Category Archives: success

This one time, in Texas……

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I have lived in Ontario for most of my life, but in 1998 I moved to Halifax to live with my best friend Sandra. I got a job at a bakery and, with the low-level of pay that was minimum wage, struggled to make ends meet. There was nothing left at the end of a pay period to allow for much of a social life so the internet quickly became a great source of amusement. Back in those days, there was a social site called ICQ and I met a myriad number of people from all over the world. One fellow in particular captured my attention and we developed a friendship that seemed to plant the seed for a greater attraction.

We wrote poetry and song lyrics together and would spend countless hours on the phone talking and singing together while he played guitar. We knew we had to meet face to face. My best friend and I decided we would spend our vacation driving through the States and that Austin, TX would become a stop on our whirlwind tour.

The hours we spent in the car, although amusing, were long and arduous and we would find creative ways to keep each other awake. Sandra knew the steel trap that is my mind stored movie quotes ad nauseam and she would give me a quote and I would quote back from the same movie. She made the mistake of asking me to do some scenes from Arthur, with Dudley Moore, and I began with the introductory theme song and continued to do the movie almost in its entirety. The sign for Austin loomed ahead as I came to the end of my monologue and Sandra breathed a sigh of relief.

The meeting with Danny went extremely well and he was excited to take me to his work the next day. His excitement had a child-like enthusiasm as he toured me around the facility. There are some details that I don’t recall specifically, but he was trying to explain the weight of something and handed me a concrete block so I could comprehend the comparison. I picked up the block and immediately dropped it at my feet. Searing pain registered in one of my fingers and as I looked down at the block, a small scorpion scurried along the ground away from the block. Danny’s shock registered immediately and the color drained from his face. He knew I had been stung and hurried me inside and grabbed his pack of menthol cigarettes. He began chewing some of the tobacco and placed a wad of saliva soaked tobacco on my finger to draw out the poison.

scorpion

(Image courtesy of Google, but the resemblance is uncanny)

Hind sight being what it is, I should have gone to the hospital, but I’m here telling the tale so the worst never happened. I did spend an inordinate amount of time in a great deal of pain. My lips went numb for a few hours as the diluted poison surfed through my veins and my finger throbbed like a Fred Flintstone toe after being crushed by a boulder. Danny trapped the little bastard that assaulted my digits and after a few minutes of shaking the glass jar that was his tomb, the scorpion committed his own form of Hari Kari by piercing his own skull with his poisonous barb. Although I did feel a small amount of satisfaction watching the life ebb from his crunchy little outer shell, it didn’t alleviate any of the pain.

We said goodbye to Danny and to Texas. Our journey continued and we made more pleasant memories in New Orleans, South Carolina, and enjoyed the pain-free remainder of our vacation as we made our way up the picturesque Eastern Seaboard and crossed the border back into Canada.

Things didn’t work out with Danny. He couldn’t understand my vehement objection when he asked if I would move to Texas. I’m sure I stared at the tip of my violated finger as I broke the news to him. I’ll take mosquitos and black flies any day. Scorpions?  No thank you.

What is the strangest thing that has happened to you?

I read, therefore, I review

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I love to read.  I don’t make as much time for it as I would like because I am consumed with writing, but when I do ignore the incongruously fueled ideas that seep into my conscious hours I love to immerse myself in the written expression of others as consumed as I am by words.  I have been fortunate to meet many talented writers and genuinely nice people on this blog site.  And I also consider myself lucky to have read some of their published works.  I have written my amateur reviews on Amazon and wanted to share them with you in hopes that you would read the books written by these truly talented people.

The Gods of Asphalt by H.E. Ellis – I didn’t want to put it down 

Engaging from beginning to end, The Gods of Asphalt takes us on a journey of emotion and growth. Sawyer and River, two brothers with a far from normal childhood, struggle with their past and find a way to define themselves through Ellis’ depiction of teenage angst and growing pains.

