MissManifesto

January 26, 2012, Author: colleencoplick, Leave a comment

Books, books, books

Categories: Books

I’ve been a neglectful writer. I’ve been reading and reading and sleeping and working and reading since my last post. I keep thinking, ‘man, I have to get back there and tell them about this book’, and then I pick up a new one and get all enveloped again.

The one that has made the most impact on me this year so far is one that Lisa gave me for Christmas called “Life’s That Way”.

Written by Jim Beaver (he of Supernatural and Deadwood fame), Life’s That Way is a personal memoir about what happens to a spouse when their loved one is suffering from cancer. It’s intense, surprising, real and emotional. I got weepy a few times, rode the emotional roller coaster along with Jim and Maddie (his daughter) and could not put it down.

It’s not to say that this is a book that will leave you feeling down and depressed about everything – instead, this is heart warming and heart wrenching in equal parts, life affirming, and made me believe in love all over again.

I don’t know what else to say other than you need to go buy this book. Don’t hesitate, just go get a copy now. I’ll wait.

Ok, you back? Now go read. Be prepared to put your life on hold as much as possible while reading.

January 18, 2012, Author: colleencoplick, Leave a comment

3. THREE

Categories: Uncategorized

I have three (3!!!) drafts about my current life/thoughts/well being saved.

I guess one of them will be published, at some point.

I may have just fucked up, hard. We’ll see.

January 18, 2012, Author: colleencoplick, Leave a comment

A shout out

Categories: Uncategorized

regardless that I hate (hate, hate, HATE) the phrase…. it is what it is.

This is my girl’s shout out.

Miss you.

January 9, 2012, Author: colleencoplick, 1 Comment

Feeding Your Skin

Categories: Life

The phras you are what you eat takes on a different meaning when you’re talking about your skin.

“The skin is your body’s largest organ and all skin renewal processes are impacted by what we eat,” says Ole Henriksen. “Ask yourself: are the foods I’m eating serving my body in the best way possible?”

Dining Out:

Whether dining at a five-star restaurant, or grabbing a quite bite to eat, Henriksen scans menus for salads, vegetable soups and simple sandwiches before placing his order. He believes each dish should include complex carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats. Some items he might order include:

· Chicken: grilled, not fried or stuffed

· Fish: grilled or poached, never fried

· Salad: filled with dark, leafy, green vegetables, and dressing on the side

· Dessert: never order individual dessert, share sweets or take a few bites. Ordering a fruit salad is a smart choice

· No salt: ask for food to be prepared without salt, as it makes the skin retain fluid, causing puffiness and bags under the eyes

· No juices or sodas: these beverages have high sugar concentrations, which peak testosterone levels and therefore oil levels in the skin

Managing Stress Factors:

Work presentations, financial obligations and school grades are all causes of high stress that often lead us down a path of fatty foods. However, healthy grains and sugars get us through the day easier than carbohydrate-filled snacks. Henriksen says to prepare nutritious and delicious food at home to save money and time. One of his favorite snacks is multigrain toast with unsalted almond butter and mashed fresh raspberries on top, like a makeshift jam.

January 9, 2012, Author: colleencoplick, 1 Comment

Struggling

Categories: Life, Personal

For years I had a blog in which I talked. Oh, did I talk. I blabbed, I poured out every single innermost thought I had, without any regard to the consequences. And then, I learned that one of the consequences sucked ass. I had to kowtow, kiss ass, apologize and grovel. Since then, lesson learned, I’ve kept, for the most part, my mouth shut.

Then, I started posting a few things that were more personal and people responded. I started doing it more, and now, I’m hesitating to know how much to share here. I don’t know, not really, where the line is anymore.

Yes, I want to talk about books. (I have some amazing ones to tell you about, in particular, the new Jennifer Wiener, one called An Atlas of Unbelievable Longing [whose name puts me in mind of A hearbreaking work of staggering genius] and Life’s That Way). Books are a huge part of my life. So is food. Right now, it’s food in a unique way, but it’s there. Cocktails, wine? Yes. Travel? My god yes and so much more so, soon, I hope. Everything I’ve set up here to talk about, IS me.

