My idea of a house is a big kitchen room. My family tends to gather here all the time since we love cooking and eating. Therefore, we renovated and knocked down walls to have a big open space.
Having no kitchen for a while, we make do with outdoor cooking. Portable hotplate, barbeque grill, smoker and a wasp net.
Outdoor Kitchen
A little bit of discomfort paid and we now have The Kitchen.
My domain
Currently, I’m on the road on a pilgrimage again. We visited Bakerville, BC, a historical site during the gold rush. I can’t imagine living during this era with just the basic kitchen. Can you?
Kitchens at Bakersville
Here are some of the things I found in the kitchen. A coffee maker is a must! A greasy spoon dinner kitchen. A kitchen hotel automatic pancake maker that appears to be a photocopy machine. Yikes. The pancake tasted like paper. And a cat scavenging for food.
Kitchen
I have a small kitchen and this is what it looks like before I left. Cat foods and instructions for the cat sitter.
“That is my thunder, by God; the villains will play my thunder, but not my play.” – Alexander Pope
Two black-haired girls spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E. Little do they know, I can tell what they are up to even though they speak in their own dialect. It’s easy to read minds, you know since I am the queen of Mischief.
Frame by frame, a series of shots put together to capture this story of stealing their thunder by taking over their acts at lightning speed.
I had the last laugh and the best hug from Thomas.
A bee’s knees are, like our own, joints between each leg’s femur and tibia. While we have only two, they have six (though they’re not often referred to as such in technical contexts). And what knees they are! Splendid enough that they have, since at least the 1920s, conjured by mere mention the idea of something excellent—specifically a person or thing to be greatly admired.
But it cannot be ignored: a bee’s knees are also very, very small.
Arguments are one of time wasted. Mind you, I enjoy a healthy debate. There are times, I tell phone solucitors to stop wasting my time. On material stuff that I accumulated while wasting my time in garage sales or flea markets, now I realized these occupy space. Then I mutter to myself, “You are a waste of space!”
Source: Wikipedia ~ The Persistence of Memory by Dali
How do you waste the most time every day?
Time is precious and golden. Worry is a waste of time and energy.
When I used to work and obeyed to work with projects that are literally a waste of money, I was so bored to tears and stressed out.
It’s been five years since I stopped working due to disabilities. I may be hardly doing anything physical but it’s not a waste of time. My mind and soul do wonder in healing my body. It’s self-care.
In essence, nothing is wasted when I truly think about it.
Sacred spaces and spiritual sites can be used interchangeably by the travel industry. The world is one sacred space filled with spiritual beings.
Tina said that this is rather up my alley. She’s right as I travelled as a pilgrim trying to follow the footsteps of the Old and New Testament as well as other spiritual practices. Thank you, Tina, for making it easy for me. Click here to see her post.
On my site, I have a page dedicated to pilgrimage. I have posted some stories here. Below are some photos I’ve posted before. Click on the image.
Mt. Nebo. Moses looking at the Promised LandPalm Sunday Walk entering JerusalemPergamon, TurkeyAssisi overlooking Porzuincula, Italy
“The living follows their souls, the dead follows their spirit.”
To do these pilgrimages, it took an enormous amount of strength in my body, mind and spirit. Thank goodness I was young and healthy then.
Entrance to Petra
To reach Petra, we walked from the beginning passing through all the tombs. We did not hitch a ride with camels or horse-drawn carriages. To see this crack was breath taking. This part is my most memorable experience of Petra. Inside are more ruins.
Cappadocia, Turkey
In Cappadocia, we did not take the luxury of hot air balloons. We kept on chanting “We are pilgrims, not a tourist.” In this arid place, we visited the caves of the desert fathers, fairy chimneys and underground cave dwellers of Christian refugees.
Alto De Perdon, Camino
The Hill of Forgiveness is part of walking The Way. Pardon me, this is not a small hill. I did ask for forgiveness for all the swear words I mumbled as I climbed up to pass through. My guide lied a lot saying it was just an incline.
Elephanta Cave, India
I must admit, I find India a very spiritual land mine. People here have so much reverence on almost everything. The cows roaming freely. Where they stay, consider that a sacred space. It’s a confluence of world’s religion.
To wrap it up, I am proud to say that I climbed Mt. Sinai, the seat of Ten Commandments. There are two ways to reach the summit: camel ride with a guide or on your own, in the dark. We started just after midnight to avoid the heat and experience sunrise. It took us four hours to see the glory of a rising sun.
Mount Sinai, Egypt
I was supposed to visit the sacred sites of Peru but Covid happened. I haven’t travelled ever since. As for spiritual sites, it’s up to me to make it so.
In closing, allow me to share with you the experience of Thomas Merton of spiritual nature.
“In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all those people, that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers. It was like waking from a dream of separateness, of spurious self-isolation in a special world, the world of renunciation and supposed holiness… This sense of liberation from an illusory difference was such a relief and such a joy to me that I almost laughed out loud… I have the immense joy of being man, a member of a race in which God Himself became incarnate. As if the sorrows and stupidities of the human condition could overwhelm me, now I realize what we all are. And if only everybody could realize this! But it cannot be explained. There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.” Merton described it this way Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander.
