Monday, in which Wendy is of Churlish Deportment

My master is of churlish disposition,
And little recks to find the way to heaven
By doing deeds of hospitality.
Bill "I never lose my cool" Shakespeare

Yesterday, I was, well, NOT in a good mood.  If I was an adjective I would have been CHURLISH.

My mother used to say that on those days one isn't fit for human consumption.

But the sad reality of course is that even when we are in these moods we are still confronted with our friends and family, at least to a certain extent. 

I am usually a positive person, but I have my moments.  I try not to dwell on them too much, not only for my own sake, but for the sake of friends and family. 

And of course if you read blogs and Facebook you would think that the entire world is having, to quote my lovely Disney benefactor, "a Zippideedooda Day".  Yes, he really did say that....

Well they're not.

Yesterday I was kind of stomping everywhere, at least in my head.  It could have been our umpteenth snow storm.  It could have been that the first outfit I put on was hideous.

It made me rail at myself, since wasn't I the person who'd just written a lovely post on abundance?

But sometimes we don't practice what we preach. 

Sometimes we are jealous of our friend's accomplishments even as we celebrate them. 

Sometimes we look in the mirror and only notice the crow's feet and think "how the hell did that part of my face start to droop so much?" 

Sometimes, we eat too many chocolates and curse our self-control. 

Sometimes we are snappish and snippy and woebegone for no apparent reason.

Sometimes we judge people who we have no business judging.  Sometimes we judge ourselves.

Sometimes, we are just a bitch. 

And then we flog ourselves and when I saw this morning that I lost a blog follower my first thought was "well OF COURSE I lost a blog follower!" because well, I am such a terrible person and all.

Of course I may be the only person in the history of the universe who ever feels that way.... :-)

Or maybe, we are just suffering from what my friend Brian has coined Foreveruary. 

If the latter is the case, then here are some images that I am passing along in the hopes that if there is anyone else out there today feeling slightly grumpy or chubby or under-appreciated or over-worked or whatever, these will help you, too!  All pictures are from my pinterest Awww! category, which I've collected just for days like this...

There, now I feel better!

Anyone else have the February blues? Feeling Melon Collie?  Struggling with the snow, heat, whatever?

I am working hard on finding that abundant feeling this morning....

And I feel much better, truly, having told you about it.  Because sometimes we need our friends to lighten our load and well, I like to be true to you all....

Stay safe (and happy!) out there!

Suck it Christopher....






 

Thinking About Abundance

I don't have digital
I don't have diddle squat
It's not having what you want
It's wanting what you've got
Sheryl Crow

I have been thinking about abundance a LOT since the beginning of the new year.

My friend Janet's post on quieting the wants, which was all about how Janet reminds herself that she mostly already has what she needs, reminded me that I should give a little update.

Like Janet, I have been setting some financial goals, the greatest of which was being content with living on less (until I become a bestselling author!) given that my salary is about to be cut in half beginning in May. 

The happiness I have experienced in the past year as I have pursued my life-long dream of writing convinced me that this was the right path to pursue.  But to pursue it, at least for awhile, is going to require getting by with less.

Source

Lockstep with this need to adjust to a lower income was my own feeling that I was frankly tired of being an enthusiastic  consumer.  Happy events, stressful events, any event were often an excuse to "reward" myself with a "treat". 

What I've really wanted was a peaceful relationship with things, shopping and my money.

I am happy to say that things continue to go very well on this front.  We are more than living within our means. 

But in order to enjoy living with less, I had to look at this trimming of spending here and there as an investment in me, in my financial freedom, and my pursuit of dreams.

I have been practising a lot of gratitude about my life lately and have recently focused that gratitude on my money. 

Like Janet, rather than think I am on a "budget", I have focused instead on what a wonderful life I have, how there is always enough money to pay the bills, how everything is unfolding as it should.

I can say now that when I see lovely clothes on everyone's else's blogs I feel very happy for the person involved, but I no longer feel the need to think that I "need" that too.  And since I have a smaller budget for clothing, I have become incredibly selective about what I buy.  New purchases now have a feeling of special-ness that did not occur before.  How many of us have bought something in the past, hung it up and then thought "what next?"  That's not what I want for myself.  I want to love and celebrate EVERYTHING I bring into my life, from clothing to food to household items, whatever. 

The results has been amazing.  Being so selective so I can easily live within my budget has actually made me feel happier about what I have and far more thankful for everything. 

I have been feeling a lot of gratitude about my upcoming trip to Florida, since so much of it was financed by my dad.  We have decided that we are taking him with us, via his picture on a popsicle stick, so we can get him into a few shots as well.

Well that feeling of abundance about the trip and my feeling of joy has translated into more gifts.  The other day I was working on our spending budget while away for food and sundries.  I was feeling very pleased about it, since it was realistic; not over the top, nor miserly.  I actually said a little prayer of thanks, since it was snowing outside and I was looking forward to the trip south.  We haven't been south for 7 years.

