You may or may not know that in one of my lives I was a software tester at Microsoft. To be more specific, I was one of the first two or three that they hired, and I tested products in foreign languages. Even then my passion for travel and escape was in my blood. This was back in the mid-1980’s. Many great things came from this, but the best was, this is where I met my husband.
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| The spotlight is on Steve Balmer. The arrow is pointed on my hubby, Paul! |
On Saturday night, I am proud to
say that a couple friends persuaded Microsoft to hold a Windows 95 Reunion. Man
it was fun. I think about a thousand people were there and it was the place
to be! My husband worked on this project. It was amazing to see old friends
greet each other, not in the platonic way thirty year old would, but with big
hearty hugs and genuine affection written all over their faces. And these were
men! I jest… but you know what I mean.
For me, and to my surprise, I was able to visit with a dozen or so people I hadn’t seen since 1990 and they were some of my favorites! The era I worked there was epic, and to see these freakishly capable, multi-talented people made me so happy. Definitely a grand evening.
Who’s
my favorite new singer?
Music is one of my top five
passions. I have three that run neck to neck, and if I had to make a choice, I
couldn’t. Music (all genre), art (in all formats), intentional and thoughtful
design, are those. Writing in second. My family is first… just in case you are
curious!
Anyway, music. What amazes me
about music is that it moves the body and soul. Every part of you gets hooked
in. And a great song… well, that is pure genius. Capturing someone’s attention
and emotionally moving them (in any direction) in three minutes or so, well,
that amazes me. And makes me envious. There I’ve said it.
Anyway, I troll YouTube and other
internet websites looking for newbie singers. This week I am all over Brit,
Calum Scott. Watch these two videos to find out why…
Who is your favorite new singer?
Writing
and reviewing books.
I read a lot of books. Sometimes
about four a week. It used to be more, but writing has seeped further and
further into my soul and occupies more of my reading time. Anyway, I am going
to start posting links here to my NEW
BLOG! called Celia Reads and Reviews.
I have about 200 reviews on Amazon that I
am going to move over, but for now, I will start putting the books I review
there and you can click on the link and check them out.
As a writer, I think it is important to read your co-workers efforts. It isn’t competitive, it is a show of support, an understanding of where the genre is heading, and the opportunity to let an author know that their book, their time, their emotional energy, was well spent. So click on the link and find some great books. (BTW: all my reviews are on Amazon and Goodreads as well.)
Can
you really get to a point where you remove sugar from your diet, if you are me?
Again, you may or may not know
that I quit eating sugar and a number of other foods in June. I was a vegan for
many years, which included eating no fats as well. So, no olive oil, no canola
oil… you get the idea. THEN I started eating everything. I’ll share this story
someday.
Back to sugar. I quit eating it, for the most part, and it is single handedly the most difficult thing I have ever done, and if you’ve read any of my past blogs, you know I’ve done some challenging things. Most specifically, I find giving up ice cream hardest. I never even ate the stuff until I was pregnant with my son, and I craved it all day, every day. I broke the habit for years. It snuck back in a couple years ago, and while it wasn’t a daily habit, I wanted it to be.
So, to replace this, I eat:
non-fat, plain yogurt, with honey (natural sugar is okay), fruit, and a
mixtures of buckwheat, hemp, chia, coconut chips and unsweetened cranberries.
Now, it isn’t a Dairy Queen Blizzard, but it gets me through.
Anyone have tips?
Whose turning 50 with me?
My 40’s are drawing to a close
and I have to admit, it freaks me out. I should also admit that for the last
year or so I’ve gone through a relatively huge mid-life crisis. Small enough that
I’ve kept it to myself, big enough that I’ve shed many tears and wondered, “What
now?” It’s weird turning 50. When I turned 40, I still looked young and could
possibly live another 40 years. I had toddlers. Now, with college years insight
for my teens, my skin a little (or a lot) more… flexible, shall we say… I am
looking older. I’m not gonna lie, I don’t like it. Am I going to accept it?
Yes. But it’s gonna take some more work.
But, and this is a BIG but, who I am and what I am doing, for myself, feels really good, feels right. I am more complete and content now than I have ever been. My fear comes not from what is happening now, it comes from the fact that I want time, a lot of it, to achieve and luxuriate in so many achievable goals: live in Europe, write twenty novels, travel to a new country every year, see more of the vast country I live in, spend time with friends near and far, play tennis with zeal, sing on a stage, finish some paintings, have a water feature in my garden, compete in professional ballroom dancing, walk a red carpet (okay, not as achievable as other goals), have my kids want me in their lives, babysit the grandkids… and do all this with my husband.
Not to much to ask for, is it? I don't think so!
