Summer in Texas

Hi, it's been a while. I've been very busy with my now 18 month old grandchild, Haylee and a whole list of other things.

I want to let you know that Texas isn't a great place to visit in the summer. It's Hot, Hotter and Hottest and this year dry. Well, really dry. The whole state is under burn bans I think. We water the poor plants in hopes they will survive until it cools a bit. That doesn't happen until October, usually. Even the dogs don't want to go outside.

This year we have armadillos and a raccoon to contend with along with the killing heat. But the poor ranchers and farmers are the hardest hit.

So much for the weather. Thank you, who ever invented AC!

Haylee is growing and learning with her 2 year-old cousin here to teach her. She and Bella get along great, but Haylee is more daring than Bella. We expect Haylee to be using the doggy door soon. these two girls are like night and day. Bella is has blond bone straight hair, fair to the point of pale, thin and high maintenance. Haylee is short, chunky, with a riot of light brown curls, tans like a swim instructor and is normally a very happy active child. The girls give us all a run for our money. Thankfully we have three adults to help keep them corralled; Grandpa, Josh the 15 year-old brother of Bella, and myself. I do love having them here to make life interesting.

Renee's dream of having her own business is keeping us very busy. Please take a peek at her websites. ijustfinished.com is a site for readers to share their feelings about books they read. It provides reviews and interviews. Coffee with an Author is a weekly BlogTalkRadio interview that runs on the site starting each Monday at 10 AM CST. There is also an interactive Q&A with an author on the site weekly. One of our reviewers is also highlighted weekly. So lots happening on this site. The forums were pillaged by spammers earlier this year, so a redesign is about to appear on ijustfinished.com. Come by, bring your favorite drink and visit a while.

The newest site is Stimulating Conversation About Your Book, an authors marketing strategies. site. We offer services to authors to help them develop their brand and create the attention necessary to sell more books. The services can be as simple as providing information for the author to implement or as complex as helping them create the design to meet their image and put it all together for them. We can maintain the sites, schedule events, and allow the author time to write. It's an economical cohesive way for authors to become more visible and sell more books.

So the world continues to turn here at Muse's Acres and I try to stay in contact with everyone. More of these services that will cross post would help.

Til I return see you on the computer Mondays at 10 AM CST for Coffee with an Author on BlogTalkRadio.

Setting up new site

I see I've been neglecting this blog. As soon as I get all my different sites compiled into one then it will be easier to stay connected with all of you.

Life at Muses Acres has been busy as we are planning for Spring, even having Spring weather interspersed with Winter. The lettuce is planted and doing very well, soon to have baby lettuce for salads. Peas and beans are sprouting, but will be a while before they bear fruit. I have asparagus to plant. Such a funny plant!

All the wonderful birds are eating us out of house and home. so many this year. It's great!!! The Goldfinches are getting more yellow. A pair of Bluebirds have moved into the new bird house and Killdeer are running in the front of the subdivision. Can spring be far behind?

The grandchildren continue to grow and develop. Josh just had surgery on his long leg to slow its growth, so the other will catch up. He is working hard to rehab his leg so he can get back to gymnastics. His sister, Bella is talking more and more. She will be two in April. Her mother is so glad Bella is getting words, so much better than whining and pointing. Hope her mother feels the same when Bella becomes a motor mouth! But Bella is a cute kid! Her cousin, Haylee is getting taller, catching up with her weight. Haylee is a year behind Bella, but they play well together. Haylee is learning the fine are of walking. It is killing ever adult's back, as she enjoys walking everywhere. Her crawling is still not there. Maybe she will just walk? Oh, dear I better get in shape to catch her!

That's about all I can think of for now. Check out my BlogTalkRadio Show Coffee with an Author Mondays at 10AM CST or go to www.ijustfinished.com to hear it and look over the great site. Vote on the radio shows as well.

Moving website

I'm in the process of relocating all my websites on to one site with subdivisions. With any luck this will make it all easier to keep postings current and more interesting.

So watch for changes.

Kissing Cousins Bella and Haylee

Haylee is five months old and Bella is a year older, but they love each other. In a couple of months Haylee will be ready for chocolate pudding, too. Then we'll have to hose them both off. Bella really wants Haylee to play more. They do have fun together.

