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Sunday Morning

It’s another Sunday morning and I had a sleepless night. Chachi, the cat, was in his element and sleep was the farthest thing on his mind! The little brat decided that he was going to do one better than Cristiano Ronaldo on doing the “bicycle kick!”

He spent most of the night dribbling dry kernels of food and dashing from room to room. Then he did the hoops, not a pretty sight as the little guy is a tad overweight and lands with a heavy thud every time he tries that move. If that wasn’t enough, he would run across the room meowing loudly, “Watch me mommy!” Lord, have mercy. I decided to let him have his way. He’ll eventually run out of energy but that’s where I was wrong. He was like an eveready battery with enormous amounts of energy. Note to self: Cut back on feeding him too much!

Just as I was dozing off, he jumped on the bed, came over and pressed his face on my face and rubbed it all over with his whiskers! I found out that he was marking his territory or rather his property! Cats! They’re the only household pets who need “property.” The others are contend with being fed and taken care of but this breed needs property to feel secure and to know that they have the upper hand!

After a while of listening to his loud purring, I told him to go to bed. “No way!” was his answer. It was time for another round of football and this time he upped it. He was going for Ronaldo’s bicycle kick and I must say, it was pure perfection! The Little Butterball was having the time of his life and me, not so much!

Finally, I gave up and fell asleep. This morning, the floor was covered with dried pellets of food and the little thing was fast asleep in his bed looking absolutely adorable and purring up a storm. It was time to clean up the mess so I did. What’s this thing about football? I don’t know but this little guy could give Cristiano Ronaldo a run for the money!

Have an amazing Sunday.

New-Fangled Technology!

I have an aversion to anything that is new and requires brain power to figure it out! My life revolves around “no changes” but, unfortunately, the tech giants love sitting up in tech heaven and they want to outdo each other as to who’s the smartest in the land. In their rush to come up with new-fangled technology, they oversee those of us who want to cling to the old way of doing things.

Cell phones, smart tvs, computers, and cars with so much electronic know-how that they can practically drive themselves and leave you by the wayside watching them take off on their own! I enjoyed knowing how to start, stop, and a few other things that I deemed necessary. However, my current car beeps every time or flashes a message that this or that needs looking into. Not only that, backing up is a noisy affair. I understand that it is all done in the name of safety but do we need to “beep” like the world is coming to an end! I can do without that feature.

Computers are next on the radar. I have a love-hate relationship with them. I can and can’t do without them. I want it simple so that I can get in, do my thing, and get out without pulling my hair out. It has so many features that when a question pops up on the screen, I try to get rid of it! “I don’t want to hear it!” is my response. The co-pilot, whatever that is, wants to know if I need help. “I’m fine thank you!” is my answer. Do we need so many new-fangled features? We were doing just fine when all you had to do was turn it on, do your thing, and turn it off. Maybe, tone down the constant deluge of new features and new technology. Tech Gods, are you listening?

I’m a tech klutz as I’ve mentioned here many times before but I am learning to keep up with the changes. The problem. The minute I get something down pat, it goes and changes on me! A message to all Tech Gods, find something else to do! Take a vacation and let’s slow down the insane pace of working overtime to flood the market with “things” we don’t really need!

Daily writing prompt

What technology would you be better off without, why?

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The Separation

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

The hardest decision I’ve ever had to make was the decision to go separate ways. I was looking at a 16 year marriage going under and a little boy who doted on mom and dad and I knew it would break his heart and it did.

However, there was no other way out of the predicament I was in. I could pretend to stay in a marriage where one person dictated how it was going to be run. Meaning “cheating” was alright and I had no say in the matter. He learned different. Still, it wasn’t an easy thing to do. I had to take everything into consideration. I was in a foreign country, didn’t speak the language well, and I had a young boy to take care of. I still remember the letter our son wrote asking if he was the problem and if he was, he would do better. It broke my heart.

Walking away and shutting the door behind me was not an easy decision for all the reasons mentioned above but there was one other thing that took a hit. It was my self-esteem. I hit rock bottom and it took a long time and much working on myself to bring it back up. I learned that “cheating” destroys, it is a selfish act and the person who commits it, well they will do it again. It is just a matter of time. It becomes easier the next time around.

