Weddings & Water Fights!

Well, hi!



The above pics are from the wedding we did last Saturday. It was beautiful. they had a gorgeous tent that housed the 450+ guests very comfortably. The weather was absolutely perfect and the people were terrific. We had the usual few who either thought the music was too loud or to quiet, too fast or too slow, but all in all, a great crowd. Even after about 6 hours of straight dancing the "one more song" choir was singing strong and loud. A couple of young gentlemen who had perhaps been partaking of the beverages in some rather generous portions, offered us $100 to play a few more songs. In situations like this, the Mom in me comes out. After turning him down as gently as possible, I told him no matter how disappointed he was right now, he would be much happier with himself in the morning. Although I'm sure the morning, for him, brought with it a plethra of other issues, being $100 lighter in the pockets, at least, wouldn't be one of them.


Yep, it was a great wedding, but a looooong day. We didn't get home until 4:45am. That, my friends is the time for which our alarm is set for work days. This made the beginning of the work week a little off kilter, but everything got back to normal soon enough. It does seem to take longer to get our systems back on track after a night like that than it did when we first started doing this 12 years ago.

It's still worth it. To see the smiles, delight and laughter. to see the bride and groom share their first dance as husband and wife, to see Daddies dancing with their toddler daughters, the gray haired grannies with their long haired grandsons, the look you see on the faces of the couple when they hear "their song."  To have even the smallest part in bringing that kind of happiness to a group of people, even just for an evening, it's without a doubt worth a couple of tired days.


The rest of the week went pretty well. I STILL don't have a press release written. I'm hoping to get some kind of mojo flowing with it soon. It seems the harder I try to come up with something the further the words retreat from my fingertips. It'll happen, I have faith. I just have to be patient with myself. Or at least, try.


We did, however, get a call for another show. We will be heading down to Denzil on July 21st for a full on karaoke show. I'm looking forward to it! It's always such a good time to head to my old home town. The people are great, I usually run into several old friends and still have a ton of family there, it's going to be a blast!


Also this week, I did a bit of snooping as far as trade shows for the fall. I haven't found any that will work yet, but am still looking. If you know of any smaller fall trade shows that are still taking applicants, please let me know, and I'll check them out.


To top off the week, we had most of our kids, my sister, her hubby and kids out for a bar-b-que today. It was a lot of fun. To keep a long story short, it involved a few water guns, a giant frisbee, some burgers, some watermelon, some cheese cake, and many giggles, especially from the munchkin gallery. A great day!





Now for the upcoming week............



As this is a long weekend it will be a pretty short work week. Maybe some divine inspiration will hit me for the press release.....maybe.

With any luck at all my web guy will get my website up and running again. Whatever is going on sounds complicated, something about some regulations, something or other. I don't know, he tried to explain it, and I know I'm not an idiot, but after about the first paragraph it started sounding like he was speaking a foreign language. Charlie Brown's teacher. 'nuff said. I hope it is fixed soon, that is all.


I also need to put more time into the wedding coming up on the August long weekend. I've started to work on it, but it still needs some time.

There will also be some quality time spent in my basement this week, rehearsing for the Denzil show. May hunt for some new music there as well.

Well folks, that about does it for this week. As my hubby celebrated his birthday yesterday I'd like to dedicate this week's wish to him...................




May you see each passing year as a right of passage, an honor earned, a blessing bestowed upon you.
May you know in your heart how absolutely loved you are, appreciated, valued, by us, your crew.

May you know I love you with all my heart even though I can sometimes be teasing and sarcastic.
May you know that this birthday poem could not stay completely heartwarming and fantastic.

May you know, although I have some grey hair, and need an assist from drugstore reading glasses, just the same as you.
May you, even knowing all this, keep in mind, I'll always be your junior by two years, count 'em two!


Happy Birthday My Honey!

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Summer! Oh Yeah!!!!

Ahhhhhh, Summer is officially here! For those of us in this part of the world, anyway. I was finally able to enjoy a morning cup of coffee on my deck. I know it probably seems silly to most of you, but that is something I start looking forward to starting in February. The weather has been a bit on the soggy side, to say the least, and on the odd day when it hasn't been raining and/or miserably cold, I haven't been home! So, yes, even though it may be silly, I so thoroughly enjoyed my morning java fix. Now..... time to get after the day!



But, first I should let you know what has and hasn't happened in the past week.

First, the bad news..............

