Monday 29 April 2013

Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition (Directors Cut)

Hello and Good Morning!

  Did the sun perk you up this weekend?  I hope so.  There is something so sweet about those first sunshiny days of spring!

  Anyway.  This one sounds like sunshiny days to me.  Roll down your windows, turn up the volume and let your hair spin in the breeze!  
 I hope this starts your week off right!



Friday 26 April 2013

Hello all you Beautiful people around the world!!

  How are ya today?  I don't know about you, but I feel like singing.....Oh, Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr. Golden Sun, please shine down on me!!

  I can see most of the grass in my yard this morning, it's a very, very good thing!  It's calling me to head out and take advantage in the opportunity to force some deep breaths of the fresh air into my lungs.
  How about you?  What's calling out to you after this week?
  As usual, it was a busy, busy week here.  It is almost funny how when your schedule doesn't seem flexible there is always a curve ball thrown into the mix.  This week in our home it's been a nasty sinus cold hitting two out of the four of us.  Then after bedtime on Wednesday night, another boy broke out in spontaneous vomiting.   Ahhhhh, the life.  
  Anyway, we'll make it through and we'll wash, rinse, and repeat next week!

  Favorite Things

1~ Girl friends.  Is there anything more that needs to be said?  Because I could go on, and 
     on, and on!  Where would I be without the laughter, the tears, and the understanding
     that can only come from the women in my life?  I know where I would be-lost.  I have
     been overwhelmed with your presence in my life this week!
2~ This one may seem a little too weird and self-indulgent, but why not!  My imaginary
      friends.  Thank you for coming to life in my imagination, for being fantastic, and for 
      giving my dreams wings and setting my heart on fire.
3~ The boys of summer....baseball is back and I'm loving it.  Hockey, and whomever parted
      with their Jets tickets last night, allowing me to plunk myself in a very good seat.  I 
      love the Montreal Canadiens, and their win last night didn't hurt my feelings, plus my 
      spilly neighbor was entertaining.
4~ Running outside and not freezing.
5~ Have I mentioned before how fantastic my sweetheart is?  Well, he is!  He has supported
     me and been my champion in the moments that count.  Thank you for being my biggest 
     fan this week! xoxoxoxoxox
6~ I'm humbled by the many of you who visit this page weekly.  Astounded actually,
     and so unbelievably grateful that I have found a home to place my thoughts. 
  
  The weekend is here!  Throw on some happy tunes and dig up your dancing shoes!  I hope to spend as many moments as possible outside in the next few days.  The boys are anxious to get the trampoline set up, I want to wash the windows, and well, the sunshine needs me to bask and delight in its glow!
  
Happy Friday everyone!
  

  
    

Wednesday 24 April 2013

Sara Bareilles - Brave (Lyric Video)


  I confess, I am a fan.  A Big One!!   
  
Here's the story:
  I discovered this artist on the day her album Little Voice was released.  I chose one song randomly off the album to sample and, by the end of the 30 second clip, I was captured, I listened to little else for months, much to the likely annoyance of my husband and anyone who spent any amount of time with me. 
  Timing is everything, right?  Well for me, most often it is.  I was going through some stuff and the lyrics on this album reintroduced me to myself.  The words from Little Voice worked in me.  I heard my own little voice emerging....it scared the crap out of me, yet I held on and followed one small step in front of the other.
  I made a list not long after.  It was a list of all the things I wanted to do, including many of the things I was afraid of.  I began meticulously seeking opportunities to tear this list apart.  It included small things such as learning to ride a horse, taking french lessons, going back to school, playing the guitar well.  You get the idea.  Then there are the big ones, like jumping out of an airplane (which I have not done and have decided I probably don't really want to!), going to Wimbledon, writing a book, and sorting out where exactly I belong.  (I know my list is all over the place, and these examples only touch briefly on the rest, but why not, right?)
  So fast forward, yikes, a hand full of years.
  I've wanted to be a writer since I was 16, likely even before that.  I didn't know if anything I could ever conjure would turn into anything, but my mind was always active, and for a long time I didn't realize that I did have all these jumbled pieces in my head that were scenes from stories.  I thought I was simply a daydreamer, which I very surely am.  But one day I said it out loud.  I want to write a book, and that was it.   
  I didn't know if it would come to anything, but I kept at it.  And in all honesty, though my first attempt still holds a close and soft spot in my heart, it lacked a lot. 
  You want to know something though? I didn't care.  I wrote a book!
  It got easier after that, and I know I can't stop now.
  Yet when I thought about letting real people read my real work.  Wow, panic.  Or sending my work away, again I was faced with new fears.
  But I did it, and I continue to send away my work.

