A Sassy Lifestyle Blog

Hello October! Fun and Frightful Bucket List.

Hello October! Fun and Frightful Bucket List.

I love October!!! I will be spending most of it in the desert and even though you can’t really tell it’s fall here, I will be doing fun fall things. I will be in Eastern Canada the last week of October; I hope that I can catch the tail end of the fall foliage.

The goal of this post is to coax you into getting out there to do a few fun fall things with your loved ones. Please just do it while you can; make silly memories, you’ll never regret the time you spend with friends and family.

Not to put a damper on things, but it’s been 4 months since my dad passed and I get great comfort remembering all the things that we did together. I like to think that I have inherited his zest for life! I share a few family Halloween stories at the end of this post.

I am challenging all of you to do a version of each of these October activities!! There are only 3 things on this list so completely doable!

Pumpkins!

This one is super easy, get your pumpkin grove on!! That’s a thing right?? No? Well it should be. Lol

– Pick a Pumpkin

If you don’t have access to a pumpkin patch, then pick one up at the grocery store, there’s no excuse, they are literally everywhere. And not to put any pressure on you, but I found a pumpkin patch in the middle of the desert, so don’t be lame, lol.

So I have a confession to make…actually, I have two confessions; the first is that this was my first pumpkin picking experience. I’ve been apple picking, but never pumpkin picking, it was so fun and pretty. My second confession is that I got a bit ahead of my list and picked my pumpkins the last weekend of September. But crossing off my October list…check!!

– Carve Your Pumpkin

For all you busy parents out there, this is one activity that your children will remember from their childhood, so make a night or afternoon out of it. Growing up, my dad was the pumpkin carver; and apparently, my mom just took pictures of us while we carved, lol. Note to the moms, get in at least one of the pictures.

Pumpkin carving isn’t just for kids; my family and I started a new tradition a few years ago, we have a pumpkin carving night. When done we vote on who has the best one. Everyone gets really into it, we get pretty competitive.

We have our date picked out for this years Great Pumpkin Carve Off, ok, that’s not what we call it…yet!! My brother is hosting this year and he is the one to beat, so I need to take him down! Wish me luck.

99B65342-1F00-4620-90D8-488BEF8AE331 — One of out past Great Pumpkin Carve Offs! This is my brother, he carved his pumpkin to look like a VW Van…really??? Mine was a cat with uneven eyes, lol.

Haunted, Frightful Fun!

I am going to give you a few options for this one, so again no excuse! Google haunted things to do in your area or scary things to do; even if you live in a smaller community, something will pop up.

It’s so easy to get stuck in your routine and not explore what’s happening in your community, pretend you are a tourist and look things up.

For those in the Moncton area, I googled for you, here’s what came up…you’re welcome!

I am certain there are haunted corn mazes all over the US and Canada. This is a great activity for smaller kids, make sure to check the scardy cat level; traumatizing your kids isn’t exactly the kind of memories I was talking about.

For older brats…I mean teenagers, a haunted house tour is super fun. The Keillor House Museum in Dorchester, NB is ligit crazy scary!

It’s located down the road from an old castle looking maximum security prison. On a scary cat scale, it starts off at a 9.9 level. This is also one of their major fund raising activities, so scaring the shit out of yourself and your kids will be for a great cause.

I volunteered to help decorate a few years ago and I am pretty sure I captured a ghost in one of my pictures. See my pic below, that’s totally a ghost or something right? Look in the middle left of the pic. There’s a white blur, see it? Do you think it’s a ghost?? Let me know, I think it’s something.

Most cities also have haunted walking tours. Grab a pumpkin spice latte and soak in a bit of creepy history. Or…pick up a hot chocolate and add a shot of fireball, the chocolate and cinnamon is a yummy combo.

Those are three things to do in and around Moncton; I am sure there are more.

There are lots of options in Las Vegas! I have tickets for Scare Vegas this week, see below, I am liking the third activity, selfies and cocktails, I am in!!

Last year, I visited the Zac Bagan’s Haunted Museum, he’s on Discovery Channel’s Ghost Adventure, it was eerie. I would give it 4 scardy cats; it’s more creepy than screaming scary.

I considered this Blackout At The Asylum this year, for all of three seconds, lol. It’s a real old mental asylum! Ya…no! I will stick with the Wicked Selfies and cocktails, lol.

From big to small cities, you can find something frightful to do!

Ghoulish Friends Gathering

October is the perfect time to have fun with your Freaky Friends!

