One Subpoena..Two Subpoena.....You've Been Served!

Hi!

Remember last week when I mentioned my first subpoena? Well, here it is.




There is still some hope that they may plead out the case, but if we are lucky enough for that to happen, it won't likely happen until the day of the trial.



My daughter and I were unfortunate enough to witness a guy assault his girlfriend in the middle of the highway a few months ago. Now, as is the case with a lot  women who are in this position, she has recanted her statement.


In the moment, she was the one who asked us to call the police, but fear has since taken over.



It's sad to see a young woman so willing to perpetually put her life in danger. Terrified to stay, more terrified to leave.


We need to do better. Somehow, in the minds of these two young people, this is ok. That didn't just happen this week, this month or this year. This is something  they've been taught. Somewhere along the way, these young souls became broken to the point that makes this ok. They didn't break themselves.

Someone failed them.

In the not so distant past they were cherub faced toddlers, giggling, and playing, learning about the world, in awe of everything.


Somewhere along the way, she began to feel less than, She began to feel undeserving of respect. She began to use all  her strength to carry the weight of the blame for everything that went wrong, having very little left to protect herself. Somewhere along the way, with the help of those around her, she became broken.

Somewhere along the way, he began to feel less than. He began to feel undeserving of respect, so he began to desperately demand it, any form of it. He began to use all his strength to hide his insecurities, disguising his fear with a furious need to control. Somewhere along the way, with the help of those around him, he became broken.

It seems that in our society the broken tend to gravitate toward one another. They are familiar before the first words are spoken. Sadly, this perpetuates the cycle of abuse. These two have small children, how close to broken do you suppose they already are?


So anyway, on a day this May, my daughter and I will spend the day at a court house to either hear that they have pleaded it out, or to testify to something that everyone in the room already knows happened. Will it make a huge difference? Not likely, but the only alternative would have been to drive on by and do nothing. I can't be just another one of those around them that feeds their most broken pieces.


In other news............


I'm another step closer to having Flitflee Flanderfoodle ready for publishing. ....


Things at the shop are thankfully busy as ever............


As for the next bit.............


I'll be watching what happens in the American presidential primaries........ it's pretty entertaining...

Month end is once again upon us...................

Go to the dentist...........yay.......

Squeeze some grandbabies..............

Write!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




Well that about does it for this week. Thanks so much for taking the time to read this blog every week. It means more than you know.


Until next time..........


May those who use words as weapons be forced to see the damage caused to a battered soul.
May those who mould innocent babies into broken adults, realize breaking others isn't what will make you whole.

May those who live a life battered, bruised and beaten, look up, for the blame is not yours to bear.
May you hold on to hope, keep your strength, in time you'll find someone to help, to care.

May you find a way to free yourself, protect yourself, to live a life free from fear.
May you find a way to stop the cycle, raising children unbroken, unshadowed smiles, eyes bright and clear.



Until next time...........


www.margyreidbooks.com

El Nino, Mother Nature's Slightly Crazy Cousin!

What happens when it rains, then snows, then rains some more, then snows some more, and then the wind picks up to, oh, around 45/km/hr?  It's not a riddle. You know what happens? You stay home and miss your Uncle's funeral, that's what.


It just goes to show you we can make all of the plans in the world, but the first thing we have to realize is we have very little to do with whether or not they are executed.


We simply have to accept, adjust, and move on.


Easy isn't part of the equation, because not one of these steps ever is. Even when what happens isn't big. Even when what happens doesn't drastically change the course of our lives, even then.....not easy.....ever.


Each step takes time, and that's okay. Each step seems both easier and more difficult at the same time. You can't help but feel that the last step, the one you just took, has to be the hardest, until you take the next.

Eventually, while your not looking, the difficulty will begin to fade, and moving on will feel a bit more natural, still not easy, but not as tough. The heaviness in your step will begin to lift. You'll take with you the best of what was, leaving the worst of the pain behind.


A new "normal" will begin to take hold. Laughter will begin to feel less foreign in your mouth, and snippets of joy will once again be able to be felt, truly felt, more deeply felt, beneath the mask you show the world. Through this journey, hold the hands of those who walk with you. If the hands are out of reach, reach further, call louder, scream. It's much more difficult to get lost while holding the hands of those with a clearer sense of direction.


