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Saturday, July 30, 2011

The inspiration...


Regarding my post, The end of a chapter..., I give you the inspiration behind the words.
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July 25th, 2011
The morning started a little different for a “day-off” Monday. Rather than filling my day with domestic chores and at-home responsibilities I jumped in my car to take care of a few loose ends at my studio.
As some of you have read, in past posts, I am doing some minor renovating at my studio - more cosmetic than structural - and there was one task that needed attending to.
I needed to dispose of my original facial chair. 
I had waffled with the idea of somehow saving it, just in case - what exactly the “just in case” should be I’m not sure. 
I had toyed with bringing it home and tucking it in a corner somewhere, but hesitated; I try not to bring work home and this would be a big chunk of work staring at me day and night; it was not an option.
I even tried giving it away...to no avail.
You see...it’s old...and no one wants old.
Twenty seven years ago I started my own business. The location was a bustling hair salon and the room I would be renting had a facial chair, a magnifying lamp and a steamer in it - left behind when the key to the salon had changed hands, months earlier.
I bought the three pieces on credit from the new owner...fifty dollars a month for five months. With nerves frayed but confidence high I forged forward toward the distant shores of success.
Over the years, the magnifying lamp was replace with special glasses; the steamer with heated towels, but the facial chair remained a constant - solid, firm and reliable.
Three years ago a car accident torpedoed that ship of mine and distant shores no longer dotted the horizon. I was adrift.
With compass in hand, charts spread out, and a quick roll of the dice, a new course was charted and my bearings adjusted.
Facials would be the new land of opportunity. However, to give this land the potential to bear fruit I needed to invest in, and upgrade, my studio and equipment.
In March, I purchased a beautiful and highly functional electric facial bed - yes, this one can safely be called a bed; it’s wider and longer than my previous one and much easier on my hands.
This new facial bed is lovely but we have no history - there are no stories woven into the padding; it smells - of new and shiny - of plastic and chrome  - of hope and promise - but we have no history.
My chair, my facial chair, that solid, old, reliable facial chair of mine was the harbour for many souls that, over the years, came to shore during their hours of rejuvenation and pampering; it was an extension of my hands - and now it is no longer...my chair.
I cried.
Yes, I cried over saying goodbye to my facial chair. It deserved no less - it was my friend. We had forged a bond, an understanding, and we worked seamlessly together for over a quarter of a century. 
The room, in which this facial chair of mine had lived, has now become a room for me to pursue my other passion...writing.
Late in 2004 I started working, sporadically, on an epic novel...it garnered a nod of encouragement, at a writers conference in 2006, from a New York Times bestseller author.
In pursuit of my dream I have said goodbye to a piece of yesterday so that I can write today, in my peaceful writing room, the words you will read tomorrow.
My writing room overlooks a beautiful, lush, treed parcel of land, bisected by a now defunct rail track; I can hear birds chirping and leaves rustling amongst the din of cars and people. 
I do not play music, as I did when this space was my facial room; now the rhythmic tapping of fingers on laptop keys is the music that makes me smile.
Goodbye goodbye my cherished friend
You’ve served me well these years
The time has come for you to go
And I must learn to fly
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There you have it...the end of a chapter, and the start of something new!
This is the first piece written in my new writing room - my tribute to change, to wings and to being inspired by objects that surround me.
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Has there been an inanimate object, in your life, that you had a hard time saying goodbye to?


Thank you for following, for commenting, for being out there and in here.
Jenny

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The end of a chapter...

Goodbye goodbye to a wee bit of me
I know that this is right
I hold you in my thoughts I do
But now I lay you down
Goodbye goodbye to wee bit of me
I thought I knew you well
But now I see what you have done
I cry no more for thee
Goodbye goodbye my cherished friend
You’ve served me well these years
The time has come for you to go
And I must learn to fly
Hello Hello what do I see
Are these the wings you give to me
I will do what must be done
To help me find my way
Hello Hello I see it now
The way to go is clear to me
I’ll start my journey now today
These wings will show the way
Thank-you thank-you for all you’ve done
For the years, the wings, the love
I know that all will be okay
This butterfly is now set free.
Thank-you thank-you for teaching me
to fly to fly to fly so high
I’m free to find the space called me
In there I know I am.
In there I know I am.
There are many things this could be about...one in particular inspired it...a story for another day; therefore I invite you to enjoy it and see in it the story you choose.
Do these words stir a memory of your own?
Thank you for following, for commenting, for being out there and in here!
Jenny 

Friday, July 22, 2011

Al...are you sure it's a dog's life?


You tell me...


No dogs were killed in the taking of this photo...at least I hope not!

Original source - unknown...it came into my sick and twisted hands by way of an equally sick and twisted compadre on the other side of the globe, where this kind of humour is the norm...so I guess I’m the only sick and twisted one, eh Al!
Made you laugh!
Cheers, Jenny

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Whipped again...this time with zest!


