Grace and Charm

Grace and Charm

There are a lot of things that are great about being a princess, the bangles and bobbles are fun but the true essence of being a princess is having grace. A great example of showing grace is when someone is being rude or mean to you that you can learn to rise above it. A princess never reacts to things she always responds. What's the difference? A reaction is an action without thought, responding weighs the situation, and in the case of a princess, the response takes compassion into consideration.

In my world all girls are Princesses and all boys are Princes. Some are fair, some tyrants, some have big kingdoms, some little, some fight dragons and some fight crusades, but each and everyone of us is of noble blood. When we look in the mirror, I believe, that we become disappointed because we forget our noble blood, we forget that we are truly meant to rule the kingdom that is our lives. We become disenchanted because we forget how enchanting life truly is.

You may not be wearing a crown or ball gown or suit of armour, but inside you there is a little girl or boy who knows the truth. It whispers it from time to time 'you are wonderful... that is, full of wonder.'

What I have to give.

I may not have been blessed with a million dollars or a store house full of food, I don't think that I have the answer to solving world hunger nor do I have a clue how to make world peace. What I have been blessed with is the ability to love and this love has brought me joy, unbounded joy that over flows my life. This is my gift to all who are willing to receive it, I give it palms open with no expectations of return. A smile, a giggle, a half hidden smirk and I become the richest woman on Earth.

I think back to a time when I was not so joyful, when my face was planted in the mud and all I could see was the dirt around me, I felt hopeless yet I learned to take baby steps to move forward no matter how small and seemingly insignificant those steps may have seemed to be. Looking back I see what a blessing that mud was, it reminds me that you can get clean from mud, that mud is only temporary, that someday I may have mud on my face, but when that happens instead of sitting in the mud cursing it, I now know a hundred and one ways to clean mud from my face.

Beauty and the Beast- Belle

Beauty and the Beast

What's The Story: After Belle's father Maurice is imprisoned by a Beast, who is really an enchanted Prince, she offers herself in his place. Soon she finds that there is indeed a prince and gentleman inside the Beast.

Memorable Quote:

Mob Song: We don't like What we don't understand In fact it scares us And this monster is mysterious at least

Lessons:
Beauty is found within
Appreciate what you have.
There's more to life than just being strong and beautiful
One's actions are the key to true beauty
Believe in the best and it often comes true
Control your temper
Gifts should be personal
When you love someone let them go
Fear can spread and make people do dangerous things
Love transforms people

Main Challenges:
Read to Children
Invent or improve upon an invention (make detailed plans for it)

Minor Challenges:
Feed the Birds
Go to the library

Attitude: Belle: adventurous Curious, inquisitive brave and calm in the face of danger, grateful, Not ashamed to be different.

Key word: Intelligence, bravery, curiosity, love changes things, seeing beyond appearances, patience, kindness.

Change in Challenge

So I decided to change things up a little. Okay, so when I went to attempt to Learn how to dance La Raspa I realized that it had a lot of jumps in it, which if I hadn't spent the last year in a knee brace would be a lot of fun. So I felt the need to change things up so this is me playing Goose Goose Duck. Oddly enough it took quite a while before the Goose hissed at me, the costume must have fooled them.

Article in the TJ

The things we say to one another

A duck goes walking down the street, stop me if you heard this one, when a young man about the size of a twig wearing pants to fit the size of a tree, underwear exposed, of course, hat sideways, pants tucked into his stripped socks. Lets face it the boy was wearing clothes that I could have fit over the duck costume. This gentleman woke up in the morning and said to himself, I look good. I woke up put on a duck suit and thought, this is hysterical.

Okay so I have painted you a picture here. I walk, well waddle, down the street and I hear him speaking what I can only assume is English but a colloquial version that I will translate as best I can “Tell me you are doin somefin (some word that I never heard before that I can only image means important or with purpose) wearin such a ridiculous outfit.” He says as I recapture the sarcastic words as they dance around in my mouth. I smile, take a breath and go into my I am living Disney, speech that I have developed over the past few weeks.

He shakes his head and asks me if I need drugs, not bad it took five weeks before I heard that one. “Nope this is what happens when you quit drugs, you gotta make up your own hallucinations.” I say as he does his over exaggerated arm gestures to illustrate that he thinks that drugs are the answer. Poor sucker, and I do mean poor, my high is free, he has to pay for his.

One Dignified Duck

I'm Just Ducky, How 'Bout You?

