I don't understand the concept of 'boredom' anymore...

"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." ~Ellen Parr 

I haven't really used the term for years in fact (ah to be a teenager...). It just doesn't apply... and I find myself puzzled by people that are bored or complain that they 'have nothing to do'. Really? Nothing?? Wow. Perhaps it's only me that's got so much to do? Except that on some days I do hardly anything at all. It's a puzzle.  

I wonder about the lives that people have - much different from mine? Similar? Am just very curious as to what people do and when they do it. Over the past week apart from working and being at home (doing home stuff) I've experienced the following:

• Defeat - at the hands of a 12/13 year old. I'd just like to say that once upon a time I had the skills to defeat other players - because Chun Li and Cami were my girls from Street Fighter whilst Kitana, Sindel and Sonya Blade were my girls from Mortal Kombat and therefore I ruled. Not having played in years has affected my skills though... *sigh*
• Lots of ole-talking - on different days, because I've got lots of cousins of varying ages and there's always something going on. 

• Lunch with a new friend and an old one... with conversation topics such as 'sparky thing vs. sparkly things'.

• Movies with my mom - sappy, romantic mush that I can't remember the names of but do remember that I thought they were good... hmm...

• Tried to find space for a stack of books in my room... it's current location is on my bed... I need more shelf space...  

• Took part in a photowalk around part of the Queen's Park Savannah - met new people, got some exercise, took lots of photos :) 

•  After-work lime with a newly-wedded girlfriend - taught her how to read instructions and how to install batteries in various house stuff. Listened to tales of newly-wedded bliss. Somewhat horrified that marriage is starting to sound appealing.

• Read books... not those in the stack pictured here... from another stack. Ergh... need more shelf space...

• Entertained the kitten... cuz he is apparently my chile... who follows me around and has a particular cry that I can't tune out. Evolution thou art a heartless thing. 

• Tried to out-manoeuvre the Cancer Bus... went with my mom to St. James hospital today for checkup/blood test/x-rays... got stuck in traffic *behind* the Cancer Bus. We always try to reach the hospital before the Cancer Bus cuz then we get through quicker... luckily, though we didn't make it before the Bus, we did get through fairly quickly. 

I've got no time to be bored really. Too many things to do/see/talk about/take part in. Life is an adventure... while I'm not particularly adventurous I do try to make the most of it :)

peace,

Ren

Separation anxiety... I have it...

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened." ~Anatole France 

I'm going to Tobago today... for the weekend! Will be back on Sunday... all is well but... who will take care of my Kitten??? Of course my dad will be home... but really. O_o How do parents do it?

peace,

Ren

It's *my* birthday!

"Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born." ~Albert Einstein

It's been a good day. I took the day off (I have a firm policy - no working on birthdays). Didn't really do that much but still feel a measure of ... peace... calm... quiet... that I have not felt for some time. This might be due to the fact that I handed in all my MBA stuff on Tuesday (please Goddess... let me pass everything!)... or it might be that I went by the Ashram twice today... it might just be that today is my birthday. 

It feels like a return... circle around and this is where I am. I was born on a Thursday... it's why I particularly like Thursdays more than any other day. After all the craziness it feels like I'm at the right place at the right time. I am blessed. 

A run-down of stuff I did on my birthday:

