Catherine Dougherty's Blog, page 7

Thin Ice

I took this photo today near the docks on Meredith Bay (Lake Winnipesaukee). It definitely is a beautiful site, but…

The Place to Be???

Maybe from where I was standing, but not from there!

If temps stay higher than average, like they were today, this “place to be” bobhouse will soon be under water.

Yes, it’s thin ice and no ice on Lake Winnipesaukee right now and that’s unusual for the end of January. That’s why the annual pond hockey tournaments, scheduled for Feb 5th-7th, have been relocated to nearby Lake Waukewan where, I hope, the ice remains thick enough.

Haven’t heard of these pond hockey tournaments before? Then, check out my blog from a couple of years ago. It’s a great event, no matter what NH lake it takes place on!

http://catherinedougherty.com/2014/01/31/pond-hockey-on-the-big-lake/

Laugh Often

I bought this recently on eBay – a simple sterling silver ring with the inscription Laugh often. It was only $4.00 plus $2.95 shipping and fits me perfectly. What a great deal and a good reminder that laughter is the best medicine.

It’s not always easy to do, though—to laugh and be cheerful—especially in the middle of winter when the sun doesn’t shine so brightly and it’s cold out (at least in NH). And I don’t even want to get into what listening to the daily news can do!

But, I want to share this with you—I found out that a good book can help.

Last night, when I was looking for a light read, I decided to check out Diary of a Wimpy Kid Old School by Jeff Kinney. It’s a kid’s book, for readers ages 8-12. I had bought two copies for gifts at Christmastime, but only gifted one. Since I have an extra copy, and want to create a graphic novel someday, I figured it was worth finding out why the Wimpy Kid series is so popular.

It only took a few seconds to know. Right from the start of the story, I began laughing…and laughing…and laughing. Out loud! This kid’s novel is so funny! It’s a great book for ALL ages. (The pictures are cute, too.)

Today has been another one of those days. I don’t know why, but I’m in a funk, and could use another dose of humor.

So guess what I’ll be reading again tonight! :)

 

A Little “Me” Time

16+ lbs down and well rested!

Did you notice I took a break from my author life last month?  I hardly blogged at all, didn’t do much promoting, and also decided to hold off on finishing my Christmas novel (if I pushed it, I could’ve had it done in time). But you know what? It was the best decision for me to slow down the pace for a while.

Why? Because I needed some “me” time to enjoy the season and not have a long task list for a change. Instead of writing, I listened to music, read some books, and enjoyed connecting with family and friends. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I didn’t feel stressed out during the holidays. It was a wonderful and relaxing December. (And that Christmas novel will be even better when it does get published–later this year, for sure!).

It’s amazing how quickly we can become overwhelmed with all we do in life. That’s why it’s important to take a little time off for a “vacation” every once in a while, even if it means putting off some things we really want to accomplish.

Now I’m rejuvenated and ready to move forward again. I’m excited to see what 2016 will bring.

Wishing you all a wonderful New Year filled with at least one or two vacations. (We all need a little “me” time so we can recharge and stay healthy.)

Artistic Cheer

My friend, Dana Blythe, has been spreading “Artistic Cheer” the past few days on her Facebook page, highlighting different creative people she knows. Earlier this week, she wrote the following post. It really touched my heart when I read it, so I asked if I could also post it here. It highlights a very talented person and shares a very important message. Thank you, Dana and Mike!

Artistic Cheer – Mike Young of OCD Obsessive Creative Disorder

By Dana Blythe

Obsessive Creative Disorder (OCD) is a small business owned by Mike Young. Specializing in mosaic art, Mike takes old window frames, beads, paints, but mostly glass, and with that he creates one-of-a-kind mosaic pieces that will surely leave you in awe. That stuff you call junk, clutter, garbage… he’ll whip it up into a masterpiece.

His studio is in his living room on a work station he shares with his wife, Tanya, who is also a budding artist of OCD. You won’t hear him complaining, though; Mike knows what it’s like to have little to nothing, and that’s what partly makes this story extra-special…. And so difficult for me to write.

Let’s rewind 6 years, back to 2009. I was a front-line shelter worker, working in Ottawa with a hard-to-serve population. In a building spanning nearly a square block, it housed a nightmare of intravenous drug use, severe and persistent mental illness, sex trade workers and their Johns and pimps, and criminals. It was no A&E, made for TV “Intervention” special; this was real life, and it was ugly.

It’s important to note here that I’m not sitting here in my comfy house towering over others. I myself spent some years tossing and turning in stranger’s beds, with all my belongings in a green garbage bag. Admittedly, these houses had heat, but homelessness is just as much a feeling as it is a lack of housing. And, it feels hollow, nauseating, and desperate.

Mike and I had met in my grade 9 year, when he was the boyfriend of a girl I had recently befriended. She was wild and fun in those days. Mike, as I remember, was a quiet, affectionate, fiercely smart individual. We’d keep in touch over the years, always losing contact, then picking up right where we left off.

I’ll never forget that winter evening at work, when, during the dinner rush and check-in, Mike appeared cold and in a t-shirt, battered shoes, and the telling look that said he had been using for a long, long time. He looked like a corpse. My heart sank to the floor. I couldn’t make eye contact with him. Not because I was embarrassed, but between strict rules and my sudden loss of emotional awareness, I’d fall apart. It was that dreadful moment when I saw a familiar face; this wasn’t a stranger, this was my friend.

I walked all 20 miles home that morning after my shift in -20C weather, my face covered in icicles from all that crying. I was certain that in the days to come, he’d be dead from an overdose.

