The Art Of Licking The Spoon

Hi!

Ahhh, the rite of passage of "the licking of the spoon".



I remember, as a kid, the anticipation and excitement I felt every time Mom was making something that would inevitably conclude in this fantastic treat. Now, because there were quite a few of us, sometimes we had to take turns, sometimes Mom would "accidentally" leave enough in the bowl as to try to avoid a bowl/spoon licking war. Then, sometimes, if you were very lucky, you were the only one in the kitchen when the time presented itself and were the one and only spoon licker for that particular day.

I remember when my kids were small, seeing the same excitement in their eyes. The waiting, after watching me mix and stir, smelling the delicious gooey ingredients each in turn, making their way into the bowl, taking an obvious toll on their patience.

Well, my theory is this, just because we grow up, we don't have to give up what we love as kids.

Maybe we don't literally "lick the spoon" so much anymore, but we should never deny ourselves the sheer joy that the reward after a long arduous journey smothered in anticipation brings.

Maybe now, our "licks of the spoon", take the shape of having an extra long bath, or going out to a nice dinner, or a date night without the kids. Maybe the excited anticipation looks more like hard work and worry, but that should simply make the spoon taste that much sweeter.


As life goes on, there will be a lot of different ingredients making their way into your bowl. some will be sweet and gooey, and it will make perfect sense why they would be added. Other ingredients may be sour or bitter and their presence won't make sense until the different dishes are complete.

The tricky part is, we are thrown into this whole thing without any recipes to follow, we just have to make it up as we go along. Make sure to lick the spoon along the way.

Struggle, get through, lick the spoon. Illness, get through, lick the spoon. Having an "Everything you touch is turning to crap day," get through, lick the spoon.  Kids are screaming, get through, lick the spoon. Making your 8th batch of brownies for the school bake sale, for the love of Pete, Lick The Spoon!


Sooooo....

This week, we had pretty awesome news. We finally received the go ahead for our RV service and repair shop. Integrity RV Service will be opening the doors for business in Rosetown, Saskatchewan, this Spring!

There will be a lot to do, and we couldn't be happier! Looking so forward to it!

With this news came a flurry of phone calls and text messages to siblings and friends, contractors, lawyers, and real estate agents, sign makers etc.


That, and chasing Jake in his efforts to literally love our cat to death, as babies tend to do, pretty much filled the week.

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

Finish prepping for the upcoming Valentine Dance (Feb. 16th 9pm Milden Hall, kids welcome!)

Make a trip to Rosetown to check out the "shop" again.

Same trip....donate blood (Clinic at Rosetown civic center Wed. 2pm-8pm)

Get caught up on laundry and other glamorous things.


So that about does it for another week, until next time I'll leave you with this wish........




May every struggle, every worry, every stress be lifted without leaving scars.
May every good thought sent your way be as countless as the stars.

May every hardship dissipate like a single candle's smoke in the path of a hurricane's might.
May every blessing be multiplied and amplified as the boom of the most thunderous of night.

May any and all sorrow, worry and stress be ever gone from you very soon.
May you, when it takes it's leave, truly celebrate, and Lick The Spoon!


Until Next Time!

www.margyreidbooks.com

Ahhhhhh...Munchkins!

Hi!



Well folks, this week brought with it some pretty positive and encouraging news!


Not only did we gain some real ground on the RV repair shop front, I also had a really great experience doing my reading at Eatonia School.


The weather was passable, the storm from the night before clearing enough by the time we had to hit the road. The school and kids were awesome, very warm and friendly, it would be a fun place to hang out on a regular basis.


The kids were so cute, it always surprises me when kids, and, sometimes, a few teachers, act all nervous to meet me!  It's so funny! Some get all tongue tied and giggly, it's just me, for cryin' in the sink!


To top off a great day, on the way home, we stopped for coffee, and ended up picking up a couple of new customers for our RV shop!


I also found out I made it in to the Trade Show in North Battleford in April, yay!


All in all, a pretty productive week!


Now, for the upcoming week........


