Category Archives: New Adventures

Ladies and Gentlemen, I hereby present…

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Weather in the Tries:

Oh, lord luv a duck! The 10-day forecast shows Friday at 112F. We are building a high-pressure ridge that will last a while. Of course, that’s a few days out, it can, and probably will change, several times betwixt now and then. Yep, it just changed to 113! At those temps, one or two more or less ain’t gonna feel any different. Gotta get our ducks and geese in sync and have them flap their wings!! No, not ours, the ones in Beijing and Seoul … (where’s that butterfly when we need him?)

Ladies and Gentlemen, I Hereby Present…(drum roll please)

A gen-u-ine American Prodigy, Miss Alena Analeigh Wicker, 13 years old and on her way to Medical School. Not in five years, but now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zaQgbACc1E

According to the article on MedPageToday she is “more than 10 years younger than the average incoming medical student,”

She claims, in the article that she is “still a normal 13-year-old” and I say no, she’s not. Being where she is at her age takes more than time management skills, or good study habits. It takes drive, intelligence, and a family that backs her. She has also started an organization to provide “opportunities to girls of color who are interested in exploring careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.” She was 11 or 12 when she did that.

In her spare time (yes, she apparently has spare time) she plays soccer, and participates in track and field. 

In reading the comments, well, many of them, on the article, I didn’t read any about research—that doesn’t mean they weren’t there, it means I didn’t see/read them. My guess is she will go straight into research, rather than practice. Maybe if/when she tires of research, she will have the life experiences she will need for clinical work. Should she ever tire of research.

I hope you’ll go to the page and read the article about her, and maybe at least some of the comments. And Huzzahs!!! to Ms. Alena Analeigh Wicker and her parents!!!

My trip to the Dark Side was wonderful. It was warm but not hot, cool enough to be comfortable. It was good to see my friends again. I will be going back over in mid-August for a while. 

A friend offered her yard to dry my quilt, so I will coordinate with her and treat my quilt and get it to her house to lay on the grass. First, I need to get stuff unpacked and put away, and get the puppy all the loves n hugs he missed during my absence.

It surely is good to be home, but I already miss my friends. I did make it home in time to watch the last Hearing of the January 6 committee. I can hardly wait until September when the next ones will be held.

Photos of the Week:

These babies are maybe a week old, and they scoot around the pond so fast a couple of times they almost walked on the water. We call the babies “motorboats” for the way they scoot.
This duck is ‘dabbling’ and has more fun than all the others. Most of them use their feet to maintain balance, this one seems to like splashing and having fun. I’m not sure why the pic is so small.

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review and post it to http://lenoragood.blogspot.com 

I have a few new reviews posted—four, actually. I am reading a lot more fiction of late, which normally goes faster than nonfiction. Finished A Trifle Dead and totally loved it. Brain Candy for sure, but hey, we need brain candy now and then. Indeed, all four books I have posted reviews of since last we spoke, are brain candy—Kill Three Birds is a marvelous book in a new world. Wow! and The House at Mermaid’s Cove and Secrets of Willow House, are both fun, feel-good type books. If you like Maeve Binchy’s books, check out the last two.

Earworms:

Wichita Lineman, by Glen Campbell 

Galveston, by Glen Campbell

By the I get to Phoenix, by Glen Campbell

Something about the drive home that made me wish I’d had some Glen Campbell to keep me company. Fortunately, the sun was mostly behind me (I try to make my trips to take advantage of that. No fun driving with the sun in my eyes) maybe it was seeing the lineman up on a pole that made me feel some nostalgic for a lineman I used to know, and Glen Campbell. Anyhow, enjoy. 

Quotes from Glen Campbell

“There’s no pillow as soft as a clear conscience.” —Glen Campbell

“I’ve laughed, and I’ve cried. Laughing has got it over crying.” —Glen Campbell

“I gave John Wayne the push he needed to get that Oscar.” —Glen Campbell

The Brave Dog was some glad to see me. I was walking down to the apt. when he was leading Dan out for a walk. Took him a minute to realize that was me. He didn’t want to go walking with Dan right then, he wanted me to sit and snuggle. That sounded pretty good to me 😉

Reviews, Bribes, and Me

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Intro:

If you’ve known me for any length of time, you know I’m a fan of reviews. HONEST reviews. Especially of books. Good reviews are what sell products and books and are the best way to tell an author you appreciate her or his work. A lot of time and money goes into writing a book, and not much comes back, unless readers leave reviews. Good reviews.

I also leave reviews for products. Usually only good reviews, the worst I normally leave is 3 stars and I explain why. Well, a while back I bought something that was, in my opinion, not good for what it was. It was frustratingly difficult to use, and didn’t work as advertised. I left a 1-star review. I also explained in my review why it was so low. It was not a rant, but an explanation. 

A few days ago, I received an email from a personal gmail account, not a company account, and not through the Amazon Messaging that buyers and sellers are supposed to use to communicate. There was no mention of the product in the email (there was a link to ‘refresh my memory’ but since I didn’t know the person, I didn’t click on the link), but I figured out it was the sous vide cooking bags I ordered when I ordered my sous vide. I gave them a 1-star review.

