Beautiful Tangent

A ltar Decorations Above the altar at the church today there were paper leaves hanging from the ceiling.  They draped around the cross and I got to thinking about the simplicity of the cross as a design but the power it has as a symbol.  The whole thing at church was so pretty.  The mass was a bit odd, but hey at least I went.

Skateboard Is it too late for me to try this?  I don’t think so.  I think it would be a pretty cool first date activity. Losing balance and laughing as I get frustrated because I can’t do it.  I don’t think I would go as far as buying a board, even if I was good.  I don’t picture myself skateboarding around to places.  I don’t have the look.

Snow Angel I want to make one right now, to bad it has not yet snowed.  Wait I take that back!  I don’t want cold.  I’m not a fan of winter at all.  Maybe if I focus on snow angels and wanting to make one, I will not be as upset about the approaching winter.  Doubtful.

Pineapple It is not the most approachable fruit, it sort of looks like a cactus, but on the inside it’s so good.  Well the perfectly ripe ones are.  I’m not sure how to tell ripeness, but my mom has the knack for knowing.  A knack, she can’t explain.  I thought I had mastered the “ripeness gauge” for mangos but the last one I thought was perfect was not...it was brown and had a weird colour seed.  It looked pretty on the outside, the shades of red and green remind me of tie-dye.  I haven’t tie-dyed anything in a while.  Maybe I can convince the next team I am on to make tie-dye shirts.  That would be fun.

 F lock of Birds They I assumed were gathered, preparing for their flight down south.  These were Canadian Geese.  I’m not sure where in the south they go, but it got me wondering.  If there are down there for 5 months why are they Canadian geese?  Does it have to do with where they are born?  Birth place is your citizenship, even for animals?

Musician  The guys walking down the street with their cellos.  Not a small instrument, so you really need passion to play.  One of my regrets is not learning music.  I guess it is not too late, but I really don’t think I have the patience.  I hate stretching because it is too slow.  I don’t think I am a fan of soothing things. Does that mean I should play the drums?  Where would I keep them?

Tears Eye colour really stands out beneath sadness.  So raw is the emotion that it is beautiful seeing a really physically strong group of teammates, shed tears after a well fought season.  The tears were of disappointment, sadness and exhaustion and reminded us all that sometimes despite your best efforts you lose. You brush yourself off and try again.  I’m not sure who sung that but, so true today.

Character Fire Hydrants Only in small towns do you see these.  Let me tell you, seeing these makes your long drive a little bit more enjoyable.  I have been making the drive to and from Toronto many times in the 9 years I have lived in Ottawa.  Today was only the second time I took the scenic route through small towns.  I really enjoyed it, so will have to do it more often, however only during the day, as at night the curvy, unfamiliar roads with closed gas stations might not have the same feel.  I mean you wouldn’t see the duck fire hydrant in Tweed.

Buds on a Tree Sad that it is on the first day of fall that I write about buds on a tree.  The buds are now at the end of their cycle, not starting.  Yes, the leaf colours are beautiful but it just means it is getting cold.  Fall is pretty and wearing a sweater is fun, but I prefer to be hot than cold.  Why Fall and Autumn, no other season has two names.  There has got to be a reason.  A reason I don’t know.  I’m curious, but not enough to look up.

Smooth Skin Something I will never have.  My esthetician thinks it is because of all the sports I play.  The sweat coupled with the higher levels of testosterone messes up my complexion.  The fact that I get acne and grey hairs is not fair at all.  Someone reading this who has never seen me, now thinks I am a sweaty, man-woman with pimples and grey hair.  Hopefully they will be pleasantly surprised when they do see me.  I will be like the movie that everyone hates, but when you see it you say “that wasn’t as bad as I thought”  I can live with that?

Blast Rock Piles and piles of rocks that were crushed to make the foundation for a new community.  The roads and homes will be supported by some pretty beautiful rock pieces.  I assume that this is good, however because of their size I wonder how “sturdy” they are for the long run.  I know there are experts that will make sure it all ok, but  really how well do we know.  I guess rock is better than sand.

Toaster Oven Element Coil Glowing orange, warming up my dinner, nothing is more beautiful, specially when you are hungry.  I haven’t done groceries in about 2 weeks so I am eating my house bare.  Tonight was tuna on a pita *which I forgot I had in the freezer.  Hence using the toaster oven.  My stomach still hurts, as I ate too much.  When you are hungry your stomach gets full before your brain says stop. So it’s too late…

Well Groomed Man If we (women) have to take the time to shave under our arms and legs to be socially acceptable , a man that takes the time to shave should be applauded.  He doesn’t have to.  The guys that go beyond just shaving and have the sideburns and beards, good on them.  It shows that they have put a bit of thought into getting ready.  You know some forethought, you can’t just wake up in the morning and decide it is a beard day, you have to go through the “awkward” stage for a while, just like growing out your bangs.  You have to hope it’s going to work out.

Bouncy Castle You see this and you can’t help but have a beautiful smile across your face.  I see a lot more of these now compared to when I was a kid.  I’m pretty sure you couldn't rent them for parties when I was younger.  If you were able to, many parents failed to mention this as an options for birthdays.  We had the bowling and McDonald's combo as a standard.  Does McD's do birthdays anymore?  Maybe the ones with play places do? Seem like it's still a good idea.  No clean up or cooking.  See I'm lazy, not too lazy to jump.

Ribbon for a Cause I still remember the Friends episode where Phoebe had spilled on her dress and decided to support the cause of Christmas to cover the stain.  There are so many causes and I am humbled that my friends support Run for the Cure and sponsor me.  There are so many other charities and I do feel a bit of guilt that I pick a very supported cause.  There are others, less known, but just as important.  I hope that the people suffering through these ailments understand that the run is like the popular kid who is best friends with Terry Fox and soon others will join the “cool” ranks too.

