Weekend Coffee Share, Another Year

Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share,  hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Having been fortunate enough to sleep in this morning,  I am drinking hazelnut half-caff this morning! Pull up a chair and your favorite beverage. I decided on Kraugbin for our musical cafe ambience this morning.

I’ll regale you with my wisdom. Heh, scratch that. How about tales of my topsy-turvy life and how I’m managing? Though I’m not a fan of reality lately,  I sure won’t let it defeat me. I’ll let it throw its punches and I’ll fight back. All metaphorically, of course.  You can tell me about your life lately.

If you don’t know me, I’ll just tell you I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder 1.5 years ago. I am no longer ashamed of this.  Being a writer, blogger, etc., I am in a place to share about myself in ways that may help others or that may simply connect me with other like-minded individuals.  Holding it in prevents many opportunities for me to be myself, encourage others, and to be honest about my life.  In fact, holding things in has shut me down in many ways throughout my life.  That is no longer my MO. I’ve been dealing with the anxiety, and I got through the pandemic as well as teaching middle schoolers; then suddenly, around my son’s twenty-fifth birthday,  two important people in my life have left my life.

It is my birthday today, and two days ago I felt I didn’t have the energy to even acknowledge it.  I am not ashamed to say that.  I am a human being with emotions.  However, I’m determined to always survive the storm.

So, I decided to just indulge in some of my favorite things this weekend.

Mom and I started by going out for Thai food and a glass of wine. A church friend, also a Gemini, invited me to her house for steamed crab and salad for lunch today.  I invited my mom, and neighbor, and a co-worker, another empty-nester mom for dinner at a Mediterranean restaurant.  Tomorrow, I shall take my dog to the dog park, something that always fills me with joy whether there are people there or not.  If there are other people there, they are dog-people, the best kind ever!

I feel good about my health, fitness, and my habits. I feel good in the skin I’m in!  Though I still struggle with pain at times, I don’t let it stop me.  In fact, the summer I was told I had arthritis, 8 years ago, was a summer I spent on the couch reading a 1,000 page book.  Of course, I still do read, but I mix it up with movement or using the phone Kindle while on my porch exerciser.

So, my life is just slightly topsy-turvy, but I still know what are my favorite things and have the means to fill my life with them, as well as being surrounded by positive people that encourage me constantly!

I’m getting ready soon to have that lunch with a fellow Gemini, and Mediterranean food later. It promises to be fun and life-affirming!

Have a great weekend, all!

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Weekend Coffee Share, It’s a Wonderful Life, 5/30

Welcome to my Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Allison at Eclectic Ali.

It’s going to be a warm, beautiful day here in Northeast Florida!  I’m having hot coffee anyway.  Grab a cup of whatever you like, and let’s chat.  Last Saturday was not a Coffee Share day for me, as my internet was being a butthead, in and out, and slow as molasses. Instead of a Coffee Share, I posted an entry on writing about 9-11 and COVID-19 in my most recent published book, Malachi, Ruse Master and my current work in progress. You can read it here:  Writing Our History into Our Fiction

Learn more about my recently published book here:  bit.ly/RuseMaster

Farewell to another school year! 

Things got really weird after Spring Break, I have not actually seen my students except in online meetings.  We’ve bonded, though. I tried to get created and learned about some new sites that are interactive for learning material. I tried to stay positive and was so glad to see or speak to them when they showed up for online lessons.  Some students never did because they were on a different sleep schedule. For the ones who did, I said “Thank you for showing up.  It gives me purpose!” Which is true.  I told them about my birthday the day before, which also fell on the last day of school.  Two things to celebrate! I made a video of myself waving good bye to my students and holding signs. I will miss them. I have learned a lot from this online experience that also gave me time at home to CHILL out and relax when needed, something I am working on and hope to master by the fall.  🙂 Anyway, at my school we would always walk to the buses at the end of the day on the last day and wave goodbye.  Here is my short video imagining they are boarding the bus and I am bidding them farewell:    https://youtu.be/9wleXNNYI1s   (I shared it with them in our online learning Team).

Happy birthday to me...

Ah, life.  So I have completed another year of middle age, or, maybe I’m past that? I don’t know, I don’t care.  I may have some complaints and recurring pains, but I’ve learned that a silly sense of humor is a great way to deal with the unpleasant parts of aging. I thank all of the women in my family for infecting me with that attitude.

