Archive for February 2012
Leap Year Day – 2012
This year we celebrate Leap Year… with an additional day in February. Since it only comes around once every 4 years, I thought I would suggest making it a special day – a Special Leap Day! Instead of doing the same ole, same ole… why not use the day as a bonus day, setting aside some time for yourself, letting your inner child have a day filled with fun, play and plenty of leaping goodness. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
1. Call off sick.
2. Sleep in.
3. Plan a vacation or personal day and use it.
4. Just shut off – the TV, the internet and the phone just for the day (and shut out reading the paper too).
5. Call a friend you haven’t spoken to in a long time.
6. Visit an elderly person and bring them ice cream.
7. Eat ice cream – so who cares if it’s February, pretend it’s July!
8. Lunch at a Café and listen and observe others around you.
9. Take a long walk … or take a hike.
10. Cook up something special – something you don’t eat often.
11. Visit a toy store and find your favorite childhood toy.
12. Meditate about your life and your future.
13. Sing, dance and/or be silly for at least an hour … or all day.
14. Tell someone you love them.
15. Walk the dog and be in the moment with your pet.
16. Go green today… eat, drink and live with the environment in mind.
17. Walk or take the bus to work.
18. Clean out some clutter and make room for new things.
19. Read a favorite childhood story to yourself.
20. Journal your thoughts, goals and timelines for completing them.
21. Wear something that is colorful and stands out.
22. Work through any fear… Suggest reading “Fear of Transformation.” (ask me for a copy)
23. Sit quietly and be still for 20 minutes – set a timer.
24. Photograph the day of the world being ordinary on such a special day.
25. Recycle all that you use today.
26. Pray for yourself…your family… your friends … the earth… and the world today.
27. Be kind to yourself and others.
28. Be grateful for being alive to experience the day.
29. Just Do It! Do all the things I suggest or wait another 4 years for the day to repeat.
So there you have it… 29 things to do on Leap Year Day 2012. Better yet, why not do these things everyday not just on a day that happens once every 4 years.
Leap forward today. Happy Leap Year Day!
Warmest Leap Year Day Regards,
Rosemary Augustine ~ Artist & Author
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Valentine’s Day Greeting
A Different Kind of Love on Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is a much dreaded time of year for singles. Or, you can take a different approach and look at it as a special time to show love – in a very different way.
For the last 35+ years I have been single. And for the first 10 years, I yearned for someone to show up and make Valentine’s Day special with love, flowers and chocolates. Then one year, I had an idea. I had just gotten a beautiful 8 month old kitty named Byron. He was a beautiful long haired tuxedo cat and a personality to go with his looks. He was very photogenic, so, I decided to take one of his pictures and mount it on a greeting card with a little “love” saying and sent it off to all my friends – who were also single and longing for the day to be filled with love, flowers and chocolates. So the tradition began 25 years ago – making Valentine Cards for all the people in my life that gave me love over the year.
With a picture of your pet (or someone else’s) and a clever saying “I’ll always be true to you” goes a long way in extending love to someone. When Byron passed in 2003, my other kitty Maxx stepped in for a few years, and now Ziggy and Zack extend the Augustine Love Tradition.
One year, while stranded in a snowstorm, and waiting for the storm to lift, I designed my Valentine Cards using hearts in an art journal format – which I later pasted onto a blank card and sent off in time for the Love Day. The greeting varied based on who I was sending it to. However, most of them had something written around the heart saying: “Wishing you Valentine greetings with love, hugs and a bunch of kitty kisses, wet noses, fur balls and litter paws… Hearts and Hugs for you! Happy Valentine’s Day!”
Now, some of my single friends have dogs, cats, birds and a few have no pets at all. Each has thoroughly enjoyed my Valentine Greetings and look forward to it each year.
However, for a twist on this idea, you can send a valentine greeting to your friend’s dog (or cat) from your pet. I’ve done this too and it gets a rousing applause every time. However, if you are not so artistically inclined, there are many cute cards to purchase both in stores and online.
So, forget all the wasted energy yearning for a Valentine who isn’t in your life – yet! Go buy yourself flowers and chocolates! And, consider sending a card to your closest friends extending the greeting of love from your own unconditional love bug – your pet. It’s guaranteed to enchant even the most committed single and in the process give a lot of love back to you.
Happy Valentine’s Day My Friends!
Love and Hugs Today and Always,
Rosemary
xxx