But where do I draw the line when I’m frustrated at something personal? With someone in my life? DO I talk or do I just stew, journal it and stay off the web? My gut reluctantly says the latter.

There’s a delicate line to walk between being real and being too real. Maybe I’m just being moody and introspective and slightly annoyed. Maybe I’m over thinking the whole thing. Maybe, if I were smart, I’d go run a bath, throw in a melt and a bomb and see if I can work out the knot that seems to have taken up residence underneath my shoulder blades.

January 6, 2012, Author: colleencoplick, Leave a comment

Torn…

Categories: Food, Life, Personal

Oh, not like that? No. Right. Ok then.

(nevermind me, I’m in a good mood these days and that’s making me rather… potty.)

I’m thinking a lot these days, and recently my thoughts have turned towards vegetables and yeast. Particularly, candida, the sort which is apparently in my body. Candida is a nasty yeast, with side effects that range from weight gain, depression and more. It requires a rather strict diet to get rid of unfortunately, and until just this very week, I haven’t felt I was in any sort of place that would allow me to follow such a stringent diet. Now, I know, I know. It all sounds like a giant cop out, but again, I say: When I couldn’t care if if lived or not, making positive changes was the last thing on my mind. It’s not great, but there it is. What is great is that I’m through that portion of my life.

So, I’m going grocery shopping this weekend and getting vegetables. Oh so many veggies and they will, combined with the supplements I’m replacing (the ones I bought originally have expired. I am a bad supplement taker) ought to get this under control once and hopefully for all.

I’m diving through Super Natural Foods (I’d love more books like this – suggestions?) and Vegetarian Gourmet, and on the hunt for vegetabley-goodness recipes. (let me know if you have any you love).

News at 11 (like the rest of my life, I suppose) on this. Now that I’ve told you, NOT doing it isn’t an option. (tricky tricky.) (It’s something else I’m learning and trying to … upgrade within myself. Actually doing what I say. There’s been too much of the opposite in the past few years.)

Until then, I’m off to soak my body in bubbles with my book.

January 5, 2012, Author: colleencoplick, 1 Comment

Laissez le bon temps rouler!

Categories: Life, Personal

It’s been a fantastic day and I just needed to share. There’s nothing of major significance here, just a series of small things that all add up to happy.

This morning I got notice that my Chapters Indigo order has shipped. It’s been picked up by Canada Post and is on the way. I’m getting:

The Tao of Pooh
The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature, Updated and Expanded
Power vs Force: The Hidden Determinations of Human Behaviour
The Yoga Body Diet: Slim and Sexy in 4 Weeks (Without the Stress)
The Power of Myth
Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation
Tao Te Ching: A New English Version: A New English Version
Somatics: Reawakening The Mind’s Control Of Movement, Flexibility, And Health
Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali
Heart Of Yoga
Anatomy of Movement

I’m particularly excited about getting a copy of the Bhagavad Gita as well as learning to spell it without having to refer to it every three letters.

I received a brochure and registration forms from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition along with the fees and tuition. I’m very pleased to report that it’s no where near as expensive as I thought it would be and I’m even happier to note that the school is recognized by the BC and Federal Student Aid people, so I will be able to get a student loan [ETA: loaN. Not loaD.] to assist. Were I to go this route, I would begin classes (full time student course load is 2-3 classes a week. That’s all. I may need to take two modules at a time so I don’t get bored.) in downtown Nanaimo in September, 2012.

I did some yoga and went for a 5 km walk with Molly today which felt fantastic. It was a bit chilly but clear but we had a great walk. The culmination of that walk, which is the exciting part, is that I received my judgement from the arbitration with Residential Tenancy. The arbiter ruled in my favour! My damage deposit and then some from my old place shall be winging it’s way to me soon.

This has been a great day, and now I go offline to make it a great evening too.

