I’m in a deadline cave right now and comepletely forgot to write a blog this month, so with your indulgence, I’ll re-purpose a blog I wrote for the Sizzling Pens before we all moved over to the Blaze blog. I beg forgiveness if you’ve read it before, but it’s one of my favortites from Sept 09–freshened up.
To make up for my forgetfulness I think it only fair I give away a book. Anything from my backlist. (Only one I don’t have any of is LET IT RIDE)
And now, without further ado…
My husband and I got started on our family a little later in life, and as a result, my hubby will be 65 when our youngest graduates from high school. Needless to say, he doesn’t anticipate retiring then unless I, by some miracle, hit it big like Nora. Yeah, like I said.
But becoming the next Nora isn’t even a goal for me. I don’t aspire to be on the NYT bestseller list or even win a Rita. (Ok, I’d like to win a Rita, but I don’t see it happening) I just want to write a couple of sexy little romances every year and use the money to fix up my house and–my great love–travel.
Those of you who follow my blogs know I checked off a couple of big ones off my bucket list the past several summers: Disneyworld and DC. But there’s still so much more I want to do before I go “sing with the angels” as my mom always puts it.
There’s Europe, of course. London, Paris, the south of France, and Tuscany are on the “Must See” list.
Then there’s New York City, where I hope to go in 2015 when RWA has its National conference there.
I’d also like to take my family to see the Grand Canyon. Hubby went before he knew me. I’ve been too, before I knew him, but we’ve never been together and the kids have never seen it. And one more place I’d like to see someday is the Bahamas. I’d love to lie around the beach under a swaying palm tree and take in the brilliant turquoise waters lapping onto shore while Daniel Craig brings me another frozen Pina Colada. Ok, ok. I realize the Daniel Craig part is NOT going to happen.
In fact, none of these dreams may ever come true. But if I’m lucky, I’ll get to experience the really important things in life. Like my kids growing up to be happy, healthy adults. Maybe a wedding or two…or three. Maybe even a grandchild or two to spoil. But these are all just dreams I hope will come true. I can work toward making them happen, but when it’s all said and done I need to enjoy every day that comes along, and be grateful for my family who love me, (mom and sisters) my kids and hubby all home safe and sound, eating dinner together around the table on an ordinary weekday, squabbling about who’s turn it is to do the dishes. These times may not be on anyone’s Bucket List, but they are the moments that make up a lifetime of memories.

This time last year I blogged about my list of things I’m grateful for. And that’s something that never gets old, I think. Being grateful, I mean. It’s so easy—especially in this economic recession—to feel depressed. To worry about losing a job, or to be scared because we’ve been laid off and haven’t been able to find another job. Nowadays it seems like we’re all just trying to keep our heads above water, just to pay the mortgage and put food on the table, much less afford Christmas or send a kid to college.
I’m not a worrier by nature and even I have been worried lately. I find myself looking around at the bankers who posted their “highest profits for the third quarter” and the Corporations like Exxon who make billions in profit and yet paid not ONE dime in taxes last year, or the famous 1% who make more money every year off the backs off the middle class, and I get angry.
But worry and anger are so negative they can be debilitating. If I let myself wallow in those negative emotions for long, I think I’d soon become a bitter old hag.
My only remedy is gratitude.
That old song from White Christmas still rings true today. “When you’re worried and you can’t sleep, just count your blessings instead of sheep.”
So, I have to remember to look around at all the true riches in my life. My loving husband, a mom who’s always there for me, three healthy children, and many really good friends who would always be there for me. You can’t put a price tag on any of them.
When I remember to be grateful, suddenly things become so simple. Worries take a back seat to enjoying the gifts I’ve been given. The people I love and who love me.
And when it’s all said and done, it’s really all about the love.
I’m wishing you all love and peace and simple gifts this Thanksgiving holiday.
Enjoy a simple beautiful song here:
Simple Gifts

 Turkey Day approaches.  The relatives are coming, so you do have to fix that panel on the oven door—the one that fell off in July. You have to fix the toilet in the guest bathroom, so that your mother-in-law doesn’t get an ocean of ick washing over her toes after flushing. And yes, you do need to replace the rug chewed up by the dog, before Uncle Ernie gets his Birkenstocks caught in the holes and goes down flailing.

The cobwebs must go, and the dings, gouges and black marks on the walls . . . because you want your dysfunctional family to think that you live in a magazine, right? I’m not sure why most of us get into this frenzy of preparation, but we do. And then everyone arrives to create chaos. 

Little Irwin spills grape juice on your couch. Susie drops her Barbie doll onto a hot burner on your stove, and shrieks to the heavens when her sequined-clad butt grafts to it permanently.  (Barbie’s, not Susie’s, thank God.) And to top it all off, your cousin, who talks with her hands, sweeps the pumpkin pie off the sideboard as she tells a story. Splat! Um, ice-cream, anyone?

