An evening with friends

Last night Ron and I had a wonderful evening with a special group of friends. We all know how much these special friends mean to us. Wonderful food, lots of laughs and memories from years gone by. What more could one ask. Everyone kept teasing me about taking notes for my next book. Hmmm now for a title lol.

When we are young and carefree we do not think thirty or forty years in the future and what these precious times will mean to us. Some of us at the dinner table have been friends for over thirty-five years. Some we just met last night but the feeling was one of something that can last forever. 

Great way to wake up

Well, what a way to wake up in the morning. I just found out that yesterday I sold two books internationally. One to Japan and another to Singapore. I would assume the people who bought these have already bought the first book. I love the fact I can see where the books go but it would be nice to who they go to. This would give me a chance to thank these people for their support. Wahoooo international !!! Not bad for only being available for two weeks.

Carol, my sister in law got a big surprise when she opened her book. It was printed upside down. I of course replaced it but what a hoot it would be as she is sitting on the bus or in a doctor’s office to see the weird look on the faces of the others as she is reading a book that looks like she is reading upside down. I would add, “It goes to show you what we from other planets can do, stay tuned and I will show you how I can read it sideways.” lol lol

What an exciting day

This morning I announced the publishing of my new book to Amazon and to Kindle. I now can let you all know it is also on LULU, Kobo, Nook and many other sites. What is amazing is I have already sold my first copy online. Thank you all.

It is hard to believe it took over two years to get it to this point. I want to thank all who helped me get where I am today and share the experience of being published once again.

Being Thankful

It does not always have to be the big and dazzling things in life that make one thankful. Just yesterday while in Toronto Ron and I had to put in some time while waiting for an item we ordered. We decided to go visit one of the Asian grocery stores, just to be inquisitive. The grocery carts used for the store needed a coin to unlock it. I had change but the required amount was a loonie.Ron and I were just deciding who was going to go into the store and wait to see if a cashier would give us change when a young lady walked up to us and gave us the dollar and with a big smile said, “here have a great day.” I was surprised and very graciously accepted. She was gone so fast that our chances of finding her were nil. I know she would not be reading my Facebook or reading my word press but I still would like everyone to know there are kind, caring people out there and I had the honour of meeting one yesterday. When we left the store we passed the cart- paid for on to someone else. So who ever you are thank you again.

The next piece of news I have to share is very exciting and almost two and a half years in the making. I am so pleased to announce the fact I have finally published my new book. The sequel to ‘A Hairdresser’s Diary’ is ‘A Hairdresser’s Diary: Scissors Retired’ https://www.createspace.com/5783094

I have so many people to be thankful to. If not for so many I would have no stories to write about. I could not have done it alone. So if you have a moment please check it out. You may just find that you are right there in print. Right now my book can only been purchased or viewed at the link above but in a couple days it will be on Amazon and Kindle. Thank you all.

Dear Lord

Sometimes we feel overwhelmed and we are not sure which way to turn. I wrote this piece a very long time ago. I somehow thought today I needed to post it. Maybe it will lift someone’s spirits who feels down.

Dear Lord, it’s time you take things over for me,

I’ve got too much to handle at this time,

The burdens of this life are full upon me,

And I find life’s mountain just too high to climb.

It’s not that I am shirking all my duties,

Or that I want to give them all to you,

It’s just that I have finally reached my limit,

And I know this is the only thing to do.

I need my time to be a wife and mother,

These things are more important to me now,

And once my mind is clear from other worries,

I know everything will be all right somehow.

Amen.

Edits, edits and more edits

Behind every book is an author

For all those non-authors out there I would like to tell you just how hard it is to write a book. It is not the stories or the writing itself it is the editing, editing again then more editing and when you think it is all done there is more editing still.
Then there is the final proofreading and editing again. Wow! But now it is done – how funny because three weeks ago I thought I was done. When I wrote those glorious words The End, I somehow thought it was just that, the end.
Well other than my cover being finished we are the end. Yessssss!
Well I am drained and to think I am thinking of writing another, I must be insane.

Happy Day oh happy day

Wow! I cannot believe it I have finally finished my third edit on my sequel make one wonder if there is an editing fairy that keeps sneaking in and putting things were they do not belong lol

I thought I would share another one of my poems with you all this morning as well.

Seasons

Those lazy days, those hazy days,

Just before the spring,

Those blowy days and chilly days,

When you don’t hear the birds that sing.

Its on those days, those dreary days,

When you would like to stay in bed,

Just to dream away the hours,

With covers o’er your head.

Those days are last of winter,

T’was a time of joy and fun,

A time of snowy wonder,

But now those days are done.

I know I am discouraged,

I know that I am blue,

I know I’m not the only one,

Because you feel it too.

And then you’ll see a difference,

In the people that you meet,

And it surely won’t be long now,

We’ll complain about the heat.

That which does not kill me makes me stronger.

April 1, 2013 — Chris | Edit

Well here I am back in business and on the ball again. It has been a very long and painful five weeks. Just minutes before my radio interview with Sherri http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rithebard/2013/02/26/chatting-with-sherri  I felt a pain in my left knee. I mentioned to Sherri and she wanted to know if I wanted to cancel the show.”Hell no! ” was my response. Once the interview was over I tried to stand up from my sitting position and my knee popped and snapped. From that moment until now I have been hospitalized, bedridden, had surgery and now am on the mend. I was so scared as I was unable to walk or stand. I went through so many physical, emotional and mental transformations. Once again thanks to prayers from my friends and family God has decided I should be here to annoy you all for while still.

