White Space

I like white space in layout and design. I'm not a designer, so I don't understand the technical principle behind white space or really how to use it properly. I just know my eye is drawn to a visual that includes it.

Then I realized I actually like "white space" everywhere. I like it in my cupboards at home. When they're crammed full of stuff it I'm not happy. I like it in my garage, in the spaces in my home and even in my mental chatter. Blank spaces, empty spaces that aren't crammed full. Space to breath and reflect. It seems important visually as well in practical life.

New Year's Resolution

To blog more.

Wordle

This neat site lets you take a block of text and it turns it into word art. I like it because it gives a different perspective on things you've written or work you've done. I think it could be an interesting exercise for teams working on projects. I wonder what would happen if my work team ran a new policy under development through Wordle, for example. We'll try it and I'll keep you posted. Here's one of mine from something we wrote a couple of years ago. Recognize it?

Solution Oriented Five-Year-Olds

Phew! Now the sheep won't escape!

Five-year-olds and Face Paint

We were cleaning out the garage yesterday and found some face paint we'd bought years ago for some early King's Bridge event. Probably the Stampede events we used to have when we were at the Cambrian Heights Community Centre. (Those were great events!). Emily & Kaylee decided they'd like to paint my face. They actually didn't do too bad.

Buffet Breakfasts and Social Media

Don't you hate it when you hit the buffet line just as the food is running out, but there are still a number of people behind you? Then no matter what you take it's the last scoop of something, last muffin or the last pat of butter. You can feel all the eyes behind you boring into your back with each thing you take. It was too much stress for a Thursday morning last week.

But on the bright side we heard a great talk on social media. I've heard so many talks on this subject now, they are all starting to sound the same, but I really liked Rob Cottingham's talk that he gave to the communications staff at The City of Calgary. Here's link to one of his video presentations. Check it out.

Driftwood sculptures

Kaylee was sticking pieces of driftwood in the sand in their sandbox. We collected these pieces of driftwood from near our lake - probably lake Kucanusa - on some excursion when I was in my early teens. They lived on a banana rack in the backyard of my dad's house for years. When we cleared out dad's house this past year, the pieces of drift wood wound up in the sandbox in my backyard.