Never Fall for Fashion, Always Be in Style

Fashion Fades. Only style remains ~ Coco Chanel

Forget having a fling with fashion, you should marry style. "That's because style, like a good man, doesn't let you down"~SB Or is it wine? lol This chapter has lots of reasons why you should chose style over fashion which I won't bother rephrasing. There's also a summary of the month, which I will, but just one. The Joyful Simplicities for March includes bringing home some daffodils which is perfect since it's the Canadian Cancer Society's Daffodil Days right now. Unfortunately I'm missing out on volunteering again this year since we are heading to Havre soon for a friends birthday party. Problem is, something started making funny noises in the new truck just a few miles up the road so we had to turn back to the farm to pick up another vehicle and then head to the border the back way. I'll sign off now and start transferring everything into the car. Back tomorrow after a night of carousing in Montana. Good thing what happens in Havre stays in Havre!

Developing a Sense of Style

"Celebrating your authentic style through the clothes you wear is an art form" ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

I still haven't set aside those 2 hours to go through my wardrobe but I do get rid of one item at a time. Usually all I have to do is ask Kristen, our traffic coordinator and FDG (front desk girl) yes or no, and she will let me know if I should keep what I am wearing or give it away. Pants too short? Shirt too tight or loose? Shoes too ugly? That girl has fashion sense and she's barely 30. I'm so glad I have her guidance because it's a very slow process to discover your own style and it needs to be nurtured. Plus, you don't need much. Just a few key items and as long as you've got attitude, you're set. Style is not trendy, it's the "intersection of what you wear with who you are". Today you are to remind yourself that you are the artist of your outer authentic self and are on the path of uncovering your signature look. Can always wearing black pants be my signature look? I don't think so... so I bought 2 pairs of brown pants! w00t! They are still the classic, tailored department store pants that everyone buys and wears. Oh well. I'm going to have to lose those 25 lbs and break out the retro size 6 dresses of '03 & '08. At least it's not the wardrobe of the 70's or 80's, although I actually still do have several pieces of that wardrobe left. They can be used for Halloween costumes. Yeah, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!

Clearing: Parting with Fashion Mistakes

It's never too late -- in fiction or in life -- to revise. ~ Nancy Thayer

Oh crap. Today's the day and I just can't do it. The drop cloth is down, paint cans around and all blocking my closet doors. How do I get dressed in the morning if I can't get to my clothes? I hardly wear what's in there anyway. Most are in a pile on a chair in the corner of the bedroom. I've got my hands full painting the bathroom and even more so is the daunting task of tossing all those bad choices, and money! Being spring is the perfect time to do it, but spring time for me is not clearing out but cleaning up, with paint and decorating. I guess my home means more to me than me. Sprucing up the inside of the house rather than the outside of me.

This chapter only asks for 2 hours to find take everything out of the closet and put it on the bed. Step one. Step 2 is to go through item by item and try everything on. Keep only things you love that you look your best or feel your best. The rule of thumb is to save only items one size smaller than you are now, so you have a realistic goal of fitting into them again. It's going to be tough letting go of all the size 6 dresses I wore back in 03 when I first moved here. I wore them for a while after a few months of Herbal Magic in 08, so maybe I might keep them (3 sizes smaller than I am now) for just a while longer, to see if I can lose this quit smoking weight. If you haven't worn something in a year, consider parting with it.

Sarah writes about a Laura Ashley dress that she can't bear to part with, just as I have one I am saving for my daughter. (see photo---->)
Even if she never wears it, it still brings back memories of outlet shopping in Maine and some day, some one else will cherish it as much as I do. All the rest of the clothes will be given away to someone who needs rather than keeping it myself because of my wants. Visions of tv shows like "Buried Alive" and "Hoarders" come to mind. After a few episodes of that, I immediately gathered up pretty much all of the chachkies around the living room and packed them away to give them away. They never made it past the other room. I really must learn to let go, but for now, I must learn to step away from the keyboard and pick up a paint brush! Another coat awaits!

