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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Email tag...I Hope I'm Winning?!

Well, Hello my blog buddies!


This is a photo that you will soon find in the upcoming book, "Everyday Wishes For Your Extraordinary Life."

I'm still a bit anxious about this one. A few more tweeks were needed after receiving the rough draft of the layout for the second time. It's not quite how I'd like it to be, just yet. There are soooooo many details and decisions to make. Quality of paper, font, photos, layout, which wishes to put in, which to leave out, size of book, what the cover should look like, does it need an introduction?Yes? Then what should it be? Did I say to much? Did I not say enough? Will people get my sense of humour? Will they be offended? Will people look at it when it's finished and say "What the hell were you thinkin'?!" "You should have stuck to telling kids stories!"

It can be a titch overwhelming if I let myself go there for any length of time. I just have to remember to breathe, and that even in a worst case scenario situation, nobody dies! All else fails, and I don't sell a single copy, I'll have birthday/grad/wedding/Christmas gifts for a lot of people for a loooong time! I'm ok with that.


Well, other than emailing back and forth with my layout dude, this week went pretty well. I didn't get a lot of other book stuff done, re: easel, promo posters for "Tags" and "Wishes", but I did get to spend some time with my Mom, and most of my girls.

I did go to work, just in case you thought I was slacking off. The little guys I care for are really starting to talk up a storm! And it's getting to be more often than not that more than their Mom and I can understand them! It's completely incredible how far they have come since their remarkable beginning. From the tiny little people, fighting to stay here for the first few months of their lives, to the precious wee ones who, at five pounds and three months, were able to come home, when I came into the picture, still having to revive them, as they would frequently stop breathing during feedings! They are now these bright, inquisitive, mischievous, agile, daredevil, toddlers who are so full of vigor and life that, to look at them, you would never guess they had such a shaky start.

Ahhh, munchkins....what would I do without them?! I sincerely hope I never find out.


So, for the next seven days...........

Maybe.....just maybe.....I will actually get posters and easels looked after!

I received my application for the Battlefords Mistletoe Craft and Gift Tradeshow, so I will definitely get that filled out and sent away! It's Always a Blast!

Then, at the end of the week, the hubs and I will be attending a b-b-q at my baby sister's house! My other sister is coming into town with her hubby for a visit, so we are all descending on the place to get together and shoot the...breeze.

I'm not going to lie, there will probably be some cocktails involved, along with good food, some fairly dark humour, and, oh, did I say cocktails? 

I love hearing from you, so let the messages and comments fly!



So, until next time, I will leave you with this wish............



May the sunshine on your face bring with it sweet memories from your childhood.
May the spring breeze carry the heady fragrance of blooms, and green, sapling wood.

May you take in the perfume of freshly cut grass, a spring shower, newly tilled, clean soil.
May you, later this summer, have the sweetness in your kitchen of homemade jam about to boil.

May you, if you've been deprived of being a farm kid, not be jealous of our country skills, our country wit.
May you overcome your obvious inadequacy of identifying the species of every whiff of........manure.


www.margyreidbooks.net

Crisis Averted? I Hope So!

I was absolutely blown away by the beautiful setting in which this incredible wedding took place! Just gorgeous!

To think it exists in li'l ol' Saskatchewan! Blown away.


It really was an incredible wedding. One that romance novels are written about. The absolutely adorable couple have been dating since the ripe old age of 13, where "dating" apparently consisted of hanging out at school and 10 minute phone calls. They then became engaged at their high school graduation, and are married now, 3 years later, at 21.

I know for all of the jaded sceptics out there, this seems a bit nuts, being so young, never having dated anyone but each other. I know what you're thinking. But, you know, I have been to a LOT of weddings, and I have to say, this young couple seems to have such a complete connection to each other. One that a lot of others can only hope for. Plus, did I mention that they are soooo freakin' adorable!?!


Anyway, the wedding went without a hitch, and everyone seemed to have a really good time. Mission accomplished.