  Even these words on this page were frightening when I started creating them months ago.  I will also confess that each week before I hit publish, I feel a wave or tremor pass through me.  Should I do it?  What will people say?  Do I really want to share the real me with anyone?  Am I actually saying anything that anyone really wants to hear?  Or worst of all, have I lost my mind?
  The answer I came up with was, does it matter to me?  Heck ya!  It matters to me, so I had better do something about it if I was going to be honest and true to myself.
  So long story short, I put myself out there.....time after time, because I want to be brave.

 What does brave look like to you?  

 Thank you Sara Bareilles for grabbing brave by the wings on which it flies and sharing it with us!

  Take a listen all you beauties!  

Friday 19 April 2013

 A Messy State of Emotion

 I've always loved this, even when my spirit worked arduously to deny the hopeless romantic that I so obviously am (and believe me, I worked hard to deny it for longer than I care to admit, and continue to struggle to acknowledge it).  So because this is a relatively safe place for me to hold tightly to my romantic nature, I'm sharing with you, my favorite anonymous friends, pieces of my heart.

  In these words my heart is stirred, saddened, warmed and propelled to yearning for the same deep desire which is more than affection, simpler than love, and so obviously entangled with the messy state we call emotion.

Choice

I'd rather have the thought of you
To hold against my heart,
My spirit to be taught of you
With west winds blowing,
Than all the warm caresses 
Of another love's bestowing,
Or all the glories of the world
In which you had no part.

I'd rather have the theme of you
To thread my nights and days,
I'd rather have the dream of you
With faint stars glowing,
I'd rather have the want of you,
The rich, elusive taunt of you
Forever and forever and forever unconfessed
Than claim the alien comfort
Of any other's breast.

O lover! O my lover,
That this should come to me!
I'd rather have the hope of you,
Ah, Love, I'd rather grope for you
Within the great abyss
Than claim another's kiss-
Alone I'd rather go my way
Throughout eternity.

              ~Angela Morgan~


  Ahh.  Yes, there you have it folks, a piece of my heart.  Read what you will into it, ponder or throw it away!  It's your choice, and that is a piece of why and what makes it beautiful!
  What I know for certain is that in a few short hours the weekend will be here and there is always something special about a Friday night!  Are you on the cusp of falling in love?  Will you see it as a choice when you do or throw all caution to the sea and dive right in?
  Whether a cynic, a realist, an idealist, or a romantic, I wish you the best weekend of your life!  Hug the ones you love, hold them tight, make sure they know they are special (there's no hidden agenda behind that, it's just good common sense)!

Cheers to the weekend folks!!

Monday 15 April 2013

Nina Nesbitt - Stay Out

Happy Monday!!

  Here's something happy, young, and fun!  Let's start the week with a hop in our step and a happy tune that will easily let us coast through the day!

  Enjoy and as always head over to your favorite music site and buy buy buy this track!  Then get off your seat and move your feet!

See ya later!

