by Tish MacWebber | Jul 18, 2018 | Treasure Seeker Tuesdays
Hello Treasure Seekers! This week, in Treasure Seeker Tuesday #29: A Tale of Two Grandmothers is the story I want to share with you. One might think that I am writing about my own grandmothers, but as I am known to be full of surprises, it will not be about both of my grandmothers.
One of my grandmothers died before I was born. I never had the pleasure of knowing her, and I do hear that she was a remarkable woman. My middle name, Agnes, is in her honour. I am proud to be her namesake. It keeps her close to my heart. I hope to be able to meet her in heaven someday.
I am writing about my other grandmother. I do know her very well and love her dearly. She has had quite a life, and I want to tell some of her story here. Along with her in this post will be my husband’s grandmother. We each only have one living grandparent now, as his grandfather on the other side of the family passed away less than two weeks ago. He was 92, almost 93. He loved to be busy and was gardening in the orchard, vegetable garden and greenhouse almost right up until the day he died. It was sad to receive the news that he was gone, but it was a better thing for him to go quickly instead of being too sick to stay busy and be stuck in the hospital. He will be missed.
Both of my grandfathers have also passed away. I miss each of them from time to time but smile at all of the memories I have of growing up with them in my life. Roy’s other grandfather and grandmother are also gone. It seems like more people are dying in our world, but it is actually no more or less than before. We are old enough now that we both are taking note of this more, and it seems like it is more frequent, but it is not. We are just paying more attention to the news than we did when we were younger. As we grow older, our perspective changes with us.
We went on vacation for the first full week in July. We had a busy week, and I plan to blog about the vacation later. During this vacation, we planned to visit with our grandmothers, along with as many friends and family we could fit into our week. You see, some people get to see their families whenever they want to, and sometimes when they don’t want to. Roy and I live in New Brunswick, and most of our families live in either Nova Scotia or Ontario. When we make the trip to visit with our families, it literally means we plan to spend time with our families. We would love to have the time to visit with everyone when we go on vacation, but there are too many people to fit in. We only see my family, including our nieces and nephews, once a year, if we can all make the trip.
This time has become precious to me, and I want to be present in their lives when I get the chance to be there. If I am not spending the majority of my vacation with them, I am missing out on something that matters to me. Being an aunt in person. Playing board games, colouring and picking songs for music night. Having 1 s’more cooked on the bonfire and watching them chase bubbles around the yard. Watching my mom and nephew play washer toss together. Going out for ice cream. Listening to and joining in on a chorus of giggles. Stuff most aunts take for granted because they can see their nieces and nephews whenever they want to. Things I take a few pictures of and try to be present in the moments so that I can remember them until next year.
When I went to see my grandmother, I went with my mom, sisters, and their children. Nanny seemed to remember me, which was good. Her memory is failing, and she repeats things, gets confused, and asks the same questions over and over. If you were around her frequently, it would be trying on your patience, but it’s not her fault. She is 89 years old and lives in a home for senior citizens, built as an addition to the local hospital. That way there are doctors and medical staff on site all the time. She likes it there. She says the floors are clean, and that the food is good. She says that there is nothing that they don’t have because the staff provides everything they need. She also says that even though she is there alone most of the time, she doesn’t find the time long at all. She is still active where she is because when we arrived to visit, we had to leave and come back. She was at a birthday party. One thing about my Nanny is that she likes her activities, and I don’t think she would have been pleased to be interrupted. We also decided that it would be nicer to the person that the party was for to not interrupt and cause a commotion since it wasn’t Nanny’s party, and she was a guest. If it had been her birthday, we would have gladly surprised her, but it wasn’t.
We went to a store to window shop, and we went back. I asked Mom if she thought the parties ran late in the home, and she didn’t think so. Mom was wrong. They are a bunch of party animals in there! We had to wait longer for her to be finished when we went back!
Nanny was surprised to see the group of us when she came back to her room. She wanted to know all of our names, and ages. She asked me how old I was, and I answered truthfully, “44.”
“What?” she asked, “44? Huh. Next, it will be 50.” To which I held out my hands and said, “Slow down there! I am in no rush for that!” Everyone laughed about it.
She kept repeating the names and trying to match the kids with my sisters. She did get confused. We changed how we were sitting to make it easier, and it did help, except it put my sisters, the twins not sitting side by side. Then she had to concentrate to place them.
When it was time to leave, she kept looking at me and asking me if I hugged her yet. By the third hug, I made a joke about how I thought I was unforgettable, but I guess not. We laughed. She wanted to hold my hand, and that was fine with me. Everyone gave her a hug, and we left as a group. Nanny had a good day, and I was glad we got to have a nice visit with her. It is a little hard to see her the way she is now, knowing what a tough cookie she has always been. She loved to play cards, crib, and Bingo. She didn’t lose gracefully and always wanted to win. She still gets her hair “set” in curls and loved laughing when we visited. She had breast cancer, twice, and beat it. She still complains about arthritis in her spine and in the next sentence claims that she is lucky to have her good health. The doctor jokes with her about not making any money from taking care of her, because she is too healthy. She likes that joke.
It amazed me one day in university to realize that my grandmother was fluently bilingual in English and Acadian French. I knew she spoke both English and French as a child. I asked her if she could also read both languages, and she told me that she could. I guess I never really thought about it until the day I asked her.
