Friday the 13th

A tenth anniversary too
Life can't get any more interesting than mulling over the fact that yesterday was my 10th Wedding Anniversary .... then it hit me that it WAS Friday the 13th.  My mom questioned the wisdom of getting married on the date with 13th.  

Wouldn't that be bad luck?
I reckoned that since my husband, the Hunkster Hubster, I affectionately call him was born on the 13th of December, you couldn't get any luckier than that, because 2x13=26 so it really isn't bad luck.  If you take his birth month and birth date, you get 25 (12+13) ... with mine as 22 (04+18) making him ODD and me even.

A full moon risen
to add intrigue to the insight, we have a beautiful winter moon.  It doesn't get more surreal than this:  a ghostly moon because of the artic air descended upon us, a fainted white.  From the reflection of the snow and crystals casting about a diamond glow.

The future for sure
How back then I probably imagined what our life would be like.   Because there were a few things we both felt strongly about:

• our kids
• making a family
• home

Blended dreams

folded into goals.  To bring together four really quite bright kids and wish for the best.  We blended more than our kids, we began new traditions that today envelope wonderful memories.  

Almost comical

as to what we worried about back then.  Would the Princess eat at the table with the rest of the royalty, whom were never allowed to treat her as though she invaded our home.  Do we really expect to continue to sit at the table for dinner every single night, as he'd observed as our home life.  

Upheaval be damn

was my battle cry.  I would never allow normalcy be invaded by doom.  The best to hang on to are the traditions that were mired in each other's parents homes.  A nightly dinner with a tastefully set table was as normal as it ever has been in years since.  

Soccer teams

and soccer moms.  Lined up on the field, relaxing with a cup of usually Tim Horton's coffee.  Known to be different, mine would be star bucks in a thermos,

a throwback to the days I spent at the arena in my youth, with a sparkle in my eye that I would become a member of the Ice Capades in a few short years.  If I worked hard.  Even after I started to be able to drive myself to those 6 a.m. skates, my mom would always make me some hot chocolate in a thermos to have between figures and free skate or dance.   One of those things you take for granted, become implanted with habits carried into our adulthood, parenthood.

And a dog named Buddy

Our best friend, companion, faithful, loyal, protective guardian of our hearts.  I'm talking about all of us.  Realizing now, how difficult it was to trust again, to give someone else your heart, so fearful of having it trampled upon.  Again.

10 years of craziness

I would be remiss or untruthful if I said anything otherwise.  Yikes.  Three girls in their hormonal prime:  12, 13, 15 years old.  Then the sole boy 17 then.  The girls took their turns with their theatrics and drama a heart beat away.  By the two older girls, not the baby of the family, a girl.   She hung back, took it all in, keen to observe.  And learn.  To be better than them at causing parents heart attacks and heart ache at such potential being thrown away.

How far we've come since

One daughter married, another one kicking ass in university, the other one killing it in Vancouver, starting to really shine.  It is really rewarding to watch how they blossom.  Even the, at times, lonely son.  Such strong character, work ethic and morals gracefully etched into their beings.  The blending together must have really worked.  A bond created among all, including the new brother by married for the son.  

What wasted time worrying is

Try as much as you want, someone else is steering your life.  Is it God?  Is it fate?  Is it by design?  You are on a worldly path, setting strong examples for your children in your own beliefs, morals and kindness you try to uphold.  The Hunkster Hubster is a very strong man.  Not just in stature but in demeanor and presence.  How cool for someone to have such an anchor, from within themselves.

You may wonder what's your path?

..... are you on track, been misguided, failed or succeeded?  Life laughs at its own sense of humor as you discover you already have.  Creating this peaceful, safe, nucleus of family, is a success many dream of.  

Except now the table is bigger

and will eventually grow even more.  As grandchildren and boyfriends and praying for wife and more husbands build and grow from the foundation.  Of two apprehensive in taking a risk on love.  For the most part, our home is still the focal point in most of our lives.  Drifting in importance other times.  

Contentment and peacefulness

is an art of the life kind.  To be home, with just the Hunkster Hubster and our faithful companion, Buddy, the dog.  Is bliss and oasis rolled into one.  I could be at home 24/7.  Without a blip.  Writing and painting, cooking and creating an ever evolving home and garden.  It really is where I want to be most of the times.

Paradise in blue green waters

pull me back in my reflection of the past 10 years.  There have been life events and priorities that have prevented that annual honeymoon in far away places we wanted to explore together.