If you’re looking for a shortcut and want to “kill two birds with one stone”, you could invite your friends over to watch a scary movie with you; you really shouldn’t be watching a scary movie alone anyway. A scary movie gathering will cross off the Ghoulish Friends Gathering and the Haunted, Frightful Fun off your list; check and check!!

I love Halloween parties, if you are invited to one, you should go! While in Moncton, the week before Halloween, I am going to host a Haunted Garden Dinner Party. Last year, I hosted a Wickedly Haunted Dinner Party. Dinner parties are less work than a full on party and smaller gatherings allow me to catch up with my fellow witches. Please note that any dinner party held in October automatically becomes a haunted dinner party; I am fairly certain it’s a rule.

4AB2DBC3-D5D1-4571-A97A-CFEC2AFA9CF3 — Here are a few of my friends who love Halloween and dressing up as much as I do!

See that wasn’t too bad right? Feel free to share your October activity plans and seriously, do you think that’s a ghost or spirit in my Keillor House pic???

I am going to share a few Halloween family stories before I sign off, just because. My father’s side of the family are real tricksters; they are game for anything, I aspire to keep this tradition alive.

My grandmother was a fan of dressing up for Halloween, she was an amazing seamstress. One year, she and one of her sisters dressed up and entered their village parade and won best costume! First of all, yay, Nanny!! Apparently no one recognized them and even though people tried to guess who they were, they never revealed their identities; they went home, took off their costumes and never let on it was them. I should add that at the time she was a mother of 9 and a grandmother of a few.

In my second story, I am probably 8ish, I just finished trick or treating and was answering the door and handing out candy. The doorbell rings so I go down to answer. There are two small teenagers at the door, their faces are covered, so I can’t see if they are boys or girls. I give them candy and instead of taking the candy and leaving, they just stand there, staring at me. Before I go any further, this story takes place around 1978, keep in mind that the ’70’s were a different time, apparently freaking out young children was still socially acceptable.

So they stand there for a very awkward period of time, so much so that I yell out DAD!! He peeks down and starts to laugh, he knew immediately who the two teenagers were. It was my my grandmother and one of my aunts! So I grew up seeing that you are never too old to have fun.

My last story is from last Halloween. I was home for a visit because my dad wasn’t well. But that day was a good day so I asked him if he wanted to dress up and go visit his sisters to try and trick them, he laughed and said, let’s do it! My mother though we were crazy, she’s not like us, lol. I had bought these big black crow heads, just because I thought they were funny.

We pull up to one of my aunts house. My father wanted me to park down the street, but I knew it would be too much for him if I made him walk too far. We quietly got out of the car and put our crows heads on. As we walk to the house, we were laughing thinking that we were so clever, that she was never going to know who we are. Man were we wrong; she saw us get out of the car and put our heads on. She was laughing before we even got to her door.

0E9F268E-D0FD-418C-8B86-054F0AB9EA2D — Seriously, how fabulous are these crow heads?? The beaks opened when you opened your mouth. This was a really good day!!❤️

The reason for sharing these stories is that, in my opinion, the sillier or dumber the activity, the better the memories are. Life is short, you are never too old or too important to put a big black furry crow head on and go trick or treating!

Thanks for reading!

muah!

Liette

Dear America – a letter from your friend, Canada.

280DB1EF-B156-484E-B822-9F7FC5347CC7

Dear America,

I moved here in August of 2016; three months before your last election. Since then I have held back from sharing my personal political opinions; primarily because I feel that, as a guest in your country, it’s not my place and frankly, it would be rude.

I’m now preparing to leave the US to go back to Canada, but before I go, I wanted to share a few of my observations; as a friend.

Because, who are we kidding, Canada is your best friend; we know you better than any of your other friends. We’re your closest neighbor; we grow up watching your TV and listening to your music. We know you to be proud, passionate and at times a bit rowdy and rambunctious and we love you for it.

Although we know everything about you, we know that you know much less about us; and that’s ok, because we know that deep down you love us too! The truth is that when push comes to shove, we have always stood together! I would challenge anyone to find two countries who are closer friends and allies.

For the past three years, I have lived here among you; I’ve had a front row seat to all the changes that you’ve been going through. And I have to say that, as your friend, I am very worried for you.

I have friends who are Democrats and friends who are Republicans and guess what? Contrary to popular belief, you’re not that different! You love your families and want to provide for them. You aren’t looking for hand outs; you want to work hard and be paid fairly. You want to know that if your son, daughter, wife or husband gets sick, that they will get the best care possible; and while caring for them, you don’t want to have to worry about being ruined financially.

