Ceanne's Best Life

Wishcast Wednesday - How do you wish to sparkle?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 15:01:00 +0000

The incredible Jamie Ridler has done it again! Her Wishcast Wednesday prompt is right on the money! (As usual!)

This week's Wishcast prompt is:

How do you wish to *sparkle*?

The reason that this is such a good prompt for me this week, is that I am currently working on an upward rise of attitude, intention, consciousness...

The last few weeks (or even longer) have been a roller-coaster of emotions, thoughts, and energy. I've made a few decisions about my life--one of them being joining a 12 step program in regards to my eating habits (or addiction as I've come to realize). The first meeting was last night and it was good. Another decision is to cut back on a lot of the things I was trying (unsuccessfully*) to take part in. I've paired down to the most important things I wish to participate in or accomplish.

Which leads me to my *sparkle* list...

I wish that my new updated blog (coming soon) is sparkly, delicious, and inviting--and a place where others feel worthwhile spending a bit of time.

I wish to sparkle with my creativity--this year I'm going to do my first craft show, put on a few Dream Board workshops with a friend, and I might even have a creativity blog (working on that too!)

My 12 step journey--I know it will probably be frought with lots of emotions, but my wish is that with the support of peers I will sparkle my way to a level of consciousness that I have yet to achieve.

I wish to sparkle with my relationships--that they are fun, easygoing, and enjoyable.

I wish to radiate sparkle!

Your diamonds are not in far distant mountains or in yonder seas; they are in your own backyard, if you but dig for them. - Russel H. Conwell

Wishcast Wednesday - What gifts do you wish to share?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:23:00 +0000

Wowzers! Jamie Ridler's Wishcast wish prompt this week is "What gifts do you wish to share?"

And that question kind of hit me between the eyes...the last several weeks I've been having some difficult moments with feeling like what I have to offer isn't necessarily what people want. This question really put the words to what I've been feeling--I've been trying to offer some gifts of myself but, in certain circumstances, those gifts have been rebuffed. Hence, the "wowzers!"

As I said, this feeling of rejection--because that's what it's really about, isn't in all situations or with all people. But each time it happens, it does hurt deep--obviously a deep wound from my past. Feelings of rejection are a recurring issue of mine.

But...I'm digressing into painful feelings and not focusing on the question at hand. It's important for me to process these feelings of rejection, and I will, but not here. My wishes are for focusing on the positives in life, to help change my feelings of pain to feelings of possibilities and light. To know that the uncomfortable feelings also provide an opportunity to shift my focus. Today, it's to know that the opposite of "rejection" is "acceptance"--and that acceptance is really my goal--my acceptance of ME!

So...the gifts I wish to share are:

- My ability to shift focus to the where I want to go (sometimes it takes me longer than I'd like though...)

- My collection of quotes--some times it feels inexhaustible. Words have such deep meaning to me.

- My creativity--my arts, my crafts, my vision, my standards of detail.

- My love--my wounded heart (it's healing)
- My joy--need to share it more with myself too!

- My gratitude--to everyone who "gets" me; and to Spirit, always!

To be born is to be chosen. No one is here by accident. Each one of us was sent here for a special destiny. For millions of years, before you arrived here, the dream of your individuality was carefully prepared. You were sent to be a shape of destiny in which you would be able to express the special gift you bring the world…Sometimes this gift may involve suffering and pain that can neither be accounted for or explained…It is in the depths of your life that you will discover the invisible necessity that has brought you here. - John O’Donahue

The blessings for which we hunger are not to be found in other places or people. These gifts can only be given to you by yourself. They are at home in the hearth of your soul. - John O’Donahue

All of us are gifted. Every person has a gift that can bring great joy and light to those who encounter it. Our task is to stand in the sun and create a climate that will develop and nurture our gift. - Anonymous

Because our gifts carry us out into the world and make us participants in life, the uncovering of them is one of the most important tasks confronting any one of us. When we talk about being true to ourselves--being the persons we are intended to be--we are talking about gifts. We cannot be ourselves unless we are true to our gifts. - Elizabeth O’Connor

We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and adventure to discover our own special light. - Mary Dunbar

Thanks!!

Wishcast Wednesday - What do you wish for your home?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:29:00 +0000

Talk about synchonicity!

It's been a few weeks since I posted. I have been going through a bit of deep contemplation and change but had nothing much I wanted to really post about. I had already decided that I would post this week for Wishcast Wednesday when I received a post from my friend and inspiration Andrea from ABC Creativity. Her post so inspired me that I responded to her post and thanked her:

Thanks for this post! There are several things you said that really struck me (inspired me).

1. "I'm not interested in living an "ordinary life" and I sure didn't want an "ordinary" house." - So often I look around my house and it doesn't reflect who I really am--there's only one room in my house that does and that's my bedroom--because I decorated in colors, textures, and items I LOVE. I am going to take more time and reflect on who I actually am as I continue to redo my house in my own "authentic style"! -- you know this is something I have been working towards for years, and I AM getting there--this is just a huge great reminder.

2. "I wanted a house that would nurture me and my creative dreams." - I'm more in that space now than ever before and, as above, am working on making sure I have creative space that inspires me.

3. "If you want more of something in your life - you have to make space for it. In your home or your calendar or your thoughts or your heart--somewhere you've got to make space for it." - YES!!! Thank you for that glorious reminder!!

As I start getting ready to write here about Andrea's post and her inspiration when my e-mail pops up with an e-mail from Jamie and her question this week is...

What do you wish for your home?

Almost as if Andrea and Jamie were talking--but definately on the same wavelength!!

So, in addition to the above, I wish for my home to (and it already does a lot of these):

- Welcome me when I come home, to envelope me in it's warmth and comfort.

- Inspire me, motivate me when needed.

- Provide a place of rest and rebuilding when life gets tough. A lifting off spot for me.

- Show who Ceanne really is, so that when anyone walks in they "get" that this is my home.

- That others are comfortable and feel at ease and welcome.
- Julie Jordon Scott talked once about how she has quotes on her front door - I have that on my creativity "to do" list as something I'll be doing this summer.
- I think I may take some of Andrea's inspiration and do some creative art work right on my walls. I actually have recurring dreams where I do that--perhaps Spirit has been trying to talk to me!

