It is time to revive this category on my blog. My last entry was in 2019, and coincidentally enough, I was preparing for company. It is a year and a half since I wrote it, and my how things have changed.
I have been working part time at a day job. I work a lot of weekends, and that is okay, because it is what I was hired for. It is in the beauty industry, and relates to my direct marketing jobs with clothing and makeup. I wasn’t kidding when I wrote about changes.
One thing stays the same. I am still working on cleaning and organizing my home. This year, I am trying new tactics. I am not trying to finish one job before I start the next. I am working on multiple areas at once. I get it to the end of one phase, and I move on. I am slowly making progress, more than I have in the past.
I am giving myself grace. I don’t have any deadlines for company at the moment, but I am working on it anyway. I have been watching Cas from the Clutterbug on Youtube, and something she said made sense. It changed how I look at the whole concept of cleaning. I need to retrain my brain, to understand that I will be cleaning because I love to live in a beautiful, inviting home. I am a long way from getting to this goal, but I have made some small steps in the right direction.
I grumble under my breath as I put trash where it belongs. In the trash. Not all over the kitchen. Sometimes I get lazy about it, and other times I am picking up after my husband. The point is not who dropped it, but that it needs to be taken care of. It could be a bread tie or the seal from a milk carton. Nothing to cause the kitchen to be deemed unsanitary, but just enough to make my eye twitch as I grumble on the way to the garbage can.
I am not cleaning the dishes every day, but I am working on getting there. We use the dishwasher frequently, we take turns with it. The same goes for laundry. As I am working on changing my mindset in other areas of my life, I am finding it is easier to do in terms of housekeeping too. I want to have a home that welcomes me when I get home from work. It isn’t there yet, but I know I am going to find my way.
I am also watching a month-long declutter series on Youtube, set up by The Minimal Mom. I am not a minimalist, but I do see the value in having fewer things. I am working on how to incorporate some of the things I learn into my lifestyle. Last week it was about the kitchen, and this week it is about clothing. There will be a week about paper clutter, and I am not sure what the other week will cover. I am watching and learning.
One thing about choosing the word BALANCE for my word of 2021 is that I need to continue learning, but to also take more action. The learning is no good to me if I just absorb information and never do anything with it. I am trying new things, and this year I am learning about Bullet Journalling. I feel like it might be an answer I have been searching for. I am still setting it up, and I have 2. The good news is that it is helping to relieve my tension as I am working on it.
Yesterday I worked. I took the evening to catch up on TV and relax. Today I took my time. I slept in, watched Mass For Shut-ins on TV, and a few more shows. I went to an online book club meeting, and will be attending a weekly goal setting meeting, also online, later this evening. In between the meetings, I am working on dishes and laundry. Changing the bed. Things I can start and walk away from or things that can be finished in a short amount of time. I decided to take a few minutes to share about my weekend because I am working on getting back into the blogging, and I really used to have fun with this category.
When I get these chores done, I can then work on a creative project as a reward. I need to make time for crafts and writing so that I find inner joy in more of my days. Being creative brings me to life. I need to allow myself time for this so that I can cope with and manage the things which aren’t so much fun.
I also used my face cleanser machine for the first time today. I am learning about skincare, and I want to improve how I take care of myself, too. This will be done over time, by making time to do it. It is important to do something for me, and while one of my two bullet journals will be for my health, the other is for me. My lifestyle, goals, and ideas. Things I need to write somewhere so that I don’t forget about them. With so much on my mind, I am finding I am forgetting things, and I am trying to find a way to build the habit of writing things down, in a pretty and functional space.
All things considered, I feel like this weekend is a win. I am not at the end, yet, but I am going to keep working on things so that I can complete the plans I set out to do. Working on finding a balance in all areas of my life is the tone I have set for 2021. I really feel like I am on the right path.
Nothing makes me want to clean on a daily basis. I am working on it. My new routine has left me with time to do what I should be doing all along. I know how to clean, it is just not something I enjoy because things just get messy again. For most of the year, I putter. Company is coming, Weekend Warriors, and it is crunch time!
When we adopted a kitten, and I can’t believe it has been three weeks ago already, I had started cleaning a bit. I decided that before we took our new fur baby home, that I would clean the main bathroom, in case we needed an isolation space. Am I ever glad I did that!
She came to us and it was a week before she was using the litter box properly. She is doing great since we got her to start using it, and we only had to isolate her overnight for a week. Isolation included a litter box, food, water and toys. We weren’t punishing her, we just needed her to learn to use the litter box.
Phew! I was tired of waiting for the next mess to clean up during that first week. Once she caught on, things became easier to handle. She is now running at full speed in most of our mini home; from one end to the other, with the exception of two rooms.
