Monday Meanderings #32

Happy Monday, and the last Monday in October! It appears the only consistent day I can blog is Mondays. I keep thinking I should do more and then before I know it, the week is gone.

Last week was nothing more than a blur. I’m not sure I took the time to take a breath, but I’m still here, so I must have at some point. Actually, I found some great meditations on the Gaia channel, so I know I did take breaths. 🙂

Halloween is almost here and my grandchildren love it so much. It’s not even so much about getting candy, but the fun of dressing up and roaming the neighborhood with their friends. My daughter always has a big Halloween party and there are lots of adults along with all the kiddos. I dress up sometimes, but haven’t given it any thought this year. I am the person designated to hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters who stop by and I love it.

My trip to Broken Bow on Tuesday went off without a hitch. I left my apartment at 6:30 on Tuesday morning and by 9:30 I arrived in Broken Bow. The lady who was supposed to meet me at their office and give me the ring had COVID, so for a brief minute, I was afraid I’d made the drive for nothing. Turns out when I arrived at the office a man was in the process of delivering janitorial supplies, so after talking with the lady, I walked in, picked up the ring out of her desk drawer and left.

Me being me, and needing a short break from the road, I went into the Choctaw Landing Casino. 🙂 I love that casino because they don’t allow any smoking inside! Yay!! I didn’t stay long, but put a little money in the slots, then had breakfast and left to come back home. Going to a casino alone isn’t any fun. It’s only fun with someone else, or even better yet, with a group. Anyway, I was back home before the kiddos got out of school.

On Wednesday when I picked my granddaughter up from school, she got into the car and burst into tears. I had no idea what was wrong so I let her cry it out before trying to sort through the problem. Turns out she had auditioned for a role in the upcoming high school theater production of Matilda and was convinced she’d bombed it. Nothing I could say helped. Finally, she calmed down enough to talk so, instead of making her go to her dance classes, I took her home. Then, after all of that drama, she wound up getting the role she really wanted. So, rehearsals will be all-consuming for the next few months. She was all-smiles when she got the cast list on Friday.

My oldest grandson flew in on Friday to be here for his brother’s band marching competition. I truly wish he was going to college closer, but he does love where he is, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He wanted it to be a surprise for both his brothers so his mom and me had to be careful what we said so as not to give it away. And it worked!

The band kids work so hard. Every day they are at the school early and stay late. And it paid off with them making the finals in the 6A Area J Marching contest! I watched lots of these bands and honestly, ours was SO good. They deserved a spot in the finals. Out of thirty bands, they placed seventh! That’s amazing!

Okay. Enough about the grandkids. Thank you for indulging me.

Now on to more writerly things. I got inspired to write a new short story for my upcoming collection and it felt really good to put down new words. But I have to keep my focus on getting the White Series back up before I do anything else. I’m starting a read-through of three manuscripts. I want to correct any errors I can spot and maybe tighten them up, before I put them back out into the world. I had considered doing a major re-write of “Jagged Feathers,” but I’m not sure I have it in me. We’ll see when I get to it. Maybe I can make some minor adjustments instead. I’d much rather be creating something new. But starting tomorrow, I will be combing through the first manuscript. It’s hard to go back and re-visit old work.

I am the same way with books I read and movies I watch. Seldom do I ever go back and re-read a book or re-watch a movie. There are a handful of exceptions. I have watched the movie, “A Star Is Born,” with Kris Kristofferson and Barbara Streisand multiple times, as well as the newer one with Bradley Cooper and Lady GaGa. Then, of course, there’s Yellowstone, the TV show. I’ve watched the first few seasons multiple times just because I loved the show so much. But pretty generally, when I finish reading or watching something, I’m done with it. That’s just the way I’m wired.

I really loved this quote and hope you will too.

Here is the Tarot card for the week ahead. When I was shuffling the deck, this card jumped out, so I know it is the message we need.

The keywords associated with this card are clarity and new ideas. Wow! That fits perfectly with the quote from Plutarch, doesn’t it?

All aces in the tarot deck indicate new beginnings. This card points to bright ideas, mental clarity and the instant insight needed for swift action. It is the first exciting step in a process, and suggests that a new or emerging idea requires immediate action to come to fruition. It’s not the time to hesitate, but to be clear and take initial action. Trust your intuition to guide you toward the next steps. This is an encouraging sign! Now, I can’t wait to see what idea hits me. what fire is kindled. 🙂

Thank you for visiting. Have a great week ahead! Let’s see what new ideas appear!

