Jen FitzGerald's Blog, page 10

BE LOUD! WEAR GREEN! LET'S GO STARS!!

 

Image courtesy of MoneyPuck.com.

The Dallas Stars have made the playoffs! But you knew that right??

*Clicking on the image will show you the largest version...

According to the chart above, created last October, the Stars had a 58.3% chance of making it to the playoffs and a less than 6.2% change of running the gauntlet of four rounds and winning the Stanley Cup.

Well. they made to the playoffs and they've secured home ice. Which means the first two games are at home to give them the lift of a hometown crowd to support them and cheer them on to early victory. DD and I have tickets to Wednesday night's second home game... :0)

Fast forward six months from the date of the original chart and there's new chart with the sixteen teams (of thirty-two) who made the cut.

Image courtesy of MoneyPuck.com.

Our chances of winning the Cup, today, before the playoffs even start, is 4.6%. It's not the lowest but it's close. They thing about hockey, though, is that once you're in, anything can happen. There are a lot of factors outside the players' control that help or hinder a team's progress.

Injuries to your own players or to the players of your opponent are a big factor, as is "puck luck" and the capriciousness of the officials on the ice making calls. The frustration of many teams is that the officials put the whistles away come playoffs because they don't want to affect the outcome of the games.

BUT... They affected every one of the eighty-two games that led to these teams being in the playoffs and they affect the outcome of a game by not calling penalties when penalties are due anyway. So please, for the love of the Hockey Gods, call the penalties as required.

Okay, enough of that. The officials that get assigned to the Stars' games are all going to call penalties properly. I'm putting that into the universe.

If you don't have rooting interests in another team, will you please send your well wishes and winner vibes toward our boys in Victory Green?

Many thanks!

And on a sad note, the Pittsburgh Penguins, captained by my favorite player Sidney Crosby, didn't make the playoffs for the first time in sixteen seasons. >>sad face<< That's basically Captain Crosby's tenure in the NHL...

Hope you have a great week and don't forget to:

BE LOUD while WEARing GREEN and cheering on the GO STARS!!

Have a super week.

 

Prepping for the Author Event...

 

Image courtesy of IMGBIN.

The books are all nestled, all snug in their box, while visions of dollars dance through my head...

Okay, not really, but it would be exciting if I came home with fewer books than I left with. :0)

In the meantime, I've dug out all my stuff and have setup a facsimile of my table at home so I know what it's supposed to look like. Since I have physical books this year, it has to be a little different, so yeah--dry run.

There will more authors and probably more visitors this year since the event is being held on a Saturday during normal library hours...

That's a little nerve racking to me since, as I've mentioned before, my choice of genre is not quite as mainstream or accepted as many others... I'll have a lot of my dear friends close at hand and so I'm choosing to believe it'll all be fine.

The coordinator sent out a huge list of questions which I've been working on writing up answers to...not all of them will be used at the event, so I'll have them to utilize here or at my Goodreads presence.

On another note, I'm not happy with the printed copies of one of the books--not after spending close to $70 for twelve copies that are now "damaged."

The proof copy I received in regards to the cover was perfect. Now the placement of the title and author name on the spine left something to be desired and Amazon had no way for me to fix it.

So I ended up just deleting both and asking DD to print me some, let's just say, labels on her Cricut. But when I got the new actual copies, the cover image was skewed and bits of the illustrated frame were cut off during the trimming process. UGH.

I wonder if the removal of the text shifted the image somehow...but how? Or why? Not that it matters at this point, so not only am I unhappy, but I'm disappointed.

Now the physical book I received from Draft2Digital looks great. Their system took care of all the logistics. The front cover looks super as the cover image is lined up correctly with the edges of the spine. The title and my name are properly centered on the spine...

So, probably needless to say, but moving forward I'll be getting physical books from D2D.

I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be for Saturday's event.

Have a great weekend.

 

This should have arrived yesterday, but I forgot to hit the publish button on time... :0)

 

National Peach Cobbler Day is Coming!

