Even Stormy Skies Don't Need To Be Watched 24/7!!!!

Hi!


They don't call our Province the "Land of the Living Skies" for nothing!




As I sit here, I think about all that has happened since last we spoke.

From what I understand, the UK is leaving the EU and this was considered, at least partially, the reason the world trade markets went nuts.  I'm not exactly clear on the reasons why the citizens of Britain want to separate, but I'm sure more information, mis and otherwise, will be filling newscasts for weeks to come.

American politicians held a sit-in of sorts, which they deemed necessary to try and pass some kind of law to make the weapons used in several mass shootings harder to come by. There is opposition to this idea.



It seems the human race is becoming obsessed with picking sides and placing blame. For everything, and I do mean pretty much everything.  Fear and hate perpetuate fear and hate. They can't do anything else.


On a much smaller, but no less important scale:


Little ones were splashing in toddler pools and trying out water slides for the first time. Babies were rolling over, toothless wide-eyed 2nd graders were running to first base, bikes were being ridden, walks were being taken, diplomas were given, scraped knees were happily happening, and scars that will make a great story a few years down the road were being created.

People died, babies were born, people got married, people got divorced, an exorbitant amount of cute animal videos hit the internet, the earth spun, and gravity still works.

Let's face it. A parent, single or not, struggling to keep flesh and bone together for their family with some semblance of sanity, doesn't give a tinker's damn about politics. Those that find the day-to-day a challenge are more concerned about simply holding it together for another day than who and/or what the news is telling them to fear, this week. 

I think I've hit a bit of a news overload. Time to step back from it for a few days. Things, good and bad, will happen whether I know about it or not. Yup, gonna take a bit of a news holiday. 

Adios, CNN, MSNBC, CBC NEWS, CTV NEWSNET and all your cronies, see ya in about a week!

 But I'm still gonna watch the cute animal videos, oh, and the giggling baby ones. 

Closer to home..............

We are hopping at the shop, 0 customer fishing trips missed so far! Working on keeping it that way!

I wasn't able to get much writing done, but did get the cover for "Flitflee Flanderfoodle" finalized! One step closer!

As for the next week......

We will be putting in some long days, working toward a long weekend!

Squeeze some grandbabies!

Celebrate my hubby's birthday!

WRITE!!!!!!

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

May you allow yourself to close your eyes to the stormy skies, having faith they will break and light will once again shine through.

May you allow your heart the belief that we, as humans, are inherently good, the overwhelming kind majority vastly outnumber the dark few.

May you see that which holds no purpose but to cause human destruction, can be lost without losing anything at all.

May you see the fear in every child's eyes as they participate in yet another lock down more abhorrent than the thought of letting the most deadly arms fall.

May we see that the more weapons we create and hold over the head of our neighbour the further and further we get from actually being free.

May we see that the walls we create to keep others out, also keep us in, obstructing our view of the horizon, limiting our journey, for we travel no further than we can see.

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

www.margyreidbooks.com 

To All The Dads, Grand And Otherwise.............

Hi.

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there!

I miss mine. I know it will sound a bit weird, but the times I miss him most is when I recognize bits of him in my husband. How he plays with his grandbabies, sometimes in the way he walks, different mannerisms. Now, there is no genetic way possible for him to have inherited any of these traits from my Dad, so I can only assume these, along with his twisted sense of humour, have been there the entire time. I guess I held on to the best parts of my Dad and subconsciously looked for them when I was dating. 

As I get to know our sons-in-law, I see our girls have done the same.They may not see it yet, but they will.

Dads are so important. They teach their daughters how to trust men, they teach their sons how to be men. They teach their daughters how they should expect to be treated by men, and teach their sons how to treat women. 

This is what I've learned, so far.

Dear Dads,

Be the kind of man you want your son to be. Be the kind of man you would like to see your child marry. 

Know that you won't be a perfect Dad, for he doesn't exist.

Listen to what your children have to say. Really listen. There will come a time when they won't be so eager to talk to you, they need to know they always can, and you will hear them.

Be patient, and when that runs out, be more patient.

Respect is earned, demanding it won't work. Be someone your child can respect and they will respect you, it's simple, really.

Always discipline toward a goal, not out anger or frustration.

You are raising adults, not children. They need to be taught the skills required to function in the world.

Have fun! Time will speed by. In a blink they will sprout wings and leave the nest. Enjoy every tantrum, every melt down, every giggle and every crazy explanation for how the barbie legs and hot wheel cars got into the toilet....this time.

Happy Father's Day!

Well, as you know we attended our nephew's wedding on the weekend. It was pretty fantastic. It was so great to see everyone, go on a bit of a road trip and just hang out.

On the way home, we stopped at a truck stop for a bite to eat. The same truck stop that employed my hubby's Mom some 50 plus years ago. As she passed before I became part of the picture, it was kind of cool to be in a space where she once worked. I can't help but wonder,sometimes, had she been around to meet me, if she would have liked me. All I can do is hope so.

The rest of the week has flown by.

Things are hopping at the shop, I was able to give each grandbaby a squeeze, and was able to make another bit of a dent in my novel.

All-in-all a pretty dang good week.

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

Date night tonight!

Father's Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do our best to make sure nobody misses a camping trip!

Squeeze some munchkins!

Write!!!!