I wanted no part of that. During my journey, I also learned to find my self-worth and self-respect. It didn’t come easy but I knew that I was worth so much more and being in a mediocre relationship is not what a relationship is about. I don’t regret the decision to walk away.

Daily writing prompt

What’s the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make? Why?

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The Publishing Journey

It is not just about writing the book, spending hours and hours on end putting it together, getting lost in a world where magic happens, but then comes the question, “What to do with it?” after it is done and finished.

The search began for a publisher who would love my book and give it a chance. I had two offers. One a mega publisher and the other a smaller children’s book publisher. I went with the big one thinking my book would be in good hands. Thinking and the reality are two different things but that’s for another time.

Publishing took a long time as did the illustrations and the back and forth with the publisher. There were times when I was absolutely frustrated and other times when I thought they were doing a good job. The day I had been waiting for came and I got the message that the publishing day was just around the corner! There was a certain sense of euphoria I can’t explain. I was on cloud nine but nervous at the same time. Will it make it? It was a question that kept doing rounds in my head. Then I saw the finished product and I was happy and not so happy. There were certain things that did not set too well. The book size for one thing. The cover was eye-catching and I liked that part.

I had a book out there! The publisher wrote saying, “Success of the book depends on you.” Hmm….I wasn’t sure what that meant. What do I do now? It was hard work getting the visibility that was needed to bump the book up from under millions of titles. Daunting? Yes. Then there was the question of ratings and reviews. In the beginning, it was mostly 5-stars and I was floating around. It was doing well, this little book of mine. However, I came falling back to earth when the first not so good review knocked me off my pedestal! I was irritated, frustrated and I wanted to reply but was told that silence is the best approach. I kept my cool and more reviews started coming in, mostly 5-stars and that one review that still bugs me was relegated to a space at the bottom rung of the ladder.

I still wake up some mornings and rush to see if the book is doing fine. When I see that it is, I breathe a sigh of relief and that, my friends, is more than irritating to say the least. I’m talking about my dependence on a book to bring my mood up or to bring it all the way down. I’ve decided that I’ve done my part and the book will do just fine. I will help it along but if it is a good book, it will find its way.

The sequel is finished and has been accepted. I want to wait a while before I go through the same process again. NOW, I just need a movie producer to pick the book up and to turn it into a hit! Any takers?

My Top Three Pet Peeves

It is defined as “something that a particular person finds especially annoying.” I have plenty of those but I’ll try to stick to three that I find not only annoying but wants to make me pull my hair out!

Not being punctual is one of them. This is one of the top “pet peeves” because as a person who believes that being punctual speaks to your character, I seem to be surrounded by people who don’t give a hoot about being punctual. My first reaction is extreme annoyance, the second is to reel it in and to let it go. However, the letting go part doesn’t always work. It just gives the person more leeway to keep on doing what they do. Now, I give a few chances and then I pull the plug. Meaning it is a friendship lost instead of putting up with someone else’s tardiness.

Next on the list are liars. I can put up with one or two lies but when it is a constant and it is very evident, it becomes a pet peeve of mine. I’ve met people who make “lying” their motto and if they can get away with it, so much the better. However, once in a while they come across someone like me who can spot a liar even before they get close! My problem is, I give them enough rope to hang themselves but then I go back and take it away! Does that make sense? It does to me. Instead of sending them on the way, I play this “nice person” and try to find out why they are the way they are. No more playing “nice guy,” I am learning to be more assertive and to understand that you can’t change people. They are the way they are.

Last but not least are fake friends. People who claim to be your friend but are never there when you need them. They are there for the good times and are invisible when times get tough. I’m sure you’ve met them too. These days, I look for the “I’m with you all the way,” kind of friendship. Friendship is a hard thing to maneuver but it is made harder still when you come across fake friends. Choose carefully.

Those are three of my top pet peeves. I have plenty more but for now, these three take the cake!

Daily writing prompt

Name your top three pet peeves.

