Trick or Treat

Where is the trick? I only know the treat. I just got in a few minutes ago and for the first time in years I thought you know I should get some candy just in case I get some trick or treaters. So I go to Rousaers, the local grocery here in Spokane, peruse the aisles and find some candy. I think well let me get some mounds and some kisses because if I have left overs I can eat it. We rush home eager to see if we are too late. So as we are driving through my neighborhood I see hoards and hoards of kids. They are everywhere. They have taken over the neighborhood. I ask myself, where did they come from? We run inside, feed the dogs and the bell stops going non-stop. In just a few minutes we are out of the mounds. I didn't even have one. Okay, we are onto the kisses and like an avalanche the kids keeping pounding on us never ending. They are all dressed up, polite and as we start to get low on candy we just give them one kiss a piece and their sweet little faces never complain but instead politely say "thank you." My next store neighbor comes over with his son and his little boy who couldn't be a day over three blurts out "Hi, I'm your next store neighbor, what is that noise?" I reply "My dogs, they are in the bedroom for I didn't want them to scare you" He shouts out "I don't want to meet any scary dogs, I have a dog. he's a boy" So this charming little boy and I have a lovely exchange on my front porch. He is much older and wiser than his age and I am completely enchanted with him. I look out onto my street to a sea of trick or treaters and wonder what I am going to do for I am about out of candy and my food stock is low. I could give them each a piece of bread for I bought a fresh loaf but I don't think that will go over too well. My charming little man's Dad apoligizes for not telling me that our neighborhood is "The" neighborhood for trick or treating. He tells me his first year here he ran out too and that when you do you just turn your light out and everything will be fine. I feel like such a coward but I know that this is my future. He proceeds to tell me that people from all over Spokane drive to our hood, park their cars and sail on through. He tells me there is a major traffic jam at the end of the main street and that cars are lined up a mile long. We talk another minute or so and they leave. Two teenage kids, one taller than me are our next ding-dongers. They spit out that they are not from around here but that our area gives the best candy. They say a term that I don't hear to well but from what I can gether it means really good. They said thank you but looked into their pumpkin holder full of choice candy and gave a look as if to say, that's it? One lousy kiss. I almost wanted to take it back for I was running out and I never did get my mounds and now I wasn't even going to have a kiss. No kisses on halloween? That is not what this girl is looking forward to.
So my lights are off and I am huddled up in my house pretending that not every child in Spokane is out on my street. I want to give out more candy but I have none to give. I am in desperate need of a trick or a miracle. I wish I could do like Jesus and multiply my mounds and my kisses but alas I am not able to. I don't want it for myself but to share it with the kids but unfortunately I just can't do it.
Oh I wish I could see another little kid, teenage kid, or proud parents face. What a treat, that was my treat but I wasn't prepared. Again, I am not in NewYork anymore and I didn't think there would be so many kids. I certainly didn't know I lived in "the" hood for trick or treating. I wonder what else I don't know about my little community. Maybe, it is time for me to find out.

Thought for the day - It's not always nice to be nice.

Happy Trails!

Tick- Tock Tick-Tock

The race against the clock. It starts the minute we are born. From the minute we are born we are racing against time. What are we racing against? Big picture - we are racing against death. Is this why time stresses us out so much? It does stress us out and if you are in denial you are a big fat LIAR. Because, you run to work, hurry to get ready for that hot date, make sure you pay your bills on time. Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock. You know what the hay you can do with that clock. I am guilty. I will admit it. I am racing against the clock like a mad dog. I want to stop it. I want to break the cycle but how do I do it? Do you have the answer? Is there an answer? There must be for the solution comes before the problem. The problem is there to lead you to the solution. Think, think, think. Take a breath. Aha. There it is. What are you going to do to stop the clock? There's nothing you can do so just realize that wherever you are is where you are supposed to be. Now for you couch potatos, sitting on your fat you know what is not an excuse, but for those of you out there, trying hard to reach your goals, cut yourself a little slack and know that you are exactly where you are supposed to be. Now, I am going to try hard and follow my own advice. Stephanie are you reading this??? Stephanie and myself have been working hard on Nothing Like a Redneck Christmas. We are a two-woman show doing the daily things that must be done in order to get a movie made. We have our checklist - script, budget, shooting schedule, web site, blog, actor's, DP, and on and on and on. But the main thing is that date, that shooting date which stares at us, teasing us, asking us "Are you gonna make it?" "Do you have all of your ducks in order?" "Is all the money raised?" Well... we are committed. We have jumped out of the plane so now the only thing we can do is pull the cord. We don't have a choice. But in doing so we have to take a breath and now that we are going to hit the ground with our feet planted. That we will make our date and that all will work out. It might be different than how we first envisioned it but it will still be Nothing Like a Redneck Christmas. A concrete plan of action that we came up with this week is a fund raiser here in Spokane, Washington in December. This is where Nothing Like a Redneck Christmas will be filmed. So for anyone interested in being a part of this, please reply. For anyone interested in holding a fund raiser in their city, please reply. For anyone interested in hopping aboard the redneck team, please reply. We welcome any and all suggestions.