 

Image courtesy MarieCallender.com

Head out to your local grocery store asap and pick up a pre-made peach cobbler or the ingredients to make your own!

National Peach Cobbler Day is just a few days away on Thursday the 13th. Make sure you're prepared to enjoy the warm sweet concoction that is peach cobbler.

Now, I'm not a fan of fruit pies as a general rule or cobbler really, but for some reason this particular dessert just sings to me. To be honest, I really just love the crust and the sticky thick sweet syrup. I can take or leave the peaches themselves.

I could live on pumpkin cupcakes, chocolate pie, and peach cobbler for a while if I had to. :0)

What about you?

Cobbler fan? Fruit pie fan?

If so, what kind?

Have a great week. Catch you Thursday...

 

A Miracle for Sale

 

Image courtesy IMGBIN.

A Miracle for Sale

I paid a dime for a package of seeds
And the clerk tossed them out with a flip.
“We’ve got ‘em assorted for every man’s needs,”
He said with a smile on his lip,
“Pansies and poppies and asters and peas!
Ten cents a package! And pick as you please!”

I paid a dime for a package of seeds
And the clerk tossed them out with a flip.
“We’ve got ‘em assorted for every man’s needs,”
He said with a smile on his lip,
“Pansies and poppies and asters and peas!
Ten cents a package! And pick as you please!”

“You’ve a dime’s worth of power which no man can create,
You’ve a dime’s worth of life in your hand!
You’ve a dime’s worth of mystery, destiny, fate,
Which the wisest cannot understand.
In this bright little package, now isn’t it odd?
You’ve a dime’s worth of something known only to God.”

There are seeds, but he plants and the blossoms are here
With their petals of various hues;
In these little pellets, so dry and so queer,
There is power which no chemist can fuse;
Here is one of God’s miracles soon to unfold,
Thus for ten cents an ounce is Divinity sold!

* * * * *

The only reference I found to this poem via Google-search credited a man called Bob Foster with writing it. I have no idea when.

Many many moons ago, my mom shared this with me. So long ago that I still lived in Nebraska. It really affected me at the time so I kept it. At some point, I printed it on a sheet of decorative paper. And I've kept that paper all these years as well. It's taped to the wall of my home office although it's a little too high for daily notice--I really should lower it so I can enjoy its message more often.

Anywho--take care and have a lovely Easter weekend.

 

New Month, New Quarter...

 

Image courtesy of IMGBIN.

As the title says...it's a new month and it's a new quarter, and it's time to get moving. Literally and figuratively. :0)

Physical therapy for my hip is just about complete--one more PT appointment then I'm on my own. "PT" at home needs to continue until I'm dead. PT has been primarily yoga-type exercises, so no problem.

DH and I have started a new exercise / eating plan known as carb cycling. Instead of going full throttle on Keto, you cycle through days with higher and lower amounts of healthy carbs to coincide with higher and lower intensities of workouts. A quick Google search will bring up a bunch of articles if you're interested.

Carb cycling seemed like a good next step in our constantly morphing plan for weight loss and good health. DH was plateauing on Keto. He researched why and found not only the answer but a solution in carb cycling. We'll see how it goes.

* * * * *

It's also finally spring and we should have tolerable weather, at least, going forward. We've hit that part of the weather cycle where it's not warm and it's not hot, but because it's spring, there's a lot of moisture in the air and everything can get sticky.

That also means that my house partners will want to run the AC more...which I get, but there's a delicate balance between not sticky and too cold in the house for this time of year.

Conversely, there's been lovely mornings with the windows open and the breeze flows in over the bed and it's delightful and delicious to snuggle with Karma.

* * * * *

Getting physical books that look professional is a chore. Every time I made a change in the Kindle Direct Publishing site, I had to wait three days for the proof copy. And then when I finally got everything situated and I hit the official "go live" button, the book had to go to review which was supposed to take up to 72 hours. Luckily for me, each book took less that 48. So now I'm waiting on the delivery of my first ever physical books! They should arrive between the 8th and 10th--two different shipments, one for each book.

