🙂 Well, actually, no. I had a great time at the show, and, since most or all of these guys could have been my son (and a late-life baby at that), I can’t say I got terribly excited. (Bring on Sam Elliott, Clint Eastwood or George Strait and it might be a whole different ballgame.) As adorable, not to mention truly talented, as these young Aussies are, they didn’t make my heart go pitty-pat. Did I enjoy their acrobatics, their saucy little smiles and sculpted bodies? You bet. I might be getting older, but I’m not blind–or dead. 🙂
We’re getting ready for the holidays around here, and it’s hectic. The last of the presents were mailed today (I think) and I’m pretty sure homebase is covered.
Some of the art I bought at the Vegas auction has arrived–my favorites are pieces by Lynn Bean, a wonderful artist. I already own one of her pieces, and I bought two more at the auction. She does Western themes and incorporates metal into the picture; very different and very beautiful.
The Michael Landon painting will arrive later, and I can’t wait to share it with you. I’ll have Jen put it up on my Facebook page the minute it’s safely installed in my office. Ditto the other Western art.
I hear the NFR will be held in Orlando, Florida next year, rather than Vegas. While Orlando certainly has it’s attractions–the wonderful sunlight being only one of them–I will miss the Vegas experience, and the dear friends who live there. If I hear more on the subject, I’ll pass it on to you–and since you might hear about it before I do, please be sure to comment.
There are other reasons to comment, too–the third $50 giftcard/signed book giveaway will be announced on Friday. After that, there will still be one more week in the contest, so keep the faith and don’t give up.
The contests will continue, of course–I have some goodies I picked up at Cowboy Christmas, and I plan to offer some of my artist trading cards and even some of my “medicinal” jewelry in the future, along with the autographed books.
If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you know that what I mean by “medicinal” is a gemstone known to be a remedy for certain ailments, or simply a stone that will soothe the stressed-out or bolster a particular goal. I am rarely without my rose quartz pendant.
This morning I attended my Weight Watchers meeting, and came straight home to write. I gained back the 1.8 pounds I lost the previous week, but it’s no big deal. At other times of my life, I might have gained a lot more than that. 🙂 Furthermore, the weight will come off easily. I did NOT indulge in Vegas–I remember seeing these beautiful caramel apples everywhere–I LOVE the things–but I didn’t buy one because I was too point-stingy. They were huge, and if a person ate, say 1/4 of one, no harm done. I know myself, though–I would have picked and picked until I’d consumed the whole thing. So, better to just walk away. Instead, I had bacon and eggs at one room-service breakfast and the BEST ever Chilean Sea Bass at dinner with Renae and Bill. I definitely drank more red wine than I usually would.
But, hey. I was in Vegas. It’s Christmas. And I plan to be a Weight Watchers member from now until the day I meet my Maker.
Which I hope will be a long time from now!
About Linda
The daughter of a town marshal, Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 100 historical and contemporary novels, most of which reflect her love of the West.
Raised in Northport, Washington, Linda pursued her wanderlust, living in London and Arizona and traveling the world before returning to the state of her birth to settle down on a horse property outside Spokane.
