So, spring is coming slowly to town. It's been cold and snowy, particularly on weekends (sigh) so sometimes it doesn't feel like spring, but at least it smells like spring most of the time. You know, it's all good, the warmth will get here eventually.
Roundup to the spring? Well, let's see what I said was important.
1) Work = fine. At this point in the year, I know what I have to get done by mid-June, and what I have to get done by end of June, and I have some kind of a plan for doing it, so barring a crisis, I try not to worry too much. Especially this year with my whole class graduating. It's going to be an emotional time so I want to have my heart and head open for the next few weeks, not in a busy box. More on that later.
2) Revontuli = progressing. And beautiful.
3) Persistent physical ailment = gone. Yeah!! It's been 4+ weeks since the last recurrence, so I feel comfortable saying it's gone, gone, gone. Yay for life without arm and shoulder pain!
4) Piano: Progressing. Well, depending on the week.
5) Journey: Let's just say at present the boat is at the port, and I don't know when it will be setting out. However, and this is the important part, I'm OK with that. At least for now. It's OK to be in port for a while, eating coconuts.
6) The Glass is Half full (or The Glass is Half Empty if it contains something I don't like) Yes, I've done a good job of keeping the positive focus over the past few months.
What's new and important:
Well, there's a lot going on in May. 3 important events, to be precise.
1) Westwinds 25th anniversary celebration day. This means music all day, including mine and Bryan's bands, and then the dinner dance in the evening with the jazz bands. The overall plan is similar to what happens every year, but this event will be extra special because it is the 25th anniversary of this amazing music organization. Westwinds has added so much to my quality of life for the past 7 years. I feel it was instrumental (pun intended) in making me who I am today - the good parts of me, that is :-)
2) Graduation Day at the high school where I teach special education. There is the ceremony in the morning and then the banquet at night. I am facilitating the participation of our graduating students and their families, and I'm involved with the planning. Naturally I really, really want this to be an enjoyable and memorable event for the students that I've worked with for 3 years. It's also a pretty significant event for me - this is the biggest class and most complex class that I have ever seen walk the stage. I haven't put much thought into the event's significance for me though - I am mostly focused on other people's needs.
3) Brother-in-law's wedding. This is a big family event so obviously important for everyone involved. It also happens the weekend after the high school graduation. I am taking the two days after the graduation day off, so the day after the convocation (Thursday), I will be on an airplane flying to the States at some ungodly hour of the morning. It will be fun. But coming right on the tail of the graduation day and all its preparations and demands (temporal and emotional) will make for a potentially hectic week.
Anyway.
Ever since January, maybe even earlier, I've been watching May approach like a gigantic cruise ship pulling into port. At first, it was a tiny speck on the horizon. Now its huge and unstoppable in its approach, and it's filling up the whole harbour. Not a day passes without me going over those three events, especially the last two, mentally sequencing what has to happen when. Hair needs to be cut and coloured by first week of May. (Wardrobe for each event was decided on and purchased, when necessary, weeks ago.) Plans for the days I will be away from school should be prepared by the Friday before, at the absolute latest. Bags have to be packed for the USA trip by Monday, latest. The actual convocation plans are in process: I have a picture in my head of how it will all work, but the precise details need to be confirmed and the necessary people given the right jobs and the right information. I won't rest quite easy until all that is worked out. No, I probably won't rest easy even then. On the flight to the USA Thursday morning, my very best travel pillow must be within arms reach at all times. Etc. etc.
So, what's the point?
The point is, I want to experience these events not just as Big Deals that I have to live through, but as precious real life milestones. When faced with an anniversary celebration or a wedding or a graduation, it's very easy to become focused on making it the "perfect" event. That might mean a perfect event for yourself, if you happen to be the centre of attention at the event. If not, it usually means trying to make it a perfect event for others. Which is a very kind intention, but also kind of absurd because when was the last time any group of people agreed unanimously on what makes a perfect event, or a perfect anything? In other words, it's easy to get caught up in the "what" and "how" of the event and forget the "why" of the event.
Not to say the what and how are not important. I intend to make my plans as watertight as possible. But, I want to be a participant too, not just an event planner. Afterwards, I don't want to be thinking, with relief: "Phew, that went alright." I want to have mental snapshots that will stay with me for life. I want to cry in public if I have to. I want to cheer and laugh and dance and feel gratitude like a dive into deep water on a hot day, feeling it close over my head and knowing the water goes deeper, deeper to a depth I could never reach in one breath. I want to feel each breath like a gift.