That's cutting it a bit close, since my author event is the 15th. There's nothing to do in regards to books but hope and pray. Now I can focus on setting up my table. Finding my swag. Prepping for panel discussions or whatever programming I'll be tasked with. I've reached out to the librarian for questions in advance so I can prep for those in advance. I'm not good at off the cuff kinds of things.

And in preparation for selling physical books...I finally got around to setting up a method for accepting credit cards. For things like this, I definitely appreciate technology. All I have to do is plug the card reader into my phone, open the app, ring up the sale, and swipe. Easy peasy. I hope. I should probably do a test sale, huh?

* * * * *

Image courtesy of DepositPhotos.

I've started yet another fiction book. I think I'm gonna blow right by my purported six books. Not that I mind. My current title in progress...

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill originally published in 1937.

I'm only a few chapters in, but it's very motivating so far.

What I find truly amazing--and I believe it's the universe at work here--is that it echoes other messages I've received from books and one of my YouTubers. So certain tenets are being reiterated. And I have to believe that that's my Angel Crew reinforcing the message they have for me and telling me to get after it.

I'm gettin', I'm gettin'...

* * * * *

And last but not least, while my Dallas Stars haven't officially clinched a spot in the playoffs, it's been a given for months that they're gonna make it...

Thank goodness for the loser point, otherwise we'd be nowhere near the playoffs according to one of my pod casters. :0)

* * * * *

Have a great week!

 

MON APR 3 ~ New Month, New Quarter...

 

Image courtesy of IMGBIN.

As the title says...it's a new month and it's a new quarter, and it's time to get moving. Literally and figuratively. :0)

Physical therapy for my hip is just about complete--one more PT appointment then I'm on my own. "PT" at home needs to continue until I'm dead. PT has been primarily yoga-type exercises, so no problem.

DH and I have started a new exercise / eating plan known as carb cycling. Instead of going full throttle on Keto, you cycle through days with higher and lower amounts of healthy carbs to coincide with higher and lower intensities of workouts. A quick Google search will bring up a bunch of articles if you're interested.

Carb cycling seemed like a good next step in our constantly morphing plan for weight loss and good health. DH was plateauing on Keto. He researched why and found not only the answer but a solution in carb cycling. We'll see how it goes.

* * * * *

It's also finally spring and we should have tolerable weather, at least, going forward. We've hit that part of the weather cycle where it's not warm and it's not hot, but because it's spring, there's a lot of moisture in the air and everything can get sticky.

That also means that my house partners will want to run the AC more...which I get, but there's a delicate balance between not sticky and too cold in the house for this time of year.

Conversely, there's been lovely mornings with the windows open and the breeze flows in over the bed and it's delightful and delicious to snuggle with Karma.

* * * * *

Getting physical books that look professional is a chore. Every time I made a change in the Kindle Direct Publishing site, I had to wait three days for the proof copy. And then when I finally got everything situated and I hit the official "go live" button, the book had to go to review which was supposed to take up to 72 hours. Luckily for me, each book took less that 48. So now I'm waiting on the delivery of my first ever physical books! They should arrive between the 8th and 10th--two different shipments, one for each book.

That's cutting it a bit close, since my author event is the 15th. There's nothing to do in regards to books but hope and pray. Now I can focus on setting up my table. Finding my swag. Prepping for panel discussions or whatever programming I'll be tasked with. I've reached out to the librarian for questions in advance so I can prep for those in advance. I'm not good at off the cuff kinds of things.

And in preparation for selling physical books...I finally got around to setting up a method for accepting credit cards. For things like this, I definitely appreciate technology. All I have to do is plug the card reader into my phone, open the app, ring up the sale, and swipe. Easy peasy. I hope. I should probably do a test sale, huh?

* * * * *

Image courtesy of DepositPhotos.