The Cleaning Bug Is In Full Swing!
The guest room will never be open to her. My mother is allergic to cats, and because of this, we want to keep that room as free of cat hair and dander for her visits. It is a small room, and once I finally get to cleaning it, there won’t be much Jazzy the kitten will be missing in there.
The master suite is where I have been focusing. I started moving my craft studio out of the guest room, into the master suite two years ago. It became overwhelming and I had left things where I piled them while in transition. I am sad to say that last year when I had company; I was embarrassed about the state of my home. To be fair, I wrote a book and held a full-time job in that year, so it wasn’t a complete waste my time or energy. It was being poured into the work of my heart, and the day job.
This year I am preparing to start my own business. I am working on a business plan. When I started, I had an idea in mind, but it has since changed. You can read more about it in the latest Tishspiration Tuesday blog post. All has not been revealed yet, but I am making changes to help me on the way.
Jazzy Will Have Access To The Master Suite
When it is ready. We have been working hard on cleaning, and the master suite has been my own project. Roy is working on replacing window screens, as some had tears in them, and we don’t need Jazzy finding any more hornets for Roy. He took care of them before she got near, but she was very curious when she found them. Roy had to keep that window shut until today when he fixed the screen. He plans to go into our shed and organize his tools. He inherited some from his father this year, and he has not had time to sort through them yet.
I try to clean when he is here so that Jazzy is not lonely while I am on the other side of a closed door. She will fuss a bit, but she is also very good at entertaining herself. I crinkle up a ball of paper for her to play soccer with to distract her from the door if I am the last one going to bed, to distract her. Soon, that won’t be a problem.
Today I go in to remove the half closet with shelves we added a while ago. It has 3 parts, 2 shelving units which have cube storage for 3 shelves, and a pole for hanging clothes. The pole will be removed. The 2 shelving units will be relocated by the bed, where my tall dresser is. They can attach to the wall, and the place I wanted to put them has a fuse panel door which would cause a problem. So I am moving the dresser back there. It used to be there before, and it will be able to move when we need access to the fuse panel.
As I Write This, Jazzy Has Come For Snuggles
Can we say spoiled rotten? Of course, she is! She has 2 boxes on my desk, but still wants to lay next to me, between me and the keyboard. Jazzy has a very loud purr and is demanding of attention at times. She is very much a part of our family already, and I want things to be the best we can for her and our visitors.
So this weekend, I am going to finish the master suite. I will have to run the dishwasher a few times, as I was ill earlier this week and things fell behind a bit. It does help to have it going while I am working on other things, so I don’t have to wash all the dishes by hand. It also helps me to feel productive when it is going, therefore it motivates me to do more!
I am not going to share any pics at this time. It is not done yet. I will say that I am known to be lazy when it comes to cleaning, and I am trying to fix that. In the last few weeks, I have sent bags of donations, paper to be recycled and garbage out of my home. I am just making time to finish some important projects.
It is time. Time for me to get serious about cleaning my house this weekend. Being at home all the time, you would think I had all the time I wanted to clean my house now. Since I don’t like cleaning, this is not the case. However, I can totally appreciate how nice everything is when I am finished, the clean smell, the orderliness of things. I find myself at times doing everything I can to avoid unpleasant tasks. Sometimes doing the bare minimum is all I have in me to do!
On occasion, I get on a roll with cleaning, and I just go at it until I run out of steam. Subsequently, the problem with this method is that it takes time to build up the gumption to start after it is left for too long. Since there are different styles of cleaning, some are popular, and some are effective. I am trying to work on a schedule for cleaning my home, just like I am working on my writing career.
The different methods.
Popular methods of cleaning vary between different sources. I have a home organization challenge I am holding as the gold standard. Toni Hammersley is the creator of A Bowl Full of Lemons, a very useful resource of helpful information for cleaning, organizing and decorating your home. She has books and printable documents to help you achieve your goals. She has a very active facebook group and I recommend looking it up and joining not just for cleaning, but also for ideas to help you clean and organize. If you are looking for the best spring cleaning challenge out there, this is what you want to check out.
Most importantly, I want to finish it this year. The cleaning I am working on this weekend is actually preparation for the deep clean in this style.
Marie Kondo is currently very popular. If you have seen anything referring to sparking joy, that is her method for decluttering your spaces. For example, it means that when you hold an item and it does not spark joy, you are to let it go. On the other hand, if it does, then you are to keep it. It is an interesting method, which might relate loosely to the Clean Sweep shows which were popular years ago.
