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#RRBC Holiday Train Book Trailer Block Party is making a stop on No Fairy Tale! Take the time to see all the amazing trailers–it’s worth it!

#RRBC Holiday Train Book Trailer Block Party is making a stop on This Second Chance! Take the time to see all the amazing trailers–it’s worth it!

This week I’d like to do something different and introduce my animal family of seven:

The oldest of the furry clan is 16-year-old Thunder (named by my daughter to go with a weather theme we once had with names: Winter and Stormie). She’s a tiny six-pound kitty that brings fear to our dogs when she walks by. She has been known to swat them if they get too close to her. The dogs take a wide berth around her and welcome my standing between her and them.  Thunder is known for her displeasure when you leave a wet towel on the ground in the bathroom and recently her displeasure has spread through out the house. She now is given her own private area which makes her happy.  She is a true queen and rules the house.

Next in our cat line is 12-year-old Rupert (named by my daughter again for the actor in Harry Potter). This is the cat that sits with me and oversees my work on the computer. He is also what I call a mother cat. He’s brought me, completely unharmed, a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest and a baby squirrel he found on the ground…I got them both to animal rescue. He has been known to hang out with the raccoons, too…they seem to accept his presence like the rest of the wild or feral animals do.

Nine-year-old Chester (named by my husband after a Raider player) is our feral kitty. His mother was killed by a dog. The tiny kitten took some time to coach him from under our house with tuna.  Finally, though I got him into the house…racing around the house while he ate and shut the door from the outside. All I saw for a while was a huge pair of eyes staring at me from under my desk. Now he is our sweetest cat. He will stand on his hind legs and wrap his paws around our necks giving wonderful hugs.

Four-year-old Coco (named after one of my favorite ex-players on the Oakland A’s Coco Crisp) was born a day later than the rest of his litter. Getting him fixed was a challenge when they couldn’t find all his parts. Finally, three sugeries later it was found in his chest and removed, but he grew into what we call a panther. He is very outgoing and social– with the exception of his dislike of Chester. He drapes himself over my shoulder and reads with me at night. His brother came with him to live with us, but we lost him one night when he was following my husband to the car. My husband turned around and he was gone….that was hard on Coco– and us.

It was time to get Coco another special kitty to bond with, so the final kitty is 1-year-old Alice (named after Alice in Wonderland by me). She is one of the “Valentine Kittens” from my poem and her mother resides with my daughter. She loves attention, especially from the other cats. She walks in a room and waits to be greeted and groomed.  This is a cat that loves a good belly rub and being outside. She has taken to bringing me “gifts” and not live ones like Rupert. I’ve received a bird and mouse so far….she is also the subject of the poem “Huntress”. She is definitely a star in the making.

On the canine side is 10-year-old black lab mix Hermie (named after the elf on Rudolph by me). Now you wouldn’t know he was that age except for the slight whitening on his muzzle, he’s a kid at heart and an escape artist. He is very sweet with children and us, even polite to let us walk by first, but he tends to get himself into more trouble than our other dog.  If you leave food out…he will find it. I have lost more than one lunch leaving it out on the counter. He just wants love from everyone, but will protect us like when a pack of dogs come at us on a walk. I’ve seen him take on five dogs and walk away without a scratch. Know, he was on a leash and the other dogs were not. And those walks we take with him…it’s more like he is taking us on the walk.

Our final animal is our Pit/Shepard mix 9-year-old Sara (my husband liked the name). She is very smart, loyal to my husband and patient with the kids. Once my husband took out the garbage and a bear was near him. She found a way over our fence and treed the bear. No one gets hurt on her watch. Another time, we ran into that pack of dogs walking with their owner, again (I do not know where they live nor have we spoken to them during these events). One of the dogs came at her and she pinned it down. Once I got them separated we realized she was limping…fortunately, that healed in a week, but we are safe with her. We have found a different path to walk now so those attacks don’t happen again. Both our dogs are very leery of dogs they don’t know. They have been attacked too many times on our walks by people who let their dogs run loose.

Hermie and Sara are very close. Our kids have suggested we have a wedding for them. We might someday…if we do that I’ll share  pictures.

Then, we have our assortment of bears, birds, squirrels, raccoons, foxes, skunks and other mountain animals sharing our space with us, too. Our animals are as much a part of our family as our kids and I wanted to share a little bit about them.

I will be taking the next two weeks off for the Holidays to enjoy family. My weekly blog will be back January 7th. The only posts you’ll see here will  be a link for the #RRBC’S HOLIDAY TRAIN “BOOK TRAILER” BLOCK PARTY LINE-UP when it’s my turn and my Holiday wishes, too.

Watch for a newsletter next week in your email if you are subscribed!

See you in 2018! Hope you have a magical and amazing time with friends and family this holiday season. I hope you get all your heart desires in the coming year.

Embrace your magical inner child, D.L. Finn

Last weekend my mother-in-law passed away. That normally would be the end of her story, but it wasn’t. The day before she left us, when the family gathered around her bed saying their goodbyes, an amazing event happened. Some were talking to each other, but my husband, son, and I sat quietly.

The three of us were watching her when she looked between my husband and I and spoke clearly from her hospital bed, “Is that you, Sal?”

A chill ran through me as I listened.

She broke into a huge smile as her face lit up, “I can see you,” she proclaimed.

She kept talking quietly to him. She answered questions we couldn’t hear, while her face glowed and her body relaxed. I glanced to the spot she was looking at, but saw nothing. Yet, I felt we weren’t alone in that room. I was positive my father-in-law was there to reunite with his beloved. Soon, she settled back into the bed and closed her eyes. I quickly confirmed with my husband what I’d seen and heard. He had witnessed the same thing–as had my son. It was comforting to know he was there waiting for her. Before we could bring it up to anyone else, the Chaplin entered to administer her last rites.

