Tag: Life

So Far Behind

Published on by Jan Sikes28 Comments

so far behind

I just know I’m not the only one that ever feels this way. I have loaded myself down with more than any person can possibly do in a 24 hour time period. As a result, anytime something comes along that upsets the old apple cart, so to speak…

apple cart

Well, it gets overwhelming.

I have two amazing, beautiful, smart and talented daughters. (I have to brag just a little.)

Mom,Crys,Deva (2017_11_16 21_30_48 UTC)

Well, this is me and them many, many years ago. 🙂

So, the youngest daughter (yes, that little one above on the left) is a corporate attorney. While she has a very demanding and high-paying job, she also has two beautiful little girls of her own.
Sammy_Sydney

They are my sunshine.

My daughter had to travel to Milwaukee this week on business and needed me to step in and take care of these two little ones. “No worries,” I told her and myself. Sydney is in first grade, so she’ll be in school all day and the little one goes to a daycare. I can do this easy-peasey.

BUT…little one got sick right before my daughter had to leave. She was running a fever of 102. SO….need I say that I did not take her to daycare this entire week? Instead, we had two doctor visits and lots of cuddling and praying that she’d get better.

Why am I telling you all this?

Because I am SO far behind on everything that I normally keep up with…your blogs,  my blog, your emails, the RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB, Texas Authors, the North Texas Book Festival, Buddy Magazine, The Oklahoma Farm and Ranch Magazine AND my book that I’m trying to write.

But…know what? I wouldn’t trade one minute of rocking that sweet baby, singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” or even bribing her with sweet Robin Eggs to take her horrible tasting medicine. Life is short. Babies quickly grow up to be adults and we just get older.

Forgive me if I haven’t responded. I will get to everything eventually.

Please-Forgive-Me-

Family – Broken pieces

Published on by Jan Sikes25 Comments

We all have issues within the makeup of our families that don’t always play out the way we’d like. This seems especially true with adult children and spouses.

No family is perfect

But, in the story I’m writing, my character, at the age of twenty-six, discovers the man who raised him and whom he believed to be his father, isn’t. He meets his real father for the first time at a rock concert. His real father is a rock star.

So, here are the emotions he deals with.

First off, SHOCK!

Second, disappointment, hurt and anger that his mother would withhold something that important from him. She’s raised him to be an honest and forthright person, and to keep his karma clear. So, she loses his trust with this shattering revelation.

How do they move on from here?

My character has to find a way to forgive his mother. But, will things ever be the same between them? Probably not. (At least it wouldn’t in real life). And, what are the underlying issues?

Family wounds

Then, he has to begin to build a relationship with this stranger, his real father. He’s admired the man and his music his entire life. But, things look different on this personal level. Where do they start?

First off – they have a common ground – a love and talent for music.

Second, they share a love for his mother.

It’s a place to start. And in real life, isn’t that all we can look for to repair a relationship or build a new one? A place to start.

Quote_Baldwin I love this quote from James Baldwin!

I’d love to hear your thoughts – your own experiences with family situations and how you moved forward from them. You might help give me deeper insight into my story. 🙂

 

#RRBC Slivers of Life – A Book Review

Published on by Jan Sikes12 Comments

5 star

Slivers of Life could not be a more appropriate title for this compilation of short stories from Author, Beem Weeks.

Slivers_Of_Life

Each is like a slice of pie from the whole or pages ripped from someone’s book. I thought I had found my favorite tale with “Medal Detector,” but the next chapter, “Forget Me (Not Fade Away)” had me in tears.

Exquisite emotion drips from the words Beem weaves together to create a story. Each writer has his/her own voice and that is what makes them unique. Beem is a master at ‘Show Don’t Tell.’ I’m going to share a few lines with you from various stories in the book to “show” examples of descriptive writing as only Beem Weeks can do. 

“Urgency filled the air with a thick acrid smell.”

“It starts with that gnawing feeling, like a rat trying to chew its way through my stomach, making a meal of my guts as it escapes.”

