Nov 29, 2017

Here’s Why Your Pizza Delivery Person Hates You





"Pizza," he said at the brisk knock on the door.
He snatched his wallet off the workbench and, still shirtless and barefoot, went to the door. "Hey, Mike, how's it going?"
"Hanging loose."
The skinny, pimply-faced teenager handed Seth the pizza box. Then his gaze shifted, and he caught sight of Dru. The way his Adam's apple bobbed, the way surprise, interest and envy sped over his young, bumpy face, warned Dru there would be fresh fruit on the grapevine, and it would have her and Seth clustered together.
"Um, hi. Um. Grandma sent you a bunch of napkins and stuff." He shoved the paper bag into Seth's hands as well.
"Great. Tell her thanks. Here you go, Mike. Keep the change."
"Yeah. Well. Um. See you."
"Looks like Mike's got a little crush on you," Seth commented as he booted the door closed.
"I'd say Mike's double-timing it back to Village Pizza so he can spread the word that the artist and the florist are having hot pizza and hot sex."
"I hope he's right. If we're going to make the first part come true, we'd better dig into this." 


Chesapeake Blue



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By U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Bo J. Flannigan - This Image was released by the United States Navy with the ID 040814-N-5781F-033





Delivering pizza isn’t the most glamorous job. Most of the time pizza delivery people are high school or college kids just trying to make a few bucks after school, but some may even be trying to make a more substantial living. They sacrifice their evenings and weekends to hand-deliver your dinner so you can cook less and enjoy life more. Here are all the reasons they might secretly hate you — and how to fix them.



Nov 28, 2017

Forest bathing





Carelessly Jillian tossed her hat aside, then sat on a rock to pull off her boots. 
As her jeans and shirt followed she listened to the sound of a warbler singing importantly of spring and sunshine. 
Black-eyed Susans were springing up at the edge of the grass. The water was deliciously cool. When she lowered herself into it, she could forget about the aches in her muscles, the faint, dull pain in her lower back, and the sense of despair that had followed her out of the west pasture. 
As owner and boss of Utopia, she'd deal with what needed to be dealt with. For now, she needed to be only Jillian. 
It was spring, the sun was warm. If the breeze was right, she could smell the young roses. 
Dipping her head back, she let the water flow over her face and hair.


Boundary Lines


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By User:K.lee - This file was derived fromBierstadt Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, USA.jpg:, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29905576




Forest bathing involves immersing yourself in nature in a mindful way—no nudity required. According to the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (yes, that’s a thing), the benefits are many.






__________________



She didn't splash around but simply drifted quietly so that the water made soft lapping sounds that didn't disturb the birdsong. 
He thought he could see the fatigue drain from her. 
It was the first time he'd seen her completely relaxed without the light of adventure or temper or even laughter in her eyes. 
This was something she did for herself, and though he knew he intruded, he stayed where he was. 


Boundary Lines

Nov 27, 2017

About That Mystery Aircraft Flying Over Oregon





She saw the light race across the sky, and for a moment she was fooled into thinking it might be ball lightning, or perhaps a meteor. But when the sky lit up she caught a vague outline and a quick flash of metal. She stepped forward, into the rain, instinctively narrowing her eyes.


Time Was


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By Kenrick95 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42970080




The FAA, Air Force, and air traffic controllers all confirm something happened that day. But what?



POPULAR MECHANICS



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He took her hand before she could leave the room. "Where did you say we were?"
He looked so concerned that she covered his hand with hers. "Oregon, southwest Oregon, just
over the California border in the Klamath mountains."
"Oregon." The tension in his fingers relaxed slightly. "U.S.A.?"
"The last time I looked." Concerned, she checked for fever again.
He took her wrist, concentrating on keeping his grip light. "What planet?"
Her eyes flew to his. If she hadn't known better, she would have sworn the man was serious.
"Earth. You know, the third from the sun," she said, humoring him.


Time Was

Nov 26, 2017

Home in the Woods Turns Nature Into Art





“Good. The house should be stone and wood, don’t you think?”
His hand was in her hair, just toying with the ends. “This is hardly the spot for vinyl siding.”
“We’ll plant the garden together.”


