Loving Without a License - Now available on Kindle at Amazon.com

Yipee!  My book, Loving Without a License is now available on Kindle at Amazon.com.  The hard copy retails for $19.95 and the Kindle version for $3.99.  Get your copy today!

Loving Without a License addresses estate planning concerns for unmarried couples and same sex partners.  The laws in the United States are changing every day!  If you are in an unmarried relationship or contemplating marriage in a state that recognizes same sex marriage, be sure to get all the facts! 

Making Progress in Virginia

This year's vacation was nothing short of exciting - that is, if you like to plant trees!  We planted 46 trees - 28 Burgundy Blush Sweetgums down our lane and 18 Willow Oaks down the drive.  The plan is that ten (10) years from now, our place should look truly awesome! 

This job is the hardest one we've undertaken yet.  I thought building fence and painting it was hard.  This was very time-consuming, very physical work.  We put in five 11 hours days!  At the end of each day we were dog tired.  Only enough energy to eat dinner, go to bed and get started again the next day!  We actually stayed one day longer than planned because we couldn't get it all done! 

In addition to the trees - digging the holes, maneuvering the trees into the holes, standing the trees up, washing in the dirt, and spreading the mulch, we also ended up installing two strands of hot wire on about 1,500 foot of fence and installing an irrigation system to make sure the trees won't die. 

We are getting lots of help.  Our neighbor kindly offered the use of his water.  Another neighbor is in charge of turning the irrigation on and off and our nephew, Shane, installed the stakes to make sure the trees don't fall over. 

Here's the results!

Getting started

Getting started - trees delivered

Holes Dug, trees ready for placement

Trees in their holes

All done, after the rain

When it rains, it pours - all done!

April Showers bring May flowers!

Trees with leaves - they live!

Our beautiful trees!

I Believe

Saw this tonight on FB and liked it enough to post it to my page.

Post by Southland Qt.

Thank you St. Anthony!

The other night as I sat down to dinner, my ring was bothering me.  It's my beautiful 20th anniversary ring - an oval diamond surrounded by a halo of diamonds and diamonds on the band.  I truly love it but I don't wear it every day.

Innocently, I took it off and set it on the corner of my placement.  Then, I fell asleep on the couch and promptly forgot about it.  Next morning when I was getting ready for work, I remembered my ring and went into the living room to retrieve it.  Horrors!  It was not where I left it - how could this possibly be?  Now I'm in a panic searching frantically for my ring.  Did I accidentally throw it in the trash?  Did the dogs eat it?  Did Joe find it and hide it to teach me a lesson?

First thing - call Joe and fess up just in case he hid it and will end this terror.  Nope, he did not hide it but he did remember seeing it on my placement, even commenting to himself that it was odd I placed it there.  Why didn't he say something at the time?  Men!

Then, I dumped the trash out on the floor and piece by piece put it back into the garbage can.  No luck.  I looked in the garbage disposal, I looked in the stove, I tore my house apart - I looked everywhere!  When Joe got home from work, he helped me look.  We did find a few unexpected things - a dime, a dead lizard and tons of popcorn under my couch!

So, now I have to start praying.  I did some research and knew there was a saint of lost things - maybe he could help?  Apparently, here's what you say when you want to find something: 

Novena to Saint Anthony to Find a Lost Article

St. Anthony, perfect imitator of Jesus, who received from God the special power of restoring lost things, grant that I may find [name the item] which has been lost. At least restore to me peace and tranquility of mind, the loss of which has afflicted me even more than my material loss. To this favor, I ask another of you: that I may always remain in possession of the true good that is God. Let me rather lose all things than lose God, my supreme good. Let me never suffer the loss of my greatest treasure, eternal life with God. Amen.

 Well, that was not exactly my prayer and I also included God and a few other angels in Heaven, soliciting everyone's help and not completely relying on St. Anthony and his good works.  It is estimated that perhaps this prayer is offered up millions of times a day and I wasn't sure where I might be in line (since I'm not Catholic).

