Revive55 Project Part 2: Make Space

My 55 week Revive55 Project ended a year ago. I thought it was a good time to reflect on the project and look forward.

I started the project in the hopes of preserving all my memories. I was feeling like my collection of photos, videos, stories and mementos was growing and was getting out of control. I was overwhelmed with the quantity and was no longer making photo albums or scrapbooks to preserve them. I had started to make yearly photobooks that could hold four times the number of photos in the same amount of space on my shelf but still felt like I wanted to do better.

I thought that focusing on my memories for 55 weeks would help me to "catch up" and help me better remember my stories and moments.

What I found though was that 55 weeks wasn't enough to preserve it all. I also didn't want to spend that much time preserving instead of creating new memories. Once I "caught up", then what? How would I preserve memories going forward?

The R55 Project started out with a bang. I had lots of plans. I did lots of shopping - buying products that would help preserve and display mementos and photos.

Many "memory projects" planned went undone or ended up half-done. 

During COVID, I saw a meme that said if only I had a week (or a month) at home I'd get my unfinished projects completed. Then COVID gave us months at home and projects still went undone. So as some of my projects went undone, I wondered why. Was it because they weren't important or it wasn't worth the time they would take? How could I complete them in a better way?

Having taken a break and gained perspective, I am ready to re-focus my efforts to finally achieve what I had hoped. What I wanted was to feel like the memories that mattered were being collected and enjoyed.

Home organizers will say that decluttering is the first step to organizing a home. In hindsight, I see that I could have started there, but I wasn't ready. I made the rookie organizing mistake to go buy containers to organize the stuff rather than removing the excess first to see what containers were needed.

I still had a memories journey to take before I was ready to see that I shouldn't want to preserve it all. As much as I did preserve many memories during my Revive55 Project,  I learned that letting go is just as important.

I read the Law of Attraction years ago. Looking back at my notes, I am reminded that Tool #9 is to "create a void or a vacuum". What this means is that we need to create space in order to attract what we want to fill it. The example in the book is in order to attract more clients, we need to make space in our filing cabinet for the new client's file. If the cabinet is bursting at the seams, there is no room for new clients.

When my memory boxes and photo albums were full; I would buy more. Eventually, my shelves and closets were full. My house isn't getting any bigger so I needed a better way. 

Creating a void and making space would make room for new memories and isn't that the point in life is to experience it and not just to collect it?

The other thing I learned during my project is that by preserving it all, we diminish the value of the really special ones. Since my memories were piling up and not "preserved" I started to collect more mementos and to take more photos in the fear of forgetting, but this caused the most memorable ones to get even more lost amid the clutter. The quote I loved was "they are more beautiful if they are few". You can read my blog post about that quote here.

During my project, I was also trying to "unearth" stories I may have forgotten, but I learned that sometimes, we forget stories for a reason. A little digging reminded me of an unpleasant memory. Turns out there was a reason I had forgotten the details. 

My old way of preserving memories was no longer working and I recognized that spending 55 weeks trying to preserve them in the old way wasn't the answer. 

I wanted to find a better way and it needed to start by letting go of the quantity to find the quality.

Knowing that decluttering memories will make me happier doesn't make it easier though. Knowing something sometimes isn't enough to act but I am ready to try.

My new focus of my Revive55 Project will be to make space and to preserve only what is most meaningful.

Reversing Falls in Saint John

Sweet tides, pools of love

Your eyes are full of

Sweet tides, pools of love

Your eyes are full of

(Sweet Tides by Thievery Corporation)

Three years ago, I went to Fredericton for my cousin's funeral. Although the priority was to spend time with family, I thought I'd spend an extra day to see the area. When I researched, I saw that you could see the tide come in or go out in Saint John at Reversing Falls.

To see my vlog for this story, you can click here.

There was a storm as I arrived in Fredericton with lots of snow. It would have been easy for me to decide not to go to Saint John which was more than an hour away. It would have been easy to think that I would go when it was summer. But I decided to go anyway not knowing when I would be back in the area.