I've started yet another fiction book. I think I'm gonna blow right by my purported six books. Not that I mind. My current title in progress...

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill originally published in 1937.

I'm only a few chapters in, but it's very motivating so far.

What I find truly amazing--and I believe it's the universe at work here--is that it echoes other messages I've received from books and one of my YouTubers. So certain tenets are being reiterated. And I have to believe that that's my Angel Crew reinforcing the message they have for me and telling me to get after it.

I'm gettin', I'm gettin'...

* * * * *

And last but not least, while my Dallas Stars haven't officially clinched a spot in the playoffs, it's been a given for months that they're gonna make it...

Thank goodness for the loser point, otherwise we'd be nowhere near the playoffs according to one of my pod casters. :0)

* * * * *

Have a great week!

 

End of First Quarter Review

 

Image courtesy of Pinterest.

It's that time again, dear readers, when I review the progress of my stated goals for the year. So without further ado, let's jump right in.

#1) For the first time in however many years, I can say that I am on track with sending postcards to my Grandma in Denmark!

#2) I haven't yet opened the Finders Keepers file, but I will starting in April. My annual writers retreat is in June this year and that's the project I'll be working on. And in preparation for the retreat, I'll be reading through what I've written so far, maybe making notes as to tweaks to make and scenes to add, etc.

As a side note, I'm "on track" with this--I hadn't planned on looking at this book until the second quarter to begin with.

#3) I'm not on track with exercising 3x per week... But I'm getting there. I was diagnosed with bursitis and prescribed PT as a result. Most of my "homework" on that front is basically yoga, so in order to keep my hips feeling fine and in actual good working order, I guess I'll be doing yoga for the rest of my life. I'll work my chair gym routine back into the mix and that will all come to fruition this quarter. 

Image courtesy of IMGBIN.

#4) I'm most definitely on track for reading 52 books this year, including those six non-fiction titles. According to Goodreads, I'm four books ahead of schedule in general and, as I mentioned at the beginning of March, I've read two, working on the third of my non-fiction books.

#5) I'm not on track for keeping up my writers group duties. I am mostly on track, I just haven't found the best schedule for staying current with it. Still working on that aspect of it.

#6) I added a non-hockey pattern right at the beginning of the year and haven't spent a whole lot of time working in this sphere of interest. I was for a while and then I had some higher priority things come up, but I am on track. I have the next three months to complete and list the next pattern or set of patterns...

#7) I'm definitely on track for self care. This encompasses a wide range of actions from watching TV to working on cross stitch patterns to doing my PT to hockey games to doing nothing. But I'm prioritizing it over many other things.

#8) I have not completed a home improvement project as of yet. I was hoping to do up the middle bedroom properly as the guest bedroom, and bought an actual headboard/bed frame for that purpose. But that project might have to be scrapped, but A) we'll see and B) I'm not technically off track with this either.

#9) I'm definitely off track with regards to reading / watching / listening to writers education. At least as far as my original intention went. I wanted to do something weekly, but as I mentioned, self care has been a priority which sometimes also means sleeping in rather than reading / watching /listening to something. I've done some--but not as much as I'd wanted by this point. The second quarter would be a good time to get this back into rotation.

#10) I am WAY OFF TRACK on the cooking / eating healthy / adhering to a food plan route. That is a priority in the second quarter as part of self care. But DH recently found an exercise plan of attack that will help with both this and #3...

#11) My housekeeping efforts are way off track as of right now. I did good for a while and then...I didn't. I've started penciling things back into my lovely little housekeeping planner.

#12) My blogging is most definitely on track...

#13) I have submitted one article to my writers group newsletter and am working on a second. So on track.

#14) I haven't gotten to the Personality Strengths books yet...

#15) Daily Bible reading / listening is on track. :0)

#16) Goodreads is up-to-date in terms of reading challenge data. This blog cross-posts there. I just need to pencil in the "ask-me-a-question" monthly or something.