When you learn to love and let yourself be loved, you come home to the hearth of your spirit. You are warm and sheltered. You are completely at one in the house of your own longing and belonging. - John O’Donahue

Prayer and housekeeping--they go together. They have always gone together. We simply know that our daily round is how we live. When we clean and order our homes, we are somehow cleaning and ordering ourselves. - Gunilla Norris

Here is everything I’ve cherished;

That these walls should glow with beauty,

Spurred my lagging soul to duty;

That there should be gladness here,

Kept me toiling, year by year…

Every thought and every act,

Were to keep this home intact.

- Edgar A. Guest

Wishcast Wednesday - What burden to you wish to put down?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 16:07:00 +0000

Wishcast Wednesday again and this week, Jamie Ridler asks...

What burden to you wish to put down?

This wish prompt makes me want to just sit right down and sob. I didn't realize how burdened I felt until I read this prompt.

I think that I try so much to be optimistic and positive and I try to think of my issues in a positive light that they will soon be gone. I do positive affirmations, positive thinking and yet I know that I still carry a lot of "stuff".

Of course, I wish to let go of the burden of my "stuff", but I also know that I am a work in progress and that the "stuff" is full of lessons that I have not learned yet and issues I need to work through.

I have one specific burden that weighs heavier and is more painful than the others; that is the burden of the pain, heartbreak, fear, and self-recriminations that is the residue of an abusive relationship.

I wish to put down and walk away from the burden of thinking I could have changed anything about that situation. That I could have changed how I responded or how he treated me. That I could have or should have left earlier than I did. That I let him change me.

I think I have been holding onto these self-loathing thoughts for too long--it's time to let them go.

You did what you knew, now that you know better, you'll do better.

- Maya Angelou/Oprah

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

Thank you!

As you all wish for yourself, I so truly and sincerly wish for all of you!

Intention - Calm/Peace

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:34:00 +0000

It's Monday again, and time to set an intention for the week. Thanks Andrea!!

From ABC Creativity, Andrea's creative and inspirational site.

Every Monday, I share my intention for the week and welcome you to do the same.

This is not about setting goals or creating to-do lists and working our tails off to achieve them. This is about taking some time to be quiet and still and ask “What do I need this week?” and setting an intention from there to align ourselves with that. It’s about paving the way for success, joy and dreams come true to find us throughout the week.

Last week, my intention was to "plan"--plan what to do with my extra time now that I had turned my cable TV off. But...what I found was that I was unsettled as having a TV has been such an integral part of my life--almost addictive, which is the reason I wanted to turn it off.

But...it takes time to settle down and get used to the idea of not being with a TV, so this week, I'm actually going to give myself a break and just try to be calm and at peace with the quiet in my home before I try to fill it again.

I'm also going through a huge lifestyle shift with my eating habits changing to just "real" food (no bad fats, no sugar, no white flour, etc.--only fruit, veg, and "real" foods). This is also a HUGE shift for me and I know it's right for me. But, just like the TV, it takes time to adjust to the change.

And peace and calm is exactly what my mind, body, and soul need this week while I'm in this transformative place in my life.

Thanks!!

Wishcast Wednesday - What do you wish to enjoy? #2

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 14:50:00 +0000

Jamie Ridler asked this week - What do you wish to enjoy?

This question was asked in November too, and when I went back and looked at my post, I thought it still relevant, so decided to repeat it--but add updates and a few new quotes.

Such a great word, "enjoy", I just had to do some research on it. It's synonyms are: experience pleasure, relish, savor, undergo improvement...

I wish to "enjoy"...

- rich, restful, re-energizing sleep (I'm being tested for sleep apnea and my hope is this will happen really soon!) - *Update - I have now been provided with a CPAP machine and my restful sleep is slowly coming back and so is my energy!! (yay!!)
- my continued path of improving my life so that I may "be" the person I am meant to be. - *Update - Interesting that "BE!" is my One Little Word for 2011-- I will be doing a post on that really soon.
- the walks I take with my dog--right now with my weight being so high it is a bit of a struggle, but as I walk daily I get stronger and more capable of enjoying it (she loves the walks so much that it's a shame not to be as happy as her). - *Update - After a recent health issue, I have started to lose weight - down 16 lbs from my highest around the time of this post!
- my family - sometimes our relationships can be strained but we are working toward getting to know each other and accepting each other as we are--and in the end, love each other regardless where we're at.- *Update - I do love my family.
- great health! - *Update - It's getting better and better every day!
- a career with pay that more than supports my lifestyle and allows me the grace to give with ease to others who need it more than I. - *Update - As Karen Drucker sings "Money is coming to me easily and effortlessly, money is coming to me." I'm building a side enterprise to increase my income.
- a romantic relationship with a man who is loving and loves me for who I am. - *Update - Sigh, no man, but I am loving me for me!

Watch your thoughts; they become your words.

Watch your words; they become your actions.

Watch your actions; they become your habits.

Watch your habits; they become your character.

Watch your character for it will become your destiny.

- Hillel

The best way to get people to think out of the box

is not to create the box in the first place.

– Martin Copper

Not everything that is faced can be changed,

but nothing can be changed until it is faced.

– James Baldwin

Have a great week everyone! As you all wish for yourselves, I also wish for you!!

Intention: Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 21:35:00 +0000

Every Monday, Andrea at ABC Creativity asks, “What do I need for this week?”

She states, “This is not about setting goals or creating to-do lists and working our tails off to achieve them. This is about taking some time to be quiet and still and ask “What do I need this week?” and setting an intention from there to align ourselves with that. It’s about paving the way for success, joy and dreams come true to find us throughout the week.”

This week, I feel I need to plan. I finally took the leap I discussed about a month ago (or longer) and turned off my TV channels as of last Friday. So, I have more time on my hands to do the things I want to be getting done, but I don`t want to find another way to waste that time so I need to do some planning on how to spend this new precious time I have.

I know that some of the things that I want to be doing are:

- Reading

- Taking a bit more care of my home (I do keep it mostly okay, but maybe a bit tidier)

- Cooking `real`and `clean` foods - after my gallbladder attack I am cooking more and making salads, salad dressings from scratch, etc. I will need to continue to do that.

