PATRICIA O'NEILL

MONDAY MUSINGS: DOGGONE IT! I’M IN LOVE!!

Hi Guys!

How was your weekend? Did you manage to do something that lifted your spirits? Brought a happy smile to your heart? A good Netflix ‘Fix’? A yummy meal you cooked, or somebody else did? A good bracing walk? Some sunshine? A relaxing glass of wine, or a soothing cup of tea? Music? Dancing? Brilliant book? Yoga? Body pampering? Dog petting? The list is endless, isn’t it?

Talk about dog petting, I’m so in love with Coco. I never knew I could love another dog again. Especially after Lulu and Chi Chi crossed over the rainbow bridge and left me with a broken heart. Whether it’s a beloved pet or a significant other who departed your life, take heart! You will find love again! YES!! You will. Of that I am sure. Because Coco has helped fill the void left by Lulu, Chi Chi, and Tessa! If you are nursing a broken heart, I hope you will find the same. Please don’t be afraid to love again…

I opened my heart to Coco and the love she is giving us is beyond compare! We give one hug, she gives three in return. Even though my darling canine daughter is tiny, she has a giant heart. They say size matters. Does it really? Because being big in stature does not give you a big heart, nor does being small in stature give you a small heart. The heart is something we control and the more love you spread, the greater the return! So Coco has taught me.

Even my neighbourhood has come alive since her arrival! I have got to know my neighbours and their dogs really well, and they are more friendly than I realized. We know the names of nearly all our canine neighbours now. Here goes…see if I remember! There is Murphy, Finn, Riley, Koko (not my Coco!), Maddie, Ziggy, Rupert, Sophie, Rory, Lulu, Daisy, Bingo (his real name is Bingham-Jones lol!) Finn (2 Finns on the street), Emily, Pepper, and Wilson, a cute little fellow who Coco has a crush on! But, of course, there is nobody to equal my Coco!

Since C-19, I had to curtail all my Bingo volunteering at the homeless shelter. I miss it and my Bingo Buddies, but c’est la vie! God had something else planned.

Coco sparked an ingenius idea in my head! Everytime we go out walking, or ‘adventuring’ as I like to call it, we meet people. Lots of people. Lonely people. Weird people like myself — the whole gamut! If we spy somebody who seems lonely, over we trot… Coco puts on her best performance and wags her tail at them. They can’t resist her charm, so they come out of their little comfort bubble and pat her. I have learnt to add a few words — “Wow, she really likes you!” A smile appears on the person’s face, as I continue “And it’s not everybody she takes to!” That last sentence seems to go down really well! The response is “Oh, I’m so glad to hear that. Dogs and babies love me!” Suddenly, that lonely person feels lovable again. Especially in the knowledge that dogs and babies love them!

I know it works like a charm, because people come up to us now to chat all the time. One day a lady stopped us in the street and smiled “I remember my lovely visit with your little puppy”. Others say “Did you ever consider training her to be a Service Dog?” Absolutely, Yes! That’s my POA when C-19 is done and dusted d.v. I’m going to have Coco trained to be a Service dog and off we’ll trot on new adventures, to Elderly Care Homes, hospitals, etc. So many interesting people to meet on our travels, so many stories to hear… d.v. (d.v. in case you’re wondering means God willing in Latin — Deo Volente).

That’s the magic of Coco!

Thank you God for sending her our way. You’re the best!

Have a great week guys! Be sure to do something that makes you happy. Love what you do and do what you love!

Cheers!

 

Patricia and Coco xxx

MONDAY MUSINGS: NMS CHALLENGE – 9 MONTHS ON!

Hi Guys,

OMG! The way the months are flying and all of life… Hopefully, this pandemic thing will soon be a distant memory. I can’t wrap my head around the fact it is 9 months since I made the decision to take on the NO MORE STUFF challenge. The precipitating factor was the sight of bulging wardrobes, filled with clothes that had never yet seen the light of day. Sure, I did inherit stuff from my girls, many were bargains of the century, and I have donated a lot to charity, etc. but still — Enuff is enuff!!

