Modesty...?

Modesty:
(mŏd'ĭ-stē) 

n.

1. The state or quality of being modest.
2. Reserve or propriety in speech, dress, or behavior.
3. Lack of pretentiousness; simplicity.
   
   Antonyms: arrogance, boldness, braveness, conceit, courage, ego, flamboyance, immodesty, pride, self-confidence
   
   Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/modesty#ixzz1HvNiJjrL
   

So with that, I will give you an overview of my recent activities and tell a story of something that happened today. Hopefully then you (and I) will understand WHY that is the first thing I am blogging today.  


Start Friday. 

 Come home from backshift and sleep, then wake up and go pick up a large food order from the TRA wholesales, and some meat from Atlantic Meats.  Weird, no? I did that because I volunteer with a youth group called Challenge.  It's a religious/spirtitual retreat for teens, I went when I was 15 and got a lot out of it so this is my way of giving back.  I'm the "kitchen supply" person, I don't foot the bill, but I make sure they get everything they need then have someone else handle the payment part! (if only life were like that!)  Anyway, I did my charitable work which I roped boyfriend into helping me with.  (Thanks Kyle!) Then next I headed to my friend Lyns house for some girl time... sleepover styles! It was super fun, we had some wine ( but only a little bit ;) !) and stayed up until about 330 in the morning.  Then we crashed, thats the only way we would have stopped talking.

Start Saturday:
815 am.  Little 2 year old (almost 3!) Lachlan wakes up. We kicked around in our jammies for a little while.  listened to a beatles record.  The funny part, I'm pretty sure it was on at Lachies request! ... the start of the music was followed by "this is the beatles.... maybe a little louder?".  That statment was almost as cute as watching him form a decent tree pose and downward dog after rolling out 2 "YOGA MATS!!!" one for me, and one for him.  Then we had breakfast and headed to the farmers market #1


Here I purchased some fair trade organic coffee for $9.00 ( $0.99 cheaper than in the organic section at Sobeys!) It is called "breaking the silence". Check out this link as well. It's a great coffee, and a great cause.  Go to the link and scroll down until you see the discription for breaking the silence coffee.  It's in the Dark Roast section.  There is a link to an article there, if you drink coffee (I know most of you do) have a little look.  I also bought some honey, made right here in the Cape by our hard working honey bees from our lovely CB flowers, with the help of the honey man to get it to the market! It's the best honey ever, it was $5.00.  And I got strawberry-rhubarb jam, because it's my fave :).  Then we drove around until Lachie fell asleep, then hit up farmers market #2.  But... hold-the-phone! On the way out the door to farmers market two I had a childlike experience! Lyn's dog, Mia, escaped! I chased her down, almost got her, missed but made a leap and a slide, skinned my knee like a 10 year old and ripped my pants, but got the GD dog.  THEN we went to the market.  Where I had some coffee, and a cookie ( I know, not P90X approved but it was offered to me, and I could NOT be rude.) After that I came home to my boyfriend who I abandoned the evening before!  I like to think I spent a very simple and modest Saturday. 

Start Sunday:
I had more volunteer work to be done, and was otherwise boring.  Drove in my car and chilled with boyfriend again.  That's sort of our usual thing to do. 

Start Monday: (The day I encountered my "antonym")
Based my blog topics and the title of my blog you can probably start to put together by now, I'm a relatively modest/simple person.  These are my most important self-perceived qualities. Because of this, I cannot tolerate those who lack modesty and simplicity in their way of being, therefore, I suppose that makes them (at least in a way) my antonym.  I encounted a person like this today at the gym.  Now, call me a prude, but WHY ARE PEOPLE NAKED?! Look people, I hate when you're naked body, breasts exposed, stares me down as I turn the corner of the lockerroom.  I've lost 12 pounds, I look damn good, you will not catch me running around naked in the lockerroom.  Yeah, we're all women...which is precisely why none of us wants to see your tits!!!  Sorry for the word choice, but I just think it was the most appropriate word to get my point across right now.  Show some MODESTY, it's that SIMPLE.  That may have been the gym, but there are people all over this modest little island with big pocket books, fancy cars/hummers and bluetooths in their ears pretending they're more important than the simple folk.  I wonder how happy they are when its later than 10pm and they're "bored" because they have nowhere to spend that money that gives their life meaning.  I can stare out my window with a cup of tea or coffee and look at the wind in the trees, the stars in the sky or the clouds floating in the air and be just as content as could be.  Not those people, they don't see or appreciate modest things. They dont realize the significance of  the god given gift of simplicity.  Some may argue that because I'm modest, I must be poor and/or dull (Otherwise I would be pretentious too). WRONG.  I have money for anything I need, and I'm rich in other ways.  I also have a busy life full of love and fun.  When you read that it kind of makes you wonder, who's poor and dull now? Remember those antonyms to modesty? ...arrogance, boldness, braveness, conceit, courage, ego, flamboyance, immodesty, pride, self-confidence.  There are only select times to be some of those things, a few of those things you never want to be.  Simple and modest is always a good choice.  Even in times where you must have pride and braveness, you must accept that you are only one contributing factor to any situation.  Always acknowledge the contributions of others, and respect how your decisions will effect other people. Whether that decision is talking obnoxiously on your bluetooth in public, or to cover up in the public locker room, or something more significant try to consider it's impact on others. Clear as mud?

 

what is my problem?

