Magical Mondays on Friday

It's been a while since I posted a "Magical Monday" and since I'm going to be pretty much out of commission for a while, I thought I'd post one now.

Some time ago (and right now, I can't remember where), I read a suggestion about divination. It was something along the lines of: If you want to know the answer to a question (esp. a "yes or no" answer), say aloud that in the next few days, if the answer to your question is yes, you will see X (fill in the blank with your own item - something unusual), but if the answer is no, then you will Y. Now, it has to be something that you wouldn't normally see. A purple polka-dotted car driven by a clown, for instance (unless you live in an area where those are common).

As you've heard (read) me whine for several months now about my job, I decided recently that if I saw a red Volkswagen bug on my way home from work, the answer was I should quit. (There are tons of silver and blue ones around this area, but I hadn't seen a red one.) Sure enough, I started seeing them everywhere I looked. There were so many, I said, "Ok, if I see a green, yellow & white striped car then I know this is really the answer" (since, let's face it, basing such a huge decision on a red Volkswagen seems pretty stupid, and what's the likelihood of seeing such a striped car?)

Well, guess what I saw within the hour?

For several days, it seems I was plagued with red Volkswagens and weirdly striped cars until I finally typed up my letter of resignation. As I sat shaking at my desk, I said a fervent prayer asking whether this was the right thing to do, and was rewarded with a sudden, clear mental image of a red VW, so taking a deep breath, I went into my boss's office.

Here's what happened next:

She started asking me questions about why I wanted to do that, what were my plans, etc. As we talked, some other things came out that I wasn't expecting. She suggested I make a doctor's appointment to take advantage of my insurance while I could, and wait a few days before making a decision.

I said I would, and the next day, I drove to the hospital passing red VW's and weird, striped cars on the way. It turns out there were things going on with me that I didn't know about and that are going to require some intensive treatment. If I hadn't decided to quit and hadn't had such a great boss, God only knows where I might have been a month or two from now. As it stands, I will be taking a medical leave of absence for the next several weeks, and will still have a job (if I want it) when I get back.

While I wouldn't normally recommend such a precarious method for making life-altering decisions, I have to say that red VW probably saved my life, and by extension, my family.

A Pleasant Surprise

Recently, Amy Knupp was a guest blogger at Magical Musings and she asked when was the last time anyone had read category romance. I'll admit, it had been many, many years for me with the exception of one that had been written by a friend.

So, when I noticed the other day that the little lending library in the lobby of our condo building had a Signet Regency on the shelf, I picked it up. I hadn't read one of those since I was in the sixth grade, swooning on the swingsets with my neighborhood friends as we exchanged Barbara Cartlands.

The one I found was written in 2000 by Laura Matthews, called "A Prudent Match." I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed it. There were a few anachronisms that annoyed me (I find it hard to believe a well-brought up young lady of that time would lightly say "God," "Lord" and certainly not "More power to her"); nevertheless, it was an enjoyable light read. I liked the way she jumped right into the story and the way she maintained the sexual tension.

I'm definitely going to read Amy's books, and maybe take another look at category romance. Maybe it's time to become reacquainted with an old friend.

New Love

I've fallen in love... with Terry Pratchett. I'd heard good things about him, but only recently started reading his work. How I'd love to be so prolific, clever and talented. I picked up "The Wee Free Men" from a book store a while back just because this line on the inside cover got me: "The toad looked a bit shifty."

It's allegedly a children's book, but it's a children's book in the same way Harry Potter is: it appeals to all ages. I went last night to get the next two in the series - one is still only available in hardback, but that didn't deter me.

If you're a J.K. Rowling, Douglas Adams, or A. Lee Martinez fan, and haven't as yet discovered the wonder of Terry Pratchett, I highly recommend his books. I can't believe it took me so long to find him.

