This Weekend Warrior is going to be about a little bit of rock and roll. This past weekend was Easter Weekend. I did have to work on Good Friday. I also went to a concert. One of the bands I like to support when they are in town had a show here on Friday night. I did keep the no meat rule for Good Friday, and I was not drinking. I drove myself to the show and was able to drive myself home after. Having the car made me not have to think about having anything stronger than ginger ale. I am still taking antibiotics, and have decided to stay out of the wine until I am better. One of the prescriptions I had taken for a week was not to be mixed with alcohol, and I am just trying to be careful when I am not feeling my best.
Although I did not see The Hypochondriacs play, I bought their CD. I also bought the latest CD from The Stanfields, Limboland. I decided to buy a t-shirt and got a tote bag for free. Then I made sure both bands signed the new CDs. It is something I have always done when I buy the CD at the show if I am able to do so. Here is a picture of what I brought home.
The Stanfields Swag and The Hypochondriacs CD
Late into the night, I had a chat with a new friend. It is something I have really liked about taking on the journey to becoming a published author. I am involved with a few writing groups, and the ones that I am wanting to be more involved with are providing me with a safe place to vent, share my projects, the highs and the lows of my journey. Friday night, I discovered another perk. I have a new friend that I started chatting with.
I have been going through some stalling on my projects. I have picked up the beads, which is okay, but I still haven’t done any writing outside of the blog, and the E-Zine I wrote an article for. (If you missed the Creatives Rising E-Zine Spring 2018 Issue, the online publication FOR Creatives, BY Creatives in affiliation with @CreativesRising and @CreativeEnergyGoddess #CreativesRising2018#CRZine#amwriting#HappyWriting)the link to subscribe and check it out can be found in Treasure Seeker Tuesday #24 When Opportunity Knocks. I have a pending Guest Blog that I really need to find time to work on, but the thing I am not giving the attention it needs is the book writing. I had some revelations about this while I was chatting with my new friend.
I realized that my cover for book 1 has me feeling doubt. I played a little in Canva. I am finding my way and doing as much as I can. I had some criticism when I was getting down to my final choices. The picture is not high quality. The fonts are too hard to read. The tartan is too much. I should just write the book, and not try to do all of the different things involved with it. I tried not to let on that it bothered me, but it did. Not enough to make me quit. It did slow me down, though.
I realized that I need to go with my gut on this. I am still a little nervous, but I finally realized that not everybody gets me, and that means that not everybody is going to get my design choices. That is okay. If they don’t get it, maybe it isn’t the book for them. I know in my heart that I need to write, and I need to tell the stories inside of this book. People have heard me tell some of the stories over the years, but nobody has heard them as the cats might have narrated them. That is why this book is going to be special. It is from my heart, and it uses the talents I was born with to tell the stories.
I made a decision in the wee hours of Saturday morning. I decided to set a deadline in September. I don’t want it to be released too close to the day that my friend passed away, but I do feel that it is the best way to honour her by releasing it on September 30th. That is my tentative launch date for my first book to be published.
I have been speaking with a colleague that does editing in her spare time. We haven’t discussed details yet but she is interested in editing the book for me. I will be glad to have someone I know to give it a good read through. I will do my own editing first, and then I will need an editor to help me perfect it before publishing. I am hoping that this plan will work out.
Then I got up Saturday, with the idea for the second book cover. I plan to have book 2 published in December. I have it drafted, I just need book 1 finished so I can get right into writing book 2.
That Tartan that I designed for my pen name? It’s going to be sticking around. I will have help to get the perfect pic of me for the cover of book 2. The idea is going to be something I don’t share with too many people yet. I can say it is going to be fun!
Saturday I didn’t do a lot. I preoccupied myself with reading the latest Writer’s Digest Magazine for a part of the day. It was a quiet night at home. I have been trying to rest up as much as I can. That doesn’t always add up to sleeping in. I didn’t sleep too late on Saturday.
Sunday was fairly quiet also. We just needed a quiet weekend. I needed to sort out what was holding me back, and figure out how to get things going again. I think I was able to get a good amount of time to figure out what I need to get my momentum going again.