Gathering fragments and using them to fill the space in the vase becomes a new way of keeping the plant to root in water. I can tell you a story about each piece in the vase and how I collected them. But that’s a long story
In its primary aspect, a painting has no more spiritual message than an exquisite fragment of Venetian glass. The channels by which all noble and imaginative work in painting should touch the soul are not those of the truths of lives. – Oscar Wilde
These images fragmented art created by talented students at the school. The bits and pieces of materials put together made it possible to see the beauty of the art.
The work of art, just like any fragment of human life considered in its deepest meaning, seems to me devoid of value if it does not offer the hardness, the rigidity, the regularity, the luster on every interior and exterior facet, of the crystal. – Pope Paul VI
I have a collection of broken dishes and pottery that can be used as a Kintsugi. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold — “built on the idea that in embracing flaws and imperfections, you can create an even stronger, more beautiful piece of art.” Gold? Sorry, I’m not rich enough to buy gold.
Here in the garden is where I placed these fragments to repurpose them as ornaments or borders for the plants.
I must admit, I’m known to speak and write in fragments since I’m not fluent in English.
“My name is Nobody.” That’s a line from my favourite western movie “The Man With No Name.”
There are many good names from watching shows how the leading actors and actresses introduced themselves such as “Bond. My name is James Bond” or “Groot.”
My blog had gone through a series of name changes from Seeker to Pilgrim to Perpetua.
Here I will remain:
If you had to change your name, what would your new name be?
“Bugs never bug my head. They are amazing. It is the activities of humans which actually bug me all the time.” – Munia Khan
As a constant gardener, I could spend hours looking for what’s hidden behind the leaves, under the rocks, or pile of leaves.
Jasmine Shrub
The Jasmine shrub is in full bloom. The scent permeates the surrounding. One can’t help but smell the flowers. I’ve seen passerby enjoying the aroma.
“Only bugs can truly appreciate the beauty of flowers” – Dov Davidoff
The Jasmine plant blooms biennial. Not only it’s a people magnet, it’s a sanctuary for bugs and I keep it that way.
“Bugs are not going to inherit the earth. They own it now. So we might as well make peace with the landlord.” – Thomas Eisner
When I started nurturing this shrub back to life, most of the unwanted aphids took residence here. Hardly any bugs in other plants in the garden.
“It’s important to reinvent yourself often, because if you don’t, someone else will and squash you like a bug.” – Blackbear
This is one happy lady bug having a happy meal. I think there’s an orgy of bugs here. June bugs and stink bugs are here. The cats are having a field day in the balcony trying to catch them. Thank goodness, I have a screen door. It doesn’t really stop the flies, wasps, mosquitoes and bees from entering my place. The cats know how to open the sliding screen door.
For a happy ending, the management of The Manor is successful in eradicating bedbugs. That was traumatic for all residence.
We can all relax and enjoy life around the world now. The real c-bug is downgraded to just a regular virus.
They say when a mushroom is growing, it adds nutrients to the surrounding. And fungus forms a symbiotic relationship with the host. QNo wonder Ivy is thriving and hard to kill.
But I can’t help thinking of peeps foraging on mushrooms. One tastes like bacon, the other is fishy, the red one killed Kevin and cousin Vinny saw God for three weeks.
This assignment on buildings and structures brings back memories of the first person I met in Vancouver who became my best friend and mentor. He was a developer of many office buildings in Downtown, Vancouver.
Have you been to Vancouver? It’s a fairly new city.
Vancouver Art GalleryVancouver Public LibraryFive SailsScience World
These four Vancouver buildings I find worth seeing should you ever come to visit Canada. To enlarge the media, click on the image. I think they are iconic.
From my media library, these are some structures I’ve seen during my pilgrim days that I’m sure some of you have visited.
In Burnaby where I live, there was only one highrise, the first one on the left. Fast forward 30 years later, there are two dozen obscuring the skyline not to mention the current constructions
Clouds are not the cheeks of angels, you know. They’re only clouds. Friendly sometimes, but you can never be sure.
The Moon circles the Earth and the ocean responds with the rhythm of the tides.
If I had longer arms, I’d push the clouds away, or make them hang above the water somewhere else. But, I’m just a man, who needs and wants mostly things he’ll never have, looking for that thing hardest to find – himself.
Normal day, Contrails, Sunset, Venus/Jupiter
I’ve been going a long time now, and along the way I’ve learned a few things. You have to make the good times yourself. Take the little times and make them big times, and save the times that are alright for those that aren’t so good. I’ve never been able to push the clouds away by myself.”
Hakuna Matata
a selection on THE SEA entitled “Pushing the Clouds Away” ~ Rod McKuen
I need a battery to keep on going and going physically.
Source: Wikipedia ~ The Persistence of Memory by Dali
With the help of the Centre for Chronic Diseases, nutrition, essential vitamins and naturopath can sustain my stamina as indefatigable. So they say. It’s a hit-and-miss.
Art installation at the mall. In the background, I stood “stealing” photos of passersby. It’s a great place to keep an eye on how art evolves by having people as the greatest work of art.
Having had my fill of candid shots, I created a reel.