I worry a little

that we wont get a chance to again, since it was annual up until after the fourth year.  A go at a company, primarily run by my husband, when it was suppose to be forward march together.  I acted on the gleam in my eye that was caused by a great career opportunity so my focus was sporadic.  

If I only I knew then 

what I know now how things would have been different.  Using the internet and social media to market the company since time was a limited resource available for contribution back then.  

Building trust and memories

is never an easy feat.  Yet we have done so together, mildly so since the baby of the family left two years, almost three years ago.  Restored or instilled into sharing our life together.

Now is as important as ever

as we are in our fifties and wise to the twists and turns and speedbumps that can surface unexpectedly.  While firm in the commitment, the contentment found with each other's company.  We like it.  We enjoy it.  I can't imagine spending it with anyone else.

Happy Anniversary Love

xoxoxoxoxo Jeannette

Postings from the edge

Postings on the Edge
a twist of words as reference to Postcards from the Edge.  

Kindred spirits
join the journey.  But first, you need to begin with me
firstly by watching "Bright Lights" with Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds  Take in the poignant moment when Carrie visits her dying father, Eddie Fisher, with more forgiveness than any one I've ever known.

Compassionate creatures 
enveloped from the vessels of "Singing in the Rain" fame, Debbie Reynolds, and her daughter "Princess Leia" Carrie Fisher who wrote "Postcards from the Edge" starring Shirley McClain and young upstart Merle Streep.  I watched this  this afternoon after taking the HUNKster's suggestion of HBO's "Bright Lights" last night when we returned home after sharing a hearty dinner with great friends.  

Quality overpowers time every time
Suggesting quality is not defined by length
of time spent together, but in the value and peaceful-ness with whom we share gain.  

Tables are turning
as we recognize to one of the wisest un-refrained aha moments in our lives:  when friendship and love overpowers money or fame.

To sing in chorus together
regardless of fortune or name, age or culture joined at the hip, where Millennials created into a noun that describes a person, want to be.

Commitment more than ever
to help others, be humble, be humane.  Assembled to follow, advocate and help each other.  Non-monetarily united in creating brands that are bigger than those to be made extinct.

The shear force to be reckoned with
online everywhere who proclaim the winners of the #bestofeverything :: decided merely by using the #hashtag :: 

To unfold mysteries
to be solved by understanding, gratitude, friendship, peacefulness with love, honesty, truth and giving.  To help others solve problems, eliminate poverty, solve health dilemmas, educate populace, rejoice spirituality of any kind, eradicate violence, terrorism, fear mongering, egotism or greed.   

I'll give it a try.  How about you?

@majla_art

Bon Voyage to drama, drugs, drinks

Welcome to bright lights
I watched this documentary last night, just released by HBO.  It was sad, surreal, joyful at times while uppermost insightful on these two talented ladies who were people just like us with their grace, goodness and goofiness.

I can't imagine what it would be like to be Todd Fisher and the rest of the family to watch, after privately laying to rest this dynamic duo.  I say dynamic now because I would not have known much about either lady other than what most of us know: the Princess Leia character dearly loved by Star Wars fans and Carrie Fisher:  I didn't write it down but there was a profound quote by Carrie in the documentary to the humble effect that she was merely the vessel with which the character was entrusted to. She took the responsibility seriously yet it didn't define her.

I learned a lot more about Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds than I ever had before.  I suppose that is often the purpose or outcome to a documentary:  to inform us, to peak inside the private world of mother and daughter.  To this end, we saw the people behind the personas: loving, caring and whimsical.  

Now it makes sense when it was reported that Debbie Reynolds' last words were along the lines of "I'm going to be with Carrie now".  One can't help but feel saddened that the world is left without a mother and daughter who truly were devoted to each other, relied on each other so much.    The viewer can't help but marvel at the strength and humor they leaned on each other so much for.  

Impeccable timing is everything but in this instance it is surreal.  How uncanny that the HBO documentary released January 7, immediately after the duo were laid to rest.  

After watching this, I understand why the two would leave together at the same time.  Ironically, most of us would recognize them as singular personas, each talent bright on their own, yet privately, their love for each other so transparently glimpsed, thankfully, by the dedication of Fisher Stevens.

I suppose a lot of people knew more about their unique contributions than I did.  I appreciated knowing more about them.  To be so lucky in family in so many ways.  Drawn together by heartbreaking media bonanzas.  

Many of us weren't around during the scandal in 1958 when Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher betrayed friendship and marriage vows together.  Such is the makings of a legendary Hollywood screenplay.  It was almost painful to see and listen to the memories replayed by all those hurt.

