Heirs of the Magi News Flash!

***Heirs of the Magi News Flash!*** Winter has, for the most part, been mild so far - or awesome for the month that Cassie and Michael spent in summertime-Australia! They are home now and will be working from home for most of the time until Easter. The hometown work will include getting ready for their next trip, but there will be a lot of fun to get in on and share with their favorite people - including their March Break trip to Florida adventure. All of your favorite Magi Masters will continue to work and play while their future plans unfold; so... ...Visit Witch Falls often to keep up with all of their latest stories; and Happy Reading!

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Cassie's Journal - February 27, 2014



I’ve done a little bit of studying tonight while soaking in my Jacuzzi; but I’m calling it a night early because I’m once again just too tired to keep at it tonight.

While Rowen and I are getting excited about the weekend ahead; most of our fellow students aren’t feeling that because there isn’t much going on around town to get excited about.  The grand opening for the data center is obviously big for her family, and we’re going to have fun with that tomorrow night and Saturday; but I’m also excited about having Grandma and Grandpa coming home on Sunday too.

Those are two good reasons for getting some extra down time now, but it’s been a long, busy day too.  While good morning kisses with Michael and Tai Chi are always a great way to start the day, I am missing having him stay for breakfast now and then because of his morning weight training with Tim and the other football guys.  Since he isn’t actually getting much ‘guy time’ even with Tim right now, though, I definitely shouldn’t complain.  I’ll eventually really appreciate the physical benefits too when all that extra work starts to show on Michael; but let’s not think about that too much or I won’t be getting to sleep anytime soon!

We had fun at school, but the entertainment level kicked up a few notches with our after-school study time at the Inn.  Rowen and Tim were both helping out at the data center after the computer store closed for the day, and having dinner on the fly with her family; so they headed out to do that as soon as we finished our assignments while Michael, Rebecca, and I started helping out with the dinnertime prep work in the kitchen.  It was another fairly quiet dinner rush this week; so we all had time for real breaks while we took turns eating instead of grabbing food on the fly.  Quiet nights are also always more fun too.

I won’t say that about game night, because while Michael and I did have fun; our best friends weren’t there because they were at the data center instead.  They weren’t the only regulars skipping out tonight; which might have had something to do with why Mom and Dad won the senior championship tonight.  That ended Miranda’s two-week reign; but gave Mom two wins in a row now – which had Michael’s mother lamenting the fact that she didn’t go with a battle of the sexes game night this week.

Having a smaller group allowed us to finish up a bit earlier than usual, so I did my goodnight hugs and kisses with Michael at the Inn and went home with Mom, Dad, and the twins.  Mom and I did the bath and bedtime routine with Ethan and Ehlana while Dad got started on his homework; and then Mom did a quick Magi lesson with me before setting me free to hop into my Jacuzzi.  I’ve already mentioned the multi-tasking while in the tub; I’ve finished getting ready for bed now; and plan to be sleeping a few minutes after finishing this update.

I’m finished.

Live long and prosper, fellow Magi of the Light!

Cassie's Journal - February 26, 2014



I’ve officially hit the wall; and need to crash for a while.

I worked; had a little fun here and there; and worked some more.  It’s only one o’clock, but I’m too tired to do any more anything, so...

...Live long and prosper, fellow Magi of the Light!

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Cassie's Journal - February 25, 2014



This has been a quiet day as I expected; though there was more than enough fun too.  We’re keeping busy at school with module assignments that will need to be done either before or after March Break.  Band practices aren’t quite as interesting right now because we don’t have anything that we’re working toward right now – no concerts or parades.  Some of the senior players will be helping out with music at the church over the Easter weekend; but Michael and I are not involved in that.

With the data center opening on Saturday, we stayed away form the computer store for our study session; and did that at Rowen’s house instead.  Michael and I didn’t have a lot of time to do that with Rowen and Tim; but they didn’t seem to be too disappointed to have the house to themselves for a while when we needed to head home to my house to help out with making dinner.  They were going to be eating at his house, but his parents usually do late dinners after closing the shop and showroom for the night; so they had time to play – I mean study. ;^)

Michael and I had a tiny bit of play time before he went home tonight; but we had more fun having dinner with my family; doing a Magi lesson with Mom; and then playing with Ethan and Ehlana in my room and the lounge while Mom and Dad worked in the office.  We did the bedtime story and snack in the office; Michael and I had some guys or girls-only time with Ethan and Ehlana when we tucked them in for the night; and then we had a half-hour of alone time in the lounge before Michael needed to leave.

