I'm an Aunt!

I'll explain this in a minute.

Easter weekend.  Sandy and I headed out Friday morning to visit her sister and family in Owen Sound, a town about 120 miles Northwest of Toronto.  The drive usually takes about three hours, three and a half on weekends such as this when the cops are out.  God I hate doing the speed limit.

I took a few photos during the trip...

         Rufus,a Goldendoodle (Retreiver/Poodle mix), impossibly
         huggable. We ran and wrestled a lot.

            Scooter, a Cavashon (Bijon Frise/King Charles Cavalier
            spaniel mix).  I didn't wrestle with him as I was afraid I'd
            break him in half.  Which I didn't think would make him twice
            as cute.

He'd chew my ankles off if he knew I was posting this.  Like it's not

humiliating enough that someone removes your happy bits, they

just HAVE to stick a cone on your head.

He spent a lot of time doing this.  Hey if I had the ability to lick

myself and couldn't I'd be bummed too.

My Life As an Aunt...

Some of you have remarked that I seem to be very in touch with my feelings. This is something which isn't usually perceived as a typically male trait, but I'm okay with agreeing as I have plenty of masculine thoughts (some of which won't see the light of day here as they're deliciously out of keeping with this blog). However this little guy took that whole 'getting in touch with your feminine side' thing way too far...

Meet Declan, Sandy's niece's (Rhonda's) four-year-old son.  We were playing 'baseball' in the backyard, and every time he wanted me to throw the ball he'd say, "Yeddy auntie Bawey?"  Which was a verbal way of ripping out my testicles and throwing them out in the trash with Scooter's.  I was afraid I'd wake up in the morning with a cone on my head.

Sandy's sister Maureen and her niece Rhonda declined pictures as they weren't feeling photogenic.  Declan's twin brother Derek declined a picture because...I don't know, he's four.  Who the hell knows what's going through a four-year-old's mind?

Friday night Sandy and I stayed at The Doctor's Inn bed and breakfast, an 1876 Victorian Inn...

Owners Laurie and Steve were our gracious hosts...

Breakfast in the dining room...

consisted of homemade cinnamon buns, juices, bacon and Belgian waffles with whipped cream and fresh fruit.  My plate...

Saturday morning we all went to the local museum for an Easter egg hunt.  If you want to see the definition of awkward watch me attempt to pick up and hold onto a four-year-old boy.  About as graceful as a one-armed man trying to juggle a dozen penguins. No picture, sorry. 

But here's the Easter egg hunt, for ages four and under.  Picture a swarm of 35 pound locusts in pastels and diapers decending on a field, half with no clue of what they're looking for, and you get the idea.

Just what these kids need, more sugar and caffiene...

After the hunt we left for home.  Some photos I took along the way...

At one point we passed by a wind farm.  The wind turbine generators stretched out for miles, there seemed to be hundreds of them...

We arrived home Saturday afternoon, freshened up and went back out a couple hours later for Easter dinner at my brother Steve and his fiance Bobbi's home.  With both sides of the family there we had about nineteen people.  Overall a good time. 

Secret Friday

Happy Friday everyone! In some parts of the world a few of you have already begun your weekend so I hope it's off to a good start.

I'd like to thank all of you for your feedback on my thoughts in last week's post.  Secret Fridays is something I prefer to take a step back from and let you guys run with.  Still it's important to me to stay connected with all of you, to make sure this continues to be something in which we all benefit in our own way.  So I'll probably periodically revisit this.  Of course your input is always welcome.

And so we begin the sixteenth installment of Secret Friday, a chance to anonymously share some secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty.

All are valid.

If you get something from this I hope you'll consider hosting one on your blog as well. Feel free to copy and paste the guidelines below if you choose. All I ask is that you keep a regular eye on your feedback; contributions can be intense sometimes and people writing in need to be respected. It's very important. If you decide to do this on your blog please, please let me know. If we link to each other I think we could start something great.

Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wishes to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) Post a secret or fantasy anonymously, no names please. It can be anything from mild to wild, anything goes. All I ask is that it's true. You can post as many as you're comfortable with.

