I’m pretty sure I have the sleeping less down (sporadic insomnia for a couple of years now…good times) but I’m always working on the…
…and shouldn’t we all be? Don’t you think?
SEVERAL days ago I mentioned Greta Garbo in a conversation and I was greeted by a blank stare. The person had absolutely no idea who I was talking about…and that seriously bummed me out. It never dawned on me that someone wouldn’t know who she was. She was such an amazing actress, how could you not know Greta Garbo?
Greta Garbo was a stunning and talented actress whose stage presence popped off the screen. She was magnetic. Her career began in 1924 with the film The Sage of Gosta Berling. Adored by fans, peers and critics alike, Greta made 28 films during her brief career, retired in 1941 at the age of 35 and received an honorary Academy Award in 1958 after being nominated three times for Best Actress. That’s a hell of a career in such a short period of time.
She spent the remainder of her life avoiding the limelight & publicity (which she also did during her career, much to the studio’s chagrin). She lived an extremely private life. She never married. She had no children. Greta passed away on April 15, 1990, at the age of 84 in New York City, where she had lived (in the same home, no less) since 1953.
If you aren’t familiar with Garbo, I strongly recommend Flesh and The Devil. But be forewarned – it is a silent film, so if you’re one of those people who despise subtitles and think reading in a movie defeats the purpose of film then you will probably want to take a pass…but you will be missing out on a truly great piece of cinema.
So it is with the utmost love and respect that I present one of my idols to you…
“Her instinct, her mastery over the machine, was pure witchcraft. I cannot analyze this woman’s acting. I only know that no one else so effectively worked in front of a camera.”
– Bette Davis
“She had a talent that few actresses or actors possess. In close-ups she gave the impression, the illusion of great movement. She would move her head just a little bit and the whole screen would come alive, like a strong breeze that made itself felt.”
– George Cukor
I know I’ve been missing in action since around Christmas but this holiday season has been a rather difficult one. Some of you may recall that Mischa (who is curled up in my lap as I type this), my beloved feline partner in crime, had a pretty major stroke right before Christmas in 2011. Fortunately he had a rather amazing and totally miraculous complete recovery in 72 hours. 72 hours. Can you believe that? (The vet was certainly shocked.)
Well, I’m sad to report that Mischa had another stroke shortly after Christmas Day this year (well, last year I should say). This one seemed minor compared to the last one, but it seems he’s having a slower recovery compared to his previous episode.
The important part, however, is that he is recovering…and quite nicely at that. Slow and steady wins the race, right? I have been showering him with every single drop of love and affection I have in me and he’s making progress each day.
So thank you in advance for your understanding if Kisses & Chaos is a bit quieter than usual. Please know I’m doing my best to juggle everything and give both Mischa and you the time and attention you both deserve.
Your good vibes, prayers, thoughts, healing spells or whatever you believe/practice for him are more than welcome and greatly appreciated. He’s my best friend and the light of my life and, accusations of crazy cat lady proudly accepted, I’d be truly lost without my baby boy. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting him you understand. He is truly amazing.
So that’s why things have been so quiet and why this post, which I had wanted to share with you on New Year’s Day is seven days late. So instead of calling it a Kick Off The New Year Tarot Sale we’ll call it the…
To kick off 2015 I’m having a Year At A Glance Tarot Reading sale. I’m offering nine (because I like the number nine) Year At A Glance Readings at a whopping 50% off! Use code 50FOR15 to take 50% off your reading.
Didn’t snag one of the nine slots? Fear not! I am offering 15% off all other Year At A Glance Readings in honor of 2015. Use code 15FOR15.
A Year At A Glance Tarot Reading provides a month by month look at what’s in store for you for the coming year ahead. If you keep an appointment book and like to write to-do lists then this reading is for you. It gives you a bird’s eye view of the next twelve months so that you can formulate a game plan and set the course for your life. For a more detailed explanation of exactly how my tarot readings work just click here and get the complete rundown of the process, what to expect and see what past clients have to say about their readings.
Already familiar with my readings and ready to grab one while the gettin’s good? No problem. Just click below to snag your tarot reading now and get a jump on 2015.
50% Off: Use Code 50FOR15 (Only 9 Available)
15% Off: Use Code 15FOR15
Both sales end January 10, 2015 at 12:00pm CST.
So here’s to 2015, my dearest ladies and gents! May this year bring us all joy, love and gratitude (and a happy, healthy Mischa) along with a healthy dose of adventure and supreme weirdness, because love is glorious and joy is dandy but weirdness…weirdness is the topping that makes the world a far more wonderful and delicious place, don’t you think?
PS – Since I spent New Year’s with Mischa in my lap having a binge marathon of Six Feet Under (not that I’m complaining) I would love to hear about what you did for NYE. Big, small, quiet or loud – I’d love to know how you rang in the new year, so please feel free to share in the comments. Mischa and I have to live vicariously this year, so do tell, do tell! *wink*
GOALS. Yeah, I know…I kinda hate that word too. To me it borders on a four letter word. It’s that nagging reminder of all the things we need to do and all the goals we didn’t achieve; of all our failures.
But failure is a funny thing. It’s a two sided coin:
On one hand it’s exactly what it appears to be – failure. We set a goal, tried to achieve it and fell short of the mark, sometimes by miles and sometimes by inches; as to which is the most frustrating it’s hard to say.
On the other hand it’s nothing but positivity. Failure means we were brave enough to try, and believe it or not, not everyone is brave enough to go for it. Fear stops them before they can even start.
So what do you do if you didn’t reach your goal? What do you do if you failed? Can you still succeed? In short, yes. Yes you f*cking can, and here’s how:
Yup. It’s that simple. You persist. When you get kicked down, you get back up. Be brave enough to look that failure square in the eye and see what went wrong. And once you see what went awry you take the next logical step:
You come at it from a different direction, with a new plan of attack, with a new approach, with new ideas and you try again.
And if you fail? Well guess what…you try again and again and again. You persist and keep persisting. The only way to truly fail is to give up or to never try at all.
And so you know I ain’t just whistlin’ Dixie: I began submitting article ideas to Artful Blogging since I started Kisses & Chaos in 2010 and was rejected…a lot. But this was a major goal of mine so I kept trying, confident that at some point one of my ideas would resonate with the editor. And it did…this year, after four years of trying. So believe me when I tell you you can do it – you just need to be persistent.
Now get out there and kick that goal’s ass like a boss. Until next time…
MAY your stocking be filled with nothing but coal…because your year was so juicy and weird that Santa simply had to put you on the Naughty List.
