Healing and Love and Parakeets

I am so excited for your new friends and their new home! I know they’ll be happy there

A Platform of Sorts

Hi, friends!

Well.  It’s happened!  I finally have my parakeets!  My sister, best friend, and I woke up bright and early to venture over to the pet store.  I picked out two males: a turquoise and a white.  They’re beautiful, spunky, and full of personality.  Petrie, the turquoise one, is more assertive and I think he wants to fight me, but he’s actually quite cute.  Budgie, the white one is a little shy, but he is SO sweet.  I hope they like their new home.  I think they’re still getting used to the environment, but Petrie has felt comfortable enough to preen and to eat some of the apple I gave them, so I think we’re off to a pretty good start!

These last three images are pictures that my friend, Kathleen Farmer, took.  The metal cage at the bottom has since been removed since it was hard for the parakeets to walk.

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An Interview with Jack

Today, I have a very special guest to interview. Jack, the dingo. Jack, of “Jack Learns to Grill.” So, without further ado, I’ll defer to Jack.

 “Hi Mom! Why did you want to talk to me?

Me: “Well, Jack, now that you are the star of your own book, I wanted to find out how you felt about it.”

Jack:” Well, it is pretty exciting, but my life has not changed much. I still, you know, sniff for stuff and play with Hope and the others. Why did you write a book about me, Mom?”

Me: “Well, Jack, I was trying to think how to teach kids that it is okay to be curious and to question why things are the way they are sometimes. You are so curious and you love to learn new things, I thought you’d be the perfect dog for the job.”

Jack:” That’s me! The perfect dog for the job! You know, Mom, I have lots of questions about why humans do stuff and why they act like they do and it would be so much fun if I could help a kid figure those things out too.”

“Me: “I think you are right, Jack. When you are a dog or even a kid, sometimes, it’s hard to know why people do stuff. Sometimes, I even wonder why people do the things they do. Did you know that?”

Jack: “Really? I thought you knew just everything!”

Me : “Oh Jack, you will make me blush. I don’t know everything and I’m glad I don’t, so I can be as curious as you are.”

Jack: “Yep, I’m pretty curious , but it’s my dinnertime. I sure am hungry. Are we done?”

Mom: “Yes, I guess that’s pretty much it. I don’t want to keep you from your dinner.

Jack: “Okay, then. I love you, Mom. (slurp)

A Bit of a Block, if You Please

My writing computer (yes, I have one specifically for writing), has been in the shop and it feels like it’s been gone forever. I’ve got an Asus little  black computer

and a  shiny, silver Chromebook.

I love my Chromebook for surfing the internet and doing quick things, ,but i love my Asus for writing,in particular because, well, it has Microsoft Word on it and although I have it installed on my Chromebook, it’s just not the same. It always wants to store my documents as gdocs.  It is difficult for anyone -at least anyone I’ve known to open these gdocs. So, anyway, my Asus has been in the shop for over a week now, and it seems like forever since I’ve written anything of substance. One would think it wouldn’t matter what computer I wrote on, just as long as I had one to use. But, I’ve gotten rather attached to the ease of Microsoft 8.1. I know! I never thought I’d admit to liking it, but I do. I have heard authors are quite quirky folks, and now I believe it!

I’ve tried to write since the computer has been in the shop,mind you, I’ve only  had it three months and it quit charging. I had to actually have it plugged in in order for it to work. It was maddening. Especially since I took it to a meeting about my books, “The Conservative Congregant”  and to find out how to use the children’s book creator by Kindle. I want to put “Jack Learns to Grill ” on Kindle for kids. I think it would be cool for a kid to have my book on his or her kindle and can just read it when they got tired of playing games or whatever. Anyway, Kindle doesn’t really have a support line where you can call -at least that I can find and it’s not the easiest application to use. For me, anyway.

So, my computer was supposed to be delivered by Fed Ex yesterday , and of course, it was not. So, I’m truly hoping it will be here tomorrow.  Somehow , my fingers fly over those keys, yet they are stuck on my Chromebook.

I guess I’ve whined enough about missing my computer. But, just for effect, let me just reiterate the fact that I will be so glad when it comes back to me! Thanks for reading my little ramble!

The Detective Bill Ross Crime Series

I have just finished reading The End of Summer: Book One in The Detective Bill Ross Crime Series by Irving Munro.

Bill Ross is  detective right out of Scotland Yard. When he retires, he moved to Austin, Texas. My own husband is Scottish and that is one reason I  wanted to read this book. Another reason was because, for a time, I lived in Granger, Texas , which is a few miles from Austin. It was fun reading about places I’d been and how they figured into this story.

The first page grabbed my imagination and ran with it. I could picture the crime scene, the old detective-made-cold-case examiner , along with his son, Tommy, also a detective and his sidekick, Marie.

The cold case they worked on turned into a much bigger case and it was interesting to read how they came by their suspicions and worked out the case.

This is a really good book and it is in the Kindle Store . If you like good mysteries, you’ll like this book. The best part is this is one in a series. The author, Irving Munro, happened to put a teaser for the next book  at the end of this one. Great idea and a great mini-read! Thanks Irving! I’m waiting for the next one!