Click to play.
The background in the original is “I Need Love.” Unfortunately, when I downloaded the reel, there is no music. So here’s the song for you to listen to while watching the slide.
Warm weather and sunny skies permeate Vancouver City. Meanwhile, some parts of Canada are having extreme weather conditions. My neighbour is moving to Edmonton at the end of the month. They may have to wait driving across Canada due to raging forest fire.
Last night, I woke up in the middle of the night sweating. Good grief, there’s no reason to be soaking wet when I am post-menopausal. It’s hard to return to sleep at 3 or 4 am. Even when I go back to bed, it takes 30 to 60 minutes to fall back to sleep to be woken up by Lucy at 5:30 wanting food. This cat doesn’t stop until she gets what she wants.
Toothsome fella
Sleep deprivation makes me dream vividly. Last night, I fell asleep on the couch watching TV dreaming that there was a man in my flat! It was so scary. I woke up looking at George Constanza’s doing his ‘Art of Seduction’ pose on TV.
With so much local arts in the city, my favourites are two epics subjects: East Van Cross and Homeless Jesus. For me, they are powerful. The more powerful the representation of the art, the more powerful the questions become.
East Van Cross Sculpture
This 57-foot cross lights up after dark that seems to float. I love seeing this cross not because I grew up in East Vancouver when I resettled to Canada but it symbolizes the cross cultures, eclectic lifestyle and diversity of the Eastside, particularly the immigrant life. It was developed from a graffiti symbol way back in the 1940s. I took this photo riding the Skytrain on my way home.
Sculpture of Homeless Jesus at Holy Rosary Cathedral Vancouver, BC. Canada
The sleeping life-size sculpture curled up covered with a blanket too small for him that his feet were exposed and marked with two wounds as a depiction of Jesus Christ. From the street, it looks so real and can be mistaken for a real person. I took this photo with a woman keeping him company.
Creating art that has the power to convert. Creating sculpture that deepens our spirituality. Attaining these two goals describes my purpose as an artist. ~ Timothy Schmalz
These two installations were made by Canadian artists, Ken Lum and Timothy Schmalz. I choose them because they reflect my Christian beliefs.
Today is Mother’s Day. The sky is blue and white. It seems that even nature wants to pay homage to the mothers who feel unhappy because they can’t realize the desires of their children.
Carolina Maria de Jesus and children
The sun keeps climbing. Today it’s not going to rain. Today is our day.
Dona Teresinha came to visit me. She gave me 15 cruzeiros and said it was for Vera to go to the circus. But I’m going to use the money to buy bread tomorrow because I only have four cruzeiros.
Yesterday I got half a pig’s head at the slaughterhouse. We ate the meat and saved the bones. Today I put the bones on to boil and into the broth I put some potatoes. My children are always hungry. When they are starving they aren’t so fussy about what they eat.
Night came. The stars are hidden. The shack is filled with mosquitoes. I lit a page from a newspaper and ran it over the walls. This is the way the favela dwellers kill mosquitoes.
I’ve have been playing around with street photography and joined two groups. Monochrome and coloured. I just share a photo and let viewers tell me what they see. It’s about their moods.
Gum head
Creating a mood is not a secret in photos. There’s an app for that.
It’s a fierce competition. I’ll be lucky if my shot will be accepted. I’ll be lucky if the administrators and moderators will provide reason why it’s denied.
Proud Moment
These shots were submitted. One was accepted and one was denied.
I wonder what was the mood of the person viewing the media that made such a decision?
In my gardening circle, I sent out a week’s notice to mark May 6 in their calendar as World Naked Gardening Day. I received regrets mostly because it’s golf season or they received an invite for the coronation.
So I ante up the event and sent out invitations for High Tea Party in the garden. It was a success.
However, I missed notifying my Vancouver group, and one person sent me a note.
On March 2023, I received a comment from TK, a reader outside WordPress, in this post dated August 2021.
I found a copy of this rolled up in the back closet shelf in an apartment I rented in Concord, NH in the 80s.
Wish I could post a picture of it here.
Had it framed and has moved with me across country 5 times!!!
I am the black sheep, so it inspired me.
Poem by Veronica Shiffstall
I was thrilled to hear from her and contacted her via email to hear her story.
Poem by Veronica Shoffstall
Funny you thought of gardening when reading it.
I read it thought it was all about inner strength.
Guess it was what I needed in life at that time.
I was in my early 20s in the 1980s living in Concord, NH.
I was moving out of my apartment after 2 years. My roommate was getting married and her fiance was moving in. I had introduced the two of them to each other.
My roommate was rather anal and I wanted to make sure I left the place clean.
I had gotten everything out of my closet but I heard something in way back of the top shelf. I got up on a chair and saw this paper rolled up and wrinkled in the very back of the shelf.
I asked my roommate if it was hers because it was her room before being mine. Nope, wasn’t hers.
Poem by Veronica Shoffstall
I rolled it back up and it moved with me.
It stayed rolled up for over a decade and many apartments. But I had remembered it and kept telling myself about learning with every goodbye through the years.
I moved back to NM and unpacked all of my belongings and found this poem again!