I want to appreciate sharing the moment with people who are not often together at once, and may never be together again. I realized the importance of this last year, two years after our wedding in 2010. Our wedding was not that long ago. We don't look very different now than we do in our pictures. But, my step-brother's death last year means that we will never be able to bring that exact group together again, ever. We had no way of knowing that at our wedding. But it makes me extra grateful for the joyous togetherness of that day. And for me that underlines the importance of big social events like weddings and graduations, even though it's easy to say pooh-pooh to the expense and the fuss and even the stress that goes into them. It's important to share those milestones together because we don't know how much time we have.
So, what's my plan? (Yeah, I have to have a plan.) I want to intentionally take the time to experience everything. There's no point in saying I won't worry about how it all comes together, especially the graduation, because I know I will. But I'm going to try to keep in my mind why I am going to all these events, and why they are important to me as well as to all the other participants. That's what I want for May.
It's going to be a heck of a party.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Monday, April 01, 2013
Sunday, February 03, 2013
Eating my way through February.
It's Sunday evening, I have my fuzzy fleece on, and fuzzy pj pants - perfect for a Big Fuzzy Goal update, right?
1) January work....stuff: As noted in the last post, the teaching part of January went well. And the two weeks after that - chock full of parent meetings, scheduling, planning, negotiating, organizing, problem-solving, tidying, and errands of all-sorts actually went well too. With the exception of one or two days where I was doing a lot of waiting for other people to get back to me (NOT my favourite situation) my stress level was actually quite low. Maybe after 5 years I've finally figured out that it doesn't pay to have an expectation that I should do 10 things well in the time it takes to do 3-5 things well (or less, depending on a variety of factors). Maybe I'm learning to have reasonable expectations and agonize less as a result. It also helps that I have a fabulous team who not only can get things done but can identify what needs to be done with very little prompting.
2) Revontuli (knitting): More beautiful than ever and coming along nicely. I'm on the second big ball of yarn. Knitting makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.
3) Persistent Physical Ailment: Has shown improvement overall in the last 3 weeks. Phew. I still have bad hours, which sometimes extend to bad days, but overall the pain is less frequent and goes away more quickly and more completely. I have done the following to address:
a) I had an ergonomic assessment at work, leading to adjustments in my work space and the purchase of a wrist rest and footstool (they have not yet arrived, so I am using a Yellow Pages as a footrest - finally found a use for that thing they deliver every year.)
b) I am to keep a log of symptoms which I will start tomorrow (I swear).
c) I have the website address of an acupuncturist that comes highly recommended and I know where the nearest chiropractor/massage place is.
That counts as doing something about it, right?
4) Piano: Thanks to 10 minutes of practice a day, give or take, I have actually gotten quite good at one song. Wow, I have a sense of accomplishment!
5) Journey: Have started information gathering / self-awareness process.
6) Staying focused on positive things: I'm feeling pretty good about what I've done with the year so far, and we're just one month in. So I'll focus on making the next month as good as possible. The key for me is taking care of health/priorities and focusing on what I can do in the present, versus agonizing over what I couldn't do, what's beyond my control, what's pushing my buttons, blah blah.
Now, here's some progress I've made toward a goal that wasn't even on the Big Fuzzy List, although it's something I've tried to address in various ways for years.
I've been preparing my own lunches for work!
Okay, that might not sound very impressive, but the background is that when I'm under any kind of stress, I lose my appetite. When I lose my appetite, I stop eating. My job is not extremely stressful all the time, but teaching in general creates tension inside me, so I'm almost always dealing with some level of stress. It's been an challenge, ever since I embarked on this career, to motivate myself to eat regularly and in a healthy way before and during work. The very worst times were right at the beginning: during my practicum I ate nothing all day all week. In England I had a cup of tea and a small yoghurt in the morning, and then nothing all day. In the evening I would empty the refrigerator. Needless to say both those periods in my life led to crisis. I've gotten much better at managing the stress/tension since then, and I've also gotten better at my work, which has reduced the stress. Still, I haven't gotten to the point where I can say with confidence that I take good care of my health while I'm at work.