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The Excellent Adventures of Honey and Hubie

When I sat down to write The Excellent Adventures of Honey and Hubie, I wanted to capture the kind of day every child secretly hopes for: the day when the world opens up beyond the garden fence and you discover that courage and friendship live inside you. Honey, the little Italian greyhound, begins the story very much like many of us do—safe, loved, and yet quietly restless.

She has a warm home, caring owners, and a familiar routine, but her heart is tugged by the idea that there might be “something more” just beyond the fence. Hubie, her bright green frog friend in a pirate hat, is that “something more” come to life: he is curiosity, mischief, and optimism all rolled into one.

As Honey follows Hubie out of the garden, the story becomes a journey through all the magic I remember from my own childhood walks in the woods: talking animals, music in the trees, and tiny folk who live in unexpected places. Along the way Honey meets the Buttercup Fairies, joins the Moppets’ grand celebration, learns to swim with the help of a graceful swan, and even helps
rescue baby Carmelia from the fearsome Screeches. Each encounter is meant to feel like a small, complete adventure, but they all circle back to one idea: we grow braver and kinder when we step outside our comfort zone for the sake of someone else.

At the heart of the book is the friendship between Honey and Hubie. They tease, they disagree, and they frighten each other at times, but when real danger appears, Honey finds herself willing to risk everything to protect her friend.

That moment—when a quiet, uncertain little dog stands up to a threatening Screech—is the true center of the story. Hubie later tells her that real
friendship is when you care so deeply for someone that you would give your life for theirs without thinking of your own. I wanted young readers to see that bravery doesn’t always roar; sometimes it looks like a trembling friend who refuses to run away.

The book is dedicated to my son, and that dedication is very real. I wrote this story hoping that he, and children everywhere, would never lose their sense of fantasy, because it is where compassion, courage, and creativity first learn to walk.

Honey ends the day muddy, tired, and smelling like a skunk, but she is also changed: she has danced, swum, rescued, laughed, and learned what true friendship feels like. It is not a “perfect” ending, but a perfectly honest one—a
reminder that the best days are often a little messy, a little risky, and filled with memories that last long after the bathwater runs clear.

T. J. Mueller

Trusting Your Instincts

Where do I start?!! I want to say that I trust my instincts because I have a good head on my shoulders but, alas, it’s the other part that I worry about. The part that sees and doesn’t want to see and does its own thing. So far, it has been running rampant and doing whatever it wants. I call it “my heart.”

I am a softie when it comes to matters of the heart. Deep down inside I know that the path I’m taking is not a good one and it will lead to trouble but still I keep on, sometimes out of curiosity and sometimes out of sheer stupidity!

This journey of self-discovery I am on has helped to keep me on the straight and narrow but the heart wants what it wants. It wants excitement, the feeling of danger, the throbbing that comes from the adrenaline rush and so it goes. I’m not an adrenaline junkie, never have been, but I go for the “bad boys!” The ones I know from the get go that they are better left alone. However, I want to play the “helper” or rather the person who wants to save them from their misery.

Self-discovery has helped me to see things with a clearer perspective. Still, I am not all the way there. It is going to take time. Do I trust my instincts? Absolutely!

These days, I’m giving the “good guys” more than a chance. They are boring but it’s time to take my boots off (the adventurous ones) and to give those house slippers a chance to reign supreme. Who knows I may just find what I’m looking for. A nice guy with a heart of gold and one who doesn’t need saving!

Daily writing prompt

Do you trust your instincts?

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December

I have a love-hate relationship with December The year is drawing to a close and I have a chance at making things better as year end approaches and a new one begins. Add Christmas to that and what’s not to like?

Plenty. I love Christmas, the sights, the sounds, the scents, and just the feeling of peace that is everywhere. The house comes alive with lights and there is this dreamy quality about it. The fireplace crackles, add a blanket or two on the couch and you’re ready to snuggle and watch the flames burn. There is just something about this time of year. I love it and yet, there is a certain sadness because the heart longs for Christmases past when loved ones were near and it was a time for family and friends to gather and celebrate the season. Christmas is no longer like it used to be. The circle has grown smaller and it is usually just Chachi and yours truly. Last year, I had a friend who came over but it wasn’t the same. This year, I might spend it with my “Little Buttercup” who is always ready to spend time with his mommy.

