Only Good Things
From one tough week, to one filled with joy
Last week was off-the-charts brilliant. The highlights burned so bright, I didn’t pay attention to anything shitty. So this week’s email, unlike the last one, is filled with only goodness.
I started the week on a high note. I took a Turkish Mosaic Lamp DIY class. Offered through the Mosaic Art Studio, this workshop travels, and when I saw it was coming through Calgary, I really wanted to go. One of my best friends (Hi, A! 👋) was on it, booking us spots for a Sunday afternoon. It was so nice to chat, and to meet other people, but what I loved the most were the templates. I am really good at imagining scenes and scenarios and putting them into words, but I completely suck at generating visuals in my head and transferring them to the page. The last time I took a mosaic class, it was a four week, one night per week workshop. We did everything from scratch: drew or traced our designs, cut glass, and laid the patterns. Inspired by a hike up Makapu’u Point Lighthouse Trail in Hawaii, I planned to make a lighthouse on a rock overlooking the ocean. What I ended up with was an abstract that may be a whale or turtle jumping out of the water. Whatever it is, it most certainly is not a lighthouse and it now lives in my husband’s basement office.
This is my DIY lamp, designed with a template, and with perfectly cut glass squares, diamonds, and triangles. Much better, and something I will keep in view, to remind me what a wonderful time I had with my friend, getting glue all over my hands (and delightfully peeling it off, as I did in third-to-sixth grade), and seeing the creativity of others in the room.
Things only improved from there. On Wednesday morning, I received a couple of emails from participants in my memoir class telling me how much they were learning and how much they LOVE it (Hi, H! 🙌). Wednesday night, I went to see the documentary about MuchMusic, 299 Queen Street West. My fresh-off-his-birthday 18-year-old came with me and we went out for dinner before the film. The only seats at the busy restaurant were at the bar, so that’s where we sat. And he stunned me by ordering a Bourbon Strawberry Lemonade. When he actually turned 18 and we offered to take him out for a drink, he passed, saying he wasn’t at all interested in alcohol.
Unless it’s 45 proof bourbon, I guess.
Watching the documentary at the Jack Singer Concert Hall made the experience so much richer. Most of the people in the theatre had grown up watching MuchMusic daily, myself included. Our memories tied us together like fishing line: invisible but strong. We laughed at the same clips, cheered for the video jockeys together, and clapped at the moments we remember watching live on television, across the country. As a 15-year-old, I had no idea just how influential MuchMusic would be not only in my life, but for the music scene across Canada and into the United States. These scrappy VJs and producers took big risks, sucked at a lot of things, but always did the things no one else (like MTV) would do. The voiceovers and clips in the doc took me back to my teens, and I had forgotten how MuchMusic formed my music education. That station and those VJs are likely why I can appreciate all kinds of music.
Also last week, as my son (the bourbon drinker) and I headed out on a budget book tour, going to all the Indigo and Chapters stores in Calgary so I could sign copies of Shift, I was able to solve a problem with the book I’m currently writing. I had nothing to do but drive, and when my brain is inactive it can do one of two things: suddenly solve an issue plaguing me for weeks, or wander into Randomland where I try to profile the difference between people who say “Hey, Google “ and “Ok, Google”. Then I think, deeply, about what that reveals about a person.
And then the best news of all: Bourbon boy was accepted to Uni. He had planned to take a gap year, but finding a job has been challenging. On Monday, he decided to apply and when he checked his email on Thursday night, his acceptance was waiting. I was so excited for him, that it took until Friday afternoon to realize I won’t be able to spontaneously spend a weekday with him anymore. It’s fine. Really. I have until January to give him get my fill of one-on-one time.
Life is funny with it’s twists and turns, ups and downs, victories and losses. But I am here for the ride, and I’m happy to have you riding shotgun.
I hope your week will be filled with wonderful things. Please share them so I can celebrate with you.
xo
Dana
Please enjoy the BUDGET BOOK TOUR video:
I love hearing about all this goodness for you! Congrats to your son, too!
Beautiful lamp and congrats on your son’s uni acceptance!