New Attempts At Gardening - Oh The Memories - Gardening with Grandma

The good thing about blogging – you can pick up anytime you want and add fresh new posts.

 

My current endeavors include gardening. Do any of you garden? What exactly is gardening? Lots of memories in this head of mine involving gardens. Last night I was talking with my mom, we probably spent 45 min discussing it. The smile my face was wearing the whole time was so important to me. 

 

When I think of gardening I think of my mom’s family. They all had gardens. This little town in Kansas is called Goodland. That’s where they were all from, well I mean they are originally from the Wichita area but that’s splitting hairs.

Goodland, Ks, this is where my gardening memories start. My grandmother had the most beautiful backyard you’d ever see. It was quintessential mid-west. They had a beautiful patio that I just wished I could duplicate. Their yard was massive and the garage the prettiest red shade you can picture. But, along her back fence, that was where the real magic happened. 

 

I would be lying if I knew the real dimensions, but it had to at least be 10x30 feet, this garden. I close my eyes and can picture the summer days with crops sprouting and waiving in the air. As a little girl, my best memory was going into her garden and eating her tomatoes. My mother told me last night that this particular habit of mine started when I had just learned to walk, at our at-home garden in Wichita.

 

Maybe that’s why this memory makes me smile so much, it is one that ties me to my mother and my grandmother. All I want is a tomato plant of my own now, 38 years later. 

 

Since I’ve been married almost every year I have dreamed of my own garden like Grandma had. Two years ago, I started too late in the season and all I was able to make grow was a pumpkin vine that only had female buds, so no pumpkins grew. Last year was way more successful. I had 20 different items planted and they all sprouted and looked great. And then the blasted April showers hit, and it rained for 3 weeks. My poor garden didn’t survive. I was able to harvest 1 successful cucumber and 3 green beans.

 

Needless to say, it was not a successful harvest,

This year I am prepared. I researched and looked for outdoor greenhouses and I think I will like the one I settled on. It is a 12x8 footprint. Perfect for the above grounds I currently have in the yard and ample room to add the fruit pants I plan on putting in pots. 

 

Tonight is the night, I have a couple seedlings to transplant that I started on my counter inside a few weeks back, but the bulk of my crop will be planted as seeds. The lettuce and broccoli did not survive the countertop, so I must restart those. I have 3 tomato plants started; I hope to see them flourish. My son seems just as excited as I am about this venture so I hope he and I can do this together. That would be a lot of fun. 

 

When I was talking with my mom last night, she told me I should blog about this experience. That’s the first thing in a while that sparked some creative juices in me. Maybe because it ties me to my grandmother, who I miss terribly. She died during Hurricane Harvey and my world has been lacking a lot without her in it. I called her brother last week, my great uncle, and asked him for some help on my seedlings. He has a non-profit farm in Denver and helps to feed the population up there. Unfortunately, he says Denver and Houston are too different and I would have better luck going to a nursery for help. Apparently, climates really do play a huge factor in it.

 

Not sure how much I will blog, but I do think I will. I love journaling my experiences, that way I can always look back and remember. Plus, this blog is called ‘Memories in a Box’ and this is literally memories from my past being transformed into a box of dirt!

 

Momma was right, I should blog about this.

 

Today is going to be a great day and I just can’t wait to see what my garden has in store for me in 3 months. 

 

I’ve never had the pleasure of feeding my family food I have grown on my own, and I am thrilled to experience that for the first time. We live on a pretty great size lot and maybe one day the dream of self-sufficient fruits and veggies can partially come true.

 

Although I hear banana trees bring in snakes, therefore I will happily continue to buy those at Aldi’s.

 

I’d love to hear your experiences with gardening or tips and tricks, please leave a comment below.

The Greenhouse - pre planting!

Here is a carrot I found leftover in the garden this weekend when I was cleaning. Imagine my surprise! 

A 7 Year Old's Impression ... My Memory of 41

Being President of the United States gives a few lucky men the opportunity to influence so many youth on a mass scale. In a time when the country is now mourning the loss of 41, everyone is in a state of reflection. I’m no different. I don’t remember President Regan even though he was the president when I was born. President Bush was the first that I actually remember. And remembering him is one of the memories I have as a young child that sticks out most vividly in my mind.

There are few others like the birth of my brother, the Challenger exploding, Reading Rainbow in 1^st grade and then, President Bush addressing the nation.

