Tag Archives: Murphy

Summer, Ice Cream and Blueberries!

Summer’s here!

And what do you normally do when it is a holiday weekend? Spend time with family, go on a mini vacation, have friends over for a BBQ. You know, take time off and have some fun. Right?

Me? I decide to write a post.

I know. I need to get a life. Lol.

Okay, it’s obvious, I don’t care as much as I should about the blogging. And I know I should care. I do care. Really, I do. But, you see, I’ve been preoccupied with the edits. Lots of edits. Lots and lots of edits. As in, terminal editing. I think it’s a disease!

Will it ever end?

At some point, I am sure I will have to let this baby fly on its own. Yet, for now, there’s still much work to be done. And so I press on.

Meanwhile, summer rushed in while I’ve busied myself with the writing project. Long, hot summer days are now spent in air-conditioning for the most of us. Unless you’re at the beach.

Oh yes, the beach. I really miss the beach. Have I mentioned that already?

How’s it going over there, Murphy?

(See, I left the bird behind, excuse me, mascot at the beach. He was better off. There’s a beautiful wildlife sanctuary along the coast in Huntington Beach. Truly he’s more suited for that environment. I mean, when’s the last time you saw a pelican in the desert? I thought not.)

Murphy has agreed to be my foreign correspondent for all things beachy and coastal in SoCal.

Are you there, Murphy?

Yes, yes, I’m here. Quite nice, actually. No air-conditioning in my neck of the woods.

Don’t rub it in Murph, okay?

Sorry. I’ve noticed a number of posts on Facebook containing ocean waves on your FB page Karen. Here’s one I especially like.

11012645_1763125833914040_2470037653109068796_n
(Photo curtesy of Chris Harsh, surfer extraordinaire)

(See, this is why I left that crazy pelican behind.)

Okay Murphy, we’ve got the picture. Thank you.

Anything else that I can help you with? Just let me know. I am at your disposal. A Picture of hot babes in bikinis, perhaps? Or I could send over a shot or two of our beautiful weather. Maybe a picture of a couple of buff surfers would do the trick?

That’s quite enough Murphy. Thank you.

Righto! Cheerio!

So, what was I saying? Oh yes. Summer is in full swing. And you know what that means?

Here’s the scoop. Summer means Ice Cream.

Blueberries are just the cherry on top.

Why do I say that?

Well, can you imagine summer without Ice Cream?

I didn’t think so.

Picture a glorious hot summer day with a creamy, dreamy scoop or two of your favorite flavor.

enhanced-16774-1403117773-26
(Google Images)

See what I mean? My mouth is salivating! What do you think Murphy?

Does it come in fish flavor?

(This is what I get for asking.)

Why don’t you go for a short walk…Oh, never mind Murphy! Just skedaddle. Adios!

Anyway, my personal favorite is Straus Family Creamery’s Organic Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. It’s tradition back to the basics. In other words, perfection. And for those of you that are sensitive, it’s certified kosher, gluten free and Non-GMO Project Verified.

organic-vanilla-ice-cream
 
It’s like fresh churned Ice Cream!

Then add in fresh, organic blueberries on top and you get my drift.

Happiness on a hot summer day at the McFarland’s.
 
 
 
So what to you think? What is your favorite Ice Cream flavor? How’s your summer going thus far? Have any plans for a family vacation? What fun things help you and your family stay cool over the summer?
 
Cheers everyone! I hope that life is treating you well. And as always, thank you so much for all your support and wonderful comments!
Karen

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Some Like It Hot

I can see that “Murphy” failed to keep you all entertained while I was gone. I tell you, that bird cannot be trusted. But then he’s Irish.

What was I thinking?

Well, how’s your summer been thus far? It seems that we are on the homestretch and I am seeing ads for Back to School supplies, so school is just around the corner or has it started already?

How has my summer been, you ask?

HOT!

As in Phoenix, Arizona hot!

phoenix_skyline
 
Yes, the hubby and I high-tailed it over to the Valley of the Sun to visit our son and daughter-in-law and other family members. And of course, the many friends that we had made from years spent living in the area.

Yep, I was a Phoenician. I cannot tell you how happy I am to use the word “was”. Don’t get me wrong. I really miss my kids, family and friends. Besides, Phoenix is a cool place to live, although I am not talking about the temperature.

Good grief, is it ever hot!

Oh, I already mentioned that, didn’t I?