Another cleaning method is by the fly lady. For busy people, a few minutes here and there every day will add up to a cleaning routine which requires little upkeep. As a result, in the long run, the maintenance of this method allows for cleaning on the fly. Hence the name for the fly lady.
How does cleaning compare to writing?
The thing is, I am an all or nothing person. I need to be all in, or I don’t bother with a lot of things. Changing how I approach cleaning and writing will be necessary so that I am able to adjust. As a result, I need to schedule blocks of time for each activity because I need to make them a part of every day. In addition, once I am able to manage this, I will create some positive habits to follow.
Realistically, for me, it is easier to think about these things than it is to plan them. In an effort to avoid having to overcome writer’s block, writing on a regular basis will instill the need to write every day. If I need to skip a day, it is not a big deal, as long as I go back and write the following day. This also relates to the Trim Healthy Mama Plan. If you go off the eating plan, you can correct it by going back on plan in three hours. A book is not written in one sitting, and this is something which is helping me with the thought process of a cleaning and writing schedule.
Writing Habits
If I clean for one hour, I should write for one hour. Adapting to working from home is something new to me, and if I start setting up my schedule early in the process, I will develop good habits that will make this plan sustainable. Likewise, exercise and sleep are also important to fit in. Breaks need to be scheduled to be reasonable. A break can be as long as I want it to be. This could be troublesome if it is left to chance. I can be distracted when I am not focusing on the time or what I am supposed to be doing.
If you are new to writing, the habit of five minutes, every day is how to start. For instance, I sit and hammer out on the keys whatever I am writing on when I write. I need to get things going but realize I will never accomplish either goal without making time for other projects.
When I am really in the creativity zone, I can become very involved with projects. It is hard for me to focus, sometimes so when I do, I can lose track of time when I am being creative. This can work against me if I am needing to split my time between different projects. Deadlines are also a concern, for the reason that they will force me to focus on the task I am working on. As a result, other projects are left aside, even if they are just as important to get completed. It is good to have a deadline to encourage me to complete projects.
What is your cleaning schedule like? Do you have a preferred method to share? Please leave a comment so that maybe we can improve upon our own strengths, and eliminate the weak points.
One of the things I am most proud of accomplishing in 2018 was writing From Where I am Sitting…A Collection of Cat Tales. There is a large percentage of people who say they want to write a book; many more than those who actually do write a book because it is not an easy task. I am working on my second book. I have a point, I am getting to it.
My book is a memoir narrated by cats, I have had to find creative ways to share this whimsical book and find readers. I have successfully approached four local stores to carry my book for sale on consignment. As an Indie Author, this means going to each of these stores to ask if they were interested in carrying it, in person. Thankfully, all four said yes. It is something that has the potential to help increase sales locally.
Authors attend events where we offer to sign books for people who want to buy them. It is something I am learning how to do locally. I have my first book signing event coming up in a couple of weeks at the larger of the four stores. It is a really big step. I am excited about it.
Unusual Book Signing Events
I have actually had four book signing events already. One was at a former place of employment. The second one was at the Pet Expo. A memoir narrated by cats sure did belong there. The third one was at The Purrfect Cup – A Cat Cafe. This weekend I was at a fundraiser for four local animal shelters. I helped the volunteers run what I must say was a very successful event. I was really surprised by the turnout. From Where I am Sitting…was there as an item for sale with a dollar donated to the fundraiser with each sale, and one book was donated to the silent auction. By the end of the event, I had sold a few extra signed books. More importantly, I had made some new connections.
What about the Bling?
In this city, I have tried to sell my jewellery with low success as the local market is saturated. Did I give up? Not a chance. I reinvented it, and this year I am bringing it to my online store. It will never be perfect. The website will always need changes. It is how managing your own website works. I am doing my best and asking for help if I need to. My inexperience is the biggest issue I am fighting against, and I am not shy about it.
I haven’t seen nearly the same reaction to the jewellery as I have to the book. Which reinforces the fact that I am doing the right thing. I am moving forward, and changing how I am doing things. It is slowly starting to pay off. Not in my wallet yet, that will come with time. For now, I am networking. Meeting people, and getting my name out there. To my knowledge, there is only one MacWebber in the whole world, and she is typing away furiously right here, right now.
Being fearless doesn’t mean I don’t get scared
I am working on my dreams, without a safety net. At times, it is terrifying. Who knew that picking FEARLESS for my word of 2019 would be put to the test right from the start of the year? I didn’t. This may be something I choose more carefully next year. The entrepreneur in me is pushing hard to succeed. I won’t benefit from playing safe. It will grow from being fearless.
After letting my Extrovert self out, the Introvert in me wants to be at home again.