Now I must bid adieu for I have a very important 1:00 appointment and yeah, I am racing against the clock but with a smile on my face and knowing that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. Are you?

Thought for the Day - Pay more attention to what comes out of your mouth as opposed as to what comes in.

Snow Yeah or Nay?

Our first snow of the season. Is it a yah or a nah? I talked to my friend Linda in Boca this morning and when I mentioned the word snow she purred like a kitten and said "nice." I looked outside my window and all I could think about was that I had a meeting in Cheney, yoga later in Spokane and I DON'T HAVE SNOW TIRES. Remember, I recently relocated back to the area having spent most of my driving years in California where knowing how to drive in the snow doesn't rank high on the list. Adults think of the pain and hardship that snow brings along with it whereas kids have fun making snow men and throwing snow balls. So should I choose to be a kid or and adult? A tourist or a spy? A tourist or a spy??? What does that mean? A tourist is always looking for the positive in everything where as a spy is looking to see what is wrong. With that in mind, snow is really what we make of it. If we choose to look at it as bad then it will be and if we choose to look as it as fun, it will be. Now, those of you reading, griping to yourself saying "yeah, yeah, it is a heck of a lot of fun to plow my driveway at 6:00 AM or sweep my porch in the freezing cold." I say it can be with the right attitude. Maybe the snow is falling down upon you just to give you the opportunity to adjust that attitude of yours. Did you ever think of that? Why is snow white? Probably because white represents all of the colors and thus signifies unity and purity.

I just looked out my window and noticed that it has stopped snowing. My heart skipped a beat and I felt something missing. How odd, because when I woke up this morning my heart skipped a beat because it was snowing. Just when I said "bring it on, snow, I am ready for you" It stopped. Just when I gave into my fear of it, it stopped. Maybe that is what we all need to do, accept, embrace and know with real certainty everything is always working out for our highest good. Don't let FEAR take over our lives. So the next time you encounter the snow, ask yourself am I going to be a spy or a tourist? An adult or a kid? You can even take this over into other areas of your life and ask yourself these simple questions and believe me you will get a simple answer.

And last but not least what do rednecks and Christmas have in common? Stay tuned for "Nothing Like a Redneck Christmas."

Now tip for the day: Driving in the Winter
Before Departure If at all possible, avoid driving until conditions improve.
Listen to your radio for weather and traffic information.
Plan to move your car off the street if a large amount of snow is expected. Check to see if a snow emergency has been issued and what to do for your area.
Use public transportation, if possible.

If you plan to drive, try not to travel alone. Check the following:
Your car emergency kit. Replace missing items and make sure it is INSIDE your car, in case you get stranded.
Check antifreeze and oil levels, battery status, and tire tread and pressure. Fill wiper fluid reservoir with de-icing solution.
Make sure your spare tire is in good condition and properly inflated; carry a jack and other tire-changing tools with you.
See and be seen; clear all snow from the hood, roof, windows and lights.
Fill your gas tank - if you do get stranded, you will have enough gas to run the motor and heat the vehicle.
If the outside temperature is below freezing, warm up your engine by allowing the car to idle for a minute or so before driving. Let your car idle a bit longer in order to de-ice it.

Take it easy as you begin to drive. The car will still be warming up. And don't forget to smile. :)

Happy Trails!

