The Saturday Six Nineteen

1. Saturday, my college friend Liz came out to visit me. She had to drive a long ways, but she wanted to see me and hang out, since we haven’t really had the chance to in over a year. I’m glad we’ve worked on fixing things between us, and her visit was sweet of her to make. She didn’t want me to spend my birthday weekend with just family; thought that I needed to be celebrated, and have the focus on me, without me being the mother-like figure that puts everyone first. Actually, when I slipped into my ways, she had to keep saying that “this weekend is for you.” My youngest nephew couldn’t get enough of her either, they were almost as thick as thieves.  She even brought me a chocolate chip cookie cake from Wegman’s, a balloon (that said Birthday Queen, and that my nephew kept running off with), and peace sign Mardi Gras type necklaces. We went to a going away party first, and then headed off to the local bar where we ended up connecting with one of my very many cousins. It was a good night, and morning. Thank you, my friend, for the visit.
   
   
2. Saturday, after Liz arrived and we had had supper with my family, I dragged her to a bon voyage party for another friend of mine, Laura. I’ve known her now for thirteen years, friends since the fourth grade. We may have grown apart somewhat since we graduated high school, but have remained there for each other and still are friends. She is off to Peru for her second time, this time, for a year. She later texted me while I was at the bar, to tell me that the card I’d written her had made her cry. In a good way. I seem to do that to my friends whenever I do it. I write something real in each card I give, because they deserve to know what’s inside, and they deserve realness. I’m going to miss her while she’s away, even though we’ve seen each other so rarely as is. I know she’s going to do great things over there though, and whomever comes in contact with her will be blessed.
   
   
3. As I stated before, Liz came out for my birthday. Yep, that was Sunday, and I’m officially twenty-two. Even though I like some of Taylor Swift’s music, please don’t sing that song! Anyways…after she left in the morning, the day dragged on (only had four hours of sleep), and it was a low-key, laid-back kind of birthday. Many birthday wishes were sent my way, and my mama made a ham dinner. Ham gravy, yum! She also baked me a birthday cake, funfetti flavored with butter cream frosting and covered in pink sugar crystals. My family also got me some new clothes and a new digital camera complete with a fitted case so I can carry it in my purse without damage like my old ones. The best part of my birthday? No negative energy.
   
   
4. Monday, my friend Melinda, another beauty of mine from college, came to visit me. She had wanted to be here the day before, but was spending much needed time with her fiancé. It was great though, we got to catch up and talk more than we do via text, Facebook, and calls. Haha. She’s a chica I chat with often. We went to Tim Horton’s for much needed hot beverages, well…that, and coffee shops have become a tradition of ours. We played with her Tarot cards, and I tried my hand at being the reader for once. We also walked around town, where she loved seeing some of the different buildings, especially ones that have a Victorian vibe. As many friends of mine that didn’t grow up here, she liked it. She also treated me to an early supper late lunch, before we got back to my house. Thank goodness I do at least know how to properly measure tire pressure, and how to work my dad’s air pump thing, because otherwise I’m not sure she’d have made it home in one piece. So incredibly glad she came out to see me, I’ve missed her, and when we get together, things seem better. A sign of true friends.
   
   
5. My friend Chrissy has done so much for me and been there often, so since she’s been stressed between full-time job and full-time school, and other small things, we got together to hang out yesterday. Lots of talking, and then I treated her to supper at one of the better restaurants in town. They had chicken and biscuits as a special, and man that made her happy. I’m glad I could bring her a smile.  She apologized later for us not doing much, but like I’ve stated to her and other friends before, I can enjoy myself and be content, with just the company and friendship, without me talking very much.  It was a good evening.
   
   
6. My dad and his fellow veterans of our town spent yesterday, and are spending today, standing outside different establishments in our town, selling poppies.  If there are any veterans in your areas doing this, donate, even if it’s a nickel. A little bit goes far, and our veterans have done much for our country. Their day is almost upon us, respect them, and thank them.

~Count your blessings, and whether things are bad or you’re doing well, find something good and hold on!

Much love!

~*~Alyse~*~

The Saturday Six Seventeen

1. On Saturday last week, my best friend from my college days was out to see me.  She came Friday, and was here for two nights.  We had dinner with my family, and she helped me wash dishes afterwards, on Friday night.  When my family went to hang out in the camper for a bit, we went up to my room, hooked up her laptop, and popped in a DVD.  We watched Mama Mia up there until my ma came up, and then moved the giggles downstairs.  It was odd to hang out in my bedroom I’ve had since I was little, because it hasn’t been since at least middle school that I actually chilled up there.  Haha.
   
