Cassie's Journal - March 30, 2015

Happy 20^th Birthday, Jake!

Okay, he was stuck in classes and only got to see Stephanie for a few hours while they had dinner together and also studied all evening; but I’ll guess they made up for that on the weekend since there was a distinct lack of detail to Stephanie’s last email report for what they’d been doing from Friday night to Sunday night.

We didn’t have a birthday party for him here, but I was at Michael’s house for dinner; and the meal was definitely party-worthy!  There was also a wedding planning meeting after dinner; which is why Stephanie’s parents were invited to dinner – and why we waited until after the stores closed to have that meal.  That extra time between the end of classes and dinner allowed Michael and I to get our homework done and have a little outdoor play time too so that we could enjoy the nice weather.  We did both of those things with Rowen and Tim; and also did our homework outdoors on the back porch at Michael’s house.  The play time included some biking.  We rode around the new section of town; went to the park and around the trail there.

Tim wanted to bike the trail because the word is now out around town about the full plan for the park and new trails, and while the work on the trails hasn’t started; he wanted to take a look at where the new section of park is going to be while talking about how cool the new trails were going to be for biking and hiking.  He isn’t as enthusiastic about the new playground; but I assured him that he can get away with playing there thanks to Ethan and Ehlana without taking a hit to his reputation.  We also rode past the med center and back again; but the outdoor work going on there now wasn’t all that exciting for the guys; so we pretty much just rode past and back again.  I’d love to take an indoor tour of the place; but that’ll have to wait a while longer.  I’m sure that we will get to see the place as soon as it’s far enough along that Uncle Adam, Uncle Mark, and Aunt Deborah can start setting up their new clinic.

Moving along, Rowen and Tim both left for his house when Michael and I needed to be back for dinner; and that meal was great both for the food and getting to spend time with his family and Stephanie’s parents.  Thanks to everything I’ve had on the go up to now since Jake and Stephanie got engaged, I haven’t been involved in any of the wedding plans or work; but Rebecca and I are both going to be more involved from now on.  A lot of the work and appointments need to wait until Stephanie and Violet are home from school for the summer; but there are other jobs to do – like handle the incoming replies from the wedding invitations that have already been sent out.

The planning meeting tonight was mostly about setting up those appointments we’ll need starting in May; planning the accommodations for family and friends that will be here for the wedding; and a whole lot of the little details that go into fairly big weddings.  In a small town, when you have kids from two of the best-known families getting married; it’s definitely a big deal.  While the reception will be limited by the amount of space at the Inn; I’ll guess that the sanctuary at the church will be packed for the ceremony.  Everyone here loves Jacob, Miranda, Stuart, and Samantha; and will be there to help celebrate Jake and Stephanie’s big day with them.

Speaking of the happy couple, they were involved in the meeting for a while too, thanks to a little video link with them; but that was fairly short and sweet and just a summary recap once we were nearly finished just to make sure they were good with the plans.  Okay, that was all about Stephanie’s approval, since Jake is indifferent to the details.  As long as he’s the groom and Stephanie’s the bride; he’s good with whatever else is set up for the rest of the day.  There were some happy birthday best wishes for Jake too while we were having that chat, but they were both bogged down with work to get done; so we didn’t keep them any longer than needed before letting them get back to their studies.

That was okay with me too, since I had a lot of work to get to at home too.  It was still after ten by the time I went home; though that was partly because Michael and I did a quick music practice to run through our band and praise team music for our practices tomorrow afternoon and evening.  I’m sure that’s why Stuart and Samantha stayed and visited with Jacob and Miranda; and they headed for home when I did – after a long round of goodbye hugs and kisses.

I’ve completely skipped the morning and school day action, but there wasn’t really all that much of anything newsworthy to report anyway.  Tai Chi and breakfast were both quiet and normal; and other than getting to spend some bonus time outdoors at lunchtime; there wasn’t much going on at school worth writing about.  My Magi lesson with Mom was entertaining, since we used Ethan and Ehlana as my test subjects in a fairly advanced telekinesis lesson that was more play than work.  That was a fun way for the twins to end their day too – especially when my lesson ended once I had them changed, in bed, and tucked in – all done without physical contact.

