I should be writing

January 18, 2025

I should be writing. Blogging is writing, but I should be writing a BOOK. The current WIP is in the last stages, but instead of concentrating on that, I'm moping around the house, bemoaning the lack of sunshine and the impending winter storm and the approaching polar vortex. 

I'm not exaggerating. I'm moping. So is Deuce. The sky is dropping an unwelcome wintery mix on us and we can't get outside for longer than it takes for Deuce to do the necessary things a dog does outside. Neither of us like to get rained on when the rain is cold. Summer rain is another matter. 

What am I moping about besides the weather, which I can't change? The weather covers it. That and the fact that mid-January is far too early to start even begonia cuttings for the 2025 garden. I might have taken the risk if I hadn't let one of my big plants "go" last fall. I brought in the largest red which will be more than sufficient for my starting needs this year. Now I wish I'd kept both of them. There's not much bleaker than a dead plant on the porch.  

I can't even order anything from Amazon because if it does drop another five inches of snow on my area, there's no way a VAN can get up the hill to deliver. I'll have to wait until Monday to place an order. 

Have you ever brushed a Labrador Retriever inside the house????  I groomed Deuce in the middle of the living room this morning. He was appreciative of getting brushed (he loves it), getting his belly scratched (he loves it), and unappreciative of getting his nails trimmed (he loves it not so much). Good Lord! I could stuff a pillow with all the fur. It seems early for him to be shedding, but he is. 

Mid-January is a good time to plan for a good rest. I'm going to keep that firmly in mind for next year. After the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, January is going to become my "rest" month. I will organize and plan as much of the work here on my little manor so that next January can be all about rest, relaxation, and (w)riting. 

No scheduling of dental or doctor appointments, or oil changes for vehicles. I will allow one day, if necessary, to bring firewood to the house. Lunches with friends, or the pastor, will be on the spur of the moment according to the weather. January will be the time to plan the garden from the comfort of my recliner. I'll make project lists for the summer instead of trying to get small projects done. I will deliberately rest. 

And I'm going to rest for a space of time after I get this WIP finished. It's time I take time and clear my mind of some of those lingering thoughts about the events of 2024 that haven't allowed me to truly rest. 

If it seems like taking an intentional rest, or break, is counter-intuitive, I get it. I really do. But I think if I know that next January will be ME time, I'll be able to complete both writing projects and home projects in a more timely fashion. 

That's the part of the plan. I even put it on my day calendar and online calendar. We'll have to see how it goes.

PS. Check back because the cover for the WIP will be debuted soon! 

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@KCKendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary romance, GLBT gay romance, Kindle romance, m/m romance, writers on writing, being intentional, organization, planning. winter weather

Baby, it's cold outside - but toasty warm inside!

December 7, 2024

Can I complain about winter coming early? Of course, I can. Baby, it's cold outside! They say December 1 is the beginning of meteorological winter, but this shit is for real! 

It was 28F at 6:00 AM, and the temp has finally gotten above freezing at 10:45 AM. All the hard work cutting and splitting firewood is paying off. My house is toasty warm without using the electricity to run the heat pump. That's why me and the cousin use firewood. We're both tight as hell...er... I mean frugal.  

Living rural as I do, I watch and track our microclimate. Our recent temperatures are much colder than our usual Decembers. In fact, the temps are more in line with January. I know this is fact because I track the weather on my desk calendar, and carry that info forward each year. It's especially valuable as gardening season approaches. Yes, it's time to think about the 2025 garden and what it will look like for a single me.

Things outside are at a standstill here at the manor. Weather this cold means me and Deuce are limiting our time outdoors. Yes, he has a thick coat, but his paws can get very cold. He's just weeks short of nine years old and the last thing I want is for the cold to seep into his joints. I'll give him an aspirin if necessary, but why purposefully cause him a problem? I've noticed he likes sleeping on the soft bed more than on the floor beside my desk these days. 

How is it I'm suddenly wanting to map out and plan future activities? The days are shorter and give us less sunshine, and the cold weather should have me hibernating but I'm not. I'm staying home, but I'm active inside (as much as possible) and ideas that will prevent me from becoming one with my recliner fill my head. I think this is a good thing. 

