travel | dymoonblog

A fine WordPress.com site

Posts tagged ‘travel’

Friday

Active listening

Giving your whole attention to a conversation without anticipating your response. With practice you can learn to push distracting thoughts aside, and really, focus on what’s being said in the moment.

Today (actually yesterday now) I drove to Montreal’s West Island and back, did it all in half a day, I find that driving along a highway with nothing but a straight road ahead, and one disappearing in my rear view mirror, relaxing. It was a spur of the moment decision, I had been going to go, changed my mind, realizing I had a full afternoon and evening. But on waking I saw on my calendar that the city was working in the area, and I would have no water … it was being turned off .. 8 – 4 … ugh.

The day being bright, skies clear, I decided to hit the road, the gem/mineral show is on all week-end, but I knew the week-end would be a zoo. I went for many miles with no radio on… I wanted the quiet. The car is my personal space… a place where I can lock myself in and just BE. No distractions unless I want them.

There is something soothing about driving in silence. There were few cars /trucks on the road.. I didn’t question it, I enjoyed it. I took the 417 (super highway) going down, and on the way back, veered off and came by way of Hawksbury. A secondary road that goes through small communities.

My objective was to attend a warehouse sale of earth treasures, crystals, minerals, fossils and one of a kind treasures .. This vendor specializes in high quality specimens, he travels all over the world, his inventory is wonderful to experience.

Begin each day with a renewed sense of appreciation. Let’s make each day meaningful by starting out with a feeling of gratitude.

Specific mindfulness exercise can help you ease your mind and improve your every day.

Wandering down aisles of crystals, minerals from all over the world, unique fossils .. feeling the vibe from “mother earth” was “grounding”

The “Universe” will support you if you put your full makoto (sincerity) into what you do.

Have a good day everyone!

Oyashikri

Category:

appreciation, coping, educational, expression, giving thanks, God, guidence, Life, living, mind, mirror art, musing, nature photography,, photograph, pl, quotations, sharing, spiritual, Taoist, teaching, teachings, Uncategorized, unconditional love, Universe, visual art

Tagged with:

lundi

Some days, when you least expect it… you find a prize. Yesterday, I left home determined I would get to church for the 10 a.m. ceremony. On the first in PL we always have a special service .. dedicated to World Peace. Its a time were we pray for World Peace and rededicate ourSelves to living in a way that we hope will promote and bring a peaceful existence in our own personal world which includes our homes, work, school etc. And after being homebound for days, (in and out of bed) with the winter cold/flu that has plagued me these past few months…. I just wanted to share time with “like minds” and pray in community.

I didn’t make it. Half way there my body said. Go Home. I turned the car around and drove back home. As I got out of my car (you know a year ago I sold my home and moved into an adult living apartment.) My parking spot is near the elevators and the recycle/waste receptacles. There is limited outdoor parking .. it is a secure building, parking is underground heated air climate controlled parking. As I got out I realized I should empty my little garbage container of the “waste” I’d accumulated… I gathered my kleenex tissues and no longer wanted gas receipts etc. and walked over to the bins. As I turned to go back to my car I saw tucked in the corner where the recycle battery container used to be… a tall bamboo .. leaning forlornly against the wall, decorative container and all. It was tall, much taller than my 5′ 3″….so awkward to handle, but…… I didn’t hesitate… it came home with me. It was a struggle I got it into the elevator and up to my apartment… found a place for it… and…. there she stands

I know its not real, I don’t have to feed it, water it, I will have to dust the leaves from time to time.. but she is mine. I’ve seen them in high end home furnishing stores more as decorative accent pieces to showcase the furniture in the stores… and it is likely meant for bigger palatial spaces, condos or homes, but I don’t care.. it makes me smile and i will enjoy her for awhile… even Quin and Quincey have welcomed her. thank goodness for my 11ft. ceilings.

Always life with hope in your heart

With a clear image in mind, move forward with enthusiasm. Your dreams will surely come true with perseverance,

PL2015.2

Have a good day everyone!

Oyashikiri

note, This building has 24 hour security cameras everywhere, and mtce is done daily, bins emptied every morning, garage floor cleaned and maintained daily, It was Sunday, I was lucky it (bamboo) was still there!

