#LOVE your selfie

We live in a world today where self promotion and interest is instant. If you own a smart phone, an iPad, tablet or any digital device, you can take a picture, and post it instantly. You can "check in" wherever you may be, anywhere in the world. Some say it is too much, some say, it will never be too much. Think about yourself for a minute. You check in at a restaurant, airport or movie, or post a selfie photo in front of somewhere you may be travelling.  How quickly are your checking your Facebook profile to see if anyone has 'liked' or commented on your update?

Going along with the theme of sharing on social media, there was a concept that took off a couple of years ago called Throwback Thursdays, or TBT. Add a #hashtag in front of it and now you have a trend. Basically it represents a photo from 'back in the day' before there were digital photos which gave us the abillity to take the same photo over and over again until it looked good. You took a picture, waiting weeks for it to be developed and hoped that you would get a good photo.

I am an active participant in #TBT photos, and weekly choose photos that I share with my social community. If it revolves around an event, birthday, holiday, friend's birthday, even better.

A few months ago while I was searching for photos in a box, I came across of photo of myself holding my friend's infant son. It would have been almost 12 years ago. I have to say I almost didn't recognize the person staring back at me. Did I really look like that? How did I get to that point? How did I get from that point to the point I am at now? I just know that specific photo will never appear on #TBT or any other social media outlet.

We all know that people who appear in magazines are not what they appear. We know that they are made up, touched up, airbrushed, and all of that to get the "perfect" picture. Even the future king of England, Prince George's colour was touched up for last week's US Weekly cover. That does not work in our day to day photo lives. We are who we are, blemishes, flabby arms, rounded stomachs, puffy faces, warts and all.

While putting a photo book which displayed my trips to California I came across a picture of myself taken at Malibu Beach. We had taken a lot of photos that day. Some were posed and then there was this one photo that I felt really portrayed who I am on the inside. I felt it had a place in the book, and I put it on a collage page at the end of the book.

Everyone who looked at the book said it was one of the nicest pictures I had ever taken. I didn't think it was "THE BEST" photo I had ever taken, but it was probably the most authentic, true self photo of me. I decided to post that photo on Facebook, and the response was more than I could have ever imagined. I captioned it by saying, "Happiness is:  A picture that captures your true essence". I had the most likes (82) and over 20 comments about the photo. I realized that when this first photo was taken, it wasn't the 'best' one that was taken that day. Now I look at the photo and realize it is perfect just the way it is.

I recently travelled to Europe. I didn't always have someone around to take photos of me at the different locations. Thankfully I have a smart phone and took the opportunity to flip the camera function around and start to take "selfie" photos of myself all over Europe. Not quite the best pictures of myself, but it was a fun way to share my experiences with friends and family at home, with the ability to post the photos when I had access to WiFi.

We all have to learn to love ourselves. I am looking at the photos that were taken of me recently and I see someone who is smiling at the camera. There was a time that I didn't have a lot of photos taken of myself, and I am happy that time is over. I actually enjoy having my picture taken now.

Live your best life,

Lisa

Selfie, Arnhem Netherlands

Selfie - Keukenhof Gardens, Amsterdam

Selfie - Bruges

Wayback Wednesday - The City by the Bay

If you are a friend of mine on Facebook you know that I love TBT - Throwback Thursdays. It is a great way to dig up your old school photos and share them with your facebook community. I know that a lot of my connections on FB are friends from 'back in the day' and it is funny to see them sharing their photos as well.

Since I am a writer, I thought about sharing my photos with a story attached. I always have a story, and if you know me well, you know that to be true.

So, my first wayback Wednesday is about...well...travelling. Fits into my life I suppose, for the last 24 years being a travel agent.

I enjoy relaxing island vacations, reading, sitting by the pool, but I have come to appreciate that I enjoy going on a "trip" vs. a vacation. They are different, and if you have experienced both, you know what I mean.

Back when I was starting out in the travel business I took my first "trip". It was April 2005 - 19 years ago, which that in itself is a crazy thought.

It was a crazy whirlwind trip - 7 days, flying into Las Vegas, then onto Los Angeles, then onto San Fransisco, back to Vegas and then home. Three different airlines, six different hotels and three different car rental companies.