You love your country and your flag. You’re all thankful to those who serve and put their lives on the line to fight for your freedom. They don’t fight for the freedom of Republicans or the freedom of Democrats; they fight for you, they fight for America.

The core values of the majority of Americans are the same! And Contrary to what some would like you to believe, you are all Americans; no one group is more American than the other.

There are people in your country who want to make you believe that you are all so very different. They want you to believe that some of you are better than others. I think you need to take a step back and ask yourselves why? What’s in it for them?

How can that be good for you, America? Who is going to benefit from a fractured and fighting country? As an observer, I am perplexed and can’t see how this infighting is going to lead to anything positive.

I also want to talk about race for a moment, because it’s one of the ways that some people are trying to divide and break you. As a legal alien, yes, that is my official status, I think I have a unique perspective.

I am a white, middle-ish aged blonde Canadian with no recognizable accent. To those who are trying to divide you, I look and sound like the perfect American.

I was recently in a long line at the DMV and a few of us started chatting, A white, older man, asked the couple in front of me, who were of Latin decent, where they were from? They said California, to which he replied a bit surprised “Oh”. The white man wasn’t being rude, he was friendly and making conversation. But he didn’t ask me where I was from.

It made me wonder how many times they, or anyone with brown skin or a different accent, are asked that question? Would it get annoying or frustrating to feel that you have to justify or prove that you belong?

On the surface “where are you from” is not offensive; it’s a harmless question, but in my three years in Las Vegas, I’ve never felt like I needed to explain or justify who I am or why I am here.

I feel that I am automatically considered more American than a lot of real Americans. Is that a form of white privilege? Maybe in its most simplistic form? I get the benefit of the doubt automatically.

As human beings, our life experiences form and shape our views. I think some white people take offense to the notion of white privilege, because they feel that nothing has been handed to them; that they too struggle and that being a white American doesn’t automatically mean that they’ve had it easy. This is 100% true, you can be white and struggle.

We should sympathize with those of us who have been less fortunate and who have had less opportunities because of a number of different factors, black or white. But I suspect that those of color are faced with an additional set of challenges right out of the gate. Challenges that, those of us who are white, can’t fully comprehend because it’s not part of our life experiences.

As a white Canadian, I have discovered that I don’t have the same “cultural baggage” as some white Americans. This difference is apparent when the topics of Black Lives matter and the NFL players taking a knee are brought up. There seems to be an inner resentment of black Americans who take a stand; who peacefully protest, that killing their sons and fathers, whose only crimes are being black or brown in the wrong place at the wrong time, is unacceptable.

Some really nice white people, seem to go on immediate defense mode when these topics come up; and in my outsider, I don’t have a horse in this race, point of view, it’s very confusing to me.

Let’s be real, it doesn’t matter what color you are, if your son went to the store and got shot for no reason, you would be angry and want justice. So why aren’t all American mothers and fathers heartbroken regardless of the color or race of the child?

I recently asked a friend what it was about Black Lives Matter that was so upsetting? The response I got was that blue lives matter too. I agreed with them; I 100% believe that blue lives matter too. I admire people whose career choice puts them in harms way on a daily basis to protect others.

Have you ever wondered why someone becomes a police officer? I can guarantee you that it’s not the promise of fame and fortune! They sign up because they want to make the world a better place.

That being said, Black Lives Matter doesn’t mean that Blue Lives don’t. Are there bad police officers out there? Yes, every profession has some people who do a horrible job. I know a few people who are in my field who are absolutely horrible at their jobs. But how much harm can a bad marketer do in the grand scheme of things?

My point is that we can and should be as outraged at the injustice of an innocent person being harmed because of the color of their skin, as we are when an officer is harmed because he showed up for work to help keep us safe. Both scenarios are unacceptable and we should be outraged. This shouldn’t be what divides you, in both scenarios, these are Americans.

The current woes of American are in no way the fault of white Americans; no more than they are the fault of brown Americans. But you need to know, that some people are trying to exploit your fears and insecurities in order to divide you. And it breaks my heart, friend, that it seems to be working.

We know you to have the biggest heart, but I fear that all the noise being bombarded upon you on a daily basis is making you hardened.

America, my dear friend, you are the most powerful country in the world; a true super power who’s slowing losing their super powers to those who are looking to divide and conquer you. Did you ever think that you could be conquered?

Your American values are being threatened, not by some far away foe, but from within. Like that scary movie where the threatening phone calls are coming from inside the house.

As your friend we need to give you a bit of tough love and let you know that you’re currently in a bad relationship. You’re losing yourself and what makes you truly great!

