Snow Days just aren't made for writing

Last night into this morning we had quite the storm. I think we ended up with over 57cms of snow. The winds this morning were gusting to 100 km/hr. But now the sun has come out and the wind has died down and it's actually rather nice looking out (it's still bloody cold). People are slowly starting to dig their way out from the crazy amount of snow we got. We have some drifts in our yard that are a good 6 to 7 ft tall and in other places you can see grass. It is definitely interesting to see how the wind blows the snow around.

This being Canada, there have been some people out on their snowmobiles, zipping up and down the main road. Our street, and many other side streets, are not plowed yet which means the driveway isn't cleared yet either. So no one is going anywhere for a while. I'm hoping that they get things cleared so the kids can go back to school tomorrow because Thursday is looking like more snow.

I did manage to get some time to sit down and work on my Kilynn story but I'm not happy with it. I'm having trouble coming up with the next part of the story - what happens when Kilynn wakes up. The words just weren't flowing today like they normally do. I wrote some, deleted it, and wrote some other stuff that I'm sort of okay with. With the kids home it is hard to give my entire focus to writing. That's why I'm hoping they go to school tomorrow - I need some distraction-free time to think through where the story is going. I guess I'm experiencing a bit of writer's block right now. I will keep at it in the hopes of breaking through. I'll probably chuck everything I've written today, but as least I did try.

Right now though, the kids and hubby are outside building an igloo, which sounds like fun. I think I will go suit up and join them outside. Spending time outside having fun might help clear my head and help me hear what Kilynn is trying to tell me. So, yeah, snow days with the kids home just aren't made for writing.

Storm Chips!

If you live in the Canadian Maritime area, you know that someone has left the freezer door open and it's bloody cold out there. You also know that snow is coming. Tonight. So if you're reading this now it's probably too late. All the storm chips are gone. But hopefully you knew about the storm before now and have already picked up your storm chips.

For those readers down in the States, you may not have heard about storm chips. I actually had never heard about them before the last storm we were in town for - we were out of town for this past weekend's storm. I had to do research to find out what storm chips were. Apparently last year a news reporter was asked what was on her essentials list for a winter storm and her reply was only ripple chips and dip. Since then, #stormchips have become A Thing. 

When a winter storm is coming, people on the island (and in the Maritimes) flock to the store and stock up on chips (okay, they do get other things but they get the chips first I bet). It is the Canadian version of BMTP in the states (that's bread, milk, and TP). We were actually out of storm chips two storms ago but we were smart when we were away and swung by the grocery store and picked up our supply of storm chips while we were out. We still have some left over from this weekend and we have a few extra bags that I picked up today. But alas, the store was all out of the good kind of french onion dip. I hope the dip in the fridge is still good because I wasn't going to buy the bad kind of french onion dip. I won't name names, but the good kind starts with an H. C'mon Sobeys, you need to keep the good kind in stock before storms!

If you think I'm kidding about people stocking up on chips, there was a news story during a recent storm that had shots of the chip aisle in Halifax (at least I think that's where it was). The shelves were EMPTY. The chips had been cleaned out. Gone. Like the bread aisle in the DC area before a storm.

And chips aren't just for storms either. People love to give out chips for Halloween. Last year was our first Halloween on the island and we ended up with one of those reusable shopping bags full of chips. I didn't have to buy chips for like 2 months because of all the single serving packs of chips the kids got. It was just very strange that people gave out chips instead of candy.

Now don't get me wrong - I actually love the fact that people give out chips for Halloween. We still have bags of Halloween candy sitting around, but all the Halloween chips have been gone for months. The chips are great for lunches - they are peanut-free (school rule) and don't take long to eat like some candy (taffy, lollipops). The hubby isn't a big fan of candy but he loves chips and enjoyed digging into the shopping bag of chips this year. It was a sad day when the last bag of chips went into a lunch box.

I decided to add to the storm chips craze this time around and buy a few bottles of wine. I bought a few because I'm just about out of wine and it was time to restock. I don't drink a whole lot of wine, but it is nice to have it in the house for when I want it. I think tonight I shall crack open one of the new bottles of red, curl up with a blanket and my knitting, and let the snow fall while I watch Gotham. I just hope the school board lets us know schools are closed tomorrow before I go to bed. I really don't want to have to get up at 6:15 to check their website if I don't have to.

