Let The Holiday Era Begin!

 

Hi!

Happy Holidays! 

The world over, these next few weeks are filled with celebrations of many kinds. There are religious, cultural, and ones just for funzies!

Can we please put the "they won't let me say..." aside for good?

There is literally no one forbidding anyone from greeting anyone else with a sincere good wish of any kind. 

There is absolutely no reason to put barbs and razors into something that should have nothing behind it but kindness. 

This year has been hard for many, and the holidays, for some, will be the hardest part. There will be newly empty chairs around the table, there will be struggles to put any kind of meal on the table, let alone to provide the magic of the season for the ones who matter most. 

So consider this your reminder to be generous of spirit, and spread joy wherever possible. These are the gifts that are easy to give without costing you a dime. Joy is contagious, and ripples beyond everything your senses can experience. 

If you have an extra few minutes, maybe go through a closet or two and donate winter gear you no longer use, to shelters. If you are a baker and have a little extra, maybe drop some treats off with charities who feed those who need it most. 

You will never feel bad for giving what you can. 

There is more than enough cruelty in the world without contributing to it without cause. There are places where mere survival is everything. There are spaces where the idea of entertaining even the smallest of dreams feels like a luxury. There are those who feel hope is only for others. 

Where mere survival floods all that you are, it leaves no room for dreams. 

So spread seeds of joy, nurture those seeds with safety, water them with hope, then watch as dreams flourish, making the world, even if it's only by a little, a better place. 

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May we take a collective step back to get clearer perspective as to where we actually are.

May we, instead of focusing on the hurdles ahead, take a look back, for the distance we've come is far. 

May we give what we can to make the lives of others better, even if only with a smile, or kind word.

May we understand those simple things may be the first of the day they've seen or they've heard.

May we greet each other with kindness, regardless of how we choose to celebrate.

May we leave the barbs at home, the imaginary wars, and just let the season be great. 

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Ready or Not...

 

Hi!

The next chapter is coming.

Ready or Not!

Sometimes, in life, we get to pick when the page turns and have a heavy hand in the plot lines that follow. Sometimes, in life, we choose the when of the turn, but the story that follows is not quite legible.

Then, there are times when you think you know what's coming because you created a detailed outline, planned out the story, had a vision as to how it would all play out... and then the dog takes your outline, chews it up, buries it in the back yard where it gets rained on, pooped on by the neighbour's cat, then taken by a magpie to build a nest, god only knows where... and you are left to start from scratch, without a pen and no paper in sight. 

All you have is the wisdom and skillsets you've gained along the way. That's not nothing. 

The out-of-the-blue sky hits can come from any direction.

Illness, Physical restrictions, Job getting eliminated, Boss retires, Break-ups, Accidents, Corporate break downs,,, it really could come from anywhere.

When things like this happen, I think it's only human to hit the "why me" button. Why is there this target on my back, and why is the Universe playing a championship game of "pin the shit to my forehead" so relentlessly?

It can be easy to lose perspective. 

Unless whatever it is that's happening is literally and permanently taking you out, you're still in it.

You're knocked down, but not out. 

Blank slates can be scary, but they also carry with them a lot of excitement. There is no way of telling the kinds of opportunities that might come your way. 

Take stock of where you are, and the journey that has brought you thus far. 

If you examine the map, all the stops along the way, all of the hurdles you cleared, all of the storms you weathered, all of the beautiful people who helped you when you needed it, all of the not-so-beautiful people who taught you the lessons you needed to learn.. when you really look at all of it, and I do mean all, it makes the next steps a little more manageable.

You've been here before. The circumstances might be different. You may have a few more miles on you than you did before, and therefore, you're likely going to have to tap into your experience to find ways to clear any future hurdles. Let's face it, your knees aren't what they used to be, but you're still here. You're here, and have accumulated tools along the way. 

All that's left is to use them. 

So keep moving forward, every step, no matter how small, is progress.

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May each day, each breath, each step, bring you ever closer to your peace.

May the powers that be take a break, give you some time, give you some release.

Life Is Still Beautiful...

Photo Credit: My Hubby

 Hi!

