Opals and Perfectionism

I was thinking about perfectionism the other day.   This is a subject near and dear to me, as I do tend to be a bit of a perfectionist myself and am well aware of double edged nature of perfectionism.  I thought of the story of the opal.   Opals are made of layers of sediment, but the color changing beauty of the precious opal comes about because all through it there are tiny imperfections, that reflect the light back at different angles.  The beauty of it, comes from the imperfections.  Geology.com - click for more information on opals and other gems

Holidaze

This year I do admit that I’m not feeling really holiday-like.  Part of this is just how I am.  I tend to hang on to summer as long as I can and while I’m trying to embrace winter (see earlier posting) – I still am most surely a summer girl.  I thrive in the warm to hot weather; I like the feeling of the sun on my skin. Part of it, I think, is that it seems Christmas gets pushed on us earlier and earlier each year.   I remember seeing Christmas decorations out in stores, in the early October!   The other part of it is how commercialized the season tends to be.  Sometimes it seems to be more about who gets or gives the biggest and boldest rather than being nice to each other.  Of course there is debate about the this being the actual birthdate of Christ , be that as it may shouldn’t the season still be more about having an attitude that is like the golden rule?   Instead of black Friday craziness?  I do not do black Friday.  Well, at least I don’t do the doorbuster thing.   Black Friday now begins on Thanksgiving evening.  So now, directly after being thankful for what we already have, some feel the need to act like animals or worse in order to get some cheaply priced items.   Alright, that statement isn’t mine – I saw it floating around the web – but it’s true!   It’s true I don’t go out shopping for doorbusters no matter how great of deal - because I have no real urge to see society and people at their worst.  The cheap prices don’t make up for it.

  

Well, I still want to enjoy the holiday season.  Maybe it is alright to not be real into it some years.   Maybe a few simple Christmas decorations up, a Christmas card list of only the closest people and hopefully forgetting for the most part about the holiday yummies.

Don’t get me wrong – I do enjoy parts of the holiday season -

Holiday shopping is something I enjoy a great deal.   I was surprised to learn some people don’t like this.  Maybe I have a future in personal shopping then because I like finding unique gifts for people.  While gift baskets and fruit cake are fine – I like them!   I like finding things that people really enjoy – that they haven’t even thought of for themselves. 

I like the outdoor lights.  Mind you not that I put up a lot of them, but I do like seeing the ones that people in the neighborhood put up, from those with a Religious theme to those that look like gingerbread houses, or one I particularly enjoy – the house the decorates the woods near their home with multiple themes that somehow all fit together … there is something special about lights gently lighting the snow on the ground.

Another holiday that I really enjoy is New Year’s.  Time for the “Twilight Zone” marathon, and the airings of “Back to the Future”.  There’s our small holiday family and friends gathering and maybe, just maybe- if my friends are willing to do it – going out to rock in the new year. 

Winter in Minnesota

Winter in Minnesota

Winter can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people.    In Minnesnowta, I mean, Minnesota, snow is a topic we are well familiar with.  It means a lot of things to a lot of people, too.  To many children it means a wonderful experience.  It means play time, snow angels, sledding, snow ball fights and perhaps a cup of hot cocoa.   To adults it means having to shovel, go out and start the car ahead of time and bundling up.   And yet still some adults manage to enjoy winter here.   Something that I’m not always so great at.   So I’ve done some thinking about it.  What makes these adults different?  Sometimes they have a winter sport they enjoy.  Sometimes they like the beauty that comes from a majestic snowfall, flakes glittering like feathers of silver in the air, coating the trees with a thick and heavy layer of white.

 

Granted – I’m a summer type of girl.   I like warm, bordering on hot weather.  I like going outside and feeling the sunlight on my skin.  I like short sleeve shirts, sandals and eating outside.

 

However God made winter too.  Minnesota is where I live for now… so I have decided to try and enjoy winter – I might not go out and buy snow shoes or a fish house, but there is nothing wrong with enjoying a brisk walk all bundled up, to come inside a warm toasty house later and enjoy a nice cup of coffee or tea. 

 

Photo taken near Willmar, Mn - where I grew up

 

Election Impressions

I've never claimed to be big on politics, or how the process works.    This is because I don't believe that my vote makes a difference.   What can one person do too a system that more often seems to look out for big companies and large corporations instead of the individuals of a country?  But yes...  I still vote - for the principal of voting itself.  Besides...  if I don't vote, do I get the right to complain?  ;-)

So my post won't be on which candidate I liked, or telling you how you should've voted  like I've seen so many posts about on facebook - instead my post is about how I think the process should work, and this not from a political science major or activist, just from me.... middle of the road  typical average American. 


A two-party system.

That's odd.   I counted more than two choices for President on my ballot.   I think if the third party candidates jumped through the proper hoops to get their names on the ballot - then they should get equal time on the debates.

But why stop at the debates?   For a long time I've felt that political ads should not be allowed?   Why?   because it seems like the candidate with the best ads ends up winning.  How is that fair?  Instead I think there should be a 24/7 channel dedicated just to politics with each group appearing on the ballot getting equal time. 



