Hey, y’all. I trust you had a great weekend. Mine was wonderfully out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, I don’t have any new photos to share. Crazy, right? I mean, this is me we’re talking about. Oh, well. Take my word for it: the scenery was beautiful.
I drove up to Fresno, which is no little task for me. When I was younger, I used to drive all the time. It was nothing to head to the beach or Disneyland or even up to the mountains. But somewhere between here and there, my collection of car accidents plus having Dot to consider . . . well, my drive to drive took a wrong turn (see what I did there?).
Let’s not forget it was just a few simple years ago that I got lost coming home from Disneyland–a trip I’d made at least twenty times in as many years. The Southern California freeways are not necessarily enjoyable. And in my neck of the desert, there is always, and yes I do mean always, some form of road construction or deconstruction going on.
Keep moving.
[Okay, so this meme was created, like, over a year ago. I had to put some visualization in this post. Anyway . . . ]
When Dot and her husband began their grand adventure, I whispered, “I wish I was brave like you.” Now that she is married and three states away, a little bit of that bravery has come back to me.
No longer do I have to consider coming home “on time” to make dinner for anyone other than myself. I don’t have to worry about “If I do this, what will she do?” I’m no longer a single parent trying to make ends meet and feeling guilty for eating all the ice cream. Nosirreebob, I am just single. (Unless you count the FurFamily. But that’s a tad diff, don’t you think?)
So. When my friend Becky said, “Come on up for the weekend.” I said “Are you nuts? Don’t you know I don’t drive? Like, ever ever. You wanna drive me crazy? Why don’t you come see me and keep the peace instead?” I said, “Hey. I’ve been wanting to be braver. This isn’t too bad. And it’s the opposite of LA traffic. Sure, I’ll come visit.”
Now, mind you. Ursula is nine years old, and it’s been a while since she’s been out on the open road for any great stretch. But they (whoever “they” in the care-for-your-car-industry is) recommend taking your car on longish drives now and then to clean out the carburetor And by the way, I had to verify the spelling on that word. Doesn’t it sound like it should be spelled “carborator”? That’s what I thought, too. Obviously.
But I digress. So. Back on track. Yesterday morning I packed up my Babycakes laptop, a few Jamberry supplies, some bottles of water, and put ‘er in gear.
And four hours later I was in Fresno. Fresno, folks! Like, central California. We’re talking farm country. Open fields. smooth roads. Friendly freeway traffic (I know, right?! I couldn’t believe it either!).
And all I wanted to do was turn around and do it again!
This crazy thing happened to me. Someone called it confidence and I said what did you smoke from your peace pipe and they said no its true and I said no seriously and they said don’t you believe in yourself and I said yes I do but I just drove four hours and in people terms that’s like two hundred and fifty miles which is like sixty miles more than the drive to Vegas and three times as far as Disneyland and have I mentioned that lately I get lost coming home from Disneyland and they said stop being so dramatic you haven’t been to Disneyland in years and I said I KNOW BECAUSE THE LAST TIME I TRIED COMING HOME I GOT LOST and they said stop talking to yourself so I did.
Except to tell myself once more that I have more confidence.
I realized anything that could happen to me and/or my car such as a flat tire or a breakdown could also happen close to home. I have my Triple-A membership card. I have a sense of adventure. So why not go the distance (see what I did there?)?
And then comes the best part. Not only did I get to spend the weekend with Becky and her husband, but her husband happens to be Al of Al Gansky fame, of Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and Firsts in Fiction fame. Yes, that Al Gansky. Of course a month ago when Becky and I were planning this I tolddictated asked Aaron in his capacity as my writing mentor, “So, it’s not totally weird for you that I’m going to go hang out with your folks for a weekend, right? Cuz if it is, we need to talk.” [I told him before Blue Ridge that I collect parents. This shouldn’t have been a surprise for him.] [Apparently, it wasn’t.]
Obviously he and Naomi were fine with it (I did have to promise not to supersede them on the parents’ Christmas card list) and the rest is almost history. Er, almost the rest is history. I mean . . .
ANYWAY.
I spend the weekend with Becky and Al which was a lot of fun when you consider a few things:
Becky and I have the same sense of humor. I feel sorry for Al.
Al has the same sense of humor as Aaron. You feel sorry for me.
The excuse for the drive was for Becky to hostess a Jamberry party, which allowed us some fun girl time with a few guests.
I got to pick Al’s brain about all things writing, editing, and Blue Ridge. Like, conference chatter. And it isn’t even conference time! I found out more of what goes into the behind-the-scenes, and I shared with him some of my immediate, short-term, and long-term goals as a writer and editor. He didn’t even charge me a coaching fee.
