Sharing The Spotlight.........

Hi.



What a week.


I know most, if not all of you are aware of the passing of Robin Williams. If any of you aren't familiar with the name, please look him up. You won't be sorry.


I'm not sure why, for, of course, I never met the man, but, it feels like I've lost a friend.  I know I'm not alone in this. The outpouring of grief that has washed over all forms of social and other media gives a glimpse into the impact this guy had on all of us.


I think one of the reasons his passing has hit such a nerve is the fact that he was such a source of joy to all of us and it's next to impossible to comprehend the unfathomable despair that lived within him.  It doesn't seem possible that the two extremes could co-exist within the same being.


Because of the way he left us, a spotlight, though I expect a very temporary one, has been thrown on depression. It needs more.

When this horrible disease steals any glimmer of joy from a soul and whispers the way out over and over again until it drowns out any words of love or hope, it's potential to be fatal is huge.

When it steals a well known, much loved celebrity, it makes the news. It becomes a "trending topic", it gets it's 15 minutes of fame. What about all of the undiagnosed, silent victims that disappear into it's black hole, leaving a trail of grief stricken loved ones full of questions, never knowing.

It needs more.

As I mentioned, I never met Mr. Williams, but from what I have gathered from the hints of his person found in his body of works, I would dare to guess that he would agree. He didn't come across as a man who thought himself more important than the next guy, I think he would be ok with sharing the spotlight until we, as a society, can get a better handle on this disease....... Until we can find better ways to help......Until we find a way to beat this malicious, joy destroying thing.....Until......Until........Until...............


We will miss him. Not only for the comedy, the laughter, but also for the talent that could both, bring us to poignant tears and make us catch our breath in fear as a villain. He made us "feel". Always. In everything he did.


On a happier note...................................



This week has been filled with visits with friends, waiting for "Alfred", staying very busy at the shop, waiting for "Alfred", working on a couple of little projects here at home, waiting for "Alfred", laundry, running a ton of errands,oh, and did I mention, waiting for "Alfred"? He should be here soon! Right?!


In the upcoming week, I need to start getting serious about getting "Alfred" ready to meet the world. I need to get busy prepping for the "Word On The Street" festival coming up in Saskatoon in September. I need to get the ball rolling with McNally Robinson, as I promised to keep them in the loop about any new books.

I'm going to have to try and do a better job of splitting my time and energy between working at the shop and writing. I would dearly love to find a way to have better balance between the two......

I'll figure it out.....................


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




May every sadness be fleeting, and every joy take hold.
May every darkness be overpowered by light; bright, and bold.

May you, if ever engulfed in the complete absence of joy, gather the strength to reach out, even if your voice feels weak.
May you find a crack in the putrid blackness, peel it back, revealing everything that makes you incredibly, fantastically unique.

May you know within the deepest parts of you, you are not in this alone. Not then, not now, not ever.
May you see that the isolation is an illusion, perpetuated by the darkness, it's not real, just clever.

May the good days outnumber the bad, until the bad become a fading, unpleasant distant afterthought.
May you find yourself victorious, full of peace, joy and heartfelt laughter, winner of a war hard fought.



Until next time!

www.margyreidbooks.com

Perspective Is Everything, Just Ask The Unicorn

Hi!


I know this image is a little out of focus, but that's not the point. I know it is yet another photo of the landscape in which I live. That is not the point. I know it is one in an endless parade of sunset photos that clutter the internet like Gramma's knick knacks in her too small apartment. That is not the point. The point, my friends, is that if you look at it just right, you will see a unicorn pulling a carriage.


He is majestic and strong, and even as the anonymous driver lashes his cruel whip a whisper from his ear, he continues to pull, he continues to strive forward, he continues. Where he came from, we don't know, where he is headed is a mystery, all we can know is what we see in the moment in which we live.

I choose to see a unicorn pulling a carriage.


Perspective is everything.


How we view the world drives how we live within it's parameters. It's hard to live a bright life when you've grown up in dark places. It's hard to live quietly when all you know is noise, yet it is equally hard to live allowing yourself to be seen and heard if you've known nothing but forced silence.

We love the cliche about walking in another's shoes, but what we fail to recognize is that even if we walk in their shoes, both the view and journey would be different. We would be viewing from a different height, walking with a different gait, still seeing through the eyes of our own souls, never theirs. 

The truth is that walking in another's shoes isn't possible. So all that is left is to walk beside, even if it's only for a while, matching the gait, listening to the view from which they see the world. 

They may never see your unicorn, nor you, theirs, but that's ok, you don't have to to know it's there.