Not so Magical Monday

Well, this will be the second week in a row I've had to miss my "Magical Monday" post. I've been working 50-60hr weeks the past two weeks, with two more weeks of the same to go, so I'm just to brain fried to post anything. The real miracle will be if I survive this month. :)

I do have a publisher's chat tonight starting at 9EST, or 8 central if you'd like to stop by. I'll try to remember to be there. I'm terrible - I always forget, and tonight my daughter needs the computer for a while for homework, so I'm hoping she'll be done in time. If not tonight, another Monday then.

http://www.theromancestudio.com/chat.php

Have a great week!

Book Released

The Masquerade Volume 3 was released today, which took me by surprise. I was expecting it to be later in the month so I'm sitting here going, "But...but...I'm not ready! I don't have my bookmarks printed! I haven't gathered my promo items!"

Story of my life. :)

Just Because...

I read this blog at History Hoydens. Wow.

First Review

I just received the first review tonight. This lady said lovely things about all of us. I'll have to email the editor and ask how much she paid her. ;)

You can read it here.

Weirdo!

Michelle Diener and Sabrina Luna have both recently tagged me to post 10 weird facts about myself, so here we go:

1. I talk to myself all the time. Loudly. With large gestures. It's highly embarrassing when I get caught.

2. When I was little (3-4), I used to dig holes under our backyard fence so I could be free. My parents thought it was the dog and got rid of him. After they filled in the holes, I climbed on the dog house, into the nearby tree, swung off a branch over the fence and dropped into the field behind us.

3. I like my pizza cold and my ice cream warm.

4. I'm 43 years old and have a large collection of Harry Potter merchandise.

5. A few years ago, I lived next to a church where the parishioners were so loud and obnoxious (they'd park in my driveway blocking my car, stay outside my window talking until 2am even though I politely asked them several times not to) so I finally got sick of it and squirted them with a water pistol. (Yes, I'm going to hell)

6. I wanted to be a tree when I grew up. Still sounds like a good occupation.

7. When I was about 4 or 5, I tried making my own shampoo and selling it door to door. When that didn't work, I went around the neighborhood and sold all my mother's underwear while she was in the shower. (It sold - you have to understand that my mother was HOT and wore sexy underwear.)

8. I'm directionally challenged. I used to take "short cuts" on my way home from school and be lost for hours, even though I never recognized I was lost--I figured I'd get there eventually. Once my mother even had to call the police.

9. I'm still directionally challenged. (see #10)

10. I don't know my right from my left. If you want me to look or turn a certain way quickly, I can't do it. I have to think about it for several seconds or ask somebody which way that is. I can handle N, E, S & W because those are fixed points, but I've never gotten a handle on left or right - confuses the heck out of me. I hate when I'm in heavy traffic and see a sign on the road that says "merge left" ahead because I never end up in the correct lane.

Magical Mondays: Mind Over Matter

Since I've been blogging a lot about the power of belief lately, I thought I'd share this experience.

Last summer, I was having a lot of chest and back pain. I'd had back pain for many years but had resigned myself to living with it. Well, one day at work the pains were particularly bad, accompanied by symptoms of a heart attack, so I called my doctor and she sent me to the emergency room.

Fortunately, it wasn't a heart attack, but they found a fracture in the upper middle of my back (which explained the chest pain). They also saw degenerative disk disease, arthritis, pinched nerves - you name it, they found it. I went to a spine specialist who looked at the xrays and took some more of his own, and he wanted me to wear a brace. He also wanted to run some more tests, because he thought it looked like I was born with spinal deformities. So, I had to go someplace else to pick up the brace--they aren't in. I had to schedule more tests and an MRI -- they couldn't get me in for three weeks.

In the meantime, I was in a lot of pain. I remembered listening to a Wayne Dyer tape where he talked about his wife shrunk a thyroid tumor through visualization and diet. So every day I started telling myself I was not in pain and there was nothing wrong with my back. I pictured it healed and healthy. If I walked and felt pain, I kept saying to myself that I was NOT in pain and after a few minutes, I wouldn't be. Every night as I went to bed, I'd lie there for a long time telling myself there was nothing wrong with my back, picturing it as perfectly well, and saying "thank you" to the powers that be for healing it.

