March Madness - take two

Last March, I had fun with a March Madness theme and figure it'd be fun to try again. Here's a link to the first post from last year. 

So... In like a lamb or lion? Today the sun is shining, the skies are a beautiful blue and the wind has finally calmed from the last several days. It's still quite cool, down into the mid 30's. My better half told me yesterday to make sure I close the door on the greenhouse tonight cause it is supposed to be seriously cold. (One of his friends even rented a tent heater for his greenhouse which is why he knew to tell me.) I won't heat it but, I'll close the door. I need to share pix of my plants with y'all later. :-)

Did you know March first marks the start of the meteorological Spring? And apparently the start of the "storm chaser" season.  Now, I admit I like a good storm but I'm not sure I want to go chasing after one. 

Is March coming in like a lamb or lion where you are?

And speaking of madness...did you see where they are taking bets on who the next pope will be? I mean, really!

Next...do you follow the actual March Madness? Got a favorite team in the playoffs? I don't really care for basketball and neither does my better half, at least not until March. For those of you who don't know how it works, here's a nice article on the process.

Here's something I just discovered today.  Southern Writers Magazine. Looks like a nice resource. They have a short story contest going on too...deadline is midnight tonight.

Leave a comment, sign my guestbook and we'll do something special at the end of the month. I've got some books to give away. :-)

Who Says You Can't Go Home

The last couple days, I've been pondering home and what makes it home. I think there are as many different answers as there are homes. :-)

Since my hubby and I were in the military, we were away from home for a long time and it was a special treat to go back and spend time with family. And while it was still home, it wasn't exactly like I remembered. Towns change, people come and go. Favorite places go out of business.

In Where The Heart Is, Samantha left home in the middle of the night and years later has to go back. But it's not the home she remembers.

Has that happened to you?

As we end this blog hop, I leave you with Bon Jovi and Who Says You Can't Go Home. It seems like the perfect bit of music to close with.

Be sure to leave a comment to be entered to win.

What Makes Home

Home... It's a special word...a special place. But what makes it special? My first thought would be family and those you love. Someone on another post said home can be anywhere. And that's been true for me. 

In the military, we traveled a lot. North and South Florida, Texas, Guam, Missouri then finally back to Texas. And while we called those places home, they never really became the place we thought of when we thought of home.

For me, home was always Texarkana, Arkansas. I was born there, mostly raised there, and most of my family was there. Whenever we had the chance, my better half would take leave and we'd go home...to Texarkana. Even though he and I had never lived there together, and my family had moved from the places I'd grown up...it was still home.

As I think about what makes home special, besides the people, I think of the memories. Holidays spent with parents and grandparents, summer trips to the local lake and even winter mornings listening to the radio hoping for the occasional snow day.

So, my question is... Do you have any special memories that make home really home?

Where The Heart Is

This is the story of Samatha James who left home in the middle of the night headed to the 'big city' and excitement. Sam, as she is affectionately called by her friends, hasn't been back since she left. Now, after her sister and brother-in-law's death, she is forced to return for their funeral. Naturally, the first person she sees upon arrival is Marcus Keller, her high school sweetheart. And, naturally, sparks fly.

Home for Sam is a mixture of emotions. She had a great childhood growing up on a small ranch, swimming in the lake, playing in the barn, riding her horse as well as spending time with family and friends.

But she wanted more. She didn't want to grow up to be another wife and mother living in a small town. So, she left home follow her dreams.

Just like Sam, many of us leave home to chase dreams and find excitement only to find that home wasn't so bad after all.

As the wife of a military man, we traveled a lot so home was where we were at the time. I've got some great memories of where we've been but through the years, I've always carried the memories of home where I grew up.

What about you? Got a favorite memory of home? Share it with us in the comments and be entered to win something fabulous. Probably chocolate...and a book or two.

Sign my guest book and get a second entry.

Be sure to stop by the other blogs on the hop. You can find a list here.

Home is Where the Heart is...

It's Valentine's Day and time for some romance. So, for the next four days, I'll be taking part in the "Home is Where the Heart is" blog hop. There are nine of us so you won't be overwhelmed trying to visit each blog.

You can find all the details on the blog hop here.

There's also prizes. You can enter through the form on the right side of the page. I'm not sure exactly sure how it works but go for it. :-)

Also, if you leave a comment on any of my posts, you'll be entered to win something special from me.

Sign the guestbook and get an extra entry. :-) It's on the right side, at the top. It's something I'm just now trying so we'll see how it goes.

Tomorrow, we'll start by meeting Samatha James, star of my romance serial, Where The Heart Is.

Here's a list of the other bloggers taking part.

Gloria Harchar She writes steampunk.  (I love steampunk!)
Emerald Barnes
Prism Book Group
Catherine Chant
Pauline Creeden Inspirational Blog
Bonnie Blythe  Christian Romance
Just For Laughs
Cause Everone Needs Romance

One Perfect Word

I saw this the other day and just had to share it.  Go watch it and then come back. :-)

Isn't this a cool idea? A word for the year...one to carry around with you.  I haven't decided on my word yet but I'm testing a couple out. As soon as I figure it out, I'll be sure to let you know.

What about you? Do you have a word for the year?

Happy Holidays

Can you believe it's almost Christmas and then 2013? 

I'm gonna spend the next few days with family and friends celebrating so won't be blogging.  I'll be back on Jan. 2nd.

Until then,  y'all be safe, spend time with your own family and friends and have a...

MERRY CHRISTMAS

and a

HAPPY NEW YEAR!