3) I don't plan to censor content or language. However I do reserve the right to remove anything which appears to be posted with the sole intent of offending. I also reserve the right not to remove content that may be considered controversial. It's a fine line sometimes.

4) If you're someone who is easily offended by swearing or sexual content you may not want to read through the comments. I have no idea where this will go and won't be reviewing comments until after they are posted.

5) I'll be participating as well. (After fifteen of these I have to dig deeper!)

6) Feedback directed towards me is welcome, anonymously or otherwise.

7) As always I'd like everyone to please refrain from commenting on what someone else has written; what may seem trivial to you can be very personal to someone else. Everyone has feelings and I want to see them respected, therefore inappropriate remarks will be removed. Fortunately this hasn't been an issue and I'd like to thank all of you for that.

And now to it...

Released

I'm in the midst of drafting a couple new pieces but I haven't had much quiet time to wrap my mind around them.  So I'm going to 'cheat' and re-post one I wrote last year that's very close to me.  Bear with me, I hope to have something new soon.

Released

What goes on in your good-girl mind
Hushed from temptuous thought and deed,
As if being done a favour.
“Please do tell me how to act," they think to hear,
"For I know not what I want.”
Oh, if they only knew of the strength of your desire
To unfurl your wings in their midst
And fly untethered.

But when night visits and your thoughts play alone
And you drift, freeing your will from another’s grasp
What do you dream as your eyes weigh heavy?
While The One beside you sleeps.
Do you welcome another to your door ,
To your bed?
Do you breathe his breath as your own,
Heart against heart
Feeling his life inside you.
Writhing beneath the weight of his mass,
Giving in to that beautiful release.
Breathless body strewn across crumpled sheets,
Spent, used,
But blissfully fulfilled.
And again.

And the hours pass unnoticed,
Their birth and decay measured only
In reckless heartbeats
Teeth-torn wrappers scattered around you.
Fading droplets in your glass.
This moment a lifetime.

All too soon the sun greets your window
And The One stirs,
Signalling a return to your world.
Accompanied, yet alone.

What goes on in your good-girl mind
What shadows lurk, what secrets to find?
Would you surrender yourself
For one night of sin
When the wind blows through your door
And the wolf creeps in?





Photo credit here .

Life

"Life is a series of thousands of tiny miracles."
                                 -Mike Greenberg






photo credit here

Let's Talk

                                                 here

If there's one thing I've grown to value more than almost anything else the past two years it's conversation.  I love to talk whether in person, through e-mail or my blog .  I tend to want to get to know people beneath their surface and I've been fortunate to be able to do this, through tremendously personal discussion in some cases.

I've learned that conversation is more about listening than talking.  It can be incredibly rewarding and I believe it's an essential part of our growth; sometimes it's easier to see ourselves through others.

I'm not perfect, but these are rules I've set for myself that I always strive to follow...