I decided it was time to frame it and read it every day to give me the strength it gave me when I found it.
Poem by Veronica Shoffstall
Well, I’m in my 60s now. It is still on my walls. I can’t tell you how many people I have shared it with through the years. They all needed it at that time in their life.
I’ve even had men copy it and change “grace of a woman” to “strength of a man”!!
Needless to say, it has helped many people in many ways. I am no different.
Thanks for putting up that blog.
What gives you direction in life? The poem of Veronica Shoffstall gave me a new direction in life.
I was wondering who Ronnie was, where she was from, when was she born. I was searching for her online to see if she had written anything else. You can find anything online now!
Much to my disappointment, not much luck. I looked in obits. in NH first . . . nothing. Then I stumbled across your blog.
Let’s get this information out there! Who is Miss Veronica? When was she born? Where is she from? What did she end up doing in life?
I’ve wanted to know for 40 years. Let’s end this mystery!!!!
Thank you so much for your reply. In a long winded way, yes, you may share my image. LOL
I ceased to see the clouds shinning backlit and coloured by the sun. The pitter-patter of tiny steps made my heart skip a beat as they walk down the pier.
My baby is taking me out for a walk.
What A Beautiful Rhythm Of Stepping’s, Father And Baby, Just Look At Their Feet, Exactly The Same, A Moment Of Feetbeating’s Has One.
Singing to the tune of “Ain’t nobody is gonna break by stride, nobody is gonna slow me down…”
I don’t mind getting lost. But when I experienced losing the children, seniors, dogs, cats, keys, and documents; my heart will skip none stop. I will pray and call all gods in the universe to help me find them. I will even make all the promises to be a good person, change my ways, and be more careful.
Photo of Radka’s adorable children talking to Remy, The Humanities Cat
This cat is not lost, but where is the parent?
Knowing that losing something or someone causes extreme anxiety; whenever I find something valuable, I go to the extreme of finding the owners. I have found and returned keys, documents, children, blank signed cheques, etc. It is such a relief to be able to find the rightful owners.
What’s inside our skull? Is it our brain or our mind?
This is a real brain floating in liquid to keep it intact as a specimen, and undoubtedly it’s not mine. Our brain is divided into two hemispheres and it contains billions of neurons. The brain plays a crucial role in our motor and sensory roles.
Our brain enhances our capacity for intellectual thoughts, planning, decision-making, survival and instincts based on past experiences. It can transcend beyond the intellect and delve into the realm of the unknown.
Without the brain; language, consciousness, memory, abstract thoughts, art, philosophy, and religion do not exist.
The staggering complexity of a human brain as it begins to develop from infancy to adulthood remains a mystery.
Inside my brain, inside of my mind, I have a human hunger that I cannot grasp. Is God just a perception generated by my brain or is it wired to experience the reality of God?
Still, no one can answer this to my satisfaction when it comes to science. It is all a mystery.
“The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true science. He who knows it not and can no longer wonder, no longer feel amazement, is as good as dead” ~ Albert Einstein.
These photos were taken during one of my travels. It’s an exhibition of brain/mind/human. Location? It escaped my mind.
I’ve decided to focus my bucket list on seeing the natural world rather than being entertained to satisfy my hedonistic appetite. In order to do that, I focused my energy on what can I plant.
There is a space I looked at every day from the balcony. I prayed quietly with the hope that the owner of the building will fix the pool and fill it up with gravel and soil. I want to extend the garden. As you can see in this photo, there are two trees needing to grow on the earth.
Maple and Lavender Trees
There are whispers that the pool will eventually be filled.
Let’s wait and see if this would materialize this year.
… in the face of unconditional love we are powerless. Yes, perhaps we can choose to accept it or not, perhaps we can run away from it, but we cannot influence it, manipulate it, or control it. In the face of this kind of love, we are powerless. And only when we’ve died to all of our delusions of actually being in control do we realize that such loss of perceived freedom and power is actually life.
Years ago I preached a sermon about the offensive nature of God’s grace, suggesting that we might add four words to the end of our service of baptism, saying, “Child of God, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…like it or not.” A few weeks later, a friend shared a bedtime encounter he’d had with his then six-year-old son. Upset that his father was putting him to bed earlier than he wanted to go, Benjamin said, “Daddy, I hate you.” Benjamin’s father, exercising the kind of parental wisdom I hope for, replied, “Ben, I’m sorry you feel that way, but I love you.” Benjamin’s response to such gracious words surprised his dad: “Don’t say that!” “I’m sorry Benjamin, but it’s true. I love you.” “Don’t,” his son protested, “Don’t say that again!” At which point Ben’s father, remembering the words of the sermon, said, “Benjamin, I love you…like it or not!”
Why was Benjamin protesting his father’s love? Because he realized he could not control his father’s love and twist it to his advantage. Indeed, in the face of such love there is no bargaining and, ultimately, no control whatsoever. If his dad had said that if he ate all his vegetables he could stay up, or agreed that Ben could stay up later this night if he went to bed earlier the next, then Benjamin would have been a player, he would have exercised some measure of control over the situation and, indeed, over his dad. But in the face of unconditional love we are powerless. Yes, perhaps we can choose to accept it or not, perhaps we can run away from it, but we cannot influence it, manipulate it, or control it. In the face of this kind of love, we are powerless. And only when we’ve died to all of our delusions of actually being in control do we realize that such loss of perceived freedom and power is actually life.