January 5, 2012, Author: colleencoplick, Leave a comment

Laguna Beach Deliciousness

Categories: Travel, Uncategorized

Need an excuse for a little foodie escape? How do you feel about Laguna Beach? Personally, I feel damn good about it!

Laguna Beach a la Carte – A Food & Wine Experience takes place Thursday–Sunday, March 8-11, 2012. Guests will experience world-class cuisine, prix-fixe menus, chefs tables, educational seminars, cooking demonstrations, food & wine pairings and special offers by local restaurateurs … taking place at various locations.

For more information, head over to Laguna Beach Foodies.

January 4, 2012, Author: colleencoplick, 2 Comments

A New Direction

Categories: Food, Life, Personal, Spirituality

(Or, Nude Erections if you’re a glee fan.)

Sorry, that was a tasteless way to open a post that has nothing to do with sex, erections or nude anythings.

I’ve been thinking a lot over the past several years about my life, my career and well, direction of it all. I’m very much over PR and Social Media and while I’ll always be a writer and will never drop my dream of becoming a published fiction author, I’m starting to look at other parts of my life and see where I might begin to expand my horizons so to speak.

It’s been obvious to others for a very long time that my interest in PR was waning but it’s taken me up until this past year to see it for myself. To decide where I’m headed next, I’ve looked at what I like. I thought about culinary school but that doesn’t quite fit. What I think might fit–and is something I’m still fleshing out and researching–is a combination of yoga and holistic nutrition. Biding interests for many many years, practiced for many (with the exception of the last 16 months… I stopped doing yoga when I couldn’t make myself care about whether I lived or not and food was typically something grabbed and easy or of the malt, barely and hops variety).

There’s nothing really more to say about this just yet, other than the fact that I’m looking into it and I’m doing some intense reading about all of it. Research, conversations, and a continuation of the soul searching I’ve been doing for some time already.

I’m looking into the Canadian School of Holistic Nutrition and thinking about pairing it with yoga teacher training in Blissology. It may take me two years or maybe even more to get through, but at the end of that time, I’ll have a career I love, not one based on convincing others to love something.

The thoughts continue to percolate and simmer. Information is being gathered and resources are being tallied. Stay tuned. News at 11 as they say.

January 1, 2012, Author: colleencoplick, Leave a comment

Resolutions?

Categories: Uncategorized

Each year, at this time, I get all full of purpose. I clean things! and organize! No, wait. I Organize! I resolve to do better at all of the things that I think I have been bad at in the past year.

This year, it’s different.

I am not going to regret the things I did in 2011. I did them at the time, based on the knowledge I had. I made decisions that were to the best of my ability, with the information I had, at that time.

I have cause for apology in some situations, and I hope that I’m not only doing that (apologizing) but am aware of them as well. It’s possible I’ve missed something. I hope to make those right as well.

I’m leaving the past in the past this January 1st, and looking forward to what will be. I have hopes and dreams and goals I plan to work towards and I’m not letting any of the past sins colour those future goals.

I will, by the end of the year, have a novel complete and a publishing deal in hand. My publishing house will be interested in the next three novels I have outlined. My agent and I will be sipping champagne poured in my honour, to my success, on a rooftop patio in LA with several close friends. A movie deal will begin to be rumoured with my name and novel attached; if not the first, then I will certainly be on the radar of those who make these decisions, and they will watch my next moves very closely.

I will have successfully planted, nurtured and harvested a large garden and enjoyed every last leaf, fruit and root that comes out of it.

I will solidify relationships with the people I care for, cultivate new relationships and spent time offline with people who enrich my life rather than detract from it. I will learn to be someone who does not detract from others, but instead is a source of light and love.

I will live each moment not as if it were my last, but instead I will be IN it. I will spend less time waiting and futzing around and more time doing and creating and surprising myself along the way. I will read, learn, love, create, enjoy and share more than ever before.

My hopes for all of you reading this, wherever you may be, lurkers and commenters alike, is to have a year full of purpose, love, success and happiness as well as all of your heart’s desires.

I don’t think we’re asking too much, do you?