That was three hours ago and, as usual, my extra sleep plans didn’t work out tonight when I got caught up in some family business work that caught my interest and wouldn’t let go until I finished dealing with it.  I try not to write too much about world events and politics in my personal journal, but I will mention that we do try to help out where we can; and it was worth staying up later tonight to do that in one of the current Eastern Europe hotspots – even if I’m only helping a tiny bit here and there.

I won’t be much help to anyone over the next few days if I don’t start getting some sleep now, though; so I’m off to dreamland and hope to spend even more quality time with Michael while I’m there.

Live long and prosper, fellow Magi of the Light!

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Cassie's Journal - February 24, 2014



The big news in town today started making the rounds shortly after Blake Sheldon accepted the project manager’s job for the new solar and wind energy farm that will begin providing our electricity needs by next year.  Groundbreaking at the old quarry we bought for it will start in four weeks; and the farm should be on the grid by late next summer.

Compared to that, and everything we discussed at our family business and future plans meeting tonight; the rest of the day was pretty uneventful.  We had a good day at school, though the temperature was back around freezing again; so we didn’t spend much time outdoors.  After school studying was back at my house again; and then I had dinner with Michael and his family.  We had time for a guitar lesson after cleaning the kitchen and a short chat with his parents and Rebecca; but then I went home early so I could catch most of the meeting.

While we aren’t directly involved in the Emerson’s data center, a big chunk of their business is coming through our family businesses; so that was first on our agenda since it opens this weekend.  Data transfers will begin this week – ahead of the grand opening – and we’ll continue to offer more work to Owen as he’s able to expand his data center over the years.

The new medical center was up next because the ground-breaking for that building begins next Monday.  While the medical center is the most important part of that project for us – especially for Uncle Adam, Uncle Mark, and Aunt Deborah; there will be other professional offices in the building too and it’s the second-largest building project we’re doing in town.  If all goes as planned, the building will be up by winter; and open in June twenty-fifteen.

I’ve already covered summer job plans for some of our favorite college teens before, but we did finalize our plans for that too; and most offers will be made over the next month or so.  We also talked a bit about the need to expand that part of our future plans over the next few years – particularly for teens that will work for one of our family businesses in the future.

That brings us back around to Blake Sheldon and the Solar-Wind Farm project.  Work on that at the old quarry we bought for the farm will start in four weeks.  The timing for that is partly to accommodate our new manager so that he can finish up with his current company and then enjoy March Break with his family before starting his new job.  He’ll have some homework to do between now and then too; but his job for the first few months will mostly be managerial until it’s time to begin installing the wind turbines and solar systems – which is where his expertise will come in very handy.  While they’re getting more excited all the time about the lab too; the solar-wind farm is still a pet project for Ethan and Ehlana.  While they aren’t particularly close with Blake’s son, Miles; he will be a classmate and friend in the future; and their family will be important to the twins in the future so they’re happy to be part of making their lives better and giving Blake a job that he’s going to love.

While I’m there, I should mention that Mom needs to be careful with handling these job offers – particularly with non-Magi.  In this case, she pretended to just be acting as an intermediary for the investment company that is building the farm as a local contact the company trusts because she does work for them too.  Other job offers can be handled by different people; but we’ll still need to be careful to keep our family business secret.

I guess we should cover the lab news next.  The interior work there is ahead of schedule; the landscaping and exterior finish will start in the next month or so as the weather improves; and the equipment, furniture, and computer systems will be delivered and installed between now and when the lab opens in September.  Mom will get much more involved with that starting in May; and will work on the computer systems with Owen – and with Andrew Jennings if he accepts his summer job offer.

The new section of town will have new construction starting soon; including new homes and townhomes.  The first apartment building is still on track to open at the end of June.  Aunt Leanne will be busy with those rentals and the other homes and apartments that will come open because of those new apartments; but she also expects the building to be nearly full by September; and the other vacancies to be filled over the following year.  Some custom homes will be built this year, but we’re not directly involved in those projects beyond selling the property to the owners building those homes.

We’re getting a new interior design business in town soon; and it’ll be opening in time for the Easter holiday weekend.  Our family business isn’t involved in that; but it is going to be nice to have that option for all of the new homes; and Aunt Leanne is going to hire them to help with her model homes and apartments.  She’s going to need a new model home too, because Heather and Adam Green will be moving into their new home at the end of March.