Category:

amazement, appreciation, Dao, expression, Life, living, musing, Oneness, perfect liberty, philosophy, photograph, pl, quotations, spiritual, Taoist, teachings, trees, truth, Uncategorized, unconditional love, world peace

Tagged with:

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

Category:

#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

Tagged with:

Hier

Hier (yesterday) we had choices .. and today, we will be presented with different opportunities, which road will you take? We can only go forward…. we need to let go of yesterday and live in the NOW (Present)

The past leads to now, and now leads to the future

Life is an accumulation of moments ….. Cherish each one.

PL2021.11

Oyashikiri

Japan.Gor txs.

Category:

appreciation, Dao, friendship, giving thanks, Japan, Life, living, Love, mind, musing, Oneness, perfect liberty, quotations, sentiment, sharing, smile, spiritual, Taoist, teachings, trees, Uncategorized, unconditional love, Universe, world peace

Tagged with:

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…

Whether you like or dislike something, give it a try

Instead of avoiding something because it’s complicated or difficult to understand, just give it a try. Then you will be able to find it interesting,

PL2017.2

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)

Category:

appreciation, coping, educational, expression, friendship, Life, mirror art, musing, Oneness, perfect liberty, philosophy, photograph, pl, prayer, prose, quotations, spiritual, Tao, Taoist, teaching, truth, Uncategorized, unconditional love, world peace

Tagged with:

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,

PL2021.26

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

Oyashikiri

*fellow adventurer

Category:

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

Tagged with:

Faroes and Nfld

Faroe islands ( The Faroe Islands is a self-governing archipelago, part of the Kingdom of Denmark.) on the left .. Newfoundland (Canada) on the right – two very different places with beautiful inspiring escapes.

One of the observations I’ve had with this move, is that my physical location has made a difference for me. I have had to adjust to underground parking, elevators and mechanical noises that were not part of my daily existence .. a constant meeting of “strangers” in close proximity… but when I enter my apartment, I am “home”. The cats and I have had to adjust to having a smaller floorplan than we did living in a house with three stories….. I certainly am now privy to how they spend their nights !!!!

I spent most of yesterday doing another batch of cards.

Interesting how in this new space, I have found inspiration to get back to being creative with my “invenotry”.. I feel lighter, less burdened. Yet if you had asked me before the move if I felt ” burdened” I would have immediately replied. NO. A good example of walking around with my head in the sand, !

It is interesting because it is different

Even if someone totally disagrees with you or does things differently, you may learn something from them. Avoid getting trapped in the mindset “this is the way it has to be ” and free your mind to consider other possibilities.

PL2019.9

Today’s lesson resonates with me. Going to chaw on it (ponder) during the day. I have a lot planned, let’s see how much I actually accomplish. Have a good day friends, I truly appreciate you in my life.

Oyashikiri

Pics. Denise/Paul

Category:

amazement, appreciation, coping, crafting,scrapbooking,card making,baking supplies,, flower, friendship, giving thanks, Life, Love, nature photography,, Oneness, perfect liberty, pl, quotations, sharing, Uncategorized, unconditional love, visual art

Tagged with:

Monday

Open skies, road leading to somewhere… and I’m in heaven.

I feared of never being able to take to the road again. Getting a new computer has proved to be a challenge, an opportunity if you will to practice my patience. I had reached a stage of wanting to be a turtle so I could just slip back into my shell and stay there till another season appeared on the horizon. Certainly I love the new look, I can’t say enough times, how much I didn’t like the laptop. yes it worked just fine, and yes it was technically able to do all I wanted it to do. BUT I do not like how one has to use a laptop, I never took to the keyboard and for sure I just couldn’t operate that flat thing on the keyboard, instead of a mouse.

Yes I added a remote mouse, and I had to use a blue tooth keyboard with it.. but it (laptop) was not happy, it wanted me to unplug it, so it could function without being plugged in… bottom line. I got myself a desktop!

Now I am trying to set it up.. this is a trial effort… thank you for your patience.

PL Precept # 4 Being annoyed limits your expression

PL Precept # 5 One’s self is lost by being emotional

Al being well… I will be back tomorrow..

