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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.

PL2014.21

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

Sunday

It was Q’s rez day yesterday (birthday)… I got the notice and realized that I had totally forgotten. I made time to go in to SL (Second Life) (virtual platform) to spend some time with her. Wow she first appeared in my life in 2007.. She was an adventure into a virtual world, there were a lot of lessons to learn. I had to learn to walk, sit, build, communicate with others. Basically exist in/on a virtual platform… I did it … over the years I have progressed and managed to move around and adjust to the many changes one faces in a virtual environment. Photography of course is one of my greatest loves and challenges. I have over 6000 photos on flickr documenting the many changes over the years. I am definitely someone who has learned to live conducting and using my creativity as an avatar to navigate part of my life. The big buzz these days is Ai … which has filtered into “today” world in/on all platforms.

Listening to my lessons, studies, I am getting to know just how much Ai is out there. My visits to the woodlands are more frequent with the changing of the weather, There is something very humbling about being a human standing alone in the middle of acres of land … where a young moose can wander past, or the a call of a patrolling wolf warning you of his/her presence…. joins the chatter of the critters coming to greet you … looking for the treats you’ve brought for them to enjoy. I am finding a balance… outdoors with nature, and indoors with a computerized world…. both take the need to be “present” as an important factor in balancing one’s waking hours.

You will notice that while Q was out, she saw a lot of Christmas decorations in shops she visited.. So yes, Xmas has arrived in her “personal” space. I noted looking out my window last night, that there was a fully decorated tree, with lovely lights on the balcony across the courtyard. Might be time I changed my fall bouquet (on my patio) to something more Xmasy…I won’t want to be out there trying to do something when the weather changes and we are in a full blown “winter” season.

Today’s calendar

Avoid being careless or overconfident

Even though you may have put your best effort into doing something you still may have made some mistakes, that is why it is important to always work with a prayerful mind.

PL2019.16

Oyashikiri

Q isn’t one who smiles much (like me) but she is happy and content in her world…. (like me) =^_^= contentment is a beautiful state of BEING.

Thursday

We’ve all been there, we diligently work on a project, only to have someone come along, and ask us to revise portions of what has been done…. Star’s expression…. you what? you would like me to redo all of the first page. Is one that many today, with the ease of modern computers, can redo easily, at one time, when we worked with typewriters… this was not the case. If you missed knowing that era… look it up!

PL Precept # 16 All things progress and develop

PL Precept # 18 Each moment is a turning point.

When you walk into a room … then forget what you came in for?

It is easy to get discouraged … PL Precept # 7 Everything exists in Relativity

Pl Precept #15 All is a Mirror

Oyashikiri

Thursday

“I’ll do it later. No, I’ll do it now”

To make progress do anything while it is still fresh.

PL2921.25

These words of wisdom have a message for me… I am a do it now person, I have always been like that, this morning has found me dragging out my medical books and researching and refreshing my “tired’ gray cells on my actions of the past few days.

I woke to the searing discomfort of the neuropathy symptoms all clamoring to express and shout their discontent at having to share my limbs with each other. Nerves screamed, and went into an unwelcome screaming fit. I could barely manage to balance as I made my way to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. I will not bore you with medical terms, the long and short of it was my muscles cramped and toes jerked up in protest… I have learned to quiet the mind and try to still the mounting urgency to rectify the physical reaction that happens when the the tendons and other fellow body parts go into their trauma mode.

I had a small amount of success with calming the body by using a cream infused with magnesium. I had done it faithfully for weeks, and I was having night after night with no symptoms… I got lazy, or forgetful, and took to reclaiming activities/tasks that needed to be done. but I did it all at once, I threw out my support pillow (for under the legs) and then didn’t follow through and get to the store to replace it. That meant I had to use a substitute knee pillow that was not the same angle/depth and composition of what my legs were used to.. I went out the next day and got the correct pillow, but meanwhile, the legs started to grumble…

AND that didn’t trigger or jog my gray cells to remind me to use the magnesium cream after my shower. I allowed myself to be distracted and and and.. I didn’t do it when the thought came to mind, I put it off and of course, it got lost.. I didn’t do it at all.