  • Comment (24)
  • Dan Antion says:

    I’m glad your trip was uneventful and a success, and I’m really glad your granddaughter got the part she wanted. Pretty nice of your grandson to come home for the competition. I do reread books and I somewhat constantly re-watch movies. I always seem to pick up something new.

    I hope you have a nice week ahead, Jan, maybe a little less busy.

  • Congratulations to your granddaughter for getting the role she wanted. It’s tough being that age and feeling like you did terribly at something. Isn’t it cool when story inspiration strikes and you just have to write the story? Good luck with both your collection and getting your White series back up!

    • Jan Sikes says:

      Thanks so much, Priscilla for the congrats. It is tough being that age for sure. I love it when story inspiration strikes. It’s refreshing. Have a great week! I appreciate your comment.

  • Great post, Jan! I know what you mean about dreading revisiting old works. I revised my Diasodz series as well as my HYPE novel (though that one was before it was published). I can tell you it was well worth it. Good luck!

    Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
    http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com

    • Jan Sikes says:

      I know it’s definitely worth it to revise older works. We all grow in the craft of writing (or at least that’s the goal). Thank you so much for your comment and hope you have a great week ahead!

  • Darlene says:

    I too dislike returning to old work. I’d much rather sew a brand new outfit than alter an old one to fit better. It’s the same with written work. But some things have to be done. I’m glad your granddaughter got the part after all the drama! I can empathise with her though. She’s lucky she has you. xo

    • Jan Sikes says:

      I like your comparison to sewing, Darlene. It’s true. And yes, some things have to be done and I’m not willing to put these stories back up without at least reading through them.:) I’m happy Sydney got the part she wanted. Now starts the grueling rehearsal schedule. Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment! I hope you have a great week ahead.

  • Teri Polen says:

    Congrats to your grandkids, Jan! I miss going to those band competitions and watching field shows. We’re also Yellowstone fans, and I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve watched the series. Now we’re ready for the spin-offs. Have a great week!

    • Jan Sikes says:

      Thank you, Teri! I know my daughter is going to miss these band competitions when the kids graduate. But she’s all in for now. Yay! Another Yellowstone fan! I’m on the fence with the spin-offs. We’ll see. When John Dutton died, it all changed. Anyway, hope you have a great week ahead!!

  • It’s wonderful that your trip had such good results and was safe, Jan.

  • MrsHallWays says:

    I’m just coming off a grandparenting weekend, so I get wanting to share all the kids’ awesomenesses! Happy to hear you’re inspired & writing/re-writing. Write on!

  • I like these types of posts. So much normalcy in your life!

  • Pat Spencer says:

    Wow, you did have a busy time! So glad you were there for your granddaughter!

  • Everything’s well that ends well. Lots of angst with you guys. After Zooming for critique this morning, I see I need to add some new scenes to my wip. So that card about mental clarity was spot on. Loved the quote, Sister.

  • Last Monday in October. Time certainly flies. That was a busy week for you, but it is great you spend so much time with the grandkids. We are also looking forward to Halloween. I’ve visited a casino in Monte Carlo and we have driven by the Choctaw casino in Durant Oklahoma. However, I have never played at a casino.

  • Family is so important, and you’ve captured the joy and the soul-celebration that accompanies being with loved ones. These last several days have been busy with some of my loved ones, and every moment has been special. Thank you for sharing your busy but happy days with us. ❤️

  • You had a busy week, Jan. I don’t know how you find the time to write even a short story! Ace of Swords is powerful energy! I hope you’re ready for the surge. Lol. Have a great week.

  • Hi Jan, It’s good that you were there to comfort your granddaughter and wonderful that she got the role! It’s funny how we assume the worst, and then something good happens to surprise us. I’ve seen A Star is Born a million times because I’ve been a fan of Barbra since I was young. Her voice inspired me to want to sing professionally, until I changed my mind. I love the revised version with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, but even though the ending has the same outcome, the change in which it happens is a bit more tragic. I can’t watch it again. For me though, it’s easier to watch shows or movies again then to re-read a book. Anyway, have a great time on Halloween! 🎃

  • This is a great post, Jan. I always enjoy reading about your life and all the fun happenings with your family. A great tarot card reading too 💖

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