Moments D649: February Parties

Holy smokes.  It's February.  Already.  Where the heck does the time go?

Tonight was my 13th work appreciation party.  Thirteen years.  Incredible.

Seriously.  Where does the time go?

It is always a treat to see your fellow co-workers all dressed up for the occasion.  So many smiling faces.  So much joy and laughter.  It's always a pleasure to spend an evening with my co-workers.

Every year there are new faces, new stories to share and a few traditions.  One of my favourite traditions are the selfies that a co-worker and I always do.  But my favourite tradition:  dancing until my feet hurt in those darn pretty shoes.  Oh how I love to dance!  This year was no exception.  The usual suspects were on the dance floor and we danced the night away.

The best part was the moment I realized that I had the perfect date.  That's a new tradition that I look forward to enjoying for the rest of my life.

I've never had a perfect date before.  EQ was the perfect gentleman.  He not only did all the gentlemanly things (you know, like opening doors and such), he was also perfect in the sense that he not only enjoyed time with me, he enjoyed time with my co-workers.  It felt like he actually wanted to be there.  EQ didn't need me to be with him the entire time, he was confident and comfortable meeting my co-workers and making conversation with them.  He was as comfortable dancing with me as he was sitting with my co-workers, talking and watching me dance up a storm with my friends.  What a treat it was to find him across the dance floor, share a smile and then go into another dancing frenzy!

So much fun.  It was so darn easy.

I like easy.  It's a new thing for me.  I could get used to this!

Moments enjoying a loud and noisy celebration with your co-workers.

Moments enjoying quiet reflection of my perfect date.

And, just because, here's a picture of our dessert.  YUM!

Moments D595: Warm Reunions

Today was EQ's staff party.  Perfect right?  It's my first day back in California and we had a chance to share an evening with his closest friends and co-workers.

But I was a little nervous.  I didn't tell him that.  In fact, I didn't tell anyone that.  Why would I?  It's been awhile since I've been here and seen his friends and co-workers.  It built up some nerves.

How wonderful it felt to have those nerves melt away so quickly shortly after we arrived at the party.  It was this warm wave of positive energy and acceptance from his closest friends and co-workers.  With smiles and hugs, it was easy to let the nerves go.

What incredible people.  What a delightful party.

It`s good to be back.

Moments feeling a little like a fish out of water.

Moments realizing, it`s okay to be out of the water, you`re not a fish!

Moments D368: Full Moon Peepers

Today was my bestie’s moving party in Haliburton. It was also significant to her in that it was an anniversary and today she was, in a way, reborn. Talk about fortunate timing given the cleansing energy of the full moon that was also present with us. It was easy to fall into that joy of rebirth and renewal. The end of a chapter for her (for many of us in my circles) and to celebrate the beginning of something new. And so the weekend began with this focus and energy surrounding us.

We spent most of the day slowly getting ready for the party. There was no real urgency. The three of us caught up and laughed and commiserated during the day. It was completely laid back. I think, it was all that good bright energy that the three of had absorbed from the full moon the day before, feeding it back and forth between us. I know I felt the renewed and recharged too. And I was very much looking forward to meeting my bestie’s local friends and co-workers.

Many were invited, but we weren’t sure how many would attend. There was that moment right before the start time of the party that my bestie worried about no one showing. HA. Not so. Not only did the invitees come, they brought friends with them. The more the merrier, right? I met many new people this evening. All such fun beautiful souls.

In the end, the party was a huge success with amazing food, an incredible bonfire, lots of drinks and laughter. But today’s moment isn’t about meeting new friends, it was sharing a very special moment watching the moon and listening to the spring peepers from the cottage dock. This was experiencing spring in all her glory. The chorus of frogs, the stars being washed out by the full moon, the fog drifting over the crackling icy lake. (The sound of the ice moving in the water was nearly as incredible as the frogs singing!)

I wish I would have laid on the dock for many hours to just soak it all in, but the cold and the many drinks before hand meant that I had to bail earlier than I had hoped to. It was, none-the-less, an amazing moment and one that I’m happy to have shared.

And - it was almost as amazing as having an ice cold dip in the lake.

Moments to enjoy your friends’ rebirth.

Moments realizing you are having your own rebirth.

Moments D325: Friends toasting friends

Tonight we celebrated my birthday. Tonight we also celebrated one of my bestie’s birthday. And we had fun. A lot of fun.

But there was one very very special moment. It was when my best friends, together in one room toasted each other. They had a moment where they celebrated how incredible THEY were.

It was a beautiful thing to watch. Here, in a room were five amazing souls. Once upon a time I brought them together. Now they love each other too. It was almost like a proud mama moment. These the people I love most in my life. The ones that have been there for me through thick and thin. We have shared life changing moments together, we have been silly together. We have been annoyed with one another and we have been proud and supportive. We have cried and laughed through many moments.

We are best friends. And I am lucky and grateful for these people in my life. And tonight, they celebrated each other. It was a beautiful.

Best moments with your best friends.

Moments D262: Panic & Calm

Today was our staff appreciation party. It’s always a fun time and it’s great to see your co-workers all dressed up. (Yes, some of them clean up quite well!) It was a really fantastic evening with some wonderful people.

But today’s moment is about the wee adventure I had before heading to the party. It was a pre-party in Pickering and I was taking the GO train out there and getting picked up at the GO station.

Now, I’m not sure why I was so nervous about this trek, but there’s no doubt that I was. First, I didn’t want to walk to the GO station (only 8 min away) in my heals. Secondly, I really didn’t want to walk to the GO station at all. Not in my well-fitted dress. Not with my jewelry on. It made me nervous!

I did what I always do when I get nervous about something. I planned. I looked up the GO station to find out exactly where it was and how I would get to it. I made sure that I was there 10 minutes before the train was to arrive. I left my rings in my pocket, wore flat shoes for walking and I was covered from neck to knee hoping that would bring me some comfort.

And, for the most part it did. I was still nervous, but less so. And then, with ticket in hand waiting for the train to arrive, I stopped, giggled at myself for being so silly and unzipped my coat to enjoy the warm 9C degree weather. I let the calm settle over me as the train arrived. I spent the 10 minute ride meditating on having a great night and just finding my centre again.

Moments to plan and prepare for.

Moments to laugh at self.