As I was heading to volunteering last week, things I considered “play” as a child flooded my memory. Some of it was traditional - tag, swimming, skipping, sports, card and board games … some I don’t see much anymore … Maybe I did and I’ve forgotten as the bebe’s in my life are in the double digits now. Things like school - with friends, with dolls or stuffies … house, where you - the child - take on the role of a parent. I also built and created things - not just with lego
I go through periods where I don’t feel connected to my work. I show up - I deliver results - but I’m on autopilot. In these periods - while I can be passionate about all the things … I’m not actually feeling fulfilled at the end of the day. Those periods are rough … They are exhausting. I come out of these periods … I’m never really sure what causes them or prompts their exit. I’m coming out of a particularly exhausting period … Not because I was working too many hours
This week was a lot. Difficult personalities, childish behaviour, bitter cold weather, things not working or breaking down. In these moments - when things get hard or don’t go my way or I feel like I’m in over my head … that little voice pipes up … sometimes she’s positive, telling me I’ve got this, I can do this … my positive self-talk is often in the third person so really she sounds more like “you can do this” or “you’ve got this”. I’m sure there is something to that -
My reels are peppered with fire horse tips. I keep reading and hearing that fire horse energy is action oriented. I like action oriented. While I like a framework - some structure … planning is not actually one of my core strengths. While I feel like I’ve spent most of the last two years in a “paused” state … a lot has also happened in those two years … so while “paused” for me - they were also filled with some pretty big life changes (read buying my first home). I needed
My local wellness centre ran a reiki workshop last night. While I have had reiki sessions before - I wasn’t really sure what to expect. The advert for the workshop said the session would include intention setting, focussed journal prompts, visualization and a group reiki session. Space was limited and the session was 120 minutes. For those who aren’t aware - reiki is a Japanese technique which is based on the idea that energy flows through and around us - if it gets stuck
Housecleaning and I have a complicated relationship. I love a clean home. There is something that happens in your space when you complete a deep clean - it’s like everything feels lighter. Everything breathes. Deep cleans require a heavy time commitment. They are therapeutic. They are exhausting. They feel good - great even. Weekly cleans rarely include the baseboards, the stove or fridge, dusting the corners of ceilings or ceiling fans - which is why deep cleans feel
As someone who flirts with extremes (read good and bad, right and wrong etc.) I assumed people were either good at gardening or not … They had a green thumb or they didn’t. I can not be alone in this. I was pretty good at keeping my outdoor garden and summer pots alive and thriving. Then I moved and my garden predominantly moved indoors. Now I’m less sure about my gardening and green thumb theories. I had to pull out my jasmine. I think I over-watered it. Some of the s
When I was little we used to spend New Years Eve at my grandmother's. My aunts, my cousins … all there. There would be food, games, party hats, noise makers and all the customs that came with the New Year. Having New Year’s at my grandmother’s, Auld Lang Syne sung with crossed hands and in a circle and sending my father outside with bread, salt, a coin and a few other items - because my father was the only male sibling and a brunette - all our customs. While I’m not sur
Does anyone else struggle with their storage? With its function - or lack of function? I can’t be alone in this? My closets are driving me mental at the moment. Mostly because they lack function and this is incredibly frustrating. Or at least it is to me - so I am left mentally fighting with my closets. This escalated when I moved some things around so my hats, mitts and scarves were more accessible - it’s that time of year. I think I’ve pinpointed why this is aggressiv
Holiday lights are one of my absolute favourite things. I know I’ve written about them before … but they bring me so much joy I’m writing about them again. Spoiler - this is probably not the last time I will write about them either. I have the lights on my tree on, all evening - every evening. One of the perks of it getting dark around 4pm. I can enjoy my lights for several hours. Sometimes I just stare at the tree … it makes me calm … it makes me happy. Slight left turn
I’m a sugar baby … I will almost always choose sweets over salt. Chocolate, cookies … yup … This time of year is a danger zone for me … Chocolate orange - yum … Turtles … yes please (read: anything with caramel) … Cookies - especially sugar, shortbread and ginger … heaven. I also enjoy baking - especially at this time of year. My body - well, it doesn’t love these foods as much as I do. Sighs. Will I still do holiday baking? Yes. Will I keep what I bake? Hard no.
I used to volunteer … when I was away at school, when I moved back to this area … in various forms, at a variety of organizations … but it’s been a while and I missed it. I had been looking - admittedly passively, but I hadn’t found anything that aligned with my interests, strengths and/or availability. I have a few organizations or types of volunteer or donations that I relate to or am drawn to but sadly their needs and my capacity to give aren’t aligning. Then there are f
Have you ever taken steps to improve your well being only to feel like everything you are doing is having the opposite effect? Fun right? I keep reading that this is where most people quit … I get that, I feel like I’ve lived that - been there, done that. Not this time. I recently had some bloodwork done to rule out anything medical causing my migraines. Hilarious right? I’m really ruling out things like a tumour - you know … major changes on the medical front. Upside
Someone recently asked me if I was lonely during COVID. I was thrown by the question … I wasn’t lonely and I hadn’t considered myself alone. I had a Georgie Cat. Answering I wasn’t alone apparently wasn’t answering the question. While I appreciate the concern, it struck me as such an odd question. While I’m sure a lot of people were lonely, I get some people need to be around others - in a sitting in the room, face to face kind of way … I’m not. I still worked - had sev
When I was in grade 5 we had to write and deliver speeches as a part of English. Not my favourite English assignment. I remember sitting on the floor in one of the pods listening to a classmate talk about her grandmother receiving a letter from the Queen on her 100th birthday. I thought it was so cool that I decided - in that moment - to live to be 100 too. It’s never occurred to me that I wouldn’t. Like somehow that decision made it so. The truth is - I still don’t doubt