- Listening to books on tape

- Walking or exercising -- with my precious dog, Ruby

- Spending time on my creativity -- I`ve actually had a few `commissions`of afghans to make so need to make the time to complete them (I would have normally worked on them while watching TV so will now probably work on them while I listen to books on tape)

- Explore my creativity more--I like to try new things

- Collaging and dream board(ing)

- etc.

Have a great week everyone!

Discover Yourself: What is your philosophy of life after death?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 21:16:00 +0000

Years ago, I gathered up hundreds of journal prompts and put them on labels and into a cute little box for my "Discovery Journal Prompts". I would then, put my hand into the box and pull out a label at random and that would be the perfect prompt for me for that particular day. Great plans, right???

I haven't done a thing with them since...until now! Welcome to my Discovery Journal Prompt! If you'd like a badge to put on your page, please go here.

Here's today's...

What is your philosophy of life after death?

Okay, a deeeeep subject this week. Interesting that today is my birthday and were looking at life after death on a day that I am celebrating my life.

The answer to this question is so subjective and I think there must be as many answers to this question as there are people on Earth. I, myself, have believed a few things in my life--depending on which religious faith I was following at the time.

At this point in my life, I am not following a particular religious doctrine because there is not one that I have found that seems to teach what I believe about spiritualism. I believed that after death people are reincarnated on the Earth again to live another life. I have believed that we go to Heaven after we die and that we live a perfect life after we pass on--if we lived a "good" life on Earth. If we did not life a "good" life then we go to Hell for all eternity. I absolutely do NOT believe that any longer!!! I actually do not believe in "Heaven" or "Hell" as I was taught when I was younger. I do not believe in "Hell" at all. I do believe in a form of `Heaven` but only on this plain of existence, not in the hereafter--it`s what you make of your life here on Earth that determines who you live; in `Heaven` or someplace darker.

I think there is a part of me that still believes in reincarnation to some degree. I like the thought of us being "humans having a spiritual existence" and that each time we come to Earth we learn more an more about true spiritualism (whatever that is--wink). I like the idea that if we live a completely unconscious existence on Earth and are about victimhood then we live a very unhappy life and we get a chance to have a "redo" and get it more right.

I do believe there is something after we pass, that Earth is not all there is, but the fact is I don't have a true belief in what really happens.

I can tell you the one experience I had when my father passed away and how close I felt to him after he passed away. I felt him with me while I was grieving--not in human or ghost form, just his presence near me. I talked to him a lot and felt (didn't hear) him talking back to me. I can still feel him with me when I think of him and call him to mind, `what would dad think of this?`

The last religious philosophy that I followed teaches that we all return to the Universal Energy that everything is created from. That's probably the closest to what I believe happens--that explains to me how my father was so close to me, he was all around me and he was me to some extent. If that makes sense to anyone I'm not sure but it does to me.

Have a great week!!

Wishcast Wednesday - What hunger do you wish to feed?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:28:00 +0000

Thanks so much to Jamie Ridler for creating Wishcasting Wednesday--it has been one of the most healing experiences of the last year for me. If you're looking for a place to do some soul searching and have a wonderfully supportive group of creative and loving people behind you, check it out!!

This week's prompt...

What hunger do you wish to feed?

When I first looked at this question, I had to kind of laugh because I'm actually going through a medical situation where I am hungry but can't feed it...

It seems that's all I'm talking about. I had a gallbladder attack last week and have had to seriously curtail the type of eating I have been doing--no fats, sugar, processed foods, dairy, white flour, etc. All of the types of foods I have been eating in my unconscious lifestyle. So, I've been eating lots of fruits and vegetables, rice, oatmeal, etc. The attack is mostly over, near as I can tell, the pain in my stomach, back, and shoulder is gone and I can move around without pain.

And, I'm very, very grateful for my body for letting me know just how unhappy and unhealthy it has been. I'm sure it was telling me in so many subtle and not so subtle ways and finally had to resort to something big to finally get through to me. "you need to take care of me!"

I have been hungry for and have cravings/desires for the junk but I know I cannot do that to my body, mind, and soul any longer--one of the reasons being that if I do, I'll have to have my gallbladder out and I do believe we're created with organs for a purpose and I don't want to have anything removed that doesn't HAVE to be.

Since I've been eating so many clean foods I actually am feeling better, have more energy, feel lighter, mentally clear, and am sleeping better (even without my CPAP machine). Amazing how we can be so conscious and unconscious at the same time...

Okay, so on to Jamie's question, the hunger I really, REALLY want to feed is to create my best life...I have been doing a lot of work towards that but I am definitely a work in progress. But I am finally starting to set my life up to succeed. This week, I finally decided to pull the plug on my cable TV (as of this coming Friday). I've said it before, I spend waaaaaayyyyy too much time in front of the TV mindlessly watching life happen on the TV and not participating in mine. I wish and hope that my stopping sitting in front of the TV screen will provide me with the energy and desire to do things such as:

Going for walks with my sweet, beautiful dog--Ruby (picture below)--she loves to walk so much and is such a great dog she deserves to have the best life too and she deserves more involved attention too.
Just move my body more, period.
Spend more time reading so many of the books I have purchased over the years--the knowledge has not come to my through osmosis so must read them ;o)
Do more creative work--I have so many started projects that are not completed. They weigh on my mind.
Explore my creativity more.
Have space/time for my mind to be creative about my future--make plans/have goals.
Stop procrastinating about the things that need to be done around the house.
Spend time with friends--what a novel idea, getting out in public.

So the hunger I wish to feed is to be a participant in life--my life and the life around me.

If you do not take care of your body, where will you live? - Unknown

A high quality/authentic life has more to do with what you take out of your life than what you add to it. – Cheryl Richardson

(isn't she the cutest???)

To all Wishcasters: As you wish for yourself, I truly wish for you as well!!

Discover Yourself - How, when, and where did you learn to drive?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 15:20:00 +0000

I haven't done a thing with them since...until now! Welcome to my Discovery Journal Prompt! If you'd like a badge to put on your page, please go here.

