Uncle William's Solitaire

I've been wanting to share this two-deck solitaire for a while, just because it's a good way to relax at the end of the day. I learned it from my best friend, Cathy (accidentally called her my cousin in the video below!) who learned it from her cousin, the daughter of Cathy's great-uncle William. Uncle William was a physician, and every night he would play this game, perhaps to unwind -- his daughter remembers falling asleep to the sound of the cards slapping the table. 

Unlike the solitaire games played on computer/online that take the tedium of laying the cards out of our hands, here it's part of the fun -- getting the right numbered card on the right pile is its own pleasure and reward (you may notice that I miss a six of clubs on the six pile in the video -- I was moving fast for the sake of the video being shorter, and that six didn't register!) 

Uncle William's Solitaire is probably the neatest solitaire I know, and I'm not sure how well-known it might be -- perhaps Cathy and her family are the only people on earth who know how to play it. I've shared it with a few in my family, and now I share it with you, just because I don't want it to be lost in the mists of antiquity. It's rare that all the cards come up in the right order for all eight suits, but it does happen, I promise.

Find yourself two decks of cards, and play for yourself. It's a great way to relax, but be warned... it can be addictive!

Update #2 -- Noticing time for ME

ME time view at the Dirt Bag Café

With home renos underway, my new job as "baking coordinator" at L'Arche Day Program, the greenhouse going full tilt and a number of other projects underway, it's been really challenging this month to find any ME time in this ME year. Even finding my way to my prayer chair is impossible this week as it's covered in painting cloths! And meditation while dog-walking doesn't seem to work. The birds' spring songs and mating celebrations are too distracting... or maybe they are my meditation! Oops, watch out for the puddles!

Even so, yesterday, while chauffeuring my daughter to an appointment, I had a lovely hour of ME time with a latte and some letter writing at the Dirt Bag Café. And wouldn't you know it, in the evening I ended up there a second time, listening to my kids perform at the Café's "Open Mic" evening.

Perhaps the thing about ME time isn't setting a time and place for it, but just recognizing it for what it is as it happens -- acknowledging a moment of happiness, peace or goodness in the moment. And if that's the case, life is full of ME time... the lunch I had with a friend, the light in the sky after last night's board meeting, seeing the sun on the trees when I got up this morning, and enjoying Shadow dog's perky little jog in the spring sunshine (finally!)

ME time can be seconds, minutes, or hours. The trick is to notice when it happens, and to live the moment!

Happy Holi!

A couple of years ago, my friend from work shared a gorgeous Bollywood movie with me, and I'll admit that I was completely absorbed by what turned out to be a lovely romantic comedy with subtitles. It was just good clean fun, with some pretty amazing dancing, and the wonderful Holi scene in the video below. I love how different cultures celebrate Spring!

Today is Holi -- a festival that "signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of Spring, end of winter, and for many a day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships" (Wikipedia). Because of the Indian diaspora all over the globe, Holi is celebrated in many countries... and I remember seeing a picture of my niece covered in colours from a celebration here in Edmonton (though I think it was celebrated in the summer, not on a -13 C day like we're having now).

It's supposed to warm up, and Spring can't be that far off. In the meantime, here's a little colourful spring fun to tide us over until it actually arrives. To all friends from India, Happy Holi!

Becoming a writer

I think it was Malcolm Gladwell who paraphrased some scientific research and suggested that if a person wanted to be an expert at something, she or he needed to put in at least 10,000 hours of practice. I looked that idea up, and there's some controversy around it, but let's pretend, for the sake of today's moodling, that it's true. Well then, that means I'm an expert writer, ha!

It's an interesting idea. I've never really thought of myself that way. True, I've always loved to write. It all started in Grade 2, when Mrs. Hansen had my classmates and I publish our own big books. I still have mine, and seeing it reminds me of my earliest dreams of being a writer. Throughout my school years, I saved pieces of art and writing of which I was particularly proud. My best friend and I wrote each other lengthy letters through Junior High School, and I kept fat journals of my thoughts and dreams in High School and university days, and beyond. When my youngest daughter was two, I started a novel, and finished it 5 years later. These moodlings began in 2010. And now I'm writing the history of L'Arche Edmonton in fits and starts, when other, smaller projects don't get in the way.

I'm guessing that I've probably spent well over 100,000 hours on writing, stretched out in bits and spurts throughout my life. Does that mean that I'm an expert? Well, that's debatable. I guess it depends on how a person defines the word "expert." Some folks think that if you publish a book or make the short list for a literary prize, that you qualify as an expert. But my sights aren't set so high. I know I'm a writer, simply because I write. And I think I might almost claim the title "expert" (though the literati would laugh at me) simply because I write so much, have learned so much by doing, and have seen a lot of improvement in my work. And because sometimes, people enjoy reading it.

No, my novel hasn't been published, and I'm struggling along with my history writing, but last week I submitted an article to The Edmonton Journal, the one I mentioned in Sunday’s moodling. It took me a whole day to write it, but when it was finished, I was happy with every word that had been wrestled into place. Though the editor came up with titles to fit printed and web pages, she didn't change a word in the rest of the piece. Here’s a link to it.

Now I'm feeling like maybe my 100,000 hours of writing have paid off. I may not be an expert, but, hey, close enough for the moment... and you can bet I'll keep on writing, and learning as I go, and sharing what I come up with.

That's what life's about -- doing, and learning as we do, and finding satisfaction by sharing what we do with others.

Thanks to all my readers for helping me to become a writer.