Some days staring at the ceiling making friends with shadows on my wall Some nights hearing voices telling me that I should get some sleep because tomorrow might be good for something. Hold on, feeling like I’m headed for a breakdown and I don’t know why (I might have a vague idea)
I’m not crazy I’m just a little unwell (a little???) I know right now you can’t tell But stay awhile and maybe then you’ll see A different side of me (Sides?)
I’m not crazy I’m just a little impaired (repaired, scared, flared, despaired, prepared?) I know right now you don’t care But soon enough you’re gonna think of me And how I used to be (somedays I don’t even remember how I used to be)
See me Singing to myself in public And dodging glances from my brain I know, I know they’ve all been talking ’bout me I can hear them whisper (you know, when folks do that cool exaggerated whisper which is actually much louder than the average voice) And it makes me think there must be something wrong (define wrong) With me
Out of all the hours thinking (thinking, thinking, overthinking, thinking about chocolate, thinking some more, trying not to think then thinking about having a cup of tea and thinking a cookie would go well with, misthinking, watching some TV while trying not to think, misunderstanding my thinking, thinking about my thinkabilities with my thinkiest mind particles, unthinking then rethinking again, then back to overthinking, I think). Somehow I’ve lost my mind (of all the things I’ve lost I miss my mind the most)
I’ve been talking in my sleep (is my phone listening to that too?) Pretty soon they’ll come to get me (they’ll have to find me first and I haven’t even found myself yet!) Yeah, they’re taking me away (Oooh, nice, a vacation!)
Yeah, I miss how I used to be How I used to be
You may be hearing this song by Rob Thomas/Matchbox 20, but I’m hearing it as Mad Monster Scientist from Season 13 of The Masked Singer...I won’t tell you who it really was (just sayin’, I guessed who it was, what can I say, I have music in my head 24/7 so I recognize a lot of the voices in my head, oh hello!!!), in case you haven’t watched, or want to watch. I wouldn’t want to do “spoilers”.
Anyway, this song has firmly stuck in my head and I decided the only way to remove it was to press it onto this page. Don’t blame me if it sticks to you next.
Struggling to read, sleep, find words, stand (and stay standing), sit, write, blog https://yadadarcyyada.com/2025/09/07/how-can-you-miss-me-if-i-wont-go-away/, well, anything, as usual, and now all the while watching the world spiral. I’m not sure if the world is crazy or just a little unwell, but right now, right now I can’t tell. Up is down and down is up, it’s distorted, distended, diseased, disgraced, disappointing, discouraging, dishonest, and frankly, mostly, distasteful. It feels as topsy-turvy as though I’m Alice down the rabbit hole, but without the cute dress. So here I am just trying to figure out if there’s anything left to figure out in the world.
There’s a bright side. I truly believe many people are still good. They still do good. I also believe more people waking up to reality isn’t bad, or as depressing as they think/thought. As weird, bad, and scary as things are: The Epstein Files; the economy; wars; tariffs; unaffordable and completely unaccessible housing; sky high grocery prices; crime; horrible, horrible, distracted drivers; loss; fear; chaos; endless ads, subscriptions, verification codes to distract us (seriously, companies need to invest in cybersecurity, why should I be your administrative assistant for free?); the rise of AI (seriously, look up what AI is doing, nothing intelligent about using it, it’s not worth it), https://yadadarcyyada.com/2024/02/21/i-am-not-a-robot/and the list goes on and on…sometimes I feel like giving up, but then I remember, there’s still good, there’s still hope.
On the bright side, there’s no zombie apocalypse. The Walking Dead is kinda scary, no electricity, no internet, no indoor plumbing, and we’d run out of chocolate quickly!!! And sooooooooo much walking, I mean, it’s in the title!!! I really don’t think I could get passed the smell. Also, World War Z and 28 Days/Weeks/Years (28 Decades/Centuries?) Later “zombies” are way too fast.
No cloned dinosaurs are roaming on any island (there are much, much, much scarier things on certain islands).
No alien invasion, although at this point it might be a blessing. Of course, space has its own issues, Alien, Battlestar Galactica, The 100, Star Trek, Doctor Who, The Orville, Stargate, Cowboy Bebop, Firefly, The Expanse, look at the Star Wars universe, though Andor was an amazing watch, highly recommend.
Was truth always over-rated? In a way, would it be better to not know what snowmen really do in summer?
Be kind. Stay kind. Do things for people who can’t do anything for you. Smile. Laugh. Care. Love. Hope. Dream. Watch what you want. Question. Share. Read what you want. Question. Eat the cake. Give. Renew. Refresh. Laugh some more, with people (not at them, resist the temptation, I know it seems too easy sometimes but what does that say about us, not them?). Sing. Question everything. Write. Explore. Discover. Delight. Dance like everyone is watching. Hug someone (like, not some random person, someone you know). Be kind again. Eat the cookie or the salad…is there cookie salad cause I want that. Learn lessons. Believe (I want to believe). Turn off your screens (right after you read and share this post!). Go outside. Spend time with family and friends. Make friends, some will become family. Hope some more. Dream some more. Care some more. Courage my friends, we are so much more than they think we are, especially together.
Nobody can tell you There’s only one Christmas song worth singing They may try to sell you cause it hangs them up to see someone like you living your own kind of holiday life
But you gotta make your own kind of season Live your own special song Make your own kind of Christmas music even if nobody else sings along!
You might be nowhere this season The loneliest kind of lonely It may be rough going Just to do your thing is the hardest thing to do
So you gotta make your own kind of Christmas music Sing your own special song Make your own kinda season even if nobody else follows along…
Thanks to the holidays, Cass Eliot and all of my readers for the inspiration to be here!!!
The holiday season can be the most wonderful time of the year, but for those without close family or friends (or if they’re far away), for those living in poverty, for people with chronic conditions, and other reasons Christmas can be: discouraging, dismaying, disheartening, and in some cases, dismal. https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/11/22/how-to-get-away-with-christmas/. Life for too many has become an exercise in survival, with little in the way of comfort and joy. This season and every season I’m focusing on the simple things, the little things, I triple dog dare you to do the same.
So far my “simple” Christmas activities have been: Attending a relaxing and informative Zoom workshop about holiday card-making presented by: Paint It Out (http://paintitout.ca/) featuring artist, Salima Andany (salima@paintitout.ca) and Chronic Not Hopeless (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1875955569247115) – we gladly accept donations chronicnothopeless@gmail.com. When I began painting, thanks to an inspiring class taught by Salima, I only liked acrylics, they just seemed to speak to me, but during this program I heard the voice of watercolours and my art heart grew three sizes that day! For those wishing to spend some time with others with chronic conditions, our Chronic Not Hopeless workshops are accessible, positive, and everyone seems to have fun, what else could you ask for? Oh yeah, they’re free! For those who are interested there will be two more workshops this season, Wednesday December 6th, 2023 at 11am ET: Wreath Making and Wednesday December 13th at 11am ET: Ornament Making. Contact:chronicnothopeless@gmail.comfor free and safe Zoom links, more info, supply list, etc. Hope to see you there and BYOB – Bring Your Own Beverages (no judgment) and most of all, your imagination!
To say the King Edward Choir Christmas concert, “Winter Lights” https://www.kingedwardchoir.ca/ at the Collier Street United Church in Barrie, Ontario (that’s in Canada eh) was a delight would be the maximization of minimizing. It was soaring, never boring! There was singing, our hearts were ringing! Who out there Believes Hot Chocolate Season is the literally most wonderful time of the year? The King Edward Choir must believe because when we boarded the “Polar Express” we heard: “Hot! Hot! Oh, we got it! Hot! Hot! Yo, we got it! Hot chocolate! Here, we’ve only got one rule: Never ever let it cool!”. People who understand my passion for chocolate, including but definitely not limited to hot chocolate understand why this song is near and dear to my heart and stomach…all the year through.
KEC invited us to sing along to wonderful Christmas carols then we listened to many lovely tunes by: Irving Berlin– We may have our love to keep us warm but heading into my first Barriewinter, I’ll also need warm clothes and hot chocolate after digging out of the “Snow, snow, snow, snow!” with my electric shovel as we head toward a hopefully white but not too White Christmas.
There was so more: Tchaikovsky; John Rutter;and they added a very contemporary tune, “I Want To Stare at my Phone Screen With You”, awww, how sweet, I really hope they can keep their 5G holiday romance charged all year long.
In 90 minutes (with intermission) we had ourselves an early Merry Little Christmas(https://yadadarcyyada.com/2021/11/27/have-yourself-a-merry-little-christmas/), with triumph voices rising. My toes were still tapping long after my hands had stopped clapping. Kudos to Leanne Edwards, Artistic Director/Conductor and Katie Pergau, Accompanistand of course the richly melodic women and men of the choir, including my amazing sister-in-law who added her honeyed tones, smiling face, and I saw some dancing/swaying too. If you get a chance to see the King Edward Choir, or other choirs where you live, please do, there’s really something about voices together, raised in song that brings peace and comfort in any season.
You can also join a choir because as we know, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” (Elf).
As luck would have it I entered their raffle (proceeds to the Barrie Food Bank) and I was one of the lucky winners of a very generous (and heavy) basket of goodies: wine; cheese; cookies; coffee; tea; a lovely and warm scarf; a wooden puzzle that’s driving me mad but I’ll get it, I will; many chocolates – I’ll have you know I still have some left, ok, I don’t have any left, but they were divine; etc.
I understand they raised over $1000 for the Food Bank! I certainly left believing in the Spirit of the Season. I’m looking forward to “The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace“ by Welsh composer, Karl Jenkins, which the King Edward Choir will be performing May 4th, 2024 (mark the date and/or look around you, there are activities, in person or online which you can do together or by yourself – I attend all kinds of concerts, plays, travel the world, etc. all from the comfort of my bed!).
Chronic Not Hopeless hosted a virtual Christmas book club, Chronic Page Turners – can you guess what the book selection was for December? “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. Still a classic. Who’s your favourite character from the book? What’s your favourite film/TV adaptation of this timeless tale of trauma and redemption? https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/12/11/the-christmas-carol-awakens/
I had to watch “White Christmas”, of course. I don’t wanna wash my hands, my face, or hair in snow and I definitely don’t wanna shovel it, hmm, but snow angels and snowmen are fun. With this much snow you gotta learn to make some snow lemonade from those snow lemons…
“Miracle on 34th Street”(black and white version, so no blue teeth); “Elf”;
I always watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas”with my son on Christmas Day (traditions of any kind can be fun and comforting)…
Bake some cookies, then eat said cookies, alright, alright, eat and share said cookies or swap those cookies (hey you at the cookie swap, don’t be that person)! Play some games: board, card, word, video, computer, whatever, just have fun! Make some candles or apple cider (not in the same pot)! Enjoy the crisp air with a moonlit walk (be safe, be aware of your surroundings, there are some naughty elves out there)!