Sooooooooooo.......


This week was another filled with working at the shop, running errands, trying to get things caught up at home, baby snuggling, email checking (no Alfred news yet), and the basic living of our day to day lives.


We, gratefully, remain very busy at the shop, doing our small part in keeping those camping dreams alive! Lol

As I mentioned, I haven't received any word on the exact date that "Alfred" will be arriving. All I know is that it will be soon. Now, I need to get ready to send him out into the world. An extremely scary/exciting/hopeful/anxious time indeed.


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



I will have the great privilege of spending some quality time with my oldest and dearest friend. I'm looking so forward to it, and I can't thank my hubby enough for holding down the fort so I can go. He is truly my hero! 

I need to get my butt in gear, as far as getting ready to launch "Alfred". I need to make posters, get in touch with McNally about hosting an event etc...........

It will be another busy week at the shop, there have been a few bad storms, as of late, which have resulted in some damage for some. I guess Mother nature doesn't really give a tinker's damn about camping, when she wants to stomp, she stomps.



So until next time, take a peek at my website.....someone new is hanging out there........



May those who walk beside you sometimes meet your gait, not always expecting you to match their stride.
May you fearlessly count on them with a steady reliability akin to the moon's pull on oceans' tide.

May contentment and peace make up the entirety of your life, leaving stress and anxiety behind as unwanted and most definitely unrecyclable trash.
May you leave behind any embers of negativity that want to burn, turning them  into nothing but cold tinder and ash.

May you one day look back and know you were good to you, not allowing yourself be treated in a way you would never treat others.
May your reflection in the rear view witness your now self surrounding your then self with the protective light in which you would engulf your child, sisters or brothers.

May you share your unicorn freely, fearlessly, although some will laugh, and not even try to see what you see.
May you share, for you will find those who will listen to your unicorn tale, and though they don't see it, get it, completely.


Until next time, feel free to check it out! Pre-order if you wish!

www.margyreidbooks.com

Summer Half Gone.....Say It Isn't Sooooo!!!

Hi!




Just in case you hadn't filled your cuteness quotient for the week, I thought I should give you a bit of a boost!




It's hard to believe that this wee one will be 10 months old pretty soon!

Time is going by waaaayyyy too fast again...............



This week has been filled with fast moving, busy days that seem to pass in the blink of an eye.

The summer is half over already! It's been really warm, but when I find myself even entertaining the thought of maybe complaining about it, I think about the winter that will inevitably rear it's nasty head................... and then I eat a popsicle. Popsicles are awesome.


To close out a very hectic week, we took a little road trip to Major,Saskatchewan, where I had the privilege of  doing a reading of my stories to a very polite, attentive group. The age range was from 18 months to about 80.  It's always so fun to be able to meet so many new people.

I had only a very small part in the grand scope of celebrations taking place to celebrate the community's centennial.

You know that look you sometimes get from a stranger that tells you that he thinks he knows you? Well, during a homecoming of this magnitude, even being a mere visitor to the community, you get that look....a lot. I couldn't even tell you how many times I had to explain that I wasn't from there and was just there to do a reading....and that was just on the way into the building!

I did actually run into a couple of people I knew and a couple more I am related to. Small world... always.


Having grown up in a small community and pretty much living in them my whole adult life, I can't help but wonder what these kinds of celebrations are like for people who grew up in huge cities.

I graduated high school with a class of 14. We had all known each other since we were 6 or earlier. I can't imagine what it must be like to graduate with a class the size of my entire town. I mean, you would kind of know who everybody is, by name, I suppose, but you wouldn't really know them, know them. You know?

I suppose there are pros and cons to both.

But, as I have only seen the coin from one side, I can't assume what the other side of the coin looks like.
I can only be certain it's a bit more crowded.


So tomorrow we will be catching up on some house and yard chores..........as some helpers are coming to join in the festivities, we will also be sneaking in some grandbaby snuggles!

The rest of the week will consist of me obsessively checking my emails for news on the delivery of "Alfred", and trying to distract myself with keeping up with shop stuff.  I'm not gonna lie, that will be exactly what I'll be doing.



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





May every walk down memory lane take you only to the places that were happy, sweet, and kind.
May you only trek down dark trails when there is an absolute need,when something lost, you must find.

May the eyes of all those you meet along the way, be filled with genuine joy to see you.
May the childish heart aches melt away, leaving only warmth for those who caused them, for they were children too.

May any nostalgic journey bring you closer to the core of who you are.
May you know this will be the best trip you will ever take, for sure, by far.