Their relationship with each other, their family and their peers is written with such honesty and tension that the pages seem to turn themselves as you are wrapped into the weave of their lives. Within their turmoil we are given true insight into their characters and find something compelling in each of them. Ellis writes with such realism that the book takes on a life of its own. She gives depth to not only the main characters, but to each of the ensemble that support Sawyer and River on their adventure.

The Gods of Asphalt is the first in a series and this foray into the family dynamic puts the spotlight on Sawyer. His journey to finally break free of his past and live a life that is defined only by him is an endearing story and one that will have you strapping into your seat as you ride along on his roller coaster.

I would recommend setting aside several hours if you start this book because you won’t be able to put it down.  Go here for more information on H.E. Ellis and her books.

Scenes From A Hundred Morning Drives by Edward Hotspur – Who knew driving to work could be so funny 

One hundred morning drives and one hundreds reasons to read this book. From funny to thought-provoking, Edward Hotspur takes us on his journey to work and on an adventure through the workings of his mind. It ranges from hilarious to emotionally charged and never disappoints.

Scenes From A Hundred Morning Drives makes you wish you were the co-pilot in the vehicle that drove this book. It is a collection of blog posts that transforms into a day-to-day account of the life of real person that describes real feelings and hilarious observations of the casualties of the human experience.

It is humor, wrapped in honesty, wrapped in reality and then wrapped in bubble wrap for safety. If you like to laugh at life and find some deeper meaning hidden in the text, put on your seat belt and get ready for a hundred morning drives.  Click here to find out more about Mr. Hotspur.

The Eleventh Question by Dianne Gray – Emotional attachment to the characters

Author Dianne Gray truly knows how to get to the real essence of her characters. I was immediately drawn into this book and had trouble putting it down.

Although worlds apart, Dianne weaves a connection between a girl struggling to define her reasons for being and Seer trying desperately to help her find the answers to her questions. The book seamlessly transitions from one perspective to the other and intertwines helplessness with hope.

The Eleventh Question not only engages us in the journey of the characters but makes us reflect on the signs that life presents. It delves into the deeper meaning of intuition and gives us hope that nobody is ever truly alone. It is an uplifting story of survival and success against all odds.  For more information about Dianne Gray and the other books she has written, click here.

The Bones of Life

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We all need three bones to survive, a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.  It may seem like a uninspired observation, but those bones really brings us to the essence of making the most of our lives. These three bones, in their simplicity, outline what really should be important to us as individuals.

A wishbone will keep our imagination and hopes alive.  It gives us permission to dream and it keeps those visions alive and breathing within us.  The moment that we don’t bother to dream any more about what is still possible is the moment that the biggest and most youthful part of us dies.  Dreams are the rainbow of our soul and they give us that straw that we can grasp when reality overwhelms us.

Our backbone will lend us strength to persevere.  Life can’t always be about dreams and rainbows.  Developing a strong backbone will help guide us through those difficult and traumatic times and help develop a real sense of self.  Having the fortitude to put enough faith in ourselves makes our backbone that much stronger and makes us able to cope with the concrete that paves the path of our lives.

Our funny bone will give us the perspective to let the will of our wishbone and our backbone blend into a harmonious and happy medium.  There is a fine balance between reality and comedy, and it is that comedy that will bring that panorama of our world into a spectrum of colors that will be objective, yet frivolous.  Maintaining that sense of humor can only help get us through this journey with a sense of the childhood wonder and laughter that we all want so desperately to hold onto.

Take good care of those three bones.  They build the foundation of who we are and where we want to go.  And just remember, if they break, any bone can always mend with the proper care and attention.

The first of (hopefully) many milestones.

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When I started this blog, I really had no idea where my voice would take me, if anywhere.  I had no idea that I would connect with people on a level far deeper than sharing a passion for writing.  I have met some extremely funny and wickedly intelligent people who I feel a greater bond with, far beyond that of just fellow writers.