Since I had a bit of a mixed up weekend, loud and quiet. I am calling this weekend a draw. There were highs and lows. I had time to have a little fun, and I had time to think about what was holding me back. I feel good about it.
In this Weekend Warrior, I am writing about following some advice. I was told, “Give Yourself A Break.” I wrote an article that was along the same line of thought recently. I am going to write more about that on Tuesday.
This past week was all about that. Right up until tonight, Sunday, the end of the weekend. I have had a reason to slow down. This week, I had to stop my normal day to day because of a complication of my Diabetes, I am not going to discuss it here, but it is the reason I took a week off from Blogging.
From time to time, I have struggled with what to write about. Thankfully, it isn’t something I struggle with every week. Most weeks, I am ready to go. But if you are reading along, sometimes the posts are not as meaningful, or well thought out as they could have been. That is a sign of a hard week.
If I am writing just for quantity, to be writing on a schedule, I am going to inevitably not have the high quality of stories every single week. Sometimes I have written late but still wrote something. It was not the case this past week. This past week I took time off.
Now that I have that all explained, I will move on to the weekend. Yesterday I went to work. I had to make up some time. Other than that, I spent time on social media. It was a quiet weekend like I needed. While I was at work, I made the best of it. I bounce in my chair all week long, because I can listen to my Spotify at work. It has been a game changer for me. I love music, and it makes everything better.
Today I slept in really late. When that happens, I just think I must have needed the sleep. After the week I just had, I can’t feel guilty about needing extra sleep. I just relaxed all day and finished by watching the Junos.
Self-care is not selfish. People need to learn to stop for just a minute and take a break. I have been pushing myself to do more. I am up for the challenge, but it’s not a race. I will set my own pace and go steady. That way I will not quit because I have burned out. Rather I will have longevity because I stop every so often to take care of myself. Slowing down before the sharp turns is a good plan, to stay on track.
On that note, it is late. I am fine giving the weekend the win this time. I needed to focus on my health. That is more important than having an epic weekend. This week. Next weekend is not yet written.
In this week’s Weekend Warrior, an am happy to report that I had A Productive Weekend for a Change. I have done some cleaning, hosted a craft night, and went out to see a movie. I wanted to get a lot more accomplished than I actually did, but that is okay. Tomorrow is a new day!
Friday night was spent at home, starting the cleaning for Saturday. I experimented with Kalimotxo (cal-ee-mo-cho). It is popular in Spain, and Uruguay, according to the video my friend sent me to check it out. I tried 2 different wines, with Coke and Pepsi. My final verdict was if the wine tastes “sour” the Coke evens it out. The Italian Bardolino Doc is better with Coke. The dry wine from Romania Castel Bolovanu was a stronger flavoured wine, so I would recommend a dry wine with Pepsi, as the flavours seem to mix better, to me, even if the flavours seem to be fighting. I did not like the dry wine with Coke at all.
For the record, I tried 4 different combinations, but I only actually finished one glass of wine. I wasn’t in the mood for having a lot of wine Friday night. Maybe a total of 2 glasses if you combine it all. It was an experiment, to see if it was something that I liked. It was okay, but
Saturday was busy. Cleaning all day, in the living room and the kitchen. It took a while. I am happy to say that I even had time to sweep the floors. Then it was time to get ready for the craft night.
We were going to go through magazines and create vision boards. One friend was making a bucket book. It was nice to sit around the kitchen table, have snacks, and sip on a glass of wine. We caught up and talked about things. We worked on gathering art and words for our projects.
I had made a trip to the Dollarama for supplies. I got some different tapes, decorations, and papers. I had to buy a sketchbook for my project. I never got far enough to start any pages, but I had a successful gathering of things to put into it. I don’t have kids, but sometimes I like to do something nice for my friends. I had seen owl tote bags there, and they were $4 each. I bought 4 for us all to keep our supplies in. They were a hit! I kept the purple owl, and one of our friends didn’t make it, but I am holding hers here for her next visit. Now that I have done this, I am looking forward tot he next time.