Rumor has it that there are going to be some upgrades this year at Quarry Lake; and there are plans to expand the campground to accommodate the new business they expect to have in part from construction workers and their families.  The last new business to mention is the Witch Falls Museum.  It’s going to be close to the falls and statue; promote the town history and legends; and have a little souvenir shop.  Once again, the museum will be another draw for tourism, and offer a little more entertainment for everyone.  We’re not directly involved in that either; but have donated money to the project; and we’ll continue to do that if it isn’t able to cover expenses with souvenir sales.

That’s about it for the near-term of our future plans.  There are a few other things happening soon; but Ethan, Ehlana, and I don’t want to spoil the surprises for anyone.  We had a few things to talk about for medium-term future plans, but again; I’ll leave reporting on those details for a bit closer to when they’re going to happen.  While I always have fun with those meetings, we didn’t wrap up until ten-thirty; it was closing in on eleven-thirty by the time our guests had gone home and the twins were tucked in for the night; and then Mom and I still had my Magi lesson to do after that while Dad finished up his homework for the night.

Not getting started on my bedtime studies and computing until twelve-thirty would have meant working until three-thirty or four, but I’ve cheated a bit; so it’s only a bit after two o’clock now.  I don’t really have anything newsworthy to report from any of those studies, the work, or nightly computer and email checks; so I guess that’s pretty much it for tonight.

The next few days should be fairly quiet around here, and though I have a lot of work to get done this week; I’ll try to rest up a bit too because I’m going to help Rowen and her parents this weekend at the store and data center – starting after school on Friday night when they’ll be getting set up for the open house and sale.  I guess that I’m technically getting extra rest tonight after speeding up my work, but the Magi power use offsets that; and I’ll only feel slightly more rested than I would have from staying up later but using less power.  I am ready for the down time now, though; and hopefully I can do better on the sleep side of my life over the next few nights.  We’ll see whether that works out for me or not, but I’m out of here for now, so until next time...

...Live long and prosper, fellow Magi of the Light!

Monday, February 24, 2014

Cassie's Journal - February 23, 2014



We had an uneventful morning from Tai Chi through to lunchtime; I played with Ethan and Ehlana this afternoon except while doing homework with Michael, Tim, and Rowen during Michael’s break; and then I had a blast at the Inn with Michael and his family.  I got home from there at a bit after eight; did my Magi lesson with Mom; and helped with the full bath and bed routine for the twins before coming up to my room and getting started on some Jacuzzi time multi-tasking.  That was four and a half hours ago; my work is done for the night; and I’m past-ready to crash, so...

...Live long and prosper, fellow Magi of the Light!

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Cassie's Journal - February 22, 2014



Let’s skip over the morning recap, other than to mention that we had a big country breakfast that Michael stayed for after Tai Chi before he went home again and I spent the morning helping out around the house and yard.  We didn’t skip lunch, but delayed it so that we could check out the food at the Maple Valley WinterFest.

Michael was set free from the Inn early, and he and I went there with Mom, Dad, and the twins; but we met up with Rowen and Tim when we got to Maple Valley.  They’d arrived an hour or so earlier; getting a ride there with his parents.  They were all spending the afternoon at the festival too, so Mom and Dad ended up hanging out with them.  Michael, Tim, Rowen, and I wandered around on our own for about half of the time we were there, and had Ethan and Ehlana with us part of that time; but that wasn’t to exercise any teen freedom or anything – we just wanted to do different activities and didn’t have time to do everything.

The highlights for me included pancakes covered with the amazing, local maple syrup; the craft show; the demonstrations for making the syrup and other sweets; and the one talent show we had time to catch shortly before we needed to get Michael back to the Inn to help out with the dinner rush.  I’m not counting our syrup and treats purchases in that; but only because we’ll be enjoying most of those things over the next weeks and months – not today.  After dropping Michael off at the Inn, we needed to do a little running around to drop off the sweet souvenirs we’d picked up for our family and friends; so it was heading toward six o’clock by the time we got home.  Mom opted for a quick, hot dinner, and after cleaning up; we settled in for a quiet evening together in the living room.

Michael was at the Inn until it closed, but still came over after that; getting here in time for Ethan and Ehlana’s bedtime story and snack.  He and I tucked them in too; and then came up to the lounge to watch a movie and enjoy some alone time while Mom and Dad did a little work in the office.  While our afternoon fun at the WinterFest had been great, the play time tonight with Michael was the most heart-pounding excitement of the day; and I’m a very happy camper right now.

Oh, and just in case you’re wondering if we’ve had any issues with parental interruptions yet, the only thing I’m going to say about that tonight is that I’m fairly sure that Mom and Dad had more to worry about us checking in on them in the office than the other way around.  Yes, that is too much information for me already, and if you’re using your imagination while reading this in my future – please never admit that to my older self.

