Friday
Develop new ideas through your imagination – softly and flexibly.
If you could find a way to add a twist, you will have more joy
PL Precept # 17 Grasp what is most essential.
Oyashikiri
PL2023.28
Archive for the ‘faith’ Category
Pileated
Pileated Woodpecker .. got to spend a quick moment with one yesterday morning. We startled each other, altho’ he/she was greeting me with a knock, knock, knock inches away from me. We came face to face (he/she was at my face level)
Male on the left – female on the right. I will post a link at the end of this post if you want to know more about this beautiful bird. It is about the size of a crow. (they mate for life)
A single moment is a life time
Be grateful for everything. If you see everything as material to express gratitude, you can encounter a number of opportunities to be grateful for.
Understand Impermanence
Oyashikiri
Snow
These were taken yesterday, it was balmy, mind you I was bundled up with a very long coat, and Bogs* (boots that are made for Canadian winters, keep the feet warm to -058 degrees.) .. and layered “to the nines”. To do the Bog on days when the winds are whipping over the landscape, can be very refreshing. I enjoyed my walk, there was no one else around, There is something to be said about sitting on a bench in the middle of a snow covered Bog. The birds were huddled in the woods fluffed up, keeping warm. The one squirrel I saw was nuzzled in against a tree in the elbow of another branch. He had no interest in leaving the sheltered nook for a peanut.
When I got to the part of the Bog that leads back to terra firma, the wooden boardwalk that crosses over water, was snow covered, the winds had picked up enough that the dried stalks from the water plants .. whispered and sang as the spirited winds ran through them. Beautiful and serene.
The walk provided me with time for quiet reflection, any sadness was carried away by the breeze. Its cool caress as it gently brushed my cheeks, wiped the silent tears. Nature embraced me with the comfort I needed.
Your smile is what is needed
A smile invites happiness and cheer and is essential to energize others as well as yourself.
PL2022.3.
Ottawa is in for another snow storm, hello. another one, yes! and, it will only be the appetizer, mid week it seems a bigger one will arrive. Keep the snow shoes and skiis ready!
Oyashikiri
Sunday
Where there is a will, there is a way!
Have you ever realized that you knew someone for years, and yet, in reality you didn’t know them at all.. Even tho’ that person lived in the same house, ate meals with you, shared quality moments with you (which at the time, you had no idea that the moment would have a lasting impression)… The age difference and the dynamics in the “family” setting were such that this (in your world at the time) was just someone you had to interact with … Many years later, and only after decades of living your own life did the realization of just what part that person played in the many complex pieces of your psyche … did you have an A-HA! moment. Sad really, he of course is long gone, but the replay of the moments you shared with him, are still very fresh in your mind,
It is like standing on the edge of a cliff, after trudging through a field of snow and finding that just below you there is the Atlantic ocean pounding into the rocky shoreline below.. you had not seen in from the road, but you had heard it. Leaving the car, you trudged through knee high snow and over landscape uneven and sculpted with unknown shapes towards the sound… It was fun, you were young, the adventure was a natural high. The sound of the ocean’s relentless pounding a call you couldn’t resist.
But the sudden abrupt end of the hike stops you short,, the drop is too far down, however the view, the moment is breathtaking. One you know you will never forget.
These two past experiences have stayed with me, both etched into my memory cells. Why, I have no idea, but I realized recently that the sum total of Me are the many moments I’ve accumulated in my life time. We just don’t know or realize how each moment we live will affect us, or come back to mirror for us, something we are living NOW.
My father did his best to impress on me the importance of being in the present and paying attention to NOW. I didn’t appreciate it at the time, but I certainly have grown to realize just how valuable that lesson was. I was asked the other day,” if something happens to you, and a decision has to be made about the care/treatment you would want, what do you want?” there was no hesitation on my part, keep me from pain and just let me go. I have been blessed with having lived a 10001 lifetimes and more … I’ve known, and lived love, heartbreak, loss, and now I know contentment.
The world has become a very negative and unfamiliar place, threats, counter threats, fighting, only in the quiet of the woodlands do I find an ambiance of peace/serenity
It is my prayer/hope for this new year that there will be more peace to be found for everyone.
Discover each person’s unique qualities
When we approach people with respect, we can understand them better and see their special qualities.
Oyashikiri
https://youtu.be/56ChPB0_aYM?si=MOFAOIg5C-neef9h
you cannot take back moments lived
lundi
Rejoicing in an early spring day. Soon, only a few months away! Trees will be sprouting their greenery again, and the cold and snow will be but a memory. Meanwhile, if you live here .. you can put on your skates and skate on the longest skating rink supposedly in the world. (The Rideau Canal)
There is always an adventure waiting, it is up to us to decide which “Path” we will take.
You are the result of your daily efforts
Put your whole heart into everything you do in your daily life. Your true self will shine through.
Oyashikiri
Yoshiko soon after arriving from Japan (this is her first winter in Canada!)
