Saturday, February 23, 2013

The Oscars and Bowling With Balloons!


 
Yep! This might have gone down in history as the longest 10 frames of 5 pin bowling ever!

When bowling with three 5yr olds and a 1yr old, I offer the following advice:

1) Do NOT be in a hurry..... with the many potty breaks, bored breaks, snack breaks, gangnum style breaks, and the efforts put forth to bowl with balloons, time, or loss thereof, becomes meaningless.

2) Be prepared to clear up any and many blockages of the gutters. As the balls tend to move at a pace that would be considered lightning speed by the average snail, they tend to not quite make it to the pins, at least not very often.

3) Be ready to celebrate! If, by chance, one of the balls makes actual contact with said pins, the commencement of much cheering and general hoopla must ensue immediately. If this is not executed within seconds of the incredulous feat, another bored break is very likely to spontaneously follow.


Well friends, our oldest grandchild, Ethan, celebrated his fifth birthday this week. Time flying, once again.


The kids were so adorable! There was a ton of giggles, cake, and conversation. He had a blast! We all did!




The rest of the week went pretty much according to plan. We were able to get our new roomies settled, well, mostly. We are working out the kinks of having 6 adults and 2 preschoolers in a small space. We're figuring it out. It's a very good thing we not only love each other, but also like each other and have a good sense of humour. For those of you who are old SNL fans, just think of it like this. "Fat Man in a Little Coat". A little squishy, but funny as hell!


We did NOT get our environmental report, like we were supposed to. We should have it in hand by the end of the business on Monday. Think good thoughts for us! Hopefully this is is the final big hurdle to opening our shop!


The Valentine dance was great! It's so fun to see everybody having a good time! It even worked out that my hubby and I were able to actually dance to a couple of songs ourselves! That doesn't happen very often.


As for the upcoming days..........


Well, tomorrow night is Oscar night, so I will have to watch that, for sure. I'm such a movie fan, I love all of the drama, and tearful speeches. And the movie "Life of Pi", which is up for a couple of awards, was actually based on a book by a fellow Saskatchewan author! Crossing my fingers!


Monday, should be environmental study day, and the day we start putting together our order for stocking the store part of our shop.

Tuesday includes a trip to Rosetown for nail appointment and groceries, and possibly more paper signing.

Wednesday.....well, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday all kinda depend on what happens on Monday....here's hopin'.


So folks, that about does it....

Until next time, and keeping "Oscar" in mind, I'll leave you with this wish...........


May the movie that is your journey be the most well written, funniest, most poignant, most beautifully shot, meaningful piece of art, ever given life.
May every part within it, albeit a cameo, an extra, or a starring role, be played with honest sincerity, breathing truth into every child, husband and wife.

May every conflict be brought to it's knees with the grace and grit of flawless thought, perfectly executed solutions, without ever having make up or pantyhose run or so much as a hair out of place.
May you, no matter the events of the previous evening, awaken prettily positioned without bedhead or  pillow-squished sleepface.


May you always and forever be the writer of your own tale, as well as it's director, producer, and star.
May you look in the mirror daily and know, without doubt, you own, in every category, an "Oscar."


Until next time,

www.margyreidbooks.com and on FaceBook!
margy_mel@yahoo.ca











Friday, February 15, 2013

Valentine's Day, For Real..........




Ahhh, Valentine's Day!


A day of gallant, romantic gestures, expensive gifts, lovely wine, and long, knowing looks deep into the eyes of that certain someone.  Oh, wait a minute, that's the Hollywood version.

In reality, for the majority of us, Valentine romance, generally means a bit of a longer kiss in the morning, with the promise of something more meaningful to come, when the house quiets down. For most of us, the diamond earrings, and trips to the Caribbean, look more like a home made, hand decorated cake, and, if you are very lucky, a trip to the local theater to watch one your Valentine fantasies unfold on the silver screen.  For all of us mere mortals, whose lives are lived unscripted, the sultry looks of longing are not usually as they might first seem, in the eyes of a stranger; but a means of communicating without words, who would be the one "privileged" enough to take the first bite of the "surprise dessert" made secretly by their 5 year old self proclaimed chef. Yep, then, at the end of the day, you remember why that glass of wine is such a perfectly lovely idea.