Here are the bags I bought:
Rebecca’s Owl Tote Bag for Craft night
Tish’s Owl Tote Bag for Craft night
Becca’s Owl Tote Bag for Craft night
Kathy’sOwl Tote bag for Craft night
Sunday was busy with writing, and we went to see a movie. We went out to watch Annihilation with Natalie Portman. I have never personally experimented with drugs. That movie was a scientific trip if I was ever going to take one. I can’t say it was horrible, but it was kind of messed up. Now, for some unexplainable reason, I have the munchies…yup. I am having the side effects of being stoned after watching a movie sober. If that was what they were going for…mission accomplished. There were not enough Hazmat suits on the actors. I think the audience needed them also. It was an out of body scientific trip of a movie. I am settling for a glass of orange juice and some cheese. Then I am calling it a day.
What did you do this weekend? It was a total win for me!
This week in Weekend Warrior #55 Chasing away the Winter Blues is what I am working on. Time went ahead an hour last night, and that means Spring is coming! I love seeing more hours of daylight, and I need spring to be sprung already! The winter blues got a really good hold on me this year. I am hoping that next winter will be different. Until then, I have to do my best to get out from under what is holding me back. My internal clock hasn’t had time to adjust yet, though. I suspect tomorrow is going to be the start of a long week.
Friday night I got my new glasses. I decided to reveal them in a Facebook Live video. You can watch it here: Tish’s March 9th Facebook Live Video. If you watch it, you will see that I built up a little suspense, and had fun. I also reviewed a different bottle of wine. It wasn’t a favourite. I review wine and coffee on my Facebook Live videos. I just started doing it for fun.
Saturday I slept in and started getting some prep work done for my Makeup Monday blog, which I will finish tomorrow after work. I have been planning it for a few weeks, and need to finish it up tomorrow after work. I had an invitation to a birthday party, and I decided I wanted to go. I got ready and made a treat to bring. I also brought cheese & crackers. I have some pics to share. It was a friend’s Birthday Party, with a Carribean theme. Let’s start with the food pics.
Fresh Tropical Fruit including Starfruit.
I made Chewy Turtle Brownies.
Snacks all set up for the party.
Cheerio the Cat wanted some pizza…or did he just want the boxes?
We had a nice time, just chatting, and having fun. It was nice to go hang out with friends.
Happy Birthday Jessica!
Sitting under the sun by the palm tree!
Coconuts with a straw, it was delicious!
This pic was immediately called Tish’s Coconuts. I said, “Let’s toast your birthday with the coconuts!” and this is what happened.
Group pic
Another group pic
Saturday was fun! Sunday was a quiet day at home. I cooked a ham in the oven with cherries, pineapple and cloves. Then I made Scalloped Potatoes. I do not understand why the locals here call them Potatoes Scallop. Regardless, there is no shellfish in the potatoes. I prepared them to cook while the ham was cooling. It took 2 hours to cook them, and I sliced them as thin as I could. Apparently, the potatoes never got the memo about the time change, either. When they were finally cooked, my husband assured me that it was worth the wait, he was impressed. We have leftovers to enjoy for lunch, and if there is enough ham for supper, I might make a potato salad to eat with it. White potatoes are not on the plan, but sometimes a compromise is called for. I had a salad for lunch. I am going for balance.
In Weekend Warrior #54 And the Academy Award Goes to…I am writing about my weekend as I am watching the Academy Awards. This was a weekend of big and small things. I made a significant decision in my life. It was important, and it will affect me for the next few years.
I have been searching for my new glasses for about a month now. I went out again this weekend with the intention to buy this time. I went back to Costco, where I learned that yes, I could get a temporary shopping pass twice a year, and I could get a member to buy me gift certificates to buy my glasses with there. It seemed like a lot of hassle to me, after I thought about it.
I went back to Pearle Vision. When I couldn’t find the paper in my purse with the frames I had tried the other time I was there, the salesperson walked away. I had told her that I was at Costco and that I was planning to buy my glasses. She lost that sale because she didn’t want to help me finalize my purchase. I had a friend with me, and she wanted to try another store.
I went to Hakim Optical with her. I was worried that they were going to be more expensive, and they were, a little. The prices are not listed on the frames, which made it a little scarier. Vogue was the most expensive store I had visited. I just hadn’t found any glasses that I thought were the pair I wanted to wear for two years or more at this point.