Comfort Clothes and What They Mean

I base my fashion taste on what doesn't itch ~ Gilda Radner

Someone once told me that for every item of clothing you bring into the house, another item should leave. I bought a new pair of pj's when in Arizona. They're a little too big but a little too comfy. So much so, that they are the first thing I want to change into when I get home from work, right after I get out of my painting clothes. I need to schedule that 2 hours to clean out my closet soon, and get rid of a pair of pajamas so there's room in the drawer for my new ones, not that they'll spend any time in the drawer. Sarah had a special sweater that was so torn and tattered but it was her lucky literary sweater so once her book was finished, her hubby begged her to throw it away. It ended up in the basement as a cat bed. Ha Ha! I can relate. My sister gave me 2 housecoats and my old torn one went out in one of the farm sheds in a box for the cats. True comfort clothes you don't squeeze into and are your true size, not the vanity most of us maintain. This week's task is to expand your wardrobe to more comfort clothes. Comfortable sizes. comfortable material, comfortable care (stay away from dry clean only!) If you can't find any this week, wait til next. The Simple Abundance path means being patient, and rather than wasting money by forcing what you want, and settling for second-rate, wait until you find something perfect, for you! Yay! I'll go shopping another day.

Glimmers from the Golden Mirror

It is never too late to be what you might have been ~ George Eliot

Oooh, another task. Golden Mirror Meditation again. Learning to reflect your own best image even if your wallet doesn't match your taste. Aaah. Champagne dreams on a beer budget. I can do that! Pulling together your style without putting yourself in debt! Okay, maybe not. Keeping it simple is the key and less is more is the rule. It's time to think about the clothes you absolutely love and can't live with out, not the ones that you can live with because they do the job. That closet cleaning is going to be coming soon, right now, I am glad it's just thinking about it, because the only thing I'm doing when I get home is painting. Another coat done and many more to go. Must sign off and get to work! Later!

The Unspoken Language of Authenticity

To choose clothes, either in a store or at home, is to define and describe ourselves. ~ Alison Lurie

Today's chapter reiterates about how the conversation you begin with the outside world is dictated by what you are wearing. I tend to dress conservatively and consistently. I constantly wear black pants. Black flared pants, black tapered pants, black stretchy pants, black striped pants. I'm pretty sure that's not my authentic self, but we can't wear blue jeans to work. It's quite different when you wear flared jeans, tapered jeans, stretchy jeans or striped jeans. I do have several drawers of those jeans, but few fit me and all my favourites I gave away because I was sure I would never fit into them again. I have ended up being that size again... but only for a short while. The pounds always pack on and it's back to black again. Well now it's back to the gym. It's been over 6 months since I quit smoking and it's time to get off the couch and get on the tread mill. Or elliptical in my case. As soon as I finish painting the bathroom...yeah, that's the ticket.

Real Life: Clothes That Fit Your Lifestyle

If you're like most women who complain, just as I do on a daily basis, "I've got nothing to wear", it's really that your wardrobe not matching your mood or reflecting your current life. Now is the time to rekindle the relationship with your clothes. Think about what doesn't work and about getting what does. What reflects your authentic self. When Sarah wrote that "every dress, skirt, pair of slacks...jacket tells a story." That is what makes them so difficult to part with. Later she asks to clean out the closets and drawers, but thankfully not today. Today is painting day and my son's 30th birthday. I sent him a text but there has been no response. I won't worry about his safety even though he drives like a maniac (in his mother's eyes) but will call tomorrow to see if he did anything special to celebrate. There's bound to be something interesting to do in Los Angeles on a Sunday night!

Here in Maleb, I finished the second coat of primer in the master bathroom that has been torn apart and prepped to paint for 6 weeks. I have become quite the procrastinator over the years. Another flaw that I need to work on, yet another feather in the cap of not rushing. Taking my time and enjoying the process of productivity. The final results are well worth the work and wait. Now if I could just convince hubby to build an addition so I can have a walk in closet for all the clothes that I don't want to wear or give away. lol I have a feeling paring down is the next project in "Simple Abundance" and more room for more clothes would be more waste. K.I.S.S!