...Onward and upward with the preparations to get our shop open
...Do some prep for Valentine dance
...Try to get some work done on next book
...Do some baby wrangling (Daughter is out of town for a few days)


That about does it for this week,


Now, if you will indulge me, I have come to find out about a family experiencing terrible hardship, and with them in mind, I'll leave you with this wish.....



May you draw solace and strength from those who surround you, let it in.
May you feel, in your soul, all good thoughts sent your way, from both strangers and friends.

May this storm not take you down, a little tired, battered and bruised,maybe, but standing.
May you fight to stay upright, not give in to the fall the weight of this is demanding.

May you conquer this storm, at it's end be victorious, glorious, wrapped in health and peace.
May the clouds disappear, leaving nothing but sweet breezes, sunshine and flowers at your feet.


Until next time.....

www.margyreidbooks.com

Just Keep Juggling....Just Keep Juggling....

Hi all,


 I don't know about you, but I thought another little injection of summer again this week might not be such a bad idea. I'm starting to feel a little daylight deprivation, as is fairly usual, at least for me, this time of year, and sometimes a reminder of the sunshine to come helps!


Well, it's been quite a week! The wheels are in motion for the environmental assessment, we've decided to help organize a Valentine's Day Dance here in Milden, birth certificates are sent for, and, at least I think, all questions are answered in every direction for the time being.


Did you ever have one of those weeks when you felt like you were juggling eggs while finding your way through a maze, and just for a bit of an extra challenge, they blindfold you, put you on a unicycle, and shout directions at you in a foreign language? 


Well, that's the kind of week it's been. Now that things are in motion, and hopefully, the right questions were answered in the right way to the right people, maybe it won't feel quite so frantic this week. Maybe.


I know I am far from being the lone egg juggler on the planet. I know that pretty much all of us feel like this at some point during our lives, and likely, on more than one occasion.


I have found the only way to do it, is just do it. However you can, with whatever skill set is in your arsenal, you just do it. So I put on my kid gloves, x-ray glasses and training wheels, strap my GPS to my belt, and make my way through the maze. It may not look picture perfect, and it most likely is not the way the majority of others would do it, but it works for me.


Just keep juggling...........


So for the upcoming week......


This week involves a bit of running around. A trip or two to Rosetown, one to Saskatoon, and one to Eatonia for my visit to their school.


I'm looking forward to Eatonia. Apparently, I'll be reading to some pre-k kids as well as the Kindergarten to Grade 3! Toddlers, Teeny Tweenies and mayhem, yay! The more the merrier!


I hope the weather is half decent! Cross stuff for me!


I should also be getting the yes or no from the trade show in the Battlefords this week. I hope I get in. The proceeds from this show go to benefit the Battlefords and Area Sexual Assault Centre, a great cause.

Hey, before I go, I'd love if you checked out my page on facebook and I'd love it even more if you"liked" it! Thanks! Just search margyreidbooks.com on FaceBook!


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





May your ability to juggle whatever comes your way, be profound, accurate, poetry in motion.
May the things you are juggling be light, few, and able to withstand any, and all commotion.

May any blindfolds put upon you, only enhance your other senses, listening, inhaling, caressing.
May you discover things that would have otherwise been missed, the blindfold becomes a blessing.

May your unicycle bring with it, balance, even and smooth as still water in a glass.
May balance become like a second skin, so much a part of you, you hardly ever fall on your ass.

May your sense of direction keep you from ever getting lost, hold you from straying too far.
May you understand that both "lost"  and "straying" are relative, whatever your route, smile, cuz here you are!


Until next time!

Shack Wacky? Maybe a little.........

Hi!

For the past couple of days it's been bitterly cold here, in good old Saskatchewan, so I thought I'd throw a bit of summer into the blog, this week. This is in hopes of alleviating some of  the shackwackiness that can start to take hold of a person this time of year. Now, I suppose "shackwacky" isn't exactly the politically correct expression. The more genteel of our society may refer to it as "winter blues."  Either way, it sucks when it's so cold outside, you can not only see your breath, you can slice it!

Winter rant over.