Question for you: Even before the pandemic hit us, did you find your life changing in some way? Or did you have a desire to change your life? Move home? Relationship? Work? The reason I ask is that it would be in keeping with the planetary stuff which has been going on for the past two years. I really believe when I began my NMS Challenge, the seed for major change in my life had begun. And if this resonates with you — Ditto! It may explain…

Nine months on, I think it was a very successful and mind-altering challenge to undertake. Have I learnt anything? A resounding Yes! In the nine months since I began this journey, Christmas, my birthday and anniversary were bumps in the road which I had to overcome. Friends and loved ones were kind enough to give me beautiful gifts which I accepted, such as cosmetics, friendship bracelet, beautiful earrings made by my daughter Claudia for me, and most recently Kevin treated me to a beautiful cheery yellow Ralph Lauren dress and straw hat for my Wedding Anniversary, which I love. That is the only item of clothing I have got in 9 months. As it was a gift — no regret!!

Moving on, I shall endeavour to continue with this journey, certainly until I have reached the first year milestone which will be in October, d.v. It gives me enormous pleasure to see that my clothes are all getting a good wear — certainly better than they did before. I’m realizing less is more. My imagination is working better too as I shop in my own home closet. And by re-using old stuff, I’m decreasing my carbon footprint and doing something to save the planet. Yay to that too!! It’s all good.

I continue to buy gifts for friends and family for their birthdays and special occasions as I’m not a minimalist! I like to spoil people that I love, as well as keeping the economy going. I also do enjoy shopping, the thrill of the chase, the visual excitement of seeing beautiful clothing and things, the workmanship, the colour, the opulence, the extravagance of it all. I guess…and I really do hate to admit — I am a material girl! I blame my Mars in Taurus collaborating with Venus in my 2nd House of pleasure for that! It was written in the Stars…

As we start a whole new week and get deeper into the Summer, what Challenges would you like to take on? It’s very satisfying to see that Yes! I CAN DO IT!! And YOU CAN TOO!!

Have a Fabulous New Week!!

Love,

Patricia xxx

 

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR!

TGIF Guys!

Our Venus day is upon us and it couldn’t be a better day to adminIster some TLC to YOU! The older I get, the more I realize that no, It’s not selfish to take care of yourself, nor is it vain, or egotistical. The opposite in fact! You’ve got to take care of your old engine — from the toes all the way up to the brain. Because if you are in good shape mentally and physically, well then you can be a better friend to others in need. Makes sense. Right? I don’t need to give you the gas mask air plane drill here! You hear it every time you fly. The bottom line — Mask on you first!

As a Pisces, the feet are my sensitive area. If they are tired, I’m tired. If they are happy, I’m happy! So, I decided to give them a treat! My friend Anita gifted me with a wonderful energizing lotion for feet and legs. It’s produced by Mary Kay and it really does deliver what it promises on the box — Mint Bliss! Claudia and Vicky gave me some Sephora lavender foot masks and Wow! between the two, I was walking on air!! Happy feet! Happy Pisces!

Whether it’s a face mask, a home pedicure, a long soothing bath, or relaxing with a lavender foot mask, I think you are most definitely worth it!

Here’s a list of things you can do for YOU today on Feel Good Friday:

Home pedicure

Hydrating or deep cleansing face mask

Long soothing bath with epsom salts and some scented bubble bath — Yum!!

Home manicure

Hair mask

Every time you shower or have a bath, be sure to moisturize yourself from head to toe.

Respect yourself and let nobody rob you of your Sparkle! 

Have a great weekend!

Hugs,

Patricia xxx

 

 

 

JUST ANOTHER MANIC MONDAY!

