Resolutions

It's 2009! This is the time of year I would normally be making resolutions. Lose weight. Exercise more. Do this. Don't do that. Never. Always.

This year, I don't want resolutions. I want inspirations. I don't want to 'always' do something or 'never'. I want to try things, to experience things and to look after myself in the way I want to. I deserve it surely. I want to learn more. I want to play more. I want to live more.

Not perfect

One of my favourite people in the entertainment world is Tim Minchin. Most of his songs are hilarious - and some are just a little bit sweet. Being someone who has had major body confidence issues (me not him), this verse of his song 'Not Perfect' really gets to the nub of accepting it.

This is my body
And I live in it
It's 29 and 12 months old
It's changed a lot since it was new
It's done stuff it wasn't built to do
I often try to fill it up with wine

And the weirdest thing about it is
I spend so much time hating it
But it never says a bad word about me

This is my body
And it's fine
It's where I spend the vast majority of my time
It's not perfect
But it's mine

You are beautiful...

Not to spoil the potential of an anecdote but I can't remember if a friend once sent me this picture (I think so) or I just came across it on the SelfEsteem4Women site. Either way, it has kind of stuck with me and I still really love it.

Firefly

As Firefly was behind the inspiration for the title of my blog, it's only fair that it gets the first entry!

Firefly was a US sci-fi series which aired in 2002/3. Sadly...nay, TRAGICALLY...it only ran for 14 episodes before being cancelled mid-series. I didn't actually get to see the series until 2006 after the follow-up film Serenity was released on DVD (I saw the series before the film though). But now every time I watch it, I wonder why on earth they canned it, when so many inferior series with two-dimensional characters go on for six or seven seasons *cough* Star Trek Voyager *cough*.

Firefly was created by Joss Whedon who was responsible for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and it's spin-off, Angel. In fact, a good few of the Firefly cast wound up with roles in the later seasons of those two more commercially successful shows. Set 500 years in the future, Firefly combines sci-fi with a western feel (which gives it a nice gritty touch, rather than the super-sterile looking stuff you get in Star Trek). It also has typical Whedon humour and brilliantly written and acted characters.

The plot centres around nine very different characters and their lives aboard the Firefly-class spaceship Serenity. It's impossible to pick a favourite character - I love them all! They are:

Malcolm Reynolds (Nathan Fillion) - Mal is the Captain of the ship and therefore pretty much the main character. Former soldier who fought for the Independents (the losing side) in the war.
Zoe Washburne (Gina Torres) - Zoe is second-in-command on Serenity and fought with Mal in the war previously.
Hoban Washburne (Alan Tudyk) - Wash is Serenity's pilot and Zoe's husband. Is the joker of the crew but does hold some jealousy of Zoe and Mal's close relationship.
Jayne Cobb (Adam Baldwin) - the muscle. Likes guns, girls and would happily sell out the crew for the right price. His favourite gun is called Vera.
Kaylee Frye (Jewel Staite) - Kaylee is the mechanic on the crew. Is in love with Simon and is incredibly sweet-natured and trusting.
Inara Serra (Morena Baccarin) - Inara rents one of Serenity's shuttles from which she conducts her business as a registered companion . Academy-trained, her profession brings respectability to the crew. She is also hopelessly in love with Mal.
Shepherd Book (Ron Glass) - A preacher with a seemingly very interesting past (which unfortunately didn't get fully developed before the series was cancelled).
Simon Tam (Sean Mayer)- the ship's medic and a fugitive on the run from the Alliance. The most reserved member of the crew, he is devoted to protecting his little sister.
River Tam (Summer Glau) - sister of Simon, River was the subject of a number of highly invasive experiments by the Alliance and the child prodigy is now delusional and psychotic. The Alliance want her back, hence she and her brother are on the run.

"Shiny" is one of many phrases which come from the series. Shiny meaning good/fantastic/great/cool, as in "that's just shiny" (either said literally or sarcastically). Another is "Browncoat" - this term, used in the show to mean one who fought on the side of the Independents (like Mal and Zoe), now is also used to referred to fans of Firefly. Thus, unsurprisingly, the show's unofficial fansite can be found at http://www.browncoats.com/

And finally, once more with feeling, why oh why oh why, was this show cancelled?! I shall continue to rave about how brilliant I think it was and no power in the 'verse can stop me.

New blog

I already have a blog dedicated to intuitive eating, but there's no rule to say a girl can't have more than one blog!!

When the going has got tough in life or I'm feeling a little down, I found one thing that helped me was to keep a positive thoughts diary. So this blog is basically the online equivalent. It's going to be about all the random things that make me smile - whether it's something good that happened in my day, a good show, great food, a quote I like...or anything else randomly that comes up! If anyone is reading this - I hope some of them make you smile too :-)

This blog is going to be homage to all that I consider shiny* in my world!!


*The word 'shiny' as blog name is in itself homage to my favourite TV show, Firefly.