From The Home Office

A HUMONGOUS Telescope, a Leaky Faucet, and BATS!

Published on July 22, 2009

We're (still) officially "on vacation" this week, heading north in our RV after spending a week in West Virginia. We're in Maryland right now. To read about our adventures, and to see photos, click here: https://www.wirelesstrips.com This week's Maxism: "When I get married, we're gonna make another Hoy family." Hugs to all! Angela P.S. QUERY LETTERS THAT WORKED! Real Queries That Landed $2K+ Writing Assignments - Want to read real query letters that landed these contracts? Woman's Day - $2,800; Redbook - $3,500; Ladies Home Journal - $3,000; DiscoveryHealth.com - $2,000; Lifetime Magazine - $3,000; Life Extension Magazine - $6,480; Natural Remedies - $11,300; and many more! See: https://www.writersweekly.com/books/1409.html BOOK PROPOSALS THAT WORKED! Real Book Proposals That Landed $10K - $100K Publishing Contracts - Want to read real book proposals that landed these contracts? Simon and Schuster - $100,000; Berkeley Books - $25,000; Osborne-McGraw-Hill - $19,500; Random House $15,000; and many more! See a complete list here: https://www.writersweekly.com/books/3332.html …

Rest and Relaxation? Hardly!

Published on July 15, 2009

We're officially "on vacation" this week, meandering our way down to West Virginia and back in our RV. To read about our adventures, and to see photos, click here: https://www.wirelesstrips.com This week's Maxism: "Abstract artists are people who make up shapes!" Hugs to all! Angela P.S. QUERY LETTERS THAT WORKED! Real Queries That Landed $2K+ Writing Assignments - Want to read real query letters that landed these contracts? Woman's Day - $2,800; Redbook - $3,500; Ladies Home Journal - $3,000; DiscoveryHealth.com - $2,000; Lifetime Magazine - $3,000; Life Extension Magazine - $6,480; Natural Remedies - $11,300; and many more! See: https://www.writersweekly.com/books/1409.html BOOK PROPOSALS THAT WORKED! Real Book Proposals That Landed $10K - $100K Publishing Contracts - Want to read real book proposals that landed these contracts? Simon and Schuster - $100,000; Berkeley Books - $25,000; Osborne-McGraw-Hill - $19,500; Random House $15,000; and many more! See a complete list here: https://www.writersweekly.com/books/3332.html …

West Virginia, Here We Come!

Published on July 8, 2009

On Tuesday morning, we embarked on a 3-week trip to West Virginia and back. We are meeting meeting Richard's dad and step-mommy there for our official summer vacation. …

The Imaginary Lizard

Published on July 1, 2009

The Imaginary Lizard

None of our children has ever had imaginary friends...until now. Mason (age 3) has suddenly acquired a pet that nobody else can see. Last week, Mason came into our room, with his tiny hand outstretched, and said, "See my lizard?" …

Mason is “FREE!”

Published on June 24, 2009

Mason turned three years old this week. When you ask him how old he is, he yells, "I'm FREE!!!" Seems like just yesterday when he was hospitalized at just 12 days old. I still shudder when I remember that day. We are so very blessed that Mason is so healthy today! …

Getting Excited!!

Published on June 17, 2009

We're taking our official "summer vacation" with Richard's dad and step-mom again this year. I'm quite sure this year's trip to West Virginia won't quite compare to last year's trip to Key West but I know we'll have a blast just the same. Richard's dad is an ex-hippy, and is super cool. The kids worship him. His step-mom isn't much older than we are and I consider her one of my best friends. She's a school teacher but you'd never know it when you get her out of the classroom. Heh... …

Prom and (sniff!!) Graduation

Published on June 3, 2009

Our daughter, Ali, attended her senior prom last week. She woke up early, before her friend, Ashley, arrived. Their first appointment of the day was to have their nails done. They then had their hair and make-up done at 3:00 PM. She was supposed to be dressed and ready to go at 5:10 PM because we were meeting an entire group of kids and parents at a local park to take pictures. There's a fountain there and the kids thought it would provide a nice background. Ali's boyfriends mother would be there, too, of course. At 4:45 PM, Ali still had not returned from getting her hair done. …

That Darned Maine Wind!

Published on May 27, 2009

Richard took me on a surprise getaway last Friday for our anniversary. We returned home on Saturday, packed the RV, and drove to our land in Western Maine. Richard finished the storage shed and set up a solar gizmo that provides us with power in the RV when we can't or don't want to use the generator. It's pretty cool! …

Sniff and Smooooooch!