This week, my heart goes out to those who have suffered tragedy at the hate-filled hands of another, at the hands of mother nature, and at the jaws of nature's creatures.

We are never promised tomorrow, don't waste today.

May you never leave a conversation wishing you had said more.

May you never leave a conversation wishing your had listened more.

May you swallow hurtful words, for they could well be the last heard from your lips.

May your last deed be one of kindness, each could be your last, so give up the seat, share the chips.

May you remember there is no kindness so small that it can't be felt.

May you remember a simple smile can soften a soul, help a heart begin to melt.

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

www.margyreidbooks.com 

We do.........

Hi!

Last year our family had the privilege of celebrating a couple weddings. This year there will be a couple more.

This weekend we will be celebrating with the lovely young couple in the bottom photo. Our nephew Dylan and his gorgeous wife-to-be, Brandi.

Dylan is the youngest son of the sister we lost to illness almost eight years ago. Eight years. It, at once, feels like yesterday, and forever. 

She would be so incredibly proud of him. He is a sweet, considerate man with a good heart. He is not without his faults, none of us are. But, he is a good guy, and he's happy. That's all his Mom ever wanted.

Doing big things in life, without that important someone present, is tough. First dates, graduations, weddings, babies, jobs..........

But, we do. 

We do, because they would want us to. They would want us to celebrate, be happy, and enjoy everything that comes our way to the absolute fullest. We honour their memory by getting the absolute most out of the life they had to leave. 

We do, because if we wait for the grief to leave us to have joy, we will be waiting forever. Grieving never leaves, it simply changes. It becomes more manageable with time, but it never really leaves.  

We do, because we owe it to the little ones. We need to fill them with enough joy to last them a lifetime. So, tell the funny stories, share the memories. We need to show them that they can still have joy, even after we are gone. We need to teach them how to be okay.

We do.

It's been another, gratefully, very busy week at the shop, making sure all the trailers that are needed for the weekend are complete........

I had a couple of days of running errands like a madwoman......

I didn't get to make much of a dent in my novel....will have to make up some ground in the upcoming week....

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

For Dylan.....................

May you keep your kind heart, not let life harden your gentle soul.

May you hold your wife softly, making each day better than the last, this is your goal.

May you cherish your time as a Daddy, be the person you want your children to emulate.

May you see the power and value of your presence, love and time make self worth elevate.

May you take life in stride, roll with it, walk through the crap storms, staying strong, remaining calm.

May you, above all, be happy, laugh lots, live big, it's the best gift you could give to your Mom.

Until next time.....

www.margyreidbooks.com 

May Time Stand Still For Those Moments......

Well folks, another crazy week has come and gone, and before you ask, no, I haven't heard back from Marvel about my new superhero idea. But, I'm hopeful.



Yup, a very busy week, topped off by a pretty dang good trade show where I got to see a lot of familiar faces, and plenty of new ones too.


Yes, it is the season for Spring trade shows, garage sales, weddings and graduations.


Ahhhh, graduation. The time in a young person's life when they are faced with one of their first adult decisions. What comes next.

The time is finally here. You are an adult....officially. This has been what you've been waiting for.


If I may, I would like to give you a bit of insight as to some of the things that will likely be included in what comes next, whether you like it or not.


-adulting is hard....sometimes, really hard....a lot of the time it kind of sucks.

-toilet paper, milk,  and those cookies you just can't live without......are expensive.

-garbage cans and light fixtures are not self-cleaning

-you will soon realize, upon leaving home, that you didn't really do even close to everything around there like you thought you did.

- phone companies, utility companies, and landlords want their money on time, and don't give one tinker's damn if it was 2 for 1 wing night and your best friend's birthday.

- the reason you were asked incessantly to not leave dirty dishes and clothes laying around while living at home will become abundantly clear the first time you find a rodent in your 3 day old cereal bowl.

-never assume your room mate is actually paying the bills with money given to them. Get proof.

- receipts of any and all kinds are your friend. Don't lose them.

-pursue what lights up your soul and be self sufficient. The two are not mutually exclusive.

-Gold stars and blue ribbons are rarely given out in the adult world, don't wait for them. Make your own. Only you know if you are doing your life the way it truly needs to be done.

- make a life you can feel good about, it doesn't just happen, you need to participate.

-be kind to those who cross your path, for all you know, yours might be the only kindness they receive.

-when making big decisions make sure fear isn't getting a vote. Decisions driven by fear will never lead to a happy place.

-you are strong enough to walk through any crap storm. Your first few will prove it.

-there will be crap storms...they are mandatory.

-everybody on this planet is just figuring stuff out as we go along, some of us have just had more practice which helps create the illusion that we know what we're doing....... you are not the only one.

-Don't do anything you would be ashamed to admit to, to your future children.

- You are special, but then, everyone is. You'll have to find what makes you shine.

-Chasing circles around problems fixes nothing. Weigh your options, pick the best course of action and do it. Action is pretty much the only thing that can bring about change.


-Oh yeah, and have fun. Life isn't meant to be so serious all the time.The days are going to come and go anyway, we might as well do the best we can with each one.



As for the next while.....



It will happily be another busy busy week at the shop.....

Run a ton of errands................

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

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


That about does it for now.....



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






May time stand still for those moments that really count, letting them sink in.














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

www.margyreidbooks.com









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