In My Own Back Yard

Spring has arrived! I didn't have to wander too far to see the beauty of nature. These happy tulips popped up unannouned. When I looked into my yard there they were. I am not a gardener so I need plants that tell me when they plan to show up! I know they won't hang around for long so I have been watching them as they open during the day and close at night. Nature is fascinating!

Why The Man Code?

Why have I developed The Man Code you ask?

Well I have been doing couple counselling for quite a number of years and I have come to the conclusion that part of the beak down in communication between men and women is due to The Man Code.

The reality is that men and women live according to different codes. This makes communication between us tricky if not down right impossible.

How many times have I had to translate for each partner what the other was trying to say? So often that I can't count, in fact, it is the norm.

Couples often have the same values and philosophies but how they express them is entirely different. So each ends up with the impression that the other doesn't support them.

I feel sad about this communication breakdown. All I want is for couples to fall in love again. And I also want mothers to enjoy their sons again.

I think that if women learned more about the codes that men live by then we would be able to communicate better with them. In addition, I think that we would enjoy them more and they would feel more comfortable talking to us about their world. It is a very rich and fascinating world and it is very different from the world of women.

By learning about The Man Code we can invite the boys and men in our lives to talk to us about how they see the world. When they do this two things happen. First, we gain a perspective that we didn't have before. This perspective will allow us to see them in a new, more receptive, light. Second, they feel like we are giving them permission to be themselves and so they will be more inclined to open up to us. When they do this we all feel more connected and as women we love to feel connected.

So I figure it is a win win situation for everyone. Getting familiar with The Man Code will bring more fun and laughter into your life and laughter is good for our health!

For more information go to http://www.themancode.typepad.com/ or http://www.kayeleepantony.typepad.com/

The Man Code this Spring

Well it is that time of year when we start things fresh. I have had a break from running my e-courses and am ready to start The Man Code again! It was so much fun the last time.I am looking forward to seeing what comes up this time. I have found myself referring back, over the last few months, to things we learned together in this course. It was great to see what others came up with and how easily we shared a laugh or two. I think we all took something new away with us even if it was just an appreciation of the different ways men and women interpret their worlds.

Starting May 9, 2011 I will be running The Man Code again. 

You can register by emailing me at kpantony@cogeco.ca or by going to www.themancode.typepad.com  

For more information check out my main site at http://www.kayeleepantony.typepad.com/

I look forward to learning along with you!



Nature

I went for a hike on the Rideau Trail on Easter weekend and saw some marvelous sights. Nature is so amazing. The quiet is deceiving because there is so much going on in the woods. When I was watching where I was walking these delicate little flowers caught my eye. As fragile as they look they clearly had the strength to fight there way through the underbrush!

I am looking at nature in a whole new way since taking my painting course this winter. When I look at some of the photographs I took I can see how I could reproduce elements of them on canvas. So who knows what will reveal itself to us when we embark on a learning journey.

New Growth

Spring is a time of renewal. It is a time when we see clear signs of change. We watch the buds pop out on the trees. We hear the birds call to each other. We feel the warmth of the sun return to our parched land. All along this renewal was preparing to take place. Under the dry grass lay signs of life just out of our view.

I feel a renewal taking place in me too. I have had a very productive winter and feel lots of chance emerging just under my sight line. I feel it and know it but haven't seen it quite yet. I am expanding and feel both excited and terrified. My challenge is to stay balanced so I don't topple over in either direction. Keeping these two powerful feelings in harmony is not small feat. But I know I am up for it.

I have lots to share but not quite yet. I promise to keep you posted!

March Break

How not to been seen at the Museum of Nature in Ottawa.

Well we did like so many other parents we headed to the museums at march break.

It was just nice to be able to get on the road and not worry about a snow storm putting an end to our journey.

We had some fun visiting family and generally touring around.

The Last Week Of The Man Code E Course

Well this is the last week of my ecourse The Man Code. I released the last assignment this morning. It felt like giving birth-without the pain.

I have really enjoyed this course. I loved putting the material together as well as the class discussion and images.

We had some laughs and some shift in perspective which was the point.

My hope is that we will all go forth and see the man world with a little more humour and curiosity.

I have run my ecourses five times now and I have taken two ecourse at the same time. So I think it is safe to say it is time for a break. I have enjoyed the whole process but now need to sit back and really think about what I have learned. I still plan to run the courses but not right away.

I want to slow down a little and let my brain percolate. I want to see what comes up next. So as I wait for the Spring to come I am deep in reflection, a place I love to be after a very productive time.