Wednesday 31 October 2012

Mid-Week Something...

  I watched my young princes board the bus this morning.  Nothing out of the ordinary in that, but the frenzy of excitement I could see through the fogged up windows was new.  The little bodies that filled the seats in the front watched their boarding eagerly.  Who was boarding the bus next, and how would they entertain us, what sort of excitable magic do these guys have up their sleeves?  
  Each boy carried an extra bag filled with the costumes they would use to transform themselves into something new, someone different, and if their excited energy was an indicator, something much cooler than they are every day.
  As they took the steps to their seats the kids all jumped out of their seats and leaned forward in anticipation.  Again, not their usual daily welcome of indifferent seat-dwellers.  For the kids, today is a day to escape the mundane.  It got me thinking.
  I can have pajama day, hat day, backwards, inside out, beach day, green-yellow-or red day, whenever I want. 

Here's what I'm going to do to break up my everyday mundane and magically transform myself into something new!
  I'm going to go get dressed up now too!  It will not be out of the ordinary, just my running clothes.  But know as I do, I'll be imagining they have transformed me into something really special.  I'll be able to run faster, break records, earn medals.  And when I get home and step up to the podium (which will be my sink and a large glass of lemon water) I'll look out at the crowds (my kitchen window) and take a bow and receive humbly the accolades!

  I can be whoever I want at anytime.....I only need to believe I can!
  There's definitely something magical in the believing!





Monday 29 October 2012

Jackson 5 ABC AC3 Official Video HQ

Monday Monday Monday Monday Monday
   
  I need a jump-start this morning.  I hope this does the trick, because the coffee sure didn't!
If you're feeling like me, pick up your feet, try out a little shuffle and shake it!
I dare you to sit glued to your seat as you pipe this through your speakers......And if somehow you find yourself smiling, singing along, snapping, tapping, or testing out a snazzy spin, don't blame me! Ha...enjoy!

Give Monday a whirl, and have a great day!

Friday 26 October 2012

Here's What I Know 

 It's that time of year again.  The time when everyone and their dog (literally), dress up to have their holiday picture snapped, retouched, and arranged to set their best face forward.
  
  We here in our home have never quite got it together to send out that glossy sheet.  In fact in the fourteen years of wedded bliss and otherwise, we have only had a family picture done once, and even then, though intentions were good, the picture was never sent or blown up to be displayed proudly on our wall.  
  I am great at a lot of things, but when it comes to that sort of thing I am not, so don't wait for that envelope to change hands, or for our best face forward to arrive in the mail.

  Everywhere I've gone this week, Christmas seems to be the topic of conversation.  It's crazy, if I step out onto my front entrance and look left, I can even see a home that is lit for the festivities.  Its attempt is sketchy at best, but lit nonetheless-it's a little much.
Now let me premise that I love the holidays, but for now, it is too soon to take seriously, and to be honest, if I let my mind drift that far into the future, I may just explode.

  Life is just too busy to be preoccupied that far down the line.

  Here's my case and point......
  I went out with my oldest and dearest friend last night.  I love her, I cherish our friendship, and because she likely knows me better than anyone else on the planet, she is able to nurture my spirit like no other living being.  I hope I am in some small way also able to refresh and encourage her. (Cheers, girl, you have my heart!)
  Anyway, we sandwiched the visit in, like a timed race, and I shake my head at this and am embarrassed to admit that, though she only lives 5 miles door to door, we haven't so much as spoken since the start of July.  
  That is just Insane to me.  It also reminds me I need to take better care of the spots in my life that are important to me. 
  And truthfully, like the family picture, I have lofty intentions, somewhere in the shuffle of busyness, those necessary and oh so important spots get lost.  
  They get lost until I feel the explosion on the horizon.  
  When the explosion has passed, and I am reminded of how it was of my own making, how I fed the flame until I was no longer able to contain it, I shake my head and try to sit and reevaluate.
  Evaluating yourself is hard.  And I don't know about you, but I do know that I am my own harshest critic.
  
  Here's what I know....

