Mental Health Monday Lite

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It’s the beginning of the second full week of January and the best laid plans…

I got in my car thinking that I’d take my Starbucks card that I got for Christmas (from Santa) for a spin and get this post posted. It wasn’t until I pulled into the parking lot that I realized the draft was on my laptop and not on my Kindle.

This was a good reminder that not everything will work out the way I want it to; these include minor things (like a misplaced draft) and major things (like my oldest getting covid).

My planned Mental Health Monday will happen, whether that’s later today, later in the week, or next Monday. We’ll see.

I have decided to prioritize my mental health, although I’ve tried to do this in more recent years, it is an ongoing process. So far, I’ve set my schedule, I fixed the lights on the Christmas tree, I made a fantastic dinner last night (check out my instagram, recipe coming in a future post), spent my daughter’s birthday doing stuff with her including seeing Spider-Man: No Way Home (the third time for me and I’d see it again – really, do yourself a favor and see this movie) and having breakfast at our local crepe and coffee shop.

Think of someting that you can do for YOURSELF today, before you go to bed, before you settle in for the night. Is it reading a chapter in the book you’ve been putting off? Is it a cup of hot tea? Is it just sitting and doing nothing for fifteen minutes? You decide.

Insta-Travel

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I do have plans to post a few things this week while I’m away from home. If you can’t wait for the prose, check out the Instagram link on the lower sidebar. I’ve just posted a vignette of snapshots from our first two days in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Included in the photo are:

  • Historic Site of Margeuerite Bourgeoys et Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours – outside and altar
  • Emtpy tomb of St. Kateri Tekakwitha in Kanawake (the site where she died)
  • One of the oldest doors of the first hotel in Montreal. A nearby historical buiilding is keeping its historical features and turning into an Air-bnb
  • Largest potted plant *I’ve* ever seen – Town of Mont Royal
  • Riding the Metro
  • Poulet et poutine at St. Hubert’s
  • Gelato! Creme broule, napolean, and raspberry sorbet
  • Sculpture on our walk through towards the Port of Montreal

I will try to post photos on this Instagram daily.

Any suggestions on what to see and where to go in Toronto and Niagara Falls are welcome in the comments.tm

Insta-Cosplay for Halloween

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For the last few years, with inspiration from the defunct app Polyvore, I have put together fashion collages for my Halloween costumes. Last year, I was a journalist, the year before I was Mary Winchester from Supernatural. This year, in honor of the fifteenth and final season of Supernatural and Wayward Mama Bear, Sheriff Jody Mills. I see so much of myself in her, and I was very comfortable “being” her for the entire day.

Fashion Collage: Sheriff Jody Mills. From the top, L-R: Anti-possession symbol, jeans and tall black boots, starburst earrings (not dangling so they can’t be pulled off), Mom Bear bracelet, wristwatch, layers: long sleeve t-shirt and plaid flannel with rolled up sleeves, sheriff’s badge. (c)2019

June: School’s Out: Photo/Art

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The photo on the right randomly happened when putting spaghetti into the pot to boil for dinner. It struck me as an interesting compostion so I photographed it.

Weeks later, I thought it would make an interesting coloring array, so I repeated the composition in six different colors using Sharpie markers and then coloring over it with matching colored pencils.

It made me think of Warhol, without the obvious talent.

It was enjoyable and relaxing, and I’m thinking about doing it again with a different subject.

Abstract Art. I’m calling it Spaghetti-Warhol. (c)2018

Abstract Art. (c)2018