Should We Rename February? by Joan Reeves

February is the month most people mispronounce. I blame it on January. 

You look at the word February, and your brain erases that "r" before ary—and Febuary comes out of your mouth.

Of course, if the powers that be had named the month Februa, the festival that actually inspired the name, we wouldn't have that problem. 

But no, someone decided to take the Februa and tack "ry" onto it thus giving the English-speaking world a pronunciation problem for all eternity.

WHY FEBRUA?

Februa was the ancient Roman festival of cleansing and atonement held during this time period. It was designed to prepare for the coming spring. (I guess that's how spring cleaning, for which my mother was a strong advocate, came about.)

Girl English Dictionary - Pixabay

 The word shares the Latin root with fever and fume which I read relates to the burning of sacrifices during the purificaton rites. Thank goodness that tradition wasn't passed along with the month's name.

In any event, the month is merifully short. As a famous quotation goes: "If you plan on being depressed, do it in February so it won't last very long."

All that aside, I like February. It's that bridge between winter and spring and gives the snowbound, frozen states hope that spring truly is just around the corner.

GREAT MONTH FOR WRITING

I don't know why, but I find February to be a great month for writing.Maybe it's because I'm raring to go on a new book or finishing one in progress. I feel a burst of energy that makes me want to get out and do something—but the weather outside is usually too lousy to actually do that. So I focus that energy on writing. I'll confess that I also seem to read a lot in February.

Patience Strong said, "In February there is everything to hope for and nothing to regret." I agree with that. What about you? How do you spend the month?

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Awesome Is Hard Work by Joan Reeves

Good morning! If you knew everything I've been called upon to do in the last 2 weeks, you'd understand why I'm posting late today.

We attended two graduations out of town, then a funeral in west Texas, then a reunion in Louisiana. All of that was exhausting, but then everything hit at once. 

BRIEF RECAP

1. We signed a contract to sell property in another county which necessitated our presence for various meetings with the buyers, inspections, and arranging for a few things to be done there. All of that took several trips there and back (240 miles round trip).

2. After much arguing back and forth discussion, my Darling Husband convinced me to put our current house in town up for sale. Reason? He wants a much bigger lot with a much bigger garage. Me? I'm okay with where we are, but happy husband = happy, uh, can't think of anything that rhymes with husband. (Saying happy wife = happy life is much easier.)

3. Spent an entire week removing everything from bookshelves, cabinets, etc. so the furniture could be moved to allow the painters access to the walls.

4. We packed about a million books it seems along with stuff stored in the cabinetry that was to be moved. 

I decided there was no way I wanted to put all that back in place if we were going to sell the house so we rented a storage facility and moved what seemed like hundreds of boxes into storage.

5. Darling Hubby decided he wanted to also store the pool table because "looking Lous" always seem to want to roll the balls on the pool table.

He's protective of his Olhausen so he deconstructed it and got a strapping young man to help him move the slate, etc. into storage.

6. All paintings, etc. were taken from the walls and rugs rolled up. 

7. We finished all of that deconstructing this morning—minutes before the painting crew showed up.

Now, I'm in my office, which was painted a year ago and isn't part of the week's painting adventure, but there are paintings stacked against the walls, a half dozen lamps on the floor, and other hazards.

I have just enough space to walk from the door to my chair in front of the computer. I'm praying this will all be finished by Friday.

MORE TIME SUCKS SCHEDULED

Of all times to have a tooth that needs to be crowned! Had a day of dental anguish to get the tooth prepped for crown. Permanent crown scheduled for July 3.

The rest of this month and into July is filled with more of the same because this next weekend we must arrange for movers to remove everything from our house in the country and into storage. 

I'm exhausted just recounting all of this.

To make matters worse, I have a July deadline to upload my new book, OLD ENOUGH TO BE BOLD. I'm concerned I may not complete everything that needs to be done to make it publishable.

That means I haven't promoted it other than mentioning it in a few places.I had extended the release date twice already, but the universe keeps throwing curve balls at me. I'm worried. If I have to change the release date again, I'll be penalized by Amazon and banned for 1 year from setting up a pre-order. 