Friday 12 April 2013

Here's What I Know 

  The buzz on the street here is how everyone is anxious and not necessarily so happily waiting on what appears to be an ambivalent Spring.  
  Are you feeling that too?
  It's not feeling like sunshiny warmth will envelope us any time soon, unfortunately.  As I look out my back window there is at least a full foot of snow, in places more, covering my lawn.  There are signs though.  The water is running off rooftops and down the streets.  Plus each morning the sun wakes me just a minute or two sooner, and later in the day the sun is reluctant to sink below the horizon before its squeezed out every last breath of the day.
  Spring is here, our expectations are just needing a tweak here and there.
  My boys have the right idea.  For over a week now they've raced off the bus, grabbing their snack, only to head back outside to embrace the chilly afternoon.  They've been playing baseball, riding their scooters, shooting hoops, and exploring the parts of the yard where the snow has been trampled into an icy sheet of shimmering slipperiness!
  They don't grumble about the forecast, curse the wind, or turn their back on the great outdoors.  No siree, they pull on a toque and head outside, because there is something to experience and, in all their innocent eager acceptance, they want to be a part of it!

Top Ten

1~ the sound of a baseball thumping against the garage door
2~ giggles drifting in the open windows
3~muddy splattered running pants, because it shows me I not only worked hard on my run,
     but I also took a minute to delight in the puddles (or simply couldn't miss them all)
4~ early morning sunshine and later evening light
5~ seeing the runners come out of their treadmill caves and return to the pavements
6~ watching families take advantage of the extra sunlight by enjoying an evening walk
7~ tossing out the winter's torn up mittens
8~ swapping out winter boots for rubber boots, and of course, jumping in the puddles
9~ the scent in the air is inviting; encouraging the world around us to wake up
10~ waiting patiently, altering expectations and, with a happy heart, watching the age old
        promise of Spring come to life around me

  There are a lot of things we can change, and now and then, like the arrival of Spring, a few that are beyond our control.  So why fuss, fret, and walk around grumbling about it. 
  Take pleasure in the small things, remember what it was like to be a kid and feel the joy of anticipation instead of the impatience of waiting for tomorrow!

Enjoy the weekend folks!  
Take a moment to savor and be thankful for the small things!

Monday 8 April 2013

Luke Sital-Singh - Bottled Up Tight

Morning! 

 I think by now if you know only one thing about me, it would be that I love words.  Well here is a combination that makes my heart pump faster and forces a lump to my throat.
  Here is a Monday morning delight for you, my favorite anonymous friends!!

Bottled Up Tight - Luke Sital-Singh

  I may be loose, I'm not a cannon
  I can be quiet saying my name,
  There are the ways, where is the balance,
  Maybe everyone's to blame.
  
  My heart and my mind have been with me always, 
  But not long enough to keep them in line,
  I know that my mind has both good and bad days,
  But my heart wins every time.

  I feel a fire, I see a flame, send me a light
 Bring me desire, bottled up tight.
 Like caging the ocean, dousing the sun,
 Download the sky, 
 Bring me emotion, bottled up tight.
  
  I count when I can the people who walk by,
  Imagine their part crossing with mine,
  And maybe it's true or part of a blood line,
  We walk like we're pretty much blind.

  I feel a fire, I see a flame, send me a light
 Bring me desire, bottled up tight.
 Like caging the ocean, dousing the sun,
 Download the sky, 
 Bring me emotion, bottled up tight.

  I feel a fire, bring me desire,
  I feel a fire, bottled up tight
  Like caging the ocean, your flame my emotion
  Give me devotion, bottled up tight.
  
    This beautiful piece of work will be available to purchase in Canada next week.  While you're thumbing through his work Fail For You would also be a beautiful addition to your library.

  Enjoy your Monday!

Wednesday 3 April 2013

Mid-Week Confessions or Deep Thoughts?...
Robert Frost, The Alchemist, and a dear friend

