In like a lion… Out like a lion by Margaret Ullrich

About a month ago I posted about the awful weather we're having this Winter.

It seems to be the same weather we’re going to have this Spring.

Maybe it’ll hang around through Summer and Fall.

I don’t think Winter knows how to leave any more.

Even the geese don’t have much faith in Spring coming this year.

They flew to Fort Whyte, saw that there wasn’t anything but solid ice, shook their heads, and flew south and out of the city.

The wildlife manager at Fort Whyte was thinking of following them.

Those geese are smart enough to know they need open water.

Don’t ever use the term ‘Bird brain’ as an insult.

Paul and I took a short walk last week to return a few books to the library.

We really need to get back into the habit of daily walks.

The icy sidewalks aren’t giving us much incentive.

Yes, those geese had the right idea - live in an area that has what you need.

Back to the library…

My local librarians are nice folks, who know me for what I am, or rather, what I was.

No sooner had I put the books on the counter than the guy flashed a huge smile and said, “You know, we have our Mega Book Sale going on in the meeting room.”

Pointing to my now empty shopping bag, he continued, “For five bucks you could fill that bag with books.”

Now the old me, the pre-Feng Shui Your Life me, would’ve raced into that room.

I mean a big bag of books for five bucks!  Yeee Hah!!  What’s not to love?

But, the new me just didn’t feel like even looking at the library’s discards.

I smiled, thanked him, walked over to the magazines, grabbed one, strolled over to a cubicle and read the magazine in the library.

Yes, Tisha Morris really has had an effect on my life.

Maybe not her New Age, scented space clearing and bell ringing ideas.

But I’ve gotten used to cleared spaces and I have to admit I like it.

I just couldn’t bring myself to cramming more stuff into my home.

A book is something to read and return; not to clutter up my living space.

Oh, the magazine I had picked up was O, as in Oprah.

I like and admire Oprah Winfrey, but I don’t watch her show.

I also never buy her magazines.

I have to admit she does have a sense of humour about herself.

Who could forget when she guested on 30 Rock?

After I put the magazine back on the rack I passed some books.

There was a copy of Robyn Okrant’s book Living Oprah.

It’s about her one year experiment in following everything Oprah told her to do.

Was that a sign or what?

I mean, I found the book about Oprah after I put the Oprah magazine away.

I checked out the book.

The librarian remind me of their Mega Book Sale.

No way.  I have Feng Shuied myself… on to getting Oprahed!!

About tonight’s new moon in Aries…

According to the folks at astrology.com:

All new Moons are about starting new ventures.  

Aries is the sign of beginnings.   

There couldn’t be a better new Moon in all of 2014 for launching a business!

You may feel as if you're driving with one foot on the brake since Mars is retrograde, the new Moon is joined by Uranus and squared by both Pluto and Jupiter… 

multiple people have competing agendas. 

Anything you begin now needs to incorporate the needs of others. 

Be smart about the way you go about getting what you want. 

Take time to regroup, find work-arounds, or simply slow down.

The New Moon is in Aries!

What’s good for beginning a business ought to be just as good for beginning a best life.

The heck with retrograding, joining and squaring… On to living a la Oprah!

What could go wrong?

Snow, St. Patrick’s Day, Soda Bread and Stuff by Margaret Ullrich

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

With the winter we’ve been through, it doesn’t look like it’s really his feast day.

The windrows of snow in the back lanes are about a meter high.

For sure they don’t remind me of the type of weather we had for St. Patrick’s Day when my sister was being born in 1955.

Yes, I really thought my sister came from Ireland.

The 50s were a simpler time.

College Point was settled by Germans and Irish people.

During those days traditional recipes were shared.

At the very least, everyone there ate a slice of Irish Soda Bread on March 17.

Back to St. Patrick…

In 432, he used the shamrock to explain the Trinity to the Irish people.

But the celebrations in his honour don’t stop at the Irish border.

Montreal, whose flag has a shamrock, stages a huge Saint Patrick's Day parade.

In Manitoba, the Irish Association of Manitoba runs a festival of music and culture.

Yes, enjoying a slice of Irish Soda Bread is the very least one can do.

Tonight’s full moon is called a Lenten Moon by some.

Especially when, as in this year, Lent has already started.

Lent gives us forty days to do a bit of fasting and penance.

And to do Spring cleaning to get ready for Easter.

Maybe it was inspired by the ancient Roman celebration Lupercalia.

If you didn’t have time to celebrate Lupercalia last month, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to do a Feng Shui thing after you’ve done your Spring cleaning:

Light a sandalwood or frankincense incense stick.

Beginning at the front door, walk the main floor in a clockwise direction. 

Let the smoke clear the spaces of stagnant energies. 

