Snow....Cold...And Margaritas?!

 

 

Hi!

 

I know, I know, I know, you are probably getting tired of hearing about the snow.

 

 

 

But, come on! This is getting ridiculous! My poor hubby had to shovel for a good thirty minutes the other morning, just to be able to get our 4x4 out of the driveway! And tonight, we are looking at another night of -35 degree windchill.........again, with the wind chill.

 

 

I'm sure this is just the February blues talking, but I think I might start drinking Margaritas every morning for breakfast, in protest! No.....I can't do that......it wouldn't be right......or responsible.....or productive........or healthy............right? Right............right?  Maybe just for a week, and I'll pretend I'm in Mexico....................nooooo..............better not.  Definitely February blues.

 

 

Good thing February is almost over. The days are slowly getting longer, and when the clouds give way, the sun does have a bit of heat to it. Winter's days are numbered.  Twenty something days, if the posts on Face Book are to be trusted. You'll have to forgive my neighbours and I if we are a bit skeptical. The snow took a looooooong time to go away last year. A looooooooooooooong time.

Soon, though,  it will be time for coffee on my deck, maxi dresses, flip flops and sunscreen. I can hardly wait!

In the meantime.....

Life remains full and busy. The shop is hopping, the new book is getting closer to being ready for illustration, and wedding plans for our youngest daughter and her fiancé are in the works.

It seems like every week brings it's own challenges. Most are small and very manageable, others take a bit, you figure it out, and move on. Then, there are others that knock the wind out of you. These are the kind that your brain doesn't even want to let all the way in. At least, not right away.

It's like it's your body's first, and natural reaction to reject it, not wanting to even process the idea, let alone the actual information.

Then, as it slowly makes it's way in, it sneaks up and steals your breath, makes your heart pound, and sometimes, literally knocks you off your feet.

These challenges, these life changing, soul crushing, shock inducing challenges, are the ones that can break us.

These are the ones that can change humour into hatred, joy into bitterness, laughter into misery.

But, they don't have to.

I've seen first hand, people who really have no business still standing, doing just that. And not just standing, but holding others up in the process.

I've witnessed strength beyond that of any super hero, living in the eyes of a mother as she buries her young child.

I've witnessed incredible courage within the pain soaked body of a person on the receiving end of a kemo session's poison.

I've seen laughter brought by someone who had no real reason to laugh. Bringing laughter, as she sat, hooked up like all of them. Hooked up, for hours on end, to dialysis machines.

I've seen the battered, bruised soul of a broken child become a heart incredibly caring and warm.

For those who shatter, it's up to the ones still standing, to help put the pieces together again. It may be a mosaic of what once was, but beautiful and whole.

I know it may seem like I talk about challenges fairly often, and I do it at the risk of sounding repetitive, for a reason. Every week, we all face them. Every week. Some big. Some small. But...every week. I just want to do what I can to make sure that we all know, we ALL know, we never face them alone. Ever.

Too many believe they do.

Now, my friends, on a much lighter note...................................................

Life is good.

The upcoming few days will involve some baby snuggling, hopefully getting my new book completely completed, finishing up some shop projects and starting new ones.

I wonder what would happen if a person used snow instead of ice in the making of margaritas?..................hmmmmmmmm

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

May you awaken every day with a smile on your face, pleasant dreams lingering as you open your eyes.

May contentment, peace and tranquility encompass you, every challenge met, every decision, wise.

May you have no reason to lose your smile, no reason to drop your joy, no reason to abandon your bliss.

May you feel everything positive surround your soul, the universe giving you a warm hug, a gentle kiss.

May you carry this lightness with you, as you go about your days.

May you, even if you think this is hokey crap, carry it with you anyways.

Until next week!

Thanks so much for reading these ramblings every week! From Austria to Zambia and everywhere in between!

www.margyreidbooks.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes It's Hard To Be Grateful!

 

Hi!

 

 

What. A. Week.

 

 

 

 

 

First of all, the above pics are a couple I picked from a bunch taken today at Ethan's birthday shindig.  The first, of course, is a photo of the three grandbabies. There were several more, but in the few minutes we had them sitting on the chair....well let's just say, I had to shoot quick and let 'em go.

 

The second photo.......well, I dare you to look at it and be in a bad mood. Go on, try. Yep, just what I thought. Impossible.

