magick musings…

…actually got here with warp speed this week.

Taught, trained, and tested the new hires at work and I always love that part of my job. Had a problem with one of them, but believe in her and need to give her a chance. If she lets me down, I will be very surprised and very disappointed.

Everyone needs a chance sometime to prove what they are capable of.

The weather here is to die for. Sunny skies that give just enough warmth without being sticky. Slight breeze that lets you decide on short sleeves or long depending on your tolerance. Pretty enough to make you want to hop in your vehicle with the music blaring and take off. No destination in mind. No place you HAVE to be. No one you HAVE to see. Nothing you HAVE to do. No one you HAVE to talk to. Just you, the music, and the road.

Have been in the craziest mood lately! Spring fever, maybe?

May have something to do with this wonderful weather and the fact that I got my dreaded taxes done.

Lisa Kleypas was at Waldenbooks last night and she is one fun, talented, classy lady. I have been friends with her for several years now and we talked, laughed, and had a ball catching up. She is the keynote speaker at RWA Nationals in Dallas this year and I had to promise her I would be there.

Between having the taxes done and finished, visiting last night with Lisa Kleypas and then my good friend Dennie, and hearing Candace Havens, the dynamic speaker Yellow Rose had last month, I am so motivated and itching to get back to my writing! Candace’s schedule makes me feel like a slug by comparison!

Also want to congratulate all the Samhain authors for Samhain Publishing achieving RWA recognized status this week. Way to go, Ladies!!!

Any special plans for the weekend?

~Sandy

…when you try to print something and you accidently choose the printer that is STILL installed on your computer but no longer have access to?

Answer: The computer becomes possessed and you become a stark raving lunatic!

Why?

Because the computer puts the print job in the print queue.

Which ties up 99% of your CPU processor.

Which slows the computer down to a crawl.

And no matter what you do, it holds the frickin’ print job hostage demanding to be connected to unavailable printer.

Tried deleting print job.

Tried cancelling print job.

Tried deleting printer.

Tried cancelling printer.

Tried deleting computer.

Computer tried to delete me.

After banging my head on the desk and a few not-so-ladylike words, I toted hard drive, monitor, keyboard, and mouse back across town to said printer thinking I would appease the technological demon and all would be well.

Not.

The only way to outwit it was to uninstall the printer. Picture an evil smirk here. Picture me Queen and I kick butt.

Not.

I uninstalled the printer and in the process it uninstalled the printer I use at home and now that printer cannot be re-installed for some stoopid reason.

Tried installing it from the disk.

Tried installing it from the manufacture’s website.

Picture evil smirk from computer.

Picture me Queen Printerless.

Do they do exorcisms on computers?

~Sandy

I love that phrase.

I get images of turrets and towers, strong hunky knights and feisty beautiful heroines. I see possibilities of dreams and visions, of romance and happiness and hope.

Could it be because I am romantic at heart or because I am a romance writer?

I write because I love words. I love they way they sound. I love the way they look. I love the way they can make something come alive and make it real.

Sometimes I can hear or read a phrase, sometimes only a word, or even just a name on the credits after a movie and a full blown visual takes shape in my mind.

Music also inspires me in so many ways. And if it happens to be a phrase or a word in a song that speaks to me – all the better – I am off and running.

Now before you clap your hands in glee and think how wonderful I am, I believe it is true for most writers. The avenue may be different, but the results are the same.

I know a writer who concocted a whole story after noticing a hitchhiker on the side of the road. Poor innocent man never realized she turned him into a serial killer that terrorized a small town suffering a deep winter freeze. I’m sure, in truth, he was just a nice guy needing a ride somewhere.

A published author friend of mine took her good friend’s name (we won’t mention any names, but think your’s truly here :thumbsup:) and wrote a whole story around it.

Another published author friend of mine took the idea of a girl, a hit man, and a time machine and turned it first into weekly serial and then into a novel.

