Measure a year

On Boxing Day, I bought the Rent:  Filmed Live on Broadway movie on iTunes and just watched it today.   Of course, the above video is my favourite song from Rent (I chose to share the movie version because Taye Diggs is in it!).  Rent is one of my favourite movies and most favourite Broadway show (I have the movie, the Broadway CDs and now the Broadway video!).  Sadly, I never had an opportunity to see it live on Broadway in New York City (the show is now closed!) but I did get to see the live show in Ottawa with BFF.   I have seen the movie countless times and thought it would be a great way to start today’s blog post. 

Why am I blogging on a Wednesday?  Am I confused because I'm on holidays for two weeks and unaware of the days?   Me confused, really?  Actually, today is a very special day!  Exactly one year ago today, I started my beloved blog “Just as you are”.   Today, I celebrate my ONE YEAR anniversary as a blooger blogger!!! Can you believe it….one year?!?  One year ago, I wrote "Inspired by Bridget Jones...Really?" and "Love Actually....John Cusack or Colin First?"  and  "Looking for your face".   I was so excited to be a blooger blogger that I wrote three blog posts in one day! 

One year later, I’m writing my….wait for it….100^th blog post!!!  Can you believe it….100 blog posts?!? 

Having watched Rent, I can'thelp but ask:  How do I measure a year? 

100 blog posts

126 comments posted on my blog

It's important to note that 99.6% of those comments are from Brother!  When I receive notification of his comments, I'm always very excited to read what he has to say.  I wonder if he's as excited to read my blog post every week as I am to read his comments?   It's also important to note that many of my friends leave wonderful comments regarding my blog posts on my Facebook page (those haven't been counted!) and I'm always so thrilled that they would take the time to a) read my blog, and b) provide me with feedback.   Who knew that writing a blog would touch so many people? 

4,445 blog views

Now I won't get into the mathematics of these views as I did in "The AfterMATH" and "The AfterMATH - Revisited" because I'm on holidays (yes, I'm lazy!) but basically, 100 blog posts with 4,445 blog views means 44.45 people viewed each of my blog posts but I know that some of my readers love my blog so much (Brother!) that they read each blog post twice so that means that it's quite possible that only 22.225 people view each of my blog posts, albeit twice!   Then again, if my readers have only read half of my blog posts (shameful!) then that means up to 88.9 people have read my blog posts.   Alas, I'm also aware of the fact that people may have accidentally stumbled upon my blog and didn't even bother reading my blog (nice!) but I'm not really sure how to compute that data (nor do I want to...the truth hurts!).

Whether accidental or not, it's pretty cool to see so many people from so many different countries stumbling onto my blog:  Canada, United States of America, United Kingdom, Singapore, Denmark, Dominican Republic, France, South Korea, Germany, Australia, Egypt, Ukraine, India, Netherlands, Pakistan, Romania, South Africa, Vietnam, Nigeria, Russia, Japan, Brazil, Hungary, China, Iran, Ireland, Oman, Spain, Bulgaria, Serbia, Phillipines, Lebanon, Belarus, Latvia, Norway, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Turkey, Sweden, Chile, Poland, New Zealand, Georgia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Italy, Czech Republic, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Venezuela, Bangladesh, Suriname, Taiwan, and Belgium.  If I missed a country, I'm sorry.   This is just so amazing!!!  Thank you :)

For the curious, the most blog views were from Canada, US, UK, Russia, Germany, Singapore and Denmark.  

Apple might be interested to know that only 8% of views were made from a Mac and 7% from an iPhone (73% from Windows!).

