Magnificent Monday

Yesterday was the end of Mondays for 2022. No more of them in this year. And only 5 more days in the year. Where did it go?

Weather making the news, blizzards, floods, rain like we’ve never seen, tornadoes, hurricanes, wind, ice storms, and more blizzards. It happens every year and yet we seem surprised. The only thing greater than the havoc man can wreak on himself and his surroundings is Mother Nature. The sheer brute force is amazing. And what is truly amazing? The human spirit overcomes everything and anything. Yes. Miracles happen every day, don’t they?

I met my son, Frankie, for breakfast yesterday. Every couple of weeks, we meet at a different restaurant. It’s been fun, talking about food, fun, catching up on mutual friends. We reminisce about so many things. He remembers a lot of things from when he was a very little boy. Brandeis Department Store in downtown Omaha was the place to go visit Santa when he was little. He remembers the Willy Wonka display and seeing Santa when he was probably 3 years old. He has a memory I can’t believe. Considering I became his Mom at age 19, it’s true we grew up together. It’s been a ride.

One idea I had for 2023 was to give away other author’s books. It’s encouraged to read other author’s works, and I do. Right now, I have 2 of three Colleen Hoover books read. Instead of my keeping them forever, I thought it might be good to have a drawing to give them away. First, I need to check with someone who knows more than I do (anyone with a book published!) and see if I can do that ethically. I will have some gimmick to have people sign up, maybe limit the number of entries one person can have, and draw a month later. I need to work out the details, but I think it’s a valid idea. It will help me declutter stuff I’ll probably not use again. What do you think? Are you in? Drop a comment. Let me know your thoughts.

I love a great crime story, who done its, Law & Order franchise episodes, and mysteries. And in between, well-crafted comedy is the best. I’m watching an old episode of Everybody Loves Raymond. I think this is a genius comedy. Just an everyday guy, doing his best, with a kooky bunch of characters for family. Yes. It’s so funny. They all end up united by their quirks and doubts, their insecurity, and a good heart. I love the characters. Peter Boyle is a genius as Frank. Marie is such a great passive-aggressive mother-in-law. She really does a great job. And Robert, omigosh! What a mess he is. Of course, Frank submitted a story to the “Digest,” and is published. It’s hilarious. Frank thinks he’s now a writer, like his son is.

I hope to write characters like that. But with my spin on them. Of course, I don’t know who they are yet, and you’ll know as soon as I do. I hope you were in touch with someone you love yesterday. It’s always so good to be around someone you have a positive history with. Do it while you can. There is no time like the present. Remember that these last 5 days of 2022. We’ll see each other tomorrow. Thanks for reading.

Monday Memories

As a kid, Monday was a brand new day at school. We attended Mass every day (except Saturday) and then went to school. Every day started with Church, and I didn’t mind it. It was our routine. First Fridays of the Month were special celebrations; we had juice and a glazed donut after attending Mass. Those days, the rules were fast all night until after Communion. Shortly after I made my First Holy Communion, I believe we could eat three hours before, but eating at 6 a.m.. wasn’t on the agenda for any of us in 1959.

High school? I don’t remember Mondays too much. When we weren’t old enough to work, the weekends were usually whatever Mom made them. She always awakened early me on Saturday. No sleeping late in our house! And when I was dating in my senior year, she woke me by 7 a.m. on Saturday. I had to watch the little brothers.

Mondays didn’t matter when I was a young mother. Every day was the same. I was up early, and whenever they woke during the night. There was not the movement there is now when fathers actively take part in their babies’ care and rearing. Very interesting. I love the dads do what they do now. It is how it should be. Despite my experience (he didn’t do diapers and didn’t do middle of the night waking), I believe it should be a shared duty. You both made that baby, you both should share equally in the care.

It’s getting late, and I hope you all have a beautiful evening. Be safe. See you tomorrow.

Monday, Monday

What a day? I met my son, Frankie for breakfast today. It’s always fun to visit with him. We have always been able to talk about anything and we do. I’m so grateful he hangs out with me for a bite now and then. He mentioned today he’s been a cook for 35 years. What? Oh my gosh, he has! He is looking at turning 51 this year. Wow!