The Secret Saboteur" When You're Feeling Blue

Finding out who you are is not simple. It takes a lot of hard work and courage to get to know who you are and what you want. ~ Sue Bender

Some days, the path of Simple Abundance comes naturally, others it's seems impossible. Two steps forward, one step back is normal so when you feel sad for no apparent reason, when you feel it's painful to proceed, remember there's a dormant period before a growth spurt.You can either give in, stop resisting and sing the blues by crying, napping or sleeping til it passes. You can soak in a tub, raid your comfort drawer, count your blessings and turn off the light. Or you can shift gears by calling a friend, taking a walk. Get moving, get doing and get away. If it's not gone after a few days, know that it's okay to ask for help. These are the days you learn to be kind to yourself.

A friend on facebook reached out for help the other day. She asked for a reminder why she puts one foot in front of and remind her sometimes we need to skip with joy. A little happiness was in order and something to make her laugh out loud. 2 dozen friends responded and I posted a link a coworker tweeted

13-simple-steps-to-get-you-through-a-rough-day

She was smiling from the first comment to the last.

Always be a first rate version of yourself

"instead of second rate version of somebody else" ~ Judy Garland

"Simple Abundance" is all about discovering your authentic self, the meaning being found at webster's dictionary/authentic It's about you being you and not just like anyone else. Don't strive to be as beautiful as Cindy Crawford, entertain like Martha Stewart, sing like Adele or dance like Ginger Rogers. Strive to be the best you, you can be. Your best is always good enough.

I've had lot's of nicknames over the years. Lead Foot Lucy (drive fast) Martha Stewart on Speed (decorate fast?) Lightning Bolt (bright flash!) so apparently a) I do things fast and b) I'm being compared to someone else. I've even wrote an essay for a college English class in 1995 about the many people I've  been over the years that I posted here a few years back called Who I Am. Sixteen years later, here I am reading a book about self-discovery when at the time, I thought I had already done so, but it was just the first step down the path and it's a never ending process.

Why Self-Confidence Can't be bought but can be borrowed

If you need to be confident but don't feel it, then just pretend it because upon acting it, you will become it. It's all about borrowing a bit of moxie from your authentic self.

I remember going to a toast master meeting for the first time in my early 20's in Moose Jaw. It had been several years since I stood on a stage. Usually it was to play an instrument in the concert band with the occasional nerve wracking solo or in the high school play with a terrifying soliloquy. I don't remember the subject but it must have been about me, because they say when you speak about what you know best, you speak the best. Although I was nervous, I did well and was encouraged to return. I really don't think people want to hear me always talking about me (actually, I know they don't since listeners will actually call or email to tell me if I go on too much about me on the radio.) I need to find things that I am passionate about that people can relate to and are interested in. It's very difficult to sit alone in a room talking to nobody yet everybody. When I worked at the college radio station in Victoria after my first year taking Applied Communication, I questioned whether this was the right career path for someone who was so social and loved to interact... okay talk. Yeah, I found my calling. Although it doesn't come naturally, it's hard work to make it sound so easy. One instructor said "It's like talking to your best friend while your mother's in the room." I broke that rule once. Boy did I get in trouble.

What is Self Confidence?

A powerful beauty potion among other things! But you're not supposed to confuse self-esteem with self-confidence. Apparently your self-esteem is deeply rooted in the relationship you have with your parents. Self-confidence is a combination of experience, knowledge, wisdom, faith and a positive attitude. Just like perfume, you only need a little to achieve a lot. :) If you struggle with both selfs like me... I'm going to keep reading "Simple Abundance" because I'm sure I'll discover both by the end of the book on December 31st!

Inner Beauty, Outward Charm

Don't you love it when some incredibly beautiful woman like Linda Evans or Cindy Crawford tell us that the real beauty secret is finding your inner light? No shit. but I've done the same things these women have done to find my inner light and while it's true I'm happier, I still don't look like them. ~ Marianne Williamson

As long as we look OUR best is what counts! Have we learned that less is more when it comes to makeup and fashion as well as decorating and entertaining? Over the top is out! Meditate, love yourself and remember the inner reflects the outer. That is today's teaching in "Simple Abundance". And yes, even though I'll never look like her, I'll keep using the Cindy Crawford endorsed "Meaningful Beauty" products that just arrived in the mail. Just 5 steps to softer looking skin. I can shine on the outside while I work on my inner light :)

Repose of the Soul

Speak softly and carry a big stick. Forget the stick (and no, not hockey stick either) Speak softly, listen attentively, look everyone in the eye and lavish love on everyone you meet. You'll feel different at the end of the day.

