Karen Biko is Jazzed!!

Tonight I went to my friends’ wedding.  Owen and Tasha.  I have to tell you that I’ve always been so impressed with this couple.  When I met Owen I loved listening to him talk.  He was fast, he was smart, and had such a good business mind.  After meeting him I realized how young he was.

It amazes me to this day how someone so young can really pull everything together and be so smart about business.  I’ve watched Owen and Tasha build their business.  I’ve watched them work very hard for what they have, and I have watched them enjoy life to the fullest.

They have always been personable and caring about the people around them, and that was never more apparent than tonight as I celebrated with their family and other friends.  As I watched pictures of both of their lives I realized that these two have experienced so much more than an average couple, and I am proud to call them friends of mine.

I had a great time and all I can think about Owen and Tasha is how they truly have a lust for life, and living it to the fullest.

Congratulations my friends, and my heart wishes you the best always!!!

I worked in the corporate world for many years and often felt like my job was a thankless one.  I do recall that when I had worked for the same company for a whole year and that first anniversary came up I was pretty excited.  Well I was the only one.  There was not even a realization from my boss that I’d been there a year.

Even after I brought it to his attention I got a barely hear-felt “that’s great”.

This one company I ended up working with for many years.  After 5 years, the rest of the team that were hired two months ahead of me got a special Christmas 5 year recognition watch.  I was excited thinking that mine would shortly be on it’s way.  Only to be disappointed again when I was informed that they only gave out the recognition rewards at Christmas, and I would have to wait for the following year.  Then I got a gift certificate for a ‘something’ at a store.  The certificate had to be used on one item, and could not be a partial purchase (so I couldn’t even pick out a spectacular watch and pay the difference myself).  So I got a pen, but the certificate wouldn’t cover the engraving that I could have put on it.  What was I supposed to put on it “great job Karen for 5 years of hard work”…nothing like giving myself a pat on the back.

But that wasn’t all.  A  couple of years later we were at a luncheon, and out of the blue I was awarded a really great satchel with the acclimation of “congratulations Karen for three years of working with our company”…I was astonished and asked if I would get two because I had actually worked for the company for almost 7 years.  It was rather frustrating because this happened in front of all my other co-workers.  What a blunder…it made me realize that the company didn’t really care about me as an individual, and that there was less than any chance for me to grow further with the company.

Then kids came…and I left the job.

Recently I started selling Lia Sophia.  Not only do I get a chance to play with sparkly fun jewelry…but I get to work with a fantastic team of ladies.  When I started, I went to their monthly meetings where they recognized people who had top sales or had accomplished some goals with flowers and gifts.  At the time I though it was a little over the top.

But now I’ve been in the top 5 sales people within my unit for several months, and I love the recognition, the flowers, and the little gifties.  I really didn’t think it would matter…but you know, I strive to be in that top five.

Last month I hit the top 5 again and I was rewarded with a Lia Sophia calculator.  Really, it’s such a small thing…but I LOVE it!  I am so excited to have won it, and I look at here glistening on my desk (it’s nice and shiny).  It’s just waiting for me to calculate that next jewelry order, and all I can say is ‘Who’s next”….Thank you!

Love my Calculator!!

To me a sure sign of spring is the first gopher.  And today I saw one!  There is nothing that puts me in the mood for spring, and the warmth in my heart at seeing one of those creatures.

Of course the love of gophers comes from when I was younger and we happened to have a couple for pets.  Gilbert and Sulivan were brought home by our cat at the time.  She thought they were kittens.  We would take them everywhere.  They went camping with us, curled up and slept with the cat.  We could even take them for walks, they were devoted to us and would follow us everywhere.  We gave them lots of opportunities to go back to the wild.

Eventually we did find a place to set them free.  So now every time spring comes around it reminds me of our two little pets.

Another sure sign of spring is when the girls actually venture outside to blow bubbles and do some skipping.  Today is a perfect day for that, so I sat and took a few pictures.  It’s so warm in the back yard with the sun beating down on the patio, almost good enough to curl up and have a nap.

We ate strawberries today.  I bought a whole flat of them, and they are virtually gone now.  After making Pavlova and then using the rest of the strawberries to scoop up the remaining whipped cream…how could we have any left.  But we have very satisfied bellies.

No, not much work is being done today, but that is two-fold…the sunshine and spring-like weather, and the fact that today Katelin is 11.  Happy Birthday my daughter!

Today I’m ready to write.  It’s taken me over a week to sit down and write about Ripley.  After 19 years of fur and purrs, we put our little man down.  Ripley was a good cat, and was named after the movie Aliens (one of my favorite movies).

He had personality.  He liked being around people, and would often hang out in the bushes so that he could jump out at you as you walked by.  He had stealth, was curious, loved to frolic, and only tolerated the endless maulings we gave him.

His favorite place was the garden.  He loved to curl up in the bushes and sleep, or watch me as I messed around with plants.  A stick running through the grass was a great game.  It was always fun for him to eat his grass, and then yak it up later, and he taught himself to be a great mouser.