A once-a-year thunderstorm hit just as I was considering coming home Saturday night. So I stayed per the original plan and we enjoyed some flickering lights, dimming TV screens, flashes of lightning and serious boomage that set car alarms off. Now that’s thunder!
We watched Perry Mason and Alfred Hitchcock together. Between yelling “Motive!” at the TV and pointing our fingers at all the characters, all I can say is, Al will never let me near the medicine cabinet. And he really shouldn’t leave the cyanidesaccharin pain pills where anyone can get at them. Just sayin’. How’s that coffee this morning, Al?
The same, easy drive to get up to Fresno was just as easy coming home. Except for the microburst in Tehachapi that slowed traffic for about fifteen minutes. Only in California can the sky ahead be blue while the sky directly above is bringing down God’s wrath. Just sayin’.
Once I got home and loved on the FurFamily, we had our own storm system move in. That was about five hours ago. And it’s still here. Lightning. Thunder. Rain. It’s all good.
So I sort lied about the no new photos thing. Okay. This isn’t a photo. It’s a video. I know, semantics. And you can’t hear the thunder, but trust me. It was there!
I think I’m gonna bottle this sound and play it all time. Especially when I’m writing NOLA. Or missing Blue Ridge. Or when it’s too hot and dry. Or when I’m trying to sleep. Or any other time. Yes. Definitely any time is a good time to listen to rain.
I’d say all in all it was a great weekend. And it left me with a deeper drive to reach my goals: writing, editing, social media presentations, speaking, Jamberry, redecorating Bedford Manor, and making sure all my peeps know they’re important to me (the people, not the goals) (well, I mean, both. But the people. Right now, I’m talking about the people).
There’s one truth that people tell me almost every day: I have a lot on my plate.
A Lot on my Plate: Del Taco and Jamberry
The first reason I recently signed up as a Jamberry consultant was for the discount. Let’s be real: Who doesn’t love saving money for things you already do? I buy Jamberry, and the more I buy, the more I love. So saving money while doing so is one of my no-brainers. And we’re not talking just five percent, either. We’re talking a substantial reason to keep myself in business.
The more I enjoyed, the more it showed, the more friends became interested in having shows of their own (see what I did there?). So the second no-brainer is to pursue this venture for supplemental income.
My Mother’s Day Jamberry Nails
Okay. Let’s run down that list again:
Substantial discount
Time with friends
Making new friends
Feeling more confident (isn’t that what a great mani-pedi does for every woman?)
Extra income
Wearing Jamberry nail wraps and lacquer allows my creative side to flourish even more. The mix-and-match-ability are never ending. They even have NAS (Nail Art Studio) which allows you to design your own wraps by simply uploading your own art to the website (copyright images not allowed, all images subject to approval).
But back to too much on my plate. Jamberry wraps are quick to apply. The lacquer dries faster than other brands. And they last. Like, a long time. This Girl’s nails were always chipping and peeling what with the amount of paper shuffling, keyboard clacking and housework I do. I was lucky if I could get polish to stay on for three days.
Well, thanks to Jamberry, a tiny investment of money and time allows me to look pretty and feel confident for up to two weeks.
I’ve been asked what my favorite hand care essential is and I have to say, it’s the $10 Cuticle Oil. This little brush-on bottle works wonders in less than a minute. Don’t believe me? A photo (or two) is worth a thousand words.
Thirty seconds: Before and After Jamberry Cuticle Oil
(And check out how awesome my eight-day old lacquer and wraps are holding up!)
The cuticle oil has a light, uplifting fragrance. It doesn’t leave a residue on hands or fingers. It’s almost therapeutic to apply before a jam-packed day (ooh, see what I did there?) or when getting ready for bed.
Sure, $10 (retail) is two Starbucks. Or a dinner out. But it lasts longer than both. I will definitely keep this in my bag and in my nightstand. Because it takes just a small amount, the 0.4 ounce brush bottle lasts a long time. It’s recommended for twice-daily use, but can be used more frequently as the need arises.
If you’d like more information on ordering, hostessing, or joining the Jam With MoJo team, please visit my Jam With MoJo website.
“Once you leave the mountaintop,
there’s only one way to go ~
Into the valley.”
~Alton Gansky, Final Keynote Speaker,
BRMCWC 2015
We were told what we learned was to be shared. We were being sent out to be springs in the desert, which in my case is quite literal.
Life Can Be Prickly
As wonderful as the Blue Ridge experience was, as foundational as these new friendships have proven to be, coming home was hard. Reconnecting to the world I left behind was difficult.
I’ve been trying to make sense of the blender in my head, chopping and refining and mixing all the information and activity and life that continues. I’ve been trying to put all the new, and old, life into the same container.
