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Showing posts from 2018

EBeauty - the beauty of giving by L. A. Keller

I'm being selfish, or maybe it's nepotism, but I couldn't discuss amazing charities without including EBeauty. This non-profit was established by my sister-in-law Carolyn Callahan Keller when my younger sister Laura was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Carolyn and I are both survivors and when my brother, Mark and Carolyn asked what they could to to help Laura I told them she needed a wig.   The day my oncologist told me I had to undergo chemotherapy I got pulled over for a speeding ticket. I was speeding and deserved the ticket but the poor officer didn't expect me to burst into uncontrollable sobs.  Cancer is scary - you are battling for your life and then you add chemotherapy into the mix and everything gets worse.  Do the chemo and know that it is killing all of the cells in your body, or take the risk that you will survive without it. I knew I would lose my hair and it bothered me.  Of course, initially it's the vanity. I didn't want to lose my long

African American Cowboys by L. A.Keller

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I'd never considered the ethnicity of cowboys in the American west. The old movies and television shows from the 50's and 60's always portrayed cowboys as either white or Hispanic. Of course, Hollywood is not known for an always accurate rendering of history. I found an interesting February 13, 2017 article on Smithsonian.com by Katie Nodjimbadem about an early cowboy named Nate Love, who was known as Deadwood Dick.  According to Nate's 1907 autobiography, he was a freed slave who traveled west and lived the real cowboy life - drinking, gambling and moving cattle along with some of history's famous and infamous cowboys.  You can find Nat's book on Amazon - The Life and Adventures of Nat Love. It's a brief accounting of his life. The article goes on to mention that many whites traveled west with slaves, which is another fact I never knew.  According to the 1860 census, 30% of the population of Texas were slaves. After the civil war, former slave owner

I Don't Believe in Happily Ever After - Part Five by L. A. Keller

“I gave up on happily ever after. Maybe I'm not cut out for a relationship. Maybe, I just don't like being committed to one person for longer than two weeks.” Part Five “I thought I’d hang around and wait for the owner to sell me some of those delicious greens,” she said with a chuckle. Wyatt let his eyes roam over her from head to toes and back again. “I supposed it isn’t necessary to say you look different.” “A lot has changed since I’ve seen you.” She nodded in Charlotte’s direction. “It seems like you’ve had a few changes as well.” “Charlotte, this is Daddy’s best friend, Clare. I knew her when I was a boy younger than you are now.” Charlotte considered this for moment and then held out a chocolate smeared hand. Clare hesitated before accepting a delicate handshake. “Nice to meet you Charlotte.” “Are you mommy’s friend too?” “No, she never met mommy,” Wyatt responded quickly. “Now go wash your hands. We’ve taken up enough of Mae’s time a

Crazy Criminals by L. A. Keller

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Our journey through the many crazy criminals takes us this month to Arkansas. Don't think I'm picking on any one region - they all have dumb criminals. A reminder that crime really doesn't pay unless you are the person writing about it. This first one definitely gets a capital DUH for the criminal. Fox 6 News, 11/20/1y by Austin Kellerman LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- We get quite a few stories about bold and/or dumb criminals. We're not sure which category to file this one into quite yet... Someone swiped a TV from the waiting room at the Pulaski County Jail. The report was confirmed to the Arkansas Times by Lt. Cody Burks. The stolen television was a 24-inch worth about $120 three years ago, Burks told The Times. It was in the book-in/release lobby, an area open 24 hours-a-day. KHMO News Talk Sports 1/17/2017 by Harold Smith In Boone County, Arkansas, a man was arrested for stealing an outdoor video surveillance camera from a business. He was caugh

Jayne's Restaurant Review - Lookout Tavern by L. A. Keller

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The Lookout Tavern is a one year old local sports bar and restaurant which I have been wanting to try. They advertise weekly events including music and have a small outdoor patio.  The parking is limited and it adjoins other commercial locations in the same mini strip shopping center.  My friends and I decided to take advantage of the anniversary celebration which included music by a DJ and free happy hour appetizers. They also had reasonably priced drink specials. This particular anniversary event included three kinds of chicken wings - barbecue, very hot and garlic.  The garlic was great and my friends liked the spicy. They also offered some kind of pork slider covered in a gooey cheese that looked like Velveeta.  I couldn't bring myself to try the entire slider but did try the meat.  Thumbs down on the pork as it was dry and stringy.  We gobbled up the waffle fries which were crispy and a nice variation to typical fries.  We had two small squares of the flat bre

