black swan manifesto

recently i have been coming to terms with the ugly duckling of days past and trying to embrace the black swan within. why beat yourself up trying to please all the ducks? stretch those wings and dare to soar.

in.spire: ignore everybody

a long lost friend sent this, and the words of wisdom in.spire.

Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb. You may never reach the summit; for that you will be forgiven. But if you don’t make at least one serious attempt to get above the snow line, years later you will find yourself lying on your deathbed, and all you will feel is emptiness

Don’t try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether.

You have to find your own shtick.

mercury in retrograde

the power was gone for a time this morning, cancelled calls and appointments were the norm, email down for a stretch this week. maybe there is something to this mercury retrograde stuff. any one else notice any hijinks? hmmm... Officially ends oct 14.

a love letter

On our wedding aniversary, to my one and only...

we
there is no better pair of souls in the universe

raspberries + green tomatoes

neighbours have given us these garden delights this week. seems like edible art.in.progress. last night a soulful trumpet could be heard out the window.

sky

stared up at the sky this afternoon, art.in.progress. air planes leaving white lines cris-crossed against perfect blue. black birds flying in a V, so much beauty. i just felt grateful to witness it. an indian summer weekend full of sun and deluxe moments. life is a gift a wise woman told me recently. savouring it.

brush with scmarminess: feist

earlier this week, dN picked up take-out from Fresh on Crawford for me and spied feist on the patio in a hidden corner. good taste on her, fresh is among my faves in T.O. we also think we dined beside a couple of famous types on the Drake patio yesterday but couldn't name them. a blonde actress type with jackie-o shades flipped through a script beside us and this silver-haired gent two tables down had an air about him but applauded dN for helping me. It is TIFF after all. kind of hilarious that we guessed they were famous but couldn't place them. egos in check i suppose. makes them seem like characters in a play.

change gonna come

change.

you can't and you won't

kickin' it old skool.

building from the core

i am working to rebuild my core strength and my balance.

the metaphor is not lost on me.

was hoping to post some gospel music but could only find the lyrics to this sam cooke gem.

the universe speaks

reading the healing code and know that it holds wisdom i need to bring into my life. it is like the universe is speaking to me. re-programming the unproductive self talk and mastering emotions. no mean feat but muchly needed. i met two inspiring souls on this trip and that is more proof that the universe delivers what you need just in time when your soul is ready. gratitude.

hi and low

yesterday was a high, today I am struggling with hopeless blues. doesn't make any sense but if you want to remind me of the light side...coaching welcome. maybe i just need a nap.

two mice

Two little mice fell in a bucket of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up and drowned. The second mouse, wouldn't quit. He struggled so hard that eventually he churned that cream into butter and crawled out. Gentlemen, as of this moment, I am that second mouse.

--Frank Abagnale Sr., Catch Me If You Can

horoscope

this was in now magazine the week before we arrived and it seems fitting, i want to keep it close.

leo

your strategies are very close to working. the results you've generated so far are almost useful.. bordering on successful and on the brink of beautiful. my question now is: you won't stop here, will you? you've already garnered a measure of recognition. you've gotten a taste of victory over your old bugaboos. will you be satisfied with these partial breakthroughs or will you fight and kick and scratch to strip away the almosts and ascend to utter triumph?

the new wtf

watch.think.feel. re-programing my brain. my favourite physio wants me to use wtf to do the job. still working on my spirit and attitude. no short cuts, long cuts are the name of the game. it is like when you are a kid and the teacher says you are only cheating yourself. don't panic or give into fear. don't give up. make strategies for yourself. there are some things no one can teach. independence. practice everything.

dragonfly infinity

had a dream about staying at this hotel with a room formerly inhabited by an artist. the artist had left pottery, plants and the space had a lived in feel. there was a theme of infinity and pottery with dragonflies. there was a hanging plant that crept across the ceiling and some ivy. there was a storybook clock with an ornate gold frame. i don't remember what time it was. wishing i had my dream book but no dice. will need to get your two cents. pretty please.

faith

believing it is possible. calm. determined. happy. these are my goals, i am in treatment for the next few weeks, not sure how regular the posts will be. moral support welcome.

