Duty to Protect….and cookies!

Posted on December 4, 2011 by

Howdy!

Early forecasts for the Upper Midwest indicated that we were going to have an unusually cold and snowy winter,   though so far we’re still having lovely forty degree days (far nicer than thirty below!) and have had just a single whisper of snowflakes one day.  I can still water the horses using the outside water tank, and even the barn cats’ water bowl hasn’t been freezing overnight, which makes life a lot easier!  But even though the weather is still lovely, I’ve got our Christmas decorations up and now need to start baking. How about you–are you set for the holidays?  Page down, for one of our family’s favorite recipes for this time of year!

DUTY TO PROTECT,  my December release, wraps up a very busy year.   My 2011 releases include:
April:     Murder at Granite Falls        (Love Inspired Suspense)
June:    Second Chance Dad            (Love Inspired)
July:     Home at Blackberry Hill        (Harlequin Heartwarming)
October:      A Home In Hill Country  (Harlequin Heartwarming)
November:  A Loner’s Thanksgiving Wish  (Love Inspired)
December:  Duty To Protect              (Love Inspired Suspense)

DUTY TO PROTECT is  a Love Inspired Suspense set during a very snowy winter in the ranching country of Colorado and Montana.  Brrrrrr!  I’m glad it was Emma and not me,  trapped in a frigid horse trailer crossing Nebraska!   It’s now available in bookstores everywhere, as well as at www.harlequin.com, www.christianbook.com,  www.barnesandnoble.com,  and Amazon.

Here’s the blurb…

She needed a safe haven…

After nearly a lifetime in witness protection, Emma White depends on the anonymity of her false identity. But when her mother dies under suspicious circumstances, her father is shot and Emma is framed for murder, all of her security is gone.  There’s nothing left to do but run.

Montana cop-turned-rancher Jake Kincaid is an unlikely defender.  Why would an ex-cop believe an accused killer?  Though he is determined to find the truth, he is an honorable man who makes Emma feel safe.  With his drive to protect her, she knows staying on his ranch endangers him both and she needs to leave–yet now that he has captured her heart, she’s not sure she can walk away.

 

DUTY TO PROTECT 1/2   RT Bookclub Magazine Rating (4.5 stars )   and MURDER AT GRANITE FALLS  (April)  are both  Nominees for Best Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense of 2011 by RT Bookclub Magazine.

RT’s review of Duty To Protect:

After testifying against a powerful drug cartel, Emma White and her family were placed in the witness protection program. Over the past few years, both of her parents have been targeted and killed. Emma appears to be next. Fearful for her life, Emma stows away in Jake Kincaid’s truck. After hearing her story, Jake vows to keep her safe. Emma does not want to place his family in danger, but she may have no other option. A riveting page-turner with the promise that forgiving others and turning one’s worries over to God will help in making a new start. Reviewed By: Leslie McKee

I hope you’ll track down a copy, and that you’ll enjoy reading it!

***********

I’d like to share the best recipe I’ve ever found for cut-out cookies, one especially great for when you’re baking with small kids.  As much as you work with it, reforming the odd bits and pieces into a ball and rolling it out again, it still stays nice to work with.   I’ve used this since the early 1980′s.  Once, while reaching for the nutmeg, I knocked a container of chili powder into the bowl, the lid came off and the entire container emptied over the cookie dough.  I removed what I could, then added ample cocoa powder to cover the taste–and everyone still loved them.  Now, this is one very forgiving recipe!  :)

Super Easy Roll-out Cookies    –The Rustands

1 cup shortening           1 ½  tsp cream of tartar
1 ½ cups sugar              1 tsp soda
2 eggs                           ½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla                  4 cups flour
2 Tbsp milk
optional: 1 tsp cinnamon  and/or  1 tsp nutmeg
You can drop these on a  cookie sheet and flatten with a fork, or use for cut-out cookies.  We like to double the recipe, and roll them out  quite thin.  350 degrees, 8-10 minutes.  My favorites are the ones liberally decorated with cinnamon red hots candy!
Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Margaret Daley’s His Holiday Family

Posted on December 3, 2011 by

Margaret says….

When I decided to write a series about a town that goes through a hurricane, I wanted to give tribute to all the people who have gone through a disaster and rebuilt their lives. This series was written for the heroes and heroines who help others in a time of disaster.