We had amazing experiences along the way. A show in Vegas, Red Rock Canyon, a Laker game in LA, Venice Beach and so much more. It was still in the peak of the OJ Simpson trials, and we drove up and down looking for Rockingham (OJ's street) which we did find, as well as the Bundy Drive townhouse (murder scene).

We did spend almost one whole day waiting on the NBC lot to get into a taping of the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. We did get in and saw Hank Aaron, Mark Harmon and Margaret Cho.

And then we arrived in San Fransisco. What a beautiful city that is. Since I was only there for a few days, and it was 19 years ago, I know that it is back on my list as a place that I need to return to, especially now that I am a foodie.

One of the best parts of the trip for me was the visit to Alcatraz. I remember not being that interested in going at the time. What was I thinking??!! It turned out to be one of the best parts of the whole week.

You have to buy tickets in advance. We learned that when we went on our first day and they said that all the departures were full that day. So, we bought tickets for the next day.

Alcatraz Island is a looming land mass in the heart of San Fransisco bay and can be seen from all over the downtown area. You take a boat out to the island. It is then a 1/3 mile walk up the hill to the jail.

You get a head set with pre-recorded descriptions of what you are walking through and what it was when the jail was open. The dining hall was fascinating. Officers were unarmed, while the inmates were "armed" with metal forks, spoons and trays. There were tear gas canisters mounted into the ceiling beams in case there was anyone that got out of control.

The tour talks about the inmates, and the escape attempt of 1962. Three inmates created a very detailed elaborate plan to escape off the island and after lights out on June 11, 1962 they put their plan in action. The were never found and presumed to have drowned in the cold waters of San Fransisco bay.

The Federal prison closed in 1963.

In 1972 Alcatraz island was made part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. and part of the National Park Service. More than 750,000 visitors come to the island annually (statistics from 1995). Recent statistics are about 1.3 million each year.

One of the lessons I started to learn when travelling with others is to have an open mind and be open to compromise. What I really didn't think I had any interest in turned out to be a trip highlight. If I hadn't had an open mind, I never would have seem Alcatraz and that would have been a shame.

Stay tuned for my next Wayback Wednesday installment!! 

living my best life

I read a lot of articles, and blogs and interesting pieces of writing that people share on Facebook and on the internet. Being a woman in my (yikes) 40's, I am drawn to the ones that have that somewhere in the title. Forty thoughts on being 40, surviving your 40's...you know the stories.

As I am reading these articles, many of them are written by mommy bloggers. A relatively new term for women, professionals, wives and mothers that write about their lives. There many of those, and then there are a few that I read that are from a single mother perspective. There are so many blogs out there, and I am happy that you all choose to read my posts when I write. Writing and sharing isn't for everyone, I know that. I choose to share and let you into my life.

I have a lot of thoughts about 'life' in general, and my life specifically. 


Be the judge of your own character

What does that mean exactly? Well, it is simple really. You have to know what your core values are. What do you believe in? What were you taught growing up and what you have learned along the way.

I have had to come across this in my work environment in many different areas. If you have ever worked in a commission sales arena you know that the business is very cut throat. Everyone wants to be at the top of leader board, and for some, it is at whatever the cost. For me, it has never been that way. I am referring to taking the sale away from another person. I am sure it has been done to me many times over again, but I have not ever done it intentionally to anyone. I know that I can look in the mirror at the end of the day with my conscious in check. What does your moral compass tell you?

I really do try to behave that way in my life as well. I know that if you call me a friend, you know that you can count on me to be there for you. When I tell someone you can call me night or day, I mean it. When I say that my door is open for you, I mean it. Just recently I had a friend over for dinner, because I knew she needed a night away from the current situation she was dealing with. It was a couple of hours that she could be away from her life and just relax, let me cook her a meal, and let her have some space. I know it meant a lot to her, and it meant a lot to me to be able to do it for her.

Part of the reason I can be that way is because I am only responsible for myself. I don't have to drive carpool, be at the hockey rink, pick up from dance class. I am just me. But being "just me" has its own set of responsibilities as well. Something I think that others forget that. I do what I do because I can, and it works for me most of the time.