-Talk less and listen more.  Ever have a conversation with someone who seems anxious for you to finish what you're saying just so they can talk?  Doesn't show much consideration for the other person does it?
-Be less willing to offer an opinion and more willing to lend an ear.
-Look whomever you're talking to in the eye, give them all of your attention.
-If you don't understand something, ask.  Don't skim over it, it will only hinder your understanding of the person you're speaking with.
-Never de-value what someone tells you about themselves.  You have no idea how significant a part of their lives it may be or what it took for them to share it with you.
-Keep an open mind.  You may not agree with what they're saying, but try to see life through their eyes.  It'll better enable you to understand why he/she feels the way they do.
-Give of yourself first, do it willingly and for the right reasons. Never expect anything back. Be genuine, you'll be surprised at what is returned to you in time.
-Never tell someone to trust you. It's unnecessary for those who know you, the rest you have to prove yourself to.  Trust can't be demanded, it has to be earned.
-If you feel the need to repeat something that someone has told you in private conversation, check with them first. It may be more personal than you think.
-If you're about to start a sentence with the words, "I'm not supposed to tell you this but..." don't.  You're betraying someone's confidence. 
-When someone confides in you never repeat it, ever.  Die first. I can't emphasize this enough.
-Don't pretend to know how someone feels.  We can understand, but we can rarely KNOW what someone's going through.
-If they're upset let them express it.  Don't stifle or diminish somebody's feelings. Feel empathy but not pity, most people want to be understood not felt sorry for.
-If someone doesn't want to continue a conversation, respect that.  Don't force anyone to swim in deep waters if they don't want to.
-Be patient.  Someone may not want to open up to you today, this month or even this year.  Realize that we all fight something and some of us need to do it alone, if he/she doesn't want to talk to you about it it's not always personal.
-If you encourage somebody to be open with you, be prepared for what they tell you because it won't always be what you want to hear.  Being a friend isn't about just dealing with the good stuff.
-If you tell someone you'll be there for them, then be there.  Even when it's not convenient.  Lending your shoulder to lean on means you'll feel the weight sometimes but the rewards far outweigh the bruises. 
-Realize you can only provide direction, you can't fix people or their situations.  (This is something I struggle with).
-If you've told someone they can ask you anything, be ready to answer their questions.  What they ask won't always be comfortable, but some people genuinely want to get to know you.

 

Secret Fridays- my thoughts

It has always been my intent to run Secret Fridays as a hands-off recurring post.  In other words, a place you can come to in confidence and have your say each week without my input.  After months of doing this, I feel it's time to talk a bit about what this experience has meant to me.

As many of you know, Secret Friday is my 'baby'.  It's something I hold close and feel very protective of, just as I feel protective of the words each of you write weekly under cover of anonymity. Reading what you have to say has been bittersweet for me. Some comments have been so amazing they get my heart and mind racing.  But the comments that affect me most are those that are pulled from deep within.

There are those of you who are in a very dark place right now.  And whether these comments are from someone I know or a visitor just passing through I want you all to know that I read every word you write, and those words stay with me through the day.  I silently and forever hope that those of you who are hurting find peace with your situations and especially yourselves. Although I discourage feedback on people's comments, I want you to know that your words aren't falling on deaf ears.  People do care. 

Secret Fridays will most likely continue for as long as I have my blog. I'm blessed that so many of you feel I've provided a safe place to share your innermost thoughts and emotions, and I thank you for placing that trust in me.

(This is a change from my usual Secret Friday post but feel free to treat it the same way and comment if you wish).

It's My Blog-iversary!

Has it really been a year?  This site has gone through some changes since it started, and so have I. I'll explain.

I started my blog as a way to hopefully help others through daily quotations.  I didn't want it to be about me, but rather a place where people could drop by for a dose of inspiration through the words of others much wiser than myself.  I had hoped to meet a few people along the way, and was happy with the occasional comment as an affirmation that people were actually reading and getting something from it. In reality I'm sure I was doing it as much for myself as for others.

Over the next five months I gradually felt like I was returning to myself again and the blog needed to take a new direction.  So at the end of August I posted 'Gangsta Kat', followed a few days later by my first essay.  And I began to connect with people more than I ever had with the quotations I was posting.  What I found was that many people relate on a much more personal level to the experiences and opinions of their peers than they do to words from the wisest philosopher.

Fast forward to today and I can honestly say this has been one of the most amazing, fulfilling things I've ever done.  I've discovered many things over the past year, perhaps the most important of which is if you really want to make a difference in life you don't need to move mountains, just people.

 I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet all of you, wherever you are.  I've been reminded of things I take forgranted and learned so much more in the process, often from those much younger than myself.  There's a tremendous amount of wisdom and compassion out there; I think the world is in good hands.

Although my blog has been a great creative outlet for my poems, stories and essays my focus is still very much on you, truth is I write as much for all of you as for myself.  Nothing makes me happier than to hear what you have to say, whether it's about my words or sharing your own.

This won't change; in the year to come I'll be having more guest posts, more giveaways, more ways to get all of us involved and hopefully grow a little closer together.  Secret Fridays will continue.  And although it was a hard hit on my time and pocketbook, I plan to run Bloggers over Borders again as it seemed to shake things up a little.  Those who know me best know I like to do that.

