We’re OUTTA Here! Trekking To Tennessee In Search Of Fall!
Each year, we grow weary of the Florida heat, and get homesick for a real fall.…
From The Home Office
Really?? ANOTHER Hurricane?!
We’ve already had a tropical storm and a hurricane here this year. Now, Hurricane Matthew is…
Homeschooled Kids Don’t Get Sick Often, Unless…
Max and Mason, who are homeschooled, joined a new homeschooling co-op. Over the past few years, they've only attended museum classes every other Wednesday, and only during the afternoon on those days. This new co-op meets all day long every Wednesday, and includes five different classes and a lunch. I warned the boys and Richard that they'd be exposed to lots more kiddos with cold and flu symptoms and that we'd all catch more germies this year.…
We’re Knee Deep Here!
This is always our busiest time of the year. Everybody wants their book published before the Christmas shopping season so we always get a glut of new manuscript submissions in September and October. We're working 12-16 hours per day right now and we're all exhausted. I haven't been to the gym in three weeks but I did manage a short swim one afternoon last week. We also took a therapeutic evening sail one night last weekend. I miss my afternoon "sun breaks."…
LAST CHANCE! THIS SATURDAY!! What will the Fall, 2016 24-Hour Short Story Contest topic be?!?!
THIS SATURDAY, at 12:00 p.m. (noon) Central Time, is start-time for the WritersWeekly.com Fall, 2016 24-Hour…
Here’s How We Fared in the Hurricane Last Week!
We had a super fun time riding out Hurricane Hermine! The morning before it rolled in was overcast, windy, and quite cool. So, we all walked to breakfast, and ate outside. It was heavenly! Later, the sky slowly darkened, the wind increased, and big, fat raindrops began to fall. Then, those big, fat raindrops started flying sideways. It was quite a ride and it was beautiful!…
Should I Make the Boys Take a Ballroom Dancing Class?? Heh…
For the past four years, Max (age 14) and Mason (age 10) have been attending a…
Virus (of the Stomach Variety!) Knocks Me Offline for Two Days
This issue will be a bit abbreviated. I'm running waaaay behind this week because a stomach virus attacked the "home office." We were falling like flies! We're all MUCH better now but I'll be spending all weekend trying to get caught up on email. :)…
That Story About the Extremely Lifelike Doll in the Hot Car!
There was another story in the news this week about a lifelike doll being left in…
Spinning, Churning, and No End in Sight…
A low pressure system stalled over us last weekend and we've had four straight days of heavy, oppressive skies. Dark gray clouds as far as the horizon and barely a wisp of breeze. Every two or three hours, the wind will quickly pick up and we'll get slammed with a deluge of rain. Then, the clouds will churn again, crawling back into themselves, and hoarding their moisture for just a little while. …
Go Karts…That Go 50 MPH?!?! What???
These go-karts ("electric Italian pro-karts") were going SO FAST! I got nervous because Mason is only 10 years old and he'd never ridden one before. I voiced my hesitation and Mason said, "Don't worry, Mom. The kids only get to go 25 mph." 25 MILES PER HOUR?! ACK!!! I looked around and none of the other parents appeared anxious so I pushed my fears aside, and sat down to watch. A couple of races later, they called Mason's name for the kids' race. He listened to the instructions, put on a cloth head covering (I thought, 'Oh good, he wouldn't get lice!') and a huge helmet, and got into his "pro-kart." The employees helped strap the kids in the cars. Of course, I watched to make sure they strapped Mason in really tight!…
How To Avoid Smeared Mascara And Drama At Your Adult Child’s Wedding Reception!
I received the following email from a reader last week: Hi Angela, I loved reading about…
9 Surprising Benefits Of Homeschooling…And Why It’s SO Easy! By Angela Hoy
Several years ago, our daughter, Ali, an adorable red-head with freckles, was bullied relentlessly in middle…
Ack! Has Anybody Seen Toto?!?! Cool Storm Pics from the “Home Office!!”
We'd never seen a sky the likes of this!…
Lining Our Arteries with Fat is FUN!
On the 4th of July, we joined our children (except Matt and his wife, Sarah, who…
My Poor Muse Was Bound and Gagged for Two Months…But, Now She’s FREE!
It's been two weeks since our son's wedding and, finally, after several days and nights of fingers-glued-to-the-keyboard, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!…
Wedding Photos!
As promised in last week's issue, we are sharing some wedding photos today...…
We Have a New Daughter!
We are honored and thrilled to announce that our oldest son, Zach (almost 30), blessed us…
First Week in St. Pete? A Car Accident AND a Tropical Storm! Whoop!
We're all moved in, cozy (and still surrounded by boxes) in our 18th floor "home" overlooking beautiful Tampa Bay. Five days later, we got hit by Tropical Storm Colin, and what a fun ride that was!…
We’re in! We’re IN!
It finally happened. The movers arrived yesterday morning. We had every box stacked up in the living room and all the furniture in the sunroom. The movers said we were the most organized family they'd ever helped...…
Hurry Up and Wait!
One of the most frustrating parts about selling the house has been the buyers' realtor, who appears to be either lazy, disorganized, clueless about her job, just plain unprofessional, or a combination of all of the above. After the initial contract, the inspections occurred quickly but we then had almost two weeks of no communication. Our realtor kept trying to keep things moving but the other realtor was "too busy" one day, "tired" another day, and "boating" on yet another day. Finally, the final deal came together. That was a week and a half ago...…
Packing, Sorting, Tossing, and NO MORE BUYING!!!
