Cattitude and Gratitude

I watched the most incredibly lame movie last night on Netflix called “Rags” with a twist on the Cinderella theme. This Canadian-made 2012 movie was filmed in Vancouver with New York as its setting. I couldn't help noticing that in the opening scene of NYC, they still showed the Twin Towers. You'd think they could at least use some modern footage. For a while I kept thinking the movie must have been made before 2001 until I saw them using modern Iphones and not those huge clunky portable phones of the 1990's. This movie was a stinker, no doubt about it. It was really bad; the script, the acting and the music, but I watched it anyhow. Rags Like eating junk food, sometimes I’m in the mood for a fluffy teen movie where I don’t have to think too much. At least it had no calories! The main character Charlie reminded me of Justin Bieber with his boyish looks, his goofy eagerness and singing style. GAG! *Makes a face* I’m not a Bieber fan, can you tell? ...

Today a young reserve soldier, Cpl Nathan Cirillo, was shot and killed while guarding the War Memorial Monument in Ottawa, where I live.  My heart goes out to his loved ones. I especially have a soft spot for reservists since I was once in the reserve myself. This kind of thing doesn't happen in Canada, a peace-loving nation where we can walk freely without fear. It is especially shocking to happen in Ottawa, a quiet government town. Even now, my husband's building is on lockdown and he doesn't know when he can leave. The gunmen are still wandering around and the whole downtown area is locked down.  These kinds of things don't happen in our peaceful corner of the world. At least that's what I used to think.  It just shows that it can happen anywhere at anytime. We are vulnerable and even more so in these scary times of extremist terrorists with a warped view of the world. But mostly, I can't help thinking about that innocent young so...

Talk, talk, talk, we’re good at that Day in day out, we like to chat, What a noisy world where everyone is talking Some even talk on the phone while walking, We talk and talk without stopping to think We talk about everything but the kitchen sink, But listening is a more important skill. Just close your mouth and keep it still, Do you actively listen or wait to reply? Do you listen patiently, do you even try? Because conversation is a two way street Having someone listen is mighty sweet, Having someone listen can make your day Much more than anything you can say, Talk is cheap but listening is gold It’ll keep you company when you get old, Instead of your mouth, why not open each ear? You’ll be amazed by everything you hear, Listening costs nothing and is completely free Hey you out there? Are you listening to me?

Today's topic for the weeklong writing festival at Write Tribe is to write about inequality for Blog Action Day. blogactionday.org We think we’re equal and all the same But how you look is part of the game, If you’re slim, no one bothers you If you’re overweight, that isn’t true You get charged more for an airplane seat You get judged for everything you eat, People make a face and look away How dare you come and wreck our day! How dare you come and invade our space! You don’t deserve to be in this place, Overweight people are stupid and lazy Go away, you’re driving us crazy, Worse than the shunning are the comments and jeers Taunted and teased for years and years, They retreat and hide to protect from hurt They're so used to being treated like dirt, Overweight people are not treated the same Shunned and despised, they live in shame, If you’d listen, they have stories to tell They know that inequality is alive and w...

For the fifth day of the Write Tribe Blogging challenge we are writing tip posts.  I’m always looking for ways to save money in these tight times where a dollar doesn’t buy as much as it did before. I wouldn’t say I’m virtuous and perfect at it. Like watching my weight, I sometimes slip up in a moment of weakness. Still, being frugal can become a way of life if you work at it and change your habits gradually. TO SAVE MONEY: Think before buying something. Impulse buys can be foolish. We’ve all done it where we buy something on sale just because it’s such a great deal and we never even use it. Do you really need the item or is it just going to add to the clutter? Take time to consider a purchase instead of buying it as soon as you see it. Often after thinking it through, you’ll decide you really don’t need it after all. Don’t use the credit cards so much. It’s easy to lost track of expenses with a credit card and that results in a rude shock when the bill arr...

(Image from The Graphics Fairy's site) Today's topic for the Write Tribe's week long blogging challenge is to make a list of favourite links to share. My main challenge for this is that I like so many sites, it's hard to pick only a few. I narrowed it down by deciding on ones that inspire me and help me with my creative projects. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t just spring out of bed all happy, confident and positive.  Some days I need lots of coffee and inspiration to get going for the day. Every day I like to look at posts from inspirational and writing sites. The inspirational sites get me into a positive mindset for the day while the writing sites help inspire me, overcome procrastination and give me ideas. Of course there is always the danger, I’ll just surf and not get that writing done. There are just too many interesting sites out there. Guess I’ll have to find a site about not procrastinating. I’m sure there is one. I’ll have to Google it...

Day 3 of the blogging challenge at Write Tribe is to write a review so I have chose to write about Picaboo, an online photo book making company. http://writetribe.com/ If you’re like me, you probably have loads of paper photos or digital photos taking up space in boxes or on your computer’s hard drive. I decided to take on the job of being the family archivist and love to create books to capture the memories before they’re forgotten. For several years I have been making books, both conventional paper scrapbooks and digital. I have tried many of the different photo book companies over the years such as Heritage Makers, Snapfish, Photobook Canada, MyPublisher, Blurb, Walmart and Picaboo. I would have to say that my favourite is Picaboo, an American company. www.picaboo.com Here is a photo book I made with Picaboo.com about my cat, Kobie. The main reason I like Picaboo is for the deals they offer, ease of use, quality of their books, fast turnaround and fast ma...

