Hi.. looked for a peaceful picture for today. Donkeys are cool, they simply do their thing…
Looking at me I appear rather harmless.. a gentle older woman, short cropped gray/white hair.. I wear a North American version of the two piece outfits, Asian used to wear.. I don’t have the Mandarin collar, I wear a scrub top instead… (convenient for cell phone, keys and small wallet) and silk or linen pant won’t work since I am active outside… so I wear a pair of dark jeans or loose travel pant.. .. in other words, I blend into the landscape…
Last night, this over 50 gentle woman took a sledge type hammer to a pill bottle. No I wasn’t angry, I was trying to open a child proof .. tamper proof bottle of (over the counter) pain medication .. after exhausting the push down, turn trick several times, I resorted to a special aid, bottle/can opener I have under my counter… even tried a wrench… It was after midnight and I had been trying for hours to be “adult”… finally I reached down into the “junk” drawer, and pulled out the “hammer” I bought for driving stakes into the ground. Placed the offending bottle on the bathroom bath mat and swung…
Hey! It took several good swings, before it broke, but that was just the cover.. then I had give it another well aimed blow before the rest came away so I could get at the gel capsule I wanted.. What is the expression…. where there is a will… there is a way..
That’s my story for the day… what’s yours.
“You can find true joy when you work creatively within the rules..”
Its Oct. 1 today, I can go crazy with fall colours.. and dust off my broom.
Oyashikiri
and NO . having a husband for such occasions… is not an option
Yesterday came and went … just like the clouds, my life was full of sharing, caring and food I finally got my steak and lobster. Wow. it has been ages since I have been in a “steak house” where there is linen table clothes, the servers are in uniforms …. people coming in and out are dressed in proper business attire. The atmosphere is quiet, lighting discreet… the steak melted in my mouth, the lobster was not a suggestion it was substantial.
For an appetizer I couldn’t resist trying the bone marrow!! Yes I was spoiled… and you know what. I truly enjoyed it. The table held plates of calamari, mussels, and I think breaded zucchini, fresh from the oven breads/buns, the salads were fresh and plentiful not a spoonful on the side.
My ice water was topped up and chock full of ice cubes (ice water, my favourite drink) I didn’t try the house wine but was told it was exceptional. Needless to say, I wasn’t thrilled that after my wonderful lunch, I had to go pick up my car at the dealership (air-conditioning problem)
Oh I know you want to know the side dishes, I had fresh Brussel sprouts grilled with carrots.. Dessert (yes I gave in) was pistachio gelato, I saw decadent two layer chocolate cake with I think I was told was a butter cream icing… My meal also had a fresh garden salad.. I walked out of the restaurant on my own, but… rolling me out would have worked to!!! I was stuffed.
My heartfelt thanks to all the cheerful and funny birthday wishes ..loved them all.
Like the clouds that drift across a sapphire blue sky – the joy and love from yesterday was a blessing I will always remember. Moments come and go, but true friendships never die. and love... it has many faces, but remember … it is a gift… treasure it.
Oyashikiri
the lobster came on a bed of seasoned rice, drizzled in a butter garlic sauce to die for ! !! !!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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)
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!
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.
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
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.
