CSA and Me

Scientists and epidemiologists insist, pretty much across the board, that the pandemic isn’t over and I trust science. I understand that the more people who #stayhome the greater our chance of eliminating the virus. Or at least buying us time until there is a treatment or a vaccine. Consequently, I’m not going anywhere—for the most part.

I’ve had to take the dogs to the vet. I’ve had to go to renew my license. And I took a drive around the block for curbside pickup of a couple of Cafe Mochas because my partner was going a little stir crazy. I wore lined masks for every outing, kept interactions brief, kept an appropriate social distance, and only left the house for necessities. Starting this week, however, I have to pick up my CSA.

My bounty for Week 1. Yum!

CSA. Community Supported Agriculture. This is a program that supports local farms. You buy “shares”, which gives the farm money to buy seeds and other supplies in advance of the season. In return, you get a “share” of the farm’s yield.

I am now obligated to go out into the world every week to pick up my farm shares. A part of me wonders what the heck I was thinking. My partner and I buy into CSAs because we support local farming, largely because I know the vital role they play in our food chain. I think corporate farming is a bad idea, but I’ll save that for another post. (In case you’re interested, this is a pretty good article.)

It’s a risk, I know, going out every week. But sometimes, you have to take risks, or as my mother would have said, “put your money where your mouth is”.

Huh. I just realized that I’m doing that quite literally.

Time is Moving Weirdly. Or is it just me?

A serene beach with the shade of a palm tree.

I’ve been home with my partner since March 13, except for a very anxiety-riddled visit to the vet (no contact delivery and pick up of my pooches) and a quick stop at Dairy Queen (we were RIGHT THERE. Don’t judge me.) For the first month, I was in a fog. Panicked all the time. Unable to sleep or eat. Obsessive. Hypochondriacal.

Thankfully, it did eventually end. Then I became focused on being productive. WRITE. CLEAN. ORGANIZE. Work on the yard. Get arts and crafty. There are days that I am very productive.

There are also days when I get up, have a cup of coffee, glance at the clock—and it’s 3:30PM. Then suddenly it’s 9:00PM. Then 11:00PM. What the hell?

I have a few guesses about what happens. Sometimes, it’s a social media time suck. Sometimes it’s a Netflix binge. Or more likely, my to-do list is SO BIG I wander around my house unsure of where or how to start.

The consequence is that I accomplish nothing on those days. Zilch. In fact, it’s all I can do to drag my exhausted for no reason self to bed. Fortunately, I found a fix for it. I pick ONE thing that I MUST accomplish each day, instead of my usual multi-item list. I nearly always do more, but when I don’t, I can still look back on the day and feel good about it.

Does this weird passing of time ever happen to you? How do you deal with it?

By the way, this beautiful picture here has nothing to do with what I’m writing about today. It just makes me happy. I hope it makes you happy, too.

It's Okay. It is.

A cup of tea…and a moment of peace.

There are so many unimaginable things going on around us today. It is difficult to take it all in, let alone focus on it for extended periods of time. It saddens me to know that several of my friends feel guilty about not being able to watch the news all day, or go to every rally, or even stay on FaceBook and chat with their friends about world events.

But it’s okay. It really is. You don’t have to overload yourself with news to the point of hopelessness or stress. You DESERVE to binge-watch Cloak & Dagger and lose yourself in their quest. You are WORTHY of the respite that comes from taking a long walk, or sitting in nature watching the birds. And you are entitled to give your self a break, make a cup of tea (or the beverage of your choice) and escape inside a book.

So take a step back from the insanity and find a few new reads. Here are some free (or pretty cheap). Just click on the picture.

Be well.

Myth and Magic, Free EBooks for Fantasy Lovers

Sexy Short Reads, EBooks $4.99 and Below

Welcome to My World, free fantasy and SciFi EBooks

Taking Care of Ourselves

We’re all talking about the effects of isolation on our mental health.  One of the suggestions experts are making is to start a journal.  The theory seems to be that this is such an unusual time and circumstance we would value a record in the future.  That sounds like a wonderful idea.  I wish I had been able to do that.

But the pandemic and social isolation/social distancing have had the opposite effect on me. I’ve kept a journal for most of my life.  During stressful times in the past, I have written up to 10 pages a day dealing with the circumstance.  Journaling this spring should have been easy.  I am, after all, a writer.

Since early March, it has been difficult for me to “orient to time”.  I do clearly understand day-to-day events but often not the exact date. Time compresses, too. I often can’t remember if something happened last week or the week before. My sleeping has become erratic as well. At least twice a week I find myself still awake at 5 am, with the sun peaking over the horizon

Yesterday, I picked up my journal because I thought it had been a few days since I had written.  The last entry was April 3rd. My new plan is to follow Julia Cameron’s recommendation for Morning Pages. This means writing for three pages, longhand, in the style of stream of consciousness. The idea is to do this first thing in the morning to have a clear mind for the day.  

