Finding the Holiday Joy
Over the years, joy of the holiday season seems to be fading. Each year it seems harder and harder to get excited about putting up the brightly colored Christmas decorations inside and out. In search of the joy, I joined holiday blog hops, took the elf name of Twinkle Bright to participate in holiday events. Results, only a slight bump in the holiday joy meter. Huh.
Shopping, now that’s a real experience these days. Black Friday deals most of November, then the real Black Friday, Cyber Monday, harried shoppers looking for the elusive super 
bargain. It’s nuts. I shop most of year for just the right gifts, so my shopping is nearly done by the above events. One thing missing from these shopping experiences is the Christmas Cheer. Yes, I know the reason for the season, but it’s lost among the boxes, bows, and lack of goodwill toward anyone. Not to mention, the change in greeting of Happy Holidays rather than Merry Christmas and Happy New Year for fear of offending someone. Call me a rebel, but I still sing out Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
My hubby and I dared a visit to a big box retailer on Sunday after Black Friday. We talked with an employee there. His description, including entertaining animated gestures was blood bath, enormous crowd, grabbing, pushing, climbing over others, and shoving to get just the right popular computer watch (he worked in electronics). He buried his head in his hands on the counter at times during the discussion. We couldn’t help but laughed at his antics. Encouraged, he look up and grinned. At which time I dared to ask, “Do you have any of those second series watches left?” Wide eyed he laughed hysterically and shuffled to a locked glass case. He stared down at the one lonely box and pointed. “That’s it.” Just so happened the watch was a rose gold cased sport with a pink sand band. “Exactly what we are looking for,” I squealed. No waiting in line, no blood spilled, and the look on the clerk’s face was priceless. “Really?” He grinned wide and handed the box to us. “Fate,” he said, “Enjoy.” As we paid for our treasure, we chimed, “Merry Christmas.”
The fun of the holidays began to build with the first spark of goodwill. December 4th-17th, I am participating in Joy of the Season Blog Hop and December 5-7th Highway Café Christmas Blog Tour with prizes, giveaways, fun and games. You don’t want to miss out!
My contribution to holiday joy, A Witch’s Holiday Wedding, preorder today and it’s will be on your ipad or kindle on December 9th. A heartwarming tale of romance, family, wildlife rescue and friends with Christmas cheer and surprises.
A little about A Witch’s Holiday Wedding:
Elemental witch, Pepper McKay and former Navy SEAL, Lathen Quartz have built Lobster Cove Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center on enchanted McKay land. During a romantic interlude on Halloween night, Pepper happily agrees to become Lathen’s wife. What better day than Winter Solstice for their wedding in a town that loves celebrations and Christmas. However, planning a wedding and operating their wildlife center takes a toll on both Pepper and Lathen.
When the couple takes a much-needed break for Thanksgiving with family in Colorado, a Maine snowstorm fills the center with injured wildlife. Lathen finds himself drawn into a covert military mission, while trying to deal with issues concerning friends and family. Pepper wants to cancel the wedding. Is she having second thoughts? Will the nosy McKay ghosts, Lathen’s werewolf pack, Pepper’s parents, and her best friend help or hinder the wedding and holiday plans?
Sunday, December 4th the Blog Hop Fun begins with a trip to the North Pole, elves and all.<grin> Then December 8th an update on my search for holiday joy! If that isn’t enough, we’ll explore Christmas traditions the third week of December. What restores your holiday joy?
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Posted in Holidays, My Say What Blog and tagged black friday, Christmas, Cyber Monday, Happy New Year, Holidays, Merry Christmas, Paranormal Romance, Romance, shopping by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
Hurray for Autumn!
The first day of September brought cooler weather and a ray of hope that the catastrophic storms of the summer are over! Don’t get me wrong, I love a good lightning and thunder storm, always have. But it’s the accompanying possibility of baseball size hail or four inches of rain in a hour that has me cringing at the first clap of thunder. Colorado has experienced both in late summer this year. I speak from experience, both suck!
Roof replacement, an appointment for repair of our truck set in January, sanding and paining the house trim, replacing all the window screens and repairs of our RV are all the consequences of baseball or larger size hail in July. And we were lucky, the siding on our house and the glass in the windows escaped Mother Nature’s wrath. My neighbors weren’t so lucky.
So on to the Autumn fun. Colorful falling leaves crunch under foot, brisk mornings perfect for that dog walk, pumpkin flavored everything from eggnog to lattes and bagels to cake. Yum! Looking for a quick, delicious pumpkin recipe? Check out Pumpkin Pie Crescents!
This year I will be participating in two Halloween Blog Hops. The Snarkology Halloween Hop, October 26th – 31st and A Haunting Halloween Hop, October 24th – 31st. I just LOVE Halloween. My blog subject will be Colorado Hauntings. Links to other blogs with similar themed blogs will be listed, prizes and giveaways will run rampant. So check back here for more details and find out about Colorado’s Hauntings. 
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Posted in My Say What Blog and tagged Autumn, cooler weather, dog walks, Fall, Halloween, pumpkins by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Dog Walking – Loose Dogs
Okay all you dog lovers, I need some advice. Over the past several years, I take my dog for a walk early morning. We really enjoy the crisp morning air and the quiet, peaceful surroundings of the neighbor before everyone is up and active, and the empty neighborhood park. Increasingly, there are more people walking their dog during our time out, which is fine. I like talking to them as we pass by. But there seem to be an increase of loose dogs, in the neighborhood and at the park, even though there are signs stating all dogs are to be leashed. There are also leash laws in effect in the city. I think that’s best for the enjoyment of all person’s and dogs at the park that people keep their dogs leashed. After all it’s for everyone’s enjoyment. It’s not a very big park, but is a wonderful place to walk several circuits around it on a nice even sidewalk.
