Pick those Dandelions!

Once early Spring finally showed its’ face, it brought along with it the uninvited Dandelions! Of course, when they showed up, they were little, pretty and all dressed up in yellow. It did look quite the inviting sight…. bright and yellow, scattered all over the green lawn. It gave the garden colour and what looked like at that time some character. It was a joke around our friends as to how colourful and scenic our lawn looked. Cutting the grass or weeding them out, was not an option. They grew quite quickly in numbers. Five became seven, and then became fifteen and twenty until they were far too many to count. They took over the lawn like aliens. The only green visible, were the Dandelion leaves! The colourful exuberance didn’t last long. The pretty yellow bed of flowers turned into dirty, white, bulbous, fluffy, “wish” like things that kids love to blow. And once they were blown, kept spreading like forest fire in Australia!

“Help pick those weeds” I commanded my kids! The whole family on hands and knees, digging and pulling off the earth along with its earth worms. @$#*!! Why did we not start picking the Dandelions when they first showed up? Why did we let it take over? What looked like a calm and unassuming lawn looked like a dead battlefield. We (I say we as a team but there may have been a few that stood out more than others) picked, prodded, sodded new grass, fertilized and pruned the lawn. The process was repeated like shampoo. Finally, after much toiling we got back our green lawn. Now, at the first sight of a pretty, yellow, Dandelion we swoop down to nip it in the bud. The conspicuous weed has no chance of planting roots or laying down foundation. If you have weeds, may I suggest you do the same!

·       Do take care of your lawn. Seed it, water it, and fertilize it. Take REAL good care of it. This is your asset and you want to keep it that way.

·        Do you have weeds in your lawn? Nip them in the bud before it’s too late. They may seem quite innocent at first but before you know it they turn into horrendous looking things. Quite the opposite of what they looked like when they first showed up.

·      You may need an army to address the weeds. Don’t be shy just ask for help. Ask and you shall receive.

P.S This really isn’t about my lawn or the dandelions that became ugly weeds that took over my lawn. Although it is a true story! Are you taking good care of your lawn? I do hope you are. And if you do have weeds that show up, as cute and innocent little characteristics and habits I do hope you address them quickly before they take over!

 

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming - Dory

At 6 years old I wouldn’t say it was fun waking up at the wee hours of the morning while everyone else slept in. It was barely light out and too early even for the birds and the rooster. Yet I woke up, dragged myself out of bed, barely knew what I was eating, got dressed and headed off to the pool. Once there, I breathed in the early morning air, cool breeze and the delicious smell of chlorine. The pool was serene and blue. Untouched! I looked forward to being the first to plunge in. Contrary to popular belief, warm weather climate pool water was always cold in the morning! After practice it was a quick shower and off to school, eyes tearing from the chlorine I could barely see the blackboard and take down notes. I did that for 13 straight years. Oh yes and twice a day…. Only in the afternoon you weren’t waking up early. You just go straight from school to home for lunch and homework and then back again in the pool. Thirteen straight years of two a day that became three a day training sessions closer to international competitions.

Ask me if I have watched more than 5 episodes of Beverly Hills 90210. The answer would be no. I couldn’t fully participate in school yard convo of the latest gossip, tv shows or school friend hangouts. I was swimming. I think I surprised my principal I didn’t turn into a fish as she so anticipated. I was often excused from being late to school, leaving early from school because of swim practices and meets. And yes, I so looked forward to those swim meets. Excited to see like-minded friends, show off the new swim suit, butterflies in tummy awaiting my next race. The flurry and activity all ended in one big award ceremony and party afterwards where I would be pushed back into the pool along with my fellow friends, clothes and all because of our winnings.                                                                                                                 

It certainly was time to hang up my suit after 13 years. It was tiresome, my back was injured, and I wanted to enjoy the same privileges as every other nineteen year old. Looking back now however, I miss those days. Swimming took 19 tiresome years but left me with so much more. Here’s some of what I carry with me today;

·         Your parents deserve those medals and trophies as much as you do. For 13 years I did not know what it was like to sleep in. Well neither did my parents! My mom got up even earlier to make breakfast and make sure I was out the house in time for practice with my dad. Maybe this is the reason I didn’t sway my kids away from hockey and cheer. I don’t have it in me to wake up at 4:30am anymore. My parents however did. I owe the success of my entire swimming career to them. A thank you doesn’t seem enough!

·         Practices count but the race counts even more. It doesn’t matter how hard you practice or prepare yourself, what matters most is the race. Make sure you are prepared when it really counts. Not being ready will cost you second place.

·         It taught me to be effective and efficient. Juggling swimming with school, homework, school exams and even French classes outside of school taught me to make the most of each minute. I paid real close attention when the teacher spoke, worked ahead of schedule at home, did homework on the bleachers while waiting for training to start. I did what it took to get my work done. Efficiency and Effectiveness became my best friends.