Snap on those snowshoes (check your local library, you’d be shocked at what their Library of Things has, including snowshoes)! Swish, swish, go cross country skiing! Make some of your decorations and cards – homemade comes from the heart (also dollar, thrift, and craft stores and probably with some cursing involved)! Volunteer, give what you can, including your time! Watch holiday movies/TV shows, including but not limited to: “Die Hard”; “Happy Days”; “Gremlins”; “Gilmore Girls”; “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”; “Bridget Jones’s Diary”; “Downton Abbey”; “Scrooged”; “Seinfeld”; “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas”; “The Golden Girls”; “A Christmas Story”; “Community”; “Lethal Weapon”; “Call The Midwife”; “Batman Returns”; “Murdoch Mysteries”; “It’s a Wonderful Life”;
“ELF”; “M*A*S*H”; “The Holiday”; “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”; “The Santa Clause”; “Meet Me in St. Louis”; “South Park”; “Cast Away”; “Will and Grace”; “The Shop Around The Corner”; “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear”; “The West Wing”; “Rocky IV”; “Black Mirror”; “The Twilight Zone”; “Going My Way”; “March of the Wooden Soldiers”; “Ted Lasso”; “Home Alone” (When are we going to admit Kevin just had bad parents? And thank goodness they were incompetent robbers.);
“Trading Places”; “The Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas Special”;if you can find it, the 1978“Star Wars Holiday Special“; “White Christmas”; “Friends”; any version of “The Nutcracker”(but the Elle Fanning version, well, it’s ‘unique’); “Glee”; “Holiday Inn”; “The Office”; “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”; “Eight Crazy Nights”; “While You Were Sleeping”; “30 Rock”; “Meet John Doe”; “Mad Men”; “Bell, Book and Candle”;
“We’re No Angels”; “Remember the Night”; “Holiday Affair”; “Lost”; “Krampus”; “Black Christmas”; “Pocketful of Miracles”; “The Lion in Winter”; “Anna and the Apocalypse“(nothing says Christmas like a musical romantic comedy with zombies); “I’ll Be Seeing You”; “The X-Files”; “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”; “The Bells of St. Mary’s”; “New Girl”; “Edward Scissorhands”;
Doctor Who Christmas specials; “Reindeer Games”; “Family Guy”; “Mean Girls”; “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians”; “Babes in Toyland”; “My So-Called Life”; “Little Women”; “The Simpsons”; “The Man Who Came to Dinner”;“How i Met Your Mother”;“A Christmas Carol”, so so so many Grinches, Santas, Rudolphs, Peanuts gang, and Scrooges; “Love Actually”; “The Ref”; “Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever”;
“The Family Man”; “Bad Santa”; “Christmas in Connecticut”; “Holiday in Handcuffs”(this happened and we let it happen); “Bundle of Joy”; “The Bishop’s Wife”;“Parks and Recreation”; “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”; “Prancer”;“Bright Eyes”; “Love Finds Andy Hardy “;of course,“Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life”and soooo many more!
Visit someone who may be lonely at this time of year, or anytime! Go caroling! Make a gingerbread house (use royal icing not just icing, I speak from experience, the horror, the horror!)! Go ice skating or watch ice skating! Go out and have a Happy Festivus!
Make your own Advent calendar! Have a potluck dinner with family and/or friends! Have a Christmas pajama day or party! Remember to save money on gifts, food, etc. Knit or at least wear a ‘spirit sweater’ aka ugly sweater or a Ho Ho Ho hat!
Cause it can’t really still be all about the gifts after decades of watching “How The Grinch Stole Christmas”, can it? Can it?
Don’t hurry, don’t scurry, don’t worry. Rest is best in a harried holiday season. What gets done gets done, everything else should be fun. So here, we’ve only got one rule: Never ever let it cool! Hot, hot, hot hot chocolate; find your inner marshmallow and melt into the season.
There’s a lot of division these days, mountains of snowy drama that seem to grow during holidays. Make your kindness like snow, let it float down and around, each little wonder covering hardships, drama, and woe. When you’re worried and you can’t sleep, count your blessings instead of being sheep, and you’ll fall asleep counting your drama-free blessings.
The last few months have been chaotic and I think it’s made me into a Cotton-Headed Ninny Muggins! I’ve been inattentive to my blogging family, that’s on me, not you; I’m sorry I ruined your blogging lives and crammed 11 cookies 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪 into your blogging VCR.
Life has been having a tantrum: throwing snowballs, gum drops, lemons and even some chocolate covered curve balls at me – I’m working hard to catch them all without injuries.
Watched a lot of TV shows and Movies (more on that in next post), read and re-read some books, organized, played cards with friends (learned Quiddler which sounds vaguely dirty but is actually just a fun word game). I traveled through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest (London is called “The Forest City”, but I think a more apt title would be: “The Concrete, Cannabis, Callous and Construction City”, past the sea of twirly-swirly gum drops (eww, I don’t think those are gum drops), and then I walked through the London streets (and alive to tell the tale, more or less)…
A delightful friend treated me, as a birthday (yeah. had another one of those) treat to Elf: The Musical here at The Grand Theatre in London, Ontario. It was a delight. The cast wasn’t just talented, they were effervescent. They sparkled. They shone. They danced and sang their way into our hearts. From young to old (er), they were brave and bold (er), giving us the gifts of their song, laughter, movement, and magic. It’s just nice to know another human who shares my affinity for elf culture.
My health has been most disagreeable. My body isn’t a winter wonderland. And on top of that I’ve made a life decision or maybe life made it for me, I’m moving away from the city where I’ve lived for over 35 years, to be closer to family.
Feeling like I’m in a perpetual state of sticker shock every time I go into a grocery store or any other store, including online. Inflation is fun. So like many, I’ve had to make some lifestyle adjustments though we vague meanderings of the broke and obscure bloggers try to stick to the four main food groups: chocolate bars/candy bars 🍫, chocolate chips (and even in pancakes https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/02/17/well-always-have-pancakes/ 🥞🥞🥞), chocolate cake, chocolate brownies, chocolate fudge, chocolate donuts/doughnuts 🍩, chocolate ice cream, hot chocolate (tip: if you have extra or leftover chocolate, wait, is that even a thing, use it to make yummy hot chocolate or add it to hot tea or coffee, it’s addictive).
And chocolate lovers, don’t be chocolate killers, don’t throw out your chocolate because it looks grey or white – that’s just bloom! Yes, fat and sugar bloom make chocolate look weird, but it still tastes great and has the same shelf life. Fat bloom is when there are changes in the fat crystals in the chocolate. Sugar bloom is when crystals form by adding some form moisture on the sugar (you’ve probably seen this when you try to store chocolate in your fridge or freezer, but a moist cupboard can do the trick too). 🍫 Also, there’s a trick to fixing it. If you melt down your bloomed chocolate, stir it, pour into a mold and let it cool, boom no more bloom! Honestly chocolate goes so fast for me it never has time to bloom! 🍫🍫🍫
I’m glad I’m finally back here with you. I’ve planned out our blogging days. First we make blog snow angels for two hours (I’d really last about a minute and someone would have to help me up), then we’ll go blog ice skating (which will consist of me falling down a lot), then we’ll eat a whole roll of blog cookie dough (doh!) as fast as we can (sounds like an average day), and then to finish, we’ll blog snuggle. Hmm, we’re gonna need a bigger blog…
I made mistakes, including but not limited to going into stores (especially in December, it was just like Santa’s Workshop except it smelled like mushrooms and everyone looked like they wanted to hurt me, or spray me with smelly stuff or offer me samples of, um, food, sure let’s call it that)…the only thing scarier than stores is getting to them. People keep saying self-driving cars worry them, I say, bring them on, they really can’t be worse than many drivers out there. Talk to me, Goose.
I’ve tried to keep my spirits up, so I keep singing! I was in a store and I was singing! If they don’t want you to sing in stores why do they play music? Fair question.
The best way to spread cheer all year round is singing loud for all to hear. Again, if they don’t want you singing loud for all to hear, why do they play music in public places like: stores, malls, restaurants, etc.? Seriously.
Until next time, I hope you can find some peace in this turbulent, topsy-turvy world.
And I would do anything for love, I’d walk briskly right into hell and back I would do anything for bloglove, I’ll never lie to you and that’s a fact
And some days, it ain’t easy And some days, it ain’t hard Some days it ain’t happening at all
I’ll do anything for bloglove (but I won’t do that)…
Goodbye Meatloaf (gone like a bat out of hell)
I don’t know about you, but to me January 2022 felt more like Groundhog Day than a new start, but now it’s February so everything will be different, right? Right?
February started with the Lunar New Year aka Chinese New Year – it’s the year of the tiger, ok, I’m singing it as “Eye of the Tiger” and thinking of Monty Python, how about you?
What else is February (allegedly), for such a short month, it’s crammed full of expectations including but not limited to:
Black History Month (to remember, to learn, to grow, and to look to a better future)
Valentine’s Day (and National Impotence Day is the same day, hmmm, interesting)
LGBT+ History Month
National Library Lovers Month (having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card!)
World Cancer Day (to state the obvious, cancer sucks)
Random Acts of Kindness Day (again, you shouldn’t need a day for this, just be kind for pity’s sake)
Love Your Pet Day (shouldn’t that be everyday?)
Family Day (wow, how many times can I say this, should be every day)
Spunky Old Broads Day (bet a lot of Maxine cards are sold for this day)
National Pizza Day ( ummmm, pizza)
World Whale Day ,as opposed to Worldly Whale Day (trèsmagnifiquewhales, hmm, wonder if worldly whales would play Wordle?)
Tinnitus Awareness Day (oh, I’m “aware” of it every day!)
2022 is not a Leap Year, so February 2022 has only 28 days, oh no, but hopefully not 28 Days Later, fast zombies are scary, speaking of, guess who’s coming back and with fast zombies, “The Walking Dead”. February has more, but I don’t want to be a bore!
February will come and go in the blink of an eye, pushing into March. My year of chronic change marches on, topsy turvy with all the moving; organizing; growing “Chronic Not Hopeless” (chronicnothopeless@gmail.comhttps://yadadarcyyada.com/2021/01/30/chronic-not-hopeless/); getting addicted to “Among Us”; reading, reading, reading, so much reading; writing; snow, so much snow, eh…
Watching: “The Gilded Age”, “Midsomer Murders”, “1883”, “Snowpiercer”, “Stay Close”,“What We Do in the Shadows”, “Shetland”, “The Expanse”, “Vera”, “The Great”, “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure”, “The Eternals” (we’ve waited 7000 years for this movie, ha, Marvel/Disney, more like it felt like 7000 years watching this movie, wow); waiting for the return of “The Walking Dead”, waiting for the return of “The Orville”, waiting for common sense/#kindness to poke it’s head out and return us to a better reality.
