Stripping away the rose colored glasses of denial concerning my reality. Getting in touch with truth. Reaching out to others in empathy concerning their reality and their walk to truth.

Friday, May 29, 2015

Celebrate the Small Things

I  love this blog hop!





















Thank you to our blog hop director. and co-hosts:

Lexa Cain

LG Keltner @ Writing off the Edge

Katie @The Cyborg Mom

We are celebrating those small achievements we've had for our week!  Sharing about health, wealth, writing, family, or school... you name it, and we'll celebrate with you!  We do this by hopping to each other's blogs, offering congratulations. And for those times you need encouragement, this is the best blog hop group ever!! We are empathy, en masse! 

What am I celebrating?

1 - Having great success making Cement Cloth Planters!!

Cement draping instructions:
Go to the hardware store and buy a bag of cement, its in powder form. Take it home scoop some out and add water until it is the thickness that you want. Just like onion ring batter.
Approximately a 1:4  water/cement ratio.
You may also want to put some drainage holes in the planter before it completely hardens to prevent cracking.
You may also want to apply a couple coats of cement sealer after the planter is dry. This is also nice due to the fact there is so many colored cement sealers now so your planter may be colored to want you would like.



2 - I'm seven pounds away from my goal!

3 - Finally getting back to reading; I took a long break after the A-Z challenge.


 I hope everyone has a fun celebration day!   



Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Finding Teddy














The first time I saw you, I knew you were for me.
Six ring tosses, and one landed perfectly ~
I was only three.

Daddy said, "It's your turn to chose the toy you like."
I wanted you, Teddy, and smiled in sheer delight ~
You were just right.

The beach is where we met, and it was really neat.
To watch the ocean's foam play near our feet ~
Life was complete.

This coming Saturday, Lexa Cain has a blog hop called, "My Favorite Vacation Spot." If you would like to join this two day blog hop, visit Lexa .

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Pizza with author, Chrys Fey!

Thank you, Dixie, for letting me take over your blog for the day. I have a treat for your readers...a recipe. 

In Ghost of Death, my newest short story, pizza is very significant to the story. I won’t reveal why or in what way, but because it is important, it had me thinking about the pizza I make to eat. One of my favorites is one that I make at night for a late snack. Below is the recipe for a quick and easy pizza, plus the excerpt for Ghost of Death and the blurb for my other short story, Witch of Death.


Flour Tortilla Pizza

Need:
Flour Tortillas
Marinara sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese (cheddar is also good)
Pepperoni (if you want it)

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Put a flour tortilla on a cookie sheet.
3. Spread marinara sauce of your choosing on the flour tortilla. I have used pizza and pasta sauce. Both are good.
4. Add pepperoni if you want it.
5. Sprinkle on shredded mozzarella cheese. Sometimes I didn’t have mozzarella so I used cheddar. You can even mix them.
6. Pop into oven. Keep a close eye on it because it doesn’t take long for it to get done. 5 – 10 minutes depending on how crispy you want it to get.
7. Use a knife to cut it, let cool a moment, and then enjoy!

Title: Ghost of Death
Author: Chrys Fey
Genre: Supernatural/Suspense
Format: eBook Only
Page Count: 41 (short story)
Release Date: April 22nd, 2015
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Blurb:

Jolie Montgomery, a twenty-one-year-old woman, wakes up in an alley next to her corpse. She has no memories of her murder or the night she died. She didn’t even see the killer’s face before he or she took her life. Wanting justice, Jolie seeks answers in the only way a ghost can...by stalking the lead detective on the case.

Avrianna Heavenborn is determined to find the person responsible for a young woman’s death. She gets closer to the killer’s identity with every clue she uncovers, and Jolie is with her every step of the way.

But if they don’t solve her murder soon, Jolie will be an earth-bound spirit forever.


