Free at Last (for the Next 2.5 Months)

Posted on October 14, 2016 by russtowne

I love nearly everything about investing and my wealth management business. A big exception to that is when it comes to quarterly letter time. I typically send report letters to my Clients during the first two weeks of each new quarter and during that time my writing projects,nearly all my social media activities, and some other parts of my life and to get put on hold get put on hold. I’m ecstatic to be able to tell you that my reports are done and I can now get back to other important aspects of my life!

I’m about to saddle up once again as I get back to writing my novella titled, It Was Her Eyes. I have some new ideas that will help me to blow past a part of the story that had stymied me. I also plan to be more visible on social media again as well. Thank you for your patience.

With Love,

Russ

Posted in Investing, Uncategorized, Writing, Writing Project Updates | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

The Great Carrot Caper

Posted on October 12, 2016 by russtowne

 

Our grandson Thomas learned first-hand that one often gets to reap what one sows. He loves carrots and his Mama loves gardening so it was natural they planted a lot of carrot seeds in their garden. Harvest time! The photo on the right shows Thomas, Mama, and our Black Lab Sadie enjoying the moment, followed shortly afterwards by the satisfying sound of yummy and healthy just-picked and washed carrot crunching.

The wooden structure in the photo on the left is a U-shaped raised garden frame that was built by our son Ben and daughter Stephanie as a gift for My Beloved to make it easier on her back to garden.

With Love,

Russ

 

Posted in Family, Family Fun, Gardening, Grandparenting & Grandkids, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Ridin’ The Ghost Train Under a Taco Moon

Posted on October 9, 2016 by russtowne

 

 

 

 

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A photo of Thomas, My Beloved, and me on the Ghost Train

We had the pleasure of our grandson Thomas’ company yesterday and all took a ride on The Ghost Train. A local county park has a narrow gauge railroad and this time of year extends its operating hours so it runs at night and then turns the train ride into a Ghost Train complete with spooky music, and decorations at the station. My Beloved and Thomas added to the mood by often yelling BOOOOOOOOOOO during the ride! The station had skeletons, spiders, webs, gravestones, and more. It was fun and not too scary even for little kids.

The park sold a package deal with the train and carousel rides, and even a free large pumpkin.

We had a wonderful time together making more beautiful memories. During the train ride Thomas saw the moon asked “Do you know who I think of when I see the moon? You, Papa, and you Mama.”

Mama asked him if he knew the shape of the moon.. He said he didn’t. She said it somewhere between a crescent moon and half moon, and explained why. Thomas said, “It looks like a Taco Moon.” He had a point.

With Love,

Russ

 

 

 

Posted in Children, Family, Family Fun, Grandparenting & Grandkids, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

T.G.I.F.: It’s been a long week

Posted on October 7, 2016 by russtowne

Sometimes I have days where life seems to come at me with the same impact this woodpecker is absorbing. Sometimes I send tall against it, and other times I feel like hiding somewhere curled up in a fetal position, and staying there until the pounding stops.

With Love,
Russ

Live & Learn's avatarLive & Learn

woodpecker

The woodpecker is capable of repeatedly pecking the wood of a tree, suffering deceleration in the order of 10,000 m/s.  Read more at @ The Hammock Papers. (Thank you Rob.)

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Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

“if you listen to your fears, you will die never knowing what a great person you might have been.” – robert h. schuller

Posted on October 7, 2016 by russtowne

Now that’s LIVING!
With Love,
Russ

beth's avatarI didn't have my glasses on....

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norma and  her therapy dog, ringo on the road.

Norma Bauerschmidt, who decided to take a cross-country RV trip instead of undergoing cancer treatment has died at the age of 91.

More than 400,000 people have followed Norma Jean Bauerschmidt’s journey with her son and daughter-in-law on her “Driving Miss Norma” Facebook page. Her final stop was San Juan Island, Wash. San Juan County Coroner Randall Gaylord said Bauerschmidt died Friday, Sept. 30.

When 90-year-old Michigan native Norma Jean Bauerschmidt learned she had a large, likely cancerous mass on her uterus, she wasn’t going to waste any time with what she saw as debilitating treatment. Instead, she spent her final days experiencing as much of the world as she could.

