Hanging On With Your Butt Cheeks!

Hi!




Remember how last week I kinda went on and on about how Nature has a way of humbling us?

Well, these photos were taken on our ride home from Saskatoon this evening. We were just settling into Spring, had just nicely put our winter gear away............... Yep.........humbling............


At least we can be pretty certain this last little slap of winter shouldn't stick around too long. It was really more like rain with a bad attitude than it was real snow....... holding just enough of an edge to make your butt cheeks want to hang on to the seat a few times on the way home.


Speaking of which............... dress shopping for your daughter's wedding isn't as easy as it sounds.  It's not that I don't understand that I am the "Mother of the Bride." I get that, it's not my first rodeo. But, why, for cryin' out loud, does that particular phrase seem to prompt such an automatic response from sales people! They hear those words, and they immediately are filled with a burning desire to wrap you head to toe in 50lbs of whatever that very stiff, shiny, unyielding fabric is called.

As you may have guessed, if you haven't read in previous ramblings, I, my friends, am not a seamstress. I am actually whatever the opposite of seamstress is. A someonewhosewspocketsshutandtoherownpantswhilepatchingstress, if you will.

I am in no way passing any judgement whatsoever on those who enjoy and have adorned these dresses. Absolutely not. Everyone likes what they like, as they should. Not that you should give a tinker's damn what I think, anyway. But, I just don't think it should be the "go to" like it's some sort of uniform.

So, after a brief conversation, wherein I gave a "long story short" explanation of how, if I did wear, in June temperatures, a floor length, heavy gown that breathed about as well as a scuba diver with no tank, I might just turn into a puppy kicking crazy person who yells at babies, she understood.

After we got on the same page, it became a fairly simple process. Tried on several, found "the one" plus a bonus dress, a few bobbles and a clutch. All set!


All in all, it was a pretty good day. Despite the mess that was taking place outside, the mall was completely running amuck with munchkins. They were hosting some sort of interactive, agricultural based, experience. Little ones were checking out plants and bugs, petting small farm animals, having their faces painted, and, by the looks on the majority of the faces, having a blast!


By comparison, the rest of the past week was pretty tame.............


Busy at the shop..............which is awesome...........and a big part of the reason we...............

Put our camper up for sale............ we simply don't have time to use it, and it would be such a shame to have it just sit there...........sad, really...........

Did more baking for the wedding............cookies, cookies and more cookies........oh, and muffins.......

Did a bit more music prep for the wedding we are playing for mid May.........................

Sold our camper...........going to a good home and will get used............alot.........much happier scenario.......


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


We'll be putting in some quality time at the shop...................


More wedding music prep.............

More baking..................

More writing.................

Month end will be once again upon us....................................

Squeeze grandbabies!.......................



So folks, that about does for this time around............until next time




May you never be what others assume, never try to fit in a designated mold.
May you understand deeply the importance of being your unique version of you, be brave, be bold.

May you fight for all things that fire your passion, dictated only by a soul fuelled by purest intent.
May you see the very best of you is yet to come, reflect, respond, replenish, re-invent.

May you see the only limits are those which are self-inflicted, others can only claim that power if it's given.
May you fight for the life you want, for your joy, for your peace, be your unrelenting hero, be driven.



Until next week..............Thank you so much for taking the time to read these ramblings each week, it means more than you know!

www.margyreidbooks.com

Thumb Smudges In the Sky!

Hi!


A couple of things.................



First................I'm not 100% certain, but I think I can say with some confidence that the sign in the top photo doesn't necessarily adorn the doors of many fine hotels around the world.  In Saskatchewan, however.................. My mind immediately goes to the circumstances that prompted such a sign.

I can't help but imagine a herd of over-enthusiastic 13ish year old, hyper kids, with adrenaline to burn after the big game. They have absolutely no desire to be still, the word "unwind" is not in the realm of their vocabulary.

Their parents, on the other hand, are exhausted, and after  endless unsuccessful attempts to contain the high octane teens by plying them with pizza and movies, they consent to what has been pitched to them as a "very quiet session of just passing the ball around in the hallway."

My guess is after a few hotel guest complaints and maybe an accidental mark or two on the walls the game was hastily concluded.


And a sign was born......................................


Second................ Thumb smudges in the sky...........

There are many things in nature that humble a person. All you have to do is look around to know that, as humans, we really are just one very small part of our world.  For me, the sky never misses making that exact point. Whether it's at night contemplating the billions of stars, during a storm in which Mother Nature's sheer power is both frightening and awe inspiring, or on a day of blue skies, with a spattering of thumb-smudged clouds.