Later on that week, we went to visit Nanny Webber, my husband’s grandmother. She will be 110 on July 22nd. She is still living in a senior’s apartment, in the same building as her son, my father in law. He checks on her and helps her as much as he can.
Visiting with Nanny Webber is a different experience than visiting with my grandmother. I have no problem holding a conversation with her, and she likes to have a few minutes to talk to me without the men listening in. I know she doesn’t say anything to me that she wouldn’t say in front of them, but I think she likes to visit with me as much as I like to visit with her.
She does have helpers now for two meals a day. She was not happy that they wanted her to stop eating salt. She has been alive longer than most people will ever dream of, and I agree with her that if she wants to have salt, then she should be able to have it. It might be worse for her to stop having it at her age. I can’t say for sure but I think she is wise to keep going the same way she always has. It’s worked for 110 years, why stop now? My husband helped his father fill up her salt shakers (she has at least 4) and gave her one near her chair, so it is there and she can reach it by herself if she wants to.
I don’t know Nanny Webber as much as I would like to. We have had a few visits over the years, and I am honoured every time we have a little visit. I look forward to as many visits as I can with her. I told her that I am writing a book, and she told me that she would like to read it and that she hopes that she is able to. I hope so, too.
Nanny Webber and Roy’s father made the local news today. Here is a link:
Nanny Webber and Roland Webber on the news
Our grandmothers met at our wedding, almost 8 years ago. There is one picture of them sitting together at the reception.
Nanny Webber (left) & Nanny (right) at my wedding reception in September 2010
My aunt took this picture. 🙂
There are 2 other pictures that I would like to share. The first one is of my grandparents on their wedding day. It is a picture with a story behind it. When they got married, My grandmother posed for a picture with her maid of honour, and my grandfather posed for a picture with his best man. The pictures of them together had either been lost or were not able to be developed for some reason. They never had a picture of them together on their wedding day.
Imagine their surprise when they looked at the picture below…
Nanny & Pepere on their wedding day, September 30, 1947
My aunt had this picture created, digitally as a surprise for them on their 50th wedding anniversary. I guess I am not the only one in the family who is full of surprises!
When we visited with Nanny Webber, I learned that we had even more in common than just our love for crafts and marrying into the Webber family. On my wedding day, there was a hurricane, and we had to schedule a different day for wedding pictures. Nanny Webber wanted to give us a wedding photo, taken the day after her wedding, on the family farm. She had to get dressed for her wedding photos twice also!
Here is the picture she gave to us:
Nanny & Grampy Webber, Sept 18 1934. The photo was taken in Clam Harbour, NS.
This photo was taken the day after their wedding. I am not sure if it was dated for the day of the wedding or the day after the wedding. It was her mother’s farmhouse they are standing beside.
There you have it, Treasure Seekers! A Tale of Two Grandmothers! I hope you enjoyed reading about our grandmothers. Please share any stories about your grandparents in the comments. I would love to read them!
by Tish MacWebber | Jun 6, 2018 | Treasure Seeker Tuesdays
Hello Treasure Seekers! This is a little past the cutoff time for Tuesday, but I am determined to revisit Success 2018 as we are halfway through the year. Previously, in Treasure Seeker Tuesday #11, I revealed that my word to define 2018 would be Success.
I thought it was time to check in with my list, to see how far I have come.
15. Launching my Website on January 1st, 2018. (I have 14 more days to work on this)
If you are reading this, it is on my own website. Success.
14.Learning how to make a proper Launch and Landing page before the website launch on January 1st, 2018. Also setting up an email list and starting a newsletter.
This project is still in progress. It is on the way to success.
13. Finish writing more than 1 book. At least 2 published and writing my Fantasy Trilogy Book 1 by a year from now.
I am working on the second draft of book 1. I have set deadlines.
From Where I am Sitting, A Collection of Cat Tales by Tish Mac Webber September 30, 2018
The Art of Surprising Yourself (which has since become the definition of #Tishspiration) December 2018.
It is on the way to success.
12. Supplementing my income with sales from my website.
Book Sales will come with launch & publishing dates. Book Bling will Launch with the books. I have borrowed a camera to start taking better quality pics of my Bling for the online store. Basic Bling will be available before I start Book Bling in September.
It is on the way to success.
11. Plan a real vacation. 2 weeks. Need to fly to get there and back. 2 days before and after, 10 days at the destination.
I have booked a vacation and we will be heading to Nova Scotia. I am working on ideas for what to write about while I am in Cape Breton.
Sometimes we have to compromise. I am taking a 10 day vacation, but not getting on a plane.
Success.
10. Jewellery sales increasing after adding the jewellery to the website.
See # 12. It is on the way to success.
9.Using my 2 new 2018 planners to the fullest extent.
I am struggling with this. I have 6 more months to figure it out. Needs more effort.
8. Purging things. Lots of things. More than last year.
Started and stopped. I will need to get this going. It is Yard Sale Season. Needs more effort.
7. Finishing the Housecleaning challenge. A Bowl Full of Lemons runs it, check it out online here. There is a Facebook Group, but it is a closed group. You will need to ask to join it if you are interested in that.
Really struggling. I have company coming soon, and I am hosting a potluck in 2 weeks. Time to get’er done! Needs more effort. (Right away)!
