Cattitude and Gratitude

I love Queen of Your Own Life's daily posters as they're always so uplifting and positive. Today's message resonated with me. I've always hated “in between” as I transition from one thing to another. It’s an unsettling feeling to switch gears and start something new.  Even as a kid, I never liked having to quit one activity to start another, especially if I was enjoying myself. I feel like I’m in that stage today after getting back from vacation and having to get back into my routine again. It is a bit of a struggle but eventually I will find my groove again.   So much of our lives are those “in between” moments which we see as unimportant while we transition to the important events. Even when I worked as an opaquer painting cartoon cells back in the 1980s, junior animators were always given the task of doing the "in between" cells that showed a character's less important movements in between the major ones that the senior animato...

The breeze rustles the grass while waves lap the shore Soon this moment will be no more, We watch the blazing sun, so brilliant and bright As it dips behind the hills to bring on the night, Another day has slipped away How I wish I could make it stay, Moments rush by and become the past I wish there was a way to make it last, Precious memories are stored away To warm us on a winter’s day, I wish we were just getting here So long Cape Breton, for another year.

I really like Cape Breton’s recycling program with their clear coloured bags that make it impossible to throw out items that can be recycled. They are very advanced in comparison to Ottawa’s recycling program which still allows black garbage bags and garbage cans, letting people get away with not recycling. As well as a compost bin, my parents have another recycling program in place that is very effective and entertaining.  It’s called the crows.  My parents toss out their leftovers and my dad hits a glass with a spoon.  Like Pavlov’s bell, a cloud of squawking crows appear to claim the goodies.  Sometimes seagulls will tag along hoping to get in on the action and once an eagle came by, too.  I admire the crows and think we should appreciate their good qualities. Crows are: Family oriented – They are very protective of their young and travel around in family groups. They are very territorial and don’t like any other birds infring...

I'm enjoying my vacation in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia visiting my parents so of course I'm thinking about that when it comes to my somewhat sporadic blog posts. Today I am doing the Write Tribe prompt of "The Twelve Most..." http://writetribe.com/12-most/  It's a fun take on the list idea. My idea is "The 12 Most Wonderful Things About Visiting My Parents in Cape Breton." Of course there are more than 12, but these are some of the great things about our visits every year. I have made a photo collage about it.

I made a new friend when I was in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She inspired me so much, I had to write a poem about her. I know a mermaid whose name is Grace She has funny hair and a made up face, When she talks, her voice peels paint A beauty pageant queen, that she ain’t. She has her good points if you look hard enough She’s funny, she’s witty and boy, is she tough, She won’t take crap from anyone Rumour has it she carries a gun! All of a sudden, she bursts into song I hate to tell her every note is wrong, She sings and sings into the night Giving the tourists quite a fright!

Here is a short piece I wrote for a challenge over at Shailaja's wonderful blog. http://shailajav.wordpress.com/category/challenge-2/ We had to use the suggested prompts and keep it under 50 words but not less than 15. Harder than it looks. I used the word "reunion" and the phrase "At long last." Not very easy to get it down to such a short word count but I tried my hand at doing exactly 50 words. These challenges are so good for learning to make each word count. I searched the auditorium for a familiar face but found no one. So much for my high school reunion. Just as I was leaving, a woman touched my arm. “Carrie from grade 10 English, right?”  “Janet? Great to see you!” Not horrible two-faced Janet!  At long last someone knew me.

Casual friends chat about the weather And never spend any time together, They wave at you and say hello But that’s about as far as they go Fair weather friends like it when the sun it out But when it rains they’re nowhere about, Fair weather friends will share a beer But when trouble hits, they disappear, Fickle friends can’t make up their mind Wishy washy and not always kind, They are always waiting for another bus Those kind of friends are not worth the fuss True friends are always there for you They pick you up when you’re feeling blue, Dependable, loyal and ready to share They are the friends who really care, True friendship is a seed that has been planted Nurture it well and don’t take it for granted, If you tend it carefully, it will grow And blossom even in the snow.

