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?

Lest we forget

It is not about glorifying war or exalting the military. It was originally intended to mark Armistice and acknowledge the terrible losses felt by all during the Great War.  Today, we remind ourselves that numbers and casualties are actually human beings and we remember them all.  It is a solemn moment at a solemn hour that marks  tragic losses over the years. I've highlighted the most relevant line of John McCrae's poem as that, to me, is what we lest not forget.

 In Flanders fields the poppies blow
      Between the crosses, row on row,
   That mark our place; and in the sky
   The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
   Loved and were loved, and now we lie
         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
   The torch; be yours to hold it high.
   If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
         In Flanders fields.

Head cold

My brain is muffled so lots of interesting things don't make their way out.  I'm not apathetic, merely incoherent.

That's nothing to complain about these days. Lots of people are sharing their gratitude every day this month. I assume it was prompted by American Thanksgiving. While I agree we should pay more attention to the things for which we are grateful, I don't think it should be confined to one month a year. It's pretty sad if we have to make it an assignment.

It's been gratifying to see the way people have banded together in the wake of Sandy's path. Those that have power are sharing with those that don't.  Few people are complaining as so so many are in the same situation. 

I wonder what skills in which we'll see a resurgence.

Low tech

It's supposed to be a challenging week ahead as far as weather goes.  Everyone is being warned to stock up on water, non-perishables, batteries, matches and candles.

I've sharpened all of my pencils.

It will be a good opportunity for me to get back to writing by hand on lined paper.  It's always been an effective way for me to focus and connect with the story. No Facebook pokes, Twitter rants, email cartoons or blog connections to distract me.  Just the story and the scratch of lead on paper.  I even have a notebook, the old-fashioned kind not the computer, waiting for me to open it up and begin.

It may be a low tech week ahead. I look forward to it.  Provided all the amenities are taken care of and everyone is safe.

Do you sometimes miss the good old days before computers made life so much easier?

Grief

I have been grieving in one stage or another for over a year.  I know that death is part of life and that grief is a necessary part of healing.  I've been working on it.

Today is the memorial for a good man. He went missing in August. His body was found in September, right smack between the anniversaries of losing Kate and Bryan. Now I have a trifecta of grief.

But people are sick of me being sad, unhappy, full of sorrow.  I'm working to see the joy in those lives, to celebrate all that I learned from them. I mourn the experiences we won't have.  I see-saw between remembering every single detail of all our interactions, and wanting oblivion from memories.

This past week, I turned to movies and books to give me strength and distract me. I read non-fiction, watched documentaries.  The architect's mistress was brutally murdered, the activist was eaten by bears and the whale was killed by a tugboat.  The latter was the final straw.  I stared at my DNi in horror when the film ended.  The first two weren't a surprise but The Whale? That was my cheering movie.  That was my happy ending reward for surviving the week. 

It occurs to me as I write this that there similarities between my entertainment choices and my friends.  I suspected Kate and Bryan had finite time here enriching our lives.  Darrell was big and playful like the whale, intent on forging friendships and erasing boundaries, preconceptions and the way the world interacts with each other. 

Instead of therapy, I talk to my friends, process over here and try to make sense of that which simply is. Grief can't be explained, understood or rationalized. It takes its time, does its thing and cannot be ignored.

Resistance is futile. Grief will find its way in. No matter how I tried to avoid it this week, it found me.  Today, I embrace the sorrow, revel in the good memories and mourn the ones we will not make. 

Character revelations

Brynja has been frustrating me, somewhat.  That's good news in that I've been playing with her. But she's been behaving like a TSTL (too stupid to live) heroine from the '80s.  After a great deal of discussion, she acknowledged that she had indeed behaved in such a manner. It perplexed her as much as it did me, and she vowed to never do it again.  Usually when a character says never, they mean until the next time.  I'm going to have to watch her closely. She's reckless. At least, I now know why. 

Bracken is not at all reckless, despite his recent act of pulling up stakes and moving halfway across the world. He was driven to do so by forces beyond his control.  He's pretty pleased with how that's turned out so far.

It seems that no matter how much I plot, I continue to learn things about characters and stories as I go along. That's essential if I'm to stay interested in writing. A big part of why I write is to see how things work out.  Editing isn't as much fun as I already know the story. Then it becomes a game of words.  That's a different kind of interesting.

How's your week been?

Happy Thanksgiving

We have a tendency, most of us, generally speaking, to appreciate things most when we no longer have them.  It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada so for three consecutive days, I tend to focus on all the wonderful things for which I am full of thanks.

Today, I am grateful that my Internet connection is wonky so that I will spend more time outside enjoying the cool Autumn weather.


I appreciate the people who have shared my life, even briefly, and taught me about living in the process.  Through them, I experience great conversations, good books and entertainment that stimulate my brain cells so that I'm always learning new things, reaching for better understanding and enjoying myself in the process.

I live in a country that fills all of my needs - physical, emotional, spiritual and mental.  There is no need to want for anything here. 

Go enjoy your day and give thanks for every thing and every one you appreciate.  Have a slice of pumpkin pie while you're at it.