6. Having a job related to the field of writing.
I will resume pursuing this goal after vacation is over. Needs more effort.
5.Collaborating with musicians to get at least one of my songs recorded and playable for other people to hear. Writing more lyrics.
#Help If you are a musician, we should strike up a conversation. A true collaboration is what I am looking for, a win/win. I really do want to get the songs out of my head and onto the radio. Needs more effort.
4. Getting a new pet (or a duo).
After vacation, this will be a realistic goal. It is on the way to success.
3. Becoming more active.
I did more Zumba lately. I walked and pulled a muscle in my foot. Le sigh. I am gingerly back to Zumba. It is on the way to success.
2. Lose weight the right way.
I started a Hydration challenge. This caused concern on my facebook wall, as I am aiming for 5 Litres of water a day, and people that care about me expressed their concern. I am researching and requesting guidance from my Diabetes Case Manager, and my own doctor.
I am eating more home cooked meals and working on giving up pop as a daily treat. I will still have some on occasion, but not every day any more. It is on the way to success.
1. Become a Best Selling Author.
Biggest goal here. I am working on it. It is on the way to success.
So if you were keeping track, 2 Successes, 9 items on the way to success, and 4 items need more effort.
Progress is progress.
Success 2018 Desk, notepad, pen, laptop and coffee for Tishspiration
I have surpassed my list with 2 things in 2018. My #DanceWithJanet audition is a total success, even if I didn’t get that call, because I did it. I used this to start rebranding my entrepreneurial dreams, by creating the YouTube Channel, Tishspiration Station. Wait, what? Did I jump into the YouTube world too? Um yeah, I did. I needed a place to link the dancing videos from to share them here on the blog. I am taking the #Tishspiration with me, and running with it. There I go again, surprising myself. I had no ambition to do this until I had the dance videos to share. I will be developing it to go along with book launches to start. As you know, I just go with things sometimes. I don’t know where this little left turn will take me, but here I go!
How are you doing at the 6 month mark of 2018? Are you checking your list off? Let me know in the comments.
#TreasureSeekerTuesday
by Tish MacWebber | May 23, 2018 | Treasure Seeker Tuesdays
Hello Treasure Seekers! It’s Tuesday! Here I am starting fresh. It is like I am beginning again! I know it has been a while since I have been blogging, and my new schedule will have me writing in this category every two weeks, instead of every week. I really needed a break, and it is time to get back into the Blogging habit. It is a good thing for me to do, and I enjoy Blogging.
I am writing my first book. I have put aside the first draft to begin again, this time with a second draft. The first draft hasn’t been shredded, in fact, it will help me to perfect my second draft. Some of it is definitely worthy of making it into my book. Other parts need to be written with a new perspective, to have it in the correct point of view. I had to get a feel for where I am going with the stories and to do that, I needed time to think about what I did, and what I want to do.
One of my gifts is that I love to write, and tell stories. I have written song lyrics, and a poem or two. I have written a lot here on the Blog, and some people have told me that it is like a journal. In a way, it is. It is written from my heart, and that is where all of my stories come from. I used to write in journals, so maybe that is why it may read like a journal to some people. For me, it is not the same.
There is a lot more thought behind what I write here. My journals were written when I was a teenager and a young adult. They were a lot less polished, more raw than what I write here on the blog. Nevertheless, I treasure all of the words I write, like the hidden gems they are. Some are kept hidden, from my past, and they will stay there. It is where they belong. The Blog is constantly being polished to shine. Every change I make is heading in the right direction for me. I am hoping that you are still going to be reading as I keep writing. That is another one of my treasures. You.
This afternoon, when I got home from work, I checked my Stats. I know the GDPR is coming up, and I am working on preparing my website for the change. I have seen very low activity in the past little bit. Imagine my surprise when I saw a jump in the numbers! It went from 3 or fewer views to 24! Weekend Warrior from this past weekend stirred up some views. That makes me smile, to know that people have been waiting for me to write more Blog stories.
Wow. For those of you that are with me on this adventure, thank you. Really. It means a lot to me when the numbers reflect that you are paying attention. I write for you to read because you matter to me. My stories mean something to you too. I hope that this pattern continues and that you will stick with it and with me. Oh my gosh, this just makes me smile!
So how can I help you to grow in your own way with me? It is something I have been thinking about when I was preparing for this story. I have started so many new projects in the last year and a half. I have tried new things and challenged myself. Sometimes, there have been things that didn’t work. I am too stubborn to just quit. I am just not that kind of a person. I may stop in my tracks to get my bearings, and then go full speed ahead in whatever direction I need to go next. How can you do this?
Trust Your Gut! Ha! If you read my Blog, that is another category, but the title lends itself here with a different purpose. Start with one thing. Something that scares you a little. Or challenges you. Go with it. If it doesn’t work, there are two possibilities. Either it isn’t your thing (which means you need to try something different next time) or you need to rethink what happened, and try it again from a different angle. That is it. It is okay to try things and decide that you don’t want to do them again. The important thing is to keep trying new things. Keep pushing for what you really want, even if you are scared, even if you don’t know what that thing you want is yet. Time is going to pass whether you watch it or become a part of it. I choose to participate, and what an adventure I have begun. I am on my way to things I never thought I would be able to do. I am, in fact, surprising myself. You have the power to do it too, if you decide to participate in your own life, instead of watching it pass you by. Do something new! Let me know what you did in the comments below. I can’t wait to help you discover new things about yourself. I want to know what works for you, and what doesn’t.