Don’t forget corners, closets and rooms with little foot traffic. 

Return to the front door, sit and let the incense burn out. 

It's important to intend a cleanse, not just to be a walking air wick. 

Even if you did do it last month, it wouldn't hurt to do it again.

Paul and I have been tossing more stuff.

Guess we still have a touch of that feng shui fever.

With any luck we should roll out another cart - or two - for recycling before Easter.

About tonight’s full moon in Virgo…

It’s also called a Full Worm Moon or a "Sap Moon", but it’s too cold for that here.

According to the folks at astrology.com:
Are you content? Full Moons highlight your emotional connections with others, as well as your own personal feelings of well-being. 

Since Virgo represents your day-to-day work, and routines, the way in which you approach this important area of your life is extra-important now. 

Are you organized? 

Or do you find yourself trying to catch up on all the things you need to do? 

As you think about how you handle your daily life, make a plan to take better care of yourself… use this time to implement a sensible plan to make yourself more emotionally content.

Time to get organized… to become more content...

and to make some Sfingi to enjoy on St. Joseph’s Day on March 19.

Should I Stay or Should I Go? by Margaret Ullrich

We’ve been living in Winnipeg for 39 years!

Some good years, some bad years, some so-so years.

We’ve also survived 39 Winnipeg summers and winters.

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

This February will probably have a mean temperature around -20 C.

We’ve actually seen worse.

In 1979 February had an average temperature of -22.0 C.

We also had a mean temperature of -19.4 C in February, 2003.

That was 24 years later, but just eleven years ago… hmmm.

The projected winter average for 2013 - 14 is -20.2 C.

I almost said this has been the coldest winter we’ve ever seen in Winnipeg.

Nope.  Winter in our first house in Winnipeg, in 1978 - 79, was colder at -20.8 C.

Before that, the coldest winter was 29 years earlier, in 1949 - 50 at -19.8 C.

Crap… the gaps between nasty winters ARE getting shorter.

Some native Winnipeggers like to brag about surviving harsh winters.

Not me.  I’m not a native and I’m all wintered out.

Moving to Winnipeg in 1975 seemed like a good idea at the time.

Last year I posted about when we moved to Winnipeg from Surrey, British Columbia.

All it took was four fun-filled days:

• Surrey to Hope to Osoyoos to Trail
• Trail to Crowsnest Pass to Lethbridge, Alberta
• Lethbridge to Medicine Hat to Moose Jaw to Regina
• Regina to Qu'Appelle to Moosomin to Brandon to Portage la Prairie to Winnipeg

Last year I also wrote about our first apartment in Winnipeg.

It was a two room walk up, with a shared bathroom.

Hard to believe it held everything we owned.

Still, it was once our home, as was our apartment in Surrey.

In life, a person will come and go from many homes. We may leave a house, a town, a room, but that does not mean those places leave us. Once entered, we never entirely depart the homes we make for ourselves in the world. They follow us, like shadows, until we come upon them again, waiting for us in the mist. 

Ari Berk, Death Watch 

As it’s been too cold to do much walking about, I’ve been tossing out stuff.

Another whole cart of recyclables is ready to go next week.

Let’s just say I’ve still got that feng shui fever.

At this rate, I’ll be down to just enough stuff for another two room apartment.

But, if the winters keep getting colder, I wonder if that apartment will be in Winnipeg.

About tonight’s new moon in Pisces...
According to the folks at astrology.com:
You may not know if you're coming or going as a new lunar phase begins in the midst of several planets changing direction. 

Should you invest in your goals? Yes! 

Should you expect results right away? No! 

Your best course of action is to simplify your schedule for the next couple of weeks. Listen to music, walk in nature, or write in your journal. 

Also… tonight Mercury turns direct
Now it's time to incorporate everything you've learned this month! 

Hopefully you've informed yourself of all your options. 

Ordinarily, this would be an ideal time to get your revamped ideas out into the world, but since Mars turns retrograde on March 1, it will be difficult to get your plans in motion now. 

Yeah, right, walk in nature… When skin freezes in 2 minutes?  I don’t think so.

Maybe I’ll just toss out some more stuff.

Less stuff would make it easier to move to someplace warmer.

Get my plans in motion.  Sure…  If I had a plan. 

Sex, Drugs, Rock ’n Roll, Valentine's Day and Stuff by Margaret Ullrich

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Ah, February… usually a quiet, not much happening time.

A time to relax and celebrate love.

A time to shovel snow here in Winnipeg.

No further word from the patriotic Winnipeg YA author on Facebook.

After folks shared their Look Back movies, Facebook settled down.

Elsewhere there’s been everything: Sex, Drugs and Rock ’n Roll.

And a few reminders that time is flying.

