Fantastic Things

While it was an okay writing day for me personally, it was a great writing day for me to observe ideas and writers.

I took a notebook downstairs and asked my dad to list all the places he'd traveled to through the Canadian military. My list was three pages long. It should have been four but I doubled up the columns on one page.  He has not been to South America, Australia or Antarctica. He has been to all ten provinces and two territories when that's all they were called back in the 70's.  In seventeen years, my father saw the world. It has changed a lot since then.  Listening to him talk about those experiences is better than any show on the History Channel.  Well, except for Vikings. I really like vikings.

This evening was the third installment of Wine and Words. This time was hosted by Chateau des Charmes.  Way back in college, my first year film class made a film that followed the grape from the field to the bottle. We shot the bottling sequence at this winery.  It was nice to be back.  I had the chardonnay paired with salmon and horseradish butter on a sour cream and chive scone.  Delicious.

Tonight's author was Terry Fallis.  He's a dynamic speaker and an excellent writer.  He involves the audience in the entire experience and has a great sense of humour. I laughed so hard, I knocked over my wineglass and broke it. His latest book, Up and Down is a fun journey with some poignant moments about a PR firm that launches two civilians, one Canadian and one American, into space.

I was fortunate enough to receive a free copy tonight. Out of the kindness of someone's heart. There was no contest, no hidden agenda. I didn't have cash on me and the vendor didn't take debit.  I was stunned and touched by the generosity of the gift.  I had Mr. Fallis sign it for my dad.

Next month's author is Maureen Jennings. In keeping with ties to my college years, one of my former classmates is a writer/producer/director on the Murdoch Mysteries which is based on Ms Jennings books.  I'm looking forward to that night out. Coincidentally, it will be held on my birthday. It would great to have you all come celebrate with me that night.

Random thoughts that are all good

McB has this One Daily Thing philosophy so that you don't get overwhelmed by chores. Just do one a day.  I've never been good at that. Stuff needs to be done and I need to do it all at once. Lately, I've found myself adopting a bit of her philosophy and it's working. I cleaned most of the back room today. It needed a lot of organizing.  And tossing of junk.  One little corner still needs work but I was tired and out of room.  Garbage day isn't until Friday.

Why are my shin bones exposed and my calves fat?   It's not One Good Thing but it is something I wonder on occasion.

Some progress was made on the never-ending bathroom leak.  Friday should see more progress. I'll let you know.

Thanks to some brainstorming with friends, I'm on the penultimate scene of the first section of the horror story.  Tomorrow's afternoon plans were canceled so I should be able to finish knocking that out.

I had a great conversation with Mom today about travel.  We'd like to see the world. My dad's seen it. He'd like to stay home and read the paper.

How was your day?

Little Boy humour

My friend's little boy is six years old. He's autistic but I think most of the funny things he does are because he's a boy. She called me tonight to tell me his latest exploit and while it may not tickle everyone's funny bone, we laughed for a solid five minutes.  There may be something wrong with us.  He was very proud of the fact that his penis could connect with the hole on his rubber duck.    At one point in the summer she had to tell him not to touch the flower with his penis.  Honest to God, I laughed so hard, tears came to my eyes.


He will kill us when he's older and learns we told these stories on the Internet.  Her Facebook statuses about her son are hilarious.  A few months ago, she went into the kitchen for a moment. When she came back, he'd turned on Spongebob. She told him she didn't think that was a good cartoon to watch. He suggested she leave the room.

I love little boys. Their sense of wonder is so different from little girls. My niece will be staying with me this weekend and now that she's 11 our activities will be so much more adult than they used to be. I miss the silliness.  At least she doesn't have a penis that can do all those amazing tricks.

Timely Good Things

I woke up laughing this morning. Silly dream.

There was time for me to have a smoothie and a chai latte with a friend before I headed to work. I thought I was going to be late but the slow-moving truck in front of me turned left and I went straight.

I was home in time to watch the last 74 laps of the NASCAR race in Phoenix. Congratulations to Carl Edwards, though I highly doubt he reads this blog.

Ky and I played a lot while supper was cooking, then again while oatmeal bars baked.  Yum.  He thought they were for him. Silly puppy.

We turned the Canadian Screen Awards on in time to see some of our favourites celebrated at home.  It may not have the glitz and glamour of the Oscars but it definitely had the talent.

I hope your day had some great timing.

Clean good things

Last time I visited with Stashaholic she showed me a jar of lemons filled with vinegar. She swore by its incredible cleaning power.  I came home and filled an old pickle jar with three quartered lemons and some white vinegar. Every time I ate an orange, I tossed the peels inside the jar.  That was a few months ago. You're supposed to strain the contents after two weeks.  I did it today. I filled a smaller jar as well as a spray bottle with citrus vinegar.  I tossed all of the lemon and orange peels into the food processor and pulverized them. I toss the mulch into a bowl, added some baking soda and stood back. That stuff bubbled up and over the lip. A wooden spoon caught the overflow. I have SCRUBBED my bathroom with the mush.  Actually, all I did was toss a handful into each of the basins.  The vinegar and baking soda did all of the work.  I seriously thought of tossing some into the wash with my whites but was afraid of pulp in the towels. 

I didn't know that I have a zillion little cuts on my hands. I do know. However, a soothing salve made from a blend of coconut and olive oils fixed that up.

It's so nice to have the house all to myself tonight. It might stay clean for more than five minutes.  I doubt it will be more than six though. The animals are all home and wanting attention.

How's your day been?

Remembering good things

Brutal headache until I pressed on my ear seeds. I love those things.

Dinner and a movie with three good friends as we remembered Kate. Stories were shared, laughter occurred and my yarn disappeared.

How was your night?

Writing, kids and dogs

WooHoo, more progress was made on the horror story today.  I realized I'd jumped the punchline. I was telling the end of the character's journey. I needed to show her state of mind when she began.  I wrote 800 words. That's not a lot in the grand scheme of things but all things considered, I'll take it.

When I jumped into the shower, I thought of the twist to the second part of the story.  At work tonight, I discovered the character for the third part.  I'm so pleased with how my brain is taking care of stuff for me while I'm busy babysitting a tiny young with the flu or working at the paying job. 

Casey and I are working on possession. He's become very territorial about everything - Mom, me, his toys. Poor Ky can't even be in the room without Casey going after him. So tonight, I took the bone away from Casey every single time he growled. It's a bit of dangerous game but as soon as he broke focus on it and relaxed, I gave it back. Laid back dog gets bone, tense dog does not. He's smart. He figured it out pretty quick.  He really is a good dog. He's just had a lot of trauma and confusion in his life lately. 

I hung out with a sick six year old this afternoon. We talked about dogs, and how there are cross-breeds then learned about nocturnal animals.  While he could have taught me more about genetics than I'd ever know I went with the Mom was a shepherd, Dad was a great Dane just like Mommy has brown hair and daddy has blond theory. He liked that. Phew. That kid keeps me on my toes. Whoever said Autism doesn't make connections never met the kids I know who have it.  I adore them. 

All in all, a good day.  How were things with you? 

Wordy Good Things

I wrote for several hours today. Some of it was back and forth brainstorming with a writer friend. We agreed to quit for the day so I went to write notes and ending up with 1200 words. Woo. That felt nice.

I burnt my hand on pasta sauce. You wouldn't think that was a good thing. It wasn't really. But I got the hand under cold water immediately, put salve on it and managed to prevent two other people from the same fate.  Tomatoes heat up rapidly.  In case you didn't know.

I used the Pilates ball as a chair this evening while I knitted and watched hockey.  I've noticed a difference in my core since I've been using it. I don't have a working office at the moment. I'm going to try something different tomorrow with the living room table and the pilates ball.  Let's see if I'm more productive.  I need my wireless keyboard. It helps my wrists.  I did remember today that I write quite well with pen and paper. No more excuses.

Was your day wordy?

Full Moon!

I've been unbelievably restless tonight. I felt like the guy in Werewolf in London right before he turned.  I was jittery, couldn't sit still, didn't want to eat. You'd think I'd fallen in love. Nope, it's a full moon and the weather is wild.

My new glasses came in the mail today.  What do you think?

I'm a trendsetter. What can I say?  Doesn't everyone wear their glasses on top of their head.  I have great hair.

They're PURPLE. I like them.