I am an ambivert which is a mixture of an extrovert and an introvert. I love being around people, and I value my quiet time. It is a good thing. Besides,as a result of being unemployed or on a tight budget, if I stay home I don’t spend money. 😉
Sunday I spent the afternoon cleaning. There is a lot more left to do. I have a hard time tearing myself away from my computer as I am often working on graphics or writing. For myself, a group I run, and now expanding to make some for friends. I am in the process of designing a logo for a peer. A friend needed help for a new business cover photo for Facebook page. Things like this are fun for me. If I have happy clients, it builds my portfolio. With constant improvement and persistence, I will succeed to start taking on more paying clients, for this and for the writing. I know my potential.
I need the coffee to do the things!
Oh yeah, the cleaning. These days I can’t really stand to even write about it, I have a hard time actually working on it. I made progress Sunday, and I cleared a small space. I will continue tomorrow. The problem I have right now is that I am an overachiever. I optimistically think I can get things accomplished on time. With more on the go, I can get wrapped up in what I am working on, and never get to the other items on my to do list. There it is, the helpful process I need to follow to get things done.
If I skip drinking coffee in the morning I become very unproductive. I need coffee and really good multivitamins to keep going. With this plan, I can do everything. The problem then becomes only doing the bare minimum of what I need to do because I am having way too much fun doing what I want to do.
Which makes me wonder why the things I want to do are not considered important enough to be the things I need to do. Hmm. My solution in my mind is to break out the agendas I bought (yes, I bought 2 again this year one for home and one for my purse,) to try and schedule my time more effectively. On a positive note, I have lowered the number of cups of coffee I have been drinking in a day. I am trying to change things in my life, to make it better. How was your weekend? What are you changing?
I am writing today live from the Grand Opening Event at The Purrfect Cup Cafe in Fredericton, New Brunswick. It is fairly close to my home, and there has been an impressive turnout. The sun is peeking through the clouds, and the line to go into the room with the cats ( some of them have been adopted today!) is still going the length of the cafe, right outside the door. There have been a few moments when the line wasn’t going right outside, but not for very long.
With a local coffee company, The Whitney Coffee Company supplying the beans for the brew, and Chess Piece Patisserie Cafe providing the best brownie I ever ate along with a variety of cookies, they are open for business.
The Purrfect Cup Cafe
I was able to visit last weekend before the grand opening today. My husband and I took a chance to see if we could check the place out. It was open, and I was able to purchase a coffee. More importantly, I got to play with some cats. It is the main draw for me. It is the only cat cafe in Fredericton, and it is a well-designed establishment. The cafe is out front, with the baked goods coming from a popular downtown cafe. The food safety aspect is not a concern, as the baked goods are prepared at a different location.
Behind a large window wall with a glass door is the cat room. There are washrooms in both sections, and the one out front is fully accessible for all visitors. There are carpets, tables, couches and chairs in the cat room. The various shelves all around the wall to allow cats to exercise and perch as they please. There were 2 cats that day, and I did have fun entertaining their playful antics.
The Cafe in action!
Shona Newton & Korey Jennings, the owners, were both here last weekend, and are here today also. I have been talking to them about setting up a separate event in a month or two for a book signing of my debut book, From Where I am Sitting…A Collection of Cat Tales. They seem open to the idea, and I think it was a good plan on my part to not try and combine my event with their grand opening. Today is about them launching their business.
Decorative Posters inside
Decorative Posters inside the cafe
You know, as I look outside, there is less than an hour officially scheduled for the remainder of the Grand Opening, and the people are here. I think it is going better than they expected. I am really happy to see the overwhelming support my city has showed for The Purrfect Cup Cafe! Although I did not make it inside today with the cats; I will find another time to visit. It was very busy in the cat room all day!
With all the excitement here today, I am planning to stay close to home tomorrow, to prepare for another work week. Someday, I may be able to write full time, and that will be wonderful. I am working towards this goal with every spare second I have. I will be making time for Bling creations tonight & tomorrow, as the Cat Tales Jewellery Collection will be the first Always Blinging…jewellery for sale in the store on this website! I am making progress, and I have one design which I am pleased with. The next design is a bit more complicated, so I need time to play. I look forward to the reveal when the store is ready to open.
After I wrote this, something came up on Sunday. I found out that it was a day to go check out a local meeting. The Chickadee Cat Club happened to be having their meeting this afternoon. I grabbed the proof copy of my book and went. There was a general meeting and a presentation about raw food diets for cats. It was an interesting afternoon.