We need you to snap out of it; Canada needs you, the world needs you to be the strong, honorable, spirited, just and rowdy America that you have always been.

As your best friend there’s one thing about you that we know for sure; it’s that one should never assume that you are down for the final count. When times get tough, the tough get going. Well times are getting tough. It’s time to band together and show the world what we know you are made of.

Your enemies thought that crashing airplanes into buildings would break you; instead, it made you stronger! Please don’t let bots on social media divide and break you; you got this! Your freaking America for goodness sakes.

Is it over simplifying things to think that by being nicer and more compassionate to each other is going to bridge the divide that’s been created to harm you? Perhaps? But, I’m certainly not going to be betting against the power of Americans.

We miss you, your bff,

Canada

(for those reading, if you have nothing nice to say, please don’t. If you are all about positive vibes, then please leave me your comments.)

Falling For Fall!

Falling For Fall!

Happy Fall! Yes, I know that fall doesn’t officially start until September 21ish, but hey the pumpkins have been out in the stores since August, so I feel I have shown a lot of restraint.

I loooooovvvvveee fall!! It’s what I miss the most about living in Las Vegas. I have two back to back trade shows in September and October so it’s going to be super busy, BUT!! I get to fly back to Canada for some vacation time the week before Halloween and you better believe that I am going to pack in as much fun fall stuff as possible!!!

I love making bucket lists, some may think they are silly? Here’s why I make them and why I encourage you to as well. We are all so busy, I feel that if we don’t consciously make plans, the days, weeks and months can zoom bye in the blink of an eye, and bam!! It’s Christmas and you’ve missed fall altogether!

So here’s my fall bucket list! (FYI I am saving my Halloween activities for my Halloween list that I’ll post Oct 1ish. Hey, I wasn’t kidding about loving lists!!)

1. Fall foliage and fresh air!

Since moving to the desert, I’ve discovered that some of my friends, here on the West Coast, have never experienced a full on autumn fall foliage fest. Yes the leaves on the trees here do change colors, and while three trees with yellowish leaves are cute, that’s not really fall.

You need to experience a full on fall, in all its glory, at least once in your lifetime! The most vivid colors are in the North East of the US and the South East of Canada; New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have the prettiest views, but I could be a little bias? lol

I encourage all my West Coast friends to add this to their bucket lists and to all my East Coast friends; get out there and enjoy!!! Go for a drive, go for a walk, take pictures and smell the fresh air! Not to be a Debbie Downer, but you do know what happens after fall right??

The pictures above are all from the Moncton area, seriously guys, how freaking amazing are these color??!! It’s simply spectacular!!

2. Sunflower Selfie!

Local farmers don’t exactly have it easy these days; a new way to supplement their incomes is by creating corn mazes, u-pick pumpkin patches, apple picking and sunflower festivals; and do you know what? I am all for it!

Look up what’s happening in your area and then get out there and enjoy! My Facebook feed has been full of the most beautiful sunflower selfies this past week.

The Green Pig Country Market in Salisbury, NB is having a sunflower festival and I am so bummed that I am missing it. FYI, in October, they have a huge corn maze and a zombie paint ball shooting tractor ride. I will be in that area at that time, so I’ll be there!

Please get out there and support your local farmers it’s a win, win!

I am going to do my best to find a field of sunflowers in Nevada, wish me luck!

Soooo it turns out sunflowers don’t grow in the desert…booo!! Since I am not one to give up that easily, I made my own sunflower fun! It’s amazing what you can do with a hot glue gun.

You maybe wondering if I looked like a nut driving around Las Vegas looking like a sunflower? Maybe? But here’s the thing that I love most about living in Las Vegas; no one cared, everything and anything goes here. It’s pretty wild! It’s probably the perfect place for me and my weirdness?

Funny story, I asked my mom a month or so ago if she thought I was weird? She said of course you are, but that’s why people like you!! Good to know, lol. 🌻🌻

3. Apple of my eye!

Apple picking has always been one of my fall traditions. As soon as the apples are ready for picking, usually mid to late September, my Facebook news feed will be flooded with pictures of my Canadians in apple orchards. Not only is it a great way to get some fresh air, it also offers lots of Instagramable moments.

And what do you do with all those apples? Make a yummy apple crisp or apple pie! Picture it, it’s getting chilly outside, which of course makes you want to nest and bake. Can you smell the apple crisp coming out of the oven? Mmmm, add a big scoop of vanilla ice cream; oh wow, I am getting hungry! lol. Add that to your fall bucket list please…you’re welcome.

