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Friday

a memory – a long time ago, my husband (at that rime) was the morning man for a radio station in Montreal. The owner bought a station in Nova Scotia and wanted to ensure good ratings, so he talked my husband into doing a stint in NS. I was a city girl, having lived always in big cities, the most recent one was Montreal. I was not amused. But pack up and fly to Cape Breton .. we did. Talk about culture shock… I’m talking years ago, when life was simpler.

While exploring ..one cold winter day, we parked and started on foot across a big open expanse of land, we could hear the surf pounding (the Atlantic Ocean was never far away from where we lived) We used snowshoes so that we could make better time across the snow. As we came to a wooded area, and made our way around it, there sitting as pretty as you please was this small wooden cabin (like the one above)… only it was winter and there was smoke coming from the chimney.

A elderly man came out (Mr. MacDonald).. he graciously invited us in for tea.. to warm up… I was totally charmed, he lived alone out there, he had to walk out and into the little wooded area we passed to his private little loo… in the one room home, he had a wood stove, that heated the home, and doubled as the stove. I must ask Dean if he had electricity, I don’t think he did.. but there could have been a single line to the cabin, for a lighting.. I recall he had some kind of root cellar for keeping things cool.

I came across this picture earlier and it got me thinking… this was a moment that I lived years ago (another life time) but it stayed with me, his genuine hospitality, to two “weird” strangers tromping across his land. BTW the ocean was just over the hill, when we got to the small hill and walked to the top, below us was the ocean pounding in on a deserted beach strewn with big pieces of driftwood. It was doable (getting down) we were young, we left snowshoes in the snow and were able to scramble down the steep incline to the water’s edge. (couldn’t do that today)

When I give thanks for the life I’ve led and all the adventures I’ve had, going to distant shores and meeting with people with/from different backgrounds.. I feel very blessed.

I know this is one reason I keep writing/blogging, I’ve met through this venue so many different writers/expressionist, story tellers, that I so enjoy. Reading your thoughts, seeing the world through your eyes…. the readers who touch base, who relate to something I’ve posted.. L I F E I S G O O D….. and it is because of you.

On Thursday, there is a Thursday Door feature, I know I’m a day late, but I’m going to post to that feature https://nofacilities.com/2025/11/20/yale-peabody-museum/ so anyone interested please visit Dan’s No Facilities site… for more doors.

Today being the 21st. there is a Thanksgiving service (Day of Appreciation) at the church, service is at 10 a.m. If you are unable to attend in person, please, take a few moments around that time to close your eyes and spend a few minutes with us in prayer.

Your feelings of Appreciation become real when you express them.

Express your feelings of appreciation by actually saying “thank You” out loud or by doing something to show how you feel Not only will the person you are thing feel good, but you will too, leading to better things in the future.

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Life is what we make it folks.. I am fortunate to be able to say I am grateful for the friends in my life, and for knowing love .. and the blessing and rewards it brings to living on this earth.

Oyashikiri

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#Thursday doors, appreciation, blessing, coping, Dao, educational, expression, faith, feelings, God, lanterns, Life, Light, living, lonliness, Love, mind, mirror art, Oneness, perfect liberty, philosophy, photograph, photographs, pl, prayer, quotations, sentiment, spiritual, Tao, Taoist, trust, truth, Uncategorized, visual art, wonder

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terca feira

Beautiful day, blue skies, balmy breeze, the water looked so inviting. I was on a trail leading up and around the area between two lakes. I thought, can I clamor down that incline…. looked steep but doable. What I didn’t take into consideration was that I was alone and without walking sticks.. I would have no support in areas where it was steep. Then I looked at the trees and thought they could be support as I made my way down.

What I didn’t take into consideration was my footwear. They are the “bare foot” type shoe you see being advertised everywhere these days. They have been around a long time, and I had tried them before, but my first attempt didn’t work for me, they were just too big for my foot. These that I acquired recently from “Hike” fit me beautifully, and I had worn them all day the previous day..

