On the road again; just can't believe I'll get on the road again....

My friends - I am off to attend a writer's conference. My poor Good Man Roger is so wonderful and supportive; I am lucky and I know it (clap my hands!). I didn't think I could, or should, make this conference since I'd been in Texas so long and had emailed to say I'd not be there after all; however, I've decided that since I'd told people I'd be there, I should honor it, even though I know they'd understand if I couldn't - but....still *smiling*

So, look out for the Boop-mobile again! If you see it, give me a honk and a wave.

I'll be back to say hello and what's happening at the conference, and etc., later.


It's hard to leave my mountain so soon after I've arrived - when I see the mountains become distant, recede in my review or side mirrors, I always become sad and wistful; yes, every time. I always hate to leave my mountains. One day I'm going to be the country granny who never leaves. I'll have my books on the shelf and I"ll look at them and smile, and I'll fold my hands on my lap and I'll be very very very old and all my stories will have been told and all the pages will be filled, and I will be filled. I will be a very old mountain granny, sipping dark black coffee, remembering, smiling a small smile that smooths some wrinkles and makes others - and it is all well and fine. I will eat a tomato and let the juice stain my arm and no one cares, least of all me. My mountain will accept my ashes one day and I will settle in, right into the mountain soil I once walked on with joy. One day, yes, that's true, I will not leave ever again. This makes me smile as I write it.

But, there is the Right Now, the happy side: I will see friends that I love and adore. I will be around writers and readers - library and bookstore - yes...!

I'll leave this thought with you: Today do something for you and only for you. Let me know in the comments what you did ONLY FOR YOU....whether small or large, do something that is for You. Tell me about it so I can smile.

(ps - I wrote this last night to post at 9:AM knowing I was leaving quite early this morning, as I am - it's 4;30 AM -- I'm gathering to leave in a bit, to drive in the mountain dark, the curving roads unseen until I get to them in many cases - it's a strange and eerie beautiful thing - and I will see the sun tip and spill over the mountain ridges - but, I had a dream that this post was already posted and someone commented about what they did for themselves and it was so wonderful! It made an impression on me, enough that I note it, but I can't remember the details at all, darn it! I wonder who you are and what you did, for it brought happiness to more than the one who did for themself...smiling....namaste)

These here are a few of my fav'0'rite things, and they make me feeeeel realll glaaaaaad

My friend Mike made this "wolf's head" arrowhead necklace just for me and I adore it. His wife Tanya is a photographer and one day I'll ask her if she'd like to post some of her beautiful photography here. I believe if you click on the images, they are larger so you can see better.


Fat Lazy Labrador Jake sleeping

morning through my bedroom window and the sun catcher not quite catching the sun

My wolf painting we bought in Waynesville, at the Blue Owl on Main Street. Go see them if you are in WNC!

my "totems" and if you look closely, you'll see Fred the Spider who has taken up residence and whom I leave there and say hello to when I think about it. These came from Asheville's Woolworth Walk - worth the Walk. Except the round bowl shaped item came from a friend who lives in Australia!

My hornet's nest taken from Muse Trail Level Two - abandoned hornests nest - and GMR put it in our living room - I kept it on the limb it was on and he was able to put it up like this, how I wanted it.... so I can see it every day. It's over our television console. Lovely...to me anyway! A part of our mountain.

My rocks in the bowl didn't turn out, so next time. My books were blurry - so next time. They would have been right here:....

And, my good friends "The Hart Theater Regulars" Mark, Christy, Francis, Charles gave me this after my Good Old Girl Kayla, Fat Dog, died....*sob* -- I love this tribute....

and of course, my deep creek blend coffee in one of my favorite mugs sitting on the salt container that I also love. Deep Creek Blend is roasted at Smoky Mountain Roasters in Waynesville: if you are in the area, go there and get some.

So, every so often, I will have a "these are a few of my fave things...." What about you? what are your favorite things? If you post pics of them on your site, let me know and I'll go look! Happy Morning all!