Need an example? #DanceWithJanet was something I tried this spring. I thought about it, planned it in my mind, practiced when I got my feet to join in on the project. It took some convincing. I KNEW I wanted to do it. I didn’t know how. I do Zumba. I like it. I make up the moves that work for me to get through the class. That is what I did in my blooper reel. I spent 2 days filming, one with a friend, and one on my own. I did it. This past weekend, Janet Jackson was on the Billboard Awards. She was getting the Icon Award, and she did sing a little. Loved it. The thing that made me want to jump up and down was the little dance section at just over 2 minutes into the performance. She did her dance to IF! That is the song I chose for my audition. I was blown away. I am still giggling and shaking my head. Grinning from ear to ear. She must have watched. She may not add me to her show, but I might have added a touch of Tishspiration to her life. I have convinced myself of this, and that it wasn’t just a coincidence. #Tishspiration. It is a word I made up, with a whole lot of potential. I am going to use it to move forward with my journey. I am playing with my creativity and imagination, and it is really surprising me.
There is one final thing of note for my #DanceWithJanet audition. I did it. I sent it in. No regrets. I was on Twitter after the Award show, and one tweet stood out to me. Someone wrote, “I should have tried out for #DanceWithJanet.” Someone else out there regrets not doing something that I actually did. I am not the person with regrets. That is something I can think back on and smile. Scream a little, jump up and down about, and clap my hands for. I DID IT!
I was wondering today if Janet Jackson has any idea how much she impacted my life just for allowing me to try? Not only have I felt the joy of actually doing something to change my life, but the responses I got from friends and family were nothing short of amazing. The support and comments from so many people really made it worthwhile. Okay, and so did the actual completion of the project, but the reactions on the internet really surprised me. Nothing but positivity. For this, I also want to thank Janet Jackson. I didn’t know how many people truly cared about me and what I am doing in my life. It makes me think that I am on the right path and that I must keep going. #Tishspiration is just beginning. Wait until you see what I am working on next! There is a hint at my Youtube channel, Tishspiration Station. By the way, if you didn’t see the Audition video, or the progress/blooper reel, you can find them there. It is where the word Tishspiration started, with that audition video, so it is fitting that they were my first two videos on my Youtube Channel. I am conceptualizing what to tackle next there. It won’t be anything with music or dancing at this time, due to copyright laws. I am still crossing my fingers that the videos I have posted there keep the music. It was a part of the audition, so it was not in any way meant to do anything but share my adventure. It was never intended to earn money or claim any rights to the music. It was her sone, for her open competition. I can’t just do that with any music I love. There are songs that allow usage on Youtube. I may have fun someday with other songs and dances. For now, I am working on my first Vlog on youtube. Stay tuned! Vlog #1 TBA. I am just getting started on this adventure! I hope you will join me because I am glad that you are here!
#TreasureSeekerTuesday
by Tish MacWebber | Apr 11, 2018 | Treasure Seeker Tuesdays
This Tuesday, Treasure Seekers, I am shining a Spotlight on Book Reviews. As an Author, it is something that is a good practice to get into, reviewing books. It helps your peers, to get reviews on their work. It helps your followers to decide what book they might or might not want to read next, in their free time. It does take time away from writing, to read other books and review them, so I am not going to be writing them constantly. Once I get enough purchases registered on Amazon.ca, and I switch my profile on Goodreads to reflect my pen name as the Author I am, then I will be reviewing more books there. This is my first book review since I have become an Author. I am still writing my first book, with plans for 5 more. I hope that I will be so lucky as to have people enjoy my books enough to write some kind words about them someday.
I am going to review two books today. They are both completely different, with a common…noodle of thought. The title of the first book will explain that comment a little better.
Sarah Tyley started writing her debut novel, Spaghetti Head in 2006. I understand what she describes when she says that she started writing it, and then she stopped. I have started writing my own first novel, and it is in progress. I am working hard to find the time to work on my own book. Classified on amazon.co.uk as a Contemporary Fiction novel, Spaghetti Head is currently for sale as an ebook for Kindle. When I looked into the future publication plans that Sarah has shared on her social media, she will be launching the paperback version in June.
With a name like Spaghetti Head, I didn’t quite know what to expect. This novel has many twists and turns, much like a bowl of spaghetti. Add in a few solid meatballs, like Granma, Sally and Ty to support the main character Nell; and you have some great personalities to write a story about. The complications arise when Nell Greene, the main character, is presented with a major life choice. In the world that Sarah has created, there are population issues, and Nell is nominated for an Award. It is not your typical award for journalism, her chosen career, but rather to receive it she must become a Mother. This comes with its own form of spicy complications. The sauce of the story lies in the inner voice that Nell has been listening to for years. This voice has its own personality, and name. You will have to read the book to learn more about that.
You can’t have a good bowl of spaghetti without sprinkling on a bit of cheese. Enter Alice and Shilly, the robotic companions of Nell and Ty, respectively. They provide distraction, advice and laughter throughout the novel. Just a hint of something extra, to enhance the flavour of the book.