Last night we were at a birthday party for Gini who just turned 50. For a joke, some friends had dressed a mannequin to look like her and called it Sarah, after Sarah in the Bible. There is a Norwegian legend that when a woman turns 50, she becomes a wise Sarah with experience, wisdom and insight like the biblical Sarah. It’s true that by the time we’ve reached 50, we’ve learned a lot about life and ourselves. Of course, we still mess up and still get stuck in ways of being that aren’t the best. With the wisdom of experience, we’ve learned to forgive, let go, grow, move on and appreciate what’s important. Today’s blogging topic from Write Tribe’s blogging challenge is to ask a question. I decided on this one. If you could go back in time and tell a younger version of yourself one thing, what would you tell? I would like to give advice from Wise Sarah to my younger self. Wise Sarah says: Don’t worry so much about doing it right. It’s okay to make mi...

Leaves of orange, yellow and red Bright and vibrant overhead, Skies with clouds that change so fast I take lots of photos to make them last, Dogwalks in the woods, no bugs, no heat Only leaves crunching beneath our feet, Cats are cuddly when the weather is cold If you’re chilly, grab a cat to hold, Spooky creatures on Halloween Some of the scariest you’ve ever seen! There are many special things about fall I could go on, but for now that is all! I am writing this "list" on the first day of the week long Write Tribe Blogging Festival. http://writetribe.com/write-a-list/   Based on Darren Rowes, Seven Days to Rediscovering Your Blogging Groove.  http://www.problogger.net/archives/2007/07/16/7-days-to-rediscovering-your-blogging-groove/

Fear takes hold inside my brain Barreling along like a runaway train, Thoughts swirl around inside my head Filling me up with so much dread, Doom and gloom weigh down on me The world is ending, can’t you see? Heavy-hearted and full of doubt How will I ever find my way out? Often fear can become so overwhelming that it’s debilitating and paralyzes us. I have fears of failure and change which often stop me from trying something new just because I’m convinced I’m going to fail. Here is a good article I found that outlines some tips to overcoming fear by taking action. http://tinybuddha.com/blog/5-tips-to-help-you-take-action-to-overcome-your-fear/ Small action steps can help you move towards conquering your fear and gaining confidence.  I know when I push myself through the fear and give it a try, I find it so empowering and I do gain confidence. What fears hold you back from trying new things or doing something you want to do?

When was the last time you wrote or received a letter in the regular mail? In this fast paced distracted electronic age, we all prefer to text, email or Facebook to stay in touch. Why not? It’s easy, fast and cheap. Writing a letter on paper is more time consuming and you have to wait for the letter to go through the mail. Who has time to wait for that? As much as I love instant communication as my Facebook friends know, I do love writing and receiving an actual letter. It’s such a treat and beats the heck out of junk mail and bills. It’s a real pleasure to be able to hold the letter in your hand and read it again and again. Oh, I know you could probably do that with an Ipad or phone but it’s not the same.  There’s something so tactile feeling that smooth paper and seeing that envelope addressed to you with a nice stamp, the letter handwritten or typed on pretty stationary or a special card. When I was a kid, I had lots of penpals around the world. It w...

Laurel Reagan has her weekly gratitude link where people can share their gratitude list.  http://www.alphabetsalad.com/todays-gratitude-list-linkup-49-100-happy-days-day-23/ I truly think this is a great practice to get into. Nothing cures pity parties and negative moods better than taking stock of everything you're grateful for. Thanks, Laurel. I'm grateful for having you as a friend and fellow creative spirit to share with. This week I am grateful for: My bird feeders. Within seconds of putting up the feeders and filling them, my chickadee pals were back again and will be with me through the winter. It's a small little thing but I get such joy out of seeing birds on the feeder and even the annoying squirrel can be amusing to watch. I see he's discovered it, too and Kobie has discovered the squirrel so he finds it entertaining, too. Getting over my dumb cold. Nothing like being sick to make you grateful when you start to feel well again. Playing f...

Today is World Smile Day, the first Friday of the month.  Who knew? I sure didn't, but hey, any excuse to celebrate is fine with me. My cat Kobie knew it was International Smile Day. Here is a photo of him smiling. It’s also Virus Appreciation Day and Techies Day.  Just who decides these days anyhow? I picture a bunch of zany people in a room drinking wine and eating goodies while they dream up ideas for each day of the year.  I can’t wait for Mouldy Cheese day on October 9 th .  They must have been deep into the wine when they dreamed up that one.  Hmm. *Looks in fridge* I’ve started celebrating early for that day already. I’m not kidding, it’s right here, a calendar of special days.  http://holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/index.htm What a fun job thinking up special days! Where do I apply? Actually there is a page here explaining about how to create a day.  http://holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/createad...