Pant-less Public

I absolutley LOVE the fun, light-heartedness of FLASHMOB! and yesterday's Pant-less Subway ride in New York tickles me pink!!
If you're unaware of what Flashmob is, allow me to enlighten you...
Flashmob is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and pointless act for a brief time, then disperse.
The first flashmob was organized by a man named Bill Wasik (Senior editor of Harper's Magazine) in 2003. While his attempt number one was unsuccessful (due to a tip off to managers of the department store) he put in place a second plan for a group of people to attempt to purchase a "Love rug" in unison at a Macy's, and it was a SUCCESS! Our nation was then blessed with the creation of Flashmob!
Since then there have been thousands of flashmob acts assembled. Public pillow fights, dancing, even a flashmob marriage! While I've never been lucky enough to witness a flashmob, it swells my heart and brings grin to my lips to hear about one!
And I'm filled with sheer delight that 3,500 people took to the FREEZING cold streets of New York (in boxers, briefs,skivvies,grannies and other unmentionables!) to create nothing but joy and maybe a little chaos (for fun)for the world!
THANK YOU PANT-LESS PEOPLE, THANK YOU!

*photo from Examiner.com*

Pandemic of Ignorance

Maybe it's just me, but shouldn't we feel a bit silly for allowing our nations leaders,television broadcasters,clothing designers,magazine editors and gizmo inventors to turn us into mouth-breathing,credit card swiping,goons?!
It made me chuckle and then immediately feel sad when I viewed on BINGS main page the current searches for today in this exact order: People's Choice Awards. Elizabeth Edwards. Jamie Pressly. and lastly, Sweden Birds.
The fact that the entire cast of Twilight will be in the same place at the same time totally trumps the fact that dozens of birds are dropping right out of the sky, having died from internal bleeding,mid-flight with NO explanation! Really?! Really?!
I will admit that I like to keep things in life light and enjoyable for the sake of my sanity I don't choose to go around dwelling on "Impending Doom" but for Christ's sake are we not just a little curious as to why creatures (birds,fish,honeybees)are popping up dead by the hundreds?! Or why in a state where two years ago you woke up Christmas morning and had four feet of snow to shovel from the driveway, but this year you wore flip flops to the in-laws gift exchange?! No?
If you're thinking, less bird shit on the car and Hooray! no need to dig out the snow blower than, happy ignorance to you my friend! But as for me, I'm a tad bit curious and would like to arm myself with knowledge of what the hell is happening to my planet!
If you to are curious I suggest you do some reading and research, keep an open mind and invest in a good can opener!
For the rest of you....just hide behind that ipod and designer bag and you'll be just fine!

Happy New Year and Happy New Boots!

It's a new year! and while I always resolve to make no resolutions (stemming from my fear of committing to anything more than a week into the future) this year its time for something a little different!
I have high hopes for 2011. I want this year to be a year of positive thinking and good decision making.
I intend to learn new skills, write more, read more, spend lots of quality time with my family, get another tattoo and buy some (mostly ridiculous and unnecessary) really cute boots!
I'll let you know how it goes! I wish you all the very best for the New Year. I hope we can make positive, fruitful changes to our planet this year.

4175.3 miles from my father's front door

Some people realize they've reached adulthood when the desire to go to the mall on a Saturday is replaced with dread for walking through those teenage infested,over priced shops. Or maybe its when when they look in their grocery cart and where Twinkies,Doritos and some sort of enamel eroding citrus drink would normally be found is, bran cereal, fresh fruit and something called a kohlrabi.
For me adulthood recognition comes with the desire to be where my roots were formed. I have a longing and deep desire to be on the little rock of Newfoundland. This chunk of land is,what I consider to be,paradise!
And being 4175.3 miles away from my fathers front door,really does make it feel like an unreachable promise land.
For those of you passers by who are unfamiliar with this little land I call home, I will share with you this... google will not give you the smell of salt water and the freshest sea air. Bing can't show you the kindest hearts and generosity of any people you could ever hope to know. Food network won't have nan's recipe for homemade bread. And map quest will not highlight this area as the happiest place on earth (but it most certainly is)
I'm sure I will always have nomadic flights in my heart but the wings of my want to go home are much bigger.
You know that feeling you get when you return home for the holidays? The flutter in your heart, and that childish excitement to see aunts and uncles, and get hugs from grandparents, or mom and dad?
Well, for me, Newfoundland is the home that puts those feelings in my soul. This entire province and all of it's parts is my family. It's tranquil scenery is the old photo album. The sea salty air is comparable to Christmas cookies baking in the oven. The "caw" of the sea gulls and the waves washing up on shore, is the radio playing old tunes in the background. And Wharf,Nipper,Scoff and "ah,by" are the names of some old friends.
One day I plan to return to my little rock. And even though I am 4175.3 miles from my father's front door, Newfoundland and all it's wonderful parts is permanently in my heart.

