Winners, cantaloupes, and knees...

UPDATE: December 17, 2012 - I'm still - sort of - on a blog break this week. I start my physical therapy on my knee. I'm very excited to get that underway. By the week's end, my two daughters, my son, a son in-law, a boyfriend, a gecko lizard, and two kitties are coming in for a lengthy holiday stay. The house will come alive again.

I am extremely distraught over the terrible tragedy that has struck Newtown, Connecticut this past week. Our thoughts and prayers continue for the families, and for the town touched by this calamity. We mourn with them...

I also want to give you a heads up : On Monday, December 31, I will have Author, Amy Lillard, as a guest, right here on my blog. Amy is one of my Seymour Agency sisters. She writes Amish Romance and is the author of, Saving Gideon. We will be jabbering about the New Year and her book. I think there will be a giveaway in there too, so stop by! You can find out more about Amy at amywritesromance.com .

I will return next week with my personal Christmas card to all of you. Thanks for stopping by! ~ Loree


UPDATE: December 10, 2012-I'm on a blog break this week. Be back soon. Thanks for stopping by! ~ Loree

Before I announce the winner of last week's giveaway, I wanted to let you know that I will be taking a blog break. Last Wednesday, I had knee surgery. It's been a rough go of it the last several days. My knee is extremely swollen - who knew a knee could swell to the size of a cantaloupe? - and it's pretty painful. Walking on crutches is not my style either. I do have a unique knee brace that fills with ice water to help keep the swelling down. This ice water brace has become my best friend, especially after I (attempt) do the post op exercises...Owwwieeee! 

Anyway...sweet Hubby is taking good care of me - cooking, cleaning, running errands, and getting anything I ask...like the yummy DQ hot fudge sundae with nuts and whipped cream he went out and got me last night - late last night. The man deserves a gold medal after getting me into the bath tub, AND getting me out again, AND holding me when I cry - it must be a side effect of the pain meds or the anesthesia because I've cried a lot. So yeah, I married a good man. I'm truly blessed. I just need some recoup time to myself before I start physical therapy.

I also want to say a quick thank you to my friends and family who sent me cards, food, emails, texts, and notes on face book...I love you. Thanks for your sweet thoughts and prayers. <sigh> There is a bright side to all of this - I'm getting a lot of movie watching in, and a ton of writing done. I've also found that I can pretty much run my world from my bed - got my lap top, smart phone, water bottle, land line, TV controllers, pain medication, crutches, Kleenex box, heating pad, large coffee cup, thesaurus, credit card, dictionary, Kindle, Bible, and lastly, my (Pepperidge Farm) Milanos, and Goldfish. 

I want to thank Jen Turano for stopping in last week. She is such a sweetheart! We had fun discussing names for a "gruff," self-made, grandfather type. Jen couldn't comment through Blogger so if you missed her last comment that I posted, here it is:

Thanks everyone for stopping by and leaving comments and names. I was really torn about which one to use - so put them all in a hat and pulled out....Archibald - so thank you to Victoria for that name - we'll see how Archibald develops - right now he's just a glimmer of a thought rattling around my mind. And, well, I also needed a name for a motley dog of undetermined parentage - so stuck my hand back in the bag and - Otis popped out. Thanks to Melissa for that name, and I hope you don't mind that instead of a grandfather figure, Otis is now a hound - and one that slobbers...a lot. 

Hope everyone has a great week!

All the best,

Jen


AND NOW, the winner, drawn at random is.....KAREN LANGE! Congrats Karen! I will be getting in touch with you for your address, so Jen can send you her debut novel, A Change of Fortune, and I can send you the Starbucks gift card. 

Between you, me and the gatepost,

Loree