Monday, January 30, 2017
SUNNY RUN -9
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
SHUT UP AND RUN BY ROBIN ARZÓN
This book is a graffiti infused manual by an inspiring type I diabetic ultra runner that enthuses off the page. Here are a few quotes;
"Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving-it doesn't matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vow a hundred times, come, come again, come." - Rumi
"The human body is capable of extraordinary things that all start with the choice to try. "
"Don't be afraid to do something that frightens you, such as falling in love, changing careers, or signing up for a marathon."
"Sweat with swagger."
"Regret is a heavier weight to carry than hard work - in running, love and life."
My favourite, " Begin anywhere. Start before you're ready. Today seems like a good day."
"If you are breathing, it's a good day to have a good day. "
"Silence your inner hater. Don't stop until you're proud"
"Start unknown. Finish unforgettable. Grind while others make excuses."
"To give anything less than our best is to sacrifice the gift." - Steve Prefontaine
" Feed your focus. Starve your distractions."
FOMO -Fear of Missing Out
YOLO - You Only Live Once
SMART - Specific Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely (goal setting acronym)
Running books she loves:
Born to Run Christopher McDougall
Eat and Run Scott Jurek
Finding Ultra Rich Roll
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running Haruki Murakami
Kings of the Road Cameron Stracher
Inspirational Books:
Power of Now Eckhart Tolle
A Return to Love Marianne Williamson
The Fear Project Jaimal Yogis
Through the Eyes of a Lion Levi Lusko
Greatest Running Movies:
Unbroken 2014
Transcent 2014
Run for your life 2008
Unbreakable: The Western States 100 2012
Running the Sahara 2007
Prefontaine 1997
Spirit of the Marathon 2007
Fire on the Track 1995
Ways to overcome your inertia:
Find your running tribe
Write your running story
Start a challenge
Buy some fierce gear
Track metrics
Run for charity
Have a race on the horizon
"Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving-it doesn't matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vow a hundred times, come, come again, come." - Rumi
"The human body is capable of extraordinary things that all start with the choice to try. "
"Don't be afraid to do something that frightens you, such as falling in love, changing careers, or signing up for a marathon."
"Sweat with swagger."
"Regret is a heavier weight to carry than hard work - in running, love and life."
My favourite, " Begin anywhere. Start before you're ready. Today seems like a good day."
"If you are breathing, it's a good day to have a good day. "
"Silence your inner hater. Don't stop until you're proud"
"Start unknown. Finish unforgettable. Grind while others make excuses."
"To give anything less than our best is to sacrifice the gift." - Steve Prefontaine
" Feed your focus. Starve your distractions."
FOMO -Fear of Missing Out
YOLO - You Only Live Once
SMART - Specific Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely (goal setting acronym)
Running books she loves:
Born to Run Christopher McDougall
Eat and Run Scott Jurek
Finding Ultra Rich Roll
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running Haruki Murakami
Kings of the Road Cameron Stracher
Inspirational Books:
Power of Now Eckhart Tolle
A Return to Love Marianne Williamson
The Fear Project Jaimal Yogis
Through the Eyes of a Lion Levi Lusko
Greatest Running Movies:
Unbroken 2014
Transcent 2014
Run for your life 2008
Unbreakable: The Western States 100 2012
Running the Sahara 2007
Prefontaine 1997
Spirit of the Marathon 2007
Fire on the Track 1995
Ways to overcome your inertia:
Find your running tribe
Write your running story
Start a challenge
Buy some fierce gear
Track metrics
Run for charity
Have a race on the horizon
MRS. BEETON'S BOOK OF HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT
My girlfriends have been binge-watching Downton Abbey for a couple of years now, and I always bowed out, citing disinterest, or at least in proportion with the amount of my free time. One girlfriend in particular is a huge Anglophile, and I have enjoyed a couple of binge sessions of The Crown, about Queen Elizabeth, with the same girls and have enjoyed myself immensely. So when I saw that our library has the first six seasons of Downton, I thought I should catch up.