First breakthrough this year: I've stopped working through my lunch break. I actually go to the staffroom and eat something. Often I only have 10-20 minutes, but that's enough to have a moment to myself and eat something. I've been buying food at the cafeteria, which is affordable and meets my needs fairly well (I rarely finish eating what I buy, but anything is better than nothing.)
Second breakthrough: The cafeteria closed during exam break. So I had to fend for myself. I wasn't looking forward to this, thinking of other times I'd brought food to school and didn't want to eat it. But I've learned a few things:
1) if I eat breakfast, I'm much more likely to be able to eat lunch. You'd think if I skipped one meal I'd be hungrier for the next, but the opposite is true. I've been able to eat both breakfast and lunch more consistently because of insight #2.
2) It's difficult/unappealing to eat lots of one thing, but much easier/appealing to eat small amounts of many different things.
I actually took my inspiration from an alumni student family. The mom told me she taught her daughter to prepare her own lunch by requiring her to include every food group. Brilliant. I follow that theme, and it inspires me to be creative, and makes me feel good that I'm balanced. I either buy items in small packages or I put them in small Tupperware. I'm probably paying way more for the small package items and I've developed a weird obsession with finding Just the Right Tupperware, but I don't really care. I'm enjoying putting together my lunch and breakfast and I'm excited to eat it.
3) The one issue was I was spending an extra 20 minutes or so every morning putting together lunch, and this is an issue because I get more stressed if I'm rushed and don't have time to sit with my book for a few minutes. During exam break it wasn't that big of a deal because I didn't have to be on a tight schedule. But now that I'm teaching again, I'm preparing what I can beforehand. I don't want to put together sandwiches or salads the night before, because they should be fresh, but I can wash vegetables and fruits and pack them (in just-the-right-size Tupperware of course). I can boil eggs. I can even dig through the Tupperware drawer and set aside the container for salad/sandwich so that I'm not hunting for a lid at 7:00 am.
So yes I am pleased with myself, and I am looking forward to Eating My Way Through February. Positively going to Devour all those goals.
1) January work....stuff: As noted in the last post, the teaching part of January went well. And the two weeks after that - chock full of parent meetings, scheduling, planning, negotiating, organizing, problem-solving, tidying, and errands of all-sorts actually went well too. With the exception of one or two days where I was doing a lot of waiting for other people to get back to me (NOT my favourite situation) my stress level was actually quite low. Maybe after 5 years I've finally figured out that it doesn't pay to have an expectation that I should do 10 things well in the time it takes to do 3-5 things well (or less, depending on a variety of factors). Maybe I'm learning to have reasonable expectations and agonize less as a result. It also helps that I have a fabulous team who not only can get things done but can identify what needs to be done with very little prompting.
2) Revontuli (knitting): More beautiful than ever and coming along nicely. I'm on the second big ball of yarn. Knitting makes me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.
3) Persistent Physical Ailment: Has shown improvement overall in the last 3 weeks. Phew. I still have bad hours, which sometimes extend to bad days, but overall the pain is less frequent and goes away more quickly and more completely. I have done the following to address:
a) I had an ergonomic assessment at work, leading to adjustments in my work space and the purchase of a wrist rest and footstool (they have not yet arrived, so I am using a Yellow Pages as a footrest - finally found a use for that thing they deliver every year.)
b) I am to keep a log of symptoms which I will start tomorrow (I swear).
c) I have the website address of an acupuncturist that comes highly recommended and I know where the nearest chiropractor/massage place is.
That counts as doing something about it, right?
4) Piano: Thanks to 10 minutes of practice a day, give or take, I have actually gotten quite good at one song. Wow, I have a sense of accomplishment!
5) Journey: Have started information gathering / self-awareness process.
6) Staying focused on positive things: I'm feeling pretty good about what I've done with the year so far, and we're just one month in. So I'll focus on making the next month as good as possible. The key for me is taking care of health/priorities and focusing on what I can do in the present, versus agonizing over what I couldn't do, what's beyond my control, what's pushing my buttons, blah blah.
Now, here's some progress I've made toward a goal that wasn't even on the Big Fuzzy List, although it's something I've tried to address in various ways for years.
I've been preparing my own lunches for work!