Tell me that you haven’t called in sick on a Friday to add to your weekend and extend it to Monday. By Tuesday, you miraculously got better and returned to work.
Maybe I will call in sick today to get a long weekend.
Is wishing the same as yearning? English is a difficult language, Martha.
Having children around, as adults, we try to provide the third generation with the best environment so that they can lead a good life.
Beachember
I believe the children are our future Teach them well and let them lead the way Show them all the beauty they possess inside Give them a sense of pride to make it easier Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be
Greatest Love of All song by Whitney Houston
Bonding
And here they are. They kept the tradition we imparted. Annual get-together.
It seems like forever waiting and finally, we are glowing with pride and joy to see their paintings exhibition at Anvil Centre.
There are two painters selected by the Centre, Dan S. Siglos and Clarissa Banos.
The Eternal Dance painting by Dan S. Siglos
It was perfect timing for the opening day that coincides with Dan S. Siglos’s birthday. What a perfect gift.
The Eternal Dance paintings by Clarissa Banos
“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.” — Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
The Eternal Dance painters expressions
Even though Dan is my brother, his paintings were top secrets. No peeking until the exhibition. The only thing I was involved in was putting the painters’ writings together to make up an expression of The Eternal Dance.
Turtle, Acrylic on canvas, 24 X 30, Dan S. SiglosThe Seed Bearers by Clarissa Banos
It’s amazing how the lighting is fixed precisely to prevent unnecessary glow on the subjects. The entrance is dramatic to see a glimpse of paintings enticing viewers to come and see.
Anvil CentrePaintings by Dan S. SiglosPaintings by Clarissa Banos
One panel is exclusive, I think, for where one can have a selfie.
The Eternal Dance painting exhibits at Anvil Centre
I like the metaphor of glowing moments – in the darkness — because we all have the ability to seek the light and be the light.
It’s always fun to travel with children. What they see, hear, and experience with adults is quite interesting in how they understand the events. And where did we go this past week with the kids for forty days? Nowhere in particular. But my sister took her grandchildren along on her journey through lent.
Let’s hear what Layla learned about what happened and how “they” wanted it.
Layla can take her GiGi (my sister), parents and brothers on a trip with her storytelling of her vivid memory
“How many coins Judas got, and Layla said we didn’t talk about money only coins”
Layla knows about the feeding of 5000 people. She knows the 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes and then there are leftovers
Layla knows who helped Jesus carried his cross – Simon of Cyrene.
Layla was asked who wiped Jesus faced . She had to think. She said it starts with V. Then she thinks. and replied, “I know because my teacher named her daughter the same, Veronica.”
We are none the wiser when we know that many are still. being crucified in some form.
The antidote for living in a world of visual noise and occluded seeing is, according to Pieper, creating and viewing works of art. Artists as well as viewers of art linger over the intricacies of human life—including all of its pain and hurt. The unhurried gaze and leisurely lingering over a work of art provide room for reflection, insight, healing, and wisdom. – A. Trevor Sutton
I must say I have grown fond of writing down thoughts that came to my mind, and sharing them with you, your comments and banter. To read so many good post of essays, haiku, poems, personal thoughts, humour, arts and photography, I will sorely miss. And that is an attachment in some ways. One thing that I don’t want to lose sight is my belief and faith. And that is not an attachment. It’s my life.
On the other side of life, I received notices from friends in Facebook that they will be off-line during Lenten season as part of fasting. Thinking about fasting, I will be participating as well not in Facebook but from posting blogs. In Facebook that’s where I do most of the spiritual side of me. Lent will start on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter. Just 40 days.
The good news about fasting during Lent, weekend is not counted. Maybe, just maybe, I will participate once a week in the Ragtag Daily Prompt Weekly Photo Challenge and post the Sunday Snippet. Whew, that is a relief for me. This does not mean that I will abstain from reading your post and liking it. I will still be hovering around at a lesser frequency during weekdays.
What I will abstain from is commenting, thus the sound of silence.
This man has no filter when it comes to his habit of smoking cigars even with the anti-smoking sentiments. He smoked 10-15 cigars a day and live up to 100 years old.
George Burns
Oh God, I’m pretty sure he told people off to put a filter in their mouths expressing their opinions on people’s choice.
Alonso Quixana (Don Quixote) is an aging gentleman who is enamored by and devours books about chivalry. He becomes so absorbed with the subject that he soon escapes reality as he fancies himself a knight, and travels about the countryside performing acts of imagined valor and good deeds. His world, as that of Cervantes, was anything but virtuous or chivalrous.
Spirit who comes out of the East, come to me with the power of the East, the light of the rising sun. Let there be light on the path I walk. Let me remember always that you give the gift of a new day and let me never be burdened with sorrow by not starting over.
Great Life Giving Spirit, I face the West, the direction of sundown. Let me remember every day that the moment will come when my sun will go down. Never let me forget that I must fade into you. Give me beautiful color, give me a great sky for setting so that when it is time to meet you, I come with glory.