We were all shocked by Philip Seymour Hoffman's tragic passing.
And saddened by the loss of Shirley Temple-Black, Sid Caesar and Ralph Waite.

Also in the news...
Woody Allen’s adopted daughter renewed allegations against him.

The UN human rights committee criticized the Holy See for its attitudes toward homosexuality, contraception and abortion.

After 22 years, on February 6, Jay Leno had his second Tonight Show exit.

He first left in 2009, when he was briefly replaced by Conan O'Brien.

That didn’t go so well, so Jay came back.

He’ll be 64 this year, and said, ‘this is the right time to leave.’

Jimmy Fallon takes over Tonight in New York on Feb. 17.

Yes, they’re moving the show back to New York.

On February 7 the Winter Olympics began in Sochi.

Sports competed with Rock ’N Roll royalty on February 9, the fiftieth anniversary of 

the Beatles arrival in New York and their first performance on the Ed Sullivan Show.

This has been a busier than normal start for February.

Valentine’s Day, as usual, reminded us of the importance of love.

But this year February also reminded us that we must move with the times.

It seems February has been the time to clean house for quite a while.

February 15 was when ancient Romans celebrated Lupercalia.

Even for the Caesars, February was the time to cleanse, to let go. 

In honour of Lupercalia it wouldn’t hurt to do a Feng Shui thing:

Light a sandalwood or frankincense incense stick.

Beginning at the front door, walk the main floor in a clockwise direction. 

Let the smoke clear the spaces of stagnant energies. 

Don’t forget corners, closets and rooms with little foot traffic. 

Return to the front door, sit and let the incense burn out. 

It's important to intend a cleanse, not just to be a walking air wick. 

Well, why not.

This month we've seen a few reminders of the passing of time.

Memories are fine, they don't have to fill up boxes to be real.

As part of our plans to downsize, I’ve been tossing more stuff.

After I walk around the house with an incense stick, I’ll toss more clutter.

About tonight’s full moon in Leo…

It’s also called a Full Snow Moon or a "Hunger Moon”.

According to the folks at astrology.com:
During this attention-grabbing full Moon, conduct yourself in a way that will make you proud. The Sun and Mercury in Aquarius ask you to take into account what's best for everyone, making this a perfect time to highlight a cause that's close to your heart. 

Whether the spotlight shines on you or others, plan on experiencing a bit of drama! 

Not only is Leo a showy sign, but full Moons have a tendency to ramp up emotions; 

Mercury's retrograde is also likely to highlight misunderstandings. 

Do your best to keep your cool and not overreact!

As said in Desiderata….

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; 

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth...

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Do you know who I am? by Margaret Ullrich

This has been a brutally cold winter just about everywhere.

Most of our friends have been staying in and catching up on chores.

We’ll be free to do a lot of socializing once it gets warmer.
If that ever happens.

I’ve just thrown out another whole cartload of recyclables.

Things collect when you've lived in a house for almost 26 years.

It's funny but things that once seemed so important, just aren’t.

To be honest, some of them didn’t even bring back a memory.

A while ago I compared the passing of two actors: Larry D. Mann and Cory Monteith.

They were both Canadians, but that’s where the similarity ends.

Mann was a steady worker with a very long career, but not famous.

Monteith had his problems and a very short career, but was very famous.

Fame sometimes makes otherwise sane people do peculiar things.

Last April Reese Witherspoon was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after she disobeyed an officer's instructions, and then asked him if he knew who she was.

Not one of her finest moments, and she soon publicly apologized.

One can have awkward brushes with celebrities even here in Winnipeg.

In 1986 Paul and I were about to leave Skinners, a local eatery, when an older fellow flashed a huge smile, leaned across the counter, and blocked our way to the door.

I glanced at him, and then walked around him so I could leave.

Apparently Skinners' exterior was being used as a set for a television show.

Well, I wasn’t into country music and hadn’t recognized Ray St. Germain.

Ray St. Germain is a Canadian musician, author, and radio show host.

He had written, produced and hosted the nationally-syndicated, award-winning Big Sky Country that aired for 13 years, has received the Aboriginal Order of Canada, and was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010.
Most Canadians would have asked for his autograph.

In 1997 I volunteered at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival.

After the staff made sure we knew how to make change they told us that once the play had begun, no one, and they meant NO ONE, was to be allowed entry.

The venues were small and it would distract the actors, most of whom were amateurs.

A local politician, whose picture had been in the papers while she had served in Premier Howard Pawley’s cabinet, arrived 15 minutes after the show began.

She demanded to be allowed in to see that performance.

We explained that the play had begun, and she’d have to wait.

Giving us a withering look, she announced, “Do you know who I am?”

This wasn't my partner's first time at dealing with celebrities.

“Yes, you're the woman who has to wait for the next performance.” 

