Where are they, what do they know we don’t. When we got that really cold weather last week, the chipmunks didn’t come out. They waited for the day to warm up. There have been whispers that we might get a cold snap over the next few weeks. On the bright side, with the cold…. I have not seen the pesky biters (mosquitoes)
Discover the joy of Transforming yourself. When you realize how much you have changed for the better, it fills you with true happiness. Strive each day to improve yourself. (PL2014.8)
…. do you realize when you are retired, you don’t “have” to get up and be somewhere, unless you decide that is something YOU WANT to do….
Oyashikiri
ps. I’m thinking of finally putting into action, an adult colouring book. I have enough material accumulated.
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. (PL 2014.7)
Feeling tired, worn out, need a break. This rusted beauty above has been sitting on the side of the road for years. I was glad to see it was still there, but it is showing its age. The picture below is from my collection of vintage oldies ( found on Pinterest). These relics are from a different time. Life was slower … the car was an invention that allowed for greater distances to be travelled, in a shorter time. It was the beginning of an era where life would no longer be lived “closer to home”
There was a time, when someone who lived in another village/town/hamlet would be a total stranger, and usually would remain so … because life was lived within the community/parish you lived in. Now we can wake up in one country and go to bed in another … Friends/family can be miles away, Sometimes the physical distance means the only communication is “electronic”…
How many readers remember when the only way we could stay in touch was by “Mail”… when phones were few and far between… How many of you have had a “penpal”… someone who you wrote to .. in a far away place.. and then wait for them to respond… a conversation tooks weeks/months. Sigh.. a trip down memory lane.
Note. I still communicate with two of my “pals” one in New Zealand, the other in NY State..
New Encounters can help you change.
Be up for anything, even if its out of your comfort zone. This is a chance for you to improve yourself as a human being.(PL2020.30)
This is the old truck that sits next to the first car.
Cheers everyone.. May your day be blessed with sunshine and friends.
I am not a food blogger, however, yesterdays culinary adventure was simply delicious. In my travels I ended up in Merrickville, Ontario around the time my tummy was screaming for attention. Discover the Yellow Canoe Cafe on St. Lawrence Street.. they have a patio, but I ate in the restaurant .. I was lucky to be first in the door when it opened. …https://www.yellowcanoecafe.com/ I picked the Blue Beef sandwich and fresh garden salad. The blue is for the blue cheese married with tender juicy brisked beef.. the taste was awesome, I actually had to supress a groan of pleasure when I bit into a hunk of avocado with the beef.
Turn your intuitions into actions.
Appreciate each intuition you receive and take action right away. By doing so will invite good fortune. (PL2017.5)
btw, the Yellow Canoe Cafe is known for its scones.. I was not wanting to take away from the joy of my sandwich and salad so I skipped it.. but I’m told their baked goods are awesome.. yes .. they bake their breads. (service was efficient, and sunshine friendly.) NB* the little cafe filled up fast…
Have a great day!
Oyashikiri
Merrickville was one stop out of many. stay tuned.
The witching month is here .. it is official, the pumpkins, spiders, skulls, everywhere one looks we can catch a glimpse of spider webs, or the tail end of a broom as someone flies to work. In the shops, we can have spiced lattes, pumpkin pie, the restaurants are offering up thanksgiving specials.. (Canadian Thanksgiving is on the 14th. of October) Orange in every hue is all around us.
Express your feelings without hesitation
If you hold in all your feelings, you will feel heavy. Just say what is on your mind without hesitating. (PL2017.4)
Sometimes, we have to be “grown up”… Whatever that means!
Oyashikiri
SL Pictures, taken at the Speakeasy Warehouse @Trow Boa Experience
Good morning, welcome to a small town along the highways as I made my way towards Valleyfield, Quebec.
.I looked up and saw the door leading …out to no where – then I spied this old concrete structure with the wonderful wrap around veranda.. it must have been a great vantage point for the town parades in the days of its past glory. I am thinking it could have been the village general store.., It was a delightful find.
Today’s thought -reflection.
Improve yourself to have a kinder heart
Do what you can to be caring and considerate to make others happy.(PL2021.3)
Here is something else to think about. The other day my neighbour said to me ” soon we won’t be able to enjoy a banana” .. when I Iooked puzzled she said.. “no seeds in the watermelons, no seeds in the bananas, our food is being so manipulated (GMO) there are no seeds to carry on the wonderful fruits and vegetables as we knew them. Sure enough, when I got home, my watermelon, had no seeds, not one. and…. I’m told you have to pick where you get your bananas, they are not always enjoyable to eat (texture)
Yesterday I made it to downtown Salaberry de Valleyfield in southwestern Quebec. To get there I took the route along the water, through Saint Zotique and other little villages. I was blessed with another gorgeous day. These pictures were taken when I stepped out of my car on rue Victoria that runs along Dellpha Sauve Park. I parked and walked across to the Restaurant la Pataterie, where I ordered …. you guessed it.. a steamed hot dog and fries … to go of course.. there was a picnic table just steps away from where I parked where I could not only enjoy the view, but the clear skies and mid day breeze.
I’d go back for the fries and to try the hamburger or their smoked meat combo.. there was a lot to pick from.
Driving along the roads I let my mind empty of the mindless chatter and let the thoughts come and go as they were want to. The mind can be a real chatter box, some of it is relevant … and a lot is just gibberish. But .. it is important to let the mind unclutter itself. We can’t do that when we are busy running here and there .. or having conversations … My car is like my office on wheels. Sometimes I need to shut the door, turn on the engine and let the open road call me to where ever…
PL Precept # 18 Each moment is a turning point.