Many a novel, many a screenplay, many a song was birthed by such an inspiration, growing into a full blown form of entertainment.

On a personal front, I got to visit the grandtwins this last weekend making a fast trip to my hometown to celebrate their birthday. So hard to believe they are now four years old. They are not babies any longer which makes me sad. This was the first year my son and daughter in law decided to have their party at Chuck E Cheese. Probably will be their last. Gaw, I can only hope.

Think huge rat.
Think huge rat with buck teeth.
Think huge rat with buck teeth that dances and sings.
Think huge rat with buck teeth that dances and sings amidst wall to wall kids.
Think huge rat with buck teeth that dances and sings amidst wall to wall kids that break the sound barrier.
Think we won’t do THAT again.

~Sandy

…to all who stood by me these last few months lending their strength, their understanding, their wisdom, and their compassion.

I will forever owe you. Big Time. My wish for you is love, happiness, and a never ending supply of chocolate and Starbucks.

These last few months have brought many changes to my life. We lost our precious little dog, the oldest-son-father-of-the-twins and wife split up, middle son left for Marine boot camp, and the youngest son left the nest to make his own world in life. And my marriage has taken a different direction.

Life forever changes. As it has to. If it doesn’t, we stagnate and are never forced to grow in character, in wisdom, and in strength. Sometimes it takes major changes in life to accomplish this. And sometimes it hurts those that you never mean to hurt.

And for that, I am truly sorry. But, again, sometimes, it is necessary.

Work related, things are great. I still love my job. I have so much fun on the weeks I teach and train new hires and appreciate the challenge of working on the electronic ambulatory record. Yesterday, we were finally allowed to receive those 800 plus DTS (codes to fix problems) but, after only a day’s worth of testing, found a multitude of problems that the fixes broke. :hissyfit:

The writing has not gone well the last two months, mainly because of the problems and changes on the home front, but, now that I am finally settling down again, the itch has returned. And I have some very inspirational inspiration :thumbsup:.

What’s been happening in your world?

~Sandy

…for not blogging lately but if you read my blog on January 13, the winds of change are still churning at hurricane force. Think of the movie ‘The Perfect Storm’. Think BIG. Think the storm of the century.

But, as Forrest Gump says, ‘That’s all I’m gonna say about that.’

For now anyway.

Within a few days I will be back in the swing of things so stay tuned.

~Sandy

…hard to write something else, but it is just not in me right now. Any author will tell you that sometimes what flows from their heart in their writings take on a life of their own and you just can’t control it.

Same thing with your blog writings.

I pulled this out again and needed to reprint it only because I needed to hear it, think it, believe it.

Yeah, it’s all about me today, folks. At least, that’s what I am being told.

I. Just. Don’t. Care.

Someone wise and loving told me that the rope that pulls too tight will eventually break. And that person is correct. As usual, I might add. And one by one, the threads are fraying.

I am reprinting this for me today. It is something I need to read and to see and to absorb. Life is hard and that’s okay. It’s what makes who we are and who we become. But if we don’t hang on to the dream of what can be and what we can become, we are lost.

But if you have read this before, don’t feel obligated to read it again.

After all, it’s all about me. And the ones that know different, are the only ones that count.

&#169 Sandy L Jones

Once upon a time…

in a not so far away land, a beautiful princess lived. She and her parents were good and kind and loved by all. The castle flourished and prospered making everyone in the kingdom happy.

Except for the princess.

She had but one dream. She wanted to fly. To soar like a bird in the sapphire sky that reached out and over her beloved land. To feel the warm sun on her face as she skimmed over the country flowers in the spring or the feel the bite of the cold winter wind as it rushed out with snow on its breath.

The King and Queen were horrified. My dear, they both exclaimed, we have given you everything you could possibly want or need. Everyone is happy here and you should be also. Besides, no one can really fly.