Apparently, some like it hot. As in, most of the 4 million plus residents that live in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Umm, can I just say that I don’t miss it? The heat! It is unbearable. How did I do it? How did I live there for almost twenty years?

Well, I cooked right up like a short order of fried eggs on a Phoenician sidewalk.
(Bad one, wasn’t it? Sorry about that.)

It sure wasn’t pretty, let me tell ya.

They say…you know, all the advertisements that tell you to come to this desert oasis…that it’s a dry heat.

Don’t believe a single word they say.

They’re all liars!

Okay, granted, in the beginning of summer, if the outside temperature reaches 105, because of the low humidity, it feels like maybe, 95. And with a light breeze, you might swear you feel a bit of coolness in the air. But that’s from sweat, or should I say perspiration drying on your skin.

So the cool air actually is like a mirage. It is a figment of your imagination.

See, it’s a lie.

Cause some like it hot.

And just wait until the monsoon season. Ha! It’s even worse. That’s when the temperature stays in the 110’s and the humidity rises. Big thunderclouds blow into the valley causing gale force winds, shutting the airport down, trees to tumble, torrential rains and floods.

You’ve heard of a Haboob, right?

sandstorm_phoenix_az-134657
(courtesy of Google Images)
 
Well, when it blew into town, I blew right out!

Yay me! I so do not like the heat.

I am now back in southern California, ready to get back to my normal routine.

Whatever that means.

Is there such a thing as normal?

Yes, some like it hot. Me? Not so much.

Beach anyone?
 

So what do you think? Take any vacations this summer? Take time for a little R & R? A day trip perhaps? How well do you do with the heat? How has the weather been in your neck of the woods? Polar Vortex anyone? After Phoenix, I’m ready for it!
 

Cheers everyone! And as always, thank you so much for all your support and wonderful comments!
Karen

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Advice From the Ocean

Advice from the Ocean
(Picture by Shadow Text.net)

A couple of weeks ago, I found this on my Facebook feed. Personally, I think Murphy had something to do with it. I never know what that Pelican is up to.

When at first glance, I thought it was a nice play on words. After all, it involves the beach. And let’s face it, who of us doesn’t like to change our focus to a place we would normally go on vacation.

But, as I looked closer, I noticed this was more than just a mere clever attempt in making a statement. These were words of advice, a real life savor, an ocean full of guidance and counsel to give real meaning to our lives.

So, I began to meditate on what was said. I placed my blanket down on the beach, settled my belongings, dug my feet into the cool damp sand, then took a deep cleansing breath and peered out at the refreshing blue body of water.

Ah yes. I felt the stress roll off my entire body.

Yet, what did this all really mean?

For each one of us, it might mean something totally different. But since this is my post, I thought I’d jump in and take a stab at it. I hope you’ll share your viewpoint in the comment section below. 🙂

Be Shore of Yourself. Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that I struggle with this one a lot. I think it goes with the territory of being a writer. I try to appreciate my own strengths and abilities, but it’s hard to be confident on a daily basis when I think that what I just wrote is a piece of rubbish. I definitely have to work on this one.

Come out of Your Shell. This one’s a biggie too. And I’m not sure if this has anything to do with being an extrovert or introvert. I guess it could. But for me, it’s a matter of trust. If I’m the one that’s sticking my neck out, I want to make ‘shore’ that someone’s not going to bite my head off. So far, so good! But that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. I’ve been known to put my foot in my mouth. I know. Shocking!

Take Time to Coast. Well, since I’m sitting on the beach, breathing in the fresh salt-infused air, meditating, I’m putting this one into practice. But who of us doesn’t struggle with this? It’s not going to happen unless we schedule it in. We all have so much to do, in any given day. But there are times when we just need to coast. We need time to relax and recharge our minds and bodies or our ability to create will suffer. To be honest, it really affects every aspect of our life. So this is a must do. Somehow, SOMEHOW, we must find the time and give ourselves permission to coast. Even it it’s just for a little while. Yes, Relax and breathe! 

Avoid Pier Pressure. Let’s face it, we all like to be accepted and appreciated by our friends. But even as adults, we sometimes struggle with feelings of inadequacy—that we just don’t quite fit in—that we may not meet the standards or requirements that others may expect of us. As you can see, the pier is connected to the shore. And we can find ourselves in deep water if we don’t stop comparing ourselves to others and come to appreciate our own strengths and capabilities. We all ROCK in our own way, you know?