Considering last year, I'm feeling fine about my progress. I'm feeling much better in general, both mentally and physically, but I'm still cutting myself some slack.

Hope you're all well. Have a great weekend.

 

Today is World Theater Day

 

Have you gone to the theater lately? I haven't.

National World Theater Day

To be honest, I can't remember when I last attended theater in person.

The last time I attended the theater by proxy was last October. Remember I saw Benedict Cumberbatch in an encore showing of Frankenstein?

Before that, it was either Cumberbatch as Frankenstein (the previous October) or Cumberbatch as Hamlet very pre-pandemic. A non-exhaustive search says 2015??? That's a tragedy for sure.

I do have very old blog posts about live trips to the theater...

A trip with Sonshine to see Miss Saigon at Casa Manana in 2013.

DD and I saw Carmen at Bass Hall back in 2009.

DH and I saw South Pacific and Chicago at some point, but I can't find those posts.

These days, of course, I'm into hockey which is a performance all its own and not unlike opera or so I've come to learn.

Are you a fan of live performances in performance halls and actual stage theaters?

Do share in the comments!

Take care and have a great week. Catch you Thursday.

 

Happy Birthday to my Darling Daughter

 

Happy Birthday to the Child Most Like Me.

You know her as Darling Daughter or DD. :0) 

Lots of picture homages to my children this month, but both the girls were born in March, so...

Without further ado, here she is.

Love you baby girl. Love you so much.

 

The Buc-cee's Road Trip Recap

 

Our Buc-ee's road trip was fun and successful. DD and I ran into...Buc-ee himself at the Bastrop, TX location!

The drive south was lovely, with high clouds blocking most of the sun until the sun was high enough to not shine directly into the windshield. US Highway 77 veered away from I-35 at the tail end of Waco and I must say, the United States / the State of Texas is sooo beautiful. 

I love, love, love driving along the back roads, seeing the beauty of the countryside as well as the small towns dotted along the highways and byways.

Remember that $1M I talked about a few weeks ago? Yeah, I might invest it in the tiny town of Rosebud, Texas. Turn it into a location for writers retreats. Main Street looked like it could use a little revitalization. Although, I must say, the town is larger than it looks when just driving through.

There were quite a few charming towns along US-77.

As for the Buc-ee's locations--which were the main point of the trip...

First stop, Giddings, TX. Giddings is a small metropolis of approximately five thousand people and it seemed like a third of its citizenry were all at this very mini-location of our favorite rest stop. Okay, not really. But it was tucked in between a Starbucks and a Walmart and was smaller than my house. I'm guessing the chain hadn't quite gotten so famous when they first built it. But most disappointingly it wasn't large enough to rate having the magnets I collect created for it...

DD is going to work her Cricut magic at some point, though, and make me a facsimile magnet to go alongside the others.

Next stop, Bastrop, TX. This Buc-ee's was very much like every other Buc-ee's. Large and crowded. I used the potty and got my magnet and we headed for...

...the third and final stop of Day 1, Luling, TX. This was also a larger location, but so jam-packed it was a challenge just to get in and out of the parking lot. They're planning to build a new store across the highway that will become the largest store in the nation once it's done. I did get my magnet, however. :0)

Also on Day 1, DD and I visited the World Animal and Snake Farm Zoo, a small facility right along I-35. They had an otter exhibit, which DD loved. They also had a petting zoo with a llama. Sadly, I somehow deleted without saving pictures of those two things. I didn't mean to, of course, but devices were being uncooperative and I probably should have just waited until I'd gotten home.  (lesson learned)

On Day 2, we visited two more Buc-ee's locations, New Braunfels and Temple, and visited the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco.

A good time was had by all, even DH who was left behind and enjoyed having the house all to himself. He thought he was getting one more night alone, and was disappointed to find us home Monday afternoon rather than Tuesday afternoon...and suggested we take more trips. :0) A plan both DD and I are happy to carry out.

Hope you have a great week!