Music and People that Lift the Soul

Tonight was another musical adventure which I thoroughly enjoyed. My friend Arthur and I went for supper then to the season finale of the city Philharmonic Orchestra whose evening theme was "Music By the River". It was interesting to note that a number of the musicians were the same ones I had seen perform last night as members of the city Concert Band.

It has been a long time since I have attended any classical music performances and it was terrific. The guest soloist was a pianist, Martin Janovsky, was yet another young man who really has talent. I think I preferred last night's trumpet soloist which actually was a surprise to me as I thought I would prefer the pianist. I wonder if it's not because I have heard some very highly renouned pianists and it is hard to compare this young man to them while my listening repertoire to wonderful trumpet players isn't extensive? In any case, he was still excellent and created a wonderful listening experience both on his own and as part of the entire Orchestra.

It's funny how some pieces of music bring the thoughts of people or events or places to the front of our minds when we haven thought about them for ages. The one piece that really affected me that way tonight was the Beautiful Danube by Strauss. It was played extremely well - and I've always thought of this as a somewhat difficult piece to play given the rests and timing of entrances - so from that stand point alone it was wonderful to listen to. I am not going to go into all the things and people it brought to the front of my mind but it certainly had an impact on me.

Another thing that impacted me tonight was someone else sitting in the audience. As Arthur and I chose where to sit, I realized that seated in the row directly behind us was a person I greatly admire, respect and love for all the things he did and gave to me when I was a teenager. Every now and again we have someone in our life who has such a great impact - who leaves such a huge impression - that they are never forgotten and there is a little safe box we keep their memory preserved and stored in. While I have seen this man from time to time over the years it stuck me tonight that it was 21 years ago that he and I had our photo taken together - a photo I just happened to come across last weekend when I was sorting photographs. He is a person who saved me from myself on a few occasions and for his encouragement and understanding, for his care and compassion, for his love of teenagers and his willingness to listen I will always be indebted to him. I continue to try to model myself after him by making a difference in the lives of the teens I work with, just as he did in mine. He knows who he is and he knows that he has made a tremendous difference, not only in my life but in many of the lives of the teenagers he worked with. God Bless him for that, because it's no easy task.

Beautiful Day

Believe it or not, it was finally a warm enough day for me to wear sandals and the anklet I love that I got as a gift last fall!! I have been a busy busy girl cleaning and sorting and working on some basic house renos (sanding, painting etc.) I never realized how much stuff I have accumulated since moving here. This house always seemed so big but it is FULL of stuff so I am gradually going through it room by room and tossing out the junk, and giving away whatever is usable. I will be quite happy once that process is all done!! I've had some help with a bit of that from my friend Kaleah and that has been really great.

Maybe it has been the return of Spring or just the fact that I went through my clothes and realized "I have nothing to wear!" Just kidding! What I noticed was that I have work clothes - jeans, tee's and my summer weekend casual wrap skirts, but beyond that not much of anything so I bought a couple of really great tops (read sexy) and after much searching found a great skirt, a couple pairs of fabulous heels and Kaleah and I recently went shopping for some basic chandelier earrings so now I am pretty much set head to toe for anything that might come up!



Tonight for instance, my friend Lynne and I went for supper and then went to the city band concert. There was a fabulous trumpet soloist - quite a young guy (well, in comparison to me!! LOL!) and amazing talent and sound from him! His name is Ryan Cole if you ever have the opportunity to hear him perform it would be worth going to see him. He just convocated here and will be heading to McGill University to work on a Master's program. I was suitably impressed. I have to say I was surprise at the amount of classical music the band concert played as I expected more common show tunes given the group; however, I wasn't disappointed in the musical choices as there was a nice mix including a lovely medley from "Fiddler on the Roof".

I have been out of the "arts" scene for a while and somehow it is easy to forget what a tremendous amount of talent we have in our city! And I even had something great to wear!! :)

Conference Inspiration

In my last entry I mentioned this wonderful keynote speaker, David Pelzer, author or several books. I found the manner in which he spoke quite interesting and very captivating. Even though he jumped around from topic to topic, all of a sudden he would say a simple sentence and the previous 5 minutes of his presentation would be pulled together and have a message of some kind. Interestingly, these messages were for anyone and everyone – young and old. These tidbits of advice are so incredibly simplistic they are often overlooked. He reinforced his statements by asking rhetorical questions and focusing on the positive – which given this man’s past and his life story is something of a feat unto itself. In his honour, I’m going to share with you some of the reminders that he gave the audience – words of his that I took away with me. These thoughts and messages don’t necessarily follow any order or pattern but were brought to the forefront of my mind through his storytelling and they serve as reminders to most of us to be caring and compassion and to live the kind of life we’ve always wanted and dreamed of - a kind of life we are capable of creating for ourselves and for one another.

