Resolutionary Challenge 2012

kid to do list, list, Be happy and go home, originally uploaded by Carissa GoodNCrazy.

(Okay - first - I love this picture - I need to remember to add Be HAPPY on my daily schedule as well as PLAY! Always wise to include some of this!)

I said I would eventually get to the rest of my resolutions for 2012 - late partially because December was short by a couple of weeks for me ( I think the mice took them off my calendar) and because I can't focus on the rest of the year until I get over the Winter term start up process that consumes my time.

Well January 15 seems like a reasonable "adjusted" start to the year and one that happily coincides with an opportunity to get some support for those "here we go again" types of resolutions as well as something a bit more specific to my current place in life. It is the Resolutionary Challenge - an online support group with a chance to put a bit of commitment (in terms of $ - only 30) behind the intention. Bonnie is a friend and recent graduate of my online Language Teaching and Technology course and shared this on her blog., Mon Nid Vide (My Empty Nest).  You can find the details there (click on the link to go right to the post) and join in if you are so inclined. It's a 12 week commitment and you earn points to keep you motivated along the way And I'll share how I'm doing here. I'm looking forward to having the support and working with others on some of the goals I want to focus on!

My first resolution of the year - to work on procrastination is coming along - the list of items is so long that I am still unavoidably procrastinating a few things just due to time available (and the fact that they involve math) but I'm trying to be more aware of how I am making the choices of what to do at any particular moment. Rather than just procrastinating the same things over and over again. So some improvement but lots of room to continue to work on this.

Tonight is part of my other goal - leave my house and be with other people - so I'm off to the CPO for a concert of the movie soundtracks of John Williams! Gotta love a goal that leads to fun!

Happy New Year

new year, originally uploaded by *Sally M*.

2012 begins and I have only one resolution written down so far... stop procrastinating, but I haven't found the time to write the rest of the list. Sorry I'm posting this on January 3rd. Okay, starting from......... now.

Blind Date

You never know what you will see if you attend Rebecca Northan's Blind Date.  Because her date does not appear, her character "Mimi" selects a man from the audience to participate in this improvisational play. And anything can happen. It certainly seemed so last Saturday when I attended. Mimi had been out mingling in the crowd before the play - sizing up her potential partners. She had one all picked out when Trevor volunteered. She was cautious - "you're not one of those University Drama students, are you?" But Trevor - a microbiology student - possibly even from MRU (he was in front of us in line and we commented on the campus card he was carrying) was so eager that after a few screening questions, Rebecca followed the first rule of improv - accept what comes - and invited him up on stage for a date. 

 Her word to describe Trevor was "adorable" - he really didn't have a clue sometimes on how to act but considering he is trying to have a date in front of a studio audience, he did well.  At least, he provided lots of opportunities for Rebecca to play off of and there were plenty of laugh out loud moments.  She used the "Time Out" stool to step out of the scene and reflect on how things were going in the play - and even to school Trevor somewhat on what would be a more appropriate response to "I love this song" than "Oh, really , is this jazz?  Why don't you tell me why you love this song."  

So much fun!! Very happy a friend clued me in and invited me along to the show. We hit Gorilla Theatre beforehand and I was reminded of how much I enjoyed a night at Loose Moose theatre in the past.  Definitely need to make a point to visit once in a while.

Blind Date is now setting off on a tour and if you ever get a chance to see it, don't let it pass!

Flickr Friday: Chatsworth - The Veiled Vestal Virgin

Chatsworth - The Veiled Vestal Virgin, originally uploaded by whistlepunch.

In an attempt to blog more frequently and to revisit some of my favourite photos, Friday will now be known as Flickr Friday. And to start us off, my number one viewed photo on Flickr, the marble sculpture "The Veiled Vestal Virgin" by Raffaelle Monti.

If you saw the Keira Knightly version of Pride and Prejudice, you may recognize this as a sculpture in Pemberly but in reality it stands in Chatsworth, a grand home in Derbyshire that may have inspired Jane Austen to write about Darcy's ancestral home.

It is a truly spectacular piece of art - you want to reach out and brush the veil away to see her face, it is so beautifully sculpted.

Someday, I hope to visit this amazing estate in Derbyshire again.

Note:  I just had a thought - Have I posted this picture before and YES - this is a repeat post. so now I need to add something fresh to the post. A few more views of the same sculpture gallery in Chatsworth!

Boredom

Boredom , originally uploaded by hopkins.sam.

This is a face I potentially will be seeing this weekend. Madi is hanging out with me while her mom and dad are in California, rocking out to the B-52s and Human League. (so jealous!) My challenge is to not be as miserably dull as I know I am to a 16 year old. When we went out last week, I failed - due to the fact I didn't want to go bridge jumping or to climb into some subterranean world of grafitti and ne'er-do-wells under the Stony Trail Bridge. I'll let you know how it goes. Wish me luck.

A play that will be at Theatre Calgary this fall - in fact - very soon.  Anyone interested?

Museum Of Everything.

Museum Of Everything., originally uploaded by glumpire.

Jo - you said my blog was boring. This is true. I apologize. Here is a picture of a place I would like to go.