I so need to find that tranquility. My GM greeted me this morning as he passed by my office door after I had already been at work for near a half hour. I was busy rushing to find information on my computer as I acknowledged him but it was just "Hey Casey". I didn't even raise my head or turn to look at him. Within moments I regretted my actions. I wasn't just preoccupied, I was just rude. Being genuinely interested in others is compelling and Sarah encourages us to be that kind of woman. The problem is, I know I don't fully engage on a daily basis. I have apologized to several coworkers already to say "I'm sorry I continue to multitask rather than give you my full attention". I also need to apologize for constantly interrupting. Sometimes every conversation is not a conversation. Sometimes you need to listen, more than talk. I must learn/practice to be more gracious.

Awakening Sleeping Beauty

If you wake up grumpy and sleepy every morning, does that make you Snow White? ~ Unknown

Seriously though, today's quote in the "Simple Abundance" book is "We are the hero of our own story. ~ Mary McCarthy. 

Today's story is about a pretty girl who posed for a photo newspaper article in front of a garbage pile to emphasize it's massive size. After that, the kids at school called her "just a pile of garbage". Author Sarah compares it to pricking her finger on a spindle and just like sleeping beauty, falling asleep, becoming numb to  her own beauty because it traumatized her for most of her life, yet she did eventually overcome the trauma. Been there, done that! Have you? It's time to wake up and not look back. I've always said, Everything that I've been through in my life, good or bad, until now, has made me who I am today. Sarah quotes fellow writer Merle Shain, saying, "One can never change the past, only the hold it has on you and while nothing in your life is reversible, you can reverse it nevertheless".

Accentuating the Positive

If one is a greyhound, why try to look like a Pekinese? ~Dame Edith Sitwell

Apparently Dame Edith was a homely child and was miserable until she discovered poetry and music and in doing so fell in love with her authentic self. She became famous for her flamboyant sense of style. Oh how can I relate to that. The homely child that is. I certainly wasn't one of the popular kids at school. I blamed it on my father, a teacher and the vice principal in charge of discipline, but it was pretty much the glasses, bucked teeth, braces, acne and skinny teenager that I was, who tried too hard. I hated my glasses. When ever I dressed up and felt like Cinderella, then I would have to put my glasses on and turned into one of the ugly step sisters. Thankfully years later another fairy tale came true. Thankfully glasses are now a fashion accessory and The Ugly duckling now feels like a beautiful swan. :)

http://sonnetsat4am.blogspot.ca/2007/09/happy-birthday-dame-edith-sitwell.html

What do you like about yourself?

If you want to find the answers to the Big Questions about your soul, you'd best begin with the Little Answers about your body. ~ George Sheehan

Sarah Ban Breathnach, author of Simple Abundance, sure likes to keep you busy with daily tasks. Reading this book is not just a read, it's a do, feel, find and be. When you look in the mirror, do you like what you see? If not, look again and look at yourself lovingly and appreciate what you see, more than just skin deep. Tonight, you're supposed to set aside an entire hour to celebrate how awesome you are by having a bath with bubbles or oil, candles. As you dry, apply lotion and give yourself a massage. Before going to bed, look in the mirror and appreciate all your good points, inside and out. If you can't find 20 things, then keep doing it every night until you can.

I think I can fit that in, as soon as I am done painting another coat on the bathroom counter, right after a soak in the hot tub. Forget the mirror. I'll think of those things I like about me while soaking. That is one thing I like about bedtime now. 20 minutes a night, a relaxing soak, under the stars, listening to the hum of the tub and the quiet of the night. Farm living is one thing this town girl appreciates.

Self Nurturing: The Hardest Task You'll Ever Do

Of all the assigned tasks so far, the creative excursions, hope chest, toy box & comfort drawer, discovery journal etc, they all lay undone. What is so difficult? They are such little things to do for yourself. You should treat yourself better if you want your life to come together. Today's task is to make a list of ten nice things you could do for yourself and select just one and do it.