This morning my body told me in no uncertain terms… “it was not happy” and I had to deal with the fall out.

No its not just the magnesium, there are of course other factors.. but all could have been better planned and executed. … “do it now” when you can, if something comes to mind, and it is something that has shown to be helpful, THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING…or not doing… and act accordingly.

Our bodies are our life long companions… we should not take them for granted.

Have a good day everyone…

Oyashikiri

just because – I bought an exercise stretch band ( the idea was a good one) , help with exercising the arms/shoulders… a good stretch… did I use it.. no it hangs on the back of the door. because I searched it out, found it, brought it home.. if I don’t use it… it is not helping me… right? Right !!!!

Just because – I studied and researched .. gathered info. sought solutions.. if I don’t apply them .. I am not being proactive to my well being… right? right!!!!

segunda-feira

Roller skates.. .. the other day, when I went on FB to post to the PL Brazil site.. I saw what they call “reels’ and people roller skating. That took me down memory lane, I once flew into California to skate along a famous stretch of beach in California…. that was many many years ago.. at that time skating was all the rage, I got to skate where I would never have imagined, along a boardwalk, with sand /surf for a backdrop… I think from what I saw, it is back and very popular in some States…. L U C K Y !

All this to say, that was yesterday, a distant time in the scheme of things. it was a reality then .. all those years back when I thought anything was possible… I sit today and think of how much the world has changed, yet… no matter how many lives I’ve lived, places I’ve been, I am still ME. Imagine that. I look in the mirror, the face looking back at me is different, yes, the signs of having lived a full life are there.. but it is my eyes…they have changed.. they look somewhat the same.. but no.. if one really looks, there is an un readable depth.. that no matter how hard I try, I can’t penetrate.

I’ve started drawing/sketching again. I will wake up and have this need to grab a coloured marker and sketch. I don’t write, I draw…. I met a young man the other day, in way of introduction, he said, he wanted to meet and talk with me because I was an “artist”. That gave me pause, I draw/paint etc. does that make me an artist.. I didn’t feel a first meeting was a time for me to go into the philosophy of why I don’t like labels.. dear man was spared. I say PoTAYToh.. and you say PaTA..TTOE -( root vegetable commonly called a potato or spud)

Tell yourself “Things Happen

Even if something is inconvenient, once you accept it, you will be able to move on to the next step.

PL2021.8

Have a good day everyone.. remember anything is possible..

Oyashikiri

sequindo

I recall a trip we took years ago.. we drove to Montana, (my previous time to go there I had flown in, and never did I want to do that again).. So my husband the planner said, “let’s drive there” he planned out the route we would take from here in Ontario (Canada) and on a lovely September day, we took off with the two dogs for Montana. The only States I had visited before this was NY, Vermont, NH, Florida, and California. We drove down into NY State and from there he took us through as many of the middle states towards Montana.. What a diverse geography the landscapes were at times “mind blowing” especially as we got closer to Montana itself. I got to see Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Wyoming, Idaho and then into Montana, It was many years ago now and my husband is no longer here to tell me if I’ve missed any of the States we drove through. He promised we’d go back, I had wanted to see Arizona and spend more time exploring, but we had limited time and our goal was my friend in Montana.

What brings the trip back is stories I have been listening to that take place in the “old west” life in the 1800’s and the fact that Brian always wanted to take me away during my birthday month. His birthday gift to me was to take me to places he wanted me to experience.(He had been a journalist and media personality, his work had taken him to all four corners of the globe. I used to love listening to his adventures.. ) Now of course I have to plan and decide my own “birthday month”.. After the years of having adventures planned out for me, I confess I was spoiled.. it is an adjustment.. I find myself, part of me anyway, wanting to pack the car and take off to explore… etc… however… another part of me says, “you’ve done that… and… blah blah blah)

In PL we say ” PL Precept # 1 Life is Art ” every day is a new beginning.. a new canvas.. At the moment I have a new living space to adapt to and make my own… a new “lifestyle” ….

