#Thursday13 - Favorite #Couple-time Ideas

Flyboy & I celebrated our 29nd anniversary on Monday. We aren't "empty nesters" yet and we had to plan an evening around our 15 yr old's football practice. However, Flyboy made a couple of  "to die for" steaks on the grill, broiled lobster tails while I whipped up some yummy butter beans. Sharing a meal and wine while listening to OUR music was a delightful treat.

Anyways... this week's TT is some of my favorite things to do with my honey. 

 

1. Go junkin'. We love to drive around and find garage sales. The best treasures are found at barn sales. 

2. Go for a walk. We live in the woods and take the dog with us. We walk on the road or in the back, it's nice to enjoy the peacefulness of nature.


3. Exploring farmers markets.

4.  Visiting Traverse City or any small, quaint town in Norther Michigan.

Visiting North Peak Brewing Co.
Traverse City, MI

5. Visiting local wineries, breweries and distilleries.

6. Cooking outside. Grilling. We work together to create the best marinade or try out new recipes. Cooking over the bonfire. Sipping wine while sitting near the bonfire.

7. We love cooking anything together in the kitchen. Sometimes it turns into a family event. I'm proud to say my boys enjoy cooking almost as much as they like to eat.

In the kitchen - aprons on!

8. Visiting neighbors. In our neighborhood it's common for neighbors to grab some drinks and head to each other's homes.

9.  Heading to Frankenmuth for a mini adventure; wandering through the quaint shops.

10. Snuggling on the couch reading while he watches the Tigers or Lions play.

11. Sitting in the bleachers with our friends watching our son play football or baseball. (Yeah, we still have one at home.)

12. Cuddling on the couch watching a funny movie.

13. Well.... yeah... of course THAT!  But I didn't want to brag or make anyone jealous.

They are not listed in any particular order. I would say top couple-time things to do are cooking together and exploring quaint towns. (And of course, #13.)

What do you like to do with your honey?

Visit more amazing Thursday 13 lists HERE

Traditional Anniversary Gift Guide

 

In 1922, Emily Post, the queen of proper etiquette, wrote that only eight anniversaries required traditional gifts. However, records from the mid-1800s show the anniversary gift list with the first fifteen years and every five years after that from the 20th to the 60th, and the 75th. Today, the most commonly followed gift list is the traditional anniversary gift list, approved by Mrs. Emily Post.

	Traditional Anniversary Gifts
1st	Paper
2nd	Cotton
3rd	Leather
4th	Fruit or Flowers
5th	Wood
6th	Candy or Iron
7th	Wool or Copper
8th	Bronze or Pottery
9th	Pottery or Willow
10th	Tin or Aluminum
11th	Steel
12th	Silk or Linen
13th	Lace
14th	Ivory
15th	Crystal
20th	China
25th	Silver
30th	Pearl
35th	Coral
40th	Ruby
45th	Sapphire
50th	Gold
55th	Emerald
60th	Diamond

I enjoy this list rather than the modern, gemstone, or flower lists. I like to be creative with gifts for my honey. While anniversary gift-giving has become a somewhat mandatory practice, it doesn't mean that you have to follow the gift lists. While anniversary gift lists are helpful for sparking ideas, it's more important to give a gift that expresses your love for your partner and comes from the heart.

EMILY POST AND ANNIVERSARY GIFTS GUIDE

Biography Available on AMAZON

Romance In the Kitchen

 Gram always said, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." I'd say it's the same with some women too. Flyboy and I are foodies. We love to eat and we love to cook, especially together!

We prepared a special dinner for our anniversary.

According to studies, "when a couple cook together they have a tendency to stay together". Cooking together creates feelings of happiness and contentment as well as a relaxed atmosphere.

Flyboy is all about presentation.
Somebody watches too many cooking shows.

* Builds Cooperation

* Improves Communication

* Talk out issues

* Share Memories

* Laugh

* Staying at home takes the pressure off your wallet

* Have FUN being together

Sipping on drinks, XM Radio playing...we always have fun!

An article from the Casual Gourmet by the Culinary Institute of Virginia talks about why couples who cook together, stay together. CLICK HERE

29 Years In Love

The first snow of the season fell as we celebrated our wedding in the Sky Room restaurant that overlooked the tarmac and runways of Tri City Airport (now MBS International Airport). After all, Flyboy proposed to me at the FBO part of the airport.

That snowy night was November 2, 1991. Here are a few of my favorite pix of the night.

Surrounded by friends and family,
we married at First Presbyterian Church. 
My parents were married in the same spot we stood.

Just the beginning.

We goofed around in the car rental area;
joking that "Love Hertz".

Flyboy's brother-in-law who's also a flyboy,
got permission for us to board a DC-9 for some unique pix.

Perhaps, my all-time favorite photos of Flyboy and me.

Flyboy and I at our son's wedding this summer.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MY LOVING HUSBAND!

I LOVE MY FLYBOY!

