Summer Sun! Summer Fun!

Hi!


Well folks, these pics feature the view from our "office" last Sunday.  I mean, if you're going to be working a 7 day week, it sure doesn't hurt to have one of those days spent in a place like this!


Yep, you guessed it. It's been another wonderfully busy week at the shop. Some big jobs, some small. Some big ones disguised as small ones, until the you throw back the covers.

There were a few frustrations along the way,  with shipments: some stock showing up, some.....not. Dealing with one supplier who seemed very convinced I owed them money, until I faxed her copies of all of the cashed cheques. Then there was the crappy task of having to let people know that their beloved trailer will most likely be written off by insurance. Those conversations are not fun.

The frustrations are, of course, offset completely by the smiles and thank yous that come across the counter when you get to tell people that they aren't going to have to miss their wedding/holiday/camping trip/family reunion after all because you are able to help them with their, hail damage/broken cross member/awning arm/broken water line/broken window/ fridge/furnace/leaking roof.

I did, however  have to miss the "Art in the Park" tradeshow today. I just haven't quite mastered the ability to be in two places at once...........yet.

Tomorrow will be spent on our own camper, getting it ready for next weekend. Nope you are not mistaken. We are taking 2 entire days off! We will set up camp Friday night, after work. Then Saturday, after a day of not working, we will do our show by Delmany, then Sunday AND Monday will be spent doing absolutely nothing! It's a long weekend and I've already put up a sign at the shop that we won't be open on Saturday.

I'll be loading up my e-reader with something trashy and mindless, kickin' back with something frosty and planting my butt in a lawn chair, only getting up for walks along the river's edge, maybe a dip or two in the pool, and a bite to eat.

We are looking very forward it. We both could use a couple of days of no "have to's".

Leading up to this glorious hiatus, we will need to finish up a few jobs, so their owners might enjoy the long weekend, as well.

There is siding to finish up, a fridge to fix, a converter to change, a fridge to install (which requires an entire revamping of built-ins) the re-plumbing of almost an entire trailer, and a utility trailer to make whole again. That, along with the walk-in business that comes off of the highway, we should stay busy enough to stay out of trouble.......for the most part.

Rehearsing for the Delmany show will have to happen while we work, it's about time we checked out the acoustics chops of the shop, anyway!

We are lucky people!


You know, we've had a few of our customers needing work done to their trailers, not for a holiday or a fishing trip, but to take it to the city to park there, as to be close to hospitals during treatments and appointments with specialists, etc.  It provides a feeling of "home" at a time when comfort can be pretty important.

It pains my soul when I hear of the heartbreak and stress they are having to go through. They're just hoping to make it to the next step, get to the next phase of treatment, and recover well from the surgeries.

 The strength and courage it takes to face these hardships, is an amazing example of the resilience of the human spirit.


Well folks, that about does it for this week!  I hope you are taking time to enjoy the Summer!


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



May your glass be perpetually filled with something tasty and frosty with a tiny umbrella to provide shade for the ice.
May every beverage add generously to your evening, maybe a little relaxation, a few new dance moves, a little spice.

May you have the chance to sit, relax, put your feet up, rest until you feel rested.
May the sunshine and gentle breezes tease your senses, all five of them, tested.

May you have the chance to sit by a campfire with some marshmallows and some friends.
May you be filled with the childhood feeling, hoping Summer never ends.

Take Care! Until Next Time!

Check me out and "Like" me on facebook! Thanks margyreidbooks.com!

Uninterrupted Soak and A Glass of Wine............

Hi!



Wow! What a week!

Things this week were a bit hectic. Not only was it awesomely (is that a word?) busy at the shop, but I think I'm making strides to win the battle with my accounting software. I also received confirmation of date and time and location for participating in the Delisle Culture Days, I've been booked into the "Word On The Street" Festival in Saskatoon for the third year running, and was able to make a bit of headway with the prep for our show on the 3rd of August! Woot!


To add to the excitement, our "roommates" have procured other living arrangements, and will be moving into their own lovely abodes at the end of the month.

Don't get me wrong, we love our kids and grandkids to death, but I think I can speak for all involved when I say we are all more than ready to have our own spaces.  Let's face it, six adults, two munchkins, a cat and a dog, along with three households worth of "stuff" gets to feel a bit crowded after 5 or 6 months.  We are so stoked that they will still all be living close enough to visit often. We are pretty dang lucky, and we know it.

