NaNoWriMo: Day 11-Whoohoo! Snow!

Total word count as of Day 11:  30,469

Today is Friday. My day off. I usually have Fridays off, and I love and appreciate that fact, especially today. Why? Well, I take Fridays as my running around day: errands, cash my paycheck, grocery shopping, and usually, I am so tuckered out, the thought of cooking supper (tonight it was chinese from the China Buffet here in Zimmerman) or sitting down to write make me want to just take a shower, put on my jammies and call it a night.

Instead, I got home around 4:00 pm and was happy to still have a few minutes to settle in, get my stuff put away and then order dinner. The love of my life, QH, was home, and my son, who isn't feeling well and called in sick today, we all got to sit down TOGETHER and have a nice dinner. Since I work nights, it's usually rare that we are all home at the same time, let alone home together long enough to sit down and have a meal together that isn't breakfast on the weekend.

I just peeked outside and it is snowing. This is the first snowfall of the season here and I feel that I am not ready for snow yet. As QH pointed out to me, this is November, after all, and ironically, in the novel I am writing for NaNoWriMo, there is an impending snowstorm coming that will work into the plot and may be a background character in this novel. I can't change the weather, so I guess I will have to embrace the snow.

Most everyone wants me to post some of this novel, but I need to polish it up a bit before I can do that. And I want to finish it first. I want to have it all done before I start putting chapters out there for people to read.

In answer to the next logical question, "Are you going to publish it anywhere?" That's a good question. If I can't find someone to publish it in the traditional sense, I am playing with the idea of publishing it myself. Mainly because I have always wanted to learn what that whole process is about, not just by posting it on my blog or anything, but by going through the whole idea-to-book-to-print book form. I can publish it myself as an e-book, but I'm not sure right now what exactly I will do with it. I'm still playing and having a fabulous time doing it.

But more than just the Fun Factor, because I am doing a discipline, an adhered to writing schedule, a ritual, if you will, I can see that the rest of my life is falling into place. I have learned this before in the previous NaNoWriMos I have done in the past, even the ones I didn't win at. When you find something you really love to do, like write, sculpt, knit, play guitar, sing, or shoot targets, it doesn't matter what activity it is, if you can really lose yourself to it and time just flies by for you and you feel renewed by doing it, it is exactly what you need to do more of. Life is short. You may not wake up tomorrow. Will you really say, I'll really miss working today? Most of us don't like the jobs we do. My jobs have always enhanced my writing because I have been able to transfer the skills I have and apply them to my writing and vice versa.

And there is no greater boost to you or your mood when you accomplish a goal you set out to achieve. I was shooting for a minimum of 2,000 words per day. Today, I exceeded my expectations, and I feel fantastic: Whoohoo!

Stay safe, stay warm and go play in the snow tomorrow, if it sticks around long enough to play in or make a snowman or two!

NaNoWriMo: Day 6 & 7

Total word count after Day 6 & 7: 15,316

Here I am, ready to fall asleep at the keyboard. I got up at 7:00 am this morning thinking it was still 8:00 am this morning because I forgot to set all my clocks back. Thank goodness my cell phone did it automatically and we were able to get everything synchronized to the correct time. I still feel like it's later than it really is, and I know from past experience that it's going to take me a while to get used to this new time change.

This weekend the weather was beautiful and it was also a bit hectic. We took care of a lot of things around the house and the yard, including washing my windows inside and out. I also had to take a trip to the Humane Society of Coon Rapids because someone dumped six small kittens off at our place. They were about 8 weeks old, all had their eyes open and were mewing and crying and scratching all night to come into my house, then the next day into the garage. We don't like cats, but we were not going to put with them running around mewing and crying and getting run over by one of us or become owl food out here in the great outdoors I call my backyard. I had a hard time sleeping that night because I could hear them crying and scratching and I wanted to let them in, but I knew if I did, that would be it. Saturday we picked them up, they were not afraid of us, put them into a box and I took them to the Humane Society, the same place I had adopted my Eesha girl over 15 years ago.