It's a good idea to use some caution when agreeing to friend on Facebook.
Especially when one's last name is toward the end of the alphabet.
No, being in the same line of work is not a good enough reason.
Trust me.

A couple of weeks ago Paul and I were chatting with a friend on Facebook. 

A simple discussion that many seniors have at one time or another: downsizing, moving, other cities, housing, facilities, services, the weather.

A Winnipeg YA author with a Fine Arts Degree entered the conversation.

Starting with how her great-grandmother had chosen to move to and settle in Winnipeg, she continued with the tedious saga of her family's history, which, she added, gave her roots as deep as prairie grass.
As I'd never personally met this woman or her relatives, I couldn't see how all that should have any bearing on where we would spend our golden years.

She then added that she had visited Ottawa, where one of her books had been banned by a school division, and that she could hardly stand the humidity when she was there.

The Winnipeg YA author and I had seven mutual friends, so I tried to be polite.

The other woman in the conversation, also a writer whose family was rooted in Winnipeg, tried to humour the Winnipeg YA author.

The Winnipeg YA author then fell into a pattern.
She would post a long rant, then announce she was done and leaving.
Taking her at her word, we would pick up our chat before the family history began, only to have the Winnipeg YA author return.
It soon became quite annoying.

The other woman and I formed a strategy in the privacy of ‘Chat’:
We would avoid any further discussions with the Winnipeg YA author.

The Winnipeg YA author didn’t take well to our ignoring her.

After ten minutes the Winnipeg YA author's comments were disappearing.

I checked.  To my great relief she had unfriended me.

How wonderful to be done with her!

Yes, celebrity, even the small amount a big fish in a small pond has, sometimes makes otherwise sane people do peculiar things.

About tonight’s new moon in Aquarius…

The second New Moon in the same month is called a Black Moon.

A Black Moon is seen as an omen of change and a time when hidden truths will surface.

According to the folks at astrology.com:
Get ready for a hardworking year ahead as this new Moon marks the beginning of the Chinese Year of the Horse! 

Since Aquarius is a sign that loves teamwork, it's a great time to invite others to help you reach your goals… return the favour and invest your energy in group projects that make others' lives better. 

Spend more time with good friends - they can help you succeed. 

You now have an opportunity to make a fresh start… make a strong effort to pursue something, whether it's a goal, job, or relationship!

It’s going to be a busy year.

Without any fame involved.

But that can be a very, very good thing.

With all the chores done, there’ll be plenty of time to socialize.
Without the Winnipeg YA author.
Also a very, very, very good thing.

Cold, Clutter, Coyotes, Cory Monteith and Yukon Cornelius (Larry D. Mann) by Margaret Ullrich

We are two weeks into the new year 2014.
We have been through an extremely cold period across most of North America.
Hope you all have been safe and warm.

Most folks around here just stayed indoors, which can be a good thing.
As the saying goes, It’s an ill wind that blows no one good.
This has been a perfect time to catch up on chores.

I have thrown out quite a bit of stuff during the past few months.
And I had the empty boxes to prove it.
I was like the woman who’d lost a lot of weight, but can’t quite bring herself to throw away her fat clothes, because, well, you never know if you might need them… again.
I know, I know...  that sends a bad message out to the universe.
Like, are you really serious about getting rid of the clutter or not?

Since we were stuck indoors I sorted through the empty boxes.
Some will be used for packing odds and ends to give to local charities.
My husband cut down the other boxes so they could go out with the recycling.
Now the universe knows I mean business.

Local grocers give a flat 10% discount the first Tuesday of every month.
It's usually the perfect time to meet neighbours and catch up on the gossip.
I walk to our local stores and haul groceries in my baba buggy.
A few weeks ago I had gotten some fresh produce.
The lettuce had black tips by the time I got home.
I figured I’d have compost in my cart if I shopped on Tuesday, so I waited until Saturday to get groceries.
It doesn’t hurt to live off the hump every so often.

The January full moon is called Full Wolf Moon.
Here in Winnipeg there have been sightings of coyotes.
It’s been a hard winter and they’re searching for food.
There have been a few mauled deer carcasses found within the city limits.
People are worried about their children and family pets.

Just so you know:
Manitoba Conservation advises people to keep calm and ensure the animal has an escape route. If the coyote notices you, let it know you are human by shouting, waving your arms, and throwing stones or other objects.
Do not turn away or run.
If the coyote attacks, fight back instead of playing dead.

Ah, life in the big city.
Well, life in a big Canadian city in the prairies.

There was some sad news on January 6.
Larry D. Mann had died in Los Angeles at the age of 91.
He was the voice of Yukon Cornelius in the 1964 animated Christmas classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
His son, Richard Mann, said he had died of age-related causes.