Yikes! But if I have to extend again, I'll just have to live with the consequences. I'll blow up that bridge when I come to it.

LIFE GOES ON

I'll keep writing and trying to be "awesome" —whatever that means—and get the book done. In the meantime, I have 2 books on sale for 99¢. Both are guaranteed to give you heated romance and lots of laughs.

THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE  is a spicy Enemies to Lovers Romantic Comedy set in a small Texas town. Just click the link to learn more about it.

You can also read it with Kindle Unlimited.

There's an audio book of it too for those who love to listen to a good book, but the audio edition is not  on sale.

Also on sale is SCENTS AND SENSUALITY which is also on Kindle Unlimited. This spicy fake boyfriend RomCom is part of the Love, Laughter, and Shenanigans series.

Click the link to learn more about this hugely popular RomCom that's been on the UK romance bestseller list since January. (I love that it's also selling in India and France—the USA too of course.)  

Scents and Sensuality is also available as an audio book too.

By the way, on the audio book link, you can listen to an excerpt which is entertaining in itself.

So that's my frantic, frazzled life since May. How are things in your Life? I certainly hope it's more serene and peaceful than mine.

Enjoy the rest of June. Here in Texas, July means the door to the furnace will probably be blocked open. See you then!

(I'm online: SlingWords * Website * Facebook * Romance Gems...Authors & Readers Meet.)

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Irish Eyes Are Smiling by Joan Reeves

Top of the morning to you. Even though St. Patrick's Day isn't until tomorrow, I'm wallowing in all things Irish today.

On the menu this fine morning ia a hearty Full Irish Breakfast.

Okay, well, not exactly a Full Irish which consists of bacon, sausages, eggs, black and white pudding, fried potatoes, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, and sometimes baked beans accompanied by a strong cup of fresh-brewed tea.

My Americanized version consists of bacon, an egg, a slice of multigrain toast, and fresh-brewed coffee. *sigh* I fear my Irish ancestors would be offended if they knew.

Perhaps I can make up for the breakfast insult with a typical Irish dinner? Let's see, I have a roast in the freezer but no potatoes. No lamb so no Irish stew. No colcannon because, as previously stated, no potatoes, and also no cabbage.

All is not lost in my attempt to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. I know the words to When Irish Eyes Are Smiling. My grandfather used to sing it when I was a little girl. I can even post the lyrics here because they entered the public domain in 2007.

The song, written by Ernest R. Ball, George Graff, and Chauncey Olcott, was published in 1912. A recording of the song was made popular by Bing Crosby in 1939.

EVERYBODY SING

When Irish eyes are smiling, Sure, 'tis like a morn' in Spring

In the lilt of Irish laughter, You can hear the angels sing. 

When Irish hearts are happy, All the world seems bright and gay

And when Irish eyes are smiling, Sure, they steal your heart away

When Irish hearts are happy, All the world seems bright and gay, And when Irish eyes are smiling, Sure, they steal your heart away.

I have an Irish gift for you to celebrate St. Patrick's Day tomorrow. From now until March 18th at 11:59PM PDT, you can claim a free copy of LIAM'S WILD IRISH ROSE from Amazon.

Warning: this story is super spicy—mucho caliente!—so leave it on the cyber shelf if super sexy romance is not your thing.

The story opens at Juan O'Hara's Mexican-Irish Pub, a place I loved so much that I wish it were real!

Is a “no-strings-attached” arrangement enough to satisfy Maura O'Reilly? The idea of being tied down to one man terrifies her, yet she can't seem to stay away from Liam Harper. Despite her attempts to resist, she finds herself constantly drawn to him.

Of all the women in the world, why, Liam wonders, did he have to fall for the one who wants nothing more than a physical relationship with him? Most men would consider that a dream come true, but Liam doesn’t. He wants more than just sex with Maura. He wants her heart.

If you enjoy this spicy Irish romance, please leave a short review. I will deeply appreciate your time and effort in doing so.