I brought them in, and told the nice lady what had happened, she checked them all out and filled out the paperwork. They are old enough to be spayed/neutered, and will have the surgery this week, then be micro chipped and finally put up for adoption on Wednesday or Thursday. Maybe sooner, depending on how things go. I can check on them online because they all were assigned a number and there is a website so I will know when they are adopted. How cool is that?

One more thing.

I want to make this clear to everyone.

I don't want any cats.

Ever.

I'm a dog person and I don't want a dog right now either.

I have a crazy work schedule and a crazy writing schedule and I barely have time to spend with the love of my life, QH, and my son, Alex.

I have no time for pets, and this is not the humane society or the animal shelter. If you have a pet and are not responsible enough to have it fixed and think dumping off the litter someplace out in the woods by some houses is a great idea, you are dead wrong. Take them to the humane society where they can be put up for adoption. Be more intelligent than your animals. You have opposible thumbs for crying out loud. If you haven't had your pet fixed, do it! And don't give me that, "I can't afford it get them fixed." If you can't be responsible and help keep the pet populations down, then you don't need to be a pet owner.

Now, I'm getting off my soapbox and going to bed. Have a good Monday. :)

Happy Birthday To QH, Love of My Life!

Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear QH, love of my life, Happy Birthday to you.

For those who are interested, today is also John Lennon's birthday.

Today Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize. Why? Who knows.

Today I won at the casino. Did you read my previous post? If not, check it out.

And today was a fabulous birthday for my honey. All day long. :)

Ask. Believe. Let Go. Receive. :)

I Can't Believe I Just Did That!

We came home from Duluth on Saturday about noon. I am now going to be canning and juicing and making jelly for the next week. Our storeroom smells like an apple orchard, which is fine by me. Soon I will have all those little jars full of apple butter, pink crab apple jelly, tomatoes, and salsa. Winter is coming and this year I want to have a good stash put away. You never know how good or bad the winters can be up here and if you listen to the Farmer's Almanac, it's supposed to be colder than usual this coming winter.

But I'm sure you're curious about the title of this post, aren't you?

Well, here's the story.

We went up to Schroeder, Minnesota and stayed at Superior Ridge Resort for two nights, Wednesday and Thursday. The weather was pretty good, unusually humid for the North Shore, but most of that was because of the rain that fell in the evening and overnight hours of our stay there. The days were fair to partly cloudy and warm. I spent time with QH driving his Mom, and me up and down the North Shore, sightseeing, and we stopped at Leif Erickson Park to see the rose garden and then ventured up to Enger Tower to see the gardens there and sit up by the gazebo and take pictures. It was up there on Thursday, QH's Mom decided we should stay another night and booked a room for us at Black Bear Casino Hotel in Carleton.

We arrived there in the afternoon on Friday, September 11. I did remember that it was 9/11 but I was not going to sit and remember all the horrible things that happened 8 years ago. Instead, I was thankful and grateful and told God I was very happy and content to be spending this beautiful day with my "hubby" and his Mom, that this was a blessing and that I was grateful for all the blessings I have received and all the blessings I was about to receive.

We checked in and our room was #4011. I mention this because it was 9/11, and I turned 40 on June 11. Ok, kind of strange, but whatever. We hauled all our stuff up to the room and then took some time to relax a bit before going to dinner at the buffet. I was reading an old Reader's Digest and reading the jokes while QH took a nap and his Mom watched NCIS on the USA channel.

We finally decided to go to dinner and made our way to the casino. We got some "free" stuff so we went and signed up for the Players Club (it was free), and we got our little "perks" coupons. Part of it was we got $2 off the buffet, a coupon for $5 free playing money, and if you buy $5 of pulltabs you get another pulltab free.

We went first and got our free money. Then we went to the pulltabs and didn't win anything. Then we went to the slot machines.