Here’s what’s happened so far…
In August, it was a difficult decision, but I had to break up with myself
In January I shared ways I’ve learned to save money, of course, if there was affordable housing and even slightly less corporate greed scraping pennies wouldn’t be as necessary. People’s health would be better, physical as well as mental health.I also did a presentation about how to save money for “Chronic Not Hopeless”, a grassroots support group for people with chronic conditions, here for each other because when one of us shines, we all shine.
Contact/get links to Zoom events/volunteer/suggestions/questions/resources/donate:
Is Christmas really the most wonderful time of the year? Can’t we make the most wonderful time of the year any old time of the year? Does it have to be scheduled? Does it have to be a certain day? Why not wish each other well and treat each other well every single day in each and every single way?
The message is drummed into us in every seasonal day, in every seasonal way, that if you’re not involved in a holiday social barrage then you’ll be unhappy, that you’ll be sad, that you’ll be lonely, you’ll miss out on the perfect Christmas. It’s CFOMO – Christmas Fear of Missing Out.
Catastrophe will strike if your days and nights aren’t stuffed with: family dinners, parties, drinks with friends, hugging, skating in pairs, Secret Santa/gift exchanges, and of course, people running into the arms of loved ones at airports, etc. Shiny, sparkly images of happy people enjoying the holidays together, shimmering like a holiday mirage.
It can be overwhelming, yet it’s one day, sure it’s been stretched into like, months because of the hype, the marketing as we’re viciously bombarded with images of physical and social wealth that are unattainable for many. Blink. Relax. Enjoy it your way.
1. Marathon your way through the season, which apparently now begins in January with brief visits from other holidays before bouncing back to Christmas again. Don’t limit yourself to Christmassy viewing, though if you’re in the mood…
“Get Back” to Let It be and Let it snow and Let it go, yeah yeah yeah, The Beatles won’t let you down as they wanna hold your hand down this long and winding road; spend some time back in time at “Downton Abbey”; go anywhere or anywhen with The Doctor in classic or modern “Doctor Who” (not “Doctor Who Flux”, flux, wait, is that because The Doctor is female now, hmmm, weird…);
don’t be sheepish, pop over to “Shetland”; immerse yourself in the Marvel Universe, or the Star Wars galaxy, or anywhere else you can imagine; revisit some “Friends”; fear the future of “The Handmaid’s Tale”; hope “Vera” only calls you “love” or “pet”, not “sunshine”(Dear Santa and Vera, I can explain…); see what is the deal with “Seinfeld” (It’s Festivus for the rest of us); be glad you’re not invited to a“Game of Thrones”Christmas party (you know nothing, Jon Let It Snow);
put on your Walkman, pull on your neon spandex and fanny packs to take a tour of the Upside Down in “Stranger Things”; watch cooking shows, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay (are you blaming the fish?!?), “Baking It” with Andy Samberg (can Lonely Island all host?), or “Breaking Bad“; or drop by “Yellowstone”; find out “What We Do in the Shadows” or in the “Shadow and Bone”; and/or see who survived on “The Walking Dead“. Or read your way through the snow, ho, ho, ho…
2. Use this as a time to catch up with family, friends, or new friends (just haven’t met you yet) who also are looking to hide away from the holidays, enjoy the holidays in a less commercial way…
3. Be bold, be brave, go on a holiday dating/companionship spree, even if it’s on Zoom. Eggnog your way through stories about his/her ex, mom, ex’s mom, work, football, baseball, hockey, fashion, cars…Who knows, maybe you’ll find a Christmas miracle, or become comfortably numb.
4. Adjust your expectations. Social media is not reality. Say that to yourself every time you go online. This is not life, it’s one long high school reunion. Everyone is wearing their best outfit, just lost weight, and sharing the highlights of their life.
5. Fill your time, don’t just kill that time. Do something you wanted or needed to do but hadn’t quite gotten around to it yet. Read, write, craft, draw, paint, bake, blog, sing, play games, cook, knit, go to a museum or art gallery, walk, work, declutter (unclutter?), exercise, sleep, stream, meme, clean, dream…It’s all good.
6. Have a Single Christmas Party (not for singles, just you, be your own party). If you can’t enjoy your own company how do you expect others to enjoy it? This year, like last, we have some restrictions, but enjoy your time anyway.
7. It’s never too late (or early) to start a new tradition with yourself or others, hopefully one that doesn’t involve eating your feelings, spending future rent/mortgage payments, insulting others, and/or anything illegal.
8. Help others this season – the best way to keep your mind off your problems is to help others with their problems. It can also give you perspective if you’re in a woe-is-me-kinda-place.
9. Under no circumstances drink too heavily, that could lead to calling, texting, or emailing an ex, or blogging under the influence, or doing something else you may otherwise regret.
Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas, but generally, on all the days of the year, make a life for yourself that isn’t an escape room. A life where you’re not trying to get away, not trying to immerse yourself in the latest holiday…where each and every single day holds some tidings of simple comfort and joys, and some jolly.
This season is simple. It’s days, weeks, months like any other. It’s filled with what you want it to be filled with, well, mostly. Winston Churchill famously said, “When you’re going through hell, keep going”. Churchill means, when you’re struggling, push through, or you’ll get stuck in the struggle. I triple dog dare you, keep going, you never know what’s on the other side, isn’t that exciting?
And have yourself a Merry Little Christmas…and be kind, to yourself and others. Please. Thank you kindly.
“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” ~Charles Dickens
Sweet screams (are made of this) Who am I to disagree?
I’ve been dying to have you here, near, dear… (Mwahahahaha!) When the moon climbs high o’r the dead oak tree, spooks awake for the midnight (online shopping?) spree. Creepy creeps (creepin’ it real) with eerie eyes, start to shriek and order creep potato fries (terrorfrying!). Grim Grinning Ghosts, come out to socialize (6 feet under distanced). Why close your eyes and try to hide? Let a silly spook become your guide. Welcome, foolish mortals! (Mwhahahahahaha!)
Welcome, foolish muppets! I visited “Muppets Haunted Mansion”, mmm, sorry, Disney, adore The Muppets but this was a less of a treat, more of a trick, especially Kermit and Fozzie’s voice work; nope. Then there’s “Squid Game” on Netflix. Smart, brutal, and stylistically stunning, sorta “The Hunger Games” meets “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, with giant robots, bad catering, lackluster wardrobe, children’s games with dire consequences, organ harvesting, and lots of geometrical shapes…and a lack of chocolate. A staggering allegory (with focus on the ‘gory’) about the disgusting divide between rich and poor in society, all fixable with: affordable housing, food security, and honestly, some human decency. Watch it in Korean with subtitles, no dubs. Now I really want a Spongebob Squarepants spin-off, “Squidward Game” and The Front Man has to be, David Hasselhoff (The Hoff).
Hallostreamed some classics and maybe-someday-classics including but never limited to: “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”, https://yadadarcyyada.com/2013/10/29/stuff-i-learned-from-its-the-great-pumpkin-charlie-brown/“Clue”; “The Turn of the Screw” (Michelle Dockery, Dan Stevens, Sue Johnston, yup, all from “Downton Abbey”, etc. , though I recommend other versions as well, including Netflix’s, “The Haunting of Bly Manor”, hmm, ever get the feeling Henry James didn’t like his governess?); “You”; “Halloween”; https://yadadarcyyada.com/2016/10/14/the-glorious-chaos/; “Casper”; “The Secret of Crickley Hall” (Douglas Hensall, Tom Ellis, Maisie Williams, Suranne Jones, Olivia Cooke, David Warner, Iain De Caestecker, etc.); “The Addams Family” (original series)https://yadadarcyyada.com/2014/10/20/hide-and-shriek-with-the-addams-family/;“Lonesome Ghosts”; “The Munsters”;“Harry Prince Ghost Hunter”;“Halloweentown” (from experience I knew to avoid haunting the sequels) – mmm, cheesy goodness.
Dug up“Hocus Pocus” which originally put a spell on you (and me) in theaters in ’93, believe it or not, in July, no lie, why, to capture the kidlets home from school…sigh.
The worst horror ever imagined, yet it can be imagined, all too easily cringing through “The Handmaid’s Tale” S4. Oh June!Least scary part? Watched it on a free trial.
I see dead people… mostly when I watch: “The Walking Dead” (so far, S11 is a disappointment, especially after the brilliance of S10, but I’ll keep a wait and see attitude), the nuclear wasteland of the dead that is now “Fear The Walking Dead” and yonder, “The Walking Dead: World Beyond”.
Inflation, hyperinflation, stagflation – gas pumps, grocery store and terror galore! Forget knife-wielding serial killers, vampires, witches and ghouls – look at the price of food, gas, electronics… companies/bankers/politicians making us all fools.
October has flown by on a wonky broom, packing so soon could spell my doom. Life is a fevered Halloween scream dream, feeling less like reality and more like a bad meme. I turn off my brain (ha, good luck), with the lights to thankfully welcome the darkness of Autumn nights.Hoping November offers some reprieve and help me make it to moving eve… and the morning after, less of a disaster!?! Eat, drink and be scary this Halloween and you know, kill ’em with kindness…and laughter!
Ever heard ’em say you gotta live like you’re dyin’? I better get on, cause time’s a-flyin’, yeah Lyin’ in my bed at night I’m thinkin’ What if? What if…? Guess it’s not too late This heart is still a-beatin’
Hate livin’ a “woulda shoulda coulda” life. Can’t go back in time, no DeLorean, no TARDIS. Gotta move forward, even through the endless strife. What if, what if, what if is too big a miss.
Maybe I gotta dream a bit bigger Burn a bit brighter Dig a bit deeper Reach a bit further Love a bit harder
Wanna go ahead with no what ifs. Wanna move ahead with no what ifs.
What if…? Those two little words carry soooo much baggage…
Suitcases full of regret.
Carry-ons stuffed with yesterday’s woes.
Trunk of troubles.
Duffel bags filled with heads full of sorrow.
Portmanteau of problems.
Valise of grief.
Chest of contrition.
Gladstone bag of self-reproach.
Attache of shame.
Briefcase of emotional bruises.
Luggage of loss… What if, what if, fillin’ ’em up or toss them out?