Moving along, Michael went home shortly before midnight – about ten minutes after Mom and Dad checked in with us in the lounge on their way to bed.  I was changed and in bed by a few minutes after midnight; and the only reason it’s closing in on one o’clock now is because I’ve needed a little time to wind down and be ready to sleep.  I haven’t done any work other than a quick work-related email reply; but I did have text-chats with Rowen and Michael before they both put their computers away when they were each ready to crash for the night.  Rowen spent the evening with Tim since here parents were busy in the data center anyway; but they didn’t get to have as much alone time as Michael and I did because they spent most of the time with his parents instead.  She was a little disappointed about that even though she also likes Tim’s parents a lot and enjoys doing stuff with them.

I guess that’s pretty much everything I have for today.  Tomorrow will be a work day for Dad, so I’ll be helping out with Ethan and Ehlana in the afternoon; but I’m also going to be at the Inn for the buffets too.  With WinterFest still on in Maple Valley, it’ll probably be a comparatively quiet day at the Inn; but I’m looking forward to spending that time with Michael, Rebecca, and their parents.  It’s also time that I get some sleep so I’ll be ready for that and getting back to my usual school night studies and work; so until next time...

...Live long and prosper, fellow Magi of the Light!

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Cassie's Journal - February 21, 2014



I’m going to make this quick because I’m tired and want to get enough sleep so I’ll be ready for a play afternoon tomorrow at the Maple Valley WinterFest.

We’ve had yet another decent weather day, and without rain today; we were able to spend some time outdoors both at school and once we were set free for the weekend.  I don’t have anything new to report from school; and our after-school adventure included taking Ethan and Ehlana for a walk down to the falls and visits to see Aunt Leanne and Claire to drop off treats we’d picked up for them – and us – at the Bakery on our way through.  We checked in at Landry’s and the computer store to get approval for Tim and Rowen to stay for dinner and a movie night with us; and then we got home in time for Rowen and I to help out in the kitchen while Michael and Tim played video games with the twins.

We had the full compliment of aunts, uncles, and cousins over tonight with bonus guests Pastor John, Stacey, and Rebekkah.  It seemed like too long since our last full dinner and a movie gang was together; and I really loved the dinner time with everyone – even though we split up for the movie part of the night.  Teens and toddlers were in the lounge again tonight and we watched a Disney movie while the parents kept the babies with them and watched an action-comedy.  Dad got home a bit earlier than usual tonight, so we all took a mid-movie intermission together in the living room after helping him with his cases, luggage, and some supplies he’d picked up for Mom and Aunt Leanne.  Ethan and Ehlana opted to finish our movie after that, but then they did the bedtime routine with Mom and Dad after that – and after our guests headed out after their movie was over.

That left Michael, Tim, Rowen, and I with enough time to watch another movie; and we were quite happy to chat while watching a fairly lame alien invasion flick while Rowen and I cuddled with our boyfriends.  We all have work of some kind in the morning, so Michael, Tim, and Rowen headed home after the second movie – at around eleven-thirty.  Mom and Dad had still been in the living room then, half-watching an Olympics highlights of the day report, so after saying goodnight to Michael and seeing him out; I finally had time for a little visit with them and some cuddle time with Dad before we all headed up to bed for the night.

It was a bit after midnight by the time I climbed into bed with Mandy and got started on a very light version of my nightly computer checks.  While I am skipping a lot of fun little things that happened today, the need for sleep is more important right now; so that’ll have to be it for tonight.  I definitely do not want to be too tired for our WinterFest fun – or what will hopefully be some Michael and me alone time tomorrow night after he’s done work at the Inn.  With that in mind, and hopefully in my dreams soon too; I’m out of here.

Live long and prosper, fellow Magi of the Light!

Friday, February 21, 2014

Cassie's Journal - February 20, 2014



We’ve had a lot of rain here overnight, and more this morning; but it had pretty much ended by the time we were set free from school and headed over to the Inn for our study time.

It’s been a pretty good day, but I don’t actually have much to write about.  Mom, Ethan, Ehlana, and I had a short morning chat with Grandma and Grandpa at breakfast; and a bedtime chat with Dad after getting home from game night.  At school, the Maple Valley winter festival was the top chat topic, with the Olympics a close second; and for our class, Kris’ birthday party recap kept us entertained for a while in the morning.  Rebecca joined Michael, Tim, Rowen, and I for our studying after school; and then three out of five of us had fun helping out in the kitchen for a fairly light dinner rush.  That was normal for the week after Valentine’s Day – or any other holidays – so Miranda had a light crew scheduled; and it almost felt like putting together a big family dinner.