sun + lightning shower

a rumble. a crack. the sky divided. a strange storm yesterday. fitting.

happy friday

when my mind is full of stories and characters, inspired by good company, i have found bliss. imaging an evening sky lit up with fire flies. there is beauty everywhere.

lights, camera, action!

there was a beautiful thunder and lightning storm last night. turned off all the lights and just enjoyed the spectacle from my bedroom window. so lovely. art.in.progress.

more poems found

circa high school and my favourite university class, creative writing. plus the odd essay. postcards of my brain, fun to remember the evolving character. no critics allowed, appreciating the person i was and am, full stop.

good find: the muppets

lost & profound:poem

a friend of mine recently re-discovered a poem i wrote about our shared cottage experience from our university days. sort of like finding a postcard from years past. parts of it are ok. parts cringe-worthy i must admit. here's a link to my favourite poet who inspires even to this day. sun moon stars rain.

the view from here

went to the rom on sunday and sampled the C5 splendour. felt like a movie set. fun to spend a few moments on top of the city.

in.spire: cool prints

fuel for the creative inspiration engine, and they're local. so cool.

good find: love me or leave me...

dream: kid in a bunny suit

had a dream about my friend's son as a baby dressed in a bunny costume. theories? no, no babies for me.

good flick: (500) days of summer

best movie I have seen in a long while. an almost love story. kick ass soundtrack too. the characters feel like people you already know. see.it.

frank

went to the AGO on sunday and had deluxe perogies at frank. savour the deluxe-ness!

dream: big dog

had a dream that an over-sized st.bernard jumped on a car i was riding in. i raised a hand to fend him off and looked back and saw that he died. i have theories on this one but would like another perspective.

salt + pepper cats

two cats with black and white spots have decided the front yard, beneath our umbrella tree is their new fav lounge. when dN tried to chase them away, they sent him eyes of daggers and almost risked death by on-coming traffic to continue their hate-on. maybe they are re-incarnations of former inhabitants. a pair of sweethearts from the 20s.

dreams: more riddles to unfold

i dreamed about wearing mismatched shoes on the wrong feet. one shoe was a cream coloured old fashioned one with a heel. i think the other was a black ballet flat but i don't recall. once again my dream guide falls short in the interpretation dept. theories welcome.

dream analysis needed

had this dream last night about a blue polka dot dress, two other girls had the same dress only with red polka dots. were we bridesmaids? the dream book comes up empty on that one, what do you think it means?

my dreams have been colourful lately. dreamed about a poetry slam down a few nights ago, apparently if you recite poetry in a dream it fortells a slew of admirers. had another about taking a bath in a swiss thermal bathtub. if the temperature was just right, it was a sign you will accomplish your goal. here's to that!

a dentist by any other name...

went to a new dentist today. a laid-back character by the name of Humphrey. not after Bogart sadly. a quirky detail with blog written all over it. all he needs is a trench coat. we'll always have liberty village. play it again sam.

that's so random

who knew this site existed? the web is quirky yet useful.

prose & cons

good find: hello Lucky!

dN gave me a card from this company this morning. melted my heart of course. cool sf company.

opera calling

the opera singer next door decided to practice during a conference call yesterday. mildly comical. mildly argh. yesterday was one i'd like to forget, today my head aches as payback. the sound of rain falling out the window is solace, wishing for calm and quiet. so hard to listen and follow the listen to your body advice this week, i feel these regrets and fear at not getting well fast enough. faith, pray life gives me a second chance. give yourself one.

peonies in the window

our peony bush has begun to bloom. dN brought me a bouquet today so they are delivering heavenly scents as i work this afternooon. now all i need to do is follow my own advice, caved into tears two steps before reaching my goal this morning even though the steps leading up to it were quite good. oh the drama! there is always next time.

be your own best friend

that is today's lesson. i have been trying to skip ahead and keep forgetting that you need to stand before you can walk, that you are not slacking if you visualize moving your toe instead of doing physio. accepting the stage you are at, trying to be happy NOW. most of my falls lately have happened because i move from an unstable position, hoping that if i rush to the next move everything will fall into place. i need to love myself no matter what body part is malfunctioning at any given moment. the challenge this week is to listen to my body, rest when needed, stand when you've got the energy, sometimes stopping the panic, frenzy, fear monster is the best thing you can do with the moment. the answers are within.