When I got home, I made 7 pieces of jewellery in the design I have decided to go with for the necklace. I need to spend time working on the earring design this week. I have made progress, and this is good! As some of them will be necklaces for the Book Launch Party I held on Facebook a few weeks ago, I am anxious to get those pieces complete, so I can work on the ones I will be selling locally and on the website. With that, it is time to sign off and get ready for the upcoming work week. How was your weekend? Did you do anything creative or interesting? Let me know in the comments! Have a great week!
In Weekend Warrior #62, a facelift is being revealed. A friend commented a few weeks ago that it would be fun to see my face on the angry tomato. I asked another friend if she could help. Ta-da! Neither Tish nor the angry tomato was harmed in any part of the process. 😀
I do still have a large amount of writing to do to catch up here. I have been slacking off, but I had a good reason. I had a family vacation trip. We went back to Cape Breton. I took the camera my friend let me borrow, and I will share some of the pictures I was able to take. I haven’t given myself a deadline for the vacation blog stories. I may actually separate it into more than one story.
This upcoming Tuesday, I plan to share a special Treasure Seekers story. Keep an eye out for it. I think it is going to be fantastic!
Okay, housekeeping is out of the way, and I am back! This weekend, I have been working a bit extra at work. I am actually thinking of doing a few hours every Saturday morning, on the days where it is possible. Vacations are expensive, and we need to buckle down and get the budget back under control. It is nice to save up for vacation, and we managed to do okay, but now we have to get a little extra cash flowing in, after spending while we travelled. We had an unexpected trip right after returning home. We got the message that my husband’s grandfather passed away while we were on the road, going home on the last travel day of the vacation. He was 92, almost 93 years old. We did get in a last visit before going home from our vacation. We were able to take a day to catch up on errands and laundry before hitting the road for Pubnico a second time in a week. We took the ferry across from Saint John to Digby both ways. It is half of the travel time to take the ferry, but twice the cost. So we are home again. It is good to be home, even though I love taking vacations with my family. The vacation itself was nice.
I have been feeling the effects of two weeks of travel, combined with a new schedule for work. I am tired. It is totally understandable. I need to keep active today, though, as I do not want to give in to a nap and mess up the new schedule before the week even starts. That is challenge number one today. I was catching up on TV after work last night, and that with a new wine review on my Facebook wall sums up my Saturday in a nutshell. Today is going to be more productive.
I cat sit for a few different people. I like cats, so I don’t mind. Sometimes I get paid in cash. Other times it is a gift. I also like to do it as it helps to know who to ask when we have pets to pet sit at our place too. We had someone to come and feed our fish while we were away. It all works out.
Today is the last day for cat sitting this time. It took 3 days for the shy cat to emerge to see me. She peeked on the first day. I didn’t see her at all on the second day. Yesterday she was out, was timid in her movements, so I waited until she seemed a little more comfortable, then I got out the cat toy. I played with her, and I think I made a friend. Today I hope to see her again. I even had a few kitty kisses yesterday. I figure she smelled cat food, but it was still cute.
The other cat has been there for a while and has memories of previous times of me cat sitting. She is not shy at all and loves to be brushed. I was brushing her when the other one started checking things out. Before I left, both cats had some brushing done. They like it, so if I have time, I spend a little extra time with them to let them know I understand that they are a little lonely without their owners around. I think they like the little extra attention. I like getting to visit with cats since we don’t have any pets other than our fish right now. It is going to be a wonderful change when we get our cat and dog. I am really looking forward to having new fur babies to love!
I have a project that has taken me WAY TOO LONG to finish. I have asked some friends to help, and I am expecting one of them to drop in later on. I can’t get into too much detail, as it is a gift and a surprise. I may not have it finished on time, but I am going to do some serious work to see if I can get it finished and sent out to the recipient soon. I do love making gifts for people. I will take a picture before sending it in the mail. I think it will be a nice surprise for this person if I ever get it finished!
Not if, when. I need to work on this. I need to finish the projects I start. I have to get some things accomplished so that I can move on to other things. Don’t get me wrong, I do finish some things, I just need to work on finishing all of the things. Then I can feel better about taking on new projects.
Which brings me to my first book. People are encouraging me to drop it for now, and write the second book instead. That may work for some people. Book 1 is in my heart, and I need to release it into the world. In my mind, if I put it aside, it may never get finished. This is why I am not into book 2, even though I know it will also be an important book, maybe with more impact and reach than the first one. But I made a promise to myself that book 1 will be written first, and I am sticking to that promise. I don’t think it is being indulgent, as it is its own story, with its own purpose. I worked on the second draft over the vacation, and plan to schedule it in wherever it fits in the next month to get it ready for editing and launching on September 30th. I gave myself time to finish, and I am planning to do just that. My second book is going to be ready before the end of the year. I know what I have planned for it, I just need to finish book 1, then move into book 2 and write it as fast as I can! With the excitement I have for both books, this will not be a problem at all.