4. Fall fashion.

There is something about fall that makes me want to shop; you do that too, right? Once the air starts to get cooler; it’s time to pull out your sweaters, blazers and boots. In the fall I like to take inventory of what I have in my closet and what I need to replace.

My fashion strategy is to pay more for key pieces that will last me for a few seasons. I mix those pieces in with less expensive items that are a bit more trendy.

This is the year that I need a new pair of boots, fancy boots, not winter boots. I bought a pair of high heeled black leather boots in Chicago; I am going to say 6 or 7 years ago? At the time, I felt that they were too expensive, but I loved them and I knew that would never go out of style. I got them re-heeled and shined up a few years ago, which extended their life. They ended up being a great investment, I certainly got my money’s worth. But, sadly their time has come and I that makes me super sad; first world problems I know, so no need to point that out, lol.

My new boots are 1970’s inspired black suede. I sent my mom a picture. I remember she had a similar pair when I was young; hers were a deep dark red, they were beautiful. I am digging that 70’s vibe. My friend just got a pair of cool bell bottom jeans, oh, I am getting a bit off track…sorry.

I also “needed” a new black purse…ok, maybe need is pushing it? My new fav purse site is: Wanderers Travel Co. I got a tan/caramel purse a few months ago that I absolutly love, but it’s not black, hence the “need” for a new black purse.

I have always, always been a fan of a leopard print, so I am super happy to see all the leopard prints out this fall; not that it ever goes out of style, but this fall it’s bigger than ever. My boots and a new purse were a little pricier, but my skirt was a steal of a deal. I got it at GAP, it was 40% off, yay me!

I am loving my new fall fashion items! I will pair my skirt with a nice black turtleneck instead of a white t-shirt as shown above. My wardrobe inventory uncovered 10 black turtleneck sweaters!! Sadly, I am not even kidding. I think I have a bit of a black turtleneck addiction. I can’t even rule out buying a new one this fall/winter, it’s a definite possibility, lol.

Oh and not that anyone asked, but here is my older, new purse from that same site. I think it’s just going to look better as it ages and gets a little banged up.

Thanks for reading! I am not really sure what happened? This post started with leaves, sunflowers and apples and finished with shopping. It’s pretty obvious that I just let my posts go where they want to go; I don’t always have full control, lol. I may have gotten too excited and a bit off track? Shit happens, lol.

I would like to give a shout out and thank you to my fall photographer, Barney! He also shot my spring pics; I guess that makes him the official oui-liette photographer? I’am not sure if he is fully aware yet? I will let him know after he takes my winter pics, lol.

Fun side note, we shot the sunflower pics in August on a cool 107 degree evening. My skin looks all fresh and dewy, ya, that’s sweat! Lol

Please get out there and make memories with your friends and families!!

muah!

Liette

Bangs, are they ever a good idea?!

Bangs, are they ever a good idea?

After last week’s heavy post, I really felt that I needed to write something light and fluffy. I write about what’s going on in my life, the good, the bad and the funny; and this week it’s all about getting bangs!

While considering getting bangs, I did some serious soul searching. What is going on in my life at the moment that makes me think that getting bangs is a smart life choice? What makes me think that I can pull them off, this time? Yes, this time, because I’ve had bangs before, several times actually, and I’ve instantly regretted them every time.

What is causing this mid-life bang crisis??? Should I just ride out the urge until it passes?

I have decided that I am going to give bangs another try; maybe it’s because I am an optimistic, but I feel this time, this time will be different! This time I will love them! Even thought there is nothing in my past that supports this theory.

I did a bit of research, if you google, should I get bangs, the first thing that comes up is NO!! No, you should not get bangs, lol. I am going into this knowing deep down inside that this is probably a horrible idea; yet my mind is made up, there is no going back now.

Let’s examine the psychology behind getting bangs shall we? I think the urge to get bangs is definitely a sign that you are going through some emotional phase in your life. The last time I got them was just before I moved from Canada to Las Vegas, note to self, that bang was not my best look.

Maybe it’s a way to celebrate new beginnings? Or a need for change? It’s one of those things that in hindsight, seemed like a good idea at the time, but as so many things in life turns out to be a big fat disappointing mistake! Lol

During my last hair appointment, I told my hairdresser that I wanted bangs. I had also told her the last time I got bangs and was growing them out: “if I ever ask for bangs again, tell me no”. For my own safety, she put me on a 30 day waiting period.

Instead of complying with my request, she negotiated a beginner bang. She said, let’s do it in steps; I agreed, but secretly wondered why she was raining on my bang parade? We came up with a plan; if I still wanted a fuller bang after my waiting period, she would jump on the bang band wagon with me.