Mom and I did do the hugs and kisses without Magi power assistance, though; and then I came up to my room to get started on my studies and family business work.

That was more than three and a half hours ago, and I’ve been working in high gear most of that time.  I’m pretty much back in the groove again for my language studies, and that’s going very well again; but the family business work tonight was more challenge than fun.  We’re all doing very well with our business interests, but being successful is often tough work even for a Magi Master; and that was definitely true with what I was doing tonight.  I won’t bore you with the details, but I was dealing with interests we have in Eastern Europe; and there are some very tough issues to worth through in many of those countries right now.

I should also remind future readers of this journal that our definition of ‘success’ isn’t counted in currency or assets.  The money is important, since it allows us to do our charity work; but the two are often tied together; and that’s especially true in the countries facing the most difficult human and social challenges.

Getting back to my work tonight, it’s tough to deal with bad situations and do the best we can for the people that either do work for one of our business interests or potentially could in the future – especially when our decisions sometimes need to be made due to issues that are out of their control – and ours.  I wish that wasn’t the case, but if we ever get to a day when all is well in every country; then there won’t be any need for our charities or help anyway.

No, I don’t expect that’s happened in my lifetime – and probably not in yours either – unless you’re reading this in the very distant future from my now.  It would be nice, though; and just imagine what we might all be able to accomplish if we weren’t wasting so much effort on useless and destructive pursuits.

That’s enough of a minor rant for today, and I mostly just want to get started on my nap now instead of discussing the idiocies of the world as we know it today.  I haven’t really even thought about it being a short work and school week with the Easter weekend ahead of us, but it is; and we have a lot to fit into the three days we have left before the holiday weekend.  Somewhere in all of the usual busy, I’ll also need to find time to help Mom and Dad with the holiday weekend chores too, and while we aren’t going to have company at our house all weekend; we will likely have some cousins doing a sleepover or two; since Jaimie, Kaitlyn, and Jayden will be here for the weekend with their parents; and Aunt Deborah’s side of the Johnson family will be here too.  Everyone else will be away this year; though we expect that for the members of our family with college students that won’t be able to be here either.  The Memorial Day weekend will likely be bigger for homecoming visits for at least the next five or ten years than Easter will be; but we’ll see how that goes.

That really is all of the news I have for today, though; so, until next time...

...May the Magi Force be with you!

Cassie's Journal - March 29, 2015

Make-out time with Michael – check!

Sofa sleepover – double check; and amazing!

Gourmet breakfast at Michael’s with his parents and Rebecca – Bonus!

There has been lots of work today to go along with all of that fun, but the responsibilities side of my life is easy enough to handle when there’s so much fun to go along with the work.  I’ll get to that part of the news in a moment; since the fun and entertainment parts of the day pretty much all came before the work today.

Michael came over last night in time to catch the last half of the show I was watching with Ethan and Ehlana.  We followed that up with a fun little bedtime story and visit with them in Ehlana’s room before tucking both of the twins into their beds for the night and moving on to a fairly major make-out session while we didn’t watch a fairly bad action movie that shall remain un-named to protect all people involved in the film that probably regret having their names on the list of credits.  The film was really just background noise for the main event in the lounge, and I’ll rank our play time as extremely hot – and more than a little amusing.

I don’t generally want to get into the details of the intimate side of my relationship with Michael – even in this journal; but there are times when comments are appropriate and this is one of them.  Michael and I are, after all, one of the few Magi couples in Witch Falls that have been allowed to know about each other before becoming adults; with most of the other few exceptions finding out about each other by accident – and quite a while ago too.  I also have the advantage of being allowed to shield on my own so that we can use our gifts without direct adult supervision.  Yes, Mom is linked with me, but even she can’t sense what I’m using my power for through my shields anymore and never could tell what Michael or Rowen do when I’m hanging out with either of them.