I can’t remember if I was flying to Houston or flying home from Houston, but I remember President Bush. I was at the airport with my mom sitting with our luggage in Kansas City when President Bush was on the television. I remember looking up and seeing him talking to the nation. I don’t remember what it was about, maybe the Gulf War given the time period. But I remember him, and the Seal of the United States. As a young girl I was awe struck by the sight. Here was a man, powerful, strong, and capturing.

It was in that very moment that a young 7 (maybe I was 8) girl decided she was going to be a lawyer and then one day President herself. From that moment on every decision I made was with the goal of serving my country in politics. And it was a goal I intended to keep.

But like every dream of a young kid, life changes in college. I took a Macro-Economics class at Sam Houston State University and the rest was history. Law school no more, Business and Economics for me.

That doesn’t change the fact that I vividly remember looking at the screen and watching the President. I remember looking around the airport and adults were all focused on what he was saying. It was an amazing moment that I will never forget, seeing the power of one man, a man who stopped people in their tracks when he spoke.

Like President Bush I wasn’t born in Houston but I do call it my home. I’m proud to have shared a city with him, him and his wife. Watching her funeral earlier this year was sad, tears were shed and it was heartbreaking to see the President without his life partner. This week’s services are sure to bring more tears to my eyes as the country honors a man who gave his life for the good of our people.

I wished I would have gotten to meet President and Mrs. Bush. I’ve heard how nice they were. My heart felt sincerest condolences goes out to the entire Bush family. I hope that I can find a way to make it to visit the President at his church on Wednesday evening.

I wish I had better words to describe the impact he left on a young 7 year old girl back in Kansas City … but I just can’t muster anymore than I have.

Rest in Peace President Bush – your impact on our world will be felt for many more generations to come.

Happy Birthday Blood Purple!

6 years ago today I became an officially published author. It was a huge deal for me to accomplish this, as it would be for anyone. My parents joined me for dinner that night to celebrate along with my hubby & two of my best friends. The writing community had welcomed me and it was the beginning. The beginning of my dreams coming true. It was by far one of the most memorable moments in my life, right up there with my wedding day, my children's adoption day, my graduation days, and the day I received my black belt in martial arts.

When moments happen in life that change you forever, you tend to remember those. Writing had always been an outlet for me, that wasn't anything new. The new part was letting the world read my writings, letting my work become judged, putting myself out there, exposed.

It's kind of like having that nightmare where you show up to school naked, everyone points and laughs. That's sort of what I was afraid of, when releasing BLOOD PURPLE. I was petrified I would be shunned.

I didn't understand why I had such trouble in English growing up. Grammar, spelling, conjugating sentences, you name it, I sucked. But what I could do was write a hell of a good story. I was very creative. In my debate class I wrote original oratory and the best part, no grammar involved as it was a speech. I loved it and I really enjoyed the whole process. I look at my writing sort of like that. The main difference is people DO see the written words this time around.

But, I took the risk. I sent my manuscript off. The first company I sent it to was an England based publisher who liked it, but didn't publish books in the genre I wrote so they suggested I find a small press who did. I next sent it to a small publishing house in Canada. I ended up contracting 3 books with them before it was over.

If I knew then what I knew now, I would still choose to not go into indie publishing straight away. I learned a lot signing with two publisher's. I ended up actually having 4 books total with small press before I went completely indie. Both publishers taught me something different and I am glad that I had that opportunity to learn.

The Faces Of Blood Purple

My debut novel has had a couple face lifts. I remember when I was emailed the original cover, I cried. I had thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread! haha. Oh what did I know back then, I sold a lot that first month so hey, guess it had something right!

I have always had an affinity for swords and in my mind this book was represented best by my weapon of choice. I was once asked if I had any sword training in my martial arts and I hate that the answer is no. I would love to someday acquire sword training, if nothing, just to say I could do it.

Don't get me started on the idea of making my own sword, oh boy! One day my hubby will have his own forge shop for stuff like this, once we can retire on my novel revenue, LOL. Then I will make the KADIN sword.

I can picture it perfectly in my mind ...

When I separated with XOXO Publishing I had asked a friend who did graphic art to help make a cover. As you can see, once again, the sword is present.

"I'm not just a princess, I am a warrior." I love that quote. It gave me shivers when I wrote it the first time and every time I read it since then I still feel the goosebumps. Nikole in so many ways was me. Is me.

She's flawed, she's doubtful, she's scared. But she is also strong, loyal and willing to do what it takes to survive.

She's a warrior.

I love her, and everything about this character.