Today was fairly productive. I wrote for a couple of hours, figured out how to get around something, threw that all out because I'm not writing a ghost story but figured out how to keep the conversations so I could show the character's descent.  I made plans to write again tomorrow.

Emails were sent. Wheels were set in motion. Plans are being discussed.  I feel good about that.

I spent a ridiculous amount of time watching swans swim around on this lake.  It made me happy.

Yesterday I dug out some of the yarn Stashaholic sent to live at my house.  I downloaded a counter app to my phone so I could keep track of my rows. I'm making socks from a pattern Theresa gave me when I was in Scotland the last time. 

I'm listening to hard rain pelt the windows.  It was rough driving home tonight but the full moon meant visibility was high.

How was your day?

Feb 25

How's that for a scintillating title?  I'm tired, not creative.

Good day, though. I wore my contacts to work and looked ravishing. I have beautiful blue eyes. 

I ate the same thing for dinner that I did the other night at my friend's house. It was literally the same thing  - leftovers. Tonight I didn't get hives.   We both did the other night. We know it wasn't the chocolate as we ate different brands. So it must have been the wine.  That means we'll have to try different vintages. Poor us.

My friend posted a spoof video that featured Gerard Butler because she knew it would make my day.

It's always good to do something nice for someone else. I try to do that on a regular basis. I'm blessed in that my friends are always doing nice things for me. This afternoon, I was stamping a lady's books and the back cover said something to the effect that, "if you like donuts, you'll love this book." I had an immediate craving for a donut. We both laughed. Then she reached into her purse and handed me a winning tab from Tim Horton's Roll up the Rim contest.  It was for a free donut.  She said she couldn't use it anyway. It was sweet of her to share. Her thoughtfulness made me smile.

The crow thing is still working for me. Otis came into work tonight and ka-kawed hello. We both burst into laughter.

The Leafs won their hockey game.  Kessel scored. Yoda got to yell, Wheeeeee.  Silly parrot.

How was your day?

Sunday Good Things

Yesterday was all about the crow. I shared that video with my friend at work and told him to ka-kaw at me if I started to get snarky.  It ended up becoming a joke among the entire staff as I went to the computer room, found it locked and ran out muttering ka-kaw,ka-kaw, ka-kaw in rapid succession.  No matter how stressed things got, or what tried to go sideways, one of us would squawk and the others would laugh.

When I pulled into the parking lot at my other job today the crows were laughing.  It made me smile. Until I went into work and the system wouldn't accept my code.  Alarm went off, official people had to come fix it.   I shared the crow video with another staff and we giggled our way through the crow angels.  I can picture Yoda doing something similar  - if I ever let him outside to play.  Maybe I'll bring some snow in next time and let him play. 

Now I'm hunkered down with Milo as we prepare to watch the Oscars. The glitz, the glam, the outfits.  I'm wearing my best pjs and thinking of Oscar parties I've attended in the past. 

I hope your Sunday had some good things.

Good Morning

Last night I dreamt that I went into edit the Vehicular post and there were 50,000 comments telling me to suck it up. It's not like I was starving to death beneath the hot desert sun. Very True.  Then I dreamt I was playing Survivor on the International Space Station and for fun decided to use the windows of the space station in much the same way as crows used the windshield of a snow covered car in Russia.



I woke up in a fantastic mood.  My goal is to stay that way.  What always makes you smile?

Vehicular Good Things

I've spent all day trying to find the Good Thing. I didn't sleep well, dropped the car at the garage and had breakfast beverages with a friend. That was good. We laughed about how we shoot ourselves in the foot all the time.  No solid conclusions but we both do the same thing. When one of us figures out how to change our behaviour, we'll both be in good shape.  Plus she prefers Ryan Gosling to Gerard Butler so there's none of that awkward fighting over men we will never actually meet. 

Every errand I attempted to run was thwarted. I went home and called the garage. It was a good news/bad news situation. Car could be fixed. It wiped out my bank account to do it.  I need the car for work so I had to do it but ow ow ow.  In the end, I decided it was a Good Thing that I've been frugal lately so that I could be aggressive with my loan payments as well as tucking a few dollars aside.  The money was in the account to cover the repair.  I need to focus on that aspect of it.

Life. We make the most of it.  I hope you found Good in your day.

Visual Good Things

My new glasses from Clearly Contacts arrived yesterday. They were pretty - purple with rhinestones on the arms.  I looked good in them. Or so I was told. I couldn't tell because I couldn't see out the right lens. I had typed the wrong strength into the order form. I typed + when it should have been -.  Big difference. So I called them today and said, I made a mistake. They said, print off this waybill for return postage, return them and we'll replace them with a pair that works for you. My mistake and they took care of it.  I'm happy.  If you're in need of glasses or contacts, go check them out. Their customer service is fantastic. Their stock and prices are better than most places that sell glasses and contacts.  My friends have used them for a few years without complaint.

I've been up and down emotionally today.  I think these stupid headaches drain me more than I realize. It's not til the end of the day that I can look back and see the pattern between pain and my moods. I've got great friends who talk me through so much of the worst of it.   One good thing about the negative thought process is that it leads to thoughts that perfectly suit the horror story I'm writing. That segues to creativity that pulls me write (Freudian slip?) out of the bad mood.  Interesting.

Stashaholic wrote this morning that ten years ago Heaven's gardens got a lot more beautiful with her Mom's arrival up there. I love that imagery. Her mother loved to garden so I can see her in among the lavender playing with the purple.  

Good Timing

One Good Thing about the check engine light coming on tonight was that I was on my way home. I parked the car in the garage and will call the repair place tomorrow.

I had a massage today. It enervated me. More often than not, it leaves me limp and ready for a nap.  It's a good thing I had today's reaction as I received a text while at the grocery store on my way home.  "Can you please watch my amazing son (I made up the description but it's accurate) while I go to yoga?"  I was only five minutes away, I didn't have other plans, and I adore that young man.  We played Angry Birds (for real, not electronically), lost one of the pigs, downloaded five games to my phone, deleted four of them and ran down my phone battery. We played with his Leapfrog. We laughed, giggled and learned that six year old boys aren't too old to snuggle. 

Animal Good Things

It's mid-February and I'm already tired of trying to write One Good Thing in every sentence. It sounds so Martha Stewart.  I'm pleased with all the Good Things in my life. It feels pretentious to write it out all the time.

Today was my friend's birthday so I tweaked a vegan brownie recipe to also be gluten free and sugar free so that she could share her "cake" with her son who has strict dietary restrictions. They loved the brownies.  I'll make them again.

I cleaned out a drawer while I chatted with Theresa on the phone today.  Then I sorted the garbage into recycling. I kept a bunch of things from Ky's collar. I'm not sure why.  He only wears his name tag.  

Yoda and I shared a moment this morning. Both  birds like to try to steal my breakfast so they don't get out of the cage until I'm done. I was drinking my tea when he flew onto my shoulder then ran down my arm.  I picked him up and held him in my hand. I forget how fragile he is.  Such a huge personality in that tiny body.  We stared each other in the eye then I turned my hand palm up and he just lay there. He didn't scramble to turn over. He didn't panic. He lay on his back, toes up. Sometimes he says, "dead bird" when in that position but today he simply looked at me.  He trusted me to keep him safe when he was vulnerable.  For some reason today, I was acutely aware of that.

Later in the day, I became fascinated with this view from inside a lioness' mouth.  That camera is tough. It only takes three swipes from a lion's tongue to peel  your skin from your body (yep, personal experience, it's like sandpaper).  I've really been missing the lions lately. I changed my screensaver to an image from Big Cat Rescue's website. 

Milo just did his Hallowe'en cat stretch. That always makes me smile.   He has no idea that he's a housecat.  Just like Yoda doesn't realize he's the bottom of the food chain.  Attitude may not be everything but it does make a difference in how others perceive, and treat, you.

What good things did you experience today?

Clean Good Things

I hopped out of bed this morning and started cleaning the house. You know the Spring Clean, purge all the stuff you no longer use, kind of day.  I put my favourite new band on youtube.  I sorted out the bathroom, half of the living room and quit to contemplate the DVD and video collections. There has to be a more efficient way to store things.

I had a hilarious conversation on FB about perfume.  Apparently dabbing BBQ sauce behind our ears is the best way to attract a man. And here I thought it was beer.