Larry D. Mann started as a disc jockey in his native Toronto.
In 1953 Mann performed with the puppet, Uncle Chichimus, on the show Let's See.
He had gotten the job when his friend, actor Don Harron, pointed him out to producer Norman Jewison.
He also appeared as Cap'n Scuttlebutt on the Canadian version of Howdy Doody, and hosted a late-night program called Midnight Zone.
His TV work also includes The Wayne and Shuster Show, Gunsmoke, Bewitched, Hogan's Heroes, Green Acres and Hill Street Blues.

He'd had small roles in more than 20 movies, including In the Heat of the Night.
He also played Mr. Clemens, the railroad conductor who arranged for Paul Newman to join the poker game, in the 1973 movie The Sting.

Mann did TV commercials, including "The Boss" in a 1980s series of Bell Canada ads.
His last role was playing a talent agent in the 1991 TV show Homefront.

His biography on the Internet Movie Database site lists 157 TV and movie credits.
It’s a safe bet everyone has seen him at least once.
Yet, for most people, the name just doesn’t ring a bell.
Entertainment Tonight didn’t mention his passing.

On July 13, 2013, at the age of 31, Cory Monteith, another Canadian actor, was found dead in his room in Vancouver from a heroin and alcohol overdose.
He’d had a 9 year career, and was known for portraying Finn Hudson for four year on the television series Glee.
The circumstances of his death, and its impact on his co-workers on Glee, were the top stories on Entertainment Tonight for weeks.
On September 22, 2013, Monteith, along with four other actors who had died in 2013, was given an extended tribute on the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards.

How would you compare the importance of the two actors?

Life often doesn't make sense.
The steady workers who do their jobs - which pretty much covers the majority of people in most lines of work - just keep plugging away.
No headlines, no covers of People magazine, no coverage on Entertainment Tonight.
The select few are famous, or notorious, and get all the publicity.
Their every action is followed, especially if there’s a bit of scandal involved.
So it goes.

About tonight’s full moon…

According to the folks at astrology.com:

Your ambitions and goals for the year were highlighted during the new Moon in Capricorn on January 1. Now, the full Moon in Cancer asks you to focus on your personal needs to make sure that the public and personal aspects of your life are in healthy balance. 

Make changes in your home that soothe you. 
Get rid of clutter… or simply buy yourself some fresh flowers… make a goal to nurture and take good care of yourself… form a plan to maximize all that's great as you make changes that will make you feel more comfortable and secure.

It’s all about balance.
And about knowing what's important in life.
The clutter is gone, including the empty boxes.

About buying those fresh flowers… I’ll wait until it’s a bit warmer.

The Grinch, St. Nicholas and Moonlight Upon the Snow by Margaret Ullrich

Tonight is Full Moon number twelve for 2013.

The last one for the year.

No, we did not get a blue moon this year.

No problem… I don't think anyone missed it.

Here in Manitoba, witnessing a full moon during winter is a mystical experience.
Add the occasional Northern Lights and it can be a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

When viewed through a frosted window, the night scene is truly magical.
Our nights in Manitoba are extra long - it's dark by 5:30 p.m.

The sun doesn't appear until about 8:30 a.m. - fifteen hours later.

That gives us plenty of time to enjoy the play of twinkling lights upon the glistening snow's surface.

Clement Clarke Moore - the author of the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (also known 

as "'Twas the Night Before Christmas") would have loved winters in Manitoba.

As he had written in the poem:

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 luster of mid-day to objects below…

The luster of mid-day combined with the peace of of an extended mid-night.

Perfect conditions for humming Silent Night.

Moore had a reputation as a serious, learned professor.

He had written "A Visit from St. Nicholas" for his children's amusement.

At first he did not wish to be publicly connected with the family oriented verse.

He allowed it to be included in an anthology at the insistence of his children.

As children they had recognized a good story when they'd heard it.

Another Christmas classic, Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!", has the Grinch, the villain with the heart two sizes too small, realizing

Maybe Christmas, he thought, means a little bit more. 

after seeing that Christmas is more than presents and feasting.

Theodor Seuss Geisel, known as Dr. Seuss, didn't try to teach kids morals.
He was not against writing about issues; he'd said that he was "subversive as hell."

But he also wisely said, "Kids can see a moral coming a mile off." 

He was talented enough, and smart enough, to not let a lesson ruin a good story.

Writing is a funny business, with a pecking order as to what is respectable.
Literary poetry and novels are considered to be the height of the art.

There are quite a few major prizes awarded to literary writers.
There are also government grants given for literary projects.
I know about the government grants because I was awarded a couple.
And I was very grateful to receive them.

For some reason most literary work doesn't have the appeal of lowbrow writings.
Organizations and governments feel duty bound to support literary writers.