As I lay in the back of Monika & Ed's toy Hauler outside of Parker Arizona, listening to the coyotes on the nearby golf course yip & howl probably after a rabbit, I can think of all ten things I did nice for me today. From sleeping in 15 minutes this morning, not rushing through breakfast Lana prepared, treating myself to a glass of wine for lunch, watching a chick flick during the flight (The Descendants) and the list goes on. But then again, being on vacation it's easy to indulge in lots of things. The challenge is squeezing time in for yourself on workdays, weekdays and days that end in Y! 

Loving yourself into wholeness

Tonight I sit in chestermere with friends who love me wholey, flaws and all as I love them. Why is it that we cannot love ourselves the same way? On the outside we have it all together, portray we are bold and strong when in reality we feel fragile & frightened. At times like those, is the time to pamper yourself and treat yourself to a simple indulgence and pleasure. I remember a time when the kids were small I felt I was the be all and end all to everyone else but me. It took a long time to learn you can't look after anyone else unless you look after yourself first. So do it. Say no to everyone else's demands and say yes to you. You deserve it. Tonight I deserve it too. So I will indulge myself in buying beautiful red bottle of rum. Redrum to be exact. This might be a dangerous start to our vacation, but thankfully I only had two drinks and left the pretty bottle for next visit to the Beierbachs. Time to head to bed & rest up for the flight to Vegas in the morning. I love my life :)

Accepting Yourself As You Are Today

Seek Not Outside Yourself, Heaven is within. ~ Mary Lou Cook

March 13th chapter is about making peace with the past that has put every line, every wrinkle, every saggy midsection we own. Learning to love yourself and every flaw that goes with it will take a bit of doing but it needs to be done asap, not as soon as you lose weight but today with this mantra. "I am what I am and what I am is wonderful" There. Was that so difficult? Oh wait. Keep repeating until you truly believe and mean it!

How Do I Look?

The question is usually asked to others but today's chapter is to ask it of ourselves. The more important question however, is how do we feel? How you feel about yourself will influence how you look more than what you are wearing. Rather than focus on the glitz on the outside, focus on complete beauty. "Personal transformation begins with a stronger inner life" that will guide you to finding what's right, be it hair style, weight loss or wardrobe. To discover it, set aside 20 minutes a day to meditate, reflect or just walk. Finding your authentic self will do more for your looks than you realize. It's always been there, it's just that you need to go down into yourself to find exactly what you desire, which you already possess.

You Are Not Your Appearance, but Does the Rest of the World Know That?

The tragedy of our time is that we are so eye centered, so appearance besotted ~ Jessamyn West

Gee, yesterday it was all about presenting ourselves better and today it's about NOT having to be "pulled together" every single moment. Just as long as you don't beat yourself up for not being perfect and let your inner beauty shine which in turn will transform the outer.

March 11

Sending and Receiving Personal Signals

If you will resolve to work each day for self-realization, your whole world can change...The two women you are, they can make you over. ~POND'S COLD CREAM ADVERTISEMENT, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, December 1947

Dang this woman can't make up her mind. Now we are back to caring about the way we look! Since the inside is reflected on the outside, if you're not feeling wonderful on the inside, you won't make the effort for your outside to match. If you feel wonderful on the inside, you will make the effort to look wonderful on the outside. The path of personal transformation may start inside, but can go both ways too. She quoted another Pond's Cold Cream ad from the 40's but my favourite saying is from the 70's and my take on a Wonder Bra Commercial. When I'm looking good, I feel good, and when I feel good I look SOUND great!

1975 Wonderbra Commercial

A Radiant Reflection

Projecting Your Authentic Self

So many women just don't know how great they really are. They come to us all vogue outside and vague on the inside. ~Marcy Kay Ash

Or visa versa. Sometimes, your authentic self on the inside is not reflected on the outside. Staying the same for safety sake when you'd rather exchange yourself for a sleeker version, means you need to awaken your own radiance to get out of the rut on the way you present yourself. Grab a magazine or catalog and cut out all the pictures of women and clothing you find attractive. Make a collage in your discovery journal (January 28) just like back when you were 10 and played with paper dolls. To help you discover your true sense of style, find your dream hairstyle, wardrobe and accessories, put on paper and then work toward that in real life.

