Sunday, July 19, 2020

Living Life in July -- it's all about Costco



It's a been a busy week in July for me, so I thought I'd jump right in with a visit to Costco! 


COSTCO
I get paid every 2 weeks on Wednesday. Payday! I LOVE *Heart* payday! So every payday I go to Costco. They got everything you need in bulk. Shopping patterns have changed a bit. When the boys were young-lings, I bought diapers. Now, I need a meat aka steak, water, paper towels and toilet paper. I am MYSTIFIED at how they sell out of toilet paper and paper towels every day. How does that happen? And then don't get me going on Lysol and Wipes. I can't find them at Costco. I can find Wipes at Smart N Final and I have to pay my co-worker to get Lysol aka like the black market or the Hob in District 12. I guess I should troll Amazon more often for the Lysol. I just saw that I can get a 2 pack for 33.00 and have it delivered by 28 JUL. haha. HOWEVER, I just broke down and bought a portable UV light off of Amazon. It's suppose to arrive today when I get home. 

I like to troll the book section in Costco because you can always find a gem there. And I like to get my work jeans there. They sell Gloria Vanderbilt pants there which I find fit me well. I like the shrimp packs, and the vitamins section. They have good dips there, too. I like to get my raspberries there, too. 

Of course, I'm a sucker for free samples which
I
 have been lacking thanks to COVID. 

And we've gotten some nice TVs and printers from there. 

I pay for the Executive Membership because I usually buy enough through the year to pay itself off. 

Any Costco fans out there? What do you like to buy at Costco?

WRITING
I was able to update one of my short stories, "Young Witchcraft," which I'm thankful, for. Since I have extra time since I'm not scouting. I'm hoping to update my writing. I'm trying to find a home for a couple of stories/novels that lost homes when Victory Tales Press and Desert Breeze went out of business. My progress has been slow since I've got a bunch of other stuff to do, but it's nice to find time here and there to work on it. 

THE HOUSE & THE LATEST HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECT 
The other "big" thing I did this week was coordinate with All Bright Painting to get the exterior of our house painted. We've owned our house for 20 years and it's time. The paint job is looking a little haggard. A lot of other houses in the neighborhood have painted and they look fresh. We look old. So... we got our estimate (5995.00) and saw the color lady who updated our colors and took the "pink" out of the paint. Not sure what happens next. I'll sure I'll find out next week. But it is exciting to think the house will look fresh again. We got an estimate to stain our patio cover which was 6700.00 (more than to paint the house!!) so Mr. Bee decided to do it himself. Him and big boy Bee are sanding today.  

Well, that's my week. How was yours? 

****

Check out my summer romance, "Journey of the Heart:"

James returns to his home in California after World War II only to find out he's lost his farm. His way of life gone, James becomes a journeyman, selling Bibles, looking for a sense of purpose.

 

Rachel Santori's winery is in trouble. She's looking for someone to trust. When Rachel meets James, she can't deny how he penetrates her soul with his long, lonely looks. Can James find a sense of belonging at Rachel's winery? Can love mend both their weary hearts? 

 


EXCERPT:


The bells over the door jingled as a customer left. A young woman in her early twenties walked in escorted by an elderly gentleman dressed in brown slacks, a white shirt, suspenders, and a polka dot bowtie. 

She glanced at James, her eyes widening a little, and a spark passed between them. Slender and tanned, the lady possessed a mane of thick ebony hair and soft moss green eyes that pierced his heart. She had high, exotic cheekbones, yet worry etched the lines of her face. Had she known hardship recently?

She approached the older man behind the counter, her stride resonating with purpose, her expression full of determination. 

"Good day, Mr. Smith."

"Miss Rachel. How are you today?" He folded his hands in front of him, offering her a smile. 

"I have a business proposal for you."

"Go ahead."

The elderly man remained at her side. James walked toward the counter, his sandwich and soda in hand. Something in his gut told him she needed help – really needed it. The sound of her voice? The way she avoided the man's question? The hint of desperation in her expressive eyes? He wasn't sure. 

"I'd like to sell you three cases of my best wine."

He raised a bushy eyebrow. "The 1928 Chardonnay?"

"Yes."

"Why, I shared a bottle with your father before he died. He was very proud of that vintage – wanted to save it for special occasions."

"The harvest is coming and I need to be able to pay my workers."

James slowly inched closer, listening intently.

"I can offer you five hundred dollars."

"Now, now, Mr. Smith." The elderly gentleman tapped his gnarled finger on the counter. "You know the wine is worth much more than that. Five hundred is not a fair price."


Journey of the Heart is part of the Kindle Unlimited program. 

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Heart-Stephanie-Burkhart-ebook/dp/B07S1VL7JZ/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Stephanie+burkhart&qid=1595187253&sr=8-1