With game night back to normal, Michael and I didn’t win a second junior championship in a row, but Miranda did – with some help from Mom.  Jacob teased her about trading in her co-champion partner this week; but his wife was unapologetic – especially after getting that two-peat senior championship.  I stayed to help with the clean-up and to walk home with Michael tonight; and then met up with Mom and the twins at home.

The bedtime routine with Ethan and Ehlana that included the chat with Dad took a while, and then Mom did a long Magi lesson with me; so it was eleven-thirty by the time I came up to my room and got started on my studies and family business work.  It’s a good thing that I got some extra sleep last night because it’s going to be four o’clock soon; and I really am only going to have time for a nap.  That’s mostly because I got caught up in a business project that I didn’t want to leave unfinished until next week; but it’s done now and I can take the weekend off without feeling guilty about slacking off.

Since I’m not going to get much rest, though, that’s it for now; so until next time...

...Live long and prosper, fellow Magi of the Light!

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Cassie's Journal - February 19, 2014



Happy 13th Birthday, Kris!  Happy 18th Birthday, Christina!

I’ll guess that Christina is having the happier day; but that’s because she’s just found out that her boyfriend is a Magi; and probably knows about Stephanie, Violet, and Dillon by now too.  She’ll probably do the visit with Mom whenever she and Josiah are home next; though I’m not sure whether they’re coming home for their Spring Break yet.

The birthday party action was the fun part of the day for pretty much everyone there; and it was my first time out to his family’s farm.  We’ve had another decent weather day – at least until the rain started a while ago, - and had a good day at school; but there wasn’t anything newsworthy to write about until after school.  Michael, Tim, Rowen, and I split up to go home and get ready for the party, but then we met up again at Landry’s Auto to get a ride out to Kris’ farm with Tim’s mother.

Kris and his family are members of the Robinson clan, so in addition to inviting his friends; he had quite a few relatives at the party too.  That included his teacher aunt and uncle, Mary and Trevor Robinson and their kids, so I liked getting to spend some non-school time with our music teacher; but Tim was really fired up when he got to talk football with Coach Robinson and a bunch of the other guys.

While I’m thinking about that, and just because I can do it; here’s some news that Coach Robinson doesn’t know about in our now – he’s going to be very surprised next season.  He’s a favorite teacher with the guys, and is always upbeat and enthusiastic with his players; but it’s also obvious to me that he doesn’t expect his team to be very competitive now that Kyle’s graduating and heading off to college.  That is going to leave a very large hole in our team’s defense that he’s right to think won’t get filled anytime soon, but I don’t think he realizes how much Tim feels the need to prove himself on the field; and that heart and desire is going to make a big difference.

Moving along, since the weather was still cooperating at the time, we had a barbeque dinner; though we ate indoors – the kids and teens in the basement family and play room; and the adults in the big, farmhouse kitchen that even had room to feed the troops during harvest time.  Michael and I ended up sitting with Sally and Joshua during dinner; and out of the way of most of the teen action that revolved around Kris; his girlfriend, Denise; and their best friends.  Kris’ older brother and sister, Gerry and Daphne, were both popular too.  They were mostly hanging out with us to help with younger cousin control; but Daphne didn’t mind getting drawn into the girl chat; and Gerry played video games or foosball with both the other teens and the younger kids.

This party was a bit different having groups upstairs and down; though I’m sure the parents felt a little more sane by the end of the night being away from the noise for most of the evening.  Having the birthday cake and doing the gifts downstairs felt a bit strange too; but that was easier for Kris’ parents too.  One thing that was interesting for me was actually seeing Kris’ classic video game collection instead of just hearing about it.  He got razzed a bit from some of the guys, but some of his old gaming systems had belonged to his father; it’s something they can play at together; and Kris doesn’t really care what anyone else thinks about his little hobby.  He also really appreciated the two games that Michael, Tim, Rowen, and I tracked down for him on the internet to give to him – even though the actual games aren’t as cool as the new games he was given for his X-Box One system.

Being a school night, we also didn’t have a late party either; and our pick-up time tonight was at nine o’clock.  Patricia came to get us because Owen was still working in the data center; and my Mom was getting a break so she didn’t have to haul the twins around to come and get us.  Rowen’s Mom dropped Tim off at his house, and Michael and me at his before taking Rowen with her and going back to the computer store.  Michael only stopped in long enough to get his computer bag, and then he came home with me so we could do our homework.