And I was bad today. I had planned to work on the Kilynn story since I posted everything I had written over the weekend but I got sidetracked. I was busy surfing the web and then I went to a hair appointment so this is the only writing I've gotten done today. Maybe the hubby will take S to soccer tonight and I can drink some wine and write. I can hope, right? :-)

Short Sunday

I'm back from our weekend hockey tournament. J and his team did well - they won 2 out of 3 regular games which was enough to send them to the crossovers (aka playoffs). Unfortunately they lost the crossover game. It was a tough game and they played hard but the other team was just a little better. J had a good weekend - he scored 3 goals and had a bunch of assists. We survived heading out to games during a snow storm on Saturday. I swear the only people crazy enough to be out on the road Saturday were hockey parents.

Now we're back home - just in time for another snow storm Monday night into Tuesday. I'm just hoping it holds off until we're home from S's soccer lesson tomorrow. And there's the potential for another storm on Thursday....ah February in Canada!

It was a great weekend and we had a lot of fun. I'm going to keep this short because I'm tired from a long weekend with not a lot of sleep - our hotel was filled with at least 3 hockey teams and it was really noisy at times. I'll do a longer post tomorrow. My goal is to get some time to actually work on the Kilynn story tomorrow since Tuesday may just be a snow day and it's hard to focus with two kids and possibly a hubby home. But first I need to hit the grocery store. Nothing like having no food in the house when there's a storm a-comin'! So go enjoy the Superbowl (if you're into that) and have a good evening!

Kilynn, Part 8

I am probably sitting freezing in an ice rink in the middle of a snow storm right now. But you get to read the next part of Kilynn. This is all I have written so far. Hopefully on Monday when things are back to normal I will get the next part written. I will try this weekend to get notes written up to make writing go faster on Monday. Enjoy!

“The new queen, Dyani was her name, was always worried that my mother would return and claim the throne with the support of the people. Dyani tortured the Lady Syranne until she finally revealed the spell she used. Dyani then assembled an army to send through the tunnel in search of my mother. She needed to eliminate the threat of our bloodline. Because of the way the spell was originally created, it can only be used on the night of the new moon.

“Yes, decades have passed and most likely the new queen Dyani is dead and her heir sits on the throne. But the threat must still create fear in the queen so she continues what her mother started. Someone o on the island continues to send the army through the tunnel on the night of the new moon, using a spell Dyani created to seek out anyone with a drop of royal blood in them. They are taken back to the island and what happens to them there is not for your ears.

“But your mother is a direct descendant of the royal bloodline and the army would be able to detect that. They will take her back to the queen and she will be locked away, but not killed. From what I have heard, for I have ways of discovering things, the people of the island are still loyal to my mother and her children. If they were to find out their current queen executed Abryelle’s granddaughter she would not be queen for long. That is why I believe your mother is not dead and why I believe you can save her, Kilynn.”

Kilynn looked up at the sound of her name and saw her grandmother smiling at her. Her grandmother had always believed in her since she was a tiny child. She knew there was more to the story than what her grandmother had told her. She knew deep down inside her that Vanyssa was waiting for her on that distant island, waiting for her daughter to arrive and save her. And she would do her best not to let her mother down. She smiled back at her grandmother and said, “I believe I can too, Grandmother. Where do we start?”

Her grandmother started laughing. “Oh, you are so like your mother and your great-grandmother, Kilynn. We start with you children going home and getting some sleep. It is almost morning and your father will be worried about you.”

“Father hates me, Grandmother,” Kilynn told her. Her brothers protested this immediately but a wave of her grandmother’s hand silenced them again. Kilynn wished she had that power over all her brothers, not just her immediate siblings.

“Robbert does not hate you, child. He loves your mother very much and his pain is very new. Yes, he is angry with you and rightfully so, stubborn child. But he does not hate you. Go now, and come back to me here when the sun sets on the morrow. We shall begin our plans then.” Kilynn’s grandmother stood up and hugged each child in turn then disappeared off into the woods, away from the town. 