Hi Guys,

Another Monday is upon us. Aren’t they just flying out the window? Soon it will be Christmas! It’s like we’re all wishing our days away until life returns to normal, and the planets begin to co-operate, and we can all be happy again. Something has to give! When does Mercury go direct? I get asked a lot recently — usually in desperation! July 12th to be precise. At least Venus is direct now. So it’s full steam ahead for the singletons and the plastic surgery! Mars is in its own sign of Aries, so that should inject a bit of energy for some, especially the fire signs among us. Mars will be in Aries for several months until January 2021, going retro in September. So make hay now!! Quick before he changes his mind! Set those intentions. Grab life by the ram horns!

The question is — will life ever return to ‘Normal?’ But then again, ‘What is normal?’ For some people, the C-19 self-isolation drill is what their regular life is like anyway, so nothing to get too excited about, or so they tell me. They get up, go to work, return home, have supper, sit in front of the television, then go to bed. Ditto next day. When I lived in Paris many years ago, this daily grind was referred to as Metro, Boulot, Dodo. Travel, work, sleep. So it’s been around a very long time. No wonder only 18% of people in a recent poll said they wanted their work lives to return to the way it was before C-19.

People are happier spending more time at home, and as a home-loving girl myself, I get it! In fact, I’m all in favour of a 4-day week. Supporters of the 4-day week maintain you can be far more productive when you have a 3-day weekend to look forward to. You become more efficient. It makes sense. A better work/leisure time balance is something C-19 has kindly brought to our attention. It was simmering for a long time. If we want more time to ourselves, we’re going to have to make choices. Balance the books better, less material stuff, less eating out, etc. I have no idea yet how the economy is going to handle all this change, and what plans they have in mind to keep the wheels of industry churning. I miss the buzz in the shops! All the hand sanitizing, line-ups, don’t touch the merchandise! don’t put your bag on the counter! rigmarole is taking its toll. On a positive note, it has proved very helpful for my NMS Challenge!

Mass has resumed again in our Church. We now go every Saturday evening at 4.00 p.m. instead of Sunday, as that is the time which has been assigned to us. Same rigmarole there. A list of questions must be answered before admission is granted. What if I don’t get the answer right? Yikes! This is then followed by yet another hand spray. My poor hands are skinned and dry to the bone! It’s difficult to get yourself into a peaceful frame of mind when the senses are constantly being assaulted. Only 50 people allowed per mass in the cavernous Cathedral, which normally accommodates several hundred! What about the collection box? Will Church funds suffer too as a result of fewer people going to Mass? So many unanswered questions…

Eating out is not the same either — it’s devoid of ambience. We’ve done the rounds! All the fun larger tables have been removed from restaurants. Servers are wearing black masks like bandits. When they take out their pens, I’m afraid it’s a gun! Have I touched my face again? Things are tense. Some foods, mostly pasta dishes, are pre-cooked and tasteless. I recently was served a tepid lump of pasta pretending to be haute-cuisine. I wanted to scream. But I shut my mouth and ate it! Another time I ordered fish tacos, supposed to be blackened snapper. I discovered beneath all the filling, a couple of embarrassed looking prawns. I wanted to snap, but I didn’t.  These are hard times we’re living in folks. We have to endure these post-war-like ‘inconveniences’.

Favourite dishes have been removed from some menus, fewer tables in restaurants, higher prices as a result. I do feel enormous pity for people in the restaurant business and for all small businesses struggling to keep going. We made a pact to support all our local shops, restaurants, etc. every which way we can. Alas! the weighing scales should be a lot kinder for all this saintly duty, and give us a break like Justin Truedaddy did! I think we will revert to getting take-in food. Or maybe I should just simply cook at home? But then what about the restaurants? They need us to EAT EAT EAT!! So many questions…

We had a great big lunar eclipse this past weekend. Did you set your intentions? If not, do it! If it was your birthday 5 days around this eclipse, it’s likely there may be some big changes afoot. Eclipses, like birthdays, herald beginnings and endings.

Sending Hugs your way and don’t forget:

GRAB LIFE BY THE RAM HORNS!!

SET YOUR INTENTIONS!!

NOTHING STAYS THE SAME!!