We ended up doing the bedtime story with Ethan and Ehlana first, along with a party recap; and then we did our homework at the table in the office and talked to Mom while she worked on the family business after we’d tucked the twins in for the night.  Since we had Michael with us again, Mom also did another Magi lesson with both of us; so it was going on eleven when Michael was ready to head home for the night.

Mom and I both came up to our rooms after I saw him out, and I was in bed by shortly after eleven.  I’ve only done the basic nightly computing, and am skipping the studying and family business work tonight in favor of the extra down time so I can catch up on my sleep.  There wasn’t anything particularly interesting in my email, and always too much going on in the news around the world to cover here; so that’s all I have for today.

Live long and prosper, fellow Magi of the Light!

Cassie's Journal - February 18, 2014



We’ve had a really good day, and for Michael and I; that wasn’t just because we started and ended our day sharing hugs and kisses.

Okay, my day didn’t end with that because I still had my usual bedtime studies and work to do after Michael went home tonight; but our time together today did keep me in very good spirits while doing all of that work.

The weather warm-up was very welcome today; and it was nice enough that I’m fairly sure that every kid and teen at school was outside for part or all of our lunch break – even though the snow was quickly turning into a mushy mess in a lot of places around the yard.  I’m skipping over the action this morning because there really isn’t much to write about from home or school.  We started a new module in music class and wrote a test in science; but the rest of the morning was quiet and uneventful.  Ditto that for after lunch; though nearly everyone seemed to be in a good mood thanks to the comparatively nice day and fresh air.

Michael, Tim, Rowen, and I did our study session at Rowen’s house after school this week because things were a bit hectic at the computer store; and it was easier for her parents not to have us there to get in the way.  They’ve basically got a week left to go to get the work done for the data center because Patricia wants to have the last couple of days before the grand opening just for cleaning and polishing – and to set-up for the open house and the sale they’re going to have in the store to compliment showcasing the data center.

Rowen and Tim were happy with that change in plans; especially when Michael and I left them there alone for a while when we needed to get to my house to help Mom with making dinner.  After the special dinner at his house last night, we went with an easy-meal; so the work on each side of it didn’t really take that long.  That allowed Mom to do Magi lessons for all of us early; and then Michael and I played with Ethan and Ehlana in my room while she did some work in the office.  We had a music practice and did some video gaming; and then Ethan and Ehlana’s bedtime routine included snack time in the office with Mom and a computer video chat bedtime story with Dad before Michael and I tucked them in for the night.

That left Michael and I with a chance for a little alone time in the lounge before he needed to get home, and we had fun with that before having another little visit with Mom in the office again when he was getting ready to leave.  Mom and I went over a few family business-related issues after he was gone; and then I came up to my room to get ready for bed.  Mandy and I have been cuddling since then while I’ve been working; and I’ve put in extra time again tonight to make sure that I can take tomorrow night off without feeling guilty about skipping the work – or leaving anything undone that can’t wait until Thursday night.

Doing another late night also has me a bit worn out again, but I’ll just do a little self-healing to deal with that in the morning if I’m too tired.  That’s all I have for today, and it’s time to get whatever sleep I can before it’ll be time to get up and going again; so, until next time...

...Live long and prosper, fellow Magi of the Light!

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Cassie's Journal - February 17, 2014



The early morning wake-up call to see Dad off on his way to Crystal Springs is a lot easier when I haven’t stayed up working until two or three o’clock.  Ethan, Ehlana, and I had fun spending that time with our parents; and enjoyed the cuddle time with Mom in her bed after Dad left.

Tai Chi with Michael was good too, and then we were pretty much back to our normal morning routine after Michael left to get ready for his morning weight training at school.  Rowen collected me on her way to school today; and we ended up walking most of the way there with Rebecca.

With Valentine’s Day now over, we got back to our regular school work.  The gossip around school included the weekend post-mortem; but we were collectively moving on too.  I haven’t mentioned the Winter Olympics yet in my journal; mostly because I haven’t really been following them other than during my usual nightly computer checks.  They weren’t getting much attention around school last week either, but have caught the attention of some of the kids and teens over the weekend.  Some of our friends think it’s a bit strange that I don’t even want to watch the snowboarding and skiing events since I love snowboarding so much; but I was much happier to be snowboarding for my birthday rather than watching it on television.  If I want to learn new tricks; I can watch clips on YouTube – I just can’t get all that excited about competitions that have become more about money and politics as athletic talent and sportsmanship.