I want to thank each and every one of you for making Life in Quotations what it is.  Without your encouragement and feedback it would have remained an on-line collection of quotations with pictures.  Instead it's become a place where I can share ideas, emotions and incredible conversation with friends. 

Here's to my first year.  And here's to you.

Life's Growing Inspiration

"Beauty is unbearable, drives us to despair, offering us for a minute the glimpse of an eternity that we should like to stretch out over the whole of time."
-Albert Camus

If there's one tiny perfect creation that epitomizes life's beauty in my eyes, it's an orchid.  I've loved them as far back as I can remember, so when Sandy and I paid a visit to our local nursery last month I knew I had to have one.  She honoured my request and I picked this one as an early birthday present to myself (here it is sitting in our kitchen)...

                                phalaenopsis

There are approximately 25,000 species of orchids. More than 100,000 hybrids and cultivars have been produced, making orchids the largest family of flowering plants in the world.
What do I love about them?  The variations are endless and breathtaking.  Orchids have captured the hearts and imaginations of poets and authors, artists and dreamers throughout centuries for many reasons:

They're spectacularly colourful...

hypnotically beautiful...

erotically suggestive...

and elegantly fragile...

800 species are being added to the list every year, ensuring an endless source of inspiration for those captivated by the timeless beauty of one of life's most exquisite creations.

Secret Friday

Happy Friday everybody! In some parts of the world a few of you have already begun your weekend so I hope it's off to a good start.

It's time for the fourteenth installment of Secret Friday, a chance to anonymously share some secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty.

All are valid.

If you get something from this I hope you'll consider hosting one on your blog as well. Feel free to copy and paste the guidelines below if you choose. All I ask is that you keep a regular eye on your feedback; contributions can be intense sometimes and people writing in need to be respected. It's very important. If you decide to do this on your blog please, please let me know. If we link to each other I think we could start something great.

Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wishes to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) Post a secret or fantasy anonymously, no names please. It can be anything from mild to wild, anything goes. All I ask is that it's true. You can post as many as you're comfortable with.

3) I don't plan to censor content or language. However I do reserve the right to remove anything which appears to be posted with the sole intent of offending. I also reserve the right not to remove content that may be considered controversial. It's a fine line sometimes.

4) If you're someone who is easily offended by swearing or sexual content you may not want to read through the comments. I have no idea where this will go and won't be reviewing comments until after they are posted.

5) I'll be participating as well. (After thirteen of these I have to dig deeper!)

6) Feedback directed towards me is welcome, anonymously or otherwise.

7) As always I'd like everyone to please refrain from commenting on what someone else has written; what may seem trivial to you can be very personal to someone else. Everyone has feelings and I want to see them respected, therefore inappropriate remarks will be removed. Fortunately this hasn't been an issue and I'd like to thank all of you for that.

And now to it...

The Music Man

I hope this doesn't bum you guys out too much, but I've been going through some of my older writing (back to Grade One actually) and came across this piece.

When I was younger a friend of our family passed away from cancer.  I didn't know him extremely well, that is to say I don't remember a lot about him now except he was taken too soon, as always seems the case.

Peter was a gentle family man, a musician who loved to sing and play guitar with his band.  I wrote this a week before my 22nd birthday; it was really for his entire family but inspired by the emptiness I saw in his young daughter's eyes.  I've always found writing to be therapeutic; I guess I wrote this to help me deal with seeing her like that, which if I'm honest upset me even more than his passing.


The Music Man

The music man appears on stage
The song begins to play,
The night burns on, each note each page
We know he's here to stay.

The people seemed happy for the chance
To watch him for a while
I felt his warmth shine as I danced
And saw it in his smile.

But tonight the stage is silent
The singer's now at rest,
There was one song yet to be played
And God made His request.

And now your eyes seem lifeless
As I look at you through mine,
A deep and dark cold emptiness
But a little light still shines.

For though he gave you love in life
And taught you how to care,
He brought some of the love you learned
To hold onto up there.

