Cattitude and Gratitude

Are the starlings driving you crazy? Being so annoying, so rude and lazy, They love to squabble and act so greedy Incredibly pushy and oh, so needy, Don’t let the starlings get you down Mr. Cardinal is back in town, Annoying starlings don’t bother him He just laughs from the evergreen limb, Bright and colourful, chirping with glee He sings his song from the top of the tree, Always positive and always happy Looking so dapper, sharp and snappy, His cheerful presence makes me glow He lifts me up when I’m feeling low, It’s a lucky day when he drops by He makes me feel like I could fly! So chase those pesky starlings away! And have a Lucky Cardinal Day!

Are You an Artist? Do I have to make artwork that dazzles the masses? Do I have to pay money and take lots of classes? Do I have to sell art for a very large sum? Do I have to wear black and be totally glum? Do I have to suffer terribly in order to create? Do I have to have a big ego and think I’m great? Do I have to network, see and be seen? Do I have to act like a Drama Queen? Don’t worry and stress, it’s never too late To be an artist, I just have to CREATE ! I am writing this in response to the prompt  at Write Tribe  for Monday Musings - Are You an Artist? Are You an Artist?

I thought the idea of eating more chocolate and drinking more coffee might pique your interest about my resolutions. Did it work? Hope so! ;) Seeing the word “resolutions” is intimidating to read on the page and even harder to put into practice.  At least I’ve taken the first step by writing down what I’d like to achieve which is often the hardest part of all. If you don’t know what you want, you sure won’t achieve it. This year I want to take my writing more seriously with goals and deadlines as I have so many writing projects in various states of completion. I have tons of short stories and some unfinished novels that beg to be revived again. The main problem is I can never decide what project I want to work on.  Which one is most important to me?  Just the prospect of having to decide makes me procrastinate further. Usually I do what I always do and start something new which makes for even more unfinished projects. Or I drink coffee and eat choco...

I wrote this short story of 300 words in response to the sentence prompt at Blog-A-Rhythm of "What is it that I really want to say?" Wordy Wednesday at BAR Love this new badge Sid designed to inspire us further. “What is it that I really want to say?” Brendan held his pen poised above the heavily scrawled paper. “Who’s the mystery girl?” his best friend, Maddy asked. “It better not be that awful Janessa you went out with last term. She’s so not worth it.”  “No, it’s not. She only wanted me to drive her around and pay for stuff,” Brendan said making a face. The librarian glared and put her finger to her lips. “Forget the letter. Tell her how you feel in person,” whispered Maddy. “I’m confused,” he said, his voice breaking. He ripped the paper up and threw the pieces into the library’s recycling bin. Running off, he disappeared into the crowd before Maddy could catch up. A few hours later, Maddy found him sitting on a swing at the playground ...

My family has a band made up of me on flute, my husband on bass clarinet, one son on tenor sax and the other on drums. We play music at the Presbyterian church we attend every third Sunday.  Our church congregation are a traditional, conservative bunch, not known for displaying too much emotion and often I assume that no one cares much if we play or not. Yesterday I was at a funeral for one of the members. A woman came up to me and told me how much she loves to see my sons perform and how the music just pours out of us. She always looks forward to the Sundays when we are performing and how much our music means to her. Her appreciation for our music reminded me that even small actions can have a big impact. It also reminded me that if someone does make a difference, it’s important to thank them and show your appreciation. Never assume that people know already as often they’re like me and don’t think that these small actions are a big deal. Never underestim...

I can sure relate to this cartoon as I'm sure you can, too. How many of us feel that way when we set out to do anything creative?  There is that initial surge of enthusiasm and energy when we try to get our wonderful idea out of our head and visualize it, whether it's a drawing, painting, acting, writing or music.  The hard part is when the inner critic (or Abuse as she's called in Hilary Price's cute cartoon) arrives and starts to poke holes in it telling us how bad it is.  It certainly isn't made any easier when we have people being indifferent or critical about our great idea. All of a sudden, self doubt sets in and all that enthusiasm vanishes. Maybe it was a crummy idea and why bother? How do we overcome all this negativity and persevere? That's the challenge of the creative person and one well worth tackling.  I think we have to remember why we're being creative in the first place. If people like your work or you make money from it, that...

Today I will confront my demons and fears The ones that have plagued me for many years, Telling me that my artwork is bad Making me feel incredibly sad, You’re not good enough, Cat, so you’d better quit Do something else that’s a better fit, Get a real job that pays real cash Toss that artwork in the trash, Why do I listen to that annoying voice? After all, it’s entirely my choice, The inner critic is harsh and cruel Giving in to him is like giving him fuel, It’s all just a story I’ve been telling for years One plagued with doubts and so many fears, I won’t let the inner critic have his way I’ll rewrite the story, starting today!