They didn’t like the review and offered me a $20.00 bribe/refund to remove it. I reported them to Amazon and told the lady I talked to, that I felt like leaving an addendum to my review telling the world of the attempted bribe, she laughed and said that was my right. So I did. And then they offered me a $40.00 bribe to delete my review. And apologized if they offended me, but would I please take my review down? It’s hurting their business. They have assured me they have made changes to their product, but haven’t told me what changes they made. Instead of a bribe, why not send me the new product to review? And why, since I mentioned in my addendum to my original review, they should go through Amazon Messaging, are they continuing to email me direct? Ah, is a puzzlement 😉

I know Amazon has a problem with reviews—sellers buying good reviews or attempting to, and now bribing to delete bad ones. And I honestly don’t know how they can fix the problem, but I do know they are working on it. They do, truly, want honest reviews. If you ever have a problem with a seller, please report them. By phone (use the contact usbutton instead of direct dial), not chat, if possible. 

As frustrating as leaving reviews can be, I still implore you to leave reviews. Especially good ones for a product that worked for you. And for every book you finish on whatever review site you choose. If you’re reviewing my books, I’d appreciate a review on both Amazon and Goodreads and any other sites you know about and use. Best hugs I can get for a job at which I worked hard. Reviews are easy for books. We authors don’t need the dreaded book report from fifth grade, we just need something simple like: “I really liked this book. The story was great fun, well-written, and I had a hard time putting it down. I’ll read more of this author’s work.” Of course, you could add a lot more, but that is be up to you.

And I guarantee, I will NOT try to bribe you to pull the review if it’s a bad one. 

Outro:

Remember, double up on the masks. The new variants are in the country now. Recommended is the surgical mask (paper) or N95 under a cloth mask (pretty or fun). Just don’t use one of the N95s that has the exhalation doo-hickey, as that doesn’t keep your germs/viruses away from others.

And if you really want to go safe, and only wear one mask, use a new (never before used) vacuum bag, and cut it up to put between the two layers of your cloth mask. That works, too. Whatever you do, stay safe, stay healthy. Auntie Lenora and Sammy Brave Dog want to keep their friends!

Auntie Lenora and Sammy Brave Dog.

Just came across this photo I took back in February of 2008 from the hill behind Kennewick. I was shooting into the sunset, and the mountain is Mt. Hood. I loved the colors but even more, how the cloud layers went over the mountain. Or are they smog layers? It was bitter cold, and dark where I was, and the camera was too slow for an in-focus hand-held shot, but I still think it’s interesting. 

Hello!

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Hey, it’s Auntie Lenora here with a brand-new blog, Coffee Break Escapes with (who else?) Auntie Lenora. You may have to sign in, or create a WordPress account, to leave a comment. With luck, that will be a one-time deal, at least creating the account. Signing in may be another story; sorry about that.

I’m letting the old blog die a natural death. For whatever reason, I was having, after years on that particular hosting site, problems. Perhaps I had used my lifetime supply of commas? I dunno.

Anyhow, I thought we really need yet one more blog, one in which I shall do my best to avoid discussions of either pandemics or politics, and offer lighter fare, shorter fare, suitable for a coffee break. 

Okay, there is one other reason for the new blog. An ulterior motive, if you please. I am working at developing, recording, and publishing some podcasts. They aren’t quite ready for prime time. Yet. But soon, I hope. 

Learning how to use new software, and hardware, isn’t always easy. But, y’know what? I am living proof even an old fartess can learn a new trick or two. Like how to record a podcast, using a podcast mic instead of the built-in mic of the computer. I had originally thought of doing videos, but I had to read the script, and it was way too annoying watching my eyes go forth and back and forth and back. Kind of like watching a metronome or a watch swinging on a chain. Boring. Not to mention the horrible thought of mesmerizing the viewer. I’d feel terrible if your partner came home and found you in a trance, staring at the computer. And if the viewer tended toward motion sickness, not fun at all. So, my podcasts were born. They are growing fast, and will soon be past the toddler stage, I hope.

Here’s Auntie Lenora in front of her podcast mic.

They will, for the most part, be short, around ten minutes or so. Some longer. Most will be my fiction, nonfiction, or (oh, shudder) poetry; however, there will be the works of some of my friends, too. Some I shall record; some they shall record. And—excitement and a drum roll please—I have a theme song, composed and recorded by Farris Hallaj. He is the grandson of my publisher, Dixie, and has the most amazing voice. You can find him at Farris Hallaj Music on both YouTube and Facebook.

As soon as I have a half dozen episodes recorded, I’ll upload them to the podcast platform of my choice and let y’all know. In the meantime, don’t you like my cover? It was designed by AzeeCreations on Fiverr. Thought I’d use it for the blog as well as the Podcast. 

I hope you enjoy this new blog and will subscribe and return for the next one. Remember, the coffee’s always ready, the biscotti are homemade, and it’s always time for a short break.

Until next time, stay safe, stay healthy, and remember to care for one another, because one another is all we’ve really got.