   
2. Saturday, was a special artist’s birthday. Made and sent him a card, and did a shot with him that night.
   
   
3. I’ve gotten some headway in the job hunting mission, let’s see where things lead me.  Cross your fingers folks!
   
   
4. I’ve been making progress on a new writing project. It’s challenging me, and I’m loving every bit of it.
   
   
5. My friend Chrissy and I checked out the store, Spirit Halloween on Tuesday, in Geneseo. It’s one of those seasonal stores.  Many cool things in there, but more for parties and kids for the most part. Oh, and I managed to have a heart-jump-throat moment when one of the animatronic creatures—a giant spider—lunged at me.  Okay, not Halloween yet, but I’ve had my scare for the month. Haha.
   
   
6. Yesterday, I became excited. Why?  My good friend and fellow writer, sent me a copy of her first book in her Serenity Series, Secret, as a gift in the mail.  I’m going to have to hide it on myself perhaps, because it’s pulling me.  Yet, I’m already three books I’m reading simultaneously and have about two more after that which people have lent me.  Those must be read first so that they can be returned to their proper owners. And who knows how many more books I’m going to get soon, my birthday is just a couple weeks away.  Alas…, more books in this world than I can read, and I shall continue to build my library.

~Count your blessings, and whether things are bad or you’re doing well, find something good and hold on!

Much love!

~*~Alyse~*~

The Saturday Six Thirteen

1. Saturday, my sister and I took my mama out to the Olive Garden for the first time, as an early birthday present.  Yummy breadsticks is worth it. As was the smile and surprise on her face.

2. Sunday, as most of you know, was the VMAs, and I admit, I haven’t watched really any award shows in the last few years let alone anywhere near the way I did when I was younger.  I watched though, and I admit to major fangirling moment. I mean, I was born in 1991, so…I’ve listened to Justin Timberlake as one of my number one pop artists most of my life, and he was my favorite one out of the ‘Nsync guys.  Honestly, my sister has a photo somewhere in her albums of me in elementary, wearing an oversized Veteran’s Club t-shirt as a nightgown kissing and posing with her Justin poster.  ‘Nsync is by far the best pop boy band (seriously, One Direction, you’re a no-go and I want the Union Jack flag returned to the Spice Girls). Yes, I was among the twenty-something year olds that I know who was clapping like a fool with a huge ass grin spread across my face the moment I saw all the boys together.  And yes, I immediately sang along with them just like I did when we were kids, and when I used to watch my sister’s VHS of one of their concerts for “No Strings Attached”.
   
   I mean, a lot of the show was good, and heck, I got teary-eyed when Macklemore did “Same Love.” It matters, not just because the song is powerful, but because I know a good handful of beautiful souls who have been in my life at some point or another that deserve things just like that.
   
   Show was great, okay, I admit it. However, to me, Justin Timberlake eclipsed everything else with that spectacular performance, and the appearance of the whole ‘Nsync band reunited.  Miley, I like your music.  Lady Gaga, I like yours as well.  Taylor Swift…I paused my television when you hugged your co-star from the video you won your award for, just so I could stare at his sexy self for a second.  Will Smith, I caught you bobbing your head. And Katy, I heard you roar.  However y’all, the part that will stay in my memory best or at least the longest, as the days pass by is what I just spent three paragraphs, going on four, discussing.
   
   ‘Nsync…for a brief moment, I was thrown back to the times when my age was in the one-digits, I was more carefree, and I was much more pure of mind.  You brought the good parts of growing up, and a flash of the young me.  I will probably remain an ‘Nsync fan, and a Justin Timberlake fan, until I’m no longer able to hear music.
   
   
3. I finished reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern late one night. I had wanted to read it badly when I used to shelve it all the time at my old job, and it did not disappoint. Funny though, some segments reminded me of pieces of Libba Bray’s Gemma Doyle trilogy.  I love the style of writing that both authors have, and see a similarity in the way in which I like to write. The visuals in my head came so easily, and aside from the time jumping and POV jumping that took me a while to get used to, I felt like I was right there, as another member in the charade.
   