With every handshake, give the truth

There was an episode of The Outer Limits (many moons ago) that played out with a character, a young man,who was being punished for a minor offence. (Now I tried to google this episode but came up with nothing, so I'll give my best recollection) and for his punishment he bore a mark on his forehead, this mark told everyone he met that he was being punished and everyone he encountered was to pretend he was invisible. The people in this town were not to assist this man if he were in distress, they were not to speak to him or even make eye contact with him or they would be banished into their own lonely existence as well. Much like wearing a Scarlett letter I suppose.
I think about this episode, of what seemed like at the time, insignificant television programming, often in my life.
I wonder, what if with every person I met I wore my truth? Would they still respect me? Want to be my friend? and Would I change my feelings/opinions of others?
If we were strangers who met tomorrow and I gave you a greeting followed by;
"I curse too much. I pray to God and then question his existence. I am inpatient of others for doing things I know I've done myself."
Would you accept me and my truth?
I try to challenge myself often to offer my truth and catch myself when I'm being dishonest with myself or others. I'm one of those people who will ponder what answer you want me to give when asked a question. I suppose you could say I have a keen ability to read people and oftentimes know what they want from me and others. I've been more right than wrong when it comes to reading people and understanding their personality type.
Sometimes there are things I don't want to know about others that I am faced with anyway. But maybe there's nothing wrong with having to deal with the whole package.
No one really wants to deal with other peoples problems, and yes it would be uncomfortable to meet someone in the grocery lineup who says "Hello, I'm currently cooking the books at my place of work, I've been married four times and I hate puppies." But sometimes this would save us a lot of trouble and grief in relationships. No surprises. No skeletons in the closet. Wouldn't you love for the political party you were considering voting for to be wearing a print out of his/her truth. But maybe not so much the physician who is about to perform knee surgery whose truth is "I may have had too much to drink last night, but I got this."
I guess, my friends and passers-by, there is a reason why we are in charge of how much or how little we give.
Personally I'm going to try to give a little bit more with hopes that the soul I'm greeting is giving me the same.
Oh, and at the end of the episode, the man's punishment had ended and he was walking to a coffee shop when greeted by a woman who bore the mark of banishment and was weeping, desperate for someone to speak to her. She approached him in tears and begged him to acknowledge her. He looked her square in the eyes and said "I can see you."

Was here the whole time....

Begin a blog, dive right in and then...fall of the face of the earth! While it looks that way, I really was just out in the hall twirling my hair and shuffling my feet not knowing what I was going to say next! While I was out there, however, I made a few crafty items and got going on my ETSY shop, decorated my house to the gills for Halloween and had myself a one year older celebration!
I hope all has been right with your world! It looks as though things are remaining steadily tough out there and with the winter months setting in the blues are bound to happen. But I wish you all well and promise to return shortly with something fun and exciting to share!

Be Well

People suck...and some don't. *Inspired by the lady at walmart and my dear friend Aunnie

I felt the need, nay, the responsibility to tell you why PEOPLE SUCK...and some don't.
First of all it continues to blow my mind on a daily basis to witness people being cruel and hateful toward others, complete strangers even, for no good reason (not that a good reason would justify bad behavior but random acts of meanness are daggers of poison sent out into the universe) people swearing and swerving into you intentionally in traffic just to get ahead. Or people lying, cheating and stealing their way through life...it all baffles me. It seems like for every one kind soul you come across there's 78 mean spirited, selfish dark souls who would cut your throat for twenty bucks! Wouldn't it be nice if we lived in a world where, when the person returns the purse with all it's contents untouched it DIDN'T end up on the six o'clock news because it was just the norm to do the RIGHT thing?!

The walmart lady story:
So last week I was at the local walmart shopping for my cart full of randomness (popcorn,push pins,deodorant..the usual) and as I was standing in the school supplies isle trying to locate my much needed push pins I saw an older woman with her hair plastered to her forehead from perspiration, a devastated look on her face and the walmart employee standing next to her shrugging his shoulders and giving off a reeking aura of "I should be on break right now lady." So I smile at her because I'm sure she could feel my gaze that held longer than the glancing second, and her face brightens. She says to me, "Can I ask you a question?" the walmart employee bolts in the other direction the moment the lady looks away from him, and I said "Sure you can." She asked me if I knew what dividers were! As my mind is filled with a thousand thoughts of frustration for the young male employee who was IN CHARGE of stocking the school supplies area, and couldn't tell this woman (whose heart was heavy for other reasons, obviously) where and what DIVIDERS were...I said "I do actually." I helped her find some on the next shelf and she was thrilled! She explained to me that she was shopping for school supplies for her 12 year old special needs grandson. Being a 60-something year old lady, she was a bit out of touch with the needs of school age students and was having trouble identifying the items on her large list. So I (being in no hurry, and without perishables in the cart) walked her all around the store until her cart (and hopefully her heart) was filled with everything she needed. But the devastating part of her story was the fact that this was a low income family, the grandson had many medical bills for his disease and all of his school age years he was getting government assistance and the school supplies were being provided to him, this year, however, due to BUDGET CUTS (or presidential jets) the boy was no longer eligible for school supply assistance. BROKE MY HEART. The lady didn't ask me for twenty dollars or even any of my time, she just needed help and to get through the day. So not only did the walmart employee SUCK but the government SUCKS! Sometimes people just need little things. Not everyone is looking to get ahead of you, but maybe just along side you. For God's sake we need to do something!

My friend Aunnie:
She doesn't suck, but sometimes she meets people who suck and that sucks! But lately she's helped me out a bunch and has given me many laughs and for that I wish her a suck free life from this day forward!

And to all the other non-suckers in my life (My husband, my babies,my other MANY family members,my Amber bamm,my pup dog) Thanks for being you :D