Oh yeah, you should also note that my blog views are not included in the statistics!   The Mac and iPhone statistics would be much higher :o)

So why do I spend my time blogging?   For the joy of writing and being able to fulfill my narcissistic needs go back and re-read my blog posts just as I would my journal.  The only difference is that my blog is open to public ridicule review while my journal is not (even if an ex-boyfriend thought my journal was available for his reading pleasure!).   My blog is a testament to my personal growth over the last year, and I'm happy to share that with you, with the hope that you’ve been able to learn from what I’ve experienced over the last year.  There have been many tears, many belly laughs, many calories burned and consumed, many pounds lost and gained, many chuckles, many thoughtful moments, much insight, and many teachable moments.  My relationship with this blog could be best described as a marriage:  for better or worse, in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, to love and to cherish.  Unlike many marriages, this one has already lasted a year! :P

After watching "Rent" today, celebrating my one year blogging anniversary and with a new year upon us, I can't help but reflect on what I've learned this year.   I've definitely gone through a year of tremendous personal growth (with an extremely steep learning curve!) so I may not be able to capture all of my learnings in one blog post but here goes....

In honour of my 100^th blog post, here are MY TOP 100 learnings:

100.  When the student is ready, the teacher appears. 

99.  I love to write and blog!

98.   Writing is therapeutic. 

97.  When you know better, you do better. 

96.   I learned how to tweet but I still don’t understand or appreciate the fascination with Twitter.

95.   ‘NSync’s “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” never gets old! 

94.   The importance of saying “thank you”.

93.   We teach what we most need to learn. 

92.  Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. 

91.  Not only am I a cat lady, I’m a stray cat magnet. 

90.  I’m not defined by my mistakes. 

89.  When people show you who they are, believe them. 

88.  Men are Sugar is poison!  I've learned that I can survive without sugar. 

87.  Reality is what one perceives it to be. 

86.  We all have the ability to fly, we just need to be willing to spread our wings. 

85.  I've found joy in looking for baking recipes that can be transformed into sugar-free yumminess (who knew I would fall in love with baking?).    

84.  I’m open to the possibilities that life has to offer. 

83.  Whatever we give our attention to grows. 

82.  I think I might be in love with John Cusack (my Future Husband is mentioned in 27 blog posts!)   

81.  I find joy in daily affirmations.

80.  TED Talks are my new favourite pastime (or an excuse for not reading!).   

79.   I’m a dork and proud of it! :o)

78.  I watch way too much television. 

77.  I don’t read enough as evidenced by all of the unread books on my bookshelves that are collecting dust (and I buy way too many books!). 

76.  What other people think of me is none of my business.

75.  I am very fond of juicing (mentioned in 9 blog posts including "J-J-J-Juice" and "RIP Sir-Juice-A-Lot"!).

74. I’m a kid at heart. 

73.  I send a lot of texts to myself.

72.  There’s perfection in the imperfection, and there’s comfort in the discomfort. 

71.  Discovering and appreciating the balance and harmony in my life:  ying/yang, good/bad, light/darkness,  sun/moon, happiness/sadness, health/sickness. 

70.  The answer is always right there.

69.  Getting to know thyself takes courage but once the journey begins, it’s a blessing. 

68.   What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. 

67.  Releasing others from the expectations I have of them is to really love them (that includes the expectations I have of myself!)

66.  No matter how many text messages that are left unanswered, some people never give up (ugh!). 

65.  One person/one action can make a difference. 

64. Freedom to be is the greatest gift we can give ourselves. 

63.  I need to clean out my closets, drawers, cupboards and pantry more often.

62.  Karma is the law of cause and effect – that which we put out comes back to us! 

61.  There are no accidents; everything happens for a reason. 

60.  I look pretty damn good with short hair (and long hair, and medium-length hair and a crooked smile!). 

59.  Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves. 

58.   I’m aware that attachments to material possessions are not good but I don’t know what I’d do without my iPhone.

57.  When things get tough, a breakthrough is just on the other side of the pain. 

56.  Each event in my life happens according to what is necessary for me to learn. 

55.   I’m a poet and I didn’t even know it! 

 53.  Nutrition and exercise are the secrets to a healthy weight (duh!). 

52.   I can’t get enough of Kahlil Gibran and Thich Nhat Hanh!   What amazing teachers!  I truly have been blessed with so many amazing teachers including Dr. Acupuncture who has taught me so much since March 2011. 

