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I can still say that, right?
I got to actually spend Christmas with five of my 11 grandchildren and couldn't imagine the joy of seeing their faces when they woke up on Christmas morning and saw all of the gifts under the tree.
Yes, they still believe!
I hope you enjoyed your holiday as much as I enjoyed mine. Here is just a few of the photos that I took.
Yes, I did enjoy and get some amazing cigars as gifts!
My children and my guy understood their assignment and I love them all so much.
Do you remember when you felt those butterflies in the pit of your stomach when you first saw him/her?
Do you remember when you couldn't stop thinking about him/her?
I have the feeling now and I can't stop smiling about it.
He arrived on November 30th and has been in my life since then.
To soon for love, you say? No way. It was love at first sight. Hey if they can make an entire show about it, then I can find it too, right.
He came in and made himself at home and has never left.
He makes me so comfortable and he actually allows me to rest. He comforts me when I need it most and for that I am the MOST grateful.
He lets me sit on him for hours, sometimes having to move a little to get more comfortable; but he never complains.
He can be a little hard to move but I manage to get him right where I need him.
I have bought new PJ's for him and spruced up my bedroom for him.
He is the BEST thing in my life right now; well right behind my kids, grandchildren, parents and cigars...but he is right up there.
I don't really like calling his name out because people look at me funny when I refer to him.
Most time I just call him Cee but his real name is Sleep Number QC4
Wait...did you think I was talking or referring to something else.
Since QC4 has come into my life, my insomnia has gotten slightly better. According to my sleep therapist, I have gotten more REST since having the bed. Not sleep but rest. There is a difference.
And for that I will be forever grateful to QC4. He has made my life better and now I must go back online to buy him some more sheets and PJ's. He appreciates that I make this effort to make him feel at home.
To get a good cigar! I just had an amazing cigar recently and the name...
Living The Dream by Drunk Chicken Cigar.
The birth of Drunk Chicken Cigars started with friends and family hanging out in the family backyard; living the dream and sharing cigars. This backyard oasis includes over a dozen chickens, dogs and local wildlife. The "Drunk Chicken' name was established one evening as they were enjoying the typical Saturday night festivities and the chickens were "going home to roost" and seemed to stumble as if they were drunk. The Drunk Chicken events grew and became a regular, safe place to hang out. The "entry fee", if you want to call it that, was that you had to bring a cigar to smoke and one to share. That evolved into a quest of finding unique cigars that none of us had previously smoked.
Ms. Sylver has a great team behind her and each of them has a roll in helping the company grown. Erick Story, Tanya Pritchett, Armando Gutturize and Cle Johnson.
When asked who her biggest supporter, while trying to get started was; she responded, "Bobby, the owner of Aphelion in Gambrills, Md. and Don Weldon, the owner of Cigar Room in Madison, AL. They both loved the cigar but both said to change the band".
While the path is clear, the road has not been easy. There is a real learning curve coming from smoking cigars to actually selling/manufacturing your own brand. Learning all of the state laws, distribution and ensuring the cigars are of good quality and consistent, is some of the ways the Ms. Sylver handles the business.
Interviewing Ms. Sylver was a great pleasure of mine and I also had the Living the Dream cigar. I can't wait to try them all.
Make sure you follow Drunk Chicken Cigars on FB and Instagram.
If you want more information on this local cigar, check out her website at Drunk Chicken Cigars
The time where the leaves begin to change and the stores have started putting out the Christmas decorations.
Either way, it is an authors most busy time of the year.
We want to make sells for Christmas, just like Wal-Mart and Target.
We don't have the million dollar budget that those stores have. Instead we have friends and readers to spread the word.
BUT how do we get to those people?
It's called networking.
Although 2020 put a lot of authors in a bind, it also made us sit down and write or come up with marketing plans for the time when outside was open again.
I decided that I will no longer wait for people to ask what I do.