We like to think we are important, and that we, somehow, have a say in the grand scheme of what happens. I guess we do...to a point.


We invent things, create things, things that can be dangerous. Say a car, for instance. Then, for the next years we busy ourselves inventing safety features to protect us from the very thing we invented. Seat belts, air bags, etc.....  theeeennnn we need to come up with things to counteract the damages caused by these inventions, carbon emissions etc........

We busy ourselves with our delusions of power and grandeur, with our wars, politics, and commerce, then Mother Nature reminds us of our place. A tornado, a hurricane, a snow storm, a tsunami, a very clear reminder indeed of who or what is actually in charge of what happens.

But, we are human. We are important. We are precious. At least as precious as everything else. As a species, we have survived many things that could have just as easily wiped us out. We must be here for a reason.We must have a purpose. Maybe, just maybe. we are not as in charge of the direction of that purpose as we would like to think.

Funny what comes to mind when looking at thumb-smudges in the sky..................................


So in the past week.................


We were honoured to participate in a very special day with some pretty fantastic people.

It was sincere and tender, fun-filled and silly, with tears of joy and laughter, pretty impressive dance moves, all enveloped in a love that was palpable. The best kind.


It was another busy one at the shop........always a good thing.........

I was able to put a bit more baking in the freezer for our daughter's wedding.........

Knocked out a few more pages in my book...............(Yay)!

Had a last minute booking to do a karaoke show for a local service group this weekend...........

Put in an inquiry about a trade show in Estevan, Sk. that seems pretty promising...............

All in all a good week!......................



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


Wait a reply from Estevan................................

Get started on music prep for wedding coming up on May 16th..............

It'll be another busy week at the shop................

More baking.............................

More writing............................

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



Well, that about does it for another week........................

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



May you take the time to look up, look out, look around, look beyond what is absolutely immediate.
May you take the time to consider your place, take in the horizon, let your stresses shrink, granulate.

May you absorb the reality of a bigger picture, a grander scheme, feel small, it's ok, be at peace.
May you consider your place, for even the tiniest of brush strokes is significant in the creation of a masterpiece.

May you know your place is important, even if it's purpose is, as of yet, unclear.
May the grand view fill you with inspiration of limitless possibilities, not self-doubt, never fear.



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

www.margyreidbooks.com

Little Traffic Jam On The Prairie!

Hi!


I'm afraid this is going to be a bit short and sweet............time is not my best friend today.....



For those who have ever wondered what a traffic jam in rural Saskatchewan looks like, these photos depict it, exactly.  Talk about stereotypes coming to life!

The crazy thing is, these things happened on the same day! One, on the way to the shop, the other went right by the shop!


Where I call home, seeing giant pieces of equipment making their way down the highway is just as much a sign of spring as the geese coming back.

Around here you can be pretty much guaranteed that the equipment has one of two purposes.

If you meet something of this magnitude on the road, and it is not a house, it will either be farm or oil related. It's pretty rich soil, and from the soil come the spoils that make our world go 'round ..........literally. Fuel for humans and cars alike.


Granted, running giant equipment isn't the optimal way that a person would like to see these industries thrive, environmentally speaking, but, for now, it's what we have. Technology is making strides every day to find  better, more environmentally efficient ways to do things, but in the meantime, the world's gotta eat. We do what we can with the tools available to us.


Just like with anything else in life. You do the very best you can with what you've got. That's all anyone can ask.



So things are flying right along!


In the past few days......

Celebrated a great Easter with some very special people.........................

Spring has hit the shop in a big way, very busy, we are forever grateful........................

Put the  finishing touches on music for this weekend's wedding...................

Ran what seems like a million errands.....................


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


Take part in a special couple's very special day... it's going to be fantastic! (hence early blog!)

Busy...busy..busy at the shop.............

Run another million errands.....................

Get more baking in the freezer for my daughter's wedding...............

Squeeze a kidlet or two or three.........................

WRITE!


Sorry to write and run, but like I mentioned earlier, time is not my friend today...........



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



May you find joy in all things, even if the silver lining seems ripped from your cloud.
May you find joy, and truly feel it, deep and strong and loud.

May you take notice of the smiles which are subtlety sprinkled throughout your  busy day.
May you take notice, you'll find they were likely much more plentiful than assumed along the way.

May you bring a smile to an unfamiliar face each day, for it's reflection will fill your soul.
May you bring a smile, for they may not see many, yours, their shield from life's toll.