This is not advice. Who the hell am I to give advice?! This is just stuff I've learned through the various crap storms that have come through my own life. I can't claim it will be the same for everyone...or anyone, for that matter. All I can do is put it out there in hopes that it might help someone who happens to come across it.



On a lighter note, here is another tidbit that may be deemed as a bit helpful.



Taking a child, around 5 or 6 years old to the movie DeadPool, isn't likely a real good choice.

Don't get me wrong, my hubby and I enjoyed it immensely but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who is easily offended by violence, strong language, and/or nudity. Any one of these would be reason enough to NOT to take a 5 year old to this movie.

At first, I thought they might have walked into the wrong theatre...it happens.....nope. The kid sat through the whole thing. Every brain splatter, sex scene, and obscenity were put forth on the giant screen and were often met by pretty big reactions from said child.  I can't help but wonder what the conversation leading up to this decision sounded like? It had to be pretty entertaining logic.

Best case scenario? Nightmares

Worst case? Future letters to Doctor Phil trying to get help with the child's screwed up attitude toward sex and violence. For now?  Many extremely interesting letters coming home from school. Show and tell ought to be Fantastic!


So as the next few days approach, we will likely be playing host to Mother Nature's slightly crazy cousin, El Nino, once again. This means we will be going from -14 right now to melting by tomorrow afternoon. This crazy cousin, though unpredictable, as the rain in February....in Saskatchewan, might indicate, has not been all bad. Winter started later, has been warmer, with less snow. We'll take it!


Through this flaky weather, over the next week...........



Fix a trailer, fix another trailer, and fix another trailer.............

Squeeze some grandbabies..........hopefully all of them......

Write!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, and get served with a subpoena to be a witness in court.............but that's a story for a later date..........




Until next time I'll leave you with this wish............(Tongue in Cheek, of course)




May you enjoy the fruits of your decisions, whether juicy/ripe or mouldy/fermented be.
May the consequences have no permanent adverse effect on those too young to trouble foresee.


May any nightmares be swift, becoming only a speck of disturbance to your child's slumber.
May you, if they take hold, be granted access to Dr. Phil's telephone number.


May you, when this decision boomerangs, in all it's glorious, fermented mess, making you feel the fool.
May you believe it was worth not forking out for a sitter to go and see DeadPool!


Until next time!


www.margyreidbooks.com

I Think He Would Want The Laughter To Carry On....

Hi,




The guy in the first picture wasn't famous, he never won  a Grammy, or an Oscar, he never wrote a best selling....well, anything. But somehow, since he passed suddenly and shockingly, Thursday morning, I have seen and heard a lot of people refer to him as a legend.


You may wonder; How can a regular 59 year old guy, with a regular job, and a regular family, be a legend?

Well, as one of his many nieces, I will tell you how I think that may have happened......



Mike, may have led a pretty regular life, but he really was anything but regular. To us, his nieces and nephews he was kind of a rock star. He could play Guitarzan for us on the piano and sing every part while doing so. There was always a joke or a story living just under the surface, waiting for the right, and/or maybe not-so-right moment to surface, inevitably getting some laughs and an occasional eye roll. With him, you always felt included in the joke.

It was kind of cool to be part of the middle of the pack of nieces and nephews. We got to see him as the young, single, goofy uncle, and then watch as he became a husband, Dad, and Grandpa. We got to witness him getting into trouble with Grandma and Grandpa for his various teenage infractions, then, later, babysit his kids.

He was a kind soul, full of fun and laughter. Never judging others, for he never expected perfection.

He worked hard, loved hard, and played hard. It would be pretty tough to find a more authentic person. He was a lovable ham, forever the entertainer of the family, with a laugh that filled a room.


Whenever he would come to any of our karaoke shows, at some point throughout the evening he would come up, give me a big hug and whisper, "Ya know, Mugs, the show ain't over 'til you sing the one that makes me cry."


No, he wasn't famous... 59, and not a single Grammy to his name, but a legend, at least to us, all the same.


As laughing was one of his favourite things to do, I thought I would share with you the second photo. This is what a 2 year old looks like after about 5 handfuls of cotton candy take hold. I think one Auntie might be shooting for a legend status all her own..............


I think he would want the laughter to carry on............



