Haunted Blog Hop, Part I

Last year, my friend Gina invited me to join her for a haunted blog hop. It was so cool. None of us knew what we were to write until we got the piece before us. It's was a very cool event! This year, I didn't hesitate one moment to join in again. And, I'm starting! snuggle in, dim the lights and enjoy!

Ruby limped. The fact that both of her halluxes were half the size of her second toes was to blame for this awkward movement. It was also the reason she never took off her socks in gym class. Her feet stank. They truly did, but she couldn't bear to have her classmates laugh at her deformity when they didn't even talk to her under normal circumstances.

On any given day, she was content being the limping girl that no one talked to. It wasn't that she was happy with having so few friends, it was that she would rather be ignored than teased and mocked. So, it was with great concern as well as excitement that she accepted Eli's offer of a clandestine meeting on Saturday night. She stared incredulously at his beautiful penmanship on the parchment paper, which had been carefully folded and handed to her as she left school for walk home on Friday afternoon.

Eli was the smartest boy in their class. She was certain that he'd be named most likely to succeed, and he was quite possibly the most handsome boy in Douglas County. And now, he had asked her to meet him at the County-Line creek. In the back of her mind, she knew that this could easily be a set-up. But, her heart, the one that had never held a love for another, told her that this may be her one and only chance to have a boy ask her out.

She didn't tell her mama where she was going. She was certain that her mama would never approve of her meeting a boy after dark by herself. And since her papa had left and never returned several years before, mama rarely let her out of the house except to go to school. And she only let her go to school because Pastor Timothy encouraged her to let Ruby get as much schooling as possible.

Ruby waited until mama was asleep on the couch in the parlor and was snoring loud enough for Ruby to hear in her room before she tiptoed down the stair, painstakingly skipping the third from the bottom step. It always squeaked. She held tight to the rail but found herself falling to the floor when her left food wouldn't cooperate. She pulled off the finial from the bottom of the rail. Mama snored on, and Ruby blessed the fact that mama often sampled a little Vanilla Elixir before going to sleep.

It was mama's sound slumber that allowed Ruby to leave the house and walk as quick as her deformed feet would let her travel to her meeting with Eli.

To be continued tomorrow with Gina...

My Favorite Things: Gina Knuppenburg

I know I talk about Arkansas Women Bloggers a lot, but I really have met some of the most wonderful people from my neighboring state, and today's Favorite Thing comes from Arkansas, but not originally. I met Gina a year ago at Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged, summer conference. It turned out to be a big sorta weekend for Gina and her now-fiance Thom. (Go read about it, you'll be so glad you did!) In the meantime, Gina and I have kept up with each other through social media. I read all about her wedding-planning posts and she pre-reads and reviews my books. She was even so sweet as to provide the virtual appetizers for my book launch! She's just as sweet and real and sweeter-still as pie. 

I've never been super girly.  There.  I said it. Maybe it's because I grew up with brothers and been roughhoused enough to make me try to act tough.  Or, maybe it's because I've always been, oh, how do I say it delicately?  Not dainty size-wise?  Okay, plus sized.  I'm a big girl; therefore I've never felt girly.

Luckily for me that's changed in the last few years. I think it's the feeling of being more secure with my being, older and wiser, settled in a relationship and all that yada yada.

The whole point of this diatribe?  I've never liked gold and glitter but since I've gotten engaged and am in the throes of wedding planning-I can't get enough of glittery golden goodness. So in light of everyone sharing their faves here on Minivan Momma, I present to you my faves this holiday season!

Happy Holidays!

My Favorite Things: Christmas Cookies & Dining with Debbie

My dear, sweet friend, Gina Knuppenburg, who writes Desperately Seeking {gina}, hosted a Christmas Cookie Cutter exchange. (You'll hear more about Gina tomorrow--be sure to come back, you'll love her! She's one of my favorite things!) Even though I am not a cookie baker, I do love cookies, especially sugar cookies that you have to cut out and then slather lots of buttery icing on? I love those. So, I signed up for the cookie cutter exchange.

The package couldn't have arrived at a better time--a snow day. The whole family was at home when the delivery was made, so we had to fight over who opened it. You know, the fact that it was addressed to me had absolutely nothing to do with who would actually open it.

I, as were the girls, was thrilled to see the baking goodness that came from Debbie Arnold of Dining with Debbie.

I met Debbie through Arkansas Women Bloggers, and you'd think that getting a box full of baking goodies from a Foodie--and a really good Foodie--would be intimidating, but it wasn't. We dove right in, made some fabulous, non-melting, looking good cookies with all the goodies Debbie sent to me! I'd love to show you pictures, but I didn't take any. The truth of the matter is that I was so caught up in the making of the cookies that I forgot to take pictures, instead I made memories with my sweeter-than-buttercream-icing family.

So, thanks Debbie and thanks Gina! This was a perfect, perfect addition to our holiday!!