“She backed off my front porch, set her black flats onto the cement walk, and eyed me like maybe she’d entertained notions of killing me there on the spot.”

“My feet slap the hard dirt in the field between our neighborhood and Wendell High school, carrying me quickly toward Chad and his paint cans.”

“The old timer’s shelter leaned like a well-oiled lush against a stand of ancient maple trees sipping life from Maryland soil a mile up the road.”

“Her feet found solid ground outside of the car. A quick spring breeze swirled around her like a cleansing devil, blowing away winter’s heavy sediment.”

He covers the gauntlet with stories about old folks to teenagers experimenting with forbidden and dangerous situations to the Bigfoot myth. If you are a lover of emotionally driven ‘too-human’ stories, this book is for you. It’s easy to read, but the stories linger long after you’ve turned the last page. I highly recommend this book! 

Order is NOW on AMAZON

Beem Weeks is a member of the RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB. For more information about this unique organization click on the link above.

Beem

Lesson in letting go!

Published on by Jan Sikes20 Comments

I recently took a trip with my daughters and my best friend to a resort in the Texas Hill Country.

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That was us at the airport, all excited and looking forward to some relaxing girl time!

But, what I was not prepared for was to be totally cut off from the outside world. NO cell service and EXTREMELY limited internet. There was one bench situated by the office that if you sat on it, you could pick up spotty internet service. Wow!

I didn’t realize how dependent I’d become on staying connected. I have to admit I freaked out a little. I had an online board meeting I’d miss with the RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB, and I had blogs to keep up with and emails to answer, not to even mention Facebook and Twitter.

But, what could I do? We had paid our money and we were there in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. Isolated, cut off and yet pampered. It took an entire day for me to finally get over the panic and let go. After all, what could I do?

So, by the second day, I was resigned to the situation and began to relax. Of course the massage and facials helped. 🙂

For me, it was a HUGE lesson in letting go and being in the moment. It is something I don’t do well, so THANK YOU, Escondida Resort for the lesson.  The time spent with my beautiful girls and my friend was time I’ll never get back again.

And, I have NO regrets!

Let’s Play!

Published on by Jan Sikes7 Comments

lets-play_brand_logo_bid

Something similar to this circulated on Facebook not long back and I thought it would be fun to customize it a little for authors and bloggers. Let your readers find out something they might not know about you and in return you may learn something about your readers that you didn’t know. So, have fun and LET’S PLAY!

  • Do You have any Tattoos?    No
    • If yes, visible or not visible:
  • Where is the farthest place you’ve traveled?  Rome Italy
  • Pick one book shelf in your house and count the books on it:  124
  • Have you ever been to Vegas?   Yes
  • Do you gamble:      Yes (but only for FUN!)
  • Have you ever quit a job?   Yes
    • If Yes, Why?   To move to a different city
  • Have you ever sang Karoke?    Yes
  • What’s the most exotic animal you’ve seen:   A Bongko
    • Where were you?   Dallas Zoo
  • What is your biggest pet peeve in life?   Pet owners who don’t take care of their pets
  • What is the most exotic food you’ve eaten:  Fried Alligator
    • Where were you?     New Orleans, La. 
  • If you were granted ONE wish, what would you ask for?    Health
  • What is the scariest situation you’ve ever been in?   A war zone between biker gangs.
  • Have you ever seen a ghost?    Yes
    • Where were you?   In my bed in Coleman, Tx. I awoke and saw a small built little man with a fedora hat on standing and looking out the back window.
  • Do you have a bucket list:   Yes
    • If so, how many items are in it?   Lots
      • Can you name them?   I’ll name a few: I want to ride in a hot air balloon. I want to visit Ireland and Scotland. I want to visit every corner of America. I want to see New England in the Fall. I want to dance more before I get too old. I want to have a Bestseller book! I want to visit Switzerland and Amsterdam.
  • What’s the most memorable concert you ever attended?  That’s a hard one. I’ve been to so many amazing concerts, but in the 80s when Charlie Daniels was doing his Windows tour, he came to Shreveport and it was and still is memorable. Just amazing! 