Ahhhh, Valentines's Day!

For me, as long as this "love day" is spent with my best friend, my hubby, the most romantic guy I know, it's all good. We've been together 28 years, and not a day goes by without me hearing the word's "I love you" and "you're beautiful." I am very lucky, and am very thankful for it every day.


So, besides celebrating Valentine's Day, this week..........


I put the finishing touches on the music for tomorrow night's Valentine Dance...........


Did some fridge filling, as we are going to have a pretty full house for the next little while......(Temporary roommates, daughter, son-in-law, grandbaby, to join in with other daughter, boyfriend, and other grandbaby)


Put the wheels in motion for our radio ad for Integrity RV Service.........


Got the ball rolling for our sign that will hang in front of the shop..........


Made a date to go in and sign the first of many sets of papers that will line the way from here to opening day......


A good week.


So, for the next few days.......



Do our level best to make sure everyone and the dance tomorrow night, has a great time!


Get the new roommates settled in and comfortable.......


Have a meeting with lawyer to start laying above mentioned paper trail......


Receive the report on our Environmental study (Cross everything that crosses for us, that we pass with flying colors!)


Start work on an order for RV parts to stock the shop/store!





Well, my friends, that about does it for another week. Thank you again for taking an interest in this crazy life of mine. Readership passed the 7000 mark this week. I know, to some, that might not seem like a lot. But, for someone who never thought in a million years, that ANY readers, would read these ramblings, it simply blows me away.

Thank you.



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



May there always be room in your heart for more; more love, more friends, more happiness, more.
May you never miss that when harsh wind blows a window closed, that same wind opens a door.

May there always be space in your life to accept, the good, the bad, the ugly, the utterly fantastic.
May you see that in simple acceptance, space is freed for solutions to emerge, life will seem enchanted.

May troubles that want to clutter your mind and heart, those that want to make a hoarder of your soul.
May you discover that with release, comes peace, free them all, for they feed the illusion of control.

May you feel the freedom of throwing old baggage overboard, making room for new wonders to unfold.
May you see the advantage of packing light, for old baggage carries no purpose it's just...... old.



Thank You! I love hearing from you!

www.margyreidbook.com
margy_mel@yahoo.ca

Or you can comment right on this page or message me on FaceBook!













Saturday, February 9, 2013

Sometimes You Get To Be The Whipped Cream!

Hi!


Sometimes, life can seem like an never ending climb, up an endless staircase leading to a destination we instinctively know is awesome, but remains a mystery. We climb and climb, taking one step at a time, careful enough not to fall, but steady. At times, we are able to climb without hesitation, taking strong, sure steps, sometimes, two in a stride. Other times, we take two or three steps upward just to discover the only way forward is to take ourselves down a bit to replant our feet on a sturdy landing, and maybe get our hands a bit dirty doing a repair or two on some of the steps we may have damaged along the way.

When we get weary, we may need to grab the hand of someone nearby for support. Never mistake this for a sign of weakness, it's simply a sign that we're human. No one can make this climb alone. We're not meant to. The hand may come in the shape of family or friends, or it  may take the shape of words of a stranger, half a world away. The hand may be as familiar as our own, and a constant throughout our lives. It may also take the form of an overheard phrase or a random act of kindness from a stranger, giving an otherwise dark day, a flash of light.

No matter how we climb, we climb. Regardless of injury, regardless of pain, regardless of loss, regardless of strain, we climb. Because we love the challenge, because we love the view, because those who follow watch how we step, because it's what we're meant to do, we climb.

Besides, what's the alternative, to quit? What the hell kind of fun would that be?!


So, this week............

Well, we were able to take a peek in our shop (well soon to be ours) to get a few measurements for a counter and workbench. We'll be so glad to get in there and get to work!

We were also able to finish off a few more things in the paper work department.. income taxes...done....business registration....done.......GST number......done......PST number......done......brochures for trade shows........done and done.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of reading "Tags Go In The Back" to the kids at the Dinsmore Hutterite Colony.  As I entered the school, I was greeted by beautiful harmonies being sung by the students. They were singing in German, so I didn't understand a word, but it didn't matter. The notes were so pure and sweet and perfect. I still have to pinch myself sometimes. If I hadn't taken that first step with "Lexi", just think of all of the things I would have missed out on!