Remember to wear green tomorrow. Happy St. Patrick's Day

JOAN ONLINE

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Post Valentine Giveaway by Joan Reeves

I'm being held hostage by that ogre named Allergies. It started when I visited my brother in Louisiana at the farm.

All of the trees, weeds, shrubs, and vines that I'm not used to were dripping pollen out of season. Ah choo!

Even though I haven't felt that well, I've been working intensively on new book covers, new file format for my existing ebooks, and working on a new release.

When I say working, I literally mean 12 hours a day for the last week. I crashed last night, decided to battle the ogre, took 2 Zyrtec (as recommended by my doctor), and went to bed.

Even though I woke at 4:30 this morning, I felt better. (Allergy meds have that weird effect on me—knock me out then make me awake at a weird hour.) Now after 2 cups of coffee and a cup of tea, I have enough energy to visit with you.

CRAZY WEATHER

I don't know about where you are, but we're having some weird weather here on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Yesterday, it was 76. Today it's 40 and dropping, but the sun is shining brightly. I understand we're supposed to have a low of 22 around mid-week.

I think everyone in the state is fearing another winter like we had in 2021. I'm so thankful we now have a generator. I just hope our water utility has a bunch of them.

BELATED VALENTINE GIFT

For Valentine's Day, I offered BLAME IT ON CHOCOLATE, a Valentine romance, free to my newsletter subscribers. 

Now, I'm inviting you to grab a free copy too—free on Amazon Kindle until 11:59pm PST tonight, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025.

"A fresh, witty, delicious story. Just like an irresistible bar of chocolate, you'll finish it all at once." —Reader Review

HAPPY READING

I hope you'll enjoy this story. Times are tough, and many readers simply can't afford the luxury of books. That's why, this year, I'm offering one of my books for 99¢ each month. 

This month the book is Scents and Sensuality, a Love, Laughter, and Shenanigans Fake Boyfriend Romance that culminates on Valentine's Day.

If you'd like to know when a book is on sale or is free, sign up for I LOVE READING, my free newsletter.

Until next week, stay warm, stay away from pollen, read books, and enjoy life.

JOAN ONLINE

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Celebrate the Music of Christmas by Joan Reeves

It's nearly Christmas, and I've had a lot of happy days decorating, watching Christmas movies, and singing along to Christmas music.

I especially love the music of Christmas—carols old and new as well as the rock and pop Christmas songs.

MUSIC OF CHRISTMAS

A few years ago I bought a couple of books aboout the stories behind the best-loved Christmas songs. These two books are delightful and tell the history of the stories. I put them out every Christmas for guests to peruse.

Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas by Ace Collins, a Christy award winning author, comes in Kindle, Audio, Hardback, and Paperback.It tells the stories behind all the Christmas songs you learned as a child from Jingle Bells to Silent Night. 

"Each song in its own way expresses a facet of God’s heart and celebrates the birth of his greatest gift to the world—Jesus."

This is truly a wonderful book, and so is the sequel to it, also by Ace Collins, More Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas.

This book with the origins of 31 famous Christmas songs from Handel's Hallelujah Chorus to Auld Lang Syne also comes in Kindle, Audio, Hardback, and Paperback. and reveals the history of 

I love Christmas music so much that I used one of the most popular songs of the season as the premise of a book.

LAST CHRISTMAS

"LAST CHRISTMAS, a heartwarming and steamy small town romance that will have you laughing, crying, and falling in love all over again!"

As the song goes, Last Christmas she gave him her heart.

He gave it away, or as Annabelle thinks, he stomped on it.

This Christmas they meet again, and she decides to make him pay for breaking her heart.

This tale of heartbreak, revenge, second chances, and redemption is on sale for 99¢ until after New Year's Day.

Merry Christmas to you all. I hope you find Joy and Happiness and spread love and good cheer wherever you go. See you next year!

JOAN HANGS OUT AT THESE POPULAR PLACES

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Great Pumpkin Horde Smashed Into Pumpkin Pie by Joan Reeves

Photo by Vlada Karpovich

Pumpkin season kicked off in October with Halloween, but never fear. It's not over yet.