So, this week involved a bit of house checking for neighbors who are off in Jamaica for a while, ( is it wrong to hate them just a little?), setting the ball in motion for taking all of our karaoke music into a digital format, having yet another meeting with the powers that be about obtaining our building for our RV service and repair shop, and getting the green light from said powers to begin the process of the phase 1 environmental study needed to move ahead.

This week also involved booking another school reading. This one will be in Eatonia, Saskatchewan and I'm really looking forward to it. I also have successfully secured tables at two trade shows in March and should have another secured for April by the end of the week.

Then, to wrap the week up, I thought organizing Sibfest 2013 was a good idea. You see, since we've become adults, my siblings and I don't get together nearly as much as we should. I'm sure we are not alone in this. Life gets busy with jobs and kids and, well, life, and before you know it, the only time you see each other is at weddings or funerals. These never allow anybody to really get caught up with each other because these occasions are crowded and chaotic by nature. And really, it's simply sad that something as momentous as a wedding or as tragic as a funeral needs to take place to get us all in one room.

In the past ten years my husband, our girls, and I have had to deal with a fair amount of loss. First, there was my Dad, then two weeks later, my husbands grandmother. Within the next short while we lost both of my remaining grandparents. Then, we lost two of our girls' good friends to suicide. Shortly thereafter, we lost my sister, the following year, my husband's brother, and then a couple of years ago, my husband's Dad.


I don't mention this to receive pity, nor to bring you down. I only mention this to reiterate a point I often make. Life is precious, it's longevity is not guaranteed. To waste it, is to disrespect the gift that it is.

We need to get together, celebrate, with no need of an "occasion." Just because we can.

So, for the upcoming week.

*get aforementioned ball rolling on environmental study
*send for new copies of our birth certificates (hubby's in at the bottom of a huge lake as of about 15 years ago, and mine, well let's just say I put it away so it wouldn't get lost, but it didn't listen)
*get income tax stuff finished up
*celebrate my baby daughter's 22nd birthday (Happy Birthday Binky!)
*flesh out some stories I'm working on

That, my friends, about does it for another week.  To those from the Philippines to Germany, from Australia to here at home, and everywhere in between, thanks so much for your continued support and for reading these ramblings each week. I love hearing from you and about you whether on here, on Facebook or via email.

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



May you look in the mirror at the beginning of each day, and see a person ready to take on the world.
May you go out, and about your day with purpose, and pride, prodding great things to unfurl.

May you, midday, take stock, have a look, redirect your mojo, if it's gone awry.
May you cause a smile, open a door, offer a hand, take a chance, give the unknown a try.

May you look in the mirror at the end of the day, and see a person who is only the best kind of tired.
May you climb into bed, proud of your day, what you gave to it, and fall deeply to sleep, inspired.


Until next week....

www.margyreidbooks.com

New Year's Resolutions!

Hmmmm.... for some reason the blog site isn't letting me put a picture up, this week. I'd draw you something, but I don't think I could stand the hysterical laughter.


Well folks, the new year is upon us, and I hope the first days of 2013 have brought you a ton of joy.


We rang in the new year doing a show in Denzil,Sk. It was a 6 hour celebration that contained a lot of laughs, some cocktails, and fireworks at midnight. A great time had with great people.


So this past week included not just our New Year's show, but, taking down Christmas decorations, laundry, cleaning, and a road trip with my daughter.


Yep, sadly the snowmen are back in the basement, the house is now completely un-Christmasfied, and everything is back to "normal".


Once that was complete, it was time to accompany my eldest daughter on, what turned out to be, a 16 hour road trip. To make long story short, let's just say that spending about 13 of the 16 hours sitting on a soda-soaked, (dog's fault) dog-hair covered, (white dog hair vs. my black yoga pants and bunny-hug)  blanket, is not the mode of travel I would most recommend. It's very cold and wet, then sticky, and at about hour 10, starts getting itchy. In case you were wondering.


New Year's Resolutions........


Last week I told you I would post my New Year's Resolutions, well, here they are.

For the entirety of 2013 I resolve to do the following:


1) Make someone smile every day. It doesn't matter if it's a stranger, an acquaintance, or a family member, whether it's on the phone, online, or in person.

2) Have a "fun" day. At least once a month have one day dedicated completely to fun. No "have to's" allowed.