Marvel asks the question, “What if…?” each week in their Disney+ series, “What if…?”, reminding us that one choice, one moment can change things forever…
Yet in this “golden” age of social media, instant gratification, and rushing, rushing, rushing (did I mention rushing?), we think less and less about how one moment, one choice can affect us and so many others. We get caught up in being heard, seen, being right, being busy, we forget to stop and think about others. It’s terrifying how little we think of how our choices affect others. Truly terrifying.
We forget the most important rule, do unto others…what you’re saying, what you’re doing affects not only you, but many others.
They say you gotta be brave, you gotta be bold, you gotta be wiser. But what if your bravery is hiding in the closet? What if your boldness is taking an extended vacation? What if your wisdom has been elected Mayor of Dumbtown?
You gotta be hard, you gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger. What if you’re ooey and gooey? What if you’re as flimsy as a politician’s promise? What if you’re as weak as an adorable fluffy kitten without the adorable or fluffy parts?
You gotta be cool, but what if your brain feels like it’s on fire? You gotta be calm, what if your life is an F5 Tornado? You gotta stay together, but what if you’re shattering into a million little pieces?
This month I’m trippin’ down the yellow brick road, tryin’ to find myself a brain, a heart, some courage, and a home. That “home” part may confuse those who know I just moved a couple of months ago. Yes, but sadly some aspects of my new home that would have helped me make an informed decision about moving into this torture chamber apartment, were, er, withheld. One of the biggest withholds, the icing on the crap cake…As of September 1st, new “neighbours”/post-secondary students (though I’ve called the entitled little blanks a whole lot of other names in the past few weeks). I’ve witnessed streaking and public urination…ugh. What else?Fights, extremely loud music (and not the good stuff), lack of social distancing, sharing red plastic cups, cigarettes, bottles…no masks, no brains, no hope. I weep for the future.
I’ve sadly had to cut back the activities of my support group, “Chronic Not Hopeless”, we’re suffering from terrible migraines, lack of sleep, anxiety, and so much more. This isn’t just a nuisance, it’s hurting our health. But what to do? Say F it and live in a shoe?Nope, instead, we’re moving…again.
Instead of finding peace of mind, I’m backed into a corner, talkin’ to myself, cryin’ to myself at night. Filled with regret. Back and forth through my mind. Feelin’ like I lost a cosmic bet. And the feeling coming from my bones says, “Find a home”…
I’ve sadly learned/relearned important lessons.
1) People don’t always tell you everything you need to make an informed decision and that can cost, physically, emotionally and fiscally.
2) This pandemic was never about saving the elderly, flattening the curve, stopping the spread. It was never about masks or vaccines. Lost lives, lost jobs, lost homes, lost health, so much loss. All the sacrifice. All the heartache. All the trauma. All so people could party.
When the world smashes down on you…When people lie to you, how do you believe again? What if we all just treated each other with decency? What if we thought about others? What if instead of arguing about masks, vaccines, race, religion, medications, elections (broken systems), celebrities, and so much more, why not agree to disagree and try to make life better instead of so much worse?
This blog post inspired by some of my usual things, aka: chocolate; family; friends; music – my mind is simply a never-ending playlist; tea, hot chocolate, tea and more tea; romance novels, mystery novels, any kind of novels and non-fiction, ok, let’s be honest, I’d read the side of a cereal box – me likey words!);“The Walking Dead”, “Fear The Walking Dead”, “The Walking Dead: World Beyond”(I sense a pattern here but what oh what could it be?); sooo many documentaries;“Murder She Baked”, er and Wrote;“Mystery 101”; “McDonald and Dodds”; computers…anyone looking forward to the new“Downton Abbey”movie? And added to my unusual brainwaves:
Marvel’s “What If…?”, of course; “Only Murders in the Building” (Star/Disney+)- if you enjoy a good mystery, this one is full of “what ifs” and “whodunits” – enjoyable performances by Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez with guest appearances by Sting and Tina Fey; entitled brats; kindness (we need more, more, more); hidden traps; rain (what if we blame it on the rain?); pumpkins;
What else inspired this post besides emptying my brain, er, I mean, “ER”…Generally really good, lots of great starsand would-be stars.
And I might be wrong but I think maybe I could do some mediciney-type stuff now, it seems to mostly involve saying things like: “Get me a crash cart!”,“Crits are down!”, “Are you my appendix? Because I feel like I should take you out.”, “Pulse ox is stable!”, “Coding” (so much coding), “I should take your temperature because you’re looking really hot!”, “I’d specialize in you anyday…”, “She’s getting tachy!” (or was that Real Housewives?), “You look a little down, maybe you need a a shot of Vitamin ME!”, “I can’t wait to sleep cause ICU in my dreams every night”, ok, wait, most of those are just me thinking of George Clooney, Noah Wyle and Goran Višnjić, umm, gulp, nevermind;
And still more… “Roswell: New Mexico”; “Secrets of Skinwalker Ranch”; and wow, “The Suicide Squad” – 2021, with the help of James Gunn, DC finally got it right. “The Suicide Squad” is an R-rated cousin of The Guardians of the Galaxy, um, on crack? Margot Robbie rules as Harley Quinn aka Daddy’s Little Monster with fun/surreal bits from: Nathan Fillion, Peter Capaldi, John Cena, Sylvester Stallone (“Nom nom?”), Pete Davidson, Idris Elba, Daniela Melchior, Michael Rooker, David Dastmalchian, Taika Waititi, Sean Gunn, and the weasel (also Sean Gunn).
And of course, what always inspires, ice cream, way too much ice cream (is that a thing, way too much ice cream?);
Some other things that wandered into my life… “Midnight Mass” (Netflix) –Mike Flanagan nods to Stephen King – in a “what if” wonderful mind mess, with a great soundtrack. “Midnight Mass”, “Haunting of Hill House”, “Haunting of Bly Manor”, “Hush“, etc., hmmm, I wonder if being born in Salem, Massachusetts influenced Flanagan to create and direct his horrors...
I took another bite out of the “Santa Clarita Diet”; thankful Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant make the undead so delightfully delicious.
And cookies, they never fail to motivate me, how about you?
I like to think people, books, TV shows, movies, etc. come upon you not when you need them, but when you can find something in them you need. For me, “The Starling” contained this message: some things are out of our control. I knew this, of course I knew this, yet sometimes I need to be reminded of certain things. Melissa McCarthy, Chris O’Dowd, Kevin Kline, Timothy Olyphant, Daveed Diggs, Skylar Gisondo, Loretta Devine don’t disappoint in this intense, with moments of levity, but to be sure, intense, dramedy. The subject matter, grief, is a very personal and should be treated with care. Why not treat everyone with care?
My biggest inspiraton? Autumn/Fall, my favourite season: Halloween, Thanksgiving, pumpkins (except pumpkin spice, I’m gonna say it, don’t like it, can we still be friends? I support your pumpkin spice love, if that helps); the crisp air and even crisper apples; the gorgeous ever-changing leaf show; soft sweaters; softer throw blankets; comfortable walks…
Here I am again, back, I’m a rubber ball that keeps bouncing back to you… What’s happened since I’ve been here last? What hasn’t, but what else is new?
Too many snowstorms. Too much time filling out forms. In the real world and not real and perceived dramas. In and out of various Self-Isolation fashions and pajamas.
The latest thing? “Bridgerton” on Netflix. Anachronistic version of “The Ton” for your Lockdown kicks.
Elections. Insurrections. Vaccines. Still traveling fiends.
Reddit blows the top off greedy hedge funds, pop, with AMC, Blackberry, and Gamestop! Poor little Wall Street traders Sad little corporate raiders
Bernie lookin’ cozy wearing sweaters now mittens Joe’s cheeks were rosy with memes all aglow Amanda, Gaga and JLo, Kindness can stay, the rest has to go.
New phone. Who dis? What else did I miss?
“The Queen’s Gambit”. Always knew chess was “lit”. New season of “The Expanse” I think space needs more plants.Christmas was merry, despite (you know)… finally, 2020 was hindsight (hope 2021 isn’t a new foe).
“Chronic Not Hopeless” trying to have some fun, not make a mess, I guess?!?
I’m knackered, the world is going “all to pot”, and I’m gobsmacked anyway, clearly time off was way too Britbox-packed.
When the laundry dings When the doorbell rings When I’m feeling sad, I simply watch/read my favourite stuff, And I don’t feel so rough (let’s be honest, there’s usually tea and chocolate involved as well).
Oh and in case you missed it, there’s still a pandemic, yup, more than a bit. So Stay Home (preferably under a dome?) and join us on Zoom for free, we’d love to see you, and you and you… there’s always plenty of room.
DM me…double mask me? When’s it gonna get to three?
OK, my rhymin’s a little loose It’s true I ain’t no Dr. Seuss I’m a Canadian, what do I know? We adopted a Chilean penguin and my best friend’s a moose.
Remember when I just threw in, “Chronic Not Hopeless” (see above), CNH is a volunteer “powered” weekly get together for people with Chronic Conditions, all are welcome. From anywhere, cause it’s on Zoom, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. Whether you’re from: Canada, America, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, The North Pole, Spain, Japan, Sweden, Brazil, South Africa, Chile, Mexico – anywhere in the world! Anywhere in the Galaxy. Anywhere in the Universe. Free (though we accept donations, gratefully). Safe.
I know, I know, there are a billion “groups” out there, but this isn’t really a group.
Not a support group. Not an organization. Not a club. Not a hangout. So I’ve told you what it isn’t, so what is it?
It’s a bunch of friends and just-haven’t-met-you-yet-friends getting together to: chat, laugh, share, learn, connect, etc. Feel comfortable, stay in bed, on the couch, bad hair day, who cares? You want to do crafts, go for it. Want to drink and/or eat: coffee, iced coffee, hot cocoa, kombucha, pizza, pasta, beer, wine (be careful when drinking and Zooming – common sense and Stay-At-Home), sushi, soup, tea, water, juice, salads, cookies, cake, chocolate…well, whatever you want, or not.
We’re going to distract ourselves from our chronic conditions. We’re going to share resources, tips, tricks, life hacks about anything and everything. And we’re going to laugh. I can guarantee that. 😂
All that and more, in a drama-free zone. A place where you can get away from the everyday. You wanna go where everybody knows, or tries to remember, your name…where you’ll be glad you came.
Zoom version of pet therapy, maybe with your pets. 🐶🐱🐭🐰🐧🐦🦄🐍🐋🦧🐢🦎🐠🦖🦨🐹🐷 You’ll hear stories, maybe share yours (your choice if you do or don’t, whatever makes you feel comfortable). No pressure. No drama. No whining. We’re not hopeless. We’re not helpless. We’re still us. We’re not our chronic conditions, we’re you and me and more, who just happen to have one or more chronic conditions.