Being a fan of randomness myself, and fighting with my own internal gremlins, I do understand how the title suits the book since I have finished reading it. One of the things that Nell decides to do to help her make her decision to accept the award or not is to go to therapy. Here is the noodle I referred to earlier. There are techniques used in this book and the second book to be reviewed here that are to help move the characters in this book, and the readers in the second book, beyond what is holding them back. As I am writing this to encourage people to read the books, I am not going to give away the secrets, but I did find it interesting to read two completely different books, and find tools being used both in the world of Nell in Spaghetti Head, that I found also while reading …
by Debbie Burns. If you are a regular here on my website, you may recognize this author’s name. If not, you might be more familiar with me writing about Facebook Groups. I happened to find Creative Central, a Facebook group that is founded by Debbie Burns. It is one of many projects that this amazing woman has on the go. Not only is this group free, but it has other writers like myself, finding their way to becoming authors, one word at a time. To be in a welcoming, positive safe group with my peers is absolutely priceless. Enough about who Debbie is, time to tell you what I thought of her book.
When Debbie announced that she was having an online launch party for this book, I had to make sure I made it to at least a part of it. I happened to be home that day, so I was there for the start. I downloaded my copy, and read the book, cover to cover, the same day it was launched.
The common noodle is in this book also. There are things people can do to help themselves, and both books reinforce this, in completely different ways. In Spaghetti Head, Nell uses the tools in the book to help her solve her own issues. In The Path to Courage outlines some of the same tools, but in a practical guide for the reader.
Reading The Path to Courage was like having a conversation with Debbie, where she imparts her own wisdom of how to find courage inside of the reader. It is full of joy and personal stories. She describes what happened in her life that brought her to need to write this book, and how she has overcome all of the things in her life that tried to stop her in her remarkable journey. She calls herself the Head Unicorn, she has fabulous pink hair to help support that claim. She writes about glitter and fireflies and how to change the way you think with simple tools, that like I have written before, you will have to read the book to discover.
Spaghetti Head was a wonderful story thought up by Sarah Tyley, and I am a fan. She is currently writing her second book and I will be waiting to read what she has to tell in her next story.
The Path to Courage is an insightful book that helps the reader find their own way. Full of spunk and anecdotes, it is a book that I will likely read more than once, as there are exercises inside that I want to test to help me find my own Path to Courage.
There you have it. A spotlight on book reviews makes its first appearance in Treasure Seeker Tuesday. It is a topic that I see growing into this category and will help me to find other Treasures to seek and share with you here, on the Blog. I hope that you check these books out, and if you do, please let me know what you thought of them. Myself, I enjoyed them both, each for their own unique style and story.
#TreasureSeekerTuesday
by Tish MacWebber | Apr 4, 2018 | Treasure Seeker Tuesdays
This week in Treasure Seeker Tuesday, I want to write about someone very important. YOU! The world is a harsh place at times, and it is easy to get lost in the shuffle. People disappear in the mundane routine of work eat sleep repeat. I am writing today to tell you that you matter and that you need to stop existing and start living. Treasure Yourself! What do I mean by that?
Everyone on this planet is capable of making choices. Some people choose to fly under the radar and just sit in the background to avoid the spotlight. It isn’t for everyone to be the centre of attention all of the time. I think we all get our chances to shine in the world, but it is up to us to grab on and go for the ride. When it is your time to show the world what you can do, you need to own it.
I have spent many years of my life just surviving, and I have realized that I was meant to thrive. I am on a mission to tell stories, here in the Blog and also in my books. I do not know how successful this adventure will be, but I know that I am determined (okay, stubborn) enough to see it through to the finish line. I have literally come to life since I stumbled onto the path I am on, and I can honestly say that I have no regrets. It is lighting a fire in my soul called passion, and it is sometimes flickering but never extinguished. When I am on a low burn, that is when I need to find the desire to try something different or do the things I do not want to do so that I can get back to doing what makes me happy.
When I am quiet, and I let my thoughts roam, I come up with some brilliant ideas. They could be jewellery designs, topics to write about here on the blog, or plans for my current WIP (work in progress aka book.) I can solve problems, and create a solution just by sleeping on it. I can find so much joy when I press publish on a blog story like I will with this one because I know that I was inspired just before I decided to write, and it has a purpose and a message.
So do you. You are reading this because you are looking for something. Inspiration, guidance, hope. Something makes you read this category, or the title caught your eye. I am told that the featured pictures are getting stale, and that will be one of the changes I think seriously about this month. I need to work on this website. I need to edit my WIP. I don’t really want to do either of those things, any more than I want to clean my house from top to bottom or crawl out of bed to face the work week, especially on Mondays. Sometimes, you have to do the things you don’t want to do so that you can do the things you want to do. Adulting is hard.
I used to go around cranky saying that I hated being responsible. I was really miserable deep down inside before I rekindled my love for writing. The answers are within you, and being cranky all of the time, as a victim of circumstance is not one of them. I am writing today to tell you that you have to do some soul searching to find your answers.
Just like everything else, anything worth doing is never easy. If it was, we would all be doing it already. You have to ask yourself the tough questions, and then be patient enough to learn the answers.