 

 

Sooooooo.... when I left you last week.......

 

 

 

Well,we had company, a few cocktails and a great visit. The next day, however, we never did make it to Jake's birthday. Not one vehicle would start. Not one. I know, first world problems, right? But, dang!

 

 

The rest of the week brought with it some situations in which I had to tuck away the children's author/child care provider/grandma/mommy side of myself and unleash the much less pleasant, much more to the point, all-business, call you to the mat side.

 

Now, only the ones closest to me have ever witnessed the use of these skills. I only draw them from the arsenal when absolutely necessary.

 

I guess, as I look back, when that side of my personality takes the forefront, it almost always has something to do with bullying.

 

I can't stomach it in any form. And it has many. Child abuse, whether it be at the hands of other children or the adults in their lives is still, to me, the most heart wrenching. This provides our society with sooooo many broken adults.

 

But, sadly, even if we somehow eliminated all the child abuse in the world, it wouldn't rid us of the bullying problem.

 

It happens so often in the work place. I had one job, years ago,(before babies) in a restaurant, where my immediate supervisor would constantly belittle me. It started out as "humour" but became ugly and mean. I would get knots in my stomach when I knew we would be working a shift together. The arsenal came in handy, then.

 

It happens so often at home, behind closed doors, among adults. Intimidation, name calling, physical domination. Spending any time in a crisis centre, listening to their stories, will make you weep.

 

On a much less personal level, it happens in business. Big corporations don't want to hold up their part of the deal when it comes to taking care of a customer even close to the way they promised to. They are hours away, and seem to be of the mind that if they simply ignore you, you'll just go away.

 

To me, that is being a bully. It's more subtle than the kid stealing your lunch money and pushing you in puddles, but a bully, just the same.

 

The only thing on this planet that runs even a close second to bugging me as much as bullying has got to be incompetence. Now, I'm not talking about people making honest mistakes, or the odd clerical error or a work related mishap or two. That can happen to anyone, and does.  No, I'm talking about the kind of deliberate incompetence that makes you shake your head and wonder how these people even function in the world.

 

For instance, we needed a courier to pick up an old, broken fender from the shop and deliver it to a Plastics place in the city (1hr away), so they could build us a pair of new ones. Not real complicated. On the day he was to pick it up, he didn't show. I called the next day to find out that the pick up had been cancelled because he tried to pick it up and no one was there. Yeah....no. After I established that the pick up would have been attempted during our regular business hours, imagine her confusion when she found out we had been at the shop until 6:30pm.

 

We rescheduled pick up. He came and picked it up, having a conversation about his unique cargo, and a chat about why we were  paying money to ship an old broken fender.

 

Three days later.........it hadn't been delivered. I phone in to the courier office to find out where our broken fender might be. I then am informed that it had been flagged as "damaged", and therefore, had a hold put on it. 

 

It took a full ten minutes to get her to understand that I knew it was broken, I had shipped it that way, and all I needed was for someone to take to the plastics place. In the process, as I had called them, I inquired as to just how long it might have taken someone to notify me that my package was "damaged" and therefore in limbo?  Apparently it would have been at least a couple of days before they would have let me know. Wow.

 

I kid you not, it took another day and a half for our sorry little broken fender to reach it's destination.

The kicker is the courier facility and the plastics place are about 6 blocks from each other.

 

So, it took five days for one 5oz broken piece of plastic to make a trip that should take little more than an hour, door to door.

 

My arsenal came in handy.

 

But, as frustrating as the week was, I'm grateful. I'm grateful because these irritations, although grating and aggravating, they are just that. Irritations.

 

 

Grateful, because if there were no fenders to send, or corporations to tangle with, it would mean we weren't busy. Busy is good.

 

Grateful, because I have my arsenal when I need it, and I am capable of using it with a clear mind and able body.

 

As irritating as our week was, it was just irritations.

 

 

If you remember some time ago, I mentioned a family I knew of that were struggling horribly with a terrible health crisis. My heart goes out to them as the struggle comes to an end, but not in the way we had hoped.

 

This family is having to say goodbye to their Husband, Dad, and Friend.

 

Grief is soooo hard.

 

 

 

So, my friends, that about does it for me this week. The one lying ahead will be busy, fun, crazy, chaotic, and I am grateful for every minute.