I was thinking of him as a little boy today; he had platinum blonde hair, big blue eyes, and has always been a cheerful guy. As a baby, he was never in a bad mood. The worst time he had teething was with his eye teeth, at about a year. He listened to me as I taught him how to do some things, like driving and checking his oil. Luckily, I watched Dad and passed that along to my kids. And having a beer with him when he turned 21 was special. He’s a good man.

I need to call some veterans tomorrow and line them up to be interviewed in a podcast about their military experiences. It’s an honor to be a part of this project. It will be submitted to the Library of Congress, and be part of our nation’s history. What an honor!

As we continue on this week, I’m still working on my to-do list. Finally finished the forms for the Nebraska Department of Revenue. It seems I sort of blew off filing the forms when they were due. Wow. Now, I’m on their radar. Oh dear!

I hope you have a relaxed rest of the evening. We will get back at this tomorrow. The dentist’s office wanted to glue the temporary crown back in this morning; it’s drilled down to the dentin as part of the prep, and the crown will not be here until March 7. He doesn’t want it just stuck on with toothpaste like is recommended. I hope the shift I felt in it earlier doesn’t mean it’s going to fall out again. See you tomorrow!

Super Sunday! and Monday Reflections

It was such a great day Sunday at our VFW Post 2503. We had a lot of new people gathered together. We were mixed races, creeds, politics, religions, and heritage. We gathered to award money from donations, hard work, and what we earned from fund raising all summer. It was pretty incredible.

We had a board member from Nebraska COPS, the founder of Guitars for Vets Nebraska, and the founder of Moving Veterans Forward to receive their checks. It really made my heart swell. We’ve made a lot of new friends today. We have networked and we have new connections to make. It’s all going to be fantastic. And it seemed so effortless now that we are at the end of the summer. All it does is make us want to work harder for them next year.

To identify the people in the photo, here is a who’s who, from left to right:

Steve Cerveny, OPD, Nebraska COPS Board; Larry Quilliam, Commander VFW Post 2503; Ron Hernandez, Founder Moving Veterans Forward, Kathy Raabe, VFW Post 2503 Auxiliary; Peggy Ullom, Founder Guitars for Vets, Nebraska; Dan Raabe, Quartermaster VFW Post 2503.

What a great feeling it is to help coordinate to make the effort successful and effective. We will create new ways to help our Veterans who often suffer from PTSD, and are homeless. One condition seems to have a domino effect in the lives of some people. They may turn to drugs or alcohol to cope, lose their income, job, home, family, etc. In the past year, we have made many new contacts and friends by reaching out to organizations who can use our help.

The leader of the ABATE group and some of their members were present; they made a donation to us, and we turned it over to the two Veterans groups, MVF and G4V NE. How wonderful it is to share! I don’t have a photo of him, but want to share with you what ABATE is. They are a group of motorcycle enthusiasts. A Brotherhood Aimed Towards Education. They dedicate their time and effort to educating the public, motorcyclists, and anyone who is curious about safety and rights of riders. We are so blessed to have this connection.

Ron Hernandez, Kathy Raabe, Peggy Ullmon, Jay Miralles, Dan Raabe

I’m writing on my laptop today. I left the Chromebook at the Post, and I really miss it! Every system works differently, and every keyboard has a distinct feel to it. This is no exception. While it works, my cheat sheets that appear to the right of my writing vanished. I poked around, trying this key and that key, it’s a test for my brain, I’m sure. All is good. The worst part? My laptop does not have a touch screen, which is a feature I will include on all future devices, trust me!

Today, it’s back to work around the house. Laundry, cleaning, all the stuff about life that’s not glamorous or fun. But it has to be done. And if you re-frame things you don’t like, you can make something positive out of it. For example, I can be grateful to God for the privilege of owning enough clothes to have plenty of clean clothes and be glad I don’t have to carry the laundry out to the laundromat. I had to do that with clothes and diapers from my oldest son. While his dad was in the Army in Germany, I saved money to buy a washer and dryer for the apartment. He took the money and bought a motorcycle. I should have wised up then, but I didn’t. And I would never have had another son and a daughter who taught me all about independence. She was a very independent baby and toddler. I didn’t want to squash her spirit like mine was. She still amazes me.