1~grace is offered to all, we need only accept it and allow it to fill our lives
2~the best friends are those who are always there, but not necessarily always seen
3~when we rush and flit chaotically from one thing to the next, the nuggets of importance are lost in the shuffle
4~saying no isn't a bad thing
5~you only get once chance to do many things, so do them justice by doing well
6~you have to laugh and laugh often to get through the worst 
7~forgiving yourself can be hard, letting go harder, and learning to move on unencumbered often painful...there's that grace thing!
8~there isn't enough time.  But what you do with the time is telling
9~when we take things or people for granted, are we worthy of that gift?
10~everyone's dream is important 

  It may be a lot for a Friday and even more to start the weekend off.  So why not start here.....
  What are your dreams, and what are you doing to achieve them?

Happy Friday!
  

Wednesday 24 October 2012

Frente' Bizarre Love Triangle ln

Good Morning!  And hello, beautiful, happy people! 

 I have never grown tired of this song, or this album for that matter.  Frente was a wonderful escape for me in my youth, and it still does same thing to me today.  I discovered it when I was 16 or 17, so many, many years ago, and it still makes me smile and feel that undeniable flare of innocent youth!
  Does that mean I haven't changed all that much, or does it mean I'm clinging desperately to a few sprinklings of delight only the past can bring?  Whatever the case, I'll fly the flag because it still warms my heart!
  I love this song (in most of its versions), I love her sweet voice, and I love that I remember what I felt like in those long gone awkward days of discovery!
  A song can take you back. It can make a new memory, or it can be an easy way to eat up a few minutes of your life!
  What will it be for you today?

Monday 22 October 2012

Memories for a Monday 

 My favorite time of the day to run is at night, more specifically the late evening when the sky has already darkened.  There are several reasons.  The first is, I think my body and mind are too tired to fight each other and they harmoniously sync themselves into the rhythm of my feet.
  The second is, it's more peaceful.  I will elaborate on this one slightly.  Since I was a young girl I have always loved the night sky.  I can look up and see its endless expanse and in a significant way I understand my place in creation and I feel a reciprocal communion in that.  I love the air at night; it smells and tastes different, and for some odd reason I can breathe much easier.  My mind empties more fully, and new ideas, thoughts, and solutions pour in.
  I don't often have the chance to run at night.  My schedule prefers when I sneak it in in the morning, but the funny thing is I don't love to run in the morning.  But I do love to run in the evening.
  I argued back and forth with myself because it had been a very busy day.  I'm tired-but you should still get out there.  I don't really feel like it-but you will once you get dressed.  My knee hurts-SO...it's still going to hurt after! Ha!
  It was a game, and in the end my running shoes managed to be laced to my feet, my ugly sweats protected me from the chill, and I was layered up and wired up to go!
  
  It was great, it always is.  And I never regret going, that is also something I told myself before I hit the pavement.

  As I ran, I stumbled across a lovely picture I'd like to share!

  I chose to meander last night.  I followed a path where the slope favored my messed up knee, and along the way I passed a school yard.  It was the type of school yard where children run, climb, and squeal with delight in the sunlight hours.
  But this night, there were no delighted children, and the single light that lit the area revealed peaceful tranquility.  The slide was deserted, the climbing wall stood tall and empty, and the swaying bridge was still.  
  The swings, however, were occupied.
   Two backsides faced me.  A girl with a hat that covered long hair that fell down her back sat on the left.  A boy, also in a cap, wearing shorts in spite of the chilled air was next to her.  Their gangly youthful legs pushed them subtly as they hovered above the cool damp pea gravel, but their hands connected them and moved them together back and forth and side to side in unison.  They were looking at each other.  I imagined they were sharing a smile, that perfect sort of smile the moment would have required.
  
  My heart sighed and I outwardly smiled at the sight.  I know I am hopeless, but through my eyes, this picture was so filled with hope!
  My mind began to wander.  Do I remember those days of infatuation, when sitting on swings in the early night hours were vital to my developing friendship, crush, or relationship?
  The simple, sweet moments when the silence of the night became a blanket that wrapped you and your partner into your own world.  The time when words mean more, when emotions are ripe, when courage is emboldened.
  Swinging in your own world.  Walking slowly beneath the gentle glow of a street lamp.  Speaking urgently in hushed voices.  Staring up at the stars and imagining where life will lead.
  Moments in youth that are so sweet, so simple and so free.