 

 

 

 

So until next week I'll leave you with this wish........

 

 

 

May you walk through these next days, heavy legs supporting your shaken, weary soul.

May you find a way to soothe your screaming heart that fights this truth, which creates this colossal hole.

 

May your memory soaked walls bring more comfort than pain, more smiles than tears, in time.
May you feel he is always with you, with his help, from this chasm you will climb.

May you know that such an impossibly heavy burden is never meant to be carried alone.
May you see all those who love you, reach out, you are never on your own.

May you walk through these next days, heavy legs supporting your shaken, weary soul.
May you know so many love you, lean hard as you gather your shattered self and again, slowly, become whole.


Until next time.......

 

 

 

 www.margyreidbooks.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Multitasking...The Next Olympic Event!

Hi!

 

 

It's official. I miss summer. You know, it's not even really summer, I miss, I think it's more, the...not cold! That's what it is. We've had pretty much a steady windchill of - 35  to -39 range for days now, and it's getting old.

 

According to the weatherman, we are due for a reprieve pretty soon. How long it will last? Who knows.....but we'll take it.

 

 

Apparently the Groundhog saw his shadow on Feb 2. I guess that means another 6 weeks of winter.

 

Only 6 more?! Awesome! Let's hope the little critter is right!

 

 

 

Soooo....this week brings with it the opening of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. A time when differences, whether political, religious or social, are supposed to be set aside for a while. A time when instead, we celebrate our similarities as countries. Our love for sport, camaraderie, and good old-fashioned competition.

 

 

I hope those who are tempted to use this world stage for anything other than it was intended, let it rest.

 

I'm not naive enough to believe that the deep seeded hatred which drives terrible acts of violence  simply disappears just because someone is trying to break a record in speed skating.

 

I understand that political controversies, and the reasons behind them, don't vanish into thin air so someone can have their perfect moment in ski jumping.

 

I get it.

 

But, my hope is that for this small window of time, for the sake of those who have spent countless hours training for, working for, sacrificing for this one shot to put their skill on the line, for the honor of representing their countries,  for this small window of time, let it rest.

 

There will be plenty of time for going back to hating each other when it's over, if that's what you feel you have to do.

 

 

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

 

Well, if day to day life happenings were Olympic events, this week, I might just have medalled in the following.......................................

 

 

On-Hold Marathon

 

Speed Errand Running

 

Uphill Multitasking Triathlon

 

 

I know I am hardly alone in these events, Medals all around! Okay, maybe we don't get medals, or our national anthems played in front of thousands of adoring fans, but kicking back with a glass of wine in a hot tub ain't half bad either. 

 

 

So for the upcoming week?

 

 

Well, tomorrow will be a day of R&R. Some cocktails, some laughs, and some much needed catching up with an old friend.

 

Sunday is Jake's second birthday party. Man, it's hard to believe he's two, already.

 

 

The rest of the week will involve some busy days at the shop, some work on my next book, some watching of the Olympics, and hopefully a break in this freakin' cold weather.

 

 

Have a great week, everybody! Until next time, I'll leave you with this wish................

 

 

 

 

May every event in which you participate see success, if not a gold, a personal best.

May you challenge your abilities, don't hesitate to put them to the test.

 

May you see that without challenge our skills become lazy, become weak.

May you see the advantage of keeping them sharp, at their peak.

 

May your skills be ever growing, when one is mastered, take on something new.

May you see that always expanding, exploring, trying, makes you a better you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

See you next week!

 

www.margyreidbooks.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does Frustration Have Ripples?

Hi!

 

 

The above picture serves no real purpose except maybe to bump up your cute quotient for the week.

 

She was a bit sleepy, and by the looks of it, a bit bored, as well. 

 

 

Well, this week was a good one for providing the sleepy, but was anything but boring!

 

 

Monday was my reading in Delisle. It went very well.  The teachers and students were all very welcoming and kind. I was even permitted to witness a bit of the rehearsing that was going on for a talent show that was being put on by the kids the following evening. I'll bet it was a great show!

 

 

 

From there, the week became a practice in patience and frustration, but ended on a high note, so all is well.

 

 

The patience and frustration came in when I found out the ladder we had ordered for a customer's motorhome, (an order I had put in before Christmas) was in for us to pick up. This was great news, as this was the second ladder sent. The first one was broken when it showed up.

