The Bride Smiled...Until...

It was a beautiful day to have a wedding in the prayer garden at our church. The sun shone brightly and so did the smile on the bride, my soon to be daughter-in-law. My son had picked the perfect woman to be his wife. God clearly made these two to be a pair. All was beautiful.






Until....









Have a wonderful day. Share your smile with someone today!

What's Not to Love About a Family Thanksgiving

Two plump turkeys, baking in my kitchen, presented mouth-watering scents wafting through the house. Downstairs my family room had been transformed into a long dining hall with two eight foot tables and nineteen chairs waiting for guests. How to fit four additional guests? The sofa pushed back under the windows would work for the four little children along with wooden tv trays. Everything waited, including me, for the arrival of our guests.

They came, one family at a time, each carrying a side dish to add to the feast. Time to pop the rolls in the oven, put the vegetables and potatoes in bowls and begin carrying down the food. With plenty of help, the long table was soon laden with two platters of turkey, a ham, sweet potato casserole, corn, green beans, macaroni & cheese, mashed potatoes, gravy, hot rolls, butter, and soft drinks for all. Everyone told what they were thankful for this year, many bringing a soft chorus of "awwww", many drawing applause amidst tears. So much to be thankful for. Last year my son-in-law had been in the hospital on Thanksgiving after having his kidney removed due to cancer. His testimony broke us all down. My mother was thankful that she isn't alone any longer. Everyone spoke from their hearts and I felt so blessed to be part of this family.

Dessert came next...pumpkin rolls, pumpkin pies, pumpkin cheesecake, cherry pie, pecan pie.

Afterward, everyone pitched in to clean and to put the house back in order. Amazing how quickly things can get cleaned up with willing hands. That's when I discovered the crock pot full of sweetened carrots, which I forgot to add to the dinner. There's always one thing that goes awry and causes laughter and "remember when" moments. Guess it'll be the carrots that get center stage for this gathering.

We are so blessed to have a warm home, family to grace it with love, plenty of food, and an abundance of love and laughter. And the cats didn't try to interfere. I was thankful for that! We don't feed them table foods, but they do try to gain attention during our dinner hour by rubbing against legs and meowing for attention. No one screamed, so I'm assuming the cats had found safe hiding spots.

What's not to love about that?

How Cats Entertain...

So what does an acrobatic cat do to entertain his brothers and sisters? The pictures below should tell the story. Enjoy!










Wilbur enjoys climbing the rafters on our deck. We don't dare turn on the fan when he's out with us or his long bushy tail would be whacked off!





From time to time he even enjoys watching television.

Wishing everyone in the US a very happy Thanksgiving! Smile, it's contagious!!

Thanks for stopping by.

Dark Villains and Romance

It's no secret that I am addicted to reading about murder and serial killers. Where did this love of the dark, twisted minds come from? I used to read nothing but romance o the high seas or gothic romance. I suppose while the mystery and suspense were a part of these stories, I began to gravitate to the modern romance thrillers. I'm fascinated with how the psyche of these dark villains.

I suppose once being in an abusive marriage with a man who was not only paranoid schizophrenic, but also manic depressive has something to do with it. During college, my favorite courses were psychology. I loved studying about the different types of personalities. It also helped me with understanding a bit of what made my previous husband tick.

My very first book, in draft stages, began with a scene that broke my heart. But I knew it wouldn't fly in a romantic suspense book. However, it did help me to understand the villain I created and why he did the things he did...and how he felt justified in his actions. And,I enjoyed having my heroine find her soul mate, just as I did in real life.

With this passion inside me, perhaps there will be a book to come from me which will incorporate some of these insights. Not everyone likes to be frightened by what they read, but a part of me is still that little girl who liked to sit in a circle with her buddies at a pajama party telling ghost stories.

Thanks for stopping by!