Sunday, September 30, 2012

On The Road Again...........


Well Hi!





This week, though pretty busy, was also pretty great.  The "Word on the Street" festival in Saskatoon was pretty much perfect! The weather was gorgeous, and living where we do, getting a day that feels more like July at the end of September, is a bit of a crap shoot.

I met a lot of great people, sold some books, even did a couple of interviews for newspaper and radio. Interviews that even actually were put into print and on air!  Go figure! As far as interviews go, I really think I like doing the spur of the moment ones better, there is no time to get nervous. I have one scheduled with a local cable TV show called "Lit Happens" coming up, and I have to say, I'm already getting nervous. Another jump outside of my comfort zone. But, you can't grow if you stay inside where it's all safe and cuddly and comfortable, there's not enough room. Scary or not, sweaty palms or not, shakin' in your boots or not.


Next up was the trade show in Unity. It began Friday afternoon and went until 4pm, yesterday. (Taking time for a bit of sleep!Lol) It's a show with a really nice variety of vendors, therefore attracts a really nice variety of shoppers. I guess, what you would call my ideal demographic was there in full force, Grandmas and people with munchkins! It's always such a rush watching a wee one grab their adult by the hand and pull them to my booth!


Then, last evening, we had the privilege of doing the music for a 60th wedding anniversary celebration. I have to tell you, it felt very familiar. A large family with lots of kids, where everyone was more than willing to kick up their heels! Toward the end of the evening, I was starting to have trouble finding the music that would get them on the dance floor, anymore. I wasn't sure what the heck was going on, as I don't usually have that much trouble reading a crowd.

When Randy went to the back of the hall to do a sound check, he had a bit of a chat with one of the guests, and asked if they were enjoying the music, his reply? "It's great! You guys just tired us out!"

So, needless to say, it wasn't a really late night!

It was kind of nice to be home before 2am!


So, for the upcoming week..........


Well, next weekend is Thanksgiving here in Canada, so I'll be spending the week getting ready for kids to come home.  I love having everyone under one roof, even if, these days, it's for short periods of time. It's going to be a good time. We'll have a few new faces at the table this year, in the way of new boyfriends and friends, the more the merrier!

Also this week, I'll be giving my hubby a hand with some RV jobs. I'm still not convinced that I am much of a help, but, if nothing else, I'm a good, tool-go-getter person!

There also better be some rehearsing done this week, we have some straight karaoke shows coming up,which involves a fair amount of singing on our part. Can't be having rusty pipes!


So, my friends, that about does it for another week, until next time, I'll leave you with this wish.........





May you dance, sing, enjoy, for life is sweet, and should be thoroughly tasted.
May you colour outside the lines, with polka dot skies, every colour used, none wasted.

May you have your heart beat through your chest for something that both frightens and excites.
May adrenaline driven anticipation become part of the fabric of all your days and nights.

May every day bring with it something different and unique.
May you run toward the next adventure, it's just over the hill, take a peek.



Check it out!  www.margyreidbooks.com

Books also available at McNally Robinson in Saskatoon and Winnipeg
















Saturday, September 22, 2012

Ready...Set.....Tradeshow!


Hi there!



As I lean on the railing of my deck, I see the trees gracing our front yard in all of their Autumn glory. Some leaves appear dipped in fire, while others seem to be clinging to the last days of summer, desperately holding on to any bit of green. Knowing they must turn, dry, and fall to the earth, they hold on until the chilled breeze becomes too much to bare.


Not  unlike a 70 year old granny with decent legs wearing a mini-skirt. It's not altogether unattractive, but somehow, seems out of place, all the same.


Yep, the leaves are falling, kids are back in school, school activities are revving up, dance, gymnastics, soccer, football, homework, work, make lunches, figure out supper, go to work, do laundry, solve playground political issues, piano lessons, fix the leaky faucet, dentist, figure out why the "best friend" is suddenly acting like such a jerk, supply snack, arrange playdates,.........sounding familiar?

Life, it seems, can seem to take on a life of it's own. I think, at times, it feels like, somehow, we were just pulled on to this train, going at breakneck speed, not being told where it goes, or where our stop is. I know, for me, it's happened in the past.

