Mind Control: Managing Your Mental Health

I've been taking an online class that's given by Prof Steve Joordens Professor of Psychology University of Toronto Scarborough in the past two weeks on Coursera Together: Keep learning with free resources during COVID-19 For Universities & For Learners given to alumni where we can go at your own pace with video lectures, readings, quizzes etc.

It's really nice as this professor has put this class together to help us understand and deal with the anxiousness of this strange time and to be given some understanding and strategic ways to manage our/my mental health during COVID-19.

Topics covered include understanding and dealing with anxiety response, achieving relaxation, mental distraction, physical distancing, isolation, physical distancing, guarding against depression, strategy and techniques for exercises.

At the end of each of the three weeks that I've covered (there's one more week), there's a little quiz section to test the knowledge that was imparted.

Now I'm following the 90 minute national salute where Iconic Canadian artists, activists and athlete sharing hope and inspiration salute to our country's front-line workers.
Thank you to ALL of the frontline workers and first responders!!! #STRONGERTOGETHER #TOUSENSEMBLE

Virtual TM April 23, 2020

I participated in my first virtual toastmasters with Winnie’s Yonge-Eglinton Toastmasters last night.

As I am a guest to this TM, I had the opportunity to enjoy this meeting without the additional stress of presenting a speech (an advantage in membership) that guests are not privileged to.

It was nice to see Ruth and Eman, Mr. President

The speeches were fun, beginning with Bobby's icebreaker speech sharing his preference to not being a chatty katty, thereby avoiding conversations if possible (which is ironic as he was at a TM, lol). He shared a fun example of when he worked at a 'tickle', thus engaging in small talk.

Another speaker, Garry shared a motivational speech on maintaining consistent movement routine. His speech included mentioning that he'd climbed the CN Tower 3 times which brought on my own flashback memories of my own climb back in the day...

Corey's speech was the most fun as he was so excited in presenting his speech that he was unable to distance himself properly from the computer camera, thus was in all our faces the entire time! His speech was praising a fellow church pal, Danny whose positive influence works magic with the church community through his take on focusing on one's inside while appreciating the simplicity and generosity of any person!

Abbeyites 'zoom' get together

The first of many to come with us ladies between Canada & Australia!!!

What a great experience within the six of us that Maija so graciously helped to set up for us yesterday evening. The cool thing about zooming is that whoever is speaking is on the large screen while the others are lined up in the little boxes on the top of the screen.

Kristy & Karina both dropped in what would have been Sunday morning from oz.

Darling Maija graced us with a wonderful looking hat.
As well, Emmi, James and Jonathan
graced us periodically with their presence!

Fayewood also had Marc drop in for a quick 'hello'!

We were all excited to celebrate Dr. T's new position in Melbourne. Not to mention seeing what wonderful furnished digs she has. *thumbs up* It's excellent incentive to come back to visit her in the wonderful city, yay!!!

It was a nice occasion as we also all sang Happy Birthday to our buddy ,Tanaks!!!

The 77th annual golden globe awards two highlights

So I'd actually finally saw the tape on the weekend but I've ONLY just gotten around to posting that I've seen it. Yassss, I know this was from way back at the beginning of the year...Jan 5, 2020 (don't judge!!!)

The two highlights of the show for me was especially when:
Kate McKinnon presented Ellen Degeneras the Carol Burnett award emphasizing that Ellen:
- gave her a sense of self, especially when she came out at that time, which gave her courage as well as that 'only thing that made it less scary was seeing Ellen on tv. I would have gone on thinking that I was an alien and that I maybe didn’t have the right to be here.'

As well as when:
Charlize Theron presented Tom Hanks with the Cecil B. DeMille award saying:
- 'I was in love. Rita, you SHOULD file a restraining order against me.
They called Tom an ‘every man’. And while Tom does give us a chance to see ourselves on screen, he also gives us something more profound. He presents a vision of who we COULD be.
- Tom gave ME one of my first roles when he directed ‘That thing you do.’
- I remember my audition after my first read I thought I completely blew it, I didn’t know where I was or WHO I was and I had SOMEHOW forgotten to BREATHE.
- And Tom just kindly looked at me, took a beat and said ‘I’m so sorry Charlize, do you mind just giving me five minutes? I have to just step out. I’ll be RIGHT back and then we’ll do that scene again.’ Tom didn’t need five minutes. I needed five minutes. Those five minutes were a gift to me because he saw a nervous sweaty young actress, failing to master a panic attack and a THICK South African accent. THAT’S the kind of man he is.
- This is why we love Tom.
- He stands for all the qualities we stand for, both on screen and off.
- He gives us enough laughter to whether our storms and while there is not crying in baseball!’, he has made easy work of breaking our hearts and stealing our tears. The most undeniable thing that can be said about Tom Hanks is both deceptively simple and overwhelmingly true.
- He just makes the world a better place.’

Tom's acceptance speech included:
- You know, you’re a dope if you don’t steal from everybody you’ve worked with. And I have stolen from the likes of the people that only need ONE name. You know? Like Meryl... like Denzel...like Antonio...Like Meg... like Julia... like Sally Field, even thought that’s two names, it’s still one. But I have also been made better by watching the examples of some of the greatest actors that have ever walked the stage. And Charlize who is actually one of those one word names. The reason I had to leave the room, the reason I had to leave the room for five minutes was because I was going to tell all the producers that this woman that I’m auditioning right now is going to be in this movie somehow so we’ve got to figure out how it’s going to work. And she WAS.

- In 1977 when I was an intern at the Great Lakes Shakespeare festive my first professional job. We ALL got yelled at by Dan Sullivan, the director. We had all partied a little too much the night before, we were showing up for rehearsals and he screamed at us. He said ‘hey, look you actors. You know what your job is? You have GOT to show up on time and you have to know the text, and you have to have a head full of ideas. Otherwise I CAN’T do my job.’ That was the greatest lesson a young actor could possibly ever get. First of all, the head full of ideas. Bring anything, try anything, they might not use it. If it stinks, they won’t use it. Am I right, Marty Scorsese? If it’s not good, boy, let’s see the outtakes from that movie, by the way...

- And it’s NOT just the lines. It’s the WHOLE thing. It’s the red dot. It’s the theme of the movie. You’ve GOT to know it. You might not be RIGHT in what opinion that you bring to it but you’ve got to come at it with SOME direction. And as Charlize might know and some of the other people who’ve worked with us through the playtone galaxies of stars...showing up ON TIME. Is ONE of the GREATEST liberating acts you can give YOURSELF in a movie. That means those people with radios in their ears don’t need to knock on your door to say they’re ready for you. They’re actually all ready for you...and you have liberty and you have the freedom to be early enough to settle down because when the time comes, you have to hit the marks...and you have to GO there.

- Thank you all here, thank you all for your inspiration. And all of your work and all of the struggle that you guys go through in order to hit the marks and tell the truth. I have checked the gate. The gate is good. Thanks!

#goldenglobes

Comedy Gives Back Laugh Aid 4 / 4 @ 4 pm PT

Laugh Aid is a comedy live stream showcasing A-list lineup of comedians raising money and awareness for an emergency relief fund benefiting working comedians.

Instagram workouts

Even though I try to keep a regular workout schedule, as our facilities are closed for the moment I’m maintaining my exercise via morning walks in the park and now I’m following Twitch and Allison’s m/w/f Instagram workouts that they post.

I’m including their ‘live’ screenshot of them posing after the day’s workout.

It’s called ENCOURAGEMENT!!! 😉