When I am introduced to someone, I immediately tell them I am an author.
It leads to many more questions and just this summer, led to 6 book sales while I was camping.
Side note: I am the toast of the campground now because those that read the book just can't help seeking me out to ask more questions.
So if you are an author, be like Wal-Mart and Target; start your Christmas sales now. Start promoting a buy one get one sale. Promote your novels like that is your ONLY job!
After all, its the most wonderful time of the year, right?
Well, if you have then you know that the main character, Matthew, smokes cigars.
Who knew that when I wrote that book almost 10 years ago; that I would actually be indulging in his favorite form of relaxation.
I see why he built the humidor in his home. I see why he chooses the longer gauge cigars and I see why Cheryl finds him so mesmerizing.
Oh, what's that? You haven't read my second novel. Well, click this link---> Buy The Book and see why I choose Matthew and why he smokes cigars.
There is something sext about a man smoking a cigar. Truth be told, there is something sexy and sophisticated about a woman smoking a cigar.
Now, don't get me wrong.
I never thought I would be that person but now I am that person.
I feel sexy smoking the cigars that I like.
It has been a long road finding the ones that I enjoy but I have found them and I have also been able to pull out some of those sexy stiletto heels that I love so much.
Granted, with the ankle injury, I can't walk in them all day but I can walk in them long enough to get into the cigar lounge and into the humidor to get my favorite cigars.
More on my favorite cigars at a later date.
What do you think about men or women smoking cigars?
Is it sexy or is it disgusting?
Let me know by commenting on my FB or Instagram pages.
@Bswanginwebster on Instagram or Facebook.
I look forward to seeing your feedback.
Ever heard of a cigar sommelier?
Me neither.
There are about 250 master cigar sommeliers in the world.
That is because there is a very rigorous training and certification process.
I met one of these cigar sommeliers online recently.
His Instagram name is cigars_andcoffee but in real life his name is Bradley.
A young man, who lives in Perth, Australia.
Here is our interview:
BSW: Good afternoon Bradley, thank you so much for sitting down and chatting for a bit.
Can you tell my readers a little bit about yourself.
CaC: No problem, I'm originally from Scotland and I'm part Scottish and part African. I live in Perth, Australia and I'm 30. I was born with mild Cerebral Palsy and I moved to Australia when I was five years old. My mom has S.A.D, which means, Seasonal Affectedness Disorder) so we have to live in a warmer climate because of it.
BSW: I see you brought a cigar with you. What are you going to smoke?
CaC: I have a Crowned Heads Mil Dias.
BSW: Can you describe it for me?:
CaC: It is a medium-bodied cigar which will go very well with the Latte that you are drinking. It is sweet and has a rich complex flavor profile.
BSW: Well I am going to have to try that one.
CaC: What are you smoking on?
BSW: I am smoking on Monte Cristo White.
CaC: That's a nice one.
BSW: So let's get right to it. Why did you decide to start smoking cigars?
CaC: I started smoking cigars because i was fascinated about the history and culture of the cigar industry. I also wanted to know how the cigars were made.
BSW: What do you get out of smoking a cigar?
CaC: Relaxation. Time for myself and also I get to find like minded people.
BSW: So it's 11 am here in Australia and moving into the early afternoon. What time do you normally like to enjoy a cigar?
CaC: Generally around this time. I like it around 10 am and 10:30; with breakfast.
BSW: So let's talk about being a sommelier. Was it hard and how did you decide that you wanted to do this?
CaC: The reason I became a cigar sommelier is because of my passion and my interest in the cigar industry and the culture as a whole. Having this on my resume would benefit me greatly in finding work within the cigar industry. Whether brick and mortar or at a restaurant, where smoking is allowed. The course was very intense but interesting at the same time. I specifically took my time with the course because I wanted to get it right. I found that it drew me in more as I was learning about the industry and the tobacco itself. Plus the benefits are that I can work in the cigar retail business or the hospitality business.
