Life From a Dog’s Perspective…

I have a friend who has two Lakeland Terriors as pets; one called Rowdy and the younger one named Miss Emma.  Rowdy is Emma’s great grandmama and shows her no respect but tolerates her depending on her temperment that day.  Poor Rowdy is in the stages of old age (16 yrs).  Her front legs don’t seem to bend, she can’t see and bumps into everything or everyone, and startles herself so much when she has gas to pass that she gets up and trodds off to another spot to nap.  Rowdy has given us a lot of laughter in spite of her old age.  She’s the perfect example of how we have to laugh at our misgivings so we can survive life.  Rowdy never gives up – even though she walks outside on the backyard deck to do her “business” and walks off the end of the deck because she can’t see the end of it, she just needs the aid of our assistance to pick her up out of the snow that’s up past her head and she’s fine again, ready to go!   As Miss Emma does circles around her and has the advantage of running around the house with favourite toys, Rowdy is like the turtle and the hare, she just keeps her pace and happily enjoys her life as it is.  I wonder if her memory banks still work; if she remembers herself as a young pup and all the pleasures she enjoyed running around in the fields at the kennels and all the love she gave her favourite toys, not to mention people in her life.  She has given so much joy to her owners and those who she befriended.  I ask myself, can I learn from Rowdy?  Can I laugh at my aching bones, my eyesight that gets worse each passing year ?  How about still enjoying my favourite toys?  No more aerobic classes or riding bikes, skating or trying to keep  pace with my grandkids.  So what that when I have gas I can’t hold in any more everyone in the room hears it!  Like Rowdy, I have a full life of family and friends who love me the way I am.  Who take care of me, feed me when necessary and take me for my check-ups when I need them.  What have I learned from Rowdy?  That life is still great in your old age if you have a great attitude!  Thanks Rowdy, I love you lots!

Life’s Struggles … Or a New Adventure?

I usually find myself very intrigued by ones journey in life and how they feel and cope with the choices that they have taken or what road in life one was given. One thing I do know, the older we get and the more we know, the consequences of our choices get deeper; not only affecting ourselves but others as well.

 Why do I bring this all up you may wonder?  Because I myself am at a fork in my life’s journey and I find myself struggling to find myself in a different role- this time, a widow. I know there are many women out there that have either gone through this struggle or are currently going through it as well or will be soon. When do you feel like you are no longer the “couple” but are now the  “single” one amongst your friends, but still a “couple” in your heart? How and when does the hurt stop? When will the pain of the emptiness of your heart stop crying out that you just want a hug, someone who makes you feel safe once again?

I feel lonely and empty and my world has been turned upside down and I know I need to get to a place where I can feel comfortable in my “own skin” once again. One thing I know for sure – pain is a motivator for change!

What kind of gem is your loved ones?

It’s the time of season when we are thinking of that perfect gift for all the loved ones in our lives.  In my life, like many others, I have family and friends who are very special to me.  Each one I look forward to searching and selecting a gift that I think they would enjoy and know that my time and energy went into selecting this for them. 

Friendships and family relationships are like rare gems.  Each one has their own “sparkle” and unique distinctions that can also represent the differences in our relationships.  Got a friend who’s outgoing and is always  fun to be with – ruby is the gem that comes to my mind.  How about soft and gentle?  Opals or pearls.  Elegant and demure, perhaps a lovely emerald.  From different shapes, size, and color the gems in our lives should reflect  the nature snd relationship of our loved ones. 

I have a friend since I’ve been 7 yrs old.  That’s 47 years of friendship!  She is true blue – saphire I would choose.  Over the years I have moved around and no matter where I am I can always pick up the phone and call her and it would be like there was no distance between us and we would just pick up where we left off.

My best(est) friend is a very kindred spirit to my heart.  She is funny, always bringing a smile to my face, closer than a sister and always knows better than me if something is bothering me.  She is loyal, embraces life with flare and took care of not only myself, but my daughters like they were her own.  She’s a very loving person, demontrates that love she so embraces with a quick hug or a kind word to others.  Always thoughtful, willing to help others out without a second thought.  She has taught me more about tue friendship and I love her for it.  For her, the truest of gems – a nice sparkling diamond!

We, Sizzle & Sassy invite you to not only encourage you to think of your special relationships but also invite you to log onto our FifthAvenueCollection website so you can browse through it to see if there is a piece that would suit one of those special “gems” in your life.

Take care my  friends and come back and visit with us again!

Sizzle & Sassy  (Karen and Lynn)

Taking the “Clutter” out of the Holiday Season and then some…

I’m sure many of you feel the same way as you walk through the stores and malls at how each year it seems like they put out each season sooner than the year before!  On top of that, pressure mounts as we are reminded of getting in our Christmas presents earlier before “all the good stuff” is gone on top of all our regular work and life responsibilities!   The media reminds us how unhappy we should be if we don’t have this or that in our lives, or even about ourselves.  Pressure mounts as we are told we don’t look as young as we used to and medical procedures or injections, lotions are a requirement in order for us to feel good about ourselves.  We are encouraged to get “more”, but we find out enough is never enough.  Our lives become “cluttered” with trying to maintain, add new activities and sometimes, even keeping up a lifestyle we can neither afford nor endure.  We end up so exhausted from trying to maintain balance between all the things that we get caught up in like work, family, needed rest and many other things.  Results, we become even more dissatisfied. 

We need to simplify our lives!  We need to find ways to slow down our pace and think about just what is a priority for us as individuals.  Unless we do it for ourselves, it is not going to happen!  To quote a favourite author of mine (Charles Swindoll), “to get rid of the clutter, simplicity isn’t just nice – it’s essential.  But neither is it automatic, it will call forth determination”.

Now, let’s get to our “Bling” that we offer to our friends through our FifthAvenue Collection Jewellery.  We encourage simplicity.  A piece of jewellery that goes with your lifestyle.  The product is affordable and the quality is supreme.  So please browse through our  website and as you think of all the crowded malls, the much higher prices of a collection, allow us to “simplify” your life by doing it at your own convenience and choosing a high quality gift for your loved ones where you know you can stay within your lifestyle budget and you are buying a unique gift for the ones you love and cherish!

God Bless you our friends,

Karen and Lynn,  Sizzle & Sassy

Can Life Lessons be Learned Through Precious Gems?

Since becoming a jeweller for Fifth Avenue Jewellery, I have been learning the terms of each of the precious gems, crystals, pearls, zirconia diamonds and many other gems they pride themselves on in their craftsmanship of designing their superb jewellery.

 

Pearls are a favourite of mine and as my thoughts wondered along the long enduring process of a cultured pearl. A lump developed in my throat as I realized I too was enduring the hardship of being conformed into the image of my favourite gem.

 

On November 4^th, 2008 at 1:22 a.m. I became a widow at the age of 54 years old. My husband of 29 years succumbed to the cancer that was consuming his body after a brave battle of 3 and a half years. Although I knew the inevitable was going to happen, when his heart stopped beating, nothing prepared me for that specific moment. As in the sand that irritates the clam to produce a beautiful cultured perfect pearl, my husband’s silent heartbeat started the process of grief and pain that I know has and will continue to conform me into a woman perfected by the trails of pain and suffering.