Blurb for His Holiday Family by Margaret Daley:
When Hurricane Naomi tears through a small Mississippi town, a daring rescue unites two heroes. Nurse Kathleen Hart is a single mom racked by guilt over her husband’s death. Firefighter Gideon O’Brien—orphaned as a young boy—has lost too many people he cared for. To rise above the storm’s devastation, Gideon helps Kathleen and her sons rebuild their home. As Christmas approaches, they discover that even the strongest of storms can’t destroy a romance built on the foundation of faith.

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off

Tucker’s Photo Shoot!

Posted on November 18, 2011 by

How many of you love taking pictures?  I’ve loved photography since I was a little girl, playing in my dad’s darkroom, developing my own photos and watching the magic wrought by cropping and dodging as pictures materialized on the plain photo paper.  I miss the sharp smell of the chemicals, and the magic that took place!  Dad was an avid photographer–extensive still and 16mm film while he was in the CIC during WWII, then a broad range of photography  throughout the rest of his life.  He passed away twelve years ago, but oh, how he would have loved toying with the advanced digital cameras we have today! 

Well, getting back to the theme of this blog, yesterday was Tucker’s big day. :)   Tucker Pine Bar is my big sorrel  AQHA gelding, and I’ve got him up for sale on Craig’s List as of last night.

Back during the film age,  I might have grudgingly shot a roll of 36 exposures at the most, and thought that was over the top.  Yesterday, I shot over 150!  What a fun day–outside in the warm, bright sunshine in Mid-November (unusual for the  Midwest this time of year), spending time with the horses.

The photos were shot with a Canon f/4L IS  70-200mm lens on a 7D.  In the first photo, shot at 200mm, it makes it look like the neighbor’s house is much closer to our pasture than it really is.  I wish the blog would support  18 MP photos, but to be loaded here I had to reduce them by 75%. 

At any rate, I thought I would share some photos of Tucker.

 

 

Do you enjoy taking photos? Do you a favorite camera, or some memorable photo-taking experiences you’d like to share?

(Note: if you are reading this on Facebook or on Goodreads, this post originated from the All Creatures Great and Small Blog, at www.roxannerustand.com.  Come on over and say howdy!

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

Posted on November 18, 2011 by
CHRISTMAS GIFTS
including Small Town Christmas
Love Inspired Duet – November 2011
Mini-Matchmakers And An Old Fashion Christmas

When the new second grade teacher, Amy Carroll, meets the precocious twin sisters, she knows she has her hands full, but when she learns they live on the street where she is staying with her grandmother and they have a single father who is handsome and needs help, Amy’s hands are beyond full. But Amy’s from Chicago and falling in love with a small town man is not part of her plan. Can God waylay Amy’s desire to return to the big city? Can Mike Russett open his heart to love?
“Martin’s story contains strong characters and touching scenes” – Romantic Times

Multi-award-winning novelist, Gail Gaymer Martin writes Christian fiction for Love Inspired and Barbour Publishing, where she was honored by Heartsong readers as their Favorite Author of 2008. Gail has forty-nine contracted novels with over three million books in print. She is the author of Writers Digest’s Writing the Christian Romance. Gail is a co-founder of American Christian Fiction Writers, a keynote speaker at churches, libraries and civic organizations  and presents workshops at conference across the US. She was recently named one of the four best novelists in the Detroit area by CBS local news. This duet novel also includes Brenda Minton’s Her Christmas Cowboy, and is available in all stores where books are sold.  To Purchase online click link:
Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off

I have a new book out now!

Posted on November 10, 2011 by

I have a book out in the stores right now–November, 2011–and since I often feature new books by other authors, I figure I’d better let you know about mine!  It’s a Love Inspired, and its part of the Rocky Mountain Heirs series.  I hope you’ll check it out!

RT Bookclub Magazine Rating
THE LONER’S THANKSGIVING WISH (4) by Roxanne Rustand: To satisfy the conditions of her grandfather’s will, Mei Clayton has returned to the hometown and family that never seemed to accept her. Both sides of her family are at odds and Jack McCord, Mei’s high school crush, is linked to the wrong side. He may be able to get on her mother’s good side when he offers to track down Mei’s missing brother. Someone seems determined to run Mei out of town. Can a Thanksgiving meal mend the rift in her family? At times, many feel that, due to their differences, they do not belong. Rustand reminds us that God always has a plan, even if it is not obvious to us.

