Category: #weekendcoffeeshare

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What a Week! #weekendcoffeeshare – March 2, 2024

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

Welcome to my #weekendcoffeeshare for March 2, 2024! Pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee. I also have tea if that’s your preference and I’ll share with you what’s been going on this week! Good to see all of you.

It’s been a wild weather week in northeastern Kentucky, U.S.! One day it would be almost warm (around 60 degrees F.) and the next day, the temperature dropped more than 20 degrees and there were flooding rains. I live on a hill and the creek at the bottom of the hill ran right out of its banks onto the road. Now it’s cold today, but we are supposed to have a very warm week for this time of year this coming week. 55 – 70 degrees F. Should be nice.

It’s been awhile since I’ve blogged here, so I decided to redesign my site to update it. That’s been some serious work this week. Please consider the site under construction, although I am using it, and bear with me while I get all the kinks worked out.

The week started out with my little dog, Hazel, and her illness. Hazel is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, only a year and a half old, and she has quite a serious condition. The vet and I have worked out a regimen for her and so far so good. Hazel did not have a good start in life at her breeder’s facility which is largely why she’s ill now. Hopefully, we can pull her out of it. Here is Hazel a few weeks ago. She has the sweetest temperament. We have another dog as well, Sophie, but I’ll introduce Sophie to you at another time.

After we got Hazel settled, my husband, Roger, had to enter the hospital for a night for a sleep study. He’s a pretty funny guy and kept the technicians laughing. He fell asleep before they got him hooked up for the sleep study and they had to wake him. Then he had really restless sleep and finally, ripped off some of the sensors that were monitoring his sleep. At that point, the technicians told him to please leave and that they had all the data they needed. Still waiting on results here.

My biggest frustration at this time of year, the beginning of meteorological spring in the Northern Hemisphere, is probably shared by some of you. I can’t find decent food to eat. The spring produce has not began to arrive. Since I live in a small town, it is particularly bad so we spend at least one day a week in a nearby city shopping. It takes looking far and wide to eat healthy. That will get a bit better as spring and summer arrive and local vegetable markets pop up.

The only writing I’ve done this week is on this blog. I’m not quite ready to jump into a big writing project yet, but I can feel the urge catching up to me. This time it will be a book or maybe even a serialized novel. My greatest interest, right now, lies in writing non-fiction on topics that interest me.

Speaking of topics that interest me, you cannot turn on the television, the computer, or even walk down the street without U.S. politics smacking you in the face. This is the first election year that I have actively avoided reading or watching the news. Our political situation is insane right now and has been for some time. The citizens of the U.S. are deeply polarized. It’s so bad it has destroyed friendships and families. I have no idea what will happen and am avoiding thinking about it. I’m too old for the stress.

I am a voracious reader as I’m sure many of you are. I read to relax and, of course, get ideas for writing. I just read the best two novels that are in a series of two. I want to recommend you take a look at them. I don’t normally read much fantasy, but these novels were fantasy in which the author did a fabulous job of making them feel real. Such an interesting read. They are Fourth Wing, Book 1, and Iron Flame, Book 2, by Rebecca Yarros. You’ll be knocked off your feet!

I think I’ll work on this blog, relax and watch sports the rest of the weekend! I hope you’ve enjoyed my coffee share and that I will see you again in two weeks when we resume. Have a great couple of weeks!

Northeastern Kentucky, USA. Dreary weather on the first day of meteorological spring!

Posted in #weekendcoffeeshare

#weekendcoffeeshare – February 24, 2024.

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

Living the dream in the deep woods of Kentucky

Welcome to my #weekendcoffee share on February 24, 2024. It has been a long time since I have been able to pay attention to my blog, but that’s about to change. I welcome all of you who might remember me and everyone new as well!

Up until recently, I was writing full-time, but I have retired. I may work on a book, but I’m not going to write for a living anymore. It’s the time in my life to write what I want to, write a book, and develop this blog.