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

www.margyreidbooks.com

Disappointments, Damp Weather & Dreams!

Wow! What a week!



Well, we began the week with a couple of disappointments.

We had to tell one client that the very expensive after-market part he purchased online was faulty and another one would be needed. The guy who sold it to him seems to be willing to send another at no charge, if it works, that will be great, but it won't get here in time for our client to go on his holiday. At least not with a working fridge.

We had to break the news to another client that her plans were also going to have to be altered. In the process of re-siding her trailer we found some rotted and wet framing. Some pieces had to be replaced, and others, we simply had to let dry out. Closing it up while wet or damp would be inviting all kinds of problems, down the road.

Well, it's been incredibly humid here for several days, so even with several fans and a de-humidifier it took a good long while to dry to the point that it was safe to cover. We thought we were in the home stretch and were good to go, until we uncovered the last bit and found more.


She was understandably upset, no one likes to have their plans turned upside down at the last minute. Sometimes, a magic wand would be damn handy.


These two instances are the first in which we weren't able to get our client on their way in time. I can't say I'm a fan.  But, in the end, all we can do is what we can do, and sometimes, we just have to accept the fact that this may happen from time to time, and there is nothing we can do about it, no matter how much we hate it, no matter how hard we try. It still sucks.

Then, as an extra added bonus, we had no power for a good bit on one of the days! We would have opened the doors for light, if it hadn't been for the pounding rain and stupid wind!


The end of the week brightened considerably!


After putting a good few weeks of 14-16 hour days, our daughter, winning some tickets at her work, invited her Dad and I to go to a Rider Game!

Now, for those who are unfamiliar, I invite you to google "Saskatchewan Roughriders", or "Rider Pride".
Once you do, it will give you a much better understanding of my excitement.

You see, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are the only professional sports team in our Province, and to say we, as a Province, are big fans, is probably one of the biggest understatements of all time.

Me, personally, well, I've been a fan as along as I can remember. But, up until this evening, I had never had the opportunity to attend a game. The "home" games are  about 2 1/2 hours away, and tickets can be expensive. I guess, over the years I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I would have to be content to watch the games from my living room , driving my hubby nuts with all my jumping up and down and yelling at the tv.


When our daughter came into the shop, and told us of her plan, I have to say, it took a minute or two for it to register. I actually had a real opportunity to actually really go to an actual game!

It was an evening game, so we only had  to snitch an hour of shop time to make it happen. Working every waking hour of every day, really isn't the healthiest way to live, so we gave ourselves permission to take Saturday evening and Sunday off, and went to the game with our kids!


It was AWESOME! the weather cleared, the crowd was just as nuts as I am, yelling and cheering and jumping up and down. Just like at home, only with about 32000+ of my closest friends!

It was loud, it was rowdy, it was everything I thought it would be, and we won!  I actually got to go, and I have the pictures to remind myself that it happened.

So tomorrow, I will get to attend a baby shower. A shower that celebrates and welcomes not one, but two babies! Double baby day? Gotta love it!




As fir the rest of the upcoming week......................


Thankfully, it will be another busy one at the shop, working in a couple of mobile service calls along the way.

Then, next Saturday, it's off to Major, Sk. for their centennial celebration! It's gonna be a blast! It's just too bad I won't have "Alfred" along for the trip. Next time!



Well folks, it's now 5:38am and time to go to bed, so until next time, I'll leave you with this wish............



May a smoldering ember keep burning desires alive and well, until the universe finds a way to bring them to you.
May those embers combust into complete joy, as the realization of a  fulfilled dream floods through you.

May the things on your "want to" list graduate onto your "did it" list steadily as you walk through time.
May each "check mark"  bring you happiness, satisfaction, and contentment, every step worth the climb.

May you see the value in seeing your dreams come true, even if they seem silly, even if they feel small.
May you see the value in making them come true, for the sheer thrill of it, for fun of it, for simply the joy of it all.




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


www.margyreidbooks.com

PMS, Speeding Tickets, and Maleficent!

You'll have to excuse me if this week's ramblings are a little more rambly than usual. I am in full-on PMS brain mode right now. I kind of feel like an insomniatic, highly emotional hyperactive alzheimer sufferer with a multiple personality disorder and psychopathic tendencies who really really really likes chocolate.......and chips.........and doughnuts. All I need now are the hot flashes to commence to complete this pre-menopausal grand slam.

Seriously, it's like going through puberty again, sore boobs, cranky, emotional, only this time around, we also get gravity laughing at us as everything starts migrating south.

