Stampede

Its Stampede in Calgary and that means that everything shuts down for 10 day unless you are a bar or a western store. The ongoing festivities that overtake the city are endless. The great thing about being single at Stampede is you get invited to everything. Someone always only has one ticket. I said yes every time I got invited out and attended some amazing events. 10 days are taking the toll on my body. I tried to put my feet into the cowboy boots today for a BBQ and they said no way, so on went a pair of city slicker shoes. Stampede is like halloween for us city folks. We get to dress up and play cowboy. It always confuses me why people refuse to join the fun. To me wearing a cowboy hat is like adding a different persona. A wild west story develops in my head and all of a sudden I know how to two step and ride a horse. The stampede is serious fun, but I am ready to say good bye to the greatest show on earth. Right after the final rodeo on Sunday and a candy apple. Yee haw!

Off to Ghana

The house is busy tonight. Cassidy is getting ready for her trip to Africa. She leaves first thing in the morning. All the last minute to do's that have to be done before the zipper can be sealed on the suitcase. It has taken me by surprise that I no longer have a child, she is a young adult and how fast life is going. When she was 5 and wanted to ride her bike to the end of the street and back I considered all the dangers. Now 16 coming 17 traveling to the other side of the earth to teach english. It is impossible to consider the dangers, it is just to overwhelming. I have to trust in her and who she has become. Her father and I have taught her all we can, she is now making decisions as an adult yet still my child. Such an exciting time for her, and a very scary time for this mother. I know she will be safe and come home with an education that can't be supplied in Canada. It is going to be a long 30 days here without her. One positive thing will be that the basement will always be clean. Safe Travels Cassidy

living with regret

I have said many things in my life I wish I could take back. Lots of sarcastic humor that was hurtful, words shouted out in anger, or even worse sent in a text. I have never regretted saying a kind word. Well that is kind of true, once I commented on how beautiful a woman was and she thought I was hitting on her. Seriously can we not appreciate the beauty in another woman? Anyways, Tonight I sent out a note, with no other motivation than kindness. I had been thinking about it in yoga, it was time to forgive. My heart has been hurt and I closed it for the last year. I was trying to protect myself, and in the end I was just keeping all the toxic emotions in. W was wanting to keep all the evidence in case I ever wanted remind myself, I told you so. Its time to open myself up, and bust open the door. Time is ticking and I have wasted to much time in regret. What a coincidence , stampede week and all! Yee Haw

Doing the opposite

Tonight I snuck out of the house for a few hours to go see April Wine, brought back some great memories from the 80's. My phone kept vibrating, it was home. What could possibly be wrong? Well the 16 yr old and the 8 yr old were not getting along. My only advice to the teenager was to re-direct. Go for a bike ride and get ice-cream. If its not working for you then try something different. How many of us keep taking the same action and getting the same result? We all have something in our lives that just can't get resolved. Maybe doing the exact opposite is the way to go. Seinfeld had an episode about this exact subject. As Jerry explained to George " if every instinct you have is wrong then doing the exact opposite is right" What's the worst that could happen?

Here is the 3 min clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v​=cKUvKE3bQlY

George Costanza Does The Opposite

www.youtube.com

Seinfeld, George decides to do the opposite but with striking results.

cassidys party

Cassidy is leaving for Ghana in 5 days.. It seemed like a really great idea in January when she decided she wanted to go teach english. Now the mother is anxious about sending her. When any big trip is happening the count down starts . Last night was the official going away party. She had 35 of her closest friends over for her send off. One thing that is always so true is that the party always ends up in the kitchen. Why is the kitchen always the spot where the party really happens? With Teenagers, it is probably because it is where the food is. I consider the kitchen the heart of the house. It is the family gathering spot, where all the greatest stories are shared. The kitchen stimulates all of our 5 senses and its always warm. Cassidy's friends are like family to us, they tease the sisters, eat my food, walk in the front door without ringing the bell and leave laundry on the floor.. Yup, just like my kids. So It is fitting that her party was in the heart of our house.

baby steps

Every morning a man wakes me up around 3 with a email. My friend Howiej. He sends me two positive sentences everyday and sometimes they just hit home. Todays message was:

Janet, the best days of your life come in small steps. You don't have to do it all at once. Time passes only one second at a time, so pace yourself.

Pace myself? Who is he kidding. I was taught to believe that being successful meant completing as many things as I could everyday. What about my special talent of being a unsuccessful multitasker? Cassidy often complains about my broken english conversation with her while I am working on something else, usually I have no recollection of what was said. Okay Howiej, I will get serious and you are right. There are a few projects on my desk not started. This is not because I am pacing myself, its just because the job seems so daunting I don't know where to start. So taking a small step in the right direction. My first step is for Coffee, helps me get into the present.

If you want to receive a hopeful note from howiej in the mix of your coupons, and sale emails this is his email address. It always worth the read. howard@howardparsons.com

Call for help

The call for help brought my friends out by the truck loads today. I had numerous concerned callers worried about my state of mind after yesterdays blog. Yes, sometimes life is overwhelming the commitments can be mind boggling. But I woke up today better. We all know there is nothing like a good nights sleep to calm the mind. I also took my own advice (which is so much easier preached) and changed my "what." My birth sign is a taurus and I definitely fit into the generic taurus characteristics. I have trouble asking for help, and today I did. There is a freedom knowing that me and my car are going to get a rest for a few days. As a dear friend email me today "hey Janet, put down that cross, and pick up the joy compass"... Ok... Advice taken... compass pointed directly downtown... Bring on the Stampede...Yee haw!