Archive for the ‘My Life’ Category
Migraines are an ailment onto themselves. You get your full blown, you want to die ones. There is the mid-sized ‘I may make you take to a dark room, close to a toilet and not let you sleep or I might go away’ level and last is the mini migraine that I have had for awhile; the head pain is nagging and constant and your stomach is queasy but you can function.
Unfortunately though I choose this weekend to watch Shutter Island with Leonardo DiCaprio; not knowing that it has a very vivid scene that triggers a migraine for his character. That managed to kick my symptoms up a notch. I wonder too if anyone else finds that some of the commercials for migraine medication leaves them feeling slightly unwell?
Needless to say all this has left me quite ineloquent so let’s get to our …………..
With Your Biscotti & Coffee
1) A good nights sleep can be so illusive; two very busy women HuffPost’s Arianna Huffington and Glamour’s Cindi Leive decided to embark on a month long Sleep Challenge 2010 and they blogged about its successes and failures.
2) An Interesting Woman: Gayla Trail
Gayla Trail is a writer, photographer, and graphic designer. She is the creator of the popular gardening project, You Grow Girl and the author of You Grow Girl: The Groundbreaking Guide to Gardening as well as an in-demand gardening personality and spokesperson with a focus on urban gardening, growing food, sustainable living, and community. Her own line of pithy gardening products
O magazine recently featured Gayla in How to grow your own herbs
3) Afganistan remains a paradox as these three reports illustrate
Afghan women swap burqas for police uniforms By Daphne Benoit
Lyse Doucet reports on the Afghan women jailed for bad character
A garden can be much more that than it seems Growing gardens, independence and esteem by Terry Glavin
Posted in 
The following post should be read with the theme from the show Two and a Half Men in your head because this seems like the right time to celebrate …………..”Men men men men, manly men men men”
Let me share with you the qualities that I like in a man and the men who have them.
I love a quick sense of humor and Nathan Lane has that hands down. How a man speaks tells me a lot, which has to bring us to Sam Elliot, with that voice I’m surprised that my garage isn’t full of Dodge Ram trucks. Bill Clinton would be my choice for an evening of intellectual conversation; discussing everything from books to politics with a good bottle of Merlot. The element of danger and adventure is attractive. Lunch in Prague with Daniel Craig followed by a drive through the countryside in the Jaguar.
I am fascinated with people who are not only a great success but also are visionaries in their field. Male choices for a stimulating board meeting are Steven Jobs, Richard Branson and if he was still alive Henry Luce. Warren Buffet will have to come in his place.
Then there was my father a smart and ruggedly handsome man in that John Wayne kind of way, he had so many of the characteristics that I noted above. Through him I gained an appreciation for fine wine, good food and reading books of all genres. He passed on many things like the importance of a firm handshake, especially for a woman in the business world. Perhaps though it was through inheriting his foresight to take the road least travelled that I gained the most. This made me a traveller in life not a tourist.
I looked pretty good at the beginning of winter; everything was new and colour coordinated right down to my gloves and hat. It is now May and oh my god it snowed yesterday morning. So when I dressed to walk the dogs there was very little enthusiasm which may have been a mistake. I ended up wearing the old winter jacket that Chris and I both use when we take out the garbage, gloves were those $1- ones that you get at the grocery store and my thumb was coming through and to complete the ensemble my favourite Victoria’s Secret yoga pants that have seen a few too many washes. And I hadn’t even matched the right coloured leases to the dog’s collars.
Perhaps the standards have slipped somewhat but I must defend myself and say that it is May 29th. What was that? You saw me out walking this morning. No, that was another woman with a chocolate lab and Australian Shepherd – couldn’t have been me!
With Your Biscotti & Coffee
1) An Interesting Woman: India Hicks
She was recently intervewed by Nathalie Atkinson when she presented at the Canadian Fragrance Awards in Toronto.
Her website: http://www.indiahicks.com/
2) Lambeth Palace Library
If you are in England between now and July 23rd set aside some time to visit the Lambeth Palace Library. In celebration of its 400th anniversary in 2010, the Library is showing its diverse collections of manuscripts, archives and books, some of which will be on display for the first time. Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
3) BP Oil Spill
LA GULF RESPONSE: “In the wake of the BP Oil Spill that is threatening our coast, local, regional and national conservation organizations are coordinating volunteers to assist in local, state and federal recovery efforts in Louisiana.