• Got up at 4 am... went to Guru Gita at the Ashram. I didn't fall asleep during it but was somewhere in that hazy world between sleep and non-sleep. Got Happy Birthday sung to me before 7 am... Got told I've got a good brain... 
• Got three free apples from our market guy because it's my birthday... it's good when the market/grocery people know you.
• Played with the kitten
• Got presents! Books... 'Living in the Light' by Shakti Gawain- which I've already started reading, 'The White Queen' and 'The Red Queen' by Philippa Gregory - I received two of her books for Christmas and New Year's and she's now one of my favourite authors... historical-type-fiction which is amazingly written :)
• Did a tarot reading [see below] (Tarot.com gave me a free one ... because it's my birthday)... It looks like it's gonna be an interesting year..
• Did not have any falling out with my dad... It's only now that I realise this... there has been no strange drama this year... are we getting old? was he trying to be calm because of my having to hand in MBA stuff? There was no drama... wow
• My brother made risotto ... and carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Thank the Goddess that my brother can cook.. and bake. I am blessed
• Took a nap
• Went to the Ashram (yes, again...) for discussion group otherwise known as "Sacred Conversations" ... most interesting topic for today... I admit I wondered what would be the topic today... Got told I'm a great critic... 
• Went out for dinner... Got free dessert... with a candle that would. not. out. seriously...
• Sang along with my brother to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody [Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very frightening me|(Galileo) Galileo (Galileo) Galileo, Galileo figaro...] during dinner... (a song which my mom has either never heard or just can't remember... yet my dad, brother and I love it... :s)
• Got a present! Earrings shaped like awareness ribbon... 
• Sang along to the Masquerade song from Phantom of the Opera on the drive back home
• Answered phone calls and messages... missed some... oops? Spent some time on-line responding to all the facebook messages of birthday greetings.. 

After all has been said and done, it was a day where I learned stuff, spent time with family, and had fun... not bad for a birthday :)  Many thanks to all who sent birthday greetings :)

love,

Ren

Happy Earth Day! Happy Good Friday!

"Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty." ~John Ruskin 

I'm not sure if it's that I'm moody cuz I've had the flu... or if it's just that I'm moody... or if it's after-effects of pill-taking (it takes a while for one's system to settle)... I have a lot to be happy about though... to be thankful for... and so this Earth Day/Good Friday that's what I'm doing...

Today rocks because:

• it's a holiday! maybe not in other parts of the world ... in Trinidad and Tobago we've got a long weekend... Good Friday - Easter Monday = holiday! 
• I can see in the sun again (somewhat)! - the thing with me and the flu (cold? virus?) is that my eyes get super-light-sensitive such that sunshine/glare is very evil. I'm mostly better though so yay!
• I got a kitten! - for my birthday (next week - he's an early birthday present)... our cat Simone who is gorgeous and fabulous and the best cat in the world went missing a little over a month ago - I couldn't even bring myself to blog about it... Depression... sorrow... sadness... who knew what became of her?! Am hoping that wherever she is now she's in a better space. And today, my brother brought home a kitten... who can in no way replace my Kit Kat (Simone)... but... he's so cute...
• My family makes me happy - I mean, my brother got me a kitten... I know how much drama he would have had to have gone through with dad to get him to agree to a kitten... and also... my dad agreed to us having a kitten (I'm a bit shocked by that... secretly I think he's also more of a cat-person)... and also my mom sent me this amazingly funny earth day card... I ♥ you people...
• I had callaloo today... which I made... which I love... lol... so yes, my belly is important...

It's Good Friday... I tried the egg thing this morning... without my mom... am actually not 100% sure I did it correctly but... there were patterns... what do you all see in it? 

It's Earth Day... this video is amazing... makes you think really... how much can we do - how much do we do? Got this prayer in my in-box from Natural Rhythms - I think it's definitely worth sharing.

Earth Honouring Prayer
Precious Earth, the beauty of your nature uplifts
and nourishes our bodies and souls.
The majesty of your mountains reminds us
to structure and form our lives.
You remind us to take solid, grounded steps
as we build firm foundations with gratitude.

Through your ability to contain, you give us the
ability to walk, skip, and dance.
You teach us to celebrate the gift of our bodies
and the treasures of the physical realm.
With you, we are able to touch our loved ones
and to feel the tenderness of a kiss.

We open to embody wholeness as we learn to honour
the sacred in your realm.
You train us to value the deep wisdom of the body
and to tend to its needs.
Thank you for your cycles which help us align
with the organic timing of change.

peace,

Ren