I still can hear his music;
In his music was his heart.
So if you can think of him and sing
You'll never be apart.

And though I know he left too soon
Please be strong my friend,
Because however beautiful the tune
Every song must end.



God Bless, Peter.






Photo credit here.

Your Life Explained in Graphs (Part 2)

Musings

                              any guesses why I chose this picture?

Today I feel like my life is in a state of limbo.  I don't know how else to describe it.  I had a chance to get out of the office at one point today and got what felt like the first tease of summer.  Sure we're not even into spring yet.  Sure it's only seventeen degrees, which for all my American friends (love you guys!) translates to around 63 degrees give or take.  But I felt the warmth of the sun, and saw the warmth in the smiles of all those around me who welcome a day like this as much as I do.  Winter has for the time shed its overcoat like the big reveal on some TV fashion show, and I like what I see. A lot.

  I'm eager to get things started, to see how the coming months will unfold.  I think a lot of this restlessness is just revelry in the temporary escape from the occasional drudgery of life's daily routine; the invoicing, contracts and reports that come with a management position that makes me sometimes question how I got here.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love what I do and I work with amazing people.  Still I think we all ask ourselves this at one time or another. 

  There's so much I could and should be doing at this moment, yet all I want to do is write.  Throughout the course of today I could think of little else but drafting a poem I started writing this morning.  Or more precisely last night, when a couple lines came to me in those peaceful brief moments before sleep.  Not surprisingly it has heavy romantic undertones; try as I may to write about anything else I always seem to return to matters of the heart.  Much as a child who wants to paint a picture of a house but always ends up painting a tree.  Why is that?

  I think this year will bring good things.  I can feel it, I have so much hope for the year ahead.  Sandy and I will freshen up the house as we continue putting the finishing touches on our renovations.  The deck/pergola in the backyard will receive a couple coats of stain in anticipation of good times ahead shared with friends and family.

  I'm really looking forward to summer.  The sounds, smells and sights that just make you glad to be alive.  Tuner cars with the music pumping.  The unmistakble scent of barbeques wafting through the air.  Women in various states of dress, hair blowing in the breeze, soaking up the sun.  By far the best part of summer.

 I look forward to getting to know all you guys better, in forging new friendships and strengthening those already in place.  I knew last year that starting a blog would be a new experience but I didn't realize how much effect others would have on me.  I certainly didn't expect to affect anyone myself.

  Here's to restlessness, and the year to come.



Photo credit here.

Bloggers over Borders follow-up

So how's everybody doing so far, got any stories to share?  Perhaps you've hit a snag and are short on time or wondering what to send the blogger you're partnered with. If there's anything I can help with lemme know.




Photo credit here.

Your Life Explained in Graphs (Part 1)

Getting My Happy On

Does the title sound like something I could get arrested for doing in public?  I dunno.  Anyway...

 Recently I received the Happy 101 Blog Award from Jamie at Life as I Know It.  If you're looking for a good place to lift your spirits check out her blog.  And be prepared to be greeted by one of the brightest, most incredible smiles you've ever seen.

There are four rules that come with this award:

1. Copy & paste the award on your blog.  Checked.
2. Name the person who gave the award to you and link to their blog (or hyperlink). Checkaroonied.
3. List 10 things that make you happy.  Yuh-huh.
4. Pass the award on to other bloggers and visit their blog to let them know. M'kay.

Alright, here's a list of ten things that make me happy.

1. Sandy (my wife).
2. Weekends.
3. Massages.
4. Watching and listening to a thunderstorm.
5. Creative people.
6. Winks and smiles.
7. Being confided in.
8. Spending time in my studio.
9. Writing.
10. All you beautiful people who give me awards and write flattering comments that make me go "aww" and cause my face to scrunch up into pathetically mushy but genuinely sincere expressions from the sheer joy of knowing each and every one of you.  This is due mainly to the fact that (as anyone who knows me will attest) I'm basically a slut for attention.  Also if I don't feel that I can make a difference in someone's life I'll probably shrivel up and die like a prune left out in the Nevada Desert sun, even though I'm a bazillion miles away from Nevada and currently don't own a valid passport. 
Plus an ego stroke and feeling accepted never hurt anyone right?

