Wednesday, March 26, 2014

* THE RONALD HELPS OUT *

 
I'm not sure if I've mentioned that The Ronald does help me around the house...somewhat. He took it upon himself a few years ago to load and unload the dishwasher, which I truly appreciate. I really do. (You already know there is a big "But" coming, don't you?)...
 
BUT, the manner in which he "puts things away" has a lot to be desired. I have a cardboard container to keep all the various lids in. (I got it free from a grocery store because it was empty. I'd intended to cover it with contact paper, but never got around to it, and it doesn't really matter since it's inside the cabinet.)

 
 
I (used to) keep the plastic bowls and measuring cups stacked inside each other.
The cookie sheet goes in the oven drawer.



I also (used to) keep the casserole dishes and pots & pans stacked as well as possible.


The white and blue fabric-looking material is actually rubbery shelf liner that I (used to) put between the glass casserole dishes for extra safety.



AND THIS PHOTO.......
 


.....is of Vern.
The reason he is hiding is because he is so embarrassed
 by the way The Ronald puts away clean dishes!! J
 
 
 
 
 
 
"Show me a man who lives alone and has a perpetually clean kitchen, and eight times out of nine, I'll show you a man with detestable spiritual qualities." -- Charles Bukowski

Thursday, March 20, 2014

* I GOT NOTHIN'.....Again! *

I've been racking my brain since Sunday, trying to think of something to write about for a new blog post. My poor brain is tired, wired, and uninspired.

So, I made the decision to post something for the third time! It got lots of laughs and comments the first two times, so let's see how this one does.....

~~~~~

While driving to the grocery store this afternoon, with my list of fruits and veggies to buy, the following words popped into my head. I've mentioned before that I am not a poet, and don't y'all know it, as you can see below: 

(Hint: Sing out loud or in your head to the tune of ♫♪ Back in the Saddle Again. ♫♪)

I'm back into salads again.
Burgers & fries won't make me thin.
I saw some gorgeous clothes at 
the mall last week.
I must fight this war on fat and win.

(courtesy google)
Chorus:
I'm back into salads again.
Lettuce & broccoli are my friends
Also low cal dressing will help
Try to get rid of my chin(s)
I'm back into salads again.

(Forgive me Gene Autry!)



"The two biggest sellers in bookstores are the cookbooks and the diet books. The cookbooks tell you how to prepare the food and the diet books tell you how not to eat any of it." -- Andy Rooney

Sunday, March 16, 2014

* NOSTALGIC SUNDAY *

 
It's Time For Another Nostalgic Sunday
 

I just looked back at the most recent "Nostalgic Sunday" and I have a hard time believing I haven't posted one since December 22, 2013. That's just about THREE MONTHS! Well, it certainly is time for a new one now, isn't it??





These photos are obviously from one of those machines where you could get four pictures for about.....50¢? Does that sound about right, depending on the year, of course.

 I LOVE these pictures for so many reasons!

1) The fact that I actually have them. Because my family moved around quite a bit when I was young, and then after I left home, I moved around quite a bit, too, and things just get lost or tossed for whatever reasons.

2) I love our tans and almost-blonde hair due to being outside so much in the summertime. And speaking of hair, I love Mike's crew cut! We were so young and happy and innocent.
Trivia Question: Did I ever wish I had hair that short?! The answer is in my memoir! J

 
3) My silly faces! Oh my gosh! I was a goofball even back then! And how do you like my bangs?! My mother could not cut bangs in a straight line. She'd do some snipping, and then step back and look, and say, "Oh, it's uneven. I need to cut a little more on this side." And back and forth until my bangs were ONE INCH long, and still uneven! It didn't take long for me to learn to run when she came toward me with scissors in her hand.

~~~

Between now and midnight, I'm going to attempt to read and leave a comment on as many blogs as possible! If I miss yours, e-mail me and say "Hey! What up?" * Well, I did a very lousy job in commenting. I don't think I made it to anybody's blog! I'll try again later today. Promise. *
 
 

 
"When we are children we seldom think of the future. This innocence leaves us free to enjoy ourselves as few adults can. The day we fret about the future is the day we leave our childhood behind." -- Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind

 

 

Thursday, March 13, 2014

* AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT *

I'm sure most of you are really tired of reading anything that has to do with my memoir....and I'm kind of weary of it myself! So, as the title proclaims, this won't be the same old same old.
 