Take the path to the "joy of surrounding yourself only with things you love, and the pleasure of wearing only clothes that make you look good and feel fabulous and project your authentic sense of style. If it's not, live without it." (note, sweats pants are never to be worn outdoors. No trips to the grocery store to replace the empty vanilla container mid baking or to the rink to pick up the kids because you don't have to get out of the car but risking the possibility. Other than lounging at home, they should be kept in the gym bag, taken out to work out and put back immediately afterwards. Oh, unless they are Winnipeg Blue Bomber sweats, to be worn proudly anywhere anytime lol)

Taking The Plunge

Until you make peace with who you are, you'll never be content with what you have ~ Doris Mortman

The idea in this chapter is to reveal rather than conceal your authenticity Exploring the way you present yourself to the world by your personal appearance is much more than the way you dress, do your make up or hair. It's about the many ways you chose to either expose or hide your authentic self and to finally acknowledge, accept and be comfortable with who you truly are. So take time to ponder and reflect, consider creative choices and shake off those past doubts and fears to understand your core. Treat yourself with kindness, gentleness, respect and patience. Sometimes you're the only one, and if so, you need to do it for yourself.

That's a lot of paraphrasing to say what? LOVE THYSELF!

Love Thyself
Words by Woody Guthrie, Music by Joel Rafael

Love thyself most and best
Love thyself day and night
Let no feared word cause thee
To hate thyself

Love thyself last and first
Love thyself more each month
Let no scared howl cause thee
To doubt thyself

Love thyself more and more
Love thyself loud and long
Let no bad dream make thee
Mistrust thyself

Thyself is all you'll have
From cradle to thy grave
Love yours enough to make
Us love ourselves

Thyself is all you'll have
From cradle to thy grave
Love yours enough to make
Us love ourselves

Outfitting a Comfort Drawer

A little of what you fancy does you good ~ Marie Lloyd

Hmm, Sarah sure expects to keep me busy with filling baskets over the past two days and now it's a drawer. That's okay because I already have my favourite indulgences in the top drawer of my bed side table, Surprisingly there are no chocolate or treats, and not because we live on a farm that has lazy...okay spoiled... cats so mice control is at it's worst, but lots of my favourite decorating magazines, book on the to read list, old journals written years ago in day times that have been set aside for digital diaries. Scented candles, nature cd's and hand made cards. The only thing she suggests to do that I haven't is line the drawer with pretty paper and wrapped the comforts in pretty tissue paper and tie with ribbons. I'm thinking I should since otherwise it could just be considered like every other junk drawer in the house!

March 6

Creating a Toy Box

Respect the power of play and the importance of fun! You're supposed to find another wicker basket or fabric covered box and be sure it has a lid, because what goes in is your business and your business only. Or not if you do want to share but it is important to get down to the business of play and fill your toy box with what ever you want. Go on an excursion to the dollar store and fill it with what ever tickles your fancy. Find things that will remind you to lighten up and take time to set aside seriousness and have some fun.

I have a hand made wooden toy box that was in my childhood home. I was the only sister that wanted it after we moved out and I feel lucky to have it but it's actually sitting in storage in the woodworking shed behind the house. It is still filled with all the Disney VHS movies my kids grew up on. I still have a VHS player so there is no need to sell any movies but I am going to have to bring the toy box back into the house. Not to be my toy box but for Ray's 3 year old grand daughter when she comes to visit. I can see us cuddled on the couch under a hand made blanket watching Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin or Snow White. And of course The Sound of Music. I first saw the movie at the Avalon Theatre when I was a kid and it's been my number one favourite ever since. I will have to introduce Monroe to the movie when she is old enough to appreciate it. That could actually be already! I was 5 when the movie premiered and I still watch it when it airs on TV every year. I absolutely love it! Why do you think I play the guitar and never became a nun!

March 5

Creating a Hope Chest

"Hope" is the thing with feathers--that perches in the soul...~Emily Dickinson

Sarah didn't have a hope chest when she got married. Neither did I but then again I eloped. You might think that ship has sailed. Not hope, just the hope chest but it's never too late. My mother's hope chest was cedar lined and smelled wonderful. I'm sure the contents changed over the years and were quite different from when it was started to what's in it now. When I left home for university, it held her prom dress, wedding dress, baby clothes from each of her 4 daughters and more. Even though it probably started out as filled with items to create a new life, it ended up being filled with memories of the life she created. Years ago I bought a huge blue chest to store my life's memories from high school jackets, baby clothes, blankets and handmade sweaters. Now instead of a young woman's hope for a new life it's a grown woman's hope for grandchildren.