I sat down in front of some silly, cartoonish Beaver game. I put my $5 of free money into the feeder. I hit the "Max Bet" button and it rolled a few times. I won $1.50 and I cashed out. I then put another $5 in and won $23. I cashed that out and put the ticket back in. I hit "Max Bet" and won $177. Cool!

I then reached in and took out a $20 bill I won playing scratchers. I fed it into the machine. At this point, QH is looking at me and asking, "What are you doing?" I hit the "Max Bet" button and a few rolls later it starts going berserk! I started to hear that little voice in my head that says, "Cash out! Cash Out!"

I did and when I looked at the ticket, I had to look again. I had QH read it and he looked at me and said, "I can't believe you just did that!"

I said, "I can't believe I just did that either!" I looked at the front of the machine. The serial number ended in...1111.

Total, I won about $1,200.00!

Then we went to dinner, I bought of course, and I bought breakfast the next morning. But the thing of it was this: I had NO EXPECTATION OF WINNING!

I was also not in a desperation position, meaning, I was not in there going, "I shouldn't be spending this money because it's the last money I have and if I don't win, it will be bad." No, not at all.

I went in there in a fabulous mood, with no expectation of winning and when I found that silly looking machine, I didn't see any of the other machines around it. What does that mean? For that split second, I went by my gut instinct and sat at the machine that "felt right" to me, and I saw only that machine, not any of the others around it. Why? They didn't interest me and were not in my awareness at that time.

Is this the secret to winning at the casino? Will I get rich going up and playing $20 or $25 or whatever playing slot machines? Probably not.

Will it work for anyone else? Maybe.

I do have one thing to add to this story that will sound a little "woo-woo" to you all.

I did write down in my journal the night before that we would win money playing the slots at the casino. I was wanting QH and his Mom to win, more than me, but because this has already happened in my existence, it was not something I thought was impossible. It was possible for me to win, just as much as it was possible for them to win.

I don't want all of you running out to play scratchers or lottery tickets or running up to the casino to gamble. Here's the lesson in all of this:

You have to know when to quit and walk away.

Me and QH's Mom went down the next morning after breakfast to that same machine and I put in $10. We played that and got it up to over $40. I should have cashed out.

I let it ride.

I lost it all.

I then put in $10 more but this was more like, "I have to win that money back," and I lost that faster than the first $10. I was getting scared. Fear was in my awareness, I could feel it. The difference between then and the night before was as simple as night and day. My inner voice gave me the guidance I needed: "Leave now."

I quit. We left and came home.

So just as easily as it can manifest, the money can disappear as well. Especially if you are in a desperation mindset, (I have to win. I can't lose that money. I'll be broke if I can't win it back).


Don't go there. You'll be attracting tons of what you don't want. Not only that, you will get yourself into a hole you can't get out of without help.

I saw people going up to the cashier desk cashing their whole paychecks and I didn't get a "this is for us to have a good time" kind of vibe. I got fear and desperation and sadness.

Some people go there to have fun. Some go there thinking they are going to break the house and instead, they are the ones who end up broken. It's very seductive, but when you know and feel it's not a good thing, then get up and leave.

I'm glad I did or I could have lost all I won.

Ok, enough. I'm stepping off my soapbox. :)

Have a great day, and think great thoughts! They have power unlimited!

Another Reason I Love That Man

If you have been tuning into the strange drama I call my life, you know this last week has been a roller coaster ride to say the least.

Saturday, I was reminded once again, why I love QH so much.

He threw me an early surprise 40th Birthday Party, complete with friends, drinks and a delicious birthday cake pictured above.

Ladies, if you don't have a man as sweet as mine, go find yourself one, or quite complaining about the one you have and start appreciating them.

You want them to be better, start treating them better. And by the way, MEN ARE NOT MIND READERS!! You want someone to read your mind, see a psychic!

Treat people the way THEY would like to be treated and see what happens!