Getting back to my point here, a pair of Magi teens does have some play options that other teens don’t; and the amusing part of the fun comes from experimenting with applying those talents to intimate moments.  For example, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that most Magi kids at some time during their childhood experiment with using their telekinesis to fasten or open buttons or other clothing fasteners.  Getting to do that with a girlfriend or boyfriend is something else completely; and even when it doesn’t quite work out as planned the results can be both entertaining and exciting.  Experimenting with this aspect of our relationship is going to be really special, and while I imagine the idea alone scares the parents of Magi teens; I hope the council does consider allowing more teen couples to know about each other in the future.  Using our Magi gifts together is creating a very special bond between Michael and me, and while I can’t suggest that will happen with every teen couple; it is something worth considering.

The hot factor for the teens involved could just be a really awesome added bonus! ;^)

Our timing for the transition from play time to sofa sleepover must have been great too, since Mom and Dad had still been working in the office when Michael and I got around to falling asleep.  They did check in on us and take a picture to send along to Miranda; but left us there instead of waking us and sending Michael home.  The wake-up call from Ethan and Ehlana was fun, and so was Tai Chi; but the breakfast at Michael’s house was definitely the best part of our morning.  The amazing food was definitely worth the price of some serious teasing from Miranda and Rebecca; though Michael’s sister mostly just wished that she and Lucas could get away with sofa sleepovers too.  That really isn’t even an option for them most of the time when he needs to be at the farm to help out with the chores pretty much seven days a week.

I’d gotten ready for church between Tai Chi and breakfast, so I was on the kitchen clean-up crew after we ate; and then we walked to church.  Today is Palm Sunday, so the service and Sunday school lessons were all about that part of the Easter story.  While the message is the same every year, the delivery is always a bit different; and that’s particularly true for the kids and teens during Sunday school.  For our class, for instance; we’re doing a much more technical study of the bible than in previous years since I’ve been here.  That lesson was also short; since we also worked with the other teens to finish up getting our ‘sets’ and props ready for the sunrise service next Sunday.  We had time for that because the service was a bit more than an hour and a half long; which is also why Michael had to head straight for the Inn as soon as we were set free for the day.

It was chilly and we had a spit or three of rain while we were at church; but the afternoon weather was fairly nice and the temperature climbed into the sixties.  I went home from church with Mom, Dad, and the twins; we had lunch with Uncle Adam, Aunt Leanne, and Zack at our house; and then we all took the afternoon off to play.  Naomi and Aiden came to play with us after lunch too; we went for a bike ride; and played at the school playground for a while before returning home and hanging out in the back yard until I needed to get ready and head over to the Inn to help out with the buffet shift.  Michael joined us for the tail end of the bike ride and play time at home; so we went to the Inn together; and that’s when the work part of my day kicked into high gear.

The dining room at the Inn was packed for both buffets with a bit of overflow worked into the mix; so we were all very busy from the time Michael and I got there until we went home after closing the Inn.  We managed to have some fun while working hard; but I don’t really have anything newsworthy to report from those hours of prep work and dishwashing.  The Magi lesson with Mom shortly after I got home was fun, and so was getting the twins tucked in for the night; but the family business work and studying after I was in bed and cuddling with Mandy wasn’t very exciting – probably because I was getting tired by then and did the work because it needed to be done.

As I mentioned, though, the work is worth the effort when the rest of my life is so amazingly fun – even on the days when I’m tired and it’s hard to stay motivated.  The work for today is finished, and I don’t have anything to add to this update; so I am out of here and off to dreamland for a few hours.

Until next time...

...May the Magi Force be with you!

Cassie's Journal - March 28, 2015

We worked all day from before breakfast until we stopped for a late dinner at seven.  I’ve just finished having a shower, and I’m writing this update while doing my hair and getting ready for the rest of my evening; which is hopefully going to include some quality alone time with Michael.

So why am I doing this now instead of after he goes home?  Because I’m also hoping that we’ll get away with that sofa sleepover I mentioned in my last report – and have been thinking about a lot all day while doing chores around the house and yard.  That was especially true during the hours we spent outdoors when I needed to keep some warm, happy thoughts in mind to offset the chilly, hands-on work.