Three weeks later, I had the other tests. There was nothing wrong with my back - it was just fine.

Right now I have a bit of a headache and stomache--but no, that's NOT true... repeat after me: I am NOT in pain. :)

The Power of Hope

As I drove home from work yesterday, I realized a difference in the way I felt after I spoke with my boss/friend compared to how I'd felt when I'd arrived at work that morning. When I got in the car, I knew the difference was hope. I was still aggravated, still worried about how I could work things out, yet I felt ever so slightly different than I had before, and knew it was because there was the tiniest ray of hope. So small you'd miss it if you blinked, but it made a difference.

Last night, I started reading the book, "Making a Living Without a Job" by Barbara Winter, and went to bed at 1:30 am even more hopeful. I feel much better about going to work next week because now I have other things in mind which working there will help me accomplish.

The difference is that before I used tell myself that working there allows me to accomplish certain things: pay bills, buy food, have insurance, etc. But that still didn't make me happy. Mainly because it felt so final.

Now, I'm looking at it as, "Ok, I can get through this stressful week because it will not only give me the money to pay my bills and the insurance to go to the doctor, it will also fund the things that I know I will be doing soon that will make me happy. Then I will be leaving there to work for myself." You'd think that should have been obvious all along but it wasn't, because I didn't really have the hope or belief things would change. I didn't see how they could. I thought I was stuck.

However, one of the best things about this book so far was an example Barbara gave of how she was determined to go to England one year. She didn't have the money to do it, and didn't know how it could happen. But she didn't worry about the HOW. She focused on the WHAT. She visualized herself there every day. She got her passport renewed and put it on her dresser where she'd see it every day. She got travel brochures and guidebooks. She spent every evening planning her trip. She even made this daily affirmation: "I am going to London this year and it will be a gift." That's some affirmation - she didn't even say "I am going to London and I'll be able to afford it" she said it would be a gift.

She went on to enter every contest for a trip to London, but several months passed and nothing. Her birthday was in October, and she thought "Ok, maybe I'll get the gift for my birthday." Birthday came and went and no trip. A couple of weeks later a friend called, said she had a ticket for a trip to London that she wasn't going to be able to use, and would Barbara like to have it.

It took almost a year, but she got exactly what she wanted. She didn't worry about how it would happen, she just kept believing that it would.

It reminded of the time I made a list of the job I wanted and even though I had no idea how that might happen, I carried it around with me all weekend anyway. By that Monday, I had news of it, and a few weeks later, I had the job. Funnily enough, that is now the job I want to leave. It has changed from the time I started--it's no longer the job I applied for and got--so I'm feeling it's time for me move on. Make a new list. And this time, I'm not going to worry so much about how I'll get there. I'll just have faith that I will.

Sink or Swim

Someone I work with mentioned today how many times she felt like she'd quit if she didn't have a mortgage, then went on to say that there were dreams she'd had of starting her own business, but was afraid to pursue it because she was afraid of not having enough money to get by in the beginning. She then said that she was starting to think that if she ever took the plunge, she'd probably work harder at it because it would be sink or swim. She was questioning whether to just forge ahead and damn the torpedoes, as several other people she knew had done.

I nearly fell over, because before she started talking, I had just been thinking that exact same thing. I keep telling myself to hang on a little longer, until I have enough money saved to last a while, but then some days I feel like I can't hold out a second longer. I've been wondering if I should just take the plunge and know that I had to make a success of what I wanted to do because there would be nothing to fall back on.

It's hard to balance dreams and responsibility. I have a responsibility to my daughter to make sure we have a roof over our heads along with food & clothing. I have a responsibility to the credit card companies I do business with to not file for bankruptcy. ;)

But don't I also have a responsibility to myself to live a good, full, and fulfilling life? Just how selfish can I be? Who'll care two thousand years from now if I quit my job or not? Of course, my daughter will care significantly for the next 4-8 years at least. (rest of high school & college) But to comment on the obvious: life is short, and nothing is guaranteed.