She loved her parents and didn’t want to upset them. Her heart heavy, the princess spent many days staring out her ivory tower and watching the cotton candy clouds drift by. She imagined touching them, their softness caressing her and tickling her nose. But she kept these thoughts to herself.

Years passed and one day a knight in shining armor came to visit and took her to his kingdom to live. On the way, he promised that he would give her anything she could ever want. Shyly, she told him of her heart’s desire. She wanted to fly.

The prince was sad. My dear, I can give you jewels and children and all my love. But I can’t make you fly, he replied. No one can really fly.

Over time, the princess became so busy that she didn’t have time to think about her wish. She loved her prince and was happy with her children, but each night, in her dreams, she would take wing and fly beyond the castle towers to the forest that surrounded the stronghold. With a smile, she loved to look down upon the treetops and smell the sweet air billowing up from their branches. But when the sun rose each morning, she told no one.

After all, they said, no one can really fly.

On her 86th birthday, she awoke and felt a difference in the castle. She rushed downstairs to find her family gathered together, their faces brimming with excitement yet only feigned innocence and secret smiles answered her questions. Her prince took her hand and together they made their way out the door and down the path to the sea that touched the coastline. Followed by their children and grandchildren and great grandchildren and, eventually, half the kingdom, they stopped at the shore where a boat was waiting.

With a gentle touch, her strongest grandson picked her up and set her in one of the cushioned seats and held her hand while they headed out to sea. A little way out, they stopped. A few adjustments later and her grandson secured behind her, their feet left the safety of the boat. Together, they rose, higher and higher, until the air vibrated with the wind rushing past.

She was flying!

Joy filled her heart as they rose to a greater height. Below, she could see her family, small specks on the ground waving gaily to her. White ripples in the turquoise water glistened in the sun as they passed up and down close to the beach. A clear view of the snow-capped cliffs in the distance showcased their magnificence and her breath caught in her throat. The horizon stretched forever and she marveled at how the world could be so small and yet so big.

All too soon, their feet touched the boat again and the trip ended. But for the princess, she lived happily ever after because she finally got to fly.

This fairy tale is a true one. Even though it took modern technology of parasailing with her grandson to fulfill it, she realized her dream.

I believe that if, like the princess, you hold the dream close to your heart, with perseverance and hard work, you, too, will someday fly.

~Sandy

…when the beast of winter expelled it’s last icy breath before succumbing to a long summer sleep.’

Corny, huh? But not referring to the winter storm that arrived a few days ago and put a few inches of snow on the ground early this morning.

For some weird reason I pulled that out of a file of a story I started years ago. A fantasy children’s story along the same lines of a genre that the Harry Potter series made so popular. Except this was started many years ago. Not to say mine would be as good as JK Rowling, but it makes me mad that I talked myself out of writing it. That no one would read it or would think of it as too far out of the box.

Not the first time I let doubt, confusion, and insecurity screw with my life.

I could have written it. And then revised it. With hard work, made it a publishable story. Writing, you know, is 5% writing and 95% rewriting.

Not that I would know because I am my own worst enemy. I don’t believe in myself and that has to change if I am going to move forward with my writing. So what if the first draft sucks. So what if the second draft sucks, I know it will suck just a little less than the first.

When I shared my dream with someone once, I lamented about what happens if my first book doesn’t sell. Instead of laughing at me, that person looked me directly in the eye and asked what would happen if the second, fifth or even the eighth book DID.

That gave me the spark and impetus to start writing.

I need to find that again. And, this time, work it the Nike way – Just Do It!

My Templar series I started long before the DaVince Code and the others that followed. :wall:

Why do I not go with the ideas that are God given gifts to me? I have noticed that if I don’t follow through with them, then they are given to someone else to proceed with.

Now, I know that the above opening line is hokey, but maybe I can salvage the storyline and run with it. And take my Templars and turn them loose on their quests.

Before someone else does.