“What’s your problem? Everyone has one.”


“Everyone has junk in their trunk. Purge it.”


“The worst thing is to save the world and lose everything else in the process. Care for yourself first.”


“What are you waiting for? Be Happy. Be Happy Now.”


“How much time do you have left? Enjoy life. It’s only for the now.”


“Don’t forget the bad times. They help you appreciate the Blessings.”


“When you know better you will do better. Keep learning.”


“Challenge is good.”


“Hurt people, HURT people.”


“I love you unconditionally.”


“What makes you happy? Find your Solace.”


“You don’t have a job – you’re on a mission.”


“You never know what the tide’s gonna bring in the next day.”

And finally, even though these are David's words, I hope you take them to heart:

“What the Hell are you Waiting For? HAVE FUN.”



For more information about David Peltzer, check out his website:

http://www.davepelzer.com/

Life's Messages Arrive in Unexpected Ways

Perhaps it is just me but have you ever noticed how life just has this strange way of giving us what we need? That somehow what our hearts need to hear the most just shows up in our lives in a completely unexpected way? Well that has happened to me recently – not just once or twice but a few times. And I can even so as far as to say that when I haven’t really REALLY listened to it the first time the same message gets repeated to me over and OVER until I start to accept that this is the information I have been looking for even though at first I did not recognize it as such. Perhaps that is a little convoluted and philosophical for some of you but in my life it just seems to be the normal progression of how things work!!

For a long time I have been contemplating selling my house, packing up my cats and dog and moving to someplace unknown (preferably a place that is not inhabited by men as I have decided life would be much less complicated without them! :) Seriously, this is the state of general discontent my life has moved into. Even though I love my job, my house and the city I live in sometimes that doesn’t seem like enough. We all go through this from time to time and in an unexpected (loving?) conversation I had with my brother last night, I somehow got the message I needed to hear (Thanx Bro!). So I’m staying here. Going to continue to look at down-sizing, and simplifying my life. Realizing that I do my job because I love what I do – not because the people I work for and with are wonderful. I am just lucky that I love what I do and sometimes that has to be enough.

That said, it doesn’t mean my life is perfect or that I’m not going to work at making things better for myself; it just means that I’m going to stay focused on the people and things that make my life meaningful and happy – the same as everyone should!!

It has been a bit since I last updated everyone and time is going very fast right now. I caught myself another damn cold and was in bed basically four days in a row. It developed into a lovely chest cough but that seems to be dissipating somewhat now. Unfortunately for me, I headed out of town for a 3 day conference and was still sick throughout but Wednesday was the worst. I couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel and go to bed!! Anyway day 1 kicked it off with a facility teachers meeting; day 2 the opening speaker, a couple of sessions and a banquet; and day 3 another couple of sessions and the return trip home. All in all I thought it was a very good three days – and I have to say, at least in my view, the keynote speaker – author David Pelzer, did not disappoint!! It was also really interesting to learn about some of the programs that are being developed and used throughout the province both within the custody facilities and the community schools. I am also grateful to have the opportunity to re-connect to a few other facility teachers whom I like and admire for their optimism and progressive attitudes!

In other areas of my life, I am approaching my second meditation class this coming weekend and am really looking forward to it. I know I have to spend a little time writing out my ‘homework’ responses and will arrange some kind of a “play date” with my friend Lynne who is also taking the same class – so that will be a bit of fun for my weekend. Other than that – I have no particular plans. Of course there’s always more renos and touch ups to be done! One day soon I hope to get back to my scrap-booking table but that will happen when the time is right and until I’m in the creative mind set I’ve just learned to accept and not to force the process!

I have been counting my blessings recently and when I take the time to look around me I realize how many people have had huge impacts on my life lately - trust me - you know who you are. Just so you know your kindnesses - words, gestures, gifts, hugs and time spent with me don't go unappreciated. Thank you for all the positives you have given me -and the wonderful ways you have each added to my life - even when I haven't believed I deserve it.

Waayy too Long Lazy Bones :)

I can't believe it has been way over a month since I last put in a post. I guess I will have to make a better effort at keeping this up so you all know what has been going on in my life!!

