A Little Life

I will confess, I live what might appear to be a little life. It's a life built around family and creating. Writing has been a huge part of my life for a long time. But when I took my first pottery class, I knew that would be a part of my life as well. Yes, it was love at first...wedge! LOL We went round and round about where to put my pottery studio (after I'd exhausted all the classes at the university!). I could put it at home, but my options were limited. So we decided to put it at The Cottage. We had more than enough room for sure. We started building the barn last August. And by June, my studio was up and working!

The view is amazing! I spent Monday out there working. I didn't turn on any music...I didn't need to. My Cooper's Hawks are back and were very vocal. Their nest is not far from the barn. I was afraid we'd scare them off with all the building last year, but nope. They're back. The red salamanders are all over! And I rescued a toad that got into the barn the other day. I didn't want Tallulah to find him and taste him. LOL A ton of birds just added to the chorus. Who needs any other music.

The minions came and spent a day at camp last weekend. They played with sticks and lightsabers. LOL (The sticks were Ewok's sticks.) And we took a hike to Second Creek. Yes, we named the creek that borders the back of the property Second Creek. It's not overly creative, but is an accurate description.  We also have other areas named...Powerline Path, Monkey Island (no one's quite sure where that came from) and other areas.

Yes, it's a little life. I wouldn't want it any other way.  I've built my life around family and love. Whether I'm writing love stories about families (like my Hometown Hearts series...that was a sly mention) or loving working on my pottery. It's a little, but lucky life because I love what I do and who I'm sharing my life with.

I think the secret to a happy life is recognizing what's good in your life and giving thanks for it. I hope when you take a look at your life, you find you're as happy with yours as I am with mine! 

Holly

PS. If you have a moment, I hope you'll check out my Hometown Hearts series. Each book stands alone, but since it's a small town, you're bound to bump into someone you know in each book!

Crib Notes: Hometown Hearts #1

Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBook

A Special Kind of Different: Hometown Hearts #2

Kindle, iBook, Kobo, Nook

Homecoming: Hometown Hearts #3

Kindle, Kobo, IBooks, Nook

PREORDER  Suddenly a Father: Hometown Hearts #4

Available in September

Kindle, Kobo, Nook, iBooks: 

The chickens and the eggs - Kandy Shepherd

One of the simple pleasures of my life is eating newly laid eggs from our little flock of chickens. There is nothing quite like the taste. And the enjoyment is even greater knowing our “girls” live a happy, mostly free range life.

Beautiful eggs courtesy of my chickens

 We didn’t set out to keep chickens. In fact, had never had anything to do with them. When we bought our little farm in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, Australia the lovely woman we bought it from had chickens in a secure, custom-built chicken coop known in our valley as “the chicken Hilton”. We gladly inherited them.

The girls enjoy scraps from the kitchen and the garden

 The girls are Isa Browns a French breed of hen. They’re friendly, smart and lay lots of eggs. At the moment we have nine. The number varies as free range comes with risk of predators such as foxes, eagles, and (shudder) snakes. We lost two recently to eagles which was very sad. Otherwise they live until they “drop off the perch” from old age.

They're friendly and curious

 Because the girls are so prolific we enjoy eggs cooked every way—my favorite being simple soft boiled. Quiche, egg custards and meringue are often on the menu. My doctor says not to worry about outdated cholesterol scares and enjoy the health benefits of eating protein rich eggs. We certainly do.

Determined to share Howard the horse's food

 I love all our animals but have a special fondness for our chickens for providing us with eggs. When I collect the eggs, I always thank the girls for their wonderful gifts.

I haven’t written a chicken-keeping heroine into a story yet, but who knows when I might. Have you ever had anything to do with chickens? Or done something you never expected you’d do? I’d love to read your comments!

My most recent book Conveniently Wed to the Greek is a May 2017 release from Harlequin Romance in North America; Mills & Boon Cherish in the UK; and Mills & Boon Forever Romance in Australia and New Zealand.

Kandy Shepherd is a multi-published, award-winning author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. She lives on a small farm in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, Australia, with her family and a menagerie of four-legged friends.

Visit Kandy at her website www.kandyshepherd.com

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