I’m just going to enjoy the warmth that’s in my heart right now from the weekend. The people are so phenomenal! And soon, we will dig in again, with a special project. More later! Have a beautiful rest of the day. Be kind to someone today. You’ll be better for it. Thank you for reading and see you tomorrow!

Monday; Just the Start!

It’s a bright, shiny new week, and we’re going to have fun. Cartney is working on her drawings in between the life of a very busy high school graduate, who is a very involved person. She’s involved with all aspects of life. Shouldn’t we all be that engaged? I think so.

At my age I don’t have the energy I used to. At the same time, the ideas are flowing faster and fuller than ever before in life. I suppose that’s how it is being a creative sort of person. My problem at the moment isn’t ideas, it’s time and energy. Once you get the mind straight, it’s hard to get everything else in line. Some days.

Meetings today about our fundraiser for NE Cops (Concerns of Police Survivors). The Babe and I attended a concert a month ago and learned about the cause. It’s phenomenal what they are doing. This event will help raise funds to send three Nebraska families to Washington, DC for the Police Memorial Week in October. It’s a good and right thing to do for the community around us. And my heart goes out to the families.

In the world around us, last week a fine young man and the love of his life were married. What a happy thing to see on Facebook! And the more we are positive, reading affirmations, living them, and defeating fear and negativity, the better the world becomes. This doesn’t mean we’re living perfect lives. Quite to the contrary. Things are not perfect. Those are not what we concentrate on. We have to let things build us up, not tear us down. I know it’s hard. There are two major things in my life that are very far from perfect; they cause me great sadness. I have decided either I accept them or I let them ruin my whole life. Yes, it creeps in at times. I allow myself to feel sad about it. And then I move on. I have to. Or life and I would be miserable. The Devil cannot win.

I use the energy to do good for other people. It feels good. Organizations are grateful. I don’t do it for me; I do it because it’s good for other people, I’m occupied with something positive, and good happens because of it. I am so tempted to buy the shirt that reads:

Underestimate Me

That Will Be Fun

It doesn’t necessarily mean something negative. It’s just when it gets down to the wire, I’ve pulled myself out of some incredible situations. All with God’s help. It’s not that the ego is leading, it’s simply I know I can go up against obstacles. And come out well. I don’t look at it as winning or losing. I see it as achieving vs. fearing. I know things become clearer the further I go into the unknown. It took a lifetime to learn that. It has taken the last twenty years to say it out loud and realize it’s how God has worked in me for me. And I’m grateful. I need to use it for good. I try to.

Good things continue when you get into the habit of looking for them. Make it a daily habit and you’ll be surprised at how well your days are. A baby in the store, a puppy on a leash, nature, the neighbor kid, they can all be a source of joy. Let’s keep looking at the good. See you again tomorrow. Be Safe out there, and hold the door open for someone. It’ll be a nice thing.

Begin Today!

Monday, you are the start of a brand new week to create, think, plan, and set goals for the next six weeks or so. It’s going to go quickly, time does that lately. When we have so much good to do, it goes faster than ever.

This week, I want to finish placing the wording in my very rough draft of the kid’s book. Then, Cartney can do her magic. I’m getting pretty excited, folks! Even in this fun situation, there are two ways to look at it. One way is, “OMG, it’s so much work! How will I ever finish? I don’t know how to do this! I can’t do it alone!” The other way? “OMG it’s so much work, but it’s so fun. The feeling you have working through the details, even the problems, lets you feel you can learn anything. Look at what you’ve learned through free training and other training you’ve paid for. You’ve done very well. Congratulations! Your independence is remarkable!”

See the difference? Our friend, William Shakespeare, said,

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

Oh, no. I don’t mean friend friend. I mean fellow author. And what a body of work he had! And he possibly experienced the same angst, worry, confidence issues, and procrastination most authors do. I’m guessing we all do. That makes him a friend, experiencing some of the same things we all do. I’m glad to start this journey later in my life, as I’m much more confident than I was even ten years ago. The time is right!