Etc., etc., etc. . . .
Surprise ~ it doesn’t all fit.
I needed a way to better manage the new roads that are leading me to greater things.
In particular, I’ve been further developing my Social Media Management.
How To Do Social Media For People Who Are Antisocial
But I wasn’t working it as well as I could have. I was inundated with the thought that I had to learn more, prep more, explain more, before I had something worth sharing.
The immensity of all that lay before me was overwhelming.
Sounds like a “DUH” moment, right? You would think so.
The real “DUH” moment came when I realized because social media is always changing, it’s impossible for me to learn everything about it. My task is to share my current knowledge while growing. Not stop growing and then share stagnant information.
I don’t have to do everything all the time, as long as I do something when I can. My friend Tony put it this way:
“Consistency trumps intensity…better to work 20 minutes 6 days per week for 90 days than to work 40 hours per week for two weeks…it keeps you from burning out and the magic of your own biz is the ‘part time’ effort…imagine if someone went to the gym 8 hours in one day and called it good for the month…”
I’ve been asked to join several group blogs and share my social media knowledge. I don’t know as much as others, but I know more than some. That doesn’t mean I have to know or do everything all at once.
So I changed my mind.
I’m no longer crushing through hours each night, trying to flood my laptop with links and posts and media connections and classes and learning and teaching.
I’m no longer waiting until I know it all. What I already know is worth sharing. What I already do is worth doing for others.
Instead of trying to do it all, I look at what needs to be done now.
I don’t always like To-Do Lists. Those never ending beasts are an evil necessity with their continuous trails and side paths that often lead you away from contentment. As soon as you mark off one item, there’s another five to be added.
I’m starting a new To-Do List. One that makes it easier to manage everything else. So far, I’ve got one task.
1. Don’t Overdo the To-Do List.
It really can be that simple. Today I have things that have to get done. Blogging, NOLA Chapter 2 third draft, laundry, housecleaning, dinner. I have social media clients I need to take care of. But I can do it, just for today. Just for this week. I don’t need to schedule posts that are a month out. Not yet.
Burnout is too easily achieved when we try too hard to ignore ourselves.
It’s okay to take things one puzzle piece at a time. It’s okay to not have all the answers. It’s okay to not be the best at everything.
Mewwo. Mom’s been busy so she hasn’t let me blog for a while. What’s up with that? She leaves in the morning and sometimes is gone until long after dark. She dances around singing things like “I’m Too Sexy For My Cat”. Excuse me? Should I take that personally?
And get this ~ she got the idea to let me blog . . . from a dog. A dog!Now, I’m all about making friends, and I’m sure Charlie Bear is nice and all that. I mean, he doesn’t look too big. In fact, he’s a little like the human sister’s owner at the grandparents’ house. But he’s still a dog. And I’m beginning to sense that Mom might be liking him. What’s a cat to do?
At least she still lets me cuddle up with her at night. When she was gone to her Writers Conference last month, the fur sisters decided we should all get along better. We thought maybe Mom had enough of our sqaubbling and toilet paper tantrums. She was gone for quite a while.
But she came back and we’re all good again. Don’t tell her, but I missed her. That’s why I lick her face each night. And bop her nose when she snores.
And to show that she missed us, she bought us new food. Not just new as in fresh, but new as in type.
She used to feed us the cat food with the four-letter word on the label. So it’s not the same four-letter word that humans use, but for me and my fur sisters it may as well have been. The four-letter-word food caused us upset stomachs and hairballs even though it was supposed to be for older, indoor cats.
Instead, she now gives us the Good Life.
Good Life vs. Four-Letter Word Food
She said something about real food, which is good because we’re Real Cats. Realy, we are. [Wait for it . . . There yah go. Realy.]
I’m going to tell Cousin Zoey about it. Maybe her people will spoil her. If not, well, that’s something to talk about at the next family reunion.
It tastes great. It fills us up faster, so we don’t each as much. Which means less upchuck and hairballs. Lots less. Which makes our mommy love us even more.
In upcoming posts, I’ll blog about my love for Jamberry Nail Wraps and post new design combinations. I hope you’ll join me.
After two months of buying product, I realized it’s more frugal for me to sell it and support my own habit. So I signed on. My online launch party starts tomorrow, and it’s going to be super fun.
It’s my goal to use this income boost to cover my future writing and travel needs. After all, all roads lead to writing, right?
Right now it’s well after midnight and I’m tired. My jammy nails and I are hitting the hay.
Would love for you to stop by my JamWithMojo page and check it out. And if you’re interested in ordering, how’s this for an incentive?