The great pumpkin horde rises then get smashed into Pumpkin Pie, Pumkin Bread, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Pumpkin—well, you get the picture.

As if all the pumpkin desserts weren't enough, there's Pumpkin Latte, Pumpkin Eggnog, and, I fear, so much more.

Love all those orange beverages and desserts? Unfortunately, I don't. I've never been a fan of the pie made from this giant orange gourd.

 To be honest, I don't know if it's the pumpkin or the overload of spices because I do like pumpkin bread when I make it in my kitchen.

WHO DISCOVERED THOSE BIG ORANGE GOURDS?

I was surprised to discover pumpkins were first cultivated in Central America around 5,500 B.C.. When Europeans arrived in the New World, pumpkins were one of the first foods they brought back to Europe.

In Europe they were first mentioned in 1536. Within a couple of decades they were grown regularly in England. The British called them pumpions which came from pompon which was what the French called them because of their round shape.

Photo by cottonbro studio
Is it the brownish color that deters me?

The English were already well-versed in pie making so it's no surprise that they started using pumpions for pie filling.

BACK TO AMERICA

When the Pilgrims came over on the Mayflower in 1620,  some of them probably were familiar with pumpkins just as the Wampanoag tribe who helped them survive that first year were. 

The next year, the 50 surviving colonists were joined by about 90 Wampanoag for a 3-day harvest celebration—what we claim as the very first Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin was probably served in some form because this useful vegetable can be used in many ways.

Add it to flour, thus decreasing the amount of flour needed, and make bread. Roast it and season with salt, pepper, and some kind of fat and serve it as a vegetable.

Cook it and season with something sweet and spices for—Pumpkin Pie!

By 1654, Edward Johnson, a Massachusetts ship captain, wrote that New England had prospered and  people could now make apple, pear, and quince tarts rather than their former Pumpkin Pies.

By 1705, Pumpkin Pie was firmly established as the pie to serve at Thanksgiving, an established New England holiday.

Photo by Diliara Garifullina

After the Civil War, the popularity of Pumpkin Pie spread beyond New England. In the South, I imagine they made Sweet Potato Pie before pumpkin was popular.

To me, Sweet Potato Pie tastes the same as Pumpkin Pie, perhaps because the same spices are used in each pie.

TO PUMPKIN OR NOT TO PUMPKIN?

I think the brownish color is what makes Pumpkin Pie look unappetizing to me. I might try a fancy crust with pastry cutout leaves like this photo shows. Pretty isn't it? 

Do you have a favorite pumpkin recipe? Leave a comment and tell us all about it.

BEST WISHES FROM ME TO YOU

I wish you the happiest Thanksgiving with family and friends and lots of delicious food. Make some wonderful memories!

JOAN IS HIDING AT ONE OF THESE LOCATIONS

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Buried Under Book Covers by Joan Reeves

Image created with AI by Joan Reeves

I do apologize for missing my blogging date yesterday. I blame Artificial Intelligence for that.

Actually, I must take some blame too. It all started last week when I completed all of the  Facebook Ads training tutorials. I was pumped and ready to get going.

There was one thing holding me back. My book covers. I learned that the most successful book ads had cover art featuring men. 

Having a woman on the cover art gets men clicking but not to buy the book.

I wrestled with that intel until Monday when I decided to "just do it" and change out the book covers in question.

OMG! DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

After more than a week of trying to come up with cover art featuring an attractive male that organically represented the theme, story, etc. I'm ready to throw in the towel. Agh! So I waved the white flag of surrender and called my daughter the graphic artist for help. We meet tomorrow.

UNEXPECTED BENEFIT OF LOST TIME

One positive of this exhausting week was that I learned how to use an AI graphics program. Well, more or less learned. In many ways, it was harder than I expected and easier than I expected.

Harder? Because it requires far more hours of time and endless trial and error to create an image suitable for a book cover, i.e. an image that looks "real" and is specifically tailored to an element of the book.