After riding yesterday, I decided to tackle the most disgusting of possible places - if one of my dogs ate it, hopefully it would be, well, you know where.  So, I scooped and I scooped and I scooped.  I used the tailgate of Joe's utility trailer as a sieve and I sprayed and I sprayed and I sprayed.  No luck and yuk!

So, I decided to go back inside and do one room at a time until I found the darn thing!  But first, I'll go through the trash one more time!  What could it hurt?  So, I got another trash bag and piece by piece I went through the trash again - still nothing.  What possessed me to go through it a third time, I cannot tell you, but it was the charm!  On the third time through, there was my beautiful ring stuck to a nasty old envelope.  Hallelujah!!!! Thank you St. Anthony, God and all my angels - they all came through for me in a big way.  I'm so grateful to have my ring back and even more grateful I didn't throw it out in the trash! 

Holiday greetings for 2013!

I'm one of those people that like to send a chatty annual newsletter.  Last year I failed to get out my letter and card, so I'm making up for it this year.  I thought for fun I would post my letter and my card to my blog so I could share with all my Facebook friends too! 

Wishing you the happiest of holiday seasons (Merry Christmas!) and a safe and prosperous New Year!

SEASONS GREETINGS 2013!

We’ve missed you!  We missed our 2012 annual holiday letter – the first in a long time.  I kept thinking I would get to it – first at Thanksgiving, before the rush, then Christmas, then New Year’s, then Valentine’s and eventually Spring – but it just never happened.  Thanks to those of you we did hear from.  We loved getting your news.  So, now there’s a lot to catch up on!

I suspect my dysfunction was primarily related to the loss of my dad, John Hoyt, on April 15, 2012.  He had been ill for a long time but nothing prepares you for the reality of losing a parent.  We had a small family funeral in April and then in October a larger memorial hosted by The HSUS.  

We finally sold our Tennessee property and purchased a gorgeous 21 acre farm prospect in Sperryville, Virginia – about ten minutes from sister, Anne and her husband Dennis Williams.  Our focus has completely shifted and now all vacations are Virginia bound.  They revolve mostly around fence and driveway building.  Next we plan to build a few barns, then a garage apartment and ultimately, our forever dream home.  We’ve set our sights on 2020 as a goal.  However, I’ll still be spending plenty of time in Florida at The Law Offices of Hoyt & Bryan.

2013 also had its share of loss.  First, our funny dog Corkie, then old kitty Bangle, then my beloved horse Sierra, then our cherished dog Kira and finally, our feral kitty Shamu.  In the process, kitty Beijing relocated to friend Ellie’s house after she lost her loved kitty.  Our service puppies, first Sienna and then Pete have both gone on to win the service dog lottery with fabulous placements where they are fulfilling their respective destinies.  So happy to have been a part of something so wonderful, they are also missed daily. 

And, just as this goes to press, a piece of my soul decided to join the others, wild Mustang, Tahoe went to heaven.  He had been plagued by seizures for a number of years. 

In the wake of sadness comes joy.  We adopted senior Corgi, Sassy from Sunshine Corgi Rescue, then Anglo Arab, Heaven from Horse Protection Association of Florida and then baby husky-labrador, Wolfie from Lost Dog Rescue.  We have thoroughly embraced dad’s philosophy of, “Until there are none, adopt one.”  We are looking forward to welcoming horse, Spirit sometime before Christmas.  Then we are full.

Work continues to keep us both busy and satisfied.  Cody is out of the Navy living in Montana.  Mom, Trudy Hoyt wed long time friend, Ken McCulloch and as expected, returned to her home state of Pennsylvania.  

We hope you’ll reach out if you plan to be out our way in Florida or traveling to Virginia during one of our excursions.  Otherwise, we’ll hope to see you on Facebook!  

Best wishes for a great New Year!  With lots of love and gratitude,  Peggy and Joe