One of the obvious players in Downton's fascination to detail is a man often shown in the special features, and how I came to look again at the show. His name is Alastair Bruce and he was the historical advisor of the show. He featured in The Manners of Downton Abbey, and as I was walking out of the shelves with season two, I saw a 1100 page tome that sounded familiar: Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management. I think this was mentioned somewhere in my recent explorations of Victorian England, and what I thought was an unedited book popularized by the tv series is turning out to be a pretty thoughtful extensive handbook on life by a young woman who is a gifted writer! I am inspired. By the time she died at the age of 28, she had 3 children and had published in dozens of magazines entries, which eventually were compiled into one book. Although the bulk of the book is about food, and a lot about meat, there are general ideas that are quite thoughtful, and diagrams and reflections on parties, recipes, servants, raising children, law and medicine!
Listen to her brilliant opening statement:
PREFACE "I must frankly own, that if I had known, beforehand, that this book would have cost me the labour which it has, I should never have been courageous enough to commence it."
CHAPTER 1. THE MISTRESS "As with the commander of an army, or the leader of an enterprise, so is it with the mitres of a house. Her spirit will be seen through the whole establishment; and just in proportion as she performs her duties intelligently and thoroughly, so will her domestics follow in her path."
Quoting The Vicar of Wakefield, "The modest virgin, the prudent wife, and the careful matron, are much more serviceable in life than petticoated philosophers, blustering heroines, or virago queens. She who makes her husband and her children happy, who reclaims the one from vice and trains up the other to virtue, is a much greater character than ladies described in romances, whose whole occupation is to murder mankind with shafts from their quiver, or their eyes."
Quoting Dr. Johnson, "Frugality may be termed the daughter of Prudence, the sister of Temperance, and the parent of Liberty."
"7. Friendships should not be hastily formed, nor the heart given, at once, to every new-comer. There are ladies who uniformly smile at, and approve everything and everybody, and who possess neither the courage to reprehend vice, nor the generous warmth to defend virtue.The friendship of such persons is without attachment, and their love without affection or even preference. They imagine that every one who has any penetration is ill-natured, and look coldly on a discriminating judgement. It should be remembered, however, that this discernment does not always proceed from an uncharitable temper, but that those who possess a long experience and thorough knowledge of the world, scrutinize the conduct and dispositions of people before they trust themselves to the first fair appearances."
"10. Good temper should be cultivated by every mistress, as upon it the welfare of the household may be said to turn; indeed, its influence can hardly be overestimated, as it has the effect of moulding the characters of those around her, and of acting most beneficially on the happiness of the domestic circle. Every head of a household should strive to be cheerful, and should never fail to show a deep interest in all that appertains to the well-being of those who claim the protection of her roof. Gentleness, not partial or temporary, but universal and regular, should pervade her conduct; for where such a spirit is habitually manifested, it not only delights her children, but makes her domestics attentive and respectful; her visitors are also pleased by it, and their happiness is increased."
"15. In marketing, that the best articles are the cheapest, may be laid down as a rule; and it is desirable, unless an experienced and confidential housekeeper be kept, that the mistress should herself purchase all provisions and stores needed for the house.
"16. A housekeeping account-book should invariably be kept and kept punctually and precisely. The plan for keeping household accounts, which we should recommend, would be to make an entry, that is, write down into a daily diary every amount paid on that particular day, be it ever so small; then, at the end of the month, let these various payments be ranged under their specific heads of Butcher, Baker, &c: and thus will be seen the proportions paid to each tradesman, and any one month's expenses may be contrasted with another. The housekeeping account should be balanced not less than once a month; so that you may see that the money you have in hand tallies with your account of it in your diary.
Quoting Judge Haliburton, "No man is rich whose expenditure exceeds his means, and no one is poor whose incomings exceed his outgoings."