It’s almost spring here in Kentucky and it can’t come soon enough for me. We have had a very mild winter, the mildest winter I can remember here in Kentucky. We’ve had a little snow a few times but very little. We have had some really cold temperatures, but just as often, it has been spring-like outdoors. What an odd winter it has been. Climate change, perhaps?

A few months ago, I wrapped up my job and, after two careers, finally retired. I last worked for a Wall Street firm, SmartAsset. What a great employer! I wrote financial articles for them for a couple of years and it was really a good experience even though I worked 16 hours a day! Before SmartAsset, I worked for a number of Wall Street firms along with the New York Times. Prior to that, I was a college professor of finance for 27 years. Now, after so many years of work, it feels good to be retired although I do miss it. Here, on my blog, I hope to continue to write about subjects close to my heart including Appalachia and other topics. I also like to participate in challenges here.

To re-introduce myself to you, and just introduce myself to anyone who is new, I have been writing and teaching for many years. I’m now older even though I still feel like I’m 35 in my head! I won’t say that age is just a number. Believe me, age and aging is real. Another subject I’ll write about here. You can expect 2-3 posts per week from me. I live in the country near a small town in Kentucky, a beautiful state. I live very near the Bluegrass, horse farm country. My family includes my husband, also retired and with some serious heart issues, and two dogs and one cat. More about the livestock here later!

Late February, I think, is an odd time of year. Not quite still winter, but not spring yet. At least not here. The days vary from very cold to quite warm. But there aren’t many signs of spring yet except the horses are having their babies and they are adorable when they are out in the fields. I am definitely anxious for spring.

That’s all for now. I welcome you all to my #weekendendcoffeeshare. I hope to see you again soon. If any of you know of any challenges that are currently ongoing, please drop me a note in the comments section and let me know where I can find them.

Thank you!

#weekendcoffeeshare is sponsored by Natalie of Natalie the Explorer

Rosemary

Posted in #weekendcoffeeshare, Non-fiction

#weekendcoffeeshare 83

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

Good Sunday morning! If we were having coffee this beautiful late summer day, I would invite you in and offer you any of the coffees or teas you fancy. So help yourself to a cuppa, pull up a chair and let’s talk!

It’s been a beautiful weather week here in the Upper South region of the United States. Specifically, just as information for those of you who are new, the state is Kentucky, the northeastern part near the southern Ohio border. My grandfather used to call the weather we’ve been having “bright, blue days.” They usually only happen here in June and September, so the weather is early this year. Does that mean an early winter? I love the bright, blue days. The temperature is warm and the humidity has dropped. Perfect! All in all, it’s been a wet summer here. I’m aware of the drought in many areas of the U.S., but not here. The Appalachian area south and east of me, Eastern Kentucky, had a record-shattering “1000 year flood” recently. So many Kentucky residents are shoveling mud and trying rebuild. It’s very heartwrenching.

Did you meet your writing goals this past week? I’ve been taking a break from writing, but I’m about to jump back in it with both feet. I’m working on a couple of books that I’m determined to finish. I don’t really see much hope for working much in the next couple of weeks. It’s an awkward time of year with just a couple of weeks left until the unofficial start of the fall season, Labor Day weekend, arrives. It’s also pretty busy with the students going back to school. We tend to go back to work after Labor Day if we have been vacationing. Until life settles down, I will probably stick to blogging.

This is the time of year I take a close look at my flower gardens. Some of you know I live in the woods, so it’s impossible to garden for veggies. I’ve been making notes on these flower beds around the house to see what I need to replace. I want to know what did well and what did poorly. As far as veggies go, we go to a local farmer’s market and get amazing green beans, corn, cantaloupe, beets, strawberries and much more. We have had wonderful, healthy eating this summer. I love to cook if I have fresh vegetables and fresh fruit to use.

It seems my days are filled with appointments of one kind or another and small, but necessary, projects around the house. I can’t do nearly as much as I could just a couple of years ago. Time marches on and I’m surely not a spring chicken any longer. My body (and soul) tell me that every day.

