter and my mom when daughter's car broke down, hubby took me on a date today.

He's such a sweetheart.

We saw Godzilla and went to Sizzlers. He also bought me Dragon Naturally Speaking for my new computer.

Hmm, seems like there's a theme going here.

Food Shopping

Had a lovely lunch with hubby at Panda Express yesterday. Then we went grocery shopping. 

We bought... well... nearly everything on the list my daughter made up, before she left to take my mom to get her treatments. (She's helpful like that). 

Hubby and I came home and put everything away, but the temps are higher than we expected. 86 degrees but felt like a hundred. We were both sweating and panting like dogs. 

I had to sit on the sofa under the fan to cool down. I didn't want to move.

Hubby walked into the living room, handed me a bottle of water and said tomorrow we're getting the cooler pads. Agreed.

Drivers License Renewal

Well, today I went to have my photo taken for my drivers license.

I've been dieting like crazy for the last two weeks, trying to get a few pounds off, because this photo will be in my wallet for the next eight to ten years.

I wanted to look good.

My daughter even coached me on how to hold my chin up so it smooth out my double chin.

I must have eaten something salty yesterday and bloated.

Well, the only thing showing will be my face. I put on make-up and found it was old and clumped. I smoothed it out the best I could. But I looked pale and my lipstick was too dark. Rats.

Okay, I can still do that raised chin thing.

Hubby and I got down there and there was hardly anyone waiting in line. The first clerk gave me a number, and ten minutes later my number was called.

Unfortunately, I couldn't pass the eye test without my glasses. I didn't even try. Too blurry.

Then when the picture was about to be taken, and I was all ready for it with my chin raised, the guy told me to lower my chin. *sigh*

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the Mothers out there,
Happy Mother's Day!

BTS Mag

Here's the link to this month's free issue of BTS ezine: http://issuu.com/btsemag/docs/may-june2014

Check it out. I have a lovely add in it. :)

My Favorite Scene

It was my turn to post on Romance Books 4 Us. Here's a link to my favorite scene from, Matrix Crystal Hunters: 
http://romancebooks4us.blogspot.com/2014/04/my-favorite-scenes-matrix-crystal.html

Blog Post

Read what inspired my book:

http://melissasnark.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-dream-inspired-story-by-janice.html

Authors in Bloom Blog Hop

Prizes, recipes, and garden tips. Don't forget to leave a comment with your email addy for a chance at a prize!

http://janiceseagraves.org/2014/04/07/authors-in-bloom-blog-hop/

It's Raining in My Books

It's my turn to blog on Romance Books 4 Us blog:
http://romancebooks4us.blogspot.com/2014/03/its-raining-in-my-books-by-janice.html

Happy St. Patty's Day

Happy St. Patty's Day.

Are you wearing green today?

I've posted a photo I took myself. I think there's a four-leaf clover in there somewhere. I can imagine a leprechaun smoking a pipe as he sits on this mushroom, can't you?

BTS eMag

I have an ad in the BTS eMag. It free to read. Please take a look.

Early Spring

Each spring seems to come a little bit earlier, but the best part is the blooms.

The house way in the back is ours. As you can see, I live in the middle of an almond orchard.

Teaser Post

It was my turn to post on Romance Books 4 Us blog.

I took a page from Six Sentence Sunday and posted a little more than six sentences.

http://romancebooks4us.blogspot.com/2014/02/teaser-for-matrix-crystal-hunters-by.html

Interview with Janice Seagraves

Please check out my interview, then post a comment for a chance to win a T-shirt.

http://romancebooks4us.blogspot.com/2014/01/interview-with-janice-seagraves.html

Old Horror Movies Morals

Got to love old horror movies with their judgement call on morals.

A young woman having sex? You will be the first one to die.

Get snippy with your mom? You'll be the second one to die.

Bully someone? Oh, your days are numbered. (That one I don't actually mind so much.)

Do you have questionable morals? Oh, you're going to die soon too.

Baby It's Cold Outside Blog Hop

First Blog Hop of the Year. Baby It's Cold Outside Blog Hop.

Lots of great authors, books and prizes.

Come join the fun.

http://justromance.me/coldoutside/#janiceseagraves