Happiness is the one thing in life that we need not put off, not for a day, an hour or even the slightest moment. Yet when I look out on the faces of my fellow man, I see so many caught up in some cranky “I hate life” not-so-merry-go-round. We sit back waiting for life to come along and make us happy. News flash folks, no one is capable of making you happy if you can not make yourself happy. YOU know yourself best, if you can't make yourself happy then NO one on this planet can possibly make you happy.

The other thing we silly humans do that just ties my little princess heart in knots is hearing the words “I'll be happy when....” Oh sure, and I suppose the cheque is in the mail as well. Sure someday we get that thing that was supposed to make us happy, but somehow it is never enough. I want to start a revolution where we just decide that we all can be happy from the inside out, to be happy for happiness sake.

Today I made a lot of people smile, but its what they did with those smiles that matters, did they spread it like a joke “You'll never guess what I saw, some nutty woman dressed as Donald Duck...” or will they just see the strange thing and think nothing else of it. Assume that I am insane or out to get something (the usual thought) Will those smiles fade and return to the thoughts of bills, lost jobs or some other hopeless thing that one can do nothing about? What I propose is that we enjoy life, after all, it is the prize at the bottom of every wish, every dream and every crossed finger.

So I am going to put forth this challenge to whoever has honoured me with reading this, it is time that we put away our adultish ways and rediscover that child we left behind climbing trees. I know if you have been following me, chances are deep inside of you lies a playful kid, screaming to get unleashed (most likely deep within the wee hours of night) We adults kid ourselves thinking that we have reached some sort of maturity that supersedes childhood, but I see that child in every adult, lurking behind a twinkle, a spark of magic. I try never to forget that childhood never really ends, it just hides behind grumpy adults who deep down inside still secretly want to swing so high that it feels like they can rocket to the moon, spin in circles till they fall down and build a blanket fort with their friends.

A word about ducking around.

After going to the costume shop, I decided that I would try on the Donald the Duck suit, because it was far too cute. I get it on and think to myself, as I can hear the children screaming next door... oh yeah, I live next to a school, I think to myself, I should go say hi to my 10 year old son. Don't worry my son is a bit of a freak like his mother so the sight of me in a Duck suit is nothing to bat his little desensitized eyelashes over. So I waddle out my front door down the street and all the sudden I hear the familiar sound of countless children hitting a chain linked fence as they screamed out “Donald!”

Of course I knew it would cause a scene but since it was recess I figured, it wouldn't be too bad. I asked around where my son was and he was inside... this is going to be fun. I walk into the front door, where I see the principal's office, almost completely encased in a glass enclosure, sort of like the zoo where you don't want anyone to unleash the lion. In the office I could see the principal and a handful of very serious looking men in suits and ties. I give my best Donald Duck wave, to which he gives an awkward wave that says welcome break and what now all at the same time.

I decide to waddle upstairs to find my son, waving at the straggling children who have heard rumours of a strange bird loose in the school. Children have a way of being open to silliness, yet they are often thrown by an adult indulging in it, and find it difficult to place why a mom would be dressed as a duck at their school. The recess bell rings and chaos ensues as I am surrounded by munchkins asking questions and smiling and giggling -the true purpose of this whole adventure.

I flap my way out of the crowd to see my son almost in tears laughing at his nutty mom. “are you going to stay?” he asks. I give him a hug and tell him how I think I may be a little too distracting but that I wanted to come and give him a hug, it was only fair since I had already been hugged by a dozen or so children, some I actually knew.

I met my older teen son as he was coming home, these days he never quite knows what I am going to be dressed as so seeing me in a duck costume was one thing but a little word of warning for others who might be thinking of following in my flipper prints, if you are going to be odd in front of your children, at least make sure that you have always been odd. I think my sons are beyond being embarrassed by me. Proof? You know that your kids are beyond being embarrassed when you do the Chicken dance in front of your teen age boy while wearing a duck costume. Ducking around is fun!

Ducks Gone Wild

The Three Caballeros

What's The Story:
The Cold-Blooded Penguin "Pablo the penguin" is so fed up with the freezing conditions of the South Pole that he decides to leave for warmer climates.

The Flying Gauchito the adventures of a little boy from Uruguay and his winged donkey, Burrito.

Baia Donald takes a pop-up book trip through Baia the capital of the Brazilian state of Bahia, as Donald Duck and José Carioca meet up with some of the locals who dance a lively samba and Donald starts pining for one of the females.

Las Posadas the story of how Mexican children celebrate Christmas by re-enacting the journey of Mary, the mother of Jesus and Saint Joseph searching for room at the inn. "Posada" means "inn", and they are told "no posada" at each house until they come to one where they are offered shelter in a stable. This leads to festivities including the breaking of the piñata, which in turn leads to Donald Duck trying to break the piñata as well.