  I can pull a lot from a simple picture, and it did dominate my mind for the last half of my run.  My thoughts grew branches that took me back to my past and pushed me into the future.
  Our days spin forward each day.  Day moves into night, and night back into day.  It doesn't stop, that one is sure.  But those two kids had the right idea, and I was blessed to have stumbled across them.
  It doesn't take a lot to make a memory.  One part quiet, two parts intention, two sets of legs to carry you, one place to stop and embrace the time, one hand to share with a willing partner, two sets of eyes to see each other, to really SEE each other and confirm there is no other place you'd rather be.  
  A little effort equals priceless moments that are held on to forever!

  Happy Monday!  
         
  

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Jake Bugg - Lightning Bolt - Jools Holland Live 2012

WhooHoo!

  New music!  Always a great way to start the day!  This one isn't so new anymore, but today it is available in Canada! It's good listening.....check it!

Monday 15 October 2012

It's a New week!  Where will it lead us?

This Weekend's Top Ten

1~sushi and a glass of red wine (maybe an interesting combo, but it's my fav)
2~cheesy dance movies.  I will never grow out of them!
3~the smell of arena, and a heap of sweaty equipment....just kidding, that's disgusting!
4~a driving date with my sweetheart, and modern medical technology
5~visits with an incredible sister
6~tidying the yard for winter = teamwork!
7~really BIG dreams
8~window shopping, grand inspiration, and a whole lot to think about
9~crackling fires, the drone of the lawnmower, giggling boys, smashed snowmen, and a half    pulled apart trampoline
10~the opportunity to help where it's needed

  I still feel like I'm flying high from last week!  I think it's a good sign.  Life was too busy there for a while, and I'll admit I wasn't handling it very well, but I'm feeling back on track.  
  The busy won't ever change, it's just the way it is, this is nothing new!  And though that is the case and each of my top ten was birthed out of the craziness of my schedule, I stopped, enjoyed, and was able to find something to be thankful for!
  Life is good.  
  So Good!

Have a super-great Monday!

Friday 12 October 2012

Ben Howard - Dancing in the Dark (Bruce Springsteen cover)

Perspective

  I mentioned a while ago that I've been thinking about perspective...well, here's what's been dancing around my head.
  I read somewhere, or maybe it was something I saw or heard, but the idea was: how we see ourselves can cage us. 
 Does your own view of yourself lock you up, tie you up with tight strings into the picture of who you ought to be? 

 When you hold up the glass to your own life, does the lens you look through allow you to see all you are, or does it limit and restrict what you see?

  Does this question make you squirm in your seat?  Does it bring to mind scalding words you are painfully aware helped shape what you see? Does it dig up the shame you felt in the face of failure and stop you from spreading your wings in attempt to fly again?  Does it remind you of all the hopes and dreams you had that you long ago abandoned for this, that, and the other thing.
  We've all lived through moments like these, I surely have. Maybe unlike me, you don't think about stuff like this at all.

  I've always been a girl with really big dreams, my head has always been (to some extent) lost in the clouds, and I'm no stranger to wanting to reach out and touch the stars.  I may dream, I may even test the waters conservatively from time to time, but somewhere along my journey I began to believe that they were just dreams, that I wouldn't touch the stars or knock those really big goals off my list.   

  Why does this happen? Or better still, how?

  I'm not the jaded sort, I'm not a negative thinker, I'm not the girl who stays down long when she gets knocked off the horse; far from it actually.  I'm the glass is half full, always look on the bright side, whenever God closes a door - somewhere He opens a window, sort of girl.  So how is it that I could give up on myself before I ever fully explored my potential?

  I'm stuck on that one...but I'm betting I'm not the only one!

  Recently I've begun to evaluate what I see when I take a good look at myself. I've been flipping the pages back to find out exactly when I put myself on a shelf and walked away, when I stopped using my voice, and why it was okay to step back and allow myself to be caged by what I saw, or sadly, by what other people thought I should be.
  Maybe the more important point is that I've come back to the shelf, and I'm dusting myself off.  
  Those dreams are still there.  They may have reshaped themselves, but the big ones are there, and my hope is that I will continue to discover what I've been hiding!
  