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

RT Magazine Reviewer’s Choice Awards–2011

Posted on November 5, 2011 by

I hadn’t even looked at the list of nominees  on the RT Bookclub Magazine website until this morning–and then was surprised and delighted to see that both MURDER AT GRANITE FALLS (4/2011)  and DUTY TO PROTECT  (12/2011)  are nominated for Best Love Inspired Suspense of 2011.  What happy news!

I could sure use it, today.  Yesterday, I found my favorite barn cat, a pretty little calico, dead in the horse trailer, and my heart just broke.  And we’ve had our vet out twice recently, to assess our 35-year-old AQHA palomino gelding, Smokey.  Despite six scoops of grain a day (the other, younger ones receive a half-scoop and are still too fat!) he is emaciated–just skin and bones.  Even with his winter coat, he has almost no insulation, and the vet feels he is very likely to go down from hypothermia over the winter, even if we keep blankets on him.  The choice?  Risk him suffering, unable to get up, and having to put him down in the bitter cold of winter, or avoid that potential suffering and take care of him now.  He’s had a very long, wonderful life with big pastures and the best of care, the  past ten years in complete retirement. But what a sad and awful decision to make.  What would you do?   :(

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Author Lyn Cote asks, have you ever depended on an animal?

Posted on November 1, 2011 by

Lyn writes…

Today I want to tell you about an important animal character in my latest book, La Belle Christiane. First I should admit that I’m not a horse person. I love dogs and cats but prefer cats as pets now. But in La Belle Christiane, my heroine depends on Nancy, her horse. In this day and age, we don’t recall a period when horses and men were linked by necessity. A horse often meant the difference between survival and death. Now imagine this scene, the beautiful young girl on my cover in an inn’s filthy stable in with her escort an English officer.

An excerpt follows from Lyn’s new book La Belle Christiane….available this week as a $.99 ebook!

For Kindle Readers link: http://amzn.to/neGyOP
For All Other Ereaders such as the Nook purchase link:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/92021

“Eastham was not going to let this disreputable innkeeper out of his sight. He had no respect for any man who did not care for his animals. Waiting, the trio stood in an uncomfortable, shivering silence, broken only by Nancy’s painful breathing. The major moved closer to Christiane, shielding her from the drafts.

As Christiane waited, different memories passed through her mind. She saw Nancy and herself, escaping the devastated Rumsveld with the two little boys. She saw Tobias Ander walking beside Nancy, turning up his face to look at Christiane as they traveled southward. At the end, she saw the mare in the stark moonlight on the night they had searched for young Ben together. Nancy had been through so much with her. Tears welled up in her eyes, so she looked down at her shoes.

“Madame, are your feet cold? Would you prefer to wait inside by the fire?”

“No,” she answered, looking up at him. He saw her wet eyes and once again she won his sympathy. He knew what it was to be attached to an animal.

Then they heard the voices: one a loud female with a thick German accent and the other the private’s piping tones. The barn doors opened, admitting the two along with a fresh blast of icy air.

“You got sick horse?” the older woman asked.

“Can you do anything for her?” the major bawled.

“Ja,” she answered in booming tones. “But not in dis dirt!” She put her shawl to her nose to demonstrate her disgust.

The major and Christiane exchanged looks. She nodded.

Carefully Christiane threaded her way through the refuse to Nancy’s side again. Then she knelt beside the horse and began stroking her neck and explaining to her as though the mare were her child. Then she stood and slipped a nearby bridle over the mare’s head and coaxed in gentle tones, pulling lightly on the rein.

The four observers watched silently, each one evidently curious to see if she could get the mare on her feet. Then Nancy began to rock, front and back. Painfully, slowly, she pulled herself to her knees and then to her feet. She stood, wheezing and gasping for breath. Christiane threw her arms around the mare’s neck and hugged her. “Oh, Nancy, good girl!”

“Ve take her to mein barn!” The old woman looked around and located a dusty old horse blanket, hanging from a peg. Quickly the two women draped it over the horse’s back and led her from the stall.