Kilynn always wondered where her grandmother lived. Perhaps one day soon she would find out.

As their grandmother disappeared, Ryl took Tom’s reins and Herry took Kilynn’s hand. The three siblings walked slowly back to the road and then made the mile walk back to town in silence. Each was busy mulling over the story their grandmother had told them. They passed through the small night gate and made their way quietly through the town, trying hard not to awaken any of the residents.

When they reached their house Ryl took the horse to the stables and awakened a stable boy to tend to the horse. The triplets then slipped silently into the house and up the back stairs. Kilynn, as the only daughter, climbed an extra set up steps to her room in the attic. Her door, normally closed while she was gone, stood ajar and Kilynn could see a faint candle glow through the opening. She stopped and considered tiptoeing back down the steps but stopped. She needed to face her father at some point. Better now than later, she thought to herself.

Kilynn pushed the door open slowly, stopping before it gave its customary squeak. She stepped quietly into the room and pushed the door closed. Her father sat in her chair, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. He seemed to sense her presence and looked up as she came in the room. 

Kilynn stopped, unsure of the look on his face. Her father stood up, his hands at his side. Father and daughter stared silently at each other for a minute. Then Robbert held out his arms to Kilynn. With a stifled sob, Kilynn threw herself into her father’s arms. He hugged her tightly while the two cried silently. After a time, Kilynn drew back a bit and looked up at her father. “I’m so sorry, Father,” she whispered.

Her father pulled her back into the hug. “So am I, Kilynn. So am I,” he replied. After another fatherly hug, he pulled back. “Now, off to bed with you. We will talk tomorrow.”

Kilynn, Part 7

I'm hoping this works the way I want it to. I'm traveling today but I have this set up to post on Friday. Part 8 will go up Saturday if all goes as planned! Enjoy!

“Queen Abryelle was an intelligent woman and knew that her daughter would attempt to leave with the captain. She ordered the sailors’ ship burned in the harbour, removing what she thought was their only way of escape. But Larya, with the help of Syranne, had written a spell that would open a doorway through the earth from the island back to the sailors’ homeland.

“On the night of the new moon Princess Larya, the Syranne’s help, managed to drug the guards and free the sailors from the dungeon. The princess bribed a stable boy to prepare horses for everyone and the group slipped out of the castle, ridding miles through the woods to reach the lone mountain on the island.

“What the princess did not know is that the stable boy had been in love with Larya for a long time and could not stand the thought of her leaving forever. He betrayed the group, sending word to Queen Abryelle of the princess plan to leave. The queen sent guards after the group.

“When Larya, Syranna, and the sailors arrived at the mountain, the ladies began to cast the spell. There was a deep vibration in the ground and then all sound disappeared, leaving everyone thinking they had gone deaf. Then with a thunderous noise, a hole opened in the side of the mountain. Through the hole, the group could see a different land beyond.”

At this Kilynn and her brothers gasped. The description of the spell matched what they experienced every new moon. Kilynn’s eyes grew wide as she understood what her grandmother was telling them. Her grandmother smiled at her with a twinkle in her eye, knowing Kilynn had figured things out. A glance at her brothers told Kilynn they were still trying to puzzle it out. Her grandmother continued her story.

“The sailors began running through the tunnel one at a time, for the tunnel was narrow. Larya sent Captain Willam through, promising him she would follow after him for she needed to close the tunnel to prevent others from following them. Larya ordered Syranne down the tunnel too, but as she was about to enter the tunnel the queen’s guards appeared. Syranne, always one to protect her best friend and the heir to the throne, pushed Larya into the tunnel, telling her to run. When she was sure the princess was on her way, Syranne quickly closed the tunnel then surrendered herself to the guards.

“On the other end of the tunnel, Larya and Mikeal were heartbroken by the fact that Syranne didn’t make it through. Larya had lost her best friend and Mikeal realized too late that he had fallen in love with Syranne. The group looked around trying to figure out where they were. It was Captain Willam who recognized the mountain behind them. It is the same mountain you can see from here.” Grandmother pointed up over the trees to the mountain in the distance. Ryl and Herry gasped in understanding. Again Ryl began to interrupt his grandmother but she silenced him with a look to continue her story.