Okay, that might not sound very impressive, but the background is that when I'm under any kind of stress, I lose my appetite. When I lose my appetite, I stop eating. My job is not extremely stressful all the time, but teaching in general creates tension inside me, so I'm almost always dealing with some level of stress. It's been an challenge, ever since I embarked on this career, to motivate myself to eat regularly and in a healthy way before and during work. The very worst times were right at the beginning: during my practicum I ate nothing all day all week. In England I had a cup of tea and a small yoghurt in the morning, and then nothing all day. In the evening I would empty the refrigerator. Needless to say both those periods in my life led to crisis. I've gotten much better at managing the stress/tension since then, and I've also gotten better at my work, which has reduced the stress. Still, I haven't gotten to the point where I can say with confidence that I take good care of my health while I'm at work.
First breakthrough this year: I've stopped working through my lunch break. I actually go to the staffroom and eat something. Often I only have 10-20 minutes, but that's enough to have a moment to myself and eat something. I've been buying food at the cafeteria, which is affordable and meets my needs fairly well (I rarely finish eating what I buy, but anything is better than nothing.)
Second breakthrough: The cafeteria closed during exam break. So I had to fend for myself. I wasn't looking forward to this, thinking of other times I'd brought food to school and didn't want to eat it. But I've learned a few things:
1) if I eat breakfast, I'm much more likely to be able to eat lunch. You'd think if I skipped one meal I'd be hungrier for the next, but the opposite is true. I've been able to eat both breakfast and lunch more consistently because of insight #2.
2) It's difficult/unappealing to eat lots of one thing, but much easier/appealing to eat small amounts of many different things.
I actually took my inspiration from an alumni student family. The mom told me she taught her daughter to prepare her own lunch by requiring her to include every food group. Brilliant. I follow that theme, and it inspires me to be creative, and makes me feel good that I'm balanced. I either buy items in small packages or I put them in small Tupperware. I'm probably paying way more for the small package items and I've developed a weird obsession with finding Just the Right Tupperware, but I don't really care. I'm enjoying putting together my lunch and breakfast and I'm excited to eat it.
3) The one issue was I was spending an extra 20 minutes or so every morning putting together lunch, and this is an issue because I get more stressed if I'm rushed and don't have time to sit with my book for a few minutes. During exam break it wasn't that big of a deal because I didn't have to be on a tight schedule. But now that I'm teaching again, I'm preparing what I can beforehand. I don't want to put together sandwiches or salads the night before, because they should be fresh, but I can wash vegetables and fruits and pack them (in just-the-right-size Tupperware of course). I can boil eggs. I can even dig through the Tupperware drawer and set aside the container for salad/sandwich so that I'm not hunting for a lid at 7:00 am.
So yes I am pleased with myself, and I am looking forward to Eating My Way Through February. Positively going to Devour all those goals.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
And an update
Because if one post in the new year is good, two is better...or something...
What's new.
This weekend I saw two musicals: First: Spamalot (live, Front Row Centre Players). Review: Super job by this amateur and mostly young company. Laughed a lot. Second: Les Miserables (movie). Review: Somewhat entertaining but Very Melodramatic (i.e. too much crying and too many dirty faces. Dear fictional French people: I don't care if you are poor and probably going to die tomorrow. You can wash your faces.) It probably didn't help that I had "The Song That Goes Like This" still in my head from Spamalot and that I thought of it every time there was an especially affecting moment.
And now for something completely different. Goals news.
This weekend I saw two musicals: First: Spamalot (live, Front Row Centre Players). Review: Super job by this amateur and mostly young company. Laughed a lot. Second: Les Miserables (movie). Review: Somewhat entertaining but Very Melodramatic (i.e. too much crying and too many dirty faces. Dear fictional French people: I don't care if you are poor and probably going to die tomorrow. You can wash your faces.) It probably didn't help that I had "The Song That Goes Like This" still in my head from Spamalot and that I thought of it every time there was an especially affecting moment.
And now for something completely different. Goals news.
1) I have been back at work for 2 weeks (I teach special education.). They were actually fairly fun weeks. I don't see the students again now till the end of the month (exam break).
Thing I learned: Even though I didn't overplan, everything went OK. (Background: January is a weird month at work because of semester end and it stresses me out. A lot.) The students, for the most part, were pretty relaxed and OK with having a different schedule, which is a good thing.
The next few weeks are a flurry of assessment, meetings, and preparation for the next semester. There's never enough time and it is not at all relaxing. (Deep breath here.) But I'm keeping focused on the fact that I can be very effective and productive and that yes, I will get enough done.