Colours of Cuba
Great Spirit of Creation, send me warm and soothing winds from the South to comfort me and caress me when I am tired and cold. Unfold me as your gentle breezes unfold the leaves on the trees. And as you give to all the earth your warm moving wind, give to me warmth so that I may grow close to you.
Taj Mahal
Great Spirit of Love, come to me with the power of the North; make me courageous when the cold winds of life fall upon me. Give us strength and endurance for everything that is harsh, everything that hurts, and everything that makes me squint. Let me move through life ready to take what comes from the North.
Vancouver, Canada
Giver of All Life, I pray to you from the Earth. Help me to remember as I touch the Earth that I am little and need your pity. Help me to be thankful for the gift of the Earth and never to walk hurtfully on the world. Bless me with the eyes to love what comes from Mother Earth and teach me how to use well your gifts.
Different shades of earth, Santiago Compostela
Great Spirit of the Heavens, lift me up to you that my heart may worship you and come to you in glory. Hold in my memory that you are my Creator, greater than I, eager for my good life. Let everything that is in the world lift my mind and my heart and my life to you, so that we may come to you always in truth and in heart.
Prayer Circle
I brought my four nephews to the pinnacle of northern British Columbia, Atlin, soon after mother was buried to witness the northern lights. We stayed at Mt. Monarch and taught the boys the Prayer of the Six Directions (Indian Prayer) in the tundra.
This is a photo of presentation of a painting of Kateri Tekakwitha (Lily of the Mohawk) gifted to Pope Francis last year during his visit to Canada for Truth and Reconciliation. Part one can be found here.
Pope Francis. Presentation of St. Kateri painted by Dan S. Siglos
Kateri Tekakwitha (pronounced [ˈɡaderi deɡaˈɡwita] in Mohawk), given the name Tekakwitha, baptized as Catherine[3][4] and informally known as Lily of the Mohawks(1656 – April 17, 1680), is a Catholicsaint and virgin who was an Algonquin–Mohawk. Born in the Mohawk village of Ossernenon, on the south side of the Mohawk River in present-day New York State, she contracted smallpox in an epidemic; her family died and her face was scarred. She converted to Catholicism at age nineteen, when she was baptized and given the Christian name Kateri in honor of Catherine of Siena. Refusing to marry, she left her village and moved for the remaining five years of her life to the Jesuit mission village of Kahnawake, south of Montreal on the St. Lawrence River in New France, now Canada.
Cousin Mike was sharing the things his father imparted to him. I wrote it down as best I could. In point forms and words I remembered. I am sharing this with you as is.
Gift of food love peace simple uncomplicated to provide to offer food and put on the table to share
Gift of time spend time together family spend with the ones you love
Funeral of Jesus Gonzales Feb 10, 2023
Gift of laughter no gender in Tagalog made others laugh franks spider bad jokes on Homer create a joke forget punch lines
Gift of perseverance not with words but a model it is what it is stop complaining get on with it
Celebration of Life of Jesus Gonzales February 12, 2023
Gift of generosity pioneer chain of sponsorship to pave the way to Canada
Oh you know, we live in such a monochrome world. I said.
“Yeah, I know what you mean. It reminds me of England.” She said.
Writings on the wall.
We were talking about the winter weather but it doesn’t stop us from going out. Her, the daily trip to Starbucks. Me, my daily walk. I just returned from looking for subjects to photograph for this monochrome assignment. It’s dark and gloomy outside. A perfect scene for a simple lighting experience having to deal with many shades of gray.
Camouflage
To be objective looking for a subject, I have to truly look and see what I can discover. It’s not that I am searching for colours, but what image would stand out on a grayscale environment.
Washi. Japanese Paper Art.
In Japan, Washi is a fundamental component of print making. It is also used as a subtle camouflage between the shoji screens against the walls of the surroundings. It is mouldable into clothing or woven into furnishings.
The first there photos are originals in a perfect monochrome settings taken using my iPhone7.
Since I have no destination, I can never be lost. —Andrew Macnab
This bird is so still that can easily be missed blending in with nature. I put the two shots side by side for comparison. I must admit I prefer the lighter version by just moving the dials of the mono feature of the iPhone.
Grace
Grace is a multicoloured cat with orange, brown, black, gray and white fur. To see her in monochrome doesn’t do justice to her beautiful hair but the snowflakes are unbelievably visible.
See yourself in color.
“See yourself in color” in monochrome makes me chuckle. This is just wild. Choosing my clothing is easier when I stick to a monochrome wardrobe. Monochrome means one color in various shade. I can match a green skirt with a top in a pistachio green. Imagine the different shades of green of Ireland. It can be flattering and simplified. I do love pigments, tho.
In Praise of Hands
A red small insignia is enough for the solid black ink.
Vancouver skyline.
Let the scene see you. A freight ship with red skirt.
Murmurings
Night photography capturing North Shore with a tinge of red light.
Raindrop
Such a typical weather when I stepped out of Pan Pacific around 10am. At least, it’s not raining. The blue, red and yellow made up for a dramatic scene.
Still Christmas
At the end of the day, view from my balcony.