Our organizations – including the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program, the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, the National Audubon Society, the National Wildlife Federation and The Nature Conservancy – are established, active advocates for the preservation and restoration of coastal Louisiana ………..’”
Please visit http://lagulfresponse.org/home.html to volunteer or make a donation.
This past Sunday morning I enjoyed what I like to call the running of the Australian Shepherds. Periodically Mia’s breeder Theresa invites the dog owners out to her farm. It really is quite a sight to see all them bounding around the fields; different coat colors, ages, generations and personalities. While the dogs are chasing one another, we the doggy moms (and occasional dads) get to catch up and compare notes on all things, Aussie! Mia will be two in May; she has gone from puppy to adult and Duke is now a senior dog, how quickly that time went.
Winter is slowly starting to wane in Alberta but the landscape has a dull, muddy look to it. Is it a midlife thing when we start to measure our life by the seasons? I know that I need to break the brown monotony, with some flowers. This is actually my favorite time of year for flowers. In my dating prime I always thought that the man who really got me would have come to the door with spring flowers instead of those expensive roses. A bouquet of daffodils, some vivid iris and tulips, the scent of jasmine or a beautiful bowl of hyacinths would have delighted me. Add to this offering a leather bound copy of one of my favorite books and I would have ……… (insert own words).
Another measurable part of my time is the chunks of it that I spend R&Ring or doing Reading & Research. Finding information & resources for clients and my writing has me uncovering all sorts of interesting material. I therefore thought that I would start to share with you some of the websites and articles that I come across in that process. Some engaging bits and pieces from around the world that will go well With Your Biscotti & Coffee
This week we have; ladies only trains, why acquiring water is still such a challenge in may parts of the world and an article on what may be happening between you and your best friend. Enjoy
1) Ladies Special
In countries where women are breaking with tradition and becoming the bread winners we are seeing some unexpected outcomes. India is now running women only trains. This came about because the women are tired of being verbally and physically abused on the regular trains. Another offshoot is women vendors who sell everything from earrings to hairpins to frozen yogurt to the female passengers.
BBC News: Joy of India’s women only trains
2) Water.org: Women Can’t Do Everything Campaign
Searching for water takes hours out of the day for women around the world.
3) The Myth of the BFF by Kate Fillion
Irene S Levine has a PDF version of this really interesting article that was published in Chatelaine Magazine, January 2010.
It was a cold Christmas and New Years’ here in Alberta with temperatures often in the -20’s. We however were comfortably ensconced at home having made a decision to have a quiet holiday season; wanting to relax, regroup and restore.
Needless to say this was not ideal dog walking weather so I stretched my imagination to keep them amused with indoor activities. Duke who is known to many of you as the neurotic chocolate lab recently turned nine and his long legs are showing the early onset of arthritis. His vet has just started him on a course of Cartrophen Vet which is of plant origin and not a steroidal anti-inflammatory. There are four shots so we will see if it helps. Mia, his 18 month old Australian Shepherd sister has no sympathy and continues to bug the hell out of him until he plays with her so he needs something!
The weather is particularly hard on the two feral cats who have adopted me or vice versa. I have my quota of indoor cats; anymore and I will be close to ‘cat lady’ status. So we built them a shelter and ensure that they receive dry bedding, regular fresh water and food. No matter how cold and hungry it is my voice that they wait for first when I go outside. When I speak to them their bodies relax and ears perk up, next they want the fresh water and then finally they eat.
Whether soothing a frightened animal, talking to a friend or writing an article it is our voice and the words that we choose that carries the message.
Blogs are all about our voice, the words that we type convey the nature and style of the blog. One of the first things I ask my clients. What do you want to achieve with your blog? Do you want to post about business, life, lifestyle, travels, writing? The range is vast so in order to stand out you have to have a clear vision and goals for your blog.
So with that in mind we have changed the look of this blog to reflect more of what we are about. Imagine that you are sitting in a café with friends discussing movies, politics, books, food and life in general. Life Deco is a blog where we aim to capture that same atmosphere. Drop by anytime all you need to bring is your favorite beverage. We hope that you will leave a comment for that will keep the conversations stimulating.
Thank you to Alanna Morley of Alanna Inc for designing the Life Deco blog.