I don’t want to write a long diatribe about professional sports or international competitions like the Olympics; so let’s just say that I think the money could go to better uses; and leave it at that.

Back to normal at school meant having a fairly quiet day even with the extra bits of gossip going around on the grapevine.  Michael, Rowen, Tim, and I had a pretty good day; and that continued when we ended up going to Michael’s house for our after-school study session.  We did that because Mom, Ethan, and Ehlana were getting ready to go there when we got to my house; expecting to be working there as usual.  Rebecca studied with us in the dining room; and we had time for some video gaming action in the living room before Rowen and Tim needed to leave – though Michael, Tim, and the twins did most of the playing while Rebecca, Rowen, and I watched and talked with them.

Jacob was experimenting with a new chicken entree tonight; and though he still isn’t satisfied with how it turned out; his captive audience and taste-testers thought it was delicious.  The dinner conversation was good too – whether we were talking business and changes that’ll happen around town because of the new lab as we get closer to it opening in September or having Ethan and Ehlana tell us about the latest fun in their lives at KidZone, home, and with their friends.  They mentioned Michael’s cousin, Sophia; and that they don’t get to see her as often because she doesn’t go to KidZone very often; and I got the feeling that Miranda may invite her youngest Bassett niece along the next time we do a joint family meal or event.  I’m sure that all three kids will love that if she does.

As usual, Michael, Rebecca, and I were on the clean-up crew, but we had two junior supervisors to keep us entertained; and then Michael and I had Ethan with us for my guitar lesson while Ehlana got to have some girl time with Rebecca.  We all had some play time with our parents after that; and we ended up staying until nearly nine-thirty before heading home.  That meant no alone time for Michael and me, and an uninspiring goodnight hug and kiss; but I’ve been too busy since then to think about what Michael and I didn’t get to do tonight – and we had fun with our families anyway.

Mom and I did the bath and bed routine with the twins; did my Magi lesson once they were tucked in; and I’ve been doing my usual bedtime studying and work since climbing into bed with Mandy at eleven-thirty.  All of that work has kept me busy, and I’ve worked a bit longer than I’d planned; but I’m getting ahead on the study plan for this week.  That’s made for a quick return to late nights; but I’m doing okay tonight and want to do more tomorrow night too so I can take Wednesday night off when we’ll already have a busy day with Kris’ party after school that’ll keep me from my usual work night.

I do need to get at least some sleep, though, and don’t have any other news for today; so I’m going to wrap this up now and call it a night.  Until next time...

...Live long and prosper, fellow Magi of the Light!

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Cassie's Journal - February 16, 2014



After a pair of fairly busy mornings, it was nice to have a quiet start to our Sunday; and that pretty much describes most of my day.

Michael came over for Tai Chi, but then he went home to have breakfast with his parents and Rebecca while I was busy helping Mom and Dad with the work in our kitchen and getting the twins ready for church.  While there was a themed service and Sunday school lessons today that was all fun for us; I’ll be honest and suggest that the Valentine’s Day gossip was given more attention by most of the teen girls than anything we were taught today.

It’s also at least a little bit funny that Rowen and I were on the outside of those chats because we’d never dated at all let alone at Valentine’s Day; and now we’re still on the fringe because we don’t have any good gossip to tell about our weekend fun with the boys.  Then again, that’s because we’re not talking about the best parts at all; or we would definitely be getting some attention!  Yes, I write about some of that here in my journal, but this will only be read by adults in the future; and the purpose of including information about my personal life isn’t to pass on spicy gossip for the entertainment of my friends.

Moving along, there was enough time after church for Michael and I to do a little socializing before I walked with him to the Inn on my way home.  Mom and I put together a quick lunch; sent Dad off to the office to get started on the rest of his homework; and then did some cleaning and laundry before she joined him there and I took Ethan and Ehlana up to my room to hang out there for the afternoon.  Rowen and Tim came over early and joined in for the fun while we waited for Michael to join us during his afternoon break, and then once he arrived; we took care of our homework assignments while the twins watched cartoons.

I almost changed my mind about helping out at the Inn tonight when it was time for Michael to get back there to help out with the buffet rush; but managed to stick with my plans for a quiet evening and settled for a long goodbye hug and kisses before sending him on his way.  Rowen and Tim had stayed and played some video games with Ethan and Ehlana while I was busy with that, and then they headed over to her house for a Sunday night dinner with both sets of their parents.

