Mystery Mondays Part 1

I posted last week that I was writing a little story and that I would share a bit of it with you. I'm going out on a limb here, as I've never written anything before, and I'm a little nervous sharing my possible ineptitudes (okay, probable ineptitudes) with my virtual friends and an entire world full of strangers, but here goes! I am going to publish a few paragraphs each week of my new story. It is a survivor story, tentatively titled, "Hidden". I'm in the early stages: I've written a bit (about 35 pages or so), know all the plot and where the characters are going to go and what they'll do, but I am still editing and re-editing the little bit that I've got done, and adding more here and there. There is MUCH more to do, I know, before I can call it even remotely done. Probably weeks and months to go. Still, I'd love to know what you think so far! Here are the first few paragraphs from chapter 1. I hope you enjoy it! Oh, and the foggy maple photo above is one I took last year, I just didn't know what to put at the top of this post and thought it looked suitably mysterious :)
Please note that all of this writing is copyright Meghann Gervais 2011.

HIDDEN

They say God only tests those he loves, and that you can’t truly know how strong you are until you’ve faces the fires of trials.
God, I wish you didn’t love me so much. I wish you’d never even looked in my general direction.


1
It all started, as the clichés go, so innocently. After years of saving, then more years of having hectic jobs that swallowed all of our spare time, my boyfriend and I were finally going on a vacation together. Not just any vacation, a luxury, five diamond, two-thousand dollars-per-day bliss fest. Ten days and nine nights of work-free time for us to unwind and spend some serious happy hours together in the British Virgin Islands.

“Stop worrying, the dog will be fine.” Grey sees me squinting out the car window and knows my thoughts without asking. He always does. He attributes this to the fact that his parents are poets. He says his upbringing made him hyper-aware and sensitive of everything. I tell him my face has always been an open book and all anyone has to do is look at me to know all of my brain’s inner workings.

“It’s a new kennel. She’s never been there before and she pines when I’m not around. What if she doesn’t eat? Ten days is a long time not to eat.” I know I baby my dog. I work from home as a web designer, how could I not baby my dog? Grey thinks I’m nuts.

“She will be fine; we’re paying almost as much for her as we would for a person in a hotel.” Grey takes his eyes off the road to stare at me in a mock-severe glare, “The vacation begins now. No more stress. Just you, me, and a few of those scraps of fabric I saw in your suitcase.” The glare turns into one of his devilish smiles, his grey eyes crinkling just a bit. For poets, I thought, his parents weren’t exactly original with the whole baby-naming thing. His eyes had been grey almost from birth, so his name was Grey. Genius.

“If all we’re wearing are my bikinis, you’re going to get some pretty odd looks – and I don’t think they’re your size, anyway.” I can’t help but grin, though I am disappointed - the bitty bikinis were supposed to be a secret. I’d worked out like a slave getting into shape for this trip, and when I’d gone vacation-clothing shopping and seen these bikinis in the store I’d blushed to my toes. I hadn’t worn a bathing suit in public for a long time. I’d had to pre-tan for weeks just to not glow in the dark. These weren’t just bikinis – wear them anywhere by the beach and I would probably get arrested, but this was a long time in coming. I wanted Grey’s eyes to bug out of his head when he saw me in them.

“Oh, I always get funny looks, but I think I’ll be going naked most of the time anyway,” another of his devilish smiles flashes. “Our house is supposed to be private after all. I can’t be getting tan lines on this perfect skin.”

“Perfectly pasty, you’re almost as white as I was!”

“Almost, but not quite; you still take the cake for that one. Don’t roll your eyes at me; be mad at your Irish-Canadian ancestors. They’re the ones you have to blame for your glow-worm effect, babe!” The easy banter relaxes me, as he knows it will. We arrive at the airport with time to kill, and after checking our luggage I say I’m going to look at some books at the nearby airport store.

