Sheils Writes

Just an 80's girl in a modern world!

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60+ mid life ramblings, Scorpio, she/her, former nutmegger, current Floridian, forever dreamer

  • Ah, Christmas, already

    Since September 30th for me, time flies. I can’t explain it, but it literally takes off at some sort of super speed. I blink and I’m sitting here looking around wondering how is it Christmas already? I want to savor the moments between now and December 25th. Somehow slow it down.

    Even though I was able to keep the planning light this year, I still did a lot. Hats off to those who do it up. I’ve had some busier years when my kids were little and I lived closer to my immediate family and friends. This year things have changed. However, the speed of time didn’t. How is that? Who is controlling the time we have and making it fly? The person with that job needs to clock out. Give me 3 days to savor moments, rest, watch a few movies, and reflect on the past year.

    Soon it will be 2024. The hustle and bustle of the end of 2023 will settle down. I hope you all enjoy your holiday and wish you find your own time to do what makes you feel good.

    My tree, 2023

  • Rock Star Life

    The other day I mentioned I met Tommy Lee, drummer from Mötley Crüe, at a book signing for his book “Tommy Land” at RJ Julia in Madison, CT in 2004.

    So I dusted off my Pinterest account, went to my ‘book signings’ board and found my picture. This is a photo of an actual photo I took with a disposable camera that day. Luckily, technology today gives us a way to share again & again.

    It was a comfortable day and the line outside grew. I don’t know about anything else of Tommy’s growing that day, let’s keep it PG-13, but his book signing line definitely grew. For 2 hours this lady in front of me kept asking me “do you think he’ll sign my Journey ticket?” For 2 hours, I said, “I don’t know.”

    The signing line starts moving. Now it’s my turn to meet Tommy Lee. Do you know what he says to me? “Why did I just sign a Journey ticket?” I said, “I don’t know.”

    Tommy Lee & me!

  • Page 1

    It was another line at the post office on a gray December Friday afternoon. An elderly lady holding a box, says “I don’t need to send this priority” and removes the tape on her old box. I say “yeah it’ll get there eventually”. She says, “they’re just Christmas cookies for my grandsons”. I say, “oh, how nice”. She says, “their mom doesn’t bake.” (Awkward silence). I say, “there’s nothing like grandma’s cookies”. Then I’m called to the counter.

    Casual Conversations Vol. 1

  • Social awkwardness, I’m it!

    Ah yes, the work holiday potluck … I’m writing this as I’m feeling the feels.

    I don’t know when I became socially awkward or if I just always have been this way. I don’t call what I feel social anxiety, that’s a whole other can of worms.

    I’m thinking, however, I’m not alone in being socially awkward? Hear me out. For about 75% of my work day I do my work, interact with faculty, students and even small talk with coworkers. I’m OK. I can handle it. All of a sudden it’s the event with all my colleagues that’s happening, the Holiday Pot Luck. Now I’m odd.

    I’ll go, of course. The alternative is to sit alone at my desk and I know I don’t want that. I will see all the people. I will do my best to not make a loud, weird laugh, or talk when I’m chewing. Hope I don’t spill my plate of food while holding my drink. How do some people make that part look so effortless?

    In a few hours it will begin. I’m already playing out worst case scenarios. I really wanted to share my thoughts to let others know they are not alone with these same feelings. Not going, however, is never the answer for me. So onward! I’ll enjoy myself, 30 minutes will pass and I will be right back to my comfort spot of my desk and chair until the next event. I keep thinking they will get easier for me, but by nature, I am inherently awkward. We are not alone.

    I’ll take one in every color!

  • OK, so you’ve got (lots of) signed items…now what?

    I’ll admit, I got caught up in the moment (many moments) and here I am today living amongst a mountain of signed cd’s, books, a Playboy magazine signed by Paulina Porizkova who was on the cover, and an I Dream of Jeannie Season 1 DVD signed by Barbara Eden & Larry Hagman, now what?

    I have 5 cd’s signed by Lisa Loeb (guess I was, still am, a big fan)! Only 2 signed by Debby Boone, but come on, how cool is that?

    Countless books signed by the celebrity … my most valuable might be my 1st edition Shirley Jones biography before she had to reprint it and remove the part about the threesome with Joan Collins. Check the shelf for that book kids after I’m gone.

    This post could go on and on, or stay tuned for more featured signed items. It’s a fun way for me to practice my writing and get some dust off the shelves while I open another signed book and cherish the memory of the fun time I had going to secure said signed item. It became an experience.

    Yes, chatted with Tommy Lee from Mötley Crūe’s driver to find out he used the bathroom at Dunkin Donuts 5 minutes from the bookstore before getting started. These stories are riveting, are they not?

    Signed Lisa Loeb cd

  • Christmas past

    I came across this photo in a box of old family pics and I’ve been carrying it around with me (after I had my sister grill my 89 year old Mom on when was this taken as it wasn’t scribbled on the bottom or back like usual). The consensus is 1968. Enter calculator. 55 years ago. I was just 3 years old.