I couldn’t just stop after chocolate and carrot without doing lemon some justice.
So...it starts like this…
(yes, Bets and me...at it again!)

then continues with a layer of whipped cream (double yum) and fresh raspberries...


put the two halves together and this is what it looks like.
Now… this frosting is sinful; why you ask; because I made it from scratch and used real lemon zest! (that ridiculously fancy name for grated peel)


Here is my gin glass (I refuse to use martini glasses - I drink gin neat, one rock, three olives  usually) but for this occasion I just poured my Bombay gin right over this lemon half, after squeezing the life out of it, and added a pinch of sugar - clever and very zesty.


Now...here is the cake with its innards exposed - I must say (since you can’t really tell by licking your screen) it was really very juicy; tangy and sweet too!



In between all this domesticity I managed to find time to put together this desk for the writing space I have created at my studio - damn I’m good!


See, if you wanted it done yesterday, give it to a woman today!

All in all...my daughter and mother, whom I had over for dinner (yes, I cooked a wonderful meal too boot) loved this cake. 
But the real verdict was in when Gerry came by and had a slice - yup chocolate still floats his boat - but he allowed that this cake would definitely buoy his spirits if his chocolate boat should ever sink. 
He did mention that should this cake baking sickness come upon me, say next year around his birthday, I was to go the route of chocolate and double up on the frosting! 

What is it with men and frosting anyway?
There you have it...my baking days are done! 
Cheers, Jenny

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Butchers and Bakers and...

do you know the rest of this sentence?

Well...since I have this belief that we all have a purpose I don't mess with karma in these areas.

However...

One day, I decided to bake a cake. I DO NOT BAKE CAKES - I buy them. That's why there are Bakers.

Same with meat...well, in fact, when I was young and my dad hunted we did do some of our own butchering - another blog, another day!

Now, I leave the cleavering to my local Butcher.

And as to candlestick making...well, I leave that to the Candlestick people - whoever you are!

Okay...back to my cake.

Here it is...I baked this cake for my dear friend Gerry - for his birthday!

Before 
During
After...the first slice was taken *

My new best friend is Betty Crocker! But, I did do some grunt work here - so credit where credit is due.
I used real whipping cream, which I had to beat - hard work. Lucky and I licked the beater sticks - yum.

Then I bought fresh blueberries and did my thing! 

I did buy Betty Crocker chocolate frosting - yup, I did! But...I had to spread it - I did pretty good for a beginner - right! (not really seeking approval here - Gerry already gave the thumbs up and I agreed)

So...I hope you enjoyed this SWEET SUNDAY! 

Cheers, Jenny

*amended 07/19/11 from 'After' to 'After...the first slice was taken'

Monday, July 11, 2011

As the tide rolls in and the sun sets…


a sandy beach is a beautiful place to catch a miracle.
I saw this magical water creature; a mermaid playing at the water's edge.
And I was there to capture her on film.





There are more amazing pictures over at Underwater Tales.
Too often the magic of our youth is replaced by the pressures of adulthood and we quickly forget to let our inner child come out to play.
Join Courtney Mermaid as she fulfills her childhood dream of swimming with the water bound inhabitants of Planet Earth; doing her part by encouraging all of us to appreciate the beauty and life that lives in the waters of our world.
Please drop by Underwater Tales where you can watch her create the beautiful tails she swims in and read the tales she tells of what living a dream is like.
Take a moment and let your inner child come out to play!

Dream Big, Live Fully and Laugh Often!
Cheers, Jenny

Saturday, July 09, 2011

Now, let me add a little colour…



Nothing like red, is there. (not a question)



These are my toes - painted by me! 
Since it’s what I’m famous for I figured only the best should do me!
If it's not red on my tootsies then it's pink!
Girls...who paints your toes - what colour do you wear and why?
Boys...are you a fan of painted toes on the ladies? 




Friday, July 08, 2011

No one told her…

...she just knew it was a vicious game.


It did not surprise her, nothing did any more; she had seen it coming: the look in the eyes though - now that was a surprise; they had glistened like still water on a moon lit night.

There was no hesitation.

She did not flinch.

The blade was long and sharp but what intrigued her was its warmth; she wondered if the friction of penetration warmed the metal. It had missed bone and avoided the main blood lines; still, it would not take long; at most she had a few good breaths left.

A single tear fell and trickled down her neck; it was not hers. What fluid still coursed through her would not be wasted on crying; not in this lifetime at least.

She spared a breath to exhale and clear her mind; with the next she managed to turn up the corners of her mouth and through her smile she let out her last breath and final words, “Good game.” 

It was over.

Winner takes all; those are the rules. 

And…she was right, it really was a vicious game.



FYI...the game, it’s called Life!

Play much? Or are you just a spectator?