In the meantime, I'm working and writing to get a job or line up a few writing gigs to keep the bills paid, and hopefully, get that man a Harley.

He deserves that and so much more.

You can help by entering my writing contest at http://www.crawfordwritingservices.blogspot.com/ and in return you have a shot at the $500 Grand Prize, in CASH!!

Now, I'm getting my butt back to work!

Bizarre Update to the Prosperity Experiment

Ok. I have to warn you, this is going freak you out a little bit.

I started this experiment on Tuesday, June 2, 2009. I have a few million dollar bills left, and I hope to get a few more. So, if you sent me a SASE, you will get one as soon as I can get them to you.

Or, if you want to get your own, check out eBay and the category, "Everything Else" and type in million dollar bills. There are a lot of them on there. Pick which ones you like. They are also under the "novelties" tag.

So, I started this on Tuesday. Wednesday was pretty much a typical day, but most of the people at work I gave them to were pretty friendly to everyone. I saw a lot of smiles. It was great, a true "I-feel-like-Oprah-giving-the-cars-to-the-audience" great.

Thursday, I came to work, and the vibe was charged up, but not in a good way. Uh, oh. I went to the clean room where I work, and my supervisor says, "Um, we need to go to a meeting." Meeting? I felt it, but didn't say it. Ok. So, we go to the conference room and well, in short, I lost my job. I was shocked. I also learned that I wasn't the only one, but what could I do? I had two choices. Be angry and negative, or take the high road, chalk it up to just a part of being in business. I think you could guess which path I took.

So, I was full of mixed emotions, and yet, in a way, I felt the doors of opportunity open. Kind of like graduation day, when you work your butt off to get that important piece of paper that tells the world you actually achieved something. I felt like that in a way when I left with my "walking papers."

When QH, the love of my life came home, it was not a "glass-is-half-full" kind of conversation. He's seriously worried, and for me to say that I'm running around cheering, well, I'm a little scared too. But, I am also a firm believer that things will work out they will work out. I have to have faith that God will show me the path and tell me which way to go to help me through this, not just for myself but for the love of my life, too. I let it go. All the worry and the fear and the uncertainty and the anxiety. I let it go. Asked God, please help me with this one, ok?

This morning I took my MIL to file some paperwork in Brainerd (yes, fans of the movie "Fargo", THAT Brainerd!). We were on our way home when we stopped for lunch at the Grand Casino in Mille Lacs. We went to the Grand Buffet, had lunch and then thought, "Let's play a little while we are here." So, we set out to find some machines that might pay out. First, I wanted to get some one dollar bills so I could play, since I only had a ten dollar bill, a five dollar bill and a ten dollar bill that my MIL gave me that morning.

So, we stepped up to the cashier counter and there was a nice man by the name of Thomas who reminded me a little of George Carlin, the comedian. He made change for me and I set out for a machine. I found the Sizzlin' 7's machine and played 3 dollars and felt that it wasn't quite the one I was looking for. Somewhere I lost my MIL and thought, well, I'll find her later or she'll find me.

Then I saw a section called "Fall Fantasy" and over by that wall, I saw a fishing game machine and sat down and thought, "I still have that ten dollars she gave me this morning, I'll play that and then we'll go home."

I slid the ten dollar bill into the feeder, and I chose to play all the lines possible and bet 2 on everything. I hit the button. Nothing. I hit it again. Nothing. I hit it the third time...the lights start flashing, the wins are climbing and climbing and climbing. It won't stop! What did I do? I thought I broke the dang thing! Oh, no. I then saw the red button that said, "Cash Out" and pushed it, thinking I'd have that and play a couple more dollars. Thinking I at least won back my ten dollars.

That ten dollar bill I used, that my MIL gave me, I borrowed to her last week when she was out of cash and Walmart was so busy and chaotic that it was going to be a hassle getting to the ATM machine. She said she would pay me back and she did that morning. It was the money I gave that came back to me that brought about the next events.