Book Links:

Excerpt:

            With the sound of her mom’s grief wafting up to her, Jolie came to terms with her present state. I’m dead and now my mom knows it. She eyed the door in front of her. She hadn’t yet walked through a door, but if her hand could pass through metal then she knew she could move
through wood.
If I have to be a ghost then I’ll be a damn good one. All across the afterlife I’ll be known as the Ghost of Death! And I’m going to start by walking through this damn door!
            She would’ve taken a deep breath to brace herself if she could have, so she mentally pumped herself up instead. You can do it! Easy-peasy. Nothing to it. And she took a step forward. Solid matter slipped around and through her form. On the other side, a familiar site confronted her: a black and white bed, the bright green shag carpet in the middle of the room, and a white desk.
            Stepping up to her desk, Jolie eyed her ancient desktop computer, the one she used before her dad gifted her with a laptop when she announced she was accepted to the local university. Wanting to send out the first ever tweet from the afterlife, she pushed the button to bring the device to life, but her finger poker straight through it. Resigning to her Twitter-less fate, she moved toward the full-length mirror hanging on the wall. She saw nothing. Not even a shimmer in the air hinted at her presence.
            Being a ghost sucks!


Also Available:


Blurb:

Detective Reid Sanders doesn’t believe in the supernatural, but when he’s faced with a crime scene that defies the laws of nature, he has no other choice but to start believing. And solving a magical murder involves working with a witch.

Liberty Sawyer embodies the look of your classic evil witch, so, it’s no surprise when she uncovers the murderer is a witch that she becomes Reid’s number one suspect. If she can’t convince him otherwise, more people could lose their lives to dark magic, including her.

Book Links:


BIO:

Chrys Fey is the author of Hurricane Crimes and 30 Seconds. She is currently working on the sequel to Hurricane Crimes that’ll serve as book two in the Disaster Crimes series.

When Fey was six years old, she realized her dream of being a writer by watching her mother pursue publication. At the age of twelve, she started writing her first novel, which flourished into a series she later rewrote at seventeen. Fey lives in Florida where she is waiting for the next hurricane to come her way.

You can connect with her on Facebook and her blog, Write with Fey. She loves to get to know her readers! 


Author Links: 
Facebook / Blog / Website / Goodreads

Thank you all for visiting and hopefully commenting. ;)


Sunday, May 24, 2015

Cards for your travel, or better yet stay at home

Ah, the happy destination, and you must find the perfect card to send to loved ones. You know, the old proverbial, "wish you were here."














Traveling by car? Tell them about all the great things you see along the way.














Maybe you're traveling by plane! With today's technology it's so easy to stay in touch.











Is it possible you're not actually traveling this holiday? Take the time to do something special for yourself.







Whatever you do - be safe and have fun!

Friday, May 22, 2015

Celebrating a lazy day ~

It's Friday - time to Celebrate the small things.

Our  bloghop director:

Lexa Cain

Our co-hosts:

LG Keltner @ Writing off the Edge

Katie @ TheCyborgMom


I  love this blog hop!


We are celebrating those small achievements we've had for our week!  Sharing about health, wealth, writing, family, or school... you name it, and we'll celebrate with you!  We do this by hopping to each other's blogs, offering congratulations. And for those times you need encouragement, this is the best blog hop group ever!! We are empathy, en masse! 

Consider joining us by adding you name at Lexa Cain's blog site.

What am I celebrating?

A very lazy day with beauty! The sun is out but the  temperature is cooler than previous days. Such a blue, blue sky! I love watching flowering plants cast their seeds in the breeze. My gazebo is a haven for song birds. It doesn't get any better than this.


I hope everyone has a fun celebration day! 
~ Hop forth and celebrate on our linky tool:



Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Vacation Scams
























Summer is close by and the vacation ads are swarming like bees. Be sure and do your research on that supposed, lovely, 'two for one' cruise.

Speaking of cruise, I'm off to the backyard where more mulch has arrived. Looks like my summer vacation destination remains at home. Oh well, we all know, there's no place like... a free mulch pile. Right?

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Finale ~ Bird Plaque

















What a sad moment... seeing my painted bird plaque on the concrete patio in a thousand pieces. I sat down at the picnic table, feeling a little choked up, while trying to maintain my composure. After all, the child didn't mean to break it.

I put the second clear coat on the bird plaque this morning. There was such a nice breeze outside. I left it to dry. Stepping into the house for a glass of juice only took a few seconds. At my door I was greeted by an neighbor, saying hello. Her grandson was in her yard a few feet away, but he stepped onto my large block wall, picking up the painted bird plaque.

I think what came out of my mouth was, "Uh - wet paint, honey."