But.......at least I'm here to go through it. So many don't get to live long enough enjoy this rite of passage. Okay, so enjoy may be too strong a word. How about, "journey through", yeah, that's a little closer.


So please forgive me.


Soooooo, another busy week has passed.......


More horrible thunderstorms hissed and flashed their way across the country side with such vengeance! Crops were flattened, buildings and equipment destroyed, but luckily, it sounds like nobody was seriously hurt.

Through the course of the week we were able to get a few more people off to the lake, and help out a couple more that were already there. (top photo).

There are strange myths travelling the globe suggesting our Province is flat. There are jokes about seeing your dog run for days. As you can see in the top picture, those myths have been proven as false! Now, the bottom photo may support that myth, so I guess you will have to decide for yourself. It's kinda crazy that these two locations are only about 11/2 hours apart!

Also, this week, I received a bit of disappointing news. "Alfred" won't be ready until mid- August.  It's disappointing, but, at least I'll have him in time for the new school year.

Tonight, we went to the movie "Maleficent." I'm so glad we went!

With my PMS brain working overtime in taking control of the whole "deciding what to wear," thing, and having the coordination of a tasered drunk playing hopscotch, while attepting to do my hair and make up, I almost made us late. And for those who know me, know how much I HATE being late.....for anything.

Well, with our late start, we were in a bit of a rush on the way to the theatre.....................

Yep............speeding ticket.

A speeding ticket from Officer Grouchy. I kid you not, that was, and is, his real name.

Again, for those who know me...........KNOW to NOT say anything was soooooooo hard. The PMS brain almost killed the filter, but I remained in control of my mouth. At least until he was out of ear shot.

We made it to the theatre just as the movie began.

This is such a clever twist on a classic story. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, so suffice it to say that it may make you look at villains in a brand new way.


As for the upcoming week?

Working feverishly in the shop hoping to keeping more vacation dreams on track..............

Prepare for and participate in our local "Art In The Park" event.................

Sneak some grandbaby snuggles........................

Keep PMS brain in check....................................


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





May you always look beyond what you first see, deeper, broader, beyond what the persona shows you.
May you see past the hardened look, the defensive stance, for the soul behind the eyes doesn't yet trust you.

May you understand fear shows itself as anger, and fear roots anxiety, insecurity, and can find cruel release in words.
May you reflect and not absorb these verbal daggers, for it is fear that is speaking, a fear demanding to be heard.

May those who attack as a defense come to see the damage a repeated barrage can evoke.
May you understand eventually you will spew your venom on an empty room, echoing the poisonous words you spoke.



Until next Week!

www.margyreidbooks.com

Carriage Rides, Crazy Cuisine and Calluses! Another Nutty Week!

Hi!


If you read these crazy ramblings last week, you know that my hubby and I recently celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary.

We always try to do something to mark the day. Earlier on, "marking" the day meant getting the kids to bed a bit early and sitting there, as quietly as possible, as not to wake them. Now, we try to celebrate with a little more pizazz.

This year, we took a spur of the moment 24 hour holiday! We left work Saturday, boogied into the city, and checked and into our hotel. We took a leisurely stroll through a great exhibit at an art gallery, did a little mall crawling, went for a romantic carriage ride, went to a movie, had some much fancier than normal, never before tried cuisine, a watermelon martini (sooooo fancy, right?!) and a beautiful walk along the river. It was FANTASTIC!

It was so nice to do something completely different from our "everyday."

The rest of the week presented a few challenges, both physically and mentally.


Yep, a lot of people pay memberships to a gym, no need when you are hefting air conditioners on to the tops of 10 plus foot high trailers and motorhomes a few times a week! I'll admit, it's bit of a challenge to assist in these lifts, as I'm not crazy about climbing ladders, and when you add in the height difference between me and the guy I'm helping, it can get a bit dicy.

But, some sweaty palms and a few bruises later, they are up there! When we have to do things that require me to stretch my limitations a bit, my hubby is always a little concerned. I assure him that if I really couldn't do it, I would say so. Yes, it might be uncomfortable, a little scary and test my strength, but it's not fatal. Now, don't get into your head that I would enjoy heaving air conditioners over my head while standing about 9 feet up on a 12 foot ladder on a daily basis, but, every once in a while, it's not so bad.

Emotionally and mentally, this week was also a bit of a challenge. One customer was dealing with insurance deadlines and in the midst of that, his son became suddenly ill and passed away. Not only is this poor soul a widower of 5 years, but this was the third of his four children for which he was having to arrange a funeral.

That fact that he is still standing.............

So, I had to climb a ladder a few times.........................big deal............I'm pretty sure I'll get over it.



