Oh my goodness, it’s HOT in Texas. We are melting. Come on Fall!
Yes, the temperatures are lingering in the triple digits daily. I know we should never be surprised, but it catches me off guard every year. I’m SO ready for my favorite time of year, autumn!
I’ll rant just a little. I’ve been in this apartment going on ten years. A few years ago, my electricity provider offered monthly averaging and since I am on a pretty fixed budget, I thought it would be wise so I wouldn’t get any surprises. It started out good, but over the last year it has more than doubled. Seriously? Surely the kwh rates haven’t raised that much. I doubt it will do any good, but I am going to call and inquire. I keep my thermostat on 78 degrees. They recommend 75.
To try and combat the heat in my office, where it gets the least amount of air, I installed tinted film over the window, with my daughter’s help. I don’t know if it will make any difference, but it was worth the effort to see.
Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox and onto more positive things.
My Christmas story is coming along and I’m starting to think seriously about a cover, I had originally thought I would try to publish it in October, but as my sister pointed out, that’s coming up soon. I don’t know for sure, but I can try. I envision a nostalgic cover with a simple Christmas scene painted on a window and maybe the back view of the artist painting it. We’ll see. That might be too busy for a cover. Simpler is often better.
If you missed Sally’s post last week, she shared my short story, “Choosing Bella,” I’ve said it before, but I’ll repeat it. Sally Cronin is one of the most supportive people in the blogging world. I deeply appreciate her. Here’s the link, in case you missed it: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2026/08/05/smorgasbord-authors-in-the-sun-choosing-bella-by-jan-sikes/
Also the video I shared last week for Rick’s birthday got over 1,000 views on Facebook. I wish my book posts would get even a small percentage of that, but most of the time, I only hear crickets.
I get it. We live in world where we are constantly bombarded. I keep hoping I’ll find a magic solution for promoting my books. And I know most of us are in the same boat. Many have stopped trying. It’s not in me to throw in the towel. I wish there was a way to schedule social media posts ahead of time and just put a big effort into it one day a week. Anyone know of a program like that that is free? A social media person would be nice to have. 🙂 Yep, I’m dreaming.
Yesterday was National Book Lover’s Day! I should have planned in advance and put something on sale. 🙂 Hindsight.
This coming Saturday, I will be in Greenville, Texas for a book festival. It’s my first of the year. I’ve really been slacking in getting out and sharing my books. I hope for a good turnout and that folks are in a buying mood!!! I’ll let you know.
Compared to the past few weeks, this last one was mild. I worked at the store a couple of days and did tarot readings one day. That is starting to pick up.
I went to a sound bath for the Lion’s Gate on 8-8 and it was awesome. The Lion’s Gate portal is still active until 8-12. Don’t know about the Lion’s Gate? It’s a time when planetary alignment allows for some major shifts. It is a time when you can actively manifest your desires, shift your consciousness into a higher frequency and release the past.
Then on 8-12, we have a complete solar eclipse. Lots going on out there in the galaxy!
Sydney is supposed to get her cast off this week, and school starts on the 12th. Everything is in preparation mode and countdown. And she’s been writing poetry again. She read me two of them and they are really good!
My middle grandson who is a junior in high school this year got his first job. 🙂 I’m so proud of him. His days are long, but he’s doing it. He’s practicing to be an adult.
I saw this meme and it grabbed me. It’s so true!
I’m doing something a little different this week. Have I ever shared my Native American Medicine cards with you? I don’t think so. I was nudged to pull a card from that deck to share this week. Hope you can relate to it.
The Beaver is the “doer” in the animal kingdom.
Key message: Teach me to build my dreams including others, too. If Beaver showed up for you today, it may be time to put your new ideas into action or complete a project that has been neglected. Beaver tells you to look for alternative solutions to life’s challenges and the creations into which you put your love and energy into. Okay, Mister Beaver. I get the message. Gotta finish my story.
Hope you enjoyed today’s post. I wish you a great week ahead, and hope you get to see the solar eclipse in your part of the world.