The neighbor, Grandmother began to yell, "Put that down now!" And he did.

I suspect it was still so wet, it slipped then flipped, out of his hands. It landed four feet down onto the ground - the concrete patio.

Now to handle the aftermath. I know from prior research that the plaque is between 20-30 years old. I haven't found anything comparable to it. My client doesn't seem to be upset. She thinks she may have something else she'd rather have done - like a painting on canvas.

Life goes on... and the birds are finally free to fly away.

Friday, May 15, 2015

Celebrate the Small Things






Today is World Lupus Day. Show your support by wearing purple.





I love this blog hop!



We are celebrating those small achievements we've had for our week! Sharing about health, wealth, writing, family, or school... you name it, and we'll celebrate with you!  We do this by hopping to each other's blogs, offering congratulations. And for those times you need encouragement, this is the best blog hop group ever!! We are empathy, en masse! 

Consider joining us by adding you name at Lexa Cain's blog site. 



Let's begin by thanking ~ our director:


Thanking our lovely co-hosts:



What am I celebrating?

1- Having just enough mulch to get flowerbed #3 done. It's big!!

2- Purple Iris that came up in three smaller beds.















3- Posting for my musical blog hop. I have too many projects on my plate!















Click on my music link to come over and listen and vote!


I hope everyone has a fun celebration day! 
~ Hop forth and celebrate!

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Painting the plaque















In my previous post I showed you photos of birds that I am painting. See HERE.

I'm not painting on canvas this time. The birds are arranged on a plaque, molded in resin. Here's an example of a resin plaque with a simple design.












I hope you can better visualize what I'm doing. Thank you for being so patient, and interested!!! 

The #3 flowerbed is out there waiting patiently too. (Halfway home, smile.)

Monday, May 11, 2015

An outside job ~ on the inside

You might be wondering, where is dcrelief? No Saturday post? No Sunday post? What is she up to now?










































In my spare time I'm an artist. [Spare time, what's that, right?] I paint in acrylics, mostly canvas, but I do make exceptions.

Currently I have a client who brought me a plaque with carved birds. She wants them painted to look like the ones pictured above.

So I'm outside of my 'blogworld', but still inside of my studio, painting away! I'll do my best to visit everyone by this evening. Now for a cuppa coffee...

Friday, May 8, 2015

Celebrate - lost, found, newbies, spring-loaded

I love this blog hop!

We are celebrating those small achievements we've had for our week! Sharing about health, wealth, writing, family, or school... you name it, and we'll celebrate with you!  We do this by hopping to each other's blogs, offering congratulations. This is the best blog hop group ever!! 

To join this blog hop, click on the CELEBRATE BADGE in the right margin!

First, let's say thank you to our director, celebrating her 200th post today is... LEXA CAIN .

Our very special co-hosts...



What am I celebrating? (Thought you'd never ask.)

1 - I found my piece of jewelry I thought was lost for four years!! My Rainbow Obsidian Ball.

















2 - The Lamb's Ear is coming up! I think they're a grape purple color.














3 - Spring has arrived!














I hope everyone has a great celebration day!

Hope forth and celebrate!

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

The Garden of the Red Birds

While inventorying my latest garden for the next layer of beauty ~
I felt the need to sit down,
enjoy a moment of rest.

A light breeze moved my hair about, I brushed away the strands ~
In that moment,
I saw him.













He on the grass dancing, almost prancing, stopping to see ~
if she, interested in he,
was glancing?

And she was ~


Tuesday, May 5, 2015

I am a Bonehead!













Okay so I finally posted for this bloghop I don't even have all of the particulars but it's understandable... in fact... it's great because this is a fresh bonehead experience for me!!!

Cherdo is having a bloghop.... called the "Bonehead Blog Hop," and right now that's  all I know. (Forgive me, Cherdo.)

You see I was out in the yard, gardening away. Having discovered that my flower bed at the studio window needed attention, I've been plugging away there since 7 a.m. this morning.

There was plenty of time to come on and respond to comments in a couple of hours. Right? But then I thought to grab a snack, and while munching, I'd have a peek at the old blog. EGAD!!!! It was lunch time and I hadn't even posted for the Bonehead Blog Hop!!!

I hadn't even remembered it. Oh wow, what a bonehead thing to do...