Easier? Because with just a little effort you can create an interesting graphic good enough for marketing purposes. The image at the beginning of the post is one I made in about 5 minutes time. Of course, it took me about 4 hours of learning time to be able to make the image.

LAST THOUGHTS

I've always been willing to try new things and learn something new. However, I have conflicting emotions about using AI. I'm sure there are photographers and musicians who are also upset that AI is being used to create images that look like photographs and music that doesn't come from a real person.

I know I hate the thought that unscrupulous would-be writers will use AI to write novels. They're already doing it.

I will never do that. In fact, I think I'm going to put something in my book blurbs that goes something like this: "The content of this book was created entirely by the author, Joan Reeves. No artificial intelligence was used to create any part of the text."

I've heard other authors are inserting that into their blurbs and into the book's front matter. Do you think this is a good idea? As a reader, do you want to know that a real, live human created the book you're reading?

Image created with AI by Joan Reeves

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Cautionary Tale by Joan Reeves

Today's post is short because I'm typing with my left hand only.

Why? Good question. I did something dumb. I picked up something heavy and felt a ping of pain in my right wrist.

Then I spent a couple of hours doing graphics work, using the mouse constantly, whih put more strain on my wrist.

I packed up my laptop so Darling Hubby and I could go to our house in the country.

Imagine my surprise this morning when I woke up and found my right wrist was a little swollen and about a 20 on a pain scale of 10. After ibuprofen and icing the delicate joint, I wrapped it in an ace bandage which helped a little. So instead of a pretty bracelet today, I'm sporting a good old ace bandage.

There are 3 things to learn from my mistakes.

1. Don't pick up something you know is too heavy!

2. When you feel pain in a joint, be smart and don't overwork it which exacerbates the issue.

3. Carry a microphone in your laptop case so you can dictate and continue writing—just in case you find yourself unable to type.

Wishing you a happy autumn which commenses in a few days. Now I'm going to sit on the porch, enjoy a cup of tea, and watch the clouds roll past.

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Lemonade, a Summer Classic by Joan Reeves

When you think about a winter drink, does hot chocolate immediately come to mind?

What about a summer drink? Do you make an instant connection to something?

I do, and the drink is lemonade.

When I was a kid, we didn't drink Coca Cola or other soft drinks very often. We had lemonade made from freshly squeezed lemons.

The citrus drink had just the right amount of tartness and just the right amount of sweetness. Mom would fix a big pitcher of lemonade and toss ice cubes into the pitcher too. She'd crush mint leaves on the rims of the glasses, add ice, and fill the tumblers with the lemonade. If she had a lemon left, she'd slice it and float it on top of the drink. 

Oh, there was nothing better. Just the smell of the lemons would make our mouths water. The drink was more thirst quenching than water or ice tea. (Yes, we in the South always said "ice tea" not iced tea.)

Years ago, when powdered lemonade mixes hit the market, I tried them, but they paled in comparison to the real thing. I wanted lemonade like my mother made. She squeezed fresh lemons—and oranges too—on an old glass juicer like the one shown here. I don't know what happened to the one she had. I guess it got broken at some point in time.

 A few years ago, at a thrift store, I saw one like the one my mom used. Excited, I scooped it up then bought a bag of lemons on the way home.

OLD FASHIONED LEMONADE

I was so excited. I washed the glass juicer, got my ice tea pitcher out of the cabinet, lined up the lemons on the cutting board, and rolled each lemon around to "loosen" the juice.

The tangy scent of the oil in the lemon skin hit my nose and reminded me of being in Mom's kitchen.

I cut each lemon in half then took one of the halves and placed it over the glass juicer, pressed down and rotated the lemon around on the glass cone-shaped middle. Happily, I went to the next half, and the next, and the next...next...next...next until I thought my hand might fall off my arm.

How on earth did women do things like this back in the old days? By the time I'd squeezed out 12 lemon halves, I felt as if I'd been doing bicep curls with a fifty pound dumbbell. I did finish making that pitcher of lemonade, but I never used that beautiful glass juicer again. I bought an electric juicer which does 12 lemon halves in a few minutes. There's definitely something to be said for modern appliances.