Stay tuned for announcements about FREE online activities, blog posts, Tweets, updates, resources, and so much more. Please follow this, our brand new “Chronic Not Hopeless” page https://chronicnothopeless.ca . Let’s make 2021 better together!🌠😀
Please join us. Mondays (usually). Monday February 1st, 2021 1pm ET. Monday February 8th, 2021 1pm ET. Tuesday February 16th, 2021 1pm ET (Monday is a holiday here in Canada, Family Day). Monday February 22nd, 2021 1pm ET. Just email:chronicnothopeless@yahoo.com to get a link or DM me on Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1875955569247115…
“Chronic Not Hopeless” Bylaws (Enforceable Only By You)
Be Kind. Be Respectful.
Have fun. Laughter is healing.
Be discreet with information shared by others.
Remember, “agree to disagree”.
Share or don’t share. Camera on or off. Leave when you wish without need of explanations – we understand. Be comfortable.
Be present. Be pleasant.
Be aware of “hot button” topics, including but not limited to: politics, race, religion, The Great Pumpkin, etc.
Keep in mind, “Chronic Not Hopeless” is “powered” by volunteers with Chronic Conditions,. We will make missteaks, er, mistakes. We’ll forget things. Our entire life is a Mount Everest-style learning curve. We hope that even at our worst we always try to give you our best.
Feel free to contribute to “Chronic Not Hopeless” in any way you feel comfortable doing so. That could mean: sharing Facebook posts, Pinning on Pinterest, website pages or blog posts, Retweeting on Twitter, etc.
And/or donating via Ko-fi, Paypal, e-transfer to chronicnothopeless@yahoo.com , cash, etc., to pay for expenses CNH incurs such as: Zoom Pro so we can have online activities, the cost of the website, admin costs, etc. This is purely not-for-profit, run by chronically ill volunteers, grassroots community get together – we’re an open book(s).
Also, you can write blog posts, help with social media, contribute in any way your skills, energy, and heart can do. It could mean telling family, friends, professionals, co-workers, – well, anyone and everyone about “Chronic Not Hopeless – any and all help is greatly appreciated.
“Chronic Not Hopeless” is here for fun, for connecting, for helping – a drama-free zone. We gratefully accept and appreciate any donations – big or small, we love them all! Ko-fi.com/chronicnothopeless chronicnothopeless@yahoo.com We’re not hopeless. We’re not helpless. We’re still us.
Disclaimer for “Chronic Not Hopeless”: Please consult your physician if you have medical questions, before you start any exercise regime, any new medication, supplement, etc. and if you are feeling concerned about your physical, emotional and/or mental health. “Chronic Not Hopeless” is a community get together, not a substitute or source for medical advice. Any medical information found here is opinion and not endorsed by “Chronic Not Hopeless”. If you are feeling uncomfortable, please let us know and/or feel free to leave. We are here to help, not harm.
So you’ve heard this before, “I’m back”, but my heart was always here with you, I just couldn’t get my body to co-operate.
All I can do is keep trying. Thank you kindly for being here when I bounce back in. So Merry Christmas, Season’s Greetings, Happy New Year, thank you for the birthday wishes, Happy Groundhog Day! https://yadadarcyyada.com/2014/02/02/groundhog-day/ —
As always, thank you for letting me empty my brain onto this blog and thank you for being gentle with that poor old thing. My brain thanks you for your support and your constant kindness.
Yet during the holiday season we’re bombarded with images of social wealth.
Everything from: Family dinners, parties, drinks with friends, hugging, skating in pairs, walking together looking at lights, Secret Santa and gift exchanges, spontaneous snowballs fights, eating roasted chestnuts, and of course, people running into the arms of loved ones at airports…
But what if those things aren’t in your life?
The social media holiday barrage, Christmas FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), anticipointment (trademark?), Facebook, Instagram, TV, Google+, Twitter, MySpace (kidding, just wanted to see if you were paying attention) – all bursting with shiny images of happy people enjoying the holidays together. It can be overwhelming yet it’s only a day, like any other.
So if you find yourself less-than-surrounded by family and friends during the holidays,try to:
1. Marathon your way through the season, which apparently now begins…
The holiday season stresses out most everyone, but for those who are ill, the holidays can be a nightmare(before and during Christmas); it’s stressful for even those who don’t celebrate Christmas(or try not to celebrate).
The roads are busier. Malls overrun by zombies (We are The Walking Dead, but with brightly-wrapped gifts). Christmas songs drone on, but peace on Earth, really, there’s barely a pretense of civility.
So many Santas, ringing and ho-ho-hoing for money to buy toys – I thought there was a workshop and elves for that…
Expectations. Unrealistic expectations. Too much food (First World Problem).
Frolicking. Accidents. Frolicking accidents. Ugly Christmas sweaters (no longer ironic), now ironically iconic?
Gifts/gift cards/e-gift cards, “the perfect gift” for the “perfect” Christmas – that’s where stress-relievers come in.
First, take a deep breath. Christmas is one day.One.24 hours.1440 minutes. Let’s also enjoy the other 364 days in the year. Relax.
Second, the holidays should be about: giving, helping, hoping, kindness, compassion, and dreams; not pushing, whining, complaining, stressing and screams…Relax.
Third, you need to find out what works for you, what makes you happy, what brings you comfort and joy. If you don’t know that, how can you share it with others? Relax.
Here are some usual ways (and unusual, whatever that means) ways to relieve stress during the holidays (and all the year through)? There are more than 12 so you decide which is which.If I’ve left some out and I’m sure I did, please comment to tell me what I missed and then share the post on social media so others can tell me what I missed as well…
Read books/ebooks (This is a safe space, no “books vs ebooks” arguments here; all books are welcome and accepted!).
Volunteer (I once knew someone who said more people would volunteer if they were paid, ummm, that’s a job).
Write a blog/journal/novels/poems.
Manicure/Pedicure (at home works too).
Bake (me a cake?).
Aromatherpy (Don’t limit yourself to the usual scents, whatever smells good to you, smell away).
Look for the Fibonacci symbol in nature or fractals, so fun on snowy days.
Design clothes.Wear clothes.Buy New-To-You clothes (Goodwill, Talize, Salvation Army, Value Village, Mission Store, and other Love-Them-Again stores are awesome).
Go see a play, be in a play, write a play, direct a play.
Bike.
Golf/Mini Golf.
Look at the stars (the ones in the sky).
Plant yourself near a plant to reduce your blood pressure.
Sleep/Nap/Rest...er, yeah, rest.
Karate (relaxed and ready to defend yourself, probably not against Ninjas or aliens, but maybe zombies or vampires).
Visit an art gallery/museum.
Hike.
Do chores/Clean.
Stream (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Apple TV, Disney Plus, Acorn TV, Crave, HBO, TMN, SlingTV, BritBox, and many more; with more popping up every day).
Bowl.
Curl.
Url.
Unfurl.
Play board games.
Play video games.
Play card games.
Learn something…anything.
Stay and enjoy.
Paint.
Garden.
Do puzzles – crossword, boxed puzzles, puzzle boxes, find-a-word (Have you heard? The bird is the word), sudoku, logic, trivia and if you can figure out people, wow, you’ve solved the biggest puzzle ever.
Apply gentle pressure to the spot between your 2nd and 3rd knuckle, between your fingers, where your finger and hand meet to reduce stress.
Weave.
Camp.
Glamp.
Dance.
Cheer someone up with a fun surprise (Do not break into their home and draw a happy face on the wall or anything in red lipstick on their mirror, apparently that’s considered “creepy”).
Craft.
Raft.
Wine/Beer tasting tour (Don’t taste and drive).
Learn some magic tricks (Be nice to rabbits).
Get/give a facial.
Sing.
Watch the clouds (the ones in the sky).
Jump (jump jump jump around) on a trampoline (safety first).
Smile (I just like to smile, smiling’s my favourite).
Drink water (don’t waste it).
Draw.
Create the next big fad! i.e. Lint kittens and puppies. Easy to keep – no walks, no food, soft and cuddly, and easy to house-train. Do not expose to water.
Ski.
Sauna.
Snowboard.
Snowshoe.
Walk. Or Run/Jog/Sprint.
Quilt.
Be mindful.
Plant trees.
Join a team (fantasy or real).
Pet sit (don’t actually sit on a pet).
Dream.
Tear paper (then recycle then tear again).
Visualize (guided or unguided, just remember to leave some breadcrumbs to find your way back).
Crochet.
Pay it forward.
Help.
Be kind (random or deliberate).
Fix stuff (fix something for someone: TV, car, fridge, cellphone, alarm system, computer, appliances, sewing machine, etc. Even it wasn’t broken, er, at the time, they’ll probably understand you were trying to give them a gift…probably).
Upload/download/unload.
Meme.
Give your time.
Offer your knowledge.
Give your full attention.
When a child hands you a toy phone or a banana, answer it and have a conversation (best time with a phone/actually smart).
Take a shower (not at the Bates Motel).
Take a bath (not in a horror movie).
Enjoy social media for what it is not what you want it to be (because the internet).
Take some photographs (not just of your food and selfies with duck lips).
Skate.
Mentor someone.
Review something.
Ski-doo (not on thin ice…it’s all going to be thin ice soon).
Watch a sunset.
Watch a sunrise.
Cook (Combine food and fashion ie. Forget Lululemon, how about lasagna leggings? Pizza pants. Taco ties. Chocolate crop top. Wine wedding dress. Turkey tux. Beer boots. Hamburger hat. Curry coat. Steak scarf. Bacon blouse. This food fashion can be consumed at any time – hopefully not when you’re out in public).
Join a club (not a gang).
Drink green/white tea.
Inspire.
Be inspired.
Organize.
Walk in a park or the woods (not at night on a full moon, just in case).
Climb a wall, so you don’t climb the walls.
Hug.
Laugh.
Laugh some more.
Make someone laugh.
Spend time with nature and animals (don’t pet grizzly bears, badgers, or snakes, start slow with cats, dogs, rabbits…then move up).
Build a snowman (do you wanna?).
Remember.
Forget.
Remember to forget.
Smash stuff (smash plates, bowls, walls, pumpkins,etc., and if you can’t go to one of the places where you pay to smash stuff, I’m sure family and friends will understand you need stress relief, especially during the holidays).
Hope.
Make soap not dope.
Elope.
Pop corn.
String popcorn (the eat, the popcorn not the string).
Visit (real or virtual as long as you’re there, in the moment).
Yoga.
Watch TV (question what you watch).
Listen to someone.
Breathe deeply.
Be grateful.
Chop wood.
Woodworking.
Carving.