2) I have been knitting my Revontuli shawl regularly and it is growing nicely.
Things I learned: Techniques for "fancier" knitting. (Think zig zag pattern and slightly lacy). The importance of numbers and getting them right at least sometimes. That Julie's hand-spun, hand-dyed yarn is really beautiful. (I already knew that but it looks even better when it's being made into something.)
3) Persistent. Physical. Ailments. Have come back again, sometimes better, sometimes worse. I don't have a very happy shoulder and arm.
Thing I learned: NO REALLY IT DOESN'T GO AWAY IF YOU JUST IGNORE IT!!!!! (still trying to process this one.)
Also: I am capable of raising my pain threshold and Just Living With It. (But I still should do something about it.)
4) I can play 10 minutes of piano a day.
Thing I learned: Practice actually does help you learn new skills. OK I already knew that, but this is further evidence. I am pleased with myself for getting piano back into my routine. I should work on some mallets and snare drum next.
5) Journey. The basic outline of the journey has been decided. It isn't the journey I would have chosen if I had my 'druthers. But I am setting out on it with no hesitation, and with what I believe is a reasonable amount of optimism.
There might still a "destination" kind of journey, but on a smaller scale than I had initially considered.
6) Focus on positive things. So far, so good. "The glass is half full" is definitely the motto of the year. (Or, as Bryan puts it, "The glass if half empty if it was full something you didn't want to drink."
Thursday, January 03, 2013
Big Fuzzy Goals
At the very least I have to get the blog entry count going for 2013. Ha.
It's been a lazy start to the new year. I go back to work next week. Some germs have been floating around the house, so neither of us is chugging along at 100%. Still cleaning up Christmas stuff. It is mostly done but the tree is still up and throwing needles everywhere which is a good excuse to procrastinate doing the last bit of cleaning. Which is actually not bothering me much at all. One of the nicest things about time off is thinking: "I know I need to do that, but I don't need to do that right now."
So, I tried having monthly resolutions last year, and it totally. didn't. work. Big fuzzy goals that can be taken on in the appropriate season (whatever that turns out to be) seem to work much better for me. In the intervening days I've thought of a few Big Fuzzies, so let's see what they are. (That's a good name for them - it brings to mind both the vague parameters I like and fuzzy warm woolies for winter).
1) Finish the knitting project I've started BEFORE 2014! (Revontuli shawl - with Julie's hand spun yarn, a Christmas or birthday present from two years ago, I think) Actually it should be done way before the end of winter but in the interests of fuzziness, we'll not set any deadlines. I'd like to do another big knit project this year too, but again - not looking too far ahead.
2) Actually deal with any persistent physical ailments: i.e. the muscle strain thing in my arm. I think I've got that persistent pain (showed up in November) to mostly leave me, through lifestyle changes, but beginning work is the real test. The resolution is to actually access therapeutic care if I need it. I have little experience doing that so I get caught up in all the other aspects of my life and don't want to be bothered. But sometimes ignoring things doesn't work.
3) Go on a journey this year. Every January I get the idea to go on a journey in the next year. But of course - why wouldn't I just want to run away and avoid this month?? Then I get caught up in this or that and the idea goes onto the back burner or falls off the stove. But I think this year I should really go on the journey. I don't know what it will look like. It could be a journey in the sense of going to a destination other than the place I live (off continent I'm thinking). Although even if I go to a destination it will absolutely be about far more than just going to a destination. Or, it could be a journey in the metaphysical sense. I don't know which yet (partly it's a matter of purely practical considerations and needing more information). But either way, a journey. I have some ideas of what it might look like, but not going to put them out there yet.
4) Stay focused on positive things. This might make it sound like there's alot of bad stuff going on in my life, which is not the case at all. But I have taken on some uncertain, and possibly difficult endeavours, and there are, shall we say, emotional hazards involved. So I'll have to be mindful of thought and direction, perhaps more so that usual.
There, 4 is a good number, right? Come on 2013!
It's been a lazy start to the new year. I go back to work next week. Some germs have been floating around the house, so neither of us is chugging along at 100%. Still cleaning up Christmas stuff. It is mostly done but the tree is still up and throwing needles everywhere which is a good excuse to procrastinate doing the last bit of cleaning. Which is actually not bothering me much at all. One of the nicest things about time off is thinking: "I know I need to do that, but I don't need to do that right now."
