The soft flakes fell ..,each a delicate masterpiece of beauty… with gentle precision they landed on the extended arms of the trees. The forest was covered in a blanket of sparkling organic gems. Some translucent and others the purest of white.
I was surrounded by scenes that were surreal ,the world had become a winter wonderland. Suddenly I’d get a flash of black as a frisky squirrel would scamper towards the “cafe”… then I would catch the rusty red of a smaller squirrel rushing to get a place at the “table”.
The blue jays were already poised to shop for the biggest peanut they could find… and since reopening, the woodpeckers were gathering higher up … waiting for the suet and butter bark to be distributed.
The chickadees,, nuthatch and a group of “gray” birds were busy grabbing would they could from the buffet tables. Chirping and chattering all the while as they flew back for second and third helpings
Here we are at the beginning of new week. I hope you have a beautiful start to your day/week.
Have clear goals and take appropriate actions
Always begin with a clear idea of what your goals are. Once you have pinpointed the target for your actions, things will move forward much more smoothly.
PL2019.17
Oyashikiri
The next day after the snow.. the cafe floor was filled with tiny and mid size paw prints. There wasn’t a crumb left.. all the tables/platters were empty.
Spring flowers appearing bringing a burst of colour to otherwise gray skies. The “boys” in the woodlands, showing off for me… I wanted to show you the beautiful heart the male has on his head. It really shows up during mating season. They had their breakfast and were leaving… I caught them going over the fence and called out…” stop.. want to grab a picture.”. the darlings obliged by staying still long enough for me to grab the picture. Aren’t they handsome!
Forest maintenance .. the brush gets too high, scrub trees grow, interfere with hydro lines… this is the time of year that crews come along and clear..
I asked why ….this time of year, …reply.. so that the brush is cleared away before birds come along and build nests. It does open up the area along the side of the road…. for sure it changes the whole look… I will be interested in seeing how it will fill in once the foliage begins to grow.
Meanwhile, I get to gather odds and ends of wood left behind by the crew.. not sure why some wood is taken and some is left behind. Finding odd pieces, I can let them dry, then sculpt them. Just have to find where my carving knives are, they were put a way in a safe place… meaning.. I put them away and can’t find them.
If you face a situation head on, a path will open up.
No matter how hard the situation is, face it head on. If you approach it seriously, you will be able to find a way to break through. PL2014.26
We can live our daily lives owing to our ancestors, our elders, and the work of our predecessors. Above all kindness for others is the best way to give back.
Once I caught the glimpse of her waiting patiently, I couldn’t “not” see her
My first intention was to just grab a picture … then I thought I’d clean it up, take away the tree she stood behind. In the spring when the tree begins to leaf out, she will be hidden from view again. I might still do that, meanwhile, I wanted to share her… She obviously has been there for some time. I wonder at the stories she could tell.
Awww … someday… I’ll stop and …. Another mystery to unravel when time and inclination strike again…
Today Monday the 30th. there is one day left in the year 2024. Are you ready for a new year, another 365 days of adventures, new opportunities, new friends…
Use your results to make the next time even better
Whether “things” turn out perfectly or not, the important thing is to take what you’ve learned and apply it the next time.
PL2018.30
NB* the Chinese new year (lunar calendar) this year will be January 29 2025, ending Feb. 16.2026 – it will bring with it, wisdom, agility and strategic foresight. If you know your sign already, this year it will be the wood snake. The wood snake year may bring some challenges in career and finances, stay positive and flexible to overcome setbacks.. Focus and health, avoid negativity and you will handle the year with confidence and success.
Senior citizens are constantly being criticized for every conceivable deficiency of the modern world, real or imaginary. We know we take responsibility for all we have done and do not try to blame others.HOWEVER, upon reflection, we would like to point out that it was NOT senior citizens who took:
The melody out of music,
The prideout of appearance,
The courtesyout of driving,
The romanceout of love,
The commitmentout of marriage,
The responsibilityout of parenthood,
The togethernessout of the family,
The learningout of education
The Golden Rulefrom rulers,
The nativityscene out of cities,
The civilityout of behavior,
Therefinementout of language,
The dedicationout of employment,
The prudenceout of spending,The ambitionout of achievement.
Received this in my morning mail. thought I’d share. why not! Anything resonate with you?
in passing. with the cooler weather I went in search of a piece of gingerbread…(from a gingerbread loaf, not cookies) None found!