absurdity witnessed: Russian lover's quarrel in the park

yesterday we grabbed a late lunch from our favourite Japanese grocery store. there was a sun shower so our plan for a Pocky picnic outside was foiled. we parked the car beside a park and thought we'd have a car picnic instead. a calm green spot to enjoy from within. or so we thought. the minute we unwrapped and dived into our feast this character appeared. he was shouting in Russian into his cellphone, pacing and gesturing. a heated argument between Russian lovers? perhaps, we would need an interpreter. abruptly, the call ended and he returned to a group of friends further in the park. then she must have wanted the last word because the whole scene unfolded a second time. it was a bit surreal, like a bit of theatre. a play.

lend me your ear

my right ear has been aching, probably sinus congestion. the tail end of this terrible cold/flu we have been fighting off since mother's day. it is not plugged like the other time. revenge of the seemingly sweet but honestly, lately stresser, stalker mom. the lesson for me has been standing up for myself emotionally, a metaphor. monday i had a spectacular fall. timber! not good, banged my head on the floor. just have to keep trying and focus, think thru each move and don't panic. hard as it is, picking yourself up and trying to move forward is a good thing.

jazz in the afternoon

one of my favourite rituals at the moment is soaking up the afternoon sun with dN in the backyard. i usually do physio, rest. or make some cards. he tends to taming the overgrown garden or tinkers with his bike. the next door neighbour might be a jazz singer, it is sublime hearing soulful bits floating out the window. always feels like a gift. we also play the imaginative what if games. like what if you were a fabulous chef but had to eat kraft dinner for every meal to keep your talent. the minute you didn't, you would lose it all. would you do it? today's line of inquiry centered around discovering a dead version of yourself from the future. what would you do? what if there was a newspaper with future winning lottery numbers, would you play them?

you are what you think

i am going on a trash mag diet. enough octo mom and jon and kate non-sense. junk food for the mind. going to focus on healthier fare. soul satisfying. less tv, mind less distractions. more affirmations and taking out the trash. the peaceful warrior inspired me.

peaceful warrior

words of wisdom. watch it.

black bird

take these broken wings and learn to fly.

thunder + power

the heavens are rumbling. loud claps of thunder, reports of hail, heavy rain symbolic perhaps. last night after midnight the power went out. i had insomnia so the light was missed and the opportunity to distract myself to sleep with a movie was not possible. i can relate to this weather, personally. it will lead to greener days, just got to weather the storm.

don't panic

it is like the rock climber says FEAR SUCKS. i have noticed i have been panicking lately, and when i do, i lose focus and then fail. then i get the weepies. for shame. not proud of this but admission may help me conquer it. focus. calm. you can do it. nurture the fighter in you.

good find: the sweater song

coaching takes many forms, a good friend sent this to lift my spirits, muchly appreciated.

bag o wishes + the box arrives

deluxe-ness. silly me. had a bag of mrs. vickie's today and there were a record number of wish chips. for those of you who don't know - a wish chip is folded in half. legend has it, when you find one of these rare oddities, it is like a chip genie appears and grants your wish. as kids, it was cause for celebration. who knew potatoe chips could be so much fun? junk food meets fortune telling.

the next cause for celebration, was the box. on my door step, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, audrey dropped off a box with my initials on it. inside, the stuff to create 12 artists trading cards by may 7. the challenge is set. time to create. the theme is circles. when i was a kid, from the moment i could doodle, i used to draw page upon page of circles. fitting. join the circle. wishes and circles, the stars are aligning. i have seen some improvement, on the health front small milestones but still, good news. keep cheering on the coach. a true cause for celebration, a reminder not to get discouraged and to keep focused, fight the good fight, hold the tears and grit the teeth with determination. yes.we.can.

life lessons from a rock climber

bat-ty

dn chased a bat out of the work,in.progress house last night. hopefully it took all my hopelessness and bad spirits with it. today i worked out to the tunes in in.spire. i need a mac truck of motivation, when lately I have had the motivation of sludge. send me songs, or any form of inspiration. yes.we.can.

