The Oscars And A Winter Cold!

Hi!


Yup....still winter..........................................




The Oscars.................


As a lover of movies, I've watched the oscars faithfully for as long as I can remember.  I love the pageantry, the glamour and the tradition. But, I think, more than anything, what I enjoy the most is seeing the love of the craft of making said movies plastered on every face in the room. This is room filled to the brim with people who truly love what they do. It's pretty fantastic.


It's awesome to see the joy that doing what you love brings.


I'm afraid I've been hit upside the head with a not-so-lovely cold. So if this week's ramblings are a little more rambly than usual, it's probably because I'm under the influence of my friends Benylin and Tylenol.

This isn't one of those pretty colds you see on tv, where they sneeze like a kitten, and ever so delicately dab their pretty little noses. Nope, this is the rudolph the crusty nose reindeer, cough till you pee or puke or both, type deal. Sorry if that was graphic.

Anyway, a cold is hardly the end of  the world. I'm sure I'll live.


This week also was another busy one at the shop, as we are trying to get all of our winter work completed, before spring. So far, so good.


We were also booked for another karaoke show for the end of March. This cold really needs to bugger off, so a person can rehearse!


I tried to get some writing done yesterday, but that, well, it just didn't work, what with the grossness dripping  profusely from every orifice of my face.


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


Tomorrow is our Grandson's skating carnival. If I can harness the grossness, I would love to be there to cheer him on...............

Then, it will be off to the shop for month end and other such work type things.........

Get some writing done.....................

Do some wedding prep shopping with a daughter or two or three or four..................



And that about does it for this week.

Until next time, (and I promise to be much more coherent) I'll leave you with this wish............



May you find the courage to follow your passion, wherever it may lead.
May you find a way to make it at least part of your life, if, at first it can't provide all you need.

May you understand that dreams and passions are living things, ever changing, ever evolving, ever growing.
May you see that even if ignored, they never perish, they follow in the shadows, without you even knowing.

May you see that they will show themselves to you again when you are ready; to embrace them, nurture them, let them bask in the sun.
May you see it's within your passions that your best talents lie, acknowledge them, let them shine, once you've done this, your life has truly begun.




Thanks!

www.margyreidbooks.com

Fifty Shades Of Controversy

Yup, it's still winter, still cold, still snowy......nuff said......aaaaaand moving on................




Hi!



Have you ever noticed, that in social media,  tv news, and many other sources from which we gather our information, "controversy" usually stems from things that really shouldn't hold actual controversy in any real sense of the word?


It seems to me that a lot of things labelled as "controversial" really aren't, if given a bit more thought. To me, in order to have real controversy, both sides of the scenario being disagreed upon need to have validity.


For instance, when it is discovered that someone in authority, has abused their power to molest, persecute, bully, or to perpetrate some other equally horrible thing, this is not "controversy." Controversy requires two opposing sides. I don't think anyone is "for" this kind of crap. At least I hope not.



I think the confusion comes in when judgement and opinion are inserted, replacing solid stance.

A case in point ..........


There has been much ado about the movie "Fifty Shades of Grey."  It has been labelled controversial because it is perceived, by some, to promote violence against women.

Well, my hubby and I went to see it for ourselves, and here is what I came away with............


First, let me make it very clear that this is not a movie I would like to sit and watch with my Mom....

yeah....no.....


It is pretty explicit in places, and no, it doesn't leave a whole lot to the imagination.

But, as I sat and watched, I didn't see anything that I would perceive as particularly sexy. On the screen, what I saw unfold was a story of a broken young man who was sexually abused as a child, and a very naive college graduate, both of them intrigued, confused and frightened by what they were discovering about each other and within themselves.

I discovered nothing that "promoted" violence against women. If there was a point made in that realm, I would say it was more toward empowerment, as she decides her fate. In this story, "no" still means "no", and nothing is done without consent.

If there is to be an argument made about the media and the glorification of violence against women, you should check out some old westerns, and in real life, maybe some court cases, where domestic violence, rape, or child abuse is concerned. Sentencing, when it gets that far, is a joke.


Although this was far from the best movie I have ever seen, it's also far from the worst. Oddly, it's merit, or lack thereof, has nothing to do with it's sexual content whatsoever. Go figure.

So before you pass judgement, or form an opinion, please see the movie, or read the books. If you don't like it, or choose to pass, that is fine, you are entitled to your own tastes. But please, don't label food you have neither tasted, nor made, so there is no way you could possibly know the ingredients from which it's produced.


And that is simply my opinion, worth no more or less than that of anyone else.




Soooooooooooooooo.........................



The past week has been pretty productive........

Got some work done at the shop, where things remain, thankfully, very busy...........

I was able to put the finishing touches on the prologue of the novel I'm working on, and get some mapping done for upcoming chapters..............


I was able to make some headway on "Flitflee"............

I'm still finding it pretty challenging to write both simultaneously......working on that..........


I was able to sneak in some quick grandbaby snuggles.............

Killed some dust bunnies......did laundry.....and other glamorous things.......


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


Having company for supper tomorrow night..........

Watch the Oscars.....................

Go to work at the shop............

Squeeze grandbabies..........................

Put some more meat on the bones of the books I'm writing......................


Should be a good week!!!!!



So that about does it for me for another week!


Thank you all for taking the time to read these ramblings each week. It never seizes to amaze me, and I'm forever grateful for your support.


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



May understanding settle in, helping differentiate, perception from fact.
May judgement of what is not known be avoided, as ignorance should motivate no act.

May we see our beliefs as that, ours, content to appreciate that others may not agree.
May we accept that this does not make them "wrong", it simply means, like ours, their will is free.