The Excitement of life comes from expressing your individuality

In PL we say it is important to live each moment of your life expressing your true self with Makoto (sincerity) when we can do this we will experience the true joy of self expression.” Learn to live respecting one another and working for each other’s happiness.” a lesson we are reminded of daily when we recite the PL Prayer.

After mulling about what I want to do, and simply not getting anywhere, I opened my calendar to today’s reading…and et voila…

The picture for those who are unfamiliar with the Teepe or Tipi as it is traditionally know.. is a conical dwelling many Native American Plains tribes used as dwellings.

Whatever your day brings, enjoy .. smile.. be happy.

Oyashikiri

Why do teepees have 13 poles?

According to these teachings, the poles of the tipi represent the nations of people living upon Mother Earth and form the circle of life. Each one of the 13 poles also represents a trait to be honoured, starting with the three anchor poles that signify respect, obedience and humility. (wiki)

sexta-feira

It seems easy … just sit back, relax…. let the moments come and go.

I watched a short clip today, where there is a moving ball, starts at one side of the frame, moves slowly to the top (centre) of the frame pauses and then slowly slides to the other side of the frame. The caption and voice, asks that you watch taking a slow breath, then hold when the ball pauses, then release as it slowly drops down to the other side. Lovely reminder to pause during your day, to take a moment to just stop relax for a moment before hurrying on with whatever you are doing.

So often we live our lives on automatic pilot, When I was out yesterday driving to the conservation area I frequent, I thought about how often I had done this over this years.. and how the car just seemed to know where it was going. Ottawa is surrounded by green spaces. We are very lucky that way. I found myself asking the empty space around me (in the car) why I always went to the same locations. Why with hundreds of options, did I always go where it was familiar. (didn’t get an answer)(working on it)

When finally home, I settled down for a wee nap, and turned my iPad on to listen to one of my lessons, but instead of a podcast on male *health/ psychology, a story came up about a woman pilot.. a woman who had military training … now no longer in the military she was on a commercial flight when there was an incident that required quick thinking and the skills she had acquired while in the military,

This was not something usually on my radar.. but I was tired, comfortable, my eyes closed… so I let the story unfold. I woke to a story about a woman living in the wilderness of Nevada back in the 1800 when the land was wild, and civilization sparse ,… She tended a trading post on her own, in the middle of nowhere… stepping outside when she heard movement, she found an injured wolf… the story was about how she took responsibility for the injured animal.. and the consequences of her actions. (women did not have it easy!)

Both stories were nothing I would ever have searched out, but there they were.. … both told of courage, of kindness, of persons who put the safety and what was morally right first. Made me wonder what other “stories” were being offered. Interestingly I found that there are human interest stories .. that speak of kindness and helping others in all walks of life. There are consequences in life, and we are often the creators of our own “destiny”.

Have a great day everyone.. try something different. But keep smiling.

*this is a field of its own, men do have issues and problems specific to their gender.

flowers

A bouquet of friendship and love from friends in Australia.

Came home from a long day yesterday to find a message from the concierge, could I come to the front desk please…. et voila…this beautiful arrangement was waiting for me.

It took me some time to get over my husband’s passing, the changes that made in my life, how I felt about my situation, what it meant to me, and how I was going to move forward. Nature, its constant ebb and flow, the seasons, flowed into one another, spring was followed by summers, summers turned golden and crimson, … winter soon followed, and before I knew it years had passed and I was still “on hold”

You all know that soon changed in the spring of this year when I woke up one day and listened to the urging of my inner voice. You have seen my posts, you’ve read my “ramblings” … one quote that I have used .. is

it was like a light bulb went on in my head. I didn’t even know that I was ready to move on with my life it just happened. To my amazing friends who helped me achieve this mammoth change from being a home owner to a renter….the real estate agency that worked to accomplish my goal, Walkerottawa.com (Michelle Walker and Carl Brunet) .. I am filled with gratitude, I could not have done it on my own. their expert consultation/guidance their action plan. The house was sold within the first couple of days.