The rest of the week had it's own, shall we say, charm. Everything was going along swimmingly, I was joining my mom, my sister, and her family for a celebration for my nephew when.... I received an email from the layout guy at the printer. Apparently my ever so carefully planned "map" for "Wishes", in which I sent all instruction as to what photo goes where etc., was pretty much useless to him. I guess, after he brought the text down to size the page numbers no longer coincided with the photos. So, I ended up taking an impromptu day "off" and basically redid it all, making sure it was all in a single file, this time. That was Tuesday.

Then, yesterday, imagine my excitement when, after a day filled with work, taking my Mom shopping, picking Ethan up, picking up my hubby, and meeting another of our daughters and her boyfriend for supper, I received an email from the layout guy. re: Wishes!

Not being able to open attachments properly on my phone, I waited until we got home and had
Ethan settled, to open it. I was actually going to get to see the beginnings of what the first few pages of "Wishes" were going to look like!

Well, to make a long story short, I had to send another email. Text and photos were not at all how I had planned. One, which was supposed to be black and white, wasn't. I just hope the email I sent back was in English, and made sense this time. I wrote it when I was pretty wiped out, I hope to hear back from him soon. This experience is definitely different than writing, and putting together kids books. But, I'm learning, I'll be better at it next time around, if I get the chance to have a next time.

As for the rest of the week, I didn't get as much accomplished as I had hoped. Although,I did get a good start on the music for our next wedding gig. It's in 5 weeks, lots of time! Yeah, right!

So, for the upcoming 7 days......


I really need to get at making the posters for "Tags"

I have to track down another easel, the ones I like are hard to get your hands on, everybody else apparently likes them too!

Hopefully, receive good news about "Wishes"! (crossing fingers, toes... basically anything that crosses)

Toddler wrangling, ladybug safaris, playground attending, dinosaur condo building, snack making, countless evil grins, dog poop dodging walks, and endless games of tag ( some of which I am not made aware until I am tagged!....crafty)


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


May your mind become next to comatose with quiet, as to allow your body to rest.
May you be at peace with the "done" on your "to do", you know you did your best.

May any strains and pains completely vanish from your weary bones.
May all that causes your heart to ache, subside, so a real peacefulness, you'll own.

May the busy noise of your "everyday" not overwhelm your soul.
May you put it aside at day's end, to replenish, to refresh, become whole.



Thanks for taking the time to read these ramblings!

www.margyreidbooks.net and on FaceBook!

Mother's Day, Wedding, and Books, Oh My!

This, my friends, is the hard copy proof of "Tags Go In The Back"! After looking it over, I faxed the client approval form, phoned in my deposit, and that about does it for "Tags"!

Next on the book agenda is to get the layout and cover squared away for "Everyday Wishes For Your Extraordinary Life."

The emails will be fast and furious for a couple of weeks, and then, I will get the hard copy proof of that as well.

Normally time would completely drag from the final ok to holding the books in my hands. Luckily, we have 4 weddings to prepare for, and a summer to enjoy, so I'm sure the next few months will go by quickly.

Speaking of weddings, we have the first one of the season this weekend. It's at a resort in Northern Saskatchewan, and looks beautiful on the website, I'll try to get some photos to show you next week.

Other than going to work and the usual shananigans that fill my week, the hubby and I, along with all of our daughters, attending the grand opening of our daughter, Sarah's place of work. We couldn't help but have our chests puff up just a bit when time and again, as she was introducing us to her coworkers and supervisors, they continually commented on what a great worker she is and how great she is at her job.

A really cool "Mom" moment.

The remainder of the week has been spent packing and getting organized for this wedding. I know it probably sounds silly, but I always get a bit nervous before doing a gig. Especially a wedding. This is probably going to be one of the most, if not thee most important day in the lives of these two people. I really do want to do everything I possibly can to make sure the happy couple and all of their guests have the best time the law will allow. It's always my goal to make it a reception people are talking about for a long time.......in a good way.

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


Tomorrow... work, hustle to my daughters house to  change, nail appointment, (Yay) pick up hubby and head up north.

Saturday....... do our part in giving these guys the best reception physically possible.

Sunday.....head home to enjoy what remains of Mother's Day.

Then.........work and errands.........start prep for the next wedding.........play email tag about "Wishes"...... set ball rolling on promo poster for "Tags"..........track down collapsible easel for said poster to take to trade shows.....supper with daughter and her boyfriend........grocery shopping..........bring Ethan our to our house for the long weekend!