"17. Engaging domestics.. There are some respectable registry-offices…but the plan rather to be recommended is, for the mistress to make inquiry amongst her circle of friends and acquaintances, and her tradespeople… We would here point out an error…into which some mistresses fall. They do not, when engaging a servant, expressly tell her all the duties which she will be expected to perform."
Quoting Bishop Hall, "Recreation is intended to the mind as whetting is to the scythe, to sharpen the edge of it, which would otherwise grow dull and blunt. He, therefore, that spends his whole time in recreation is ever whetting, never mowing; his grass may grow and his steed starve; as, contrarily, he that always toils and never recreates, is ever mowing, never whetting, labouring much to little purpose."
VIRTUES (reminiscent of Thomas Jefferson's American version, which would have predated Mrs. Beeton, but may not have informed them) - early rising, cleanliness, frugality and economy, choice of acquaintances , hospitality, good temper, charity and benevolence
GEMS - evolution of a kitchen, times when things are in season (month by month), the chemistry and economy of soup-making, average cost per recipe, the natural history of fishes, dining (tables laid, menus for parties with numbers and years, month by month), poisons and antidotes, law
One of the obvious players in Downton's fascination to detail is a man often shown in the special features, and how I came to look again at the show. His name is Alastair Bruce and he was the historical advisor of the show. He featured in The Manners of Downton Abbey, and as I was walking out of the shelves with season two, I saw a 1100 page tome that sounded familiar: Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management. I think this was mentioned somewhere in my recent explorations of Victorian England, and what I thought was an unedited book popularized by the tv series is turning out to be a pretty thoughtful extensive handbook on life by a young woman who is a gifted writer! I am inspired. By the time she died at the age of 28, she had 3 children and had published in dozens of magazines entries, which eventually were compiled into one book. Although the bulk of the book is about food, and a lot about meat, there are general ideas that are quite thoughtful, and diagrams and reflections on parties, recipes, servants, raising children, law and medicine!
Listen to her brilliant opening statement:
PREFACE "I must frankly own, that if I had known, beforehand, that this book would have cost me the labour which it has, I should never have been courageous enough to commence it."
CHAPTER 1. THE MISTRESS "As with the commander of an army, or the leader of an enterprise, so is it with the mitres of a house. Her spirit will be seen through the whole establishment; and just in proportion as she performs her duties intelligently and thoroughly, so will her domestics follow in her path."
Quoting The Vicar of Wakefield, "The modest virgin, the prudent wife, and the careful matron, are much more serviceable in life than petticoated philosophers, blustering heroines, or virago queens. She who makes her husband and her children happy, who reclaims the one from vice and trains up the other to virtue, is a much greater character than ladies described in romances, whose whole occupation is to murder mankind with shafts from their quiver, or their eyes."
Quoting Dr. Johnson, "Frugality may be termed the daughter of Prudence, the sister of Temperance, and the parent of Liberty."
"7. Friendships should not be hastily formed, nor the heart given, at once, to every new-comer. There are ladies who uniformly smile at, and approve everything and everybody, and who possess neither the courage to reprehend vice, nor the generous warmth to defend virtue.The friendship of such persons is without attachment, and their love without affection or even preference. They imagine that every one who has any penetration is ill-natured, and look coldly on a discriminating judgement. It should be remembered, however, that this discernment does not always proceed from an uncharitable temper, but that those who possess a long experience and thorough knowledge of the world, scrutinize the conduct and dispositions of people before they trust themselves to the first fair appearances."
"10. Good temper should be cultivated by every mistress, as upon it the welfare of the household may be said to turn; indeed, its influence can hardly be overestimated, as it has the effect of moulding the characters of those around her, and of acting most beneficially on the happiness of the domestic circle. Every head of a household should strive to be cheerful, and should never fail to show a deep interest in all that appertains to the well-being of those who claim the protection of her roof. Gentleness, not partial or temporary, but universal and regular, should pervade her conduct; for where such a spirit is habitually manifested, it not only delights her children, but makes her domestics attentive and respectful; her visitors are also pleased by it, and their happiness is increased."