   Excerpt to catch your fancies:
              
   “Stories have changed, my dear boy,” the man in the grey suit says, his voice almost imperceptibly sad. “There as no more battles between good and evil, no monsters to slay, no maidens in need of rescue. Most maidens are perfectly capable of rescuing themselves in my experience, at least the ones worth something, in any case.  There are no longer simple tales with quests and beasts and happy endings.  The quests lack clarity of goal or path. The beasts take different forms and are difficult to recognize for what they are. And there are never really endings, happy or otherwise. Things keep going on, they overlap and blur, your story is part of your sister’s story is part of many other stories, and are a great deal most complex than a princess and a dragon, or a wolf and a scarlet-clad little girl. And is not the dragon the hero of his own story? Is not the wolf simply acting as a wolf should act? Though perhaps it is a singular wolf who goes to much lengths as to dress as a grandmother to toy with its prey.” (Page 499)
              
   “The truest tales require time and familiarity to become what they are.” (Page 500)
              
   “Someone needs to tell those tales. When the battles are fought and won and lost, when the pirates find their treasures and the dragons eat their foes for breakfast with a nice cup of Lapsang souchong, someone needs to tell their bits of overlapping narrative. There’s magic in that. It’s in the listener, and for each and every ear it will be different, and it will affect them in ways they can never predict. From the mundane to the profound. You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone’s soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows what they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift. Your sister may be able to see the future, but you yourself can shape it….” (Page 505)
   
   
4. This week was mom’s 49^th birthday.  I’d bought her birthday present a couple of weeks ago, before we took her to Olive Garden.  She really liked her gift, but got on me for spending money I don’t have much of on her since we’d taken her to supper. However, she understood the dinner was an impromptu thing, and she likes the shirt. I win. I also made her a cheesecake since I didn’t think we needed a 9x13 cake, especially considering that after I made the dessert, I found out that her coworker had made her cupcakes.  Her candles? Yeah, I put those in the shape of a heart, and she had my nephew blow out the candles with her.
   
   
5. Over the weekend, I brainstormed things from the past few years about myself and took my old (admittedly, bad) résumé and put it all together, because a friend of mine has offered to help me to a good one, that I can not be not quite so nervous about giving to potential employers.  However, my mom and I got to talking and brainstorming ways for me to get an actual job again due to me lack of transportation.  The only problem with it, is that the jobs I look for at the moment, have to be in the ten mile radius of home, so that it’s not out of my family’s way to get me there. I found two jobs that I don’t think will make me go nuts, and that I think would be very beneficial not just to my bank account and bills, but also to my growth.  Filling out the applications though, I had to have a résumé, so I spent a whole night trying to make one that wasn’t an online plug and chug.  I’m nervous now, especially since jobs in town are always a fight usually, due to them being hard to get.
   
   
   
6. Okay, let’s talk about the writing world. The one that I love being succumbed to…most importantly, the people within my writing bubble.
   
   I tried out my video calling on Google+ yesterday, so I can talk more with my writer friends, etc. The first one I got to talk to is my lovely friend, author of Vaalbara: Visions & Shadows, Vaalbara: The Land of Shadows, and a 7DS writer. It was nice to first figure out how to use my video caller, but also to finally get to meet her virtually face to face. It’s somewhat surreal to think that I can talk to my friends via video, especially when Michelle for instance hails from South Africa. Among our short conversation, she asked me about what I plan to do for jobs now, and I told her what I would like but I also mentioned what I’m just looking for right now.  She suggested that perhaps through marketing myself, I can perhaps get small presses to look to me for editing positions that I can do online, on the side with my writing.  I’ve looked for online freelancing via job sites and have come up short, but this is a good idea. I mean, I help my friends here in WNYS sometimes, so why not? I mean, it would make me really happy and be something that I love to do. Yes, I know I can’t rely on it to support me financially, but it would be good to do. She had a point that if you’ve got editing skills, they shouldn’t be put to waste.
   
   This month I had beta-read for my friend Jess Russell, and after I gave it back to her, she said she wanted to submit it, but wasn’t sure if she was good enough. I told her she is though, and encouraged her to send it to some of our other writer friends if she still wasn’t sure. Guess what?  Things are looking up for her, and I’m proud of her, always.
   
   
   

~Count your blessings, and whether things are bad or you’re doing well, find something good and hold on!

Much love!

~*~Alyse~*~

The Saturday Six (Three)

Sorry to be late again! At least I'm posting this morning, so a little bit better than the last Saturday Six! Haha.

1.  Sunday was my youngest nephew, Camerin’s, third birthday.  Oh, how time flies!  Three years ago, I was an 18 year old who had just finished her first year of college, holding a newborn baby in my arms who was cute as can be.  Now, that baby is my youngest nephew who runs around and takes my hand saying “I want to show you something,” leading me through wherever we are, even if he doesn’t know exactly what it is that he wants to show me.  He’s also the little ham, that on my graduation day from college, after the commencement ceremony, went into my arms and didn’t want to let go.  Truth be told, kid may make me want to yank out my hair sometimes, or to pour myself an extra large glass of liquor or wine, but we’re tight.  Anyone fucks with my boy, just as if anyone were to fuck with my nieces and other nephew, they’ve got me to deal with.  Camerin lights up my world and is often the main one who brings me the most smiles, and the warmest of feelings anymore.  Wow…still trying to get over that he’s three now.
   
