Lise's Ramblings

With the exception of farmers experiencing a drought, most of us can’t wait for rain to stop. There are even some vocal people who seem to do little else than complain about the weather as they gripe about the rain, the heat, the snow, the fog, ad nauseum . Personally, a good dousing of rain helps my veggie garden along without me having to lug out the garden hose. Those showers can rinse off your patio furniture and give your car a light wash provided you park in the driveway instead of the garage. When the skies open up, heavy rains can also power wash streets and sidewalks as the grit and construction dirt gets swept away by mini rivers rushing along the curbs. These are all convenient benefits of rain, but the best of all is when rain gets you out of a dreaded task. Maybe it’s a chore you’re reluctant to tackle (oops, can’t mow the lawn today, it’s raining) or an event you’re apprehensive about attending (an outdoor wedding where you won’t know anyone other than the bride or groom)

A random rambling about something awesome (inspired by Neil Pasricha's "Book of Awesome") It is so disappointing to lose something special. You rack your brain trying to remember where you put whatever it is you cannot find. You know you put it somewhere specifically so you couldn’t misplace it. Where was that again?!?! Over time, you finally resign yourself to the fact that your precious item is gone. You write it off, but the memory or guilt of the loss doesn’t fade. That’s why it is so exhilarating when weeks, months or even years later, you trip across your lost treasure in a most unexpected place. AWESOME times a gazillion!

Before heading to bed you checked the Weather Network and Environment Canada sites, hoping that one of them would give you a glimmer of hope. The forecast was sketchy at best for the next day. Then you wake up to snow or rain—weather that threatens to ruin a much anticipated day or soirée. Perhaps it’s a family reunion picnic, an outing requiring a long drive, an outdoor graduation ceremony, wedding photos or a staff golf tournament. Seeing the inclement weather makes you feel discouraged, but you forge ahead with your day. You know you are not alone in wishing or praying for the weather to improve. Then miraculously, the weather takes a turn for the better, just in time for your event. The storm clouds roll on out and the sun breaks through. Apart from everyone having to wear shoes to cope with wet grass and puddles, your event is in business again. AWESOME!

Toddlers and awkward teens right on through to grown ups enjoy a good tuck in. Tuck ins are cozy and a sign of love. Revel in them, regardless of whether your tuck in involves a duvet, a sleeping bag, a cotton throw, a handmade quilt or even a jacket. Most of the time you’ll sleep right through the tuck in, without being fully conscious of the tuck-in joys. But then there are those special times, when you’re right at the precipice of slumber and you feel the warmth of the tuck in. You smile, but you’re too drowsy to actually wake up to thank the god or goddess who blessed you with the tuck in. AWESOME!

Struggling to understand how something works. Piecing together a puzzle. Sorting out how a person is related to someone else. Recalling a fact from yesterday or the furthest reaches of your memory. At times, attempting to figure something out can feel like a major workout. Hmmming and hawing, these daily feats exercise your grey matter. That ah-ha moment when you finally figure something out… AWESOME!

Chances are you’ve experienced that sinking feeling when you hear the garbage truck approaching even though your bags or bins aren’t curbside. It doesn’t matter whether or not your trash day is the same day each week. We all forget from time to time. Yet, those times only happen when you’re already in a rush, you’re dressed up for work and it is raining, snowing or gusting outside. And why is it that those times you forget tend to coincide with when your bins are full to the brim (e.g., the first pick-up day following Christmas or spring cleaning)? Or worse yet, the height of fruit fly season and the stickiest, humid (translation: SMELLY) days of the year. There’s absolutely no room for you to add in the castoffs you’ll collect for the next week or two when the truck is scheduled to visit again. As frustrating as it can be to miss out on the garbage, compost or recycling collectors, there’s much satisfaction in knowing that all is well. Hearing the clatter of those big trucks approachi

For early risers, the Summer Solstice is a treat. It doesn’t matter that you wake up early, because the sunshine is already pouring into your room. The days leading up to and stretching out from the longest day of the year (June 21) are golden. That sun of ours travels a path farthest from the celestial equator and you get to enjoy sunny mornings AND sunsets that last until well after 9 p.m. If you live in Alaska or the Northwest Territories, then your enjoyment can stretch until nearly midnight. How great is that? AWESOME!

A random rambling about something awesome (inspired by Neil Pasricha's "Book of Awesome") In a world of gadgetry and fast obsolescence, you can easily end up with reams of cords to power up cell phones, download content from digital cameras or video cams, synch laptops to an iPhone or Blackberry, connect a computer to a digital projector or TV, and transfer MP3s to your iPod or personal music device. Sadly, most of these devices have varying USB sizes, or worse yet, proprietary connections. Simply put, more often than not, these cables cannot be interchanged between your electronic gadgets. And then there are the extra 12-volt ones for your car, but don’t get me started on those curly, phone cord-like bodies that get tangled far too easily. Whether you keep your connector cords in a drawer, a pile next to your computer, stuffed in a bag on your desk, or neatly folded and arranged in kits organized for each of your devices, there’s a certain level of satisfaction when you

They may be few and far between, but great hair days are powerful when they occur. Great hair days are equivalent to Confidence Clothes days (see May 25th Awesome), but there’s no shopping required. I suppose shopping could be required if new hair product has caused the great hair day, but great hair days can happen without a trip to the pharmacy or salon. Beyond the confidence boost you experience from a great hair day, you also gain all that time you don’t waste coaxing your hair to style a certain way before you leave the house in the morning. The cherry on top is when you step outdoors and realize that there isn’t any wind or rain to prematurely ruin your great hair day. AWESOME!

Portabello mushrooms, corn on the cob, shish kabobs, fresh salmon, burgs, potatoes, a pot of mussels, steak or even more elaborate and fancy meals—they all smell much better when they are cooked on a barbecue. Vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters alike cannot resist the pull of a barbecue, because something incredible happens as food drippings strike a grilling surface. Barbecuing can signal great weather, or not. It is amazing how many people will brave the elements (and insects) just to cash in on barbecue rewards. They huddle under carports, set up on wraparound patios and open garage doors during rain showers, high winds and snow storms. The barbecue experience can be enjoyed solo just as easily as in a large, social gathering. Barbecues can even conjure up envy when you are drawn by the smells emanating from someone else’s backyard. Dinner is grilling and you wish you were invited. The flipside of that experience is when your senses are drawn to those all-too-familiar barbecue scen

A random rambling about something awesome (inspired by Neil Pasricha's "Book of Awesome") A thank you out of the blue is a treat. An utterance. A thank you card. A bouquet. A quick email or text message. A phone call. A smile. Whatever the form, an unexpected thank you is AWESOME!

Another one of Lise's random ramblings about something awesome Play-doh. Mr. Sketch scented markers. Easy-Bake Oven cakes and frosting. Your grandfather’s aftershave or grandmother’s perfume/powder (and in my case, sherry and scotch) New Barbie smell. Coppertone, egg salad and other beach/picnic scents. Vinyl (from your clear umbrella, your first bike's seat and handlebar streamers, …) Fun Dip. Elmer’s white glue. Baby shampoo, baby powder, baby oil, baby lotion Double Bubble, Hubba Bubba, Trading card gum, Bubbalicious… Dusty, slightly burned smell of watching 8mm home movies or slides. Eraser bits from Erasermate pens. Fruit-flavoured lip gloss. Chlorine, rubber dodge balls, chalk (for the balance beam, pummel horse or rings), floor mats and other YMCA-YWCA Campfires and Hibachi barbecue briquettes. Orange McDonald's drink from church events. Scratch-n-sniff stickers. AWESOME!