an orchid arrives

yesterday, i got a special delivery. an orchid to lift my spirits. thank you for the love. savour the deluxe-ness.

boom, he's a puppeteer

an interview, gone very wrong. funny as all hell.

good find: ruby & apple

a friend of mine launched the online side of her business today. check out ruby & apple for the handbag of your dreams.

fire the inner critic, be the coach

i am in the fight of my life. i have not shared the details of the health challenges because i wanted the blog to be an escape, a place where i focused on the creative, sweet stuff in life. i still want that. but part of me feels like i am living a lie. i have MS and have to learn to walk again. some of you know part of the story. i have been on a downward spiral for awhile now and i am trying to lift myself out with the help of treatment and physio. the hardest part has been the knocks to my spirit. i am probably not going to blog about the daily trials but don't lurk in the shadows. help cheer the coach on. tell me you love me no matter what shape i am in and that you believe i can recover fully.

smoke & opera

thin walls in a semi have brought new quirks to my attention. the neighbour on the third floor is an opera singer. deep booming voice. an open attic door has also leaked over stale cigarette smoke but maybe i imagined it or the source -- seems unlikely a singer would smoke. burnt toast and coco have also wafted our way.

the meaning of life

in 140 characters or less, that is your mission should you choose to accept. here are a few i came up with...

savour the moments.

dive in. live and love with a full heart.

do more, not less.

had another dream about flowers

bring it on. i also dreamed about an apartment in japan, fixed gear bike business, and octo-mom but that is just a sign i have been reading too many US weeklies. here's hoping dreams about flowers bring the happiness they promise.

simple pleasure: strawberry ice cream

with real strawberries. mmmmmmmmmmmm...simple bliss. deluxe.

2 valentines lost & found again

with all the to and from of late, two valentines arrived into my hands - a month late but still happily. friends sending valentines reminds me of our grade school days and cinnamon hearts and jello jiggler ruby hearts. there is no expiry on love. happy un-valentines day! xo

good find: the wayne cook

spring.forward

losing an hour never felt so good. we moved into the 3rd floor of the work.in. progress house last night. at last.

dreams revealed: fire + waiting

i dreamed about going someplace like future shop, it was launch day of three new console packages (xbox). i chose one, waited with some friends from high school changed my mind and went back to get the original cheaper offer...only one left and I got it! each one came with these crazy suitcases. i wandered back to find my friends in line. the whole store was the line up of customers.

the closest symbol i found in my dream book was:

sale: You will recieve an inheritance if you dream of shopping at a sale.

i also had a flash of something, like a piece of paper bursting into flames. i dampened it right away.

fire: an auspicious sign if it doesn't burn you. if you extinguish it, you will succeed in your endeavors.

martini time

today would have been my grandma's birthday. miss u! xo

ear to the ground

ear wax. my right ear is plugged with it. maybe it is a metaphor. only half listening to what you are saying. i have been trying all sorts of natural remedies and now i am onto drops my naturopath recommended. argh! i wish the ear thing was the only issue at the moment but alas, not so. it is not my style to get into these kind of deets but i could use ample well wishes, good vibes and the like.

if u lead, i will follow

btw: you can now officially follow this blog. gadget added to the right hand column, at the bottom. so far it is a lonely hearts club but it is new and easy to miss. i'll give it a month and if it is still empty i will delete. i know the small circle of followers unofficially anyhow.

lost and found again

i updated my template and decided to add some labels. had a typo on the beloved artifact found post labels, pressed delete -- meaning delete the label not the posts and gone! frantically searched the forums for an answer and thank god for cached pages on search engines! i was able recreate most of them but a few are gone forever. i couldn't redo your comments, so u will just have to remember your witty banter.i enjoyed it to be sure. so sad. so sorry! the good news is that i have 13 up and i think i originally had 15 labelled. i can't believe there wasn't a confirm prompt, just gone. i have the best ones reborn though, so fear not. i have a lot of material over the last 3-4 years so i'll take my time labeling the best for any newbies or pals who care to look.