Ethan will have a chance to get settled into his new surroundings before he takes his first steps into Kindergarten, and Jake will get to acclimate himself before he becomes a big brother. The timing is pretty great.


It's so important for these new little families to have their own space to grow and flourish. They need room to make decisions, mistakes, suppers, breakfasts in bed, private conversation, time for each other and their wee ones.

Me? I just look forward a long, uninterrupted soak in my glorious tub, surrounded by scented candles,  a good book in one hand and a glass of wine in the other.....something I've been missing since about February.

If someone were to ask my advice on having your grown children move back home, I guess it would be this........

Try to remain the grandparent, no matter how hard it will seem at times.

Just know that your kitchen, bathroom, well pretty much your whole house will be rearranged and you will no longer be privy to, or have much say in where anything goes.

Stuff..will...get...broken. Live with it.

Get as many grandbaby squeezes and games of hideandseektagpowerrangerninjaturtlebatmanpeekaboo as you can.

Be prepared to strap on your old referee gear for when the occasional relapse of  "she started it" comes into play.

Remember this wasn't part of their plan either.

Love them through it, just like you've done throughout their lives.



Yep, the first half of 2013 has been eventful, to put it mildly. New roommates, new business, new grandbaby on the way..... I can hardly wait to see what the second half has in store!


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

Tomorrow includes a road trip to the lake to assist my hubby in the installation of a new toilet and gas valve for a water heater.........I know, sounds glamorous, right?

Hopefully, this is followed by a bit of a walk along the beach and an opportunity to snap a few photos before we have to hurry home so I can get caught up on laundry, and other equally fabulous chores.

Also this week, we have a couple of fridges to install, a naked trailer that needs reassembly, a utility trailer to fix, and last, but not least, figure out what will be needed to repair the damage made by an involuntary bon fire that took place in the battery compartment of a 5th wheel camper. Poor guy.

Then, next Saturday is Milden's 2nd annual "Art In The Park". I'm still working on the logistics of being there, but we'll make it work somehow.

Last year we had to have it in the hall because of weather, hopefully Mother Nature co-operates this year.


Well that about does it for now...


Until next time I'll leave you with this wish......


May you be kind to everyone you encounter, strangers, acquaintances, and loved ones most of all.
May you understand the deep wounds inflicted by sharp words, they shatter trust, build walls.

May you see that keeping score of who does what to whom is a game that sports no winner, no prize.
May you, instead, be the hero, the comfort, a trustworthy friend, your reward will be reflected in their eyes.

May you see the quickest way to happiness is to bring joy to others without expectation.
May you know this in your heart, give it a whirl, sit back and enjoy all of the elation.

Until next week..

www.margyreidbooks.com

Marshmallow Mayhem!

Well folks, what you are looking at in the photo above is our grandbaby, after being handed his first marshmallow. Now, logic might dictate that an 18 month old toddler, with a tendency toward running around like his pants (not that he wears them often since discovering how to take them off) are filled with lit fireworks, should not be given a blob of sugar the size of his head and be sent free wheeling around the house. Logic would dictate this..............unless you're Grandpa.


It seems that when Grandpas, grandbabies and treats are left alone in the same room for any length of time, the grandbabies will inevitably emerge coated in something sticky.

After giving my hubby a "what were you thinking?" look, I received the usual "What?, it's just a marshmallow."


Long story short, sticky gobs of gooey treasure were later picked off of the couch, the carpet, some toys, the dog, the cat, the entertainment center, and my pants.


I guess the moral of this story is.........don't allow Grandpas to write any nutritional guide books for children. Yeah, probably not a good idea.




Soooooo, besides picking sticky bits off of things, this week also involved doing some bookkeeping, some housekeeping, some laundry, a bit of writing, learning how to do the insurance version of the paperwork shuffle, ordering parts, taking care of incoming inventory, assisting in repairs where I can, and running errands for work and home.

It's great to actually be doing what we've been working toward for so long. I do have to admit, however, tonight I'm kinda tuckered out. It will be nice to just putter around the house tomorrow. It has the potential to be declared a jammie day. Jammie days are awesome.