There’s enough of an age difference between Rowen’s parents and Tim’s that they weren’t friends as kids or teens; but they do have businesses that are basically across the road from each other; and have become pretty good friends in the years since Rowen’s parents took over running the computer store from his mother.  I’m sure that’ll change again now just as it is with my parents and Michael’s; and I hope that’ll be as much fun for all of them as it has been for all of us.

Once my friends were gone, I helped Mom with making dinner; Dad took a break for that; and then we all spent some time in the office with him.  Mom and I did some family business work; and the twins worked on their college homework.  This is probably a good time for an update for that; though you’re welcome to hop over to their education archive if you want all of the details.

Though they’re just weeks into their college education, Ethan and Ehlana are blasting through the material.  They have a fairly advance set of lab equipment and supplies that’s mostly for Ehlana; though Ethan’s taking enough sciences that he’ll be able to help her in the lab when needed once it opens in September.  That’s actually part of their education plan; since Ehlana will need access to all of that equipment as she continues her education; and it’d be a bit tough to hide that kind of gear here at home like we can now with just a couple of cases and in a pair of storage cupboards that are ironically locked up to protect the toddlers in the house.

Ehlana’s studies are more obvious when she is working because of the lab equipment she sets up on the table in the office, and she’s more overtly enthusiastic; but it can be fascinating to watch Ethan work on his iPad or computer.  I’ve mentioned before that his reading abilities are much better than what Mom, Ehlana, and I can do, and seeing him in action with that gives us an idea of how our own abilities would look if we were watched by ‘normal’ people.  That talent is why he’s able to take the science courses with Ehlana in addition to his own work; and he’s also enhancing his history studies by reading everything he can find in the archives from each time period in history he’s learning about.

I haven’t directly mentioned that in this journal before, but that is something he and I both appreciate about our archives – all of the historical knowledge within them that has been lost to most of humanity.  Mom and I still feel blessed to know that we’re not the last of the Magi of the Light as we had thought we were before coming to Witch Falls, but even with those connections now; it’s still hard to imagine those past times when Magi moved freely throughout the world.  We’re certainly thankful to all of those Magi who managed to save as much history and wisdom as they could.

Getting back to the point, Ethan and Ehlana are on-track to finish the first semester of their freshman year by the end of March; and will likely write their final exams the week after March Break.  That’ll give them almost three months after that to finish up their first year by the end of June; and then they’ll start their second year in September – when they’ll be able to use the lab for the science classes.  They still have details to work out for doing that when there will be non-Magi working at the lab too; but I’m sure they’ll have everything ready by then.

I did my family business work and most of my studying in the office tonight – including my Magi lesson with Mom.  We put the twins to bed at a bit after ten – once Dad was finished and ready for his week in the city; and we were all ready to head to bed.  No, Mom and Dad weren’t going to bed because they were sleepy; but let’s not go there.  It didn’t take me long to get ready for bed and cuddled with Mandy; and then I finished the bit of studying I had left to get done before moving on to my usual bedtime computer checks.

Grandma and Grandpa had an amazing weekend in Italy; and they’ll be continuing the fun this week with just a couple of business-related jobs to do around what’s mostly going to be two vacation weeks before they’ll be home again on the first Sunday in March.  Jake and Stephanie win the best weekend award for my favorite college couples; though that’s partly deduced because of how much information wasn’t in Stephanie’s report.  They went out for a couple of good meals and an off-Broadway show during the two nights they spent together at a hotel; but there were also a lot of hours in the weekend that she didn’t even try to account for in her email.  Violet and Christina had similar gaps in their weekend reports, but they also stayed on their respective campuses; and weren’t doing sleepovers – or at least they weren’t admitting to it if they did.

I had a pair of text-chats with Michael and Rowen tonight too, so they brought me up to speed on the latest news from Rowen’s family dinner and all of the buffet action at the Inn.  They’re both sleeping by now, and I’m ready to go there now too so I’ll be ready for the early wake-up call to see Dad off on his way to Crystal Springs.  While it will be a bit busier around here while Dad’s away; we also don’t have all that much on the go for extra work or play time.  Michael, Tim, Rowen, and I have a birthday party to attend on Wednesday for Kris – the last in our grade to turn thirteen; and the Maple Valley winter festival is this weekend.  We’ll be going to that too; though we haven’t really worked out the details yet.  The rest of the week is pretty much open; and Michael and I haven’t even decided whether we’re doing dinner at his house tomorrow night or hanging out at my house and helping Mom with the twins.

We can decide that tomorrow.  I’m ready to sleep right now, and don’t have anything else to write about anyway; so...

...Live long and prosper, fellow Magi of the Light!