The modern world

Facebook, Twitter, E-mail's, Instant Messaging, Texting, Skyping, Cell-phones. Am I leaving anything out? Does this make your life easier or is it one big pain in the you know what? How does it change your life? The lives of those around you? For starters everyone and everyone is reachable. No longer the days of sitting around waiting for a return phone call. Ever watch an old movie and it seems so weird to watch one of the characters waiting at home by the phone so she doesn't miss that "special call". Weirder yet, is watching people use pay phones or old fashioned answering machines. I wonder are those machines considered antiques yet and what has happened to all of the phone booths? You ask a kid today what his address is and he will give you his e-mail address. I still think of an address as a physical place. Am I a dinosaur?

I recently went away to New York and I did not check my e-mail for five days. That was my all time "personal best". I told this to a few people and in their eyes I could see that crazed look "Are you nuts?", "How did you do that?", "Why did you do that?". I rationalized that if people really needed to get in touch with me they could find me via my cell-phone. I didn't go completely a-wall. It felt liberating and I realized that I spend a lot of time on the computer and maybe, just maybe, I spend way too much time tweeting, facebooking and e-mailing. Being away for five days I realized I am not an addict. I can walk away. Can you walk away for five days? Can you go out to dinner and leave your cell-phone in the car? Can you not tweet or peruse your friends latest photo posting on facebook and still get through the day? Try it and see what happens. Maybe use that time for a little old fashioned quality family time. Reach out to a friend you haven't spoken to and write them a letter. WRITE A LETTER? Who does that? Not many, but you for my money there still isn't anything more lovely than going to your mailbox and opening it to find a nice letter waiting for you. Usually, all you have waiting is a stack of bills, junk mail, and on a good day maybe a netflix movie.

Thought for the day that I just read posted on my facebook from a very wise and special facebook friend: If you find it difficult to tolerate someone, think of three things that you love about them and ask yourself is this behavior worth destroying a relationship over.

Happy Trails!

Hunters

Hunting season opened 10 days ago. This is not something that my friends in LA or New York are aware of but every person here in Spokane knows this little fact. Hunters every season chaff at the bit to throw on their bright orange and army fatigue clothes. Life revolves around the hunt. I had family in from Southern California on opening weekend and the party I threw for them was organized around a time that would be convenient for the hunters. Mid-afternoon is the perfect party time during hunting season for those of you planning your own little "soire". After my family left I found shell casings in the back seat of my car. It took me a minute to do the math and then I realized I am not in New York anymore. Well actually the New York part was pretty easy. In New York we hunt for the perfect bargain. On my last trip there I got some killer shoes marked down from $495 to $109. I killed it. All of us are hunters of some sort. What do you hunt for? What have you hunted for? What would you like to hunt for? -

Joke for the day:

Four friends spend weeks planning the perfect backwoods camping and hunting trip.Two days before the group is to leave Frank's wife puts her foot down and tells him he isn't going. Frank's friends are very upset that he can't go, but what can they do.Two days later the three get to the camping site only to find Frank sitting there with a tent set up, firewood gathered, and supper cooking on the fire."Dang man, how long you been here and how did you talk your wife into letting you go?""Well, I've been here since yesterday. Yesterday evening I was sitting in my chair and my wife came up behind me and put her hands over my eyes and said 'guess who'?"I pulled her hands off and she was wearing a brand new see-through nightie. She took my hand and took me to our bedroom. The room had two dozen candles and rose pedals all over. She had on the bed, handcuffs and ropes! She told me to tie and cuff her to the bed and I did. And then she said, "now, you can do what ever you want." So here I am.

Happy Trails!

Rain and how people respond

It's raining. I may be living in the Northwest but in Spokane we do not get as much rain as in Seattle. Just like every day in Florida is not hot and sunny (just 29 days out of the month). How does the rain affect us? My dogs hate the rain so unless it stops they won't be getting a walk today. We wear extra gear and use umbrella's. My current umbrella is from Miami (got caught in a rainstorm in South Beach) last winter thus that one day when it isn't sunny got me. And finally it slows down our driving. Stephanie tells me that in Montreal, nice ladies with kids will stop and offer you a ride if you are carrying groceries in the rain. I have a friend in Cuba who always stops and offers rides to pregnant women regardless if it is raining or not. Maybe that is why Cuba and Canada have good relations because they offer lifts to total strangers. Can you imagine having a stranger pull over and offer you a ride simply because you were carrying groceries or you were pregnant?