Oyashikiri

Category:

appreciation, coping, giving thanks, Life, Oneness, perfect liberty, philosophy, photograph, pl, sentiment, sharing, trees, Uncategorized

Tagged with:

lundi

I live on an island where my front door opens to this view. I can spend hours watching the water swirl and listen to its song as it makes its way around the rocks. I can even watch the sky as it turns from dawn to dusk…. It is true I can’t get to it every day, but it never leaves my heart or my thoughts. We live alone on this island, there are neighbours on other islands, but we are fortunate in that, living in different time zones, we are seldom on our properties at the same time. This is the beauty of living in a virtual world (smile)

By now, you have if you are a regular to this blog, have read I am moving and have seen the story I shared with you the other day about the “Little House” https://youtu.be/F74CR1uqXFA?si=M4Fxvkml523xj3Al I have heard back from a few of you who took the time to watch the YouTube version of Virginia Lee Burton’s .The Little House. thank you,, I appreciate that you took the time to view it.. it tells the story of what I am living in a very poignant way.

For days now I have been going through photos, correspondence etc that accumulates when you have lived in one house for over 25 years. The faces of friends now long gone, or living in “space and time”. It had been tedious and long.. my hands ache at night from the constant pulling, and tearing of papers for recycling. But … in all the frustrations and challenges, I have found happy moments seeing the faces of people I once worked with, and shared special adventures with.

I am tossing a lot of “stuff” out.. a lot of what can be recycled will go to charities. Leaving 3 levels of living space, to go to a 1.5. apartment is certainly going to be a new adventure. The hardest is knowing that my gardens the green space I have surrounded myself with, will be no more. The animals that alive here …(Outside) will have to find another oasis. There is no doubt that my little house will be razzed to the ground, and with it the vegetation that has sheltered us for years will disappear.

You have all heard me say this before… life is to be lived and enjoyed, don’t squander your moments …. embrace life…. appreciate your friends…. and protect nature as best you can. Reach out to someone you haven’t heard from in awhile.. smile at a stranger… life is precious.

This was taken by my Dad who was an avid photographer, he took the pictures and developed them himself. And it was a time when we could enjoy country sides like this on a hike not far from our home. You guessed right if you thought, not so now…

View your Difficulties as a chance to make rapid progress

You grow by overcoming the obstacles in front of you, one by one. Look at your problems as opportunities for growth and make the best of your situation.

PL 2014.9

Oyashikiri

Category:

amazement, appreciation, coping, Dao, educational, expression, friend, friendship, hug, mind, nature photography,, Oneness, perfect liberty, philosophy, photograph, photography, pl, quotations, sentiment, spiritual, Tao, Taoist, teaching, trees, trust, truth, Uncategorized, unconditional love, Universe, visual art, wonder

Tagged with:

abandoned

This is a house I found the other day when out for a drive with Eartha. She is very patient with my hollering.. STOP… this time I got out and toured the grounds. I showed you a few pictures the other day. I’ll repost them in a second. see the side window, there was another set just a room over (kitchen) .. the owners had placed a bird feeder there, it was still hanging there in need of repair. The view would have been perfect.

I wondered if they had tilled the land, there was a big unused and now falling apart barn on the lot beside the house. The mess around the property .. the debris, broken plates, pots and pans strewn in the garage (now falling down and only half standing).. someone had tried to tidy up, but whatever happened in life… plans were abandoned, only the pretty spring flowers were showing up.

The house my parents purchased back… way back… when I was a child was white with the same green trim this house had. MAYBE that is why I hollered “stop” …. could be I was chasing a dream…. memories have a way of creeping in on us. At the time Dad purchased the house it was on a lonely country road, such as the one we were on… a few other houses, but they were few and usually in groups. At the end of our street was a convenience store with a butcher shop. little else.

Now that whole area has been swallowed up with the city… the field I could play in, is now so built up… there are medical buildings and a huge hospital just walking distance from the old house.

I think one of the reasons I enjoy this Thursday Door feature so much is that it takes me back in time. Dan’s posts usually feature doors in the areas he travels.. often they represent a different era. The neighbourhoods that are still “comfortable” with inviting homes, shades of “families” that once were. You can almost hear the sounds of children playing, dogs barking, cats wandering and sunning along the quiet lanes.

Gardening was a hobby, you could see small garden patches in backyards, depending on where you lived, there could also be a chicken or a bunny hutch.. people sat on the front porch and greeted neighbours who often would stop and visit. We ( the children*) would roam the streets looking for our friends, hang out in restaurants with a floor for dancing, boys would be riding their bikes and/or playing some sort of sport in the playgrounds and school yards.

There was not a television in every house… and maybe… there was a phone in the house, maybe it was a private line, but often it was a party line. Times have changed, but what hasn’t changed, is LIFE. It keeps happening.

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)

LIFE does keep happening, and it behoves us to not squander it.

Love is a blessing, a gift.

Oyashikiri