Have a great week!



www.margyreidbooks.com

Chocolate For Breakfast? Yes Please!!!!!

Happy Easter!




Ahhhh the one weekend a year when eating chocolate for breakfast is completely acceptable, expected, even encouraged!



Now, if you are wondering about the photos.............


The first, is simply a happy Spring bouquet. A little something that was waiting for me when I got home the other day. (Did I mention, I have a very sweet husband?)


The other is a photo of me and my Mom.  We stopped in for a visit after our karaoke show last weekend.

Let me tell you a little bit about my Mom.


She may look like your typical sweet lil' ol' lady, and don't get me wrong, she is soooo that person. But, underneath, she is also one of the toughest, strongest, most resilient people you will ever have the privilege of meeting.

Not even taking into consideration her hardships as a child of a generation born in the late 1930's, not even taking into consideration the fact she came from a family of 14 children, where things weren't always plentiful, to say the least. Not even taking into consideration these things, and countless others. Jumping ahead years; years of struggle and heartbreak, triumph and laughter, living without running water, hailed out crops, raising 7 kids, seeing them out into the world. Even if you just take into consideration the last 15 years.......

She was diagnosed with skin cancer, lost my dad to a very sudden heart attack, beat the cancer, sold the farm, moved, buried her daughter, my sister, had two hips and one knee replaced, all while still handling all that comes with being a mom, now of six, Grandma to 18, and Great Grandma to 5.

You know how in the past I have talked about crap storms? Well, she certainly has had more than her share.

Now, Mom is not without her flaws, she is human, after all. Yes, she is sweet, but she is also a huge smart ass. She is considerate, but her mind to mouth filtre is not always in full working order. Mom also, well, she also has a few, shall we say......quirks.

For instance, if you move one of her knick knacks an inch one way or the other, she will notice....... instantly. She is a clean freak. She is the only person I know that made a habit out of cleaning the top of the furnace ducting in her basement on a regular basis. She has a few other OCD tendencies that shall remain nameless.

The best part, is she doesn't see these as flaws at all. As far as I can tell, she sees them as her super-powers.

Turn your flaws into super-powers.  I'll have to try that.


As for the past week.................


Karaoke show........visit Mom......................had a fun show and great visit...............


Busy at the shop................weather warming up..........yay!


Took Mom into the city for and appointment with the doc.........she's good.............


Bit of wedding prep for wedding next weekend..................

Bit of writing.........very little bit...........

Get ready for Easter! (Scavenger hunt for Easter baskets for Grandbabies!)


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



It will be a busy one at the shop...................


Put finishing touches on  wedding music.........................


WRITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Do my best to help make a special wedding day one to remember..............................



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




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



May your Easter be filled with chocolate covered smiles, sticky fingers, and crazy-dyed eggs.
May the giggles and games last all day, ending in sleepy hugs, barely standing on tired little legs.

May everything Easter and Spring stand for take hold of your being, from here on, everything is new.
May you embrace the unknown, welcome a different perspective, you just might enjoy the view.

May the colours of spring wash over you, leaving you light and strong, baggage lost in the wave.
May you save the colours for days that seem dark, remember their strength, they will make you brave.


Until next week, thank you so much for reading these ramblings!


www.margyreid.blogspot.com

What?! Underwear Is Not A Hat?!

Hi!



Toddlers are my heroes.


They are fearless, full of confidence, never second guessing any decision. They are completely oblivious to the opinion of others, instinctual and incapable of telling any real lie.


I've always been a firm believer that we have way more to learn from toddlers than we can ever teach them.


Living life without fear..............



I've learned so much about living life this way as I make my way along this writing journey and everything it entails. I still have a long way to go, but I am learning. Just so there is no misunderstanding, living without fear, for me, does not mean living thoughtlessly or recklessly. Not at all. For me, it simply means to never let fear get a vote in any decision I make.

When weighing a decision, fear can be that loud, obnoxious guy in the meeting, thinking his opinion is somehow more important and wiser than any other in the room, so he is persistent and always speaks at the highest volume humanly possible.

Just because he is the loudest, does not make him right.

I think back to decisions I have made out of fear. Not one had a positive outcome.

When we are making decisions, especially the big ones that life inevitably throws our way, I think it's very important to differentiate between fear and caution. Caution is reasonable, instinct is awesome. Fear, on the other hand, is irrational.

Fear would have you believe that the worst case scenario is the only scenario. Fear will fill you with self-doubt, and try to convince you that you could never survive failure, that failure is the absolute worst thing that can happen to you.