I'm so happy I did. There was a viewing spot called SKYWALK where you could watch outside but with it being so cold, I didn't spend too much time there. 

There were glass floor squares behind me. The worker who had shovelled the walk told me not to step on them because they were so slippery. I put my foot on it to see how slippery and he was right!! It would have been worse than walking on an ice rink.

Photo credit: skywalksaintjohn.com

I spent most of my time in the Reversing Falls Restaurant seen in the photo above on their website and seen in my photo below that also includes the glass floor SKYWALK.

Luckily with it being at the beginning of February, it was a quiet day so the staff didn't mind me sitting with at a table with a view for hours. I had a perfect view of the bridge and the tide.

I had looked online to see when the tide would be at its peak and when to arrive. The yellow section below shows how long I was there; from just before peak tide and then more than half of the tide going out.

I initially took a live video then remembered that it would be much better as a timelapse video. I let it run for about an hour but then the battery on my phone was dying. I charged it in the restaurant and grabbed a few more timelapses but never for long enough to get a spectacular video. It's still really cool to see the water rise. In hindsight, it would have been more dramatic to see it go down to see the line of snow where the high tide was.

It's amazing to see the water coming in and then the water goes still as it reaches slack tide. It's only at this time that boats can go by. There were only ducks that swam by while I was there. It wasn't boating season.

It slowly starts to recede before it visibly flows back out.

You can see the level difference in these two shots. It's too bad I couldn't stay longer. I wanted to get back to Fredericton before it got dark.

If you ever make it to New Brunswick, it's worth the time to see the Reversing Falls in Saint John.

Enjoying Memories One Day At A Time

What a difference a year makes. February 12th is special to me because it's the anniversary of the Opening Ceremony I attended at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics (and the 10th anniversary celebration I attended last year). It was a childhood dream come true. This message isn't about that experience. 

My point today is to use these types of "anniversaries" to enjoy our memories. I find that looking back at my memories brings happiness to my days and it brings me hope for the future. Looking back at past memories is making happy memories today. It helps me to look forward to making more memories.

I love making photo albums, blogging and am now starting to vlog. Those are my hobbies and my passions but they're not needed to enjoy our memories.

I have often heard from friends that they want to make photo albums but don't have time or don't make the time. Is it possible that it's because they don't enjoy it or they don't prioritize it? 

I may love knitted sweaters but don't necessarily want to knit a sweater.  Some people may love having photo albums (or the idea of having photos albums) but may not want to take the time to make them. Making the album is a chore to them - and maybe there are chores we do that we hate doing but we like it when it's done. Maybe the consequence of those chores not being done is a lot worse than the consequence of a photo album not done. Undone albums don't smell or take up counter or floor space.

Everyone can enjoy their photos and their memories if they want to. Before my Revive55 Project, I believed that the way to do that was by making photo albums and video compilations. I thought it was about taking mementos out of their boxes and enjoying them. 

I thought I would want to inspire others to do what I wanted to do. I realized though that I want to inspire people to enjoy their memories whether they want the hobby of album-making or not. I want to inspire people to remember the moments that matter to them. 

I know people who don't even want to go look at their digital photo collection because they find it overwhelming so they just put their heads in the sand and think that some day they will sit down and get it all organized.

They think that some day, they will make time for photo albums or photobooks. But why? You don't need photo albums to enjoy your photos. You don't need photo albums to relive your memories. Technology is making our memory keeping a lot easier. I'll write about using technology for instant memory enjoyment in future posts.

One way to start to better enjoy your memories is to notice when we are reminded of past moments. 

Today and this weekend, I will have a mini-celebration to remember my Olympics memories. I'll wear my Olympic t-shirts, look at my photos and videos, take out my Olympics mementos box and watch some of the Opening Ceremony that is on YouTube. 

On Sunday, Valentine's Day, I will look back at past Valentine's Days. I have a box of greeting cards. I decluttered them during my Revive55 Project, but hadn't decided how to organize the ones I wanted to keep. This weekend, I will separate the Valentine ones to enjoy every year on February 14. 