Sometimes, I worry because my tolerance for other people, up close and in person, is at an all-time low. I’ve always been a loner, an introvert. Still am and on top of that, I don’t like to be around people much these days. The pandemic helped me grow accustomed to not being able to see my family and friends, which is one of the biggest effects of the pandemic on lots of people. I usually prefer more private pursuits now, either with my husband, or alone. I save my very limited energy for that.

We would have liked to have done a little traveling this summer in our RV. Who can afford that? At current gas prices, it would cost $500 to fill up the gas tank – once! Soon, we want to take a RV trip around one of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior, which hugs the U.S. – Canadian border. Everyone raves about that drive. Lake Superior is such a beautiful, wild, lake and the trip takes you to its waterfalls and pictured rocks all along both coasts. The southern coast of the lake is in Northern Michigan while the northern coast crosses into Canada.

I feel like I just gave a journalistic report on my world. I’d love to hear about your world. The differences are what makes life interesting.

Goodbye until next time!

Posted in #weekendcoffeeshare

#weekendcoffeeshare 80 – The Dog Days of Summer

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

Hello, everyone, and welcome to my weekendcoffeeshare hosted by Natalie! Come on in and share a cuppa with me. There is expresso and also some Japanese Sencha green tea if tea is more your thing.

I missed the weekendcoffeeshare last week because I was out of town, but I’m back this weekend. I’d have to tell you, if we were having coffee, what wild, strange weather we’re having in this part of the world. They warned us about climate change and I fear we are watching it come true. We’re having the hottest summer here in the southern Appalachian Mountains that I can remember and that most of the old-timer’s can remember. In truth, I’m right on the cusp of the “old-timer” category myself. While the western portion of the U.S. is having record-breaking droughts and wildfires, here in the East and in the mountains, it’s like a jungle! Just this week, we had terrible storms and flooding rains. In some parts of Kentucky, there is terrible flooding happening. Fortunately, we are safe from flooding, but down this mountain, it’s flooded and we would probably have a hard time getting out.

Mountain peaks in Smoky Mountain National Park, near Gatlinburg,Tennessee

The big news from here is that we had a new roof put on our house. Our roof was old and the storms this summer had not done it any favors. So, we finally pulled the trigger on a new roof. Given the cost of building materials, the cost shocked me, but we had to do it. Putting a new roof on a house, and removing the old roof is pretty traumatic on the inhabitants of the house. Lots of noise. But, we survived and we have a beautiful new roof! We had a really pleasant experience working with the roofing contractor which was a nice change of pace. I’ll have to say that the cat, Cherokee, and the dog, Clarabella, were not appreciative of the noise!

These days are what we, in the South of the U.S., call the dog days of summer. The ”dog days” are the period, generally, from July 3 – August 11 which can be the most heat oppressive days of summer. With each day hitting 90 degrees F. or at least pushing it, it feels like the dog days this year! The humidity almost matches the temperature. The Romans associated the hottest part of summer with the star, Sirius. During the period of July 3 – August 11, the sun occupies the same spot in the sky as Sirius and the ancient Romans thought that meant Sirius was also giving off heat. Sirius is known as the ”dog star.”

Dog Wearing Sunglasses, Pomeranian, Dog On Vacation, Happy Dog, Funny Dog, Dog Summer, Dog Days of Summer.

Due to the excessive heat, my flower gardens have gone dormant and only the shade garden seems to be thriving. The New Guinea impatients are doing all right. This is the time of year when you go outside during the early morning or the evening. Any other time is too hot and you are setting yourself up for heat stroke. I try to get some exercise in during the evenings. I am not a morning person. I’m a nightowl.

Not much writing this week. Other things have taken precedence. I hope to get back to my fantasy story for young adults this week. Hope you’ve had a fantastic week and thanks for stopping by my #weekendcoffeeshare!