I have a love-hate relationship with this month. I love the cold, even better if there is snow outside, walks in nature are filled with wonder, and festive lights twinkling everywhere warms the heart and fills the soul with a certain something. I can’t put my finger on it. I call it “magic.”

However, there are definite downsides to this month as well and when you’re alone, it is magnified during this time of the year. I’m learning to cope with it and taking it in stride as I do with most things. Still, I do love December and all that it brings.

Daily writing prompt

What’s your favorite month of the year? Why?

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An Italian Ice Place

I learned about this place from a friend and at first I thought it was an okay place but nothing special. It was run by Italians and most of the staff there are young Italians from Italy. Some don’t speak English, no German whatsoever, and they loved speaking in Italian. The problem? Customers had a tough time placing their orders!

However, the place grew on me. It was nice and cozy, the ambience was comforting and the people friendly. I love the decor and the music playlist had some of my favorite songs on there. It slowly became a favorite place to hang out in whenever I met friends for coffee and sometimes breakfast. If we arrived early, the place was empty and you can hear yourself talk. However, come lunchtime, it gets crowded and very noisy. That’s when it is time to go.

In summer, they serve Italian ice but throughout the year, they have Tiramisu, cakes, cookies, breakfast dishes like Avocado Toast, American style scrambled eggs, toast, and to top it all great coffee.

I am a regular there so they know me well. Just recently, a server from Argentina who speaks English told me that he was leaving to go back home. He is actually an English teacher back home and he was going back for a year to help his family and to teach but he would be back next year. There are others there that I have come to know well.

I have a favorite spot by the window so that I can people watch and sip my coffee in silence when I am there by myself but when I meet a friend, we can talk and laugh like we are the only ones in the place! It’s a nice place and since I don’t like crowded places, it works just fine for those rare moments when I get myself out and about. Oh, the bakery is right across from the Italian place and that is an added bonus. It’s where I get my beloved cheesecake! Not a good thing in one sense but for those days when my willpower isn’t where it should be, I break down and get a slice or two of cheesecake before heading back home. Not a whole cake anymore. We are making progress!

Daily writing prompt

What is your favorite place to go in your city?

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Honey, the Greyhound

I saw this review online and it was a good one. It also said that the book was a “potential classic in the making.” That is a huge compliment. I’ve read all the classics from Charlotte’s Web, Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz and the list goes on and on. Those are timeless classics, beautiful stories that have the power to capture your imagination and to stay with you long after the story is finished.

This is what the review said:

“The Excellent Adventures of Honey and Hubie is a children’s book that receives positive ratings for its heartwarming and imaginative story about friendship, courage, and kindness. Reviewers describe it as enchanting, with themes that emerge naturally and encourage emotional intelligence and creative thinking. The book is considered a potential classic, perfect for storytime that blends fun and fantasy with meaningful lessons for children aged 10-12.

Here’s the background on Honey, the miniature greyhound. I met Honey when I was an undergrad and my boyfriend at the time brought her over. She was a rescue who had been badly abused and shivered all the time. One evening, we were sitting on the couch watching TV with Honey and Twitty (my cat at the time) sitting between us. Not thinking, I reached over to stroke Twitty on the head and that’s when Honey went for my nose and nipped it, not too gently either! That nip broke the skin and caused some bleeding. It was a mad dash to the ER where they checked me out and I got a Tetanus shot. No major damage was done but hence my fear of dogs. A short time after that, I had this idea in my head and I started putting it together with Honey as one of the main characters in my book. Why? I don’t really know. I guess I felt sorry for her.

What about Hubie? I had a fascination where frogs were concerned. My childhood days were spent looking for them in the streams and little creeks around my place. Once I came across a pond hidden deep in the woods and there were several rainbow-colored frogs in the water and some were sunning themselves on the rocks. I know now that they could have been poisonous, back then I only saw the beauty of the colors on their back. Lo and behold, Hubie was in the making!

It’s interesting how some things take hold and out of an imaginative mind comes a story that has the ability to capture the imagination of young minds and to keep them captivated. It seems that this book is doing just that. Unbelievable though it is, as an author it puts a smile on my face.