Be flexible

When I was eighteen years old I had a part time job at Promenade Mall. I met this amazing girl from Florida who had moved to Toronto. She was a year old than me and we became fast friends. At the time I was still very "high school" way of thinking, making plans in advance making sure that I was busy and had things planned all the time. I used to get annoyed if the plans changed or were cancelled. She was not that way. She was more of a free spirit, planning was deciding about 10 minutes before you were to go out, if you were going to go. It used to drive me crazy, but with time, I learned to accept that was what worked for her, and if I wanted to be her friend, and make plans with her, that I had to learn to be more flexible.

That also comes with growing up. Over the years I have learned that flexible is the only way you can be. The underlying fact in my life is that my time belongs only to me, I don't have to share it with anyone, so I am the most flexible person I can be. If we have plans for dinner, but my friend's husband has to work late, or their child suddenly starts to throw up, or have a fever, or the babysitter cancels, we'll go another time. I half jokingly half seriously said to someone recently, "I assume all plans are maybe until I hear the time we are meeting."

Feeling included

I don't play Maj. My mother never played Maj. I tried to learn it a couple of summers ago, but it wasn't really my thing. I guess if I tried it a few more times and got the hang of it, maybe it could become "my thing". I have several friends that play, on a regular basis. They have weekly games, and sometimes more than once a week. Every week there is an email that goes out to a group of people where the game(s) are being held and to RSVP if you plan on joining. I appreciate that even though it is not my thing per se, that I am still included in the group email. On the off chance I want to go, even just for the social aspect it is nice to be included.

Which is another reason why I like to be the host. I love to have people over at my place. For lunch, brunch, my Oscar parties. When I first came back from Israel I hosted a series of classes at my home for six weeks, which I would do again in a heartbeat. For many different reasons I suppose. Firstly, I am very proud of my home and love to have people in it. I think more importantly it is because I get to be the host and share my life with others.

Last year I bought a seasons pass to Canada's Wonderland. People asked me why I did that. Firstly, I knew that my brother and his family had passes, and the kids have asked me to go in the past and I thought I would go with them, which I did - once. A lot of my friends have passes, and I truly thought I would have many opportunities to use the pass. It didn't quite work out the way I had planned it in my head. I guess it was one of those live and learn situations. I don't think I will run out and spend the money again this year. Been there, done that....

I really think about all the great things I have in my life. It is my story, and I get to write a new page every day.

Thank you for being a part of my story. I appreciate it!

The closing chapter

Today I took my car in for the 5 year top to bottom check up. It is 5 years that I have had the car and tomorrow I pay it off and it will be mine. I know that I am not the first person to pay off their car, but for me, this is the final step in closing one circle in my life.

On February 21st, 2014 at about 600pm I was in my car about to get on the on ramp to the 404 southbound while it was snowing. Realizing that it was five years ago almost to the minute that I was getting on the on ramp of the 404 at Wellington heading southbound, in a blizzard. It was shortly thereafter that I had my car accident. February 21st, 2009.

For the last five years I have remembered the day, time and place. When I arrived at dinner with my parents on February 21st this year I told my mom what I was thinking about when I got on the 404 and I said that this is the last year that I am going to give the accident my memory.

The car represented the accident as well. It was about five days after the accident that I had my cousin take me to pick up the rental car that I would use until I bought a new car. I remember, it was snowing, and I wasn't sure if I would be able to drive, so I had him wait for me and follow me as I drove out of the parking lot. It was snowing today when I got into the rental car that I had for the day.

Does this sound crazy? I think I sound crazy, but I am not sure. 

The cool thing is that after five years I finally feel like I am in a good place with driving in the winter. Situations that used to stop me from going somewhere or doing something don't anymore. I am not saying that I don't have PTSD triggers, but they are farther and fewer between now.

So, cheers to me and my final car payment. As the Elsa sings in Frozen, it is time to "let it go" once and for all.

Let's hope that happens!!

2013 The year in review - Part one....

How is it that tomorrow is the last day of 2013? It really feels like it wasn't that long ago that I was writing my last year's end of the year post, yet I find myself here again. This post started off to be a summary of the year, but I think that there will be several parts to my year 2013 in review

A year that seems to have moved pretty quickly in the grand scheme of things, yet slowly enough to remember some key points in the year.