Thanks, Natalie!

Posted in #weekendcoffeeshare, creative writing, weekendcoffeeshare

#weekendcoffeeshare 77

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

#weekendcoffeeshare

Please come in and grab a cuppa! I have several different brews of coffee and a couple of tea blends – a green Japanese sencha along with my ever-present cinnamon blend and a wonderful orange pekoe. If we were having coffee today, I would first tell you about the lovely family reunion I attended beginning early in last weekend and extending through part of the week..

The reunion was for my mother’s side of the family that originated from eastern KY, a part of Appalachia. The roots of my mom’s family began there in the years before the Revolutionary War and some of us still live there. This reunion was really in honor of my only remaining aunt who turned 90 a few days ago. A very vital, active 90. She’s amazing. When her daughter asked what she wanted for her birthday, she said she wanted to go home,,,,home being here in Kentucky. So they planned a trip and brought her home. I had not seen her in eight years, so I really enjoyed seeing her.

On Thursday night, we all had dinner together at one of the restaurants in the city in which she is staying. The closest large city to me. The whole family didn’t show up but a very good representation. It had been a long time since I’d seen most of them, so it was wonderful to catch up. Then, on Saturday, we all went ”up in the country” to where my grandfather’s beautiful farm used to be. I have a cousin who still lives there at the old homeplace. Some of us cooked a spur-of-the moment dinner but we did have the traditional green beans and cornbread plus more. Almost everyone was there although there are a handful of family members lost to us. At least, I feel they are lost to me, but I guess that happens in most families. I could only stay for a few hours, but it went very well and many in the family got to relax, talk and enjoy the day even though it was stormy. The house is in the picture below and you can see the big wraparound porch. We hung out there, and in the house, most of the day.

@Rosemary Carlson

This is a picture of our old homeplace in eastern KY. It was built by my grandfather in 1901 and this is where he raised my mother’s family. This is also where we just had our family reunion. The house has been upgraded and restored. Our reunion here was a great success!

This was probably my 90 year old aunt’s last time to come back ”home.” She lives near her daughters in a wonderful retirement center in Scottsdale, Arizona. The cousin who lives in this house is also elderly at 84. Chances are slim that she’ll ever be able to host us again even with help as she has some ongoing illness issues. Sad for me, as this is where my roots are and it always feels like home.

Other than the reunion, Hubby and I have been busily preparing to have a new roof put on our home. What a big job! We have storm damage to the roof, as do most other people in my area. We may have to wait weeks and maybe months, but it has to be done before winter. Building materials, although dropping in price now, are still expensive so the estimates are coming in for the roof way on the high side.

I haven’t had much time for creative endeavors amidst the reunion and the roof on my home. I’ve only been able to do a little writing recently, most of here on this blog. I have read a few really good books and as we all know, reading is essential for a writer. I try to read many different genres and styles. My next project, which may have to wait until cooler weather, is a fantasy story for young adults that I am working on. It’s set in medieval England, but more about that when I dive back into it.

I’ve always been a political animal and I find myself very interested in not only American politics right now (which are a mess) but also into worldwide politics. The next two years will be a fascinating and scary time for American politics. I’m considering starting another blog where I would write only about politics, mostly opinion pieces but fact-checked to the max. What do you think?

We are probably not traveling this summer. We waned to travel some, in a limited area, in the US in our RV. But with high gas prices (at least high to us), we’ve decided not to. It would take $500 to put gas in the RV once!

We are having a very hot, and now humid, summer. Here are some photos of my flower garden to end our coffeeshare time.

Rose begonias @Rosemary Carlson

New Guinea Impatients @Rosemary Carlson

I’d love to hear about your weekend!

