Cattitude and Gratitude

I’m finding it hard to focus this morning and seem to be flitting back and forth as much as those little chickadees outside my window who fly to the feeder, take one seed and fly away to the tree again and again.  To make myself focus, I promised Vidya I would take part in her monthly Gratitude Circle bloghop linkup. Check out her wonderful post for the latest Gratitude Circle Gratitude Effect I decided to write a little gratitude ditty about being grateful for online friends.  I have many online friends. Some I have actually met in person. Some are neighbours or I know them from my musical groups. Some are relatives. Some I knew long ago in school or at work and we reconnected through the magic of Facebook.  I also have my writing and blogging friends to share about the joys and struggles of writing.  My cat and dog loving friends are so special to share about our pets.  I am a crazy cat lady, after all! MEOW! Oh, Sorry Loup. I do l...

I love my early mornings when the world is still asleep. I sit and sip my coffee as I look at Facebook posts and connect with other early birds around the world.  This is one of the best parts of the day, my time – a time to connect with other creative souls, a time to create, dream, reflect and wonder.  This morning I took photos of the full moon once again. It was calling out to me so I went outside on the icy driveway in pjs and slippers and took more photos while standing in the freezing cold. Call me crazy! Then a bit later, the sunrise was a blazing show of orange and reds so of course I trekked outside once again to take more photos. Good thing I’m always overheating from menopause and that the cold didn’t bother me much. Felt kind of good actually! Even if I take a photo of the same subject such as the full moon or Mr. C, no two photos are ever the same, just like no two moments are ever the same.  Good to remember when I fal...

I enjoy watching the birds from my window as many of you know already. No two days are ever the same and I never know who will show up or who won't. Those birds keep me guessing and don't share about their comings and goings. Of course I know the squirrels will show up no matter what. Sigh. Big gluttonous pigs! Yesterday I had a real swarm of finches arrive in fine form, flitting back and forth between the trees, the feeders and the ground.    I appreciate my winter birds so much how they can endure the bitter cold. They brighten up the dullest days with their cheerful presence. I am so grateful for my birds! Squirrels! Not so much!

I am enjoying Shailaja’s Facebook posts describing how much she enjoys her tea and how it’s like a spiritual experience for her. She describes it so well, drawing on all the senses. When I read her posts, I feel I'm there sharing that tea with her and feel so calm and transformed.  I’m sure all the tea companies in India would love to have her writing ads for them. I'd buy that tea for sure! I do enjoy tea but for this post, I am writing about my love of coffee, especially on these cold, dark days of winter when I need all the help I can to feel energetic, positive and upbeat. My love affair with coffee probably started in my college student days living in Montreal in the 1980’s. Montreal gave me a real taste for good coffee before it became as trendy as it is today. I love my Coffee! Coffee, coffee, that magical brew It greets me on cold, dark days, So hot and sweet, a friend so true Let me count the ways, It gives me a buzz when I’m fee...

I have no sense of direction and rely heavily on landmarks to find my way. I’ve never been very good at remembering where I parked, especially in underground parking lots.  I think underground parking lots are truly the most depressing places imaginable. They’d be a perfect setting for an apocalyptic film or a thriller as they are so creepy and bleak. Yesterday my son and I were downtown and decided to park in the underground parking lot at the Rideau Shopping Centre. After having our lunch, we decided to return to the car. All I remembered was that we were in parking lot P1 so when I saw a sign for P1, onward I went. We walked around in P1 for a while and there was no sign of the car. We went down to the other level of P2 and still no sign of it. I grew cranky, sweaty and anxious, feeling like I was in one of those bad dreams where you trudge endlessly, feeling lost and that no one cares at all. My son said that we should return to the shopping centre, go back...

I notice lots of people writing their reflections on the past year and their hopes and goals for 2016. I found 2015 a very difficult year with the death of my mother. Nothing like the death of a parent to make a person take stock and ponder what it all means. I didn’t do any blogging for all of December as it was all about performing music, music, music and more music which I loved. No complaints, but it was a hectic month. That transition time after all the craziness of the Christmas season is one I always struggle with. I feel like I’m spinning my wheels on ice and not getting anywhere with my projects. I decided to write a poem to get the muse off her butt (and a big one it is after all that Christmas indulging, I must say!) This poem is from my orange tabby cat, Kobie’s point of view. For a cat who sleeps most of the day, he can be quite opinionated, can’t he? Kobie’s Reflections on the New Year The new year is into the second day Do I look ...