“Aye, children, the sailors and the princess came here. The Lady Syranne was taken back to Queen Abryelle and thrown in the dungeon for she refused to reveal the spell. The queen was devastated by the loss of her daughter. She lost interested in caring for her people and was soon overthrown by a rival faction. She fled to the wilds of the island to work on crafting her own spell that would take her to her daughter. As far as we know, she never succeeded.

“Here in this land, Larya discovered that she no longer had her magical abilities but she didn’t mind. She was happy to be here with her beloved captain and the two soon married. I am the first-born child of that union.” Kilynn had suspected that her grandmother was somehow related to the princess Larya so she wasn’t surprised by this announcement. She glanced at her brothers and saw that they weren’t surprised either. “My mother and father had many children, and those children have gone out into the land and had children of their own. The blood of the island has mingled with the blood of this land.”

“Grandmother, The Hunt is obviously people from the island coming here, but why? Why do they come here and steal us away?” Kilynn asked the question all three siblings were thinking.

Hockey Tournament time!

Today I have been getting ready to travel to take J to an off-island hockey tournament (I hate packing!) . It should be an exciting time since the latest weather report says there's a snow storm coming Friday night into Saturday. Guess when most of our games are? Saturday! At least the hotel we're staying at has a pool and free breakfast. I'm not looking forward to spending a weekend at a hotel in a snow storm with two kids. I hadn't planned on taking their snow gear but I may have to.

Last night, when I was looking at the weather report it reminded me of a time long ago in my life BK (before kids). My in-laws lived down in Birmingham, AL. We lived in the DC area. We decided it would be fun (and cheaper) to drive down there to visit them rather than fly. This was a good plan in theory. Of course we got hit by an ice storm on the way down. Visibility was zero, the wipers kept icing up, and people were getting stuck everywhere. We someone how made it down there by it was a terrible drive.

After a week or so there it was time to drive back home. Guess what? We got hit by another ice storm on the way back up. We ended up stopping because it was just too dangerous to continue. We managed to find a hotel with a room but then they lost power. The only place to eat was a McDonalds next door which somehow had power. We went through the drive-thru and I got chicken nuggets. We ate when we got back to the room. I was disgusted to find that my chicken nuggets were only half cooked. While I didn't get sick (thankfully) I felt like I was going to be sick all night. I was very happy when we were able to get back on the road the next day and get home safely.

So,I am a little hesitant at being in a hotel in a snow storm. I'm sure it will be fine by I remember that horrible trip with the two ice storms. I should clarify that by saying the time with my in-laws wasn't terrible, just the travel part.

I am trying something new with the blog this weekend, since it will be tough for me to get time to post things this weekend. I have scheduled Friday and Saturday's posts to be published at a certain time. I hope it works! I will be back home on Sunday and back to writing then.

Have a good weekend!

#BellLetsTalk

I was going to share more of Kilynn's story but then I remembered that today is #BellLetsTalk day. Bell Aliant is going to donate $0.05 for every tweet/retweet on Twitter with that hashtag and every share on Facebook for mental health initiatives. Please, go now and tweet it. I'll wait. :-)

Mental illness is not fun. I think everyone out there knows someone, or has been that someone, who is struggling with mental illness. Oftentimes, no one knows that struggle is going on. So many people walk around, looking normal and happy, but they are struggling inside to hold it together. And often people don't want to talk about it with others because they are afraid of how people will judge them. Please, be kind to each other. Help each other. If someone is struggling with mental illness, let them know you won't judge them and that you are there for them.

Remember, you are not alone. If you're struggling with mental illness, please ask for help. Talk to someone. There are wonderful people out there who want to help you and will not judge you. And if you are lucky enough not to be dealing with mental illness, reach out to someone who is. Go tweet the hashtag #BellLetsTalk. Seriously, that's all you have to put in your tweet. The more we make it okay for people to talk about their mental health, the better it will be for all of us. Take the time to take care of your mental health as well as your physical health.

I personally know quite a few people who struggle with things like depression and anxiety. If my tweeting a simple hashtag can help fund programs to help them, then I will keep tweeting it today. So should you. Go now. #BellLetsTalk.