Today, Edie at Magical Musings asked the question, "Do you wake up planning on doing one thing and knowing you should do another?"

My answer: Every single day.

The question I ask is, what is it I truly ought to be doing? Recently (and unfortunately, I can't recall exactly where at this moment), I read that if at any time we ever desire to create--to play music, to write, to dance, to paint, even to start our own business--it is the Universal Spirit attempting to create through us; and should we heed this, we will be led in the right direction. I'd like to believe that. The risks are more than a little scary, though. Do I follow my dreams and perhaps fall on my face, or do I stay in a "safe" place (that could turn me loose at any moment anyway, should they fall into trouble) - how do I hedge my bets?

Do you ever feel that way?

The Power of Belief

I read this article today about how believing an activity is exercise, and good for you, causes it to be more effective.

The article said that people who think they're getting a good workout obtain more benefits than those who perform the exact same activities, but don't think what they are doing is exercise.

Harvard researchers did a study where hotel cleaners were told that their room cleaning each day was enough physical activity to maintain a healthy lifestyle. At the end of four weeks, they were more trim and fit than their peers who weren't given this message, even though they'd made no other changes in their lifestyles.

It reminded of another article I'd read a long time ago showing that muscles could receive the benefits of exercise just by a person's thinking about exercising them. Someone studied a group who did nothing different except visualize themselves exercising, and some weeks later, their muscles had grown.

This brings me back to the discussions of the power of visualization and positive thinking that I've been involved in on other blogs, as well as here. Boob Wishes, for instance; the book, "Write it Down, Make it Happen"; The Secret. All of these things, (and including many religious traditions) seem to work off the premise: thoughts have power. Picture it, believe it, and it will happen.

Now, I'm off to picture my headache going away, as well as myself being fit and trim. :)

Goodnight all.

Feeling guilty...

I missed Magical Mondays yesterday because I'm not feeling well. In fact, I'm home from work sick today.

...yet for some strange reason, I'm here in front of the computer... Okay, in my defense, I had to get on to see if my daughter's school closed because of the snow (they didn't - woohoo! I get to go back to bed in peace.) Bad mother!

Anyway, I've got some good stuff for future MM's that I hope to get up there at some point. In the meantime, though, I've got a question going at my other blog that I'd really like for people to answer if they'd be so kind. Michelle and Edie got me curious about something and now I want answers, darnit. :)

By the way...

I got the cover for the anthology the other day and this is the first chance I've had to post it.

Here it is if you're interested: Masquerade

The Sweet Smell of ... Sweat?

Hmmm.... then why do the deodorant do such big business?

(From Reuters)
For women, apparently there's nothing like the smell of a man's sweat.

Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley said women who sniffed a chemical found in male sweat experienced elevated levels of an important hormone, along with higher sexual arousal, faster heart rate and other effects.

Apparently, it also elevates mood and contributes to an overall sense of well-being.

Can't say that sour oniony smell ever did it for me quite like that. Give me a man fresh out of the shower, still smelling of shampoo and his own sweet (clean) self. That will get my heart rate going, among other things. :)

Missing in Action

Real life is taking center stage right now, so I'll have to miss this week's Magical Mondays. Meanwhile, to get your magical fix, the Samhain Weblog had a nice post on unexplainable events, and Susan Miller sent me this link that you might enjoy.

I hope to be back to the blogs (mine and yours) sometime next week. Be well everyone.

 

Romance

I was blog hopping this morning through some of my favorites, still a little crabby from a long, hard week, still questioning whether I should even attempt to write romance being the cynic I am, and came across this.

Love Letter

I'm going to go find some more Kleenex now.

 

Boob Wishes Strike Again!