Starbucks may have been one of the most crowded venues in the city on this holiday Monday but we're talented, and lucky. Seats opened up just as we were ready to sit.  Good.

My friend's little boy did downward dog, upward dog then scooted in opposite directions so that he also did Forward Dog and Backward Dog. That kid amuses "me out of the crap", as he says.

I didn't get much reading done today, and there's some organization that needs to be done but overall I'm pleased with what I accomplished today.  That's a Good Thing.

What was good for you today?

Philosophical Good Things

Snow was light and fluffy, took me five minutes to shovel the walk and driveway. That meant I had lots of time to get to work.  It was such a lovely drive, I meandered along and enjoyed it.  The cold was more extreme than we've had so far this winter. Fortunately, I had a sweater at work to keep me warm.

Last night we discussed oversharing on Facebook.  We're all shaped by our experiences. My privacy settings are friends only. That list is limited to people with whom I actually speak.  It's been helpful at getting the message out fast to a lot of people at  once. There's been a lot of support over there as well as many many many good laughs and connections forged.  My one friend has had nothing but bad vibes from sharing his stuff.  I think the difference is the people who read it. If you're surrounded by judgmental people, you are going to be faulted a lot. On the other hand, having people in your corner who care about you and want the best for you means you're more likely to have a good experience  - not just on FB but in life. 

I overshare. It happens.  I have this theory that if you're embarrassed by your actions, don't do them. Everything is interpreted according to each person's individual experience. We have no control over that.  We only control our own reactions. 

I went to bed with so many deep thoughts last night.  Even our silly conversations gave me plenty to think about. Today felt like one of those morning after an all nighter during college.  My brain is so full.  It's a good full.  I'll be able to use a lot of that to flesh out the creepy painting.

How was your day?

Saturday Good Things

My windshield wiper fell off in my hand. The Good Thing was that I was parked at the store so I was able to afix it properly. It did not snap off while I was driving.

I caught up with a friend yesterday morning on how our weeks had progressed. We were both pleased that a very stressful week for each of us had been approached with a great deal of humour and gratitude.  I credit the One Good Thing experiment for the attitude.  Singing spontaneously helps as well.  Music really can alter a mood.

I had dinner with a good friend at her new place. She invited other friends, one of whom I knew, the other was very familiar to me although we'd never met.  Like attracts like most often in friendships so it's hardly surprising we are all so comfortable together. We laughed, talked, shared insights and youtube videos.  It was a good night and different from my usual Saturday. I liked it.  Never underestimate the healing power of laughter.

Another friend stopped by after dinner. He's in the middle of watching his father die.  My heart breaks for him, yet, somehow we all found the thread that keeps us going. It was a bit of a theme for the night, enjoying the ride.

Humourous Good Things

No one died when a meteor hit the atmosphere in Russia and an asteroid completely missed the earth today. Both very Good Things, wouldn't you agree?  Some of the footage from all those dash cams was amazing. 

Am I the only one who thought the asteroid looked like part of the Vogon constructor fleet?

So last night I locked up the house as usual when I went to bed. Sometime close to 5am,  I heard the creak of the screen door at the front of the house so I got up. As I walked past the phone, it rang. I ignored it and headed downstairs to the back door. Ky went with me.  It was five o'clock in the morning. I was pretty sure it was DNe locked out but still, One Good Thing about reading all those gothic romances when I was younger (and serial killers now that I'm older) is that I shun complete recklessness. Yep, DNe sitting on the back porch. Ky shot off the porch and lunged at the gate.  I noticed a flashlight shining around the yard so I sent DNe down while I went into the house. Both of my parents were up, arguing as to whether someone was outside. Yes, young man forgot his house key. Well, he scared his grandmother so she called the police - the source of the flashlight.  I went back outside to grab Ky who was in full guard dog mode.  I had to vouch for DNe as the policeman questioned the truth.  Every time I said Ky's name in an effort to call him off, the cop said hi. It wasn't until I was back upstairs in bed that I started laughing. I think the police officer thought I was saying Hi, not Ky.  Comedy of errors and really, all's well that ends well so why not laugh?

One Good Thing about being so tired from our midnight adventure is that my guard is down. I was inviting people left, right and center to our read dating event at the library next week.  I'm usually more concerned someone will think I'm flirting when I'm being friendly, or vice versa. Today, I didn't care.  Either way is a win - friendly or flirting, it still makes most people feel good.

I think having a healthy sense of humour is a Good Thing. I'm glad mine appeared. It did wander off for a while after work so I started cleaning  and singing. Who knew music and humour were so closely aligned?

I hope at least one of them was part of your Good Things today. Have you been singing?

Love Good Things

We've been on an emotional roller coaster this week.  Oddly, my mood has been fairly good.  I put that down to a certain fatalistic attitude about life and death combined with this practice of finding at least One Good Thing a day.

I'm blessed with fantastic friends. There's a lot of support around here.

Mom's health caregivers are excellent. One saved Dad the other night.  Everyone saves my mom every day. Including today.

One Good Thing about Valentines' Day was how quiet things were at the hospital. Tests and treatment were administered in record time. My parents actually went out for dinner on the way home. What a contrast to the rush to the hospital earlier in the day.

One Good Thing about getting my hair cut after work was the lack of people milling about. Most of them were at the restaurant next door. I could smell steak sizzling on the grill. Yum.

I sang a song today. Out loud.  Strong. Of good things not bad. Happy not sad.*

Apparently you can buy this candle for the "Instant Iceland" effect.  I doubt it will create the experience I'm looking for but I have to admit I'm hiding my credit card right now.  I'm too curious to know what driftwood bonfire on black sand smells like.

One Good Thing about International Day of Compulsory Chocolate Consumption is listening to all the love stories.

In unrelated news, I wrote a bit of a character bio for the second owner of the creepy painting.  It's the anti-romance.  But I am having fun writing again and that's a Good Thing.

How was your lovely day?

*I couldn't find any good videos of The Carpenters so imagine my offtune enthusiasm instead

Mental health Good Things

One Good Thing about today?  Dad listened to us and went to the doctor.  Lots of tests and appointments were booked as he choked again after I posted last night.  Action has been taken.

Another Good Thing?  Both Dad and my DNe are going to quit smoking. Tonight is their last night with that disgusting habit. They're doing it together and with assistance.

I forgot to sing today. Oh wait, I whistled in the parking lot on my way into work.  whistle while you work

Ky and I played ball out in the yard today. It was good for both of us.  Having a dog, having Ky, is a really Good Thing for my mental health.

Big Bang Theory - always a Good Thing.

Silver Linings

One Good Thing about all the overtime I'm working this week is that it's also an expensive month.  Passport is due, car needs an e-test and plates, I've got a new prescription for glasses and my tooth still needs to be fixed.  I'll be able to take care of everything all at once now. Employment is a Good Thing, extra hours are even better.

One Good Thing about living under the same roof with my parents is that we have separate apartments so that every one gets their privacy. Unfortunately, that meant I didn't hear my dad choking last night.  Good Thing is he managed to catch a breath so all the drama was over when I went down to settle my mom in for the night.  I take last call while my dad takes the morning shift.  It plays to our natural rhythms.

One Good Thing about having a sick dog - again - last night was that I worked the evening shift today. I didn't exactly sleep late but I also didn't have to bounce out of bed and be alert either.

One Good Thing about Ky sleeping on top of me early this morning (he never does that. He usually sleeps in his bed by the door but he was stressed so I pet him til he fell asleep) is the doggie dream we shared. I'm confident it was his dream. I saw everything from his height. A chocolate cake was placed on the table then three people walked away (one looked remarkably like myself)  Face first into the cake til I heard people return.  I woke up and stared at Ky who was still dreaming.  The only way it could have been more his dream than mine is if I was chasing a ball after it bounced off the garage.  That's his favourite game.

I hope your Good Things were a bit more fun than mine.

Monday's Good Things

One Good Things about having drops in my eyes is that I got to spend some time with my DB and his beautiful DD, my lovely niece.  That girl has grown so much in the last few weeks. She says I use the same voice with her as I do the dog/cat/parrot. I told her that's a Good Thing as I adore the dog/cat/parrot/niece. 