3) Do something I've never done. At least 3 times during 2013 I want to do something completely new. Take a ride in a hot air balloon, write a play, ride an elephant, it doesn't matter, as long as it's something I've never done.

4) Cut myself the same break as I tend to give other people. I don't know about you, but I tend to be harder on myself than I am on any other person. Even those I'm not particularly fond of. What is that?! I need to be kinder to myself. Period.

5) Make 2013 a year to remember. I plan to squeeze every bit of life out of every day of 2013. After all, none of us live with the promise of ringing in 2014, so I think it's our duty to wring all we can from the year at hand.

6) Continue on with random acts of kindness. You just never know what impact it might have. Besides, sometimes, the looks on people's faces is priceless!


Well, that about does it for my resolutions. I don't usually "do" resolutions, I guess, because in the past, any I made were the usual, drop some pounds, don't eat chocolate, go on treadmill every day, kind of stuff. They never stuck, I suppose, because they didn't mean that much to me. I guess the trick to resolutions, at least for me, is to make them about things that really matter.


Anyway...........


So the upcoming week will involve putting the finishing touches on our income tax stuff, making some calls to try and book some readings and karaoke/dj shows and a trip to the city for some errands, both big and small.


So my friends, as we embark on the new adventures of 2013, I'll leave you with this wish...........




May this year bring you utterly obnoxious, obscene, gratuitous amounts of joy and laughter.
May you achieve, beyond imagination, every dream you were even thinking of going after.

May you meet wonderful, positive, people, and embrace them, letting 'em in.
May you discover talents within yourself you were unaware you were given.

May every month bring something even more spectacular than the month before.
May happiness and contentment make light even the most mundane chore.

May any and all hardships that come your way be diminutive in size.
May you react to them with actions that are courageous and wise.

May you get to know yourself a little better this year, get more comfortable in your skin.
May you learn more, with each passing day, about the beautiful person within.

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

www.margyreidbooks.com

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!


Looking at this photo, you will see a room that could use a little paint, some new carpet, and maybe a new window or two. Upon further study, you will find toys laying around, and maybe some stray wrapping paper that was missed in the hurried clean up. And, if you look closer still, you will see people in conversation, laughing and joking with each other, comfortable and relaxed. This is always my greatest gift of any Christmas. Seeing everyone getting a chance to just take a breath, and enjoy.


So, now that Christmas is behind us, we have the new year stepping ever closer. As always, as the New Year gets closer, a person tends to reflect upon the year past, even if just briefly, before we cross the threshold of the new.


Well, it's been quite a year for this household. Let's see in the past 12 months there have been about.............


10000 kms travelled
1000 little faces to whom I've read my stories.
600 books sold.
15 weddings/karaoke/DJ shows
12 tradeshows vended
2 career curve balls
2 new books launched
1 new grandbaby

Yep, it's been quite a year. Some things were planned, but most, of course, were not.  One of my favorite quotes is "Life is what happens when you're making other plans." Well, that sentiment was definitely proven to be true this year.

Life is indeed an adventure, and I look forward to what lies ahead. It won't all be pretty, it absolutely won't be without it's challenges, but I guarantee one thing, it won't be boring!

All any of us can do is make the best of anything and everything that life throws our way. 

The good things are easy to take in stride, they just seem to work their way into our normal routines without much of a hiccup. Some of the best things happen so subtly they sometimes can get overlooked all together. We all need to do ourselves a favor and pay closer attention to those things.

The "not so good" things tend to stick with us in a much bigger way. These things tend to want to cling to our souls and peck away at our happiness. If we let them, they can weigh us down and keep us from flying at the heights we should. 

Nobody gets through life unscathed. We all have things happen to, and around us that effect us, in both positive and negative ways. How we choose to react, shows who we are.

Personally, I choose to be happy. I've learned over time that happiness is indeed a choice. It isn't something you need to chase, or look for, or something that can be given to you by someone else. You can't find it in a job, in a dream house, or in a fancy car. Happiness just is. Choose it.