  • If you could attend one concert anywhere in the world today, who would you see?  Again, that’s hard because I’ve seen so many. Dolly Parton, or maybe Joe Bonamassa. 
  • If you could sit down and visit with anyone alive or dead, who would it be?  Jacqueline Kennedy
    • Why?  I always admired the way she handled herself in good times and bad. She was the embodiment of a Goddess. 
  • What is one book you have read that changed you or you never forgot?   The Captains and the Kings by Taylor Caldwell – eye-opening and fascinating! 

So my answers are in RED

Reblog and give me your answers, or simply copy and paste. Let’s get to know each other better!!

 

Do what you love!

Published on by Jan Sikes11 Comments

inspiration

I am thrilled it when inspirations come out of the blue. I have a feeling I will get lots of them living in my new place. But, I digress.

The thought I had was this, “Do what you love. Love what you do.”

“How?” you ask.

We all have to do things in life to put food on our tables that we aren’t particularly fond of, such as going to a thankless job. Maybe your boss is a jerk. Or perhaps your  daily commute is grueling. There could be a myriad of negatives about the things we must do to survive.

But…instead of focusing on the negatives, what if we sought out the positives and focused on them instead. So, your boss is a jerk, but the receptionist that greets you each morning is always full of sunshine and smiling. And, yes, the daily commute is grueling, but what about that cool audio book you managed to read in a week just sitting in traffic? Or how about that awesome new song that came on the radio and made you turn up the volume?

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Sometimes, it’s the little things. Maybe there aren’t any big positives to what you do that you can grasp, but as a wise man once said, “Littles make bigs.” By finding ways to love what we do, we free ourselves to do things we truly love. Writers find more time to write. Songwriters find time to compose new melodies. Families spend more time playing and less time arguing. It’s the proverbial domino effect.

By focusing on the aspects of life that we do love and less on the parts we don’t, the world instantly becomes a better place in which to live.

So, DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND LOVE WHAT YOU DO!

Hugs, light and love sent to you.

love-light-hugs

 

 

Troubling Times

Published on by Jan Sikes17 Comments

We hear so much about the troubling times we live in and it is true. But, I have come to realize that a lot of it is in perspective. It is the lens through which we view our surroundings. Don’t you imagine that the settlers who pushed west in covered wagons perceived troubling times and hardships you and I can only imagine? Or how about when the Native Americans were forced off the land they loved to live in squalor on the reservations?

butterbly-catterpillar

 

I love the analogy of the caterpillar and the butterfly. As in so many different aspects of nature, it is beyond amazing. How can a green hairy worm turn into such a beautiful winged creature? There are scientific and biological explanations for this, but in the scope of things, and through my own lens, it is utterly surreal. A miracle of sorts.

So, in reference to the times we live in and the turmoil society is exhibiting, there is an underlying and hidden sense of calm. Aside from politics – aside from religion – aside from society as a whole, there is something deeper and more meaningful. It is that calm that gives each of us the strength to face chaos.

It has been said that before change comes great chaos and I have found that statement to ring true throughout my life. I believe it is true today.

thomas-edison

We must not give up on the very basis of everything we have built our lives around. Thomas Edison was a genius in more than one way and his wisdom still rings true.

I love this quote from Benjamin Franklin. It truly says it all.

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I don’t watch the news. I don’t buy into dramatic negative posts I see on Facebook. What I do, is try to make my little corner of the world the best I can possibly make it. After all, that’s what I have control over. That’s what each of us have control of. And when we focus our energy on that, there begins a ripple effect that spreads across our communities and the world.

This quote from J.K. Rowling touched me deeply. Let’s do this!

positivefocussuccess-jkrowling-powertoimaginebetter-e1387225498880

We can change the world, but it all starts with each of us in our own little corners. Make it the best you can!

