She is beautiful by Felicia-May Stevenson

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She is beautiful and funny. Sweet and sexy. Smart and ambitious. Sensitive but strong. She is the moon and the stars. She is life. She is woman. 

Gay Marriage, Abortion and Opression

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The FB conversation that caused this rant.

I've spoken out about the war on abortion before, but last week, with all the talk about gay marriage rights and the on-going court cases in the US, my frustrations with people hiding behind God to defend their own agendas of hate have grown to a boiling point, and I find myself having to revisit the subject, but this time I'm not just talking about abortion rights, I'm talking about gay marriage rights as well. 

I'm talking about basic human rights. The right to choose who you love, the right to choose if and when you want children.  The right to live your life as you see fit, not dictated to you by politicians with dirty agendas using God's name in vain.

Unless you have ever spoken directly to God, you have no idea what He wants, feels or thinks. If we are to believe that God makes no mistakes, then it is within His design that we all be different.

If you are going to use His name to defend hatred, please remember that He said "love thy neighbor", not love thy neighbor unless he's gay or something else you don't approve of.

A true Christian accepts others without judgement, as he knows that only God has the right to judge.

I'm saying stop quoting the bible at me, because you only ever quote the things you like, and even those quotes take on a new meaning depending on the spin you try to make on them.

The catholic religion has spewed so many lies over thousand of years that I find myself very conflicted in my beliefs, but what I do believe for sure is that no one on this planet is in a position to judge others. That everyone on this planet has done at least one thing they wouldn't be too proud of discussing with God Himself, and that no one on this planet really knows anything about what God thinks, or if He even truly exists.

I believe in being a good person: in doing my best, and trying to better myself. I believe in being generous, and helping the less fortunate. 

I believe in letting others live their lives in freedom, to choose who they want to be, their sexuality, who they want to marry, which religion they want to adhere to, and if and when they wish to have children.

As humans in this day and age, we are subjected to many rules and regulations. Practically slaves to our societies and governments, but...

No law should ever have dominion on our bodies or dictate whom we can love.

Okay, so that's my rant for today.

TTYS!
 

Planning For The Future

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It's past one AM and I should be sleeping, but I'm wide awake, and I suddenly have an urge a need to write.

I'm excited and nervous about up-coming changes in my life.

I'm bidding my time at work, because my days are numbered, and it's giving me time to set myself up for a better life; one more suited to my particular - hmm  what should I call them?  For lack of a better word, let's just go with "quirks".

Really, I don't know why I'm bothering to mince words, lets call a spade a spade: a life more suited to my very own brand of crazy.

I will be getting some money from being "surplussed", so I've decided to start that empire I've been dreaming of.

First off, I want to start a small restaurant.  Something that caters to professionals, open Monday to Friday, early morning until mid-afternoon.  My hubby is an amazing chef, and I'm confident that our combined knowledge of the restaurant business, customer service and amazing food will be a recipe for success.

Starting this kind of business is no easy task.  I'd been hoping for some guidance from my old boss and mentor, but sadly, he passed away recently.  He was a great man, and I will remember him fondly forever.

I contacted a local organization that helps women find employment, as they have a mentoring program that teaches you how to launch your business.  I'm going to an information session next week, and then I can register for their program, which seems to be a course offered in three stages, each lasting 7-10 days.
I'll know more after the session, but I'm optimistic that this will be exactly the guidance I need to navigate this unchartered territory.

I just flashed back to a session with the psychologist I saw last year, one where he told me he thought it would be a terrible idea for me to own a business, that the anxiety would eat me alive.

Ha!  I laugh in the face of danger!

No, but seriously, my current meds are doing wonders for me, and while I still have bouts of anxiety and moments of utter despair, it is nothing like the all-consuming fire that used to engulf me.

There's also the fact that I don't think I'm ever going to be happy in a work environment where I'm not the boss.  Also, I feel like we will always be stuck in dead-end jobs due to our lack of education, and this is an opportunity for us to make a better future for ourselves, and our boys.

I've also decided to revive La Fée Licia Face Painting, though I'm still deciding on the best route to take for advertising.  Even if I only got a couple of contracts a month, it pays very well, and I love doing it.  I also like the idea of putting my eggs in more than one basket.

Another venture will be to open an Etsy shop.  If you're not familiar with it, this is a website where you can open your own "shop" within the site to sell your artwork.  It costs pennies to place adds that last for (I think) four months, and they take a (again, I think) three percent commission off your sales.  I think this is a great platform, and the site is well established, so it's sort of like opening a store in a well known shopping mall.  For a beginner, I would say this is a win-win situation.  I don't know if anyone will want to buy my art, but for pennies an ad, it's certainly worth a shot!  Again, even just a few sales a month could help.

