National Coffee Day

It's national coffee day. At least that's what I heard in the twitterverse. Who knows what each day will celebrate. Just this week, I heard it was National Dental Health Day (wished my sister well as she's an hygienist) Chocolate Milk Day and now we are celebrating the java.

Well, I like coffee so I'm going to celebrate. I've already had 2 cups today and I'm planning a trip to Starbucks tonight. Coffee can have such a comforting effect...holding a warm cup in your hands on a cold day, the smell of it brewing in the morning, a good excuse to catch up with an old friend...the list goes on. I can't imagine being an anti-coffee person. (yep they are out there)

I started drinking coffee at a pretty young age, during many trips to my Aunt Peggy's house with my parents. The adults would always finish the evening off with a cup of coffee and I soon joined in. Since then, I have eliminated the sugar from my cup but despite my attempts, I'm still creaming it up.

So, how do you take your coffee? Where's your favourite cofffee spot? I gotta say my order at Starbucks is an Americano with room and I'm really digging a local haunt in my new neighbourhood called East Village Cafe.

Happy Coffee Day!!

Finding Time For Your Passions

 I recently attended an Elton John tribute show with a friend. Her husband played Elton, and did an amazing job! On the way to the show, Shelley was telling me about Ed's love of music and how after a bit of a hiatus he got back into it a few years ago. It's always been a passion and he decided to act on that. He has performed with various bands or on his own and is even teaching music lessons now.

What struck me when I saw the show was the effort that went into pulling it off. It wasn't just the 2 hour show that I saw that night. There were weekly rehearsals with the band, hours spent coming up with costume changes and hunting down just the right elements to create those costumes. A labour of love for sure.

And what did Ed and his friends get from this experience? Well, they certainly are not going to make it rich from the ticket sales. They will be lucky to break even after paying a sound guy, lighting guy and renting the theatre. What they will get from the experience is the satisfaction of doing something they love and fulfilling the passion that is within them.

I found this inspirational. Many times life gets to be so busy just keeping up with daily demands, you forget about the things that you once loved doing and that give you so much satisfaction. I know I have definitely felt this way.

So, when I got a phone call from a guy I used to do improv with, I accepted the invitation to join them on stage! Yes...it's true. I used to do improv, back in my high school/college days with a group called "No Laughing Matter". I never really considered myself to be the funniest in the group or the most outrageous, but it was something I really enjoyed doing. The group disbanded and 2 of the members reconnected a few years ago as "The Fidgets".

So, I agreed that I would be a part of the show. I was a little nervous before my first rehearsal as it had been 13 years since I had done improv in any form. (other than improvising my daily life) But after stepping on the stage with John and Dave I realized I was excited to be back at it.

I'm looking forward to the show on Friday night. It's at Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia at 8pm if you'd like to attend. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door.

September

Here I sit...hands poised over the keyboard, ready to post to my dormant blog and wondering where to start? This summer has been a whirlwind ...from buying a house and moving in, to working at a new job and all the extra excitement that summer brings! Now I'm carving out a few minutes to post and I'm at a loss!

I suppose I could remember my house warming party and post some of the projects I've worked on around the house. I could recap my star-studded weekend in Toronto at TIFF. Perhaps an update on the craziness that has been work the past few weeks while switching to CTV. All future posts, I'm sure. But tonight, just some reflections on September.

Yep, my favourite month of the year. The days get a little shorter and cooler but there is still plenty of sunshine. Something in the air changes after Labour Day...and I like it! Schedules go back to routine and things start to settle in for...no...I'm not going to say it, but you know what comes after Fall.

A walk through the mall or even flipping through a magazine gives me the urge to update my wardrobe to cozy sweaters in rich browns and oranges, tall boots of soft leather - maybe a buckle or two...hats, scarves (for fashion...not for warmth)...yep...all great aspects of September. Other things I love about it: apple picking, corn mazes, pumpkin flavoured everything, raking leaves....the list goes on.


For this reason, I have booked all Fridays off in September and will have a long weekend every weekend!

Face Lift?

I'm toying with the idea of a new "look" for my blog. But, after six years of the same...I kinda feel like it's an institution. What do you think? Time for a fresh new face? Or keep the "brand"? Hmmm. (yes, I know...need to post!!)

PLEASE STAND BY...

OK faithful followers...don't ditch me now. Sorry for the delay in fresh posts at My Place In The World. I have a gazillion in my head, but finding the time to actually compose and post them has been tricky. We just launched a new station re-brand at work which has had me working long, stressful days. The dust is starting to settle now and perhaps this weekend I will find some time to sit on my porch with my laptop and share some of my thoughts! Until then...can you believe it's September 1st???  (shout out to Mr. Conway Twitty who would have been 78 today.)