WANT TO MAKE REAL LEMONADE?

It's really easy just make sure you use freshly squeezed lemon juice—never that bottled stuff which is really gross.)

3 cups water + 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice + 1/2 to 3/4 cup of white sugar. (Half a cup is what Mom used, but most people today think that's too tart so adjust as needed.) Fresh mint leaves if you have them.

Add the water and juice to a tall pitcher. Stir well. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Serve over ice with a crushed mint leaf on top. Drink and enjoy.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Have a glass of real lemonade while you read a summertime book. May I suggest ROMEO AND JUDY ANNE? 

Can good girls ever win? High school principal Judy Anne Palmer doesn't think so. She was always a good girl who never did an impulsive, rebellious thing. Ever. And look where it got her! Stuck in a life she hates. One night in Dallas, she rebels against...everything! That may end up being the biggest scandal that ever hit her little Texas town.  

Reviews: "I can't recommend this story enough. The characterization is deep and the end as satisfying as the reader could hope for." and "I just adored Roman/Romeo. Perfect hero material, hot, rich and a lovely guy."—Loves Reading

ROMEO AND JUDY ANNE is available only on Kindle, but it will be available wide by the end of August. Sign up for my free newsletter below and you'll know when this book can be found at all the other ebook sellers plus you'll receive exclusive content, book news, and other book bargains.

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Beach Book Weather by Joan Reeves

Yes, it's that time of year when you can find beach books as plentiful as grains of sand on a beach.

Just who invented the fun reading known as Beach Books?

According to Katy Waldman in a New Yorker article, "The Invention of the Beach Read," railroads and steamships made travel easy and those who worked in the city had enough income to abandon the city and escape to coastal towns during the summer.

With the advent of these summer escapes to the coast, book publishers created special book lists for affluent vacationers and. promoted them as summer reads.

Proper reading material at that time was serious literature and nonfiction which meant that those publishers who targeted the monied society‑folk succeeded in changing the perception of reading fiction which was previously considered vulgar and tasteless. 

What better to read at the beach than a novel set at a beach? May I suggest Deceptively Yours, a

sizzling HOT second chance romantic suspense full of surprises.

You'll be captivated by the passionate romance, the intriguing mystery, and the thrilling suspense.

I'll confess that I'll take a wonderful romance with a happily ever after any day of the year, not just in the summer. 

I find Romance is the optimistic genre.

What do you think?

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10 Reasons to Love June by Joan Reeves

Purple hibiscus gone wild in my back yard.

Good morning! Yesterday was my monthly blog date, but I was so busy this past weekend with Father's Day hoopla that I simply forgot.

So today is my better late than never post.

We left home at sunrise to drive to our country house. (Yes, I actually managed to get up before the crack of dawn—not an easy feat for me since I've grown accustomed to sleeping in.)

Since I was able to get myself up and out the door by 6:20, I may try to make that the norm. I could certainly get more done that way.

We left early in order to beat the thunderstorms forecast for today. The landscape of rolling hills, grassy meadows, longhorns, and ancient oaks always is a delight. As we rolled along, I thought of how June is the final gateway before we move into the furnace of summer. I love this month, and here's why.

REASONS I LOVE JUNE

1.  The summer wildflowers covering the roadsides, climbing up the hills and down into the valleys of the highways.

2. June has the longest daylight hours in this part of the world, and that means there are more waking hours to accomplish more. I seem to have llived the last few years in a constant state of "running behind" so I'm always trying to get more done.

3. June is beach weather at its best. It's gloriously warm, but not scalding hot like July. Head to the beach, camp out under the stars, be lazy in the sunshine without burning up.

4. The smell of coconut-scented sunscreen. Wow. Does that bring back memories of the days when I thought nothing of wearing a bikini on the beach. I miss those days—mostly I miss my bikini body. *LOL*

5. Making ice cream out on the porch with the hand-cranked ice cream freezer. The lazy afternoons of sitting outside and taking turns with the hand-crank ice cream freezer. That will give you defined arms!