One Good Thing about reading in the doctor's office (at the second appointment of the day) is all of the conversations books can spark.  Apparently the book I was reading at my last appointment was part of the doctor's dinner conversation with his daughters at Sunday dinner. He knew what they were talking about because of our last discussion.  I'm reading Terry Fallis' Up and Down which led to reminiscing about watching Neil Armstrong take that giant leap for man.  I remember thinking that if I squinted I'd be able to see him walking around on the moon. Hey, I was six years old.  Cut me some slack.

One Good Thing about singing out loud, in public no less, means other people usually join you. I heard a man whistling a cheerful tune as he crossed the parking lot and it made me smile. Then I sang the words to his tune.

One Good Thing about not finding pantyhose or stockings in my drawer this morning (okay, there are many good things about that as I detest both) is that it was warm enough to wear bare legs with my dress today.  Then the wind picked up as I finished work so I was able to change into jeans.  Still, I felt very girly this morning.

What were some of your Good Things today?

Fun Good Things

One of my friends challenged our group to sing out loud, every day.  It's easy enough to do when watching the Grammys.  fun.

We had fun today taking pictures of snow covered objects. I lost my lens cap somewhere but the rest of it was a Good Thing.

One Good Thing about working at a library that is over 200 years old is that some of our books are originals.  I had the opportunity to look through a book today that was printed in 1838.  It was in surprisingly good shape but I held my breath as we turned the pages. 

A friend brought me a big container of sweet potato soup.  I don't consider soup fun food but having  a friend who likes to cook is definitely a Good Thing.

Did you have fun today?

Cranky good things

One Good Thing about all this snow is the workout I got shoveling the end of the driveway. Not the whole driveway, mind, just the end where the snowplow dumped two feet of hard slush muck.  My car wasn't going to be able to get through that and I wasn't going to make her try. She's a good car.

One Good Thing about being in a bad mood is everyone does what you ask the first time you bark. Plus, a wide berth is steered around you which results in the added bonus of alone time.

One Good Thing about being cranky is that it often takes me some interesting places. I almost always learn one or even two important things about myself as a result.  I was driving to meet a friend for coffee when I realized why I was so freaking annoyed with everything and everyone.  Two days ago my ear seeds fell off.  I didn't replace them because my headache has been down to a two on a scale of one to ten.  What. a. mistake.  Headaches are back to an eight with a spike of nine and a half a few times. My vision is also less than crisp.  But it took me two days of stomping around like a hippo with a spike in its foot to realize why.  I had dinner with my friend who does acupuncture and discussed it with her. She marked my ears so I can reapply the seeds after my doctor's appointment on Monday. It's better to figure out the cause, and neutralize it, than simply treat the symptoms. At the moment, I'm thinking of piercing my ears right on that pressure point so I can tolerate the temple pain.

One Good Thing about having coffee with a woman who looks like Halle Berry is her beauty comes from within. You can't hate her. Believe me, I've tried. Her spirit is incredible and I cherish all of our interactions. I was so irritated by the time we met up but a few good conversations and I felt my attitude shift.  We've always been good for checking each other and sharing our perspectives. 
  
We talked a great deal about self-image. I'm an oddity in that I think I look better naked than clothed.  I may be overweight and gravity might have set in after all these years but everything is where it's supposed to be when I'm unclothed. Fabric is not pushing, squishing, pulling, tucking or rearranging my flesh.  I really like my true self.  That's cool.    She took a photo of me so I could see how beautiful I look.  I didn't see what she did. I focused on other things. I also knew she was going to take it so it's posed even if it's just a matter of me raising my hand and trying not to smirk.

 But we did agree that several years ago she took the best picture of me.  It was candid and it is exactly how I see myself. She says it's how she sees me as well.

I hope your day took you to some good things.

Snowy Good Things

We had a lot of fun carpooling to work and joking about winter in Canada.  Lots of snow and it's still coming down.  People were surprisingly jovial and laid back today.

We closed early so I came home and mocked my friend Lisa for suggesting chapters don't write themselves when snow days are meant to be spent frivolously.  Then I wrote for two hours. This horror story is freaking me out. It flows so easily and with such depravity. I don't even know where some of this ick comes from but hey, record it.  That's the best way to sleep at night.

I caught up with a couple of friends online and through the telephone.  We laughed. That is always good.

I paid bills. It made me cranky but the important thing is they are all paid. Not that that's unusual but money is math and math stresses me out. Being dyslexic with numbers is a pain.

The thing I'm noticing most about this One Good Thing is not that suddenly life is fantastic and all the crap has disappeared.  Focusing on the good gives me the strength to deal with the crap.  My bill-paying crank didn't last near as long as it usually does.  I'm really blessed to be able to take care of all that I do. 

Remembering to breath is good as well. Don't take that for granted. In. Out. Repeat. It's amazing how often we forget to do that when we're stressed.  It took me a minute to catch my breath when I came back inside after shoveling the walkway the first time. I think we've given up until we know the snow has stopped for good. We're Canadian. We're resilient.

How did you spend your Snow Day?  If you didn't get one of those, I hope your day had an unexpected bonus tucked in it somewhere.

More good things

I suspect each of us is more productive in any given day than we think.  I thought I'd goofed off all day because I didn't do much on my list.  When I looked back at what I'd done though, that was a different story.

It was a creative day. Both at home and work which is always fun. Stuff got written, stuff was researched, conversations happened, plans changed and it was good to look at things a different way. 

We're prepped for the storm that we used to regard as normal winter when I was a kid. I can laugh at myself for the whole "walking uphill both ways in snow when I was a kid" mentality.

I've been reconnecting with people all over the place lately. It's nice.  I highly recommend it. 

DNe cleaned up the kitchen after Ky ate the bag of hot dog buns and box of crackers that were sitting on the counter. It's not like we don't feed him. Not coming home to that mess was a Good Thing.

The dogs and I played outside for quite awhile this afternoon. Casey stole the ball from Ky several times. More importantly, he used his weak paw.  He used it in play repeatedly.  I only had to remind him twice to "use his foot".  It's not automatic for him so he forgets but flips it over every time he's told.  Good dog equals One Good Thing.

I'm easily pleased. Honestly.

Wordy Good Things

Another productive day. I got stuff done at work, talked to my banker about investments and did some spraynting business. DNe has been asked to display his art at a bar in upstate New York. I'm so very proud of him.

Tonight I went to the second Wine and Words event hosted by IceHouse Winery.  Situated along the Niagara Parkway, it's a bit off the road and difficult to find in the dark but the staff was friendly.  I'm not a fan of icewine so I can't comment on the wine. But, it was a big hit.  They make slushies out of it and several people used their tickets for seconds on the icewine instead of the tourtiere pairing.

The author was Cathy Marie Buchanan.  She followed up her brilliant debut novel. The Day the Falls Stood Still, with the equally brilliant The Painted Girls.  What I enjoyed most about her talk was the research discussion.  Inspired by the statue Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen, Cathy immersed herself in 1881 Paris, Degas art and the Paris Opera. None of these are subjects that appeal much to me yet I was intrigued by her writing style.  She sucked me in. That's talent.

Several good discussions have taken place today; with old friends and memories of our youth, as well as newer friends and impressions of our present.  None of us are touching the future. It has yet to be written.

I've been thinking about semi-colons vs commas.  Hard to believe I used to score 100% on grammar exams in school.

Of course, the horror novel continues to percolate. I'm not sure what happens to the first character but I write down every thing that comes to me over the course of the day.  I should be using a notebook instead of random slips of paper.

So, what's the word in your life?  Good, I hope.

Three good things

I slept in this morning. That's because freaky dreams woke me up repeatedly through the night. Did you know that dogs pull pickup trucks much more efficiently than horsepower?  Or that the future will be filled with electric cars run by solar panels on the roof? Okay, the latter actually makes sense to me but then I'm not an engineer.  Regardless, I woke up smiling.

Because of all the furniture rearranging lately, they are three mirrors (because they're part of dressers or vanities) in my bedroom.  Okay, I did stick a painting over one but that's because I had no where else to put the painting.  My point is that I cannot help but view myself from many different angles.  I came across a photo of myself from a couple of years ago. At that point in time, I had a pretty good self-image. I thought I looked fantastic, narrow and healthy.  The picture suggested I was delusional.  Lately, I've been feeling very wide and uncomfortable with it. But a quick glance in the mirror today was more flattering than I feel.  The whole experience reminded me of the mirror post I wrote a few years ago.  Focusing on the Good Things in my life has to include my body. It's not supposed to be functioning in any way I can work with.  It's supposed to be a prison inside which I struggle to be heard. Time to cut myself some slack. For the most part, I eat healthy, try to get a decent night's sleep, exercise. Alcohol and drugs are not part of my regimen.  I may be wider than I'd like but I am very fortunate to be mobile.  That is a very good thing.