Okay, so I gave you a page, but I didn't want to skimp on you, it will get VERY interesting soon, I promise :)
Hope this brightens up your Monday a bit, be sure to check back next Monday for a new paragraph or two (or three)!
Arwen is snoring, but I know she wants to say hi, so I am going to say Hi for her.
and Arwen, the Snoring Wonder Dog

Squee Saturday: Treating the Doggies in Need

Ultimate Doggie Brownies - Made with Doggy Safe Ingredients

Imagine you don't have a home. You may have had a home once, with a loving family, but they decided you didn't fit in with them any more, so you are left at a shelter. Day after day, strangers come and feed you, fill you water bowl, and maybe, if you are lucky, take you for a walk, but mostly you sit in your cage, waiting for someone to take you home. Sad, right?

Now imagine there is a wonderful woman out there, who happens to bake doggy treats. She not only bakes doggy treats, but she sells them on Etsy. Imagine a woman who also sells cookies to be donated to doggy shelters. Now you have Shari from Ciao, Hound.

Pumpkin Bread for Dogs - Another Fabulous Treat

This Saturday, I wanted to show you how to get a warm fuzzy. I'll tell you my story.

Every month I donate to a charity and this month I wanted to donate to a charity somehow, and got thinking of all the wonderful shops on Etsy that make treats for dogs. I thought how wonderful it would be if I could buy some doggy treats and donate them to the shelters for the doggies that don't have homes yet. Yes, I realize shelters need food and blankets, but just once, I wanted to give the dogs treats to make their day a little bit more special. I found Ciao, Hound on Etsy and immediately wanted to buy some of her delicious-looking doggy confections. However, being in Canada, I know that any food items coming from the USA can take forever due to customs. I asked Shari if she would be able to do me a favor - could I buy some of her treats, and could she then deliver them to her local shelter?

She said Yes!!

So now I am here to tell you this story, so that maybe you will do the same. If you are able to give blankets, or other required items to your local shelters, please do. But once in a while, maybe you could give them treats too, just think of yourself in the doggies' position. Wouldn't it be nice to once in a while have an amazing yummy in your tummy to brighten up your day?

I think you'd like it too ;-)

Friday's Favorites: Spring is Coming

Top, from left to right: Golden Faceted Amethyst Ring from Kyleannemetals, Wicker Fruit Basket from Johntoftbasketry, Sea Grass Organic Baby Quilt from Organicquiltcompany

Happy Friday everyone! The weather is warming here and it is showing signs of wanting to be spring (we've had torrential rains for almost 2 days straight, and my sump pump is going off ever 3-5 minutes right now!). In honor of the warmer weather, I thought I'd show you a few of my favorite Etsy items right now that remind me of spring and warmer days. Enjoy!

Bottom row, from left to right: Vinyl Wall Sticker from Expressingyou, Floral Tea Party Dress from Priscilladawn, I Am A Cow Painting from Becca26

Also, I am working on getting healthy, as I said in my last post, so I have been rather remiss in keeping my Etsy store up to date over the last few months. I am working on that, as well as the new website and new blog layout (baby steps!), and I am also currently writing a fictional survival story, which I will be publishing in pieces here. I'll only put up a few paragraphs once a week, but I would LOVE to get your feedback on it. I've never really written anything before, so be nice, but I am very excited to share my little story with you all. Keep your eyes open for that next week!

I hope you all have a great weekend, try to stay dry for those of you getting weather like mine, and I hope to see you very soon. Oh, Arwen also says hi :)

Take care,

Happy International Women's Day!

To all of my fellow hardworking women out there, I say Thank You for being You! Here's a great link to a Google Event to celebrate our day. It is even virtual - you don't even have to step outside your door if you aren't able to make it in person! http://www.google.com/events/iwd2011/#tab1

Have a great day all my wonderful women :)


P.S. I am very, very sorry for my extended absence. I have been feeling pretty sick these last few months, but, good news is coming. I am on a new treatment that is helping and I hope to be much more active with all of you very soon. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers these last months and years, you have made more of a difference than you could ever know :)