Pepper Seeds They look like sesame seeds, but arranged like a bunch of grapes.  I want to grow peppers and tomatoes, so maybe next year I will attempt a little balcony garden.  To practice I might do the avocado pit and pineapple top house plants.  I will have to google to remind myself how to do these, but I think they are simple enough.  Famous last words.

Alaskan Fractured Rocks A friend from elementary school grew up to be a geologist and her “office” pictures are amazing.  I’m sure the weather is not great and sleeping in tents at a dig site is not ideal, but I think that is what geologists expect.  I mean they probably don’t want to be stuck in a lab analyzing rock samples, especially ones not found by them.  I don’t like doing other people's work either.  This old friend seems to like her job, I honestly thought she would go into fashion.  She was pretty and tall...what did I know I was 11.

World Trade Towers I would  have just thought of this as another great skyline, but when the towers went down that view was immortalized.  It is eerie to see a skyline with the towers in it.  It is a constant reminder of how instantly things can change.  Something so permanent can quickly disappear. I’m not talking about the actual buildings or the people that are no more, but the idea that freedom and safety are permanent, they to can go.  One can’t live a life of fear, but one must live life humble, knowing that many things are in play and it’s your responsibility to keep your head up and cherish beauty when it is seen.

Keds So simple.  You can decorate like I did when I was a kid or leave them plain and constantly worry about scuffing them up.  Of course I am talking about the white ones.  I saw a pair today and I was reminded of my birthday, when my best friend got me a pair of bedazzled, blinged out, pink pair with roses affixed to them.  I think she had them custom made. They were horrible, the flowers were wider than the shoes and they were pink.  Where would I wear them?  I wondered if she knew me at all, because they were not something I would wear.  My sister did the same thing, with my Maid of Honour gift.  A gorgeous watch, which was pink with rhinestones.  Nice thought, but not my style.  I did wear it and did get compliments but I always feel a bit silly accepting those compliments.  Beautiful, but not for me.

Glowing City The glow the city gives off at night.  Not from one light source but the combination of all the lights shimmering in the air.  I’m sure that some of the lights do not need to be on.  The store signs and the empty office buildings do not need to suck energy, but I guess there are reasons they are on.  We are to conserve energy, but I haven't seen many street lights operating on solar power.  Sure they would have back-up power for emergencies.  Is it not just as simple as a panel atop?.  Do these exist?  They probably do, it just takes a decision maker to step up and do something different.  When I’m in power, I hope I will heed this advice and make changes for the good.

 Sept 8 (drunken scribbles)

Confidence Now I know you can’t really take a picture of this, but it is beautiful. Like the plus sized girl I saw today in a short, tight outfit.  The smile on her face conveyed that she felt good, no matter that the dress appeared to be too small.  She was having a good time, head held up high, showing pride in herself.  There is nothing more beautiful than loving yourself no matter what.

Shadows Shadows mean the sun is out and the sun makes me happy.  I would rather be really hot then cold.  Some would argue the other way, saying that you could wear a sweater if you are cold and that you can only remove so many layers if you are hot.  The shadows on the way home were a bit inconvenient, I was on my bike and it was hard to tell where the path was.  The shadows made it appear that the pavement was missing.  I should get a light for my bike, but who am I kidding? I will not bike at dusk anymore, no matter how beautiful the sun casting shadows can be.

Model Home It’s amazing that I haven’t written about this yet.  I mean I work for a home builder and today we won awards for our homes.  Yes, the homes are expertly decorated with large budgets, and yes no one lives in them, but they are breathtaking.  I am not just saying that because I work for them as I don’t think I could work somewhere when I didn’t believe in the products.  I’m not just interested in just a paycheck.  Some people are OK with that, good for them, but I want to wake up in the morning and not dread the drive to work.  I’m happy because I have that.  Sure some days are rough, but it makes the good days that much better.  It’s easy to look forward to the next day when work feels like home

My Front Door After a long day at work, that door is beautiful.  The dark wood with the simple silver handle.  On the other side of the door is my bed and a cup of tea.  I can put on what I want and just be.  In a  few months I will have to ensure my curtains are closed before I get dressed/undressed as the new condo across the street will be at eye level.  For now my front door leads to my space with my unobstructed view

Made Bed One with all the fancy, useless pillows.  The pillows you spend money on, only to have a nice looking bed.  Who sees your bed anyways?  The people on your house tour?  The person you are spreading your life with?  The stranger you invite home?  I guarantee that the last one doesn’t care about the pillows, might even find them an inconvenience.  How much time does one spend placing and removing these pillows?  Excuse me for these generalizations, but I believe the girls spend more on these pillows than boys.  Boys are smart, those pillows while beautiful are not needed and that money and time should be spent elsewhere.

Hot Air Balloon The Hot Air Balloon Festival was this weekend and you could see them all take off from my place, so peaceful.  I imagine it is a great way to see the City.  I will bid on a ride if I see it in a Silent Auction again.  As the balloons drifted beautifully today I couldn’t help but think that this kind of festival really needs the weather to behave.  Today was perfect, but I would hate to be the organizers if it is not. Weather might be the go-to small talk topic, but it really does direct our life and what we chose to do on a daily basis.

Artful Fountains So calming to hear the sound of splashing water.  In fact I think that I heard somewhere that Canadians find the sound of water crashing ashore one of the best noises in the world.  I agree.  I could fall asleep to that no problem, however if coupled with strong winds and thunder I would duck and cover.  Speaking of sleep I am exhausted, spending the day with two kids is something that requires coffee.