I don't want to. But I will. It will help me keep track of time. It will also enable me to discharge some of my anxiety on the page.

I also found a few things that really help me to reign in my uneasiness. Besides writing, I find deep breathing to be helpful. The Calm app is for iOS devices is a goto for me, There are options that you can get if you pay for them, but the breathing exercises are free (so far) and they really help. Calm Of course, the master of breathing exercises is Dr. Andrew Weil. You can find his exercises here: Dr.Weil

If that sounds too boring to you, many places are offering virtual tours. I find it pretty meditative to watch an aquarium, or meander through a museum. Here are a couple of links to explore. YOu might find something to take you away from your worries, if only for a little while.

Best Virtual Tours According to Goodhousekeeping

Best Virtual Tours According to Town and Country Magazine

How are you managing? Be well. Stay safe. #stayhome if you can #washyourhands

The New Binge #stayhomesavelives

As I mentioned last week, I’ve been isolating due to the pandemic. I’ve finished ALL the baking series. I’ve finished all the supernatural series that seem worth watching. I’ve seen all the comedy specials that looked hilarious. So now what?

Yay! Webinars!

Webinars

I know, right? But today alone I’ve watched several. One on writing, one on marketing, another on relationships, and still another on COVID-19. (That one was particularly informative.)

Given that many of us are isolating at home, companies are showcasing their wares through offering free opportunities to learn something, see something, or do something. Occasionally there’s a sales pitch involved but not always. And there is something for everyone.

I admit I often learn about them from a newsletter I subscribe to. But you can easily find them. A quick google search found a host of opportunities.

webinars for writers

webinars for librarians

webinars for artists

webinars for librarians

webinars for gardening

It’s a simple google search “Webinars for—” whatever. Try it and see. Oh—here’s a list of several about Earth Day. You’re welcome.

Webinars about/for Earth Day

Staying Home is the Greater Part of Valor: What are you doing with YOUR time?

Hi there. How’s your new normal going?

Cup of coffee sitting by a laptop. Credit: DepositPhotos

Much respect to the teachers who are battling it out, trying to teach online when many have never done so. Make no mistake, teaching an online class well is harder than teaching an on-ground class. Of course, if you aren’t diligent or don’t care, it could be a breeze, I suppose. But dedicated teachers want their students to learn, and want to bring them a little bit of normalcy in this difficult time.

As for me, I am staying at home as much as possible—the exceptions being going to the grocery store and the pharmacy. I’m in a high risk group, and so are people I love, so staying in is the better part of valor..

Always a bit of a loner, I’m surprisingly okay with this. I’m teaching myself how to use a graphic design program. I’m taking an online course in publishing. I’m coloring. Lots of coloring. (It’s a pretty addictive app.) I’m binge-watching Netflix and Amazon Prime offerings, like the Great British Baking Show, Black Lightening, Happy (LOVE Christopher Meloni), comedy specials, and a couple of really bad horror movies. Like Revenge of the Were Rooster.

Yeah. Don’t ask.

Then there are house projects. I reorganized my office and rearranged my living room. I’m also writing. In fact, April is Camp Nano, where I pledge to write at least 20,000 words this month.

But enough about me. If you are a first responder, medical personnel, nonprofit employees, or you work in a drug store or grocery or restaurant or deli…THANK YOU. One lesson many are learning and that I’ve always known is that YOU are the backbone of our society. Not the corporations, not the government. You. You have my unending gratitude.

How is everyone else doing? I’d love to hear how you’re spending the time. If you have a Netflix recommendation, I’d love to hear that too.

Be safe. Be well.

All Creatures Can Celebrate Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day is a day created for lovers. You might think it would be a romance writer’s favorite holiday.  Candy, flowers, and wine sales are booming.

But humans aren’t the only creatures that can celebrate. What about the paranormal community?  What are they supposed to do? Vampires never drink—Well, at least not wine. And candy is iffy. Toffee and jellied fruits, or gummies and other confections could create tooth and other dental problems in several species.  

I bet paranormal creatures have their own traditions when it comes to Valentine’s Day.  I imagine it would look like this:

• Vampires—Blood in a heart shaped bag might make a nice gift.

• Shifters could enjoy a picnic (steak sandwiches?) and a moonlight run.

• Dragons—Ah, gold jewelry would do the trick.

• Witches may appreciate a beautiful journal for spell books.

• Incubi—These feast on lust and other emotions, so perhaps a weekend  at a honeymoon hotel would be exquisite. 