Mexico: Pátzcuaro, Veracruz and Acapulco Panchito gives Donald and Jose a tour of Mexico on a flying sarape. Several Mexican dances and songs are learned here. Donald goes girl crazy.

You Belong To My Heart The skies of Mexico result in Donald falling in love with a singing woman. The lyrics in the song itself play parts in the scenarios as to what is happening as well.

Donald's Surreal Reverie A kiss, or several to be exact, lead to Donald going into the phrase "Love is a drug." and starts having surreal visions.

Memorable Quote:
Narrator: That's human nature for you, even if you're a penguin.

Lessons:
Don't give up on your dreams, but be sure that you want the dreams before you get them.
Be happy with what you have
Never be too shy to dance and if you don't know the steps just make up your own.
Be open to adventure

Main Challenges:
Make a piñata
Learn how to dance - La Raspa
Learn about some Birds of South America

Minor: Dance when I hear music

Attitude:
excited, curious, playful,

Key word: Fun, Rhythm, Playfulness, Exploration, Music,

When the Cat Calls a Mouse

Often when we go out into the world and expose our souls; shining love and joy, we are met by both joy and love and opposing emotions. I learned a long time ago not to take opposing emotions personal, its not about me, its about where someone is on their path. Angry people or people wrapped up in the insanity of the mundane world find it very difficult to imagine any good in the real world. My presence in full regalia asks the question “Do you want to play?”

Most people are open to my playfulness, in fact, they often embrace it like a long lost part of their own soul. What I find it intriguing, are the few, and I mean less than 5 % of people, who look at me with disdain, as if I am violating their vision of what life should be; serious and miserable. Some have even decided to speak out about how stupid I am for doing this, there were two incidents today that made me back up for a moment and recoil. One just foolish cat calls and I have to say that There is something wrong about getting cat calls when you are dressed up like a mouse

I was in a store and the woman working at a counter, with full sneer on her face, said “Please tell me that you're dressing up like this for some reason. I hope you don't dress like this everyday.” Each word was dripping with hostile venom. I pulled up the best Mickey Mouse kindness that I muster and replied. “I am living Disney, and this week is Fantasia week, last week I was Alice from Alice in Wonderland.” I stopped speaking when she visibly rolled her eyes at me as if I had just told her that I was selling drugs to children. I smiled bowed my head and walked away.

At first I wanted to take off my hat, slink away and find some hole to hide in. I took a deep breath and let go of her opinions of me, she doesn't know me, she doesn't know that I have battled my fair share of demons and have found joy, long before starting this project. my happiness has been pissing off the masses for many years. So here I stand, a dignified Mouse, a mouse who had received far more smiles than venom, and though I doubt that I brought any joy into the woman's heart at least I brought her a tale of a silly mouse.

This journey is every bit about my souls journey as it is about each of my readers. I know that my silliness and willingness to brave the world with a smile and a song is, puts the change I want to see in the world, into the world. My worth doesn't lie in some bank account or in the opinions of naysayers, it lies in the opinion of the woman in the mirror, and she thinks I'm wonderful.

When the Cat Calls a Mouse

Often when we go out into the world and expose our souls; shining love and joy, we are met by both joy and love and opposing emotions. I learned a long time ago not to take opposing emotions personal, its not about me, its about where someone is on their path. Angry people or people wrapped up in the insanity of the mundane world find it very difficult to imagine any good in the real world. My presence in full regalia asks the question “Do you want to play?”

Most people are open to my playfulness, in fact, they often embrace it like a long lost part of their own soul. What I find it intriguing, are the few, and I mean less than 5 % of people, who look at me with disdain, as if I am violating their vision of what life should be; serious and miserable. Some have even decided to speak out about how stupid I am for doing this, there were two incidents today that made me back up for a moment and recoil. One just foolish cat calls and I have to say that There is something wrong about getting cat calls when you are dressed up like a mouse

I was in a store and the woman working at a counter, with full sneer on her face, said “Please tell me that you're dressing up like this for some reason. I hope you don't dress like this everyday.” Each word was dripping with hostile venom. I pulled up the best Mickey Mouse kindness that I muster and replied. “I am living Disney, and this week is Fantasia week, last week I was Alice from Alice in Wonderland.” I stopped speaking when she visibly rolled her eyes at me as if I had just told her that I was selling drugs to children. I smiled bowed my head and walked away.

At first I wanted to take off my hat, slink away and find some hole to hide in. I took a deep breath and let go of her opinions of me, she doesn't know me, she doesn't know that I have battled my fair share of demons and have found joy, long before starting this project. my happiness has been pissing off the masses for many years. So here I stand, a dignified Mouse, a mouse who had received far more smiles than venom, and though I doubt that I brought any joy into the woman's heart at least I brought her a tale of a silly mouse.