He wouldn’t come and curl up on your lap, but he may lay down near you, but just out of reach. Almost to say I want to be near you, just don’t maul me.  His favorite toys when he was a kitten were pom poms, we would play fetch with them.

We knew the time was coming as his kidneys slowly started shutting down, and he became more and more senile (yowling at night “where is everybody?”), and the arthritis that had started pushing his back legs out.  I cried when I took him to the vet.  I cried with him in the examination room, and I cried as I felt him relax in my arms with his final breath.  My little man is gone.

I walk in a room and I see him laying on the couch out of the corner of my eye, but it’s not him.  I hear a sound and I think its his little greeting croon, but it isn’t.  I yearn to bury my face in his fur and smell that wonderful cat smell, but it’s only a memory.

A letter came yesterday from the Vet.  A little card with a paw print, and a tuft of his hair tied with a bow.  I cried, what a thoughtful and nice thing to do.  The fur doesn’t smell like Ripley, but every day I get to pet him, and hold that little piece of him to my cheek.

We gave him a good life – 19 years – so I smile when I think of that and all the wonderful memories I have of him.  It will be lonely working in the garden without him this year…he’s always been there with me, my little man.

You see them often.  They are standing out on the corners of intersections holding signs that advertise specials for the local food joint.  Sometimes they are dressed as creatures, clowns, or cups.  Sometimes they are just a person standing out there with a sign.  I drive by and think what an awful job to have…I would hate to do that!

Today it’s -20.  Dang cold, so much I just want to hibernate inside.  But I have things to do, classes to teach so I gear up and head out the door.  I end up driving around in my nice warm car, enjoying the music.  Then what do I see?  One of those poor sign people out there plugging for their company.

But SHE is different.  She takes the sign and flips it up in the air, spins it around, throws it over her back and turns to catch it.  As she turns she is now facing me with a big smile on her face.  She doesn’t have gloves on, and she continues to juggle the sign around.  I see that she is actually talking to the first car at the red light.  Obviously she has not just impressed me, but others.  I see her giving other cars that pass by the thumbs up and waves.  It’s -20, but she’s out there making the most of her job, and making it fun!

I can’t believe it.  As the light turns green and I drive by I give her a honk of encouragement, and a thumbs up.  She hasn’t made me go and buy pizza at Little Caesars, but she’s impressed me enough to write this.  I Love seeing someone take a job and make it something fun for everyone.

I don’t know who she is, and I wish I’d taken her picture, but with enthusiasm like that I don’t think she’ll be juggling that sign for long.

She was standing at Glenmore and Westhills Mall

Technology is awesome!  I love the fact that because of the computer I’ve gotten in touch with many friends whom I’d lost touch with.  The latest is Susan…good friend of mine that moved away while we were in Jr. High School.

We did so much together.  Endless hours of dancing to Shawn Cassidy, Bay City Rollers, and Rod Stewart.  Actually whenever I hear “Do Ya Think I”m Sexy” it brings fond memories of dancing in her living room.  I remember us singing along to Roxy Roller, watching movies with her family…her brother bugging us all the time.  I think I was almost a fixture in their house…it was so cool with a lofted Master Bedroom.

We stood up for each other under the endless persecution from the “popular” crowd.  She was a friend that watched my back as consistently as I watched hers.  But she left to Toronto…

After Susan moved away we wrote back and forth to each other…she was much better at it, and I was always so happy to get a letter from her.  And then we just kind of lost touch.  There was a phone call here and there if I happened to be in Toronto, but years became lost to us.

Now we have Facebook, and Classmates, and Twitter – a multitude of networking sites and an internet of information for the finding.  I’ve tried several times to find her without much luck…it’s hard enough when she has a common last name…but if she got married.  How do I find her??  But she found me!!!!

To me it’s very exciting that she’s back in my life, and we can re-establish a friendship that was lost.  But it also makes me wonder how many other friends are out there that I haven’t found yet.  Where is Belinda?

How do people find me if I’m married…I guess the best way is to just tell everyone.  I was Karen Godwin once upon a time.  Now I’m Karen Biko….and I’m jazzed that I”ve found Susan!!!!

Yes yes yes, I slacked off and let November come to completion without fulfilling my 30 days of positive comments.  It has actually been kind of tough.  I know I have so much to be grateful for, but it’s frustrating when one thing after another happens to pull you down.

So a pipe burst at one of our rental properties, so we’ve been spending our time (and money) getting that all cleaned up.  Trying to get the property back in order for a tenant that is now waiting to move in.  Arg.  When it happened, it was with disbelief that I exclaimed “REALLY??”

Anyway, things are better, or shall I say my frame of mind is better.  We’ve made some decisions in regards to moving ahead and picking up the pieces.  One of the things I contimplated was going back to work full-time. Kind of a tough thing to do when I’ve been my own boss, and run my own business for the last eight years.  I don’t even know if I’d be a good employee at this point.

And how do I deal with the kids, and the business that I have running now.  What happens to the Real Estate if I’m not working on it during the days?  What happens if I can’t teach Jazzercise because I have to work.  And when do I find time to do my Artwork….or do I just put everything else on hold so that I can bring home the bacon.