Blessings all, till soon.

Oyashikiri

Walker real estate group is part of Remax Michelle Walker 613-830-5858 michelle@walkerottawa.com Carl Brunet 613-830-5858 carl@walkerottawa.com

Flowers were from Talia flowers on Bank St. in Ottawa. @taliaflowers.ottawa

bom dia

A different season. temperatures are somewhat cooler this morning, but who knows what we will experience by end of day. The humidity levels have been so draining.

The move has gone well, the house is now sold, belongs to someone else… Yay! I do miss my garden(s) especially the trees that are now giving fruit. but.. such is life.. now I am adjusting to living in an apartment and parking in an underground maze of cars…. metal sculptures on rubber wheels that wait for us to need them again.

There is one car down there that is kept like a polished jewel, one day I will meet the owner, it is a baby blue jeep. Not once have I seen it with a spec of dust on it, it just looks so “pretty”…. mine has already been christened, with cement scrapes and scratches.

“Oh! and guess what!” I finally found my storage container with the pasta etc. in it. Yay! Let’s see… and oh yes, yesterday I treated the hardwood floors to a Magnolia Home carpet. (by Joanna Gaines)(Loloi) It is a runner not a full carpet.. the cats love it. I enjoy the contrast of it against the hardwood floor. Slowly my new “home” is taking shape. You saw yesterday the mask I found.. lots of good positive energy there!!!

Eartha was here yesterday, she helped me with the magnesium creams/spray .. getting ready to work on the “ZEN” room. There is a teaser for you.. I’m really looking forward to enjoying the “ZEN” room. fyi. the magnesium cream does seem to give breathing room to the neuropathy visits. I have found the topical use of magnesium more effective (for me) then supplements. Which end up in my digestive system.. I want it where I need it.

Think of the timing before you say “but”

When stating your opinion, make sure you are being respectful of others’ opinions. Be mindful of this when you speak.

PL2022.14

Oyashikiri

Etheria (content creator) being carried off stage when she fell from a high wire act in (raglan) memory from the past.

New day

Sometimes when the world just gets too busy – when there is no spaces in the day/night we find ourselves in “overdrive”. It is hard to think clearly when we are bombarded almost 24/7 with chores/tasks/responsibilities. The “Universe” takes over. We get sick, we fall, we have unexpected situations, we have no choice, we have to take a time out.

When was the last time, now think before you answer…. you gave yourself permission to enjoy quality time for YOU.

No, you don’t have to have that cell phone with you 24/7. No, you don’t have to reply or do something “right away” because that is always what was done. When life gets so busy, you feel overwhelmed… it is OK.. to stop, step back.. and take time for YOU. YOU matter, YOU are important, YOU count. Yes the dishes have to be done, but they can wait, they will not disappear, believe me I know.. No one sneaks into your home to do them for you.

Its cold out, its raining… the mosquitos are bad… blah blah blah. yesterday, I toured a new nursery (to me) a huge indoor greenhouse, tons of happy vegetation, lush green leaves, interesting cacti, in the outdoors area, I got to enjoy Japanese maples, Honey locust trees, evergreens in all shapes and sizes. The herb section was a paradise of delightful scented air. When there is a will there is a way.

Today it is a long sleeve sweater day. We had steamy hot … take it all off .. weather not long ago… This is what life is all about. From one day to the next, it is a new beginning.

In PL, #1 Precept is. Life is Art…. # 2 To live is to express One’s Self. # 7 Everything exists in relativity. # 16 All things progress and develop. # 18 EACH MOMENT IS A TURNING POINT

Please make time for YOU.

know someone who needs this message.. pass it on.

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