So, here we are.

The drunken toddlers are in charge of one of the most powerful countries in the world. I can't help but wonder what historians will make of this in 50 years. How it will be examined by scholars, students, anthropologists, writers, and psychologists. Maybe they will better be able to piece together how we got here from further away. 

It will likely baffle all of them for a long while.

But.....

We can't remain in the doom and gloom of it. I know I can't. The sometimes obnoxiously perpetual optimist that I am won't allow it. It's happening, now we just have to be vigilant, and do our best.

Kindness and empathy will eventually get the upper hand. Karma didn't retire, she'll show up and strike when the time is right. 

In the meantime...

Whatever we choose to feed tends to be what flourishes. I'm making a conscious choice to feed light. Feeding the dark can do nothing but bring misery. Personally, misery is not the place where I want to reside.

Most of what happens in this world does so without our permission. All we can do is accept that, roll with it, do our best to stay true to who we are, and continue to stand up for those who need it most. 

This, by no means we roll over and play dead. It doesn't mean we decimate boundaries. It just means we live our lives grabbing joy, matching every ounce of the enthusiasm your dog greets you with after a long day. 

The choices people have made will come home to roost soon enough. We just have to do what we can to redirect the shrapnel of those choices so they don't hit innocent bystanders. 

So, keep being your fabulous selves. Keep dancing. Keep cooking. Keep celebrating. Leave misery to those who picked it. 

Let them.

They picked it. Let them own it. They won't need our help. It will happen because they choose misery, hate, and anger at every turn. Don't allow yourself to get swallowed into their dark pit. Don't allow them to steal your joy, at least not for too long.

Life is still beautiful. We may just have to work a little harder to see that for a while.

Create your joy. Run a tub full of it and soak. 

Congratulations...

 Hi!

Over the past few days, I've been struggling. 

Struggling to make sense of what is happening.

Struggling to hang on to positivity.

Struggling, as I am finding out that a huge chunk of those who voted for Captain Shitshispants did so out some fantasy that they think he stands for. Completely and utterly unaware of what his plans are for them.

I guess there was a reason that during his speeches he kept talking about windmills, Hannibal Lecter, and gave blow jobs to microphones. The 'look the other way' strategy, whether intentional, or just another symptom of his dementia, worked.

They have absolutely no idea what they voted for, and now they are going to, if they are very lucky, have ONLY four years of living with the consequences of their choices. My heart breaks for those who will be collateral damage. 

To those who chose Captain Asshat...

There is a difference...

With her, we would have proven you wrong.

With him, you'll prove us right.

The biggest difference being the amount of people who get hurt, or worse, in the process. 

There are already little girls in elementary schools being pushed around by boys yelling, repeating, taunting with "your body MY choice!"

There are already texts going out to black students in colleges and high schools telling them they should prepare to report to some kind of slavery coalition and that they will be assigned to plantations.

There are still two months until he actually takes office. Do you think this kind of crap ISN'T going to amplify when he actually takes his seat in the Oval?

You thought it was crazy last time. 

Buckle up.

Now the guardrails are gone. You know, the guardrails that were adults, generals, serious, experienced people who understood the gravity of the job. You know, the guardrails that worked the closest to him and got to know him best. You know, the guardrails that warned against voting for him, that explained over and over again why and just how dangerous he is. 

Now his cherry-picked Supreme Court has given him immunity on anything he does while in office.

Now that your opportunity to ever vote again is not guaranteed.

Now that every woman and girl no longer has control of what happens to her body.

They think he cares about them. Still. If it wasn't so sad and terrifying it would be funny, the level of delusion these people live under.

One young lady was interviewed as she came out of the voting station. She was with her boyfriend. Asked who she voted for, she said "trump,' as she looked to her boyfriend beside her. When asked why, her reply was "he said he wouldn't ban abortion." At this, her boyfriend couldn't help but snicker, she looked over at him with a shocked confused look. The reporter walked away.

Many voted because of the tariffs. Now they are finding out in real time that it means not at all what they have been lead to believe. 

People...