I may use that same idea to organize our anniversary cards or my birthday cards. We don't receive as many cards in the mail anymore so it will be fun to read cards from previous years. That's a lot better than them sitting in a box. But that's me. Memories is my hobby so I want to spend time on them. But you don't have to. Memories may be important to you but you aren't interested in the time-consuming hobby of memory-keeping and preserving.

My Olympics memories are major ones for me so I spend a lot of time on them, but there are SO many smaller ones that I want to enjoy.

I have to admit that I am overwhelmed by my photo collection. Although I keep working at it, and want to purge, organize and create projects; the way I will do that in the future is to focus on these anniversary memories. I'll use these reminders as nudges to take a small step forward.

Besides obvious anniversary events, we are often reminded of other memories - and the "anniversary" may not necessarily be a date on the calendar. We might:

• see a movie set in a place we've visited
• read a book that reminds us of a childhood memory
• see a news article that reminds us of an event we attended
• hear a song that reminds us of a concert
• see someone that reminds us of a friend
• read a newsletter or blog that reminds us of something we're happy to remember

When I am reminded of a memory, I will find the photos if there are any, tell the story or just daydream of that time. While I'm in the photos, I'll delete less important ones and "heart" (star) more important ones.

For example, recently, it was the anniversary of my cousin's death in 2018. When I went to his funeral in Fredericton, afterwards, I took a day trip to Saint John to see the tide come in then go out at the Reversing Falls. I had taken photos and videos but had not looked at them since so I took the time to remember my cousin and my trip to his province. I looked back at my photos and made a video compilation of the Reversing Falls like I had meant to do when I took them - and because that's my hobby and passion. You can see the video on my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/suze20to.

Enjoying our memories can be as simple as remembering or reflecting, sharing a story or looking at photos or videos. So if you don't enjoy making photo albums or creating projects, don't feel guilty but find other ways to enjoy your memories. Let go of "some day I'll organize my photo collection" and enjoy little bits one day at a time. 

Although I love taking time to create memories-themed projects and celebrations, I don't have enough time to capture all my memories in this way so I am finding quick ways to enjoy the other ones. I hope I'll inspire you to do the same.

Scenic Route Part Two

Don't worry about a thing

'Cause every little thing gonna be alright

Singin' don't worry about a thing

'Cause every little thing gonna be alright

(Three Little Birds by Bob Marley)

I finished the second part of my Scenic Route video. If you haven't seen the first part, you can watch it by clicking here.  My original blog post from 2018 can be found here.

I created the first part using iMovie which is pretty easy to learn but it has its limitations. I used Final Cut Pro to make the second part. I have to admit that it took me a lot longer to do it but I will want to continue to use Final Cut Pro.

I will have to learn how to use it better however. When I started to create my next video, I actually started it in iMovie figuring I could just make it quicker. It was a simpler video so I figured I didn't need the extra features in Final Cut Pro. I'm in the process of making a how-to video where I show how I make a highlight video from a few clips. It's not that difficult to do if you're interested in enjoying your videos more.

The first part of the Scenic Route video included a lot of written passages. I was thinking at the time to have the video read more like a book that included video and audio clips but the second part doesn't include as many written passages.  When I recorded the story, it just seemed more interesting to me to hear the story told than to read it. I was surprised how much emotion came up when I told the story to a camera.

After showing the first part I made with my iPhone to my husband, he told me that the video quality would be much better with his Fuji XT-4 camera and external microphone. We now have them set up on a tripod ready to video whenever we want. Even my untrained eye and ear can tell the difference in quality between the two recordings.

Unfortunately, the heater in my study was on while I recorded the video for part 2. I was bummed because I didn't think I could re-record the video with as much genuine emotion. I told the story on the recording for the first time in a while, so it was fresh and I felt what I was saying. I'm not an actor so I didn't think I could recreate it as well if I re-recorded it.

My husband showed me how to get rid of the humming using Final Cut Pro. I really need to learn how to use it better because it's amazing!! iMovie have noise reduction but it's not as precise as Final Cut Pro. The sound isn't perfect, but it's a lot better than it originally was. Someone more experienced could also have improved it more but I'm happy with the lack of experience I have.