That, my friends, is a load of crap.

Caution, on the other hand, is where your instincts live, and is besties with your soul. Caution takes hold when the little hairs on the back of your neck stand at attention, or you get that deep guttural feeling when in a certain situation or meeting someone.

Caution is on your side, fear is useless.


Failure is not the worst thing. It's not even in the top ten of worst things that can happen. What does failure even mean, anyway.  That something didn't work?  Another load.


If you have given something 100% of yourself, then failure is not even possible.

If you have done everything, that you, in your deepest soul searching moments know you can do to make something work, and it doesn't, that, my friends, is not failure. It was simply a situation  put in your path to teach and guide you, to lead you in the direction you are meant to take.

Failures can only ever come from half hearted efforts, or never trying to begin with.



Toddlers are my heroes......the masters of living without fear...............................



As for the past week..................


It's been another busy one, for sure.............


Spring is starting to show actual physical signs of showing up (knock on wood), which means a pick up in foot traffic for the shop......looks like things won't be slowing down any time soon! So grateful!


More music prep for upcoming weddings, (including our daughter's)..........

Some rehearsing for our show tonight..............................

Put some baking in the freezer for our daughter's wedding.............

Made a bit of headway with the books I'm writing...........


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



Karaoke show tonight...............

Visit with my mom tomorrow...........

Do an estimate on a trailer on the way home on Sunday............

Month end at the shop....................

Write, write, write............

Bake, bake, bake..............(wedding)

Get ready for Easter, (kids might all make it home!)



Well, that about does it for another week, thanks so much for taking the time to read these ramblings each week, it means more than you know...................




May all that is truly important be given centre stage, spotlighted, be made the star of the show.
May all else become the simple set, ever-changing, for we really can't take it with us when we go.

May life's focus become kindness toward others, both strangers and those dearest to our hearts.
May we remember the power of a smile, and use it, abuse it, spread the joy it imparts.

May all joy given, come back with such force it sweeps you off your feet.
May you wrap yourself in it's delights, you deserve it, your very soul's happy treat.



Until next time.....gotta run


www.margyreidbooks.com

Come On!!! It's Spring! The Calendar Says So!!!!

Hi!


Well, it's the first full day of Spring........Although, I believe someone has forgotten to send Mother Nature the memo..............................................they will be fired.    (I'm pretty sure it's that damned glorified gopher from ground hog day...............)



I would have posted a couple of photos of today, this day, our first day of spring, but, well, I didn't want to.


Instead, I choose to jump into my kiddie pool of denial, with my rose coloured glasses firmly in place. Instead, sharing with you the photos of the ghosts of spring past. I will soak in my little pool until "real spring" decides to show up.... or real life demands a more delusion-stripped response. Whichever comes first. Any guesses as to which it will be?..............Me too.....................Dang it!


Oh well, this really should be the very very last of the snowfall for the season........really........really........last one. April is just around the corner, daylight hours have taken custody of their half of the 24 hour day, and with that, comes heat. It may be timid as of yet, but it's getting stronger with every passing day. I look so forward to the first time I hear "Hot enough for ya?"


Soon, it will be time for bar-b-ques and water fights with the grandbabies. It will be time for cold drinks in the warm air, under the welcomed shade of over-sized umbrellas. Time for throwing open the windows to suffuse the house with air that fills you with endless opportunities with every breath.

Soon, it will be a difficulty to go more than ten minutes without seeing a fresh flower, growing out of the ground, not sprouting from the refrigerator of a grocery store. There will be lush green as far as the eye can see. Different shades, each more spectacular than the last, daring you to pick a favourite.

Soon it will be time for sand castles, bug bites, sun burns, bike riding, scraped knees, and copious amounts of popsicles.  It will be a time of milestones, and growth, maturity, and overcoming obstacles..............and that's just me..............



One could say I'm looking forward to spring........real spring..........not this......whatever this is............damned gopher.................................



Sooooooo..........



This past week was a busy one.....


Busy shop, which is awesome......................


Final prep and rehearsal for karaoke show.............


Got booked to do another wedding in May..................


Prep for wedding we are doing in April............


Some busy-brained writing attempts............

Errands ran, household chores completed...........

Had a call from a marketing pro who wants to chat about my books...................

Put on karaoke show.....................drove home.........early hours of first day of spring.........blizzard............awesome............made it home in one piece........long day......22 hours between pillow visits.......I don't recommend it.................