I spent some time today scheduling posts for the Daily Tree.  I've been truly blessed to have traveled to places that resonate with me. I've got a great family who amuse me more often than annoy.  I share my life with critters who enrich it. 

Random good things

Ginger ale and Pringles potato chips are good for an upset stomach.

An afternoon nap with both the dog and the cat is a Good Thing.

So is the wrap I bought at the Royal Mile a few years ago. It's our clan hunting tartan made with the softest of wool.  Wrapping up in it after the nap was a great comfort.

I finished Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella. It made me think many good thoughts about my older family members.  I think I'll give my great-aunt a call tomorrow. She's ninety-nine  years old and lucid.  She's also one of the nicest people I know, which is really saying something.  I know some incredible people.

DNe grilled up half a cheese sandwich for me. Very sweet.

Hockey game was a Good Thing that ended badly for my team of choice.  Still, it's entertainment. 

I had a nice conversation with a good friend I haven't seen for months. We made plans to howl at the moon when she gets back from her vacation.

The regional hospital system sent me a survey. They will be sorry but I'm thrilled. There are many areas in which they can improve.  It's Good to have my opinion solicited.  

Oh, and another scene presented itself today. This story is deeply disturbing but man, is it ever coming along.  Stephen King better look out. Ha!  I made myself smile.

What good things came your way today?

Smiling good things

Sexy really is an attitude. I was feeling icky this morning, okay, for the last couple of weeks.  I started the whole negative why bother nonsense when out of the blue I thought of an incident a few months ago that involved a very attractive man and myself.  While the flirting didn't go anywhere at the time, the memory made me smile on the drive this morning. I sat up straighter, smiled and immediately felt sexier. 

Over on Reinventing Fabulous,
Jenny Crusie has been talking about feeding her good wolf It's based on the Cherokee tale about two wolves that live inside us, battling for supremacy.  It's a lot similar to my One Good Thing in that focusing on the positive is healthier than feeding the negative.  I don't like to see any animal starve so that's a problem with my bloated bad wolf. Like me he can afford to go on a diet. I suspect that the good wolf bad wolf are really the same wolf. The more praise he gets the happier he'll be and eventually the bad wolf will snarl and raise his hackles when he's particularly hungry. I'll toss him a bone, likely my thigh when it's particularly bothering me and we'll both be content to have those times fewer and farther between. I've noticed that's the case in the past.

I wrote another scene today. It's fantastic, scary and initiated a bizarre research question. If you stab yourself in the ear, will you hit your brain?

Iceland is always a Good Thing.  Even if I never get there, the thought of it makes me smile.  Being obsessed with it paid off today at work. I was able to discuss various aspects of climate and culture with a patron who is thinking of going there. Then we watched Lilo and Stitch in which the dog pound lady says Stitch isn't a very good name - in Iceland and we all laughed harder than most people who watch that movie.

Our not-football party had two little girls in attendance so we watched The Lorax as well as the above-mentioned alien Hawaii Elvis adventure We danced to the end credits.  B did a bit of break dancing while R did the chicken dance and laid four eggs. We had to move the four babies to the couch so that Mom's wheelchair didn't run them over. We laughed and sang and danced then repeated that throughout the night. 

I didn't see deer driving home today but smiled at the memory when I drove past the spot I saw them last week.

I smiled a lot today.

Healthy Good Things

I just cleaned two pints of berries, a bag of grapes, a pint of grape tomatoes, chopped a pineapple, cut a watermelon into chunks and peeled an orange.  My house smells amazing. 

In the morning I'll make up two veggie trays and whip up a dip for the fruit trays.

Lots of snow today has everything looking and smelling fresh. It was a light snow, lots of volume, much like that marshmallow fluff you put on sundaes - without the calories.  Shoveling was easy and actually fun.  Driving in it - not so much.

Just for Theresa - we had more dogs at the other library today. It's called Therapy Tails. Kids read books to the dogs. It relaxes them and makes reading fun. We have a little girl with Down's Syndrome who has really come out of her shell around the dogs.  Her giggle brings tears to my eyes. She's so full of joy. 

For a day that started off on the wrong foot, it turned out so well. How was yours?

Unexpected good things

Alpacas in the yard on route to work

Puppies in the library

Learning about cork, how it's grown and processed, then laughing til I got a stitch when talking about its medicinal properties with the crew at the cafe next door.

Stumbling upon this man's art and life story when checking my email.

Back online

We're back!  There was a communication issue between our server and Ma Bell but four days without Internet was not as big a problem as I thought it would be - but then I'm old enough to remember what life was like before home computers.

Lots of good things.

First of all, someone else has picked up the One Good Thing idea and made it her own.  Good for you, Pirk.

I've woken up ridiculously early the last couple of mornings. That led to several pages of the horror story. I woke up with the last character in play.

It was icy this morning so I gave myself lots of time to get to work. I didn't need it.  Which meant I could use that time to write some more on the horror story. I know what happens to the second last owner of the painting. Ewwww.  And how they change the painting which is even more ewwww.

One Good Thing that doesn't seem all that good on the surface - I've lost my taste for hot chocolate. That means I'll save myself a couple of dollars a week, and who knows how many calories. It could be just that particular  brand so tomorrow I'll try the cafe next door to the second job. The owner is cute, and he always puts a cinnamon stick in my mug.  I've found nibbling on the cinnamon stick helps keep other cravings at bay. It's also good for breath. I try to feed Ky one at least once a week.

I missed sharing my Good Things but I still thought of them every day just in case the Internet came back. And because it really is better when I focus on the positive in my life.

How were things in my absence?

Good friends

There's currently no Internet available at home. Posting from my phone is problematic as it refuses to accept my blogger password.

This has given me plenty of opportunity to think about friends, loyalty, expectations and balance.  All of which you embody so I thank you. 

If you don't hear from me for a few days, trust that I'm sorting through stuff so that I don't let negative cancel the positive. Each stands on its own. That's an important thing to remember.

Once the modem is replaced, we're aiming for tomorrow, I should be back on line and sharing the Good Things again.  Theresa is right about on what we choose to focus being the key.

No Good Things

I was full of good things and great observations throughout the day. Then I came home and discovered that I hurt someone terribly. They did a very nice thing for me a few weeks ago and I never thanked them. At all.  I thought of them, thought of how to thank them, but never did.  And now nothing I say or do will make up for the fact that I didn't take two seconds to even acknowledge the thoughtful thing they did for me.

None of today's good things can balance that out.

One Great Thing

 Mom came home from the hospital today.  Who needs anything else in their list of Good Things?

Burns night good

All day long, thoughts of celebrating Burns Night with friends made me smile. Anticipation is most often a Good Thing.

The dinner, decor and viewing choices for the night reminded me of the Spirit of the Westsong. "There's none so Scot, as the Scots abroad".

We had some laughs, the girls played to the point of exhaustion and thistle tea is delicious. It was past-bedtime by the time we got home.  Good times.

Some funny,and one stunning, good things

A friend listened to me vent about some frustrating stuff I feel I must take care of. My sense of responsibility could use a holiday. Oh well, she made me laugh which was wonderful.

I heard a commercial today about a woman who went window shopping but all she saw was frost. Considering the temperatures these days that was almost as funny as the follow-up about "smacking the flurries out of winter".  Neither statement really had anything to do with the product but hey, I remember them.

I was driving down to Niagara on the Lake to pick up an ingredient for our Burns Supper tomorrow night. My mind was chastising me for going so far out of my way while memories were making connections between the drive, Old Town, Robbie Burns and Grandpa Fenton. Who knew the old Scot hated the sound of bagpipes?   Anyway, just as I started to really enjoy the drive down the country road, I eased my foot off the accelerator. Instinct reacting before my eyes saw it. A deer walked across the road.  Mine was the only car in anywhere in sight so the deer wasn't too concerned. I stopped the car and watched it. Once it was safely off the road and in the trees, a second deer came along. It stopped halfway across and stared right at me. 