My son took me to Outback last night for dinner! We went early.  They have certain tables blocked off to help social distancing, and the wait staff all wore masks and gloves.  It was reassuring.  My boyfriend came over for a celebratory drink, and he and I will have dinner tonight, place TBD.  A really rewarding part of my birthday was yesterday, getting a lot of well wishes from my students.

 

Our Nation and Our World

My heart goes out today to those who feel marginalized, profiled, or judged before they are known.  It gladdens me that one of the officers was arrested in the death of George Floyd.  But to think that it took the viral sharing of the video, or the many protests, is just sad.  We are all Americans. When someone says, Black Lives Matter, it is because of the frequency of these events, and the need to reiterate that thought. I don’t think cops are bad people; nor do I think the police system is racist, yet, many of them feel they are allowed to pre-judge and mistreat others. Why is that? I also don’t think anyone of any color or nationality deserves to be treated as if they have no rights or even ‘less’ rights. I could go on and on.  Let me just quote someone more eloquent: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr).

How does this affect me?  Let me admit that I have grown up with white privilege, and I saw racism in many places. Being a kid in the 70’s and 80’s, I was around friends who would say horrible things about those of color without a second thought.  I didn’t speak up as often as I should, and for that, I apologize.  I often have not known what I could do about this; I am shocked that the mistreatment is still going on today.  I guess I am just going to start by admitting, I realize my white privilege. I see those who are marginalized, I realize it is still happening.  One more time, America:  “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Detours in Time Birthday Sale!

When you’re so proud of your baby, you want to show it off, and sure, the cover’s pretty cool, but I’m responsible for what’s inside of it.  What better way to get eyes on my story than by having a celebration sale?

It’s been two years since this baby was loosed upon the world! I am a proud mama who wants more people to be exposed to it, so I’m celebrating with a Kindle Countdown deal. Detours in Time, my first full-length sci-fi novel, is only .99 for Kindle format in the US and UK until 6/23! It is also available in Kindle unlimited, if you have a subscription.  Please also share the deal with a friend today!

Detours in Time could be considered a fun read full of adventure, but it also involves some serious matters, such as what our world will be like in the future, what operating a cell phone is like to someone who was stuck in the late nineties, and where our loved ones might end up.  There is also sequel, and I’ll be offering that on a Countdown deal toward the end of this month.  Both have earned the Reader’s Favorite 5 star seal of approval.  Detours in Time has earned some appreciation and acclaim.  Thank you to those who have posted reviews!

“With some clever plot twists and attention to “future” details, Ms. Canepa has created a science fiction tale that is equal parts fun, fascinating, and thought-provoking!…An unlikely pair, their (Tabitha’s and Milt’s) personal takes on what they witness and their witty repartee makes Pamela Schloesser Canepa’s DETOURS IN TIME a great way to spend a few hours in both another world and another time!” Tome Tender Book blog

From recent reviews:  “Loved this book. A page turner for sure, with some unexpected twists and turns. You feel for the two main characters.” -Maria

“An enjoyable read and look forward to the next book in the series.” -Karen

I almost forgot the link!  Here you go: Download your copy today at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711ZW6XF or https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0711ZW6XF (in the U.K.).

P is for Photographs. #AtoZChallenge

 

Photos of my son and me, from 1996 to 2008.

This nostalgic interlude is brought to you by my son’s 21st birthday.  While I am unsure if he’d want me to plaster recent photos of him across the internet, I feel it’s safe to post photos of him from when he was practically another person, a child.  Now, he is a young adult, and today is his 21st birthday, so as a mom, I reserve the right to wax nostalgic.  While it wasn’t always easy, there are some wonderful memories here.

Happy birthday to my son!  May there be many more!  Love, Mom

**The AtoZ Challenge theme for my blog is “Who I am.” Yes, it’s wide open.  In April, I will blog from A to Z to include little tidbits about me, poems I’ll share, and stories. Each day I will write something based on the next letter in the alphabet.  It’s been fun so far, yet it has really given me a chance to pause for reflection as well.

Want to know more about the A-Z blog challenge?  Visit http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com