Last year at this time we got word that my cousin Josh had just gotten engaged and his wedding would be in 2013 and it would be in Chicago. It was early in January that our whole family booked tickets for the family wedding in the windy city.

Thankfully the winter was broken up by an amazing visit with B in Los Angeles. Could not have asked for a better weekend. Los Angeles is such an amazing city, really one of the great ones, and there is so much to see and do, it is great to have someone who lives there to be able to have different experiences every time you visit.

This visit consisted of going to the J Paul Getty Museum, which is a really amazing place. To sum it up, here is a quote from their website:
"The J. Paul Getty Museum seeks to inspire curiosity about, and enjoyment and understanding of, the visual arts by collecting, conserving, exhibiting, and interpreting works of art of outstanding quality and historical importance."

You take a tram up the hill to this amazing sprawling displays of beautiful

 architecture (you can take tours), gardens, walkways and more. There are galleries with beautiful art exhibits, there are amazing gardens and I would love to go back some day when the garden is in full bloom.

The next day it was off to the California Science Center to see the Space Shuttle Endeavor. One word - WOW! Really, it is an incredible sight to see. You walk through an exhibit of what is in the space shuttle, photos of all the different space missions, etc. Then you watch a time lapse movie on how they brought the shuttle from the airport through the city and to the Science Center. After the movie, you walk to the pavilion where shuttle calls home. You can walk all around it, underneath it, looking at the tiles that you hear about that burn up on re-entry to the earth's atmosphere.

On the last day of my weekend in LA we went to high tea at the Langham hotel in Pasadena. The hotel itself is a luxury oasis not that far outside of Los Angeles. Beautiful views surround the property. The rooms and public areas are classy and elegant.

They offer high tea in their tea room. They offer a special tea called The Tiffin Chocolate Tea. There are chocolate inspired teas like Mayan Truffle tea and Chocolate mint truffle, and all of the sandwiches, pastries, etc have some sort of chocolate component to them. There was a pink chocolate fountain, with handmade marshmallows and more for dipping.

They had a harpist and a pianist playing and when they overheard us at the table talking about my birthday, out came this beautiful plate of chocolate dipped strawberries and truffles. It was really a wonderful birthday celebration with B and his friends.

I was going to make this post about the year in review, but I only made it to February.  Stay tuned for the rest of the year in review. I wish good health and happiness for all of you for the coming year.

Thanks for reading, and always stayed tuned for more, I always have a story to tell.

25 Interesting things - 2009 edition

A few days ago I was looking at a friend's facebook profile page and on the left hand side of the profile I was surprised to see my name. It was in the 'notes' section of this person's profile and found this note I wrote almost five years ago.

As I read through these 25 interesting things about Lisa Silver, I found some of them to be still true today and others not so much. I think the list needs updating. For now, I will update you below on the 25 interesting things about Lisa Silver from almost five years ago, from February 2009.

See the original and update below:

25 Interesting things about Lisa Silver

2 February 2009 at 23:47

PublicFriendsFriends except acquaintancesOnly meCustomClose FriendsBel Air TravelSee all lists...FamilyBel Air TravelNewtonbrook Secondary SchoolLimited ProfileRed Tag VacationsBel Air TravelBBYO Lake Ontario RegionThornhill, Ontario AreaAcquaintancesGo Back

Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits or goals about you. At the end choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

(To do this, go to "Write Notes" under your Profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people ( in the right hand corner of app) then click publish.)