Deer are much larger in life than on the page. I forget sometimes.  Their faces are so delicate, with those big brown eyes and soft muzzles.

Then it gave a little rabbit hop up over the ditch before it too melted into the trees.

I didn't find what I was looking for in Niagara but came home with something better. Awe.

Lemony good things

Huh. Fate snickered at my healthy good things post from Monday. I woke up this morning with a fever, chills and a wicked sore throat.  I snickered back. It was my day off. So there. I was able to baby myself through the day with hot tea, lemon, honey, chicken noodle soup and DVDs.  I even knew where my brand new bottle of oil of oregano was and took some. Yuck, but it really does work.

I made a hat. Then I took it apart and started a different pattern.  I read a bit.

I laughed at the cat who was playing with an elastic band. He does not care that he is 17 years old and should not have the energy or flexibility to leap through the air like he did today.

I laughed at the bird who tried to eat my breakfast oatmeal and drink my tea. I shoo'd her off so she went into her cage and gave me sad puppy dog eyes.

When the chills hit at their worst, the dog came over and shared his body heat with me.  He's soft and fluffy and very sweet.

Today could have been so much worse than it was. Sure, it was wildly unproductive and I felt wretched but I wasn't expected to make sense or help people.  Good things are sometimes a reaction to less than pleasant things. Sometimes that makes them sweeter.

Lemonade, anyone?  I do love lemons.

Good work things

During story time tonight a five year old informed us that it's been years since he played guitar.

One of our young patrons is a fairly high functioning autistic girl. Occasionally we have to remind her that she's in the library and it's rude to disturb other people. Today, she hopped up from her computer and zoomed down the aisle past all of the other computers.  I reminded her she was in the library. She said she was on a bike path. We agreed that bike paths aren't usually surrounded by books so she would try VERY hard not to run down that path.  She did well. She said it was hard but she did it any way. Both of our attitudes were greatly improved by the ability to recognize how the other perceived that wide space behind the computers. 

I'm going to a baby shower on Saturday. The theme is owls. One of my coworkers was out shopping today and found baby owl dishes. It was a total score and I'm going there tomorrow to pick them up.

Another coworker brought in a beautiful creamy thick sweater. It's cowl necked, lots of cables and long sleeves. I will never in a month of Sundays wear it because even today, when it was -15C outside, I wore short sleeves. But another coworker thought it was beautiful and is always cold. So one sweater made three of us happy. 

This whole looking on the bright side of life thing is contagious.  And is making all aspects of my life more enjoyable. 

How's it working for you?

Healthy Good things

The work meeting was timed so that I got to see the puck drop - from space no less - then back home in time to watch the end of the game. 

I turned down the Tim Horton's donut and a hot chocolate special this morning for a cup of oolong tea and fruit salad I'd made myself.  I did a Good Thing in my new approach to mindful eating. 

Between work and the meeting I had the best massage I've ever had. I've been taking it easy the last few days and clearly that's been very Good for my body. I was relaxed enough to really feel the difference the massage made. We were able to go deeper, be more thorough. Full disclosure - I always have my breasts down. The massage breaks up the ridges from wearing a bra, and more importantly drains the lymph nodes. The added benefit is that it actually lifts my breasts as well. Think of it as anti-gravity.

Because of the temple pain I've been experiencing since November, we tried ear seeds. My body loves accupuncture.  These tiny seeds from the Vaccaria plant are tiny dots taped to a pressure point in my ear.  I just have to keep my hair down so that Yoda doesn't try to eat them. I don't want permanent holes up there.

Does anyone know why healthful is replacing healthy in the modern lexicon? Either way, better health was the focus of my Good Things today.

How did things go for you today?

Simple good things

The wind that tore at the house all day did not rearrange our landscape.  That was a very Good Thing, especially as it was not guaranteed.

Five minutes into work and I was handed a big mystery to solve. It only took me ten minutes to find out several resources as well as a map. The patron was incredibly grateful. I was tickled. Doing your job well is always a Good Thing. I love being a librarian.

I dreamt an old flame tried to fan the fire. No spark on my part but I was flattered. My dream self also thought it would be something I could count as a Good Thing.  Now my subconscious is keeping track. I am amused.

No one was home after work.  The dogs and cats were overjoyed to see me as it was close to dinnertime.  The best though was all the happy noises they each made.  Birds sang a funny little song when I opened the cage door to set them free.  They're free range if we're home.  They like to be in the same room as humans but it's always their choice. The cat tolerates it all. Milo is the best cat. Very handsome, too.

Water is cold, and refreshing to drink.  Simple pleasures rule the day.

Saturday Goodies

It was a crummy start to the work day, all of us were ticked about stuff, so I went to the back and asked coworker the funniest thing she'd ever heard. Turned our day around. Even theusually horrid patron was pleasant. It's Good to remember the power of humour and/or a smile.

Hockey is back.  You remember how much I love hockey.  Somehow we kept scoring seats at the bar about five minutes before another member of our party showed up. Not bad considering the place was packed when we first showed up.  Did I mention my team won?  Big grins all around.

I keep forgetting to watch Downton Abbey on Sunday nights..  I found the episode repeated on Saturday nights. Good stuff.

Mom is coherent again. We had a nice conversation about life.  That was a Good Thing.

Yesterday, my yarn came in. I have half a hat knitted up already. It matches the woven scarf I bought in Edinburgh a few years ago. I love that scarf. It matches almost everything I own, can be worn as a wrap and always reminds me of a Good Day.

I made plans with a friend to celebrate Burns Night with her daughters and my niece. My job is to bring heather tea and Brave.

I'm really enjoying this experiment. It's nice to thing repeatedly throughout the day that this one thing is Good or another is also Good. Then I think about how to turn the not-so-nice into Good and that makes me smile.  I particularly like that I'm not playing this game alone.

So, what good things came your way today?
 

Today's good things

My new roommate brought me a cup of tea this morning.

It's sounds like a live action ad for the new Oz movie out there.  I like wind, as long as it leaves things where it found them. No rearranging of the landscape if you please.  Thank you

I was out picking up essentials that we had reached critical need of replenishing when I ran into an old friend I haven't seen for a few years. I ran into another friend at the other store of essentials. I made plans to see each of them at separate events in the next couple of weeks.

The doctor was very happy I took yesterday off for being exhausted.  He'd like me to do that more often.  Did you know that migraine auras can affect the colour of your world?  Indigo is one of my favourite colours. Fortunately.  I'm not stuck with that hue which is a very Good Thing.

I spoke with Mom on the phone for awhile this evening. She knew who I was and what was going on. I'd elevate that to a Great Thing.

I wrote another scene this evening while I was cooking.

I made my own dark chocolate pretzels. 


My aunt sent me the following:  It's chock full of Good Things (laughter is the best)

These are actual comments made by South Carolina Troopers that were taken off their car videos:


1. "You know, stop lights don't come any redder than the one you just went through."

2. "Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they're new. They'll stretch after you wear them a while."

3. "If you take your hands off the car, I'll make your birth certificate a worthless document." 

4. "If you run, you'll only go to jail tired."

5. "Can you run faster than 1200 feet per second? Because that's the speed of the bullet that'll be chasing you."

6. "You don't know how fast you were going? I guess that means I can write anything I want to on the ticket, huh?"

7. "Yes, sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don't think it will help. Oh, did I mention that I'm the shift supervisor?"

8. "Warning! You want a warning? O.K, I'm warning you not to do that again or I'll give you another ticket."

9. "The answer to this last question will determine whether you are drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?"

10. "Fair? You want me to be fair? Listen, fair is a place where you go to ride on rides, eat cotton candy and corn dogs and step in monkey poop."

11. "Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my wife gets a toaster oven."

12. "In God we trust; all others we run through NCIC."  ( National Crime Information Center )

13. "Just how big were those 'two beers' you say you had?"

14. "No sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We used to, but now we're allowed to write as many tickets as we can."

15. "I'm glad to hear that the Chief (of Police) is a personal friend of yours. So you know someone who can post your bail."

AND THE WINNER IS....

16. "You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign here."

How was your day?  I hope at least one thing made you laugh 

Thursday's Things

I think I'm going to start using my twitter account to post stuff as it occurs to me. I never went back online last night but my phone was sitting beside me all day.

I did nothing.  I read. A lot. Inertia had me in it's immovable grip and all I could do was turn pages.  Yet several good things happened. 