So a new venture comes my way that I’ve been watching, but not wanting to take on another thing to make my life more complicated.  A full-time job for me is a tough choice, so what else can I do?  I’ve decided to start selling the Lia Sophia jewelry.  I’ve had so much fun hosting the parties, and talking to people about the stuff, why shouldn’t I take a leap and sell it.  So here I go.

It’s good to do things that you are excited about.  I love the idea of the jewelry, and it gets me out of the house and meeting people, and I love to do that.  Meeting new people and finding out what they do, is perhaps just what I need.  More of a venue to get me “out there”.

So today I have a bright outlook on things.  We are coming to the end of the year, and I’m getting my mind ready to have a positive 2011.  Bill and I will sit down and set up some goals for the year and get in gear to pull ourselves out of this slump.

Keep checking back to see our progress, and for more positive things.

I keep telling myself that.  like a cadence.

I love that I have two beautiful girls.  Exactly what I always wanted.  I have the best husband who is my soul mate and my best friend.

I have a sister that I adore.

I got to hold a Great Horned Owl

I have such great parents who are fun to be with and have always been there when I skin my knee and times are rough.

I love my cat, and although Ripley is 19 years old, he’s still holding on and purring every day.

I have had some great careers, and felt passion for each one.

I will always love George my monkey

I’m lucky to have had some good friends through different times in my life

I’m so glad that I started to paint, and that I’ve sold many of them.

I’m grateful for the family that I married into who embraced me fully, and whom I miss dearly.

I’m so happy that I got to teach Jazzercise…if only for a little while

I’m pleased that no matter the animal, if it’s in distress I will do whatever it takes to help…even if it is a stupid seagul

I’m glad I have a warm house to live in right now because it’s cold out there.

I had gophers for pets once

Our family got to spend Sidney’s birthday in Jamaica with some good friends.

I like the rice krispie squares I just made with the bits of fruit in them

I’m proud that I like to help people, and that I always expect the best out of them, even though that doesn’t always happen

I was an Interior Designer

I’m thankful to my old friend Al who brought me two bags of groceries when I was living alone, with very little money and was quite sick.  I will never forget that.

I brought in 124 bras for “Bras for a Cause” to raise funds for Breast Cancer research

Thank you to our neighbors who took our whole family out on a weekend camping trip this summer, our only vacation.

I’m pleased that I’ve lived a mostly positive life

It was amazing that my parents packed me and my sister up and we went and lived an adventure in New Zealand for almost two years.

I remember the time the circus came to town

I learned how to march

I got to take my children to Disney Land thanks to Grandpa Alex

I Love my Grandma Florence who I was able to name my first daughter after

I’m so thankful I can walk, see, and hear

I’m so lucky that Bill can make me smile and laugh all the time.

I’m glad that my Dad isn’t mad at me for snitching booze out of his liquor cabinet when I was younger

I loved to feed the seagulls in Victoria

It was great to watch my daughters dance tonight

I’m thankful for the great inspiration Bruce Head was to me

I loved riding in the jump seat when I worked for Canadian Airlines

I got to drive a tank, that was awesome

I played Aphrodite in a school play

I got to be a model for a little while

I’m thankful to my two high-school art teachers who are still my friends.

I’m glad that my Gramma taught me how to tat before she died.

I think I’m done for now…

I want to express my appreciation to tow truck drivers who come to the rescue of stranded motorists (like me).  I was not pleased when my truck just decided to stop working as I was in the first position at the turning signal.  Not only did my truck stop, but it was dead…completely.  I couldn’t even run my hazard lights, so I had to keep getting out into the cold to signal people to go around me.

It was frustrating and cold.  But I made the call to dispatch who quickly found a tow truck to come and help me out.  Not only were they fast (as the temperature quickly dropped in my stranded vehicle), and got there before I was too cold, but he was knowledgeable, and personable.  To tell you the truth, this is the first time I’d ever had the assistance of a tow truck.

We had a great discussion as we drove my truck to the dealer.  Jason usually runs the off-road vehicle, but aspires to be a race car driver.  He currently races his own vehicle from time to time with great results, but dreams of racing full time.  I always love to hear about other people’s dreams.

It is said that you have to get your goals and desires out in the open, so the ‘universe’ can work on achieving it.  I always imagine that if I quietly pray and in my mind want someone to succeed that my good vibes will do something.  I hope that is true.

Oprah just gave away amazing gifts on her Favorite Thing show.  I think she is amazing, and although I don’t have the money, my gift to Jason is the hopes that his dream comes true.  I hope that by me writing about it makes a difference by putting it out there in the universe.

Good luck Jason, and thanks for the lift.

We celebrated my Dad’s 75th birthday today. Didn’t do much that was spectacular, but just tried to be around.

We’ve never been much into making a big deal of these things. Just celebrate in our own loving way.

Of course, I am finishing up the raisin pies I’m making for him. They should be ready tomorrow.