Book Review - Toward the Sea of Freedom (The Sea of Freedom Trilogy Book 1) by Sarah Lark, by L. A. Keller

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I selected this book based on a recommendation.  It is not a mystery but more of a historical romance. I hesitate to classify it totally as romance because there is a touch of women's fiction involved as well.  This is the first book I have read by this author and likely will be the last.  My reason is due to the characters, not the writing. This book received more than 500 almost five star reviews on Amazon. This review include spoilers so be forewarned. Here is the book description: In mid-nineteenth-century Ireland, charming Kathleen and dashing Michael harbor secrets and dreams. Imagining a life beyond the kitchen and fields of the wealthy family they both work for, they plot to leave their homeland, marry, and raise the child Kathleen is secretly carrying. The luck of the Irish, however, is not on their side. Soon, they find themselves swept up in circumstances they never could have fathomed. Kathleen is forced to marry against her will and immigrate to

Christmas Cocktails by L. A. Keller

With Christmas just around the corner, this month's cocktail recipes are ready for your guests and will be the perfect gift to start your celebrations. Each recipe makes one cocktail so increase based on the number of guess you are serving. I love all things pumpkin and this drink will make you think you are sipping a blended pie. Pumpkin Martini 1.5 ounces of vanilla vodka 1.5 ounces Irish Cream liqueur, such as Bailey's 1.5 ounces pumpkin flavored liqueur such as Hiram Walker Dash of ground cinnamon Dash of ground nutmeg Pour the vodka and liquers into a shaker over ice. Shake well. Pour into a martini glass and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Garnish with a cinnamon stick - you may wish to leave out the ground cinnamon if you use the garnish. I must have pie on the brain because the next drink is a slice of apple pie heaven. Apple Pie Shot 1 ounce vodka 1 ounce apple cider 1 tablespoon whipped cream - use homemade from heavy whipping cream or use pre-

New Mysteries by L. A. Keller

Here are some interesting new releases to check out. I've included one of my favorite authors and some that I've never read. It's exciting to me to immerse myself in someone's work which I've never sampled. This is the best way to break out of reading the same old story. Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty Lianne is one of my favorite authors. I’m always excited to discover what twists she can come up with. If you haven’t read her books, I recommend reading any of them or you can watch the series created from her book, Big Little Lies starring another Australian, Nicole Kidman. It’s expensive at $17.39 for the hardcover and $14.99 for a Kindle eBook version so I will wait until the price comes down. Here is the book description: Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amidst all of the luxury and pampering,

I Don't Believe in Happily Ever After - Part Four, by L. A. Keller

“I gave up on happily ever after. Maybe I'm not cut out for a relationship. Maybe, I just don't like being committed to one person for longer than two weeks." =============================== Clare's story continues in Part Four. As Clare and Mae meandered back to the house, after checking that all of the animals had fresh water and hay, Clare remembered something else Mae said. “Granny, did you say Wyatt had a little girl to take care of?” “Yes, that child is about as sweet as you were back in the day.” “I didn’t know he was married.” “You seem awfully interested in what’s going on with Wyatt. I seem to remember thinking you two were perfect for each other. It was as if I wouldn’t see one of you without the other trailing behind.” “Me and Wyatt?  No way. He was always a thorn in my side. Trouble with a capital T. I’m surprised he could find someone crazy enough to marry him.” “I didn’t say he was married.” “So he’s not?” “I suppos

All About Halo Animal Rescue by L. A. Keller

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Magic and Chance - my current two rescues.  Magic was abandoned in my neighborhood and it took six weeks before I could approach him.  Chance came to us from Halo as a kitten to provide companionship to Magic.  They don't always get along this well as Chance is a bit of a brat. As an animal rescue advocate I couldn't consider purchasing a pet. There are so many abandoned animals waiting and hoping someone will come along and love them. It shatters my faith in mankind to see the condition some are in when arriving at the shelters. Despite that the generosity and devotion by volunteers renews my belief that so some people will give selflessly of their time and money to correct the wrongs. Lately I've not had the time I wish I could devote to Halo Animal Rescue but I hope the information I'm providing will motivate to you become a contributor - in any fashion. Even a few dollars goes a long way to provide the food and care these wonderful cats and dogs deserve.