Other great news Haylee has two fronth teeth. They can through together.

Muses Acres is shifting into winter mode, but we do plan to have a winter garden this year. The hummingbirds were plentiful and fun to watch this year. Many have left but we still have about four around.

We have gotten Muses Acres designated as a Wildlife Refuge. We have all the required needs for all kinds of wildlife. I need to put up a sign so they will know to come to our place!

Right now I'm visiting in Noth Carolina. Never been to this area before, but love the trees and the mild weather. More later. maybe even some pictures.

September Visitors

Don't you just love these flying jewels. I wonder if they are running from Ike? We are all awaiting his arrival, but can't help enjoying the current beauty.

Muses acres has been a busy place of late as we work on the fall gardening and keeping the plants alive because the calendar says fall and the temperatures say summer and drought. Staying in the 90's until Ike appears, atleast.

The team of ijustfinished.com has been madly at work adding new features, authors and making the site more informative accessible and fun. I have been working to improve our Coffee with an Author interviews and now have a new Skype set-up with head-set to do the interviews. You can call in during the interview (1-646-716-6792) or listen to the archeived shows. BlogTalkRadio is a neat program and great fun.

The web offers so much information and activities that it is hard to limit yourself to just a few. This is a problem for me because I want to do more than I have time for. (Especially now with a four month old grandchild to care for.)

September Visitors

Slow Blogger

I can't believe it has been so long since I've visited here to talk with you. I guess there have been so many things happening in my life that I just have been talking in my head instead of talking to you.

Let's see where I left off in this crazy life. There have been major changes in the living arrangements here. My daughter(Renee), her 14 year old son(Josh) and one year old daughter (Bella) have moved out (sort of) and moved in with her boyfriend (they plan to marry). The moving is a slow process that takes time as she finds ways to mesh both households into one. Renee and Jeremy are working very hard to get her website redesigned and up. It is amazing to me how much work it takes to make a site look great and work. Sure looks easy from the front end!

My son, Tommy has been caring for his 3 month old daughter (Haylee), so the mother can get some housing things arranged. Two days ago she found out that her 3 year old has chicken pox! So for now the baby is staying clear of the household. I love having her here, but I get very little done since I just carry her around. She is at the cuddly stage that just doesn't last long enough. Bella ia just over a year old and sooo independent that cuddling is often not on her agenda.

I'm currently reading the book that Gary (my husband) and I sort-of co-wrote. I added recipes and one section, so now I'm correcting, reviewing and adding stuff. I sent a proposal out to an agency but have heard nothing. So it's time to send out some more. It is a fun book.

As for my book I have mixed feelings; maybe I'll self publish and just use as part of programs or maybe I'll send it out to a specialty publisher due to the way I'd like it presented. I just don't know there are so many books on this topic out there now. The last couple I've reviewed have been good.

The weather in Texas is typical Hot and Dry today, tomorrow, yesterday and any other day you chose. That means I must take time out to do some watering of the poor flowers and garden. Keeping clean water for the birds is also part of my chores. The hummingbirds are delighted with fresh nectar and even the squirrels raid the bird feeders just after I fill them. But it is so beautiful here by the pond it's hard to leave for any reason.

My radio show was fun tonight. It was about sexuality and aging. Matt was there as the main host and he had a Masters student as the guest. This was the student's area of study (she was all of 24!). She will have much more insight in another 30 years. Of course, by then there will be a pill to make everyone sexually functional and beautiful. In truth the student did a great job and it was a lot of fun. Her boss even sent her a text message that she was doing a great job. How nice is that!

I'm considering doing a podcast on the health topics I work on. But again there are so many out there by big names like Mayo, John Hopkins etc. Guess I'll continue to investigate the possibilities.

The Armadillo Hunts continue nightly. We are losing! So far one opossum and one raccoon have been caught. One very speedy armadillo was seen but escaped. Nightly we get more holes and dug up garden areas. Life in the country is great fun!

Almost time for the news - we have to watch the weather!
Hot, Hotter, Hottest,
Dry, Dryer, Dryest,
for the next seven days - welcome to Texas Summers!