B5D4EB45-6826-43EE-A58F-2CB9620E718C — Last months hair, notice the slight long fringe bang.

So here we are; I have 3 more days until I get banged. I found this picture of the type of bang that I want. And in my current state of delusion, I am convinced that I will look exactly like the pic below. And yes, that is Kate Moss.,,the super model; in my mind, I am going to look exactly like Kate Moss…the super model, lol.

175E3BF2-1625-4070-A21F-0662604A3038 — Note to self, make sure to wear lots of blush on Thursday, a la Kate Moss.

Here is the last time I got banged, see below, so it’s not horrible on the surface. And for my male readers, who haven’t gotten bored by all this bang talk yet and are still reading, lol; I am sure they are probably wondering what all the big fuss is about?

The big fuss is that bangs in general are usually always a bad idea! And every woman knows this to be true; you wake up in the morning and they are all jacked up. The months and months that you suffer through growing them out are excruciating. Especially that phase where they are always in your eyes. You know, those 4 to 5 months it takes before they will tuck behind your ears again.

So why am I so sure that this time be different? I have no fu&@ing clue? I am obviously delusional? Lol

I do think that bangs or a drastic hair cut are a sign that something is going on in your life. And that makes sense, because I do feel that I am going through a transitional time in my life at the moment; I am on a weight loss journey, doing awesome, in case anyone is wondering!! I will be celebrating a big birthday next year; oh and I am questioning my life in general…so yeah, there’s that.

My hair is super long at the moment, maybe longer than it’s ever been in my life? I wanted a change, but I didn’t want to cut the length just yet, that’s pretty much how I got to my big bang decision.

It’s been two days since I got banged and so far so good. But keep in mind I am in Vegas, where there is zero humidity, let’s see how they look next month when I am in the deep south, lol.

I guess bangs can sometimes be a good idea? Maybe my bang trauma goes back to my childhood when my aunt used to cut my hair?? Here’s a question, what was up with moms cutting their kids bangs in the ‘70’s?? Lol

So have your ever had a bad bang experience? Do tell!

Oh and here I am trying to channel my best Kate Moss!!! Her bangs are a bit longer than mine; and even though I loaded on the blush, it still wasn’t enough. Ouff, being a fake super model is tough. I do think that the lighting in my pic is better than hers, take that Kate!!! Lol

Thank you for reading my serious posts and my silly ones.

muah!

Liette

Surviving Death

One of the harshest things about death is that you are forced to go on with your life. It doesn’t seem fair that something so utterly devastating can happen and the next day you have to wake up and go on with your life.

I have lost my grandparents and an amazing aunt, so I thought I knew what it was like to lose someone I loved, but it turns out, I had no clue.

I want to apologize to all those close to me who have lost a parent, mate or a child. I am sorry I couldn’t grasp the depths of your loss and to be honest, it’s such an uncomfortable place to be that unless you are forced to be there, you gloss over it. The truth is that unless it happens to you, you have no clue what it really feels like.

Everyone’s journey is very different; it’s weird the things that you think of; I remember wondering what would be better, watching someone slowly die or getting a phone call that your loved one had been hit by a truck and was gone, just like that. I actually though about that for a long time and weighing the pros and cons of each.

I was and am still a very lucky girl, I was blessed with a father that others wished they had. He was the absolute best with a personality that was beyond charming. He had a killer smile that lit up the room. Have you ever talked to someone who made you feel like you were the only one in the room? Some people have that gift to make you feel important and special. My dad had that quality, people were just drawn to him; and I was his favorite person; of all the people, I was the one.

I am just realizing now that not everyone has someone in their life who loves them like that; who loves them unconditionally. He was my greatest cheerleader, he encouraged all my hair brained ideas and adventures. So I know how fortunate I have been and I am truly thankful. Someone told me the bigger the love the bigger the loss, I believe that to be true.

He was the most positive person and had the best outlook on everything even death. He wasn’t afraid to die, which made it easier for us to let him go. He told me he had the best life and did everything he wanted to do. He had no regrets; how many of us will be able to say that when are time comes? I aspire to live a life with no regrets, but man, I am not certain I will be able to rise to that challenge?

When someone is sick you morn them while they are still alive so that by the time they pass, you are relieved that they don’t have to suffer anymore. I remember being angry near the end; I just figured that there would be more dignity in death. You live a great honorable life and then it ends so horribly; it didn’t and still doesn’t seem fair. But it is what it is and you have to accept and keep going.