This week also brought some invitations! A wedding in September, and a couple of trade shows in October! I don't even want to think beyond summer just yet, it's only just begun!

OOOOHHHHH, aaannnd the hard copy proof of "Alfred" came! I'm getting so anxious and excited to have the finished book in hand. Time to start getting things ready to introduce him to everybody.


With summer flying along, I'm glad we were already able to get the troops together a couple of times. They are all just as busy as we are, so that doesn't leave as much time to hang out as we would like.

We have, however, had a couple of quick visits from some grandbabies over the past few days. Our youngest, with her two little ones and her fiance are off to visit some of his relatives for the week. One of those relatives is "Grandad Howie" which apparently translates into "Daddad Hawaii", if you are Jake.

The whirlwind that calls himself Ethan popped in with his mom for a quick visit and an even quicker tutorial on how to draw Batman. Always very important.

I'm so grateful that we are able to see them on a regular basis.


So, as for the upcoming week...............................


Here's hoping we can get home before dark a few times......................

Here's hoping I get fantastically awesome news that they will have "Alfred" ready ahead of schedule................

Here's hoping that every job goes off without a hitch....................................................


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

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




May you never underestimate any of your strengths, trust them, they run deep.
May you know, with balance, you are limitless, be generous, but, your spirit you must keep.

May you see beyond the challenge, envision the triumph, wrap your soul in the rainbow that follows the storm.
May you submit to the pull of glorious sunshine when the darkness wants to seduce you with fictional warmth.

May you see that your choices dictate the voices with which you sing, make them with positive intent.
May you see that your future is yours to build, you design how the pieces fit, keep building, never relent.



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

www.margyreidbooks.com

Storms, Steaks and An Anniversary!

Hi!

Well, our camping holiday, though very nice, was cut short due to some very crappy weather. We can consider ourselves incredibly lucky, as others, not so far away, suffered horrible amounts of flooding. They are just able to start the clean up a week later, having had to wait for the water levels to start dropping.

Our camping adventure came to a close after a surprise supper at a local steakhouse that I had planned for my Hubby's 50th birthday, almost didn't happen at all. As I mentioned, we experienced some pretty nasty weather, which included a very poorly timed power outage.

So, there I am with about 16 people coming for supper, a restaurant with no power, a grocery store that closed because of the lack of power, so I have a bunch of hungry people and no way to feed them. Awesome.

After chatting with the restaurant owner, making it very clear we would be happy with cold sandwiches, or whatever might be handy, she so graciously offered to cook us steaks. For those, she could do on the gas grill. Steak and french fries, the deep fryer is gas, as well.

Supper was saved! We had candlelight, a water feature, ok maybe not so much a water feature as a torrential downpour with doors held open due to the fact that their range hood fans are electric and we were trying to avoid passing out from smoke inhalation, but if you closed your eyes and didn't breath too deeply it sounded kinda like a waterfall.

After our meal we headed back to our campsite where I had entertained the thought of playing some games, hanging out by a campfire etc.....yeah...no.

Although the rain itself had let up for the moment, the wind was picking up even more, and there was another massive bank of ominous clouds closing in. With no power, which means no fridge in our old trailer, it was time to wave the white flag and surrender.

Maybe next time.

The rest of the week flew by.......................

During those days,  I did manage to get a little work done on"Alfred". The cover, front and back are approved, the layout complete, and the hard copy proof is being printed as we speak! As luck would have it, my printer friends are going on a holiday of their own pretty soon, so I probably won't have books in hand until the middle of next month. A little late for my reading on August 3rd, but at least he will be in hand! Finally!

The coming days will be filled to the brim with work, anticipation, and probably a bit of compulsive email and snail mail checking for the Alfred proof, cleaning up my deck, and hopefully participating in some summer type activities.

This week also marks a very special day to me. This week, my hubby and I celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary. It's been an incredible journey, and I look forward, with great anticipation, to the adventures that lay ahead.

With romance in mind, I'll leave you with this wish....................



May the one who carries the other half of your soul find you whole, happy and secure.
May the adventures on which you embark, eternally hold spontaneity and allure.

May you see that the health of your relationship is a mere reflection of the effort put forth.
May any score card being kept be not for your partner, but simply a tally of how you could do more.

May any preconceived notion of a lasting love be thrown into the wind, for yours will be like no other.
May you always remember to put your partner first, above career, above stuff, above any other.

May you always look forward with excited anticipation toward the next chapters, the next pages.
May you approach your love every day with kindness, you will live an epic story for the ages.




Until next week,


www.margyreidbooks.com