The incline was steep, sandy and looked easy if I took my time…. however, when I took the first steps, I realized soon enough that there was not enough grip, and the soil being so sandy it was loose and I began to slide down much like you see people on skis going down a hill.. except I had no poles. Well wasn’t I in a pickle. I managed to get a hold on a tree I was sliding past… and pulled myself into a position where I could lean on it while I figured out my next step,

I had slipped down a couple of feet, going up would be slippery.. every fallen branch I found was dried out and rotten, they snapped and broke easily, they would not support my weight .. I couldn’t use them for leverage.

Ah… fortunately … Bonnie * came looking for me, she had gone back to the car and found me missing. From her position on the trail, she could move forward enough to pull me up. It was a giggle, however, a reminder, if you are in the woods alone, do not wander off the trail if you are not properly outfitted.

When we started out in the morning, she did say she wanted a walk… we got a walk in! She had thought we would eat at the golf course in Lac Simon but when we got there, it was closed (in parts of Quebec, places close Mondays and sometimes even Tuesday) We ended up having lunch at Le Cafe du Bistrot in St. Andre Avellin. We didn’t have a reservation, fortunately, they did find us a table. Delicious meal and well priced. They are located at 198 Principale, e-mail info@cafedubistrot.com (phone is 819-983-3966 ) there is an outdoor patio.. it is not a huge place, small and inviting.. I would think reservations would be best…. (https://cafedubistrot.com/)

Be very careful about doing things you really like

Do everything in moderation. When you overdo, you’ll lose your balance,

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Friendship, fresh air, good food… what more is there!

Oyashikiri

*fellow adventurer

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appreciation, coping, guidence, Life, mind, mirror art, Oneness, perfect liberty, philosophy, photograhy, photographs, quotations, sentiment, smile, Tao, Taoist, teachings, trees, Uncategorized, unconditional love, wonder

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dimanche

No matter where you go, how far you travel, how many state lines you cross/provinces you visit… you will always be alone with your thoughts.

* a reminder for you – – Waist or Waste..

By misunderstanding the key to freedom, it becomes an anchor.

Value your intuition. When you suddenly have an “A-Ha!” moment, or when a thought pops into your mind.. Act on it right away. (PL2014.19)

Oyashikiri

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appreciation, birds, wildlife, blessing, coping, educational, expression, guidence, Life, Light, living, mind, mirror art, musing, nature photography,, Oneness, perfect liberty, philosophy, photograph, pl, quotations, sentiment, sharing, Tao, Taoist, teaching, teachings, trust, truth, Uncategorized, unconditional love

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NH moment

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New Hampshire on an early morning walk. It is May, I’m taking my time enjoying the fresh morning air, not thinking about anything else but the moment.

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Only now am getting to see some of the pictures I took during our time away. A holiday is time for me to wander, some pictures were taken with my Lumix, others with my iPhone. Slowly I will get to them, for tonight, I wanted to drop in and say hi… I’ve missed you all. It wasn’t till we were on our way back today that I gave in and bought an Acer Notebook, sorry to all you Apple peeps, I simply can’t work away on an iPad like I can a Windows/PC…

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You won’t see a lot of sunshine, just a lot of fresh mountain air, and the fresh new buds of new sprouts. When the windows were open we could hear the crystal clear water cascading down the mountain side through the gorge. Looking out from out two side windows, all we saw was the drop down to the forest floor. Already the bears have started to stir, one guest who stayed in one of the back “cabin/rooms” saw a bear wandering in the wooded area, in back of the Inn a few days before we arrived. We were advised not to let our dogs off leash or unattended.

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We did drive down one day into the southern part of NH, where the bigger cities are, we didn’t stay long, a few hours. that was all we needed before we high tailed it back up north into the National Forest area, where we were staying, Holidays are never long enough, but, we know we will go back, and really, I missed being home, and chatting with you. Go figure. I love my time with you. Makes me feel good. Now I’ll be able to catch up on what you all have been doing.