 

So Thursday, I took the hour long trek in -35C windchill to go and pick it up. Like I said, there was a -35C windchill that day, and securing the ladder in the bed of the truck took a bit of doing, as it weighs pretty much nothing and could easily blow away.

 

So, after fighting with tangled ratchet straps, then stopping to tighten their hold on the box a couple of times on the way back to the shop, eventually hefting the spare tire on top of it to weigh it down, I finally made it back to the shop in one piece.

 

Imagine my delight upon opening the box to find they had sent the wrong ladder! Now, I don't mean just a little bit wrong, I mean, a foot and a half too short, completely different supports, not remotely the ladder I ordered, kind of wrong.

 

After sending every measurement possible, accompanied by several pictures, I have a hard time understanding how such a mistake can happen. But, we are human, so they do.

 

Now, this, after having to order a second time because of the damaged first ladder, creates another huge delay. As I mentioned, I had ordered the original ladder before Christmas, knowing our client was planning a February holiday, we had plenty of time. Now, not so much.

 

After a pretty animated conversation, in which there was a short-lived, but very quickly snuffed-out hope on the shipper's part that we would incur any of the costs of sending this new ladder with such urgency, I have been assured the proper ladder will be delivered to our shop doorstep no later than Wednesday.

 

This will give us about ten minutes to install it, if we have any hopes of not delaying our client's holiday in any way.

 

Yup, patience and frustration.

 

 

But, like I said, the week ended on a good note, so all is well.

 

Yup, this week, the copyright and ISBN number for my next book have been secured, and now, after I get the story dismantled and prepped for Valerie, the illustrator, it will be well on it's way to being completed and in hand before the end of the school year! WooHoo!

 

Then, today, we helped our daughter, Sarah and her boyfriend unpack in their new condo. It's such a nice place. I'm so excited for, and proud of both of them. Buying your first place is a big deal!

 

We topped the night off by going to a movie. Anchorman 2 definitely provided a much needed laugh.

 

 

Life rarely, if ever, goes according to plan. Delays and mistakes happen. It's a bit of a bitter pill to swallow when we feel like we've taken every preventative measure to assure a positive outcome.

 

But, what can you do?

 

 I like to think, when things like this happen, that the ripples caused by these frustrations will somehow, in some way,  touch someone in it's wake in a positive way. It might be the guy putting the ladder together, someone in the delivery process, or maybe our client himself. Maybe a day's delay keeps him and his family from being involved with an accident or something. Who knows, right?

 

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

 

We have a fridge to finish, month end bookkeeping, orders to put in, jobs to process, some baby snuggles to sneak, and then next weekend some much needed R&R!

 

 

 

 

Well, that about does for me this week.....oh before I go, I've had a few people asking where they can get my books. They are available at McNally Robinson in Saskatoon and Winnipeg, online at www.margyreidbooks.com and I always have a few at the shop if you're in the neighbourhood!

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

May every frustration carry with it at least a hint of something great.

May every trial of your patience be rewarded with at least one pleasure without a wait.

 

May you experience an unexpected appreciation by someone you hold close to your heart.

May you reciprocate that gratitude with incredible grace, a painter's stroke on priceless art.

 

May the time you spend, this week, be worth it's weight in gold.

May the time have meaning, make it powerful, make it bold.

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selfie High-Fives! It Could Be a "Thing"!

 

This "in your face" panorama was the sight tonight as we made our way home from the shop tonight. They definitely don't call Saskatchewan "The Land of the Living Skies" for no reason. Pretty incredible. There was also this weird pseudo- rainbow thing going on, by none of the shots that I took did it any kind of justice. I'm hoping maybe someone else in the area was able to get better ones and will share? Maybe?

 

 

 

So, I'm pretty sure you are aware of the phenomenon known as the "selfie."  The kind of self congratulatory self portrait of the digital age. The "selfie." I am by no means judging the selfie, they are, for the most part, pretty harmless, kinda cute, and almost always make me smile.

 

For those, however, who may not be comfortable sharing their "I am friggin' awesome" moments on Facebook, instagram, twitter, or tumblr, I would like to introduce......the "selfie high- five". Think it will catch on? You know, become a "thing?"

 

Instead of looking at pictures taken in bathrooms, and parking lots, clubs and restaurants of what seems to be the obligatory "duck face," we will witness first hand people jumping in the air, smacking their hands together, high above their heads accompanied by a resounding "WooHoo!"