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



There will be time spent with family, sharing both tears and laughter...........

Life will carry on, work will be completed, errands ran............

I will do my best to use wisely, my time between the sunsets......................



Until next time..................



May your laughter fill the heavens raining down on the ones who will miss you most.
May you watch over those left behind, help them walk through this heartbreak, stay close.

May the eyes now filled with grieving tears, someday, once again, cry from exuberant laughter.
May the unsteady steps again become a sure-footed stride, ready to face the next chapter.

May you know that even if brief, your life on earth was not in vain. You gave the best of yourself to those still here.
May you see that the gifts of laughter, kindness, and acceptance passed on to your kids will keep you forever near.


Until next time.........................




www.margyreidbooks.com

Sometimes You Goof Off & Sometimes You Wait For Trains!

Hi!





Have you ever thought you were doing great, running around, getting stuff done, on your way to being about 15 minutes early for something and then, BAM! Out of nowhere comes some huge obstacle that plunks itself ever so comfortably down right in your way? You can't get around it, you can't go over it, you can't go under it, you can't even go through it. All you can do is wait.

So much for being 15 minutes early, chug-a chug-a toot! toot!.....So much for being early at all.............Chug- a- chug toot! So much for being on time.......Chuga-chuga okay, now we're late.....Chug-a- chug-a crap......now we are really late, and it's dark, and now that the sun went down it's getting a tad nippy. Not the ideal conditions in which to take on the outdoor task of installing a water heater.


Oh well, what can ya do?


Trains happen.


If you think about it, proverbial trains happen a lot throughout our lives. Forced waits. Maybe they are a not-so subtle reminder that we take ourselves way too seriously, too much of the time. Maybe they are a hint to take a step back and realize the world doesn't stop if we have to be still for a while, especially at those exact moments when we think it's just not possible.


If you ever find yourself getting wrapped up in how important every minute is, I highly recommend the goofiness available in our hi-tech world. The top photo was taken through an app called snapchat. I promise, if you let your inner 10 year old out to play now and again, and let her giggle til she pees a little, you'll forget how important and serious everything is.....at least for a while.


Other than impromptu train waits, the rest of the week went pretty well.....


Things at the shop are moving along quite nicely, the weather was pretty decent, I had the opportunity to spend some time with all the grandbabies, and managed to throw another  batch of words at the novel I'm writing.


I am ever grateful for a good life.


As I watch the news, both local and worldwide, I see so many struggling. Some, fighting for things so simple as a clean glass of water, some for their lives because of war or illness. Yet even more because  of job loss, finding themselves suddenly facing an economic hardship that, a few short years ago, they never thought would come.


I have to have hope. There have always been struggles in our world. There have been wars and other acts of terror carried out and fuelled by evil people who thrive on others' misery, Illnesses are hardly new, and neither are the predictions of economic doom.


I have to have hope that much smarter people than I will find solutions. I have to have hope that at some point egos will be set aside to do just that. I have to have hope that, our planet, and those who inhabit it will once again enjoy some peace. Even if just for a moment.


I have to have hope, and I do. I see it in every act of kindness that doesn't make the 11 O'clock news. I see it in the eyes of every wide-eyed, determined, brilliant student at our great schools. I see it in the eyes of every child.


In the meantime, I'll do my best to put as many smiles on as many faces as I can, while I wait for the train.......







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



Time will be spent assisting in the assembly of one of the largest 3D puzzles you will ever see....it just so happens to be in the shape of a trailer.....


Time will be spent trying to time the arrival of parts for future jobs so that we neither have to wait for said parts, nor have to trip all over them whilst trying to complete another.


Time will be spent writing a novel with intriguing characters, absorbing plot twists, and a kick ass ending (that's my plan, anyway.......)



Time will be spent scrubbing toilets and doing laundry.............


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




May those who injure without remorse, find clarity, conscience, their soul's reflection intolerable..
May lady justice find her way to those in mansions built from the bones of the vulnerable.

May the soul of humanity shine through the smoke of the very flames trying to burn it to the ground.
May we become greedy for compassion, have it become what makes the world go 'round.

May laws pass to reflect the real needs of all people, not the wants of the pocket-lined few.
May we, the rest,  hold each other up, keep each other strong, pull each other through.



Until next week.....................




www.margyreidbooks.com