Here's today's...

How, when, and where did you learn to drive?

Even though this is not a really "deep" or internal subject, I was delighted when this prompt came up because my learning to drive is, what I think, a funny story.

We have a cottage property about 2.5 hours southwest of the city I live in and we spent every weekend and any holiday there from May to October every year when I was growing up. We started going there when I was about 6 or 7 and so a lot of my history happened there. One of the major things was my learning to drive.

Like most people, I am a people watcher and I learn a lot by watching what other people do--either to do what they are doing or not. I used to love to watch my father drive from the backseat where us kids would be sitting. And my father was a good driver. I could hardly wait until I could learn to drive. I am the youngest of three children, two older boys, and I'm the youngest by 5 years so it seemed like an eternity until "my" turn came.

So...I decided not to wait until I was 16 and one day when I was 14 and my parents were out for their daily walk after supper, a friend and I decided to take the car out for a drive. Now, our cottage is on a road with a base of shale so it's very slippery and gravel is added on top. When the gravel is new the pebbles disperse under feet and tires pretty easily and our cottage property is on the bottom of a VERY steep hill...

Well...Jay and I jumped in the car, she would drive down the hill and turn around and I would drive back up and we'd park the car and no one would know the difference, right? The plan was working fine until I started to go uphill and found the tires spinning, and spinning, and smoke coming from the back of the car, and the car felt like it was just going closer to the ditch and I was getting scared, and then I looked up at the top of the hill and there were my parents, walking down...

Busted! I turned the car off where it was and started walking up the hill with my head bent down knowing I was in deep, deep trouble--and deserved it. My father walked passed me and said "wait in the cabin". Jay and I went to the cabin with my mom and we sat there waiting for my father to come in and give the punishment--whatever that would be. When he finally came in, he sat down and looked at us and asked what happened? I told him how I thought I'd be able to drive the car and I didn't mean to cause any trouble and how sorry I was. Well...then he surprised the heck out of me and asked, "how do you think you did?"

I shakily answered, "fine, until I got stuck". And my dad laughed and that's when I found out about car gears and new gravel. My parents must have talked after that because they decided that I should learn how to drive properly and both of them would take turns taking me on the old farmers roads in the area of our cottage property to show me how to drive. And they taught me how to drive up steep hills with fresh gravel. I am really grateful for them for letting me learn so early.

At 16, I got my learner's permit with my first attempt, although I missed some items and was in the "grey zone" where I could have passed or failed, the driving instructor told me I was a strong driver and could tell I was just nervous.

I haven't stopped driving since. Driving to me is one place I feel the freest, especially on the highway. I have a sense of control, and know I am a very, very good driver in many different road conditions. I've had my share of accidents, and speeding tickets (okay, I do love to drive fast too), but it's been over 20 years since either of those has happened, thankfully.

Thanks for reading!!
C.

Intention - Heal

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 16:27:00 +0000

A big THANKS, as always, to the visionary Andrea from ABC Creativity for the reminder to set an intention of where we need to focus our energies for the week.

This week, it's very clear what I need to do for myself and where my focus needs to be--I need to heal.

Last week I had back pain and stomach pain that turned out to be a gallbladder attack. The pain was not the worst I've felt but it was up there--and it's still with me a bit, but getting better each day, each hour.

I take this very literally as a wake up call from my body telling me that I need to take much, MUCH, better care of it than I have been--no more quick meals made up of over processed foods, no more junk food, no more fattening dairy (I'm already lactose intolerant--why I was pushing it, I don't know!), sugar will need to go by the wayside as well. Now, it good, whole, nutrient-filled, REAL foods - vegetables (that you actually might need to peel--not prepeeled), fresh fruits, foods that come from nature and still look like it! I'll even start cooking again--which I love to do, but have been procrastinating about-- "I'm tired!" (imagine whining child there)

I really look at this as a blessing, it really could have been a worse reaction from my body. And...it's not like my body hasn't been telling me in many subtle and not so subtle ways already to "TAKE CARE OF ME!" So...the kick in the ass...

And, as I said, I am very grateful for it!

So, here's to healing physically, but also spiritually, and emotionally which will lead to my continued thriving in this life!

Thanks.

Wishcast Wednesday - What do you wish to renew?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:11:00 +0000

Jamie Ridler is the fabulous creator of Wishcast Wednesday (as well as many, many other talents). This week's wishcraft prompt is...

What do you wish to renew?

Although I know the meaning of the word, I wanted to look it up in the dictionary to see what it said there.

renew - 1. restore to original state, make new, revive, regenerate 2. patch, fill up, reinforce, replace 3. get, begin, make say, or give anew, continue after intermission, grant or be granted continued validity of , recover

I loved when I read "continue after intermission" because I feel like my life is so many intermissions followed by the "play" again--I have often had to take a time out to regroup. Thankfully, I usually come back better than ever.

I also feel like so many times in my life I am patching, filling up, and reinforcing myself--repairing myself.

But what I like best from the description is "to be granted continued validity of... Who wouldn't want to be granted continued validity--to know that you were always valid no matter what your inner voices had to say. What would we all be able to accomplish if we knew we were always valid???

So, that's my Wishcast wish this week...I wish to "renew" my validity so that I may be able to always know that I am valid--no matter what my inner critic (or outer critics) have to say. I am valid!

As you all wish for yourselves, I also wish for you with all my heart!

Life is a Do-It-Yourself project. - Unknown

Creativity flourishes when we have a sense of safety and self-acceptance. - Julia Cameron

Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. - Stephen Covey

Thanks for reading, as always!

Intention - Prosper

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:08:00 +0000

Andrea at ABC Creativity sends out a weekly reminder to set an intention for your week--but that is only the tip of the iceberg of what she does. Check out her site, she's fabulous!!

Last week my intention was to "move" into "being". Start to do some of the things that are going to serve me best as I move into my yearly intention of BE!--more on that in another post coming out this week.

I had set up a couple of rooms in my house to inspire my creative juices to get flowing--and they have. I went swimming this week, had a friend over and we did collages together--and gabbed about...everything and nothing.

This week, my intention is to prosper. I've done my budget for the next few months and it didn't look good at all, so I'm cleaning out some items out of my house that I no longer use or need -- and selling on kijiji.