What we took away from this experience was her death was not the end for her. It was the beginning of an eternal love story. It’s a tale capable of crossing over all boundaries. Although she will be missed, and her family is grieving her passing–she’s getting her happy ending. The peace we felt in that brief moment reminded us it doesn’t end when you take your last breath– it’s a new beginning.

On a holiday weekend when we are encouraged to be thankful for what we have– I was grateful to have been blessed with that moment. I’ll always be thankful knowing that their love continues even when we can’t see it. I was lucky enough to be a part of their love when I met their son. In their son I found a love like theirs, and it’s comforting to know it will have a happy ending.

Embrace your inner child, D.L. Finn

Here is another poem (to be included in “Just her Poetry”) written from the back of the Harley on an amazing trip to Lake Tahoe at end of October:

BEAUTY

The beauty of the mountains

Warms my essence

Yet, at the same time

Chills my exposure.

The tall pines reach out to me

Offering the breath of life

That fill my lungs,

While the smaller trees

All planted firmly in the granite

Spill yellow and red

Every direction…

Which allows my eyes to feast

The nature that swaddles my soul–

From the back of the Harley.

The journey continues

Into this surreal landscape

Where I find my peace in the beauty.

Thank you to all who take the time to leave a review after you read a book–it is the best gift any author could receive!

I am thankful and blessed for each and everyone of you– for being in my life in person and over the internet! I will be sharing some of what my family added to our “Thankful Tree” this year in next week’s blog!

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it:) If you don’t take a moment to be thankful for all you have in your life.

NOTE: It is that time of year when I need to mention I live in the forest. Why is this important? Because, sometimes our area gets a storm that will knock out our power, internet and phone. When this happens, I light a candle, sit by our wood stove, and enjoy a nice cup of tea. Unfortunately, it also means I won’t be able to access my blog or newsletter. So, if I disappear for a while, know I’m enjoying the weather! If a blog or newsletter gets sent or posted where you see mistakes or something is missing, it is because I work on them online–if the power is out I can’t do that. I apologize if that happens and will fix it as soon as I am able to!

Embrace your inner child, D.L. Finn

1. Pumpkin Night 2. Bridgeport in the South Yuba Park, CA 3. Red-tailed hawk

Last week I spent with my grandchildren (ages seven and nine years old) on their fall break. We enjoyed a Halloween store full of masks and decorations, and a fall walk ending at the local candy store. At home, we decorated paper pumpkins and stuffed an ape man—making the dining room into the haunted room. The weekend was the grand finale, however.

Friday night, we headed to our first visit to Pumpkin Nights with everyone dressed in their Halloween costumes. I was a witch who enjoyed all the lighted pumpkin themes including: under the sea, pirates, graveyards, and floating pumpkins with the added touch of apple-spice scented fog. Plus, there was a stop to dance and watch a bit of Harry Potter along the way.

We geared up the next night at a local resident’s house called the Spook Walk. This was another first-time event for us as we hunted on an unfamiliar road for a parking spot–avoiding the cars going the wrong direction. We made it safely to the line to wait, while the family’s bumble bee dog kept watch over us. First stop was climbing into tree house to see how the local zombies lived. Then, we made the quarter mile trek through the darkness illuminated only by flashlights. There were spiders and ghosts guiding us until we ran into real zombies traipsing through the oak and pine trees. Luckily, we were protected by some brave young men from these creatures.

The final event came on Sunday afternoon at the Bridgeport Fall Festival. This was my personal favorite.  We started with some history of the covered bridge built in the 1860s. It’s the longest single-span covered bridge in the United States at 229 feet–still standing. Right now, we are unable to walk across it, because it is unsafe. Our community fought hard to save it from being torn down. I’m happy to say the state granted the funds and work begins this coming spring!

Next, we passed a coffin…of course my grand-kids had to take a “quick” peek. They were rewarded with a “skeleton”.  The rest of the day was spent: learning about our local Indian history and their musical instruments, painting pumpkins, making bird feeders, enjoying a tour on the history of the park, and getting towed by a pink tractor from the 40s.

The part I enjoyed the most was seeing the rescue birds and learning their stories. There was a raven, three types of owls, and my favorite, a red-tailed hawk, Sky. She’d been shot and our local wildlife rescue group took her in and nursed her, but couldn’t release her back into the wild due to her injury. So, for the last 11 years she’s been living with her handlers in her own specialty-built home on their property. Each night the couple sits with Sky and enjoys what they call a “hawktail” while she gets a treat. She has a good life with this couple, but her freedom to soar was taken from her the day someone decided to use her as target practice. (Becoming one of the people who help these injured animals is on my list of things to do.)

It was a wonderful week that I spent looking through children’s eyes again. What I got was a glimpse into their magic: walking through the path of lights, surviving a zombie attack, and taking a stroll through time at our local state park.  Next week, I will be doing more adult-themed activities, but the wonder and magic will linger.

So, with my childlike wonder in place, I’m sharing my only Halloween poem for children from twenty-plus years ago. (I saw a children’s book with a similar theme a few years back, so I retired this until now…):

PUMPKINS IN A ROW

Big pumpkins

Little pumpkins

Pumpkins in a row.

Glad faces

Mad faces

Pumpkins in a row.

On the tables

In the windows

Pumpkins in a row.

Burning bright

Just one night 

Pumpkins in a row.

I’ll be spending my Halloween in downtown Nevada City, CA. I never miss a chance to walk through the haunted house or hear the kids say trick or treat! This year I’m dressing up as a character from my book This Second Chance—Zelina! I’ve shared that picture on Twitter and Facebook!

Contest to win Kindle ends 10-30!          ENTER

Happy Halloween and embrace that inner child, D.L. Finn