The upcoming week will include some more prep for the show we are doing on August long weekend, working at the shop, meeting more new people who always have great camping stories to tell, squeeze a grandbaby or two. Oh, though, I've been informed by Ethan, now 5, that I can't call him a grandbaby anymore because he's a big kid. So, correction, squeeze a grandbaby and a big kid.
And, with any luck, have a date night.


As truly restful sleep has been a bit elusive lately, this week I'll leave you with this wish...

For all of my fellow insomniacs........



May you drift off peacefully into deep slumber the very second you lie down.
May you stay asleep without intrusion, pleasant dreams abound.

May the day's happenings drift away, and tomorrow's "to do's" subside.
May you find complete restfulness, utter relaxation, setting everything else aside.

May you awaken refreshed, and truly rested, having slept better than ever before.
May you awaken ready to take on anything, with positive energy galore.


Until next time.......

www.margyreidbooks.com

My Office With A View!

Hi, folks!


Another pretty fantastic week has come and gone. One that began at a lake celebrating what a great place we get to call home, and ended at a different lake, fixing a water heater and leaky toilet, followed by a nice walk on the beach and taking in a movie with my hubby!


Yep, Monday was a day set aside to relax and show some appreciation for our wide open spaces, the freedom with which we are able to roam those spaces, and the fact we can roam them with whomever and in whatever fashion we pretty much see fit.

Yes we may have to endure some pretty long, nasty winters, some crazy floods, and the odd tornado, but we are forever grateful to those who came before us and blazed the trail for a country as beautiful as Canada! (stepping down from my maple leaf draped, maple syrup soaked, beaver chewed, soap box with a hockey stick in one hand, and a large double-double in the other)


The rest of our week was spent fixing a trailer that was on the losing end of a fight with a fence, a few that just needed some general TLC and one that needed a bit of help right at the lake.

You know your life is pretty good when your office for the day is at the lake! Talk about an office with a view!

My hubby and I also celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary this week. The look on one customer's face was quite priceless when my Honey walked into the shop with a giant bouquet of flowers! He really is the sweetest guy!

We capped the week with a movie night at our local theater. It was a great who-dun-it filled with car chases, magic tricks and clever story twists. 

When we got home I checked my email, and was delighted to find an invitation to participate in Delisle's Culture days activities. They've asked me to come and do a reading and maybe answer a few questions from some munchkins and maybe some grown ups too.

I only have 1 copy of "Lexi" left and I'm also running pretty low on "Crazy." I really didn't want to order more copies until they could accompany my new one in the shipping process, but I don't think I'm going to be able to finish this new one in time.  Oh well, I'm sure I'll figure something out.

Boy, selling books to the point of running out........pretty fantastic problem to have. Only 3 very short years ago, "Lexi" arrived at the house. With her arrival, came the first unsure steps of many, so far outside my comfort zone, that now, tonight, as I write this, I am pretty much convinced that my comfort zone has been annihilated.

You would think, as you witness the disintegration of your comfort zone, a person's knee jerk reaction should be anxiety, fear and panic. Interestingly enough, for me, anyway, I have found the opposite to be true. I have found that a "comfort zone" is where fear lives and thrives. What makes us want to stay within what is comfortable anyway? Fear. Fear of what might happen or might not happen. Fear of how we might be perceived or judged. Fear of failure, fear of success.

I guess I've come to the point in life where I will no longer let a comfort zone get in the way of my contentment. Zones, by definition,  are restrictive, they impede freedom and growth, why choose to live in one?


Well, that got all serious, and deep and stuff.

Sooooo anyhooooo....... for the next few days, I'll be busy at the shop with my hubby, prepping for a show we are doing for a family reunion in a few weeks, with any luck, work on some writing, and, most likely get into an argument or two with my accounting software. And, at some point this week we will be revisiting our office with a view at the lake to install the part for the trailer there. All in all, a pretty nice way to spend some time.


Well folks, that about does it for this week. Until next time, I'll leave you with this wish.





May the journey you choose be full of fun and adventure, with all kinds of fantastic rewards.
May you be confident in your choices, they are yours, every one of them moving you forward.

May you feel contentment and gratitude in every step you take, for each has a designed purpose.
May you feel the freedom afforded by abandoning your comfort, city dwellers, walk a forest.

May you find what makes your soul sing, your heart dance, find what's truly you.
May you find your own song, your own moves, your own office with a view!


Until next time! Thanks so much for taking the time to read these ramblings!


www.margyreidbooks.com