Shannon here: Judy the Morgan shares insight into her real-life romance, plus a chance to win a copy of her Contemporary Romance, When Love Comes Home. Winner’s choice of e-book or print. Deadline: Feb 4th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Judy:
My husband does romantic things for me all the time. Or, maybe I consider folding the clothes or cleaning up after a meal or any of the other little household chores he’ll do without being asked as romantic gestures that others wouldn’t. For all the fifty-nine years we’ve been married, he’s always surprising me with something special for birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries.
He’s also pulled off some amazing romantic surprises. So many it’s been hard to come up with only one.
But before I tell you about that one, I have to explain that next to Old English sheepdogs, antiques are my favorite thing. Together we ran an antique storefront and did antique shows for years. We had some incredible adventures.
One such adventure happened in Vienna, Austria. I’d gone with him on a business trip. I often went with him since we were empty nesters, and I usually stayed in the hotel room and wrote.
This trip the business associate’s wife, who lived in Vienna, and I became friends. Knowing my love of antiques, she planned a visit to the Dorotheum, the largest auction house in Central Europe.
It was the most incredible place. Antiques in Europe are truly antique. I spent hours marking the auction catalog with items I wanted to see before we went to the massive auction house. I couldn’t wait to see them up close.
My husband suggested we place bids on two of the pieces I loved the most, a porcelain inkwell with the sand shaker and a pewter oil lamp with an etched glass globe. I filled out bid forms.
Unfortunately, the actual auction would take place after we’d left Vienna. My friend offered to bid for me. I gave her my very top bid price and we returned to the states.
Sadly, she sent word both items had gone higher than what I wanted to spend. I was disappointed, but what an experience … to bid on items at the largest auction house in Central Europe. That was exciting enough.
Months later, two gigantic packages labeled for me appeared under the tree on Christmas morning. I could not figure out what he’d gotten me. Imagine my surprise when I opened the first box and found the ink well from the Dorotheum.
“We won the bid?”
Nodding, he grinned. “We did. I asked Johana to tell you we didn’t.”
I squeaked and clapped my hands. “Does that mean the lamp is in the other box?”
“It is. Both boxes have been riding around in the trunk of my car. Peter brought them over in his luggage when he came for our last business meeting.”
I couldn’t stop smiling. I still smile whenever I look at the beautiful lamp on top of the China cabinet holding the porcelain inkwell.
I am so blessed to have such a romantic husband. Is it any wonder he’s the role model for the heroes of my books?
Question for Readers: I love Old English sheepdogs. We’ve had six and given them all unique names: Azariah, Obadiah, Micah, Tobias, and now Finnegan MacCool named after the Irish legend of Giant’s Causeway in County Antrim Ireland.
Dogs in my books have unique names too. You’ll find Moo in When Love Comes Home. Do you have a pet with an unusual name? How did you choose your pet’s name?
About Judy: I’m a native Texan whose roots called me home after years of roaming as an Air Force daughter and then Army wife. My husband and I have raised three children, six Old English sheepdogs, and two rescues, a terrier mix and a Maltese. We have eleven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and nine granddogs. Our lives are filled with fun and laughter.
You’ll find my award-winning stories full of twists and turns drawn from my life and experiences as a schoolteacher, an antique dealer, a former mayor’s wife, and sometimes a church pianist. All my stories are filled with strong characters tackling real-life situations from a Christian worldview.
Besides fiction, I share a weekly blog with my urban farmer/music teacher daughter: Judy the Writer
Learn more & connect: Judy’s Goodreads Judy’s Bookbub
About the book – When Love Comes Home: Fitzpatrick Family (The Fitzpatrick Family Book 6)
Sammy Fitzpatrick and Tiffany Fischer eloped on prom night. The next day her father forced them to sign annulment papers and then whisked her off to art school. Sammy and Tiffany made secret plans to go to Guatemala with a mission group.
When she and her parents disappear without a trace, Sammy heads to the mission field missing a chunk of his heart and resigned to a life alone.
Ten years later, he discovers the annulment papers were never filed. Tiffany is still legally his wife, but she doesn’t know it. She’s engaged to someone else. His heart has never let him forget. But is he too late?
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When Love Comes Home Judy’s Books
Come back Jan 27th for Donna Schlachter!