My DNe made me a cup of tea. He also handed me the phone so I could schedule a much needed doctor's appointment.

My friend called to schedule a massage. She's been journaling every day. Each entry begins and ends with the word AWESOME all in caps just like that. She says it's altering her perception of each day, much like my daily Good Things record is influencing my perception of my world.

Yoda sang I love you with several different tones and a whistle for good measure.

Milo lay on my lap most of the day, napping and purring.

It snowed here. Very pretty.  I was warm.  Even better.

Some days doing nothing is as important as anything else.

Yummy Good things

I met two other writers for lunch. It was so Good to get feedback about the horror story I'm working on.  We brainstormed a bit for each of us and it was all good. We're full of enthusiasm, ideas and inspiration.

Another Good thing - I made it home on fumes. My car is wonderful. She takes my abuse and doesn't leave me stranded. I did promise her a full belly tomorrow and a nice wash in thanks.

I got to see The Hobbit tonight. Yay. Let me just say that Richard Armitage is always a Good Thing.

The cinema manager was working the counter so we discussed the fact that 2D option will not be available next year. If the movie comes out in 3D that is what will be shown.  Studios need to rethink that.  There's a growing section of the population susceptible to migraines.  They are losing theatre customers this way. The heads up from the manager was a Good Thing as I can plan my viewing accordingly.

Another good thing was the popcorn, with real butter.

And did I mention Richard Armitage?  I've always enjoyed Martin Freeman (Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Sherlock) but RA? He smoulders beautifully.

Back-handed blessings

Today was a good work day. We had training on ergonomics, new software and how to interact with difficult customers. I didn't learn anything new but was validated in my behaviour with some people. It was a good reminder day of how be positive as well as kind to yourself and others.  Plus, lunch was delicious. 

I was invited to go see The Hobbit with a friend and her boyfriend. At first we both thought we should stay home and do all the work that was waiting for us. Then we said life is too short. we all  need fun and several other things to justify our playing hooky. We got excited. I actually had my coat on when she told me it was in 3D. Oh, the agony of disappointment. There's no way I can watch 3D movies. I've been fighting a headache with varying degrees of severity for two months now (yes, I've seen a doctor, no it's not a tumour*).  I do not need to seek out a venue that gives me migraines.  I think I might write to the studios and tell them they're losing customers. 

I stayed home. I wrote for an hour, got caught up on life with DNe, did some laundry, chatted with my dad and fixed the parrot's hut so he no longer screams at me after midnight.  This were all Good Things, one was necessary. 

I have to say though that the best thing was discovering the movie's failing BEFORE we got to the theatre.  That would have been infinitely worse. 

It's been Good to read what's been going on with you as well. Isn't it nice to see how much Good stuff happens in your day?  I like it.


*Bonus points if you can name that movie quote

Little things

Today was spent sorting through bags and bags of paperwork.  I surrounded myself with a big glass of water, a clear recycling bag and season two of Six Feet Under. It was good to plod through all those receipts, bills, calendars, photos and recipes. I found a film review by my niece, a drawing by my nephew and a pattern for a cool scarf. 

I had a good conversation with a friend this afternoon about my mom. Yes, she's back in the hospital. Yes, she's very sick. The good thing is that she's in a good hospital with a good doctor.  We take it one moment at a time.


Now I'm off to make cookies.  They make everyone smile and make the house smell yummy.  While today's good things are a semi-organized box of paperwork, more medical care and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, it's all easier to manage knowing you're on this journey with me.  It's cool that we're helping each other find the good things in our days.

So, how was today for you?

Day 13

One good thing is about to be challenged. Life here is difficult for my parents as they attempt to manage my mom's illness.  One very good thing is that we're all beneath the same roof and able to help each other as much as humanly possible. Some days that's not enough.  Today it saved Mom from going into a coma. 

One good thing about this challenge is that repeatedly throughout the day I take note of random things and truly appreciate them.

Today my supervisor came in on her day off to show me how to update the social media accounts. It was not only fun, but fortuitous as a patron came in with a box of chocolates for me.  Apparently, I've been incredibly helpful and patient and she told the supervisor I was the best hire they've made in some time.  That was very nice of her to say.

Little things like the squirrels in the tree outside the window, being able to fix the power to the garage, finding a good book - those all matter. The little things like the wag of a dog's tail when he's on his back getting his belly rubbed. A friend texting to say hey, just thinking of you.  Another friend sending me an email for post-migraine therapy. It still being light out when I left work. Having enough fuel to make it to the gas station before I ran out.  I have a bad habit of leaving the house without enough time to stop for an essential like that.  Those matter as well.

What little thing happened in your day to help you appreciate the world in which you live?

Entertainin good things

One good thing - Scorched by Laura Griffin. It kept me company today while a cyclone spun through my nervous system. Words anchor me.  It was a great book and I finished it in one day.  I like this series, and appreciate this storyteller's style. I'm entranced every time I read one of her books.

Being dizzy severely impaired my driving ability so I was resigned to missing out on the Icewine Festival I mentioned yesterday.  I wasn't happy about it but, resigned.  Two good friends came to the rescue, whisked me off with them to the small village of Jordan where we indulged in several wine samples, some interesting food pairings and a sunny Spring day.  It broke my heart to see some bushes in bud as they'll get freeze-dried next snowfall.  The ice sculptures all melted in the warm temperatures as well.

There is nothing I can do to prevent that so my Good Thing was to breathe deep of the fresh air.  Some battles cannot be won in a day. I enjoyed my friends' company, enjoyed the lovely wines, and took this picture for you. Seriously, I thought of you when I took this photo of the outdoor decorations.

How was your day?

Several good things

I met up with a friend after work.  It was a long busy day and I texted her on my way home to see if she had a little time. We haven't seen each other for a couple of weeks. It was one of those conversations in which connections are made, realizations happen and things that have been bugging me for years suddenly all made sense so I could accept the lessons but let go of the angst. I hope it was as good for her as it was for me.  :insert smiley face here: It really was incredible.

Then I stopped at the store on my way home, scored a garlic pizza, aka as Bernatello's Italian Melt, which oddly isn't on their website.  I dipped it in Sabra hummus while sipping a glass of white wine.  I'm catching up on some good Canadian programming at the same time.  Please click on the links then thank me later.

Several good things today. Not the least of which is I have the house to myself, sans critters, and my feet up.

Tomorrow is the beginning of the Niagara Icewine Festival.  I won't be drinking any of the cavity inducing sweet stuff but will definitely sample the drier offerings.  My favourite vintners will be in booth one. I might not move from there. I wish you could join me.

One Good thing but it was a doozy

My One Good Thing for today was the bottle of naproxin.  It may have taken four hours to kick in but Great Goddess am I grateful it did. I didn't have a migraine. I had a bad headache but I think it's from keeping my head down. My neck doesn't like that.  Not at all.

Hope your day was better.

Yummy Things

My good thing for today was < a href="http://www.notlpubliclibrary.org/wineandwords.php">Wine and Words.
  Tonight was the inaugural event of what's shaping up to be a fantastic series. Ian Hamilton was an entertaining speaker. He's a man who clearly enjoys his time spending days in his basement creating an engaging character in Ava Lee.  Afterward. we sample the Magician, a lovely red wine that was paired with chocolate chili popcorn.  Reif Winery was beautifully decorated for the upcoming wine festival. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable.  The entire experience was a very Good Thing. 
You all need to join me next month for Cathy Marie Buchanan at the Ice House Winery.  This is the type of Good Thing that improves with good company. 

Blessings

It's been a rough day. Most of the awesome revolves around the disasters that were averted. But that's a negative so I was floundering for a Good Thing that wasn't in reaction to something else.

I opened my email from a friend. She'd found a great deal on travel to Iceland.  While she knows it's not financially feasible for me to go at this moment, she just wanted me to know that when the time's right, the deal will be there.  Plus, if she wins a buttload of cash, she's sending me to Iceland.

I'm constantly amazed how many people are doing their bit to help me realize that dream.  It's good to know that people think of my happiness even when I'm not.  I am truly blessed.  My friends remind me of that fact every single day in a thousand different ways.

One email changed the entire tone of my post.  I've got a draft that talks about today's good things being holy-crap-that-was-close.  The One Good Thing in that post was a flock of sparrows on the hedge. It would have made a beautiful photograph but I doubt the camera would have seen the feathers on the birds with the same clarity and vibrancy that I did.  So I took several mental images to scroll through the rest of the day. 