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Hope the weather improves soon and that meme is definitely so true!
There is no end in sight on the weather for a few more weeks, but maybe we’re on the last part of it. Glad you enjoyed the meme. Thank you for visiting!
Amazing meanderings, Jan – hope it cools down soon. I love that poster for the festival.
Glad you enjoyed the post, Toni. Thanks for visiting!
Some good meandering there, Jan but sorry about the negatives. We’re in constant heatwave here in the UK as well, and have just gone officially into Drought; it’s getting serious, and we need a flood of Biblical proportions to help us out. Good though that your book is going well, and that Sydney’s rattling off poems, along with her plaster cast. All the best for the autumn, and some relief from your fuel bills. 🙂
It seems the heatwave isn’t limited to one place this year, Laura. I hope we all get some relief soon. We are having water shortage issues here as well. One town in west Texas has run out of water. There is none for the residents who live there. They are having to haul it in. Hoping there is a break in all of it soon. Thank you for the good wishes. Thanks for visiting!
OMG, that’s terrible – and we’re getting close to the same situation here. I hope it doesn’t come to that, Jan, but we’re living in such strange times … Hoping with you that there’s a weather break soon, it can’t come soon enough. Stay safe. 🙂
I love the Medicine cards
I do too, Annette. And this one really spoke to me. The phrase “Busy little beaver” comes to mind. 🙂 Thanks for visiting!
Congratulations on Rick’s birthday getting over 1,000 views. About the solar ecplise on August 12. It is unfortunatley over Spain, the Atlantic Ocean and Greenland so here in Texas we won’t see anything, not even a tiny partial. There is a partial solar eclipse coming January 26 2028 though. I think today is the first time here in Dallas we had a high less than 100 degrees for about a month. We only had 99 degrees. I am ready for cooler weather.
Oh, I didn’t know we wouldn’t be able to see the solar eclipse, Thomas. I am disappointed. I totally agree about the heat. We need a break!! Or at least some rain. Thank you for stopping by.
You’ve had a full week, Jan. I hope the cooler weather arrives soon.
I hope you get s break form the high temps, Jan. We’ve been in the 90s with high humidity, but we’ll be cooling off starting tomorrow. I hope you don’t have to wait until October to cool off.
Glad to hear Sydney will get that cast off. I can’t imagine how that thing must feel in the heat.
Good luck getting work done in those conditions.
Thanks so much, Dan. If we are lucky we might start seeing cooler temps by mid-September. I should be used to it but for some reason it seems hotter this year. Thanks for the good wishes and for stopping by!
Great post, Jan! I participated in a sound bath right before summer. I loved it! That meme is wonderful and a great reminder. I’m looking forward to your Christmas story!
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.comm
How wonderful that you got to participate in a sound bath. I try to go regularly but it had been a couple of months. I am getting excited about my Christmas story. It’s finally flowing. Glad you enjoyed the meme. Thank you for stopping by!
We got married on a solar eclipse. Guess it is an anniversary of sorts. I managed a few new words today, but it wasn’t much. Not up to beaver standards.
Very cool, Craig! Yep. I think it would be fine to celebrate this solar eclipse as an anniversary. 😁 Glad you got in some new word count. It’s all good!
Yes, Jan, summer in Texas is hot. I hope you’re enduring, the best you can. Fall will come in some time.
Hanging in there, Tim. Maybe it’s just me but it seems hotter than usual this year. Ready for fall!! Thanks for visiting.
When I was stationed at Fort Sam Houston it was winter, even got a Christmas leave.
Wow!
😍
I’m so sorry that you have to endure those brutal summers, Jan. I feel somewhat guilty in saying that we’re blessed to live on the Northern California coast, where the temperatures seldom reach 75 degrees. So many areas of California are plagued by wildfires, so I feel like I shouldn’t be complaining about anything. Still, our home insurance rates continue to skyrocket and several insurance companies are no longer providing coverage. We got dropped last year by our insurance company, and we had to scramble to find another one, even though we’re not in a fire zone.
Best of luck with your new book and festival.