"15. In marketing, that the best articles are the cheapest, may be laid down as a rule; and it is desirable, unless an experienced and confidential housekeeper be kept, that the mistress should herself purchase all provisions and stores needed for the house.
"16. A housekeeping account-book should invariably be kept and kept punctually and precisely. The plan for keeping household accounts, which we should recommend, would be to make an entry, that is, write down into a daily diary every amount paid on that particular day, be it ever so small; then, at the end of the month, let these various payments be ranged under their specific heads of Butcher, Baker, &c: and thus will be seen the proportions paid to each tradesman, and any one month's expenses may be contrasted with another. The housekeeping account should be balanced not less than once a month; so that you may see that the money you have in hand tallies with your account of it in your diary.
Quoting Judge Haliburton, "No man is rich whose expenditure exceeds his means, and no one is poor whose incomings exceed his outgoings."
"17. Engaging domestics.. There are some respectable registry-offices…but the plan rather to be recommended is, for the mistress to make inquiry amongst her circle of friends and acquaintances, and her tradespeople… We would here point out an error…into which some mistresses fall. They do not, when engaging a servant, expressly tell her all the duties which she will be expected to perform."
Quoting Bishop Hall, "Recreation is intended to the mind as whetting is to the scythe, to sharpen the edge of it, which would otherwise grow dull and blunt. He, therefore, that spends his whole time in recreation is ever whetting, never mowing; his grass may grow and his steed starve; as, contrarily, he that always toils and never recreates, is ever mowing, never whetting, labouring much to little purpose."
VIRTUES (reminiscent of Thomas Jefferson's American version, which would have predated Mrs. Beeton, but may not have informed them) - early rising, cleanliness, frugality and economy, choice of acquaintances , hospitality, good temper, charity and benevolence
GEMS - evolution of a kitchen, times when things are in season (month by month), the chemistry and economy of soup-making, average cost per recipe, the natural history of fishes, dining (tables laid, menus for parties with numbers and years, month by month), poisons and antidotes, law
CHAOS THEORY AND ORDER
Once upon a time I spent a month in a room with a bunch of surgery residents, led by a big blond bearded resident named Andrew. It was supposed to be a month to learn about trauma, but at the time, the only staff on service was one very tired overworked man who was either in his office or the OR, and a don't remember a case that wasn't related to scut. I do remember the room where we, the surgery team, congregated and occasionally slept in, on couches and in chairs, late at night, interruptedly. Mostly I remember conversations led by Andrew.
You'd think that I would remember a gruesome case or medical teaching, but the only two things I remember about the rotation was about this resident; first that he knew he would marry his wife on their second date, and that he was somehow finding the time to read a book called The Web of Life, by Fritjof Capra.
Long after I bought the book with the intention of reading it, a movie came out called The Butterfly Effect. The film was a mind bender, and a tiny element of the science of understanding complex systems and Chaos theory was introduced in its simplest metaphor; a butterfly flaps its wings in one part of the world and it effects the weather across the globe. It's always been the problem of time travel. How do you change one things without impacting others. I suppose I hope karma works a little like this. We don't see the direct effect, but the good deed done will have one, and if enough occur, the world, somewhere for someone becomes a better place.
Lately, though, the overwhelming feeling I have is an expanding swath of chaos in my life, simply described in Newton's Second Law of Thermodynamics as Entropy. This feels like chaos, but it is a simple description of things falling apart, or expanding to maximum randomness. My house gets messy in this way. My life spins this way too. Attempts at creating order only manage to right some of these things falling apart, and over the years, I wonder if the energy necessary to reverse entropy is really ever going to equal its unrelenting existence. If so, what can be done about it?