I will have to pinch myself, when I see our names in print, and Cart’s ideas and mine a reality, something concrete from the abstraction of creativity. It’s going to be awesome.

In the meantime, it’s nearly time to go pick up the weeks groceries from Walmart. And I’ll have to do some prepping for dinner and breakfast later in the week. Maybe a little pick-up around the house, too. Mundane things but necessary. I’m watching the snowflakes fall randomly around the front yard. I don’t think it’ll accumulate before tomorrow morning. Good day to read by the fireplace or see more episodes of “The Politician.” It’s very good. I’m viewing it as scenes, and the writing is very good. It’s kind of quirky. Jessica Lange is fabulous, and the second season is full of surprises so far.

Thank you so much for reading, you know I appreciate it. Have a great day, stay warm, and don’t forget to be kind, thoughtful, courteous, and safe. See you again tomorrow!

More Mondays!

Aren’t you just excited it’s the start of another week? I am. I plan to actually plot my children’s book cover this week, and add the verbiage to some of the pages. Much of the writing will be edited out when Cartney McGuigan works her magic to illustrate the story. I’m getting really excited to work on it again. This learning stuff is hard! It fills my brain with possibilities. And ideas. It’s ok. That’s where the greatest ideas come from.

I have an idea for pre-release notification that will allow a printable PDF for children. We may have printouts available for including with the purchase of books in person or via my website, Cartney’s Etsy Store, and of course, for the McGuigan’s use. Stay tuned, boys and girls. And everyone! We’re going to have a blast doing this.

At long last, the sun has finally made an appearance! The moon was brilliant last night, too. With our blinds open in the bedroom and all the lights off, it lit up the room for a couple hours. As it reached it’s peak in the sky, the brightness dimmed and I just lay there thinking how awesome the creation of the world is. Scientifically and Spiritually as well. Grateful to God for all of it. I marvel at the seasons, the growth in spring, the flowers in the late spring and summer, and the colors of fall.

We enjoyed Gavin so much yesterday. He asked, “Can we please go for ice cream?” We never turn down ice cream! It was a perfect thing to do. We’re looking forward to getting to watch him play baseball this year. He’s got a lot of athletic talent, I’m so proud to watch him. He was watching a game on Nintendo Switch (I think that’s what it’s called). He can narrate a play by play watching basketball, baseball, and football. He’d isolate the players who slammed the ball in the hoop. All you have to do is agree with him. He’s happy. He has an unbelievable mind to keep all that knowledge at such a young age. Children fascinate me; how they learn and grow through the years. He’ll be nine this year. Wow.

The lust for power, for dominating others, inflames the heart more than any other passion. – Tacitus

What do you think of this statement? I find it sad, actually. Power has never appealed to me, really. Not without the responsibility that goes with it. A powerful person, in my opinion, needs to have integrity, a soul, and be honest. I suppose one would say our current politicians are more lusting for power than anything else. They may have forgotten they work for US. I just want us to find a way to stop all the fighting, negativity, and division.

I was astounded to read many codependent people “lust” for control. This sounds kind of crazy, I know. The premise is their role in their home was to control their environment, then they could enable their addicted people to keep their addictions. They would mistake enabling for help. It isn’t. It continues the curse, and you’re helping do that. I did it too. I no longer allow that person to pull me into their issue. It’s their to fix, not me. By “helping,” I was doing anything but helping. I helped continue the lies he told himself and everyone else. Only fooled ourselves. No more. It is what it is. And it’s not mine. Have it back, and keep it forever. I’m done.

When we humans have breakthroughs in improving our lives, we become more energetic I believe. The world is brighter, easier to navigate. Less baggage that we’re holding for others. Try it, you’ll like it! Peace at any price doesn’t promote peace, only more of the same. Peace with boundaries is more liberating, for sure. We all need reminders. Let’s help each other out. I’m in!

Another quote:

Today, I will examine my decisions to be sure I haven’t traded compliance for integrity.

(From: Days of Healing, Days of Joy: Daily Meditations for Adult Children).