·         It taught me dedication and determination. I was determined to be the best when I wasn’t picked to be on the school relay team when I was 8. I tirelessly dedicated all my efforts, so I would be the first one picked. It paid off. Dedication and determination became my next best friends.

·         I learned camaraderie and I learned to have fun. My competition became my worst enemy in the pool and became my best friend on land. We would not talk to each other just before the race but no matter what the outcome, we rejoiced. At times, we may have been disappointed at the result, but were genuinely happy for victor. We pushed, we motivated, and we encouraged each other at practice to give our best. Most importantly we had fun!

 

Swimming taught me a ton. Whether you want to swim or not, I encourage you to pick up a sport or an activity that challenges you, draws the best out of you, gives you back so much more than you expected and lets you have a blast doing it. For me that was swimming.

No regrets!

Regret is the past, crippling us in the present - unknown

.... And when you do look back you are turning your back to the future!

Have no regrets. Easier said than done. Every now and then it's easy to let your mind wonder to question the "what if's". What if I started earlier? what if I took the other course? what if I just waited instead of surging ahead? what if I said no? what if I said yes? I could go on for days and we all have them. The trick is to not go there. The "what if" really doesn't matter. It's irrelevant to now and to where you are. Ever seen the movie Click? Do go check it out if you haven't already. Well we don't all have a clicker to rewind or fast forward through life. According to the movie that wasn't the best thing to have anyway! What we do have is a gift called the present. To make full use of it we need to treasure today and let go of yesterday. Rather than reminiscing yesterday and the endless list of possibilities that were never meant to be, change tomorrow by doing something different today. If it's not the outcome you expected, then it was not meant to be.... move on.

Here's my dish:

• Looking back, there will always be things that you could have done better. You cannot go back and change what you did so why bother wasting your time thinking about the possible outcomes. Learn from your so called mistakes and move on to new ones. However, IMO (if you don't know, ask a teenager ;) there are no mistakes, only learning opportunities. I hope you have a ton of learning opportunities. They will enrich you.
• Make full use of the present. Instead of looking at the past missed opportunities, look at the present and make wise choices of what tomorrow will look like. You cannot control the outcome, but you can try. I urge you to try, try and try again.
• We don't regret the things we do. We usually regret the things we don't. So if you have some burning desire to do something, just do it! (thanks Nike! I couldn't have put it better)
• Do remember the memorable moments of the past but only briefly. Once you smile remembering those precious moments, it's time to move on and seize TODAY! 

PJs and Pancakes

I love doing things with my family. Whether it's a drive, a mini vacation, playing board games, vegging out and watching re-runs of Modern Family....I love doing them all. Some are more special than others and some more memorable. It's not the big events but casual, non-rushed long weekends where nothing's planned but something happens that's most special. It's our PJ's and pancakes moments.

I am very much into eating non-gmo food now. I read every label, check it against my "dump-it" list and as a result, regular grocery shopping is now an event all on its own. So instead of the Aunt Jemima (I think I spelled that correctly) pancake mix, it's the wheat free, non-gmo, organic kamut pancake mix that gets added to the cart. My daughter welcomes it with open arms. My son and husband on the other hand are a much harder sell. I mix the batter with bananas or strawberries hoping its fresh, raw taste is cleverly disguised. It works most of the time.

A lazy Saturday morning starts off with some delegation to get all the ingredients and equipment ready for a late pancake breakfast. The rest of the sleepy-heads (usually my son) wakes up to the aroma of pancakes and bananas. He asks me what batter I used to which I instantly I respond...."the normal one"!! I suspect he thinks normal is the regular wheat and corn starch filled batter, found at regular grocery stores, but I'm not going to tell him otherwise. We each find our Saturday morning spots in the family room and dig in! Saturday morning quickly turns into Saturday afternoon and then the flurry of activity starts off and everyone's off doing their thing. Hmm....

I've learned that;

• Pancakes come in several shapes, sizes and expertise. You don't have to be an expert at it to wow your family. They love what you make anyway if it's disguised the way they like it.
• The aroma of pancakes on a Saturday is special. It reminds you of coziness, warmth, good maple syrup and family.
• Pretty much anyone can make pancakes without ruining them.
• Pancakes are best eaten with family.
• I've learned that I love the big events, the fan fare, the travels but I love the PJ's and pancake moments even more!

Go have your PJ's and pancakes moment!