It is late in the day, but to all the Mother’s out there, Happy Mother’s Day.

Oyashikiri

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appreciation, blessing, expression, feelings, friendship, Life, living, mind, musing, Oneness, photograhy, photographs, spiritual, Uncategorized, visual art

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Q&A Thursday

Petrified wood, in the Arizona Petrified Forest National park (Wood Gallery) this picture shows them sewn into logs, yet supposedly man was not around? (USA)

Such wisdom has been around for a very long time, why do we have so much trouble really practicing it in our daily lives?

Minions, what??? what is it about them that cracks me up, I even went to the big “arches” (McDonalds) when they were the “goodie” of the day.

Angels Landing trail, Zion National Park, Utah.

Some people love a cruise, personally this is still on my bucket list. Yuppers, I’d prefer to do it solo with no one else around, but… it looks like this is a trail that is well-known and I am not alone in wanting to experience it. Who discovered this trail and marked it for us? What a “high” that had to have been.

This awesome capture was in Zion National Park, It was taken by photographer Long Nguyen, posted in 500px. When I come across some of the amazing work of the photographers (artists) that search out their passions and capture them to share with us, I am so grateful to them for their skill at translating their experience into a visual format that I can enjoy and share in.

OK.. I want to visit here. Does anyone know where this was taken, the photographer was Petr Marek, the picture was posted on Fivehundredpx, the trail brought me to his pictures but aside from the title, Stairway to Heaven, there was no other info.??? anyway?? and yes, another for my bucket list. could take me a while though, and I wouldn’t run up./P

Let’s meet back at the camp site.. have the fire going… yawn, its been a good start to the day… loving it. while I ponder all of this, I wish you all a grand day, I’ll send you off, to take a long walk… with a smile and a hug of course. Enjoy your day.. I’m with you all the way, Love you!

Namaste – Oyashikiri

PL Precept #2 To Live is to Express One’s Self

National Park Services
Pinterest,NA
Minion on Pinterest
Utah
camp fire pic National Geographic

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lost

This is an Inca rope bridge (Qeswachaka) above the Apurimac river in Peru. Rope bridges were simple suspension bridges over canyons and gorges (Pongos) that provided access for the Inca Empire. traffic was limited to pedestrians and livestock and were an integral part of the Inca road system …

This bridge is known as the most dangerous bridge in the world. The Hussaini Hanging bridge is only one of many precarious rope bridges in Northern Pakistan. These rickety cable and plank bridges are long and poorly maintained. Planks go missing, and strong winds shake the bridge as you cross it.

OK 1 more. This is how one scales Putucusi, (Peru) it is a hike that brings you up adjacent to Machu Picchu, it is said to be about 5 stories high. One hiker hiked for 4 days over the top of the Andes on the Inca trail to get to this ladder.

PL lesson, Everything that happens to us, is material for Growth.

I lost my cell phone today. Won’t bore you with the details, suffice to say after searching and searching some more, it has not turned up. There are a few more steps to be taken tomorrow, but the long and short of it is that I simply will likely find myself with out a phone. (cell) Didn’t use it much, will I miss it, it will be inconvenient at times. However…interestingly I am not really concerned. whatever happens it will be for the best. I believe that.

Would I cross the bridges I’ve shown you in this blog. If I needed to get to the other side,and that was my option, yes I would. Would you?

Peru – me and you?

Namaste – Oyashikiri

*by mauro gambini,Flickr

**by grace murano (extreme bridges

***Boston.com

**** Machu Picchu (Old Peak) wedding.theknot.com

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The good the bad and the ugly

Beautiful isn’t it, the Laurentian Mountains, Quebec, Canada. The National Geographic posted this picture of the Laurentian Mountains, you can read more about this cottage mecca on travel.nationalgeographic.com. This is where the family cottage is, so this was our destination yesterday. We looked forward to the trip, it had been awhile since we had made the journey even though it is only about a 2 hour drive from where we live.