‘Tis the season, cut down a Christmas tree for a busy family member or friend. Cautionary note, unlike in the Hallmark and other Christmas movies, cartoons, etc., apparently it’s “frowned upon”, some might even say “illegal”, to just randomly cut trees down. Who knew?
One of the best ways to relieve stress, being honest, with yourself and others; we/they/me/whoever may not appreciate it at first, but it could be the best gift ever, someday.
Chocolate. Enough said.
If you know me and/or you’re a reader of my blog (https://yadadarcyyada.com) you know, I think laughter is the best medicine and it certainly qualifies as a stress reliever. Laughing, even if it hurts sometimes, still makes me feel better. I go to a happy place, including but not limited to: Psych, George Carlin, Seinfeld, Community, Friends, Rick and Morty, The Office, Marx Brothers, Flight of the Conchords, and more.
I love to share the laughter. If I can make someone smile, laugh, giggle, chortle, spew liquid from their nose, then hey, I feel better. Get silly. Adulting is tough, who says we can’t be a kid at heart?
Finding ways to help others is a great stress reliever. It’s hard to think about your problems when you’re helping others with theirs.
There are an endless amount of causes out there, try to support those who really need it. Those who are hungry, scared, without shelter, without hope, being abused, ill, falling through so many cracks.
Donate to a cause in someone’s name instead of handing them another gift they may or may not need or want, or better yet, start a foundation in their name, I’m sure it won’t affect their taxes…much. Help yourself by helping others.
Knitting? Did I mention knitting? What I want to knit…a black cable knit sweater and a Doctor-Who-vintage-Tom-Baker-as-The-Doctor scarf. I’ve been talked down to scarf of one colour and even that’s not going well. The holes are there to let hopes and dreams in, yeah, that’s it. They’re a design feature.
Turns out knitting can be a “knotty” stress reliever.
Exercise is suggested for stress relief, but with pain and fatigue, exercise can be challenging. Years ago, someone suggested Tai Chi for Fibromyalgia/relaxation/arthritis/exercise, I thought, how would flailing my arms around, slowly, help with any of those things? I’ll just look weirder than I usually do.Lifting weights? I’m no Schwarzenegger, but Hasta la Vista, babyweight (my son is in his 20s). I like Yoga (and Baby Yoda), but it can be painful. Walking helps, but my dogs start barking and the rest of my body growls at me. I love swimming (not so much Aquafit), but getting there and back, dressing, undressing, showering, etc. is exhausting; I sometimes feel worse, certainly less relaxed (and it’s pricey). And of course these days, we’re not sharing any pools. Thanks COVID.What else? For seniors, VON offers free programs twice a week, (SMART) Seniors Maintaining Active Roles Together; there’s Ageless Grace (more like Graceless Aging for me). I’ve tried the gym. Belly-dancing (don’t try to picture it). Dancing (Frankie says Relax). Yet I stick like glue to Tai Chi because it unsticks me. Relaxes. Soothes. Feeling sore? Tai Chi won’t magically fix everything, but it helps ease some aches and gets you moving.
To learn Tai Chi I borrowed items from the library (having fun isn’t hard if you’ve got a library card). Later bought VHS tapes (yes, that long ago, I fought off a saber-tooth tiger to get home), then DVDs (now on YouTube and streaming services, soon to be uploaded into our brains).
Now I have fun with it, I pretend I’m carrying an invisible jar containing invisible chocolate, so I must guard it with my life. But seriously, once I opened my mind, body and heart to Tai Chi, it gave me a priceless gift – some pain and stress relief so I could have quality of life. I can dance again. Well, sort of. My version of it.
Remember, getting through one day (for example, Christmas Day) isn’t the same as finding and giving joy each day.What about you dear readers? What are some of the usual or unusual ways you know to relieve stress during the holidays and all the year through (remember this is a more or less family-friendly blog).
Wishing everyone a safe, happy and stress-free (ok, low stress/reduced stress) holiday season: Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! ¡Felices Fiestas! Jie Ri Yu Kuai! Laethanta saoire sona! Happy Hanukkah! Joyous Kwanzaa! Yuletide Greetings! Best wishes for 2020! Joyeux Noël! Let it snow…somewhere else! Feliz Navidad! Seasons Greetings! Happy New Year Joy! Celebrate! Be merry! Shiawasena kyūjitsu!Boas Festas! Li holide eximnandi! Happy Christmas! Happy New Year! Wishing you a latke fun this Hanukkah! Hau’oli Lanui! मेरी क्रिसमस ! Forhe Feiertage! Selamat Hari Raya! Happy Channukah! Joyeuses Fêtes! Prettige Feestdagen! Buone Feste! Trevlig Helg! Jingle All The Way! Happy Holidays from owl of us! Tis the Season! Warmest greetings! Happy Holidays, Mate! It doesn’t matter how you say it as long as it’s said with kindness.
And the classic, “But you don’t look sick”. Feel free to add more. I think I’ve heard them all…but you never know.
99 Problems and Fibromyalgia (Fibromialgia) is all of them…or at least it makes any problem much much much much worse.
I won’t bore you with all the symptoms:
Extreme, endless fatigue (I’ve never heard, “everyone gets tired”…sigh).
Extreme, endless all-over-body-pain 24/7/365 (“everyone has pain, especially as they get older” – how do you presume to know my pain or anyone else’s pain but yours?).
Dry eyes/mouth.
Hair loss.
IBS (Oh joy, love nothing more than talking about my bowels to doctors/family/friends/strangers/readers…”What did you want to be when you grow up?” “Constipated.”).
Dizziness.
Clumsiness.
Nausea.
Depression (tough not to be depressed by all this).
Sleep issues (screw off Alpha waves, no one wants you here).
Mood disorders (maybe my many, many moods are just as ordered as they should be).
Headaches/migraines.
Restless leg syndrome.
Anxiety (pick a kind, any kind).
Tender points (misnomer, not tender, excruciating, but trigger points make sense).
Fibrofog (what was I saying?).
Memory and learning problems, like, aah, like, well, there’s Fibrofog (what was I saying?).
Scattered thoughts (dust in the wind, all my thoughts are dust in the wind).
Numbness.
Tingling (not the good kind).
Shakiness (not the good kind).
TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome).
Painful and frequent urination.
You may notice a pattern here, #Pain!
Sharp pain, stabbing pain, dull aching pain, burning pain, throbbing pain (Beavis and Butthead laugh for 5 minutes now about “throbbing”).
Extreme sensitivity to: light, noise, sounds, smells, temperatures, humidity, dryness, changes in the weather (especially extreme heat or cold, fun in Canada, eh).
Also, to tastes, textures (Princess and the Pea was written about someone with Fibromyalia, for sure).
Stiffness (not the fun kind).;
Especially morning stiffness (not the fun kind).
Let’s not forget Allodynia.
Itching (like, bugs-under-your-skin-when-jonesing-kind-of-itching, er, for chocolate, my drug of choice).
Waking up feeling like you’ve been run over by a truck or attacked by a Terminator or zombie (brains?) – We are The Walking Dead.
And don’t even get me started on surviving the Holidaze, er, holidays – Christmas, New Year’s Eve, birthdays, Easter, Thanksgiving, Black Friday (it’s counted as a holiday now, right?), actually I can do CyberMonday, and they’re lined up to take me out for Valentine’s Day…
I could go on and on (really), but you get the point.
It sucks.
Chronic suckage.
What can anyone do to try to help chronic suckage?
Pills/medications (anti this, anti that, pro this, pro that, SSRIs, SNRIs, NSAIDs, PB&J – checking if you were still paying attention, lotions, notions, rubs, gels – not the fun kind – vitamins, supplements, opioids, snake oil, gargoyle oil, and on and on).
Exercise.
Natural remedies.
Injections.
Yoga.
Meditation.
Deep breathing (keep breathing).
Tai Chi (saved my life).
Change of diet (I do FODMAP, look it up, you’ll hate it).
Massage (no happy endings).
Physical therapy.
Rest/relaxation/Self-Care.
CBT, CBD, CBC, CBA, COD…
Trials.
Errors.
It’s all just fleeting moments of feeling almost human.
And if all wasn’t bad enough, many people assume this invisible disability is and let’s see if I have this right, a conspiracy wherein the medical profession has effectively implemented a fake syndrome just to cater to lazy people (wasn’t that nice of them?). Perfectly reasonable, it’s not as if doctors have anything better to do. Or have reputations and licenses to protect. Or have ethics. What exactly would their motivation be? Why make up an illness, aren’t there already enough? Cancer alone should keep them hopping.
There are many health issues that can not be found through standardized testing, for example: Multiple Sclerosis, ALS, Cerebral Palsy, Parkinson’s, Autism, Lupus, ADD/ADHD, wheat or gluten ‘sensitivity’, acute back pain, as well as many mental health issues. So they don’t suffer, don’t feel – it’s all some magical conspiracy…
People like to mock. I get that. It’s become a past-time, even a job for some people, especially in the internet age. I also get those same people would want/expect doctors and people to believe them if they were ill, even if there was no standardized testing for their illness.
To the best of my knowledge, there’s no standardized testing for ignorance or stupidity yet either, but I’d buy stocks for that booming business.
I didn’t ask to be ill. Given the choice I’d be “normal”. I certainly didn’t ask to be mocked and harassed because I’m ill. Even if it was just ‘in my head’, shouldn’t anyone with a health issue be treated with dignity and respect? Maybe we need a standardized test for intolerance.
So how do I cope with ongoing agonizing pain, debilitating fatigue and all the other heaping piles of steaming sh*t that comes with Fibromyalgia aka chronic suckage? If you’re a reader of my blog you know, I think laughter is the best medicine. Laughing even if it hurts sometimes still makes me feel better. I go to a happy place like Psych or George Carlin, Seinfeld, Friends, The Office and more. Tons of laughter a day doesn’t keep the doctor away, but it gives me some quality of life.
For example, this was one of my Tweets last week, “When I see a thong in a store all I think is, how would I explain to #EMTs all my multiple injuries were caused by just trying on a thong. Huh. #ThatsHot #thongs“. @yadadarcyyada
I love to share the laughter. If I can make someone smile, laugh, giggle, chortle, spew liquid from their nose, then hey, I feel better. Treatments, medications, family, friends and finding a community that gets you, that understands when you have to cancel plans (again)…
Or you can’t remember, ummm, can’t remember, er, huh…and the only good thing you can say about your day is you’re “above ground”, well, anyway.
Reunited with a fantastic friend from college (we’d lost touch when the dinosaurs died), and get this, we started going to the same Fibro group on the same day, from different cities. I don’t know what they call that, fate, destiny, providence, kismet, but I call it cool and lucky.