In my story Indigo Dreams, you get a peek at how one wraith spent his Valentine’s Day.  Sign up for my VIP Reader email list here and get your free copy! 

Handyman? Handy Woman

For reasons still unknown, the handle to my storm door stopped working and locked me inside my house. In order to open the door, I had to take the entire mechanism off. I’m pretty sure I did not remove it according to specifications as a hammer and crowbar were my primary tools. Once removed, there was no hope of the handle working ever again but YAY, I did get the door to open.

Today, I went to the hardware store and purchased a replacement lock with a plan to install it. I think the manufacturer was either playing a horrible joke, or assumed that only experienced door handle repair people would try to install the product because THERE WERE NO WORDS in the instructions. No description of the parts included in the package or their use. No directions as to how to put it together. Just pictures. Vague, confusing pictures.

I was on my own.

The process was ugly. It took me 60 full minutes trying to figure out how to get the little plastic doohickey onto the rectangular metal thingy before it occurred to me the pairing wasn’t meant to be. I tossed out the doohickey. The next issue was figuring out which of the eighteen screws provided were supposed to be inserted in the SIX available holes—which, of course, didn’t line up with the holes already in my door.

Enter the my friend the hammer.

Three hours and a box of unused parts later, my door handle is in and working. The door opens, closes, and locks. More importantly, there’s a pretty hefty metal door backing it up.

Next on the Handy Woman List? A new doorbell.

Where’s my crowbar?

Three Ways to Sabotage Your Resolutions

Admit it. You made a New Year’s resolution or two. Like so many of us, you looked back at last year and found things you wished you’d accomplished, or want to do differently in the upcoming year. “I want to lose weight.” “We need to save money.” “I’m going to hit the gym/relax more/pay off my debt.”

Although we set out determined to achieve our objectives, often our energy and focus quickly start to fade. We get in our own way, sabotaging our progress well before we’ve really gotten started. Here’s how:

1. Our intentions are vague. If we don’t know precisely what we want to accomplish and when we want to accomplish it, we won’t recognize when we’re done or whether or not we’ve been successful. How much weight do you want to lose? What amount of money do you need to save? By when? 

Being specific gives us a clear target and offers clues as to how much effort we need to achieve it. Wanting to lose 20 pounds requires a very different level of effort than losing 50 lbs. For most of us, saving $100 is not quite the same as saving $1000. 

Make sense?

2. The goal is too big. We all start off excited and filled with energy to make our vision real. If we don’t see progress, our motivation starts to evaporate. It gets exhausting to keep doing something you’re failing at. For example, paying off your credit cards is a good idea, but you can chip away at it for an extended period of time and not see any progress. 

It’s important to break big goals and resolutions into smaller pieces that can be accomplished and celebrated. Pay that credit card down $250. Woohoo! Next step, $500! When we achieve these smaller goals, we feel great about what we’ve done and are motivated to keep going. 

Still with me? Here’s the third and final mistake.

3. We don’t have a plan. Sure, I bet you can think of something you or someone you know accomplished successfully without a plan, and that’s awesome. When that happens, however, it’s because of enormous amounts of trial and error,  reworking, and luck. Do you really want to rely on the possibility of those stars falling into alignment? Wouldn’t it be better to increase the probability of achieving your goal?

When you don’t have a plan, you can waste a lot of time, energy, and resources, and it isn’t likely you’ll succeed. When you have a well thought out plan, it increases your chance for success. If you want to lose weight, you might have to do some research about how many calories to eat each day, and what foods are best for you. With this knowledge, you can create an action plan we call a menu. If you want to save money, you need to determine how much you want to save and develop the plan—the budget—that can tell you how much to set aside each time you get paid and what, if anything, you might have to sacrifice. 

You’ll be able to keep your resolutions if you are specific about what you want to do, break it into smaller chunks that will help you to stay motivated, and develop a doable action plan. I know this works—it’s how I wrote and sold my first book.

Good luck with your resolutions. You got this!

The Busiest Time of the Year—and Free Stories!

It’s a hectic time of year, isn’t it? For me, it starts at Thanksgiving, really gets rolling at grading time, and then barrels through Christmas and New Years Day.

Except for grading, it’s mostly fun. Decorating the trees and the house. Holiday crafting. Making cookies. Oh, and people watching at the mall. Good times.

It’s also time to do some reading and relaxing. In case you’re looking for some new books and stories, here are a few promotions—Click on the picture. Happy Holidays!

Enjoy! Happy Holiday and Happy Reading!

Dress Up Dress Down Wednesday with Kris Bock!

Join me in welcoming Kris Bock to Living After Midnight!

