Heart Eye!

Raise your hand if...you have a heart on your eye!

Yeah, me either.  Bummer.  But my youngest daughter does...check this out.

If you look very closely, you'll see a perfect little heart on the lower left of her (lovely green) iris. How cool is that?!  

Her brows are also perfect, not that I'm too jealous.  

And she has curly hair and freckles, too, not that I'm too jealous of that EITHER.  

New Favorite Author, Gretchen Archer!

I've just discovered two authors, and they are my new favorites!  First, there's Gretchen Archer. I LOVE her main character, Davis Way, and I LOVE how whenever I read her books, I LOL!! Really!

It doesn't matter where I am or who's nearby, I laugh right out loud!!  Excellent reads if you like a little excitement, seriousness, adventure, love, craziness and laughter!  I easily got to know her characters, fell in love with them, appreciated their quirks, and looked forward to reading each and every page.  I wish there were more of these books!

I'd read them in order; it keeps everything making sense.  Here are the five Davis Way books by Gretchen Archer -

Serious and funny reads!  It's one of the first times I've ever purchased books from Amazon because I couldn't wait to read them all!  (Please write more!!)

My next post is about my other new favorite author, Susan M. Boyer...read on!

Another Favorite Author, Susan M. Boyer

For more of my porch-sittin' relaxing, I'm loving my second new favorite author, Susan M. Boyer, and her Liz Talbot mysteries.  I've just started reading this series, but already I'm loving the characters, the setting, and the "guardian spirit", Colleen, who makes her appearance throughout the books.  (I do love me some spirits!)

So far I've finished Lowcountry Boil, and started Lowcountry Bombshell...

...again, I love the characters and I really love the descriptions of Stella Maris and its architecture.  I can't wait to read every single one of these books!  (Could you write some more please??)

Did It!!

Raise your hand if...you managed to stay in a (lovely) cottage on the lake SOLO! Me too!!

Earlier I posted that I was headed on vacation up north, and that for the first time ever, I would be spending a few nights alone.  It's no big deal for a lot of people, but being that I'm ever-so-slightly afraid of the dark, and of what goes bump in the night, I was a little anxious.  But...I did it!

I did have my girls, et al come visit for a couple of days, but once they left, it was just me and my flashlight, roughing it (not really).  There are other cottages in the area, but the ones closest to me were empty, so I really did feel alone.

This is where I spent most of my time, reading, thinking, being.... It's one of my most peaceful spots.  

Our VT friend, Neal, offered to share his lovely flowers with me for the week...

...and then there are the loons.  Their call stirs up something primordial, doesn't it?  I love them.

  

NEK, Here I Come!

It's here, my one week each year that I get to spend "at the lake".

Look at that sky! Do you blame me?  It's heaven to me...it used to be heaven to my husband as well, until his greedy, narcissistic, dishonest siblings took over and ruined it for him.  It's too ugly a story to share, but trust that it is ugly and I hope I live long enough to see Karma have her way with them.

Falling asleep listening to loons is, well, there are no words to adequately explain the deep emotion their call evokes.  I'm willing to bet there's nothing else like it.  

The nighttime darkness there is all-encompassing, almost a physical thing.  Without moonlight, you can't see your own hand in front of  your face.  I'm afraid of the dark, so this will be an adventure for me...I can do it, though.  I'm a little excited to do it alone, to prove that I can.  

"I am woman, hear me roar...."  Any Helen Reddy fans remember that song?!

Pokemon Go!

Raise your hand if you like this Pokemon Go thing...

cuh-razee!!  But I like it, I do.  It's got the phone-addicted kids:

1) outside; 

2) absorbing sunshine, aka vitamin D; 

3) breathing fresh air; 

4) walking; 

5) and talking to actual human beings, NOT to a phone!!     

Right?!  

Today I sat in a frozen yogurt shop where I had topped my healthy frozen yogurt with fresh fruit.  (No I didn't.  I topped it with crushed Butterfingers and some peanut butter filled chocolates).  

Anyway, outside the shop was a lovely town common with flowers, American flags, and a gazebo.   At any given time, there were 3 to 4 young teens inside the gazebo, sometimes even chatting with the other kids.  Not so unusual, until you throw in the fact that the gazebo is actually a "PokeStop"...it's where you fuel up, so to speak.  Lots of cool stuff at the PokeStops, sort of like a Cumberland Farms Store for Pokemon Go lovers.   Cool!

Then, I came upon three middle school aged boys sitting on a bench outside of the shop, and three other boys were walking by.  They didn't know each other, but one of the seated teens said, "Hey, what team are you on?"  See?  Interaction!!  

For future reference, there are three teams...red (Team Valor), yellow (Team Instinct), or blue (Team Mystic).  Now you know.  

G'ahead...give it a Go!  (get it??)  Just be sure to look up from your phone before you cross the street.