Congratulations to my CP Amber on her recent new contract! That makes two contracts in the past couple of months. She sent the email with the title "boob wishes" but I also think it's been a lot of hard work and the fact that her talent grows and grows.

Keep those boob wishes tucked in people! :)

Holy Crap!

What has Jennifer Lopez done to her face?

Normally, I don't talk about celebrities. Don't think about them much, don't really care. However, I saw this photo from her new video on Yahoo a little while ago and was horrified.

The reason why this one bothers me so much is because every time my half-Latina daughter says to me she wants to take her college fund money and get a nose job, I've always pointed out Jennifer Lopez's nose, how it's similar to hers, and how J.L.'s considered one of the most beautiful women in the world.

Now I guess I'll just have to say how sad that even with all her fame and fortune, she still didn't think she was good enough.

Before:


After:

Magical Mondays: Intuition
(Once again posted on Sunday...may have to change the name) :)

There have been many times when my intuition prodded me to do--or not do--something and if I listened, things went well. If I didn’t, every single time I was sorry.

For example, last year my brother was out late. I knew he had gone to his favorite “watering hole” but felt he should have been home by a certain time and he wasn’t. Yet whenever that happened in the past, I would call to check on him and he always just fine--usually waiting for someone to get off work, or had gone home with one of the women who worked there. I could tell he got annoyed with me for calling to check on him (I usually called to see if he needed a ride home so he wouldn’t drink & drive) so I stopped calling, trusting him to be a big boy and take care of himself.

Well, that particular night, I was very agitated. I couldn’t stop worrying about him. I paced the floor, asking my daughter every few minutes if she was sure he hadn’t called. (She’s not so good at passing along messages.) I even picked up the phone several times to make sure it was working, yet hesitated to call him. ‘He probably just went home with a waitress,’ I thought. Since he didn’t really like me calling to check on him, I was torn. At one point, I even got dressed because I had a strong feeling that I should drive around to look for him, then told myself I was being silly. He was a grown man, and he would call me if anything were wrong.

For three hours, it went on like that, my intuition screaming, “Something’s wrong!” my brain saying, “leave it alone.” Finally, the doorbell rang, followed by loud pounding. It was my brother, out of breath and in pain. He’d lost his keys and tried to walk home from the bar (stubbornly refusing to get a ride from anyone, thinking it was only about 3 miles, he could handle it.)

Now, for most, that wouldn’t have been such a bad thing, but this man has only one leg and a bad heart--AND--the dingbat had stopped at the store then tried to carry home a 50lb bag of salt as he went. His foot bled from blisters, and the end of his one thigh swelled painfully around the prosthetic leg. He was also upset because he’d tried to call several times once he felt he couldn’t go on. I didn’t see how that could be, since I’d hung near the phone most of the night checking to see if it worked. I’d even looked once to see if the ringer was turned off, but couldn’t find a switch that indicated it. He hobbled over to the phone and found the sound switch. Sure enough, it was off--my daughter had forgotten she’d turned it off. (teenagers--grrrr)

I told him why I had hesitated to call, and he understood, but said he would have begged me to come get him. He finally abandoned the salt about a mile into the trek, and sat on it nearly crying from pain, calling over and over. I asked what time that was, and it was about the same time I’d gotten dressed with the idea to drive around looking for him. My intuition was right, and I didn’t listen to it.

Of course, he could have called someone else, or even a taxi, but he’s stubborn, thought he could do it, and didn’t want anyone to witness his embarrassment. (Sorry--cat’s out of the bag now.) :)

The point is, though, this wasn’t the only time something like that has happened. My intuition will prod me and if I listen, it’s good; if I allow “reason” to take over, I’m always sorry later. Yet, it is still almost impossible for me to follow my intuition when logic has arguments against it. Do you ever have that experience? Are there times when you listened to that little nagging voice in your head and it was exactly the right thing to do, or times you didn’t listen and you were sorry? How do you override your so-called “good sense” and go with your gut?