For #weekendcoffeeshare

Posted in #weekendcoffeeshare, Food

#weekendcoffeeshare 74 – Week of 6/18/22

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

Good morning, everyone. Come right through the house and back to the deck. It’s such a wonderful weather day that I thought we would enjoying sharing our hot beverages on our deck. The weather couldn’t be better after a horrendous heat wave this week and a big storm last night. Thankfully, we sustained no damage. Grab a coffee or tea. There is a real selection today including French press, Jamaican, and more along with some fabulous green tea. But, first, a picture of my rose begonias in full bloom. These are annuals where I live.

@rosemarycarlson

If we were having coffee today, I would ask those of you who have chosen green tea some questions. One of my interests, and I’ve even done some writing about this, is using diet and nutrition to stay healthy and using diet to treat/cure illnesses. I’m currently writing a spec article on the health benefits of common foods/ingredients, so I want to pick your brains a bit. Even though I prefer black tea, I always drink a cup of green tea daily. How do you like the variety of green tea I’m serving today? Green tea is recommended for many special diets that are used to mitigate illness and it is also recommended for us to just stay generally healthy.

Another interesting food that I’m researching is the lemon. Water with slices of lemon in it is particularly healthy. I’ve found that if you have certain types of liver disease, lemon water is one of the primary beverages you should drink as it makes your liver expel toxins. Myself and a number of friends try to get in several glasses of lemon water daily. It serves as a natural diuretic.

Clearly, my writing task this week is to research some healthy foods and put together a short article. I still often write and sell freelance articles on spec.

Whenever I write, I have my little dog at my feet. Her name is Clarabella and she is a very old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Someday, I’ll tell you Clara’s story. Her background and her recovery here with me is interesting reading. She’s my constant companion.

Do you use diet/nutrition to stay healthy? What are some of your favorites? Do you have a little pet who keeps you company when you work? I’d love to get your comments! Have a wonderful upcoming week and I hope to see you at next week’s #weekendcoffeeshare!

Thanks for stopping by!

For Natalie’s #weekendcoffeeshare

Posted in #weekendcoffeeshare, Gardening, weekendcoffeeshare

Life – 6/4/2022 – #weekendcoffeeshare

Posted on by R.M. Carlson
#weekendcoffeeshare

Please, come in, and share a cup of coffee or tea with me! I have breakfast roast and several different types of teas including apricot. So glad that you’ve come to visit and have a cup of coffee this morning. If I were having coffee with you today, I’d want to start to get to know everyone I don’t already know since I’m new – or really ”old/new.” I blogged here from 2016 until I started writing full-time. I’ve been gone a couple of years, but now I’m back because I’ve retired. I’ve missed blogging here and all of you.

You know, retiring when you’ve worked all your life is a huge adjustment. I wish I could still work at least part-time, but all good things must come to an end and I guess I’ve entered another phase of my life. I’m trying to adjust. Have you experienced retirement yet?

I’m trying to define my day, set up a ”sort of” schedule, so I won’t feel so lost. One thing I’ve done this spring is gardening and I’d like to share some of it with you. I can’t grow vegetables where I live unfortunately. Living in the forest means gardening challenges and you are stuck with shade gardens. I have a small patch of ground in my backyard where I can grow a few plants that need more son. My gardening zone is 6b in the U.S. We have four distinct seasons and a temperate climate. Here are some of the plants in my backyard garden that bloom in early June:

Here are my beautiful rose begonias. My grandmother grew them and I find them to be so beautiful.

Rose Bush, early June

Here is my little rose bush and it’s beautiful right now. That’s mint growing at its base.

Purple clematis

Here is my purple clematis. It had been here for 22 years, but last winter killed it to the ground. It is just getting started again, but I hope it once again will be lush and beautiful. Do you see the green bulb in the coach light? Our state’s governor asked that we all burn a green light until the pandemic is over. I wonder if I’ll ever get to replace it?

Now for my shade garden which is in front of the house:

Hostas

The hostas are large and lush this spring!

I grow many types of ferns:

Ferns under the azaleas

This is just one of my ferns.

I’d love to see pictures of your garden! These are just snapshots I’ve made of a little bit of the garden in spring 2022. Gardening is one of my hobbies now that I’ve retired.