Another big clean shaven man I knew better talked of his years of post secondary school drawing to a close after two undergrad degrees and on his second post grad. He used the verb synthesize. I have for many years thought I would like to reach that point also, but after all this time I still feel that I am forever in the learning trajectory. Perhaps I have not learned well, or perhaps synthesis is an ideal I will never achieve. Nonethless, I feel that I must at least summarize what I have learned to present.
So I declare this year (although I readily admit it may not be done in one year) a consolidation year. I encourage you to fight entropy smarter, and look at your systems more globally. After all, a 28 year old woman named Mrs. Isabella Beeton wrote a thousand page Book of Household Management before dying in childbirth. Surely a year is enough time to consolidate your life to date!
You'd think that I would remember a gruesome case or medical teaching, but the only two things I remember about the rotation was about this resident; first that he knew he would marry his wife on their second date, and that he was somehow finding the time to read a book called The Web of Life, by Fritjof Capra.
Long after I bought the book with the intention of reading it, a movie came out called The Butterfly Effect. The film was a mind bender, and a tiny element of the science of understanding complex systems and Chaos theory was introduced in its simplest metaphor; a butterfly flaps its wings in one part of the world and it effects the weather across the globe. It's always been the problem of time travel. How do you change one things without impacting others. I suppose I hope karma works a little like this. We don't see the direct effect, but the good deed done will have one, and if enough occur, the world, somewhere for someone becomes a better place.
Lately, though, the overwhelming feeling I have is an expanding swath of chaos in my life, simply described in Newton's Second Law of Thermodynamics as Entropy. This feels like chaos, but it is a simple description of things falling apart, or expanding to maximum randomness. My house gets messy in this way. My life spins this way too. Attempts at creating order only manage to right some of these things falling apart, and over the years, I wonder if the energy necessary to reverse entropy is really ever going to equal its unrelenting existence. If so, what can be done about it?
Another big clean shaven man I knew better talked of his years of post secondary school drawing to a close after two undergrad degrees and on his second post grad. He used the verb synthesize. I have for many years thought I would like to reach that point also, but after all this time I still feel that I am forever in the learning trajectory. Perhaps I have not learned well, or perhaps synthesis is an ideal I will never achieve. Nonethless, I feel that I must at least summarize what I have learned to present.
So I declare this year (although I readily admit it may not be done in one year) a consolidation year. I encourage you to fight entropy smarter, and look at your systems more globally. After all, a 28 year old woman named Mrs. Isabella Beeton wrote a thousand page Book of Household Management before dying in childbirth. Surely a year is enough time to consolidate your life to date!
Friday, January 20, 2017
Sunday, January 15, 2017
DINNER FOR THREE
For two years now, I have been fortunate to go out at regular intervals with two colleagues that used to be my staff. We call ourselves MAD, an acronym of our names, and we are a mutual admiration club that never fails to have a great time. Usually we go out, and I remember every event. This time was clearly my turn, but going out for our usual splurge was going to be over my budget, as usual, and I didn't want them to bail me out, so I opted to change the rhythm and have them over to my house. I have never been at either of their houses, nor have I met their wives, so I wasn't sure how the dynamic would work. I didn't have too much time to worry about it though, what with my brother for Christmas, a crazy New Year's week, and two birthdays and two birthday parties, the last the morning we were supposed to meet.
The menu was a simple one. I served my version of the Sonata (3/4 oz Aperol, 2 oz apple juice or iced cider, 3/4 oz cinnamon syrup) for a cocktail to start, making the cinnamon syrup (1 cup water, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 cinnamon sticks. Boil together for ten minutes, stirring to dissolve sugar, then cool.) earlier so that it could cool in order to serve cold with Aperol (memories of the Venetian Spritz) and apple juice I had already refrigerated. I had made a reliable standby called Puree of Sweet Potato,
a gorgeous soup garnished with roasted almond slices and cream, and took a small risk trying to replicate as "wild" mushroom lasagne (I used what I had, which was very domestic button mushrooms and it was delicious!) I had been served before but never made. I opened my most precious bottle of red wine, Menage à Trois, Folie à Deux, to serve with the meal. I had a few leftovers of a failed chocolate walnut fudge and sucre a la creme, which I layered in verrines with cool whip and diced fresh pear to good effect.