1. I love the colour Purple, any shade and combination of the colour.
- This will never change. Favourite colour will always be purple! 
2. I love New York city, movies and shows filmed in New York city, books that take place in Manhattan, anything to do with New York City.
- This two will never change. In 2011 I finally made a dream come true by getting to see the Rockefeller Christmas Tree. Magical experience. 
3. My parents are my best friends. We travel together, spend a lot of time together and laugh a lot. Even through the times that make me crazy, I wouldn't want them to be anyone else.
- They just spent 4 days with me in my condo after the ice storm since their house had no heat or electricity. 
4. I am addicted to facebook. I try to have a facebook free day, but it never seems to work.
- Yeah, hard to find facebook free days. I did however have a facebook free week when I was cruising in Alaska this summer. Two reasons....wifi on the ship too expensive and no wifi in Alaska. Small towns, and couldn't even find a starbucks (LOL)
5. I find it truly amazing that I met one of my best friends at a black jack table in Las Vegas.
- Still holds true today. I love sharing that story with people who haven't heard it before. We have been friends for 10 years now. 
6. I love my two nieces more than I thought possible. I can't wait to see them grow up, I don't want to miss a minute of it.
- I have a nephew now as well. He is three and a half and he is awesome. I am three times blessed in being Auntie Lisa and it is the best job in the world.
7. I love the fact that when I ask my niece for a kiss in spanish, she kisses both sides of my cheek like a European and then giggles.
 - One niece doesn't even like to give out kisses anymore, she is almost 9. My 7 year old niece loves to hug and be hugged.
8. I wish I would have taken music more seriously and become a professional clarinetist and played in live theatre on Broadway.
9. I often wonder if my uncle hadn't gotten me a job at a travel agency when I was 19, what I would be doing now?
- I think about this often. I think too long to really discuss in this post. But let's just say there are plenty of things I would tell 20 year old me. 
10. I love James Taylor, and rain or shine (and there was rain last summer), I will always try to get to a concert of his with my JT buddy.
11. I have very high expections of others. At times, it causes disappointment, but sometimes people surprise you.
- I think that I am learning to try to not have such high expectations. In my life today, I think that I assume that everything is "maybe" until you tell me yes. "maybe" usually means no, so if it works out - BONUS!
12. I am a good friend, I give more of myself then I get back from others.
13. I like to entertain. I would much rather have people at my house than go to a noisy over priced restaurant.
- I am proud of my condo. I am very happy to have people at my house. Anytime. 
14. I do not like the beach. I don't like sand in my feet and I don't like the ocean. Give me a pool anyday.
15. I am grateful to have an aunt that is also a friend, who you can talk to like a friend, and trust like family.
16. I went to Paris and the best meal we ate (well I ate) was at the Moulin Rouge...oh yeah, and the lemon tart from the patisiere.
17. I went up the Eifell tower with a friend who is afraid of heights. But he still came with me, on my birthday. Thanks Brad.
18. I remember when my best friend lived in Mexico, I wrote her letters almost every day and sent care packages to her when my clients went to the resort.
19. I love that I have a two little boys in my life that I love like they were my own nephews. I love being their friend.
- These two 'little' boys are becoming young men. They go to a school where they have to wear uniforms and to see them in their blazers and dress pants with their white collared shirts, makes me realize they are not little boys anymore. 
20. I don't like cats. Dogs....well, I am getting better. But don't expect me to get one.
21. I love my condo. It was the right thing at the right time in my life.
22. If I could do anything else other than travel right now, and money didn't matter, I would be chef or a photographer, two of the things I love to do in life.
- a travel writer who is a photographer. That would be my dream job. 
23. I am a self proclaimed tv junkie. Now that I have PVR, it is worse, but before, I would consider not going out if one of my shows was on. At least now I can pvr it and still have a life.
- I now have the Rogers Nextbox 3.0 - which means I can record up to 8 shows at one time and I have 3x the amount of recording space. Just means, I record more shows (that I end up not watching). 
24. I like that I have a travelling companion and I am crossing things off my places to go before I die list....next on the list New Orleans.
- new orleans was amazing. Food, music and culture. If you haven't been, you should add it to your personal travel list. And we have also been to Hawaii and Alaska since this post was first written. 
25. wow...25 random thoughts is hard....I wish I knew another language...spanish or french or where I live, Hebrew or Russian. Just to spice up life...
- JUST posted the other day that something I would have told my 'younger self' is to stick with French class and have a second language. It really would come in handy in potential job opprotunities!

The Dash - By Linda Ellis

The Dash
by Linda Ellis copyright 1996

​I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning…to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,
the cars…the house…the cash
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what’s true and real
and always try to understand
​the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before. 

If we treat each other with respect
and more often wear a smile,
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

​So, when your eulogy is being read,
with your life’s actions to rehash…
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent YOUR dash?