As I discovered in WordPress, there is so much going on in Monochrome Madness. I must check them out and learn from these great photographers.
It’s been a long time since your last musing. I haven’t forgotten your writings. I kept part of you in my draft for the longest time. I sometimes visit this post to watch the video but it’s now private. Here’s hoping all is well with you.
“I think I had allowed myself to forget about the joys in everyday life. The flowers in my garden, the conversation with friend, cooking a meal, my peaceful haven of a backyard and my walk to pick up the mail. I forgot to appreciate a call from my daughter or a visit from my parents. I needed a wake up call and am happy to have received it in the form of Gretchin Rubin’s video. My daughter has returned to live at home after graduating and I am treasuring every minute we have together, even times that seem mundane. We don’t have to be taking shopping trips or going to the movies, we can be setting the table or folding laundry. I will treasure it, because all too soon…. she will find a different job and move far away. The years are short and this is it !!”
Ladies and Gents, time to boogie, swing it and tap your shoes with the undisputed Baby Face Brass band.
I can’t tell if they are truly baby-faced with all that facial hair but, hey, the pink-haired man can play his saxophone. However, I got my eyes on the drummer.
I have been exchanging emails with the happy engineer in WP to get proper instructions to change my site name. I received the links on “how to” but I can’t seem to grasp the lingo between site and domain name. There is a warning sign that if I do change the name, all of my past posts will vanish!
Yikes! More email exchanges.
Finally, a third happy engineer deciphered my message, breaking down my concerns with his answers and seven simple steps.
I managed to change my site name and imported all contents from the old site to the new one.
Now, this post is a test run. We shall see if my followers will let me know if it worked. 👌
Want to be entertained? There’s a place for that and it’s free. Plenty of parking spaces. It’s very central and public transit accessible under one big roof with many different amenities. A perfect place rain or shine. The Grand Court of Metropolis in Metrotown.
Yes, it’s a shopping centre that is bustling with people. I came here on boxing day just to take a picture of people. It was fun to cut across through the sea of people. I was in and out of this mall. For all retail stores, the message was SALE – SALE – SALE.
The Grand Court is below the west side mall which is maybe four blocks distance away from where I took this photo. Here I stand looking down at the Washed Ashore Art Exhibit. There are nine giant marine animals made of rubbers and plastic debris collected from the shore. The sculptures are beautifully made yet it conveys the tragedy of plastic pollution in our oceans and waterways and encourages conservation. It’s a travelling educational exhibit combining science and environmental impact.
Washed Ashore Travelling Art Exhibits
And here’s a doodle classroom titled “Get an A in doodling.” Another interactive project. When it comes to drawing, the kids get A+. The adults can show their talents on the higher wall Bansky style.
Get an A in Doodling
The latest event was the Chinese New Year. We were entertained by the traditional dragon dance and various dance groups. These grade four students performed a fish dance. Interesting to see that there’s only one male fish.
Watching the master calligrapher is so fascinating to notice that his hand never touches the red ribbon to write the Chinese characters which means “Wishing you good health, joy and prosperity.”
“I used to think that without photography, I am nothing. It wasn’t until I had kids that I realized that without love, I am less than nothing. ~ Chien-Chi Chang, Magnum photographer”
As much as I take pleasure in using the iPhone to take pictures, most of my subjects have a story. Photos come to life when the photographer includes a message of the image.
Phil emerged from his burrow and was frightened by the sight of the dark, undesirable aspect of his unconscious mind. The groundhog is back to haunt humans when the season reaches the crunch. The large rodent immediately scurried back underground, forecasting an indefinite extension of the cold season of the soul.
Hi Lois
Groundhog sees Jungian shadow, predicts everlasting winter of the soul.
A sense of direction is a fascinating topic. There are incredible stories about cats or dogs who were able to find their way home after so many years. Just relying on the power of their senses, they are very good at getting their bearings. This may be different for indoor pet cats. There are some precautions you can immediately take to prevent your cat from getting lost. Take them out for a walk. It’s all about orientations.
And so it begins. All 26 of them arrived safely in a sun destination of blue skies with this blinding ball of light intense glare. Soak it in while they can.
It’s an all-included resort. Food and alcohol are flowing. Heaven and hell in one package. Videos and photos are shared amongst the family left behind. The family is thrilled to see that they are having a good time.
I went to bed saying my usual soliloquy: “Lord, protect them. Amen.”
Woke up this morning, still sleepy, glaring at my iPhone with a message from my sister.
“Boy, I had a nightmare last night/ too much tequila lol! Slept walked and saw a person coming into the room. I crawled out of bed and I thought I was at home and crawled towards Angel (which I thought was the door), touched Angel (and thought was a dead body), I screamed, Rachel screamed and Angel woke up. Crazy.”
Don’t start what you can’t win. Make sure that you are protected from what will precipitate an ensuing puzzling behaviour.
In my daily walk, not only do I stop and smell the roses, but I also stop to make connections and conversations with people. Am I weird? You betcha.
On my way home, two young men approached me and asked:
“Sister, are you a Christian? Do you believe in Jesus Christ?”
