Laugh At Yourself

It's the strangest thing, how often I make myself laugh.

Yesterday morning, I was running late. Of course, I put my shirt on inside out. 

Then backwards.  

It made me laugh. Because that's life, isn't it?

When you're running behind, you're going to do silly things. 

This morning, I got my hair all pretty looking, only to realize I still had my hooded sweatshirt on. Yeah, yanking that puppy off completely effed with my 'do. Sure, I could have gotten upset, stomped my foot and cursed the Gods. Instead, I laughed. 

I've noticed people don't like to laugh at themselves. Like it's impossible to conceive they'd make a oopsies or do something silly. This is unrealistic. Perhaps it comes down to ego. Thank goodness I don't have one. 

For anyone wondering, you look like a fool at least once a day. Possibly more. If you can't laugh about it, then you need to check yourself because life is going to be far more tedious than it need be. Human means fallible. Are we not simply imperfect creatures struggling along, lost and just making it up as we go along?

There's no point pretending we're perfect. 

I love the fact that I find life funny. That I laugh at myself. Shake my head. And carry on. It's one of the things I am most grateful for. Sure, other people might roll their eyes and think I'm not as funny as I feel I am. But that's on them, not me. Because I am truly hilarious.

For me, it just happens to be one of those important life lessons. It makes everything easier. Honestly, it feels way better to laugh than to get frustrated and upset about messing up. I mess up every single day of my life. It's called living. And because I can laugh it makes it easier to mess up again. 

Mindlessness

Last night, I wrote all of six words.

Six.

Impressive? No, not in the least.

Under normal circumstances, mindless television is the key to my creativity. It's something that I can drown out and still know what is going on. Noise is essential to my process. It feels silly writing that. Mostly because, do I even have a process? I usually just sit down and see where the blinking cursor takes me. This book I am trying to finish, let's call it "Ramona" - because that's the title it holds in my writing folder - is giving me a hard time. Fifty-something thousand words into it and struggling to get out the end.

It's rather annoying, really. I know what the final chapter will be, it's just getting there that's been an uphill journey through brambles on a scorching day. This is a bad place to get stuck. Most frustrating, really, when the first forty-five thousand words came spilling forth from my fingertips like they were greased up with butter and going down a slip-and-slide.

Somehow, I got sucked into the mindless television program last night.

And I wrote six words.

Six.

Instead of beating myself up about it, I'm going to try again tonight. If at first you don't succeed, and all those other catchy sayings people love.

At least I have the ability to write. I am fortunate for that. Grateful for my idea factory. The fact my laptop still boots up. And that I have the ability to watch mindless television with there being little repercussion, except another day slipping through my fingers.

Come on, Ramona. End already.

And if you really want to know what the television show was, just send me an email or something.

Food Is In

Today I was reading a beauty blog about what is in and out.

In case you are wondering, Ombre, smokey eyes, pixie cuts and logo bags are all out. If you want to know what's in, you will have to just make up your own damn mind about what you like and run with it. Taking advice from an unseen nobody behind a computer screen seems a bit odd to me.

The most interesting 'in' for me was food.

Yes, you heard it here first, or second, maybe eighth. Food is good.

What the what?

You know what I am grateful for? The fact that food has never been 'out' to me. Sure, there was more to the post I read. It detailed juice diets and how eating healthy is the new awesome thing to do. But it still confounds me how people get it in their heads that food is bad. Yes, there are bad foods, but do you know how many super awesome foods there are out there?

Mother Nature is one crafty bitch!

She (or maybe God, if that's what you believe) crafted up this assortment of deliciousness that everyone needs. Yes, needs. People need food. Not only does it turn into energy and fuels the body, but it keeps your skin clear, your eyes sharp, teeth strong. Really, the list is endless. You won't believe what food can do for you. Just consult Dr. Googles.

It isn't healthy to starve yourself. Or exist on soup diets. Or juice diets. Or use pills to get the vitamins and minerals you need. That's just common sense. And I know eating disorders exist because people want to be other people. It's mental and dangerous, and scary, really. Everyday, people do unhealthy things in hopes of changing themselves into something they most likely will never be. It boggles the mind.

Since food is in, I am going to share this little salad I made yesterday.

1 Cup cooked Quinoa 

(I cook mine with a splash of lemon juice for awesome giggles and stuff)

1 Roma Tomato

1/4 Cup Red Pepper

1/4 Cup Cucumber

A bit of onion

Cilantro to taste 

Pea shoots

1 Cup chickpeas

No dressing. Trust me, you don't need it. Now eat it all up! 

Winter Is Coming

Actually, it's here, as of December 21st.

It isn't in full force, though.

Weather is at a record low here on the West Coast. People freak out about this. Like it is so unnatural. But the thing is, it's only new in the last fifty years. This is the West Coast, it isn't supposed to have extreme weather conditions. It's supposed to be mild. Sure, that's sad news for snowboarders and skiers, and all the people who are going to be laid off if Mount Washington closes next week. Unfortunately, there are no chains on Mother Nature.

She's like any woman. She does what she wants. When she wants. How she wants.

We get used to how things are, expect them to be that way forever, but change happens. There are cycles that need to be taken into consideration. And temperatures have been this low before. Just because we bank on the arrival of snow doesn't actually mean it will be arriving.

That doesn't mean it isn't frosty out there. In fact, the frost is most pretty, especially early in the morning.

It's the frost that I am grateful this morning. Because it is beautiful. It is so intricate and complex. Have you ever looked at it? Talk about unique as a snowflake. And to think, snowmen are made entirely of this stuff.

Yesterday, I took a couple pictures of the frost. They might not capture the truly remarkableness of the cold weather or how amazing this form of nature is, but I want to post them because they are a reminder of how many breathtaking things exist in this world.

Upon review, I can see how some people might have thought this was going to be a Game of Thrones post. I apologize that it isn't and will try to refrain from tricking you in the future.

Where I Live

This tiny village that I live is rather enthralling and I am supremely grateful for it. Small town living is totally for me. There are pretty much only a handful of shops on the main street. The only traffic that we get is when the folk from the neighbouring town come over for festivals and special occasions. It kind of reminds me of Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls, except not as nearly big and a little more white trashy.

I just love it.

A little example of why?

Yesterday, I parked like a jerk. Backwards, on the wrong side of the street, and half over the stall behind me. It was the worst parking job I have ever done. I was just popping into the store, but I felt bad as soon as I stepped out of my truck. So much so, I felt the need to point it out to the woman working at the shop. She just laughed and said it was better than most of the parking jobs she's seen out there.

And she said, "The best part is you won't get a ticket. I don't think a ticket has ever been written in our town."

It's true. We don't even have police officers!

It's a beautiful place, truly. It reminds me of the saying 'it takes a village', I think this is what they had in mind.

Just a Friday night in the town I love.