Plus I decided to sell baby blankets and afghans, other crocheted items. I've had this plan for a long time but finally put up at least one ad here for baby blankets. I'm going to do up some other posters and put them around as I love to crochet and people may want to buy them.

A friend and I are also pursuing doing Dream Board classes--we have a few times already lined up and we're looking at other options too. All of this has been practically filling my mind the last couple of days but I feel like I'm accomplishing things and "moving" in the right direction.

Thanks as always for listening/reading!

Have a wonderful week!

Discover Yourself - What are the things you love and admire most about your mother?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 20:34:00 +0000

I haven't done a thing with them since...until now! Welcome to my Discovery Journal Prompt! If you'd like a badge to put on your page, please go here

Here's today's...

What are the things you love and admire most about your mother?

Ahh, mothers. The women we are most attached to and yet, can push our buttons like no other person on the planet. Today, though, I only want to focus on the positive side of this relationship--sometimes it's just too easy to forget how much we love and admire our mother's as venting about them (or anyone else for that matter) is so "normal" in today's society.

My mother, Rose, IS someone I truly, truly love and admire. She has overcome personal struggles and let-downs and even with advancing age, remains vital and an important part of our family and the community she lives in.

One of the reasons my mother remains so vital is that she is tenacious (I had to look up a synonym for stubborn because it isn't always bad--wink). Once my mother sets her mind to something, there is virtually nothing that can disuade her. This, I beleive, has served her very well. A few years ago, she had knee replacement and she was home and mobile by herself within 2 weeks after the surgery. She stayed in the hospital for one week, with me for one week and then refused to stay any longer--she just wanted to be home. My brother's and I tried as hard as we could to keep her here--she lives 2.5 hours away from us--but she was determined. And, she did great. Totally floored us and had us eating our words that she wasn't ready to take care of herself.

One of the other things I admire so much about my mother is how involved she is in her community. When I was growing up, both her and my father were very much involved with the Boy Scouts of Canada--they started when I was a toddler when both my brother's were involved and they both contributed to this organization for well over 35 years. They had their own Boy Scouts "troops" that they ran each week as well, they trained regionally other leaders, my mother wrote some of the training material--she's published! When they moved to the town they live in now--after their retirement in 1992--they brought life to a failing Boy Scouts area. Both were still involved to some degree with the provincial groups until my father passed almost 8 years ago. An interesting side note, at my father's funeral, it was very cheering for us children to see the honor Boy Scouts provided my father by the number of people who wore their Boy Scouts uniforms to his funeral.

My mother is no longer involved in Boy Scouts, but she is very involved in her community in other ways--she is on the board of the Healthy Community in her town, she is on the board of TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), she is on the board of the Communities in Bloom. She also writes at least 2 newsletters that I can think of--the sorority she belongs to and one other place that I can't think of what it is now. All this and she volunteers at the local library 2 afternoons a week sorting and shelving their books, a one hour walk every morning with her dog, coffee chats with the ladies in the morning, singing at the Personal Care Home Monday mornings, and...I think that may be it--but that is a whole LOT! My mother is 78 years old--and I know that one of the reasons she remains so vital mentally and physically is because of how involved she is in so many areas.

Add to all of this (and I'm sure I've missed a lot--all of the above was just off the top of my head) I can tell you that my mother is very generous, she has a very warm heart, a ready smile on her face, and she's cute as a button!!

I'm sure you can sense my obvious pride in my mother and how much I truly love her. She has been a stable force in my life and I am so very, very glad she is my mother.

We are not born at once, but by bits. The body first, and the spirit later. Our mothers have the pain of our physical birth; we ourselves suffer the longer pains of our spiritual growth. - Mary Antin

My 12 Random Things...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 05:21:00 +0000

So I heard there are a group of people...http://creatingthehive.com/...who are posting 12 random things about themselves and I thought I'd join in...

1. I LOVE Cinnamon! When I make apple pies (which doesn't happen too often) I always use about 4 or 5 times more than the recipe calls for--and I LOVE it! The smell of it is kind of an aphrodisiac to me for some reason...That might be MORE than you want to know ;o)

2. My favorite movie of all time is Forest Gump--First, it has Tom Hanks in it who I LOVE, and second, I love all of the history that's in it too--how Forest keeps showing up at all these random places.

3. I love to chew ice--always have. And I love my water to be AS COLD AS POSSIBLE, it even gives me a brain freeze sometimes, but I still love it that way.

4. My very first boyfriend's name was Chip--is that so very 70's or what!!! Okay, I was only 7 years old and he might not of really be my "boy friend" but he did kiss me!

5. When I meet a man who has red hair, it just about makes me swoon. I LOVE red hair on anyone, but on a man it does me in and I'm in love...

6. I have a secret desire to become a vegetarian--I think I might do it soon too because I keep hearing more and more about the meat and poultry industry and it's starting to get to me.

7. I can't seem to grow my fingernails long. I have weak fingernails and they split and crack before they get very long. I've always been envious of people who could grow beautiful nails--not too long, but at least past their own fingers.

8. I've always crafted. I sewed in junior high school, learned to knit before I was 10, taught myself to crochet when I was in my 20's, and will try just about anything once--crafting-wise that is.

9. I used to bug my mother to have another child after me so that I could have someone to pick on. My brother's used to pick on me relentlessly as my mother started working when I started school and my brother's were much older and supposed to "look after" me. They used to force me to cook and clean for them. I used to want to have someone that I could boss around--how mean of me! I told my mom that I was sure we could make space in the attic for "her" as she won't be that big.

10. I collect Unicorns and snowmen. I only have about 6 unicorns but they are all special--I don't buy them myself. Snowmen I do buy myself, but they have to have a certain "look" about them but because I can't describe what it is--it's something that I think I can only see--when I see one I would buy one. I've stopped at about 30 because with all of the Christmas ornaments, etc I don't have enough flat spaces between work and home to put them all out. And I only put them out at Christmas time.

11. I wished I was born earlier so that I could have been an activist in the 60's for human rights, been around when Martin Luther King and Ghandi were alive. I know there are still so many human rights being violated all over the world, but the 60's were a time of revolution like never before and since and when I see movies and documentaries about that time, I just wish I was there and involved.