I received a letter from the Sundog Craft Show, and once again they don't have room for me. I am on a waiting list, however, in case they get any cancellations. I'm not going to hold my breath.

Also in the "not happened" column lives my press release. I know I need to do it, but am finding it difficult to write, for some reason. Bit of a block where it's concerned. I need to bust through that hurdle very soon.

My website is still down, hopefully I will have good news on that front very soon!!!!!!

Now for the good news!!!!!!!!!!

I have a date set for a signing for both  "Tags Go In The Back", and "Everyday Wishes For Your Extraordinary Life"! I'd love to see you all there! It will be at McNally Robinson Booksellers in Saskatoon, on Saturday, September 1st at 1pm.

Because this one is a bit different, with "Wishes" and all, I've opted out of doing the reading, and going to just do the signing instead. Again, I'm going by my gut, and the seat of my pants, I hope I'm making the right choice. Only time will tell, as usual.


This week also saw me putting the final touches on the music for the wedding we are doing this evening, and putting the first touches on the wedding we are doing in a few weeks. I love the fact that every wedding is so different, the tastes in music, the traditions, or lack thereof, the people themselves. I guess I just love weddings, and we are always so honoured to be part of this special day. Our goal, always, as with any gig, but especially weddings, is to make sure every single person there has a great time. Whether you are 2 or 92, we want you to walk away at the end of the evening thinkin' "Dang! Now, THAT was fun!"


Now, for today, and the upcoming week.........................


As soon as I finish here, we need to start packing up and getting ready for today's wedding. Equipment, camera, snacks, energy drinks ( will be about a 19 or 21 hour day by the time we get home ), ride home clothes and wedding info sheet (first song, MC name, etc).

I also need to get dressed, do hair etc. and have it stay looking half decent through a 2 1/2hour drive in a truck with no air conditioning and setting up equipment. From the time of getting "prettied up" to "showtime" is about 5 hours, most of which will be spent sweating, not to mention the 6 hour gig itself. I need industrial make up and hair stuff! Lol

This week will also involve seriously diving in to the music our next wedding.

Press release. ( at some point the right words just have go come to me, right? )

May do some research into doing a couple more smaller trade shows, as I have an opening in my schedule because of Sundog.

Get set for upcoming long weekend! (Who knows what it will bring!)

Holy Crap! I just looked at the clock, I better get at it!


Until Next Week I'll leave you with this wish.......





May your summer days be long and lazy, filled with frothy drinks and time in a lake pulling oars.
May they, if you'd rather, include hours in a boat, on a beach, playing games, and making s'mores.

May it include time with family and friends, bar-b-ques, story telling and epic water fights.
May it be clear, at least mostly, of sunburns, wipeouts, road rashes, and mosquito bites.

May every day stretch out before you as some grand adventure just waiting to unfold.
May you take full advantage of every single one, it's a time for fun for all, young and old.


Have a Great Week! Until Next Time......Thanks for reading these ramblings!

Father`s Day, And Munchkin Follies!

Hi, All!

I thought I should follow through on my threat to put a new pic of Jake on here. I know I'm biased and all, but, Dang! Is that kid cute or what?!

Well, now that that is out of my system, on with the happenings of the week.

Let me start with a question. How many of you can say you were greeted, upon entering your place of work, by someone with not one, but two, brightly coloured stuffed hamsters strategically placed in their shirt, announcing proudly that they have boobs, and, are now, officially, a woman!?

Anyone......................Anyone......................No??????

Well, before this week, my answer to that question would have been no, as well. Not anymore, for, yesterday, this is exactly how I began my work day. Ahhhh, seven year old girls......no further explanation necessary.

If you will indulge me, I have one other story involving a child. It is a romantic tragedy, really. The Romeo and Juliet of the preschool set, if you will.

My daughter, Codey, had taken Ethan to the park. There, across the crowded monkey bars, he noticed a lovely, raven haired little beauty. She was a younger woman, maybe an entire year his junior, meaning she probably only attends preschool a mere twice a week, like the other three year olds, unlike the gruelling schedule of thrice weekly, as that of his much more mature, four year old peers.

As his bold nature would dictate, he immediately ran to her to introduce himself, of course including his middle name, as that is of great importance, especially when you get in trouble with your mother. He then extended a rather exuberant invitation to join him in his quest to frolic thoroughly throughout the entire playground.

