Choices

Got to thinking, that life is held together by choices, one after the other. All shapes and sizes; Right or wrong, doesn’t matter. Because life just keeps unfolding. It won’t wait around for you. If you sit still, it can pass you by, altogether. I guess I’d like to believe all these choices are made for us the instant we enter into this world. Because, if that’s true, then we’re exactly where we are supposed to be.

Forever.

Today

I’m undecided about everything.

A letter to Lilly

A letter to her pooch from a relatively new mother. Oh silly Lilly…

The Airing Cupboard

Oh Lilly,

Your name rhymes with silly. And you are. Even at 7 years old, you are still a giant puppy. You go mental when the doorbell rings, greeting guests with your patented divebomb approach, your paws tap tap tap-dancing on the tiles.  You treat each and every tennis ball as though it were your long lost love, and no, you won’t give it back, and why should you? Even if it spoils your own fun when we’re out throwing balls and you have to be coaxed and cajoled (and occasionally manhandled) into giving them back. You shed like a fucker in the summer and I curse you as tumbleweeds of black hair float down my hallways, but you know what? You are completely worth the hours of sweeping. Although I wouldn’t have said that when I was 8 months pregnant.

We’ve had you since you were 2 years old…

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“I know that grin… Well hello Monica! We’ve missed you. It’s so nice to see you again”!

So I am officially in the bad books with my foodie friends and fellow bloggers. I have not blogged or posted new recipes in months… The hate mail is adding up.

Ok, maybe “hate mail” is a bit dramatic. Shall we say, “disgruntled, unimpressed messages”? Yeah, we’ll go with that. 

But seriously, I am terrible (hangs head in shame). I warrant a smack (slaps back of hand) and I don’t deserve my faithful, back-whipping followers (puts hands in praying position hoping you will stay a motivational devotee)…

I DO have a legitimate excuse though. These past few months, heck, this entire year has been so beyond hectic.

Stormy hectic.

No. Gale force hectic.

Actually screw that; TORNADO hectic.

 

My life has changed in so many ways and majority for the even better. I have a new, fantastic job which has me travelling in all different directions every month. This career advancement is my 2013 delight which not only means I am working with my love of marketing and travel, but my boss is also fantastic and this global company I am a part of is so morally sound, I walk into work every day with pride. It’s a dream.

Life is sunny.

 

 

The mushy aspect of my existence has been…well… worthy of note! Plenty of positive changes, ups and downs, a bit of lingo and a bit of ringo (“left” and “right” to those not in the know) and it has been interesting! There have been unforgettable moments and I had to make myself paramount for the first time in years and remove what was a destructive restriction in order to experience them. And since this positive change, I have met a few interesting characters, most have made me smile even more! Yes, I have had tough times since this change but they just kicked me in the gut to wake me up to the good I wasn’t paying attention to.

I refuse to dwell on anything that was negative, past or recent.

And so, I entered the final quarter of this year with such positivity and gratitude for all my lessons learned over this circus themed 2013, no matter how emotionally draining they may have been. It’s simply amazing how, when you have the strength to change and remove the poison, life just shines back through your veins… It also helps to consistently have the same loyal, fantastic and loving friends known to mankind. (Always keep those close to you that are good and who you would most want to be like because you will be a better person for it). 

And most importantly, for the first time in a long time, I look and feel like myself. As a friend recently said to me;

“I know that grin… Well hello Monica! We’ve missed you. It’s so nice to see you again”!

 What a dynamic year.

 

So, back to recipes! Jeez, I’m so self-involved. I was only meant to type a brief explanation for my absence and then this came out! Two words… Blog vomit.

Well, I am currently in my labratory cooking up a yummy Kerry Lamb Pie (the smell from the kitchen has me in a food coma with little ability to wipe the drool from the corners of my mouth as I type) and I am putting together a blog for a chicken and chorizo stew which I will post this weekend.

So that’s it! Ciao or “chow”! (Ok that’s terrible. I’m hanging my head in shame, beating the back of my hand and praying I haven’t lost you all over again).  

Right. Now I’ve got to run because I am smelling something burning in my kitchen laboratory and I’m pretty certain creating  a carcinogenic meal was not my intention.

 See you later!

This Morning, I Woke Up With This Thought…

My Fate of “Jeff, Who Lives At Home”

I have pretty strong beliefs in life. My views on the world, morals, thoughts, religion, social grace, mortality etc are pretty firm and solid, but I also have an appreciation of everyone’s different opinion on these subjects. However, if there is anything I believe more in this world, besides the existence of God (you clever genius) is this;

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON. EVERYONE HAS A PURPOSE.

Now, along with music and soundtracks, I am a huge movie buff. I am a highly analytical person and when a movie excites my mind, I am in a diagnostic heaven. But give me a movie that awakens my mind AND my beliefs… well now I’m in an emotive, investigative ecstasy!

One of my favourite movies is ‘Signs’ and anyone who has seen it will immediately know from reading the above why I like it so much. (Seriously, how cool is it that M. Night Shyamalan put forward a scenario of aliens invading the earth on a global scale but just tells the story through the lives of a singular, humble little family living on farm and all the while explain the intricacies of fate)????

So one evening I decided I was in the mood for a superhero fest (I’m a nerd) and I went on to Sky Movies and pressed for ‘Avengers Assemble’. After it started, it took me a few minutes to realise that for some unusual reason, Sky had decided to start another movie. These few minutes were enough to have me hooked on committing to the entire movie… Fate.

“Jeff, Who Lives At Home” is a movie by the Duplass Bothers, starring Jason Segal, Ed Helms who is the hilarious Andy from the US Office and the timeless Susan Sarandon (who I swear I saw parked outside a mall in San Diego with her ex-partner Tim Robbins but my friend insists I was just being a victim of my bad eyesight. Whatever! I know it was them).

Anyway, the movie is about a man who believes in destiny, signs and that everyone has a purpose in life. He spends his time getting high on weed in his mother’s basement, doing nothing but being certain in his beliefs and waiting for the signs that will lead him to his life’s principle. He gets a wrong call from a man looking for a ‘Kevin’ and this is when his destiny path begins… The movie is so simply done yet with an epic theory. It really, really hit home to me and I could relate to every character. Every, single, one. 

This below is a little scene that is my favourite in the movie. So much so that I took the time to blog about it! Jeff and his brother are sitting fully clothed in an empty hotel bathtub discussing the breakdown of his brother’s marriage and of Jeff’s beliefs. The acting is amazing and the words are so truthfully straightforward.

Thank you Sky Movies for playing me the wrong film and giving me a lovely random bit of fate…

Pat: I wish that I could see the world like you

Jeff: Really?

Pat: I don’t know. You have this like, belief in this cosmic order. I really envy that.

Jeff: You don’t want to be like me. I’m not happy at all. You know, since Dad died I’ve had this feeling that it had to be for a reason. I keep thinking that the signs are all about me but maybe, maybe they are about you and your marriage.

Pat: My marriage is not good. It is a disaster. I just want to feel like I love Linda. And I want to feel like she loves me. And that we both wanna like, be in love. I miss it and I want it so bad.

Jeff: I think you should just say that to her.

Pat: It’s not that simple Jeff.

Jeff: I don’t know. I think it could be that simple. I mean, wouldn’t you be psyched if Linda walked in here right now and sat down in this tub next to you and said “Pat I want to be in love with you again”?

Pat: That would be awesome.

Jeff: Dude, you need to say that to her. You need to tell her that right now.