Many times in a books life cycle there comes a time when the author needs to re-brand. My sales had sort of died off and I wanted to change all of my covers. This time the sword came back to the focal point, and the blood, I love the blood.

The cover is similar yet different and I think it catches the eye.

This has been the cover I've used longest and yep, you've guest it, it's time for a new cover to come out.

That probably won't happen for a while as life is pretty hectic right now and I don't exactly know what all I want in it. I toss ideas back and forth in my head but I am sure you know the one thing that will for sure be present.

The sword.

When it's all said and done BLOOD PURPLE is at the core of my writing. I cut my teeth on the Algula world and there is nothing I would change about the characters or the stories. I think they are perfect as is.

I would however change some of the editing jobs that transpired back in 2012 but at some point you have to just accept, this was a first novel, there are mistakes. That's one thing as an indie author, I control the editing. With the publisher the editing went kind of haywire and I know that there are still issues left over from that first job.

But that's okay. I feel like the story can still stand on it's own, especially compiled with the other three books in the series. So I just have let it go.

Happy Birthday BLOOD PURPLE! You launched my writing career, you gave me something to be proud of as an adult, and you continue to give me courage to write, as often as I can.

One day you will be a household name, like Anne Rice, Twilight & True Blood. But until then, just know, you will always be my favorite set of characters, deep in my heart.

To Nikole, Zayn, Leigh, Haydar, Derrik, Dominic, Alec, Adara, Nasir & Mehmet - Happy 6 Years of literary life. Here's to another 6 more! Maybe by then you will all be on the big screen and then who knows what will happen from there.

If you haven't already checked out the Blood Series you can click the link below, happy readings! BLOOD PURPLE ebook is ALWAYS Free ....

Pick Me Up Here!

Another Fad .... Giving Up All Sugar

Well it’s that time again ... the time when I roll my eyes at the effort, results and overall well being of the attempt that was given at healthy living. Long time followers of the blog know that auto-immune issues plague my system and that makes life super super hard when it comes to weight management.

People look at someone who is overweight, especially women, and think they are lazy or they must over eat or that they just don’t care. Well I am going to run through with you what I consume on a typical day and you can tell me if you think I am over eating.

Weekdays
Breakfast - 2-3 eggs either scrambled with cheese or hard boiled along with a banana
Morning snack - String cheese
Lunch - 1 serving of lunch meat (6 slices) I take those slices and break them into 2’s and roll them with a slice of Colby jack cheese. I also have 1-2 small orange (cuties) and then another string cheese. 2 ounces of peanut butter and 1/2 a cup of baby carrots
Afternoon snack (or at lunch if I am super hungry) - Another fruit, either strawberries (5 of them), peach, plums, nectarine, etc.
Dinner - I serving of meat and 1-2 vegetable servings. If one of the servings is a potato I never add rice to the meat dish. If I want rice with the meat I have two non - starch veggies (carrots, green beans, broccoli, peas, etc.)
I also drink 140-160 ounces of water a day.

So tell me ... is that too much food? Am I over eating? Sometimes if I am feeling really daring I will add a vanilla pudding at lunch just for fun. My co-worker thinks I am starving myself with this food intake, he thinks I’m crazy.

This has been my exact diet for idk, maybe 3 months now. Keep in mind I’ve done the 100% gluten free, 100% processed sugar free, 100% vegan, 100% vegetarian and now this adaptation ... I try to limit my gluten to eating out since I dont really buy it at home except for bread for the kids. I also don’t drink milk. The only milk I get is in the cheese. I’m down 10 pounds total and that is including all the crappy meds the docs shove inside me to assist with weight loss.

People can call it excuses all they want but life is hard for someone with all these auto immune diseases. In all the diets what I do know has helped me actually feel better are two diets, the gluten free and the insulin-resistance diet. And that diet is super easy to follow. It is all about balance. If you have 1 serving of carbs you have at least 1 serving of protein to balance it out with and no more than 2 servings of carbs per meal. I try to follow that 100% of the time. Which is why I always have cheese with my fruit. And when I say servings I mean legit servings. I measure so much out. And your protein : carb ratio has to be 7:30.

So now my husband and one of my best friends have challenged me to go 14 days at 100% sugar free. That means no fruit. I am pretty sure I may die and suffer a painful death from this. Not because there is no cookies or no Dr Pepper or any of that ... but because I can’t have my fruit! As you can see I am getting in 3-4 servings of fruit a day and it is a true staple in my life. Now I will have to give that up.