I sure hope that a resurgence of Todd Fisher's dream of creating a "Debbie Reynolds Museum" as a tribute to her passion of collecting Hollywood memorabilia.  How wistful to watch when Debbie had to part ways with some of her fondest treasures.

 Despite the drama, I came away with a deep appreciation for the meaning of family.  Even though it seemed obvious the great love between the mother and daughter pair, it was obvious how Todd was an adored member of this nucleus of strength and love.

breaking BAD: advertisers + advertising + advertising agencies :: traditional MEDIA: television, radio, newspapers, magazine :: outdated MEANS: printing, printed matter, encyclopedia, library

my take on matters at the present time Jan 9 2017 ... where advertising's only value has been minimized to gimmicks, craft and pleasing the eye ... 

Gerhard-Richter-Detail-Abstraktes-Bild-1986

from the days of "MadMenAdvertising" to the BRAND of a voice, a passion, an interest, an opinion, a vibe under the umbrella of TRUST .... read MORE >> here on the link below. Comment or share if you like. 

Thank you!

 Jeannette Marshall

2017: when the age of "advertising" is diminished with the adopted currency & recognition called "brand"

damn it all to heck
i really become annoyed when Facebook can't keep my post .... READ HERE

2017: when the age of "advertising" is diminished with the adopted currency & recognition called "brand"

damn it all to heck
i really become annoyed when Facebook can't keep my post stored as a draft if i haven't posted it yet.  This is a BIG weakness by Facebook.

what the fuss is all about
i'm sticking my neck out with an opinion clouding predictions of any sort.  Early on in my blog writing, developing skills as i applied them:  as a disciple of #EdwardSnowden school of thought: be a self-taught expert, uphold moral beliefs for mankind including everybody (avoided being diminished by greed or ego).  Edward's quest was for knowledge.  He had an unquenchable thirst for learning anything he was interested in, curious about, wanted to learn more about.  

if inspiration for 2017 is your game
relax in a comfortable atmosphere, devoid of distractions of any kind:  give the spouse free reign on the credit card with the kids for a play land (are there any more of them anymore?  aka Chuckecheese paradise for kids and a break for parents).  << that's a blog better meant for meanderings.about.ca ... as a light bulb goes off.  

watch SNOWDEN
if you want to have a glimpse of the new thermometer and full enlightenment to what is going on in cyber wars, that the traditional media has only sniffed around ignorantly focus on Russian cyber attacks against the US for political posturing.

our world has expanded a billion fold
as succinctly pointed out by Edward Snowden.  I love watching movies that seemingly portray the person behind the persona (also recommend SULLY as well, as the contrast between the 2 movies i watched back-to-back on ANDROID TV.

the BRAND phenomena
is what everything has come down to.  It no longer is what used to be first top of mind when a word came to mind in association with a noun:  KLEENEX(tissue paper); XEROX(photocopy|photocopier).  We GOOGLE(use GOOGLE search to find what we are looking for, regardless of reason or final objective).  Yet we don't APPLE anyone instead of call them on our smartphones.

the SOCIAL MEDIA empire
has been formed and is going to rapidly expand.  Simply because the reversal of sources has already occurred.  No longer are we reading the newspaper or magazine, listening to the radio, or watching television to gain access to what is happening in our world.

has anyone NOTICED?
that regardless of the media outlet you are surrounded by, they are doing somersaults and handstands all over the ticker message, page footnote, whatever:: they're asking you to FOLLOW them on Twitter almost firstly and all the time.  Or, they are attempting to create an organic trending topic without having to FLAG as "advertising" because "viral" supercedes all else (google is not finding me a word close to this, unusual but perhaps not so because i haven't been online for the past month or so, committed to a job that is subpar but pays the bills if not cherished by the heart.  Then Christmas was hectic, made even more so with only one day off on Christmas Eve in two weeks (i wondered who i pissed off to be relegated from  having to work on Christmas Eve (but off by usually 8 o'clock) then back at er on Boxing Day.

i tried to reach out to my COMPANY
show them where they are falling short as a BRAND.  I continue to frown and shake my head when the antics of West Jet continues to surge, with many copycats in tow (go GOOGLE Tim Horton's something about making dreams come true YouTube video that followed in WestJet's footsteps by creating a warm and fuzzy video on how they are giving such splendid gifts of televisions and other material things.  Saving millions in advertising dollars even offsetting the costs of the gifts, the sharing on the universe via social media catches it afire.