I needed to call Disney to clarify one thing. 

Me being me, I started chatting with the fellow on the phone.  Remember: every part of our trip (save food) was already booked and paid for, so he was selling me nothing.  I just needed him to make a small change for me on the reservation, which he was happy to do.  We chatted away, about my excitement about the trip, about my dad's final gift, about all kinds of things.  At the end of our conversation he said "You know, I have a special pin I can apply to people's stays once or twice a day.  How would you like it if all of your meals for all 5 of you were included in your stay?

Like it?  I could have cried.  For 5 people, this was probably the equivalent of saving $800-$1000. 

A coincidence that my gratitude, my feeling of abundance created more abundance?  Perhaps. 

I told the fellow that I was chatting with that he and my father had been our angels for this trip and what a gift he had given us.  He asked me to put my pictures of "Bud at Disney" on the Disney World You Tube channel afterwards so he could see them, which I promised I would.

Since I have begun to look at my life as being full of abundance, seeing the glass half full, and given thanks for all that I have, I have not only been happier, but I seem to attract what I need when I need it.  And I am trying to do the same for others who reach out to me.

I read recently that if the only prayer you ever say in your life is "thank you", that is enough.  Since saying thank you doesn't have any religious connotations, I feel pretty safe in saying that here!

The thing of it is, there is always someone who has more.  And less.  I want to be the someone who is happy with what they have...

Don't have no master suite
But I'm still the king of me
You have a fancy ride, but baby
I'm the one who has the key

Sheryl Crow

So thank you Janet for reminding me to share this story and to continue on this path of being grateful and remembering that I am much more than my stuff, nice as it may be.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and I will be sending happy thoughts your way, as well as thoughts of caring for those of you who I know are going through stuff in your life.

Stay safe out there!

Miller Time Friday: Happy Valentine's Day!

Oh the Weather outside is frightful....

whoops, wrong holiday...

Never mind, it's Valentine's Day, which means that it is 29 years ago tonight that Barry and I had our first date.  We went to a jazz night at the UNB Faculty Club, which seems funny now, as we weren't faculty...

scene of crime...

Well luck favours the brave and we have been together ever since...

This will be a quiet year.  Between the storm and the upcoming trip, we deemed it best to make a nice meal at home (quail), have some nice wine and some good chocolates.  You can't complain about that!

A little poetry doesn't hurt on Valentine's Day and we might as well go to the gold standard, old Will himself...

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate;

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;

Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,  

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee

I plan to don a little red, a little pink and the new scarf Barry just gave me that is stamped with little hearts.  Oh and Dani - you will be pleased to know I have irish cream filled chocolates - I know you are writing prescriptions for the like these days, Dr. B-P.

You needn't be in a couple to celebrate the day.  Some of the greatest loves of my life are my family and friends and of course myself!  We all have to love and honour ourselves, don't we?

So Happy Valentine's Day to you all, dear friends, with a special shout-out to my Valentine, Barry - Love you!

Oh and Indy wishes you a happy day as well...

In honour of Valentine's Day, we really must have a drink...

Besame (Kiss Me)

2 lime wedges
5-6 raspberries
1 ½ oz. Agavero
Passion fruit juice
Chambord
Garnish: rock candy swizzle stick

Muddle limes and raspberries in a highball glass, add Agavero and top off with passion fruit juice. Add a splash of Chambord, pour mix into a shaker filled with ice. Shake well, strain back into the highball glass, and garnish with a rock candy swizzle stick.

 

Have a LOVE-ly day and stay safe out there!

 

It's not all about the medals, though they are nice...

Happy Thursday!


I admit to being an Olympic fan and have been enjoying these games, despite my initial ambiguity.

That said, I can't help but share the following tribute that Buzzfeed put up about Canada this morning:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/tanyachen/heartwarming-ways-canada-has-already-won-the-winter-olymp


Yes, we're Canada.  And yes, we like being nice....


Oh and completely off topic, I saw the Jason Wu/Hugo Boss show last night and swooned when I saw this:

I love him...

The clothes were good too, especially this dress:

and this one:

Now I just need a book launch to wear something like this to!

Have a great day!  Stay safe out there!

Valentine's Style Wednesday - Red Boots

Red sails in the sunset, way out on the sea}
Oh, carry my loved one home safely to me
{She sailed at the dawning, all day I've been blue}
Red sails in the sunset, I'm trusting in you

It will surprise none of you that the dial on my satellite radio is set to 40s on 4.  I could listen to that channel all day and all night long.  The only time it is off is Friday or Saturday night when it is switched to 70s on 7 or 80s on 8 or to my iPod.

Whenever I hear the dulcet tones of Bing Crosby singing the song above, I can't help but think of the great red love of my life: my old red patent Aquatalia Volt boots:

above is what they looked like on the day I bought them.