It’s been great to have you here for #weekendcoffeeshare! I look forward to reading your posts.

Copyright @Rosemary Carlson

Posted in #weekendcoffeeshare

WeekendCoffeeShare #71- Come on In!

Posted on by R.M. Carlson
#weekendcoffeeshare

If we were having coffee this weekend, I would ask you to please come in, sit and make yourself comfortable, and before you sit down, please choose the beverage of your choice off my coffee bar. There are several types of coffee, cocoa and my favorite, a wonderful cinnamon tea.

I’d like to wish everyone hello and good wishes and thank you for joining my weekly coffee share this week. I’ve been away and haven’t participated in the weeklycoffeeshare for a long time now, but I’m glad to be back. I see many familiar faces here and some new ones. I’m looking forward to getting re-acquainted and reading everyone’s contribution this week!

Since I was last here, I took a job(s) writing freelance (and contract) for several firms including The New York Times, DotDash Meredith and Smart Asset. That was several years ago now and I had a wonderful freelance writing career. It was really an encore career since I had been a college professor for 27 years and had retired. All good things must come to an end, however, and I retired permanently in March 2022, However, just because I retired from writing commercially, doesn’t mean that I don’t want to write, so here I am back at my roots, blogging on WordPress. I’m so happy to be back and happy to see all of you!

My next venture may be a book or two. Something I have in my head that’s fiction and another non-fiction book on the area in the U.S. in which I live, Appalachia. You’ll probably hear a lot about Appalachia from me. I’m not ready to reveal all the details yet, but perhaps soon! I found out yesterday that I may have a health challenge to contend with that joins another health challenge that I’ve dealt with for years. Aren’t the Golden Years wonderful!?

I hope to spend a lot of time in the flower gardens here at my home in Kentucky, USA this summer. It was an oddly cool spring and even at the end of May, we’re having some cool weather. I’m ready for some heat and humidity! Well, maybe just heat! Summer is welcome this year after a long fall and winter of COVID-19 and the isolation that comes with it. I hope all of you have done well during the pandemic.

I also want to spend as much time with my little dog, Clara, as possible. Clara, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, is an attention hog so I’m trying to oblige her this summer. She’s 10 years old which is a pretty long life for a Cavalier.

Thank you so much for stopping by my weeklycoffeeshare today. I’ll share more and more with you as time goes on including pictures! For those of you who celebrate it, Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Posted in #weekendcoffeeshare, Flash Fiction

#weekendcoffeeshare – Labor Day 2020

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

#weekendcoffeeshare

Good morning! I’m so sorry that I wasn’t able to invite all of you for coffee until today, the last day of Labor Day weekend, 2020. I’m so glad you could stop by. Grab a cup of Blue Mountain coffee or a cup of tea and I will fill you in on the past week.

Life is so busy in semi-retirement! I find myself wondering how in the world I ever had time to work. My career as a college professor was long and required long hours of work doing research and preparing materials for teaching, not to mention the time I had to devote to committee meetings. Life isn’t that busy now, but I still work part-time. This second career is that of a professional writer. I’ve been lucky that I have been able to find freelance, paying gigs for over 20 years now.

At this time, I’m trying to slow my life down a bit. I’m working freelance and part-time. A lot of my writing is for a company I’ve been associated with for over 12 years. Isn’t it funny that life seems so busy and complicated? Sometimes, I think the advances in technology have made life more difficult and complex instead of simpler.

It’s a beautiful fall here in Kentucky in the U.S. Cool nights, but hot days with bright blue skies. It will start cooling off here soon, although September and even October can be hot during the day. I find myself looking forward to fall. Summer is not my favorite season. I prefer cooler temperatures and rainy days!