My heroine is opening a cat café offering fancy coffee drinks, homemade baked goods, and the chance to play with rescue cats (and maybe even adopt one). She normally wears jeans and T-shirts, since she'll be scooping kitty litter. She does sometimes dress a little nicer: 

She had yet to decide if she preferred meeting vendors in person to talking to them on the phone. On the one hand, you made closer connections in person, and it seemed to leave less room for misunderstandings. She got to study the items she needed to order, to judge quality. But on the phone, she could try to drop her voice a bit and maybe they’d think she was older. In person, people often thought her even younger than 24. She put on makeup for meetings, and even wore skirts and heels, but that didn’t seem to help. She probably looked like a little girl playing dress-up.

This gets into trouble though. She comes into the café after a vendor meeting. Her sister, Marley, is in the kitchen talking to Colin, the man Kari thinks her sister should like. Kari pauses to spy on them, hoping to hear signs of romance. Turns out they're talking about her. 

She considered dropping to the floor, crawling to the door, and pretending she’d just arrived. 

That was ridiculous. More specifically, it would be ridiculously embarrassing if she got caught. Better to keep going to her office, close that door quietly, and hope that when they realized she was in the building, they wouldn’t guess when she’d entered.

Her shoes squeaked on the floor. She froze.

Marley said, “Someone needs to teach that girl how to have fun.”

Kari stepped out of her pumps, crouched to grab them, and crept forward.

Domino wound between her legs and meowed loudly, annoyed that she was ignoring him.

Had the voices from the kitchen stopped? 

Kari rushed the last few feet to her office. She reached her closed door and turned the handle. The door opened with a creak. Had it always made that noise?

In the main room, a cat yowled, and another hissed back amidst the quick sounds of scuffling.

Kari leapt over the child gate. Her foot caught. She grabbed at the swinging door. Her shoes flew out of her hand and across the room, landed with a clatter, and skidded under her desk. 

She’d forgotten she was wearing a skirt that restricted her movement.

Poor Kari! Some of us shouldn't try to dress up. I'm one of those people. A few days ago, I went to a friend’s house to soak in the hot tub. In the dark, I missed a step off the back porch and sprained my ankle. Imagine the damage I could do to myself in heels! Good thing I live in New Mexico, and our fashion standards aren't high. 

Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café: A Furrever Friends Sweet Romance

 What do you do when you meet the guy of your dreams? Set him up with your sister, of course.

Kari doesn't have time for love when she's opening her new cat café. Renovating an old restaurant, hiring employees, fighting with the health inspector – oh, and welcoming 16 shelter cats – keeps her plenty busy. She's doing this for the cats, the community, and most of all her family. The café will give her sister, Marley, a job worthy of her baking skills.

Then a tattooed military vet wanders in claiming to be a master baker himself. The café doesn't need another baker, but maybe Marley needs a man. Surely she'll fall for a guy this sweet, this sexy, this tasty.

Colin has other ideas. It's Kari who makes him want to pour on the sugar and turn up the heat. But he's spent the last two years recovering from physical and psychological wounds. Is he really ready for a relationship? He's not even sure he should commit to Samson, the fluffy marshmallow of a cat who steals his heart.

Get this sweet romance on Amazon, or free with Kindle Unlimited.

Kris Bock writes novels of romance, mystery, and suspense. Her Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. Watch as they fall in love with each other and shelter cats. 

Kris also writes romantic suspense set in the Southwestern U.S. If you love Mary Stewart or Barbara Michaels, try Kris Bock’s stories of treasure hunting, archaeology, and intrigue in the Southwest. Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page. Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.

Kris Bock website

Kris Bock Blog: The Southwest Armchair Traveler

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Sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter

#Review: The Good Place

Sometimes, entertainment comes from the most unexpected places.

When I saw a promo for The Good Place, I thought there was no way it could be anything but stupid. I continued on, hopping around #Neflix and as is often the case, 247 clicks later I hadn’t found anything that I wanted to see. Desperate, I took a deep breath and returned to The Good Place. I’m glad I did.

The premise of the series is that after we die, we experience one of two possibilities: We either go to The Bad Place and endure a hell made especially for us, or we go to The Good Place where whatever we desire is available to us. The story centers around Eleanor, convincingly played by Kristen Bell. She lands in The Good Place, only to realize she is there by mistake. Ted Danson also plays a pivotal role, but it is an ensemble cast with no weak players.

To my great surprise, the show is Laugh Out Loud funny. The humor is witty, with a humorous take on the human condition. I laughed because I could relate. It is also an emotional journey, with characters who are flawed, broken, with deep wounds that impact their choices and their beliefs more than they have realized. Moreover, the story arcs are creative and unexpected in that, “ did that really just happen” sort of a way, while still being true to the characters personalities.

I hope Netflix renews the series. I’m already addicted. 5/5 Stars