Back when the kids were small, and my hubby was working one full time, and one part time job, and I was working three part time jobs, dayhome, grocery store, and restaurant, just to keep bodies and souls together, I would have nightmares. One recurring one was about being at the wrong job at the wrong time. (I also had nightmares about slaying a dragon made entirely of dirty laundry, but that's another story, for another time) I do remember another dream very vividly. I dreamed I was in a serious car accident, and was being taken to the hospital in an ambulance, in my dream, what was going through my head wasn't fear or panic, it was an overwhelming feeling of peace, you see, in my dream, all that kept going through my mind was the fact that, in the hospital, I might get to sleep.


Since then, I've learned that, though in life, control is an illusion, we do have the power to influence the direction our lives take. We can't foresee every blessing or every hardship, or sometimes, in the moment, tell the difference between the two, but we can, and need to participate, always. Life is not for spectators. Existing is the spectator sport.


As our Fall season of DJ gigs, trade shows and readings revs up, and with the added excitement of our new RV service venture, some of those familiar feelings of being overwhelmed really would like to take up residence with me once again. But now, instead of having nightmares, I step back, take a deep breath, and know, all I can do is what I can do, the rest isn't up to me. And I sleep. After all the sun will come up tomorrow whether the things on my "to do" list are done or not, so why sweat it?


Anyway...................................................

This week brought some grandson snuggles, more experience in being the time keeper/bookkeeper/tool-go-getter/here-hold-this-er of the RV repair world, poster producing for trade shows, rehearsing for 60th anniversary gig next weekend and some gratuitous breathing in of crisp Autumn air.


The upcoming week......

"Word On The Street Festival" tomorrow in Saskatoon!!!!!! Come check it out!

Get caught up on remaining RV jobs........

Rehearse for 60th anniversary gig next weekend.................(trying to learn songs from the 50's)

Prep for trade show in Unity, also next weekend......(yep tradeshow by day, DJ by night)

Pack up and head out to said trade show and gig.

Oh yeah, I probably won't be able to get my blog up until Sunday, next week. (Unless I'm still full of caffeine, sugar and adrenaline from horrible amounts of coffee and junk food ingested, trying to stay energized for the trade show and gig. In that case, I will write it Saturday night when we get home!)


Until then, my friends, I'll leave you with this wish................


May the colours of autumn, their vibrancy, their boldness, become woven into the fabric of your soul.
May you walk with new energy, new confidence, a little sass, for there is fire in you, let it unfold.

May the chill in the air force you to breathe deeply, revitalizing everything that you are.
May the brisk breeze be at your back, helping you move ever forward, both happily and far.

May you embrace all of your colours, especially those hues less capable of enchanting others.
May you use your many shades to paint the portrait of your life, your portrait of your life, unsmothered.




Until next week.........You can check out, and buy my books at www.margyreidbooks.com would love if you checked it out!








Saturday, September 15, 2012

Coffee Wrestlin' and Hoop Jumpin'!




Contrary to what this may look like, I am NOT giving my 7 month old grandson coffee! It was a cup of French Vanilla, and must have smelled irresistible because, every time I would try to take a sip, Jake would do his level best to wrestle the cup from my hands! He's stronger than he looks!

Though it was a struggle, I did manage to keep the caffeine out of his little system. There will be plenty of time for him to develop a caffeine addiction later.


Now, on a totally different subject;

Life, this week, I am almost certain, is supposed to teach me patience. Not the kind of patience needed to handle kids, or the kind you need when anticipating an exciting event. Nope, this week, I think the patience I am supposed to learn is the kind needed when trying to teach an elephant to tap dance or teach a flea to play the tuba. I think it's the kind of patience necessary to scrub a cathedral floor with a single strand of hair, the kind required when painting the golden gate bridge with a toothbrush. I think you get my point.

Without boring you with details, I will tell you this. The launch of the new venture that my hubby and I are trying to start is taking a LOT more steps than we had anticipated. Seriously, we've jumped through more hoops than a geriatric circus dog! We are getting close, but it seems every time we get close to the starting line, it gets moved. Like I said.....patience.

Otherwise, the week went pretty well. It began with a birthday celebration for our son-in-law and our daughter, Sarah. Then the dates for doing readings in Meadow Lake were confirmed. I wasn't able to get posters done, so I'll be taking care of that on Monday.

