Gender Reveal

We were up and on the road early yesterday morning, headed back home to Show Low because we had to be here in time to celebrate the gender reveal of our first great-grandchild.

Granddaughter Destiny was in charge of the arrangements, and even Toby and Hailey, Dad and Mom to be, didn’t know yet what the outcome would be. There was a nice turnout of people, longtime friends and family, all visiting and waiting for the big moment to arrive.

The ceremony included Six, Hailey’s barrel racing horse. And you’ll find out the part he played in everything in just a moment.

We all went outside, and I think the group was about evenly divided on if it was going to be a boy or a girl. The grandmas-to-be set off poppers, and soon the air was filled with blue confetti. At the same time, Toby pulled the blanket off Six to reveal a big, beautiful blue bow. Yes, it’s going to be a boy! And that’s what both Hailey and Toby were hoping for.

Congratulations, you two. You’re going to be wonderful parents, and I’m going to have a lot of fun spoiling that little guy when he gets here next spring.

Congratulations also to Jeri R White, winner of our drawing for an autographed copy of my standalone mystery, Black Friday. We all know a person like Raymond Winters. He is Everyman. You see him daily on your commute to work. He sits in the cubicle next to yours. He’s the guy plodding through life, just going through the motions. He’s not happy. His work is not fulfilling. But he never expected anything more. At 41, he’s stuck in a rut, without the energy to climb out. Sure, he dreams of a different life. He dreams about it a lot. But Raymond knows the difference between dreams and reality.

Then Raymond’s life takes an unexpected sharp turn after a chance encounter with a strange woman. Overnight he finds himself alienated from his family, shunned by his neighbors, and questioning his own sanity. Raymond is in over his head, and if he survives, life will never be the same. It’s a tale of betrayal, lust, and broken dreams that you will remember long after you finish the last page.

We had 71 entries this time around. Stay tuned, a new contest starts soon. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books and audiobooks to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed.

And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.

Thought For The Day – Having children is like living in a frat house. Nobody sleeps, everything’s broken, and there’s a lot of throwing up. – Ray Romano