  So perspective.  It's a funny thing, and though I have likely way over-thought it, I feel new; a little dusty- (tripping over my own feet), unused, and about to conservatively step out of my cage.
  I feel good.  I feel on the cusp of greatness.  I feel like that moment when the sun peeks over the horizon and a new day and all its beauty is about to burst forth.  That's it, I feel as though I'm about to break out of me, and be who I'm supposed to be.  I don't have it together yet, (and what I see as 'together' today, may be altogether different for tomorrow), but each step, each thought, each moment is a push in the direction of getting me to where I need to be.

Perspective
  
  I've never listened to the words of this song before, in all honesty, I just didn't like it.  So I likely changed the station or skipped over it when it came on....it never spoke to me, and that's ok.
 That's the old me!  I found a new way to hear it.  A new voice, a new arrangement, a different Perspective! I love it now.  I really do, and I hear more in the words than may have been intended.
  A little perspective can do so much to change what you see, what you hear, and how you go about doing what you do!
  Enjoy the view from where you are!  Open your eyes and see things differently, challenge yourself in the dusty corners of your life, clean the lens you look through, find a new spark and leave the cage behind. 

Happy Happy Bright Shiny Friday!!

Tuesday 9 October 2012

Michael Kiwanuka - Bones (Bing Lounge)

  A late and slow start to the week is not feeling like such a bad thing at the moment.  The Thanksgiving long weekend did much to revive and prepare me for another busy week!
Here's a few things I'm thankful for, just in case you haven't grown exhausted with all the sharing!

  I have an amazing husband
  My kids are healthy
  I have a warm house, food in my freezer, and stack of blankets to cuddle up in
  I get to do what I love everyday
  I am surrounded by beautiful people who speak truth into my life almost daily

  It's a lot, and there is so much more that I will continue to give thanks for.
  I'm also loving this past long weekend.  Friends, family, a wedding, a friendly game of cards, chilly fresh air runs, cookies fresh from the oven, and an easy song to perk my ears up and send me into the week on this fine Tuesday morning!

  I don't need a jolt this morning to get me going.  I'm feeling sort of dreamy and like a shorty week is going to cut me some slack in the race at the moment.
  Give this smooth voice a listen!  It makes me feel like I'm floating along on the water at my own leisure!  I hope it sets the tone for your week and has you cruising along until Friday arrives!
  

Friday 5 October 2012

Here's what I know

   I am pretty sure I feel this at the end of each week, but seriously, what a week!!
   It amazes me how much can happen in 5 short days, but then I remind myself that there are 4 of us and that leaves a day each, with the added bonus of a 5th to allow for sneaky surprises, and it all makes a whole lot more sense.
   I'm a planner, so when my head hits the pillow Sunday night, my whole week is scribbled in the calendar, alarms are set to remind me through my phone, and on the counter rests papers layered with lists that will show me how to take care of my 4 people, and everyone else who I can fit in.
   A little crazy, and in desperate need of control?  Probably!  I'm okay with that, I understand that I desire to see our schedule, and though it is relatively flexible, knowing I have a plan gives me perspective; without the plan I know I would be easily overwhelmed with all I expect of myself, and with all everyone requires of me.
  This week threw my whole plan out the window, and sort of stomped all over it, while laughing and rubbing it in my face!
   It was good.  No, it was a great week!  And I learned once again that straying from the plan isn't so bad!

Top Ten (in all it's bizarre randomness)

1~ the stomach flu isn't all bad! I was rewarded with a whole day of cuddles, snuggles, hilarious conversations, and no reason to change out of my pajamas
2~ sometimes forsaking the list actually means accomplishing a whole slew of other important things
3~ my lists don't have power over me, and I won't let them stop me from living a really awesome life.  It's all about the small things after all, and the irony is the small things are the biggest gifts!
4~ family in all its glorious dysfunction is the most beautiful thing! 
5~ righting wrongs and telling the truth can often make you want to puke, but it is vital to growth, and the road less traveled is never dull
6~ my heart may be fickle, but I cannot be accused of not giving my all
7~ I love to learn, I love to learn, um yeah, I love to learn
8~ I can only do what I do.  And oh boy, what I do is crazy important! What I do is necessary, it is needed, it is vital, and I am right where I'm supposed to be, doing exactly what I am called to do! 
9~ waiting is hard, lessons shape character, sharing your heart is like walking on thin ice, loving is easy, acceptance is often a roadblock-and roadblocks are not always what we believe them to be. (vague, I know....but think about it, this is huge stuff)
10~ pizza brings people together, laughter lightens the load, hugs must be cherished, the list will be there tomorrow, a cup of tea can open a door, tears only sting for a while, fear is often healthy-but not a way to live, weather will always be a hot topic, we can't be everything to everyone, and there will always be that person who wants to tear you apart. Love is worth fighting for, and our friendships should build us up and make us better.  We all need to want to be better.