Bad things happen. To everyone. The hardest thing is to pick yourself up by your socks and move on. Move over. Move around. Whatever obstacles stand in your way, it is up to you to find the way to crush them and seize your answers. If you just take a little tiny step, you will see that you can take another one. After that, you can keep moving forward, one baby step at a time, until you are moving forward by leaps and bounds, bracing yourself at the sharp corners, and tumbling like a pro when something dares to try to slow you down. You will stumble, and you will fall. The only thing to do is get up and try again. The only thing I ever gained from giving up was being cranky all of the time. I don’t want to be that person. Go find your baseball glove and start throwing the curveballs. Don’t dodge them. Catch them, and throw them right back where they came from.
Do you remember reading the Choose Your Own Adventure books? I used to love them. I would read the first ending, and then I would reread all of the other options until I had learned every scenario. That is how you need to approach life. We don’t know how it will end until we try all of the possible scenarios. Choose wisely, and start living to your fullest potential. I am only beginning to discover just what I really am capable of doing. The world is not ready for me yet. I am full of surprises, and I am going to keep pushing my boundaries as far as I can. The only thing standing in my way is myself. I choose to Treasure Myself and trust in what feels like I am meant to do. Treasure Seekers, do it. Treasure Yourself. Open your heart and mind to the possibilities, and believe in yourselves. I can do more than I ever thought was possible. So can you. Go get it!
#TreasureSeekerTuesday
by Tish MacWebber | Mar 30, 2018 | Treasure Seeker Tuesdays
After attempting to write this Treasure Seeker Tuesday once already this week, and being 700 words into it, my fingers took it out. I had it saved and typed it right out of existence. Sometimes, things don’t work out the way you plan them to. This was a perfect chance for a rewrite. It’s too bad my eyes were the only ones that saw my first crack at this story. It was pretty good. Now I have the challenge to make it better. When opportunity knocks, you should really answer that door.
Part of being an adult is knowing when to admit when you are wrong, and more importantly, apologizing. I was recently invited to be a featured creative in a brand new E-Zine, called Creatives Rising. In my excitement to help spread the good news, I approached it incorrectly. It was a bit awkward, and I had to delete the initial post to write it again. That wasn’t the hardest part. I then had to apologize.
The publishers were very gracious. I was honest and upfront about not trying to do the wrong thing. They understood that I wanted to learn how to do things properly, and provided instructions on how to correct the posts. It crossed my mind to just bail, but that would not have been a way to learn how to work with people. I held my breath and when the dust settled, I submitted my article.
Then I had to wait. Patience is tough when you try something new and get off to a bumpy start. It is even harder to wait when it is something that is really important to you. I worked hard on that article. I put a lot of thought into writing generally, but when you are writing for someone else, it feels like it is really important, and you want to put your best effort into it. I was given the Topic Creative Highlight and the subject was Peace. It was a challenge, but I worked on it, then sent it in. I didn’t know how it was going to be received, or what to expect, really. This was my first time submitting an article for an E-Zine, and I was really nervous. I didn’t know if what I wrote would be up to the standards that were expected.
Miscommunications and misunderstandings happen to everyone. The trick is to learn and grow from the experience, instead of letting it hold you back. I learned this a long time ago, back when I started dating my husband. He would say things, I would not understand what he meant, I would get upset and cry. Then we would talk, and he would explain what he meant. Back then I think we might have spoken different languages, even though we are both very fluent in English. He is bilingual, with French also, but I am not. We also had a bumpy start. I have to tell you, I have no regrets, our communication with each other has grown and matured with our relationship. I do not back down from him, I question him if I don’t understand what he means. We have been together 25 years and married for almost 8 of them. We had a lot of time to learn about each other, and practice our communication skills.
See what I did there? I made you wait too.
When I got the draft back, there were suggested edits, and they wanted to drop a paragraph. I thought it was reasonable, so I revised the draft and sent it back in. With one sentence needing finalization after the second round, the article was complete. Then I waited with everyone for the launch of the Creatives Rising E-Zine Spring 2018 Issue. It’s an online publication FOR Creatives, BY Creatives in affiliation with @CreativesRising and @CreativeEnergyGoddess
#CreativesRising2018 #CRZine #amwriting #HappyWriting
I am very proud to be a Featured Creative in this publication and am so honoured that I was invited to participate. It is available through an online subscription. The file is large, and your computer will advise you of this. It is so worth downloading, and not just because of the article I wrote for it.
How to Avoid Creative Barriers: Peace out! …is the name of my article.
You can subscribe here:
If you do subscribe, let me know in the comments, so that I can thank you. I would also be interested in reading any thoughts you have on my article and the whole Creatives Rising E-Zine. I am really glad that I pushed my own boundaries to take a step forward in my own writing goals. I plan to keep writing. Who knows what opportunity is going to come knocking next? I am ready.
#TreasureSeekerTuesday (On a Friday morning…because of circumstances and a finger trip)
by Tish MacWebber | Mar 14, 2018 | Treasure Seeker Tuesdays
In Treasure Seeker Tuesday this week, it is time to tell a story. Once upon a time, more than a few years ago, I was chasing another dream. A local craft store had decided to close. I talked to the owners, I made a business plan, I presented it to a committee, and it was rejected. It was rather deflating. The dreams were dashed, and I put it away. It is hard to put yourself out there for a dream to have it crushed. Really hard.