 

Or maybe the selfie high-five should be reserved more for those times when you are happy there weren't any witnesses. Maybe we should reserve the selfie high-fives for those moments we do things that we can't believe we just did. You know what I mean. You know you do.

 

Those times like when you open a can or package dump the contents, throw away the container, and realize the cooking instructions were on the package, on which you just now dumped this mornings' coffee grounds.

 

Those times when, for a second, you panic because you can't find your phone, only to realize it's in your hand.

 

Those times you painstakingly go through your pantry/cabinets making a grocery list, only to get to the store and realize you left it on the dining room table.

 

Yes, maybe we should reserve the selfie high-five for these occasions.

 

If that is the plan, then I owe myself a huge one for an incident that took place earlier this week.

 

 

Early Wednesday morning, as is my usual routine,  I stepped outside in my bathrobe and my husband's shoes to start the truck, to warm it up a bit before we leave. On that particular morning, however, this usually harmless task took on a bit of a twist.

 

You see, we've been getting some pretty big swings in temperature, as of late, and when that happens in January, in this lovely Land of the Living Skies, this usually generates a bit of ice.

 

Well, one second, I was reaching for the door handle of the truck, the next, I was laying on my back looking at that living sky.

 

The only thing that stopped me from sliding completely under the truck was catching that bar/step thingy with my shins.

 

Thankfully, the only injuries were a scrape or two to the shins, a bit of a whack to the back of the shoulder blades and neck, and I now sport a right cheek that would make Kim Kardashian jealous!

 

The next day, as I was getting dressed to go do a reading at a school, imagine my surprise when I couldn't do up the jeans I had worn only days before?! I kid you not, the Kim K half of my booty just wouldn't let it happen! That's crazy!

 

Oh and in case you ever need to know? Climbing ladders etc. after a pratfall like that is not a lot of fun. at. all.

 

But, it was only a couple of scrapes and a swollen butt cheek, I think I'll survive.

 

Thankfully, there were no witnesses. Noone to see the lady in the blue chenille bathrobe,  wicked case of bedhead, and giant steel toed boots take up the new sport of butt skating.

 

Selfie high-five...............

 

 

 

The reading, by the way, went great. Another group of awesome kids in a wonderfully tiny K-6 school that houses three classrooms, a gym and an office. The teachers were very warm and friendly and made me feel right at home. Man, I love going to schools!

 

 

Also this week, I found out that Valerie, the lady who illustrated "Tags" for me, is willing to jump on board for the next adventure. Yay!

 

I was also invited to come to another small town, only this time, to come and do a reading for some munchkins during their community's centennial celebration, this summer. Yay again!

 

And I was also approached about doing a reading at a library a few hours Northwest of here, in the spring. Yay again.

 

 

As for the upcoming days?.....

 

 

Well, I'm sending these ramblings out a bit early because my friend is coming to visit for the weekend. Tomorrow evening will be spent attending  "somebody is coming to sell cool stuff" party at my daughter's house, quickly followed by coming back to my house, getting in comfy clothes, pouring a couple of adult beverages and getting caught up on things.

 

On Monday, I get to go visit another school. Yay, yet again! (I'm hoping the swelling is down by then), and in the same trip, pick up some parts.

 

 

The rest of the week will be busy with the hustle and bustle of the shop. Finishing projects, preparing for others, scheduling still others.

 

Then, next weekend, we will probably be helping our second daughter and her boyfriend move into their newly purchased condo. I'm so excited for them! Here's hoping the mild weather hangs on for a while more!

 

Well, my friends, that about does it for me this week......

 

Until next time......

 

 

 

May you begin every day, with a grateful thought, kind act, and a smile.

May you take on tasks, throughout your day, that you truly feel worthwhile.

 

May not one moment feel wasted, every precious breath spent bringing you closer to your joy.

May you know the only wasted moments, are those spent fretting, worrying, feeling annoyed.

 

May you hold on to all things positive, and let the negative fall away.

May you, as you work through your week, not forget to play.

 

 

www.margyreidbooks.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Hair Cuts and Hurricane Winds!

 

 

 

Hi!