Sorry, if I am rambling stoopidly. It’s been a pretty funky year these last few days.

&#169 Sandy L. Jones 2007

~Sandy

…are gusting through my life right now with hurricane force.

Some things I can speak about ~ others I cannot.

I believe I have mentioned that one of my sons is leaving for the marines soon.

Well, ‘soon’ has arrived. Monday, he leaves for Boot Camp in San Diego.

Am I sad? Yes. Am I going to miss him? Absolutely. Worry about him? Constantly.

But there comes a time in life where change is inevitable. Unavoidable. Necessary.

My youngest son has also decided that it is time to spread his wings and will be moving to his own apartment this weekend.

At their age, it is past time for them to be on their own. But, as a mother, I worry about whether they will be okay by themselves. Make the right decisions. Have enough food to eat. Be warm enough. Stay cool in the summer. Be safe.

But, thinking back to my early years on my own, I made it just fine. There were times when there was no food to eat, wrong decisions were made, and I was uncomfortable. But I made it through and so will they.

Now, please remind me of this when I see both of them drive away.

And on top of a new job last year, finishing up my two year president’s term of our RWA chapter, losing our precious little dog, Misty, three weeks ago, my life is drastically changing.

I am actually looking forward to the new journey.

Tonight, our good friends, ‘da Bears’ are coming over to see soon-to-be-a-marine son one last time before he leaves. We will celebrate with Chinese food and wine and fresh chocolate chip cookies. And play games and laugh until our faces hurt. I look forward to this. ‘If we are not going to have a good time, we just are not going to do it.’ as quoted by M. da Bear.

Have a great Saturday!

~Sandy

…I swear I have guardian angels that watch over me. I say that in the plural sense as there is no way only one of them would have the time or patience to minister to my misadventures.

And they must have done something pretty bad in heaven to have the luck to be stuck with me.

Today, on my way home from work, I notice I needed gasoline. It might have been the low fuel light that was the dead giveaway. You know – the little yellow light that starts blinking and dinging and scares you half to death because you can actually hear it over your music that is blaring ever so loudly. The one that means you better get gas – NOW – or else you be walkin’ home. Or worse, have to call your husband and explain why you ran out of gas. 😯 Not a happy thought.

I reached the next intersection and with a big sigh of relief, there was a Chevron station of which I had a gas card. Not that I minded paying cash, but it was dark and not the best part of town so I wanted to jump out, grab some fuel and get out of there. Better to pay at the pump instead of having to walk inside to pay the cashier.

I have bought gas many, many times in my life. And I know how to use a credit card to pay at the pump.

But for some odd reason, when I slipped the card through the little card slot – nothing happened.

Tried again. And a third time.

Nada. Zip.

Now by this time, it is really getting dark and I am alone out there by the pumps with no other cars around. And I figure the bars on the windows and doors of the station must be relevant in a pretty scary way.

So with a quick prayer, I tried one more time and the words ‘Thank you!’ appeared on the little screen.

Thinking I’m good, I proceeded to gas up. No problem, it worked fine.

A full tank later, I put the gas cap back on, hopped back into the Tahoe, and started the ignition.

Before I could put it into drive, a nagging little voice told me to go inside.

Why would I do that? I wondered.

I put the car in gear and edged away from the pumps.

But the little voice kept right on nagging and got louder and louder.

I stopped, thought about it for a moment, and then when the voice was demanding I go inside, I gave up and went.

And the cashier was in the process of calling the police. He said, in broken English, that he thought I was trying to make off without paying.

Me? I have never stolen anything in my life.

He then proceeds to tell me that the card slot on pump is broken. And there wasn’t a sign/note/explanation on it because…?

I decided it wasn’t worth the argument, I just explained that I was just moving the vehicle closer to the station, paid the bill and got the heck out of there.

Must have been my guardian angels on duty tonight again shouting in my head. One day they are going to petition for someone else to take care of, I just know it.