May it simply be accepted that we all have our own road to travel, our own rhythm in which to live.
May we see that ours is no better or worse than those of others, just different, acceptance is ours to give.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!



The holiday of romance is once again upon us.

If you are in a relationship, casual, committed, or some combination thereof, this day brings with it pressure.



Hell, even if you're single the pressure is there.

Single- pressured to find your "soul mate"

Casual- pressure to make it committed

Committed - pressure to make it "perfect"


As someone who has been in a committed relationship with the same person going on 30 years, my entire adult life, I offer this..............

Don't buy into the crap.


First..."perfect" doesn't exist, and no amount of Hollywood romantic comedies will ever change that.

Relationships are life. They are messy, they have crap storms, they involve imperfect people. Expecting a perfect relationship to somehow sprout from imperfect people is just crazy.

Let's move on to "commitment.".......commitment should never feel forced. It needs to be organic, feel natural. It's never good for it to be prefaced with "we should".  It's one of the few times in life you don't really have to make a conscious decision. Your heart and your instincts tend to make it for you before your brain has a chance to catch up. Once you are at a place to make the cognitive choice, you discover  your heart beat you to the punch long before.


Now, as for finding your "soul mate"........................ I believe deeply that there are special people brought in to our lives. People we share levels of connection we simply don't share with others. I think "soul mate" is one way of phrasing it, kindred spirit, may be another. I don't think these people are limited to the one you "fall in love" with. I know I, for one, have a few "soul mates."

I think we all do... you know them when you meet them. You know, those people you meet for the first time and it feels like you've known each other for years. Brother from another mother..sister from another mister.....those people. Soul mates....absolutely.

So for those in search of your "soul mate", chances are, at least a few have come across your path already. As for the one you will fall in love with, I really believe that they will come into focus when you are ready for them, and they are ready for you, and not a minute sooner.


That being said, celebrate! This Valentine's Day, celebrate! Celebrate being single! Celebrate a newly found friend! Celebrate the one you love! Celebrate the one you fell in love with, and will continue to love until your last breath. Celebrate!


As for this past week......................


Things are moving along quite well at the shop, busy, but not crazy.........

The books I'm working on are coming along, a little slower than I'd like, but coming along.

Wedding plans are moving along.....a daughter who is also an organized bride doesn't hurt a bit.....

All in all a great week!......


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


Date night with the hubby....always a lot of fun...........

Long weekend shananigans....you just never know.............

Working at the shop...........

Writing...writing....writing...........



Aaaaannnddd that about does it for another week....

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



May your day be filled with love, celebration, joy, pure bliss.
May you participate whole-heartedly, for if you don't, such fun you'll miss.

May romance fill the night, making this a date night extraordinaire.
May it be a night of beautiful surprises, an evening without worry, without a care.

May you enjoy every minute, every second, every breath, every flash of a flirty smile.
May you enjoy, whether the first timid steps, or the comfort of tried and true love, it's all completely worthwhile.


Until Next Time.........


www.margyreidbooks.com

Life...A Thing From Which Legends Spring!

Hi!



I miss green.    Well, green and not frozen.   Well, green, not frozen, and being able to go outside without a coat.  Make that green, not frozen, being able to go outside without a coat, and the smell of freshly cut grass. Make that.......

I miss green.

Soon, it will be almost Spring.  Soon, we will be heading into the last of the snow storms,  and before you know it we will be putting the next to last days of -40 behind us for another season.

Soon the snow will be almost melting, and shortly thereafter, we will come close to almost seeing the bare ground.

The end of winter is virtually in the proximity of near!


In case I was being too subtle, I'm sick of winter.


I mean, for the most part, it really hasn't been too bad, so far. There have only been a couple of stretches that were really cold. There hasn't been one storm yet that has built an impromptu snow barricade in front of our door. And we haven't yet had a storm that either prevented us from going to work, or coming home.

It could definitely be worse. I just miss green.


So, this week, besides DJing the wedding on the weekend, (which was gorgeous) working at the shop, and sneaking in a bit of grandbaby snuggles,  I managed to get in a bit of actual writing! "Flitflee Flanderfoodle" is coming right along, as is the contemporary novel I'm working on. (yet untitled)

I am so grateful for the time I am able to focus on these projects, as it's definitely challenging writing two such different books simultaneously.

They are such different worlds.

In one, the star is a bespectacled, little, freckled face girl with a couple of missing teeth, not-so-straight red pigtails, and a very unique fashion sense who, for some reason, when I'm writing her, speaks with a British accent. But, kind of strangely, her mother doesn't. This world is brimming with sunshine, rainbows and butterflies.

In the other, the star is a bit of a smart ass, eyeball deep in reality, trudging her way through life the best way she knows how. This world also has sunshine and rainbows, but unlike Flitflee's domain, there is the odd crap storm to weather.



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


On Monday, our grandbaby, Jake turns 3! I'm hoping to pop in to give him a birthday squeeze!

The rest of the week will involve working at the shop, getting caught up on some errands, and putting a bit more meat on the bones of these two books.


And, with that, my friends, I will leave you for another week.



May your life be filled with good, good news, good times, good food, good friends.
May your life be filled with colour, blue skies, green grass, red roses, bright trends.

May your life be filled with fragrant memories, your Grandma's lotion, Grandpa's pipe.
May your life be filled with music, road trip songs, romantic sways, the soundtrack of your life.

May your life fill all of your senses, everyday, overflowing, without fail.
May your life be a thing from which legends spring, an epic, phenomenal tale.

Until next time

www.margyreidbooks.com