I have written about this on my Facebook page. There was a moment, at the last store. I was looking at a wall of glasses (they have the most frames to choose from of the 4 stores I visited) and my friend missed a pair that I am now saying picked me. Yes, just like the wands on Harry Potter, these glasses stood out from the wall and drew my hand to pick them up. It was magical. That was it. I found them. I got help with the sunglasses, and I am pleased with them as well. I will be sharing my new look as well as a new eyeshadow technique (new to me, anyway) a week from now, as it is less than 20 minutes into Monday where I am now. I might just try something different with my hair, too. If it works, I will be happy. If not, it will be time to plan to go and get my hair cut in a few months. I have been letting it grow, with a new style in mind, but I do not know if it is going to be an option for me. So I will see what happens when I play with my hair and makeup and new glasses, and I will share that in a week.
Sunday had a slower pace. I have gotten up at my normal time, did a little creative work, and went back to bed. I slept in. How I love sleeping and not having to set an alarm. I worked a little on the computer and helped another friend. I ran the dishwasher and did some laundry. I am starting to get my gumption back. This is good, because it is MARCH already, and I have yet to get my spring cleaning done! If I leave it too late, it becomes a miserable job in the heat. I know this. Spring turns to summer overnight here. One day it is cool and rainy, and the next the heat wave hits. Just like that. So I need to get my act together and get some cleaning done. I started tonight, which gives me hope that I can keep it going and make things better here. I have other things to do too, and I find I need to start wherever I feel like I can, and then I can keep going. A start was made today, and this is a really good thing.
I did watch The Academy Awards. They just finished, and I loved all of the dresses. THere were a few beautiful gowns, and I think my favourite look was the one of Sandra Bullock tonight. I really thought she looked beautiful.
That is a wrap for this weekend. I must say that for me this week, it was a win. Hands down! I made an important purchase, planned an extra blog post for next week, and I got some chores done around the house. When you look at the big picture, that is a win for me!
In Weeknd Warrior #53: Multitasking for the Win, this weekend was busy and not. All at the same time. I had baking to do Friday night, for a bake sale on Saturday. I participated in some writing sprints. So I wrote for an hour, then made Macaroons. Then after I got them in the fridge, I entered into the second hour of writing. In that time of writing, Friday, in both sessions, I started a new fictional story about the cats in my book. It will have a time and a place for release. It was fun to write a what if story about them. It is going to be something special when I am ready to share it.
Saturday I got ready and picked up some bottles at work for the Bottle Drive. The event that I was baking for Friday night was a three part event. It was for Boston Terrier Rescue Canada, and I am a volunteer with them, so I pitch in when and where I can. This event was made up of the bottle drive, a bake sale, and a local grooming business was offering nail trims for donations as well. I had the job of watching the Bake Sale Table when I arrived.
I thought about bringing my laptop to use wi-fi while I was there. It was going to be a few hours, and I debated the idea. I decided to print out the partial manuscript of my book and work on the editing while I was between customers at the bake sale. It worked out well. I was able to convince another volunteer to take a picture of my multitasking at the event.
Volunteering for Boston Terrier Rescue Canada while editing my first book. Multitasking win!
I wrote some more of that story I was working on Saturday. I didn’t make the earlier session but I managed to get to the second one. I spent the day writing and napping Sunday. I tried something different Sunday morning, and it was tough to write, and I don’t know if I will ever do anything with it. It was really personal, and it made me cry. Sometimes writing is just for the Author. Other times it gets to be shared with the world. I actually went back to the other story in the morning today and finished it. For the last hour of writing this weekend, I started writing my second book. I want to finish the editing on my first book before continuing to write it. I am worried that I am going to be repeating myself, and then I will have more work to do. So that is what I was up to this weekend. Volunteer work and writing. Not a lot done around the house, but a productive weekend, in other areas. Time to get ready for Monday.
Weekend Warrior readers, a weekend of fun just happened. It was a mellow sort of fun, with friends. We kept things low key. I didn’t do anything this weekend that wasn’t supposed to be fun. Except for sleeping, which is necessary.
Saturday started slow. I slept in both days, but today was a little different. I am getting ahead of myself, though. Saturday started in the mid-afternoon with errands. If you follow me on Facebook, on my personal page, you would have seen that in my video. I review coffee and wine in my live videos, mixed in amongst other things.