Hold on to your hats, kids. I won over 400 dollars!! $400 DOLLARS!! I looked around and I can't see anyone around me, but I knew that if I didn't cash out, I would just blow it in the machines. I nearly ran to the cashier counter. There was Thomas, putting the largest amount of cash in stacks I've ever seen in my entire life in the drawers. He asked if I could wait while he put the money away, and I said, "Sure." I was thinking, "Gee, a couple of stacks of that money would probably eliminate all our problems. I smiled, thinking what it would be like, holding it for a few seconds and feeling it in my heart a little bit.

"How may I help you?" asked Thomas with a smile. I pushed the ticket to him, he looked at it, scanned the bar code to verify it and looked at it again, and said, "Didn't I just give you ten ones?" I smiled and said, "Yes, sir, you did!" and he looks at me, grins and says, "What did you do?!"

"I won! I've never ever won in my LIFE!" and he smiles and asked me how I would like it paid out. I told him, took my winnings, thanked him and then left to find my MIL.

I found her, she was on a progressive machine that was not doing anything for her. I told her what happened, my hands were still shaking and she laughed and said, "Well, let's get out of here then." And we left.

I called QH as soon as we got out to the car and he thought I was full of it. "Right! You can't win money like that on those kind of machines." I said, "Here. Ask your mother!" and I put the phone to her ear and she said, "She cheated!"

Of course, he was still doubtful until I got home and he saw the money in my hands.

It doesn't take all the worry away for him, he's been disappointed too many times before. You can't expect one event to convert a cynic overnight. And this is great, but it doesn't solve my unemployment problems or the long term effects that might entail. I acknowledge that and release it.

For me, it was relief, and a sign I'm on the right path. It restored my faith and eliminated any doubt I had if this experiment in prosperity would work or not.

I'm so excited about tomorrow, who knows what will happen!! I'll keep you posted!

Thank you,thank you,thank you, thank you,thank you!!!

I hope you all have many blessings come your way!!

Snow, AGAIN! GRRRR!!!

It's January again.

Ok, it's March, but it FEELS like January. Snow piled up again, with below zero temperatures. But the weather people are telling us that by the weekend it will be 4o degrees ABOVE ZERO. I have a hard time believing people who get paid to guess for a living.

Sigh. I have cabin fever. I have spring fever. I want to be outside walking and getting my flower garden ready. I long to hear the frogs singing in the evening. I want to be out writing in my gazebo or "relaxing" in my patio chairs with Cannon, sipping iced tea.

The bugs can stay gone, especially the mosquitoes. Bumble bees and butterflies are welcome anytime.

I'm trying to keep positive and counting the days to vacation. We leave for Florida on April 15 and come home on April 27. With this year starting out so crappy, a little fun and sun in Florida is something we both need. We have friends in Naples that we are so looking forward to seeing and spending time with, no agenda, no itinerary. We just go where we want, and hang out and people watch at the beach. Anything else we do will be a bonus.

Last weekend we went to Iowa to see QH's son Andy. He left yesterday for California with his roommate, Mitch. They are driving to Long Beach to catch the cruise ship for the Mexican Riviera for a two week vacation. We wanted to see them before they left.

We left Friday and four hours later we were in 65 degree weather! Man, what a boost to my attitude! Unfortunately, it rained Saturday and Sunday and when we were on our way home, we hit snow and rain mixed, but just being able to get out of town for a little while was a much needed break.

Now, I just have about 30 days before we can get to Florida, and counting.

In the meantime, I have a great project I'm working on that will help keep me busy until we leave. And I hope make the time fly by.

Watch for an upcoming announcement. It's going to be a lot of work, but it's also going to be challenging and I hope, a lot of fun! And I hope to do a lot of good at the same time.

I'll keep you posted. :)

"Thank You God For All The Blessings I Have, and All The Blessings I Am Receiving"

The quote above is my own sort of mantra. I say it when I get up in the morning before my feet hit the carpet and I say it before my head lands on the pillow when I go to bed at night.