Research... actual research... requires more of you than just watching anecdotal videos, and listening to podcasts with only one point of view.

It requires looking into public records on how your candidates vote. 

It requires digging into how they have walked through life, thus far. 

It requires looking into past actions, who they speak up for, and who they speak up against.

The way you conduct your life, the way you treat people along the way, the way you make your living, speaks to the core of who you are as a human.

Find out who and what you are voting for before you vote. Don't just take in what they are telling you during the campaign, while they are trying to win you over. Don't listen to the ads. Dig. Don't listen to the insults. Dig. 

Don't be the person thinking you are voting for cheaper eggs and get your Christmas bonus revoked due to your boss needing to stock up on product because of the tariffs he knows are coming. 

Don't be the person that is now finding yourself in panicked parent groups because he plans on gutting public education, and the programs that you benefit from through the school for free, are going to go away and you can't afford to pay out of pocket. 

Don't be the person who lives on disability, or relies on medicare, or has pre-existing conditions, or lives month to month on social security, that is going to soon find out just what the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" crowd really means by that. 

Don't be the person who works for minimum wage, thinking gas is just too expensive, that now has to take a cut in pay because the minimum limit ceases to exist. 

Don't think that, as an immigrant, you are safe because you aren't one of the "bad" ones he was talking about, only to find out that last time he had the power, thousands of people exactly like you were booted without cause. 

Don't be the person who votes for policies that will put your neighbours, your friends, your family, or anyone in actual, physical danger. 

But here we are.

A Putin fangirl, adjudicated rapist, misogynist, racist, fascist, queerphobic, dementia-riddled, fraudulent, bankrupted, 34-count convicted, bigoted felon has been elevated to the highest office in the world... again. 

The consequences of your choices are going to be felt the world over, and will have generational repercussions.

Congratulations. 

We are already hearing the echoes of "But I didn't know..." That is a bullshit copout. If you didn't know it was your conscious choice not to find out. You watch a few tiktoks and youtube videos that algorithms push in front of you and watch news that only speaks to one point of view and call it "research."

Bullshit. Do the work. Public records are just that. Public. Look up how they vote. Look up how they live their life. Use google for more than to look up porn. 

You don't get drunk, drive, kill someone and then plead that you didn't know it would happen so it's not your fault.

You voted for whatever comes down the pike. All of it. Now you get to own all of it. You don't get the luxury of hiding behind the fact that you can't accurately separate fact from fantasy. 

Nope.

The first time, you wanted to give him a chance. You wanted all of us to give him a chance, and he put children in cages and told the world that injecting cleanser would cure covid.

This time you know. And you did it anyway.

Now you get to own the consequences. 

Congratulations. 

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Aaaaand The Days Get Shorter....

 

Hi!

Well, goodbye October!

October has been filled with beautiful skies, and warmer-than-normal weather, ending with a fun Halloween that included singing for some very sweet elderly people, then rushing home to scare some kids and their parents just enough to make them squeal a bit, and maybe pee a little... aaaand give away a bunch of candy. 

November is going to be a banner month... I can feel it in my bones. Big changes are in the air... good ones, maybe even great ones. 

The Holiday season is starting to enter conversations, sometimes because it feels like we are forced to because of retail ads and decorations. Back-to-school, Halloween, and the Holidays seem to happen within the span of a week. 

Time flies fast enough, give us a minute to savour it, would ya?

Give yourself permission to take a breath. You're allowed to live life at your own pace... at least for the most part. 

As the days shorten, and the nights gain power, optimism is a virtue that becomes a bit tenuous for many. Because of this, it becomes even more important to celebrate every joy. Soaking in every light possible. keeping connected to family and friends, creating things to look forward to... these all help keep the dark outside where it belongs. 

I don't imagine there is any scientific proof of this, but I have a theory. I think those of us who struggle with the dwindling of daylight are the same ones who like to decorate for the Holidays early. It's a coping tool, whether it's a conscious one or not is another thing. 

Anyway...

There are two months left in this year, 2024. 

Let's make them count, shall we?

Let's make them memorable.

Let's make them joyous.

Let's make them shine.