Oh, goodness, Pete. It seems unfair that everyone has to pay higher rates even though you aren’t in the fire zone. But that’s the way it works. It’s the same here. When hurricanes hit the Texas coast we all see rate hikes even though we are hundreds of miles away. But no one asked me. Thank you so much for stopping by. 75 degrees sounds like heaven!
I’m sure Sydney will be happy to get that cast off, and congratulations to your grandson on his new job! I hope you sell lots of books in Greenville!
I’m tired of the heat too, but mostly in 90s here. We only have a window air conditioner in bed room and I’m sure we dip below 75, but makes up for rest of house ..lol. Happy your grands are doing so well 🙂 I used to have a social media program that posted for me, but since then it started charging. I would love to have someone who did it for me and all that pesky marketing. Love the card choice, I have the same set but rarely run into the beaver.
I am so glad the wildfires haven’t threatened you so far this year, Denise. That is just awful! A window unit is what we had when I was a kid growing up and I guess it worked, but I was just a kid and didn’t pay much attention. I remember there used to be a social media program that would let you schedule posts across platforms all at once. Sure wish I could find something like that. It’s so hard to try and do it all AND make any progress writing new stories. Glad ;you enjoyed the Beaver card! Thank you for visiting!
Thank you for the newsy update, Jan! I’m glad your grandkids are doing so well. I’ll Sydney will be very glad to get that cast off. I know there are programs that will schedule social media posts, but I haven’t noticed a free one. I schedule posts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Substack. The process is a little fiddly.
Yes, Sydney is both looking forward to getting out of the case, but at the same time worried she will experience pain walking in a boot. We are thinking positive. I sure wish I could find a way to schedule multiple social media posts all at once. It would be a timesaver. Thank you for adding to the conversation, Liz!!
You’re welcome, Jan!
I enjoyed reading your post today! I especially liked the meme about: fire, water, earth wind and the Beaver card. I also feel your frustration trying to stay on top of the social media promos along with writing books and promoting them. It’s a lot to keep up with and I always love reading your honest Meanderings.
Thank you for stopping by, Kelli. Yes, it’s a lot, and I do the best I can. My main focus has to be on creating new books, but at the same time, what’s the point if no one will find them. 🙂 It’s a Catch 22. Glad you enjoyed the meme and card!
Great updates. WE keep the temp at 78, too, though every once in a while, I have to drop it a degree. CA hasn’t hit triple digits, but I’m still hot!
I’m reading a 78-book series called Storm Warrior where the MC starts off living with the Sioux. For two books, I am learning so much about their culture. It’s fascinating. I know he moves on soon, but I’ll enjoy Indian culture while I can.
As I commented on your blog post, Jacqui, a 78 book series is quite a commitment. I’ll look forward to your thoughts on it. Yep. Today, I bumped my thermostat up to 80 for daytime and will bump it down for night. It’s a struggle. 🙂 Thanks for visiting!
Yay for making progress on your story and Sydney getting her cast off! At least she won’t have to deal with crutches in school. I’ll also be watching for the solar eclipse. Have a great week, Jan!
Hi Jan. I’ll look out for the solar eclipse. I like the beaver reading. Very nice 💕
I hope you get to see the solar eclipse. It’s always fascinating to me. Glad you related to the beaver! Thanks for visiting, Robbie!
My pleasure, Jan. All the best with finalizing your new book. I’m trying to finalize mine too.
Thanks for the plug Jan and delighted your Christmas story is taking shape… I am sure it will be amazing… ♥♥
My pleasure, Sally. Thanks for visiting.
Since the beaver is the national animal of Canada, this is a perfect card for me. It’s ridiculously hot here in Spain too and very humid, so we are dripping. It causes a brain fog and I find it hard to write. Off to Scotland on FRiday for a writer’s retreat and a reprive from the heat. Sending hugs. (But they might be sticky) xo
I did not know the Beaver was your national animal. Glad to share him. Oh, how I would love to join you in Scotland. And a writer’s retreat is the icing on the cake. Enjoy!! Thanks for stopping by.