So, I tried having monthly resolutions last year, and it totally. didn't. work. Big fuzzy goals that can be taken on in the appropriate season (whatever that turns out to be) seem to work much better for me. In the intervening days I've thought of a few Big Fuzzies, so let's see what they are. (That's a good name for them - it brings to mind both the vague parameters I like and fuzzy warm woolies for winter).
1) Finish the knitting project I've started BEFORE 2014! (Revontuli shawl - with Julie's hand spun yarn, a Christmas or birthday present from two years ago, I think) Actually it should be done way before the end of winter but in the interests of fuzziness, we'll not set any deadlines. I'd like to do another big knit project this year too, but again - not looking too far ahead.
2) Actually deal with any persistent physical ailments: i.e. the muscle strain thing in my arm. I think I've got that persistent pain (showed up in November) to mostly leave me, through lifestyle changes, but beginning work is the real test. The resolution is to actually access therapeutic care if I need it. I have little experience doing that so I get caught up in all the other aspects of my life and don't want to be bothered. But sometimes ignoring things doesn't work.
3) Go on a journey this year. Every January I get the idea to go on a journey in the next year. But of course - why wouldn't I just want to run away and avoid this month?? Then I get caught up in this or that and the idea goes onto the back burner or falls off the stove. But I think this year I should really go on the journey. I don't know what it will look like. It could be a journey in the sense of going to a destination other than the place I live (off continent I'm thinking). Although even if I go to a destination it will absolutely be about far more than just going to a destination. Or, it could be a journey in the metaphysical sense. I don't know which yet (partly it's a matter of purely practical considerations and needing more information). But either way, a journey. I have some ideas of what it might look like, but not going to put them out there yet.
4) Stay focused on positive things. This might make it sound like there's alot of bad stuff going on in my life, which is not the case at all. But I have taken on some uncertain, and possibly difficult endeavours, and there are, shall we say, emotional hazards involved. So I'll have to be mindful of thought and direction, perhaps more so that usual.
There, 4 is a good number, right? Come on 2013!
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Saying farewell to 2012 (summary)
Questions 1-5
1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
4. Did anyone close to you die?
5. What countries did you visit?
Questions 6-10
1. What did you do in 2012 that you'd never done before
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
4. Did anyone close to you die?
5. What countries did you visit?
Questions 6-10
6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
9. What was your biggest failure?
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
11. What was the best thing you bought?
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
14. Where did most of your money go?
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
16. What song will always remind you of 2012?
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:{...}
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
20. How did you spend Christmas?
21. What was your favorite TV program?
22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
23. What was your greatest musical discovery?
24. What did you want and get?
25. What did you want and not get?
26. What was your favorite film of this year?
27. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
28. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
29. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
30. What kept you sane?
31. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
32. What political issue stirred you the most?
33. Who did you miss?
34. Who was the best new person you met?
35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.
And the New Year's Poem.
Saying Farewell to 2012 (last installment)
Go to:
Questions 1-5
Questions 6-10
26. What was your favorite film of this year?
Go to:
Questions 1-5
Questions 6-10
Questions 1-5
Questions 6-10
26. What was your favorite film of this year?
I would have to say The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
I also liked Skyfall, and Brave.
27. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? Double threes!
The birthday itself was pretty low-key. I opened some presents, visited with my
parents, and went skating. A couple of days later we went to Banff and enjoyed
the incredible winter scenery, including a gondola ride, and the hot springs.
28. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably
more satisfying?
"Immeasurably?" that's a tall order. I'm satisfied. No call for angst here!
29. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in
2012?
I like practical, comfortable, and flattering. Most days I spend hours on my feet: standing, walking, doing physical tasks, and then I'm outside, whatever the weather is doing, walking and/or using public transit to get to the next destination. So, nothing flimsy or fussy for me. But I also crave variety and novelty so I enjoy wearing pieces that can be used to create lots of different looks.
My wardrobe go-to items are:
FDJ jeans (I have pairs for work and pairs for off-work)
Leggings
Tops that make the best of the assets
Many beautiful sweaters for winter
Shoes that I can walk or stand in all day with no pain
Warm, awesome boots in a variety of styles.