But Sarah wants you to start a different kind of hope chest for yourself. As simple as a small wicker basket filled with little projects for the future. Unique yarn for mittens, fabric for recovering chairs, books to read or what ever you want until you can set aside time to tend to them. You can make one for yourself and if you have a daughter, make one for her too and put in your favourite books by your favourite authors inside for her to read. It's never too late to start. Hopes and dreams are always in the making.

March 4th

Priming The Pump For Inspiration The well of Providence is deep. It's the buckets we bring to it that are small ~Mary Webb

Apparently creating an atmosphere to write is necessary to activate the right brain and to do what it takes to get the creative juices flowing. Some people need to do a ritual and do the same thing each time to get them into their place. Me? I can write anywhere, anytime and anything. Like now on the couch while Ray is watching hockey (Dallas & Flames tied at 2 with 2 minutes left in the game, not that I care). I don't need mood music, lit candles and a cup of green tea to get me in the mood to write. I'm always in the mood. Maybe I could be more creative if I did create a reassuring ritual and a ceremony of comfort that inspired the spirit of my authentic self, but until I suffer from writers block, I think I'm good to go for now. This may not be a bright and shining moment in literature, but it's me, it's mine and it's... oh wait, yesterday's chapter spoke of hubris..an "exaggerated sense of self confidence". Well it's not a matter of confidence but complacency I guess. I am what I am what I am....that usually comes before a humbling. A heart attack is certainly very humbling, and it does not surprise me in the least that heart disease is now the leading killer of women.

My friend Lana had a heart attack at the age of 50 and at that moment, smoked her last cigarette. A month later Ray & I followed suit. My Grandma Laval had a heart attack when I was attending University of Winnipeg just before I turned 20. You would think I would have taken better care of myself since then but I only quit for 3 years in 2000 and have now quit since Sept 21st. Hopefully it's not too little too late.

Time Smoke-Free: 165 days, 2 hours, 6 minutes 49 seconds
Cigarettes not smoke: 2476
Money Saved: $1089.00
Lifetime Saved: 18 Days, 21 Hours

Look at that. I have now gained more time to write in my daily blog/journal. Lucky me! Lucky you! NOT! lol

I've been writing since I was 12. From songs to Davy Jones to essays about rabbits in Grade 3. From romance novels on my Dad's old typewriter to blogs on the computer. My parents were both musician, and my Mum was an English teacher and my Dad taught French. I got corrected no matter what language I spoke! Pretty much the only French I know is the first page of the Grade 7 French text book that I memorized. I regret not learning my family's native tongue. Mind you it's not really French but Waloon as my Father's family was from Belgium (my Mother's family was from England and Scotland.)

Family roots are the ties that bind and the fabric that weaves your past and future. My family fostered creativity from day one and I am thankful for my upbringing that appreciated the arts and encouraged creativity and authenticity.

March 3

Setting Aside a Personal Sabbath Anybody can observe the Sabbath but making it holy surely takes the rest of the week. ~Alice Walker

It's been far too many years since I've been to church. I think the last time was Father's Day 2003 when I was living far away from home in Ontario and figured if I couldn't spend it with my Daddy, then I may as well spend it with the Big Daddy of all time. But making a day sabbath does not necessarily mean going to church, or temple, mosque or synagogue. It can simply mean taking a day of rest. A day of staying in pajamas and doing as little work as possible. No finishing undone projects from the past week or starting new ones getting ready for the next. It is for reverence, rest, renewal, rejuvenation, reassuring, rituals, recreation, rejoicing, revelation and remembering. Forget R&R, that's R to the 10! What matters is that you do something special that speaks to you soul. I don't think that painting truly speaks to my soul, as much as I do love redecorating and seeing the beautiful fruits of my labours. I will skip it today, but only because a trip to Edmonton to pick up a new vehicle has gotten in the way of any R&R, but my Sabbath will be Sundays. My Sabbath will be a do nothing day, not even to "putter" as I call it, when I clean house in what ever haphazard order, ADHD schematic that overcomes me. I will walk in the outdoors, take pictures of the landscape and be grateful and say thank you to the universe for all that I have been blessed with. If this is not what the Great Creator intended when She created the Sabbath, then I have no idea what is sacred. ~Sarah Ban Breathnach