As it is with most great events, and even some of the greatest food I eat or serve, I have no pictures! Only the memory of a six hour meal with two wonderful friends. It was a perfect night!
The menu was a simple one. I served my version of the Sonata (3/4 oz Aperol, 2 oz apple juice or iced cider, 3/4 oz cinnamon syrup) for a cocktail to start, making the cinnamon syrup (1 cup water, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 cinnamon sticks. Boil together for ten minutes, stirring to dissolve sugar, then cool.) earlier so that it could cool in order to serve cold with Aperol (memories of the Venetian Spritz) and apple juice I had already refrigerated. I had made a reliable standby called Puree of Sweet Potato,
a gorgeous soup garnished with roasted almond slices and cream, and took a small risk trying to replicate as "wild" mushroom lasagne (I used what I had, which was very domestic button mushrooms and it was delicious!) I had been served before but never made. I opened my most precious bottle of red wine, Menage à Trois, Folie à Deux, to serve with the meal. I had a few leftovers of a failed chocolate walnut fudge and sucre a la creme, which I layered in verrines with cool whip and diced fresh pear to good effect.
As it is with most great events, and even some of the greatest food I eat or serve, I have no pictures! Only the memory of a six hour meal with two wonderful friends. It was a perfect night!
Saturday, January 14, 2017
TWEENS HELP WITH THEIR BIRTHDAY
Each year my daughter has ideas for her birthday, and each year she does a little more to contribute. This year, she was supervising two of her biggest projects.
The first was a project she had seen at daycare at Halloween. She found the ingredients and instructed us on how to make the best mummies. They were a lot of fun, and disappeared very quickly at her party!
The second was a pinterest idea that we also went shopping for the eyes, specifically chosen by my daughter. I think the cupcakes she took to school were gorgeous! She made every cat face, and had to guard them with her friends at recess so they wouldn't be eaten before snack at school!
The first was a project she had seen at daycare at Halloween. She found the ingredients and instructed us on how to make the best mummies. They were a lot of fun, and disappeared very quickly at her party!
BIRTHDAY FAIL?
 |
| The m and m's and reese's poured out of a collapsing cake. No one complained, but looks less professional, and more pinterest fail! Tasted great though. |
Every year I end up doing something special for my daughter's birthday. I always tell myself to keep it simple, but I never really mean it. It is just too much fun to something different, even if means a late night!
This year, the party was simpler than some. Her party consisted of her three BFFs and the only sister of one of them, also a dear friend. We went back to the Ecomuseum, so there was an activity as well as a clean room to start and end with. I had done well this year, planning snacks ahead, and making sugar cookies in advance to freeze in the shapes of animals. The cakes had been made and there was just the pizza dough and decorating to do, so I had gotten up the day of the party to finish things off. The pizza dough was rising, the mozza was grated, and the cakes were cooled. That's when I made a mistake. I had gotten the idea to make a surprise cake for Rebecca filled with mini-Reese's Peanut Butter cups, inspired by a Nerdy Nummies surprise cake. I was finding cutting the centres easiest to do one after another, until I was done, and stacking. Then I realized my error. I needed to leave the last cake whole! Now I had a cake full of reese's mini PB cups, but the divot on the top just kept sinking down. So I filled it with some leftover green m and m's until it sat precariously, and covered it with all the icing leftover, which was enough for a crumb coat, but not enough for a proper looking cake! Next time I make the Wilton layered cake, I will buy one cake mix and two frosting containers! Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker Vanilla worked well, but the yellow generic icing was too soft, so this is one of those instances where I would pay for branding or keep more icing sugar on hand!
