magick musings…

…what the ingredients are in Cocoa Roasted Almonds?

Well, Duh!

~Sandy

This weekend, GW says to me, “Babe, I need some new shirts.”

So…off we go to his favorite men’s clothing store.

When I need to shop for clothes, I usually drag my friend Brenda and/or my friend Denise and we are off on our quest for whatever it is that we’re looking for and need. We trekk to our favorite stores and peruse the racks both for the newest fashion and the latest sales, hoping that the two requirements will somehow meet.

We laugh and try on clothes, try on clothes and laugh. (Trust me, it’s not the same thing.) I love going with them, because they are both brutally honest, which I love in a shopping friend. AND they are fun and funny. (And that is also not the same thing.)

Plus we almost always do lunch and dessert somewhere.

So MY shopping trip takes a few hours. I am both picky and frugal. A savvy shopper.

But, back to the shopping with a man.

We walk into the store, find the area in his size, pick out 4 shirts, and walk out of the store ten minutes later. Each shirt averages about $80.00 each. I’m thinking we’re looking at over $300.00 (whew- makes my heart palpitate), but – get this! Are you ready?

The TOTAL bill was $150.00!

I know, you are as baffled as I am. The math doesn’t add up. How does one pick out clothes in 2.5 minutes flat? AND all be on sale?

When we got back into the truck, GW looked at the expression on my face and says “What’s wrong, Babe?”

What’s wrong? Nothing much. Just that he accomplishes in ten minutes that which takes me hours to do.

I just don’t get it.

~Sandy

…we ran errands. And ran errands. And ran errands.

But we finally found the rugs we wanted for both the foyer and the family room. And they rock! They are the perfect colors and size and it is amazing how they bring warmth to the rooms. Still have so many other things we want to do but it takes time and lots of work. And we want to make sure we get it how we want it.

Then we shopped around and found the bedroom furniture for the guest bedroom. They now make ‘media chests’ which matches the furniture so you can put a television and DVD players and such on which makes it better than the equipment taking up room on a dresser. I loved that idea! I like a place for everything and everything in its place.

The furniture had to be ordered, of course, so it is the same ole hurry up and wait. But I have patience.

Most of the time 🙂

We trucked to Home Depot and then to Sam’s Club to stock up on some items we were out of and by then we had worked up an appetite (shopping makes you hungry) so went to eat a late lunch. We had a gift card to On The Border so we pigged out on fajitas and veggies and rice and beans. Yum! We were good, though, and didn’t do dessert.

I did get some writing in. That’s important. I was having some trouble getting started on the chapter I am working on. I wasn’t quite sure where to begin it. Until that little birdie reminded me to just START! It can always be revised. But like everything else, I want it to be picture perfect the first time.

Today it is grocery shopping and then writing. I didn’t quite make my word goal this week, but still have to today to make up for it.

Have a great Sunday!

~Sandy

…a plan comes together.

Life has been so busy this last year that I found I was having difficulty keeping up and getting things done. I’d forget things. Not get as much done as I needed to or planned to. Then become frustrated because there was so much to do.

So… I started making lists the night before of all the things I needed to do the next day.

Amazing at what the difference it made! There is just something about seeing it visually that gets you motivated and puts things (like someone’s behind) in motion. It’s such a high when you check off each item on the list. Which inspires you to move to the next on the list. And then the next.

I find it helps keep things in perspective and, like a map or GPS, I know where I need to go for the day and how to keep on track. Each day the list is prioritized according to importance.

It is amazing how much more I have accomplished!

…Taxes done earlier this year than ever,
…Unpacking completed except for a few boxes that he-who-shall-remain-nameless has to go through,
…Wedding and party preparations were fun and not stressful,
…Decorating plans for house and yard in the thinking and planning stage,
…New website up and running,
…Goals and plans for writing career being set,
…Daily/weekly writing goals being sort-of achieved.

{{Hoping I said that last one very fast so no one caught that.}}

But, the best thing about it all, it makes me organized, focused and accountable. Although, it does get frustrated because the more I do, the more that needs done.

But {sigh} so goes life. Never a perfect world.

~Sandy

…and we were invited to a concert by our good friends, M & L. We traveled not far to a small town that, as many small towns have, a quaint downtown square. I just ‘heart’ those. Before the concert, we had dinner at a fabulous Italian restaurant right on the square. GW and I waited at the bar for our friends to arrive and I had my favorite Berenger’s White Zinfindel. The bartender was friendly and fun and had our mouths watering as he described the brunches they offer there on Sundays. Definitely on our list of things to do now.

For dinner, I opted for penne pasta and meatballs and Yum! Great food! The service was excellent. Our waitress also was fun and seemed to enjoy talking and teasing with us. She could definitely give as well as take on the jokes going back and forth.