Here is Scenic Route Part Two. Hope you enjoy it. Subscribe to my YouTube channel to see more videos and/or subscribe to my blog to read more posts. (click on the icon below my photo on the right column)

Taking the Scenic Route Video Story

Don't worry about a thing

'Cause every little thing gonna be alright

Singin' don't worry about a thing

'Cause every little thing gonna be alright

(Three Little Birds by Bob Marley)

For the past few years, I have been half-jokingly saying (mostly to myself) that I was writing a book.  There is a difference between writing a book and having a book published. Recognizing that, I am more willing now to tell people that I am writing a book, even if I just print a copy for myself.

I have binders full of notes, thoughts, research, passages and quotes from books I've read and copies of my blog posts and emails. I haven't quite figured out what to do with it all and how to present it in book form but I'm working on it.

Last week, I was watching a video that my husband made when we went for a day trip to Elora that included a patio lunch in September 2020. I loved the moment at the 1:47 mark when I exclaim: 

"It is exciting to be out!!"

We discussed how it had been 6 MONTHS since the pandemic started and how crazy it was that it had been that long. The week before, there had been around 100 new cases per day in the province of Ontario (population 14 million). Looking back now, this was the start of the numbers going up again, but we didn't realize it at the time. 

Now that we're 4 more months in, I love that we captured that moment and those feelings.

Here's what I wrote on Friday morning after watching the video:

"I watched the Elora sunflower video earlier and how precious is that? It shows us at a moment in time, a moment of hope, that the worst was behind us, but it wasn't. A moment of 'it's been 6 months!'!! Who would have believed it - and now it's 10 months.

I love these types of glimpses of our lives and maybe love them even more than photo albums. They're more real and you can feel the emotions more.  [okay I wrote that but I still LOVE my photo albums]

I love the written word, but maybe there's a place for video.

What if my book was a visual book. I have tears in my eyes at the thought - is that possible?

Have either written words on the video - or have videos that go with the PDF?

Have written words/passages on the video that you can pause on...and as the story gets to a place that has videos or photos, add them in.

Can I try that with a story I already have - to see if it works?...

There are books, e-books, audiobooks...why not

videobooks? vlogs with written pages?"

I spent that afternoon working on my first videobook clip about the time when we got off at the wrong station in Switzerland that serendipitously worked out for the better. I thought it was a short-ish story and it was timely. We were in Switzerland 3 years ago to the day so I loved to revisit that memory. I already had a blog post written, so it was a matter of copying the words and adding photos and videos.

I also really loved the music aspect to adding videos to the stories. A lot of my blog posts on My Life Is Like A Song start with lyrics. Often times, I wondered if people read them, knew the song or sang them in their head. With a video, I can play them or maybe if I get brave enough, can even just sing the lyrics myself to start the stories.

On Friday night, I published what I had to tell my husband about my new idea and to show him what I had created so far in iMovie. 

I was frustrated with the lack of flexibility with the titles and ways that I felt could make the clip more interesting. He showed me what is possible in Final Cut Pro and I decided that I would learn it and start using it to make my future videobook clips - including part 2 of this story. I figured it wasn't worth continuing it in iMovie. 

I have to add, that I didn't want to google videobooks that day. I didn't want to know if it was already a thing. I just wanted to create something without being influenced. It turns out that videobooks and vooks exist and are especially popular for kids books. I'll look imto it more but for now, I just wanted to enjoy my process and storytelling.

Here's the first demo clip:

I look forward to seeing how the clips evolve as I learn Final Cut Pro and figure out what works in the storytelling and what doesn't.

If you're interested in seeing future blog posts or videos, subscribe to my blog and/or my YouTube channel.

Thanksgiving Themed Playlist

In my last post, I wrote:

"A Thanksgiving playlist is something fun to do, whether they are songs that are about giving thanks or just songs that you're thankful for. Creating and listening to a playlist you love can add enjoyment to your weekend."