Mike disappeared, and so did I, to another country.

Some years later, I received a Facebook friend request from him. Our first conversation was brief, and he was on his way to rehab. He had finished detox, and his profile picture stunned me. He was healthy, he had color, he had mittens, and there was that sparkle in his eyes- that one that had been missing for far too long.

I rooted for him, I cried because I was happy, but most importantly, I was relieved.

Mike has been clean for 3.5 years. He attends regular meetings and goes to away programs as needed. Mike is married now, he has a family, he has a business, and his driver’s license. He has goals and a dedication to educating his community about drug use, recovery, and the importance in believing in a higher power, whatever that may be to a particular person. He’s a role model, an inspiration, and a symbol of resiliency.

Mike and his story make me a better person. His art really symbolizes, for me, the need to be forgiving and to find the value in people, despite the red flags, despite their flaws. While that old wooden frame can’t serve as a window frame any longer, and while that plate is cracked and can’t serve food, it doesn’t mean it’s garbage. Like his mosaics, we are pieces of our past: they shape us, they give us purpose, they help define our view of the world. You can take all those pieces, and with a little glue, some string, and a whole lot of love, you can re-direct those items into the most beautiful pieces of art.

Mike taught me that we’re gonna struggle in this life, but like Jan Arden says: “Feet on ground, heart in hand, facing forward, be yourself”.

 

Jean and Rosie series for under $2!

Get all 3 Kindle books in the Jean and Rosie series now through Sunday (11/29) for less than $2! (1st book is FREE and other two books only 99 cents each.) http://goo.gl/zvzlGk

 

Basket Case

Looking for a great novelty gift to give someone with a sense of humor?

Look no further!

My friend and I found this unique item in a store today during our lunch break. Only $5, too, so, of course, we had to purchase some for Christmas gifts.

I also had to try one on for size. And then . . . of course…we had to play the game.

It was so much fun! Another simple pleasure.

(Be sure to Google it.)

LOL!

 

Expect the Unexpected

Have you ever had those times when all you want to do is cry? And maybe you don’t even know why you feel that way, but you just do? (I’m asking, but I know we all have had those times.)

Well, that’s how this morning began for me. I woke up that way. I’ll call it a blue Monday and maybe it was a low after having a very busy last week. For every high, there’s got to be a low, right?  Whatever it was, I was feeling down and out.

Come mid-morning, I’m at work and still feeling blue. I’m doing computer-related stuff, my surroundings are quiet, and I’m continuously telling myself (inside my head, of course) to cheer up.

And that’s when it happens.

A familiar customer comes over to the counter where my desk is situated. Familiar meaning I’ve briefly talked with him a couple of times before, and have laughed at a few of his jokes, but that’s about it.

“I’ve come to visit my author friend because the last time I was here, I didn’t see you,” he says.

I smile, despite my low mood, and we engage in a little chit-chat.

He is an older gentleman and he does enjoy being comical, but he gets serious all of a sudden and starts telling me about all of the friends he’s lost lately and he even shares some of his favorite memories of these people. He tells me how it breaks his heart to be without them and I listen. I can understand, in my own way, how it feels because I’ve lost people I love. I miss them, too.

A few minutes go by and I know I can’t talk for long with him because I have to get working again, so I rise from my chair and tell him I’ll walk back with him towards the exit. It seems like the right thing to do.

While we’re walking down a hallway, he takes my hand (after asking if he can) and says jokingly to my co-workers, “We’re going steady.” I find this funny and more like something he’d do.

We stop a few feet from the exit and I thank him for coming in. He gets serious again, and then, right before he leaves, he lightly touches my cheek in a very kind way, and looks into my eyes like he’s looking straight to my soul and says . . .

“You are beautiful.”

Wow! How can someone remain sad after hearing something like that? My bad mood is lifted, and I’m believing (and still do), that his mission this particular day, without him even realizing it, was to cheer me up.

When you least expect it, expect it. These things happen all the time. I’ve come to see that our mission in this life is for the benefit of each other and that there is a master plan—something we can never fully understand.

And, after all is said and done, it’s beautiful.

No Words Necessary

The season’s foliage is past peak, but it is still so majestic in this central part of New Hampshire.

To show you what I mean, here are some photos I took with my phone on my walk today.

No words necessary to describe the beauty of this special place.

Keep Laughing

I’m always trying to think of something to share on this blog. Here’s a good one:

Today, my husband and I are in a supermarket, headed towards a checkout register. Right before we get there, he finds another register without a line so suddenly changes his direction. He reaches out to grab my arm to bring me along, but the arm he grabs (gently, of course) doesn’t belong to me—it belongs to another woman. It doesn’t take long for him to realize what he’s done.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you were my wife,” he says (as he quickly lets go of her arm).

“I’m someone’s wife, but not yours. And don’t do that again,” she replies.

It was all taken well, and we got a chuckle out of it, but I’m sure at first it scared the living daylights out of her.

It’s good to laugh at the funny things we do without meaning to. I can’t count how many times I’ve been in a store talking to my husband only to look over and realize I’m holding a one-way conversation with a perfect stranger. (And the things I tend to talk about—what they must’ve thought!)

Oh well…gotta keep laughing. After all, we’re only human. :-)

Kindle Countdown!

I think it’s time for a Kindle Countdown!

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When life gets tough, women get TOUGHER .  . .

This next adventure does include motorcycles and leather chaps and it’s only one CLICK away.