Tag: hooray

feelings

random acts of kindness

abby mumford

in the midst of a thundercloud, acts of kindness tiny as raindrops can be missed. it’s a good thing i’ve stepped out from under the umbrella.

in puddle #1: my dad dropped off and picked up a dress of mine at the dry cleaners. he also stopped by to see when it would be ready. that’s three extra trips on my behalf.

in puddle #2: my friend N shopped at my favorite book store and when asked if he was part of their regular customer program, he gave my name. essentially, he gave my account credit for buying his book and i’m that much closer to a $7 off coupon.

in puddle #3: sister E let me taste some of her limited amounts of sun tea. it was surprisingly delicious. she also went on walks with me in the scorching 90+ degree heat, did push-ups and squats and lunges by my side, introduced me to the best new sunscreen (sawyer brand), and watched over me when i had an allergic reaction to grass.

in puddle #4: my friend R offered to let me watch season 1 of the walking dead at her house because i’m too scared to watch it alone.

in puddle #5: with a simple comment, my friend A gave me some much needed honesty which reflected a bad habit i was only semi-conscious of.

in puddle #6: a crossfit coach took the time to diagnose my issue with tipping forward during any type of squat and then figured out how to remedy it, all without making me feel lame.

in puddle #7: my friend M listened, commiserated, and then pushed me out of my comfort zone.

thank you all for being so kind and generous and wonderful.

convos with strangers

conversations with strangers #61

abby mumford

strangers? yup, i talk to them. here’s why.

after much discussion about cookie cakes, R and i decided the next things on our agenda were (a) a chocolate chip cookie and (b) a glass of red wine. we stopped by two places whose dark windows reflected our rather large pouts.

point A might have been off the menu, but we could still conquer point B. we ended up at our favorite bar where two seats were waiting patiently. obviously, we were meant to be there.

R to bartender: i’d like a glass of this red wine *points to menu* and a dessert menu.

me to bartender: i’d like a glass of this red wine *points to menu*

i may not be the bravest when it comes to trying new food, but when compared to dear R, i’m basically lewis and clark. i’ve conquered the food frontier. all this is to say, the desserts listed had rather fancy descriptions that slightly terrified us. we settled on the one with “chocolate” in the name. it was no chocolate chip cookie, but we made the right decision.

we dined in style, chatted merrily, watched the crowds, sipped our nightcaps and patted ourselves on the back for a successful wednesday evening.

R to bartender: i think we’ll close out now.

bartender: *punches buttons* okay, you’re all set.

we stared at the bartender who crumpled up the receipt and tossed it in the trash. we looked at each other. we eyed the bartender who smiled and nodded. our eyes grew wide. our smiles grew wider. with those four little words, our status as regulars were cemented.

yes, we left a large tip.

yes, we high fived once we were out of eye sight of the bartender.

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book club

wreckless cover reveal

abby mumford

i am pleased as punch to be a part of the cover reveal for bria’s upcoming YA novel, WRECKLESS.

i am like you all. i haven’t read the book yet. all i know about this book is the blurb:

Wreckless…Where obsession and rebellion collide.
Bridget Larson’s never met a rule she didn’t like. Drawing inside the lines isn’t just a way of life – it’s the only way she can make it through the day. And through it all her BFF Leah has stood inside those lines and weathered the unspeakable with her. Then Bridget catches her boyfriend with Leah–and the last thing on her mind is staying safe.
Salvation… A bad boy and his jacked up pickup.
Jake Moore was everything she needed and nothing he claimed to be. With one night of freedom and a spontaneously scribbled Rebellion List, Jake leads Bridget down every path she thought was forbidden… And into the one place she’d thought was lost to her forever.

and the cover.

hold onto your horses or your hats if you don’t have any horses because this cover is simply stunning. it’s elegant, racy, bright, clean, enticing, (i want that red dress!) and perfect. i’m not just saying all that because i know bria. i’m saying this because, well, here…..judge for yourselves.

Wreckless_iBooks

i know, right?? i repeat: simply stunning.

in order to endure the wait until the book is released (on June 13. we are almost there!), you can do three things:

(1) go to this page and read chapter one.

(2) go to this page and add it to your TBR list.

(3) *pats seat* sit next to me and twiddle our thumbs.

congratulations, bria! and congratulations to us future readers. we’re now one step closer to being able to read WRECKLESS.

feelings

happy birthday, nephew L

abby mumford

brother G and SILM”s youngest is 5 today. happy birthday, L!

as a fellow third child, i feel quite connected to this little man, even if he lives on the west coast and i live on the east. even if he’s got the awesomest curly hair and mine is stick straight. even if he’s a boy and i’m a girl. even if he’s 5 and i’m, well, not. even if he’s short and i’m tall (he’s predicted to be well over 6 feet tall, so i have to use this while i still can.) even if he’s just starting school and i’ve been done with all levels longer than he’s been alive. even if he likes pineapple and i don’t. even if he’s wicked good at video games and i’m not.

okay, so maybe the only things we have in common are our genes, our birth order, and our lack of bravery when it comes to trying new foods.

either way, he’s a grand kid and i truly hope his year 5 is as unique as his fashion sense:

555150_10201095466007739_952982246_n

happy day, L!! i can’t wait to give you a proper birthday hug next month.

convos with strangers

conversations with strangers #60

abby mumford

strangers? yup, i talk to them. here’s why.

me: i’d like a small dark chocolate hot chocolate, please.

her: that’ll be [some amount of money i now forget].

me: *pays with cash*

her: do you want your receipt?

me: no, thanks.

her: is there anything else?

me: *stares, as if that will help decipher what she said. (you see, i had one ear bud in, but the music was on pause, so there was no reason i shouldn’t have heard her* *thinks to self: is this what it’s like for people to talk to soft-spoken me?* *sounds transmit* *brain calculates* *thinks more to self: what would normally be said at this point in a transaction?*

her: *starts to repeat herself*

me: oh, do i need anything else?

her: *smiles*

me: no, i’m all set. thanks.

then i, along with my thoughts, stepped to the side to wait for my very special brand of hot chocolate (read: it tastes like a melted candy bar.)

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