I started a playlist of songs that relate to giving thanks, getting together, autumn and some songs that kind of  stretch the theme - like Washing Dishes. I started with songs I already had, then searched for suggestions on Google and Apple Music. When I was done (the first time), I loved that there were 55 songs in the playlist for my Revive55 Thanksgiving Playlist.

I then removed ones that I didn't like when I listened to them or read the lyrics.  As I removed some, I added some to keep the number to 55. 

Here are some of my favourite lyrics about giving thanks or being grateful. I'm actually copying these from my 2009 blog post on my original blog My Life Is Like A Song.

I want to thank you

for giving me the best day of my life
Oh just to be with you
is having the best day of my life
(Thank You by Dido)

Thank you India
Thank you providence
Thank you disillusionment
Thank you nothingness
Thank you clarity
Thank you thank you silence
(Thank U by Alanis Morrissette)

Some call it faith, some call it love.
Some call it guidance from above.
You are the reason we found ours,
So thank you stars
(Thank you, Stars by Katie Melua)

Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty
What would life be?
Without a song or a dance what are we?
So I say thank you for the music
For giving it to me
(Thank You for the Music by Abba)

Didn't expect any of this
But it's really nice,
Didn't want you to cause a fuss
But it feels alright.
So thank you very much,
It's really nice to know
That you enjoyed the show
(Thank You Very Much by Kaiser Chiefs)

And I thank you for choosing me
To come through unto life to be
A beautiful reflection of his grace
See I know that a gift so great
Is only one God could create
And I'm reminded every time I see your face
(To Zion by Lauryn Hill)

Got my dreams, got my life, got my love
Got my friends got the sunshine above
(Happy by Natasha Bedingfield)

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
(Lucky by Jason Mraz)

And I thank you for bringing me here
For showing me home
For singing these tears
Finally I've found that I belong here
(Home by Depeche Mode)

Well tonight
Thank God it's them instead of you
(Do They Know It's Christmas by Band-Aid)

Who will rise?
It would be so nice to hear you say
"Thank you for the good times"
Before the good times fly away
(Thank you for the Good Times by Oasis)

Oh its such a perfect day,
I'm glad I spent it with you.
Oh such a perfect day,
You just keep me hanging on,
You just keep me hanging on.
You're going to reap just what you sow,
(Perfect Day by Lou Reed)

Generosity is the key
Yeah
Thank you very much
(15 Minutes Away by K'naan)

Nothing is perfect man
That's what the world is
All I know is I'm enjoying today
You know cause it isn't everyday
That you get to give
(Take A Minute by K'naan)

Outside the sun is shining,
seems like heaven ain’t far away
It’s good to have you with us
Even if it’s just for the day
(Exitlude by The Killers)

Ah la la la la la life is wonderful
Ah la la la la la la life is meaningful
Ah la la la la la life is full of
Ah la la la la la life is so full of love
(Life is Wonderful by Jason Mraz)

I'm thankful for the blessings

and the lessons I learned

with you by my side

(Thankful by Kelly Clarkson)


And finishing with a song of the beauty in the world...

I see trees of green........ red roses too
I see 'em bloom..... for me and for you
And I think to myself.... what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue..... clouds of white
Bright blessed days....dark sacred nights
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world.

The colors of a rainbow.....so pretty...in the sky
Are also on the faces.....of people going by
I see friends shaking hands.....saying...how do you do
They're really saying......I love you.

I hear babies cry...... I watch them grow
They'll learn much more.....than I'll never know
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world
(What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong)

Here are some of the songs on my playlist:

The Thanksgiving Song by Adam Sandler
Crowded Table by The Highwomen
Washing Dishes by Jack Johnson
Thank You For the Music by Abba
What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
Perfect Day by Lou Reed
Grateful by Jewel
Look For The Good by Jason Mraz
Thank You by Dido
Happy by Natasha Bedingfield
Thank U by Alanis Morrissette
Life is Wonderful by Jason Mraz
Thank for the Music by Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!)
Beautiful Day by U2
Better Together by Jack Johnson
Autumnsong by Manic Street Preachers
Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen
A Thousand Suns by Hey Rosetta!
Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Harvest Moon by Neil Young
Give Thanks and Praise by Bob Marley & The Wailers
Autumn in New York by Billie Holiday

etc.