This is the kind of view that we have from the deck of the cottage, however, there is no other cottage in front of us, it is a drop over a cliff to the water’s edge. The only way to the cottage is to boat across or to walk around the bay. The car has to be parked along a road that soon will be barred from any vehicles, and then one crosses over and enters dense bush and forested area where a trail has been made over the years that is really only a foot path. A footpath that has eroded over time leaving pockets of mud, wet slippery rocks, and the need for a rope to help guide you up the steep incline of the mountain that has over the years, become less stable, and requires a mountain goat’s instinct to maneuver.

This looks more appealing, at least there are no bugs in your face, no tree branches hitting you, or mud pockets that will suck your shoes off if you land in one. I should mention, that some kind person had laid down the odd 2×4 to use, a la tight rope walking so you could move balancing one foot in front of the other, as you move across some of the very wet areas.

The rope was kind of like this one, except there was no one to guide or help you if you slipped. The actual rope that was there, my husband later informed me that when it had initially appeared, they had to use gloves to haul themselves up on it. No I had not been prepared for this, I had to use my bare hands.

Ok so I have exaggerated somewhat, maybe more than a bit, but to me that 10- 15 minutes in the bush, was not my cup of tea. the drive up was super fantastic, the visit with “family” at the cottage was excellent. The fresh air and the quiet exhilarating. Seeing little chipmunks up close and hearing the loons, loved it., My thoughtful sister in law rowing me back across the river with one of the dogs, a god’send. Got to experience it all.. the good, the bad and the ugly.. Quebec is a beautiful Province. I loved the adventure, I slept like a baby!

Namaste – Oyashikiri

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Shoes

Ok you know this is going to be a heavy when I bring shoes into the equation at this hour of the morning. =^_^= And NO, this is not just for my women friends, since knowing my friend Derek, I have been educated on the fact that some men love their shoes too. What is it about shoes that turn our c rank so much. LOL how often have I heard that men love to see women in heels. How the shoe can be the perfect foil for bad hair days, and days where you just don’t know what to wear. I only a few women friends who really don’t care about shoes.. most of us drool, and lust even after a new pair of shoes. I have a Pinterest board with just shoes, its called 4 the love of shoes. I amaze even myself on the choice of shoes that I am drawn to. I have shoes tucked away that I will never wear, but I love knowing they are there.

This ad dates back to the 1930’s for as long as I can remember, I have loved shoes. When I was younger of course, i spent a lot more time finding and wearing shoes, they were important to “my look/style”. It wasn’t so much comfort but how they looked. Although thanks to a very determined Mother, I did grow up with a strong sense of needing to wear and have a proper fit. Mother I do still remember the brown lace up shoes you had me wearing when all my friends were in pretty feminine sandals. Were they called Oxfords.. whatever, such shoes were not worn again once I was buying my own shoes. OK everyone, here is the flash news.. now in my more “adult” years, guess what… I don’t wear Oxfords but I do wear what most call a sensible shoe. Hand crafted, made in Germany Finn Comfort shoe. leather, good arch support, this is my go to shoe for at home,I could live in them 24 hours of the day.

I still love the heels, the glamour of the shoe, but I no longer spend oodles and oodles of dollars to have them in my closet. Now I find then and put them on my Pinterest board .. I am not alone for I find them by the bushel full on the Fashionista pages. Have you gone shopping for a good running shoe (sport training shoe) lately. It is very hard to find a conservative pair that don’t shout out at you.