51.   Laughter is the best medicine. 

50.   The process is more important than the goal.

49.  We can change the world by changing ourselves. 

48.   My obsession with John Cusack might be a tad unhealthy (or not...he’s only mentioned in 27 blog posts!) 

47. Crying is not a sign of weakness, and letting go is a sign of strength. 

46.  Accepting help from others is not a sign of weakness. 

45.  Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring remains my favourite book and she is still an inspiration (and my hero!). 

44.  Nature has so much to teach us, thus the importance of protecting and conserving the natural environment. 

43.  Blogging is a great way to vent.

42.  It’s okay to be selfish sometimes. 

41.  Worrying is absolutely pointless!!!

40.  Self-healing is a power we all possess. 

39.  Take only what you need. 

38.  There’s peace in knowing you’re exactly where you are supposed to be. 

37.  Never be afraid to try something new (proof: "She shoots, she scores").

36.  It is easier to judge others than to discover self.

35.  Everything has a meaning. 

34.  We are our own creators. 

33.  There's beauty in embracing my creativity.   

32.  Blogging for one year, and writing 100 blog posts are proof that I’m not afraid of commitment after all :P

31.  There's a link between the spiritual, the emotional and the physical.  When you are suffering from physical pain, look at the emotional and spiritual for answers. 

30.  My life is filled with joy. 

29.  Knowledge is power only when shared. 

28.  I love to cook (who knew?) and I enjoy trying new vegetarian recipes.

27.  We are all connected. 

26.  Intuition is our greatest guide.  Trust yourself!

25.  I’ve got the power à la "You've always had the power, my dear.  You've had it all along".  ~ Glenda, the good witch (Wizard of Oz)

24.  Good things happen when we think positive thoughts. 

23.  Narcissism runs in the family. My top 2 readers love to read about themselves in my blog :P

22.  There’s so much to experience in life. 

21.  You become what you believe.    

20.  I still have, a lot to learn; when it comes to…punctuation!? 

19. Learning to meditate has been a gift (and I’m still learning!).   Calming the body and the mind helps us to connect to the answers that await our questions. 

18.  We attract people in our lives who act as mirrors through which to see ourselves.     

17.  People and events in our lives serve as catalysts for our growth.  

16.  A greater level of awareness leads to personal growth.   Realizing that I was impatient led to an increase in patience (especially with myself!). 

15.  I matter!!!  We all matter!!! 

14.  I am not alone. 

13.  I am enough!

12.  We need not be afraid of never finding our soul mate because it is our destiny to find wholeness within our own souls.

11.  Fear has paralyzed me most of my life but I’m learning to recognize my fears then release and resolve them.    

10.  The most important time is NOW. 

9.   I am worthy of love, happiness and peace (we all are!).   I believe it! 

8.   This year I learned how to play the piano which is a reminder to all of us:  you’re never too old to learn something new.

7.  I’m kinder, more compassionate, less judgmental, more loving (especially towards myself!) and much more grateful for the blessings in my life.   

6.  I'm learning to accept that I can't fix everyone and everything. 

5.  Family and friends are precious blessings to me. 

4.  You can’t truly love another person until you love yourself, and it's never too late to learn how to love yourself (unconditionally!)

3.  I’m a proud Momma!!! I love Sarah more today than I did yesterday and will probably love her more tomorrow than I do today.   

2.  I am beautiful!

1.  I am perfect “JUST AS I AM” and so are you! :o)   

HAPPY 1^st ANNIVERSARY BLOG!!!