The pandemic, despite all the deaths and illness, has forced my husband and I to take life a bit easier. We have been hiding at home, for the most part. We live in the country, or what used to be the country. Civilization is encroaching. My neighbors, even though we are all an acre apart, seem too close. When I moved here 22 years ago, mine was the only house on this road. Now, there are a number of homes on my road and I’m not particularly happy about that, even though we have good neighbors.

I spent this past week on a number of varied things. I’m putting together a book of flash fiction to independently publish on Amazon. I have several books that I’m working on, both fiction and non-fiction. I try to write 4 – 6 hours per day. Of course, I also have my job and I have three articles due soon. 

Besides writing, I spend a good amount of time on food preparation, particularly since the start of the pandemic. We try to buy local, so I go to various vegetable markets and country stores to get the freshest food. We buy meat from a local farm and chicken from the Amish. I buy seafood and fish from a company on the west coast. Almost everything we eat, I make from scratch. All of this takes time, thought, and preparation. We’ve had a lot of wonderful fresh vegetables this summer.

I don’t have tales of travel this summer due to the pandemic.We have been homebodies, but in two weeks we’re taking a week long RV trip to a lake that isn’t too far away. It seems that RV travel is the way to go this summer since you don’t have to be around people because you are self-sufficient. I’ll be sure and report in during and after the trip.

Can you name on thing you particularly enjoyed during the past week? I’ll start. I heard from two old friends, both live far away. I hadn’t talked to either of them in many years, so I enjoyed our conversations a great deal. It’s interesting. The pandemic has made me appreciate the simple things in life. 

Thanks for coming! See you next week.

Rosemary

Posted in #weekendcoffeeshare

#weekendcoffeeshare 8/12/2017

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

IMG_0701

Good morning to everyone! If we were having coffee this morning, I’d ask you to meet me at our local coffee shop. It has a wonderful patio area and the owner sets up a wonderful buffet for the #weekendcoffeeshare people. Today’s offerings are the best blueberry muffins I’ve ever tasted and banana bread that I’m going to taste. He is also going to offer us bread pudding! Yes, bread pudding for breakfast which is very decadent!

There is a nice selection of tea, including a wonderful raspberry tea, along with a selection of green tea and two black teas including one called “Paris.” Coffee this morning is a regular coffee along with expresso and a nice cafe latte.

Let’s all sit down and talk! I would love to hear how each and every one of you are doing. It’s been sort of an odd weather week where I live here in Kentucky, U.S.A. It’s still rather hot during the day, but one can tell that fall is coming. The summer flowers are definitely fading. The nights are getting cool. We’ve had so much rain this summer. We’re way above our average. There is a feeling of fall in the air. September and October really dry out if it is a usual weather year. There is nothing about 2017 that has been normal about the weather here. Have you experienced the same where you live?

How has your blogging and writing been going this week? I haven’t been blogging as much as usual. That’s because I’ve been trying to finish one part of the novel I’m writing. I did finish it, but it just means I’ve now started on the next part that is the actual “meat” of the book. I hope to finish this part before I go to Florida for the winter. I’ll leave here for Florida in early November. The part of the novel I’m working on now requires about 60,000 – 70,000 words. That’s what I’m facing between now and early November! I won’t be blogging as much as usual!

The other really important thing I’m doing between now and when I leave for Florida is training my little dog, Hanna. When she came to me, she was a blank slate. No one had done anything with her. Hanna is now five months old and doesn’t even know how to walk on a leash. I’ve trained dogs before, but when they were much younger and amenable to training than Hanna. So I’m employing professional help! Hanna starts private obedience training classes on Tuesday with a very good dog trainer in my area. She will learn the basics like how to walk on a leash and socialization skills. She is so very shy. She was clearly not around people at all until she came to me. She will have as many private lessons as she needs. Then, she and I will join a puppy obedience class for more socialization and to learn the basic obedience commands. After that, if there is time, she will join an adult obedience class.

Hanna and I have work to do!

As you can see, I’m going to be busy between now and when I leave for Florida in early November.

Tell me what’s going on with all of you in the comments. You’re my friends and colleagues!