When I was a kid, I was having a birthday party and the neighbors rode over on their horses. There was a scrawny dog following them, and they said that he had come out of the woods and gotten behind their horses. When they left, he stayed. My dad saddled up his horse and rode around the area, trying to figure out where he had come from, but no one claimed him and he followed my dad home. Dad grumbled because we really didn’t need another dog, but a few days later, the neighbor’s bull got out and came running down our driveway. Dad stepped outside the front door to see what was going on, and the dog, thinking my dad was under attack, jumped up and grabbed the bull by the nose and held on. The bull turned and went the other way, and the dog let go and came trotting up to my dad, who promptly declared that if the dog thought so much of him as to save him from attack, he had a new home. We named him Glue, because he showed up and stuck! He was one of the best dogs we ever had, and I still miss him.
What a clever name and a terrific story! I’d keep that dog too. Thanks for stopping by and sharing, Kim.
My dogs had puppies and we had Moo and Cow white puppies with black spots. And a brown one that pounced named Kitty the dog.
My cat Shadow had 9 kittens and I named them after the company of the ring: Gandalf, Aragon, Boromir, Frodo, Gimli, Pippin, Sam, Merry, and Legolas (the last 3 were girls).
Later we had a week and a half kitten whose mother had died that we bottle fed. He was so small my son called him Mouse. Mouse was my son’s buddy for 2 years before someone catnapped him and our other cat out of our yard.
I don’t know that it’s that unique, but we had a female chocolate lab named Hershey. I thought it was cute. I have a charcoal gray cat named Charcoal. My pet names seem to have color indications.
Colors are good names. My first dog was a collie and his name was Blackie. With Hershey, I think more of the candy than the color. LOL
I have 4 cats and they are all named after Dairy Queen treats. I found the first one at DQ and my daughter wanted to name her Blizzard. We shortened it to Lizzie. When we got the other cats, we kept ot going. Along with Lizzie, I have Sundie, Dillie, and Mistie.
You’ve named your kitty cats all my favorite DQ treats. What fun!
We had a long haired german shepard named Odin. My stepmother named him.
Interesting that your stepmother named a German shepherd after a Norse God. Was she of Scandinavian ancestry?
It’s a great name for a German shepherd. Shepherds are god-like among all dogs.
When I was a kid, we had a dog named Dingo. We got him from an animal shelter when I was 5 years old. We were told he that he was actually half Australian Dingo, but we don’t how he got to a shelter in California. He lived for 17 years, so we had him for practically all of my childhood. He was a wonderful dog and we still miss him.
Dingo is a really cool name. I may have to use that for the next dog in a story. And, to live 17 years. Wow, that’s terrific. The Old English Sheepdog’s life span is only 10-12 years. It’s hard to lose a pet no matter how long they’re with us. Hugs.
I’m loving all the pet names and stories. It reminded me, my parents used to have a black part chow. They named him Cuje. As in Cujo, the movie about the scary dog. I don’t know why, he was the sweetest dog ever. Anyway, one time the vet came to vaccinate my dad’s cattle. Cuje was chasing a calf just for fun and it went in the chute where the vet needed it to go. The vet still thinks Cuje the Chow was a cattle herder. He retells the story sometimes when I take my cat to him.
I’m enjoying these pet names too. Not sure you’d ever find any of them in a Google search for pet names. All are so unusual. And, the stories are the best part.
I love this! My husband, too does laundry, sweeps, keeps my car full of gas. I also consider those things as romantic as the flowers, cards and candy he will do. How sweet for your husband to surprise you with your gifts❤️❤️
Hi, Shannon. So happy you stopped by. We definitely found the good guys. We are blessed.
Judy
don’t have one
But do you know someone with a pet that has an unusual name? I’m betting you do.
My grand pup Austen is a male King Cavalier. He is named in honor of my daughter in laws beloved Jane Austen.
My good friend also has a dog (a rescue mutt who wandered onto her farm) named after Jane Austen. Her dog is Janie. I think it’s a neat name.
my daughter has a cat that she named Chirp because when it meows, it sounds like it is chirping
Chirp, now that could confuse a bird when you called the kitty! Unique name or clever plotting with the cat. LOL Thanks for sharing.
I have a winner! Shannon Slater won the drawing. I appreciate Judy for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.
Congratulations to Shannon. I hope you enjoy Sammy and Tiffany’s story.
Thank you!! I’m looking forward to it!