PL Precept #17 Grasp what is most essential
In life we are blessed with the opportunity to make choices, to decide what and how we want to live our lives. As I drove by the areas that allowed me an access to the water… I took a small side street that gave me a full view of a big industrial tanker making its way across the water. I parked for a bit so that I could enjoy the view as it slowly sailed past.. not another boat in sight, just the open sky in the background. It would have made a great picture, but that would have meant my finding a place to park the car and my getting out.. by the time I would have done that.. it would no longer be in the perfect spot for a good picture. That’s what life is all about isn’t it. Each moment is a lifetime.
Good morning, wasn’t this a perfect day for clouds. Canada is a beautiful country we have such a diverse and interesting landscape depending on what direction we take. I wish my thinking was as clear and bright as the sky was that day….
I thought I was being so careful, I was making a broth using fresh vegetables, spices etc. It is a great time for such an undertaking, there are fresh vegetable stands along the highways and of course in the stores there is plenty of bounty to pick from. Yes there was a reason, for this bit of domestic action. I needed to get my blood sugar count down.
For hours I shopped for the ingredients, and then came home to wash, dice and put them in a stock pot. It smelled divine, even added turmeric along with slices of fresh ginger, pink salt, white pepper, I was enjoying myself, the kitchen had this lived in feel. All was good. The mushrooms were big and plump, I cut them into pieces I could enjoy later with the potato quarters … yes… I was really looking forward to the moment I could sit down and just enjoy,
I made a lot … it was yummy especially the small baby beets I had added to the mix. Yes… the broth turned a pretty pink/red… but it was good it wasn’t about how it looked it was the taste and all the nutrients. So what is the point here.. I was trying to get my blood sugar levels down, for days when I took the reading, it wasn’t budging., I was eating healthy, really healthy, stayed away from the chips, didn’t snack. Then the light bulb moment happened.
Beets…have amazing benefits.. they lower blood pressure, they are rich in nitrate, this enhances the efficiency of mitochondria, improves muscle oxygenation, and on and on… but.. one cup of raw beet contains 13 grams of carbohydrate, consisting of 9.19 g of sugar . I had put in the whole bag of beets ( I like beets) Did you know that beets (high levels) can interrupt the action of PE-5 inhibitor drugs which help erectile dysfunction (obviously being a female didn’t worry about this, but I am diabetic. Thus the reason my #’s were not going down. Like duh!
Be careful about doing things you really like.
Do everything in moderation. When you overdo, you will lose your balance. (PL2021.26)
I stopped along a stretch of empty highway, to get out and give my legs some exercise. There was an opening in a fence that led me to this quarry. It was so quiet and peaceful, I sat awhile to enjoy the view. I tried to picture the hive of activity that would have once been part of a busy work day… then … gave up…. what was, isn’t what is…. In life… that is what happens to us as we age, once our lives were full of activities, work demands, & social commitments we didn’t have or always make time to appreciate the natural world around us. Then when we finally do…. the environment has changed.
Open road, clear blue skies, big fluffy white stratocumulus… there were numerous beauties framing the landscapes. The weather was balmy, sunny and picture perfect for a drive. I wanted to travel roads I’d not been on before. with the help of OnStar (a service I have with my Encore) I set out for a town over on the Quebec side going towards Montreal. I decided no radio… just the joy of allowing the thoughts to come and go… even turned the AC off and put the windows down.
What was startling .. and a realization that hit me, only as I was on my return drive… I saw few animals, I passed a “zillion” farms.. saw barns, out buildings etc. but not much activity, neither on the grounds around the farm, or around the many barns, silos, etc. A couple of times when I drove past small clusters of homes, or into and past a small village.. I saw the odd person walking a dog.. or jogging, and I did see two people on bikes, otherwise I was in a wonderland of pristine landscapes .. and weather that was perfect for my “adventure”
Look at this 1957 classic.. I had to stop and grab a photo… the owner’s wife was outside, she told me, her husband had just turned 57 and he had promised himself that on his 57th. birthday, he would celebrate by getting himself, his dream car. And voila! his pride and joy!
Let’s find the good in others and praise them.
All people have good qualities and bad qualities. Focus on the good in others and applaud them every chance you get. (PL2014.28)
Having been on the road since very early morning, I wanted to find a “casse-croute” “before I headed home, I found a roadside “bar” before leaving Quebec… Chez Meme (accents over each e)
Here I ordered French fries, steamed hot dog (all dressed) and a hamburger (just in case).. found out I needed cash.. had to find a bank.. only one for miles was a Desjardin.. in this very small village, it was a small kiosk in the diocese of the church that was on the main street. I got to be a grown up and try to use an ATM in a bank other than my own. LOL … I needed help. See.. one is never too old to learn.
Have a good day everyone…
***Anyone know what type of car that is ??? she told me, and I saw the logo on the car.. but.. senior moment here?????
Oyashikiri
When was the last time you took to the road for no other reason but to explore the world around you?
TAOIST Life is Art (Perfect Liberty precept #1)
contact info.- via blogs
--- there are two energies, Yin and Yang = ONE
---to have balance we must live each moment
of our lives.. with Makoto (sincerity)
The only constant in life is change. I am grounded in the reality of Living.
This is true, in all worlds. RL or virtual. I am me and only me.
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