And that's my more than 2 cents.

Listia should be list*lie*a....

So recently I tried the online auction site Listia.  How Listia works is - you don't buy things with cash.   You buy them with Listia credits.   You get a lot of them for signing up, and doing other tasks like filling out your profile and referring friends.   Of course the fastest way you get credits is by listing things in listia auctions.  You do not get paid for them.   Instead you get Listia credits that you use to bid on auctions you want.

As you can imagine,  there's a lot of not-too-fancy stuff on there.  Yard sale leftovers, miscellaneous items...  but that's the beauty of it or so I thought.  It's a place where all those common items can clear out of your life and go to someone who really wants them.

So, I signed up, and sold my first item :  a book.  I had enough credits to bid on an auction I wanted - and I won!  I sent the seller my address...  weeks went by and no item.  I filed a dispute with Listia ....  I thought I was told that my credits would be held neutral until it was solved.  Well - my credits were given to the seller in spite of the dispute I filed.

I wrote to the seller who never answered.

I went to leave negative feedback and to my surprise I couldn't leave negative feedback.  Only positive or neutral on account that I had filed a dispute.  Listia.   Set up for scammers.

So I told the lady what I thought of her actions.  Told her she must be hard up to scam people out of fake money to buy bits and bobs on listia........

Easily amused, are we really?

So, recently I saw a gas station that advertised how you could watch TV as you pumped gas - because there are TVs installed on the pumps themselves now.  At first I was wow'd. (wow.)  And then I was struck by it. have we really become such a society where we need entertainment every possible second?  Social psychologists already are wondering how humanity and culture itself will adapt with the progression of smart phones and how "connected" we are to techno gadgetry - but not always too each other.

While it's easy for me to sit here and condemn - tables of friends who are sitting together but are on their phones, or families where mom and dad are on their laptops and iPads while the kids are playing video games, I must turn my critical eye inwards.  Sure I usually don't do that kind of thing, but what about the times where I've check my facebook while being out, or spent too much time on facebook - or have decided  that it's much more fun to be online or watching TV than it is, say going to the gym or working on dozens of projects that I could be doing.

I wonder what would society would be like it we attempted to interact with more people face to face instead of through phones or computers.

Love your body day / a weighty issue

                                                            Happy love your body day!

Yeah I didn't know about it either until I saw this on facebook -

                                                           For more information click here


I say it's about time.   As being a non-thin person I have struggled with weight since I was a pre-teen.  And in my 30 years on this planet I have discovered the truth as far as food and I are concerned to be that I can either

A - Starve and be miserable thinking about the next time I get to eat a piece of celery

B - Give up completly which feels equally as bad

or

C - Be content making minor changes and adjustments to get my body where I want it to be, loving myself on the journey.

So far C has proven to be the best choice. 

As being a \non-skinny I have found that it seems like size is that last thing that some people feel is acceptable to make fun of a person for.  Or I hear comments like "so and so should just go to the gym more" or "so and so should try a salad"....  these are often comments made by people who are fit-thin themselves and who may not realize that it isn't that easy for some of us.   So drop the superior attitudes already.  Maybe they were just blessed with a fast metabolism and/or enough time to work out.   It's like telling a thin person they should just eat a cheeseburger.   Yeah, you know what?   Maybe it isn't that easy for them, either. 

We all have our reasons for being in the shape that we're in.  This is venturing into what is possibly more-than-you-want-to-know-about-me land, but after all..... this is my blog and my thoughts. 

Take me.  Partially genetics, partially the meds I needed as a baby because I was born very early, partially the pre-diabetes that I have, and hey - I'll admit it - partially the fact that I like to eat.   But as you see it's not simply from laying around watching tv all day and/or stuffing my face - because I'm fairly active.

One of my thin friends eat like a horse - and for as long as I've known her has been a size small.  She's had people tell her to gain weight. 

And I guess dancing has taught me a lot as well too.  It would seem that very few of the women I know (can't speak for men) - aren't happy with who or what they are.  The very things I think are beautiful about them - are sometimes what they dislike about themselves.  Why hate yourselves so bad?   It's easy to point fingers at the media I mean, what with ads like this:

                                                                                  Article here
Which totally makes me want to run out and buy a ..... wide angle lens?   Wait..... what?   But also, some people seem to just naturally hate themselves no matter how beautiful  they are.   Maybe it's human nature.  Or maybe it's other aspects we don't like about ourselves that surface as body issues.  After all - isn't it easier to lift weights or go on a diet than to work on our motiviation, skills set or attitude?

When it comes down to it - we are only given the one body, so why not love it and appreciate it?  Of course this doesn't mean you can't change it here or there, but what about accepting yourself as you are until you reach your goals?



A lot of people I know - of all body types - are intimidated to do things like go to the gym or dance at concerts.  "What if people look at me?"  Well I used to be that way too.  Now I've gotten over it.   I love having fun and enjoying myself and if someone is going to take offense to my presence - then they can kiss my ask. 

                                         Watch this cute 3 year old talk about kicking some ask.