This journey is every bit about my souls journey as it is about each of my readers. I know that my silliness and willingness to brave the world with a smile and a song is, puts the change I want to see in the world, into the world. My worth doesn't lie in some bank account or in the opinions of naysayers, it lies in the opinion of the woman in the mirror, and she thinks I'm wonderful.

Fantasia

What's The Story:

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor -Johann Sebastian Bach
Abstract interpretation of Toccata and Fugue in D Minor mostly with instruments and nonspecific art that flows to the music.

Nutcracker Suite- Peter Tchaikovsky
Interprets the seasons and nature through the music of Peter Tchaikovsky the music follows nature that has come to life and fairies as they open up the day and change the seasons.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice -Paul Dukas
When the masters away the mouse will play. Mickey is given a task to carry water from a well to a cauldron and as soon as his master leaves Mickey takes the easy way out and uses magic to get a broom to do his work.

The Rite of Spring- Igor Stravinsky
The story of the evolution of life through the eyes of science.

The Pastoral Symphony- Ludwig van Beethoven
This piece gives a peak into the day in the life of the inhabitants of Mount Olympus.

Dance of the Hours- Amilcare Ponchielli
ostriches, hippos, elephants, and crocodiles dance ballet. It seems to be contrary to the theme of the music however, highly entertaining and silly.

Night on Bald Mountain-Modest Mussorgsky
Ave Maria- Franz Schubert
The demon Chernabog holds a festival on Bald Mountain spooks come out of their graves and celebrate before he condemns them to the fiery pits of hell. The debauchery stops when the bells of a cathedral toll and Ave Maria can be heard as a procession of nuns walk through the forest.

Lessons:
follow the flow, the rhythm of life
Allow music to carry you away
don't be lazy, or don't play with things you don't totally understand
There's always room to be silly.

Main Challenges:
Do some magic
Paint an interpretative picture of what Disney means to me while listening to music

Attitude:
Flowing, expressive graceful, musical, silly

Key word: Go with the flow

One More Thing Alice...

It is the people caught up in the idea that life is out to get them that I find silly. It has been my experience, on the contrary, that the more you let go and find the joy in life, the more life opens doorways and creates pathways that were once invisible to the cynics eye. The more we believe in the good of life the more good life becomes. When I hope for the best, my hope becomes a magic spell that entices life to act on my behalf.

In the darkest corners of life, love, in all its glory, shines a beckon brighter than the sun, but the key is not to become blinded by the darkness, instead allow the darkness to be the murky background for the light of love to show its true beauty. The light that shines in the darkness is the one that is most precious gifts that life has to offer, no gold or platinum mine can compare to the sight of love that blooms out of war, pestilence and strife.

People who can not see the light are not bad, but lost just like Alice, they need only find themselves a mischievous and playful Cheshire Cat to open up tree doorways and reveal that all paths lead to the same location, no where in particular. So if you are going no where then what's the sense in being miserable about it.

A bit of non sense Challenge 2

When I awoke this morning to look out at the day I spotted four crows working diligently on crocheting a lovely scarf for the talking tree in which they lived on. A kind gesture of course, despite what people say about crows. I noted that today was my neighbours turn to have the winter snow cloud above their house, and all the snow had melted from mine and I supposed that the next being to get the snow cloud would be the talking tree which would explain why the crows were feverishly crocheting. I don't think I have every seen anyone crochet quite as quick, let alone crows.

Despite having had a full 18 hours sleep my feet were tired, perhaps from attending my nightly skeleton dance rehearsal, the skeletons never seem to tire, so I come to assume that it in fact is never your bones that get tired. We must assume that it is rather the mind that tires and the bones that wish to dance all night. I stepped onto the massaging carpet and allowed each strand to work its magic. The thing with the massaging carpet and feet is sometimes the carpet thinks its funny to tickle.

I dressed for the morning and plugged my ears as I passed by the disapproving mirror and found the approving mirror in the hall way. I should really put away that disapproving mirror but every time I try the thing calls me such nasty names that I lack the strength of character and will to remove it. I curtsy before the approving mirror and say “Today, I shall do some thing grand.” The mirror smiles and says “of course”

That's Impossible

Door Knob: Simply impassable.
Alice: You mean impossible.
Door Knob: No, I mean impassable, nothings impossible.

The moment we believe that something is impossible we limit our beliefs to what is possible. When we say that something is impossible we leave a thought without hope and a thought without hope leaves little room for growth.

