Celebrating what is right...

At work, I set aside a minimum of 90 minutes a week for what I call "self-directed learning". This is a time for me to focus on my own development, professional & personal. This week, I decided to Celebrate What's Right with the World. This is a powerful DVD featuring long-time National Geographic photographer, Dewitt Jones. What a message! It's all about looking for possibility and recognizing abundance. It is everywhere. Everywhere. If I believe that, I will see it. The choice is mine.

The story that struck me the most was the one about Marion Campbell, a Scottish woman reknowned for her weaving. Decorated by royalty, and sought out for her talent, Jones went looking to photograph her and seek out her much talked about wisdom. When he asked her "What do you think about when you weave?", she answered: "I wonder if I'll run out of thread." Disappointed by this seemingly mundane answer, Jones' face must have shown it. She simply added: "When I weave, I weave."

Wow - talk about wisdom! When I weave, I weave. That is who I am, in truth and in simplicity. In the moment.

When I write, I write.
When I love, I love.
When I create, I create.
When I run, I run.
When I learn, I learn.

I could go on... The message to me is, when I am present to what I am doing in the moment, I will discover ample opportunity to celebrate what is right with the world. And from that place, the world will radiate with possibility.

Celebrate what's right in your world, and you will transform it. Don't keep it to yourself though - everyone loves to join in on a celebration... What will you celebrate today?

PAX,

Bear. With Me.

Hubby was out of town last weekend. He was busy posting yet another personal best at the historic Around the Bay road race in Hamilton. Last year, he came in 2385th out of 4110 runners. Granted, he did not have a good race in 2006. But this year, after focussing on his training in a BIG way, he finished an astounding 268th out of 4369 runners. By finishing the 30km distance in less that 2:15, he merited a shiny silver medal! His final chip time was 2:12:26 and I'm very proud of him.

It's amazing how we get comfortable having that special someone around. Even for just a few nights alone, I found myself reaching for a faithful friend. Known simply as "Bear", he's been in my life for over 30 years. His nose is missing, his fur is clumped and his eyes look downright evil, but he's been with me even when life wasn't so pretty.

Bear was even kidnapped in 1985-1986. I'm afraid it was my fault, since I brought him into university residence in the first place. After being missing for two days or so, I found him bound and gagged, along with Celia Jenny (my Cabbage Patch kid), in my closet. But he was alive... traumatized, but alive!

Interestingly, Hubby's been back since Monday, but Bear is still managing to squeeze into bed with me. It's wonderful to re-discover a sqooshy old friend!

Bear. With Me. Through Thick. And Thin.

PAX,

It's in the air...

Something to look forward to... t'is the season!

METAMORPHOSIS

Always it happens when we are not there —
The tree leaps up alive into the air,
Small open parasols of Chinese green
Wave on each twig. But who has ever seen
The latch sprung, the bud as it burst?
Spring always manages to get there first.

Lovers of wind, who will have been aware
Of a faint stirring in the empty air,
Look up one day through a dissolving screen
To find no star, but this multiplied green,
Shadow on shadow, singing sweet and clear.
Listen, lovers of wind, the leaves are here.

– May Sarton

Just another day... or not.

If you've ever thought "Ah, it's just another birthday..." (as Hubby did yesterday :-)), consider this:

• I was conceived in the same calendar year I was born.
• I am 361,965 hours old. Or, 21,717,947 minutes old.
• My age is the equivalent of a dog that is 5.90254403131115 years old.
• The Mayan Calendar long count date of my birthday is 12.17.12.4.14 (which is12 baktun 17 katun 12 tun 4 uinal 14 kin).
• According to the Egyptian calendar, I was born in the month of Menchir, the second month of the season of Poret (Emergence - Fertile soil).
• At my next birthday, the candles on my cake would be capable of boiling 4.8 ounces of water.

With this birthday calculator, you'll find out more that you ever wanted to know about your special day!

PAX,

Hair Therapy...

I got a much-needed haircut & colour today - woohoo!! My hair stylist had the nerve to go on holidays recently, thus making me wait almost seven weeks between cuts. Ugh. :-) I had convinced myself that my hair didn't look that bad, but now that Chantal has given it her magic touch, I see that it was simply a case of self-esteem preservation. I couldn't admit to myself how bad it really was. I'm happy to report that I feel sassy & sexy once again!

I love playing with my hair colour. I've been doing this for a few years now. It's not so much to hide the grey (which I've had since my early 20s), it's more about exploring different looks and how I - and others - respond to them. This time, we went with a short, dark chocolate brown cut, inspired by the ever-gorgeous Natalie Portman in her post-V for Vendetta style. I'm blessed to have a hair stylist who I trust implicitly. I can simply sit in her old-fashioned barber's chair and say: "Do your thing."

The other exciting news is that Chantal has agreed to sell my photo cards in her salon. I brought a selection of my cards to show her, and she loved them! She even asked if I had framed enlargements for display. I've dabbled in amateur photography for several years now, but have never made any effort to sell anything. I've often made cards and given them as gifts or used them myself. This will be the first time that I put myself "out there" to total strangers. Since I have no expectations, there is no possibility of disappointment!

I'll finish today's post with something I once heard Suzanne Somers say in an interview: "The secret to looking young is to get a kick-ass haircut." :-) I couldn't have said it better.

PAX,

Catching a late beam...

I call it Shadow on a Blind - a gift of yesterday's switch to Daylight Savings Time... Admittedly, the beauty of that moment did little to help me get up this morning. :-)

PAX,

Staring into the spiral...