If there is an upside to having Atrial Fibrillation it is that you don’t just jump out of bed in the morning. You get up slowly so that your heart finds its day rhythm and the blood starts moving to all the right areas of your body.
Once up its dress, leash dogs and out the door. I keep my brain in a comfortable neutral only allowing certain thoughts in. Not those meaning of life ones that I probably should have instead I muse on the creative side of my business; finding the right words for an article, website touch-up ideas or fresh business concepts. Like so many entrepreneurs it is hard finding the time to create instead of running a business so 5:15am…ish is that time .
The energy is different when Chris comes with us; he is one of those people who gets up with his all his mental stuff front and centre. While I don’t mind Duke’s and Mia’s lingering sniffs over blades of grass mixed with multiple bathroom stops he is impatient to keep moving. Their excitement over every smell, sight and sound enhances my own awareness of the awakening day.
At that early hour we only share the streets with fellow dog walkers, a few joggers and runners. Some are withdrawn, huddled into their jackets and thoughts, others merely nod. It is usually the dog people who call out a cheery hello.
Then it’s home, make coffee and shower while channel surfing between The Today Show, a Calgary Breakfast Show and the BBC because I like their international news and knowing what kind of weather people in Hong Kong and Palermo are walking their dog in.
When it comes to how we live with our furniture Chris and I are definitely at different ends of the lifestyle spectrum
He comes from the ancestry where the front room is for guests only and the good china is saved for special occasions; while my descendants were more the “Oh, dear the new puppy just chewed one the legs of the 18th century Hepplewhite mahogany dining table.”
As I am responsible for the care and feeding of the furniture we live in the relax and appreciate it environment. If you are a guest I’ll round up the dust bunnies but all in all you take the house as you find it. And don’t get me started on the concept of preserving something so that we can pass it on after we have died. I enjoy living with and using nice things; so after I have gone whomever can decide to keep it or put it in a garage sale but rest assured every scratch, dent and scuff will have a story or memory behind it.
Unfortunately though a mahogany dining table doesn’t fit in with our habits; as we eat, talk, laugh, plan and sometimes argue around this focal feature in the house. Instead we have a big Pier One table with a glass top. A squirt of Windex and it is ready to go for the next round of bill paying, newspaper reading, me on my laptop, deep discussion, wine drinking while dinner cooks and yes, actually eating a meal.
Our home is also a reflection of eclectic tastes; old with new, expensive with not so much. I love to mix things up; to position an ultra modern chocolate coloured couch in between two turn of the century tables. According to many interior designers an eclectic look is rarely done well and should not be attempted. I don’t listen to them either.
This past weekend was the 40th anniversary of Woodstock and my Saturday morning tweet read - This Sat 40 years ago I was 15 and driving through Cape Cod with parents listening to Woodstock news reports on car radio.
It only took that 123 character post and the fact that it was a grey and rainy Saturday to leave me with a mantle of sadness; as my mind went back to the August weekend in one of my favorite places, shared with two people that I still miss today. Unlike many writers who like to present themselves as having risen from the dregs of dreadful childhoods, I had a good relationship with my parents. On the surface they may have been stereotypical of the distant English parents; in private they were supportive and loving giving me little fodder for even a mild case of teenage angst.
That evening Chris and I ate pasta, drank wine and caught up on the conversations that we didn’t have time for in the week. We then watched the movie Defiance. I had originally wanted to rent it because it starred Daniel Craig, who is on my short list of men I would have an affair with but the story proved to be so much more than I expected.
It is a World War II movie that looks at the Holocaust from a unique perspective. Telling the true story of a group of Jews in Eastern Europe who fought back from there home deep in the forest and the Bielski brothers who led them. While not a perfect movie the story itself is remarkable.
Saturday ended with me thinking that the type of person we become is not only the result of the family we are born into but also the time in history. For me is was about being a teenager growing up in the sixties. One thing I realized is that I want to start having the right conversations and asking the pertinent questions. From the hindsight of the person that I am today what talks I would have with my parents!
Relationships must be so much more than mere everyday words. Remember that a really sick friend is not just her disease; part of her still wants to talk about clothes, grumble about her husband and laugh over the funny parts of 30 Rock. Realizing that a grumpy co-worker or colleague might be troubled by something in her life and responding accordingly. It’s about asking parents and grandparents to share the early years of their lives and seeing how they intertwined with the events of the time.
And ultimately never forgetting that everyone has a story.