After the concert, we stopped in a small coffee shop for coffee and dessert. GW and I split a blueberry and peach crumb cake that was warm and melted in your mouth. Delish!

I just loved walking around downtown. It was so quaint with the cobblestone walks and olde tyme lamp posts you see in those paintings of old. Patches of snow still covered some of the bushes and the trees were lit with tiny white lights giving it an atmosphere of being in a different era.

Unfortunately, we were all too soon jerked back to the present when we got to the parking lot and our friend’s battery was dead in their car. Thank God for jumper cables!

How was your weekend?

~Sandy

Isn’t it beautiful????

We woke up to it snowing and it NEVER stopped! About 8-10 inches of never stopping! That is a rarity in our North Texas area.

Was fortunate enough to stay home most of the day. I worked on my new website, cleaned up this website, emailed some friends that I haven’t spoken to in ages and did some writing. It felt so good to be catching up on the little bitty things that need to be done but can never find the time for.

It is almost Valentine’s Day! I’ve never researched to see how this holiday started, but, being the romantic type that always wears her rose colored glasses (okay, most of the time), I don’t necessarily love the commercialism of it, but love the way it makes people think about and concentrate on this thing called love.

Some refuse to even acknowledge the holiday stating it is all a ploy to make them get out and spend their hard earned money. Some get depressed because they don’t have a significant other to bask them with the flowers, the chocolates, and the Hallmark cards with pretty pictures and even prettier words.

I believe it is not about YOU, it’s about others. I believe we should concentrate on showing others they are special and loved, no matter if it’s parents, husbands, wifes, sons, daughters, siblings, or significant others. It doesn’t have to be about spending money, it’s about spending just as much time as you can allow giving a tiny, bitty bit of yourself. A letter, an email, a hug, doing or helping them do something that cannot do for themselves.

My grandmother loved to cook and bake. And always struggling to make the paycheck meet the month, she found ways to cut back and save money. One year, after a particularly rough time, my grandfather gave her the one present that she continued to talk about until the day she died. He did a favor for the friend and when the friend tried to pay him, he wouldn’t take the money, he asked if he could just come and pick pecans that had fallen in his backyard. My grandfather smuggled the pecans into the house and, a few days later, on Valentine’s day, he presented my grandmother with a coffee can full of perfectly shelled halved pecans. The joy on her face was enough to convince me it is not always about the trappings, its the giving from the heart.

But I am still a sucker for pretty cards, LOL! And trust me, I know if it was picked and given from the heart.

Have a warm, safe Friday!

~Sandy

…well maybe not by the Northeast’s standard but for us Texans it is COLD! The weatherman has predicted snow tomorrow for our area accompanied by sleet and rain so it is going to be miserable. I am going to hate to leave the house.

But tonight we are toasty and warm and I have a meatloaf cooked and roasted asparagus with parmesan. Delish! I could eat the whole pan of asparagus myself, but will be a good girl and share with GW.

Just revised Chapters 1 & 2 of my new WIP and moving on to Chapter 3. It’s hard getting back into the swing of the writing thing, but, since the story faeries haven’t bothered to leave any completed chapters under my computer, I’m going to have to do it myself. {{sigh}}

Keep warm!

~Sandy

…so much has happened since I last blogged!

No, I am not a slacker! Truly, I’m not.

There has just been so much I have had to get out of the way before I could blog again.

I feel pretty rusty at this right now, but will get back into the swing of things soon.

Since posting last, we have moved to a new city, built a new home, married, and had a fabulous celebration party.

Also, I have continued working diligently (albeit slowwwlllly) on my new Young Adult story and had a new Young Adult website professionally built. It’s truly AWESOME!

I have so many plans for now:
So many decorating ideas for the house and the yard that we have.
Complete two novels this year.
Sell above said novels.
Attend RWA Nationals this year.
Blog at least weekly.
Blog on my Young Adult website frequently.

Today is super bowl Sunday and it is cold and dreary outside so we opted to stay in just get some things done. I spent the day getting the financial report completed for my RWA local chapter. GW has a pot of bean soup cooking on the stove and it smells delicious. It is chalked full with ham and onions and carrots and I am not sure what else, but can’t wait for dinner. Why is it in the winter a person craves comfort food?

Last night went to the movies with some friends of ours to see Edge of Darkness (they stole the name of my next faerie Young Adult story!) and then visited an Irish Pub and had a really fun time. The movie was awesome and I tried the fish and chips for dinner. I opted out of any of the Irish drinks and only had my usual White Zinfindel but tried some of GW’s dark Irish beer.

Have a great Super Bowl day and stay warm!

~Sandy