My blog has taken a shape that reflects a lot of who I am.  It is generally written the way I see things – through images, metaphors and feelings. Since August of last year, I have been pretty diligent about posting every day and I am amazed that the ideas for posts keep seeping into my brain.  The ideas may take the form of stories, poetry or photographs, but that is the joy in blogging about profundities ~ every forum can portray something interesting to someone.

Today I am proud to say I’ve reached the 10,000 hit mark.  A big thank you to all of you who stop by on a regular or even an infrequent basis.  I’m glad the things I have to say and the way I say them are engaging enough to make you keep popping in for a visit.  Call ahead next time and I’ll be sure to have the Hazelnut Vanilla coffee freshly brewed in anticipation of your arrival.

10000-jagged-smile-wordpress

WOO HOO!!

Here’s hoping that inspiration, imagination and humor keep meeting for coffee on a regular basis in the Starbuck’s in my brain……and here’s hoping for another 10,000 hits!!

Take a walk in my shoes

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Judge me not by what you see of my first appearance.  Do not drink in the sight of me without first appreciating the ingredients that were combined to create the final product.  Although by outward appearance you think you may know me, know what I’m made of, but the recipe for this product is the result of a myriad of ingredients.

Before you judge me, put on my shoes and walk through my past.  See what it is that has shaped me and made me the person I am today.  Wear those shoes and glimpse into the experiences that have carved out the life I have led.  Hold fast in those shoes while the toes point precariously over dark chasms and walk freely in them as they guide you out of harms way.

old-running-shoes

Skip happily through my successes, but always be prepared at a moment’s notice to plant those shoes firmly in defiance of those who wished to take advantage.  There is knowledge and power in those shoes.  They hold the key to my existence.  They have led me to triumph and helped me run from despair.

So before you make up your mind about me, take a walk in my shoes.  Watch my journey unfold, and only after you have glimpsed the many facets of reality that have made up my life, only then may you cast your judgement.

How long do I have before the commerical cuts me off?

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My new friend TwinDaddy over at Stuph Blog has nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award – thank you for that!!  And be sure to check out his site – the guy is seriously funny!!  (and potentially doesn’t love oxymorons as much as I do!!)

The idea is to tell 11 things about yourself (super, nothing like revealing things well hidden), answer 11 questions posed by the person that nominated you (even worse, considering his sense of humor) and nominate other bloggers for the award.

So….some things about me, in no particular order (and don’t count, I will be short of eleven) – I would not survive a day without the aromatic scent and sensual taste of Hazelnut Vanilla coffee.  I would feel like I had lost an appendage if something happened to my dog.  I still have the Winnie The Pooh my mom gave me for my first birthday.  In 2011, I lost 50 pounds and have been able to keep it off.  My dream job was to be a journalist.  I’m going to finish my novel if it kills me.

His questions are as follows:

1) If you could live on any planet in that galaxy far, far away, which would it be?  After a very brief bit of research, and I’m talking 5 minutes, I would choose Tatooine for two reasons.  It slightly resembles my nickname (Tooie) and the name roughly translates into “the eyes”, and eyes never lie.

2) What is your favorite flavor Hot Pocket?  Channing Tatum in tight jeans…..or did I misunderstand the question?

3) What does an ideal day consist of for you? I wake up to the smile of my dog, drink an over-abundance of coffee, try to keep my hands from trembling from caffeine overdose, make it through my day job so I can come home and read the brilliant posts by my fellow bloggers, and I write.  Oh, and I curl two nights a week and love it.

4) You find the Stormtrooper armor sexy, don’t you?   It has permeated my dreams and I’m currently seeking therapy.

5) Kirk or Picard?  I just…..can’t…….answer……..that……….question……without……. thinking…………of……..Kirk.  (come on, if you ever watched it, you know that’s what he sounded like)

6) If I were to say, “Watch out, hot buns coming through!”, which type of buns would I be referring to?  The first thing that comes to mind is Princess Leia and the ridiculous “hair buns” on her head.  You love her, I know you do.  She makes your light saber twitch.