    I know I have just repeated myself here but there is a reason for my doing so. I am trying to make a point. There are so many of us with chronic pain, who on a daily basis have to live with what has been dealt to us. Then there are the surprise attacks on our bodies.  

      Does the fact that we have to live with pain on a daily basis make these extras more tolerable?

      Does anyone feel we are like the sore toe, when it is hurt we continuously bang it?

      Do you feel like others expect you to be stronger no matter what happens?

      There is a saying, God only puts on your plate what He knows you can eat. Well I think for some of us it feels like we are being served a buffet. I once had a friend tell me I had to learn to be grateful for the lessons God was was trying to teach me. It was during this conversation that I found out from her that she had never had a sick day in her life, let alone over 30 surgeries and two battles with cancer. When I told her that next time God wanted to add some more to my plate, I was going to tell Him I knew someone whose plate had ALWAYS been empty, and then I pointed at her. She called me a blasphemer and left my house in a huff. I am sure God was having a giggle over that one. 

      It is easy for those who have never suffered to be judgmental and unfeeling.

Tidbits from A Hairdresser’s Diary /Scissors Retired – part four

Today was to be one of those days that was embedded in my memory and still makes me smile. Christine, now ten, just came in from school while I was bleaching Bethany’s hair – something I did as a six-week ritual. This time I was using a new bleach product just out on the market. Instead of going on white, it went on blue. Bethany was paranoid when it came to using new products on her hair. She had, over the years had some unhappy results. Even though I had been doing her hair at Nora’s for the last two years she was still anxious. Christine walked in and seeing Bethany’s hair, she said, “What a pretty blue colour mommy.” With that, Bethany started to panic. She grabbed the hand mirror from the table and started to cry, “Why is my hair blue?” It took me some fast-talking to get her settled down. I needed to almost beg her to let me leave the product on to finish its work. Until the bleach on her hair was completed its job, she was very cool to me. It was as if all those years of total trust had almost vanished. I could not say anything to ease her anxiety. The stunning final results, the look of relief and a hug, were indicators that she was no longer concerned. Christine learned a valuable lesson that day never to make unsolicited comments again when it came to a customer. I calmly explained to her that some people are obsessed and over react when it comes to their hair. Once alone we joked about Bethany’s ‘panicky blue hair’ response.

My makeshift beauty shop was unusual and definitely not your run – of – the – mill salon. I had no specialized equipment, no fancy pump chair or lighted mirror above my hairdressing table. I used a kitchen chair, a utility room sink and a hand mirror. Sometimes the sunshine was my only overhead light, and a lawn chair my customer’s beauty chair. There was more than one occasion when Ron would have to remove an implanted hair from one of my feet or from my belly button. I had a habit in the summer of cutting hair outside, barefoot and in my bikini. I carried my scissors and comb everywhere I went. When we went to visit either family, I always had a haircut or style to do. Even my mother was treated to a professional cut and style when I went home. This pleased her. What a turnaround in her thinking from just a few years earlier. Oh, how far we had come from the attitude that my hairdressing training was a ‘ waste of time and money.’

Tidbits from A Hairdresser’s Diary /Scissors Retired – part three

I wished that was the end of my suffering but some of it was just beginning. Chronic pain and surgery were two constants in my life. I was only twenty-seven and I was already been four times under the knife. This left me feeling lost overwhelmed and useless much of the time. Needing to find something, anything, to take my mind off my pain and frustrations, I started accepting a few of my former customers for hair appointments in my home. No one had a problem with the inexact schedule I was a slave to. When it rained, my friends and customers knew not to call for their hair needs on those days. My fingers and my back were far too painful to work. I was, at first, restricted to haircuts and styling, but gradually as I was stronger I was able to stand long enough to do the occasional colour or perm. This was a far cry from the customer base I had while working in a salon, but it kept my hand in my craft, and helped us a little financially. This made the few customers I accepted happy. But, I missed having my fingers entwined in the long hair I so desperately desired to help make me feel alive and creative.

1974 was the year that things would start to turn around for us, financially. Ron was promoted to salesman and one of the perks was a fully loaded company car, his own office and expense account. Ron worked so hard for this position and no one deserved it more. We splurged with a celebration dinner. The kids were so excited they could hardly wait to go for a ride in Daddy’s new car. Ron could hardly contain himself as well. He couldn’t wait to share with his mom – showing her just how far he had come, from being a truck driver for one of the largest gas companies to a salesman with his own car. His father had passed away from a heart attack June 1968. It saddened him he could not share this great news with him too. There was no doubt he would have been proud.

For the first time in our lives I now even had my very own car. We had come so far in these few short years. We long ago decided we would never pack up our tents and give up we were determined no matter what it took we would fight to survive. We would forge ahead to make our lives better, not just for ourselves but especially for our children. It was obvious both our families were proud of what we accomplished. Frank and Cathy in particular showed their support.

Since I had my own car and when I felt well enough I would go back to the old neighbourhood. There I would cut a few heads of hair or give our former next door neighbour, Hildie, her much needed colour. Three of those haircuts and styles were for the three women of the family who had lived across the street from us before we moved. Sharon’s husband was the architect who had built the tiny castle we now owned. I loved doing Sharon’s, Leslie’s and their mother, Mary’s hair. They wore the elaborate, high bouffant styles that allowed me to be creative. Leslie, at one time in her career, was a practicing hairdresser and had a room in their house set up as a mini salon. This made my job very easy, but made me miss the salon atmosphere even more. Although I suffered afterward with body pain, it was so satisfying for my soul and my ego.