I've had the creeping crud that's going around thanks to my oh so loving husband. I don't feel like writing so I decided to repost one from some time in the past. I hope you enjoy it. Sorry no images but BEEP doesn't have many to choose from.

I know my oven runs slightly hot, so this is one reason. The other is the unimaginative designers of any type of an appliance that has a signal. With all the sounds capable to be programed into a circuit board why do all the companies use the same beep. Not only is the beep the universal sound but the volume, pitch, and tone are all the same.

My kitchen has two ovens and a microwave. The ovens not only beep with the timer goes off, but they also beep when the open reaches the appointed temperature. The microwave beeps when it is done cooking but also beeps at the midpoint when cooking baked potatoes. They aren’t really baked but baked potatoes sounds much more normal than micro-cooked potatoes.

All that beeping when I’m preparing a meal, often with my husband around and we are in conversation or commenting on the idiocy going on in Washington D.C. But don’t get me started on that. I’ve recommended that we vote the bums out for the last ten to fifteen years. But nobody listens to me.

Anyway, back to topic I started with. Beep goes the oven when it reaches temperature. Beep goes the microwave because something needs stirring. Beep goes the other over as it gets hot enough. Beep goes the microwave again. Beep goes the microwave at the middle of the potato cooking cycle. Beep goes one oven timer. Beep goes the other oven timer.

Is it any wonder that I turn them out or miss one? Why not vary the signal? Buzz, ring, “Hey you, the food’s done.” Any sound that would be distinctive. My granddaughter has a Mr. Potsy by Leap Frog which dings and says, “It’s ready.”

We can program different ringtones into our phones, different alert sounds on our computers. Yet, every appliance has the same “Beep.”
Why, you say, don’t you purchase an old-fashioned timer that rings? I did. Twice in the last six months. They worked for about three months each.

Beep. My blog post is now done. Please don’t let it burn.

Well, Giving Love is now available in standard print, Kindle and other e-formats. Large print will be available as soon as the cover image gets to me. I'll let you know.

At the beginning of the year, with the first two books of the Cottonwood series in the works I made a goal. That goal was to release the three books in 2012. God is good and has allowed me to achieve it. With Giving Love now released I look back over the last two years and marvel at His grace. Without His faithfulness my ability to do this would have been in vain.

I've learned a lot about writing and how the characters will head in directions you had never thought about. It's frustrating and pretty neat at the same time. Enough about me and the past two years. What's in store for the residents of Cottonwood now?

When the series began there were three stories. Now there will be at least one more. There's a loose idea for what will happen and who the female lead will be. The male lead... Well, he hasn't shown himself to me yet. Until he does the story really can't get started.

In the meantime the venue will shift to just after the Civil War and west to the eastern Colorado town of Stones Creek. There is a connection to Cottonwood as Benjamin Cuttler, Aggie's oldest son and his family own the General Store. This has been my NANO novel and I got 50,000 words written by Nov. 11. Haven't written a word on it since. I had a book to get out so that has occupied my time. There will be a second Stones Creek book which is being developed as I write the first one. God is good. He's giving me stories as He promised.

I'm editing a western for my friend Pastor George McVey. Redeeming Redemption will be released early in 2013. It's difficult to not get pulled so far into the story that I read instead of edit. PG, as I call him, tells a great story.

Now comes the challenge of marketing the Cottonwood series. My hope is to garner reviews, find outlets for them. As independently published books the large national chains don't carry them in their brick and mortar stores.

For 2013 I'd like to release the two, so far, Stones Creek books and the next book in the Cottonwood series. We'll see if God and I can meet that goal too. With God nothing is impossible.

Well, I've almost made my goal for the year. I set before myself the daunting task of releasing three novels in 2012. The fact that two were well in the works before January 1 helped quite a bit, I must say.

Being on the computer for hours on end, which I know many of you do in your real job, left me with blurred vision and tired eyes. The fact that my recreational preference is reading or games on my iPad, well let's just say I don't give them much to look at that which isn't on a screen.

Google is my friend so I searched computer eye strain. Guess what, there are glasses for this. Some are, what to me, very expensive. I wasn't going to shell out $100 dollars or more for something I didn't know would work. Remember, I live in the back of beyond. I don't run down to the nearby shop and try them on. Amazon is also my friend. Amazon Prime especially.

I found a pair which for $38 had the glasses, a case, neck string and satiny bag. Not a bad price plus it had some good reviews. I ordered a pair. VERY WISE DECISION. They work.

I was surprised at the difference they made when I first put them one. It was the middle of the day so I'd been working for a few hours. Oh my. The difference was amazing. I haven't a clue how they work. Somehow the glare or whatever is reduced. All I care about is that I can see by the end of the day.

I work from home and even if I worked in town my drive home doesn't include a lot of traffic. Yours might. You may have trouble seeing signs, struggle in traffic, etc. after a day on the computer.

Here's the link to the ones I bought. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KZ3XI6/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00

This short story was written by a friend of mine George McVey. He took his character, Nugget Nate, and combined him with Aggie Cuttler. They are brother and sister and appear together in the next Cottonwood Series book Giving Love which is due out in Dec. I hope you enjoy an experience they shared as children.

George as a site of short stories www.georgesshorts.wordpress.com
You can find out how Nugget Nate got his name there.