 
Below is my favorite 2013 Christmas gift! 
 
I know all about those Keurig Coffee Makers being such a big hit, but I'm not about to pay that much for any kind of coffee maker. It doesn't matter to me that it can make different flavors of coffee and tea and other drinks.
 
 
BUT, sometimes I don't feel like making an entire pot of coffee, and would love to brew just one cup. My best (non-writer) friend, Sherry and I were out shopping before Christmas and I saw the box of this adorable little maker - Bella Single Serve Brewer. (We always exchange Christmas gifts. Nothing extravagant. Just something we know the other person will love!) It was less than $20.00, so I nonchalantly said something about what a great gift that would make! J And so, you know what I received from (non-writer) Sherry!
 
It will work for a coffee mug, a larger mug, and even a tall Styrofoam cup! I just love it! After the first few weeks of getting out the large coffee container every time for just a teeny scoop, I decided I needed some kind of container(s) that would hold the individual portions. I was hoping to find something inexpensive at one of the discount stores, not really knowing what I wanted. I knew, though, that when I saw it, I would know.

 
So, as I was weaving through the aisles, looking for the small-plastic-containers-similar-to-Rubbermaid-Tupperware-type thingys.....I passed this amazing little thingy in the craft aisle! It is PERFECT! It holds the small amount I need. It snaps shut. It holds enough for six large Styrofoam cups of coffee, and it cost One Dollar! Ta Da!

** Welcome to my newest follower, Neurotic Workaholic. I hope you will stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see!  Thank you so much! ** 


* I forgot to remind everyone that I'm the guest blogger at Carol Kilgore's, Under the Tiki Hut this week. My post will be the top one until next Monday, March 17 at 6:00 AM. Please stop by and leave a comment if you haven't already. And YES, I did mention my memoir again!! *

(I couldn't decide on just one coffee quote....!)



"I have measured out my life with coffee spoons." -- T.S. Eliot

"My dream is to have a house on the beach, even just a little shack somewhere so I can wake up, have coffee, look at dolphins, be quiet and breathe the air." -- Christina Applegate

"To me, the smell of fresh-made coffee is one of the greatest inventions." -- Hugh Jackman

"I put instant coffee in a microwave oven and almost went back in time." -- Steven Wright

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

* MY MEMOIR IS AVAILABLE ON KINDLE *

To everyone who has been patiently waiting for my memoir to be available on Kindle, it's here! Just click on the direct link below. The Kindle version is $3.99

 Amazon.com   http://www.amazon.com/Pigtails-Hairs-Becky-Lewellen-Povich-ebook/dp/B00IXBG1F6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394564953&sr=1-1&keywords=from+pigtails+to+chin+hairs


~~~

Also, here's an option I wasn't even aware of that some people might be interested in....The kindle matchbook...


If you buy a new print edition of this book (or purchased one in the past), you can buy the Kindle edition for only $1.99 (Save 50%). Print edition purchase must be sold by Amazon.
~~~
 
Below are links for the Kindle version at Amazon UK, and Amazon Australia. *I found out today that Amazon Australia (AU) does not ship certain things, and my print copy happens to be one of them. Weird! So, if any Aussies would like to buy my print copy directly from me, I will help pay the postage! Just leave a comment or send me an e-mail (in my profile).
 
 
 
 
 
 Thanks again to everyone who has already bought my book, and especially for all the wonderful reviews left at Amazon, Goodreads, and other sites. I truly appreciate it.