   
2. Tuesday, I watched Camerin while my mama went and did errands, because my dad was out of town for this week.  He didn’t want to do anything all day but stare out the window at the tractors in the field across the road.  Yes, I live in the country, so tractors, trucks, and fields are a huge thing in my daily life.  I don’t know how I did it, but I managed to get him away from the window and into the kitchen long enough to eat a peanut butter sandwich and get washed off.  My patience may have been worn by the end of the night, but I’ve learned through him over time, that small defeats with children are big ones in the long run.  Granted, I’m still worried after three years to fall asleep when I’m the only one taking care of him, paranoid that if something goes wrong I’ll be too tried or something to leap into action. So, even though I almost fell asleep with him when I laid him down to his nap, I dragged my butt out of the bed and listened as I watched a little bit of Grimm.
   
   
3. Wednesday night, I went over to my friend Jamie’s house and we spent most of Thursday together.  It was nice that we got to do that, just two friends instead of having to make it a group thing like most friends seem to make things these days.  Been friends since…I believe the eighth grade, ups and downs included, but still, we are friends.  It’s great to be blessed with having friends from my high school days or in my hometown still, because I don’t know how I would survive living in my hometown full-time again without any of them.  We ran some errands, which included laughter from small things.  She even took me out to Buffalo, which is a rare case for me.  Last time I went out to Buffalo was over a year ago with my friend Dani to shop for things for her wedding last year.  Jamie lived in Buffalo as a kid, so it was awesome to get the chance to be shown her old side of the tracks.  I love hearing old stories from friends and good people, even more so when I have a setting to view. 
   
   We went to the mall, and *gasp* I gave up my Victoria’s Secret virginity.  I’ve been in the store before, yes, and have used Love Spell body products on occasion when I was a little younger, but for the first time, I bought something there.  And wowza, the material feels great against my skin.  I went clearance of course, no offense, nice stuff there, but you think I’m paying fifty bucks for a bra, you’re loco.  We also went to a gourmet chef store and another one that has things you can fill your living quarters with; if it weren’t for me being unemployed for now, and running out of storage space…I would have been buying things at both these stores for my future place.  I was enraptured by some of the objects.  I mean, hello, there was a stand that had the old time film reel inside of it, and canvases with beautiful pictures.  And awesome cookware.  I also took her into a store full of Swarovski beauties.  She had never heard of them, and I said that it’s amazing, and some of the best crystal, and even though it’s expensive, it’s way cheaper than diamonds.  If I were of the mind to do it, I probably could have stayed in that store just staring at the amazing glitz and dazzle of the jewelry in there.
   
   Later on, we got a bite at the Olive Garden (breadsticks, nom).  And by the way, just because I seem to not be full of life or something, doesn’t mean I’m not enjoying myself.  I wasn’t bored one second like she worried, I was just mellow and calm, and for a nice while, not stressing.
   
   
4. Friday night, we had a small laugh in my sister’s car, where I told Camerin that he was precious sometimes, and he responded, “yeah.”  Ma’s response was “and a little conceited, too!” Laughter ensued.
   
   
5. I know I’m late with this post, yet again, but yesterday I was with my sister Ashley and Camerin all day, helping prepare things for the party today.  I shelled and chopped eggs, minced celery, poured things into the bowl to be mixed for salads, peeled and cut potatoes (had to keep stopping, because gripping the knife caused a lot of pain in my wrist and lots of shaking).  Things may take a while, but even with pain, I keep going.  I also helped with the cake, which, in a way, was fun.  We made the inside tie-dyed, which was interesting to do.  Ashley and I split the cake mixture into four bowls and she added the food coloring as I used the mixer.  After the colors were done, we took turns on which side of the cake pan we were going to be, so that we could get the colors all over, and then marbled the colors.  I will admit, the cake looks pretty sick.
   
   
6. The thing, that is the most simplest of things that made me happy about this past week however, was sleep.  I got it.  I managed in at least a half hour nap in Ashley’s car during errand running yesterday… and last night, I WENT TO BED EARLY!  It’s fantastic.  Insomnia got the short end of the stick for the first time in months, and I got to be asleep by ten o’clock last night.  Oh heavens bless sleep!

~Count your blessings, and whether things are bad or you’re doing well, find something good and hold on!

Much love!

~*~Alyse~*~