7) Who is your favorite comic book character?  I loved Betty from the Archie comics.  She was the girl that everyone could hang out with and she wasn’t obsessed with her looks.

8) What’s the worst movie you’ve ever seen? There are several that I couldn’t watch to the end, and generally I give movies the benefit of the doubt and hope they get better.  Apparently I’ve blocked out the names of the truly horrible….

9) Android, iPhone or Windows Phone? I’m having a relationship with my iPhone….is that wrong?

10) What the hell did you do that for?   I thought you said it would change my life…..foiled again!!

11) Why do you keep coming back to torment yourself with my inane writings?  Is inane a synonym for brilliant or hysterical?  ‘Cause if it is….that is a stupid question.

So….now to nominate other “dear” bloggers (Liebster means dearest in German) for this fun award.  I have no drumroll…..fail.

Change for a Year

Sethsnap

Girl of The Corn

Homesick and Heartstruck

Cobbled Toolbox 

A Word in Your Ear

All of these people write from the heart and/or share the dearest part of their lives through their photography.

Now….11 questions for them to ponder for a while.

1) What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your life?

2) Who inspires you the most?

3) How would you share your talent if you couldn’t blog?

4) Do you think you can make genuine friends over the internet, even if you never meet face to face?

5) What is your favorite line from a novel or poem, and why?

6) If you could be a professional athlete, what sport would you choose?

7) How often do you curse?

8) Have you ever clicked “like” on a blog without actually reading the whole thing?

9) If you had to choose between only ever having television or music, which would you choose?

10) Do you regret anything you’ve done in your life, and would you go back to change it?

11) Do you believe in reincarnation?

Phew…..that was very taxing on my poor over-worked brain.  Now to relax with a glass of wine and try to get creative once again!!

Intention is nine tenths of the blog

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In this space we all strive to speak to an audience, to reach people on a level they understand and enjoy. Our intention is to enlighten or amuse, to shock and impact our readers, or to simply free the voice in our head. Regardless of why we are here, we want to write. We want to put our words into the world so people will read them and come back wanting more because something we said reached them on some unspoken level. We want to feel that some part of our psyche left an indelible imprint on their brain and they connect with our words in a multitude of ways.

We write for different reasons and we write in unique voices, but within the vast forum of the blogosphere there is a common thread that binds us all – we write. We may compose those words for a variety of reasons and our passions may be fueled by different fires, but we all burn with same intensity. Sometimes those flames completely engulf us and we are overwhelmed by the fury of the fire. And sometimes those embers simply lay in wait, still, with the hope of becoming a fire and requiring the strike of an idea to rekindle that pyre of words.

fire

My intention when I started this blog was simply to write. What I didn’t expect was to encounter the myriad number of people who enrich my life with their words. I didn’t anticipate the number of people who are rapidly becoming a staple in my day by simply doing what they love to do and by sharing their voices as well. My voice has not been quelled, but amplified by the influence of those around me. My fire, although burning at a steady pace, is not only sustained by their thought-provoking words, it is intensified by their true passion for putting words to a page. For that, my fellow bloggers and potential friends, I thank you.

The light of the fire still warms me. It envelops me and hypnotizes me with the patterns in the flames. My sleep is disrupted. My moments of REM are becoming non-existent, but I accept that fate because my intention is to listen to the voices that rouse me from that slumber and give them the freedom to say what they want to say. Let the fire burn.

The start of my writing journey – thanks Mr. S.!!

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Today’s Daily Prompt is – Tell us about a teacher who had a real impact on your life, either for the better or the worse. How is your life different today because of him or her?