Last weekend, we gave away our broken old upright piano that no one plays. I don’t miss it, except it was a great clutter holder and dust collector. It was good for that! I was happy to give it to someone who will get it repaired and use it.  All this stuff that we’ve accumulated has become a burden taking up space, getting in the way and needing to be maintained. How did that happen? I came across an article about Minimalism, a movement that two American guys, Joshua Fields Milburn and Ryan Nicodemus are promoting. By their late twenties, Joshua and Ryan were were living the American dream, making six figure income,s living the good life with fancy cars and houses. They also worked eighty hour work weeks, were totally stressed, and had no time to enjoy life. For Joshua, it took the death of his mother and a divorce to force him to take stock. He decided to downsize to a simpler life and his friend, Ryan joined him. He started the minimalism movement and has even writte...

In honour of my 25 th  wedding anniversary today, I’ve thought of twenty-five verbs that contribute to a happy relationship. I’m far from perfect and don’t always follow this list as well as I could. Still, these verbs remind me of what’s important in a relationship of any kind whether it’s a marriage, a parent/child relationship, siblings, other relatives or even a good friendship. Relationships are hard work and not always easy, but so worth it, don’t you agree?  What other verbs do you think are important to a healthy and loving relationship?

Always hurrying, always worrying So much to do, so little time, Why are you doing all this scurrying? Sit down and listen to my rhyme, I know your “to do” list is seven miles long That’s why I’m singing this wistful song, It’s time to slow down and get a grip If you don’t, you’re sure to trip, If you don’t do it all will it really matter? Who is it that you’re trying to flatter? Does rushing give a purpose to your life? Or does it jab at you like a pointy knife? Slow down, take a breath and look around Gaze at the sky or down at the ground, Be in the moment, it’s going fast None of this is going to last!

I am participating in the Blog Carnival at Write Tribe with the prompt about What would you do if you weren't afraid? http://everydaygyaan.com/what-would-you-do-if-you-were-not-afraid/ I’ve spent a fortune on courses and conferences over the years. I've written loads of stories and have a few novels gathering dust in drawers or cluttering up my laptop. I've even had a few things published. You’d think that showed I was a real writer, wouldn’t you? And yet, I still don’t take myself seriously enough. I act like I’m playing at this writing game and I often procrastinate to avoid getting going on writing project. Why is that? My two fears of failure and rejection tend to hold me back from pursuing writing more seriously. Fear of failure is a biggie with me. I often put off or even avoid writing, convinced that it will be too hard and I’ll just write garbage and fail anyhow. I have a notorious Inner Critic or Mr. I.C. as I affectionately call him. He perche...

I am writing this post in response to the prompt from Write Tribe's 100 words on a Saturday.  http://writetribe.com/how-to-break-out-of-a-creative-rut/  using the phrase "My grandmother/grandfather told me... My grandmother told me to watch out for Cal, but of course I didn’t listen. I fell in love the moment I saw him smoking in front of Mac’s corner store looking like James Dean in “Rebel Without a Cause.”  Cal was everything this town wasn’t; good-looking, exciting, rebellious and dangerous. The first time we fought, he punched me and I lost a tooth. When I told him I was pregnant, he kicked me twice in the stomach and I lost the baby. Then Cal got thrown in jail for break and enter. Why didn’t I listen to my grandmother?

The kids jump off the dock into the river, shattering the silence with their screaming splashes.  Mom lounges on the shore in the pink Adirondack chair while reading her steamy summer novel and wiggling her green calloused toes covered in chipped red nail polish. Dad is up on the deck guzzling a Molson Canadian, his big tanned beer belly hanging out of his unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt. He hunches over the barbecue like a crazed caveman, wielding his spatula like a weapon while hot dogs and hamburgers sizzle in a cloud of choking smoke chasing the mosquitoes away. Meanwhile the trees whisper in the cool evening air, their dry leaves rustling and rattling as they share their secrets. The golden sun sinks below the horizon, transforming the sky from orange-pink to indigo.. Canadian summer is slowly slipping away.