Put all your effort into the “now”. You can only do your absolute best right this moment, not in the past, not in the future, but now.(PL2018.27)
A mustard seed is a very small seed, that when planted it becomes a tree producing millions of mustard seeds. It doesn’t “think” “Oh, I’m really a tree, and I know I can be one, ” Once planted – if properly nurtured, it will just do it. When we believe and have faith that everything will turn out all right, it will be as it should be. The moment is fine, just as it is. whatever that may be.
Tudo e obra divina. Everything is a diving act. When the tree fell in my backyard, I mourned, it has been with me since we bought this place in early 2000s When we moved here, there was nothing but a small flower bed and grass. I took it all away, no grass for me, and no flower beds, I wanted to replicate if I could the Chinese gardens I had when I had my house and gardens on the Quebec side of the river.
I soon learned that in life the only constant is Change. and what worked in Hull, was not going to work here, different property .. sunlight… etc. The Hazelnut corkscrew was one of the first trees I planted, in fact I planted two.. one several years later.. It was a show piece. the gnarled branches coveted by many for their floral arrangements. Then the neighbourhood started to change.. established homes were ripped out including old oaks .. lawns disappeared.. infill began.. and with infill, the focus was on buildings and not on having a lawn, or garden ..
I soon found myself surrounded by big block buildings that looked more like dental or office buildings and new neighbours didn’t have room to do anything but maybe put out a potted plant. or a box with earth raised off the ground on their patios … what trees were left were on city property ( size of a laneway) between the backyard neighbours and my yard. No one tended them and soon they overshadowed my beautiful serenity gardens. My vegetation/ plants were deprived of the full sunlight they had had.. and began to fade. I watched the slow death of many of the shrubs and plants in my yard.
I knew eventually I would have to say a full goodbye.. and that time arrived this year. Last year it was bravely still standing, but .. no.. this past winter it had its last hurrah, Like the passing of the many friends and family members who have “moved on” it is now another page in my memory book.
I’m at an age where I have lived through a lot of “goodbyes”… I’ve learned the process of “letting go” is something that comes with “time”… it is what it is,
There will always be a way. As long as you are serious, there is no reason for you to give up. Move forward one step at a time and things will always turn out for the best. PL2018.13
Nature is being neglected. Look around, listen to what is happening globally…. focus is on destruction, not on harmony…. I pray every day .. for the strength to continue to work towards love and universal peace.
Oyashikiri
Anyone else remember when we could play in the front and backyard, I was lucky Dad made a small rink in our yard.. there were trees to climb, an area for Dad to have his garden, Mom her flowers, Mom would hang the wash out on sunny days.. linen had that fresh smell when it was put back on the beds. Some where along the way, I heard that is not allowed in some communities. (hanging out your wash)…
Have a good day everyone.. do you have memories of times gone by?
It is OK to think…”This is where it starts” There is always a turning point. It’s important what you do from now. (PL 2021.27)
When the tall tree fell early in the month, I cleared around the fallen soldier” and took pictures of the areas that still showed how beautiful it had been in .. the various stages of life it was still holding on to. Parts of the tree that only the birds that used it saw … with it on the ground I was able to walk along side its length and capture some of its beauty. weather worn and lived in and on, it was a work of art.
Trauma, drama, changes we have no control over, life is full of opportunities to “live and learn” on the 21st in PL it is a time for special dedicated time for renewing our determination to live “the PL Way”
. Pl Precept #1 Life is Art.
During the Thanksgiving Service, (Day of Appreciation) we humbly express our appreciation for all the blessings of the past month and sincerely ask to be guided and protected in the coming month.
We all have had experiences and moments in life when we have been ”tested” “pushed to impossible limits” and we survived.. It is in these character building moments that we learn about ourselves and how we are able to “roll with the punches”. WE do! Every moment is a “gift”.
As long as you are motivated to learn more, you will continue to progress in life,
TAOIST Life is Art (Perfect Liberty precept #1)
contact info.- via blogs
--- there are two energies, Yin and Yang = ONE
---to have balance we must live each moment
of our lives.. with Makoto (sincerity)
The only constant in life is change. I am grounded in the reality of Living.
This is true, in all worlds. RL or virtual. I am me and only me.
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