Inexperience was probably the biggest factor in the rejection. I did not know how to make a business plan. I didn’t have any money of my own to use as an investment. From that rejection, I then tried to create my own jewellery business, which I have yet to officially launch here, on the website. It used to be known as Tish’s Treasures, which was launched years ago at the local Farmer’s Market. I gave it a good try, for 2 years, but there were restrictions. There I was, a brand new entrepreneur, chasing my dreams of turning my hobby into a sustainable source of income; stuck following someone else’s rules. I was allowed to sell beaded ornaments and suncatchers, but not my jewellery. That venture was doomed before it even started.
Tish’s Treasures turned back into a hobby, one that made appearances with me as a vendor in different craft shows. I did sell a piece or two, here and there, but it never really took off. It wasn’t until this past January, when I pulled my product out of a local store, that I realized that the old business, under the old name, was holding me back.
I haven’t launched any of my product here yet, officially. I have shared my new business name, Tish MacWebber, Always Blinging…
I have yet to take pictures to post products for sale on this website. I have dreams and plans, but they are larger than life. My imagination knows no boundaries.
Writing books and being a jewellery designer is something that works in my mind. I don’t know if I am going to be able to make it work in the real world. As I started writing this, I realized what is holding me back. I’m terrified of failure. Literally terrified.
I have followed my dreams before. Not with as much conviction as I have had this time, but I have tried before. I do not like being told no, and I certainly do not like to be proven to be wrong. I can admit when I am wrong and apologize. But how do you apologize to your toughest critic, yourself?
I have grown a lot since I wrote my first business plan. One of my peers is encouraging me to use her template to write my own business plan. I have been avoiding it like the plague. You guessed right, I am scared to try.
Which sounds ridiculous when you think about it. I have spent very little money on my adventure this far, and I am not ready to give up. Not by a longshot. Despite this very thing, I am avoiding writing my books right now. I am scared of not being able to finish them. Yeah, I know, stopping is the fastest way to never finishing them. I have bailed on a lot of projects in my life. This dream is not going to be one of them.
You might think I have things all together on this side of the computer. Nope. I am not an organized planner at all, even though I have two 2018 agendas that match and are waiting to be used. I bought two sizes so that one could be portable if I needed it, and the other would be my main desk planner. One does help me to keep track of appointments and my husband’s work schedule. They are not being used to their full potential.
Neither am I. While I am Always Thinking…
I am not always doing. Therein lies one of my problems. I am not taking action. I am keeping up with the Blog, but it has been a lacklustre effort of late, and I am changing that right now. I am writing something meaningful again, not just writing for the sake of the commitment to the schedule I set up for myself.
I am at a crossroads while I write this. I have two choices. I can say to heck with it and walk away. That would be the easy option. It would lead me back to a life of putting up and shutting up. Taking whatever comes at me, and losing myself in circumstances. Woe is me, the universe is out to get me, and I am helpless to do anything about it. That really is what my life was like before I started putting myself out there and trying to find my purpose and passion. There is the teeniest, tiniest spark left inside of me. That flame needs to be fanned, and nurtured, and fed to grow. It is the part of me that makes me shake my head when I am writing about giving up. It is the part of me that fuels my passion, and I have to let it flourish. To let this spark go out is to let the creative dreamer inside of me die of boredom, frustration, and hopelessness. That is not something I am willing to do, no matter how scared I am of putting my work and myself out into the world again. A failure is only a true failure if you let it beat you. If you pick yourself up and shake the negativity off, to try something different, change your perspective and attack it from a different angle, you win at life. I want to win at life. I need to follow my dreams. I haven’t felt this good about one of my blog posts in a while, so I am taking that as a good sign, and that I am on my way out of whatever was dragging me down.
I have to share one more experience here, with you. It was from before I even tried to open a craft store on my own, and failed. I was in need of legal advice. I met with a lawyer. I told him about my issues, and he advised that it was not the kind of thing that he could help me with. We had a conversation, and he listened to me talking about this crazy idea I had to open my own craft store. I had a floor plan and had talked to people about flooring and storage and the interior design. I wasn’t ready to present the business plan at that point, but it was clear to the lawyer that it was something that lit a fire inside of me, he could sense that I was passionate about this idea. I had other friends at the time see the same thing, and they were excited for me and with me as I gave it my best shot. It didn’t work out.
The lawyer did two things that day that I will never forget. The first one was that he didn’t charge me a dime. How often do you ever hear people say that about a meeting with a lawyer? Not too many. The second thing was a little more insightful. He encouraged me to keep working on my dreams. He told me that he wasn’t sure that this was the right path for me at that time, but he was certain that I was going to be successful at something, he just didn’t know what, or when. Here I am trying something new, and pushing myself harder than I ever have before.
I might just surprise myself and do just what I set out to do this time. Write my books and design jewellery together, because that is how I want it to be. My passion, my dreams, and my rules.
This story may appear in part or in whole in my second book. I am calling it The Art Of Surprising Yourself, which I announced earlier on my social media platforms this week. This is just an example of something that you might find in my second book. What do you think?
#TreasureSeekerTuesday
by Tish MacWebber | Mar 7, 2018 | Treasure Seeker Tuesdays
In Treasure Seeker Tuesday #22 Love This Viral Trend, I am going to share a fun, uplifting viral trend with you. I could not wait to take my friend, Matty out to help me be trendy. ME! He loved the idea also, and we both had a blast this evening after work.