12. I could watch British comedies 24/7. I grew up on the "Carry On" movies, Doctor in the House, the Two Ronnies, etc. I love watching the old shows that are on PBS, Are You Being Served?, As Time Goes On, The Vicar of Dibly, etc., etc. And I watch them over and over and over again.

Wishcast Wednesday - What do you wish to say "Yes!" to?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 15:28:00 +0000

A new year and a great new Wishcast prompt from Jamie Ridler. If you'd like to join in to this great supportive group of Wishcasters check it out.

What do you wish to say "YES!" to? (Jamie didn't put the word yes in caps and in quotes with an exclamation mark, but I think it should almost always be seen this way.)

Over the holidays I watched the movie "Yes Man" with Jim Carrey, although it perhaps didn't have the best script, for me it had meaning. I could see in myself the "no" person Jim Carrey's character was before going to see a motivational speaker and making a covenant to say "YES!" to every opportunity that came his way.

Now, I love Jim Carrey for a couple of reasons, first he's Canadian ;o). Second he believed so much in himself that, when his family was struggling to make ends meet, he wrote himself a check for a million dollars knowing that he would cash it some day--and he did, and then some! Third, his spiritual philosophy, near as I can tell, is very close to mine--it's somewhat loosely based on the Law of Attraction and that every "person, place, and thing" are all part of the Universal energy that we can all create with./from He's got a better handle on the creation part than I do at this point...

So, all this to say is that I wish to start saying "YES!" to more opportunities that come my way, which is also another way of saying "YES!" to living, which also has to do with my One Little Word of the year, BE!. (okay, stomach dropping, feeling a bit scared because...well...because...).

Wish still stands!

Thanks!
C.

For all that has been, thanks. For all that will be, yes.

- Dag Hammarskjold

Discover Yourself - What would you do if you had wings?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 01:54:00 +0000

Well, it's been a long, long time since I began the idea of Discover Yourself and I did it only for a few weeks and then got caught up in other things (read procrastinated). With the beginning of the new year, I am starting it up again. If you'd like to learn more about it and have a badge to put on your blog, here's the first post.

On Monday's I will post a new question that will hopefully help me gain some new discovery of myself. Anyone is invited to share along if they wish.

This week's question, What would you do if you had wings?

When I first saw this question, I loved it. Just the idea of being able to soar about in the sky like birds do. Wouldn't that be just one of the coolest things every???

I think about the movie, Michael, with John Travolta--not the fact that he was so messy, but how the wings looked and moved about on their own, as if they had an itch or a twitch. Also, the TV show Saving Grace, which is, unfortunately, no longer on TV--Earl the angel was pretty cool with how his wings lifted up and the light shown down on him when he was ready to take flight.

If I had wings, I'd be able to fly to work, it would take me much less time than driving--although I'm only a 5 minute drive from home right now--but there's still stop signs with traffice held up and some days I would love to be able to fly right over it. Patience, while driving, is not one of my strong suits. I love to drive, but on the highway is the best. But, if I had wings, I could fly out into the country to visit my mother or my cousin or other scenery around me in the Province I live in. I might even be able to fly to Cape Breton and see it again.

I have a quote on my desk that is about spreading our W.I.N.G.S and I think it's appropriate here...

All success begins with spreading your W.I.N.G.S.

--believing in your worth,

trusting your insight,

nurturing yourself,

having goals,

and devising your

personal strategy.

- Unknown

I like this quote too...

Compared to the age of the Universe,

you are new to Nature.

No one can really predict to

what heights you might soar.

Even you will not know until

you spread your wings.

- Gil Atkinson

Intention - Move!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 19:59:00 +0000

Thanks as always to Andrea from ABC Creativity for the weekly reminder to set an intention.

Last night I spent some time thinking of my One Little Word for 2011 and came up with "BE!" Last year I spent waaaaayyyyy too much time really not accomplishing anything--a lot of time in front of the TV being tired and cranky. Yesterday I spent the day getting my two creative rooms ready for me to start my engines running. When I look at the rooms, they make me happy--see yesterday's post for pictures. They may not be much to anyone else, but when I look at them and see how spacious my creative room is to allow my creative juices to flow--and how cozy and comfortable my den is to allow me to relax and just "BE!" I just feel more energetic.

I just want to talk more about my word for the year, it is "BE!" but that is just a prefix for so many other words that I want to be this year as well (where needed, I've included a brief description):
- being
- belay - secure
- belive - by and by
- because (I can)
- believe
- becalm (soothe)
- on behalf of (myself)
- behave (the way I want to)
- bedazzle - beautify/impress
- beget - produce
- begin
- behaviour
- behind (support)
- behold (beauty)
- and the list goes on (I'm still working my way through the dictionary) ;o)

When this came to me it just felt right--I want to "BE!!" The word "DO!" was a close second or "Focus!" but "BE!" included it all.

As for this week, I want to begin to move into the direction of being. Today, I'm spending the day collaging, dreaming, journalling, and listening to music--right now it's Celtic (which, for me, is energetic and soothing all at once). I also want to start moving my body more--yes that "exercise" word. I want to start dancing around my house like I used to--to feel the joyous movements and feel the music flow through me.

Have a wonderful week everyone!!!

Wishcast Wednesday - What do you wish for the New Year?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 05:51:00 +0000

Jamie Ridler is the creator of Wishcasting Wednesday (to name just one of her many talents). Here's how to participate...

You can be a maker of magic and a tender of wishes. It’s easy. Answer the wish prompt on your blog and then add a direct link to your post in the box from the link above. Support wishes by visiting other participants, leaving a comment saying “As (insert name) wishes for her/himself, so I wish for her/him also.” It’s that simple. There is great power in wishing together. Let the magic begin!

What do you wish for the New Year?

I've been asked a few times over the last few days what my New Year's Resolution is and for the first time since I can remember, I don't really have a focus. Many years ago, I stopped doing the list of 10 (or so) New Year's Resolutions such as quitting smoking, losing weight, etc., etc, within such and such time. Although, thankfully, I have quite smoking many years ago it was not due to a New Year's resolution specifically. So...quite a few years ago, I started New Year's "Intentions"--usually one specific but more global thing that I could focus on for the year. An example would be, "My Health". This has helped somewhat but not completely.