My dog happens to like to play on the playground equipment, run up the stairs and barrel through the tunnel. Of course, we always make sure there are no small children playing on the equipment or in the tunnel. Safety first. Though my dog loves children, I realize not all children like dogs.
We’ve met several elderly individuals, carrying sticks to protect themselves from loose dogs. Doesn’t take much for a large or medium dog to knock down an older person. When did we become so inconsiderate of others?
My question is this, am I wrong to ask people who have their dogs off leash to put them on lead while others with dogs on leash are enjoying the park? I know dogs love to run, but there are plenty of off leash dog parks in our city for the purpose. In fact there is a dog park not more than three miles from our park.
My dog doesn’t like dogs running up on her and she will let them know it. So far my run ins have been without harm to anyone involved. However, to my great surprise, some of the dog owners are less than cooperative when asked to put their dog on lead. Going so far as to state,“if their dog got hurt, or killed, it was their own fault, and not to worry about it.” Yes, those were their exact words. To say I was shocked, is an understatement. Don’t worry about it!!?! What do they think such an incident would do to my dog’s psyche and mine? What kind of dog owner says such a thing?
Unfortunately, I’ve seen several incidents recently of loose dog vs. leashed dog turning ugly. From what I’ve read, it’s not unusual for a dog to be defensive when a strange dog runs up to them, ignoring canine good manners, regardless of the intentions of the dog.
It’s getting to the point that I spend our early morning walks nervously watching continuously for loose dogs, rather than enjoying the walk with my dog. So do I forfeit my walks for safety sake, or do I risk asking the people to put their dogs on leash? Leaving my dog at home seems very unfair.
I’d appreciate your thoughts! Okay, I’m putting my soap box away, at least until next week. Have a wonderful week!
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Posted in Food for Thought, For Fun, My Say What Blog and tagged Dog, off leash, on leash, park, walk by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
Oh Hail!
Unexplained occurrences was to be my next topic. Little did I know it would be over my neighborhood.
Baseball size hail can cause unbelievable chaos not to mention the damage. Whew! As some of my FB friends know, the area of Colorado I live in experienced orange and baseball sized hail July 28, 2016 at 10:30 at night. Can you believe it? I always thought the clash between the moist warm air and colder air was the cause of hail. After the night of July 28th I stand corrected!
In the cool of the evening ominous thunderclouds still hung over the mountains, but they’d been there all day. Bolts of lightning streaked around inside them, then suddenly as we prepared for bed, a roar then, bang, crash, sounds like someone was beating our house, and vehicles with a giant baseball bat began. Rushed to the window to see my garden decimated, tomato plants flush with fruit smashed and mushed tomatoes strewn on the ground, pumpkin vines obliterated, kale stripped, you get the picture. The carrots were safe. The beautiful fairy like glass yard lights shattered and tree limbs, leaves several inches thick covered the grass. Huge ice balls lay melting on the ground.
That cracking sound I’d heard earlier, yeah it was the brand new windshield we had installed a couple of weeks prior. Dents in the truck hood, side panel and roof made the metal ripple. At 
midnight, our neighbors and us stood dumbfounded at the storm’s aftermath damage, smashed windows, windshields, the pretty light yellow vinyl siding, next door, looked like Swiss cheese. No really, not kidding.
At morning light, the storage place our RV called home when not rambling the mountain roads in search of a camping spot called. The RV had sustained a broken window, major roof, side and door damage. We rushed over to tow it home for emergency repairs. Yep, had to cancel the trip to Twin Lakes.
Now almost a couple of weeks later, the neighborhood is a buzz with insurance adjusters, roofer, construction vehicles. Phase two of the storm aftermath, the song of air hammers, circular saws, the rumble of the machine that loads the shingles on your roof, noisy sucker. Anyway what I learned.
Don’t piss off Mother Nature. I didn’t think we did, but…. all evidence points to the contrary.
Keep the phone number or website of your insurance carrier handy. They answer or allow claims via the internet 24/7. The sooner you file, the sooner your claim gets processed, ahead of all those other damaged people. Oops I meant people with property damage.
Our hailstorm was categorized as a catastrophic event and insurance teams rushed to survey the damage. Even the US Air Force sustained severe hail
damage to it’s fleet of aircraft based at Peterson Air Force Base. How many, you ask? Sorry that’s above your security clearance. The damage will be in the millions. Can’t just call up a body shop and say “I need repairs on my C-130.”
Keep the name of your hometown roofer on your fridge, never know when you’ll need ‘em. Aspen Roofing, bless his heart was on our roof by 10:00 a.m., that morning. The loading of shingles and roof repair is due to commence tomorrow, provided you know who, doesn’t throw another temper tantrum.
Take pictures, lots of pictures of the damage then fix what is necessary to prevent additional damage. Keep your receipts, provide them to the insurance company.
And it’s ok to feel sad, shed a few tears, when you look at your trusty vehicle all beat to *@##. Ever had a battle with the forces of nature?
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Posted in My Say What Blog by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