Leave it to family to lovingly nudge - dare I say, push - me off my pity pot... if, indeed, that's where I was sitting. Talking to Hubby on Friday night about how frightened I was feeling, he offered a simple perspective: "You haven't been getting enough sleep. You've been going to bed late every night this week... Why don't you try to get to bed earlier." Yes, this sounds like the male tendency to offer an immediate solution, but he does have a point. It has been a busy time and I have been going to bed late.

After reading my last post, Sis called on Saturday to see how I was doing. As I shared with her what my day was like on Friday, she laughed... not at me, but with me. She recognized all too well what she called "the downward spiral". For those of you who have never experienced the devolution of stinking thinking, the internal dialogue sounds something like this:

• Man, am I ever feeling tired. I can hardly move.
• I'm not sure I have much to give to the job today. Maybe I should stay home? I don't want to be a slacker though...
• OK, I've got nothin', so I'm staying home. I'm going back to bed.
• Wow, I just slept for another two-and-a-half hours. Why did I need that? What's wrong with me?!
• God, look at this place. I haven't even put away the Christmas decorations yet. Who the heck has a creche out on display in March?!! I can't deal with putting that stuff away right now. Am I ever lazy...
• Why are there no clean towels? Sheesh, you'd think I could do a load of laundry or two. How did I let it get to this point?! What a loser I am...
• Man, I am so tired. I have no energy. It must be my diet. Why did I have to eat that piece of cake on Wednesday? And the chips on Thursday?? I'm such a weakling... What if I'm developing some sort of eating disorder?!!
• I should really make that soup before all that broccoli goes bad. I hate wasting food, but I'm too tired to cook. Why do I always waste food? I'm so irresponsible...
• What a waste of a day... all I did was sleep and watch TV.

...and so on. This downward spiral can easily continue unless some external force comes in, usually in the form of an outside perspective. And this, my friends, is why I decided to share what I was feeling. I was once told that I shouldn't venture into in my head alone - it can be a dark & dangerous place. :-)

I'm happy to share that my foray into the downward spiral was short-lived. It was a great reminder that these times will come along and, as with all times, they too shall pass.

PAX,

Change is... difficult.

When it comes to my health, I tend to scare easily. In fact, I'm freakin' out a bit today... I'm tired. Empty. Devoid of energy. I have felt like this before for extended periods of time and I don't want to go back there. I'm scared. I want to fix "it" (whatever it is) and I want it done quickly. Now. Spoken like a person who has truly been blessed with good health for the majority of her life, non?

I suspect my diet has a lot to do with it. Last year, I discovered that a lot of what I was eating was toxic for my body. Yeast. Sugar. Fine for many, but not so for me. When I was too sick to work last year, it was easier for me to make the changes required to get better. Motivation was high and I made the changes I needed to make. I began to feel better... much better. In fact, I felt better than I could ever remember feeling! Energy. Stamina. Positive outlook. Weight loss. It was great!!

Hmm, I'm feeling good... this little slice of cake won't hurt me. Nor will this piece of chocolate. Mmmmm, potato chips. Small amounts of toxins that I am willingly ingesting. On their own, harmless perhaps, but the cumulative effect shouldn't be ignored. The way I'm feeling today may be enough to scare me into, once again, making the changes I need to make.

Sounds simple enough, but lately the cravings have been very strong. I have been unsuccessful in avoiding the foods I need to avoid, and I feel guilty and ashamed. And sick. And tired.

And so, I put it out there... this guilt... this less-than-perfection... this shadow. I pray for the willingness to turn it over and for the ability to make healthy decisions - one day at a time.

Or maybe I'm coming down with the flu.

PAX,

Oh, what a week...

What a week of blessings... I've been enjoying the fruits of my full life, all-the-while striving to make time for prayer & meditation. It's been hit n' miss. But then again, Thomas Merton tells me that "Beyond all and in all is God", so I guess I've been spending time with Her all along! In a nutshell, here is the week that was...

Monday:
Evening spent in the company of friends...

Tuesday:
My birthday celebration finally came to close, almost three months after it began. I spent a lovely evening with Hubby and Josh Groban. Tickets to this concert were a birthday gift from Hubby, who claims he didn't even realize that this could be considered a "romantic" gift. :-)

Wednesday:
I attended the AGM of the ODNOO. I've been a member for a few years now, but it's the first time I attended the AGM. Admittedly, the evening's focus on "performance art" piqued my curiosity! All in all, a great evening... however the highlight for me was my first ever participation in a drumming circle. What an experience! I want to do more and I hereby put that out there to the Universe...

Thursday:
Evening spent blissfully at home: butt on couch, eyes on TV...

Friday:
Joined over 1000 others as Dr. David Suzuki closed his month-long, cross-country If I Were Prime Minister... tour. This guy is amazing... It's so inspiring to hear someone who has the courage to dedicate themselves tirelessly to something they believe in. But I gotta say, Dr. Suzuki looked tired - and it's no wonder!! 41 talks given in 30 days, from St-John's to Victoria. So, for what it's worth, here's what I would do if I were Prime Minister...

I would banish party allegiances for all debate and legislation regarding this country's environmental stewardship. This is NOT a political issue... this is a moral issue (echoes of Al Gore...) and there is no time and no place for finger-pointing and one-upmanship. It doesn't matter what was, or was not, done in the past. We're here. We're now. And it's time to make the difficult choices. The time has come to lead.

The weekend's been equally full, with lots of yoga, meditation, napping & time spent with Hubby. We even managed to squeeze in a movie - hadn't done that in a while!

As a said, a week of blessings...
PAX,