I am tired of all the medications I have to take and I am willing to try anything to see if it helps me. My husband went sugar free and lost 50 pounds really quickly and my friend doing this is at almost 30 pounds now and she looks great.

So I am going to give this fad a try for 14 days starting Monday. I told her I am probably going to end up super bitchy over this ... so we will see.

So my meals are going to look like this .... blah!
Breakfast - 2-3 boiled eggs
Snack - string cheese
Lunch - meat & cheese roll, celery, cream cheese for dipping,
Snack - ?
Dinner - meat with green beans or broccoli or spinach & more cheese.

This is gonna suck! Guess we will see how this comes out.

I realize I can also make salads with this, like ground beef, lettuce, cheese, hard boiled egg, etc. But we’ll go one day at a time.

I’m curious if any of you have ever done something like this and what your results were?

Leave a message if you have with how it went.

Good luck to all of you who have this FAD issue too. We’re all in this together.

Happy Readings and I’ll talk to you all on the flip side.

ComicPalooza 2018 - Recap

Hey Hey all you readers. I hope each and every one of you who joined me at ComicPalooza 2018 this year had as amazing of a time as I did.

For this impact to really get you where your heart is I am going to need to give you a bit of a insight into my childhood. My parents divorced when I was 7 and 1st and 2nd grade were really hard on me. Especially 1st grade. I remember crying a lot. But there was always one thing that I looked forward too most each day, Reading Rainbow. My love of books has been as long as I can remember and I have vivid memories of Levar Burton taking us on adventures through books each day in class. There was just some sort of comfort he gave me. During a time in my life when I was really struggling, with reading. I was told I was dyslexic, this show truly comforted me.

Further more, growing up in Kansas City after the divorce one of my absolute favorite memories with my mom was two things, Tales From The Crypt and Star Trek, The Next Generation. My mom, my brother and I would pile into her bed and eat pizza and watch these two shows. And knowing that one of the stars was also from Reading Rainbow helped to solidify my love for the show and that actor. I have always loved TNG and I still will watch reruns if I ever get to catch them on.

Fast forward to the summer I graduated, I had just come home from the Bahamas when my best friend and I went to the movies and saw, Evolution. This movie became a pillar of my adult life and my friendship to Laura. We watch this movie to celebrate everything, to mend broken hearts and to heal any and every ache we encounter, all while eating Mac n Cheese with Tuna and Peas.

And last but not least .. my love and obsession with Will Smith ... So when Independence Day came out it quickly became one of my top 5 favorite movies.

Having said this, three massive people of the foundation of who Ashley is ... I finally met!

Friday morning started with LeVar Burton. This man was so kind, funny and genuine. Myself, along with my buddy from CBHS Clint, and a couple strangers got to witness him along with Brent Spiner bantering in front of us. It was amazing. The two of them were just hilarious. I was the first in line to walk up to the Reading Rainbow legend. And that is what he was in my mind, a legend. Who knows if I would have the writing career I have today if it hadn’t been for that show. He smiled, laughed, listened to me ramble. When it was time for the picture he said “Let’s hold hands like we’re going to prom” and no joke, I giggled, just like a school girl. He didn’t treat you like he was some big time star, he treated you like you mattered. I even told him he surpassed Henry Winkler as the best celeb encounter. Little did I know that that comment would apply more than once today.

Next I raced over to Brent Spiner’s line. And I mean raced. God I can’t begin to tell you how full of anxiety and excitement I was when I was bouncing from one line to another. Mr. Spiner sat on his chair in the front of his table. He gave fist bumps and smiled. He chit chatted with you like you were long time friends. I told him the story with my mom and he goes “Tell your mother that I enjoyed watching her in bed from the TV set.” Then, like the totally insane person I had become during this hour, the next thing happened. This man named John interrupted my time with Mr. Spiner to give him an ad for some fanfest of some sort coming in September and as Mr. Spiner is looking at the images goes “Who is this?” I look and see he is pointing to CHANDLER RIGGS! And what does my dumbass do, I chastise DATA for not knowing Carl!!! What the hell is wrong with me???? YOU DONT CHASTISE THE STARS!!!! Lucky for me he was really cool about it and didn’t hold it against me. When we went to take the photo I said “Can we fist bump” and he said of course. BAM One fist bump away from Will Smith and one Fist Bump into Ashley’s mind of mush!