    I may not remember this particular moment, but I am comforted from this photo. A simpler time. Somehow life didn’t seem to go at super speed back then. Or what did I know, I was just a toddler. Our tree was pretty & I can see some fun presents beneath it. I can hear the sounds of Nat King Cole’s Christmas Album in the background & voices of family members who have now passed laughing and talking throughout the house. I’m smiling. Then & now. Although it’s a little harder now because I’m also melancholy for those who have passed and for the simpler time. Holiday season full of mixed emotions the older I get for sure.

    Tonight I’m going to play that Christmas Album (albeit on Spotify) and have a cuppa cheer. Light a candle for the past memories and think of all good things still to come.

    1968

  • Phone games, morning routine & bad advice (or maybe good)

    Warning: I don’t follow phone usage rules.

    I don’t feel guilt for scrolling or playing games on my smart phone. I use my phone when I’m out to eat with my husband, he does too. We sit on couch, next to each other, on our phones. This may not work for everyone, but we’ve discussed this & we don’t mind this.

    I’m old(er) & I don’t succumb to too many “rules” of what’s appropriate when it comes to phone usage but I do what I want, when I want.

    That being said, here’s a bit of my morning routine when it comes to phone games – I wake up at 5:30 am, Monday to Friday–start the coffee, feed the cat, take my vitamins, then I settle down & from 5:50 am to 6:25 am, I don’t write down what I’m grateful for, I don’t read Bible passages (no offense to those who do, I admire you), I don’t do 30 minutes of stretching…nope, I play 4 games on my phone every morning! Then my brain wakes up (a bit) & I feel ready to get moving (a bit). Note – this website is not for overachievers, but for those of us who want to feel ok & not guilty about things that a lot of people tell us are bad.

    So, to not keep you waiting any longer, the 4 games I play are:

    Wordzee (daily puzzle)

    AARP app has many games. I do the Daily word search that comes with a daily fun fact that the puzzle is based on (some learning here!)

    Zen Match daily puzzle

    Wordle

    Then a sip of coffee & jump in shower.

    That’s my morning ritual. Will it change someday? Perhaps. However, for now this works for me & makes me happy.

  • Can we talk?

    I have a problem. I don’t want to have this problem anymore. I will be working on this (yet again).

    So there I am at possibly 2 years old carrying a pocketbook. There I am again at 57 years old standing in the water with, you guessed it, a pocketbook. This one makes me laugh, because seriously, in the ocean?!

    The last picture is my current situation. I moved to Florida in March of this year. I purposely donated or gave away the majority of my bags before I left Connecticut, vowing I would not get started again. Not to mention, I downsized my living space with my move, I have very little storage. This is a good thing as I don’t want a lot of stuff.

    So, it begins again. Today I am organizing the purses I’ve recently collected, but keeping this post & that last picture, as a reminder of what I don’t want happening again in my life.

    Yes, I will forever love bags, but I will cherish these bags & not let them overwhelm me again. I worked hard to downsize. I don’t want to go back to the place again where I let my life (& my checkbook) cause me grief rather than joy by thinking I would find happiness in the next purchase of a purse.

    Maintaining a simple life is going to be work for me but I got this far. I don’t want to go backwards so I will monitor my clutter & collecting closely.

  • Well that didn’t go as planned…

    A week ago I got all excited & decided I was a writer or going to be a writer. Share on here, I believe daily was my intention. Then I thought 3 times a week and now here it seems a week & a half have gone by and I’m finally writing a bit. I guess there’s a moral to this story that’s along the lines of do what you can, when you can but don’t just not do anything because you didn’t make your fresh out of the gate goal.

    I’m here and I’ll do what I can when I can. That is my new intention. Sorry to anyone who couldn’t wait to read my writing…I have been a bit anxious myself to read my writing, just needed to write it first.

    If you are thinking of starting something, a hobby, a class, a business venture, etc please do it! We all have to make our own lives as full as possible. Here I am in my little dream to take a few minutes to finally do a blog post about not quitting just because I dropped the ball on my initial goal.

    Stay tuned as I hope I have more to come from my writing. I was planning to write about just daily interactions with everyday people that I find interesting, funny or quirky. Or life in Florida vs. Connecticut. Mainly I just want to be on a writing journey and see where it goes.

    I’m reading a book called “The Chic Author” by Fiona Ferris. I should get some ideas to help me along from her book so stay tuned!

  • Is this thing on?

    Welcome to my blog! I want to write on here about various things…life, thoughts, hopes, dreams, aging with grace & style, what I’m binge watching, listening to, learning more about, etc.

    So far my biggest struggle is learning how to set up a “site” so bear with me as I learn this new platform. The main thing is, I’m doing something & I’m proud of myself. Writing has always felt like a calling to me, but it’s hard to know where to begin, will I be funny, will I be interesting…whatever happens on here, I will just try & see where it takes me. Sitting here & wanting to be a writer isn’t good enough anymore, so today, I call myself a writer & so it begins!

    Wish me luck!