As for the upcoming week?


It will be another busy one at the shop............

Start prep for wedding we are doing in May.............

Continue prep for wedding in April..........

Rehearse for karaoke show to be held Friday...........

Laundry, slay dust rabbits, etc................

Squeeze some short people who share my DNA................

Put on karaoke show in Luseland........

Do NOT drive home....visit Mom instead........sleeeeeep........

Stop at client's house on the way home to do an estimate on his trailer...........


Well, that about does it for another week.............


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




May the snow give way to glorious puddles, and may those dry, but not before they've been thoroughly abused.
May you withstand the revolt, in which they hold hostage at least 3 boots, 2 bikes, and a pair of splash pants, leaving parents both frustrated and confused.

May the explanation that begins with, "I really thought I could make it" fall upon patient and reminiscent ears.
May you keep thinking those thoughts as you retrieve the treasures, knee deep in muck, little one giggling himself to tears.

May you laugh along, for it is just mud, after all, nothing a little soap and water can't fix.
May you laugh along, for a child's giggles will forever trump a grown-up's anger, they simply can not mix.



Have a great week! Thanks again for reading these ramblings each and every week!


www.margyreidbooks.com

Fun In The Snow & A Sure Sign of Spring!

Hi!




Ahhhhhh Spring! It's close, I can smell it!







Last weekend we had a chance to spend some real time with our grandbabies! It was a gorgeous day, kinda melty, absolutely perfect for the sort of mutant, zombie- type lookin' kind of snowmen toddlers tend to build.

I mean, let's face it, your average toddler, when drawing, say, a person, has no real concept of proportion, scale, or the fact that arms and legs don't generally grow out of your head.


Without interference, this lack of concept easily translates to snow-made creatures, as well. Shooting for Olaf........ending up with a Picassoesque Shrek.

Kids are awesome!

Jump forward to this weekend and that is when I found the first sure sign of spring on the door of my entryway. (As seen in photo 3)

I'm not 100% sure, but I'm kinda certain it whispered something evil to me right before my hubby nailed him with a fly swatter.

Now, before you start sending me a bunch of angry emails about cruelty to animals and such, just know this. I love animals. Anyone who knows me can attest to that. But, I also have an aversion to getting bitten by something that may or may not be lethally venomous. And, I, in the moment, did not necessarily have the most humane first reflex.  My first reflex was to say some words that may or may not have been exactly PG. My second reflex to call my hubby over to make sure I wasn't going crazy, and this thing was as big as I thought. His first reflex was to grab the flyswatter.

Now, before you start sending him a bunch of angry emails, know this, he's the kind of guy who wouldn't hurt a fly. Nasty, evil-looking, possibly venomous, whispering monster spiders that could take a chunk out of his wife are, on the other hand, always in season. And I will love him for it forever.

As for the rest of the week?


We remain, thankfully, very busy at the shop, chuggin right along...............

I was able to get a start on the music for an upcoming wedding...................

Got some rehearsal in for upcoming karaoke shows................

Did a bit of writing (although, not as much as I had hoped) ..................

Took part in my first tradeshow of 2015! More books ended up in new homes, met a bunch of new people, and touched base with some familiar faces. Half the fun is people watching. Personally, I find the most entertainment comes from watching new parents with their little ones. Watching the tiny Houdinis plotting their escape....waiting for that millisecond it takes Mom or Dad or whomever the grown up may be, to turn, blink, or otherwise misstep in such a way as to afford their freedom. They never get far, their valiant efforts ever thwarted by older siblings, parents fast feet or the actions of some other interfering adult. This is immediately following by an understandably guttural reaction of complete and utter devastation from the toddler. They recover, only to quickly begin plans for the next attempt.

Kids are awesome!



As for the next bit?................


Working in the shop..............

More rehearsing.............

More music prep...........

More writing..........................

Hopefully some baby squeezes.....................

Put on karaoke show..................................


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


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




May you breathe in the Spring, for it is new, new chapter, new chance, new life......new.
May you run with this opportunity of change, big or small, shake things, obscure your current  view.

May you be inspired to do something never done, create, retool, recharge, reinvent from within.
May you find, in doing so, you'll keep what you love, what is truly you, losing only what's run thin.

May you look to the horizon and see endless possibilities, leaving the shadows of the past untethered.
May you see no life worth living stays pristine, showing no signs of being scarred or weathered.

May you breathe in the Spring, for it is new.
May you breathe in the Spring, for it is you.



Until next time.....


www.margyreidbooks.com