Major Eastham fixed an eye on the culprit. He knew it would be very difficult to prove any charge against the innkeeper, at least this time. “You will be watched,” he said ominously to the worried man.

This scene takes place early in Christiane and Eastham’s relationship. I think it revealed much about both of them to each other.   Have you ever depended on an animal? Right now I know my dh and I depend on our cats to give us joy and entertainment. Both of us agree-our home would be a boring place without them!

Lyn Cote

 

 

Share
Posted in adventure, animal shelter cat cats adoption author, animals, animals pets, cats, Christian, horses, Lyn Cote | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A new gal is moving into our barn!

Posted on October 26, 2011 by

We seem to seeing more and more spots in front of our eyes these days!  Last fall I found Susie, a 14.1 hand paint mare small and quiet enough for the young grandkids can ride, but since then I’ve been on the lookout for another super quiet, older horse so they can ride together, if they want to.

This proved to be a banner week, because I just found Buttons!  Her registered name is a lot longer, but  her nickname is sweet and fits her to a T. She’s a paint, with little button-like spots here and there on her off side (not shown in the photo.)    I rode her yesterday for several hours through a small town, on a road, and over harvested cornfields, and she was just the sweetest, calmest gal.  Her favorite speed is a slooooow walk.  Perfect, for what we need.  With the right horse, children will love to ride for a lifetime.  The wrong one–too sensitive or too much for them to handle–and that’s a recipe for disaster.

I’m also  considering her dark palomino stablemate, who is quite a glamor puss, with that unusually dark palomino color contrasting with the light mane and tail.

This hunt for bombproof, pokey horses for the grandkids is quite a change, from what I have enjoyed riding all of my life.  But it’s definitely the direction we need to go to make riding fun and safe for them.

These photos were taken at the mares’  owner’s place. What do you think of Buttons and Allie?

Share
Posted in animals, animals pets horses dogs cats family birds reptiles, AQHA, cowboy, horse sale, horses, horses dogs cats family birds reptiles, horses dogs cats rain barn pets, horses equine love devotion romance trail riding, paint, paint horse congress, paint horses pinto foals Banamine, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Guest blogger: Cindy Gerard

Posted on October 24, 2011 by

Because they’re cute. We all like cute, right?  Cute babies, cute critters, cute guys??    I mean – look at these cats. This is Buddy and Sly.  They’re hugging.  It’s adorable.

 

And here’s Buddy helping me make the bed.
Makes you go, ‘aweeee’ doesn’t it?

 

 

 

 

Or how about this one?  Could he have FOUND a smaller basket?

What these cute pictures DON’T show is the side of their nature that turns up their nose at the exact same cat food they’ve been eating all month, or the times when I call kitty, kitty because I want something warm and snuggle on my lap and they just tiptoe on by as if I’m a lump of doggie-do and they’re the kings of the world.  Not so cute then.  But time and time, I forgive them because … they’re cute.

Cute guys get by with murder.  They can be mean, nasty, arrogant and irreverent but in the end, if they’re cute, MOST of the time we forgive them.

Cute, unfortunately – or fortunately if you’re among those cute masses – gets you places.  It gets you out of traffic tickets, it gets you concert tickets, it gets you to the front of the line.  So today, I’m asking – confession time here – have you ever used your own cuteness quotient to get you something you wanted or out of something you wanted?  If so, what was it?  And what is it about the cute factor that negates all the ugly stuff that sometimes goes with the package?

And least I forget – check out the cute, hot guy on my July release WITH NO REMORSE  I don’t know about you, but this guy could get by with a lot because he’s …. well, cute :o )

Speaking of guys … and this is important … SEAL OF MY DREAMS will be released (and is available for pre-order on Kindle NOW) on Veterans Day, 11-11-11.  SOMD is a collection of short stories written by 18 wonderful authors who all volunteered their time and talents to help our wounded warriors.

ALL proceeds from SEAL OF MY DREAMS will go the Veteran’s Medical Research Foundation. www.sealofmydreams.com So be sure to look for this book, okay?  It’s a wonderful way to give back to those who gave so much AND get a great read in the process.

Cindy Gerard
www.cindygerard.com

Share
Posted in Navy Seals, romantic suspense, Uncategorized, Veteran's Medical Research Foundation | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Stingrays, dolphins, turtles & gators…what fun!