The oven door may be fixed, but a hinge on a cabinet door will malfunction, leaving it hanging drunkenly just in time for pictures. The toilet may now flush, but the coffee pot will die. And the new rug looked a lot better without burnt-orange smears all over it.

Are you feeling thankful? I am.

I’m thankful that my dogs have already gotten mud all over the deck that I slaved for hours to paint last weekend. I am thankful that the outdoor cushions I scrubbed are already re-growing mold. I’m thankful that the new plants I put in the front beds are hanging out with the wrong crowd: weeds.

Murphy and his Law like to laugh at people before the holidays. What can you do?

Seriously? Be thankful. For your family, your home, the blessings you’ve been given, and for the opportunity to have people mess up your house! They’re there because they love you . . . and everyone knows that you don’t live in a magazine. Get real!

Wishing you the very best for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday–chaos and all,

Karen Kendall

I’m so thrilled to be blogging here today and regularly in the coming months.  I have been writing for a while usually for Harlequin Desire, occasionally for Kensington Brava and once in 2004 I wrote a Blaze.  Now I’m back under contract for two new books for Blaze and I couldn’t be happier!

I’m not sure when they will come out but they are a sort of duet of books.  The heroines are the link as they co-own a bakery called Sweet Dreams.  I’m a bit of a foodie addict.  I mean I like food and can eat like nobody’s business but I also really love watching other people cook (Food Network!), listening to other people talk about food and trying new dishes.  My son and husband valiantly tried lettuce wrapped halibut a few months ago but requested we go back to something more familiar.  However we did discover we love radishes sauteed in butter with peas–success!

Food is so tied to who I am that I honestly can’t think of my past or my family without thinking of food.  What about you?  Are you a foodie like me or is it something else that is your passion?

Katherine

What is something UNEXPECTED this year for which you are thankful?

Usually, I’m thankful that SOMEONE ELSE is making the food that is so fabulously arrayed before me. Usually, I’m thankful for my family and friends, my recent contracts, my generally wonderful life. Yadda yadda. Okay, so I’m blessed. But this year, something incredibly weird happened.

I’m thankful that I AM able to try and cook something this year. Yes, for my vegetarian daughter I’m going to try and cook a vegetable pot pie. The recipe was in Vegetarian Times to which we subscribe. But…you see, I don’t cook. Well, maybe microwave popcorn, but that’s the extent of it. In fact, I’m becoming something of a raw-ist not because of principle or anything like that. But because I’m too lazy to do more than pull spinach leaves out of a bag. Add some pre-shredded cheese and I’ve got dinner.

So the fact that I’m motivated to try to cook something as elaborate as pot pie…well, that is a shocker indeed. And kudos to whatever urge struck me hard enough to get off my duff and try. So THANK YOU to the mysterious urge. I’ll let you know later if the experiment causes other people to thank me for NOT doing this again next year.

UPDATE: Vegetarian Pot Pie was edible. Barely. Was welcomed to make it again for next year, so long as I’m not hurt when no one eats it. But I tried, so I feel like it was win!

It has been 15 years since I’ve taken more than three days away from work, but I won’t be able to say that much longer. My in-laws are celebrating their 50th anniversary and wanted my husband and his sisters’ families all together. In one place. All of us. Together. Sigh. For an entire week. It’s not that I don’t love them, I do. They are all good people. But I’m usually good after about four hours of their company, and I’m sure they feel the same way about me. You know, like at Christmas? We get together, we eat a meal, we open presents, and then we go our separate ways.

This isn’t the first time they’ve done one of these big family things, but I’ve always had to travel for work during them. Sheer dumb luck, I promise. The phrase I keep telling myself is, “at least we are on the beach.” Crystal Beach, Fla., which I know is beautiful. They’ve rented a McMansion and my husband and I will have the carriage house all to ourselves. So that will help. A week from today, we are celebrating our 25th anniversary (Yes, I married very young. And yes, I can think of many, many ways to celebrate such a milestone that don’t include my in-laws.)

So… It’s been a really long time since I’ve had time off. I will have to do some work, but only about a day’s worth while I’m there. My plan is to sleep, eat, play in the ocean, and read — a lot! I’m downloading the June Blaze’s to my Kindle, and I’m open for suggestions as far as books. I’m in the mood for humorous reads, and anything paranormal.

Are you guys going on vacation this summer? Where are you going? Do you have have suggestions on how to handle these big family vacations? I asked my mom how she survived when I was a kid and we traveled with my dad’s family. “Valium, lots of Valium,” she said. I told my doctor this, and she laughed at me. But she wouldn’t give me a prescription. Sigh. It’s okay, knowing me I’d fall asleep on a floaty and drift out to sea where a handsome sailor…. Hmmmm.

Do you have funny vacation stories? I want to hear them. Book suggestions? Coping with large family gathering suggestions? Tell me!