Well, Weekend Warriors, what do you think of the new Weekend Warrior angry tomato? I think my friend did an amazing job of turning me into the angry tomato. How is your summer going? Did you do anything exciting this weekend? Let me know in the comments. I love to read about what other people are doing!
Hello, Weekend Warrior fans! It is time to catch up. It seems like I blinked and a month went by. I have been busy. I will go over some highlights from the last month. This way it will be organized, and it will be like we are catching up after a break. 😉
Four weeks ago I was invited to a Jack & Jill bridal shower. It was for a couple that I met at work. They no longer work with me, but the friendship has continued. My husband & I introduced them to the world of Dungeons & Dragons. We taught them the basics, and they formed their own gaming group. Every once in a while we get together, and it is always fun to hang out.
My friend and I were both invited, so we planned to go together. We planned some Bachelorette style gifts, as neither of us really knew what to get, and we wanted to bring fun presents. The bride to be had told me once she wanted to host a passion party. If you know what that is 😉 then you know the gifts were couple related. I will say that I did get them some dice, but they are not for D&D.
Off we went way out to the Boonies to a place I had never been before. The bride to be wanted to know if I needed directions. I googled it. I knew what highway and what house number. It was about 40 minutes outside of the city, at her parents’ place.
It was a potluck. I brought cheese and crackers. I also brought a “deconstructed” which means build your own taco salad. My friend is a vegetarian. This way he could have the salad without the meat. We ate, and then they opened the gifts. There were a lot of nice gifts. The gifts my friend and I brought definitely stood out, and were memorable. 😉
We then took pics with the couple and headed home. I found in the last 3 weeks with so much social activity on Saturdays, I was really tired on Sundays. Other than Happy Writing Chat on Twitter & Facebook, I did very little and rested up.
The second weekend was a lot of fun. The Bride to be extended an invitation to go to the Bachelorette party. I have not had a lot of invitations of this sort, which made me decide that I really should go. I asked my friend if he was going to join us, and he agreed it would be fun. So we met at the gaming venue downtown. It is called Unplugged, and it is a place to go play board games. There is a $5 cover, and they have a limited snack/light meal menu. As it was the first stop of the evening, I opted in for Mozza sticks. I will vouch for them having the second best Mozza sticks in the city, right after Houlie’s Pub. The Mozza sticks there are amazing.
We played a game called red flag. The idea of it was to take 2 white cards to make a dream date description for whoever’s turn it was. The second round was to place a “Red Flag” card, which was something that was not a desirable trait. Things like he rescued an animal on tv, owns a unicorn or looks like Ryan Reynolds were examples of white cards. The only two red cards I remember involved swiping through tinder amidst intimate relations, to put it politely and the other one I remember was a hoot. Compulsively licks doorknobs. Hilarious. We had enough people there that once we all had a turn, it was time to go to the second stop of the night.
I really wanted to try Unicorn Lemonade at Boston Pizza. That ended up being where we went. I had the regular, non-spiked version, as I was driving until I went and picked up the hubby after work. I ordered the salmon dinner, and some people had food, some just drinks. When I had finished eating and had 2 Unicorn Lemonades, I snuck off to get to get Roy from work, so I could pass off the keys and have a few drinks with the ladies. I do not drink and drive. Ever.
I had some draft at the start. I really liked it. Black Horse Premium Lager is a good glass of draft. I had 2. It is brewed in Newfoundland. I then got my favourite cocktail. I like to have a Long Island Iced Tea when I am out having some social drinks. I had 2 of those, as well. I got invited to have some shooters with the ladies, and I was game. I kept up pretty good for being a decade older than most of the gang. We went to Dooly’s. It is a pool hall. It was close to Boston Pizza, so that also worked in our favour for the floating party.
We played a few theme games, had novelty straws and pins. We even got tattoos. LOL, the temporary kind. I got the one that said, “Bride Tribe”. It was gold and stayed on for almost a week. One of the bar staff joined us and got a tattoo. I then fist bumped with him for the rest of the evening. The next day I “confessed” to my husband about the tattoo. I got a look until I revealed it was a temporary one. I am full of surprises, and I think he might actually believe it by now.
We did more dancing than playing pool. There was a jukebox that someone picked really awesome music on before someone else changed it to hip hop. Different genres & generations happen everywhere. Another thing I noticed that set me apart from the generation of the rest of the party was the dancing. I didn’t grow up with access to music videos like the generation behind me. I was very entertained when they got together and they all knew the moves for the songs. I couldn’t match it, but it is fun to watch people dancing like they are in the music video.