Four Years on Twitter

I've been tweeting for four years (and actually one day - first tweet was April 9, 2007) now and it has really become the best source of professional development around. When I started, I posted random things about my day - mostly related to tasks I was working on at the University (still a college then) and sometimes questions - but questions don't work until you have followers.  I identified myself as part of the ESL community and began following every ESL "rock star" I could find who had a channel.  I made a list of the great educators I was watching and eventually began to be followed back.  I'm now a part of other people's lists - part of the ESL Twibes, and beginning to feel like I have a Personal Learning Network developed that I can participate in and contribute to.  I still probably retweet other's messages more than contributing my own content but that is more about time than intention. My favourite tweets are ones that inform me of upcoming conference sessions that are being streamed online.  I've been able to participate in sessions around the world and learn about some amazing people and projects this way.  The fact that Twitter just turned 5 a few weeks back and I have been around for four of those years amazes me - something I find so essential in my work day is still so new! 

The other favourite activity that I have on twitter is following along during an event.  If you don't want to know results of awards shows or winners of reality series, stay away but if you want to know what is happening during a session of conference that you are away from the screen for - just watch the tweets roll in.  There was a huge community of LDS tweeting about each speaker, every hymn and the hashtag #ldsconf was trending worldwide during the sessions! I couldn't get video to work for some of the sessions so I listened to the audio and watched the tweet stream instead. 

So Happy Anniversary to my Twitter account.

By the way, if you want a couple of fun "people" to follow on Twitter, try HalfPintIngalls and big_ben_clock.



Picture from http://calgarytemple.blogspot.com/

President Monson spoke on the importance of temples in his Sunday morning address at General Conference.  He asked us to make whatever sacrifices necessary to have the temple as our goal, in our hearts and in our homes. " Each temple stands as a beacon, an expression of testimony that God lives, that He desires to bless us and all generations." I'm looking forward to attending the temple in two weeks as Tanner goes through for the first time in preparation for his mission.  On the same weekend, I'll be with our youth as they do baptisms and will be doing some for my family.  And just around the corner  - in 2012 - this structure up on the hill of Royal Oak with the majestic mountains beyond it will be dedicated as a House of the Lord for us to serve within. It was announced at the Saturday morning session of the October 2009 conference as I sat in the congregation in the Conference Center and completely missed the announcement of the Rome Italy temple becuase we were too busy reacting to the announcement of the Calgary, Alberta temple.   I love the temples of the Lord and am excited for the opportunity to serve more often and have the temple within our city.

Calgary, Alberta Temple - 2012

LDS Conference Center, originally uploaded by whistlepunch.

It's Conference weekend again. I miss being able to watch it on TV and my computer doesn't like streaming video these days, so I've only been able to listen so far. This year, in addition to Twitter being a great resource of quotes and thoughts throughout the sessions, there is a shared note-taking document on Google docs. So in addition to listening, I am keeping watch using these collaborative means. Easy to just stop and listen when I want to or to review what was just said - think about the quote a bit more. Just like Elder Richard Scott's advice in October 2009 conference, I have a notepad and pen close so that when inspiration comes, I can follow the ideas further and be open to specific guidance and inspiration meant just for me. I don't even mind such a wintery day when I can be warmed by the great messages and music of General Conference.

Brigham's Table 2.egg on Aviary.

Made this while playing around with an image/effects editing tool on the web - Aviary.

Too True!

Super Moon and Mow Cop, originally uploaded by peterjbailey.

Here's what Super Moon looked like in Staffordshire. Did anyone see it here? I missed seeing it when it was near the horizon - it's up over my house now and looking somewhat less than super at the moment. Although I do feel like having cheese and crackers right now... Wensleydale anyone?

Cirque de la Symphonie

An amazing show and wonderful concert tonight. Music from Dvorak, Bizet, Saint-Saens, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and even a John Williams piece from Star Wars: Episode II. The final number of the evening was Ravel's Bolero with an act of strength and balance with two men from Poland. Stunning! Loved the beauty and grace of the gymnast, "Lady in White" and fantastic work by both female and male aerialists. The mime/juggler added some whimsy to the night. So glad to have gone and enjoyed this treat with my friend Jill.

Because of St. Patrick's Day... a post from my family history blog with pics of the Irish relatives

Rhodes Family History: Sam and Jenny Muirhead: "Until now, I'd only seen one picture of Sam and Jenny Muirhead. Sam 'the butcher' - with his wife Jane sitting in front of their home..."

When life gets you down...
"It's okay if your shoes aren't doing it"
Advice to remember

Do you know how many days old you are?  I do - and it just hit a certain number in the thousands. I know thanks to that unexpected call from a certain "rainman" that keeps track of this and other auspicious numbers in the lives of those he knows. 

And to think I get to celebrate on Pi Day! 

Okay - just found this and he is in Lethbridge in April. I feel a road trip coming on.

Just set up a blog for my nephew's two years of service in the Guatemala City Central Mission. He will be reporting to the MTC on April 25. The blog is still in development - I will be seeing Tanner tomorrow and I'm sure he'll want some input on the look and content of the blog but the address will remain the same in case anyone wants to follow along.

Elder Tanner Hopkins: Saying Goodbye: "Hola! As some of you may know, I have been called to serve a mission in Guatemala for 2 years. I will be giving my farewell talk on April 1..."

a little look, originally uploaded by uppercaseyyc.

This little 'plan for future happiness' is scheduled to arrive in my mailbox sometime in April.