River's End


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A new house near Lake Michigan has pavilions that frame lush views of the surrounding forest



Nov 24, 2017

American adventures





“Then you're in for a treat.”
He was absolutely right. The long, winding drive in the spectacular T-Bird was joy enough. The little villages they passed through were as scenic as any postcard. The sun dipped down toward the horizon in the west, and the breeze in the open car smelled of fish, then flowers, then sea.
The restaurant was hardly more than a diner, a square of faded gray wood set on stilts in the water, across a rickety gangplank. The interior decoration ran to torn fishnets and battered lobster buoys.
Scarred tables dotted the equally scarred floor. The booths were designed to rip the hell out of pantyhose. A dubious effort at romantic atmosphere was added by the painted tuna can and hurricane globe set in the center of each table. The candles globbed in the base of the cans were unlit. Today's menu was scrawled on a chalkboard hanging beside the open kitchen.
“We got lobster rolls, lobster salad and lobster lobster,” a waitress explained to an obviously frazzled family of four. “We got beer, we got milk, iced tea and soft drinks. There's French fries and coleslaw, and no ice cream 'cause the machine's not working. What'll you have?”


Megan's Mate




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Ansel Adams [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons


From reliving the Wild West to hurtling round a legendary race track to climbing up an American icon, we bring you 33 fabulous American adventures everyone should experience.






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Take a minute, look up there. That's a sight, isn't it?"
Her heart was still beating too fast for comfort, but she looked up. And there, above the ragged shadows of the mountains, hung a full, white moon.
Stars exploded around it, as it someone had loaded a shotgun with diamonds and blasted away. Their light turned the icing of snow on the peaks an eerie blue, and dashed the crevices and gullies into deep, rich shadow.
This, she thought, was what she missed when she allowed nerves to hunch her over, to force her gaze to the ground. And though she might have wished shed had this moment alone, she had to give credit to Lo for making her stop, making her look.
"It's beautiful. The guidebook I bought called the mountains majestic, and I thought no. When I saw them before. I thought not majestic but tough and rugged. But that's how they look now. Majestic."
"There are spots up there that you have to see to believe, and they change, even while you're looking. This time of year, if you go up, stand by the river, you can hear the rocks clack in the spring runoff. Take you on a ride up. Nothing better than seeing the Tetons on horseback." 


Angels Fall





Nov 21, 2017




I'm Thankful for:

Nora's Life and Gift  who fill my life - through her books - with amazing people, dreamy stories and the places  I live in while reading her books.




Happy Thanksgiving!






Nov 20, 2017

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade





"She's upstairs, watching the Macy's parade with Yuri."

"He never misses it. Nothing disappointed him more than when we grew too old to want to sit in his lap and watch the floats."


Taming Natasha



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By Sandra Lemaire / VOA - VOA, 
http://www.voanews.com/content/cheers-greet-giant-balloons-at-macys-thanksgiving-parade/1799824.html, 
Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29910714





These celebrities get just as jazzed about the time-honored tradition as the rest of us.


YAHOO!



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"I'm watching the parade with Papa. He can talk just like Donald Duck, and he lets me sit on his lap."
"I see." Leaning closer, Natasha took a sniff. There was the telltale fragrance of gumdrops lingering on Freddie's breath. "Does he still hog all the yellow ones?"
Freddie giggled, casting a quick, cautious look at her father. Spence had a much different view of gumdrops than Yuri. "It's okay. I like the red ones best."
"How many red ones?" Spence asked her.
Freddie lifted her shoulders and let them fall. It was, Spence noted with some amusement, almost a mirror image of Natasha's habitual gesture. "Not too many. Will you come up and watch with us?" She tugged at Natasha's hand. "It's almost time for Santa Claus."


Taming Natasha

Nov 19, 2017

Accidents Happen






“A lot of good things happen by accident.
If Charles Goodyear hadn’t been clumsy, we wouldn’t have vulcanized rubber.”
“What?”
“Weatherproof rubber—tires, for instance, as in Goodyear. He was trying to figure out how to make rubber weatherproof, dropped this experiment on a stove by accident, and there you go, he made weatherproof rubber.”
Baffled, she rubbed her aching temple.
“I’ve completely lost the point.”
“Not everything has to be planned to work out.”


Obsession



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By Alf van Beem - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24784542



How a Wild Rocket Misfire Created Cape Canaveral



In an excerpt from Spaceport Earth: The Reinvention of Spaceflight, author Joe Pappalardo explores how one errant rocket helped create the U.S.'s most important spaceport.




Nov 16, 2017

Health Benefits of Knitting and Crochet






By ten, when the light was gone and the house quiet, she'd moved
beyond worry to resignation. He would come back when he would
come, she thought, and settled down in her room, her knitting in
her lap and her dog at her feet.


