Tag Archives: life

What Are You Afraid Of?

02 Monday Feb 2015

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Everyone and everything is afraid of something.

For example, this water is afraid of this fancy new surface that scientists have developed (or is the surface afraid of the water?)

This cat is afraid of socks.

Me, I’m afraid of spiders. Cliche, I know, but they just have too many legs and they move all wrong… I like cool critters. I like seeing beauty in deadly predators. Wolves, bears, and big cats have incredible beauty and magnificence. Snakes are gorgeous in the own way. Even sharks have an impressive presence and an eerie grace in the water. But spiders? They’re just creepy. Ugly and creepy. I’m not a fan of any bugs, really, but spiders… *shudder* I will encourage spiders everywhere to gorge themselves on the other icky-crawlies of the bug world, but if they come within the same four walls that I currently occupy, or within a couple meters of me when outdoors, then it’s game on. Flyswatter time.

Note there are no pictures of spiders. I do not like spiders.

If I were to get serious about phobias and fears, I could admit much deeper things. But this is a blog. The internets.

I am also afraid of putting my hands inside an oven unprotected if the oven is on. Even if it has only just been turned on. I’m okay if I’ve got oven mitts on, but to reach in and grab something with pot-holders? No. Too much hand exposed. Tea towel? No. Stick something in a not-yet-warm oven without oven mitts? No. Oven mitts or it ain’t happening. It’s silly, sure. But no.

No Grumpy Cat

No.

What about you, dear readers? What are you afraid of? What do you say NO to?

What’s Your Superpower?

26 Monday Jan 2015

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This post is not intended to be inspirational (just in case someone thought it would be). This is about those stupid little things that you are “good” at. So I ask, what’s your superpower?

Mine? Probably being cold. That’s right, my superpower is being cold. I can be cold when no one else in the room is cold. I can be cold when everyone else in the room is hot. I’m really good at being cold. Ergo, superpower. I never said it was a good superpower.

icicles cold

My fingers and these icicles are approximately the same temperature 90% of the time.

And at least I don’t have one of the awful “super powers” from the TV show Haven (a good show, btw).

Haven TV series

Haven: Home of the Worst. Superpowers. Ever.

My boyfriend has a cool superpower though; he can move with uncanny silence. He isn’t trying to sneak up on people, but for some reason, we never see or hear him coming. He must have a ninja superpower (he denies this).

How if I had a choice in my superpower, I would choose teleportation. Just saying. In case anyone out there is handing out legit superpowers.

What about you, readers? What’s your superpower? What superpower do you wish you had?

Policemen Sing Like No One’s Listening Too

22 Thursday Jan 2015

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I don’t usually go for stuff like this, finding these videos more awkward and embarrassing than funny, but this one is hilarious. Watch this dashboard cam as a policeman sings the entirety of Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” – you can’t hear him, but they synced up the song perfectly.

I like it at 1:16 where you see him suddenly go all composed and give a curt nod and wave to someone off-camera.

I love seeing people just plain having fun. No pretense, no self-consciousness, just someone doing something that feels good.

I was always sorry when I told my roommate that I could hear him singing in the shower (he was hilariously atrocious), as he never did it again. Just have a little fun! No one minds, and it might make them smile too.

Dreams, Dreaming, Dead Flies and Bits of Fluff.

12 Monday Jan 2015

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Dreams. No one really knows why we dream, but everyone has an opinion. Do they mean something or are they just garbage our brain is trying to process and throw out?

Here’s a nice summary of scientific thought on dreams:

Honestly, I’ve always thought dreams are more like garbage. I rarely remember my dreams, and when I do, they’re incoherent and nonsensical. And yet… every so often I’ll have a dream that I find myself wanting to attribute meaning to. Friday night I had a dream that I packed a bunch of stuff into my Jeep (including my cat) and drove off. I wound up visiting some relatives on their farm as my first stop to driving across the US.

Now where did that come from? I have a little turbulence in my life right now (some good, some less good), but I haven’t been giving holiday or travel (or even running away) any kind of thought lately. And yet the feeling of wanting to move, to just pick up and go, stuck with me powerfully for a few hours after waking up. I found myself wondering what it meant.

Why do we do that? Why do we try to attribute meaning to dreams? As I mentioned before, most of my other dreams are “dead flies and bits of fluff,” garbage that my brain is filtering out and throwing away.

And of course, not everyone shares my “garbage” view of dreams. Historically speaking, all kinds of meaning has been ascribed to dreams across all kinds of cultures (think oracles and prophets especially). Is this just a sign of human beings desperately trying to make sense of the world around us?

What do you think, readers? Have you had any (or many) dreams that you’ve sought or found meaning in? Do you think dreams are meaningful? Share your thoughts!

Making the Best of Snow

08 Thursday Jan 2015

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Hate snow? My city’s local website found a bunch of pictures of people making the best of it:
snowblower wars snow fun
snowman eats person snow funsnow sculpture simpsonssnow pokersnow facessnowman making services

Plans for the New Year

05 Monday Jan 2015

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Well, time for a general update. I am planning on getting the next book, Fire Within, published this year (the sooner the better!) Edits are underway, and I’m hoping this book will take far less time than the last.

That being said, it’s already looking like this year is going to bring a lot of life changes for me. Some changes will be good, many are unknown, and some are less desirable. Writing, working, and playing all need to be balanced for life to go on in a sustainable fashion. Such is true for all of us, and as much as I wish things were a little more stable, I know I’m still incredibly blessed. In the meantime, it’s back to hunting for that day job to pay the bills until my writing pays off.