Then, today, my friends, our baby grandson, Jakey, turned 1! So cute, diving face first into the mini-cake his Mommy made just for him!

It's hard to wrap my head around all that has happened since he was born. But, it's the same for all of us. Time goes by at lightning speed, we have to reach out and snatch moments up and hold them close.



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


May you be dipped in joy and rolled in delight, then sprinkled with glittery good news.
May you be covered in obscene amounts of deep, rich, decadent laughter, so incredibly amused.

May you find your "a la mode' companion to join you in this delectable time of bliss.
May you rediscover the mischief of your childhood, and all the joy that comes with this.

May you be the irresistible morsel that makes someone take a step away from their stringent routine.
May you realize you don't always have to be the vegetable, sometimes you get to be the whipped cream!



Until Next Time!

www.margyreidbooks.com







Saturday, February 2, 2013

The Art Of Licking The Spoon

Hi!

Ahhh, the rite of passage of "the licking of the spoon".



I remember, as a kid, the anticipation and excitement I felt every time Mom was making something that would inevitably conclude in this fantastic treat. Now, because there were quite a few of us, sometimes we had to take turns, sometimes Mom would "accidentally" leave enough in the bowl as to try to avoid a bowl/spoon licking war. Then, sometimes, if you were very lucky, you were the only one in the kitchen when the time presented itself and were the one and only spoon licker for that particular day.

I remember when my kids were small, seeing the same excitement in their eyes. The waiting, after watching me mix and stir, smelling the delicious gooey ingredients each in turn, making their way into the bowl, taking an obvious toll on their patience.

Well, my theory is this, just because we grow up, we don't have to give up what we love as kids.

Maybe we don't literally "lick the spoon" so much anymore, but we should never deny ourselves the sheer joy that the reward after a long arduous journey smothered in anticipation brings.

Maybe now, our "licks of the spoon", take the shape of having an extra long bath, or going out to a nice dinner, or a date night without the kids. Maybe the excited anticipation looks more like hard work and worry, but that should simply make the spoon taste that much sweeter.


As life goes on, there will be a lot of different ingredients making their way into your bowl. some will be sweet and gooey, and it will make perfect sense why they would be added. Other ingredients may be sour or bitter and their presence won't make sense until the different dishes are complete.

The tricky part is, we are thrown into this whole thing without any recipes to follow, we just have to make it up as we go along. Make sure to lick the spoon along the way.

Struggle, get through, lick the spoon. Illness, get through, lick the spoon. Having an "Everything you touch is turning to crap day," get through, lick the spoon.  Kids are screaming, get through, lick the spoon. Making your 8th batch of brownies for the school bake sale, for the love of Pete, Lick The Spoon!


Sooooo....

This week, we had pretty awesome news. We finally received the go ahead for our RV service and repair shop. Integrity RV Service will be opening the doors for business in Rosetown, Saskatchewan, this Spring!

There will be a lot to do, and we couldn't be happier! Looking so forward to it!

With this news came a flurry of phone calls and text messages to siblings and friends, contractors, lawyers, and real estate agents, sign makers etc.


That, and chasing Jake in his efforts to literally love our cat to death, as babies tend to do, pretty much filled the week.

As for the next few days?......

Finish prepping for the upcoming Valentine Dance (Feb. 16th 9pm Milden Hall, kids welcome!)

Make a trip to Rosetown to check out the "shop" again.

Same trip....donate blood (Clinic at Rosetown civic center Wed. 2pm-8pm)

Get caught up on laundry and other glamorous things.


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




May every struggle, every worry, every stress be lifted without leaving scars.
May every good thought sent your way be as countless as the stars.

May every hardship dissipate like a single candle's smoke in the path of a hurricane's might.
May every blessing be multiplied and amplified as the boom of the most thunderous of night.

May any and all sorrow, worry and stress be ever gone from you very soon.
May you, when it takes it's leave, truly celebrate, and Lick The Spoon!


Until Next Time!

www.margyreidbooks.com