PL2022.20
Monday
Needle Felting anyone. When I saw this puzzle I wanted to run to my stash and reproduce it. Felting is such a relaxing and rewarding “hobby”. Then I thought it would be fun to stitch, my sister told me about a “new” pastime called “slow stitching” I think that is what she called it? Do you know? Does it inspire you?Is it the colours or the softness, it has dimension! depth! What do you see?
Open up opportunities by being proactive.
Opportunities don’t just come knocking on the door. Use your enthusiasm and energy to bring good fortune your way.
Let’s pray for World Peace. We are all one big family. Let’s start by praying for the happiness of those around us. Live with a prayerful mind.
Have a great day everyone!
Oyashikiri
PL 2015.13.2022.11
sabado
Good morning… thank you all for your encouraging words, Quinn and Quincy are getting along very well. They settled in very nicely, he is a gentle “old” soul, watches out for her, and doesn’t let her get away with any of her nonsense. He is a little over 2 years old and she we think is about 10 months old.
Today the 11th we celebrate Ancestors’ Day in the PL community. Through this ceremony we express our gratitude for the love and virtues of our ancestors and ask for their protection and guidance so we can continue to live the PL Way!
If you cannot be with us today at church .. take a moment of silence around 10 a.m. to express your appreciation …give thanks… life is good…
Till soon.
Oyashikiri
celebrations have already begun in many parts of the world. Lunar new year officially starts Jan. 29 this year. Yr of Snake (wood)
somewhere
You can just tell the climate is not the cold of today.. the picture was taken just a few days ago but in another part of the world. It is amazing how at the same time I was dealing with a cold that chills to the bone, a friend was wandering and taking in the sights in the Dominican Republic.
We walk around and tend to our lives (cuz we are in the moment! right!) yet someone else, at the exact time, is experiencing his/her life in a completely different way. That is what is so awesome about the world we live in. Our opportunities are so vast, so diverse. and yet…. we often find ourselves going up and down the same street, and never going beyond what is “familiar” to us.
Have you stepped out of your comfort zone lately?
Don’t be swayed by the past; It’s what you do from now on that counts. Your failures as well as your successes are now in the past. Always look towards the future and start with a fresh outlook.
PL2015.9
Oyashikiri
top photos. Paul Constable
You will find more doors … on Dan Antion’s site, (No Facilities) where the weekly Thursday Doors! challenge is featured. https://nofacilities.com/2025/01/09/runaround-prepare-the-badges/
Quinny
You all met Quincy last June/July when he came to live with me, this is his sister Quinny. I didn’t name her, someone at the SPCA must have. Quincy and I have had a wonderful time getting to know one another. He is a gentleman, a loving soul, who has won the hearts of all who meet him. Living alone with me tho’ has proved to be a tad boring for him. He is after all only a little over 2 years old.
It has been almost a month maybe .. that the idea that he would like company began to appear on my radar. I resisted … I’m happy living my quiet, predictable life.. and he was not overly pushy, but he was allowing me to hear his lonely cries in the middle of the night. That would be his active time, and he was finding the 3 story house boring.. he has had a lot of time to explore and make it his… I began a half hearted search, before the holiday… than the thought got lost in the busy activities of the holidays.
Yesterday it was like an itch.. I began early to visit all the pet shops in the area… I hesitated on going to the SPCA I never seemed to arrive during open hours. But. after coming up empty at the PetSmart and PetValues, I headed for the SPCA.. someone was coming out the door so I went in (coincidence) … the place was very quiet, ahhhhh … a sign .. Mondays.. not open.. Adoption hours started today, Tuesday.
Long and the short… most of the show cages were empty… but in the last room, a pair of eyes followed me, when I looked .. it was Quinny, she was very quiet, and VERY SHY. Her name, Quinny stopped me in front of her cage… Did Quincy send me there? What were the chances there would be a cat called Quinny on this day of all days. it was all too easy.. the gal at the front desk, brought her into a room so I could spend time with her.. even tho’ it wasn’t an “open” day for them… She even provided me with a crate to bring her home in… (my name was still on file .. I was already in the system.) ….Quinny was coming home with me.. and to Quincy.
As fate would have it, my “symptoms” kicked into high gear. I called the pharmacy, they got a prescription ready for me, I had to basically drop Quinny home to Quincy’s care.. and go pick up the medication. I came home, took the medication and left Quincy and Quinny to their own devices. I know! unheard of right. but, the Universe had me knackered…
This morning, I woke to Quinny being at the” wait station”, where Quincy usually is most mornings… but as soon as I sat he was there for his morning greeting. He obviously is watching and keeping her inline, he is being gentle and kind, she is more vocal, but his steady quiet insistence will win the day. He is amazing. He did take over the new bed and scratch post… made sure his scent was all over it. He now has someone to play with, and share in his adventures.
With a prayerful mind, put your heart into everything you do.
Even when you’ve put in your best effort, you may have overlooked something. With a humble mind, take a second look to check for mistakes or oversights. (PL2014.7)
Oyashikiri
dymoonblog 