BSW: When did you decide to launch the Instagram page and why?
CaC: At first my IG page was built around bartending and as I got into the cigars I transitioned it to the cigar page. I founds that when I did that, I got more and more contacts and people reaching out to me because they liked my posts and the knowledge I gained as I progressed in smoking cigars.
BSW: How is the cigar culture in Australia?
CaC: ?There is a very limited cigar culture here in Perth because where I live, it isn't a very heavy presence. It's hard to find people of the same mind as me. For instance, here in Perth, we only have one cigar lounge and it is extremely hard to get approved to build cigar lounges because of the anti smoking laws.
BSW: Wow, that makes it very difficult for people to enjoy cigars. I guess that is why you smoke mainly at home. What is your favorite cigar?
CaC: My favorites are Viva La Vida Jester by Tabacalera A.J Fernandez Cigars De Nicaragua and S.A & Drew Estate Undercrown Maduro.
BSW: I see I'm going to have to try those. Do you have one that you don't like?
CaC: There isn't one that I don't like, per se. It might not fit my palate or flavor profile that I enjoy.
BSW: Give me the process for smoking a cigar.
CaC: It's really quite simple. You have to learn how to smoke a cigar before you even try to do it because there is a significant difference in the way to smoke a cigar and how to light it. It's not like lighting a cigarettes. There is a science to it but once you learn how to cut, light and smoke it; it's one of the simple pleasure's that you will enjoy.
BSW: Wow, has it already been an hour. My cigar is almost done and so is yours; so I guess that means that our time is done. I thank you so much for sitting down with me and telling my readers all about this cigar life. We are now, BOTL and SOTL. (brothers of the leaf and sisters of the leaf)
There you have it! Next week we will get more into the world of cigar smoking with another interview.
Stay reading and stay with me.
When I decided to try a cigar, I was blown away at how ''creamy'' it felt in my mouth.
Since that first puff, I had to learn all I needed to know about cigars and why people love them so much.
Surprisingly, I have found a lot of women are enjoying a great stick (cigar) and it has really opened my eyes to what people think and why people indulge in cigars.
Cigars are not a habit; it's a hobby. A hobby that takes time
Cigars are not something for the faint of heart. It is for the person who wants a new level of relaxation.
It is for the person who wants to enjoy at least 45 minutes of quiet time, alone with their thoughts.
Do you have the dedication to unwind, unplug and just BE?
Why 45 minutes?
Cigars are different sizes. They are:
| Petit Corona | 4 1/2 | 40 to 42 |
| Corona | 5 1/2 to 6 | 42 to 44 |
| Panatela | 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 | 34 to 38 |
| Lonsdale | 6 1/2 | 40 to 42 |
| Lancero | 7 to 7 1/2 | 38 to 40 |
| Churchill | 6 1/2 to 7 | 46 to 48 |
| Robusto | 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 | 48 to 52 |
| Toro | 6 to 6 1/2 | 48 to 50 |
| Presidente | 7 to 8 1/2 | 52 to 60 |
| Gigante | >6 | >60 |
The smaller ones are about 45 minutes in smoke time. The larger, anything over 5.5, is about an hour to an hour in a half.
In the times we live in; who can actually put their phone down for 5 minutes; let alone 45 minutes.
After smoking my first cigar, which was actually a cigarillo. Yes, that is actually the name of it.
A cigarillo is a smaller cigar; about an inch in diameter and only takes about 15 minutes to smoke, but it is the same concept. Unplug, Unwind and Just Be.
More about cigarillo's in another post.
Getting to know all that I can about cigars, I began what I normally do.
I hit the internet and YouTube.
Boy did I find out a lot of information. There are some amazing women who own cigar lounges, cigar products and who have taken on the male driven industry and come up with a cigar line.
This ride that I am on right now is amazing, won't you join me.
Please follow this journey and you will know more about the cigar industry and the people who are in in.