Lots of good things today - all reminding me how incredibly fortunate I am.  Thank you for that.

How was your day?

Housecleaning

I was moving everything out of my spare room when I discovered my DNe's passport - which reminded me that mine is set to expire. Better now than when I try to cross the border.

Another Good Thing - I found a bottle of wine. Who loses a bottle of wine in their spare room?  I am ashamed to have done that. It's amazing what I found behind my desk - including a film outline for a project that I want to revisit. 

If I cleaned and purged rooms more often I wouldn't have as much fun finding stuff.  That's my theory, please don't disillusion me.

I also found a packet of photographs I took out in Oregon a few years ago.  Remember when the Pacific Ocean tried to trip me?  Photos were from that vacation.

Friendly Good Things

My twitter account was hacked. The Good Thing was how many people I actually had conversations with as a result. Some of those people have been in my thoughts but not my communication.

I had a beer tonight with an old friend I haven't seen for ten years. That was AWESOME.  We're going to get on a far more frequent schedule. We do email each other, and DM on Twitter(no, he wasn't one of the ones from yesterday's debacle) but an in-person, hugs hello and goodbye, conversation is much more satisfying.

Another friend I haven't seen in six months or more stopped by the library today.  It was nice to catch up, exchange some hugs, good energy and make plans to have root soup together in the next few weeks. She makes amazing root soup.

Today had several Good Things, all via friendships that had lapsed due to life and other commitments.

How was your day?

Saturday January 5

A really cute cop came in to check out our security setup at work today. 

Eating Grand Marnier chocolate cake at work was akin to drinking on the job (no correlation between the cake and the cop's visit)

A good friend has had some rough knocks lately but was able to laugh at a running joke we've had for years.

Kiki was doing the mating song while Yoda ran around the cage chasing her. She'd run off, he'd looked confused. Now she's bathing in the fish's bowl.

One Good thing a Day

Over on Facebook lots of people are talking about their Jar of Awesome.  Every day one writes down something awesome that happened that day then puts the paper in the jar. At the end of the year, they can look back at all of the amazing things that happened.

I've been thinking about how to reboot this blog. It's  meant for writing but there hasn't been much new to say on that subject for a while. 

The challenge with the Jar is that I like to photograph many of the things that feed my soul.  My awesome is usually visual or nature-based - I'm still smiling over the raccoon visit last Autumn. 

I decided that every day I'm going to post One Good Thing that happened.  Posts will be made at the end of the day, or might run into the next day.  But no matter how rough or challenging or downright nasty one day can be, it's always possible to find One Good Thing that happened.

Please join me in sharing your daily One Good Thing. We'll make it a year long project and remind ourselves that Life Is GOOD.  

January 1 - I started it in the park listening to an awesome band - Spirit of the West - with two awesome friends.  We had amazing conversations later in the day, made some great progress on personal issues and game plans on how to get the most out of our lives. Plus, we read. And there were trees.  Funky trees.

January 2 - A great drive home, in good weather. More fantastic conversation.  Ky turned himself inside out when I got home.  Work was good. Nice to see everyone and it felt good to tell patrons that the DVD fee was no longer in effect, Happy New Year.

January 3 - There was still a dark chocolate orange truffle in the box at work. One of my regular patrons came through surgery quite well and was already up and about. 

January 4 - a patron called to say how much she had enjoyed my time covering for a coworker. She found me to be pleasant, helpful and always willing to take extra time.  I was able to help a friend in dire need at a moment's notice. The beer was cold - and delicious - at the Irish Harp. 

Hmmm, I can see it's going to be hard to stick to just ONE good thing. How was your day?  Name at least one good thing that happened in your life today.

Happy New Year!

May 2013 be filled with a plethora of delicious books and incredible adventures.

Celebrate in style

Christmas memories

Stream of consciousness memories:

Waiting behind the closed kitchen door in while Erich lit the candles on the tree. 

Unwrapping the traditional gift of Scottish shortbread from Grandma and Grandpa Fenton

Arguing over who was going to brave the basement in order to retrieve the ornaments

Stirring the batter for Christmas cake and wishing for a horse (never came true)

Toddler lying beneath the tree and staring up at the lights in fascination

DNe whacking his dad in the head with a putter - by accident of course

Dad telling the story of the tree skirt to the dogs

 Frog Man Bradley and other K-Tel sensations

Getting drunk on Christmas pudding, gravy, and stuffing (not all in the same year)

Too many embarassing family shenanigans tied with an equal number of endearing family moments

Dark night, bright stars and breathtaking cold in Wawa

Snow falling gently down

Feeling the truth of O Holy Night  at church on Christmas Eve in PEI


The Grinch, Charlie Brown, Burl Ives, Fred Astaire and Ralphie - classics one and all

Roger Whittaker, David Bowie, Bing Crosby, Heinje

Skip the advertisement and enjoy - Merry Christmas to you all

Stille Nacht

Traditions

My 11 year-ol niece came over yesterday to help me prepare for Christmas.  We strung lights on the front porch, added some garland and a bow. We put up the tree, strung lights and decorated it. Her older brother climbed up on a chair to straighten out the branches and place the angel on top.

Then we baked. We played Charlie Brown's Christmas CD and sang as I taught her the family recipe that has been handed down through generations.  Grandma Fenton always baked it for us and Grandpa took over when she was no longer able to continue. He always used whole wheat flour which was a different texture from hers with the rice flour. My niece promised to keep the tradition flowing to further generations.

It was a good way to spend the day.  We felt joy and appreciation for each other and the long line of people who came before us.  I cemented my role in the continuum by handing the torch over to the next generation. She's a bit young but my niece soaks up tradition and stories like a sponge cake with tea.  And her very first attempt at shorbread melts in your mouth.

TBR Pile

I keep taking books and reading them but the TBR pile breeds while my back is turned.  At this moment I am currently reading

Operation Orca - Springer, Luna and the struggle to save West Coast killer whales by  Daniel Francil and Gil Hewlitt
On the edge of the Wild by Audrey Tournay
Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale
Rapture by JR Ward
True Strength by Kevin Sorbo
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
Puppy Love by Frauke Scheunemann
The tower the zoo and the tortoise by Julia Stuart
Standing in the rainbow by Fannie Flagg

I am within pages of finishing the first two on my list and actually stayed up late to finish the Actor and the Housewife.  It was a refreshing change from my usual fare.  Although there was one predictable subplot that annoyed me immensely, the author stayed true to her characters and I was so very glad.

Operation Orca is about the whale who broke my heart. The good news is that I wasn't completely delusional about him finding his way back to his family. There were two orphaned whales at the exact same time. One had a happy ending while the other had a tragic death.  What made the difference?

Zeitoun has been put down so many times I'm fairly confident sheer boredom will be the only thing that leads me to finish reading it.

But all the others grabbed me and I've had to switch them up so that I don't devour them in one sitting. I don't have that kind of time.  Standing in the rainbow is easiest to put down because the nature of the writing lends itself to small breaks.

Puppy love is told from the daschund's point of view. I need a break so I don't expire from the cuteness.  It's light and fun. So far. The recommendation came from a literary blog so I wouldn't be surprised if someone didn't contract a terminal illness and die while the puppy helped them all to heal and find their way back to life. Yep, I'm cynical about literary books.

Kevin Sorbo's story fascinates me. He was a young man when he took ill yet he overcame everything.  I always appreciate an overcoming adversity story. Though it occurs to me that the daschund is also known as Hercules.  Hmmm

I'm only two pages into Rapture because the title is a good reflection of my experience with JR Ward. As with Karen Marie Moning's books, I get sucked in, can't look away and read straight through. I don't have that kind of time right now.  But tomorrow after work...

What are you reading?

Quick update

Funny how things work out sometimes. I'm working crazy hours for thirteen days straight at a time. I don't have time to think let alone write. Yet, somehow, I'm carrying around a sheet of paper on which I'm compelled to throw some words.  It's a very creepy horror story. I think it's my way of decompressing from the two jobs.  It's about an object.  It only appeals to people who are disturbed on some level. I don't know much about the people but, the object lies at the end of my bed and taunts me with the horrors it has experienced. 

So, that's what's going on in my world.  What's going on in yours?