Tag Archives: family

Dec 13 2012
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Personal

Things that excite me about the holidays.

I’m really excited for Christmas break – it’s a mere two days away. Three whole weeks in Nova Scotia! It’s an amazing chunk of time to be taking – and it’s warranted, trust me – but I get that all you working folks will be jealous. Just remember this in a couple of months when you are carefree, sitting on a beach in Cuba or gallivanting through Europe as you take a much deserved vacation: when you’re relaxing, I am buried among the books. Fair is fair.

Since I’m actually supposed to be finishing up a paper… I’ll keep this short and sweet with a quick list of the things I’m most looking forward to over the holiday break.

  • Running errands with my brother. One of my favourite ways to spend time with my little bro is when he’s behind the wheel. I love driving around aimlessly and he likes to burn gas, so we’re a good match. Most likely though, we’ll be sent out on multiple searches for last-minute christmas needs by Ma. I’m betting on: scotch tape, booze, goat cheese, and something gluten-free (for me!).
  • Movie nights at home with my parents. PJ’s, ice cream, and a good ol’ rom-com (yep, my dad’s favourite, I swear) and we’re set for an awesome night in. Bonus points for possible additions of hot toddies and snow softly falling outside the window.
  • Seeing the christmas tree lit up. I’ll probably sit and stare at it  for a while. Michael Buble will be playing on a loop in the background.
  • A repeat of this (below) from last year. I hope everyone still knows where their beards are…!

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Happy Christmas, everyone!

I’ll be posting over the holidays, intermittently. Stay tuned for a the regular #5things and my annual year-end review/reflection.

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Oct 22 2012
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Things I Like

Five things for the week of October 22.

Guys, guys, GUYS: I had the best news Saturday AM. My iPhone 5 shipped! By the end of the week, I’ll (finally) say goodbye to my old blackberry!

And now, onto other things as y’all don’t care about my new phone:

1. Design + Nerdiness = The Where, The Why and The How. This book looks like the most incredible coffeetable book. Also, I think it’d be a great christmas gift for any kids out there that are into knowing cool things. (via Design*Sponge).

2. The Neiman Marcus Fantasy Wish List (2012) edition. Anyone able to spot me ~100K for this? Check out the other weird, wacky, and wondrous items on this year’s list here.  Video here.

The JetLev R200

3. Just a thought. I read this post on Joanna Goddard’s blog, and it really resonated with me on why I’m currently in grad school, and I thought that I’d share it!

“Happiness isn’t being cheerful all the time,” says John Sharp, a psychiatrist and Harvard Medical School. “It’s being interested in things—finding out more about something, learning how to appreciate something better, incorporating something new that fits with what you already have.”

I love being in grad school because being interested in creating knowledge does make me happy!

P.S. We should all jump on board with her fall weekly challenges. Excellent idea!

4. You need to toughen up. 

5. This bike-riding cat is AWEsome. (and I want one just like it for my bike).

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Oct 08 2012
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Things I Like

Five things for the week of October 8.

Thanksgiving weekend is always one of food, food, and more food and this past weekend was no exception. Amongst all the food there were friends to celebrate with, making a long weekend much more exciting than simply studying. To recap the weekend and remind myself to be continuously thankful, here are my five things of thanks for this week:

1. Endless enthusiasm for life. I should get this and wear it on my forehead, because I do have that much enthusiasm for life, people, learning and everything inbetween. I really like other people who value this, too.

2. Being a student, again and always. Taking time to study in an academic environment is a privilege. Attending a really good school is a privilege. I am thankful every single day that I am able to pursue a new career path that is focused on learning and creating knowledge.

3 . Friends, both new and old. Moving away from home means forming a new social circle. Everyone I’ve met so far in Kingston is wonderful. At the same time, being away from home means keep in touch with those that are far away. I am thankful for everyone who supports me in my life, far and near.

4. Family. Ma, pa, bro, gran, gramps; the whole gang that answer my weekly phone calls, show me the family cat over facetime, and constantly cheer me on. I am not thankful enough for the love and support they continuously offer to me.

5. Dietary awareness. I am thankful that, despite my strange stomach needs, I am not deathly allergic to an foods; I am simply aware of what works and doesn’t work best. Figuring out food was a long road, and I’m thankful for being able to indulge in a treat now and again (like this weekend. Ha.)

Hope you had a great weekend!

–

Two years ago: I am not thankful enough.

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Aug 02 2012
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Relationships

The secret to a long life, revealed?

I came across an interesting piece of research through Eric Barker’s blog this week.

What yes/no question can likely predict whether you will be alive and happy at 80?

“Is there someone in your life whom you would feel comfortable phoning at four in the morning to tell your troubles to?”

The question is part of research findings published in Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being:

Is there someone in your life whom you would feel comfortable phoning at four in the morning to tell your troubles to? If your answer is yes, you will likely live longer than someone whose answer is no. For George Vaillant, the Harvard psychiatrist who discovered this fact, the master strength is the capacity to be loved. Conversely, as the social neuroscientist John Cacioppo has argued, loneliness is such a disabling condition that it compels the belief that the pursuit of relationships is a rock-bottom fundamental to human well-being.

…

Vaillant’s insight came from his seminal work on the Grant Study, an almost seventy-year (and ongoing) longitudinal investigation of the developmental trajectories of Harvard College graduates. (This study is also referred to as the Harvard Study.) In a study led by Derek Isaacowitz, we found that the capacity to love and be loved was the single strength most clearly associated with subjective well-being at age eighty.

Wow. Who knew things were so simple?

It’s a great question, too. Who would you call at four in the morning? I can think of a few people I would feel comfortable calling in a pinch, but outside of family connections, it’s definitely harder to think about making that call to a friend.

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Apr 05 2012
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Single Lady Living

Single-living and solo-dwelling – what habits do you have?

Ages ago, I wrote about the trade offs of living in a small space.

I’m now approaching my three-year anniversary of moving into my teeny tiny bachelor apartment. Some days I wonder what it’d be like to have more space and on other days I’m totally comfortable with how compact my life is. I have just what I need – nothing more, nothing less.

What I really notice as I spent more time living solo (vs. with family or roommates) is the strange habits I’ve picked up. I frequently eat peanut butter straight from the jar, I don’t ever bother closing the bathroom door when I’m home alone, and I prefer to eat dinner on my couch even though I have a barely used dining table that occupies approximately 5% of my total square footage. I know other single-living people can relate, and I was both amused and intrigued by this post over at Apartment Therapy last month. The article they referenced from the NY Times about the rise in single-living individuals and their quirky habits that form over time was even more fascinating, albeit slightly concerning.

The fact is, more and more people are dwelling solo and they are staying solo for longer periods of their life. Some people think it’s great to have your own space. By the looks of the article, solo living is treating them just fine.

But I worry. I worry that living solo long-term means that I’ll miss out on the joys of sharing space with other people. (Read: Will I really be single for ever and ever and ever?)

Sometimes I visit my family just because I want a reminder of what it’s like to have people around. Sure, I love the family dinners, fresh coffee that’s ready when I wake and free laundry service (Hi, mom!), but what I love the most about visiting a house with people in it is the people just being there.

Would I eat peanut butter from the jar in front of other people? Probably not. But, I’m willing to forgo that small individual perk for the benefits of laughing together in the kitchen while cooking, or enjoying Netflix with people rather than just a snuggie and a cup of tea.

But for now, I’m getting another scoop of peanut butter while I still can.

What do you love / hate about your living situation?

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