Born in Ice




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By Loggie-log - Own work, Public Domain, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2072996



We have been crocheting for many years and have felt many of the benefits of doing so, especially when it comes down to reducing our stress and relaxing.

We are sure there is nothing that beats an afternoon curled up on the couch with a cup of tea, a ball of yarn and our crochet hook.

With that said, we were very surprised to find out just how much our favorite activity is benefiting not only our own health, but many others out there!











Nov 15, 2017

Host a Friendsgiving to Remember ♥





"I wondered if you'd like it if we, all seven of us, had Thanksgiving together at your house. Malory's dining room isn't ready yet, and yours is bigger anyway. I could handle the cooking, and-"
"Yes." He reached over, touched a hand to hers. "I'd like that very much. If you're handling the cooking, I'll take the gathering. Make me a shopping list."
"That'll help. There's not much time."
He looked at her, understanding perfectly. "There's time enough."


Key of Valor



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 Giving thanks with friends is an excellent way to celebrate the holiday season.


BETTER HOMES & GARDENS


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"So I'm going to make Thanksgiving dinner, a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner. 
Because I do belong. 
I do belong with all of you, and I'm thankful for it."


Key of Valor



Nov 14, 2017

The best pieces of advice about money






Self-consciously she lifted a hand to finger the silver-and-gold twists that dangled from her ear. "But I have to think about what's going to happen when I turn that page. I can't keep buying new clothes and earrings, and living in the moment. Money's a responsibility, isn't it?"
He leaned back, lips pursed as he studied her. Delicate she might look, he mused, but there was nothing delicate about her brain. He had a feeling it was both strong and flexible. All the better, he decided. The wife of his grandson should possess a nimble mind and not a shallow one.
"That it is," he said, and smiled at her.




The Winning Hand






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Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33984







__________________






"I don't know how it's done, though. I thought you would."
"I'd be happy to help you with it." When the waiter came to remove their plates, Daniel waved a hand. "Leave hers," he ordered. "She hasn't eaten enough. Now," he continued as Darcy and the waiter exchanged resigned glances, "you'll have your time, your opportunity, and you'll have given something back. Unless you intend to toss around money like confetti, and you don't strike me as an idiot, you'll have quite a bit left over. What do you want from that?"
She bit her lip, easing forward. "More," she said, then blinked when he threw back his head and roared with laughter.
"Now there's a lass with a head on her shoulders. I knew it."
"It sounds greedy, but—"
"It sounds sane," he corrected. "Why should you want less? More is better, after all. You want your money to work for you. I'd call you a fool if you wanted otherwise."
"Mr. MacGregor." She took a deep breath and rolled the dice. "I want you to take my money and make it work for me."
The blue eyes narrowed. "Do you now? And why is that?"
"Because it seems to me I'd be a fool to settle for less than the best."





The Winning Hand







Nov 13, 2017

H.A.P.P.Y






"Daddy," she said to distract him again, "how do you and Mother stay so happy?"
"I let her do what she does best, she lets me do what I do best.
Besides, I'm crazy about the old prude."


Loving Jack




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By vastateparksstaff - https://www.flickr.com/photos/vastateparksstaff/30655149541/, CC BY 2.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=57474281



Surprising Secrets That Happy Couples Know


Steal the "musts" from the winning playbook.
It's easy to fall in love, but to stay happy in love is a challenge. 




Nov 10, 2017

Fashionable Masterpieces







"I spent a lot of time studying that face. Then you walked into the room that day,

and I was staggered. She woke up, and she walked out of the painting, and there she is."
"But it isn't me in the painting."
"Ssh. I couldn't think."




Key of Valor




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Artistic Masterpieces Behind Modern Fashion






Nov 9, 2017

What Does Your Handwriting Say About You?





Their notes were spread out—Matt’s made up of scribbles Laurel thought resembled hieroglyphics while her own were sketched in precise Gregg shorthand.


Partners



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By Sbharill - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37852595




Did you know that how you write can indicate more than 5,000 personality traits? The size of your letters, spacing between words, shapes of letters and more can all signify different characteristics. 





Nov 8, 2017

It’s National Novel Writing Month




It had a tower, a canny little spear that had her romantic heart picturing princesses and knights, even while the practical part of her
nature snagged it greedily as the perfect writing space.


The Winning Hand


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There’s nothing like a deadline to get creative sparks to fly. The right workspace (and coffee station) helps too



Nov 6, 2017

Let's Play




Laura posted this on Nora Roberts Facebook Page.

In case you missed it, here it is:






Can You Guess What Nora Roberts Book You Are In?