Commercial writers settle for paying their bills and living a comfortable life.

A few poets I know have told me that, while their art is considered the ultimate form of writing, they  usually have to write genre - mysteries in particular - to make a living.

Genre sells, poetry doesn't.

Most people know a good story when they've read it.

It's absolutely true that kids can see a moral coming.
In the 80s and 90s I had volunteered in my son's schools' libraries.
During that time R. L. Stine was the equivalent of J. K. Rowling.
Kids came in pairs - one to return a book, with a friend ready to borrow it.

"A Visit from St. Nicholas" was written for the author's children.

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" was not intended to teach a moral.

They weren't written to win Pulitzer Prizes.

No problem… Moore, Dr. Seuss and their millions of readers didn't miss it.

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

According to the folks at astrology.com:

December 17: Full Moon in Gemini
Just when you thought life might calm down, this information-loaded full Moon also sees Uranus turn retrograde, bringing unexpected news that will prompt you to take a second look at your plans. 

Although you may feel overwhelmed by the rapid pace of this week, it can also move you out of situations that have become stale or outmoded. 

People are extra-emotional now, and much of what they say is contradictory. 

What should you do? 

Slow down and carefully review all your scraps of data. 

Once you see the whole picture for what it is, you'll know what to do. 

Until then, don't overreact!

So, in other words, relax, review and have another cookie.

And maybe start making some New Year's resolutions.

Feng Shui and Christmas in My Favourite Home by Margaret Ullrich

Tomorrow there will be a new moon.

The last new moon of the year.

The bad news - Christmas is just three weeks away.

The good news - the days will start getting longer.

I now feel like I'm at peace with my home.

As Katherine and Frances in Under the Tuscan Sun might say...

It's a nice little villa. Rather run down, but redeemable...

It's not a villa, and, yes, it's a little run down, but it's more than redeemable.

This house has been our home since 1988.

That's a lot of time, and a lot of memories.

So our home holds a lot of stuff.

And I'm just fine with that.

Tisha Morris' book Feng Shui Your Life is great in theory.

It's just that, for women of a certain age, it's not so great in practice.

Alright, I'd gone this far, I figured I'd finish the project.

Maybe I have closure issues, like Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory.

I flipped through to phase three…

The 'give your home a good cleaning' part was just fine.

I mean, who doesn't do that before company comes visiting during the holidays.

Then there was the New Age part...

• Space clear with sage
• Ring some bells                   

Space clear with sage… right… 

I lit a green joss stick - no I don't know what scent it was supposed to be - ripped the ribbon of jingle bells off our front door and walked around my house.

Paul noticed me waving the smoking stick and ringing the bells, but he wisely decided to chalk it up to something menopausal.

After that I scratched 'phase three' off my To Do list.

On to the the ideas in 'phase four'.

One of Tisha's suggestions I liked.

• Add a mirror

I got a small mirror to hang near the door.

That was a good idea - handy for last minute checkups.

Some of the 'phase four' things were a little weird, so I modified them.

• Stimulate the senses

Really?...  Now?… in December?…  This is the holiday season.

Everybody and everything is on sensory overload.

Enough is enough.

Sight - Our Christmas decorations make our eyes water.

Sound - Christmas carols and jingling bells are making us deaf.

Touch - The pins and needles when feeling returns to frostbitten fingers.

Smell - Pine scented candles competing with the smell of our plastic tree.

Taste - Holiday baking is spicy enough.

The rest got even weirder:

• Add pink to enhance your love life in the SW corner
• Add purple to bring in wealth in the SE corner
• Add a crystal
• Integrate the 5 elements

About the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, water…

I read that some work well together, some don't.

I worried what they would do to each other.

The whole thing was making me very nervous.

I mean, what the heck is proper integrating?

I knocked back a stiff one and grabbed a pen and a piece of paper.

Across the top I wrote the names of our rooms.

Down the paper's left side I wrote a list of the elements.

I also included substitutes, like the colours that fit in each group.

In case your house is unbalanced, the element colours (in the same order as above) are: green, red, yellow, white and black.

No, I don't know why wood is green and not brown.

Then, without the smoking stick and bells, I walked around the house, again.

I looked in each room and, as soon as I found something that matched one of the elements or the colours, I checked off the list.

Paul again chalked it up to something menopausal.  

Then there was that bit about the pink, the purple and the crystal.

Our kitchen, in the south part of our main floor, became a shrine to New Age.

A pink plastic flower in the west and a purple plastic flower flower in the east added the proper Feng Shui touch to the two corners.

Then there was the crystal problem...

I rummaged around some souvenirs we'd picked up from some museum, thankful that I hadn't tossed them out, as I was sure that twit Tisha would've wanted me to do.