There are always teacher’s that will stand out in my mind for various reasons.  My Grade 9 Geography teacher spoke in such a monotone voice, I almost failed the class because I could not train my mind to pay attention.  But the one teacher that will always stand out as the person who helped to create the person I am today is my Grade 6 teacher, Mr. Stimson.  He truly loved his students and it showed in his teaching.  His lessons were not all taught in the classroom and did not entirely come from a syllabus.

We learned to be respectful, we learned how to survive outdoors during his Wednesday cookouts and we learned how to be decent human beings.  We learned that learning was fun.  His class was our first real introduction to creative writing and I never looked back.  Several years ago, after a very lengthy teaching career, he retired.  I know many people of all ages who had the pleasure of being in his class and every single one of them refer to him as their favorite teacher.   Upon his retirement, I wrote this poem for him.  Thanks Mr. S!!

 Inspiration

Words of Inspiration

He stood at the front of the classroom, a smile upon his lips,

A comical expression on his merry face, hands upon his hips.

He led us through his rhyming lesson, many not paying attention,

But something he said piqued my interest and I delved into a creation.

A whirlwind of thoughts flew through my mind, eager to be set free.

Nobody knew before this moment, that there lurked a poet in me.

Words and phrases I’d never known, spoke music in my ear,

Expressing my feelings in a rhyming prose, and this I did not fear.

He encouraged us to be individuals, to learn, to absorb, to think,

And when we achieved these remarkable heights, he’d always be “tickled pink”.

He is the epitome of teachers, a leader to some and a friend in many ways,

And for his attention and encouragement, I wish to give him praise.

His words of inspiration, helped me to reach inside my heart,

To find out what I hold inside, that tells me and others apart.

I have a special gift, a creative flair, that is very much my own,

But without his help, his caring words, it’s something I’d never have known.

Thanks Dad!!

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This post is in response to the Daily Post Challenge – Quote Me.

My favorite quote is actually something my dad used to say and it never left me.  We, like 90% of families in the world, went through our hardships and during those undulating financial and emotional times, he would never let anything steal the smile from his face.  He would always say “where there’s a will, there’s a way” and somehow, we always found that way.  It really speaks volumes about the man he was and the lessons he taught us about perseverance and never giving up your dream.

I should have actually used this quote in my earlier post today, it would have been quite fitting!!

Projectile vomiting and football

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I am a huge NFL fan….I have been since I was old enough to know what I was watching on television.  Maybe that was my initiation  into becoming a tomboy, who knows?  Regardless of which came first, the pigskin or the scars, I am who I am.

football

I was fortunate to meet some good friends in 1999 who ran a fantastic restaurant and an equally great football pool.  Back then it was on a piece of legal paper, hand-written, with a relatively legible set of football picks.  I had explained to these two dear gentlemen how much more impressive it would be to have an Excel spreadsheet that could total wins automatically and the gauntlet of running the pool was immediately thrust into my hands.  Since 2003, I have grown the pool from twenty participants to sixty-five.  I am affectionately known as “The Commish” during my favorite season of the year – football season.

During those many years, I have only been close to the big prize once – and after a horrific showing in week 17 of the regular season, I dropped from first place to fourth place in a matter of hours and right out of the money.  For years, it was known as the ‘crash and burn’.  This year, I find myself going into week 17 tied for first place and the memories of that fatal crash are bubbling to the surface.  My heart is racing (thankfully I took my blood pressure meds this morning) and I needed to find a distraction to quell the feeling of sickness in the pit of my stomach.  Hence, this blog post.  I apologize for what could be seen as needless drivel, but writing not only distracts me, it calms my nerves.

I will be truly happy for the winners, whatever the outcome, but it would extremely uplifting to overcome that stigma of being the sorriest pilot in the NFL pool flight academy.

The large screen beckons, the green turf is inviting and the voices in my head are telling me to trust my gut.  That may be difficult since my gut may be sent hurtling across my living room soon, but I’ll give it the old college try!!  Go Chargers!!