CAN IT GET ANY HOTTER?  (And it's only March!)   Yes, it can. And it’s a lesson learned. Don’t wait until the end of March to go to a spring training game. The day we attended, IT WAS A 101. WOW! We stayed in the sun through the first inning, then moved to the shade. Each of us went to see the team we root for. Mine is the Kansas City Royals, and for Ray it's the Colorado Rockies. I'm happy to report that the Royals won. Oh, and we got to see Bobby Witt, Jr. in action. Yay!   WRITING NEWS (Part 1): I want to thank those of you who wrote me last month and complimented me on my new website. If you haven’t looked at it, please go to: www.janettafudgemessmer.com. And as with any new venture, there’s always a funny story attached to it.   Here it is: I published my newsletter last month, then waited for responses from my readers. Hours went by, and I didn’t see anything. I may have panicked a bit. But hubby came to my rescue. He found that we had skipped a crucial step when we switched over to the new website. Ray fixed it, and your emails arrived in my inbox. It was a Praise the Lord moment.   P.S. Because of the above hiccup, if you didn’t see February’s newsletter, go check your spam. It may be resting there.   WRITING NEWS (Part 2): Since I’m done with the website, it was time to get back to writing. As of right now, I have 9,500 words on Book #13. My character is a successful realtor who has signed up on a dating site. You may ask yourself, what can possibly go wrong? Plenty…   I've had help. Since we live in a 55+ community in the winter, I've told my friends that I'm writing a book about online dating. Their stories have poured forth about some of their disastrous dates.   Here's a little hint: One of the stories may include a three-legged squirrel. Stay tuned…   (Yes, another sunset picture)   I don’t know if the excessive heat (we have been in the 100s) has anything to do with more breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, but the one above ranks among my Top 10. If you take photos of sunrises or sunsets, send them to me. You know I’d love to see them.   Most of you know that I LOVE to play pool (billiards) and play twice a week with the ladies. However, a few weeks ago, we got together with the men and played six games. Since the men set it up, the ladies just came in and picked a card to see which gentleman they’d be with.   I picked the Ace (#1), so I was matched with Mike. Even though I turned 70 in January, I almost broke out into a happy dance because he’s a top-rated pool player. He and I tied for first place. What a fun day, learning from a pro. Waltzing with a Grease Monkey is ON SALE for $0.99 through March 31! Click the book cover to go to Amazon.     Penelope teaches ballroom dancing. At night, she moonlights as a mechanic alongside her ex-boyfriend, Derek. One day, her two professions collide. Will Harrison waltz into the studio and steal Penelope’s heart, or will Derek’s wit win her over?   Thank you for reading my offering each month and commenting. It means the world to me and puts a smile on my face!   Until next time…  Janetta Fudge Messmer - Author of Christian Comedy/Romances “Turning Life Into Comedy!” E-mail: janettafudgemessmer@gmail.com Website and sign up for my newsletter: http://janettafudgemessmer.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janetta.fudge.messmer Twitter: https://twitter.com/nettiefudge

 

(Another Arizona sunset)    MY WEBSITE JOURNEY  (And I lived to talk about it!)   Happy Valentine’s Day. Sorry, it’s a few days late. I hope it was filled with lots of love and chocolate. Hubby and I attended a dance that evening at the place we are staying. They always do a Sock Hop. Great costumes. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any to share.   But I did get a photo of my 99-year-old friend (see below). She was the Grand Marshall of our Mardi Gras parade this year. She’s a special lady and quite the pool player. She is no longer able to play because of her eyesight, but we still go over to her place on Tuesday for Happy Hour and snacks.     Even though February is a short month, it’s been full of lots of activities. Along with the Sock Hop, I’ve gone to two shows. The first: Song, Sung Blue. Outstanding. Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson… both should win an Academy Award. My friend Jeri insisted we go, and I’m glad she did. Well worth it.     The second movie: I went with Jeri again. It was EPIC (Elvis Presley In Concert). Amazing! His rendition of How Great Thou Art was worth the ticket price. IMAX makes you feel as if you’re there. And for almost two hours, the King of Rock and Roll serenaded us. If you’re a fan, it’s a must-see!   February Funny: This same friend had a birthday last month. I went over to visit her on her big day. I’m not sure how it ended up with her saying to me, “If you want to buy me a present, you can buy me potatoes to go with the broasted chicken our other friend brought me.” We both laughed.   As I walked home, I thought, “Why not get her different kinds of potatoes?” I told Ray about it, and we ran to the store to pick up hashbrowns, two potatoes to bake, and mashed potatoes. We went to her house and delivered her ‘present’. She got a kick out of the variety.     You might be asking, “Who gives a broasted chicken and potatoes as a birthday gift?” That would be our mutual friend and me!   News about Liver and Onion that you didn’t know you needed: I know you’ve waited patiently to find out how this turned out. Surprisingly, the people who wrote me about the aforementioned food were split 50/50 on whether they loved or hated it. And they gave good reasons for their answer.   One subscriber (Barbara) said: “As far as liver and onions, whenever my mom's side would get together for Christmas and my uncle was hosting, the meal was at The Machine Shed Restaurant. He always ordered liver and onions. When he and his wife passed away within days of each other last year, I told my cousins that I would go to Machine Shed and order the meal in his memory.”   That’s so sweet. Thanks for sharing your stories. If you missed last month’s Liver and Onion story, go to my BRAND NEW website at: www.janettafudgemessmer.com.     The above photo is what my Home Page looks like. Click on the two lines I’ve circled. It will take you to the different pages. Click on Ramblings, then go to the bottom of the page and click on the black button. Enjoy!   And when you’re done reading the story in Ramblings, click away on the other headings (About Janetta, Contact, Subscribe). Just know, I couldn’t have pulled this off without Janice and Ray (my hubby). In the end, the hills and valleys were worth it. Oh, and the prayers. I felt every one of them.   Please let me know what you think of my new website. You know I love to hear from you.   Writing News: You may have noticed that I haven’t included this heading in quite a few months. Yes, I am still a writer. And, yes, I can blame part of not writing on creating the new website. But you can only use that excuse for so long.   I’ve started working on one that I put away last year. I’ll keep you posted on the progress. And I always appreciate your prayers.   As always, thank you for your support. And I want to thank the new subscribers who have joined us. I appreciate all of you. Please tell your family and friends about my new website and to sign up for it on the Contact page.   https://amzn.to/3sa1KNP Pigtails and a Tool Belt is ON SALE for February. Who doesn’t want a love story that includes a female handy person, her ex-fiancé, and a guppy? Oh, and a surprise ending… Until next time…  Janetta Fudge Messmer - Author of Christian Comedy/Romances “Turning Life Into Comedy!” E-mail: janettafudgemessmer@gmail.com Website and sign up for the newsletter: http://janettafudgemessmer.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janetta.fudge.messmer Twitter: https://twitter.com/nettiefudge