 

 

Gotta love the face when asked to say "Cheeeeese"! This, my friends is our little Jakey getting his first ever official hair cut.  He was so good, but with his new "do" he looks so grown up.  (I'm not sure if any of us are ready for him to graduate into full-on toddlerdom just yet.) Thankfully, the hairdresser was lightning quick, and Mommy was there to help when it came to persuading  him to look in any specific direction. I got to be a spectator, snuggling miss Laney. A pretty fun way to spend some time!

 

Fun is not the way the week began, that is for sure.

 

 

When I left you last week, we were on our way to Regina for an RV service seminar.

 

Well, the mini-vacation portion of the trip was a blast! We went out, had a few cocktails, and more than a few laughs. It was great.

 

 

When Monday rolled around, it was time for the seminar (that went from one day to two) to begin.

 

 

Let me qualify the following by saying....... I am not being too hard on myself, or being falsely modest when I tell you about said seminar. I am not naturally, mechanically inclined. I am an excellent assistant in that department, make a damn fine RV Technician equivalent of a surgical nurse, and I am learning more an more all the time about putting symptoms and diagnoses together successfully.

 

Here comes the but...........

 

 

But......in a classroom setting, using terminology I'm not familiar with, for hours and hours and hours on end............talking endlessly about the very technical ins and outs of refrigerators, air conditioners, awnings and self levelling systems? I honestly have a much better shot at singing at Carnegie Hall than I do understanding almost anything coming out of the instructors' mouths.

 

Now, I do say "almost" because the odd English word would caress my starving ears, but, alas, they would again slip into "Techonese."

 

My hubby soaked up all the new info, taking it in stride. There is a reason he is the Tech part of this operation, and there is a reason I am not.

 

I will help troubleshoot, run for parts, order parts, figure out where they need to come from, how and when they need to get here. I will fight for a customer's warranty from manufacturers and help them walk through insurance claims. I will keep track of every penny coming in and going out, organize and orchestrate time as to make sure everything runs as efficiently as possible. I will always do everything I can to make sure every client leaves with a smile on their face. I am confident in my bookkeeping, accounting, and customer service skills.

 

But I, my friends,  will. Never. be. a. Tech.  

 

You know, it seems to me that there is equal value in finding out what you are absolutely not suited for or talented in or good at, as it is to discover where your talents do lie.

 

I think it's human nature to want to apologize for things we aren't able to do. I know I've done it myself on countless occasions. How many times have you began a sentence with "I'm sorry, but I......don't know how to/don't have a knack for/am not very good at.......I wonder why we feel the need to apologize? There isn't a person alive who is good at everything!

 

 

I'm going to try to stop that.

 

Just so you know?  I will write you a story, sing you a lullaby, prepare for you a delicious meal, or make sure your RV is ready for your holiday,  but don't call me to come and assemble ANYTHING from IKEA! ................or make a craft of any kind...............or knit you a sweater.

 

 

 

Soooooo... after completing the classes, we headed home.

 

Wednesday was the Nuts!

 

The wind was blowing up to 120km/hour for a good chunk of the day. I've never experienced a hurricane, but I think that has to be pretty close to the same kind of wind.

 

Yeah, you partner that wind with the icy conditions provided by our much needed reprieve from the deep freeze? It was crazy.

 

I kid you not, when I got out of my car at home, the driveway was so icy and the wind so strong, that I made it four feet without taking a single step. Crazy.

 

Thursday was spent catching up on paperwork and jobs around the shop.

 

Friday was more of the same with a dose of Grandbaby thrown in. (above haircut)

 

Then today, was a trip to the city for a much needed haircut of my own. We topped it off with a quick visit with my sister and her family, a nice meal, and a movie.

 

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

 

 

Tomorrow will be housecleaning/laundry day.

 

 

The rest of the week will involve some assembly assist, measuring for new tin, making calls etc., a trip to D'arcy School, to do a reading, and a whole bunch of other shenanigans.

 

 

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

 

 

 

May you discover the contentment found in taking complete ownership of all of your untalents,

May you learn them, know them, own them, then understand they in no way, make you less.

 

May you wear this new discovery unapologetically, for you have not one thing to be sorry for.

May you feel the power this affords, for really getting to know yourself can only make you more.

 

May you see that dwelling on our untalents, stewing in them, is not for us to do.

May you just know them, acknowledge them, then most importantly, let them go.