As Clint and I were walking out of that line I see him, Orlando Jones walking into his table. And like I was possessed by my 13 year old daughter I RUN to his line. The line that hadn’t formed yet, LOL So there I am, almost hyperventilating at the idea of seeing this actor who is on my bucket list. This whole experience was a bucket list moment. And that’s how I start it. I tell him “This is part of my bucket list” and he takes both my hands into his and listened as I told him of the story of Mac n Cheese and Evolution. THEN he pulls out his phone and says we have to take a video at the end of it. I tell him all about Laura and he asks to see her pic. I show him her facebook page, like it’s no big deal. We talk and laugh and joke around. I learn that David Dechovney, whom I also was obsessed with since the X-Files came out, ad lib’d the flashing scene in Evolution. I told Orlando (he told me to call him Orlando not Mr. Jones) that he was clearly the classier one for not flashing his ass. So he walks around the table and brings his phone out, HIS PHONE and pulls up his instagram and goes “Let’s go live, no wait boomerang!” Now I don’t know what the hell boomerang is, he goes “Just do something that’s all you gotta do” and of course I freeze up, and then HE KISSES MY HEAD!!! I swear if my head could have exploded it would have. Then he told me when I post about it to tag him and send him a DM so we can connect. Clint had to practically carry me back to my table because I was mush, all mush!

This video is all I have left of the kiss. It’s a recording of the video on my cell phone.

This was hands down the most exciting and amazing moments I ever had at any event. I thought in 2010 when Jen and I met Jason Dohring was pretty damn cool but this, this was so much more.

These three men were such a huge part of my life and they didn’t even know it. I will forever be grateful for May 25th, the best day ever. I consider it the best birthday gift ever because of course it was the week of my birthday right?

What a huge rambling I know but I can’t help it ... when you get to experience stuff like this, rambling just comes naturally. 

When A Memory Jumps Up And Bites Ya

I  know that we all have those moments ... when a smell or taste sparks a memory of our past. Good or bad, and then we can't help thinking about it. That's what I just experienced. This morning I woke up with a mission, reorganize my writing room..

This room is my sanctuary. It is where I can escape everything and feel peace. All of my favorite things are in here and it not only provides me with inspiration but it gives me an escape from whatever reality is approaching me at that moment.

So for whatever reason, my psyche woke up today thinking If I reorganize the room, inspiration will strike and I'll feel good. So I hauled the hubby in, gave him my idea, he gave feedback and then left me to contemplate what he suggested.

Fifteen minutes later I had reorganized it and he walked in, 'Why didn't you ask for help?" I shrugged - something in me just had to get it done. So now I had a new writing corner. One next to my bookshelf covered in photos of my family, my favorite books, and the ninja turtles. Go ahead and laugh, but I love those guys!


The dogs had a new spot next to my chair and I had made a corner where I could put my candles, incense and other things of that nature.

After a long day of random stuff I finally get a moment to sit at my laptop and I pulled up Sekhmet's Revenge Vol 5 I am determined to finish this today, by the way! Then hunger strikes. My default comfort food is Nachos. My mamma got me hooked on them and well, I am my momma's daughter after all.And not just any kind of Nachos. They have to be made a very special way.

So now I'm armed with Nachos and my laptop. I take that first bite and the memory jumps up and bites me in the proverbial ass. I remember one Friday night in fifth grade, my mother, brother and I were piled on her bed, armed with Nachos, watching Tales from the Crypt.

Now I just can't stop smiling, I used to love our Friday night dog piles in her room. There was Star Trek, Tales from the Crypt, Twilight Zone ... so many great things.

But now my room smelled like cheese and I just didn't want that - So I dig around and fine my lavender to burn. And now peace. Peace jumps up and snags a piece of me and takes me off to a place that makes me remember that  first moments of the wekend morning.

You know, when your eyes are barely open and things are peaceful. This is my favorite part of the day. When life is easy and quiet. My dogs are usually curled up next to me and the hubs is either at work or in the other room watching TV already.


The best things in life, for me, are those that bring you peace and comfort. And that's what my little sanctuary does for me.

It lets me remember all the joys of my youth. Like melting plastic army men in my Aunt Lee's back yard with my uncle and cousin. Chasing my brother around the backyard playing tag. Swimming at the beach with my childhood dog. Playing the flute in the school band in front of hundreds of people. Or curling up at night with Miss Kitty, my old cat.

So in this edition of Ashley's Randomness I traveled through thirty years of memories - thirty years of smiles and laughs.It's these little moments that make the every day hustle and bustle worth it to me.

And then there is the memories I made with my Mom -- And how thinking of her always reminds me of home.