I found that little gem in a book called "Spiritual Marketing" by Dr. Joe Vitale. If you have the opportunity, whether you are into marketing or not, I highly recommend reading it, several times. It was a quote that resonated with me and I feel immense gratitude when I say it, twice a day. It forces me to stop, think and reflect on what is truly important in my life and be thankful for all of it.

The reason I am sharing this with you, is this is the season of Thanks, and of Giving. In this time and space in all of our lives, it is not the presents under the tree that will be important this holiday season, no matter what holiday you celebrate. We all have begun to take a moment and decide what is truly important in our lives, and it isn't accumulating more "stuff".

I received a gift on Tuesday evening that was "priceless", as the commercial says.

It was a snowy evening and I had been trying to reach LOML (Love of My Life), QH, for most of that day. I drove to work and knew that with the snow and the wind and the way the roads were shaping up, it was going to be a bad commute home for my honey. I wanted to let him know that there were several cars in the ditches on the way to work, and that the snow was sticking to the roads as the temperatures dropped dramatically. We went from 38 degrees ABOVE ZERO, and would be at MINUS 3 degrees before the end of the night.

Minnesota weather, gotta love it! :)

So, after several tries at the office and on his cell, I thought he might be over helping his Dad plow out, and thought, "I'll call him later," and went about working. Around 8:00 pm, I decided I would try one more time at home and if he wasn't there, his Mom & Dad's house. I was sitting at the table where we trim and inspect parts when I saw QH standing next to me!

"Hi, honey! What are you doing here?" I was thrilled, and felt like the good old LOA (Law of Attraction) was really working!! I had him on my mind all night and here he was!

"I brought you a present!" He said, and I saw a little sparkle in his eye. I followed him out into the warehouse and when I turned the corner...

There he stood, in his Navy Blues, and it took a few seconds for my brain to register it...

My son, Alex, home for Christmas!! And two days early!!!

Or so I thought! Turns out, he and QH and my dear brother (Kudos, to Andy for not letting the secret out!!), had been conspiring about this since the weekend before Thanksgiving when QH and I took Thanksgiving dinner to Illinois for Alex.

"It's Not Thursday!" I blurted out. What the hell was wrong with me? My son is here!! He's Home!!!

"Did I say Thursday? I meant Tuesday!" he said, grinning. I went over and hugged and hugged him and kissed him and hugged him. Was this real? Is he really here? God, if this is a dream, please don't let me wake up yet!!

I looked behind him, and there was QH, and I could see he was trying to look away at us, and I think I saw a tear, but that could have been something in his eyes (like the size of a boulder !) ;)

I went around the plant and introduced him to the other people on my shift, and then they were off to my parents house to give them a heart attack. I hugged QH and said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you," and he was gone with Alex out the door.

I made my way back to the clean room, and in the darkness of the warehouse, the tears began to stream down my face. The shock had passed, and the waterworks were going. I looked up and said, "Thank you God for all the Blessings I have and all the Blessings I am receiving." I felt a part of my heart open up, and felt love. Pure love. And Gratitude.

I wiped the tears, blew my nose and went back to work. I knew my Mom would be calling soon, and I was right. The joy in her voice was perfect, and I knew my Dad would be more cheerful now that his "buddy" was back in town. We tried to surprise my sister, but Dad let the secret slip, but that's ok. She was excited to see him on Thursday. Cannon got to see him on Wednesday, and remembered who he was, and was a little shy at first, but by the end of the day, he was Alex's shadow.

It's the best Christmas present I ever received, and I am in awe of QH for pulling it off. The thoughtfulness, the love, he demonstrated, I have no words.

All I know, is that man deserves a Harley!! Some way, some how, I am going to make that dream manifest.

With a big red bow! And then I will be standing back with a "boulder" in my eyes!!

Until then, he has my heart, my love, my undying gratitude.

Thanks, honey.