I’ll let you know tomorrow whether my planned, un-planned sofa sleepover works out or not, but I’m off to finish getting ready before moving on to watch a show with Ethan and Ehlana while waiting for Michael to join us; so that’s all for this little report, and, until next time...

...May the Magi Force be with you!

Cassie's Journal - March 27, 2015

Happy 4^th Birthday, Jayden!

Our cousin had a fun day, at least according to the email report that Jaimie and Kaitlyn sent me tonight.  They haven’t had as much fun with a small gang of three and four-year old boys around from the time they got home from school and a few of them staying for a sleepover.  I feel for them; but at least they won’t need to deal with co-ed birthday parties with Jayden anytime soon.  Sure, Ethan might not be able to have co-ed birthday parties if he didn’t also have a twin sister sharing the big day, and I love all of the bonus fun that comes from them playing with all of their friends; but let’s not have those little details get in the way of the ongoing opportunities we’ll have to tease Ethan and Ehlana about their special social exemption to the usual boy-girl segregation rule! ;^)

Our day here wasn’t birthday party exciting, and it stayed fairly cool today too; but we managed to have a good day even if it has been comparatively quiet.  It was an uneventful school day too, and then Michael is helping out at the Inn tonight; so I’ve been hanging out with my parents, Ethan, and Ehlana since getting home from school while he’s been busy.  Rowen and Tim are busy tonight too; but they’re also having more fun than Michael and I are.  Let’s not get into the details there; and I’ll just be happy for my friends – and be just a little jealous.

Ethan and Ehlana were having a friend-free evening too; though that was mostly because Naomi and Aiden need to spend more time this weekend with their parents and sibs after being with us for the past two weekends.  I know that Nathan, Hannah, Philip, and Liz were all happy that their kids could do a big trip with us, and they still had their youngest kids at home to keep them entertained; but they still really missed Naomi and Aiden and need to spend extra time with them when they can.

While I didn’t need to work tonight; Ethan, Ehlana, and I only went out for a short walk to the park to check out the playground work in progress.  That’s mostly been a tear-down of the old equipment this week; so we pretty much only got to see less instead of more.  The only equipment that is staying and just getting a face-lift will be the swing sets.  Everything else is being taken out, and once that’s finished; the ground will be re-worked too before the new equipment is installed.  Part two of that process is why the playground isn’t scheduled for completion until the week leading into the Memorial Day holiday, but the kids around here can always play at the school instead while the park playground is off-limits.

Once we were home again, we mostly hung out with Mom until dinnertime.  We played on our computers in the office while she was doing her own work in there; I helped out with making dinner while Ethan and Ehlana continued to do some college assignments; and then we had dinner shortly after Dad got home from the office.  He has a fair bit of work to get done this weekend, so he opted to work in the office tonight so that he won’t have to work as hard tomorrow or Sunday; so the twins and I decided to hang out with him – and Mom – and do some studying tonight too for a couple of hours.  That was fun, but then we came up to the lounge to watch a movie before bedtime; and the twins are now camping out on the sofa in the lounge after falling asleep in there and being too cute to move.  Mandy’s in there with them; so I’m on my own tonight – and wishing more than a little bit that I had a cuddle buddy too.  Michael’s going to be back at the Inn for the breakfast rush, though; so he’s not available tonight.

I don’t really want to think about that cuddle buddy thing, and I’m not quite ready to sleep yet, but that’s all I really have for this update; so I’m going to wrap it up and do something else until I am ready to head off to dreamland.  Tomorrow is going to be a full workday for chores in and around the house, and that isn’t going to be fun compared to our last two weekends, but it will be nice to get some Dad and daughter time even if we will be doing chores while hanging out together.  There will, hopefully, be some Michael and me time tomorrow night after he’s finished at the Inn for the day, so I won’t stay up too much longer tonight.  I really don’t want to end up being too tired for that and fall asleep before we get around to the good parts of that alone time opportunity.

Then again, an unplanned sofa sleepover might be nice too! ;^)

Now that’s a happier thought to end this report with; so that’s it for tonight, and, until next time...

...May the Magi Force be with you!