Zombie Face For Firm Skin #FightAging

 Join me for some spa time! Like most women, I'm always on the lookout for something to slow down the aging process of my skin. I was lucky enough to be born with my Swedish Grandmother's amazing skin, but I am, after all, in my 50's. Some of you may know I'm a bit of an Amazon junkie...(perhaps it's because Flyboy flies Amazon and purchases keep him in the air). Nah... I just LOVE a good deal!!!

Such a good opportunity came up in "The Deal of the Day". The name of the product certainly caught me.

Zombie Pack from Zombie Beauty by Skin 1004.

Then the description had me tapping, BUY NOW.

Pore Tightening & Lifting Pack - as the mask dries, it tightens and lifts, leaving smooth skin and eliminates fine lines.

This mask is compared to fancy masks costing up to $200. This pack is a two-part system - you have to mix the powder with a liquid provided and put on with a brush (also provided). The system suggests you apply the mask every 3 days. It takes 10-15 minutes to dry. As it dries it becomes bumpy and/or cracked. 

• Bumpy Parts: Areas that lack elasticity, and are prone to wrinkles. Look for the bumpiest parts to see which areas are losing elasticity
• Cracked Parts: Areas that lack hydration. Skin may not seem dry on the surface, but could be dehydrated internally

Mine became bumpy. The mask reminded me of the egg-white masks I used to do with my Grandma. Ironically, the one of the primary ingredients is Albumin.

Known as a component from eggs, Albumin is a protein made of amino acids, and is effective for attracting moisture to the skin!

I used the product for the recommended time. My conclusion: I didn't notice a change in fine lines except for on my chin. My skin however did clear up - break outs from wearing a mask stopped. My skin was soft. However, I noticed a significant improvement under my chin and neck.

BEFORE

AFTER

For more information check out Zombie Mask on Amazon.

Trick or Treating is Better Than Sex

I found this and after a good laugh thought it would be a great way to start Halloween.  

Enjoy!

WHY TRICK OR TREATING IS BETTER THAN SEX

10) You are guaranteed to get at least a little something in the sack.

9) If you get tired, you can wait 10 minutes and go at it again.

8) The uglier you look, the easier it is to get some.

7) You don't have to compliment the person who gives you some.

6) It's okay when the person you're with fantasizes you're someone

else, because you are.

5) Forty years from now you'll still enjoy candy.

4) If you don't like what you get, you can always go next door.

3) It doesn't matter if the kids hear you moaning and groaning.

2) Less guilt the morning after.

And....................

1) YOU CAN DO THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD.

 

 

 

Remembering Book Tours

Even though I love the age of eBooks I still enjoy the smell and feel of a new book in my hands.When my first three novels in the Soul Series came out in print, I along with many other authors went on tour. I miss those days. Nothing beats the smell of fresh coffee and new books!

Readings and tours were essential component of promoting books.

 I loved sharing my work. However, I never got over blushing when I read the sexy stuff aloud.

Big events at places such as Barnes and Nobel and literacy festivals

encouraged authors of various genre to meet and inspire not only fans but also each other.

  

I did a solo tour visiting many towns of my home state, Michigan.
Coffee shops, book stores, libraries, museums!

I was in Bambi's Coffee Shop when the statistics came out announcing that women who read romance books have sex 70% more often than those who don't. 

I sold most of my copies that day to men who purchased them for their wives.

Visiting small town book shops and spending time with the owners 

made me appreciate all the work booksellers do for authors. 

Release Day in the library.

Always give your local library lots of love.

Fans and new writers enjoy discussing writing techniques.

Sometimes an author has to make special appearances at toga parties held in cultural centered cities.

The highlight of my tour was when my mentor, Doug Allyn showed up. 

AWESOME!!! He gave me a signed copy of The Burning of Rachel Hayes. 

As I’m writing this, one big question looms: are readings and tours worth it? That is, do people buy books and connect with the author actually happen? Yes, people buy books. On my tour, I believe I sold books to people who normally wouldn’t have bought the book. Does it make up for the expenses? No way. But it is sooooo worth meeting all the wonderful people. Something many don't mention is how while on tour, authors will find inspiration for their own work as well as inspire new writers. This to me is worth more than the dollars collected from a sale.

Special thanks to my first editor and BFF since 1968.

Tricia edited all my works in high school and college. She also co-wrote a story with me during a visit to London waaaaaay back in the '80's. 

Do you enjoy interacting with favorite writers?

#Thursday13 - Odd Facts About Halloween

1.   Orange and black are the colors of Halloween because orange is associated with the fall harvest and black is the color of darkness.

2. There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with Orange.

3. Turnips and Beets once served as the original Jack O’ Lanterns.

4. Halloween is the second most commercially successful Holiday with Christmas being the first.

5. According to superstition if you stand in front of a mirror at midnight, you’ll see the reflection of your future spouse just over your left shoulder.