My husband didn’t stay at the party, he had to work the next day. I was able to hitch a ride with one of the designated drivers and actually helped her navigate from the passenger seat when I could. I am not from the city originally, but I have learned quite a few street names and areas. I felt useful, and that was good.
Last weekend was the wrap up of the three-weeks of wedding activities. They did it! They tied the knot! I was surprised at how quick the ceremony actually was. I got a little lost on the way there, but it was okay. The bride looked beautiful. The Groom looked happy. They marched down the aisle to “The Imperial March,” in keeping with their Star Wars theme. The save the date card & invitation hinted it would be a part of their day. They served Breakfast for dinner at the reception. They entered the reception hall to Weird Al singing “Wrecking Ball” I knew as soon as I hear the accordion that it was a Weird Al song. It made me smile.
After the first dance, I had to run out to get my husband, again. He needed to eat, and I desperately wanted to change clothes. The shoes I had on were cute but awful. I also was having trouble with the compression pantyhose. One pair I have is really uncomfortable. The other seems better, but I didn’t need that colour that day. I tolerated them for as long as I had to.
I did have some wine at home. I wasn’t driving any more at that point. Roy drove us back, and we signed the card in the parking lot. We went in. I had a rum and coke and hit the dance floor. I requested a few songs and mingled. It is what I do at parties. 😀 Roy got to meet some of the guests. The bride and groom were both happy that we both made it there for the dance. I had a shot of tequila with the groom and switched to water. I know it is important to hydrate when I am drinking, so I make a point of making sure I have water. The week before I refilled the Long Island Iced Tea glasses with water and had it in the middle. I like to drink socially, but I don’t like to go too far. It isn’t good for me to be not in control, I just like to have a few now and then. Other than my once a week wine, that happens almost every week for review purposes, to expand my own wine tasting skills, I actually don’t drink as often as I used to. I have to think about my health, and I have to be smart about it. Sometimes I will skip wine week, and go for 2 or 3 weeks without any alcohol. It depends on what is happening, and what the budget is. It might seem like I had a lot in the last few weeks, but it was out of the ordinary.
I did leave a wedding present when I found out where they were. As I was saying goodbye to the bride and groom, I told him I hoped he liked the gift. He thought I meant the gift from two weeks earlier, and his reaction was priceless! The laugh was worth it. I got them a Star Wars themed present, and lovebirds themed ornament. Since their guestbook was a painting of a tree with lovebirds, I thought it was a fitting combo. I hope they liked it, and also that they have opened it by now. Otherwise, I may have spoiled a surprise, but it was a week ago, so it isn’t like they haven’t had a chance to open the gifts.
Finally, I can recap this weekend. I started to get serious about cleaning. I hosted a small BBQ potluck for a few authors. We happened to time it so they could watch the write your book draft in an hour webinar, and while I cooked on the BBQ, they watched the presentation on my laptop on the patio. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, perfect for an outdoor BBQ.
We talked about the Kit Sora Flash Fiction contest, as 2 of the 3 Author Amigos, one being me, have already entered some of the contests. The current pic for the contest is of a woman sleeping in a nest, with eggshell pieces around her and pink feathers around her shoulders. We talked about story concepts. I then drove the other two authors home and started back at the cleaning. I have company coming soon, and it cannot be put off any longer.
I ended the day by calling my father to wish him a Happy Father’s Day. We had a nice chat. I know that I am lucky to still have both of my parents still married and alive. We don’t always see eye to eye on everything, but we are family, and that is what matters.
Well, I think that catches us up. It is a long one this week, but I had to fit in a lot of fun adventures. I hope to get back on track with these being weekly entries again, now that I am up to date.
How was your weekend? Have you attended any weddings where something memorable stuck with you? I’d love to read about it! People have so many ways of personalizing their weddings now that it is really neat to find out what others did. One of the most memorable things other than getting married during Hurricane Earl for our guests was that we had a candy bar as well as an alcohol bar at our reception. It was very popular with our guests.
Hello Weekend Warriors! It has been a while, but I am trying to get back on track with the Blog. I am currently watching an Award Show after watching a Wedding yesterday. I along with a vast majority of the world, tuned in for the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. I hope they get to try Sussex Golden Ginger Ale for a toast some day. It is my preferred mix for whiskey.
Let’s back up a bit. Friday night we made the trip outside of the city to a smaller town to watch The Avengers Infinity War Movie. There was a lot to keep track of, but as a Marvel fan, it did not disappoint. I look forward to watching it again, to catch anything I may have missed. I am looking forward to 2 other movies. I want to see Book Club because it looks hilarious. I am also wanting to see Deadpool 2. I cannot wait to laugh right from my toes at Deadpool 2. I really enjoyed the first one, in all its inappropriate hijinks.