I wrote this story for the Wordy Wednesday challenge over at Blog-A-Rhythm using the phrase "Never-ending winter" that I provided for this week's phrase. Gee, I don't know where I got that inspiration! Look at our cool new badge for Blog-A-Rhythm designed by Sid Balachandron.  I am proud to be part of the fun and supportive blogging group, Blog-A-Rhythm  headed by Shailaja Vishwanath.  Blog-A-Rhythm Thanks for all you're doing to make it such a fun group, Shailaja! 300 words  Lisa wrenched the frozen car door open and tried to avoid the vicious wind. Mundane Monday mornings were hard enough but when it was a dark and stormy January in Canada, they were agony. She put the key in the ignition. The motor turned over once, gave a few feeble sputters and died. “I hate never-ending winter!” Lisa cried, her breath coming out in puffs that fogged up the windshield. She got out of the car and returned to the house. The car keys sl...

I am linking up to Laurel Reagan's Gratitude Link for the week on her Alphabet Salad Blog.  Laurel's Gratitude List  Why not add your list, too? I think in these troubled times, it's even more important to be grateful for everything we have as you just never know what tomorrow will bring. I am grateful for longer days and moments of sun I am grateful when I get my blog posts done, I’m grateful for friends both near and far Thanks to you all wherever you are! I’m grateful for my furry friends with paws They still love me in spite of my flaws I’m grateful that I saw the cardinals on the snow I wish they’d come more often to say hello, I’m grateful for winter, a time to ponder A time to reflect, a time to wonder I’m grateful to be alive for another day There isn’t much more that I can say!

It’s hard to stay upbeat during the dark cold days of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Up here in Canada, it can be especially harsh as the frigid winter days drag on and we know there will be no relief until the end of April.  It’s difficult not to get a bit depressed and succumb to bad habits of being a couch potato watching lame chick flicks, drinking too much coffee, baking and eating too much comfort food. Not that I do that of course! *looks away and whistles* This is a month we have to work extra hard to keep our mood positive and optimistic and not succumb to those dreaded January doldrums. The excitement, lights and colour of Christmas have passed and January seems very bland in comparison.  Even the novelty of the new year starting with all its possibilities starts to wear a bit thin if you feel you’re not keeping up on all your goals and resolutions. I imagine in other parts of the Northern Hemisphere it can be dull and grey with lots of rain whic...

Did you know that January 10 th is Peculiar People Day?  Peculiar People Day   You do have to wonder how they come up with these unusual days but this is a fun one for a drab winter's day in January so why not? Are you a Peculiar Person or do you know someone who is? I like to think I’m peculiar and unique as we all do. However, I’m pretty conservative and not as peculiar as some eccentric types who like to draw attention to themselves. Let’s celebrate being peculiar today. It beats the heck out of being normal which is downright dull. Peculiar People are everywhere All you have to do is look, What about that guy with spiky green hair Or that girl always reading a book, One guy rides his bike in winter weather Peculiar and dangerous, too, Or what about that girl who wears all that leather? Or the one who paints stripes on her shoe, Did you see the guy walk backwards down the hall Now that’s peculiar and weird, Or what abo...

I first heard about Blog Delurking Week on my blogging friend Laurel Reagan  Laurel's blog  Alphabet Salad  and then from my other blogging friend, Shailaja Vishwanath  Shailaja's blog  The Moving Quill. Of course I had to come up with my own post on this topic. Can't let them have all the fun! (This badge was created by   Melissa , and she has kindly given permission to use it to anyone who wants to do their own International Blog Delurking Week 2015 post.) I am so lucky to have wonderful blogging friends like Laurel and Shailaja who share the ups and downs with me on this writing journey.  We all appreciate the time, effort and creativity that goes into writing a post. It takes work but it’s definitely a labour of love, right, gals? I know folks are busy and it’s often hard to find time to leave a comment on a blog. It does mean a lot to bloggers though. We work hard on our posts and like to share them with our readers. Often it ...

I am writing this for the Wordy Wednesday word prompt of "Rainbow" at Blog-A-Rhythm. “Isn’t it magical? It’s our lucky day,” Judy pointed at a rainbow, its bright profusion of colours hanging like a magnificent banner in the sky. “What nonsense. No such thing as luck. Besides, a rainbow is only sunlight going through raindrops, creating prisms that break the white light into a spectrum of colours,” Frank explained in his boring know-it-all tone. What was Judy thinking when she agreed to go on this dud of a date that her sister set up? Was she that desperate? Frank was an absolute bore. “Well, would you look at the time? I must be going,” Judy said looking at her watch. “Thanks for the date, Frank.” Maybe she could salvage the evening with a chick flick and some chocolate ice cream. Even waxing her legs would be a treat compared to this. She ran off and collided with a handsome man gazing up at the sky. “I am sorry,” he apologized. “I was looking ...

I’ve been trying to pick just one word as a theme to start the new year off right as many other blogging friends have been doing. It’s sure not as easy as it seems. I could pick GRATITUDE or POSITIVE  or CREATIVE but I’ve been working on those for years already. I try to live with daily gratitude and stay positive even on difficult days. I seek out positive quotes and affirmations and subscribe to several newsletters. I try and be creative daily with my many projects in writing, music, photography or artwork. I tend to be somewhat cautious and passive at times, a true introvert who enjoys observing the world around me. I remember when I was a kid feeling like I was invisible as if I was watching a movie. I tended to forget that I was in the starring role of my own movie and could change the script, the setting and the theme by my actions and attitude. I’ve been thinking that rather than one word, a good phrase would be TAKE ACTION WITH PASSION AND PURPOSE. Each...