men are from mar.s

a birthday week e-present to two canucks abroad. for context see comment. dreaming of showing up to a meeting in your boxers? here's what the dream book had to say:

embarrassment
a favourable sign. to be embarrassed in a dream means you will be successful in life.

unless of course you weren't embarrassed...

undress
to dream of undressing in a dream, means scandalous gossip will colour people's opinions of you.

they will after reading this post!

or if you were just being polite and really you were naked....

if you find yourself naked in a dream and try to cover up, you have acted inappropriately on desires and wish to repent.

i'm guessing option A since -- hey, we are canadian and embarrass easy. that is no blushing matter. it is all in fun. happy birthdays!

inspire: half the job is just showing up

when i first started this blog, that sentiment is what pushed me over the edge into this world. thanks to audrey for sending me this and here's to nursing that inner spirit or blaming it when you need to. here's to just showing up.

a twist of fate

what a strange moment this year. friday the 13th bumping into valentine's day. one day is full of spook and doom seems to be lurking at every corner, the next is a day of love. this year will be low key for us, i am just happy to spend three whole days alone together. movies and pizza is on our list. maybe a touch of chocolate. i know there has been a pause in posts of late, i can't lie -- it has been tough and it was just hard to have perspective. i couldn't muster up the spirit to write if it wasn't going to make the blogosphere a better place. our house is coming along and that vision, that creative force and space and the true love of my one and only has kept me from throwing in the towel. that, and this song. it is our soundtrack on the march forward into the promise of better days. happy valentine's day and freaky friday.

sweet dreams are made of this

had a dream that i was acting in a play, for some reason the rehearsal was the live performance so we were allowed to read from these small brown cue cards. ben affleck played a math teacher and jen garner was giving us pointers. we were encouraged to improvise and the play was held in this crazy Royal Tennebaums-esque house. i was nervous but thrilled at the same time. this is a strange notion for me, when we put on plays in highschool i was into set design and making props.

here's what my dream book had to say:

Acting
To dream of acting on a stage is a sign of change to come. It can also mean you need to be more aggressive to achieve your goals.

this is very true. strange, but bang on. the dream book doesn't lie it seems.

yes.we.can

because there are days that i need to remember, to be inspired, to keep fighting the good fight, to not give up. today hasn't been the hardest day but i am no stranger to obstacles and no friend of fear. there's never been anything false about hope. save your cynic for another blog. yes.we.can.

at last

this is like a fairytale to me, makes me feel like everything in the world will work out , not to worry. been completely obsessed today watching it too many times to report without a blush. at last.

flowers

you are in store for tremendous happiness if you dream of flowers.

let's certainly hope so. happy obama day!

chill cat

it is far below zero outside and it feels like everyone is hibernating or sick. sleeping. i am trying to keep my head above it all - to see the bigger picture. be brave folks, spring is just around the corner.

eek!

they found a mouse in the basement last night! he probably just needed to come in from the cold. eek!

whatta week

so. started the week, full of gusto. must have jinxed myself with the fresh start business. what happened? i pushed myself too hard and paid for it. dearly. i didn't have out loud resolutions per say but just a desire to do more. it is about balance. here's hoping next week is better.

every day

fresh start

happy new year! i am reading the Artist's Way to develop my creative and spiritual self in 2009. here's to inventing our own roadmaps and diving deep to overcome the obstacles on our path. yes.we.can

to all my fans, have good cheer

the shoe detective

we have a history of strange shoe escapades. remember the mile in your shoes and a mile in your boots? the caper continued on saturday. i went to acupuncture and left my snowy boots by the door beneath a bench. i usually take them into the room with me but decided to leave them this time because of the snow. afterwards, i decided to put my boots on sitting in one of the chairs instead of the bench and asked dN to pass me my boots. anyhow, didn't give it another thought. slipped on the black blundstones and off we went. then we get a call that we actually wore someone else's boots home and she wanted to meet up to do the swap. only a half size difference. what are the chances? the woman was nice, said she wouldn't have noticed either but she was wearing heavy socks and the boots were much tighter on the way out then the way in. this must have stirred the shoe fairies into trickery. next my brother in law misplaced his boots. then my fil realized that he was missing a pair too. the shoe detective found both pairs after a lengthy search in the garage, stored away. it is symbolic perhaps. we all need to walk a mile in someone else's shoes and not take the shoes on our feet for granted.