Posted on October 17, 2011 by

Howdy!

This is the All Creatures Great and Small blog, and boy, did my husband and I ever get to see some wonderful creatures this past week!  We went on a cruise from Miami to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands with a group of writers, but before leaving Miami we went on an Everglades tour.  I’d expected the Everglades to look like the bayou near New Orleans, but the two are very different.  We loved the alligators–and as you can see, I even got to wrestle one.  <g>  Actually, I just got to gently hold him for a quick photo.  But look at the photo of the giant alligator that suddenly climbed out of a canal and approached a man waaaay too closely.  I was using a telephoto at the moment–I’m glad I was farther away! Luckily, the ‘gator turned and went back in the  canal.  Whew!

On Grand Cayman, we went on a boat tour to the Stingray City Sandbar–way out in the Caribbean, in an area where the beautiful, crystal clear  aquamarine water is just waist high. Flocks (herds? Schools?) of stingrays gather there, knowing that they’ll receive treats, and they are amazingly gentle.  They brushed up against us, let us stroke them, and one even let us hold him for a photo.  The stingray in the photo was actually resting on my outstretched arms, and the underbelly felt like wet rubber–a lot like a dolphin!

We went to The Dolphin Experience next, where we got to play with dolphins–sadly, I have no photos of that wonderful afternoon.   What beautiful creatures they are!

Last stop–a sea turtle breeding facility, where they raise turtles to be released into the wild.  The little ones in the photos are just two weeks old.  Aren’t they adorable?  When I gently held one, it rowed vigorously with those long flippers–almost like a baby bird trying to fly.

We’re back home now, and though the trip was incredible, I’m so happy to be back to crisp fall weather, with our dogs and cats, and the horses whinnying  over the fence.What are some of your favorite experience with animals–the most memorable?  I’d love to hear about them!

Blessings, Roxanne

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Please Don’t Call Me the Cat Lady!

Posted on October 3, 2011 by

I grew up in a home where even neighborhood animals were welcomed to stop in and visit. I grew up with dogs, cats, gerbils, goldfish, ducks, parakeets and even a robin as pets. In my adult life, I’ve limited myself to cats, usually one at a time. Professor, Sheba, Shadow have been my feline friends over the years. Then when we moved north, we found V-8 and Sadie at the local shelter. Two cats at the same time. We were rolling in cats! Then my daughter moved home, bringing my gran-kitty Tricksy with her. And then my mil passed away and we inherited Mootzie (She was of Slovenian heritage and mutza is how they sat cat.) So here I am with four cats at once. But I didn’t plan that, so don’t call me the cat lady! (But of course I love them and they give us such joy with their playful ways.

What interesting names have you given your pet?
Guest blogger:  author Lyn Cote
2011 ACFW Carol Winner for Her Healing Ways
http://www.BooksbyLynCote.com
For the latest Christian Fiction Market Update
http://www.booksbylyncote.com/publishers.html

Lyn has a wonderful new book out  in the stores now!  Read on….and be sure to pick up a copy!

BUILDING A FAMILY, Love Inspired, ISBN: 978-0-373-87700-3

Lawyer Eleanor Washburn defends wayward teenagers and supervises volunteers for Habitat for Humanity without missing a beat. But she is unnerved by fascinating single dad Pete Beck—especially since his chaotic life includes a little girl wishing for a mother. Sweet Cassie has Eleanor yearning for what’s been missing from her lonely existence. Soon, both dad and daughter are chipping away at Eleanor’s defenses. Can she find the courage to risk losing her heart to this ready-made family?

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Leann Ellis–lots of pets, and a wonderful new book!

Posted on September 27, 2011 by

Leanna Ellis, guest blogger, writes…

Pets of different shapes and sizes often wiggle their way into my books. In FACELIFT, a crazy out of control beast of a dog pushed my heroine to the brink. Even in FORSAKEN, pets speckle the story landscape, which was very natural because a lot of Amish have pets. And how do I know how to make these pets behave? Because I have several in my house.