  A girlfriend recommended a book to me months ago, and as an avid reader I couldn't deny the intrigue the suggestion stirred in me.  I had plucked the book from numerous shelves, but being distracted by so many others I always returned it to its home.  I guess in the grand scheme of things the timing for me and those pages hadn't come to be, yet!
  Let me first tell you a bit about her......she is fantastic.  The type of friend who, regardless of the time spent apart, the years between visits, the months between Skype sessions, or the adventures her life takes her on, always remains the same.
  She has had many noteworthy adventures over the past few years that could easily pad her mind with pretension, elevate her to varying levels of status, or have her turning her nose up  and away from this old friend.  But no, that's not her, and to me, though I respect and admire the way she tackles everything that comes her way, to me she is the same young girl who I got to see a small chunk of the world with, carrying only a backpack as I shared parts of my heart no one else would ever listen to.
  You get the idea at this point, she is special.
  This book is as well.  It was what I needed in the exact moment.  It spoke to my heart, stirred me to the edge of my comfort zone, and challenged me to dig deep, to look beyond what I could see, and to address the fears that had lived inside of me too long.  Surprisingly, it even brought about one or two deep belly laughs (I'm awful fond of the laughing, so this was not only a pleasant surprise but an added characteristic to rave about).   
  The book itself didn't change my life, but where I will give credit is to the Small Voice that used the words on the pages to push me.  It pushed me where I needed to go, where my dizzy over-thinking mind needed prompting and where my hands and feet needed to be sent into action.  I was in action before I cracked the spine, don't get me wrong, I was not an unwilling participant, I jumped in ready to face my fears.  However, it firmed up in me the lessons I already knew and understood.
  Can a book push you down a new path, towards your dreams, out on the ledge where, let me tell you if the past few months have been any sort of indicator, life is terrifying and filled with moments of utter loneliness and overwhelming uncertainty?
  Maybe.  
  Maybe not.  
  That's not something I can answer for anyone apart from myself and to give a simple story all the credit would be blasphemous.

  What I am more than certain of and will forever be benefited by has been the process of this journey I'm on.
  I've stepped off that ledge.  My wings haven't yet grown strong enough to hold my weight, but the thing is it doesn't really matter, each day I grow stronger and can see a few feet further.  And the best part is I'm not alone.  
  When you make changes you shake loose the chaff and solidify the sinews that support you, hold you up, and carry you when you feel yourself flagging.

  If you get no further into the pages than the Introduction and the Prologue, I hope you are challenged, because that's what it's about.  
  Are you staring challenge in the face?  Avoiding conflict or the mere idea of setting your feet down a new path?  
  You've heard it before, that trusty and beloved Robert Frost poem; 
        I shall be telling this with a sigh 
        Somewhere ages and ages hence:
        Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
        I took the one less traveled by,
         And that has made all the difference.


  P.S.  Thank you, beautiful old friend, you are always an encouragement, something that is often rare yet oh so special in this mad, mad world where at every turn someone is anxiously waiting to tear you down!

Monday 1 April 2013

Kodaline High Hopes (BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge 23/01/2013)

High Hopes, indeed.

    I'm feeling sort of somber and contemplative at the moment, it's been a few days of this quieter mood that has inserted itself into my mind.  I think it is necessary to embrace these feelings, not only to recharge from the past few months of hectic scheduling, but also to reflect on the moments that were quickly passed over during that time, as well as to prepare for the season that is fast approaching.
  I'm not generally a fan of the "it's only a season" reasoning.  I believe in the principle of the saying, however, when you're in the midst of said season, knowing it will pass at some point is of little comfort.  I want to be that person that is able to embrace the moment and not relegate circumstances into a neat column called this too shall pass.
  I'm not very good at this last part; the embracing the moment bit, but I'm working on it.  That's right, I'm a work in progress.  I have a list (go figure) of things I want to do, proclaim, and accomplish, but I'm not so sure when, how, or if I will ever be able to stroke these things from this notorious list of mine.  I guess the point I'm more or less trying to make is that I'm not quite where I'm not quite there yet, but for the moment, I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be!!

  I have to mention, today is a special day!  My son took his first breaths at 7:29 ten years ago.  I can't believe it.....10.  So crazy!!  He changed our life, opened up our eyes to a new and crazy world, and he has brought more love than thought possible.  
  Happy Birthday, my dear, sweet, handsome, young prince!!  It's birthday brownies for supper tonight!

  So I've been on a Kodaline kick the last little bit.  Let's start your week with something smooth and, because I'm in the mood, contemplative or reflective...however you want to look at it.  
  It's not available in Canada yet but, fingers crossed, it will be soon.

Happy Monday!  Enjoy