 It may not look like only ten, and you're right, it's not.  I'm okay with that too!  I'll stick with this list as it is, because I had a BIG week, and to take any one of those beautiful things out would be a lie.  

   Enjoy the snow (YIKES), find beauty in it.  Make your own top ten, you might be surprised at how much goodness is in your life, and once you can see that list of goodness, be thankful!

Happy Friday!

Wednesday 3 October 2012

Jesse Ruben - Advice Lyrics

Mid-Week Confessions...

   I've got nothing to reveal this week, unless you haven't already figured out I love words as much as I love an acoustic track.
  Well thank you very much, Jesse Ruben, with this sweet little number I get both!  I stumbled upon this fine young fellow a while ago now, and I find most of his music refreshing, but this one in particular speaks to the deepest bits inside of me.
  If you've ever felt lost, uncertain, or in doubt of yourself, these lovely words are sure to hit a chord with you.  
  This song makes me want to lay outside in the grass on a sunny day, staring up at the clouds so I can ask all the questions that overlap in my head.  I don't need the answers, or expect those clouds to formulate words or pictures above my head to solve all my current mysteries.  Sometimes I just need to speak my truth out loud and set it free, other times I just need to sing like my life depends on it!
  Take a listen, and if you're not as in tune with the acoustic as I am, head over to your favorite music site and check out the album version, take a listen and hit "buy", it's a Good one!

Enjoy!


Monday 1 October 2012

DISAPPOINTMENT

  How do you deal with disappointment?  Do you pick yourself up somewhere in the midst of the freezer aisle as your arms heap with countless carbs and promises of sugary, greasy, cheesy redemption?  Do you browse the racks for that perfect bauble that will indeed sooth your sorrow and cause your neighbors eyes to bulge, because yes, you will make sure they see it.  Do you silently suffer as the world continues to whirl?
  How we as adults deal with disappointment is so different, though the feelings are the same, than the ways of a child.  We have trained ourselves with unhealthy tools to "get through", and sadly so many of our coping mechanisms perpetuate other unhealthy issues.
  Watching a child deal with disappointment is so refreshing.  The sting is visual; it's written in their eyes, on their brave little faces, and in body language that betrays their efforts to brush it off.  

  We've all been there, haven't we?

  The problem is, as a parent we want to keep our kids in a protective bubble as long as possible.  Or at least I do.  I don't want them to toughen up through experience, I don't want that tough shell to be built by lessons of life, or harsh words from a buddy on the playground.  I don't want to see innocence lost or sweet laughter fade.

  We can spin disappointment any which way we please, but at the end of the day, it's still just disappointment and it sucks.  We can prepare ourselves for the fall in every imaginable way, and once the ball has dropped, we can sooth and begin to heal.
  Tears are healthy.  Attitude is essential.
  Failures, if we can toss out that word, defines us so much more clearly than success.  To boast is easy, but to hold your head up and congratulate your neighbor, your friend, or your brother in the midst of your disappointment, is a marker of character.
   I'm preparing my family the best I can, and the only way I know how.  I know there will come a time when I will not be able to wipe the tears away, when this mother's arms will not be chosen.  I dread that day and my heart breaks into pieces just thinking about it, though I know full well it is part of the cycle.  I know I have a short amount of time to build character into my boys.  I'm vividly aware I have a lot of work to put into it, because I understand that disappointment at times are plenty.  I will cherish the moments I'm asked to dry the tears, and I will without shame show them my own.  I will do my best to model for them a character worth of emulating.
  
  If disappointment breeds character into my family, I'll boldly stand up and hold my arms out for all that comes our way.  The cool thing is, we will do it together, because we are a unit, and with each mountain or valley we are chosen to climb, we are not alone.