See Life’s Beauty.
Appreciate Life

The cool thing about this is, no matter where we live, there’s beauty. It can be in the smallest of things that will fill our hearts with joy and laughter. Yet, for us to truly gain appreciation, we must make the time to coast!

Don’t Get Tide Down. I think this is related how we spend our energy. As I sit here and watch the tide, I have to admit, it has a very strong pull. It can be high or it can be low. If we’re tide down too much, it can be a waste of our energy. And who of us has extra energy these days? So, balance seems to be the key. It’s what keeps a surfer on his board, right? If we keep balanced, we will not allow ourselves to be tided down with all the negativity and we’ll be able to perform at our best!

Make Waves! Yes, yes, yes! Don’t just stick your toe in it. Jump in and make a big splash and enjoy the ripple effect in everything that you do! I’m still working on this one. How about you?
 

So what do you think? Do you like to stand at the shore or jump in and make waves? Do you like to take a walk on the pier or would you rather stay in your shell? What kind of beauty has life thrown in your direction lately?
 
 
Cheers everyone! Thank you so much for all your support and wonderful comments!
Karen

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Birds of a Feather…Really?

First of all, I want to thank everyone for the wonderful support you gave me in my reentrance into the Blogosphere. My last post had the largest participation of any post that’s appeared on my blog, ever.
 

Why did that happen?
 

I prefer to think of it as the old Birds of a Feather adage.

birds_in-_flight

(Image Credit: AlicePopkorn/Flickr.com)

You know. We flock together.
 

No, I’m not talking about the Pelican, although we’ll get to him in a moment.
 

See, I think this goes far beyond people who are drawn to others who have similar interests.
 

If you’ve ever watched a flock of birds in the sky, there’s no doubt you’ve noticed they usually fly in some kind of formation. Rare is the bird that flies alone.
 

It’s interesting that flocks of birds may differ in size, occur in different species and seasons, yet it is customary that flocks have special names such as a raft of ducks, a charm of finches or a horde of ravens.
 

It seems that birds flock together for many reasons. They congregate to forage, to protect, for camaraderie, to produce and raise a family, for warmth and aerodynamics.
 

Wouldn’t you say that as writers, we can relate to all of the above?
 

We forage together for craft and publishing information. We protect and look out for one another. We form a close alliance with other writers. We nurture our creativity when we produce our books. And we would never consider leaving one of our fellow writers out in the cold.
 

Yet, we are also aerodynamic. We assemble in groups and organizations that allow us to sense a change in wind patterns that enable us to make changes in our life or in the publishing world. We flock together, thus we gain the support to weather any change within current conditions.
 

When we gather together, we use our energy in a more efficient way. It becomes an act of survival, thus none of us are left flailing, floating aimlessly alone. Perhaps if we adopt the custom of naming our own specie of flock, we could call ourselves a gaggle of wanas!
 

I kind of like that, don’t you?
 

So again, thank you for all your support. Y’all gave me a huge lift and an immense feeling that I am not flying solo. I’m truly a member soaring in formation along with the flock.
 

Because Birds of a Feather. You know. We flock together!
 

Really.
 

Now about the Pelican.
 

Jennette Marie Powell related the short version of a rhyme that her grandfather used to say that I thought was apropos. “A strange old bird is the pelican. His beak can hold more than his bellycan.”
 

Well, I sure received a belly full of suggestions. Some were rather inventive. Who knew a Pelican could be so popular. Although, I have to say there were a few of you that were leery of him. While some thought it would be a good idea to wear a hat, others found him to be professorial. And that of course had an influence on your recommendation for his name.
 

Yet, in taking into consideration everyone’s suggestions, be it here on my blog or on Facebook, the name that was submitted most was, believe it or not, “Murphy.”
 

It looks like I now have an Irish Pelican named Murphy!
 

And you know what? I think it’s a good fit. I like it!
 

Oh, by the way. Let me reassure you that Murphy and I had a chat. And he has promised to be on his best behavior and has agreed to act like a perfect gentleman. Since he and I just met, I have no choice but to take his word on this. But if you should notice him getting out of line, please let me know. What can I say? I now share this blog with a bird! Who would’ve thought?
 

So what do you think? Has your life, like my blog, gone to the birds? Do you prefer to fly alone or would you rather soar with the flock? If you were to compare yourself to a bird, what kind of bird would you most likely be? What is your latest project that you are trying to gain liftoff?
 

I want you to know, you guys really Rock!
 

Cheers everyone! Thank you so much for all your support and wonderful comments!
Karen

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