For anyone interested, click here my full Thanksgiving playlist on Apple Music.

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

I want to thank you

for giving me the best day of my life

Oh just to be with you

is having the best day of my life

(Thank You by Dido)

Next weekend is Thanksgiving in Canada. It will be a Thanksgiving like we have never experienced before. So how can we celebrate and be thankful when we can't all get together? 

I think that celebrating Thanksgiving is still important and it can still be wonderful in a different way even if we can only be with our loved ones with a socially distant visit, phone call or video call. 

Are you normally so busy preparing, travelling, hosting or visiting for Thanksgiving that you often don't get to truly enjoy the weekend? Of course we love being with our loved ones but maybe we can love or at least accept the COVID gift of time and space. 

Be Grateful

Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful so hopefully you take a moment to reflect on what you are thankful for. My friend Brenda is offering a free 10-day gratitude experience starting on Monday October 5th. Click here to sign-up for her daily emails or join her private Facebook group.

Eat

We can try a new recipe or prepare a more time-consuming meal that we may not make when hosting others. Here are some ideas from Canadian Living to try. Even if there isn't enough people for a whole turkey, I have purchased turkey breast, drumsticks and thighs separately in the past. It's a great way to enjoy turkey for two or four. A rotisserie chicken is also a great option. We can make the celebration extra special by setting a beautiful table and using our most special china, silverware and crystal. 

We can support our favourite restaurants by visiting their patio or ordering takeout. While working on this post, I started getting ads for catered meals. That's another great idea if we don't want to cook.

Decorate

We can celebrate by purchasing new fall decorations and taking the time to decorate our table, house, front porch or deck. I've just added pumpkins to my next pick-up grocery order to ensure I don't forget. This could also be a good time to start thinking about Halloween decorations.

Reminisce

We can take the time to reflect on past Thanksgiving celebrations and getaways. With the extra time available, we can go through past October photos and videos to prepare a slideshow to enjoy. While going through the photos, be productive by deleting bad photos and duplicates. If you're using a photo program that allows it, add keywords or descriptions for future reference. We can also enjoy sharing the stories with our loved ones.

Music

A Thanksgiving playlist is something fun to do, whether they are songs that are about giving thanks or just songs that you're thankful for. Creating and listening to a playlist you love can add enjoyment to your weekend.

Movies/TV

Another entertainment idea is to watch movies or television episodes set around Thanksgiving. Here's a wikipedia page with a list of movies and another list of Thanksgiving-themed episodes from television shows. Choose your favourite and hopefully you can find the episode or movie on a streaming or TV service you have. 

Tourist in Your City

The extra time we'll have gives us a great opportunity to enjoy our city and parks. We can take in a sunrise or sunset, enjoy the fall colours or go for a hike. We can visit a tourist site that is open or visit a farm. Here's a list of farms in the Greater Toronto Area. Make sure to check to ensure it's open before driving out to one. We can get more ideas by googling Thanksgiving events in our area.

Fall Colours

The To Do Ontario website has a great fall colour report. Click here to go to their website and find out where and when to see the fall colours. The website also has great road trip and drive ideas.

This map shows the peak timing of colours. Click here to go to the website for updates and to use the interactive map for your area. If you're not in Ontario, hopefully you can find a similar website by googling "fall colour report" for your area.

Even if you're "not in the mood" and more like Meredith in Grey's Anatomy:

"Gratitude, appreciation, giving thanks - no matter what words you use, it all means the same thing. Happy. We're supposed to be happy, grateful for friends, family. Happy to just be alive. Whether we like it or not."  

"Maybe we're not supposed to be happy. Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy. Maybe being grateful is recognizing what you have for what it is. Admiring the struggle it takes simply to be human."

"Maybe we're thankful for the familiar things we know. And maybe we're thankful for the things we'll never know. At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate. "

(Grey's Anatomy Season 2; Episode 9 - Thanks for the Memories)

Perhaps in 2020, we can add a twist by also being thankful for what we don't have and can't do that we don't want.