Day 708

As of this moment, the magic number is 1,671 2,065 2,230.

What's the importance of that number? It is the number of times a book has been downloaded free in the last two days on Amazon. What book?  My book! Even more exciting - at this very moment the book is #2 in the Special Occasion Cooking category in the Amazon Kindle store!! Also #2 in Holidays and #2 in Desserts in the Kindle store.

And of all the thousands and thousands of free Kindle books on Amazon, my book is now #183!!

Yeah, I'm kind of obsessed with the numbers right now.

We're also still obsessed with Alejandra's.

Caldo de Pollo (Chicken Soup). They have the most delicious flavored broths in their soups.

Bean and Cheese Burrito. Can you believe this platter-size burrito only cost $3.50?

Ground Beef Burrito.

And Pam G, guess what? Ed and I are inviting you next week to partake in eating through the menu with us! You pick the day.

Day 707

The book is now free! Head on over today and get your copy. And please, if you like it, leave me a favorable review on Amazon.

Click here for the book

As for my picture(s) of the day, how about more of our journey of eating through the menu at Alejandra's?

Caldo de Mariscos (Seafood Soup), bursting with shrimp, crab, cod, and super-tasty vegetables.

Beef taco salad.

Chicken tostada.

One more soup to go and then we head to the burrito section.

Day 706

I just had to tell someone...

It's here! On Amazon! Here's my book!

Right now it's $3.99 but the best part is that it's going to be supposed to be free for download later today and tomorrow. (I'm still trying to figure out why it isn't happening.) You can put it on your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or other digital device. Don't have those things? No problem - you can put it on your computer.

I hope you get a chance to check it out. If it weren't for your encouragement I certainly wouldn't have done it!

Thanks for letting me share my excitement. Blog picture to come later today (got it now), scheduled Tuesday Tutorial being moved to next week...

Updated with blog picture... I now have my own bed at our new house, the house my mom in living in now. A new headboard, mattress, and a very old quilt made by my grandmother circa 1979. Really brightens up the room. Now I have a place to sleep in Boise. As soon as my daughter gives back my pillow.

Day 705

How about some more dessert pictures from my new book?

Don't all these pictures just make you hungry? The book should be showing up on Amazon by tomorrow. I hope to have details then on how you can get it FREE!

Until tomorrow...

Day 704

Yesterday's ego bruising was a precursor to what is happening this week. Like I wrote a couple days back, I have an exciting/nervous/scary announcement.

So what do these pictures that I took today have in common?

Well they are just five of the desserts found in this new book:

If the name of the author sounds familiar, it should. Because that author is me!

I've been working furiously at getting photos and recipes together in a book just in time for Valentine's Day. It's a self-published book on Amazon, for the Kindle. It's darn scary to put something of mine out there, but I'm oh-so-excited for you to see it. And guess what? I'm working at making it free to my blog readers! I'll have more details Monday or Tuesday (I hope). You won't even have to have a Kindle to get it, either.

Cross your fingers for me. More info tomorrow...

Day 703

I got my ego bruised today.

We sat there in those metal folding chairs when the Marsing Disaster Auction started at 10:13 AM, waiting patiently for my quilt to show up. All day long quilts came and went for large amounts of money and it was just torture when mine didn't appear until the end. One of the very last items to auction off, at a time when most people had either left for the day, were tired, or were out of money. At a time when the auctioneers were trying to get things wrapped up for the day.

That's when the ego bruising happened.

The quilt I made this year for the auction, the one bigger and more colorful than my offering last year didn't go for much. 80 measly dollars. Ouch. In my head I knew it was no reflection on me or my quilting skills. But in my heart? Again, ouch.

After a bit of a nap when we got home, all is okay. The community got $80 that it wouldn't have gotten otherwise.

Goodbye, sweet quilt. I'm sorry I didn't buy you back myself.

Day 702

If you've been with me since the beginning you know I started taking pictures because of the cat. (The details can be found on Day 9.) So it is because of her - and because of you sticking around with me, encouraging me along the way - that I will be sharing some exciting news on Sunday.

Exciting, but scary. Makes me nervous to think about it. It's one of those if not now, when? kind of things. And for some unknown reason I've decided the time is now. I've been keeping it hidden and didn't even tell my husband until today.

I'll certainly need you close by, cheering me on. It's a biggie for me.

So please come back on Sunday - even Monday or Tuesday if you want - and find out what has me so terrified but excited.

Kitty is neither one right now.