We went to a craft supplies store. Okay, I did. Roy went to the pet store for plant food. All the plants in his fish tank are live, and he keeps them all happy. I found some supplies for the Cat Tales Jewellery Collection. That made me very happy. I need to start designing this as I gear up to finish the book writing.
We also came home, had supper and headed out for a game night. We played Firefly, with 7 expansions and a map. I do not have any pictures, as the guys didn’t seem keen on the idea. I lost. I enjoyed a bottle of wine. I was happy to get out of the house and go play board games. I decided to just do something fun, and that carried over into today.
Today I woke up fairly early, grabbed my laptop and started working on an upcoming submission for an ezine. I am on a deadline, with a topic and a focus. I took an hour this morning to get it started. I am hoping that the first draft and self-edit is all that it needs. I want to get it as polished as I can before the first deadline, in the hopes that I won’t need to work on it after I submit it for review. This is where it all starts new for me, and I am up for the challenge.
We went to see the new Black Panther Movie. I had a gift voucher, so we got in for less money than if we had to buy the tickets, for sure. It was long. It was good, I enjoyed it. The guys I went with were not as impressed. They found it generic and predictable. I enjoyed the music, the traditional music.
I am continuing the book cover design quest. I am getting feedback, and people are encouraging me to work with a book cover designer. I don’t know what to think about that, yet. I know I will need an actual editor, once I do the self-editing. I don’t want them to do the easy work, the typos and things I can pick out myself. The internet is full of people with opinions, and I have to be selective on what ones I choose to agree with. Constructive criticism is fine, but sometimes hard to take. We will see what another week brings.
This weekend, I won, but totally on the having a legit weekend with no chores tackled. I am hoping that I can get that back on the plate next weekend.
Weekend Warrior is being written a little late this week. I had some things going on this past week that kept me from writing my regular story on time. So on Saturday, it was all about the go, go, go! And on Sunday, it was totally about the Stop!
I got up early on Saturday. I had to go with my husband as he worked, and I wanted the car. I went out to Chapters with my laptop to meet a friend. She has a Costco Membership, and on my journey into the land of progressive lenses, I am also having fun shopping around for new glasses. I had about 8 pairs that I tried on for pics. I always put a strange pair in, just for fun! The pair that was the most liked in the store was not picked by any of the lovely people that took the time to comment on the pics of me in the different frames. Go figure.
I decided to go to church Saturday afternoon. So I came home, had a really light lunch, and went back out the door again. I came home after church with the intention of getting some chores done here and got distracted by the computer. When you are working on your social platform, that happens. I am continually distracted by this, that and the other thing.
And then it was time to go get my husband after work.
It had been snowing all day. I was all over town, in and out of my home. When it was time to make my last trip for the day, the snowplough had gone by. Winter in Canada involves snow. Sometimes, lots of snow. We didn’t get that much all day. Except at the end of my driveway when I was ready to go. I was a half an hour late. I planned to leave a half an hour early. Then I had a wall of snow in my way.
I prefer the scoop. It moves more snow faster Maybe next winter we will have a snow blower. I hope so. Today was the one year anniversary of the massive 80 cm snowfall in 2017. I am so glad there was no repeat. *knocks on wood*.
Saturday was a full, busy day. Then on Sunday, I did very little. At this time of year, I rest more. I took a nap. I chatted with a friend. I relaxed. I started panicking about not writing Thursday. I knew I would write the stories, but not when. Sometimes the ideas are right there, and other times I need to brew them a little longer.
So this weekend was a balance of energy. That means I call this past weekend a draw.
What did you do this past weekend? Do you have plans for next weekend? Let me know in the comments. 🙂
Weekend Warrior this week is being written during Superbowl 52. I watch for the commercials and the halftime show, I’m not going to lie. I understand a touchdown if I see it happen, and that’s about it. I am not a football fan. I am a huge fan of comedy and music, so I enjoy the extras that go along with the game.
I usually make something special to eat during the game. This year I made tacos and taco salad. Nachos and wings could be an alternative, and we had chili last week. So I chose to make tacos and taco salad. Guess what’s for lunch tomorrow, and maybe supper, and maybe even lunch on Tuesday? Good thing I enjoy Taco salad.