 

Patience

Published on by Jan Sikes33 Comments

Patience is a virtue…or so they say.

patience2

I was born in August under the sign of Leo. When they were handing out buckets of patience, I obviously said, “No, Thank you.”

I’ve always wanted to make everything happen at lightning speed and therefore have worked hard to achieve my goals and dreams, forced round pegs into square holes and swam upstream a large portion of my life.

me_113_patience

Through all of this, I’ve always believed I had Guides and Angels working with me to help me AND have always believed that everything happens in life for a reason and a purpose.

However, I have recently been put in my place, so to speak, and all my beliefs tested.

And, over such a simple thing as a roof over my head.  I won’t bore you with long details, but with my lease ending here at the apartment I currently live in, I went looking for a 55+ community to move into.

Bam! I found one right away that happened to have a vacancy where they normally have a wait list, so I thought I’d stumbled on the perfect solution, a Christmas Miracle.

What I didn’t know is that it would take weeks and weeks to go through the approval process because it is a government subsidized community. It got right down to the wire with only a few short days before I had to be out of this apartment and still no approval. No place to go. No place to live.

So, was everything not kismet? Was it all a farce? I asked myself those questions and more.

I cried. fb_img_1434464549535I prayed. I didn’t want to be homeless at my age in life. Not that I’d ever be out on the streets, but the prospect of moving in with either of my children, even for a short period of time, did not set well. Been there and done that. Even got the t-shirt.

There is a point to this story.

Life is all about lessons. If we are never forced out of our comfort zones, we miss the opportunity to grow and learn. I was handed a huge lesson in patience, belief and trust.

Thankfully, this story does have a happy ending and I’ll soon be moving. What did I learn? That patience is indeed a virtue that I still lack. That we do have Guides and Angels working with us at all time no matter the situation. That we must believe in something and that belief can be the strength we need to make it through tough times.

I’ll be moving in seven days.

Discovery – Post by Linda Broday

Published on by Jan Sikes11 Comments

Hop on over to Linda Broday’s blog post today for an indepth look at the Poetry and Art Book, DISCOVERY!

Leave a comment for a chance to win a Hardcover copy. Folks, that’s a $24.95 value, so Linda is being very generous today.

http://lindabroday.com/jan-sikes-discovery/

sample-1_3dcover_discovery

 

The Magic Bank Account!

Published on by Jan Sikes2 Comments

Money

The Magic Bank Account

Imagine that you had won the following *PRIZE* in a contest:

Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400 in your private account for your use.  However, this prize has rules:

The set of rules:

  1. Everything that you didn’t spend during each day wouldbe taken away from you.
  2. You may not simply transfer money into some other account.
  3. You may only spend  it.
  4. Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account withanother $86,400 for that day.
  5. The bank can end the game without warning; at any time itcan say, “Game Over!” It can close the account and you will not receive a new one.

What would you personally do?

You would buy anything and everything you wanted right? Not only for yourself, but for all the people you love and care for.

Even for people you don’t know, because you couldn’t possibly spend it all on yourself, right?

You would try to spend every penny, and use it all, because you knew  it would be replenished in the morning, right?

ACTUALLY, This GAME is REAL…

Shocked ???

YES!

Each of us is already a winner of this *PRIZE*. We just can’t seem to see it.

The PRIZE is *TIME*

  1. Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life.
  1. And when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is NOT credited to us.
  1. What we haven’t used up that day is forever lost.
  1. Yesterday is forever gone.
  1. Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolveyour account at any time WITHOUT WARNING…

SO, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds?

Those seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars.

Think about it and remember to enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker than you think.

So take care of yourself, be happy, love deeply and enjoy life!

Here’s wishing you a wonderful and beautiful day. Start “spending”….

Hourglass

DON’T COMPLAIN ABOUT GROWING OLD…!   

SOME PEOPLE DON’T GET THE PRIVILEGE!