Advice for 2019

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THIS is how we are going into 2019.

Put those emotional vampires, the negatives, the drama first people at the back of the pack.

Focus on you and those that are important to you - those that love and care about you JUST the way you are - not the ones that only want you to act and react the way they think you should.  The ones that only reach out when they need something or some validation.  The ones who ignore you until it works for them.  Because - real love and kindness?  Isn't like that.

Bye to those guys.

Reach out today to someone you love, like, admire, miss - whatever.  Tell them you are thinking about them.  Wish them well.  Put some good vibes out into the world today, on day one of 2019

Here we go; peace and love to you as we start this brand new year.

Gratitude more often

A few years back at a rough time in my life my Boo gave me a Gratitude jar - slips of paper to write things I am grateful for on, with a pen (to write with!) and a pretty glass jar to keep the notes in.  It was hard some days, to think of something to be grateful for.  But if you think about it, there is always something.

It can be hard to look past the big things (losing my mom ) that there is nothing grateful in, and the not so big things that seem big (will this freaking winter never ever end????) that there is nothing grateful in, but I found some stuff this week.

I am always grateful for The Mister, and our babies, and my dad.
I am grateful that The Mother In Law came out for a visit - the kids were wild to see her.
I am grateful to have My Boo - a truly wonderful friend is a real gift.
I am grateful that I reconnected with some family members.  Our family is cuckoo sometimes (whose isn't?) but family is family and life is short and if you keep putting things off there is a good chance they won't happen.
I am grateful for the blue skies that appeared this past weekend.  I feel like a little bit of stress and sadness has lifted along with the clouds.
I am grateful for the work we've done the past few months cleaning junk out of our house.  We've taken countess loads of stuff to various thrift shops and donation centers, and broken stuff to the dump.  The house looks infinitely better, and we've still got some work to do.
I am grateful for all the people who tell me I look like my mom.

Snapshot - Be The Change

Riverside Park, Summer 2017

There is always something to be thankful for

 

It is easier, some times, to be negative than to be positive.

Let's focus on the positive today, shall we?

I am eternally grateful for The Mister.  Sometimes he drives me crazy, 

but I know I drive him nuts too. We got it going on.

I am grateful for what a good big brother The Boy is.  He is almost always kind and 

patient to his little sister.  I hope they will always be a team.

I am always grateful for my parents, and I am thankful we moved from Alberta to be closer to them.

I am thankful to be Canadian.

After this blast of cold weather I am grateful for scarves and slippers and heating pads.  

practice any art

The full text, supposedly, from the above quote -"What I had to say to you, moreover, would not take long, to wit: Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what’s inside you, to make your soul grow."

I have always been the most least artistic person around.  No talent for drawing or painting or anything like that. My Father is a very talented artist, and The Mister is pretty good at it too, and he comes from it honestly - his Grandmother was a very accomplished painter.  Talent all around me!  We've been trying to encourage The Boy to work on his art skills lately, just for fun.  

And I've been working on mine too.

I've taken 2 "Paint Night" classes in the past couple of months, one with My Boo (my BFF) and one with The Mister, and while I will not be showing you my work here, it was pretty fun, 

and I was pleased with my work.  From me.

It's made me want to play more, try some painting with watercolors, and  My Boo and I are contemplating trying our hand at pottery too, and I'm a little excited about it.

“Art doesn’t have to be pretty. It has to be meaningful.” ~Duane Hanson

100 days of meditation that didn't happen

I took the photo below on January 1, the day I started what I hoped would be a 

100 day journey with meditation.  It ended around Day 5.  

I have very bad anxiety, and I was hoping that meditation would be something I could use 

as a tool to stay calm and/or bring myself back to calmness when needed.  

When I was on maternity leave I bought that book, plus a whack of other spiritual 

books in hopes that I would find something to help me.  So far I haven't finished 

any of them.  But with meditation it's the same as it's always been - my mind can't 

focus on being calm and quiet, my inner voice won't be silent and continues its 

never ending negative monologue.  I've put the book to the side, and I hope 

that one day soon I can try again.

What I have accomplished though, since January 1, is practicing yoga every day.

I'm taking 1-3 classes a week, and practicing at home the other days. Some days at 

work I do a quick session if I'm feeling overwhelmed, but that will probably stop 

because I just moved desks and now I have someone sitting to my side and I'm 

not sure I want someone staring at me while I do poses.

Anyhoo, I'm so proud that I've been able to commit to daily yoga every day so far this year.  

My initial plan, like the meditation, was to aim for 100 days, but now I'm planning 

for each day, every day, for all the days.

"Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured."

B. K. S. Iyengar

Tiny Happy Tuesday

The Boss buying us drinks from Cafe Motivo. I got my fave hot 

chocolate with salted caramel syrup.

Saturday morning yoga while everyone is asleep. 

Watching Moana with the kids.  Everyone loved it.  We laughed, we danced, I cried (and cried).  I can't wait to watch it again soon.

Thanks Hillary for wanting us all to share our Happy.

Gratitude

Today I am grateful for

The Mister and how much he loves me and our family

My Children

Yoga class, and my teacher

The sunshine

A new day

What are you grateful for today?