NOTE FROM OUR ANGIE GUMBO WRITER!!!! "I need your thumbs up vote today and tomorrow, and appreciate your continued voting. The contest ends tomorrow night...so please visit this link today and tomorrow and click on the thumbs up under GUMBO WRITER---> " http://bloginterviewer.com/education/gumbo-writer-aka-angie-ledbetter

Who stopped de raiinnnnn......? Don't matter; the cove sopped it up like biscuits and gravy

Last night it rained again. But, I'm happy for the rain. See This Post at our YOG (year of gratitude). We needed rain. The creek is filled again. Despite a tossing and turning beginning, when I opened my eyes this morning, it was already daylight: good, I needed the sleep as much as our creek and cove needed the recent rains -- and Sun now pours into our little log house at Killian Knob. Oh!

Have you met our Fat Lazy Labrador Jake?

Well, Good Man Roger is painting a series of paintings that just make me laugh or smile, or go "awww!" He calls them: Le Chein Rouge. Have you ever seen "the blue dog" paintings? This is GMR's version *teehee* ... Fat Lazy Lab Jake is unfazed by the attention. As my brother Tommy says, "Jake has about one expression..." and he proceeded to show me those "one expressions" ..."Here's happy; here's sad; here's contemplative; here's 'I'm hungry'..." (and those expressions are as you see above) while I laughed...it's true! Unless FLLJ sees someone he thinks is an intruder - oh! Then the sharp white fangs are exposed, the lips drawn back in warning, the low growl: it's quite terrifying to UPS people and other strangers come round the cove. He is a good watcher of the cove and all his domain.

The Le Chein Rouge are at top of this post- and I am not giving them much justice as I took the photos in a hurry (I am the most impatient person...geez). GMR gave these LSU collars, since these are for someone(s) who loves LSU.

I spoke with the most beautiful person yesterday! She has a soft southern accent. Her voice is filled with energy. She is a sincere and thoughtful person. Someone I would feel comfortable around. Hmm, maybe I should use this as a contest to win a book! Every day I'll give a hint and see if y'all can guess who I am talking about *laughing* --unless this person has said something on her blog about how she talked to this weird Kat Mountain Woman who cackles when she laughs and says things like "huhn...." and "Lawd!" and "Well, la tee dah!" teeheehee. We talked about books and writing and publishing, etcetera. I have a hard time talking on the phone - it's weird, but it's hard for me to follow conversations and I sometimes accidentally interrupt - my brain needs to either write conversations, or I need to look at someone in person to follow the convo properly. Huhn. I hope I made any sense at all....haw!

Now, on to Sunday Breakfast; then, I want to come visit you all. It's too late to do anything else with Tender Graces manuscript....in spite of the fact that I woke up at 2:00 AM, was it Friday?, night in a panic and emailed Bellebooks and said "Oh no oh no!" and they said, "oh too late too late!" *laughing* So, that's that. La Tee Dah. Huhn.

UPDATE!: OMG! Just received an email from BB: BelleBooks is the BEST! They did go in and fix that thing I woke up at 2AM worried about - no one would have known what it was, no reader would have known, but it was something I'd wanted to have at the beginning...and they did it! They put that in! Even though they said they couldn't, and I said, "I understand" because it would be extra work and time and etc - but they DID IT! This is the beauty of the small independent press - they love you and work with you. *BIG GRINNING*

Pour me another cup of coffee....

Ah - Here's to Coffee! (Make mine Deep Creek Blend- roasted right here in our little mountain town by Smoky Mountain Roasters).

Yup, the first thing I do is get up, make the bed (I used to be an avid non-bed-maker-upper, but I'm back to the days when my mother didn't let us get by with an unmade bed - no way!), wash the sleepy from my face, put in my contacts, pour my coffee, sit in my leather chair in the little library room where I can see the distant mountain, and sip sip sip rich dark black hot coffee while I open up my laptop and begin ....

What's your morning rituals? And, are you a bed maker upper?

A few of you have already said you like the frienship ball idea; so, I am going to start that friendship ball rolling! I have some things to mail today, so while I'm doing that, and visiting my friendly little mountain post office (I wonder if the twinkly-eyed postman will be there asking me what's in my envelopes?), I'll be sending the friendship ball on the first part of its journey.

And I'm happy because I have books from Bellebooks that they have so generously donated to me for my book give-a-ways! I just opened the box and was excited to see all those beautiful covers, all those beautiful books. I can't wait to see Tender Graces "in the flesh."

So, come by tomorrow and I'll have something here for you to have a chance to get a new book. It may be just something quick and fun.

Kimmi has a guest blogger - go by and have a good laugh!

Later gators....