Yes, there are hard times, crap happens. You deal with it the best way you are able, do all that you can, so you aren't left with "shoulda, coulda, woulda" syndrome, and then choose to be happy, and move on.  If you've truly done all you can, there is nothing left to do, so you might as well get your happy on. Life is too short to waste too much of it in dark places.

I know it sounds simple, maybe a little too simple, but, who ever said happiness has to be complicated? Give it a shot, you never know, it might work for you too.


So, my friends, for the upcoming week........


Do my level best to assist a great group of people ring in the new year on a great note. (Happy New Year!)

Make a list of New Year's Resolutions.....(will post it next week)

Get our income tax stuff started.....

Get to work on my next book....


So, my friends, thank you so much for another year of incredible support. It tickles me to death to see new readers from new countries pretty much every week.  I always love hearing from each and every one of you.

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


May your New Year's Eve be legendary in whatever way you fancy.
May you ring it in feeling happy, maybe a little tipsy, and a lot dancy.

May you have a night of great friends and good food, with a killer soundtrack playing under it all.
May you laugh til it hurts, dance til you drop, in short, have a complete ball.

May a special midnight kiss, on that fantastic eve, be ever so magical and full of promise.
May you not recall it the next morning as being a pathetic, drunken drool fest with the slightest hint of vomit.

May you bring in the New Year with dignity and delight.
May your 2013, be nothing but brilliantly bright.


See you next week!

www.margyreidbooks.com

Three More Sleeps!!!!!

Hi!

Happy Holidays!  I hope the season finds you and yours in a place filled with health, happiness, contentment, and every conceivable joy.


This photo shows our youngest grandbaby, 10 month old Jake, enjoying his first taste of his Grandma's home made ginger cookies. I hope it's the first of hundreds he will get to nibble over the next 50 years or so.

Through everything that's been going on in this neck of the woods this past year, I know that I, for one, am going to very consciously soak this Christmas in. The coming and going of kids, the grandbabies, the cooking, the mess, the games, the belly laughs, the complete and utter joyous chaos that tends to be one of our truest Christmas traditions.

This is not the house to visit if you are looking for perfectly wrapped gifts under a perfectly decorated tree, with dainties set out on fine china. This is not the home that will have the most expensive presents, or the fanciest decor, or people dressed in their Sunday best. This is not the house where you will find classical Christmas tunes playing politely in the background, as people sit around enjoying quiet conversation as they sip brandy. No, that is not this house.

This is the home where the door is always open to those who may not have a place to spend their Christmas. This is where you will find people in their comfy clothes eating the home made treats of their childhood from ice cream pails. This is the home where you will find sappy Christmas songs being played as rowdy board games are played, probably accompanied by a LOT of good natured smack talk. This is the home where you will find grown men on their bellies in the kitchen playing with the hotwheels racers they got from Santa. This is the home where there will be too much food, some cocktails, a lot of laughs and many, many hugs. Yes, this is home.

Chaotic and a little crazy at times, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

So my friends, this past week was spent picking up groceries, setting the last of my snowmen free to roam the house, and downloading some new Christmas tunes. I really recommend Ceelo Green's Christmas album and Rod Stewart's as well. Needless to say, Michael Buble and the Chipmunks are also very good!

Also this week, a kind of cool thing happened in the check out line at the grocery store. The lady behind me in the line recognized me from the newspaper! She was really nice and asked for a card and where she could get my books! That's the first time I've been recognized by someone who wasn't accompanied by a munchkin!

The next week will be spent knee deep in turkey, kids and cookies. Yay! I love having everybody under one roof, even if it's for a short time! Here's hoping the weather cooperates!

Well folks, that about does it for me for this week.



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




May you have the chance to hug the ones you love in person, with nothing getting in the way.
May those who can't come home, still be in touch, somehow, on that day.

May you step out of any stress that threatens to strangle your peace and sense of calm.
May it float away, your fragile nerves being caressed by a cooling, soothing balm.

May you allow yourself to enjoy this holiday, no one cares if the garland is perfect, or if the bows are straight, or, for that matter, exist at all.
May you see past the perfect picture in your head of what you've convinced yourself Christmas "should" be, relax and have a ball!


Until next week!

www.margyreidbooks.com