Not in any particular order here's a catch-up entry:

I found a couple of wonderful people to do some work in my house. First of all, Pete came highly recommended by my neighbour who he has done some work for in the past. He gave me quite a decent estimate on building bookcases for my den/reading room. In talking with him he also felt he would be able to complete the rest of the room including the flooring installation, tiling, mantle, and finishing trim. I was quite happy to hire one person to do most of the room so I went ahead and did that. I really appreciated that Pete was in touch with me on a daily basis as the room progressed and kept me up to speed with what was going on and how long things would take.

Here are some before and after photographs so you can see how beautiful it is. It has truly turned into my favourite room in the entire house. I light my candles in the fireplace in the evening and sit in my lovely chaise with a cat or 2 on my lap and the dog on the floor beside me. The peace and serenity I have found here is amazing. I love it - and in fact am sitting there as I write this post right now!!

So above, I know I mentioned a couple of wonderful people. Pete was only one. The other is a terrific person named Mike. Mike came to the house to give me an estimate on some painting, wall repairs, flooring repairs and such that needed doing - you know - all the "bits" that you never seem to get around to? He was one of three people I contacted to give me estimates for that kind of repair work. He gave me a great estimate, like Pete did, and was so personable I knew he was the right person to do this work for me.

Mike scraped, mudded, sanded and painted my main bathroom yellow (yes, I did say yellow Mike!); did similar wall repairs for me in my en-suite and re-painted it too. He did some electrical on my main floor - in the main bathroom where the light and fan switches are finally inside the bathroom, and in the den where he installed my dimmer switches, new electrical boxes in my bookcase bases and my new light fixture. He also made my sliding curtains in the den look awesome (I know, I know - you hate IKEA!! LOL!). He was a huge help in the basement when I started having issues with my hot water tank. He repaired that (even when the two plumbers who came out didn't seem to be able to), cleaned up the wiring in my furnace/storage room, wrapped my hot water pipes the way they should have been done initially, repaired some flooring in the little kids room, helped one of my other friends move my couch into my den, touched up some paint on the main floor and was just an overall "handy" guy to have around.

Through all that we became good friends and spent quite a bit of time talking, eating and watching movies which was wonderful. Mike even went so far as to check on me when I came home from work sick one day. (I had the flu. Yuk!) Now, the sad part for me is that he isn't from here - not even from this province - and has now returned to the place he views as "home". I hope he is doing well there and that we can stay in touch. Mike is a kind hearted person - not something too easy to come across this day and age. He did a lot of work for me that I will always be grateful for, let alone having the opportunity to get to know someone as terrific as he is. What a treat!!

Anyway, as you can tell things in my house have been in a state of flux and disarray for a while. Lots of extra cleaning (yes, if you know me at all, you know I'm one of those 'clean freaks') but it has paid off as the house really does look so much better. There are still a few things I need to get done (hey Mike, you coming back this way anytime soon?!! ;) - some of which I can do myself so I need to get focused on those and get them out of the way.

Work is about the same but seems a little more stressful lately with lots going on and an upcoming conference next week so I will be away for three days to attend that. My mom said she would be happy to cat and dog sit so she will be here taking care of things for me which takes away some of the stress of being away from home. Having someone I trust looking after my furry kids is always an issue. I know one thing is for sure - she's gonna curl up in my big chaise and read while I'm gone - I just KNOW it!!

I have started attending a meditation class once a month and it runs for the nest few months. The woman leading the group is a psychic medium so you can imagine that is right up my alley. She is a really interesting person and is offering some other classes I am interested in taking at some point. So far I have been to one session and am currently working on my "homework" assignments. Very interesting. Truth be told, I am hoping to get a lot of out this class. I need to get re-centered, re-focused and figure out what I want and where I am going with my life and my decisions. I am facing quite a few big choices over the next few months and really want to be sure I am on the best path for me so I am quite hopeful that this will help me in that area of of my life.

It just happens that there is also a lady I work with who, when I told about the class was genuinely interested and was able to get into it as well. She and I have become quite good friends and supports for each other outside of our regular work environment and because class happens on Saturday early in the afternoon, that might be the best excuse for the two of us to get together and have a bite to eat :) What do you think girlfriend?

Obviously you can tell that I am busy with one thing and the other and have some decisions to make. Neither of which is bad on their own but together it makes for a hectic life! Because of that and the level of stress I've been encountering, I am trying to get back into running - with having injured my knew about a year ago, that has been really difficult to do. Mostly (and I must admit, sadly) I end up power walking quite a bit instead of being able to jog but at least I am finding the exercise helpful and somewhat of a stress reliever. Not quite as effective as when I used to jog a lot but every thing you can do to help eliminate stress is a 'step in the right direction' (sorry about the pun!)