In the country where I am living strangers wave to one another when they pass each other on the road. In an urban city that would be considered strange but here if you don't do it you are considered rude.

And now I have the perfect recipe for a rainy day.

Deer Gumbo -

First you must become acquainted with your deer. (if you didn't kill the deer yourself). Talk to whoever killed it. Find out if the deer was young or old. Typically if the deer was considered trophy size (ex. A 12 point buck), it's not going to be that great. You actually want a smaller, younger deer. Small and young means tender. Big and Old means tuff. Now gather ingredients. A large potato, a white onion, a bag of carrots a green pepper, a red pepper, and an orange pepper.
Chop the deer up into 3 inch pretty pieces and put into the crock pot with barbeque sauce. About 2 hours is the amount of time you'll wait to stir it. Slice and dice your veggies and toss em in and, give it a good stir until it's all mixed up. You'll want to stir about every hour and a half to 2 hours just to make sure it doesn't stick since the pot has reached a high temperature by this time. After 7.5 hours from the time it all began, it's time to take your first taste. After this first taste you'll have an idea of how much salt and pepper you'll want to add. Give it about another 30 minutes and your dish is ready to eat.

Happy Trails All!

Welcome to our brand new blog!

Hello. We have officially launched our site in order to keep you abreast of what is going on with "Nothing Like a Redneck Christmas". For starters, I am currently living in the Spokane area, just having relocated a few months ago. It has been quite an adjustment to say the least. The non-stop honking of horns and crazy taxi drivers of New York City have been replaced by pick-up trucks and slow moving farm equipment. Life moves at a much slower pace and people actually wait for your response when they ask “How's it going?” The stars, not the Hollywood type, but the bright white lights illuminate the wild, rugged skies that are unique to the Pacific Northwest. Yes, I must say that country life agrees with me and it is good to be home. As Dorothy once said “There’s no place like home” which brings me back to "Nothing Like a Redneck Christmas". We are scheduled for a winter 2010 shoot. This will take place at my family’s ranch and the nearby surrounding area. We have all of our locations and many necessary fine ingredients… everything but … SHOW ME THE MONEY. So for anyone who has somehow found their way to this site, if you have ideas, suggestions, money, etc. we humbly ask you to SHARE them with us so that we may stay on schedule and shoot "Nothing Like a Redneck Christmas"this winter.
Happy Trails to all!

Serena Belsby

More news...

Hello. It's official. My first blog. What's a girl to do? Get the money to make my movie!!!! Stephanie and myself have been working all weekend, revising our business plan, tweaking our strategy and getting up to date with the 21st century. Our next move is to tweet. I have never tweeted but I am going to become a tweeter.

What have we learned this week? Well, number 1, before you make your movie know your market and how you can recoup your money and make a nice profit. You hear this over and over but we finally got it. We have a strategy and it is SOLID.

Number 2- We put up a website. Two girls on a tight budget had to stumble and bumble along the way and create a website for they could not employ a web designer.

Number 3 - I walked into Cabela's ( a hunting store in Post Falls, Idaho) and had the experience of a lifetime. I saw all kinds of stuffed animals, a shooting gallery, bow and arrows used for hunting and the fanciest hunt gear you can imagine. Did you know that there is equipment used for perching yourself high up in the air? I even learned what my name Serena meant. The nice gentleman working behind the counter told me that I think with my heart more than my head. Yes, I do and boy has that has gotten me into a lot of trouble to say the least.

Number 4 - Ways to promote your film before you have even made it. We are still on the learning curve on this but at least we have hopped aboard.

Number 5 - Patience + Persistence = Profits.

Number 6 - Listen to people's ideas for they may be helpful.

Number 7 - Leave no stone unturned.

Number 8 - You must devote as much attention to business as to being creative, thus you must strive for a balance.

Number 9 - Best not to cook, talk on the phone and read over text at the same time.

Number 10 - Blogging is fun.