6. Lying on a patio lounger and seeing "images" in the marshmallow-puffy clouds.

7. Sitting on the front patio here and watching the sunset—complete technicolor. No mosquitoes here in the country.

8. The Watermelon Festival in Luling, Texas. 

9. Floating the river at Seguin, Texas, where the Guadalupe and Comal Rivers converge. Beautiful, cool and peaceful.

10. Reading outdoors. There's just something so satisfying about lying on a lounger, sitting in a porch swing, or sprawling in a hammock while reading. The weather is generally mild so all you need is a comfy place outside and a good book.

POSTSCRIPT

If you're looking for a good book to read outdoors, try Deceptively Yours, a sizzling HOT romantic suspense full of surprises and second chances.

Meet Declan Moran, and be captivated by the passionate romance, the intriguing mystery, and the thrilling suspense. 

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Plum Busy by Joan Reeves

My apologies for posting this mid-morning. I'm just tired. *LOL*

We're at our house in the country because the 4 Methley plum trees are ready to pick.

A Methley plum is the size of crabapples and are a deep crimson on the inside. Sweet? OMG, they should be named sugar plums. 

We started yesterday and will finish today—I hope because I'm really tired.

Funny how many muscles are used in picking fruit that aren't normally used in day to day activity.

WALKING IN THE COUNTRY

Even though we're tired from yesterday's fruit picking, we went walking down the country lanes this morning.

We left at 7:15, and the air was crisp and smelled so fresh and clean. No noise of morning rush hour traffic intruded. We heard only doves cooing and song birds tuning up.

Indian Blankets by vafamilyof3, Pixabay.

We walked down the hill from our house and took a couple of lanes that basically made a big loop around our place.

A slight breeze kept us company as we walked through the quiet countryside.

All the wildflowers that begin in mid-spring and continue until fall are blooming.

Indian blankets, wild pink phlox, black-eyed Susans, and evening primrose all grow together in the fields around our house, creating a landscape that's breathtaking.

Even the tall stalks of the bull nettles are pretty as long as you don't touch the thorny things.

Our morning walk worked out the stiffness in our muscles so we're going back outside to finish harvesting the plums as soon as I get this uploaded. I should say we'll finish what's ripe. There are stilll green plums on the trees. Another 2 weeks will see them ripened, and we'll again be picking plums.

Black-eyed Susan by BBLDWP, Pixabay.

ZEN OF GARDENING

This may sound like a lot of work to you, but there's something relaxing and soul-fulfilling in gardening and backyard orcharding.

That alone makes the "work" worthwhile. Then there is the taste of something grown in your home garden and/or orchard. Incredibly delicious!

I've never found anything superior or even as good in the produce section of a supermarket—no matter how upscale that might be.

POSTSCRIPT

We just received a call from the collision center that has been repairing our Explorer after it was rear-ended by a Ram pickup on the freeway almost a month ago. It should be ready to be delivered tomorrow.

We found out that the driver of the truck had no license. The truck he was driving did not belong to him. The insurance information he provided to the police and to us was apparently non-existent or faked. It seems to me the police should be doing something about this.

Of course, that means our insurance for uninsured motorists covered our repairs.

Since I've been seeing a lot of online "news" about auto insurance hikes, I wonder if our rate will go up because of our company having to shell out big bucks for repairing our vehicle?

TRUTH

We were lucky since we escaped without injuries. I think our 2016 Ford Explorer was built really well. 

The whole thing could have been much worse. When the truck that hits us "flew" up in the air, it could have crashed down on top of us instead of beside us. I feel blessed.

By the way, several of my books are available "wide" now at most ebook retailers. If you're interested, check out Books2Read-JoanReeves. The books that are available will be clickable. Eventually all will be available there.

Enjoy this beautiful May!

Fondly,

Joan Reeves — https:/www.facebook.com/JoanReevesWrites

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