Where once I walked a cat walk, or strode down corporate corridors, now I hike the trails. Our feet take us everywhere, and travel the distance with us. We don’t think with our feet, but we think on our feet. Yet often I’ll notice inappropriate footwear and see it at the root of some of the physical ailments in today’s society. Like seeing someone with asthma still smoking. Now especially now, when those around me are nearing their more senior years, or in their famous “mid years”, where the bodies that once took them everywhere and r covered quickly from various falls, knocks and bruises are being slow to mend. Shoes are a really important component to staying in good health, Keeping you mobile. I still hear the little girl’s voice saying.. “I can’t wear those shoes to school, they’re ugly” But today , this little girl, is a mucho happy person with feel that still get her to where she wants to go. Unlike many around me, I don’t suffer with back pain, sore legs, and fussy sensitive feet.

Now when I’m faced with a hiking trail that is rocky and uneven, I can move forward knowing that my feet (footwork) and balance will allow me to tread with confidence that I will make it up the hill and into the vista beyond. That’s life, we need to prepare, we need to live today, so that our tomorrows whatever they will be, will be something we can handle easily. Enjoy each moment of your day, build your “self” with the knowledge that good planning will benefit you in the long run. You can still enjoy a passion, you just may have to redirect and be creative on how you enjoy it Life is ART.

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what new to you, can do for you

Many years ago now, I crossed such a bridge. I didn’t bravely just walk across, I went through a bout of “OMG I can’t do this, NO. no, no.. you can, but I won’t” Eventually of course, I did go across and it was an exhilarating experience. Having accomplished that bit of adventure, when I was asked to go salmon fishing an a fishing boat on the Pacific, my negativity was less emphatic, however, I did tell everyone that I do suffer from motion sickness, no problem I was told…. so on board we climbed and off we went. All went well for the first while, but when we got further from land, and the water got really choppy, you guessed it… I was hanging on for dear life, and as green as fresh young asparagus coming out of the ground. No matter how I tried to ride it out, it just wasn’t happening, we had to return to shore. I share this with you because not all our adventures end on a happy note. All we can do is give it our best. I tried.

This brings me to more recent events. After a very long winter of inactivity, I realized that my body, that once was active, and an almost daily visitor to the gym, had become a stay at home,, do nothing much physical blah. I am not exaggerating, I really let myself go, don’t ask, it seemed right at the time I made the decisions to cut back at the gym, and then stop altogether. When I looked in the mirror I saw from my shoulders up, hey when its cold outside and you don’t go out much, you walk around in very comfortable clothes. Then one day my friend said let’s go for a walk. Sure I thought, no problem. I’m a walker, last summer I would walk miles without batting an eyelash or breaking a sweat. Off we went on our walk. Surprise, we made it around a couple of blocks, and I was ready to call it quits. Shock and dismay was the order of the day! My mind did not want to accept what my body was saying. Me, dance all night, walk for miles, climb trails and hike, me!!!! could it really be. Hmmmm look in the mirror again, wow, I’ve aged….. my body is no longer in its mid 30’s early 40’s I no longer have extra energy to burn, I’ve been lazy, and my body has relaxed and gotten S L A C K…. “you reap what you sow”. Time to make changes.

That day was the start of a new “attitude” on my part. No. not new to me, but I had to revisit and bring it back into the “now”. It is like I used to listen to music all the time, and somewhere along the way, I stopped. Then a friend played a song by Macy Gray and something inside said, “hello”.. I found the 2nd hand CD “On How Life Is”, at a Sally Ann, it is new to me, and I’m once more listening to music. My body is having to relearn activity, rebuild my core strength so I can walk and not get tired. Fortunately I have a good friend who is a great walking coach and buddy, just knowing she is there for me when I need her, helps big time…. All this to say, I’m back to the gym, I’ve got myself a Personal Trainer, so from time to time, I might not get my blog done on time, but I will surface, be patient with me please while I find my new “RHYTHM”

It is not the same bridge, but its the same kind of challenge, I’m heading towards another adventure…. Cycles of life repeat themselves, only in different formats. Have a great day everyone! Smile!!! Oyashikiri

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