Published on May 20, 2009

Last week, Max got a sore throat and a runny nose. I'm not typically the type to run a kid to the doctor for a cold but the Swine Flu has me nervous. So, off we went. He had a low-grade fever by the time we got there. Strep was negative and they swabbed his nasal passages to test for swine and the other influenza. Uh, that nose swabbing stuff is NOT like they make it seem on the news. …

A Weekend on the Maine Coast

Published on May 13, 2009

Last Thursday, we jumped in the RV and drove to the coast. We already had reservations at a campground there and we were determined to go, despite the forecast of rain - for every day of our trip. …

Gazebo!

Published on May 6, 2009

Richard spent part of last week and all weekend building me a deck and gazebo! It's beautiful!!! Frank helped Richard and he also helped me pull weeds and spread organic fertilizer. Mason enjoyed running his trucks through the fertilizer (yuck). I'm quite sure he won't have completely clean fingernails again until the snows come next winter. Mason and Max understandably want to spend ALL their time outdoors now...which is why we really needed the gazebo - so I can work outside while they play. Unfortunately, now it's supposed to rain all week. …

A Hypochondriac’s Nightmare…

Published on April 29, 2009

Swine Flu. Oh, joy. The bane of my recent sleepless nights and new gray eyebrows (seriously - that's the only place I can see gray hair!). …

The Butt Box Is Complete!

Published on April 22, 2009

Last week, I told you the road was clear and that we could get to our land in Western Maine. Despite having a terrible cold, with a cough I can't seem to shake (no, it's not Pertussis), we drove to our land on Saturday. It was a perfectly beautiful Spring day! The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the trees on the mountain, while still pretty bare, had tiny buds that you had to squint to see. The stream was gurgling from the recent snow melt and Max and Mason tossed in one pebble after another. …

The Road is Clear!

Published on April 15, 2009

As I wrote a few weeks ago, we're going to spend our free time this summer building on our land in Western Maine instead of taking long RV trips. Richard learned from our neighbors there this morning that our road is clear of snow and ice now so we can drive out anytime we want! …

Tooth Stuck in Badminton Net…

Published on April 8, 2009

On Monday afternoon, Max came inside to tell me that, while he was playing badminton with Daddy, his front tooth got caught in the net. …

C-r-r-r-a-c-k-k-k!

Published on April 1, 2009

During the winter in Bangor, Maine, the Penobscot River freezes over. If you go outside after dark, when there aren't many cars driving by, you can hear the ice cracking as it echoes along the boulders lining the mighty river. …

Snow-Capped Mountains…and a Water Park?!

Published on March 25, 2009

ichard took me on a surprise weekend trip to Conway, New Hampshire. We visited that beautiful down years ago and it was lots of fun to return. The town is in a valley and snow-capped mountains tower in the background. Our hotel room had a breathtaking view of the White Mountains and Mt. Washington can be seen from almost anywhere in town. …

Playing Outside in Short Sleeves!

Published on March 18, 2009

Thanks so everybody who sent me empty-nest-syndrome support notes last week! They really did help. Ali's leaning toward attending the nearby school for two years so I am quietly breathing a sigh of relief. But, she hasn't signed the papers yet so I'm still a bit nervous. …

When Chicks Leave the Nest (sniff)

Published on March 11, 2009

You'll be happy to know that I'm not going to talk about the weather this week! ;) Big news around the house these days is Ali (age 18) applied to two colleges and was accepted by both! One is nearby and very reasonable. The other is far away and very, very expensive. …

This is Getting RIDICULOUS!

Published on March 4, 2009

——– NOTE: The email issue had the wrong link it it. That is why you ended…

Building My Own Outhouse…with Curtains and a Flower Box – Whoo hoo!

Published on February 25, 2009

We had our worst storm of this Winter season on Sunday and Monday. We received 16.2 inches of snow and more than 100,000 homes lost power (we didn't). It took Richard, Frank and Ali quite some time to clear the driveway and sidewalk. We've been looking at the mounds of snow here, that just keep getting deeper by the week, and we're wondering how bad the Spring thaw and subsequent floods might be. We never flood as we're right on the river and about 40-50 feet up. But, when we have lots of snow during the winter, other people's homes do flood here. We're supposed to get more snow on Friday and even more late next week. …

You Can Never Be Too Protective When Children Are Playing Outside

Published on February 18, 2009

As I type this, we are in traffic, somewhere in New Jersey on Route 1, heading north. We'll be on the interstate soon and Richard will want to stop and fill up the tank before we drive through New York City (well, around the city...but it's hairy all the same). If we were in the RV, we'd go out of our way, WAY out of our way, to avoid that traffic. But, it's not too bad in the truck. Last night, we slept in Princeton, New Jersey, after driving through the town and have a very nice dinner there. …

Looking for Green Grass! Where is it?!