Thirteen year old Nugget Nate sat outside in a tub of tomato juice. It wouldn’t have been so bad except it was the middle of November and the weather was already acting like winter had come and he was cold. The day had started out good enough but then his little sister Aggie had wanted to go with him on his hunting trip into the woods.
“Ma I can’t hunt if I have to take the baby with me. She’ll make too much noise an’ scare off all the game.”
Little Aggie stomped her foot, “I’s ain’t no baby. I’s four year old. I’s as quiet as a church mouse yous the one who’s noisy. You be stomping round in dem big feets.”
“Nate, I cain’t watch your sister today. I gots to go over to help the Widow McCullen put up her beans today. So either you take her with you or you cain’t hunt today.”
Nate was furious. How was he supposed to get as good as Davey Crockett wanted him to be iffen he was always having to take the baby with him? However it was better to get to hunt than being stuck here at the house all day. “Fine Mama I’ll take care of her. I may not get any meat but I’ll watch the baby.”
Aggie was fit to be tied. “I ain’t a baby ya cotton pickin’ Yankee.”
“Agatha Ryder there is no reason to be callin’ your brother names. Now you apologize.”
“But Mama, he done called mes a baby. I aint no baby.”
“Well, if ya wants to be treated like a young lady ya need to act like one and young ladies apologize for their mistakes and treat their brothers with respect.”
“Yes Mama, I’s sorry youse a cotton pickin yankee Nate.”
Nate looked to see if his mama had heard his sisters apology. Realizing she was already heading out to the Widow’s house Nate decided to let it go. He grabbed his rifle and powder horn making sure he had Davey’s Hatchet as he had taken to calling it after the bear incident. Grabbing his sister by the arm pulled her out of the house. His mother was getting settled in the wagon. She took the reigns then looked back at her offspring. “I’ll be back in time to fix supper for you two an’ yer Pa. Nate, don’t leave Aggie behind. Aggie, listen to Nate an’ don’t wonder ‘way from him.”
She received “Yes Mama” from both then slapped the reigns on the mule’s back nudging him into motion.
Once she was out of site, Nate turned loose of Aggie and started off heading up the mountain and into the woods. Aggie ran to keep up with her brother’s longer strides. “Slow down Nate yer legs is to fast fer me to keeps up.”
Nate let out a frustrated sigh and stopped waiting for Aggie. Then he started walking at a slower pace.  When they finally reached the spot he had been staking out for days to hunt he told Aggie to sit and be still. “What are we huntin’ Nate? Huh, is we after squirrels? Rabbits? A Tturkey? You want me to make gobbler sounds fer ya?”
“Aggie you got ta be quite. Iffen you keep runnin’ yer mouth the game ain’t ever gonna come within range.”
 Aggie tried to do as her brother asked but after a few minutes of sitting absolutely still she realized she had pressing business to attend to. Then almost as soon as she realized that she started to squirm. Still trying to behave she whispered, “Nate I’s gotta go.”
Nate waved at her but kept looking down the trail watching as a big buck started moving their way. “Nate I gotta go!” Aggie said a little louder. Again Nate waved at her to go ahead. Aggie thought he was waving at her to be quite again. “NATE I GOTS TO GO NOW.”
The buck looked towards Aggie’s voice, sniffed the air and bounded away just as Nate pulled the trigger.   His shot missed.
“Aggie, I done told ya to be quiet. That deer would have fed us for a long time.”
“Nate, I told you I gotta go and I don’t see no outhouse.”
“Yer in the woods. Go over behind that tree there.”
Aggie got a disgusted look on her face. “I’s a lady Nate! Ladies don’t go behind a tree. I needs an outhouse.”
Nathan smiled a sly smile “Well Lady Aggie, there ain’t no outhouses here so either you go behind that tree or you can go in yer knickers like the little baby I knew yous is.”
Aggie stomped behind the tree and did her business. As she was pulling her knickers up she saw a cute little black and white critter a few feet away. “Hey Nate what kinda critter is that over by them bushes? It looks all cute and cuddly?”
Nate looked to Aggie was pointing. He saw a skunk and was about to warn her when he realized this was the perfect opportunity to get even with her for making him miss his shot and calling him a Yankee. “Oh, that’s just a little polecat, Aggie. They’re harmless and love to be petted. If you can get her to trust you she’ll make a nice pet for ya.”
“Really? Ok I knew it must be nice. It looks so cute.”
As Nate watched, waiting for the inevitable stinky result, Aggie walked over slowly talking babyas Aggie bent down and started rubbing it under its chin.
It likes me Nate. Do you think I can keep it?
Nate thought it must have been a tamed skunk. He’d heard about such things but never seen one. He decided to go pet it too. He put down his rifle and walked over to the skunk . When he was about a foot away it suddenly looked his way and before he could take another step raised it’s tail and sprayed directly at him. “EEWW, Nate what’d ya do? Ya made my kitty stinky!”
“That’s not a kitty Aggie. It’s a Pole Cat, Ya know a skunk!”
“Why did you tell me to pet it then?”
“So this would happen to you. It’d have served ya right for the way you’ve been acting.”
Nate walked over and got his gun and calling Aggie, headed for home.  Aggie started walking behind him but before long she was complaining about the smell.
“You stink Nate. Iffen Mister Davey come on yoa now he wouldn’t have named you Nugget Nate. He’d a called ya Stinky Ryder.”
Before long they were off the mountain and entering their yard. When Aggie saw that their mama was back she ran into the house telling her all about what happened to Nate.  Mama came to the door and got a whiff of her son. “Don’t you be taking one more step towards this house Nate. Get some wood and start a fire in the fire pit.”
Nate grabbed some wood and got a fire started.  
“Now strip outa them clothes and toss em in the fire.”
As Nate was stripping Mama came outside carrying the Saturday night wash tub.