Kat's Blog

Kat's Blog

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Getting To Know Me

Many times when an author does one of these it's always subtly...or not so subtly lined with hints to buy our books. So right off the bat I'm going to say yes I have books that are either out or coming out. But this isn't about that. This is about telling you a bit about me, Kat Holmes the person. So here goes.

I was born fighting. This picture of me with fists blazing is called Feel Lucky Punk. I was a fighter even at birth.:-)


I was really good in school in every subject except math. I stunk at math. Part of being dyslexic is constantly transposing numbers. But I did make student of month in the 8th grade. Wasn't I cute? LOL.


However, school bored me and I chose to spend most of my time reading books for fun instead of concentrating. I never took a note yet I got A's on all my tests even though I didn't pay attention. I also never took a schoolbook home so I didn't study either. My friends in school hated my guts for that.

I also wasn't really like other girls my age. I didn't troll around places like this mall looking for boys. And before you ask, yes this is an actual mall near where I live and has been around forever.

Instead I spent my time trolling around places like Waldenbooks and Barnes & Noble. I loved to read. My nickname in school was bookworm because I had one I was reading and four more in my purse in case I finished before the day was out.


I was and still am a speed reader. I don't know how fast I read now but I was last clocked in middle school at 480 words per minute. And yes, I comprehend everything I read. And I also have a photographic memory. If you show me a cover and it's something I've read I can tell you what the story is about from cover to cover even if I haven't read it in decades.

One of my favorite things to do as a kid was go with my mom and brother here to this lake. Beautiful isn't it? It was a lake filled with cedar so it dyed your swimsuit red. That was so much fun.

As I've gotten older I've had several jobs over time. I worked in several places as a telemarketer; a job I was ill-suited for. Being financially troubled myself I had way too much sympathy for the people I called who couldn't afford to buy what I was pushing, hence my pushing wasn't nearly aggressive enough. And I always ended up feeling sick at the end of the day. So I got out of doing that pretty quick.

Then I worked for AMC movie theaters for a time as a manager. That was interesting. To this day I can NEVER order popcorn with butter from a theater. One, I now hate the smell of popcorn. My clothes reeked of it day after day at the theater. And two, I know what that butter stuff really is. I won't spoil it for you but I will say, I CAN believe it's not butter.


My last job before my epileptic seizures got so bad I couldn't work anymore was here at the Burlington Coat Factory. I was a corporate auditor. At the end of the day each of the stores would send their sales reports to the corporate office to be audited. If they got a call from me they knew they'd messed up.:-)


And now I'd like to introduce you to me and my family. This is me back when I was at my best. It was in my early to mid-twenties. Though I'm smiling I was actually freezing that day. I had just showered and my hair was wet. It was early spring and there was quite a chilly breeze. I'm surprised I didn't lose teeth the way they were chattering.


This is my Mom. She's my best friend in the whole world, my hero, my inspiration, and my heart. I love her more than life itself. She's holding my oldest cat.


Speaking of which, here she is. Her name is Mamabear and she's my baby girl. She loves to sit on our balcony on the air conditioning duct and sniff the air.


And here's the baby Spatz. Wasn't she a cutie? She still is though.


Here's Spatz now. Doesn't she look happy I'm kissing her?:-) Oh and if you are wondering why I'm so puffy, prednisone is a very cruel medicine. But though I am not the skinny girl I once was, I am very happy and content. I have my mom, my kitties, my dear friends both in and out of the writing world, and my writing.


And other than writing, would you like to know what I'm into now? Well, it's cooking and baking. I've gotten hooked on it thanks to my favorite television channel, The Food Network.


20 comments:

Lin said...

Your beauty starts from deep within and radaites out until it encircles those within your sphere of existence. As the one who gets to share that sphere the most, your glow keeps my heart beat, my soul soraing and my lungs feeding life into the rest of me. Your wings keep lifting me and showing me the way to heaven is having you here beside me.

I love you Angel and am so glad you chose me to be your Mom.

Sue Perkins said...