EVERYTHING WILL TURN OUT O.K. — IT ALWAYS DOES!

MOST OF THE THINGS YOUR WORRY ABOUT NEVER HAPPEN!

Love,

Patricia xxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

MONDAY MUSINGS: C-19 — A RETROSPECTIVE…

Dear Friends,

As the days and months of C-19 continue to play out, I’ve become a lot more philosophical about life. I know I’m not alone in that regard. When the pandemic first exploded back in March, I was in London and the tension all around was palpable. Fear lurked on every street corner, and shops had begun to close their doors. Doomsday was on its way! My survival instinct was in top gear! We were heading out of London ASAP! Over to our cozy little place in Ireland where we would feel safe, and there would be no shortage of anything. We would have our own beds to sleep in at night, and the Cathedral was close by to visit for some peace and tranquility. Dunnes Stores would keep us well stocked with food. We would not starve, as I feared we would in London. It was a no-brainer!

A bat out of hell was consumed by a man in China — so the story goes — and once digested, the sluice gates of Covid-19 burst wide open, releasing a torrent of destruction upon our poor unsuspecting world. All hell broke loose! The raging pandemic devoured the sick, the vulnerable, the people who hugged, the great unwashed, and of course the jobs. Lots of them were lost too in the tempest. Hard to believe how much has changed in just a few short months!

Fear paralyzed our world and held us in its icy grip. We asked ourselves if this could be a repeat of the horrendous 1918 Spanish Flu? We looked on helplessly, as the world we once knew collapsed around us. We barricaded ourselves at home, shared funny jokes on WhatsApp, rattled saucepans and tin cans in support of our essential care workers, wore masks, and continued to wash our hands like crazy, while singing Happy Birthday. The duration of the song is the length of time we were to spend washing our hands. Scrubadubdubb…three men in a tub. Between lockdown, masks, and social isolation, the extroverts among us were going insane!

C-19 has put everything on hold — with the exception of birth and death. Time does not wait for those. Gel nails? A thing of the past. Hair? Get used to living with straw girl. Nobody is judging you. Shops? We let our fingers do the walking now instead of toes. Flour has replaced toilet tissue as a must-have requisite. People are sending greeting cards and letters to each other again. Beading and home crafts have become more popular. Neighbours have become more neighbourly. I feel a much warmer sense of ‘Community’ around me now. Bankers and Landlords have become more understanding too. They want to help. Everybody wants to help each other! Or so it seems to me.

Our Premier, Justin Trudeau (a.k.a. TrueDaddy!) has looked after Canada very well indeed. I have no complaints, but rather new respect for the man. Fathers are pushing strollers, no longer awkward, but with huge smiles on their faces. It brings a smile to my face every time I see them. Bakers are producing masterpieces at home, and trying every kind of confection. Animals are delighted to have more family time too. Even the birds on the trees are sounding more melodious. Is it the cleaner air? Yes, it’s becoming a wonderful world again…Miracles are all around us. Some questions to consider…

How have you changed since Covid-19?

What aspects of your life have improved?

What characteristic of yours has strengthened since the pandemic?

Has your outlook on life changed?

What have you learnt from this experience?

I have come to the conclusion that the Mastermind of all this C-19 epidemic had a method to his madness. An image of God sitting on his throne in Heaven came into my head, watching us humanoids in dismay. He saw us pecking around like headless chickens, suffering untold stress. He heard children crying for parents. He could see how racism, pollution and politics had messed up his beloved Planet. This was not the way he had planned it. Suddenly, in anger, he bangs his fists on the table and declares ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!! I’m calling a meeting right now!! So all the Planetary Leaders — as in Planets — got together to brainstorm. A Bat Flew Out of Hell, and the rest is history…!! In time to come, we will all realize this pandemic was for our own good. Indeed some of you reading this now would agree with me as you contemplate some aspects of your life that may have improved. I hope so. I genuinely do. Because I know in my heart that God is Good! No Pain. No Gain!

Big Hugs!

Patricia xxx