As her nature was much more subdued and, dare I say bashful than he, his invitation was met with the speedy turn of a skirt and a dash in the opposite direction. It sadly, wasn't meant to be.

Not to be deterred, young Ethan began to give chase to the fair maiden, only to be discouraged by his Auntie, and counselled to the possibility that she may not enjoy such an overt gesture. He was further counselled that she may be shy in nature and, if given adequate space, may feel more comfortable joining him of her own accord.

Upon receiving this counsel, Ethan turned to his beloved Auntie and declared, and I quote, ``But, Auntie, she puts hearts in my eyeballs!``

True story.


Mild by comparison, the remainder of my week was pretty normal. It was spent putting the finishing touches on the music for next week`s wedding, attending to my website issue, which I am assured will be rectified very soon, working, running errands, and playing silly games with a funny little redhead.(AKA my niece).

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

I will need to get in touch with the event coordinator at McNally and set a date for a reading and signing for ``Tags``

Start, as I seem to have failed to in the past seven days, a press release for both new books.

Tend to any last minute details for next Saturday`s nuptials.


And that should do it.


Thanks to all for the lovely feedback on the cover for ``Wishes``, it really is greatly appreciated.



So, as Father`s Day is upon us, I would like to dedicate this week`s wishes to the Dads...............




May you know that what you do really matters, even if you are rarely ever thanked.
May you know that all the ``I love you`s`` you say, though,often met by an eye roll, are banked.

May you know, because of you, I know exactly how I deserve to be treated, almost akin to royalty.
May you know , because of you, I accept nothing less than respect, love, and loyalty.

May you know, because of you, I know truly good men exist beyond the imagination of a romance author.
May you know, because of you, I know how a real man should treat his childrens`mother.

May you know, because of you, I know real men can show emotion and be kind, as well as protect and defend.
May you know, because of you, I truly understand, a real man, will chase happiness for those he loves to earth`s end.



Happy Father`s Day to all, but, especially, my Honey!


Until Next Week!

The "Wishes" Cover! Yay!

Well, here it is! The official cover for "Wishes"! I think it turned out pretty well, but I'd love to hear your thoughts!

This week, I received the printed proof for "Wishes" as well, and, now, as we speak, the presses are rolling! I'm both excited and a bit anxious about it. My greatest hope is that, in reading it, a few of you will get a smile or two, maybe a giggle, or maybe, just maybe, if I've hit the mark I've hoped to, you will get a bit of a glimpse of you and yours within it's pages.

With both "Tags" and "Wishes" coming out at the same time, I'm hoping I didn't bite off more than I can chew. On one hand, it seems like a good idea to work on promoting both at the same time, with trade shows and press releases and whatnot. But, it might get a little overwhelming, depending on what happens. Well, whatever that is, it's all good! I'll just have to take one day at a time, one step at a time, do what I can, and hope for the best!

This past seven days also included a kick-butt family b-b-q, which, as I'd hoped, included a lot of laughs, some memory visiting, some memory making, a few cocktails, and all-in-all a great time!

It is always so good to see everybody, but when it comes to times like this, when my sisters and I get the rare opportunity to get together, a bright light shines on the fact we are missing a very big piece of the Robertson sister puzzle. Our sister, Charlotte who passed almost 4 years ago now, was dearly missed. We lost her about three weeks before she was to turn 46, something that was not lost on me this year, as I turned 46. I miss her daily.

She remains a big part of the reason I began and continue to pursue my writing dream. She had to leave with so many things still remaining on her bucket list. Life and time are precious, and I continue to learn, everyday, not to put off happy things. Life is too short to live it unhappily.

Yes, we all still do what we need to do to get by, but our real lives, the ones beyond careers, possessions and money, our real lives, the stuff that feeds our soul, the stuff that makes us smile in our sleep, the stuff for which we would simply wither if made to do without, our real lives, this is the only stuff that ever matters. The rest is just noise to fill in the background.

Wow, ok, got a little into the deep end there.

On a lighter note..........................

The rest of the week was filled with the usual baby wrangling and hide and seek playing. It was also brought to my attention, once again, that I suck at crafts. It's a long story, so to keep it short, let it just be said that a 7 year old grounded me from doing crafts for as long as I live. So when I say I suck at crafts, please do not think I am being coy, or exaggerating in any way. I sadly, simply, suck. That is all.

Oh yeah, and for some reason, my website went down this week......hopefully my web guy will have it up and running within the next few days.