I did not get up early to watch The Royal Wedding yesterday. I did record it, so I could watch it on my schedule. I had coffee, not tea. I cried a little, at the beauty of love. I don’t think I cried at weddings until I got married myself. I understand what it means, and the depth of feelings that are wrapped up in the ceremony. I felt it while watching Harry and Meghan.
People have hated on the wedding, the makeup, the dress, and well I have a few things to write about that. I thought Meghan looked beautiful Yes, she is an actress, but she wasn’t working yesterday. She was living her life and marrying a Prince. In real life. She wasn’t over the top, she was respectable and beautiful. The Queen is a tough critic, and there are a lot more restrictions in all things Royal that must be taken into consideration when The Queen of England is going to be an in-law. No pressure, with that and the whole world watching too.
I think it was lovely, start to finish, even with the fanfare, and the wild sermon. It was a memorable event, and I am glad I watched. It reminded me of my own wedding, and how it was very memorable, for a different reason. We got married on the day of Hurricane Earl, almost 8 years ago. If you can’t have yourself a Royal Wedding, then I recommend allowing the weather to make the day memorable. We survived, and they say rain is good luck on a wedding day. I wonder what a hurricane means?
On to Sunday. Today I went to Church, took a nap, fired up the barbeque, and watched the Billboard Music Awards. As you know, I entered the #DanceWithJanet competition. I didn’t get a call yet, so I wasn’t on stage. However, I think I might have made an impression on Ms Jackson. She used the same music clip that I did for my audition. That cannot just be a coincidence! I believe I may have had a teeny tiny success in #Tishspiration, in that she picked the same song I did for my audition for her performance tonight. I wasn’t there dancing, but my heart was singing! The whole experience was so much fun, and it might have just gone over the top!
I am trying to figure out what to do to prepare my website for GDPR. The deadline is Friday. I am going to see what WordPress.org and Bluehost where I purchased my domain name from have available for advice and options. The store is not live yet, so sales are not yet an issue. When I set the store up, I will have a better idea of what to do to be compliant. For now, I just have to get it as ready as I can in the next few days.
Other than that, I have been working on my Youtube Channel Art. Tishspiration Station is a new project.
I had a few trial runs for this project, but I am pleased with this result. Now to get back to things like oh, I don’t know, writing and jewellery designing. I am breaking up the quantity of blog posts to have more quality and more time for other projects. I am trying to get the new concept for my first book nailed down for the second draft of my first book. I am submitting other writing projects for publication in a few different places. I am finalizing the concept for the Cat Tales Jewellery Collection. The Book Bling will have small collections, maybe one piece per book. It is meant to be specific to the book and has meaning for the fans. I have 3 concepts for my first 3 books. I have a lot on the go, all the time.
Another weekend is coming to a close. It was a busy one! Weekend Warrior started on Friday at about 4 pm. A friend needed to take me up on an offer to visit earlier in the week. She is recovering from surgery, and wanted to see some friends. So I rushed home, got the hubby to help me cut my large spaghetti squash, and I got my things together while it cooked. Picked up our other friend, a few things to complete supper, and off we went.
We made spaghetti squash mixed with tomato and veggie sauce, with multigrain garlic bread and played a game. We tried to watch a movie. It didn’t work out. The game was fun. It was a good way to wind down after the work week.
Saturday was slow to start. We went to see Ready Player One. It was great, but I don’t think the 3-D was necessary. We saw it in 3-D, and in my opinion, it wasn’t as good as I expected, but only in that way. The story was good, the pace was great, and all the Easter Eggs in the movie were on point, it is probably too hard to get them all the first time through. The other disappointment was that there was NO EASTER EGG at the end! With a movie that was full of them, start to finish, there should have been an extra scene at the end. It just felt wrong, and another young fan was feeling the same way. My husband was shaking his head as I was commenting about this, and then I found a kindred spirit that felt the same way. It was kind of hilarious.
I am reading a book to review. I am reading it before it is published. I spent most of the last week doing just that, and I am going to review it on my Blog on the Treasure Seeker Tuesday this week. I will share more about it then.
I also have a small issue with amazon.ca. I am trying to support my peers by downloading and reviewing their books after reading them. However, because I haven’t purchased anything from amazon.ca, I am not allowed to review the books I read there. I am not amused. I have found another way to help, but it isn’t the way that the authors would like.
Sunday I spent a bit of time working on my website. I cooked Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole. I have 4 meals ready to eat now. I like prep cooking. It helps me to get out the door faster in the mornings. I highly recommend it.
I totally won this weekend. What did you do? Comments are welcome below.