30. What kept you sane?
Taking time to think things through, both “feeling” and
logically understanding the direction to take.
All the ways I use to redirect my thoughts: music, knitting,
reading, walking, talking.
31. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Natalie MacMaster, if you want to call her a celebrity. The
term doesn’t do her justice at all.
32. What political issue stirred you the most?
I’m a small-c conservative, mainly because I’ve lived long
enough to figure out which ideas give me mileage and which don’t. But usually my energy goes into trying to apply those
ideas in my own life. I’m not into the ranting, sign-waving stuff. Also (call this a political issue, if you
like) I think a lot of the “issues” that get press are distorted, muddied
versions of whatever reality might actually need to be attended to. So my first reaction usually disgust at the
manipulative nature of it all. Not that merely being disgusted is helpful to anyone.
But perhaps I will discover my passionate, political
voice. Or at least try to filter past
the BS. I think that’s the part that makes me tired just thinking about it.
33. Who did you miss?
All the people I didn't get around to hanging out with more.
34. Who was the best new person you met?
My new colleague at work.
35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.
Hmmm.
We tend to think of certain things as oppositions: logic/intuition,
thinking/feeling, working hard/taking time for self, compassion/judgment, teamwork/independence,
leading/following, analyzing/acting etc. But being fully engaged in reality and making
the most of everything life throws at you, requires all of those “opposites,”
often simultaneously. Don’t limit the tools at your disposal to cope with,
and/or expand the human condition.
Here’s the poem for this year. I picked this one because it
talks about warm hours spent with loved companions, and celebrates the moment
even as each moment vanishes.
A
Song for New Year's Eve
|
||
by
William Cullen Bryant
|
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Stay yet, my friends, a
moment stay—
Stay
till the good old year,
So long companion of
our way,
Shakes
hands, and leaves us here.
Oh
stay, oh stay,
One little hour, and
then away.
The year, whose hopes
were high and strong,
Has
now no hopes to wake;
Yet one hour more of
jest and song
For
his familiar sake.
Oh
stay, oh stay,
One mirthful hour, and then
away.
The kindly year, his
liberal hands
Have
lavished all his store.
And shall we turn from
where he stands,
Because
he gives no more?
Oh
stay, oh stay,
One grateful hour, and
then away.
Days brightly came and
calmly went,
While
yet he was our guest;
How cheerfully the week
was spent!
How
sweet the seventh day's rest!
Oh
stay, oh stay,
One golden hour, and
then away.
Dear friends were with
us, some who sleep
Beneath
the coffin-lid:
What pleasant memories
we keep
Of
all they said and did!
Oh
stay, oh stay,
One tender hour, and
then away.
Even while we sing, he
smiles his last,
And
leaves our sphere behind.
The good old year is with
the past;
Oh
be the new as kind!
Oh
stay, oh stay,
One parting strain, and
then away.
Goodbye 2012, all the best to everyone in 2013.
"All I can say is live your life and enjoy it." (Emily Gillen)
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||
Go to:
Questions 1-5
Questions 6-10
Friday, December 28, 2012
Saying Farewell to 2012 (17 through 25)
Go to:
Questions 1-5
Questions 6-10
Questions 1-5
Questions 6-10
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
Somewhere between glad and overjoyed to be here,
experiencing everything.
ii. thinner or fatter? Not much change.
iii. richer or poorer?
Working on that RRSP.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I’m pretty satisfied, but I always wish I saw more of people
I care about.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
I could use less anxiety; it’s something I have always
lived with but I look for ways to leave unnecessary quantities of it on the road behind me.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
The lead-up was cleaning, cooking, planning (sort of), gift-buying…and getting ready to host the Calgary family at
our house. All the while thinking in a dazed way: "What? Christmas already?"
We hosted dinner, cooking turkey, ham and soup from a new recipe (cauliflower, leek, prosciutto - yum!) and had family members bring other dishes. Everyone was well fed and the evening was a success!
21. What was your favorite TV program?
Uh, whatever is on the TV while sitting with Bryan on the couch. Mmmm, couch.
22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time
last year?
Hatred is a waste of energy. And defeating of self and
others. Channel the “negative” emotions
into productive action.
23. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I’ve gotten better at playing the mallet instruments, so I’m
proud of that.
24. What did you want and get?
Courage and support when I needed it. Opportunity to make a difference.
.
25. What did you want and not get?
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