I found some rocks that looked crystally and hung them near the window.             

After that I was done with 'phase four' and with Tisha's book.

About tomorrow's New Moon in Sagittarius… according to the folks at astrology.com:
Sagittarius is the centaur, who shoots his arrow toward the stars and, once it hits its target, retrieves it to take aim once again… if you can be adaptable as you pursue your goals, you'll do well during a lunar cycle that comes full circle just before the next new Moon arrives in Capricorn on January 1, 2014. 

Throughout December, make sure you revise your beliefs and worldview to accurately reflect the person you are today... leave your past in the rear view mirror!

So that's why I bought that mirror!

Feng Shui, My Favourite Home, and Christmas Preparations by Margaret Ullrich

Tonight is Full Moon number eleven for 2013.

We've been enjoying very mild Autumn weather for Winnipeg.

Yesterday the Santa Claus parade was staged, and folks in downtown Winnipeg - both those marching in the parade and standing on the sidewalk - were comfortable.
Yeah, well, we woke up to about three inches of snow this morning.
Seasons change in an instant in Manitoba.

Back to Tisha Morris' book Feng Shui Your Life...  

My least favourite room is now just another room.

I know I can never make it my most favourite room.

And that's fine with me.

It's a room, not a book or movie.

A few days ago I posted Ma's Tuscan Sun Chicken recipe.

The recipe I cooked after we had seen the movie Under the Tuscan Sun.

Tuscan Sun has lovely ideas about friends, home and food.

I mentioned that Lindsay Duncan, as the character Katherine, had a few memorable lines, such as:

Regrets are a waste of time. They're the past crippling you in the present.

Diane Lane, as Frances Mayes, the movie's heroine, also had a few quotable lines.

I really liked what she said about the importance of a home:

What are four walls, anyway? 

They are what they contain. The house protects the dreamer. 

Unthinkably good things can happen, even late in the game. It's such a surprise.

I want to return to thinking of our home as a shelter which was built to protect us, not as a stage for a project in which I hope to reach some level of perfection.

Tisha Morris had some finishing touches for the least favourite room:

• clean the room: vacuum, mop, dust, paint the walls.
• create my vision… only put in it what I love… be creative.

Right.

I gave it a good cleaning.

I didn't paint it.  The room hadn't seen much activity - the paint was fine.

Create my vision?  Put in it what I love?

Oh, please… it's a spare room.

The things I love are in rooms where I actually spend my time, where I live.

There were other suggestions in the phase two section:

Make repairs and improvements.

Okay…  good idea to do some touch ups, especially before the holiday season.

Create a sacred space.

I don't think so.  This is my home, not a church.

Change your wall art.

Do Christmas decorations count?

Hang a vision board.

Uh, no.  The walls are filled with pictures I like and Christmas decorations.

Enhance the lighting.                   

Do scented Christmas candles count?

That's it… I'm done with phase two.

Sorry if I'm sounding like a crabby old Grinch, but there's something about all the advertisements for all the things that should be bought to make this the perfect Christmas season that made me think twice about following Tisha's book.

I'm all in favour of a clean, organized, festive, uncluttered home.

I'm glad I threw out stuff I don't need any more.

It's just that well, between the pressure to create the well Feng Shuied home and all the commercials, which started on November fourth, about what a proper home should look like at Christmas, I've had enough pressure.
I'm tired of thinking about my home as a never ending art project.

I want to live in it, not just work on making it perfect.

Back on November third I posted:

Once the next full Moon arrives on November 17, you'll have a chance to stand back and take a look at everything you've accomplished!

Alrighty then… I'm looking at what I accomplished.
Good enough is good enough.

About tonight's Full Moon in Taurus… according to the folks at astrology.com:
Since Taurus rules finances you can expect to have a few interesting conversations about earning, spending, and saving money! But since Neptune changed direction only a few days ago, you'll want to make sure you use common sense. 

Still, this is a good time to make tangible, practical investments in your life that could help you feel more comfortable, whether you make a plan to save money, vow to treat your possessions more kindly, tune in to nature, or formulate values that accurately reflect where you are at this point in your life. 

In the days following the full Moon, but before the next new Moon on December 2, take the time you need to find your comfort zone.

Use common sense… make investments in my life to feel more comfortable.
I've found my good enough comfort zone.

As Katherine and Frances in Under the Tuscan Sun would say...

It's a nice little villa. Rather run down, but redeemable... Are you going to buy it?

      The way my life is currently going, that would be a terrible idea.

Mm, terrible idea... Don't you just love those?

Home… rather run down, but redeemable.

Be it ever so imperfect, there's no place like home.

Halloween, Feng Shui, Reunions, Dr. Who and My Christmas Cactus by Margaret Ullrich

Tonight there will be new moon number eleven.