I pass this on to the following:

 A Collection of Things I Am Absolutely Unsure Of
 Curvaceous in the City
 Tattoos and Cupcakes
 Shop T.O. Live
 Nikles and Dimes
Scattered Thoughts by Breenuh
Coffee Calculations and Columbia
Designing With Light
Her Armoire
fragments, treasures, memory
 
Thanks Jamie and to everyone else who reads me.  I suggest a massive group-hug, whaddya say?

Colours

                                                                

Greet dawn's break with stormy eyes.
Heart pounding,
Mind restless, and wild.

Throughout the night
Memories of The One
Held you captive in their grasp, relentless.
Like a book you can't put down,
Or the forever echo of a lover's beckon
On a fire escape at midnight.

But memories cannot be held nor protected.
They run like watercolours in the rain
Bleeding into one another
Until they're left unrecognizable, distorted and dark.

Perhaps the answer lay
Not in struggling to preserve
These most precious of moments
But in our ability
To paint each day anew.





Photo credit here

Secret Friday

Happy Friday everybody! In some parts of the world a few of you have already begun your weekend so I hope it's off to a good start.

It's time for the thirteenth installment of Secret Friday, a chance to anonymously share some secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty.

All are valid.

If you get something from this I hope you'll consider hosting one on your blog as well. Feel free to copy and paste the guidelines below if you choose. All I ask is that you keep a regular eye on your feedback; contributions can be intense sometimes and people writing in need to be respected. It's very important. If you decide to do this on your blog please, please let me know. If we link to each other I think we could start something great.

Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wishes to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) Post a secret or fantasy anonymously, no names please. It can be anything from mild to wild, anything goes. All I ask is that it's true. You can post as many as you're comfortable with.

3) I don't plan to censor content or language. However I do reserve the right to remove anything which appears to be posted with the sole intent of offending. I also reserve the right not to remove content that may be considered controversial. It's a fine line sometimes.

4) If you're someone who is easily offended by swearing or sexual content you may not want to read through the comments. I have no idea where this will go and won't be reviewing comments until after they are posted.

5) I'll be participating as well. (After twelve of these I have to dig deeper!)

6) Feedback directed towards me is welcome, anonymously or otherwise.

7) As always I'd like everyone to please refrain from commenting on what someone else has written; what may seem trivial to you can be very personal to someone else. Everyone has feelings and I want to see them respected, therefore inappropriate remarks will be removed. Fortunately this hasn't been an issue and I'd like to thank all of you for that.

And now to it...

Chilean Relief Efforts

I'm reposting this on behalf of my very dear friend Cindy.  Her family in Chile was one of many who felt the devastation of the earthquake and aftershocks. They are very much in need of assistance, I hope you'll consider joining me in doing whatever you're able to help.  Even a small amount from many can make a difference.


Please visit the Banco de Chile site and donate to the Chilean telethon earthquake relief efforts. This is the official site and of course it's completely secure and safe.

Click here  https://www.bancochile.cl/webchile1/Teleton/index_tarjetas_ex.html

They've been on television ALL night fund raising and they're up to $14m... trying to get $30m! You can see streaming of the telethon efforts at http://www.latercera.cl/.



While I sit here on my fancy couch dressed in overpriced jeans and drinking sweet tea, I can't help to think of my own family that has no running water or electricity, and of the two million folks out there who lost it all and just sit and wait for a government truck to show up with water and pasta.

"If you can't feed hundreds of people, then just feed one"

~Mother Theresa

You may also text CHILE to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross.

Put it all in perspective and let's help rebuild this little strip of land one day at a time.

FUERZA CHILE!!!!
PS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU'D LIKE TO REPOST THIS ENTRY AND I'LL EMAIL YOU THE CODE TO MAKE IT REALLY SIMPLE! I WOULD TRULY APPRECIATE IT!!!!