Seriously!? What is my problem? Why can't I commit to blogging.  Perhaps it's because I feel like I am boring.  Or maybe it's just that I'm lazy.  Whatever the case, I'm a perpetually undedicated blogger.  Sometimes I think it's a great forum for venting.  You know, it's a way to clear your head, when you feel like no one around you will actually listen... even though having 5 followers means on a global scale that no one is listening, at least there is 5.  Which I think is a great thing compared to the no one I would be talking to normally.  

So anyway, on to more pressing issues.  A blog contest.  More specifically, Yvonne's blog contest.  Never heard of one before, but Yvonne is an advanced blogger.  I can't match her mad skills.  So, check out my first hyperlink to Yvonne's blog post about her blog contest.  Best to visit her page if you're curious, because she explains it better than I do. Maybe I'll explain one someday in my own blog when I have a blog contest.  For now I think I should decide on something to blog about on a regular basis.  It would have to be something that keeps my attention and excitement so I will commit.  Once I do that, and start to learn all the cool things a blogger can do, then I will try to convince more people to read my blog...  

Right now, I find all the fancy blogging stuff a bit overwhelming, believe it or not... (which seems a little silly now that I've read it back to myself. )  Short post tonight.  Not a lot happening these days.  I have to say the photos Yvonne took of my dog were lovely, if you want to see them I'm sure she could hook you up with a link to those as well (another reason to view and follow her awesome blog!) And also, I have to say I'm succeeding with P90X. Day 30 of 90.  Phase 2.  I'm very impressed with myself, enough said.  I'll be back eventually. Tomorrow!!! ...if I'm not too lame. Or, who knows, maybe a week or 2! I'll keep you guessing!

fell off the band wagon!

I have been neglecting my blog.  Not deliberately, more like... It's almost impossible for me to commit to doing something everyday, especially if I take on more than one thing at a time. This is a pretty sad but true fact about me... I'm just plain lazy I suppose.  Not a good thing really.  Anyway, in my efforts to change that I started P90X following my 13 day vacation... which I didn't blog about, and wish I had.  I got thinking that if I blogged while I was away I would miss half of my trip since I'm so long winded and have too much to say about nothing.  I didn't go anywhere nice and warm on my vacation. I went with Kyle to Miramichi to visit a best friend of mine for 2 days.  We next headed to Halifax to visit for 2 days and take my brother home, where he would stay for 3 more days and I would finish my much needed R&R vacation.  So that was 13 days that I didn't blog.  On our trip we learned that 3 kids makes for a busy household, and that we'd never plan on having 3 children.  In fact, as Joanne said, "...this place is good birth control..." (which is always followed by "...don't get me wrong I love my children..."  On our drive to Halifax, we were more than content that we were driving a car instead of a jam packed minivan, and we were glad our backseat was empty aside from our junk strewn all around.  We had an excellent visit, but an 8 year old, 23 month old and 7 month old is certainly more than my mind can process at any given moment.  In Kyle's words "Joanne is like a super hero, I don't know how she does it".  That being said, I can't wait to see them again and I miss the kiddies already.  Halifax was great.  Saw a few old friends, and made some new ones.  Had a couple mediocre breakfasts at a little place on Blowers Street downtown Hali called the Paper Chase.  I enjoy the setting immensely, and they make a great cup of coffee.  The service isn't top of the line, but if you like to keep it simple like me its relaxing and sort of quaint.  Then we saw a friend of ours perform stand-up comedy in the city. Oddly, he's a Cape Breton friend and lives here, but since Kyle and I moved from Sydney we haven't hung out in a long time.  Jokingly, we said we had to go all the way to Halifax to see Stefan.  Stefan MacNeil, funny guy; check him out if you see he's doing any stand-up shows and support local talent/performers.  Anyway, that was my plug for the day.  Then it was Thursday and the sun was shining so bright it could blind you. Therefore,  I stopped at the Mic-Mac Mall on the way home and spent far to much money on a pair of sunglasses for myself and also a pair for Kyle.  I justified this by the fact that I spent no money at LuLu Lemon.  I really was unimpressed with that because I had so been looking forward to a great pair of pants and a hoodie.  I didn't like any sweaters, and the only one I did sort of like, is the same as the blue one I already have, but it was black... so I left it on the rack. The pants were either too short or too long.  I didn't want to wait to have them tailored and sent to me, and I certainly didn't feel I should have to pay a $15.00 fee to do this after purchasing a pair of sweat pants for $100.  The thought of that almost made me feel violated. So the pants too were reluctantly left there, along with the rockin' butt they gave me, for someone else to buy for too much of their hard earned money.  When I came home I started P90X, I'm on day 11... diet AND exercise.  Who would have thought I'd be doing this? Not me that's for sure.  And, up until yesterday I didn't miss a workout, but backshifts made it impossible for me to workout yesterday.  Today I also slept away a lot of the day post all-nighter. When I got out of bed I hopped in the tub and then Yvonne came to visit. After drinking tea, she took nice photos of my dog Bella.  Then a few of my turtle Balki and my cat Sylvester, and even more Bella. (even though she was scared of Balki she powered through and got a cute one of him too!).  Following that Yvonne went home to study "what human nails are made of"", blogged like the committed blogger she is... where she called me out on not updateing my blog and so here I am.  13 days vacation, 11 days P90X, that alone is over 3 weeks.  I've been busy being self absorbed, which as it turns out is a great idea, I recommend it to everyone, at least once in a while and in small doses.  Now, before I miss 2 days of exercise, I'm going to hit the mat for YogaX with my new best friend Tony Horton.  Goodnight, hopefully I will blog with more frequency from now on now that everyone is all caught up on where I've been and what I've been doing.