Happy 11th birthday, sweet pea!
 |
| Just before birthday wishes! |
Friday, January 13, 2017
PRINCESS PIRATE'S 11TH BIRTHDAY
Laura yes
Maya A yes
Rylee yes
Jasmine yes
Mom
Dad
Mel
Jon
MIX
Dark Horse
Legendary lovers
Roar
Bad Blood
Radioactive
Seasons of Love
Peace like a river
Oh Be Joyful
Closer
Pictionary white board, markers, erasers
Twister
Twister dance check batteries
Hula hoops musical hoops
Bio dome questions
Fortune cookies
Pizza 2 homeade cheese
PB butterscotch squares
Dijon chips
Cheddar popcorn
Cheesies
Veggie and fruit platter
Peas, carrots, corn (Dad)
Strawberries, grapes, cantaloupe, blueberries
Drinks
Cups
Plates
Napkins
Forks and spoons
I LOVE MY SMARTPHONE
I honestly thought I was a Luddite, finding many technologies complicate my life, and feeling nostalgic about a simpler time. I am quite unlike the true Luddites, never destroying technology, or fearing it would outstrip my job. As to the latter, maybe it will be possible, but I think the improvements possible for my job in health care (legibility, accountability, error prevention, communication) are more likely than erasing the need for health care providers. That being said, I enjoy the simple things of life, but I am probably so dependent on technology that I could never live without the basics for long with feeling nostalgic. If I discount the "basic" technologies of electricity, hot water, and telephone/internet, I would have thought I was satisfied at that. Perhaps it's just appealing to my laziness this morning after a crazy couple of weeks, but today my smartphone gave me great pleasure in how it simplifies my life.
I was sitting on the couch (a rare event honestly) and had a kitty curled in my lap when my home phone rang. A message followed my greeting, about an appointment my optometrist had booked for me two years prior, which I could no longer keep. So I picked up my smartphone, googled the optician's number, and while making the call, put the receptionist on speaker to enter the new information in my calendar. All this without dislodging the happy sleeping kitty! So embrace technology, at least when it makes life easier. Remember that the best technologies we enjoy are the ones we forget about. Like a morning coffee, it's always best to acknowledge the dependence, be grateful for its existence, and always remember how to live without!
I was sitting on the couch (a rare event honestly) and had a kitty curled in my lap when my home phone rang. A message followed my greeting, about an appointment my optometrist had booked for me two years prior, which I could no longer keep. So I picked up my smartphone, googled the optician's number, and while making the call, put the receptionist on speaker to enter the new information in my calendar. All this without dislodging the happy sleeping kitty! So embrace technology, at least when it makes life easier. Remember that the best technologies we enjoy are the ones we forget about. Like a morning coffee, it's always best to acknowledge the dependence, be grateful for its existence, and always remember how to live without!
Thursday, January 12, 2017
WOLF MOON
I have a magnet on my fridge that I love. It is a quote by C. S. Jung that says, “The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.”
I have been trying to figure out an analogy for the relationship I have with a man who seems to have no boundaries, and is easy to get to know, but in the end, I am not sure what is at at his core. Is it hidden for a reason, or is it just I that do not know him? I like that I can be my best self with him, but I am aware that how I feel is generating from me, although clearly catalysed by him.
At first I thought of him as an atom with multiple valencies, knowing full well that if I was to describe myself as an atom, I would have very few valencies, and once bonded, I have few others free. This man, on the other hand, seem to possess van der Waal forces, bonding loosely with everyone, never seeming to fail to have room for more.
Then I thought of him in terms of gravity, and thought he was more like the moon, with a low gravitational pull. This allows so many of us to walk near his surface and be amazed, but in the end, most of us did not pull him and he only pulled us loosely too. It is difficult to know what is at his core. Maybe there is only the reflection of others that we see. Still, this power is wonderful and I enjoy being in its presence.
I love the moon, especially when it is low and big and full.