Something else some of you might not know is that last Fall a friend of mine and I did a photo shoot (or ten!) and believe it or not, for once I was in front of the camera, and not behind it!! I ended up with some quite nice (amazing?) photos and we now have plans to do another session this summer which will be another interesting stretch for me in terms of stepping out of my box and moving outside of my comfort zone. To add to that I have another friend (male) who is interested in participating in this photo shoot with me so that will be an entirely different challenge for both myself and the photographer. We'll have to see how that goes!! Truthfully I am hoping that the walking/jogging will help me get a little better body shape before we do the photo shoot(s?). Anyway, if anybody wants to pre-order a calendar for next year you know where to find me - LOL!! ;)

In terms of my furry family, generally things are ok. Shumi had some pretty bad seizures just a few weeks back so I have consulted with the vet and adjusted his medication accordingly in hopes that I can get the seizures under control and we won't have to add any more medication to what he already taking. Poor guy!! However, he does seem to be doing quite well these days and I am hoping that when mom is here sitting the pets for me she will be able to keep a little closer eye on him then I can as I am at work all day.

I also have this wonderful girl who is like a younger sister/niece to me. She is a great teenager and we do some things together on occasion. Several years ago I promised her I would always be there for her and I am doing my best to uphold that promise. We shop, go for supper, go to the occasional movie or hang out at the local bookstore (not too exciting for some of you but for her and I it is cuz we are both book worms :) I'm tickled and honoured that she likes to spend time with an old gal like me!! Last night I got to take her for supper at my favourite Vietnamese place and we had a really nice time together so that was great. She just started her own blog so here's the link (which I will also in my favourites) if you want to go check her out!

http://kaleahbrynn.blogspot.com/

Another exciting thing that I want to mention is that I designed a ring (an ankh of course!) and had it made. It's a time consuming process, but totally worth it for a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry. Ken (the goldsmith I have used on occasion) did a fabulous job and I am over-the-top-happy with how well it turned out! In fact, when I went to see the mold that they make the metal cast from, I was still wondering if it was going to look as good in real life as it did in my head - and I have to tell you - it is waaayyyy better in person!! So you can watch for me to be wearing that!! I so LOVE it!

Lately I have been giving a lot of thought to my Blessings. Sometimes I forget to do this on a regular basis. I have to be one of the luckiest people on the planet - I have wonderful friends spread from B.C. to Ontario, great family, furry kids that put a smile on my face almost daily (yes, silly girls I'm talking about you :), a lovely home, loads of support when things get rough, a job working with kids that who I love, enough to eat, an excess of clothes (sad, but true), and have few true complaints that cannot be fixed or changed though making different decisions. What is better than that?

Well I better sign off for now as I have company coming over in a bit - tea and dessert tonight with a visit. Ought to be a good time.

Hugs to everyone :)

Everyone Should Believe

in the "Wish Fairy". There is something sweet about the innocence of small children and the mentally challenged. Not everyday do you go to work to find your duties have include becoming a wish fairy - or rather, playing the role of the wish fairy. One day last week another staff member asked me to phone from one room in our building to another so that I could speak to a challenged youth who simply wanted to talk to wish fairy and explain (in great detail) what he was wishing for. So I said yes. There I was on the phone talking to a youth who I had a visual sight line of through a large plexi-glass window, trying not to give away that he was talking to me - the best wish-granting-fairy-of-all-time (according to him!!) His first wish was to have a friend - and he wanted his doll to come alive and be a friend for him. Then he went on to ask me if I could give him a different wish - and that was for his brother - who loves him very VERY much - to come see him and stay with him. Well I really couldn't grant that one either but we decided if he was a very good boy and listened to everyone and went to bed that night and closed his eyes really tight and pictured his brother it would be just like having him there. I mean really, what's a wish fairy supposed to say in those circumstances?? Our conversation continued to include some wonderful questions that still make me smile, such as "Do you know Tinkerbell?" and "Are you and Peter Pan friends? I talked to Peter Pan yesterday."

What a fun part of my day that was!!

New Cat Blogs

As many of you know, I am a lover of most things with fur! I just received an email about 2 newer blogs and I want to pass these along to you so that if you are also a cat person you might take the time to read them. They are near and dear to my heart simply because they are both representative of SCAT - the Street Cat Rescue group that several of my cats have been adopted from. Please take a look at the good things these people are doing for the many yet-to-be-adopted cats and kittens in our city.



http://communities.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/blogs/pawsitivethinking/default.aspx



http://catadoptioncentreonfaithfull.blogspot.com/



I know I will be sure to be keeping my eye on these new forums!!