I think about Ron a lot, but living in the past isn't healthy. I'll never forget or regret the thirty years we spent together, but I've been taking more baby steps forward lately. Maybe come spring, my steps will be longer. 

    _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@KCKendricks

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

 _*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance, m/m romance, rural living, country lifestyle, winter weather,  single living, LGBT romance, 

Surprise snow

December 4, 2019

Being that it's the fourth of December, waking up to find snow on the ground should not be a surprise, but this morning it was. Deuce didn't seem to mind, though. He bounded outside when I opened the door and took off at a run up the hill. He'd spotted a buck, almost invisible against the hillside. 

Last evening, while The Curse of Oak Island was on television, I looked at my weather apps. I didn't see a thing about snow, hence my surprise. I joined the dog for our morning stroll and the wonderment of every snowfall seeped into my awareness. 

It also struck me it was a coincidence of epic proportions the current work-in-progress starts out with our ex-lovers getting snowed-in together - another epic coincidence, but hey. I'm writing fiction. Let's just run with it for now. 

I've always wanted to name my little slice of the planet. My mother always called her home Tranquility Hill. Not exactly fitting for my small estate. As Deuce and I meandered in and out the lane, at a snail's pace so he could sniff and do all his dog things, it struck me. Five Holly Manor. 

Five Holly Manor. There were no holly trees planted on the property. They sprouted and grew on their own, the seeds likely carried in by birds. Maybe just Holly Manor. I'll have to think about that. 

This was the best kind of snowfall. No lasting accumulations and no driving hazards. Just a nice dusting of white that highlighted the trees and made my dog happy. 

Some days, you can't ask for more. 

KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com
www.tritter.com/kckendricks
www.facebook.com/kckendricks
www.pinterest.com/kckendricks

Cover reveal - A Perfect Hire by KC Kendricks

February 10, 2018

Greetings from wet western Maryland! Snow, ice, rain. Gotta love living in the Mid-Atlantic region. 

I suppose the winter weather inspired me to get to work on A Perfect Hire. You've heard the phrase, "when hell freezes over." Well, hell froze over. That's the only explanation I can give for my decision to re-release this book. 

That and fact that since I've undone all the "editing" done at a publisher-who-will-not-be-named, the book is back to its original vision and story. 

The cover turned out okay. I've made better. I've made worse. This one is okay. I wanted to keep it simple with a store/shop background and a guy. And since the guy is hired to work in a specialty shop that sells coffee and wine, it was appropriate to have a cup of coffee and a glass of wine by his side. It works for me. 

The big question? When is the story going live? Probably February 24 or 25. I know it won't be on February 18. That's the day of the Daytona 500. Priorities, you know. 

ABOUT A PERFECT HIRE

Shopkeeper Chris Douglas traveled the world as a tour guide. He settled in New York City, and turned his love of coffees and wines from around the world into a thriving specialty business. He enjoys meeting new people and his small emporium just off Bleecker Street brings all sorts through his door. After he falls off a ladder, Chris tapes a “help wanted” sign on the door and hopes it will attract the right person.

Eric Todd is at loose ends after the company he worked for changed hands and he was let go. He can get by financially, but with too many hours to fill in a day, he’d like a part-time job to keep busy. When he spies the hand-drawn sign on the door of The Corked Bean, he goes inside to check out the store, and the sexy proprietor.

The two men hit it off and Chris hires Eric on the spot. Now the pay and benefits aren’t as enticing, or satisfying, as the after-hours perks available for the perfect hire.

_*_*_*_*_*_*_

For more information, visit the page for A Perfect Hire here.

KC Kendricks

www.kckendricks.com

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/kckendricks

www.facebook.com/kckendricks

You'll only see this when she's sitting still

January 19, 2017

I found this on my camera. I'd forgotten I'd taken it. You'll only see icicles on this car when it's sitting still. 

Seriously. 

Last Saturday was typical January weather. We had a wintry mix and this is what happened. I thought the row of icicles looked sorta cool, so I shot the pix. They were still there the next day because this car doesn't handle well on icy roads. I stayed home - in the warm and dry. 

Don't misunderstand - the Charger corners on a rail on dry pavement, but the ass end will slide right out from under it on a slick road. 

And that's not the kind of thrill I'm looking for.

KC