Finding ways to help myself by helping others.
The thing is, people are just people – no matter how rich or poor; sick (this is an equal opportunity destroyer) or well; all sizes, shapes and shades; known or unknown – you don’t know what you’re missing if you don’t give people a chance. Some will let you down, disappoint, hurt your brain, your heart, your body, but they’re oddly beneficial, they help us appreciate the good ones even more.
Get out there, in person, online, by phone, text, email, do stuff, I don’t know, play cards, smile, knit, donate (give what you can, including your time and talents), bowl, cuddle, talk, sign, sing, walk, dance,embrace your crapathy https://yadadarcyyada.com/2016/05/25/crapathy/,
swim, skate, scuba (gate?), especially smile at children, jog, blog, snog (probably not at the same time unless you’re uber talented), ignore, don’t keep score it’s a bore, read, write, compose, doodle, paint, play, bike, hike, “Like”,bake (me a cake? https://yadadarcyyada.com/2016/09/16/you-had-me-at-cake/),
listen, learn, love, add to the world, be part of the solution, go out with friends, care, share, spend time with family, get to know people, smile some more (and more and more and more)!!!
Consider others, let your mind soar. I can’t say you won’t ever be sorry, some folks are baffling, but on a whole, you’ll be better for it (and they will be too).
Not asking anyone to feel sorry for me (although compassion and empathy are always welcome), just a reminder that everyone has problems, 99 or less, 99 or more, just because we can’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t there…so don’t be one of those problems.
I wanted to be with you alone (on the internet?). And talk about the weather (What is the deal with the weather? Pick a season, stay with it til the next one). But traditions can’t be traced (or can they, again, the internet). We get tricked when we only stick with our base.Nothing keeps our attention… We’re lost in admiration, could we need it this much?Oh, is it wasting time? Just, just, just wasting time. Something happens and we’re head over heels. We never find out till we’re head over heels…
We ‘humans’ fall head over heels quickly, with: people, pets, passions, movies, books, songs (I’m still on a Tears For Fears kick although The Cars too, goodbye Ric Ocasek, you were just what we needed), politicians, celebrities, television shows, smartphones and other electronic gadgets and gizmos, cars, causes, friends, fads, flights of fancy…
And when we fall out of love, look out, love can quickly turn to hate (and shouldn’t continue to date, not great).
I do it…I fell in love with blogging (I didn’t fall for it, it tripped me). My bloglove hasn’t turned to hate, but indifference creeps in, then slinks out, but I know it will back and in greater numbers.
I still love my readers, other bloggers, but sometimes I wish I knew how to quit you (or me, or WordPress, or the internet).
I’ve fallen hard for another Australian series (https://yadadarcyyada.com/2014/09/06/miss-fishers-murder-mysteries/ or is that just gravity talking?), this time, “The Heart Guy” aka “Doctor Doctor”. A brilliant bad boy cardiac surgeon gets sent home, as a punishment, to practice medicine in his hometown, Whyhope. Naturally, things get complicated fast. Rodger Corser (In “Glitch” as well, S3 is about to crawl out of the ground soon) may play the lead, Dr. Hugh Knightbut his cast-mates are bright shining lights cutting into any and all plans. Why hope? Why not? Another season has been approved and I’m cheering. Yahoo! For Canadians this dramedy reminds me a bit of “Corner Gas” with more actual drama and for the U.S., like “Seinfeld” but with less New York snark and more Down Under snark.
I’ve got one of cupids arrows stuck deep in my heart (could explain chest pains, besides the Tietze Syndrome) for writing and reading then writing some more. Will I ever be an author, a real live published author, as many of my talented fellow bloggers are, as so many writers are, who knows, but it’s fun slow blogging and writing the world’s best novels…in my head.
Captivated with “The Handmaid’s Tale”. Thank you to the parents of Margaret Atwood and Elisabeth Moss for giving us such gifts. It’s funny to think I first read this book almost 35 years ago, when I naively thought it was fiction and thank goodness this could never happen. Note to self, never say never. If you haven’t started reading one of Canada’s most precious natural resources, Margaret Atwood, I suggest you love yourself enough to begin your journey. I’ll continue with her latest, “The Testaments”, filled with hints of things to come. https://yadadarcyyada.com/2019/03/25/welcome-to-your-life/
Infatuated with the idea that all the mysteries of Area 51 could be revealed to the world on September 20, 2019#theycantstopusall #stormarea51The Truth is Out There or more likely, anything interesting has already been moved to, er, Area 51-A or Area 52? https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/10/26/my-big-fat-supernatural-life/
sunsets, puppies, pizza (note the coma, grammar saves lives, in this case, adorable puppy lives), Downton Abbey, The Addams Family, ancestry, kindness, songs https://yadadarcyyada.com/2019/02/06/dont-stop-me-now/ , friends, a new love (who doesn’t have to but if he looked like Negan, Starlord or Daryl Dixon that would be cool, just as completely random examples), muffins, laughter, strawberries, donuts, chocolate, chocolate donuts, kindness, cupcakes, family, and oh yeah, to write another chapter in my own story.Why suffer from FOMO, you’ll never miss out if you embrace the glorious chaos of life (every day above ground is another chance) https://yadadarcyyada.com/2016/10/14/the-glorious-chaos/
Beguiled by apocalyptic, post-apocalyptic, and dystopian anything (“anything” may be hyperbole, but that’s how things work now, right, facts begone, trouble us no more with your truthiness!),
I’m caught up on “The 100” (“May we meet again”); I miss “Colony”, “Helix”, “Falling Skies”, “Z Nation”, “Extant”, “Ascension”, “Revolution”, “V”, “iZombie”…but mostly I miss when watching/reading about this stuff was wildly fictional. But I guess, like horror, it’s a safe way to examine our fears without admitting they’re coming true. This is how we live now.
Enraptured by the final season of “Game of Thrones” (finally caught up with a free preview month). As a fan, little disappointed, as a writer, loved it, so I’m going with the latter.
My heels are over my head with anticipation, sure, things/people seem divided (remember, fear shrinks the brain), we have an economy based on endless consumerism, making ourselves miserable, envious, dissatisfied, ok, things can seem a tad hopeless right now…
What are you head over heels about, dear readers, tell me, tell me, cause I need more to love (my heart and mind are like the TARDIS, bigger on the inside).
Please send me stuff to review…Despite the Ads Ruining My Posts, I’m Not Getting Paid A Cent by WordPress…I gratefully accept promotional materials, but respectfully reserve the right to decide whether said promotional material is suitable for my blog. 100% honest reviews and the opinions, thoughts, and beliefs will be my own, not that of the provider, party, or manufacturer.
Donations to help save the endangered broke and obscure bloggers who once roamed the internet free are appreciated…it’s Paypal, for anyone including, but not limited to eccentric millionaires who want to adopt a blogger.
P.S. WordPress is greedily inserting ads into posts and holding our blogs hostage if we don’t pay the ransom to remove the malware (aka ads), I don’t get a single dime from them…
Welcome to your life there’s no turning back Even while we weep You will find us acting on our worst behaviour turning our backs on Mother Nature Everybody wants to rule the world
Stereotyping is the scourge of our time. All women are this, all men are that, good guys always win, life is fair, fat people are lazy…religion, race, wealth, poverty, sex,diets, politics, illness – everything is painted with the stereotype brush…wait, did I just stereotype stereotyping? Make no mistake, hate is the easy way. Different = Hate. Don’t agree with you = Hate. Blame everyone for your problems. Don’t change, just dig in. Lies, make them big, no, small won’t do. Feed them what they want to hear, while they pretend to care about those they hold dear.
You must remember this A kiss is just a kissA lie is still a lie The fundamental things apply As time goes by
And when politicians woo They still say “I love you” On that you can rely No matter what the future bringsAs lies goes by
Promises of jobs and tax cuts Never out-of-date Tapping into bias with a passion
Spilling jealousy and hate
It’s an age-old story,
sensationalism wins
over love and glory.
We pick and choose
what truths to hold self-evident…
her truth, his truth,
my truth, your truth, the truth…
flippity-floppity, they can’t all be true.
That no one can deny
It’s still the same old story A fight for love and glory A case of do or die The world will always welcome liars As time goes by…
Storytelling, once used to pass along useful information, to keep people safe or make their lives easier. Cavegal/Caveguy didn’t recount that story about almost being eaten by a Saber Tooth tiger to get Retweeted, or get Likes on Instagram. Nor did they stop to film it, or get a Selfie #catscratchfever No, she/he told exciting tales, not to get attention, to influence, to build her/his brand, but to warn others not to go picking berries on that path where those tigers live #berryscary #noyabbadabbadooforyou
We’re addicts, we need another fix. Oh we can stop anytime, we don’t need it, then a ping, a new text, email, tweet, update, tag, post, whatever. We’re all about the yarn, the tale, the story…We crave all the grimy little details, especially the ones that sound like they could be real, the facts say otherwise, but they’re boring, tell us more about the lies, fraud, sex, the scandal of it all, no matter how insane or impossible it seems…tell us more, more, more! Is it true? Who cares? Jump on that bandwagon wherever it may take you. Why worry, got to get another hit. As long as we get our momentary rush, who cares about the consequences?
Do people even want to rule the world anymore, or are they content to just stare at a screen and watch the world burn, as long as they can feed on the flames of the story as we crackle? Remember the good old days when there used to be a line-up to rule the world: aliens, supernatural beings, crime lords, hackers, scammers, Dystopian Future leaders seem especially bent on keeping control (time is fleeting…),megalomaniacs with delusions of grandeur, terrorists, corporate terrorists, politicians, super villains (better than average villains or just wearing capes?), Huns, Hordes (so many Hordes),puppets, paupers, pirates, poets, pawns and kings (they’ve been up and down and over and out and they know one thing, each time they find themselves flat on their face, they pick themselves up and get back in the race), and who can forget Vikings, evil scientists, and laboratory mice whose genes have been spliced (sounds painful and wrong – free Pinky and The Brain!).
But for those who still have an interest in ruling the world, here’s an Easy Peasy guide:
Make someone’s day with a smile or a kind word. Do something they need, not just someone you think they need. Help them as they need help.
Be part of the good, even if it means not taking that tempting/way-too-easy dig at someone (just as a completely random example, Donald Trump).
Jump rope, Jump Force, Shonen Jump, Jump Jump Jump Around (I Came To Get Down), Jump Up and Down for Joy, jump-start your day, jump-start a car – just don’t jump to conclusions.
See the world from someone’s else point of view, even on their worst day. Then someone else. And someone else. The sky’s the limit and maybe not even then.
Care. Don’t just pretend to care. Do it, surely it must take the same effort, right?