Now, I’ve never been one much for New Year’s Resolutions. Not officially, anyways. Life is a constant journey towards self-betterment, and although the reminder (in the form of the new year) is nice, the whole thing has become a little too cliche for me. I have my goals and I work towards them. I don’t need a formal list.

prayer new year's resolutions list

But what about you, dear readers? Do you do resolutions? I know some people really like them! Any big changes coming for you? Share in the comments!

Merry Christmas!

25 Thursday Dec 2014

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Merry Christmas Wreath
I’m taking a moment to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I’m so thankful for everyone who has supported me in my infancy of authorship. Whether you bought my book or shared a link, it all helps, and I want you to know that I appreciate it. I’m thankful for every word of encouragement and friendly word. I’m proud of my accomplishment, and every person who has helped and supported me should be proud too.

This holiday season, take a moment to relax, look back and appreciate what the season brings. As we near the end of the year, reflect on all the good things. Listen to your favorite music (seasonal or otherwise), pause and gaze at the friendly glow of Christmas lights, and give someone you love a hug.

I hope everyone is safe and warm this Christmas, and above all else, loved.

Merry Christmas.

Christmas To Me

15 Monday Dec 2014

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What is Christmas to me?

There seems to be a strange amount of conflict surrounding Christmas these days. Every is stressed and angry about money or religion or any number of things. These are legitimate things, but I do wish there were less of it.

I love Christmas. I love the decorations (especially the lights), I love wrapping gifts, and picking out the best presents I can for those I love. I love giving people something that they want or need or love. And yes, I do love getting presents too, but that’s not a big part of Christmas to me. I love the food! The seasonal treats and big dinners both. I love that family and friends come together a little bit more often around Christmas than the rest of the year. I love the music. Those songs that we’re only “allowed” to play during this one season, that are beloved for one reason or another. The fun ones and the serious ones. The ones that evoke emotions of joy or worship or, yes, even sadness.

Why concentrate on how we hate the commercialism and the pressure and the obnoxious songs that we can’t seem to escape? We can let those things make us miserable, or we can instead focus on those things we love. Think about the acts of kindness. Think about how, regardless of religion, the season tries to inspire us to be better.

Did I mention I love wrapping presents? I love ribbon. Seriously, whoever invented ribbon was a genius. My cat agrees with me.

What do you love about Christmas?

Life and the Upcoming Publication!

03 Monday Nov 2014

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Well folks, I have some exciting news. Calling On Fire is going to be released soon! We’re in the final stages of editing, and most everything else is prepared as well, so the ebook should be released this month! Now, because publishing is complicated, I’ll be taking a bit longer to get the print version out, but I’m still hoping for next month, before Christmas. As you might imagine, I am insanely excited for this! Weeeeeee!

But really, who can believe it’s November already? I know I can’t. My life has been so consumed by mundane things, it’s difficult to swallow. I’ve been trying to get business cards made (shouldn’t be this complicated…), I’ve been trying to eat better, and I’m already trying to brainstorm Christmas presents. XD Halloween was fun (I hope you all had fun too!). I forgot to take pictures, but I mocked up what I have finished so far on my scale-mail costume into something that I thought was passable. I must admit, however, that wearing it for a few hours definitely pointed out a few design flaws (yeah… need to protect bare skin under the gauntlets… ouch!)

Sorry for the short update! Have a great day!

In other news, please help out this Jedi, down on his luck:
star wars luke skywalker nerd donation

Thank you

13 Monday Oct 2014

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To all Canadians (and everyone, really, even if today isn’t your Thanksgiving Day or if you don’t celebrate it at all), Happy Thanksgiving!

For all my little woes and complaints, I know that I am insanely blessed. I have so much to be thankful for, and while I do try to always be grateful, I know I don’t always succeed.

I believe that gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions that people have in their arsenal-for-life, and yet it is sadly underused. Our culture has replaced feeling grateful with feeling like entitled. Instead of “I am so blessed,” it’s just “I deserve this.” Entitlement robs gratitude’s power. Being grateful is a wonderful feeling; it lifts us up. But when you feel you deserve something, it can only tear you down, because if you deserve it and you get it, well, whatever, but if you deserve it and you don’t get it, it’s a terrible thing.

pumpkins thanksgiving

There is another lost aspect to gratitude too; we shouldn’t only be grateful for obviously good things.
When I was younger, I struggled a bit with being depressed. One of the things that helped me turn that around was gratitude. Every night, before I went to sleep, I thought of two good things that I was grateful for, and then two bad things that I was grateful for. This forced me to change my perspective, because if nothing else, we learn from the bad things in our lives. Sometimes those bad things are even serendipitous, and because of them, we find ourselves in good situations we wouldn’t otherwise have been in.
Don’t get me wrong, I do think some things happen for no reason (not everything happens for a reason), but if they’re bad, do they have to be all bad? If we focus on the good, if we try to be grateful, then we can learn so much, and over time, life will become a happier, better thing. I could link to innumerable studies supporting the power of positive thinking, but I’m pretty sure we’ve all heard of them.

So I know I, for one, am taking a moment to count my blessings and be thankful for each and every one. What do you think, readers? Have I overrated gratitude, or do you think there’s something to this? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone gets some turkey.
turkey thanksgiving thankful