Proud dog Mom talk: One short training session with her today, and she’s not dropping her fetch toy and barking at me. YAY! I sat on the deck, she had her training collar on, and just two little buzzing sounds with the command, “No Bark!” and she didn’t bark again. She brought the rope back to me, up the stairs, to the deck, instead of sitting in the yard, barking until I came down to her. Nope. What a good girl! When I finish working later, I’ll be giving her new toys from Bark Box.

Have a beautiful Monday. We’ve got a lot to accomplish this week, let’s get going! Be Safe. Be Kind. Have Integrity. Have Compassion. Know Your Boundaries. Enforce Them. Be Compassionate. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Aaaannndd It’s Monday Again

I just looked at my personal email and decided nothing was super important. Then I looked at my business e-mail and see it’s off to the races again. I’m getting better at rejecting a lot of training, but some are still relevant. If I sign up for mostly free Zoom instruction, I usually learn one thing I didn’t know before, so I consider it an excellent investment of time. Today, I am watching Jerry Jenkins talking about Getting Published this Year, 2021. He ought to know- he wrote the “Left Behind” series, which published back in the 90s, I believe. It dealt with Jesus’ return to earth in present time. Can you imagine?

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

I’ve included a picture of our dear Roxie as today’s Header photo. I received a notice today from WordPress. It’s already been two years since I set up my domain! I didn’t really start writing with any frequency until we lost Roxie later that year in July. In this photo, she is holding onto her bone so Lexie won’t get it away from her. I thought it was a hilarious look on her face. It still is. I miss her. I know Lexie does. She howls and whimpers from time to time. She never did that before. Poor girl!

My handy daily meditation book had a couple of thoughtful topics over the last two days. One dealt with the human tendency to take on undeserved guilt. I did that my whole childhood and continued it until probably twenty years ago. If Mom was mad, I thought it was my fault. She could be mad at my brothers, but I felt I had to make her happy. That’s not a good way to be. It’s not ego driven, it’s a codependent reaction. It made me feel bad about myself when I couldn’t do what I thought I should do. Little did I realize it had nothing to do with me.

The second meditation was good, too. It started with the famous Yogi Berra quote:

“It Ain’t Over ’til It’s Over.”

A few days ago, I was too tired, overwhelmed, and had a day of constant interruptions. I considered quitting writing and just doing my usual creative endeavors (which I miss a lot)! I’ve never backed down from anything in my life. Every challenge strengthened me. I can’t quit now, I have a lot to offer as writing about people, their hurts and problems, and how they solve their issues. Human interest, if you will. The Babe and I talked about it, he said, “You can’t just quit.” Bless his heart. He is a gem, I am holding onto him with both hands!

So here I sit again today, in the Home Office in Gretna, Nebraska, writing my blog and getting ready to edit my last chapter to make sure I include all my plot points. Today’s meditation? Also apt for me.

“Growth is the only evidence of life.”

Truth be told, it is probably apt for quite a few of us today and every day. We are meant to grow. Not so much in size (some of us have a time, don’t we?), but in spirit, intelligence, experiences, and everything else that makes us who we are. We cannot get someone else to do it. It’s not like shoveling the snow or mowing the lawn. We can pay someone else to do that. We can’t pay someone to do our personal growth for us. It’s as easy and hard as that. We must do it for ourselves.

This is one reason I love to read. Unfortunately, I read a lot of books for learning; all this week, I’m reading one or two just for the fun of it. The fun of reading. The balance for the work I hope to accomplish this year is play and laughter. Laughter helps everything go better. It reduces stress. It cheers us. Our personal growth is our own responsibility. What are you doing to make sure you’re doing your part? We need to keep fueling the fires of growth until we take our last breath. Stretch out, shake off the fear, and take a deep breath. Soon, you will look forward to it, instead of fearing it. You’ll be able to do far more than you ever dreamed.

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Only 30 minutes until my hour Zoom class. I will get my novel written this year! Hope Jerry Jenkins has some tips that make a difference. Have a day full of growth, enrichment, and forgiveness. Be the Change. Meet in the middle. Let’s be safe out there. Be kind. See you tomorrow! Thanks for reading.