Something really strange happened right before my dad passed, while I was making funeral plans, I was able to talk to him about what he wanted and that in of itself was a gift. That’s not the strange part, the strange part is that I told my mom, that I wanted to speak at his funeral.

That’s so strange because I am a huge crier and never would have imagined that I would have the strength to do that. Buy something came over me that made me think I could get up in front of hundreds of people and eulogize my father, like wtf?? My mom, also super supportive and positive, told me to see how I felt the morning of the funeral; she gave me permission to change my mind at any point. But I told her I had things to say. I actually felt like he was giving me strength, and I think that is exactly what happened.

I had 5 bullet points written down on an old envelope, they were 5 examples of lessons he taught me. I felt I needed to speak and I wanted to make him proud. I know he would have been proud. Fast forward 5 weeks later, I can’t picture his face without bursting into tears, that’s why this post has no pictures of his handsome face. I know he was with me that day, giving me strength.

Because I am my fathers daughter, I am able to find positive things even in the face of such great loss. I feel that even though this is the most horrible thing that will ever happen to me, it has shown me how strong I am. That if I can survive this, I can survive anything. It also puts everything into perspective, things that I used to stress about now I could care less. It’s like, is anyone going to die if this doesn’t get done this very minute? No, ok then let’s chill out and move on.

This has also reminded me that I have the most amazing extended family, we were always close but this made us much closer and way more huggier and affectionate. I love them so much and can’t imagine how we would have gotten through this year without them.

I also have great friends, it’s funny how in the daze of death you remember every face that shows up to pay their respects. I was so touched by those who took the time to come pay their respects. You expect your close friends to show up, but there were a few people that I was so surprised to see and was so touched that they took the time to visit.

And if I am being honest; I was disappointed by some who didn’t come. Here’s a tip, if for some reason or another you are unable to show up for a friend, make that call or send that text saying thinking of you, but I will be working, I am out of town or just I am not a funeral person; trust me it will be so appreciated.

Thinking there will be so many people there that no one will notice your absence is apparently not how it works. Even now, I will be talking to my mom and she will, out of the blue say, I was surprised that so and so wasn’t there. It’s like you have some sort of weird laser focused memory of every face that you saw. And at the most random time you will realize, gee that person wasn’t there. I can’t remember what I had for lunch yesterday, but I can remember who showed at the funeral parlor and church. Ok enough of that, moving on.

I feel like I am now part of some twisted club, the loss club. There is something comforting about being around others who without saying anything know exactly what you have been through.

So 5 weeks in, it all still feels like a bad dream, like he’s just gone on a trip and will be back soon. The other day I picked up the phone to call him and for a full second I forgot he was gone. I am told that is very normal by my new club members.

I wish I had some magical formula for getting through the grieving process that I could share with you, but I don’t. I wake up, put a smile on my face and go about my day, I still cry a lot, mostly at night and usually only for a minute or so; I think that’s “normal” and it relieves stress.

My way of surviving death is to live my life in a way that honors my fathers spirit and joi de vivre. I know he would want me to live my happiest, best life and I am trying really hard to do that, it’s not always easy, but it is a choice I have to make everyday.

I want to thank everyone who has been so kind to my mom, Serge, Ginette and I! And if you know someone who has lost someone, check up on them every once in awhile, especially after the dust settles. And if you are part of the club, I hope you are able to find some comfort in knowing that you are not alone. Sadly everyone reading this will have their turn at some point.

E333794F-9171-41C7-A255-7411BFC1FC2F — I love this pic of my dad and my nephew holding hands. I remember that day so well. Go out there and make memories with your people and take lots of pics!

muah!

Liette

Shark! How to survive an attack.

Shark!

In this post I will share my in depth knowledge on how to survive a shark attack. You may be wondering what makes me qualified to give such advice? Am I a marine biologist?? No, I am in marketing, lol, but! I have been watching Discovery Channel’s Shark Week for years!!!

Ok, sure, make fun of my qualifications, but if you are ever face to face with a great white shark, you are going to regret not reading my post!! 🦈

Tip #1

Don’t look like shark food! If you walk…or swim away with one thing from this post, it should be this; don’t look or act like something a shark would eat! So don’t look or act like a seal or a turtle.

Sharks often hunt from below and swim to the surface and attack! If you are on a surfboard, guess what? You are going to look like a turtle. My advice, don’t surf!! But if you really need to surf, go to Moncton, NB and surf the tidal bore; there have been zero shark attacks in the Petitcodiac River…you’re welcome!