traditional ADVERTISING 
is married to traditional media.  I talked about that in that earlier blog a bit.  Maybe the realization hadn't fermented yet.  As it has now.  Traditional ads are dying a fizzling death.  MEDIA brands begging for increased followship while barely hanging on their fingertips that, if they fail, will plunge you into the BIG and not-so-BAD universe of SOCIAL MEDIA.

by no means a BOTTOMing out
certainly a new measurement of scale, reach and return (or ROI).  There were very early adopters of social media who were visionaries in the direction of where this brave new world of walls disappearing and blocks removed.  Where everyone and anyone can enter boldly or with trepidation.  What everyone will AGREE about is that the central force of news, events, communications has shifted to ONLINE.

when every NEWSCAST includes
something happening online.  Exponential volumes of content and snippets ready to be clasped by the influencers online (why do grammar and spelling check not add "influencer" as a reference to a person, personality online.  

where BRAND is king
and anyone can be in the game.  There is no distinction between a person, an organization, a corporation or a government.  The winner of BRAND becomes the king or the queen (where a woman can be crowned by her spirit and knowledge, evoking trust more quickly than men by observation and not any scientific substance or supporting facts).  

where an elected PRESIDENT
can tweet policy and engage hostile exchanges with those he should count on.  if you want to know what your new president is thinking:  just follow him on Twitter, to get it faster than the Evening News or Morning Headline.

the manipulation of TRUST
will continue to be a common thing, more likely to be beyond a cancerous growth.  Where the innocent, naive, trusting, home bound, infirm, lonely, lost human existence dwells with alarming rapid growth.

where FACT blurs with FICTION
when reality and FALSE are blended.  We have been trained to read in order to learn.  We instinctively want to read something of which information or knowledge we wish to gain.  We grew up with news journalism benchmarked credible content by scrutiny on ethics, backed up with facts, the best being unreproachable resource for news, events.

streaming LIVE is going to implode
as traditional mediums like television start to join the ranks of the almost eliminated advertising channels, words, hearing.  With technical digital engines developed to push that content out to the universe, developing sophistication evolving to glide into the sphere of the influence(r) BRAND who may bless them with a #RT, a read, and/or blessedly a share, their comments shrine built from within and without.

PERSONALITIES read or visualized
by anyone, anywhere, any age, any country, any language, any religion, any education can rise to become the relegated status of SOCIAL MEDIA SUPER STAR.

SOCIAL MEDIA SUPER STARs
are the INFLUENCE, VOICE, MESSAGE of what the masses want to hear, read or see.  Almost invisible, they can be beyond a murmur of voice to a clout of opinion, expression and resonance with the universe.  

COMPANIES will be exposed
for viral manipulation currently embraced and not recognized as sophisticated marketing, with visionary digital markets at the helm.  Art directors continually challenged to not only make the BRAND website pleasing to the eye, but also welcome to curiosity to click, tempting to learn more about, less distracting because blinking has been removed (avoiding the annoyance causes the visitor to depart).

psychoGRAPHICs | demoGRAPHICs
expertise will emerge as a viable consultancy sought after.  Right behind it or better hand in hand would be to engage, if not employ, a lead psychologist counsel created.  

the MIGHTIEST will survive
when they realize that theatrics and tricks will end up diminishing any credibility as people online become more SAVVY with where they place their TRUST.  The BRANDs that will win, are those easily trusted.  

Clear RESONATORS will win
not likely representing a group, organization or company, but a person who encompasses the very singular banner of trust.  The visionary committed to the amazing ability that communicating online allows.

TRUST:  the currency of NOW
where the compensation is like the old term of CONTRA.  Where an opinion that matters is worth that of a product, service or recognition.  

the MORAL of the STORY 
people, owners, executives, marketers begin to acknowledge this increasing trend.  Rethink your strategies.  Align yourself with brand ambassadors that add value and class.

AVOID tricks and manipulations
to only be uncovered as such.  Remember, people are smarter and smarter every day they're online.  As traditional media continues to reference social media as the originator of the source, gimmicks and tricks uncovered will severely dampen any momentum once people whom others trust, expose them as so.

COMPANIES try to create #hastags
that matter, are exposed for trying to create trending topics which they can capitalize on, fueled by paid promotion, to trick others into thinking they are popular online.  

Not nearly as SAVVY
because they have not yet recognized that they earlier influence BRAND of person is who they may want to consider replacing your marketing executives and dismantle that costly team and team who have limitless costs.

SELFLESSNESS out arms EGO 
greed, corruption, violence, terrorism, untruths, cyber attack, hack, money.  The knowledge a gift to others without purpose of gain.