6. You can sprinkle salt and oatmeal on your child’s head to keep him or her from being possessed.

7.  In England, white cats instead of black ones are thought to be bad luck.

8. Harry Houdini died on Halloween, in 1926 from peritonitis caused by a ruptured appendix.

9. Burning a candle inside a Jack O’ Lantern on Halloween is believed to keep demons and evil spirits at bay.

10.           Put your clothes on inside out and walk backwards on Halloween night to meet a witch.

11. Gazing into the flame of a candle on Halloween night will allow you to see into the future.

12.           If you hear footsteps behind you on Halloween night don’t turn around, for it may be Death himself! And to look him in the eye is a sure way to hasten your own demise.

13.           If a bat flies around a house three times, it is considered to be a death omen.

* This is just a fun look at thirteen Halloween facts whether they are truth or superstition, you decide.  For more fun Thursday 13 click here.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

 

Thursday Thirteen - 13 Odd Facts About Halloween

1. Orange and black are the colors of Halloween because orange is associated with the fall harvest and black is the color of darkness.


2. There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with Orange.

3. Turnips and Beets once served as the original Jack O’ Lanterns.

4. Halloween is the second most commercially successful Holiday with Christmas being the first.

5. According to superstition if you stand in front of a mirror at midnight, you’ll see the reflection of your future spouse just over your left shoulder.

6. You can sprinkle salt and oatmeal on your child’s head to keep him or her from being possessed.

7. In England, white cats instead of black ones are thought to be bad luck.

8. Harry Houdini died on Halloween, in 1926 from peritonitis caused by a ruptured appendix.

9. Burning a candle inside a Jack O’ Lantern on Halloween is believed to keep demons and evil spirits at bay.

10. Put your clothes on inside out and walk backwards on Halloween night to meet a witch.

11. Gazing into the flame of a candle on Halloween night will allow you to see into the future.

12. If you hear footsteps behind you on Halloween night don’t turn around, for it may be Death himself! And to look him in the eye is a sure way to hasten your own demise.

13. If a bat flies around a house three times, it is considered to be a death omen.

* This is just a fun look at thirteen Halloween facts whether they are truth or superstition, you decide.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

A Dystopian Version of Sleeping Beauty

These tales aren’t the ones from your childhood, but adult-only reads with sexy heroes. Decadent Publishing offers a variety of twisted romance stories based on Grimm’s Fairytales. These stories are like none you’ve ever known.  

One of my favorite authors is Taryn Kincaid who has the uncanny ability to twist a fairy tale

and she has her own version of Sleeping Beauty.

Rain

A Beyond Fairytales story

By

Taryn Kincaid

A dystopian retelling of Sleeping Beauty

Amazon | Kobo | Google | iTunes

            Sleeping Beauty in a post-apocalyptic land…

            In a world gone mad, where little remains but a vast wasteland of sand, the leader of a troop of roving warriors welcomes a brave young woman into his midst.

            Much as he burns for her, Major Clay Worthington swears to keep his distance from the mysterious woman, so sensitive even the stinging rain can wound her.

Rosina Brierly is besotted with the formidable soldier and will gladly trade her life for one torrid night of blissful passion in his arms.

       But when sleep overcomes them, will true love prevail?

***********************

Excerpt:

            Does the major ever feel lust? Does he covet a woman’s touch? He never gave any sign he did. Too aloof and austere, too remote from the simple emotions of mere mortal men.

            He shook her again. “Wake up, princess. The rain will come soon.”

            The men looked forward to the rain. They hated the relentless sun blasting down upon them, as if they thought it would incinerate what was left of the earth beneath their boots, baking the soft sand into badlands as hard as concrete. They’d strip off their T-shirts and boots, their combat fatigues, and sometimes even their camouflage boxer shorts, and dance and play, naked or nearly so, in the slanting gray soup, laughing, tossing round balls or throwing saucer-shaped plastic discs to each other.

            For her, the showers had the opposite effect. The stinging rain sliced into her sensitive skin like acid, raising blisters and sores, sometimes bloodying her.

            She did not know why the major called her princess. Perhaps he didn’t know either. Whatever royalty once walked the earth had long gone, fled underground or died in battle or simply disappeared. The war engulfed every human on the planet, every inch of land, and had waged so long she doubted anyone remembered anymore. Well, maybe Nicodemus. At least he sometimes hinted he did in the stories he told. And she had seen him whisper into the major’s ear, unknown things that made the major pale beneath his weathered tan.

            Major Worthington did not treat her like a princess, though, except when she slumbered, when he knelt before her in her fantasy world, his head bowed, his fist over his heart, laying his sword at her feet and claiming the role of knight. Her hero. Her champion. When she awoke, he remained one of the elite warrior breed roaming the planet, bristling with weapons like the soldiers he led. He treated her as the translator she was to him, sometimes barking orders to her as if she were one of his men, only occasionally seeking her counsel.

            She came fully awake as he jerked her up from the ground and yanked her toward him. The glare of the setting sun broadsided her, hurting her eyes. Why was he so insistent about the impending rain? No clouds yet darkened the sky, although the hour sped toward evening dusk now. But no hint of shadow yet blotted the horizon.

            “I can smell it,” he muttered.

Amazon | Kobo | Google

Visit Taryn Kincaid's Amazon Author Page