Tip #2

Don’t hang around with shark food! A shark’s fav things to eat are seals. Let’s say you are minding your own damn business on your kayak and you see a bunch of seals frolicking around…leave! Sticking around is as dumb as those white people in all those horror movies who hear a noise and stick around to investigate instead of getting the hell out of there.

And if you do see a bunch of seals and then they suddenly disappear, you are in serious trouble, paddle your little heart out before you get eaten!

Tip #3

Stay calm and fight! Ok the chances of me staying calm if under attack by a shark are zero, but apparently that’s what you have to do. Sharks don’t like humans because we are too bony, so if you are being bit, you obviously haven’t followed Tip #1 and they think you are a seal or a turtle.

If you do find yourself in the jaws of a shark, you need to poke them in the eyes or hit them on the snout…mmm ok, I don’t know if a sharks nose is called a snout; but it doesn’t really matter, just punch them in that general area. This will let them know you aren’t a seal and they should let you go; good luck…oh and stay calm.

Tip #4

Be pro-active! There are some researchers who seem to think that sharks are attracted to the color yellow, so don’t ride a yellow surfboard or a yellow stand up board thing; just to be safe, I would avoid wearing a yellow swimsuit in any body of water that may have a shark in it, just to be safe.

There also seems to be an increase in attacks at dusk and dawn and when the water is murky. I am currently watching: I Was Prey, and both survivors say that they sensed something was not right before they were attacked. One lady said she saw a sea lion pop out of the water and it looked her in the eyes with a panicked look on its face. Now, even though I am not a marine biologist, I am almost positive that, that sean lion was telling her to get the f@&k out of the water!! Guys you need to listen to your sixth sense and the sea lion!

Tip #5

Ok, that last tip has stressed me out, lol. So tip #5 is that maybe you shouldn’t swim in shark infested waters??

But to be serious for a minute, the chances of being bitten by a shark are very slim. Did you know that more people die from snake bites a year than by sharks? Yup, worldwide, 200 people die each day from snake bites. So don’t be afraid of sharks, be afraid of snakes, lol.

So to recap, don’t look like shark food, don’t wear yellow, don’t swim in murky water and sea lions are your friends.

The photo above is my little brother and I getting ready for our first big shark fishing trip, circa 1976 ish, lol. That’s me on the left in case you don’t recognize me without my lipstick.

Thanks for reading as always! Be safe out there and enjoy the rest of your summer!

muah!

Liette

Tulsa, the center of the universe?

Tulsa, the center of the universe?

I’ve been in Tulsa Oklahoma for the week; I figured Las Vegas in July wasn’t hot enough, I should come to Oklahoma, lol.

Just kidding, I am here for work; when you travel for work a lot, it’s easy to get get a bit jaded. I really try to take advantage of the opportunities given to me and I try to find something fun to do or see in each city I get to visit.

One of my coworkers mentioned that Tulsa was the center of the universe!! So how could I come to Tulsa and not make the effort to find the center of the universe landmark?? Seriously, it would be pretty dumb not to, right? BTW, I was with a few locals today and none of them had been, are they being dumb?? Frankly, yes, lol.

Now before I get comments about how the universe is infinite and how do they know that Tulsa is the center of it? Shhh!! Let’s just have a bit of fun and check it out.

It was a little hard to find; I would have thought that the center of the universe would merit some signage or a plaque? But there was nothing, just a brick circle in between West Archer St and North Boston Ave.

When we found it, we briefly thought we had been had; was this it?!

The location was a bit anticlimactic; but the freaky thing is not what it looks like, but what happens when you are there.

This spot is the site of an acoustic anomaly; what does that mean? It means that if you stand in the middle your voice sounds amplified to you, but muted to those standing outside the circle. And I swear to god, it true, it worked!! We took turns in the center and it was pretty freaky.

This odd sound abnormally has been studied with no clear consensus of what or how it works.

We stood in the middle and took videos to see if we could capture this freaky effect; above is my friend trying it out. In my video below, my voice does sound amplified.

Ok maybe you had to be there?? But it was freaky; we had a few laughs trying to figure out what the trick was, but we weren’t able to solve the mystery. And I am glad we didn’t, half the fun not knowing what the secret is?

Right beside this freak of nature is another Tulsa landmark, the Artificial Cloud, so look up.

Ok, I may have been a little too excited by this excursion? But man, we were inside all day and will be for the next few days; it was great to get some fresh air…ok it was more hot and humid than fresh! 😎

If anyone has anything else that we should see while here, please let me know. I am hoping to find some more free time to roam!

muah!

Liette