Don’t attack, don’t react – act on your best instincts.
Do something you didn’t think you could do. Except murder. Don’t do murder. Or anything else bad, let’s start again, do something good you didn’t think you could do.
Grow food instead of a portfolio.
Be yourself. Unless you can be Groot, then be Groot (I am Groot).
Don’t try to control, be a part of something. Join a club (not a gang), volunteer, find people with common interests, goals, and values (beware of diving right in, some groups and people can be intense, hey, I didn’t directly mention Game of Thrones fans https://yadadarcyyada.com/2014/04/07/you-know-youre-obsessed-with-game-of-thrones-when/), find time to find others.
Laugh (I’ll help, Jann Arden has a comedy series, Jann – watch, laugh, repeat). Cry (or laugh and cry thanks to Ricky Gervais, his Netflix series, After Life may just change your life, it changed mine). Dream, wonder, rejoice – seriously, if you’re still not watching The Orville, I, I, I just don’t…So go ahead and feel, feel frustrated, sad, lonely, happy, hopeful, hopeless, scared, joyful, jealous, disappointed, angry, but don’t think those feelings are facts; just to reiterate, feelings are not facts.
Show and share compassion, patience, empathy, understanding – all the money spent on piles of flowers, stuffed animals, balloons and candles, the endless moldering memorials – give that money to those in need. Isn’t that a better way to remember those who have been lost?
Offer your support and some Random or Not-So-Random Acts Of Kindness, but try something different, if you’re in line for coffee, you can afford a coffee (or think you can, that’s a whole other issue), the only kindness you’re giving is to the coffee place. Give that money to those in need, not just in need of a caffeine fix.
Comfort, inspire, don’t require something in return.
Anger, greed and fear are so tempting, calling a siren’s song, ‘give in to me, it will feel soooo good’ and it could, briefly, but it hurts others; if that makes you feel good, you need some serious help.
Be part of something kind. Easy to pick on someone, more work to pick them up. Instead of rising to the bait, rise together.
Share something you want to keep all to yourself, for me, chocolate (they’ll have to pry it from my cold dead hands, then again, if I share, we’ll both be in bliss).
Answer a child’s toy phone instead of your phone. Be there, in the here and now, tomorrow isn’t certain, but I’m certain we should be enjoying today. Welcome to your life, there’s no turning back so let’s enjoy a world where there’s enough for everyone – enough food, enough shelter, enough kindness, enough hope, enough compassion, enough love.
This blog post brought to you today by Donna’s Brain, now filled with 100% more:
Tears For Fears.
Politics/politicians/political machinations.
Casablanca.
Toy Story (4, 5, 75, whatever, just keep ’em coming, we’ll watch, we promise).
Frank Sinatra (anyone else feeling a Rat Pack vibe these days?).
The Walking Dead (more Negan please, gots to get me a Jeffrey Dean Morgan fix).
Agatha Christie – the new Ordeal By Innocence – go catch some red herring.
Organization (shouldn’t that be a four-letter word?).
Buffy (RIP Luke Perry).
The Orville (stop taking breaks, work 24/7 365 please and thank you).
Kindness (it really does matter).
Harry Potter (I don’t know if the Sorting Hat could figure me out right now).
Hope.
Avengers (and of course, Guardians of the Galaxy – I get it, I still listen to my Walkman).
E.T. (Text home?).
Love.
Struggles.
Supernatural (300 has a whole new meaning, they get my jonesing for some JDM and pizza).
Poverty.
Passion.
Peace.
Pests.
Pizza.
The Handmaid’s Tale (as we start to live it we should accept that good people don’t always win, but that doesn’t mean they should stop being good and yes, some rich people believe the ‘screw the rules I have money’ motto, but money doesn’t equal right just right now).
Exhaustion (is there a place past exhaustion, like mega-exhaustion?).
Secret City (is this a series or a documentary, it’s so difficult to tell anymore…).
Books (more on that later).
Why is it every Spring I feel (doesn’t make it true) like I need more socks, pizza (did I already mention pizza, it’s worth another shout out, right?), donuts,Gilmore Girls, maybe Easter eggs (only the chocolate ones, I can have eggs anytime) and cake.
Loss.
Thinking of how fix the root causes of all the anger, hate, loneliness, trauma; compassion.
Game of Thrones (anyway to get Jason Momoa back in flashbacks, time warps, something?).
Psych (why aren’t they bring this show back, at least a movie or limited run series, come on, I’m desperately in need of a happy place!).
Change (not all change is good, not all change is bad).
Laughter.
The Good Fight (keep it up).
SEO, streaming, dreaming, superheroes, raw water, CBD-infused anything and everything, detox, botox, Cheetos dust (is that a must?), ruffles, truffles, bigger phones, smaller minds, ALF, BTS, Bill and Ted (what’s the newest Excellent Adventure, finding their dentures?), cryptocurrency, Wikileaks (maybe they just need WikiDepends), Julian Assange, rading #Area51 (#StormiArea51), self-driving cars (scare me less than drivers driving cars), flying cars (still not as scary as people driving cars on the ground), goat yoga (yoga goat?), inflated lips, inflated hips, inflated prices, fanny packs are back (what?!?), Momo, CYA, Apple (is it really an #AppleEvent without Steve Jobs? Maybe Tim Apple will be there, would Tim Cook be a cooked apple, but I digress.), FOMO, Snapple, GMO – oh no, my brain is melting;
Storms.
Ultravox and pancakes and not necessarily in that order.
SpaceX.
Boomtown Rats and Queen (feeling a Live Aid vibe here).
AuroraBorealis.
U2 (What if I found what I was looking for and didn’t know that’s what it was?).
Downton Abbey followed by the urban sequel, Downtown New York Abbey.
Stranger Things (welcome to my life).
Food waste.
Murder (not doing it, writing about it or reading about it or watching it, wait, I’m sensing a theme).
Why the birds are conspiring to sing their ‘songs’ outside my window, exactly what subliminal messages are they putting into my brain… I’ve been going through some stuff as you see from my ‘slow blogging’, but not slow braining, but I keep bouncing back,Don’t Stop Me Now https://yadadarcyyada.com/2019/02/06/dont-stop-me-now/I guess the biggest thing I’ve been struggling with, concerning blogging and social media is, am I part of the problem, am I an enabler? Am I feeding the beast? I try not to, but readily admit, I’ve had varying degrees of success. I move forward with a new resolve…I hope.
Glad to be back and always to be here with all of you.
Big bloggy hugs and welcome to your life, young, or old, or in between, the rest is up to you.
Bees’ll buzz and I’ll afford their organic honey cuz…I’ll be doing whatever rich and famous folks do…Sportin’ a healthy bank account, not blown away by emergencies. Da da… Da doo…A bah bah ba baba boo! Attention and money are both so intense Put ’em together, it never, ever makes sense! Rat dadat dadat dadat dadadadadoo Anonymity’s the best time to stay in and cuddle, but put me in ‘attention’ and I’ll be a happily overexposed attention wh…oh, umm, writer/blogger!So when life gets rough, I persist by frantically grabbing my dreams of not just wallowing in obscurity…Oh the sky will be blue and you guys’ll be there too!!! When I ever do what obscure folks do with attention!
Choose love, hope, peace, kindness (people often forget it’s free), laughter, compassion, family, friends, helping others when you can…naps https://yadadarcyyada.com/2016/02/01/theres-a-nap-for-that/ and cake (not necessarily in that order).
In a world seemingly ruled by attention, how do you keep up (and why)?
3. Shocking still not getting enough clicks, likes, and shares in this attention economy? Try no-no-Notorious (sorry, Duran Duran apparently still holds some mysterious thrall over me).
4. Are you feeling like you should keep a single thought, event, or moment private? This is your dignity and self-respect rearing its ugly common sense head, don’t self-sabotage! Tell all! Show all! Don’t let fear of failure stop you from succeeding in your attention-seeking goals.
5. Toss aside burdensome personal and professional relationships – more will come along and if not, you still had your brief, precious moment in the spotlight.
6. Be committed! This isn’t a diet, gym membership, Netflix browsing (what day is it?), friendship, job, or relationship – this is serious! Getting attention isn’t for the faint of heart.
7. Stop looking for the meaning of life, you found it: getting attention.
8. Helping people is nice, but what if you can get attention while doing it? Fire, flood, famine, family, friends, fawning, fatuous, fake fads – all the new attention-grabbing fabulous!
9. Your life is for sale, stick a sign on you that says ‘Sold’.
So here, we’ve only got one rule: Never ever let it cool! Hot, hot, hot hot chocolate; find your inner marshmallow and melt into the season.
“Halloween”; 
Hoping November offers some reprieve
That “home” part may confuse those who know I just moved a couple of months ago. Yes, but sadly some aspects of my new home that would have helped me make an informed decision about moving into this 
What else? Fights, extremely loud music (and not the good stuff), lack of social distancing, sharing red plastic cups, cigarettes, bottles…no masks, no brains, no hope. I weep for the future.
And/or donating via Ko-fi, Paypal, e-transfer to 
chronicnothopeless@yahoo.com
Lazy. Crazy. Whiner. 
I wanted to be with you alone
politicians, celebrities, television shows, smartphones and other electronic gadgets and gizmos, cars, causes, friends, fads, flights of fancy…
but his cast-mates are bright shining lights cutting into any and all plans. Why hope? Why not? Another season has been approved and I’m cheering. Yahoo! For 
It’s funny to think I first read this book almost 35 years ago, when I naively thought it was fiction and thank goodness this could never happen. Note to self, never say never. If you haven’t started reading one of Canada’s most precious natural resources, Margaret Atwood, I suggest you love yourself enough to begin your journey. I’ll continue with her latest, “The Testaments”, filled with hints of things to come. 
a new love (who doesn’t have to but if he looked like Negan, Starlord or Daryl Dixon that would be cool, just as completely random examples),
muffins, laughter, strawberries, donuts, chocolate, chocolate donuts, kindness, cupcakes, family, and oh yeah, to write another chapter in my own story.
your story is bound to be a bestseller 
Welcome
Make no mistake, hate is the easy way. Different = Hate. Don’t agree with you = Hate. Blame everyone for your problems. Don’t change, just dig in. Lies, make them big, no, small won’t do. Feed them what they want to hear, while they pretend to care about those they hold dear.
No, she/he told exciting tales, not to get attention, to influence, to build her/his brand, but to warn others not to go picking berries on that path where those tigers live #berryscary #noyabbadabbadooforyou 
Is it true? Who cares? Jump on that bandwagon wherever it may take you. Why worry, got to get another hit. As long as we get our momentary rush, who cares about the consequences? 
yadadarcyyada 