Mulled Cider Punch by L. A. Keller

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Photo by Jennifer Pallian In honor of the Thanksgiving season, I decided a mulled cider punch would be good.  The recipe is non-alcoholic but I've added a bit of bourbon at the end for those who want the stronger version. You can also substitute rum, tequila or brandy, depending on your taste. 2 gallons Apple Cider 3 lemons, sliced - reserve one for garnish 3 oranges, sliced - reserve one for garnish 5 cinnamon sticks 1 tab cinnamon 1 tab nutmeg 6 whole cloves 1 1/2 ounce Bourbon per serving. Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Heat to a light boil. Allow to cool. Pour the bourbon over ice in a rocks glass. Pour the cider over the bourbon. Garnish with a lemon or orange slice Makes approximately 20 servings. Remember to always drink responsibly. Cheers Jayne Leslie's Website       Twitter       Instagram       Facebook       Menu for Murder       Cocktails at Sunset

Crazy Criminals by L. A. Keller

For this month's crazy criminals I expected to find many more instances of dumb criminals in Arizona but they were harder to find than in some states. There are, however many instances of criminals who give themselves away due to the tattoos on their body. I didn't include all of them since it becomes repetitious to read about one after the other "DUH" moments for criminals.  If they aren't posting their pictures on social media, they are broadcasting who they are via their ink. Here are a couple of oldies but goodies from the Phoenix New Times from 2012: Moses Ulloa, who was booked for meth possession, has a tattoo of the City of Glendale logo plastered on the top of his head and "Murdercopa County" tattooed on his neck. The other, Vicente Valles -- who was arrested on domestic violence charges -- has the City of Tempe logo emblazoned on his chin and an Arizona State University logo inscribed across his cheek. Dudley Chan just wasn't getting e

Jayne's Restaurant Review - Valle Luna by L. A. Keller

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For a scrumptious taste of Mexican, this is the place to be. It's been at least fifteen years since I tried Valle Luna and now I can't squeeze in the door often enough. A friend wanted to try the restaurant and I was willing to see if it had changed. I remembered the food was good and the parking lot is always full.  We ate here first on a Tuesday night and the second time on a Thursday which happened to be National Taco Day - oh boy! Valle Luna was established in the mid 1970's and continues to be a family owned and operated restaurant.  It's surprisingly spacious inside with typical Mexican/Arizona décor.  Don't worry it has been updated over the years. With more than 1500 positive Google reviews you know I'm not the only one in love. I'm sorry to say that both times I ordered the same thing - not because I'm afraid to try something new but because the first time the tacos were so good I couldn't resist. My friend ordered the Asada Enchila

Book Review - The Letter by Kathryn Hughes by L. A. Keller

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The Letter is not a cozy but does have a small element of mystery. There are some spoilers but I will try to keep them to a minimum. This is the first book I have read by this author. Unrelated to the book I have to voice a compliant regarding the advertising on Amazon for the title.  This book is displayed as, "The Letter - the No 1 Ebook Bestseller".  Whether it's a great marketing strategy or false advertising I cannot say but I don't want commentary in the title. We meet Tina Craig in the current day gardening with her grandchild.  The book uses the short introduction as an excuse to send the reader back to 1973 when Tina is married to Rick. She lives in fear of what might set him off - unfounded jealousy, losing his job, losing his money on bets that never pay off.  Domestic abuse, alcoholism and gambling addiction set the stage for her story. Any one of these problems might have been enough for the story but frequently they occur simultaneously in real lif

Adopt a Dog Month by L. A. Keller

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October is Adopt a Shelter Dog month.  I've been posting pictures and information about the Maricopa County Animal Shelter dogs for adoption throughout the month so this, hopefully won't be news to you. Maricopa is a kill shelter, which means that eventually, if an animal is not adopted, it will be euthanized. I cannot say which is worse - to live for months in a small enclosure with no one to love you or to die at the end of that sad experience.  If you can look into the eyes of an abandoned animal and not see the desperation, then you may need to check yourself for a soul.  My apologies if that sounds harsh but their reality is harsh. Please consider volunteering. Shelters need foster homes, dog walkers, kitty cuddlers and more. If you can spare a few hours a week you will bring joy not only to an animal in need but also to yourself. If you can't spare the time, any contribution to one of these organizations is welcome. If you skip a coffee or add up your spare change