figs are the new prunes

i was having um...digestive issues and had tried all sorts of the usual natural remedies. my mil suggested figs today. they are magic i tell you! and actually so tasty that i wonder why i didn't fall for figs years ago. apologies if this is too much info but the headline popped into my head this afternoon and made me laugh right away. in the same family as yam.i.am

ho ho hold the drama

to be honest, i always feel a sense of dread as christmas approaches. i long for time happily alone with my sweetheart - reading books, sleeping in, watching movies with no expectations and some good food thrown in. this year, there won't be much alone time and more family time. hopefully less family drama or none at all (pretty please.) i think i need to change my holiday outlook. i need to let family comments, agendas and expectation go. a new year's resolution before the new year even arrives. does anyone have a recipe for this? on the resolution note i woke up the start of this week with fresh eyes on bad habits that i have developed recently and want to change. i have already made a few small changes and feel so much better. it feels empowering. this time next week and the holiday is upon us. i will do my best to stay calm. grateful for the goodness around. to just enjoy the people and small doses of the decadent food. sounds easy enough but living it is another story. my christmas wish is for peace, perspective and good health. ho ho hold the drama, thanks to the leon's commercial for the inspiration. (ho ho hold the payments!)

100 yard dash

cool.

skating

this song is my soundtrack when life is going along smoothly and everythng falls into place. those days are deluxe. i wish today was one of those days but it wasn't. sort of like a ground hog day, caught in a loop. nothing bad happened it just took longer then i hoped to get things done. maybe today is just supposed to crawl instead of run. on a side note, i noticed that i have a craving lately to wear colour. most of my wardrobe is black or neutral but lately i reach for the colours. the colours cheer me up. is it a city thing or maybe a shift in mood? i am selective about the coloiurs i like and pair it with black often but still. is anyone else having this craving?

envy, giving thanks, & perfection

i have noticed a few themes waltzing thru my life lately and had to add to the blog. the first is envy. wishing you had what someone else has...not so much their material stuff but maybe it is their seemingly perfect happiness, success or self confidence. it is not what it seems. we are all going thru something and it seems like a mountain to us, even if it is a mole hill to everyone else. the next is gratitude. on this day of american thanksgiving i just want to thank the universe for all the goodness in my life. it hasn't been an easy year by any measure but many silver linings have aligned in my favour and i just thank the lucky stars for that. third is perfection. i see people striving for it all the time, in big ways and small. maybe it is the human condition. to try and control the uncontrollable with a measure of exactness that can be no accident. i think we can all look around and see darkness and storm clouds if we like. the greater challenge is to choose to dwell on the good, the opportunity in the face of that steep climb ahead. not to be swayed by the occasional stumble. sometimes we arrive in style, other times we just barely arrive. it is just enough to keep trying, to keep fighting the good fight in whatever shape it takes in our lives today. grace.

clear minds.full hearts.can't lose

been addicted to friday night lights lately. just finished season two. the characters are well drawn. who knew football could be this good? watch it.

change

CHANGE. he rocks. inspire.

yam i am

yams. who knew they were a natural source of estrogen and helpful to us ladies. reduces the pms symptoms yadda yadda. cracks me up for some strange reason. yam i am.

ctrl.alt.delete

this is a wish that control freaks would alternate and delete that behaviour from our lives. not worth the stress and angst. life is out of control and not perfect, and far too short for petty. it can be beautifully messy. patience. understanding. why is it that the people that inflict these tendencies, in the next breath tell us not to worry, they didn't mean it, it was nothing. words can hurt. they are not nothing. think twice before you speak. please.

hope instead of fear

where we have breath, we have hope. it is so uplifting to side with light instead of darkness. we.will.get.there. i could listen to that speech for days and not tire of it. i was also really proud of the way his campaign brought together people using the web and mobile, proof that all those that said the internet was a fad, a flavour of the week, and dead -- were wrong. we keep seeing it grow and change and evolve for the people, by the people. the new way to get things done. the power of words to inspire us to be better people. fitting. yes we can.

