Tag Archives: Programming

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#Scents and Scentsability

English: Liquid hand soap in a pump dispenser,...

English: Liquid hand soap in a pump dispenser, next to a larger refill-sized bottle of the same soap. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Six weeks today the party will be in full swing. That means the to-do list is long and pressing. One small detail is hand soap for the three bathrooms. Should be a simple thing to accomplish, shouldn’t it. Nope, can’t say that it is.

Despite the fact we are scattered around the globe, we are a family of allergies. Those no perfume rules were made for us. Do you know how hard it is to find scent free hand soap? Vegetables, flowers, combinations, even glacier scents were offered.

Lavender is my personal scentsativity. Picture postcards of a field of lavender in Provence are enough to make my throat swell shut. So I am supportive of the nieces and nephews who ask that we be a scent-free event.

The appreciation of scent is a cultural thing. Argentine men smell pretty, on purpose. The scents of the Middle East are heady and sensual. If Canada had a signature scent, it would be a combination of pine, ocean breeze and maple. I would be reaching for the antihistamine in seconds.

Scents are one more reason you should not leave home without a personal care kit that includes OTC allergy medicine.

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Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Rolled Bead Cuff from Thailand

Rolled Bead Cuff from Thailand

When my father died, while we sat mourning, I read Dylan Thomas’ poem Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night.  Many a time since I have turned to that poem, because, for me, it is a call to action…a kick in the butt when self-pity begins to overwhelm me.

Yesterday, very late,  an interview for a job that I really wanted was cancelled by email. An interview that was booked for this afternoon. The reason for cancellation? They had filled the position. I am disappointed that the company chose to hire the second best candidate. As they had not taken the time to meet the best candidate, the result was unavoidable.

My search for full time employment is a year old this week. I knew it was going to be tough. You just have to read the headlines. This is an employers’ market – dozens of candidates for any open position. 590 people applied for a position I found a few months ago. I know this because the application process included a link to a “counter.”

Another strategy to which I turn when raging against the dying of the light is listing the positive things that I have experienced while on my quest:

  • The beaded cuff pictured was a gift from a friend who visited Thailand. It was made as a part of a project to teach children a trade to keep them off the streets and safe. I wear it to remind myself that there are others in truly dire situations.
  • The opportunity to care for the Octogenarian on a truly intimate level for the past year is a gift that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
  • The friends who continue to encourage, challenge and demand that I soldier on. Tough love. The best kind.
  • The students, strangers every one, who allowed me to share my passion for beading and for teaching, validating both.
  • The international group of readers who follow this blog. Writing for you is a privilege.
  • The newly found distant cousins  who share my DNA and curiosity about our shared ancestors. My world and my family have grown.

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

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Selfishness: The Creative Imperative

Spring Battles Winter

Spring Battles Winter Selfishly

My dream to be a full-time artisan will never come true, because I lack a vital quality, selfishness. I do not mean to imply a holier than thou character. I am capable of selfishness. What I lack is the mega dose of selfishness that sets the truly creative apart from the rest of us.

To create requires the ability to completely ignore wordly things like the care and feeding of the resident octogenarian, or two-year old or cat. Creation takes time and concentration. Extended periods of both. Missing meals and regular walks in order to honor the muse that has taken over your life are habits of the truly creative. Letting the mundane interrupt the drive to create will maintain the amateur status of a Sunday painter.

I will never be a professional artisan because I do not put my desire to create first. I have no one to blame but myself.