Sometimes, I think I live in a barn. First, there’s Liberty, our white lab. She’s about to turn 10 and is as sweet as can be. Then there’s Miracle, our rescue kitty, who is almost 9 and not very friendly. Then there’s Hilo, our black labradoodle, named for our favorite spot on the island of Hawaii. We affectionately call her The Hilo Monster because of her wild and crazy antics. She’s almost three. And finally, our newest addition is a blond/orange tabby who is our only boy. He’s named Sawyer, for the hunk in LOST, because he’s such a loverboy. He has stolen our hearts. But he’s also a tyrant and rules the roost. Thankfully, he and Hilo get along great and they play together. Liberty wasn’t so sure about Sawyer but even she is happy to rub noses with him. Miracle is still a bit out of sorts but I have confidence Sawyer will wear down her defenses.

You can read about all their crazy antics on my facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Leanna-Ellis/49487472434

And here’s  Leann’s latest book!
PLAIN FEAR: FORSAKEN  by Leanna Ellis
Sourcebooks,  ISBN  978-140225540

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Author Margaret Daley, and how she was adopted by three cats!

Posted on September 19, 2011 by

All my life I had dogs as pets. Although I liked cats, I never thought I would have a cat–let alone 3 but that is what I have now. Our dog died of old age and left my husband and me without a pet. I wasn’t eager to go out and get another pet right away. That didn’t make any difference. The first cat–Ringo– was around nine months old when he came around our house. I couldn’t resist him. He was funny, pure white with one blue eye and one green eye (called odd eyes). He has never met a stranger. He is my greeter.

Okay we ended up with our first cat because I couldn’t see letting him roam around and fend for himself. That was going to be it. Then my son asked me to take a stray cat he’d found because he had a pit bull dog and couldn’t risk the kitten with the dog. We ended up with a second cat–Peppers or as I call her Peppy. She looks like salt and pepper–more pepper. She is the smallest of my cats–only weighing 6 or 7 pounds whereas Ringo weighs up to 18 pounds. She is my cat. If she had her way, she would sit on my lap all day and watch me try to write–very distracting. But I have to admit Peppy is a bit neurotic.

Now our third cat I had absolutely said we could not take in because we already had two cats that were picky about other animals. I didn’t see how it would work. But my husband made the mistake of making eye contact with a dirty, messy two month kitten who was whining at the back door of his business. He couldn’t turn her away. Charlie has become the one who makes us laugh the most. She gets into everything and knows where everything belongs in the house. This cat growls like a dog when someone comes to the front door and will hide from anyone who comes to visit.

So here I am with three cats who adopted a lady who was never going to have cats. Have you been adopted by an animal?
by Margaret Daley

Roxanne’s note: Margaret is a wonderful author, and she has a new book out!  Read on..

From This Day Forward By Margaret Daley, Summerside Press, September 2011
“A wonderful love story in the American Tapestries series with characters who are trying to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives after the War of 1812. Daley turns the ugliness of war into a new beginning for the ones who pick up the pieces. Her characters are willing to do what they need to in order to survive, but also are willing to give a friendly hand to those around them.” Reviewed By: Patsy Glans from RT
To read an excerpt of this wonderful book, go to www.margaretdaley.com and click on “About Books”

Share
Posted in animals, animals pets, animals pets horses dogs cats family birds reptiles, author, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off

Rescued cats return the favor for author Hannah Alexander!

Posted on September 14, 2011 by

 

Guest blogger Hannah Alexander, her cats, and her September release, THE WEDDING KISS

I’m a total animal lover, with lots of stories to tell, but I especially recall how our four rescued cats sense when I’m in pain. After I had shoulder surgery a couple of years ago, they all got onto the recliner with me–something they never do together because they get too jealous of each other–and with all of them touching me, they just laid on me and started purring. After about twenty minutes, my pain was gone, and one by one they left. I was really freaked about that!

But then I started talking to other cat lovers, and I’m not the only one who’s had that kind of experience. Our present feline residents are Data, Teddy Bear, Hobbit and Little Bit (or PJ, for Pajamas) They’re so important in our lives now that I’m writing about them, using their characters in upcoming books. I’m definitely an animal lover!

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off

I’ve got a new book out!

Posted on June 10, 2011 by

Just wanted to pass along that I have a new book out in the stores!