They are a little more raggedy 7 years later..

Ready for a cleaning...

These are lucky boots.  I used to wear them to big meetings or to the legislature when I had to defend budgetary accounts.  When I've worn them in NYC, people have stopped me on the street to tell me how much they love them.

They have the ability to elevate an otherwise sedate outfit to one that is playful.

For example:

 Yesterday I put on my cashmere t, my Pink Tartan cardigan, a small string of pearls and my black cable knit skirt.  Sedate.  Could border on Mumsy.

Add red boots and suddenly it has a little cheekiness to it. 

I plan to wear these a lot this week given that it is Valentine's Day.  But mostly, I plan to wear them a lot because I could use some cute kick-ass.

How about you - anything in your closet that when you put it on elevates the outfit to a different level?  Would love to hear about it!

Now I just need a pair of high white leather boots like those toots wore at the opening ceremonies in Sochi....

Have a great Wednesday and stay safe out there!

 

Random Tuesday stuff - Sailing Off on the Good Ship Lollipop

This is one of my stream of consciousness posts....

Shirley Temple has died at age 85. 

Probably the most famous child star of all-time, she was washed up at 12, but went on to have a successful diplomatic career.  Years ago, I read her autobiography, Child Star, and while I found it an interesting read, it lacked some excitement, save the fact that her parents frittered away her considerable fortune.

She was credited by FDR as raising the US's morale during The Great Depression and of this I have no doubt.  It made me think of who got us through the 2008 economic downturn.  The top-grossing film of 2008 was The Dark Knight, which means that Heath Ledger got us through.  Decidedly darker, but I can live with that.


Whenever I think of Shirley I think of my beloved Aunt Betty, who was three years older than Shirley and had an original Shirley Temple doll. 

When I was very young, I loved Shirley's movies, precocious tyke that I was.  Though not, I think, true at all to the original book, I loved her in Heidi.  But then, I loved anything Heidi and even as I write this I think I need to get me to Switzerland ASAP!

Thank you Shirley for entertaining so many of us so well.  I imagine you like Frodo, slipping off on the Good Ship Lollipop.....

I finally saw The Dallas Buyers Club on the weekend.

It was amazing as were Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto. 

But it was unsettling how scary thin these two men made themselves to play this role.

This is method acting in the extreme and you would think with all the special effects in their arsenal Hollywood could figure this one out...  I read an interview with Tom Hanks, whose doctors blame his yoyo dieting for various parts as partially responsible for his Type II diabetes. 

Olympics

I am in Olympics fever and watching every night and usually around lunch time when the finals are on.  After many years of doing poorly, Canada has finally begun to invest in its fine athletes and we are doing really well and it is nicer to do really well than really poorly I have to say.

My favourite moment thus far?  Our golden boy Alex Bilodeau, who won gold yesterday in moguls, just like he did in 2010 in Vancouver, embracing his brother Frederic, who has Cerebral Palsy!

I watched the interview with Alex last night where he said he always felt he needed to push himself harder, because Frederic, who is physically, not cognitively, disabled, can never do those kind of things.  Whenever he feels tired or overwhelmed he reminds himself how much Frederic would give to have the same opportunities.  I'm not going to lie - I had a couple of tears going down my face at that one!

And have just woken up to more gold.  Go Team Canada!!!!

Have a great day and stay safe out there!


 

Book Review: Paris Letters

Yesterday I was supposed to be doing some re-organizing.  I did not get to it.

Instead, I had read somewhere about the recent release of a new book by a Canadian ex-pat living in Paris, Janice MacLeod (no relation - well not recently anyhow!), whose Paris Letters had me sitting on the couch with a cup of tea all afternoon.

I am a sucker for all things Paris.

I am a sucker for all things "running away from a life you hate to build a life you love doing what you love elsewhere".

I am a sucker for a love story.

Oh and I am a sucker for Canadians!

This has all four in spades and is well written and entertaining. 

The premise is simple.  Unhappy single copywriter decides to learn to live with less so she can save up enough money to quit her unsatisfying job to travel for awhile.  Her tips for saving are actually good ideas and excellent fodder for those of us attempting to lead simpler lives.

But then she boards the plan for Europe and things begin to happen.  No I am not going to give any spoilers away, don't worry.  The book is reminiscent in a way of Eat, Pray, Love, but is uniquely its own story.

There is a charm to this book which is just lovely, aided by the Paris Letters themselves, illuminated treasures that are the key to Janice's new, independent life.

I bought my copy on kindle but will be ordering a "real" copy as I want to have the pictures in my hot little hands.

What's up today?  I'm editing book #2, having lunch with a good friend at my favourite Greek restaurant and then I really must get to that straightening...  It is only 16 days till we go away and suddenly, it seems there is a LOT to do...

And oh yeah: I REALLY want to go back to Paris soon...

Happy Monday and have a safe day out there!