Also, I received an awesome comment on my book "Everyday Wishes For Your Extraordinary Life."
When asked what she thought of the book after she was done reading it, the reader replied "You're never really done reading that book."  Hands down, one of the best compliments I've ever gotten.


So, that about covers the week filled with coffee wrestling and hoop jumping......

As for the upcoming week..................................

Tomorrow my eldest daughter and her hubby will be coming out for an afternoon of football....Go Riders!

Monday involves poster making and gathering information required for our next hoop jump.

Tuesday....you guessed it.......hoop jumping

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.......prep for the "Word On The Street Festival" in Saskatoon (Sun. Sept 23rd in front of the downtown library on 23rd St. Bring the munchkins!)

Saturday...... rehearse for 60th anniversary party on the evening of Sept. 29th (trying to learn some songs from the early fifties)


So that, my friends, is about all there is this week.  Hopefully, by next week's blog, the hoop jumping will be complete!


Until next time, I will leave you with this wish..............................................




May positivity come at you like raindrops in a hurricane, with such force, it's impossible to ignore.
May any surplus bounce from you to others around you, splitting, spreading, covering more.

May any hesitation to completely embrace new challenges disappear into the whipping wind.
May any sense of feeling unworthy be carried off too, for that's what drags you down in the end.

May you see your dream, not just as a dream, somewhere, someday, always just beyond your grasp.
May you see your dream as a reality, here, now, something solidly held in your hands


Until next week......... check out my new and improved website! www.margyreidbooks.com













Friday, September 7, 2012

Awning Kites, Bestsellers, and Bookings!





The first true sign of Autumn!

This lonely, golden cluster of foliage is the beginning of the end of summer in good old Saskatchewan. The nights are already getting chilly, to all those who live in warmer climates, chilly, around here, means a few degrees above freezing.

Don't get me wrong, I love Fall! Every season brings with it it's own charm. Autumn brings kids playing in piles of leaves, sweaters, nice long walks without mosquitoes, and living where I live, the hum of combines, and grain trucks, as the farmers try to pull in the harvest before the frost gets to it first.

Although the days are getting shorter, and the sun is starting to withhold her heat, I look forward to the coming months, and the surprises I'm sure they'll bring.

So folks, this week was definitely an interesting one.

I did manage to assist my hubby in removing and installing an RV awning. What I learned?

A 16ft RV awning has definite potential as a giant kite!

Also.....that the fact that my hubby is almost a full foot taller than I, makes a big difference when carrying a detached awning away from an RV. His strides are longer, he is able to hold it higher, therefore, keeping it off of the ground and thusly, preventing it from beating the crap out of him.

I, however, was not as successful. Oh well, a few bruises and a scrape or two never killed anyone. Next time, I will be smarter. Next time, hopefully, we won't be doing this kind of repair in 45km/hr wind!



This week also brought some pretty cool news. "Everyday Wishes For Your Extraordinary Life"  made the top ten bestseller list for hardcovers at McNally Robinson. On the children's bestsellers list;
"A Crazy Day" is #1, and "Tags Go In The Back" came in at #4! Yep, there they were on the list, nestled nicely between the 2nd and 3rd books from the Hunger Games Trilogy!


I can't even tell you what kind of a thrill that is! I can't believe it! I know it's probably only going to be for a single week, and I know it's one store, in one city, but it's still somewhere I never thought I would see any actual book actually written by me, ever.

This is real. Wow.


Another thing I have a hard time wrapping my head around, is you guys. It never ceases to amaze, baffle, and completely thrill me, when I come on here, and see readers from Canada, Russia, the Untied States, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Indonesia, Belarus, Switzerland, Germany, Vietnam, France, and more.  I appreciate you all so much, and am so grateful for your support.

When I sit back and think back to a mere 3 years ago, when writing seemed like some far off dream that I would love to at least try "someday".......... I am a very lucky person.


Also, within the last few days I have one sure booking for a visit to the school in Major,Sk. on Oct. 19th, and a couple of tentative dates for that same week in Meadow Lake,Sk. Oh, and we also were booked to do a Halloween karaoke show on Oct 27th, in Denzil.

Yep, fall is here, and things are revving up!

Well I think that about does it for another week.

For the upcoming days...............................