Published on February 11, 2009

We did it! We escaped Bangor for a week, heading south to my sister's house to meet our sweet little nephew for the first time. As I'm typing this, we're racing south on I-95. There's tons of snow on the ground so we'll be looking for the drifts to get smaller and smaller, the further south we get. It is supposed to be in the upper 60's at my sister's when we're there so we all packed shorts. You think I'm kidding? This time of year, we think anything above freezing is a warm front! …

Three Feet of Packed Snow and Sunny…on Groundhog Day

Published on February 4, 2009

Well, the groundhog definitely saw his shadow here...and he bolted back into the hole he'd dug through the three feet of packed snow we have on the ground. Our poor RV looks so lonely and cold outside. I'm sure she's just dying for a trip but she is out of luck. …

Mason is Potty Trained! Whoo Hoo!

Published on January 28, 2009

I've been potty-training Mason for 10 days now and, not only does he ALWAYS potty on the toilet when he needs to now, but he also takes apart his little potty and dumps it in the big potty. Yea, Mason! He did have one accident (only one!) in the past week...and it was when he went #2. …

Frozen Pipes!

Published on January 21, 2009

For the first time since we moved to Maine, one of our pipes froze last week. It was -28 when Richard took the kids to school that morning. He was pretty grumpy when Ali reported her car wouldn't start because that meant he had to get out in that cold. I, of course, expressed my deepest sympathy...before rolling over, pulling the quilt under my chin, and going back to sleep. Heh... …

A Winter Trip? Not So Fast!

Published on January 14, 2009

Just after Christmas, while feeling jealous that all the relatives got to see my new nephew while I haven't yet met him in person (I did meet him when he was still in my sister's tummy), we planned a trip to Virginia to see their family. I even convinced my mom to fly there and meet us. We would have a grand time, my sister, my mom and me, along with the boys (her baby and husband, and my hubby and the two youngest boys). I was so excited! We made our hotel reservations and my mom bought non-refundable plane tickets. In the meantime, we've been waiting for a few months for the judge to make a decision in our lawsuit against Amazon. We were alerted this week that the court has requested oral arguments from our side and from Amazon. …

Vacation Over – Pooey!

Published on January 7, 2009

Our holiday was incredibly grand and we sure didn't like seeing it end! We had friends, family, games, snow, too much Christmas candy and much, much more! As I write this, I can still hear the Christmas wreath outside, tapping against the window in the wind. I need to remember to ask Frank to take those down. While he's at it, he'll also take down the outside lights. I'm ashamed to admit those are still up, too! …

On Vacation. Whoo hoo!

Published on December 31, 2008

Our holiday guests have departed (sniff) and we are officially "on vacation" for the rest of the week, recovering from the mayhem. Please be careful on New Year's Eve, everybody! Angela BOOK PROPOSALS THAT WORKED! Real Book Proposals That Landed $10K - $100K Publishing Contracts - Want to read real book proposals that landed these contracts? Simon and Schuster - $100,000; Berkeley Books - $25,000; Osborne-McGraw-Hill - $19,500; Random House $15,000; and many more! See a complete list here: https://www.writersweekly.com/books/3332.html QUERY LETTERS THAT WORKED! Real Queries That Landed $2K+ Writing Assignments - Want to read real query letters that landed these contracts? Woman's Day - $2,800; Redbook - $3,500; Ladies Home Journal - $3,000; DiscoveryHealth.com - $2,000; Lifetime Magazine - $3,000; Life Extension Magazine - $6,480; Natural Remedies - $11,300; and many more! See: https://www.writersweekly.com/books/1409.html …

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah and Happy Kwaanza!

Published on December 23, 2008

We have a house full of family and friends this week to this issue will be abbreviated. We wish all of you a wonderful, warm, loving and FUN holiday week!! Angela P.S. WANT A GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA? How to Reborn a Doll in a Day by Angela Hoy. See pics here: https://www.writersweekly.com/books/1670.html Also: BOOK PROPOSALS THAT WORKED! Real Book Proposals That Landed $10K - $100K Publishing Contracts - Want to read real book proposals that landed these contracts? Simon and Schuster - $100,000; Berkeley Books - $25,000; Osborne-McGraw-Hill - $19,500; Random House $15,000; and many more! See a complete list here: https://www.writersweekly.com/books/3332.html QUERY LETTERS THAT WORKED! Real Queries That Landed $2K+ Writing Assignments - Want to read real query letters that landed these contracts? Woman's Day - $2,800; Redbook - $3,500; Ladies Home Journal - $3,000; DiscoveryHealth.com - $2,000; Lifetime Magazine - $3,000; Life Extension Magazine - $6,480; Natural Remedies - $11,300; and many more! See: https://www.writersweekly.com/books/1409.html …

Keeping the Lizard Warm in Bed…

Published on December 17, 2008

Keeping the Lizard Warm in Bed…

Well, we did get that ice storm last week and it was a bit nerve-wracking. Richard is always ultra-prepared for everything. He never lets the truck's gas tank get more than half empty and, when they said we might get ice, he stocked the RV with food, drinks, extra gas and even extra propane. If the power goes out, we can simply carry our computers out to the RV and live out there for as long as we need to. We have a satellite Internet dish out there, too! Between our regular Internet connection, our dish, and our phones, we can always get online. …

Hoy Holiday

Published on December 3, 2008

Doing our part to keep the economy moving, we've almost finished our Christmas shopping. …

Christmas Card Photo Mayhem!