 

MY 70th B-DAY + LIVER/ONIONS  (Decades to remember!)   Yes, it's 2026, and a few days into it, on January 3, I turned THE BIG 70. As with all my milestone birthdays, I’ve dreaded their arrival. I’d tell myself, “Now, you have to grow up.” I still haven't, but to help me get through the pain of reaching another decade, Ray always softened the blow. Here is what he's done over the years: 30th birthday: Ray set up a singing telegram to come to where I worked. The man dressed up as a clown and made me sit on his lap in front of everyone. I have to admit I was embarrassed, but it was a fun time. 40th birthday: My sister called to wish me a Happy Birthday. All of a sudden, our call went wacky. I looked up, and she’s walking in my front door. She'd flown in from Kansas City to surprise me. Hubby also hired a limo (first time for all of us) to take us to dinner. WOW! 50th birthday: Ray surprised me with a trip to Hilton Head Island. We had a blast, but I don't recommend visiting there in the winter. 60th birthday: By the time I hit this terrible number, we had retired and were in Florida in our RV. I heard that the Make-A-Wish Foundation was having a Gala. We attended and had a grand time. And the money we’d given helped the organization grant more wishes for children. 70th Birthday: I bemoaned this one for way too long, but as with all the other years, Ray helped me cope. He threw me a surprise party at one of my favorite breweries. Friends gathered, and the night was filled with laughter.   ELVIS came to the party, too! A fun time was had by all! Thanks to Ray and all my friends who made turning 70 one for the books.   January Funny: And speaking of friends, I have to share a little backstory first. A friend I grew up with in Kansas, her hubby, and children had moved to Houston a few years before we did. While living there, we’d get together and go out to eat at our favorite restaurant—Luby’s Cafeteria—and have their liver and onions. YUM!   Now back to the story—A few months ago, our friends mentioned they’d like to visit us. During the conversation, she told me that she had bought Ray a cookbook from Luby’s in hopes he’d make us liver and onions when they came. I assured her he would. And she asked me to keep the gift a secret.     They arrived and were barely in the house when Ray was given his present. He opened it and started flipping through the pages. He's not too far in his perusal, and our friend said, "The recipe is on page 60.” We all laughed, then my friend told her husband, “Go out and get the cooler.” He did, and when he brought it in and opened it, he handed Ray two packages of liver. He said, “Do you think that’s enough? And you’ll have to buy the onions to go with it.” More laughter filled our living room. How about you? Do you have a liver-and-onion story or one about a close friend? Please tell me all about either one. You know I always love to read them. BTW: The liver and onions were delicious!   https://amzn.to/47xzLbg   January Book Special: Mayhem and merriment travel along with the RVers in Early Birds Adventures (5-book series). Who knows, when you’re done reading the series, you may want to buy your own camper and tag along with them on their next journey.   Until next time… Janetta Fudge Messmer - Author of Christian Comedy/Romances “Turning Life Into Comedy!” E-mail: janettafudgemessmer@gmail.com Website and sign up for the newsletter: http://janettafudgemessmer.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janetta.fudge.messmer Twitter: https://twitter.com/nettiefudge