For the next two days.....play with grandbabies, visit some daughters, eat some birthday cake. (Second daughter and son-in-law, Happy birthday Sarah and Jody!)......

Assist hubby in few more RV jobs.....

Get posters made for trade shows...(now that I was actually able to get the jpegs on a flashdrive...not the most tech savvy, ok?)

Find easels for said posters.

Do some advertising for the word on the street festival coming up in Saskatoon on the 23rd.

Get some fall cleaning done......house cleaning fairies must be on strike.



So, my friends, until next time, I'll leave you with this wish........


May you see the value in basking in life's joys now, and not leaving them for "someday."
May you see that most of the time, in our quest for happiness, we often get in our own way.

May you understand that the search for happiness, is a journey contained completely within our soul.
May you know you need not look outside yourself for peace, joy, value, to be whole.

May you give yourself permission to be still, rest, rejuvinate, without a glimpse of guilt.
May you fight the urge to "do", and just "be", and let yourself be filled.




Until Next time!

Feel free to become a follower, check out my website, and "like" my facebook page!

www.margyreidbooks.com
















Saturday, September 1, 2012

Blue Moons & Book Signing!




Hi!


"Once in a blue moon............."


Ok, the top photo was taken the evening of August 31st/2012. This, apparently is a "Blue" moon. I missed the explanation as to what makes this particular moon blue, so I am confused. It pretty much looks like the full moon I saw last month, and the month before that.

Now, the writer in me really wants to make it a story about how it's "blue" because it's the last full moon of the summer, so when he becomes full again, the air will be colder, school will be in full swing, and there won't be nearly as many people outside to greet him. The weather will have turned colder and the night air will carry with it a chill too chilly to allow the children to be outside to play with him, and besides, it will be past their school bed times........ that's why he doesn't come around very often.....he needs to give his heart time to heal between visits........no wonder he's blue!

Okay, that may not be the official, scientific explanation of a "blue moon", but if you ask your average 4 year old which version they think is true........................



So, anyway.........

This week I was able to secure a table at the Conquest trade show in October, the other two I have my eye on should be nailed down by the end of the upcoming week.

Also this week, I assisted my hubby in removing and replacing an Air conditioner on a customer's RV. Okay, assisted may be too strong of a word, but my skill set does include going to get tools, and handing them up the ladder, as needed. Oh, and I am made of pretty sturdy stock, so lifting of said air conditioner is also in my wheel house. Yep, more than just a hat rack.


That pretty much brings us to today.

Today was my book signing at McNally Robinson. The bottom photo at the top of this blog is a shot of one family of little girls who went home with a handful of books. (That really is me behind the table, I swear, my hubby just cut off my head when he took the pic) (Freudian???????hmmmmm)


I think it went pretty well. I met a lot of new people, saw some familiar faces, and made a new friend named Shem. He is going in to grade 3 and the novelty of school, shall we say, has lost some it's lustre. He has very generously invited me to come to his school in Regina to read to him and his friends. I'm going to try my best to make it happen.

The McNally people were happy with the sales, so that always makes me feel a bit relieved.  I guess that always kind of weighs in the back of the mind, and the front, too, if you let it. I mean, nobody wants to be the person seated at the entrance of the store, for all of the world to see, and not sell a single book. Thankfully I wasn't that guy...today. It doesn't mean it can't happen.


So, for the next week...........

"Assist" in removing and installing an RV awning.......

Make and adhere more correction labels on the back of my books (helps to have the right website on them)

Secure tables at the other two trade shows......


Light a fire under the butts of my house cleaning fairies....they get lazy this time of year.

Flesh out a few new stories that have taken up residence in my head.......



So, my friends, I think that about does it for another week. 



With "back to school" in the air I'll leave you with this wish..........



May you be able to smile through your shiny eyes as you unhold the hand of your first wee one on their very first day.
May you have the fortitude not to turn into a snivelling mess until you're alone, in your house, out of the way.

May you help shine their first days to a glistening gleam, as they are bound to tarnish as years go by.
May you help build a strong foundation on which they can stand, and withstand, for not all days will be easy as pie.


May you listen twice and speak once when they come to you, bubbling over with excitement from their day.
May you hone this craft as they get older, and the bubbling becomes smouldering, brooding, and they don't have nearly as much to say.