 “Time is the coin of your life.  It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent.  Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.”  ~Carl Sandburg

'Twas Christmas Eve

For those of you who are disappointed that it wasn’t the traditional ‘Twas the night before Christmas", my apologies but I thought this video was so funny that I had to share it with you.   I’m sure Neighbour enjoyed the video since she’s a huge Ryan Gosling fan but then again, she may not be happy that Ryan is rumoured to be in a relationship with Eva Mendes.  Then again, Neighbour is married so it shouldn’t really matter :)

Okay, I digress!

Now for my fellow traditionalists, a little 'Twas the night before Christmas history….

Clement Clarke Moore (1779 - 1863) wrote the poem ‘Twas the night before Christmas also called “A Visit from St. Nicholas" in 1822. It is now the tradition in many homes to read the poem every Christmas Eve.  Interestingly, prior to the creation of the story of 'Twas the night before Christmas, St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, had never been associated with a sleigh or reindeers!

It is believed that Clement Moore’s family friend, Miss H. Butler, sent a copy of the poem to the New York Sentinel who published the poem. The condition of publication was that the author of ‘Twas the night before Christmas remain anonymous.

The first publication date was December 23, 1823 and it was an immediate success.  It was not until 1844 that Clement Clarke Moore claimed ownership when the work was included in a book of his poetry.

Not surprisingly, I can only recite half of the poem by heart.   It seems that not so long ago, I had memorized the entire poem.  Maybe I would do better if I drank a bottle of whiskey?   Every time I hear, recite or read the poem or watch the cartoon (it never gets old!), I feel like a child again, and it gets me excited for Christmas.    

Here’s the poem for you to enjoy on your own or with family and friends:

'Twas the night before Christmas

by Clement Clarke Moore

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

 HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Just me and TED

Well, I’m exhausted!  I spent the afternoon watching Sarah and Reb bake goodies for Christmas.  This year, Santa discovered that he has celiac disease and diabetes so the cookies they baked were either gluten-free and/or sugar-free which is extremely helpful (and coincidental?!) because BFF eats only gluten-free and I eat only sugarless goodies.   The girls made peanut butter cookies, saffron shortbread cookies, chocolate chip vanilla brownies and ginger snaps.   The willpower it took not to eat the treats has lead to my utter exhaustion!  :P

But what a joy it is to watch others bake!  The house smelled delicious (and actually still does!).   Now, the house is empty (just me and the cats!)  so I'm sitting here wondering what I should do to keep my mind busy.   I must admit that the smell of home-baked cookies and brownies is driving me a little crazy so staying occupied is probably a good idea! 

Over the last two weeks, I’ve watched The Last Holiday, It’s a Wonderful Life, Love Actually, The Perfect Holiday, The Holiday, The Santa Clause and all of the tacky made-for-TV Christmas movies that I recorded, and surprisingly there are still so many more to watch before Christmas (two days to go!).   I've yet to watch (this year!) the last two movies from The Santa Clause trilogy, Elf, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Christmas Story, Arthur’s Christmas (yes, the aardvark cartoon!), National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Frosty the Snowman, Frosty the Snowman Returns, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Miracle on 34th Street, Scrooged and A Christmas Carol (am I missing any?).  I guess I’ll be watching Christmas movies after Christmas along with my usual viewing of Bridget Jones’ Diary.  

Right now, I think I need to do something that is a little more stimulating than watching Christmas movies; although The Christmas Story is one of the most stimulating (you’re going to shoot your eye out!).    Sure I could read but I currently have “Breaking Dawn” by Stephanie Meyers (Twilight!) and “Going Within” by Shirley MacLaine on the go, and I’m really not in the mood to read (is it possible that I'm crashing after being high on sugar fumes?).   Maybe I should dance? 

Nope!  Just tried and it turns out that I'm really not in the mood for dancing either.   Sadly, not even ‘N Sync’s “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” can get me dancing tonight.   I know, I’ll watch Hugh Grant dancing in “Love Actually" because that usually gets me grooving :) 

It worked!  I think I just burned at least 500 calories dancing so now it’s time to busy the mind again.  I’m realizing that because I've been wavering from my usual diet (mostly a vegan diet with no eating past 4 or 5pm!), I’m feeling tired, lethargic and very much lacking in the energy department.   Note to self:  when you eat well, you feel well! 

