Sunday Musings

52/11 - Weight Of The World
Originally uploaded by *lemonade*

Happy Sunday everyone!

I woke up relatively early and made a lovely breakfast. I'll be making some tea in just a while and hopefully my mum and our family friend might come visit for late lunch. I'm looking forward to seeing her - I haven't in a while. With the chaos and stress of my life as of late, I'm not surprised that I'm craving some motherly attention. Plus, she always has the best goodies in her purse and the sweetest smelling hand creams...(how she fits all those things in there is beyond me!)

Still reading Shantaram and happily doing so. I hope that it never ends. This book just lets my mind run free and rampant but gathers me up just in time to gain the focus necessary to relate to its experiences and messages.

We all feel that we ought to learn something from life and the feelings we associate with it each day. Really though, how often do we manage to do that? The more negative the feelings, the harder it seems to be to find truth and meaning despite the sheer "miserableness" of it all.

I loved this passage.

I clenched my teeth against the stars. I closed my eyes. I surrendered to sleep. One of the reasons why we crave love, and seek it so desperately, is that love is the only cure for loneliness, and shame and sorrow. But some feelings sink so deep into the heart that only loneliness can help you feel them again. Some truths about yourself are so painful that only shame can help you live with them. And some things are just so sad that only your soul can do the crying for you.

How hauntingly true.

I figure that you can only keep running for so long before you just have to face it, whatever it is and work through it. Don't get discouraged during these times dear reader; it is then that you can learn the most about the extent of your personal strength.

Enjoy your Sunday regardless of what you're facing. There's always something to be thankful for.

(Photo by Lemonade)

Saturday Afternoon - Join me for a cuppa??

Happy Weekend people! It's a beautiful day here in Hamilton and now that I'm finished doing some housework I will go outside and play.

Perhaps get some groceries done and them some reading time the grass? *sigh* Who wouldn't want to spend their day like that!

Hope everyone is having a picture perfect weekend. Oh yeah...and enjoy some afternoon tea. I know I'll be doing just that.

(photo by Joanna Henderson)

Brilliant!

I'll be writing an important exam tomorrow and so, I don't have much time to blog today but I did want to share something that I found:



This is such a clever video. Hope I have half as much ingenuity tomorrow!! (Wish me luck)

I have a feeling I can be someone (be someone, be someone)

Every month or so, I get up the courage to listen to Fast Car by Tracy Chapman and promise myself that I won't cry. Every month or so, I stand corrected.

I really don't know what it is about that song.

It's not that I necessarily strongly identify with it. I don't often feel like running away from my life and it certainly isn't nearly as rough for me as it portrayed in the song.

I guess that, to a degree, we all wish that we had a fast car to fly away in and the optimism it takes to see a brighter future. In the end, what really hits home is that, no matter what, you can still aspire and endure.

Remember that folks. Nothing has the power to break your spirit.

(Photography by Chris Blott)

Laugh of the Day

Very VERY gradual change...go Darwin!

Dancing Sisters Soap

This line of cute bath and skin care products are made with all natural materials and often come in vegan formats as well so that everyone can enjoy what Dancing Sisters has to offer.

The shaving bars are good for the environment and better for your skin.
Check out the cute whipped soap cupcakes! I think this would perfect as presents.

PostSecret Sundays

It's funny how, in a world that's so connected, we could feel so alone. I'm amazed at how many people I know that feel...well...lonely.

This is for all of you out there that feel the same way. There's always going to be someone/something/somewhere for you...promise. You just need to know where to look.

Hope

My bike got stolen sometime this past week.

I had it all locked up in the apartment basement in preparation for a spring full of joy rides and breezy travels; I was going to put my license number on it this summer just in case it ever got stolen.

I found the pool cue that they used to pry open the fencing. Oddly enough, it wasn't just the bike that they pried through the fence to get to. They, without knowing, managed to rip through my childhood and pull out a decent chunk.

My father gifted me the bike when I was 13 or 14. We were very financially unstable and I knew how much this had cost him. I promised to keep it safe and take care of it.

I remember the independence I used to feel when I used to ride it. The wind in my hair, the adrenaline coursing through my veins when I went down too big a hill on too fast a speed, the way my legs toned shapely and strong.

Maybe I'm making this a big deal when I shouldn't be. I just can't help feeling this way.

I sincerely hope that whoever stole it really needed to do so; perhaps they needed the money desperately when they sold it for 50 bucks (mind you, its an $800 bike). I can only hope for that whoever has it now respects it and the little piece of my childhood they now own.

Singita Game Reserves - South Africa

Singita's stylishly earthy lodges in South Africa are breathtaking. I could only imagine what it would be like to wake up in a place like this, look outside and see all that nature has to offer.

(via Mom's Turf)

Where Design and Dork Meet...

I'm absolutely thrilled at this Tetris Furniture Design. It's practical, edgy and so much fun. In a world full of tiny living spaces, condos and townhouses, I imagine it would be quite the space saver unless you're Tetris challenged...

*cue Tetris music on exeunt*

How do you feel about these? I'm thinking that besides the loud colours, they're super fab!

Oren Lavie - Her Morning Elegance

This puts a smile to my face every time I watch it...

Plaid Elegance

I just love the elegance of Minnie Mortimer's line of clothing inspired by school clothing! It's a hard look to pull off but it's just so pretty for spring!


This is just simple, fresh and elegant. Love the very flattering A-line cut:


What do you think???

Snaggletooth

I woke up this morning a bit sore in the mouth. Upon closer inspection, I dare say there might be a tooth coming up where my wisdom tooth used to be! Vick thinks that the dentist missed when he pulled out my wisdom tooth and pulled out a molar instead (hence explaining the emergence of another wisdom tooth perhaps???).