Remember when I posted about my little collection of statues of people or animals holding a book, or books! I'm showing this little girl again because she looks like "spring" to me.....and today's temperature is very spring-like! (I just looked back and I got her at a dollar store in May of 2011!)

~~~


** Welcome to my newest follower, Robin. I hope you will stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see!  Thank you so much! **


I've always professed that my dream is for From Pigtails to Chin Hairs: A Memoir & More to become a bestseller, and I make no bones about it. It may seem like a pipe dream to some, but hey.....it's my dream!



"A best-seller was a book which somehow sold well because it was selling well." -- Daniel J. Boorstin

Monday, March 10, 2014

* HEY, I'M A GUEST BLOGGER WITH SAND IN MY TOES *

Sunshine and spring temperatures are timidly showing up here in Missouri, which are so welcome.  But I'm happy to announce I'm visiting a hotter part of the country today
 >>>  I'm the guest blogger over at Under the Tiki Hut! <<<
 
A huge Thank-You to Carol Kilgore for having me as her guest on this Monday in March. Carol is such a kind and generous blog friend, a wonderful author, and a gal who knows where to hang out...at the beach!


So, please hop on over, because Carol always says,

 "So find a comfy chair, give your order to one of the cabana boys, and enjoy the warm sea breeze blowing through your hair. We’re open day and night."

 
 
I promise you'll learn some new things about me. It's not the same old information you already know about me or my memoir! Honest!
 
 
 
"What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though." -- J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye


Friday, March 7, 2014

* YAY! I GOT A NEW (USED) DESK! *

Not too long ago, I mentioned that my "desk" is really a very small, wooden kitchen table. It has plenty of room for all my paper messes, but no drawers, which I could really use.
 
Recently, I saw one at Hobby Lobby that I just fell in love with. It's really small, shabby chic with some light green in it, and had matching chair. It would look so cute in my bedroom/office, BUT, even on sale, the price is way too much. It didn't have any drawers, either.
 
I even called them today to ask if they still had one and if it was any cheaper than last week. J 
 
Yep, they still had them, but the price was the same, too. That's when I decided to look again on Craigslist. It's fun, like going to resale shops or Goodwill. You never know what you might find! So...
 
Here's the desk I found. It had only been listed three hours earlier, was the size and "look" I wanted, the people lived only a few miles away......AND the price was right! It was the fastest transaction I've ever made. I called about it, The Ronald was in the area, he went to the house, paid for it and brought it home! Voila!
 
seller's photo on craigslist
 
I'm going to take the knobs and drawer pulls off of it, paint it white, and shabby it up a bit! I'll probably go to Hobby Lobby to buy different knobs and pulls, too. It will go perfectly with a couple of other pieces I already have. I haven't been so excited about a purchase in a long time! It's solid wood, too, and very heavy.
And the price was $40.00!

I'll post pictures when I'm finished painting it....Wish me luck!


google
 
 
P.S. My post on February 25th, about the empty ink cartridge....I did take it back to Walmart, explained what happened, and they exchanged it for me! So, I was able to get new ink, AND keep my other items I was going to return, to make up for the "lost" money. Next time I buy ink at any store, I'll have the cashier open the box right there, to make sure it's a good one. 

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

I GOT NOTHING EXCEPT FUNNIES

I got nothing tonight. I'm so overwhelmed with things that need to be done, things that should be done, and those things I want to get done. ("get done"?)
This pertains to all aspects of my life: home, family, friends, writing.....

Marketing my book is kicking my you-know-what. The piles of laundry (for only two people) are taking over. Dust Bunnies are everywhere.  (whoever came up with that phrase?) And to be precise, those would be Dust Verns. There are tumbleweeds of light brown/blonde hair everywhere.

So, as I said, I got nothing for my blog tonight....except some cartoons I came across when I Googled Auntie Acid. Hope they provide smiles and/or laughter! They certainly brightened up my evening!






“I don't trust anyone who doesn't laugh.”
Maya Angelou

“And I have one of those very loud, stupid laughs. I mean if I ever sat behind myself in a movie or something, I'd probably lean over and tell myself to please shut up.”
J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye


“If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane.”
Robert Frost

“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”
Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol    

“With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.”
William Shakespeare

Laughter is the sound of the soul dancing. My soul probably looks like Fred Astaire.”
Jarod Kintz, This Book is Not for Sale    

Sunday, March 2, 2014

* GIVE-AWAY ENDS TUESDAY *

Just a reminder that my giveaway on Goodreads ends on March 4th...that's this Tuesday!

Click giveaway details to enter. Four print copies will be given away and as I type this, there are 265 people entered.

* Giveaway ended & I have the names and addresses of the four winners. A total of 616 people entered which is a fantastic number! *

~~~
 
 
Oh, the weather outside is crappy
 
 So, I'll just take a nappy.
 
The snow will cover the pot holes
 
And the sleet will ping the windows
 
But I'll be napping happily
 
Until it's time for some Bordeaux!
© Becky Povich
 
 
 
 
What can I say?! I'm the one who has this on my side bar:
 
 
Preview
"There's a poet within me, seeking words that rhyme with crap!"