Published on November 26, 2008

I've been checking the weather without luck every single day so I was shocked when Frank woke me up on Saturday morning to tell me it was SNOWING! It was blowing pretty good so I ran through the house, waking up all the children to tell them to get dressed for the annual Christmas Card Photo! Whoo hoo! Of course, the older kids had to call their significant others so we had to wait for them, too. …

Gearing Up for the Holiday Season

Published on November 12, 2008

At BookLocker, we're smack dab in the middle of our busiest time of the year. Everybody, of course, wants their book published by Christmas. We usually get a book to market within a month so the last-minute authors are flooding us with their manuscripts right now. Shwew!! …

iPhone + Washing Machine = Uh Oh…

Published on November 5, 2008

Richard bought me an iPhone for Mother's Day months ago. I LOVE my iPhone! After dropping it numerous times on everything from the carpet to cement, I finally managed to kill it...by leaving it in my pocket one night. I realized it was missing the next morning and, after looking high and low, offered a reward to the child who could find it. …

Boo! The Haunted Forest…

Published on October 29, 2008

Boo! The Haunted Forest…

Last Friday, we jumped in the truck with Max and Mason and took a six-hour drive to Burlington, Vermont. The ride was absolutely gorgeous! Most of the fall leaves had already fallen but what remained were yellow and copper, painted amongst the evergreens and mountain rocks. There was snow at the top of Mount Washington. That was a treat to see! Driving through that part of the country, surrounded by colorful layers of mountains, cascading into the horizon, is beyond description. I was wondering what I'd done good recently to deserve being in that spot at that moment in time. God sure did some special work with his paintbrush on that stretch of highway! …

Please, I Beg You… Just Tell Me You Love Me!!!

Published on October 22, 2008

Per my missive here on October 8th, Mason refuses to say, "I love you." Since he'll say anything else, including, "Bye Bye, Poo Poo" (while waving into the toilet), and since he'll sing anything (including the Duff Beer song from the Simpsons, thanks to the teachings of his Uncle Chris), I've concluded that the only reason Mason won't say he loves me is because he knows how badly I want him to say it! …

The Croup Comes a Callin’!

Published on October 15, 2008

We had our last big RV hurrah of the year last weekend, taking Max and Mason to a campground on the Maine coast. …

MASON’S FIRST MASONISM!!

Published on October 8, 2008

Max got sick on Saturday so he spent the day curled up next to me, watching TV, while I worked on my laptop in bed (my favorite spot). He had a severe sore throat and his temperature got up to 102 in the afternoon. He felt much better on Sunday so we went leaf watching. …

He Popped His What?!

Published on October 1, 2008

Last Friday, Maine was put under a hurricane watch - the first one in 17 years. We were worried that the electricity might go out during the middle of the Fall 2008 24-Hour Short Story Contest. Just a few hours after discussing our concerns, the electricity did go off...except it was only Friday night and the storm was still over a day away. The entire street was plunged into blackness. Hmmm... …

Uh, Duhhh…

Published on September 24, 2008

As I've written here before, we stopped eating most meat several months ago. I eat seafood occasionally, chicken very rarely, and pork and red meat almost never. We started cutting back on meat for three reasons: 1. to lower our cholesterol; 2. to avoid the chemicals and hormones they pump into livestock now and 3. because I read the book Skinny Bitch and my eyes were opened to the horrible things that go on in slaughter houses (not just animal abuse, but also meat contamination). Every time I've ever had food poisoning, I've been able to trace it to some form of meat. Sometime last April, I started getting this weird heat sensation on the outside of my left calf... …

Hurricane Ike Hits Close to (Old) Home

Published on September 17, 2008

Before moving to Massachusetts for a year, and ending up in Maine, we lived in Shoreacres, Texas. While we lived there, our house flooded once during a tropical storm. We only had a few inches of water in the house but the damage was extensive - new floors, new sheetrock, new insulation, new paint...the works! Sadly, during Hurricane Ike, the water from Galveston Bay was over the slab of 100% of the homes there. Officials estimate 39% were heavily flooded and almost 10% were completely destroyed. The city has done a great job of keeping residents informed HERE. …

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