No movies, no books, no dancing.  Okay, I think I’ve got it….

What better way to spend the eve of Christmas Eve than by watching videos with on TED!  On what?  Were you wondering if TED was my new boyfriend?  Ha!  Ha!  Or did you think this was a blog post dedicated to one of my favourite television characters:  How I Met Your Mother’s Ted Mosby?   Sorry!  TED is actually an acronym (yes, this is a good example of an acronym!) for Technology Entertainment Design, and is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading".  The website is a collection of “riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world”.  Every year, there are three “TED Conferences” held throughout the world.    The conferences are described as follows: “Each year, the world's leading thinkers and doers gather for an event many describe as the highlight of their year. Attendees have called it "The ultimate brain spa" and "A 4-day journey into the future, in the company of those creating it."   What I love about the site (www.ted.com) is that you can search the videos by theme or speakers.    There’s also a new feature - “TED Conversations” - so if you have an idea, question, or debate inspired by any of the “talks”, you can start a TED Conversation, or you can join one that already exists.  For example, one of the conversations was started with the following questions: “If you could teach the world 1 valuable thing you learned, what would it be and why?”.  It’s really nice discovering a site on the internet that encourages intellectual dialogue! 

You can either check it out on your own (http://www.ted.com/), or you can watch some of my favourite TED talks.  What I love is that you can get lost in a plethora of videos that inspire you, make you think, enlighten you, and increase your knowledge and understanding of a myriad of topics.   When you click on one video, you are given recommendations for other TED videos.  It's neverending!  The really good news is that these videos keep you from pigging out on holiday treats!  :)

So as I watch a video that I enjoy, I'll include the link to the video on YouTube but you can easily find these videos at http://www.ted.com/ by clicking on “speakers” and typing the speaker's name or simply by doing a search on the TED website.   ENJOY!!!

STEVE JOBS:  HOW TO LIVE BEFORE YOU DIE   

ELIZABETH GILBERT ON NURTURING CREATIVITY

BEN GOLDACRE ON BATTLING BAD SCIENCE

ERIC MEAD: THE MAGIC OF THE PLACEBO

DAVID BLAINE: HOW I HELD MY BREATH FOR 17 MIN

GRAHAM HILL: LESS STUFF, MORE HAPPINESS

GRAHAM HILL: WHY I'M A WEEKDAY VEGETARIAN

BOB THURMAN: BECOMING BUDDHA -- ON THE WEB

TONY ROBBINS: WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO, AND HOW WE CAN DO IT BETTER

STEPHEN HAWKING: ASKING BIG QUESTIONS ABOUT THE UNIVERSE

LOUIE SCHWARTZBERG –ON GRATITUDE

Wow...I've learned a great deal tonight but one of the greatest lessons has been that the best teachers can sometimes be the people you disagree with the most!   

Now if you only have time to watch one video, in the spirit of Christmas, you should watch Louie Schwartzbertg’s TED talk on gratitude (the last video....best for last?).  Watching this video felt like I was giving myself a gift! Not only is the photography amazing, but it’s a great reminder of the importance of gratitude.   Mr. Schwartzberg really has me thinking about how grateful I am for all that I am and for all that I have in my life.  I'm grateful for each and every blessing because I'm learning that everything in my life is a blessing (even the shitty stuff!).      

Many of us are thinking about gifts right now - what we’ll give and what we’ll receive during the holiday season – but it’s important to remember that the greatest gift is the gift of NOW.  Be grateful for every moment (and the person/people you are blessed to spend it with!). 

HAPPY EVE OF CHRISTMAS EVE :)

Don't text and drive!  :)
(seriously though...don't text and drive!)