We are knee deep in cardboard boxes here. It's not pretty! But, we're making lots of progress! We started the pre-move activities about a month ago. I decided to make it easy - start on one side of the house (the master bathroom), and work my way across the house. That's a trick I learned from a housekeeper years ago. Start in one corner, and just start moving around the room. Don't bounce from one place to another. Just. Move. Forward. …
We’re Moving to St. Pete! – Part II
Last week, I shared the news that we're selling our house, and moving to St. Pete, along with some of the reasons why. I added, "There's another big reason we're moving but I'll wait until next week to tell you that." Here it is...…
We’re Moving to St. Pete! – Part I
I haven't yet written about this because we didn't know when it was going to happen but...now, it's happening!…
Positive And, Unfortunately, Negative Thoughts On My Very First Cruise…
Last weekend, the girls and I drove down to Miami, hopped on Majesty of the Seas, and headed for the Bahamas. This was my first cruise. I don't like touristy things when traveling and I don't like being stuck in one place with limited options on what I can do. A friend told me I wouldn't mind being "stuck" on a boat that size because it's a floating city...…
Bachelorette Party Weekend!
At o'dark thirty in the morning, Ali and I are hitting the road, heading to Miami, where we will jump on a cruise ship with our future daughter-in-law, her friends, and her mother. We'll then spent 4 days and 3 nights humming tropical songs, drinking tropical drinks, and seeing tropical sights. We will NOT be zip-lining (boring), nor parasailing (been there, done that), but we are interested in trying a unique restaurant or two on the islands, or doing some shopping. …
Camping For Boys = Quiet Writing Time For Me!
Richard and the boys are going camping this weekend while I get to stay home with Coco. I am so excited! Imagine how much writing I'm going to get done from Friday night through Sunday night! My fingers just might fall off from fatigue!…
When Your Child Gets Caught in an Ocean Current…
After our walk, the boys wanted to go back to the boat. Brian offered to swim back with them while I stayed with the dinghy. They all had on life jackets (because we frequently see stories about drownings in currents in Florida, even among good swimmers). Brian and Max were doing fine but Mason is very small, and was having a hard time fighting the current...…
Sailing Trip!
Next week, we are taking a 3-day, 2-night sailing trip with a friend of ours. Max and Mason are extremely excited! I'm a bit nervous...…
Smallest Easter Ever!
We don't have an empty nest but it's emptier than it used to be...…
In-laws Are In Town!
I drove to the airport this morning to pick up my step-mom-in-law while Richard took the boys to their museum class for shark and fish dissection. Yea! Richard's dad is arriving by vehicle this evening and more friends are arriving in two days. …
Home Alone! (Well, Almost…)
This weekend, Richard, along with a friend of ours, is taking a two-day wilderness survival course. The guys invited me but I gracefully bowed out...…
House Shopping With The Newlyweds
Our daughter, Ali, and her new hubby, Justin, have been house shopping ever since returning from their honeymoon in November. This week, they asked me to meet them at a house they kept returning to after looking at so many others. So, I agreed to do that on Monday and it was so much fun! I was the first one there. I walked around, taking pictures to help them in their negotiations. By the side of the house, a very large black snake gave me a startling greeting. He was more afraid of me than I was of him so he started racing away. I chased him, trying to get a picture. So, when Ali and Justin pulled up, they found me running along the side of the house...…
Open-Window and Kayaking Weather!
On Tuesday morning, we woke up to a very breezy, warm day. Well, warm as in the mid-70's. It was so gorgeous that we opened all the windows and sliding glass doors.…
Homeschooling Shenanigans
As most of you know, we homeschool our two youngest children. The other ones are adults now. Each Monday, Max (age 14) and Mason (age 9) are given their lessons for the week. They have colorful folders for each day of the week, and a large folder to keep those in, as well as workbooks, reading books, and supplies. It works out pretty well...most of the time. …
False Advertising in Florida Commercials?!
Is it warm? Well, occasionally, but that seems to be a fluke in February...…
When Your Kid is a Pre-Med Student, You Never Know What They’ll Bring Home…
Last night, I walked into Frank's room and he showed me his latest homework project. He had four small, plastic cylinders with labels. They each just had a small piece of foam on top, pushed into each container. They didn't look very secure, to me at least. And, inside were about a zillion fruit flies. …
Our Calendar…That Hangs by the Toilet
I was hoping things would slow down in January but they haven't. Usually, after the holidays, Richard and I try to have a month of down-time. However, this year that didn't happen. Looking at our calendar for January, I noticed yesterday why I've felt so frazzled. There's hardly any white space left!…
More Homeowner Headaches… Will It Ever End?!
First, we got the bad news about the seawall possibly needing to be replaced (with quotes running $19K - $42K now). Now, we have termites!…
Help! Anybody Know Anything About Seawalls?
So, my question is, do any of you know anything about seawalls? We've never had one before and we are reeling from sticker shock. …
I’m Going to Be a Mother-in-Law Again!
On Christmas Day, in our living room, our oldest son, Zach, proposed to the love of his life, Mary, who we all adore. …
Venturing Out on New Year’s Eve…for the First Time in 17 Years!
My first marriage was a very unhappy one. It lasted for a dozen years and, for obvious reasons, New Year's Eve held very bad memories for me...…
ALERT!!! ONLY 4 WEEKS UNTIL THE WINTER, 2016 24-HOUR SHORT STORY CONTEST!
The Winter, 2016 24-Hour Short Story Contest is only four weeks away! Space is limited to 500 entrants so sign up early! …
Matt’s Almost Here!
Our son, Matt, who lives in Boston, is arriving on Friday, and will be here for about two weeks. We are SUPER excited about his arrival and we have lots of fun things planned for him while he's here! …
Trying To Decide On This Year’s Christmas Cookies…
Each year, Ali and I make goodies to take to the neighbors. The rum balls I make, which are a recipe I received from a fellow BookLocker author, are always a huge hit. I'm burned out on peppermint bark and tiny pretzels swimming in caramel and chocolate. …