 

May you see the danger in wrapping your untalents around you as a cloak to hide your light.

May you see them for what they are, a small part of you, not meant to overshadow your spirit, so bright.

 

 

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

 

www.margyreidbooks.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Teaser and Superheroes..Nuff Said.

Hi!

Well, it looks like Mother Nature has shrugged off the cold shoulder treatment, at least for now. Hey, we'll take it! Even if it only lasts a few days, it's a welcome reprieve!


The days are starting to show the first small signs of yawning and stretching, warming up to the idea of lasting  more than 8 or 9 hours at a time. Yay!


Pretty soon it will be time to shed the heavy sweaters and fleece-lined leggings and begin the rituals that are the true signs of the warmth on the way. It will be time again to take up the ancient ritual of the shaving of the legs without waiting until it's braid worthy. Gone until next winter, will be the luxury of blaming bad hair days on the necessity of wearing a toque (wool hat to the non-Canucks).  Gone, for another year, will be the drippy goodness of the "rink burger." 

Although we may not be drenched in Spring's splendor quite yet,  I can almost taste it from here.


It never ceases to amaze me how the cliché of time speeding up as you get older rings so true. It seems like a blink ago our girls were just little. Now they are getting married, becoming parents, buying condos, and carving out pretty fantastic lives for themselves.

Crazy.

Now, because the majority of the years I've spent on this planet have been spent caring for children, my own, and ton of others, a few new and nervous parents have asked for a bit of advice now and again.

The common thread seems to be fear. They are scared they will be too lenient, afraid they will be too strict, too complimentary, too critical, too focused on their careers, too focused on the child, too, too too.........

They are afraid their child won't be the athlete/scholar/cheerleader/prom queen they hoped for them. Or they are afraid they will.

They are afraid their child will have no friends, or too many friends, or the wrong friends.

They are afraid their child won't be well rounded enough, so they have them running from school to gymnastics to hockey, to piano lessons and back again.

They are afraid their children will hate them if they set any kind of boundaries, so they set none.


When I am asked, this is my advice. Now, I am not, nor will I ever claim to be an expert. I have no doctorate, or degree. I am just someone who has spent a crazy amount of time with kids.



If you parent without ego or fear.... If you parent without the noise of what everyone else is doing or saying.....if you parent with the goal of raising a caring, loving adult who has the ability to empathize, sympathize and the desire to help others...... If you discipline out of love and never anger.....and realize very early on that nobody belongs in a neat little box with a label.....

If you allow them to accept the consequences of their decisions.. small when they are small, bigger when they are bigger...both the good and the bad......if you allow them to fall so they can discover the strength within themselves to get back up.......if you can be their soft, safe place without being their escape from adulthood....if you, everyday, strive to be the kind of person you would like your child to grow up to be.......

Perfect parents don't exist, nor do perfect kids. Parenting is messy.

If you parent without ego or fear...you. can't. screw. it. up.


(Dismounting soapbox in my usual ninja style)


So this past week kind of sped by. Busy at the shop, service calls out of the shop, dealing with insurance people, accountant stuff, ordering stuff, and stuff and stuff........

Then, Bang! It's Friday!

The reason these ramblings are surfing the information highway a little earlier than normal is that we are taking off to Regina tomorrow. We are taking advantage of the fact we have an RV appliance seminar/class on Monday, and are gonna make a mini-vacation out of it. Hey, it ain't Mexico, but I'll take it! We'll have to wait and see what kind of shenanigans we can get into! (hehehehehehehe)

The rest of next week will be spent making up for the time lost going to the seminar, and getting a few more smaller jobs done.

I'm also hoping to steal some time to work on writing....



Well, folks that about does it, until next time..........



May you feel powerful, confident and strong in everything you do.
May you get ever closer to becoming your best you.

May you take the stance of a super hero, when in doubt, even if only in your mind's eye.
May you have your "phone booth" moment, close your eyes, in the wind, both you hair and cape fly.

May you tackle every challenge like it was the source of your arch enemy's strength.
May you remember the battle isn't won on the first page, sometimes it's the ninth or tenth.

May you engage in the battles, winning, sentencing bad guys to a life on the lam.
May you defeat every challenge, with your oversized, colourful thought bubbles full of POW and BAM!


My grandson is really getting into comic books....nuff said.


Until next time!

www.margyreidbooks.com