SECOND CHANCE DAD

ISBN:  978-0-373-87673-0
Love Inspired
June, 2011
Roxanne Rustand
He Was A Challenge She Couldn’t Ignore…
The minute she steps foot in his dark, miserable house, Sophie Alexander knows Josh McClaren is not her usual patient. But the single mom and physical therapist is desperate to make a life for her and her young son. And she’s definitely no quitter! It’s obvious to Sophie that handsome,
cantankerous Josh hides his pain behind a wall of grief. Little by little, Sophie and her son,  Eli, do more than help Josh find his faith again. They make Josh wonder if there’s a family in  his future after all….
Aspen Creek Crossroads:  Where faith, love and healing meet
This book is available at :
www.steeplehill.com
www,target.com
www.christianbook.com
www.bn.com
www.amazon.com
and fine  bookstores everywhere.

 

Share
Posted in animals pets, animals pets dogs. labrador retrievers, books, father's day, Love Inspired, physical therapist, physical therapy, physician, Second Chance Dad, Wisconsin | 1 Comment

An adorable dancer….with paws

Posted on May 6, 2011 by

This link was on my daughter’s fiance’s FB page…and it’s so adorable.  What a sweetie!

http://youtu.be/dP-YLUU7-UE

If you are reading this on FB, it has originated from my blog at http://roxannerustand.blogspot.com.  Come on over and say Howdy!

Share
Posted in animals pets, animals pets dogs. labrador retrievers, dancing, salsa | Comments Off

A new baby at our house…and it nickers!

Posted on May 5, 2011 by

Here is Susie QT Streke’s new foal, born 5/3/11.  In this first photo, she is checking him out for the first time while his navel is being treated.

Look at that fifth photo down, and how big he is compared to his mom.  Ouch!!

She didn’t want to get up for a good 45 minutes afterwards.  She started cramping, but luckily the neighbors, who raise paints, had IV Banamine on hand. Not long after she had a dose, she was on her feet and we were able to take her and the baby up to barn because–despite that pretty sunshine–it was c-c-cold, and the foal was shaking.  Isn’t he colorful?  What do you think would be a good name?

..

 

Share
Posted in paint horses pinto foals Banamine | 3 Comments

Dog lover? You’ve GOT to watch this!

Posted on April 16, 2011 by

This is just so fun to watch!!  My friend Cindy forwarded it, and I think I’ve watched it five times, now.   Take a look…

 If you are reading this on Facebook, it has come from the All Creatures Great and Small Blog, at http://roxannerustand.blogspot.com.  Come on over and say howdy!

Roxanne

PS: the dog in this post is our dog Harold, a golden oldie of thirteen, who sleeps with a paw over his ear.  I wonder why?!

Share
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Hawaiian whales, chickens…and wild hogs.

Posted on March 19, 2011 by

We just got back from two weeks in Hawaii…a wonderful, first time vacation there for the two of us.  What a beautiful state!  The long plane ride was at the upper limits of my tolerance for tight spaces (claustropobia, anyone?!) but every minute was worth it. The incredible flowers, the ocean, and those yummy coffee glazed macadamia nuts made every day a joy.

We spent two nights on Oahu so we could have a day at Pearl Harbor as my husband is a real WW II history buff, then four nights each on Maui and Kauai. Because it will probably be a once-in-a-lifetime trip for us–there are still so many places we want to see–we were busy sightseeing every day.  Volcanoes, waterfalls,  whale watching, a couple of luaus, a helicopter tour of Kauai and a day in catamaran going up Kauai’s inaccessible coast… wonderful memories, now, which will remembered through the 1000+ digital photos I took.  But some of the most vivid memories are the animals!

That lovely snout, above, belongs to one of Kaua’s wild hogs.  Isn’t he sweet?  (LOL!)  And the chickens–oh, my.  They are beautiful, and  they are everywhere–in the parking lots, the roadside ditches, around the beautiful pools at every hotel we stayed at.  Everyone we asked said that they are treated as sort of a state pet–no one eats them; they are just on the loose.  We loved the chickens!