First, I want to share a teaser of the glasses that I am not buying. I always try on the wildest styles, just for fun! Here are the wildest ones I encountered while I was out trying on glasses. I am told the pair I am replacing are out of style. It is not that I don’t love my current look, but even I admit that I love getting a new look every 2 years. Sometimes, I do have to wait longer, if my prescription lenses don’t need to change. My husband thinks that I am high maintenance. That makes me laugh so hard! He has NO idea what that means, which is why it is so hilarious.
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Floral Pattern Glasses Frames
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Pick a Fandom Frames Nerd-tastic
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Coco Chanel Sunglasses
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Go Retro with the Viewfinder!
I must say, that walking around, trying on glasses, looking into a cellphone, and saying, “Cheese!” multiple times until it took the pictures of me was rather amusing.
That is a little sneak peek of what I didn’t buy for my new glasses. I did order a regular pair and a pair of sunglasses. I am really looking forward to getting them on Friday, after work.
So what is this viral trend that I decided to participate in? Well, I saw a video earlier this week on Facebook. I am, as you know if you read my blog, an author, and I am writing my first book. I have been advised many times to get professional headshots done for my Author Bio. I am also doing as much as I can myself, and when I need help, I ask my friends. I know a few people that are photographers, but I really think that my friend Matty is really talented. We have an agreement that when I am a rich and famous Author, I will pay him for his photography services. In the meantime, we are learning what we need to do to make that perfect Author pic happen. We are picking days and learning by having demo photo shoots. Today was one of those days.
The trend I am referring to is to go to your local craft store, find the walls of artificial flowers, and pose like they are real. It is a simple, wonderful concept, sure to chase away the winter blues, at least for a couple of hours. We went for an hour, and had a blast! Nobody asked us what we were up to, although I think some people were curious. Here is the link to where I saw the idea…#HobbyLobbyChallenge. While I do not have Hobby Lobby store in my city, I do have craft stores. We went in, had our impromptu photo shoot, looked around for a few minutes, and left to continue on with our regularly scheduled Tuesday. I didn’t come up with this idea, and I know that there is a grammatical error in the video, (I didn’t make the video, either) I do love the concept.
When I was grabbing the link to share here, I noticed a lot of comments about the grammar and the store. I am not going to focus on that. I think that if you look at the pictures we took in the hour at a local craft store, you will agree that it was an hour well spent, and I think for a spur of the moment photo op, we did well!
Here are the 30 pics we took today, for you to view in a slideshow. Let me know what you think!
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So I am issuing a challenge to you all to go and have yourself a “Bring on Spring” photoshoot! We liked the idea, and had fun! I am going to be on the lookout when spring and summer are here to try and find a natural floral backdrop for another adventure or ten with my photographer and friend, Matty. Thanks for helping me today, and for supporting me on my journey. We are going to rock this together!
#TreasureSeekerTuesday
by Tish MacWebber | Feb 28, 2018 | Treasure Seeker Tuesdays
Hello Treasure Seekers! In Treasure Seeker Tuesday #21 Getting my BLING ON! I am going to talk about the other passion that I am following. It might have been a little bit neglected over the past several months, but I need to give the Bling some love and attention! I have some projects that have been adding up, and this week I am going to play with beads!
While I am writing my books, I am also making a collection of jewellery for each book. That is going to take up a bit of time, and I want to get my current projects all taken care of before I start head first into writing and designing for Book 1. I have started both…and I am back into writing. I have not gotten far with the spring cleaning, but that is for my Weekend Warrior to explain.
Designing jewellery is something that I am learning as I go. Just like the blogging, and the songwriting and the book writing. I am just doing it. I struggle more with the jewellery designing. I have to try things, and take them apart, and try not to waste anything, and try again. I am half Scottish, so I hate to waste anything. When I have to take something apart, I try really hard to not wreck the supplies. It is just what I do
Trial and error happens a lot more in the Blinging. When I write, I just write. I can edit, but I don’t always edit my writing. It depends on what comes out. I started making jewellery from following patterns from magazines. I played with colour. Now I work with a few designs I have created. I have found myself starting to draw out designs. That means I am thinking out the projects from start to finish. It is a huge accomplishment. In gamer terms, I have levelled up!
That means when I am ready to launch Collections for the books, they will be completely unique to my creative designs. Quirky, fun, whimsical and something I would wear myself. If I wouldn’t wear it, then that falls in a custom design and is being made for a specific person.
They say you should have a person that you choose as the ideal customer. I have someone in mind. She is a fictional character, from a TV show. If I was to share it here, then it might bias you as a potential customer. You might think that actress wears stuff that you wouldn’t wear. I am not sure that I have captured the essence yet. I am going to try and implement designing the new collections with her in mind. Maybe one day I will reveal the identity. Obviously, I wish for everyone to love what I create.
I have a friend that really supports my jewellery designs. I have made earring sets for her, as she has two piercings, and she has told me that she likes them to match. She has been my biggest supporter in the last few years, and my best customer. With her in mind, I make more than one type of jewellery. The kind she would wear, and the kind she would not wear. I do work for originality, and when I create a design and then figure out how it will work, it is really something to put it all together. That is why I am bringing the Bling on this journey. I know I can make it work!
#TreasureSeekerTuesday
