Many years ago there was a great wind storm that thrash the coast leaving widespread damage. Both our property and our neighbours became casualties of that storm when a 100 foot + tree tore a swath from another backyard through ours and into theirs. Buildings, car and property all damage with one fall. Despite their own tragic circumstances my neighbour was the first to arrive to make sure I was OK. The person, whose tree caused the damage, didn’t show up till late that afternoon and provided no support to either of us in that moment or in the future as we cleaned up and rebuilt structures.

Last week, I thought our water pipe had burst but it turned out that a faucet had been left on and the seal to the hose mount broke.(that’s the best way I can describe it) Out poured water in the middle of a snowy, cold day. First on the scene, upon my call, was my neighbour. He discovered the problem and we both had a laugh. My visions of our crawlspace being  flooded were calmed, it was a minor situation, thankfully. What I remember distinctly was just how fast he came up the driveway to help.

His wife is such a warm person, she gives hugs and talks so sweetly. When were about to go on a trip she sent wishes that the “travel angels will take good care of us.” They kept an eye on our place while we were gone as we will do for them. They have offered help with our garden; he is a very talented landscaper. Recently, he decided he wanted to change the look of his frontyard, which is beautiful already, but larger beach rocks were about to be replaced by smaller ones. “Easier maintenance”, he said. This could not have been more fortuitous as we have wanted to use the large rocks for our property. Without hesitation he offered them to us, if we were willing to remove them from the pile he had already created, we could have them. Though he wanted no payment, we sent over a card and small gift certificate for the garden centre. It was the least we could do.

Peace of mind comes when you know your neighbours. A sense of community is built on making that first effort to say “Hi” or smile. When I walk down to my local stores I make a point of acknowledging as many people as possible with a smile or greeting. In the worst situations it is not emergency crews who will be first on scene, nor family, it will be your neighbour. It is so comforting to know that I live in a home that has the added bonus of being right next door to good people, caring people! I hope you have the same in your neighbourhood.

It was disappointing that we weren’t going to see too much of Ricky and I assume it had something to do with the stick in the mud audience he had to work with. My God! I don’t know why they even film these awards? The camera panned around looking for signs of life but it seemed rather odd. Without the added humor of Gervais all we would be doing is watching a bunch of egomaniac actors sit around eat, drink, walk around and yack throughout most of the show. (Up until their names are rattled off and then they are suddenly fixated on the proceedings)

Humor like art is subjective. There was some laughter for his opening monologue but it seemed somewhat awkward, maybe some attendees feared they might be in the line of fire and be roasted or they still have unresolved feelings from last year. Some actors did take exception to his humor; felt like he had trashed them. So, this year they might have opted to show whose boss by either ignoring him on stage or giving him the hairy eyeball. Bunch of babies!

Since the show, I have heard countless people on radio and TV bring up their opinions around his hosting. They talk about how he is off to England after a ratings bomb and they focus on who he offended. In fact, the ratings were on par pretty much to last year with over 16 million viewers. I’m not sure who all these people are that create such controversy around his appearances but either Hollywood doesn’t have a sense of humor, the media is searching for a story or a Brits “tell it like it is” talk is too much for United States sensibilities. Maybe the ratings aren’t really going anywhere fast because there are people like me who would rather watch paint dry than sit around watching Hollywood’s elite dine, booze it up and then drone on endlessly about who to thank for their good fortune. Just a thought.

Thankfully, Ricky takes it in stride and will continue to make us laugh.

Check out Ricky Gervais Website

1. That surprise look on my face when I get my Visa bill.

2. The sluggish pace by which I move as I head into the new year.

The post holiday bills really seem to hurt the most. I don’t see myself as a huge spender but still somehow that bank of mine seems to get a few hundred out of me every month and at Christmas it jumps again. I don’t know about you, but I have to go over each item just to remind myself “What the heck did I buy?” Some of it is pre-payments for gym membership and business needs but other items are low NEED, high WANT things that are already done and gone before I even fully pay for them.

The post holiday blues is not so much down in the dumps thinking but more so I can’t get myself to WAKE UP! I got used to wearing my sluffies (otherwise known as pyjamas or yoga pants) for days on end. Shutting down my office for two weeks I was without clients and able to turn my brain off. Now, I need to ramp it up again and my body is saying “What are you trying to do here, I’m resting.” Intellectually, I know I have to get busy but I’m a tortoise in a hare world right now.

Least I know I’m consistent. Come January 2013, I will be facing the bills and blues all over again – my money fast out of the wallet and my body not so fast out of the gate.

I want to direct you to my sister’s blog post Mobility Through Music which shares the most incredible story about the partnership of Eric and a team of talented individuals whose technology brings joy to children. Watch how the children’s movements make music and see how effective this music therapy can be!

By no accident – we all have purpose. Greatness, vision and possibilities are endless!