And the humpback whales…oh, my.  This was still the season for them to be lingering around the warm waters of Hawaii before heading up to Alaska’s rich feeding waters for the summer, and we saw dozens of them while on a whale watching boat—not to mention all of the ones  we could see from the beach in front of the hotels we stayed at.  Take a close look at this photo and tell me—do you think that guy in the water is even aware of how close those two whales are?!  The humpbacks wouldn’t eat him–they consume vast quantities of krill (tiny shrimp) once they get back to Alaska, and don’t eat anything at all while wintering in Hawaiian waters.  But, I still wouldn’t want to be close if one of them decided to breech or start tail slapping!

The animals in Hawaii  surprised and fascinated me.  What are some of your interesting animal discoveries while traveling?

If you are reading this on facebook, come on over to the All Creatures Great and Small blog and say howdy!   http://roxannerustand.blogspot.com

Share
Posted in chickens, Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, whales, wild hogs | 2 Comments

Should You Become a Vet Tech?

Posted on March 7, 2011 by

by Tina Marconi
It’s a good profession if you like animals, or more specifically, if you enjoy working with animals; however, that’s not all being a vet tech involves. When you choose to become a veterinary technician, you should remember that like any job, it has its pros and cons; and when you weigh the advantages against the disadvantages and see which side comes out on top, you know whether you should become a vet tech or switch to some other career.
Education
Vet techs don’t have to attend years of school like a veterinarian – in fact, you can start working and earning enough to support yourself as early as two years after high school. You can choose to earn either a two-year associate’s degree or a four-year bachelor’s degree, after which you must appear for and pass the Veterinary Technician National Exam which allows you to qualify for a license to practice in your state. However, it is better to opt for a two-year degree program, find work as a vet tech, gain a few years of experience, and then go back to school for another two years to become a veterinary technologist. This opens up more opportunities, allows you to earn a higher salary, enhances your skills and repertoire, and lets you climb up the professional ladder.
Nature of the job
As a vet tech, you will be dealing hands-on with animals. Your primary job is to assist a veterinarian in all aspects of their practice, so you’ll be taking care of sick animals, liaising with their owners, advising in their care and diet, assisting vets with surgeries, and even treating minor injuries and suturing up small wounds. You must have a way with animals if you’re to taste any kind of success at this job, and you must be prepared to work with even the most aggressive ones and know how to calm them down and get them to accept your touch. On the downside, you could end up with vets who push you to the limit and dump work on you, you could be forced to deal with unpleasant pet owners who make unreasonable demands on your time, you could be bitten, scratched and injured in other ways by the animals, and you could get too attached to your patients and feel a deep sense of loss when you lose them or have to put them to sleep.
Salary
Perhaps this is the biggest disadvantage of being a vet tech – salaries are very low, and even the best in the business can make only around $35,000 a year. You could go higher if you specialize in one particular aspect of animal care and if you work in research or in private industries in any other capacity. However, with further education, you could become a veterinary technologist and earn much more by working in biomedical, wildlife and diagnostic facilities, and in drug and food manufacturing units. This will remove you from direct contact with animals, so if you’re in the job for the proximity to pets, you’re better off as a vet technician than a vet technologist.
Work hours
As in any medical field, the hours are long and erratic, and you could be called in to help with sick animals at any time of the day or night, and even when you’re off duty. You would be spending lots of time on your feet, so you must be physically fit and strong enough to help restrain larger animals. Vet techs must work hard, but there’s an innate satisfaction to the job because the animals you treat and care for respond with affection and trust.
Prospects for advancement
Join the National Association of Veterinary Technicians for more career options, networking with fellow vet techs, and opportunities in continuing education. You could choose to move into research and development options in the field of veterinary science if you want to make more money, and if you’re employed in a private practice where there is a shortage of vets, you could take on more responsibility and enhance your skills. With further education, you could become a veterinary technologist and move into a laboratory or factory setting where you would be responsible for diagnostic procedures and quality control.
By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Tina Marconi, she writes on the topic of online vet tech . She welcomes your comments at her email id: tinamarconi85[@]gmail[.]com.
Howdy!  If you are reading this on Facebook, come on over to The All Creatures Great and Small Blog, where it originated.  You can ask questions or comment on the post, and then page through previous posts–where a variety of writers have blogged about their pets!  http://roxannerustand.blogspot.com
Share
Posted in animals, animals pets dogs. labrador retrievers, animals pets horses dogs cats family birds reptiles, vet tech, veterinarian, veterinary technician | 1 Comment