March 2nd

There is no access to the elliptical tonight and after indulging in wayyy too much at Szechuan Village at dinner tonight, I really need to get moving and will have to go for a quick walk to wear it off. Even though I chose chicken & beef with veggies, the Szechuan Chicken Ray chose was far too tempting. So much for the 17 day diet rules.

Today's chapter of "Simple Abundance" is Meditation: Many Paths to the Present Moment. Apparently, sitting cross legged with thumbs and middle fingers touching and chanting ohmmm is not the only one way to meditate. There are actually many ways and it's what you make of it. It's just a matter of making a time and a place to relax. To close yours eyes, breathe slow and steady, and get in touch with the silence within. Sarah asks to consider 20 minutes a day to do so... just merely consider. My 20 minutes will be at bedtime. Lights out, in bed, no reading, no writing, no iphone, ipad, ipod. No need to say no tv because I don't believe in a tv in the bedroom so no distractions but silence. More than likely instead of listening to my breathing, I'll have to listen to Maggie breathing... loudly, sometimes grunting, or snoring, or Ray;s to make it in stereo, but their loud night noises are quiet compared to the usual noise in my head and I am thankful in knowing that their path and mine are deeply intertwined and thankful they are in my life.    

Simple Abundance

"March arrives, the last hurrah of winter and the first whisper of spring. Slowly our spirits reawaken, along with the natural world, bare, now blossom with new growth. Deep within we feel stirrings of hope. Turn over the earth in the inner garden. This month we plan the seed of the second Simple Abundance Principle. Simplicity - in the fertile soil of our souls."

Each year I start the book, Simple Abundance, A Day Book of Comfort & Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach and each year I stop reading the book around this time. It's like a new year's resolution to exercise and it putters out when spring weather arrives. In the 3 years I borrowed it from Tellisa and then got my own (thank you Leann & Jeff) I always find something else to do rather than give myself the gift of time to enjoy the special 10th Anniversary Edition. Well, this year, it's going to change. I will set aside my knitting, painting, decorating, riding, visiting, partying, tv watching and computer surfing... for just 10 minutes to read a chapter a day. The other 10 minutes will be devoted to the elliptical..and if I get lazy, then I can combine the two, but this is my vow. I WILL read every word in this book. I WILL use the elliptical for more than a clothes hanger. I WILL TAKE TIME FOR MYSELF! (and then take another 10 minutes to share it :)

MARCH 1

Day 1, 10 minutes on the elliptical and I'm beat! Stage 1, level 5 and my legs are already sore, but my back feels better and I actually feel energized. Now I need to unwind before bed and the perfect way to do that is to READ!!!! Rather than continue where I left off in "Angelina: An unauthorized biography", "Simple Abundance" it is! I love the fact that the chapters are just over a page long!

Today's chapter, "Restoring Serenity to your Daily Endeavors". Sarah says to dramatically change the quality of our lives, we can restore serenity "when women stop behaving as if they were whirling dervishes". I was quite offended...but then I googled dervish. Yeah, a spinning top, going in circles could be said of the same. Or ADHD. Start one project and mid stream you see something else that needs doing so you do it, then something else and so on. Squirrel! While multitasking is something that I tend to take pride in, apparently "Serene women do not become sidetracked.". In order to "recover our sanity" is to "concentrate slowing on completing one task at a time", all day, every day (just like Grace Kelly.)

So if concentrating fully on one thing at a time, maybe I won't have to retrace my steps as often. Like when I forget what I walked into a room for, or where I left my keys, put my cell phone or what chapter I was on. Oh wait, this is going to be easy.. tomorrow's chapter title is March 2nd! It's subtitle is meditation. That's going to be a tough one. How can I sit still for that long if I'm just learning how to be serene?