As I said above, this year I hadn't really gotten around to thinking about my Intention(s) for 2011, but I thank Jamie for being a catalyst to get my mind working after my week's rest.

I do have wishes and dreams that are always on my mind--just not one specific thing. So...What I wish for the New Year--2011 is:

Improved health--actually, I'd love to have fabulous health in 2011!
I wish to increase my wealth and pay down/off debts
I wish to have increased energy for life
I wish for increased vitality
I wish to wake each day knowing it will be a fabulous day
I wish to talk to myself with positive, loving words
I wish to be a great friend
I wish to be loving and accepting of my family
I wish to be successful, in whatever I focus my mind on
I wish for mindfulness
I wish to create a meditation practice
I wish to focus my creativity inward to inspire my best life (vision boards, authentic creations, etc.)

(Kind of looks like Resolutions to me???, oh well...)

Today, I spent the day organizing and tidying a couple of rooms in my house, which I hope will help me with how I will spend my time on my dreams and wishes. Both of these rooms face west so have delicious afternoon sunshine and light in them.

Instead of having a dedicated spare bedroom, I have moved the spare bed (a futon actually) down to my basement rec room. I have then made one room a dedicated office-slash-craft room. I have the desk facing my window for great light when working on my creative projects. When I wish to use my laptop I can put that on my desk and type away. But, since it's a laptop I can move it anywhere in the house so my "office" is just where my paperwork is stored. Most of the room is dedicated to my creative juices. It's not a super colorful room, but it I really like how it's set up right now--roomy and everything has a place to go. It needs a new paint job and the wall-paper from the previous owner should probably go now, but...here it is...

I also moved all (okay, most) of my books into one room where I can have quiet time to read and reflect. I've also decided this will be the room that I can do my vision/dream boards in--supplies are kept in the old-fashioned looking suitcases on the floor and in the closet. In these photos, you also get a look at my love--my precious dog, Ruby--the spot she's sitting on was supposed to be for the cats, but I guess with the suitcases on the floor, she can reach it...This room also needs a paint job as it's been through a few changes of what it's meant for--I still love the color--sage green--just needs to be updated. The chair is also deceptive, it's actually as big as a love seat, so it's been renamed the "love chair" by my friends--very comfortable. I think I'll try my meditating in this room too.

I wish for these rooms to provide the inspiration and quiet space for me to focus my energies to continue to move into my best life!

Tomorrow I will be doing my first vision board of the year with Jamie's question this week of "What will you say to yourself whenever you look in the mirror this year?

As you all wish for yourself, so I truly wish for all of you!!

Thank you!

How do you talk to yourself?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 02:56:00 +0000

This video was forwarded to me from Jamie Ridler in her weekly post, but I had to share it too because it shows how I would like to speak to myself when I look in the mirror.

Wishcast Wednesday - What is your winter wish?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 17:26:00 +0000

Bless Jamie Ridler for her weekly Wishcast prompt (and her other endeavors as well)!

I wasn't sure I was going to join in this week because when I saw the prompt, my mind drew a complete blank...confused really..."how do I answer that?" But...I thought, I really need to go to the other Wishcasters and give them my support by commenting on their blogs. And then when I was reading the other Wishcaster's words, it came to me what my Winter Wish is...

At this holiday time my mind so often goes to the "catch phrases" of the season because I really believe them to be important.

I wish for Peace on Earth, kindness toward others, joy, love, comfort, care...the list goes on and on...

Also, as winter is really a time for hibernation for nature and, as I live in one of the coldest provinces in Canada, I tend to spend a lot of time indoors "rebuilding" in the winter. So...I wish for rest, rejuvenation, creative time with myself, reflecting, learning, growing, and treating myself with "extreme self-care".

And, I also wish the above for anyone who may need it.

Bless all the Wishcasters and all who wish for a better life!

When we make a world tolerable for yourself, you make a world tolerable for others. - Anais Nin

The personal life deeply lived always expands into truths beyond itself. - Anais Nin

They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night. In their grey visions they obtain glimpses of eternity. - Edgar Allan Poe

Weekly Intention - Let go

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:07:00 +0000

Thanks to Andrea Schroeder for setting up Weekly Intention - What do I need this week?

This week, I feel like I need to "let go". I have a few things that have been troubling me and I know that thinking of how they trouble me only keeps me in that frame of mind, so I need to let go of the troubling thoughts, or else turn them on their a$$ to see them in a more positive light.

One of the things I need to let go of, but struggle with letting go of, is a relationship I have with one of my brother's. It's just become hard to be around him. I feel judged negatively, I feel like he can't see who I really am, and I feel mad about this. I have an idea of what may have caused this negativity from him--a family difficulty from 10 years ago and how we both dealt with my father's passing--but I have tried to talk to him about it and he says there's nothing to talk about. Yet...I get rolling eyes when I speak up in a conversation around him, or laughing to himself--little things that hurt me, and I wish they didn't. I have tried distancing myself more from him but this hasn't helped, because just about every time I'm around him there is some sign (eyes, grunt, laugh) that hurts me again. And...I'm sick of being hurt. Of course, I know that the fact that I'm hurt has to do with me and not with him. I can't change him, I can only change me and how I react. But...it's family...and it's hard...as there are so few of us. So, even though I know I need to not let his actions bother me they do, and I don't seem to know how to stop feeling hurt or angry. I've tried to love him, and prayed about sending love to this conflict as I know that love can heal this but again, I can only do this for myself and lately the scale of anger and hurt is heavier than the love.

I also need to let go of my thinking that I struggle with money. I know that this thinking also keeps me in that state of mind--struggling. And since that is not where I want to be, I need to flip it. Struggle means: battle, effort so the opposite of struggle would be peace, or ease. So..."I am at peace with money!" "Money is easy for me!"