In this day and age I have seen more impossible things become possible that I am lead to believe that all things are possible. Believing that all things are possible frees the mind from the restrictions of matter and form. If the Wright brothers believed that it was impossible for man to fly, we would have never done the impossible and made it to the moon. One impossible thing leads to another.

The more we believe in the possibilities of things the more we find our world expanding and growing. Yes, it is improbable that man can fly without the use of machines but I will not venture to guess that it is impossible because all things are possible. The word improbable is more accurate to life, it leaves hope. Impossible diseases have been cured, ridiculous discoveries have been made, and chaos has caused order and vice versa.

I say that the world is more nonsense then we stuffy intellectuals would like to believe. We send sound through the air, we live on a big round ball and float in nothingness. Just because we have rules and laws that govern the possible, doesn't mean that science can't break them. But science doesn't break the rules, it works with them, it discovers new ways to play with gravity and what we call reality.

Our world is a Wonderland, when you stop to think of it. We have challenges that we overcome but the one key ingredient to overcoming any challenge is the belief that one can, and if you think something is impossible, for you, it is. Walt Disney said “It's kind of fun to do the impossible.” I disagree, its a lot of fun.

Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland

What's The Story: Alice, out of curiosity, follows a white rabbit down a hole and gets lost in its upside down world of nonsense. There's a disappearing cat, an angry queen and a mad hatter. Its a world of madness and complete nonsense.

Memorable Quote:
Door Knob “Simply impassable.”
Alice “You mean impossible.”
Door Knob “No, I mean impassable, nothings impossible.”

Lessons: Curiosity can lead to trouble
Nothing is impossible in your imagination.
Sometimes people don't listen to their own advise

Main Challenges:
Have an Un Birthday Tea Party dressed as the Mad Hatter.
Write a nonsense poem or story.

Attitude:
Alice: Curious, kind, friendly, intelligent, delicate mannerisms.

Key word: Go with the flow, follow your curiosity.

Graceful as usual

When I was in Zellers all dressed in my finery looking for an appropriate pair of shoes to go with my gown, a little old lady, surprised by my attire, asked me if I was late for my own wedding, when I explained that I was living Disney, she smiled and said “Cinderella right?”
“Why yes.” I retorted in my most Princess sort of way, as she smiled a little sly smile. “Um, Cinderella, you're dress is a little caught in the back.” Oh yes folks, graceful, charming Cinderella had a piece of her dress stuck in her underwear. Thankfully it was only an edge of the under skirt that was caught and that I was not exposing myself to the Mall. With all the grace that I could muster, I giggled “Oh my, that just won't do.” I said as I delicately yanked the dress out of the side of my unmentionables. “I suppose that's what happens when you have to drive your own coach.” I said, saving the day, or at least in my mind.

Somehow, I think that kind woman went home and had quite a tale to tell her friends and family, about how she helped Cinderella pull her dress out of her underwear, heroes are everywhere, and I am grateful that my hero came in such a sweet and kind little package.

What do you mean, I'm Crazy?

Living Disney is probably the least crazy thing that I have ever done. What was crazy was all the years I spent trying to live up to my idea of what I thought that others wanted me to be. Is it crazy to want to see joy in people's faces? No, I don't think so. Perhaps its a bit extreme but, isn't that what Disney's all about, taking creative vision and exploding it to the extreme?

This experience has been a challenge, I sat in the parking lot at Zellers for about 5 minutes, breathing and thinking I can do this, I can do this. The fear is not that I am going to be carted off to the loony bin but that I will be judged, but the question is for what? For dressing up and having fun? For playing, for finding joy in my life? I swallowed my fear, and readjusted my ego, and away I went.

Crazy or not I am having the time of my life.

Princess

Cinderella February 28

Cinderella

What's The Story: When Cinderella's cruel stepmother forces her to be a slave in her own home and when she prevents her from attending the Royal Ball, she gets some unexpected help from some lovable mice and from her Fairy Godmother.

Memorable Quote:

Fairy Godmother: We have to hurry because even miracles take a little time


Lessons:
Your surroundings do not determine whether or not you can be happy or not.
Be grateful for what you are given.
Dreams do come true especially when you are kind, loving and giving
miracles take time
Be kind to animals all animals
try to find the good in everyone


Main Challenges:
Find a glamourous shoe that fits my size 10 feet while wearing a gown
Clean the house like Cinderella, while singing. (does music really make chores easier?


Attitude:
Cinderella: Kind loving joyful hard worker. Patient and tolerant, forgiving, Doesn't complain even though her step sisters do constantly. Compassionate Grateful
try to get along together


Challenges:
Be grateful and kind even in the face of hatred, jealousy and spite.