On that note, I will leave you with a reminder to call your mom if you can this Mother's day, and if you can't, whisper your greeting from your soul, and know that she will hear.

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


May you know just how incredible you are, how precious, from your chubby little face to your tiny, perfect feet.
May you know how my heart leaps every day, every single day, greeted by your smile, so sweet.

May you understand how everything you do, you learn, fills my heart with pride.
May you get that goes for everything, walking, talking, your first belly laugh, your first real food bite.

May you know without doubt, every day you inhale, you are loved, you are valued, you are a true treasure.
May you feel this through first days of school, first bullies, first heart aches beyond measure.

May you look at your reflection and see strength where others see weakness, see a future beyond the high school walls.
May you know you still make my heart leap, from your purple mohawked hair, to the brooding quiet and the squalls.

May you know how thrilled I am for you, as you forge into your adult life, clearing a path as you go.
May you know how completely I believe in you, how you can handle anything life has to throw.

May you know how incredible you are, how precious, from your older, wiser eyes, to your sore and weary feet.
May you know how my heart leaps every single chance I get to see your smile, so sweet.




www.margyreidbooks.net
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Stethoscope Up The Pant Leg? All In A Day's Work!

Well, my friends, you are looking at what will be an introductory photo, soon to be found in the first pages of "Everyday Wishes for Your Extraordinary Life."  My hope is that it is a decent representation of pretty much any family's journey through life.

Yep, you heard it correctly. "Wishes" is complete and sent! I will probably get to see a rough draft of the final product fairly soon. So for now, I wait, with baited breath and sweaty palms. This is the part where I have to trust that my notes, and "map" of the layout, as I see it, weren't as convoluted as I feared the second after hitting the "send" button on the file.

It doesn't seem to matter how careful and thorough a person believes they are at any given moment, as soon as you hit "send", any and all confidence that it's been done right, disappears faster than chocolate during PMS week.

Here's hopin'!

In other news.............I think physio is going pretty well. I have a couple of sessions left and then, I think I will declare myself well.  My shoulder and neck really are improving, plus with weddings to prep for, and book promotion stuff to plan, the time I allotted for injuries is used up. Time to move on to better and brighter things.

In other, other news....... I was told by an extremely intelligent, bordering on genius, really, 7 year old girl that I was much too young to be a Grandma. I was so informed after showing the little girl I care for some photos of Ethan. She's asked on several occasions to see some pics of my family. Naturally, she's curious about my life outside of looking after her and her brothers. Well, when I told her that while I was taking one certain shot, Ethan was asking " Whatcha doin', Grandma?", she looked shocked!  "You're his Grandma?! But, you're too young to be a Grandma!"
Yep, borderline genius.

So, other than finishing up "Wishes", being complimented on being soooooo young looking, and surviving a "check up" by a couple of two -year-olds, which, as a public service, I have to warn you, involves one little guy smacking you with a plastic red pepper, while his ever-so-helpful counterpart attempts to shove a very cold, and poky toy stethoscope up the leg of your yoga pants. This, apparently, is hilarious! Yup, and that about sums up my job in a nutshell. Anyway, other than that, it's been a pretty normal week.

 As for the next 7 days?.........

Finish prepping music for wedding on the 12th.
Work..... squeeze grandbabies..... physio...... rehearse..... prep.....work..... physio..... attend daughter's grand opening at her work..... rehearse..... pack up equipment.....hopefully receive rough draft of "Tags Go In The Back"..... pack clothes (as most do not enjoy nude, middle-aged DJs, and those who do? Well, shouldn't.)..... get nails done (Yay!)..... Go and try our level best to give this Bride and Groom, and their guests, an evening full of great memories!

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


May we, as people, valiantly try not to get caught up in the mindset of bigger, better, more.
May we be ever mindful of the little ones watching, soaking up how we keep score.

May we all be careful about leaving a legacy that speaks mostly to the importance of  having "stuff."
May we, instead, devote the lion's share of our time to teaching kindness, acceptance, and love.

May we, as adults, as parents, as people, as the generation responsible for the one to come,
May we ever strive to be the kind of human beings we hope our children will become.




Until next time........
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Thanks once again for reading these ramblings!