beli(e)ve

belief. on a week where make-believe, costumes and jack-o-lanterns are in style i just thought i would take a moment on the beauty and sheer force required behind a seemingly innocent word: belief. sometimes it is so hard to believe and keep going. believe in what is good, believe that everything really will work out and that the people we love and the people we are really do deserve their inner most dreams, hopes, and wishes. believing in happiness and secret sauce and all things deluxe. believing in the face of nay sayers and at times logic or common sense. i find that not only do i have to believe but so do the people i love and the friends around me. like the circle of believing just helps make it so. be-lieve. almost be. live. this song speaks to me, the music and the feeling behind it rather than the lyrics per say. belief. believe. join the circle.

full moon

the cold wind howls, the trees shush all around. the last of the golden leaves float to the grey below. last week there was snow in the air, it looked like confetti at an italian wedding. a celebration. the november stage is set. sometimes the sky looks so full of expression. like it is drama, waiting to happen. a character actor with an unforgettable smirk. a movie that is both full of meaning and yet full of wonder. a completely different personality to summer or spring. the temptation is to hibernate or wish it away but yet there is so much beauty. the calendar promises a full moon tonight, hopefully it brings unusual dreams and characters with it. sweet dreams.

fortunes: dreams revealed

so sally's gift continues to delight. awakened in the wee hours and then quickly looked up the symbols in my dreams. i was in a vintage bookstore that was having a closing out sale, the movie section of course. but lots of fascinating classic finds. there were clothes there too, my friend k and i were hunting for a tshirt or a badge with sudbury on it. then i was searching the prints section, hunting for art deco calendar prints of san francisco to surprize dn with.

books
to dream of books is a sign of an increasingly happy, contented life.

clothes
someone fancies you if you are a woman and you dream of buying clothes.

art
if you look at art or discuss it, it portends advancement in your career.

all this on the eve when i picked up my secrets of happiness book before bed to start reading it.

attack of the killer flem

a new movie, starring me! ok, not quite killer but the idea of one of those vintage movie posters kept crossing my mind. if there is a world where tomatoes can be killer why not flem? obvious there are more important things to dwell on. just a fun way to laugh at myself i guess. happy sunday!

sheesh!

yesterday: hit with a miserable cold. felt awful. the word cold doesn't do it justice. it seemed to hit me like a tornado. today, changed my password, locked my computer for lunch, misspelled the new password...one character off i instead of e. then paid for it, with almost 6 hours of tech support. sheesh! i hope an upswing is in sight.

grace

happy thanksgiving to all the canucks round the table. today was the perfect indian summer day, crisp, bright and sunny. the leaves, tiny bits of golden yellow. hints of red and orange, dancing in the wind. lots to be grateful for. making the future we want, happen. keep an eye on the prize and a fire in the heart. take nothing for granted. love. peace. happiness.

in the dark

have you noticed that baby boomers have issues with lights? both my father and my inlaws seem to be light obsessed, deprived. preferring the darkness. a friend of ours says her parents carry flashlights with them in the house so they won't have to turn hallway lights on. part of it seems a green effort, lower electricity bills and the like. for me. someone who has fallen down a dark set of stairs and then it took crutches and months, maybe even years to get over the twisted ankle, pulled muscles and resulting lack of exercise..it seems insane. that whole tumble could have been avoided with a night light so i could see the last step properly. i just want to see and not fall, is that so wrong? the irony is that for my father, the lights obsession is selective. when it is show and tell time...the tour of neighbours thru the house for a brag fest of the latest project...no expense spared. lights, camera, action. every possible light is on.

the end of a chapter, the start of a new one

regrets for the pause in posts. there is a lot happening outside the lines of the blog at the moment. i did want to pay tribute though to one small corner. we moved out of our crash pad this week. good bye crazy chinese sneezing lady from next door and all her antics. the water, the salt, the moth balls, the loud music, the drama...chapter closed. i am at my inlaws for the next while, while dN camps out at our work.in.progress house. don't ask me when we are moving in, it happens when it happens. i will be happy to write that post someday. deluxe-ness. i have had plenty of things i mentally blogged about but have not had a chance to get fingers to keys. stay tuned...