So to end a pretty rollercoastery (it's a word) week, the hubby and I kidnapped our youngest grandson (Jake 4 months today), for the weekend. I know I'm biased and all, but damn that kid is cute! I know I've promised to be good, but I might just have to pop a pic of him on here next week.

As for the next week......................

I'll be putting the finishing touches on the music for the wedding coming up very soon.

Cooking a turkey, making stuffing and gravy and work a library fundraiser. If your in the Milden area on Thursday around noon, stop by, say hi!

Chasing a couple of two year olds around and help them in their continuous hunt for "dandyweeds", what they call dandelions. Furthermore, I will be doing my level best to hinder the efforts of said two year olds in their determined pursuit to find new and unusual ways to injure, concuss, or otherwise maim themselves.

I also hope to get a start on writing a press release for "Tags" and "Wishes". I'll need to have one ready by around the 1st of July.

So, my friends, until next week, thanks so much for taking the time to read these ramblings. I appreciate it.

Until then I'll leave you with this wish......................................

May every year end class trip stay sunburn, bugbite, and injury free.

May every child get a turn to ride/pet/feed the favorite lamb/puppy/pony.

May no child become car sick, neither on the way there, nor on the ride back.

May they make it through without incident, without losing a jacket or backpack.

May you receive every note from the teacher with plenty of time to respond.

May you see the "trip" tunnel's end, for summer holidays are just beyond.

Have a Great Week!

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"Wishes" Complete!

Hi!

Above is another photo you will soon find in "Everyday Wishes For Your Extraordinary Life!"
I do have a draft of the cover, but I couldn't get it to upload!

Sometimes I get pretty frustrated with myself and my technological deficiencies!

Well, be that as it may, I can now tell you that "Wishes" is finished and soon I will have the physical rough draft in my hands! I had a couple of more tweaks to make, a couple of small things to fix, a cover to make decisions about and now, it's complete.  Now, all I can do is wait, and as you all know, that is definitely not my strong suit!

But, with three more weddings for which to provide music, planning our trip to Winnipeg to pick up said books, putting together a reading/signing for "Tags" and "Wishes", making sure I have everything needed for the upcoming trade shows in the fall, the usual summer craziness with kids and grandkids, and, I'm thinkin'. maybe, just maybe, a bit of playin' hooky and having fun, I'm sure the next couple of months will go by quickly enough.


The remainder of my week was spent getting lovely, green crayola sand in places it had no business getting, getting said sand out of ears, eyes and diapers, and trying to scrape said sand from the appendages of toddlers covered in apparent sand magnetized sunscreen. Give me good old fashioned beach sand anyday!

I guess that didn't take up the entirety of what was left of my week, it just seemed like it!

I did manage to get some errands ticked off of my list, a visit or two with a kid or two and even an impromptu mini-chatfest with a cousin who I happened to run into in the Walmart parking lot, of all places!


All in all a pretty decent week!


So, now for the upcoming few days.........


First, the family b-b-q at my baby sister's house tomorrow! Can't wait! I plan on laughing 'til I cry, my stomach hurts and my face threatens to stick like that!

The rest of the week will entail long walks on the beach, candlelit dinners, soaking in the infinity pool on the terrace overlooking the ocean, black tie parties, trips to the spa for obscene amounts of relaxing massages, going dancing, and sitting in the audience of Saturday Night Live.

Oh wait........um, yeah....... that's not me, sorry.

My week will include, however, laundry, changing poopy diapers, vacuuming, paying bills, and other incredibly glamorous things I dare not mention as it might bring forth such jealousy you might not be able to contain it!

Life is good, and, if, by chance, one day, I find myself with my hubby, in that infinity pool?............We will hurry up and get the hell out and run, before the owners of the place get home!!!!!!!!


Thanks so much for taking the time to read these ramblings! I appreciate it more than you know!


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



For those making a move.....


May every box be bottomless as you pack, but weightless as you carry.
May every strong backed friend be available, every Tom, every dick, every Harry.

May all breakables stay in one piece during the ride to their new destination.
May all kitchen gadgets and doodads not get tangled up, as is their inclination.

May all furniture somehow fit nicely and neatly in the truck, so it only takes one trip.
May you have the strength of ten to put in on and take it off, taking stairs without breaking a hip.

May the unpacking and settling in happen smoothly and without delay.
May this be your last move for a very long while, cuz moving sucks, there is no other way to say.


Until Next Time!

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