Love the photos Kat, especially the ones of you and your mum with the cats. You say the lake made your bathers go red, what did it do to your skin, did you come out looking like a lobster or didn't it take on skin?

Unknown said...

Oh it did but it washed off quick Sue.:-) But I loved that cedar water lake. It was so much fun.

M. L. Archer said...

Wow, I feel like I know you now! And I wish I knew you in person! Thanks for just being you. You'r pretty cool!

N.J.Walters said...

Love all the photos, Kat, especially the one of you as a baby. Too cute!

I didn't know you had a photographic memory. That must come in handy.

Unknown said...

Thanks M.L.:-)

LOL yeah N.J. I kind of inherited that gift from my Mom and it does come in handy. Especially when researching books.

Roseanne Dowell said...

Great blog, Kat. I love the way you added the photos. Cute cats too.

Unknown said...

So Cool! Love the blog and your pictures! The baby picture with your fists raised is just perfect! After reading your blog, I realized two things. One, you are who I thought you were, (cool, creative, fearless, beautiful). Two, you are also more than I expected. Loved knowing how you read when you were younger. I did the same thing, except I never had your memory. Wish I did!lol Please, keep blogging for a long time!

Unknown said...

Thanks Roseanne.:-)

Wow ronondex that's quite a compliment. Thank you very much I appreciate it.

Heather Haven said...

Kat, so nice to get to know you better. What a great idea to do, share some of your life and thoughts. Keep going, keep writing, keep loving life. You can't go wrong with that. BTW, when I was on prednizone for Bells Palsy, I didn't get puffy but I couldn't stay awake! For one month, I slept all the time.

Unknown said...

Kat,
Thank you for sharing so much of yourself. I already felt a connection but now I can embrace the person you truly are. One thing I know, you are a role model for bravery and I aspire to follow your lead.

My sister always reminds me that life is a test, and if I were grading you, you'd get a big fat A+.

Some believe that you have to prove yourself in order to get to heaven. I'd say there is a big chair with your name on it, waiting for you when the time comes. The angels have to keep dusting it off because God has much more for you to do here...like inspire those of us who whine about the small stuff. :)

Unknown said...

Um okay, Heather and Ginger all I can say is wow. I'm just me. I don't do anything all that special. But thank you.

Lin said...

Oh YES you do do lots of things that make you special...but now the worldis getting to know that. I love you Angel-Face. Keep up the excellent job of being you.

Kaye Manro said...

Wow, Kat. Can we say tears in eyes now? This is such a beautiful and moving view of you. What a wonderful idea to share who you are. You are just so amazingly cool. And you have a pretty terrific mom too. Kudos to the both of you. Kaye

Rochelle Weber Author said...

Kat, I hope I can get to New Jersey some day to meet both of you in person. I suspect both you and Lin belong in Mensa. Eidetic memories are so rare. ;-) It was so wonderful seeing your photos--especially the baby ones. Love & Hugs, Rochelle

Unknown said...

I love you Mom.:-)

Rochelle I doubt either of us would pass the math requirements. We share the dyslexia. LOL.

Kaye, you are so sweet and a good friend. Thanks angel girl.

Sara Durham Writer ~ Author said...

Ahh Kat, you look so much like your mom. The bond you have with your mother is a rare thing in this life, but such a blessing. It was so nice to get to know you better and see all your photos. Thanks for sharing this wonderful post.

Sara

Shawna Thomas said...

Wow... and I thought I read fast!

Thank you so much for a glimpse at your life. I do feel like I know you a little now... I also want to go swimming in your lake! I've been on prednisone too. It wasn't too fun.

Take care!

Mary J. McCoy-Dressel said...

Hi, Kat,

I love how you wrote your bio and I love the pictures you chose. It tells a lot about the kind of person you are inside. My mom was on Prednisone and I saw the effects it had on her. Nice write-up. And by the way. I love lighthouses! I've visited almost all of them in my Great Lake State of Michigan. Your book sound interesting.

Unknown said...

Thank you Mary. I love lighthouses too...obviously. LOL.