Then there's Freelancer.ca, where you can sign up for free.  Employers post various "creative" jobs, and you bid on them.  If you are selected, you start to build a reputation, which in turn helps you win more bids.  It's probably a slow start, but surely worth a try.  I'm always looking for inspiration, and I sometimes do my best work when I'm given a general direction to follow.  Who knows where this path could lead?

Of course, there's always my own writing.  I'm working on writing my first book, an account of my life dealing with bipolar disorder.  I'm still in my first draft, and it's terrible, and choppy, but for now I'm just concentrating on getting stories down on "paper", I'll worry about structure and editing later.

The way I see it, if one of these other ventures takes off, we can hire someone take my place at the restaurant while I'm off on a contract.

My boss used to have this sign by her office that read "A failure to plan is a plan to fail".

It always bothered me when I saw it, because it was a constant reminder that I had failed to plan and was now stuck in a job I absolutely hated.

While the future is uncertain, at least I have a plan, and that's more than I've ever had before.  This is my time.  I will stop taking whatever opportunities I'm offered, and start pursuing (or creating) the opportunities that I desire.

Wish me luck!

Funny Fridays: Best Autocorrect captions of 2012

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This funny Friday is brought to you by buzzfeed.com, which has comprised a list of the 25 funniest autocorrect malfunctions of 2012.

I should warn you not to read these while you are alone in public, people might mistake you for a drunken idiot. 

This was just one of my favorites.  Be sure to catch the whole list here.

Oh, and thanks Buzzfeed.  That was awesome.

Thought Provoking Quote

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(Some people cause happiness wherever they go.
Others... Whenever they go)

It's not that hard to be nice, and it feels good.

Hold a door for someone.  Smile at a stranger.  Treat the cashier like she's a real person.  Let someone into your lane on the road, or wave to thank the person who just did it for you.  It only takes a second, and it's good for Karma.

So which of these do you want to be?

PS: In case you were wondering, I "painted" this image using Art Studio for iPad).

Best Quotes From Obama's Victory Speech 2012

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As you know, Barack Obama has been re-elected for a second term as President of the United States.

Here are some of the best quotes and highlights from his victory speech:

1. "We may have battled fiercely, but it's only because we care too deeply."

2. "We know in our hearts, that for the USA, the best is yet to come."

3. "Michelle, I have never been prouder, as I watched the country fall in love with you too."

4. (About his daughters: )"I'm so proud of you girls, but I will say that for now, one dog is enough."

5. "No matter what you do or where you go from here, you will carry the memory of the history we made together."

6. "I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside of us that insists that despite all the evidence to the contrary, something better awaits us." (This one should be turned into t-shirts!)

7. "You waited in line for a very long time - By the way, we have to fix that."

Isn't he handsome?

8. "Despite all of our differences, most of us share certain hopes for our country.  We want our kids to grow up in a country where they have access to the best schools and the best teachers.  We want our children to live in an America that isn't burdened by debt, that isn't weakened by inequality, that isn't threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet.  We want to pass on a country that is safe, and respected, and admired around the world."

9. "A decade of war is ending" (The crowd went wild)

10. "Whether I earned your vote or not, I heard you, I have learned from you, and you have made me a better President"

11. "I return to the White House more determined, and with more inspiration than ever about the work there is to do for the future that lies ahead."

12. "America has never been about what can be done for us, but by us, together."

13. "This country has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich.  We have the most powerful military, but that's not what makes us strong.  Our university, our culture are all the envy of the world, but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores. What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on earth, the belief that our destiny is shared."

14. "I have never been more hopeful about our future, about America."

15. "The idea is that if you're willing to work hard, it doesn't matter who you are, or where you come from, or what you look like, or (something I can't understand - maybe where you live or love?)  Whether you're black or white, hispanic or asian, or native american, or young or old, or rich or poor, able, disabled, gay or straight, you can make it here in America if you're willing to try!" (again, the crowd goes wild)

16. "I believe we can seize this future together, because we are not as divided as our politics suggest.  We're not as cynical as the pundits believe.  We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions, and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states, we are and for ever will be, the United States of America, and together, with your help and God's grace, we will continue our journey forward, and remind the world just why it is that we live in the greatest nation on earth."

In conclusion:

17."Thank you America, God Bless.  God bless the United States."

Some of my previous articles leading up to the election:

I Fear For A Country With Anti-Abortion Laws
Something To Think About Before You Vote

Romney Promises To Kill Sesame Street