It just missed adding a bit of light to Halloween for the kiddies.

Ah, Halloween… even kids from countries that don't have the Christian / Celtic background are getting into the fun of trick or treating.

And what could possibly be wrong with a bit of fun?

We're not as easily duped as folks had been by the 1938 broadcast of Orson Welles' radio drama The War of the Worlds.

But there's always something.

About my project from Tisha Morris' book Feng Shui Your Life...  

Make your least favourite room your favourite.

I tossed out a third whole, roll out, big blue cartloads of recyclable stuff.

As Tisha said:

It is our intention that creates our future.

integrate your positive energy into the room, then you will be drawn to it.

I'm not drawn to that room any more than I ever was.

I'm just happy I don't hate it any more.

My elementary school classmates just celebrated our 50th anniversary.

Yes, I know, we actually graduated from grade 8 in June, 1963.
This is closer to the 50th anniversary of the assassination of John Kennedy.

But this was just the best time for everyone to get together.

And there aren't any reunion police checking up on anyone.

Time...

Sometimes you can count on something happening at the same time every year.

Equinoxes… Solstices… Midsummer longest day, December shortest day.

They know exactly when these things will happen years in advance.

Without this dependability we wouldn't have things like astrology.

And sometimes science fiction and fantasy writers have a bit of fun with it.

As they did in the Doctor Who episode The Girl Who Waited.
By the by, Dr. Who is also celebrating its 50th anniversary this Autumn.

But sometimes things just happen when they happen.

Like the reunion.

And like the flower I just found on my Christmas cactus.

Really.  I just glanced at the plant in my kitchen and saw it had a flower.

Just in time for Halloween.

So much for the name Christmas cactus.

It doesn't matter.

The flower is beautiful whenever it blossoms.

Dependability is a good thing.

But at times it's nice to see things out of the ordinary, too.

Keeps things from getting dull… and too dependable.

About tonight's new moon… according to the folks at astrology.com:
Watch for a busy news cycle since an eclipse in Scorpio is known for revealing secrets, upsetting the balance of power, and bringing a fair amount of drama into people's lives… 

don't let your emotions make your decisions... be as thoughtful as possible. 

As this eclipse closes one cycle and begins another, let go of something to make way for new experiences. Consider ridding yourself of longtime bad habits, as well as anyone who doesn't have your best interests at heart. 

Invest in something you want to see grow and become more important in your life. 

Once the next full Moon arrives on November 17, you'll have a chance to stand back and take a look at everything you've accomplished!

Alrighty then… out with the bad habits and people, in with the good.

Keep a lid on the emotions, more or less.

And enjoy life's little surprises.

Feng Shui and My Least Favourite Room, part 7 by Margaret Ullrich

Tonight is Full Moon number ten for 2013.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving on Monday.

And are still enjoying the leftovers.

The week before Thanksgiving we were enjoying mild weather.

Perfect weather for moving the plants in our yard.

So I did.

I had weeded our yard after we returned from Ottawa over a month ago.

The garden had been put to bed before the first frost.

The tomato plants uprooted, the compost spread.

Our yard was looking respectable.

But not pretty.

I decided to move some of our perennials to different locations.

Plants not thriving were moved to sunnier, or shadier, spots.

The hosta that was under our grapevine became a featured plant near the fence.

The nancies crowding the other hostas were moved to other - barer - spots.

I dug the tall plants, such as our lilies, and replanted them near the fences.

I spaded a half dozen cerastiums and spread them where the lilies had been.

I split some of the other ground covers and covered the remaining bare spots.

And, even if I do say so myself, I really like the new look.

The yard looks bigger.

I don't know why it took me so long to move the plants around.

Oh, well, better late than never.

About that cluttered room... I know I've been stuck on this project 

from Tisha Morris' book Feng Shui Your Life...  

Make your least favourite room your favourite.

The weather has turned, the leaves are falling.

It's not good weather for working outdoors.

Perfect weather for finally finishing that room.

According to the folks at astrology.com:

On October 15 Mars entered Virgo - If you've been hoping to make more progress on certain goals, you'll be able to do it this month as Mars enters practical, efficient Virgo… This transit gives you discipline and energy, which makes it easier to commit to plans or projects that require extra effort.

Tonight Aries is highlighted by a lunar eclipse… no sign is more courageous than Aries, so you're likely to have the necessary energy and passion to advocate for yourself. 

Oh, and by the way…  Mars will be in Virgo until December 7.  The ongoing Uranus-Pluto square is present during this eclipse, demonstrating that world-changing events continue to capture everyone's attention. 

I wouldn't call cleaning a least favourite room world-changing.

But I sure can use all the help I can get.