I promise to post all the linky credits and such next hopping time!!! Oh Cherdo, I'm so sorry.

Monday, May 4, 2015

Home ~ The Heart of My Reflection



























A-Z  ~
Proved to be,
More than I could see.
I chose my home
To be a zone,
Where heart takes on ~
The world that's me.
*    *    *    *    *

In a place where I have been diligently working, I found my A-Z challenge theme. How much heart have I placed in this gift of inheritance from my parents? Practically every day, I am working on a list of projects to improve or enhance where my heart resides. I call it home.

What will I be taking with me, now that the challenge is over for this year? From my 'blog-home' I take lovely new friends, and many returned, cherished old ones. I take your lively, spontaneous interactions! Each comment was a tool for my home to flourish by. I thank you, (smile).

I take with me, new ideas to present a happier 'blog-home' for all to visit. Along with that I have gained new organizational methods. New thoughts on making time count by making each word count. So much more than this simple post reveals. And remember, I have been reading your A-Z posts too; each one had it's own charm, and tidbit of joy! I wish for all of you ~ inspiration, like you've given me, (smile)

Special thank you to Arlee Bird, and Alex J. Cavanaugh! This is a great thing you've got here! I hope everyone felt your presence, encouragement, and commitment as I did. 

In conclusion, I leave you with 26 links.

Attic
Basement
Commode
Dimmer Switch
Entrance
Frame
Gutters
Hedge Trimming
Insulation
Jacks
Knobs
Lighting
Mowing
Nail gun
Open Plan
Paint
Quickrete
Roof
Shop Table
Tool Bag
Umbrella
Vents and Ventilation
Water Heater
X-Ray Wall Studs
Yard Art
Zip It

Friday, May 1, 2015

Celebrate ~ rest ~ block sale ~ a-z support




















I love this blog hop!

We are celebrating those small achievements we've had for our week!  Sharing about health, wealth, writing, family, or school... you name it, and we'll celebrate with you!  We do this by hopping to each other's blogs, offering congratulations. And for those times you need encouragement, this is the best blog hop group ever!! We are empathy, en masse! Consider joining us by adding you name at Lexa Cain's blog site on the linky tool!! Come on ~ you know you want to, (smile).

For those who did the A-Z Challenge - yippee! For those who survived - could one of you make me a sandwich? My fingers are screaming at me.

I'm thanking Lexa Cain for keeping us straight - battling the scammers and such! There's no one quite like our 'Master of Ceremonies.' Lexa Cain's blog

And big cheers for the co-host who help us out!!
LG Keltner  (Did everyone catch her A-Z 'Z' day?? Wow!)
Katie@TheCyborgMom (I loved meeting 'Emmie' for the A-Z challenge!)


What am I celebrating?

1- Rest. I have two blog hops today, and some A-Z comments to catch up on. After that, I'm taking a long nap! (dc *needs* relief).














2- My blocks are on sale! I can do the backyard garden wall sooner than anticipated! Aren't these nice, and so cheap!!?!! (.78 cents each)(grin).







3- I am so grateful to everyone who could support my first time doing the A-Z Challenge. For those who normally keep up with this rambling blog, they were some changes made to simplify things. (Shh, never, ever tell.)

I hope everyone has a fun celebration day!

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Z is for Zip It















































Little bags store little things.
Makes you happy - makes you sing.
Time well spent to get this done,
Allows more time to have fun!

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Y is for Yard Art








































Keep it easy,
Or make it hard?
Would you go sleazy?  
Your art ~ your yard?

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

X is for X-Ray Wall Studs





































It's a sweet little tool ~
You hold it in your hand.
And the studs will all appear,
To construct that perfect plan.

Monday, April 27, 2015

W is for Water Heater




































Do you like cold showers?
Or boiling water for hours?
Here's a thought that's sweeter,
'Energy efficient water heater.'

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Resting ~ rejected photos ~ regards

Does anyone else feel this way today?















Anyone considering the A-Z Road Trip?















Anyone repair anything this weekend?












Since reading my A-Z posts, do you know what's wrong here?















When repairmen or contractors advertise, be sure and clip all coupons.





I leave you with a special song, performed by Home Improvement's K& B Boys.
See everyone this Monday, for the final A-Z week!