Grudges are like little cancerous cells that eat at you slowly

Ever had a grudge with anyone? Please contact me if your answer is no. I would like to talk to you. We've all had a grudge with someone at some point or another. They may have said the wrong thing, rubbed you the wrong way or done something quite unforgivable. Your grudge may start with annoyance, to dislike, to a negative feeling that just doesn't go away. Like the little acorn that grows into an oak, this tiny little grudge grows into something quite large that can't be shaken off that easily. Before you know it, your little grudge has made shelter and turned its tiny spot into a full blown warehouse with underground parking and all.

The sad fact is that this grudge can eat away at you like a cancerous tumour. Your mood changes, you feel irksome, you are short tempered, you feel sick and are not yourself. It keeps chipping away at you until it gets the most of you.

I have learned to let my grudges go. I flick them away like a stray piece of bread crumb at a picnic table. Forgive and forget they say, and if you cannot forgive then move on! It doesn't deserve an ounce of your thought or time for that matter so don't give it that precedence. You just end up feeding the little tumour.

• Let grudges go. They don't deserve the attention they usually get!
• Do forgive and forget. Life is way too short to be annoyed at anyone or anything for too long. It does feel good to forgive and if you really can't do that then just move on. Don't give it a second thought. Not ever.
• Ask yourself if it's really that important. Most times it's not. So, get off of that petty chair and patch things up.
• Grudge rhymes with sludge. They also mean about the same thing, with the difference being one's internal (and it's not sludge!!)
• Be free! Live free! It's never fun carrying a lot of baggage.

Lessons learned from Fifi - always wear good shoes!

Fifi, aka my sister always wore good shoes. It was hilarious to see her strutting around the house when she was little with her long skinny legs and mom's heels. This was a normal occurrence, hence the name Fifi. It suited her to a tee. It's funny how that personality carried through to adult hood. No matter what the circumstance or occasion, you will always see her in a "much to be envied" pair of shoes.

Flip flops were my mode of footwear. I wore it to the pool, the mall and even to parties. I wore it with pride and didn't care what anyone had to say or think. As time went by and with much egging on by Fifi, I did see the benefits of her colourful stilettos. It livened any mood, made you feel great and you really did look like a million bucks wearing them. So instead of a wardrobe full of colourful rubber flip flops, I am now the proud owner of a variety of colourful wedges, espadrilles, pumps, peep toes, sling back, booties and boots. It's become a passion to shop for shoes. The bolder and brighter the better. I still have my trusted flip flops in black and brown. They do bring me joy when I wear them now and then. But to feel like I'm strutting the catwalk I need to pull out the "Fifi" shoes. Thanks, Fifi for not giving up on me and expanding my shoe vocabulary!

• Whether you are a guy or gal, wear good shoes. People do take notice.
• You don't get dirty looks walking into stores when you have great shoes on. You do if you don't.
• When you feel under the weather, put on a pair of fancy shoes. They liven you up instantly.
• A boring outfit can be brought to life with a pair of cool shoes.
• "A shoe has so much more to offer than just to walk" ~ Christian Louboutin. "One day I will own one of these Red Soles!" ~ Tehani Mott

Don't be a wallflower...not ever!

Here's what Wikipedia defines as a "wallflower"..."In social situations, a wallflower is a shy or unpopular individual who doesn't socialize or participate in activities at social events. He or she may have other talents but usually does not express them in the presence of other individuals"

Of course everyone has talents. Some genuinely have more than others and some may think they have talent in some area but who will let them know otherwise? In any event everyone has some sort of talent... be it singing, dancing, entertaining, cooking, leading people, motivating them, the list can go on. If you have not yet figured out what your talent is, then find it. You have something that you do better than anyone else, that is unique to you. Find it and share it as it serves no purpose keeping it hidden! That's why I say, "don't be a wallflower"!

There maybe times where being a wallflower may serve its purpose. Unless you are a secret service agent, the moments of appropriately being a wallflower are few and far between. They also should be brief whenever present. Personally, I think it's selfish to have a talent and not share it with the world. I don't mean the "world" literally but what I mean is those around you. Those that can benefit and enjoy the talent you have. Your community, school, work place, your friends and family. Don't be a wallflower! It's selfish in my books and not to be tolerated.

• Never be afraid to share your talents. Not only will it enrich you but it may also enrich someone else.
• Participate. Just being present and taking up space is not good enough. There's plenty of "space takers" in a growing world, don't be one of them or one of those things! Even big space takers like rocks offer up a purpose. They can be collected, admired or climbed.
• Know what you are good at. If you don't know, try finding it. The journey you take to find it will improve yourself and grace others. Even singing off key starts laughter in the room.
• Unless you are in a library or at the theatre being a quiet participant is not an option. You don't have to be loud, but you do have to be involved. See bullet #2 again.
• Step out. Enjoy life. Participate. Share your ideas and talents with others. You are here in this world for a reason. Fulfill it, or at least try to!