Yesterday was busy with some errands. Mixed into what had to be done was a trip to the mall to try on glasses. I had a friend with me, and he took pics. When you are as blind as a bat without your glasses on, trying on new glasses is challenging, because either you really trust the person that is picking out the frames that you try on, or you guess. One time I was given disposable contacts to try them on. It was the one and only time I ever had contacts in my eyes, and it was really cool! I got to see what I was trying on!
I have a few more places to go in the next few weeks while we sort out the cost and fit it into the budget. I have coverage, but it has a price limit, and we have to pay up front. So it requires planning and shopping around. When you only get new glasses once every 2 years, it is nice to have fun trying on glasses, picking some just for fun, and then narrowing down the choices until you find the right pair. I have more places to shop, and I am going to see if I can’t find the best ones in the current fashion trends. I want to look smart, and stylish, like an up and coming author, should look.
Earlier today I met a friend for lunch. We went to the Northside Market, and she got me to try something new. I had noodles, with veggie ground meat, and spring rolls. it was a combo, and I skipped the curry flavoured meat. Spices and I do not play nicely together, and even though it was the milder choice, I found a spice in it that set me off. I recovered quickly, and the meal was very good. I wish I knew exactly what that spice is, that cuts off the air in my throat. I would be happier if I could ask if that spice was in the ingredients before trying new foods, and it would make me feel a little better about trying new things.
We met because I am lending my Outlander book to her. I have lent that book to several people since I first read it back in university days. I loved Diana Gabaldon for many years, but I have had a new favourite author take that place in my heart. Jacqueline Carey is now my favourite author. Kushiel’s Dart and the whole sets of the Kushiel and Namah trilogies, two each, are the most amazing books. Her writing was so captivating to me. Some people have joined me in the love for these books, but not everyone. I keep telling people about them because I enjoyed them so much.
With the Outlander books, there is the Scottish history with a little bit of fantasy and romance. With the Kushiel and Naamah books, it is like a whole new world, just left of what the real world is, with mystery, and intrigue that just mesmerized me, as a reader. I couldn’t put them down, and want to make time to reread them. I am reading some new to me Sci-Fi, by Karen Traviss (Ally), and my first Stephen King novel (Bag of Bones) at the moment. I love to read, and that is one reason that I am really working hard to become an author. It is something I can do.
I also write lyrics, and the sad truth is that I am not cut out to be a singer. It makes my love for music all the more appreciative of the artists that are blessed with the ability to sing. I am still waiting for that chapter of my life to move forward. As a dreamer, I want it to happen. As a writer, all I can do is let people know what I can do, and what I am looking for.
I set up to record the Superbowl 52 Halftime show, but I was not impressed. Apparently, I am not alone with that sentiment. It was OK. Meh. I do want to thank Scandal for playing 2 Janet Jackson songs this past week. I really enjoyed hearing some of my favourite Janet songs. Don’t fool yourself, it was timed very well. I appreciate the message I got from enjoying Scandal this week.
In light of all of this, I was quite torn about taking the Superbowl Selfie with Justin Timberlake (on my TV) this year. I thought about it for a few minutes, and I made a decision. I want to relive last year’s fantastic Halftime show and share the selfie that started all of this. So here it is, she is still one of the best artists to have the Halftime show in my opinion.
Matty & I pose with Lady Gaga for the Halftime show of Superbowl 51.
You had better believe I won this weekend! Next year, the Superbowl had better pick someone that doesn’t have to play it safe or tick people off. One last thought, if they let him back, is Janet Jackson next? I would love to see that! If not, it is a double standard that is just wrong, another thing that people just aren’t fixing to make the world a place of truth and equality for everyone. There is a lot of work to do yet, to make changes like this happen.
I am going to get ready to watch This Is Us. It is up after the Superbowl. I may have some more salad before packing it up for the night. I have my kleenex ready and am expecting to be sad, it is advertised as being a sad show. We have waited 2 seasons to find out how the father in the show died. It was hinted at as a fire. I am going to apologize now for being tired tomorrow. I took a nap before. That will help. How do you enjoy the Superbowl? What are your favourite party foods that you make for the event?
