About Those Lemons Life Gave Me

Well, I must say, I had my share of lemons and I haven't always been able to make lemonade from them. But I surely learned quickly enough that you have to deal with the cards you are dealt. Or, as someone said : "It is not the cards you are dealt, but is how you play them." You can sit and complain about it and wait for change to happen, eventually. Or you can grab the bull by the horns and make something out of it, sometimes even make the best of it. And I sat and cried, believe me, often enough. And I complained about injustice and bad luck. It didn't change a thing. So I wiped my tears, analyzed my options, took a best guess and acted upon it. Oh, yes, it's infinitely easier not to move at all and to let yourself drown in self pity. But it is also a spiral staircase down to not worthy existence. The choice is always yours and you always have one.

Image source : Etsy

In the last 12 months or so, my life changed drastically after leaving a job that made me totally unhappy. It was as if the ground under my feet disappeared. I was standing on the crossroads with no signposts. I was looking for directions and I found them not outside, but inside of me. The long road took me on the journey to a completely new territory. I lowered my expectations towards myself (I'm so happy about it now), I got a new diploma (I'm so happy about it now too), I sent my new resume to places I wanted to work for (boy, am I happy about this one now!) and I didn't know until recently if I did the right thing or not. It turns out, I passed all the exams for all the jobs I wanted and now I get to choose the place I would like to work for. My head is spinning like crazy in the last 2 weeks, I can't believe that this is happening to ME!  I finally get to drink that lemonade I made from all those lemons life gave me...

About Those Lemons Life Gave Me

Where I'm Coming From

I have been blogging since last September more or less regularly (hey, I forgot the first blogoversary!). My preoccupations changed from one post to another but one thing keeps bothering me throughout this experience. I feel like I'm keeping a very big secret from you. Actually, I am. I did mention little things here and there but I never gave you the whole picture. I'm talking about my "Forrest Gump" life experience. I think I'm ready now to let you know more about me and my family.

Image source : http://littlehouseinparadise.blogspot.com

 My fellow blogger Zhu made a nice interview with me some time ago and so, instead of writing everything once again here, I invite you to go over to her wonderful blog and read her post.

P.S. Sherri, I didn't ask for permission to use your image, hope you're ok with it. I simply couldn't resist, it reminded me of things my mother used to make when she was young.

Where I'm Coming From

Time Is Flying Faster Than Ever

Apparently, I'm not the only one thinking about time, I just joined the whole humanity. Seriously, there is so much written about it out there that my head started spinning from all the theories. Is there an absolute truth about this phenomenon? I seriously doubt it. What initiated my curiosity is this very strong feeling I have as of lately that time is just rushing by, not measured by hours and days any more but rather by years and decades. Suddenly, it's like the countdown started going backwards to an unknown last number. I don't like this feeling, it's weighing me down, paralyzing my dreams. I'm constantly questioning myself about the sense of everything I do. I've got to engage in something creatively productive, I need to start making things with my hands, transforming a raw material in something useful -  my office job just doesn't cut it any more.

Enough of being smart and philosophical! Autumn is coming slowly and it's beautiful. Definitely my season of choice here in Canada. I love everything about it : colors, light, temperature, smell of fallen leaves and rain - yes, especially rain. I think I'll go out and finally buy a pair of rubber boots for myself. And if I was courageous enough it would be those, with a matching umbrella. I love to jump from one puddle to another, going trough the leaves gathered by the wind...

I didn't make my last flower arrangement of the season yet, but I think I've got my last tomatoes and peppers...

My office moved last week to another building, much closer to my house. We were packing for weeks and moving trough the mountains of boxes trying to follow the normal work routine. This week, the first in the new place, everyone was looking for something, many things got yet to be organized and installed. Today I was told that we have to be patient for the next 10 to 15 days. No problem! Patience is my middle name.

Time Is Flying Faster Than Ever

With a Little Help From My Friends

Thank you Sherri  for remembering me in your prayers, I think it worked. I felt your virtual hug and I thank you for that. Thank you too, Zhu, my fellow blogger, for being there for me.
Strangely enough, the day after my last blog post, I got to pick up my computer. Finally! They changed the motherboard and the CPU but luckily  my data were intact. My little corner of the world is OK again, at least the virtual one. Thank you, thank you, thank you...
The other thing I'm thankful for is my new job. I landed in a small team of very nice people and although I've joined them in the most stressful period of the year, they never forget to let me feel welcome, accepted and appreciated. I was particularly satisfied (and proud !) today, after my boss gave the press conference this morning and I got to see my work on the TV tonight. How cool is that?!

I know my compass was often demagnetized lately and I didn't see the direction clearly. I wasn't living by numbers anyway, so anything is possible. I don't feel the road under my feet right now, it's more like I'm going over the river by walking from one stone to another, setting my foot carefully, trying not to fall into the cold water. I now I can make it...

With a Little Help From My Friends

Here is the deal...

...I'm offering you the following: 

• washer and dryer
• dishwasher
• swimming pool
• my husband

But, please, please, give me back MY COMPUTER!!! I need it so bad! I can't even start to tell you the (horor) story about the reparation of my computer, I'd rather wait to have it (him?!) back in my arms...  After I've lost my computer everything else crushed down: my husband's laptop and even the Internet connexion... The laptop was reestablished yesterday and today the Internet came back, after a hefty fight with the provider. And here I am writing on my blog and trying not to sound too frustrated.

Nothing is going so smoothly lately, I'm having a bumpy ride - but, hey, what else is new? 

And then there was  this special and sad day last week: my sister's first birthday in heaven. I miss her so much...if only I could just call her and talk to her for hours about everything and nothing...happy birthday sis, wherever you are.

Here is the deal...

Owning My Time

Why is it we don't appreciate what we have until it's gone? Like some people around us, time for ourselves or youth? Sigh, don't let me even started on the last one...
Today I wanted to share with you a wonderful article written by Mary Schmich for Chicago Tribune in June 1997. I wish I new some (or all!) of this things when I was 20 year old!

 Never to late to learn some things, though...here it goes:

"Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young
Inside every adult lurks a graduation speaker dying to get out, some world-weary pundit eager to pontificate on life to young people who'd rather be Rollerblading. Most of us, alas, will never be invited to sow our words of wisdom among an audience of caps and gowns, but there's no reason we can't entertain ourselves by composing a Guide to Life for Graduates.

I encourage anyone over 26 to try this and thank you for indulging my attempt.Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97:

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen."

Send this to EVERY young women you know, they'll  thank you one day.

Owning My Time