I am not sure how I feel about this man. It does, however, scare me, because I once fell for a guy who let me see myself in the best light for a while, but had nothing at his core. He seemed like the moon, reflecting my best side, but in the end, he was a dying star, and after giving up his last light for reasons I will never understand, he ended up imploding like a black hole. Over time, it became clear that he was only near me to take everything he could from from me, like a vacuum, which I was able to escape, but at great personal cost. I can't afford to make such a mistake again. I liked who I was with him at the beginning, but in the end, he was like the Wizard of Oz, and once the curtain was pulled back, there was nothing to him, and I lost much more than I gained.
Here is the list of this year's full moons. Look for them! Today is the wolf moon.
I have been trying to figure out an analogy for the relationship I have with a man who seems to have no boundaries, and is easy to get to know, but in the end, I am not sure what is at at his core. Is it hidden for a reason, or is it just I that do not know him? I like that I can be my best self with him, but I am aware that how I feel is generating from me, although clearly catalysed by him.
At first I thought of him as an atom with multiple valencies, knowing full well that if I was to describe myself as an atom, I would have very few valencies, and once bonded, I have few others free. This man, on the other hand, seem to possess van der Waal forces, bonding loosely with everyone, never seeming to fail to have room for more.
Then I thought of him in terms of gravity, and thought he was more like the moon, with a low gravitational pull. This allows so many of us to walk near his surface and be amazed, but in the end, most of us did not pull him and he only pulled us loosely too. It is difficult to know what is at his core. Maybe there is only the reflection of others that we see. Still, this power is wonderful and I enjoy being in its presence.
I love the moon, especially when it is low and big and full.
I am not sure how I feel about this man. It does, however, scare me, because I once fell for a guy who let me see myself in the best light for a while, but had nothing at his core. He seemed like the moon, reflecting my best side, but in the end, he was a dying star, and after giving up his last light for reasons I will never understand, he ended up imploding like a black hole. Over time, it became clear that he was only near me to take everything he could from from me, like a vacuum, which I was able to escape, but at great personal cost. I can't afford to make such a mistake again. I liked who I was with him at the beginning, but in the end, he was like the Wizard of Oz, and once the curtain was pulled back, there was nothing to him, and I lost much more than I gained.
Here is the list of this year's full moons. Look for them! Today is the wolf moon.
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
ARE YOU A GIVER OR A TAKER?
I watched a TED talk by Adam Grant, an "organizational psychologist" titled , "Are you a giver or a taker?" It was an interesting insight into my work place and any others. The salient points I took away are:
Givers want to help others, and takers want to know what they can get from you.
Affable takers are the hardest to spot. Amiable givers have to be protected from burning themselves out.
Givers and takers exist, but most people are mixed, and influenced by the others.
Givers make up the two extremes in performance- at higher risk of burnout, but with great potential.
The most important part of choosing your team is keeping the takers out.
Adam's premise is that organizations succeed when we help others.
Check out his book or TED talk. Then, if you have the power, remove the takers and encourage the givers!
Givers want to help others, and takers want to know what they can get from you.
Affable takers are the hardest to spot. Amiable givers have to be protected from burning themselves out.
Givers and takers exist, but most people are mixed, and influenced by the others.
Givers make up the two extremes in performance- at higher risk of burnout, but with great potential.
The most important part of choosing your team is keeping the takers out.
Adam's premise is that organizations succeed when we help others.
Check out his book or TED talk. Then, if you have the power, remove the takers and encourage the givers!
Sunday, January 1, 2017
HOW TO BE ATTRACTIVE
Good posture
Smile
Be your best self
Be helpful
Be ready to do anything ( say yes more than no)
Be on time
Work hard
Be interesting
Be fit
Be kind
Make people comfortable
Be okay alone
Have friends
Dress comfortably
Express yourself
Moisturize your skin
Smile
Be your best self
Be helpful
Be ready to do anything ( say yes more than no)
Be on time
Work hard
Be interesting
Be fit
Be kind
Make people comfortable
Be okay alone
Have friends
Dress comfortably
Express yourself
Moisturize your skin
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