However ridiculous that hypothesis may seem, it kind of makes me wonder...

What the heck is that?!?

A Story's Worth

Taken from Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, this adeptly describes how necessary it is that we know, acknowledge and embody each others stories no matter how far from our realities they might seem. In truth, I feel this is why I sojourn to this blog during my day. It's the reason why I write to you...

There's a truth that's deeper than experience. It's beyond what we see, or even what we feel. It's an order of truth that separates the profound from the merely clever, and the reality from the perception. We're helpless, usually in the face of it; and the cost of knowing it, like the cost of knowing love, is sometimes greater than any heart would willingly pay. It doesn't always help us to love the world, but it does prevent us from hating the world. And the only way to know the truth is to share it, from heart to heart...

It's around 1:15 a.m but I'll be up for a while yet. Il y aura une nuit blanche bien necessaire. Just wanted to take a break and share this with you.

This Sunday's PostSecret...

The message in this postsecret definitely applies to a lot of people I know. With women becoming increasingly independent, career - oriented, and focused on leading and controlling their lives, it isn't a suprise that people find a great risk in love. In my opinion, if you are a person that is capable of having all of the above, and have been in failed relationships before, it is diffcult to make the decision to love and be loved in return if you have so much to lose.

It's a bit cliché but it is true; the best things come when you least expect it. I think, even when I look back at my relationships of past, that I am truly grateful of having them no matter what mascara-streaming-down-my-face horror show it concluded with. There really isn't much to lose...just so much to gain. Really.

Let him/her love you. Just take a deep breath and fall in...

Why are we Open??

I'm at work at the moment and I'm wondering why?

Everything else is closed, why couldn't we be as well? I ran to work this morning thinking that I'd be able to put my stuff down, run upstairs and get my well deserved tea and muffin but noooooo, they were closed. I stood there looking rather dejected wondering, "why am I here then?"

Sorry about the rant.

On the bright side, at least I get paid to study for my exams (and print out all my lecture notes )

;)

Oh Noes!!

This is exactly how I feel when I'm enjoying a great meal and Vickram notices...

A Wall Update

With the indispensable help of Mr. Fanfan, my walls now look like:Forgive the poor quality of the pictures. I'm hoping to take a few more this weekend to show you the finished product. I figured that this design would go nicely since our kitchen has very "diner" esque tiles down the floor but I had no clue how to execute it! Fanfan was a great help. He apparently dreamed up how we could tape the boxes so that the edges would touch...Now that's skill. This is after the taping and the cutting. Kind of blurry but you get the gist of the situation.


After the painting in and some of the tape cut away. You can see the true colour of the paint here.

He won't be my neighbour...

Fanfan must hate me and think that I smell.

A Pleasant Take on Rain...

The day looks beautiful in this picture. Everything that today is not in Hamilton, Ontario. It's a gorgeous picture though so I hope it cheers at least some of you up!

I woke up this morning and wanted to still be sleeping. Although I love rain, I don't like this sort of rain. I like my rain to be decisive enough to choose between either being sleet or actual rain. Better yet, rain should be unambitious - it should just be what it is and not aspire to be anything remotely like hail.

That would be a travesty.

Dancing Feet

I've been out 2 nights in a row now which is completely opposite to what I've been doing this past year (and a bit). While I probably could be doing other things more valuable like furthering my education or practicing my acceptance speech for becoming Prime Minister (!!!), I really enjoyed being out with my friends, acting silly and just having a blast.

It still bothers me that I'm so reserved. It's odd because I rarely genuinely laugh or smile and I never know what to say when someone tries to make small talk with me. I think I'm socially awkward. I guess that just me. Probably something that won't be changing any time soon. * sigh *

I'm home now and I've taken a shower and getting ready to go to sleep. Going to have another industrious day tomorrow.

Outwardly, I'm complaining about how painful my dancing feet are...inside, I wish it happened more often.

The Gift of Gab...

...I just wish I had it.

Some might argue that I do. But, I'll be honest, those people would be few and far between.

I wish I were the type of person that could say something truly earth-shattering and magnificent every time you were to speak to me. The kind of person that people just gravitated to because I was so profound. Yep, I want to be the new Plato...

I've sorta figured out over time that being the new Plato might be a lot easier said than done.

I'm an excellent communicator. Truly, I am. My closest friends would definitely agree. Them and my stuffed bear whom I used to practice my presentations to in elementary school, and some of high school (and most of university...)

I have visions of coming up with my own sex-in-the-city-esque "I couldn't help but wonder..." catch phrase and reeling in thousands...all with one gabby gift.

Sometimes it just flows. I astound myself with my wordy worldlyness. Like in interviews! My words are like butter in interviews! I'm not complaining. I would rather prefer to keep my interview performances at an all time high BUT what's going on all those other times when I want to get my point across - dazzle and wow???

It's definitely not a self confidence thing. I think it's rather twisted actually. I think that somehow I convince myself that I should be nervous/anxious/lost for words in a particular situation and so, I end up being said feelings in said situation. How sad is that??

It's not even that I'm worried or nervous during appropriate times either. This is what irks me the most - I get nervous when I'm on the phone giving someone driving directions. When a friend asks me what I thought of the movie I saw last night. When my dad asks me what I ate for supper. When I was supposed to upkeep this blog and write in it daily but instead I'm posting now after nearly a year...

I think I feel the need to be so witty and so interesting to talk to that the very pressure of it all makes my vocal cords want to run like the wind.

Guys, seriously...what is wrong with me?? I concern myself. I really do.

=)