Bauerschmidt, a native of Presque Isle, died in her motor home on San Juan Island, Wash., on Sept. 30 at the age of 91, but not before she’d traveled more than…

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Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Our Relationship is An Appreciating Asset

Posted on October 6, 2016 by russtowne

In a comment to my last post, a reader asked why one person stays loyal and another breaks the heart of a devoted spouse.

Here was my reply:

My guess it’s as varied as each couple. It breaks my heart to hear such stories. My Beloved and I often say, “There but the Grace of God…” in gratitude. We’ve had moments when we wondered why we were still together, but the answers have always quickly come. I think our mutual focus on strengthening our relationship and improving ourselves rather than each other has helped us to stay together all these years. Our relationship is an appreciating asset in a world with many depreciating ones. Our stubbornness and selfishness also help. We’re too stubborn to give up on each other and too selfish to let go of the good thing we know we have.

May all hearts find a soul mate worthy of them.

With Love,

Russ

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 17 Comments

Celebrating the 37th Anniversary of the Best Decision of My Life

Posted on October 6, 2016 by russtowne

Thirty-seven years ago today I made the best decision of my life by making My Beloved my wife. It’s been, and continues to be, an amazing adventure.

With Love,

Russ

 

Posted in Family, Love, Marriage, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 19 Comments

Urgent: Feedback Requested

Posted on October 4, 2016 by russtowne

A friend and reader pointed out that the cover of my latest book project appears to indicate the man/husband is accusing her of doing something silly. In the story though I’m the one uttering the sentence, I’m also the one who’s done something silly. The cover as is could turn off a lot of potential readers, so I need to change it fast as wheels are in motion with the existing one.

What do you think of, “Honest Honey That’s How It Happened!” as a replacement title or something similar? Below is the current one for reference…

I’d really appreciate your feedback.

With Love,

Russ

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Posted in Humor, Marriage, Uncategorized, Writing Project Updates | Tagged , , , , | 32 Comments

Cover Reveal for “Who Would Do Something Silly Like That”?

Posted on October 4, 2016 by russtowne

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I’m pleased to present the cover of my latest book titled, Who Would do Something Like That? 

You may recognize the two characters. They are the parents of the little girl Stephanie from my non-fiction children’s book The Beach That Love Built. In other words, they are the illustrator’s representation of My Beloved and me. He was given a brief description of each of us but no photos and these are the characters he came up with. When my book cover designer and I couldn’t find the right image to use for this book it occurred to me that we could use the couple from the beach book. Notice which one of us is trying to get out of trouble and explain what happened, and which of us isn’t buying what I’m trying to sell and can’t believe what she’s hearing?

Did I mention this book is non-fiction? Every story in it actually happened. I believe many will tickle your funny bone, and others will touch your heart.

With Love,

Russ

 

Posted in book, Heart, Marriage, Non-Fiction, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

Two Down

Posted on October 3, 2016 by russtowne

I finished and sent to my editor drafts of my two new hopefully humorous and heartwarming book projects, “Stop Peeing in the Kitty Litter” (about Parenting) and “Who Would Do Something Silly Like That?” (about Marriage.) It’s nice to have drafts of have them done.

I’m now doing my quarterly reports for my wealth management Clients. I get paid quarterly after I send my reports so it is a priority to complete them near the beginning of each quarter. It usually takes me 1-2 weeks to finish them. During that time I put nearly all of my social networking activities on hold. Please know that it is my intention to reconnect as soon as my quarterly reports are done.

I’ve had a mental block about a key scene regarding my fiction book, “It Was Her Eyes” (which is why I switched to the other two books in the first place.) The solution came to me earlier today when I was in the shower (the most common place for story ideas to hit me.) I’m fired up again to finish the story, BUT I’ve got to do my quarterly reports first. I just hope I don’t lose the motivation to finish the story by the time I finish the reports!

With Love,

Russ

Posted in book, Fiction, Non-fiction Stories I've Written, True Stories I've Written, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments