THESE ARE THE LAWS THAT GOVERN MY LIFE:

> 1. Law of Mechanical Repair - After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you will have to pee. > 2. Law of Gravity - Any tool, nut, bolt, screw, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner. > 3. Law of Probability -The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act > 4. Law of Random Numbers - If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal and someone always answers. > 5. Law of the Alibi - If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.  > 6. Variation Law - If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will always move faster than the one you are in now (works every time).     > 7. Law of the Bath - When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings. > 8. Law of Close Encounters -The probability of meeting someone you know increases dramatically when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with. > 9. Law of the Result - When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.. > 10. Law of Biomechanics - The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach. > 11. Law of the Theater and Hockey Arena - At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle, always arrive last.  They are the ones who will leave their seats several times to go for food, beer, or the toilet and who leave early before the end of the performance or the game is over. The folks in the aisle seats come early, never move once, have long gangly legs or big bellies, and stay to the bitter end of the performance.  The aisle people also are very surly folk. > 12. The Coffee Law - As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.  > 13. Murphy's Law of Lockers - If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers. > 14. Law of Physical Surfaces - The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor, are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet or rug. > 15. Law of Logical Argument - Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about. > 16. Brown's Law of Physical Appearance - If the clothes fit, they're ugly.  > 17. Oliver's Law of Public Speaking - A closed mouth gathers no feet. > 18.  Wilson's Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy - As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it. > 19. Doctors' Law - If you don't feel well, make an appointment to go to the doctor, by the time you get there you'll feel better. But don't make an appointment, and you'll stay sick. Do you have different ones or are you in the same boat as me?

REMEMBER DAVID BOWIE'S SONG: CH-CH-CHANGES......

Sometimes they are dreaded, sometimes they are welcomed.  We all have to accept them and are part of everybody's lives.  CHANGES ! 

  We are continually challenged by them .  Some of us adjust to them better than others.  Illness, divorce, loss of a job, moving, loss of a parent, etc.  takes a bite out of our sanity.  Others like the birth of a baby, a better job, a new partner, winning the lottery are gifts from heaven.  One thing is for sure, changes are part of our daily lives and the quality of our lives is reflected by the way we face them. 

We all have our personal stories, some happy others sad.  I personally had my share of "changes" to adapt to.  My 18 month old child developed diabetes.  That was a punch in the gut at the time.  But you learn to deal with it.  I never accepted it but I swallowed my tears and faced the challenge.  Some days I was terrified and I did not want to get out of bed. 

I could not bring myself to stick needles in my baby.  Its just not natural.  But if I did not do it, she would die.  On top of it my mother had just passed away so there was no one to turn to for comfort. She passed away just before her first grandchild  was born.  I already had a heavy heart but this illness was more than I could bare.  But I survived.  I took it one day at a time.  I was angry with God.  I could not understand why he had picked my baby, why not me?  I had to learn how to cope and quickly because my child's life depended on it.  Its a real shock at first but you realize that the only way to go is forward.  Slowly and I mean -slowly- you adapt until one day you realize its going to be OK.  Sure there are real bad days where the least little thing just sends you into the deep end  but you snap out of it a little faster each time.  Psychologists say that when we are faced with major life changes, coping mechanisms  happen in a cycle of 6 steps.  Here is how they explain it:

Change has always been a necessary aspect of life and work,

and our world is changing more rapidly than ever. It is likely that

you will have to cope with a variety of changes 

in the near future. Your success and fulfillment - your emotional,

mental, spiritual and physical well-being - depend on how well

you adapt to change.  People react, respond and adjust to change

in a sequence of six predictable stages.

The Change Cycle model identifies the thoughts, feelings and

behaviors associated with each stage of change. There is no

better map to assist you in navigating through

the changes in your life.

Stage 1 – Loss to Safety

 
In Stage 1 you admit to yourself that regardless of whether or not you perceive the change to be good or 'bad" there will be a sense of loss of what "was."

Stage 2 – Doubt to Reality

 
In this stage, you doubt the facts, doubt your doubts and struggle to find information about the change that you believe is valid. Resentment, skepticism and blame cloud your thinking.

Stage 3 – Discomfort to Motivation

 
You will recognize Stage 3 by the discomfort it brings. The change and all it means has now become clear and starts to settle in. Frustration and lethargy rule until possibility takes over.

The Danger Zone:

The Danger Zone represents the pivotal place where you make the choice either to move on to Stage 4 and discover the possibilities the change has presented or to choose fear and return to Stage 1. 

 

Stage 4 – Discovery to Perspective

Stage 4 represents the "light at the end of the tunnel." Perspective, anticipation, and a willingness to make decisions give a new sense of control and hope. You are optimistic about a good outcome because you have choices.

Stage 5 - Understanding

In Stage 5, you understand the change and are more confident, think pragmatically, and your behavior is much more productive. Good thing.

Stage 6 - Acceptance

By this time, you have regained your ability and willingness to be flexible. You have insight into the ramifications, consequences and rewards of the change -- past, present, and future. 

 

So that's it for Changes 101 for today.  Now its time to chill-out and relax!

I have always loved this song by David Bowie.  I hope you do to.  Enjoy!







PS  My baby who was diagnosed at 18 months with juvenile diabetes is now 22 and  will graduate this year with a degree in Environmental Science. 

To my daughter: This post is dedicated to you and for all the courage you have displayed over the years.  You have become my hero and my greatest teacher!

---

GET OUT ! NOT YOU! I MEAN THE MOVIE ITS WORTH WATCHING !!

I love to watch short movies.  Maybe because I have a short attention span.  The movie GET OUT is a really interesting short movie about Gary who has a strange phobia.  I will not tell you what it is because it is something I have never heard about and I will let you make up you own mind about it.  His phobia is only revealed at the end....It is rather surprising!

I started thinking about phobias, mine as well as others.  I dont think I know of anyone that does not have an irrational fear or phobia.  What is the difference between fear and phobia.  I checked Wikipedia on the subject and this is what they wrote:  An intense and persistent fear of certain situations and activities, animals and people.  It also says that phobias are the most common mental illness among women in all age groups and the second most common illness among men older than 25.  Personally, I would not label and intense fear, a mental illness, but rather a condition.  I was going to print a list of different phobias but the list is too long.  When I completed my psychology degree ( a few years ago, ahem) I remember the list containing perhaps 50 or more phobias now that list has grown to include hundreds.  I remember there being fears of bridges, spiders, snakes, etc. But now the list includes some strange and frankly  "funny" ones:

CYBERPHOBIA:  a fear of computers of working with one (my husband is afflicted by this one)

EUPHOBIA:  a fear of good news.  How weird is that?

GELIOPHOBIA:  a fear of laughter.  Imagine spending you life without laughing... : (

PLUTOPHOBIA:  a fear of the character Pluto.  Think again.  Its a fear of wealth.  Like $$$$!

OBESOPHOBIA:  a fear of gaining weight.  I know a few million women afflicted by this condition.

CHIONOPHOBIA:  a fear of snow.  I get this around the end of February each year or is a hatred of snow?

I could not find Gary's phobia listed (main character in GET OUT).  I promise you will fall in love with Gary.  The movie is from L'École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques (2009-2010).  The imagery is excellent.  Enjoy!

Please click on the following link to watch the video 

(might be an annoying commercial prior to the film)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k1lOel0aQAMvWl1kcxG

or watch it below!  Whatever works !

 

Get Out
envoyé par Esma-Movie. - Regardez des web séries et des films.

I CAN TELL THAT SPRING IS AROUND THE CORNER

Its snowing like crazy here.  Behind my house is a forest and around this time deer usually come and feed on different twigs and leftover berries.  They even come on the road sometimes and eat our expensive landscaping...

My neighbor spotted them and took this picture.  So, for sure, spring is just around the corner:
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Can you see them?

Yes, I'm being sarcastic!  I really want to see these:

A BREAK FROM WINTER:

We had more snow today!  I'm sick, sick, sick of it !  I know you cant curse Mother Nature but please send us some Vancouver weather that's ruining their Winter Olympics.  On that subject, I'm wondering why THEY are hosting the Winter Olympics?  Their flowers start blooming at the end of January while ours wont come out till the end of April (if we are lucky).  THEY dont really have winter there to be honest.  I know because I lived there a couple of  years, many moons ago.  They have snow way at the top of the Rockies while its summer at the bottom.  I will admit that it is a beautiful part of Canada but its not Winter Olympic material. Well that's just my 2 cents worth.  I'm just jealous of their balmy weather while I'm freezing my derrière here in frigid Montreal.  Well for those of you that need some cheering up here is my version of  a spring internet garden:

 

 
 Click on the snowman.  If the snowman melted (because sometimes my little icons disappear) then copy this website: 

http://www.procreo.jp/labo/flower_garden.swf

  You will get a black page at first but then just click your mouse anywhere and everywhere and see what happens. 

Better yet, click (hold down) and drag your mouse over the black page...
Enjoy!!

PRICE OF GAS

As you know the price of gas (petrol) is becoming a very big issue around the world.  I lived in Qatar off and on and the price of gas was 20 cents of liter.  That was quite reasonable.  Here in Montreal it is about 1,05$ a liter.  I have to fill up the car once a week and it usually costs 60,00$ a week.  Per month we are looking at 240,00$ to get the car running.  Add to this, the expense of running a second car for my daughters.  That is another 200,00$.  We have been seriously looking at electrical cars.  But for now there does not seem to be a model that is completely reliable.  Finding cash to run cars these days has become a real challenge for some.  My friend Jayne sent me this last week:

Price of gas in France


A thief in  Paris planned to steal some paintings from the Louvre.

After  careful planning, he got past security, stole the paintings, and made it safely to his van.
However, he was captured only two streets away when his van ran out of gas.

When asked how he could mastermind such a  crime and then make such an obvious error, he replied, 'Monsieur, that is the reason I stole the paintings.'

I had no Monet

 

to buy Degas

 

to make the Van Gogh 

 How did I have de Gaulle to post this

 

because I felt I had nothing Toulouse !
Pleese dont ate me !