And, finally, I'm letting go of my hair (again). I'm getting my hair cut into a very, very short pixie tomorrow--similar to the picture at the top of this page. Right now, my hair is approx. shoulder length, but it gets in my eyes, in my face and when I look at myself in the mirror, it just feels and looks HEAVY. This happens to me quite often when I decide to grow my hair so I just cut it off again. I love, love, love my short hair but keeping it short can be expensive so I might just have to go with getting it cut with a razor by my friend. Well...we'll see about that. Hello easy hair!!

Hope everyone's week is the best ever!!!

Happy, happy holidays to all, however you celebrate this season of love, peace, and harmony!!

Weekly Intention - Joy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:36:00 +0000

The Fantabulous Andrea Schroeder from ABC Creativity sends a reminder every week to set an intention. I'm so very grateful for people like her who help to remind me of where I'm heading!

Last week, my intention was to luxuriate in my rest and enjoy the energy when it came and I pretty much have followed that. My house is slowly coming together--not that it's that bad, just not quite where I want it to be and a few more days and it should be back to "normal"--whatever that is.

I also had an intention of looking for and being "joy" and I also had a few moments of that too. I set up my Christmas tree--and I really love it! This year I didn't use garland or ribbon just all of my tree decorations and covered the branches! I think it's great!

And...I never do this but when I saw this outfit at the dollar store, could not help myself...

This is a picture of my dog, Ruby. She definitely brings joy into my life. She is the sweetest temperament, full of joy--always has been. She is confident, happy, and loving--just like I wish to be, well, am getting there.

So, I will continue to look for joy wherever it may be. Inside of me and around me.

Have a great week!

Wishcast Wednesday - What do you wish to transform?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 17:02:00 +0000

Jamie Ridler's Wishcraft prompts are so inspiring and life changing. If you're interested, here's how they work...

What do you wish to transform?

You can be a maker of magic and a tender of wishes. It’s easy. Answer the wish prompt above on your blog and then add a direct link to your post in the box below. Support wishes by visiting other participants, leaving a comment saying “As (insert name) wishes for her/himself, so I wish for her/him also.” It’s that simple. There is great power in wishing together. Let the magic begin!

This is a very "simple" wish but hard to put "out there" for the world to know. I wish to transform my financial present and future...the way I think of the money I make, how I spend it, save it (or haven't), how I can use it to help grow my best life.

My family history with money is mixed, my parents both grew up in the depression and they had/have memories of money always seeming to be hard to come by.

We grew up, not poor, but seemingly"lacking", we couldn't buy milk because it was so expensive so we had powdered milk (yuck, none of us would drink it), most of our meals were comprised of ground beef as a base, we couldn't buy the "cool" jeans for the start of school--only the knockoffs, etc. At the time I didn't realize it, but it was an atmosphere of lack--"we can't afford that". So...that seems to be my reality. I spend a lot of my money unconsciously without regard to the future I wish to have and often have a feeling of missing out on some really great opportunities because I don't have the finances to take part. I know that a lot of my financial difficulties are because of my attitude and not because of the amount of money I bring into my household--I do make enough money to support myself very well.

One of my brother's seems to spend his money similar to me--he makes a decent wage but does not necessarily save or think of the future when spending day to day. My other brother has not made as much in his earlier years--makes a decent wage now--but has always taken care of his finances in a way that supports his life so that he can live it pretty much how he wants. Not sure how children that grew up the same way can be so different, and how one brother learned the financial lesson so well--even as a child--but myself and my other brother just didn't "get" it.

So...I wish to transform my financial consciousness to know that I CAN and DO support myself and my hopes and my dreams very well. I can save to support my future goals. I can have a budget that pays my living expenses easily and with gratitude for having a house/home to live and thrive in. So I can live in a way that "supports my life pretty much how I want".

Beauty doesn’t lie in the expenditure of much money, but in the artistic disposition of little. - The Charm of the Unexpected

Work like you don’t need the money, love like you’ve never been hurt, dance like no one is watching. - Satchel Paige

Thank you. As everyone wishes for themselves, I truly, truly wish for them as well!

Weekly Intention - Luxuriate, Joy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 15:48:00 +0000

Andrea Schroeder sends out a reminder every week to set an intention for the upcoming week.

Here's mine this week...

If you've been reading for a while, then you know that I've been struggling with exhaustion and low-energy for a while. I've found out why I've been so tired (sleep apnea) and have been given a CPAP machine to help with that. Although there has been some progress it hasn't been as fast as I would have liked. So...this week, instead of being frustrated with the progress I'm going to luxuriate in my rest so that I really enjoy it and also relish the energy that comes in fits and spurts lately--so that I wring every second of joy out of that too!

My house is slowly coming together again. When I was so tired it was hard to keep up with the tidying, etc. It's not TOO bad but not where I'd like it to be, but it's getting there. I'm going to enjoy the clean and tidy rooms around my house too.

And...I'm going enjoy the process of setting up my Christmas tree and putting out my decorations. I have ALWAYS LOVED the Christmas season and the joy, peace, and spirit of it. But over the last few years that has stopped for several reasons. One of them is because the spiritual practice I was following didn't really support/follow it. The other is more personal...when I was a child I LOVED Christmas, I used to get so excited that I could hardly sleep and very seldom slept well on Christmas Eve. I would wake in the morning and sneak downstairs to see what Santa had brought me and play quietly (I think I was quiet), until the rest of the family was up.

I guess I really just felt so loved by the presents I received and was so excited to see what had been wrapped up just for me. Also, it was a time of family. We spent the time with cousins, aunt, uncle and much loved grandparents. When my grandmother died, a big part of Christmas died with her for me--our family just didn't seem to know how to fill the void she left behind. Either at Christmas or any other time of year. She was a woman filled with the joy of her family and also loved Christmas and would be as excited as I was. Over the years, my brother's and I have gotten older and set in our ways and the joy has gone out of the Christmas time. I don't know how to bring it back--well, I can't bring it back for my family, but I can for myself.

So, here's to the joy of the season. I'm going to decorate my house this week in all my crazy decorations and my work cubicle. Because I LOVE to do that, it's one way I share the joy of the season with others. And...I'm going to do some baking, and all of the other things I used to do to relish in this time of year.

Okay...now I feel like going out and buying presents...

With joy in my heart...

Thanks!