Monday, Full of Promise

Good morning, from the sunny Home Office in Gretna, Nebraska. If you don’t appreciate the beautiful blue I can see this morning, I’ll say a prayer for you. It’s been dark and overcast for a few days. Even without talking with Mom, I know she’s grateful for more light to maneuver around in. It also makes the day go faster, your internal clock gets off kilter with too much darkness. Hang in there, Mom!

Listening to the sounds of Bruce Springsteen right now, “Letter to You.” It’s a nice collection, all what I would expect from him in his later years – he’s 71 years old. The words ring true in my heart right now, as I listen. We all have fears and doubts that haunt us right now.

I see it through the eyes of a believer in God. He provides for us, maybe not what we want, but what we need. We sometimes don’t know the difference between the two. It’s amazing if you’ve seen His timing in your life. An event can happen that puts you on a totally different yet much better path than you are on at the time.

I put my worries in God’s hands right now. I don’t know how we will end up at the end of the week, but I cannot drive myself crazy about it. What good does that do any of us? Our mental stability is shattered and that is when trouble happens. We hear all sorts of rumors and dis-information, I don’t trust most things I read online anymore. And television news? I think not. I suppose my information will all become “after the fact,” and my primary concern is for law enforcement in Washington DC, the Capitol Police, the Secret Service, and all the other agencies who are keeping order in our nation’s capitol until after the Inauguration. I hope Biden and Harris help us settle down. He is my president, whether I voted for him or not. Let’s just move ahead.

I had a noon class today with the Storyteller Academy. It’s a free, seven day series of classes about Picture Books. I gleaned something very important during the class today. Jim Averbeck mentioned you need to consider the child’s emotions. I’m so glad to hear this. It is about the child, and things which may evoke some strange feelings they are unfamiliar with. My book talks about loss, and how they feel. It is offering ideas to cope and heal, too. It’s a topic people don’t like to talk about, which is exactly why we need to talk about it. Grief can derail your life if you don’t know how to handle it.

Let’s have a positive attitude for the rest of the day. I’ve accomplished a lot, although I wish I could have published this sooner in the day. I’m plotting about how to do more in a week than we do now, and if it’s possible. These books won’t write themselves!

Thank you for reading today, we’ll see each other tomorrow! Be Safe. Hugs and Love to all of you.

Monday Happiness

No, it didn’t even snow this much, but I thought the photo was pretty. While I was writing an article for our VFW Post 2503 Website, it fell gently at first, then the flakes fell faster. The article described our experience helping collect winter clothing for homeless Vets. With the snow today, I felt so happy for about thirty people who would have a nice, warm coat, several pairs of new socks, and water resistant boots.

I spent time today picking up a dress to alter for a girl my son works with. I haven’t done that for a while, but it’ll be a fun thing. It usually is. The weather was just wet and cold by then, snow melted. The pretty scenes are gone. It will snow more this year, I’m sure.

This Keto eating is going well, we both have more energy. However, it’s a lot of work! When you cook your own meals, there is planning, shopping, following recipes, searching for ingredients. We’ve tried to find smoked paprika for a few weeks. Finally, at the little Mom and Pop store in town. They usually come through. Thanks, Babe!

After I got home, I prepped tomorrow’s breakfast and baked it. Then it’s make something for dinner. Nothing much is quick any more, unless you have a salad with hard-boiled eggs, sliced ham, turkey, and veggies in it. That may be dinner tomorrow. Yep, we’ll make HB eggs tomorrow, and some more bagels. Those are weird. Melting Mozzarella cheese until liquid, you mix in some new “flour”, and mix up the stuff. I couldn’t get it to roll out very well last time. It was more like string cheese instead of a “rope” to create a bagel from. Practice will help, I’m sure. We can both tell our bodies are changing. The weight loss isn’t huge, we’re both about 10 – 15 pounds. But we’re not hungry, and are going to eat Keto for Thanksgiving, too. I’ll make sugar free cranberry sauce, loaded baked “cauliflower” potatoes, and loads of raw veggies. We’ll have Keto Pumpkin bars with real whipped cream. It should be a splendid feast.

Tomorrow, we’ll have more to visit about, it’s just a little before bedtime now and should have info on a mask mandate in our little town. We have a high rate of folks at our local church, causing everything to be cancelled in person. So sad. Take care, be safe out there.