Me thinks… Hmmm… These men are ordinary looking wearing jeans and a warm toque hat holding a thick book I assume is a Bible. Interesting opening line. I was thinking to respond facetiously by saying “yeah, I have a direct line with Jesus or we’re BFF.” I thought for a while and responded hesitatingly…
“Ehem… I am a catholic (with a small c. Let’s see if they are good with definitions.
“Catholic churches are corrupt.” said he.
Gong bell! Wrong answer.
“Nononono… I don’t discriminate” I smiled and turn my back.
This is my Sunday Snippet to celebrate the National Puzzle day that RDP precipitated.
The campus ground of UBC is one of the many places that are conducive to walking and sightseeing. It’s a home for many students, with plants, trees and domestic birds. There is a particular gigantic tree that is adorned with birdhouses for finch, sparrow, chickadee, wren, woodpecker, crow and even bees. There is a wooden bench with stories of four students titled “Places of Refuge.”
What is a home? When I moved to Vancouver, I thought that a home is a safe place, a place of prosperity. But now I understand that home is home because of identity. Home is home because of your people. I don’t call Vancouver home because my parents are not here, but it is a good place. I have gained many things since being here — knowledge, experience, and a better understanding of how the world works. But, it is difficult to adapt to a new environment, to be what the environment wants you to be. You can experience challenges anywhere. People just collide sometimes. ~ Makerduek, South Sudan
Every time I think I might be taking my life for granted, I think about my parents. My father was a brilliant student at university and, just before he could graduate, they had to flee the country while my mother was pregnant with me. So, whenever I start to complain about university work, I think of my father and how he had to leave in the middle of his degree just because someone decided to start a war. My parents are proud to be immigrants; everything they have in Canada, they created for themselves. I feel disconnected sometimes when I realize how much other people take for granted. ~ Tara, Croatia
The most surprising thing about coming to Canada was seeing a person walking ahead of me and holding open a door until I could put my hand on it. Where I come from people were taught to kill. The first thing they would want to do if they saw me was hit me with a machete. And then, just two and half years later, the first person I see, their concern for me is: Can I hold open the door for you? I don’t think anyone else at UBC was walking around feeling so amazed at doors being opened. ~ Willy, Rwanda
My parents have lived in the same house for my entire life. It’s a quiet place — the yard ringed with trees where birds nest, close enough to the ocean that you can smell the salt. When I was young, we acted as a host family to students from the international school who stayed with us during breaks and sometimes for years after they graduated. The house was always filled with different voices and different stories. It was there that I first realized how lucky I was. While so many others came from such difficult circumstances, I had nothing to run from, nothing to escape. ~ Chris, Canada
This iPhone serves me well in documenting memories. One camera is all I need.
One is not enough. One gift beautifully wrapped. To magnify the situation, the big picture, this kid is more interested in wrapping papers just like most cats do.
Rest before you get tired is my mantra to recharge.
Family Picture. Source: Avantgard
Tired. I am always tired. Fa-ti-gue. It’s such a joke that my doctor once said she will charge me $Five bucks every time I say it during a consultation. There were at least five doctors that replaced her until a new one came from the UK. She is just great. She listens and referred me to the Centre for Chronic Disease I completely forgot about until one day I received a call from them. Two years later when I was on the list since September 2018.
I’m finally in. The work of managing unknown ailments takes understanding one’s self-care.
If you could make your pet understand one thing, what would it be?
Lucy, you are such a good girl. Thank you for staying with me for all these years.
Grace, you are so sweet. How can I even get mad at you with that mischievous face.
Adi, Mr. Magoo, you are such a fur baby, soft to touch. Give me a hug with that mean face that doesn’t suit you.
Just for today, I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will look as good as I can, dress accordingly, talk softly, act courteously and not interrupt when someone else is talking. Just for today, I’ll not improve anybody
Me: I will take this as a compliment.
Today is National Compliment Day. Go ahead and compliment one another.
We are celebrating National Handwriting Day today.
At work, I changed my preferred name because my employer keeps on shifting me from one position and department. With my line of work, I received volumes of inter-office mail with notes from the sender. I kept this pink note because of the humor between me and the sender.
It’s short and quick — but I miss the time it takes to write and the time it takes to savor reading one.
Does anyone write longhand?
It’s dying art, does it? Lately, I’ve been consciously taking down notes using a lead pencil, my favorite writing tool.
“A letter is a blessing, a great and all-too-rare privilege
that can turn a private moment into an exalted experience.”
– Alexandra Stoddard
“There’s something about the act of writing that is valuable in itself. I worry that our kids aren’t being taught this much anymore. And while they are incredibly computer-literate and tech-savvy, what about penmanship?
I don’t think even the coolest tablet or smartphone can take the place of a well-made fountain pen and fine writing paper, and I don’t think they should.”
A recent episode of 60 Minutes saw correspondent Bill Whitaker visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France. The footage offers inspiring views of the popular pilgrimage site, as well as interviews with faithful visitors seeking to be healed and even one nun whose sudden recovery after visiting Lourdes has been deemed miraculous.
Sr. Bernadette Moriau
The 60 Minutes report goes into great detail on how reported miracles are investigated and authenticated. Whitaker spoke with a team of physicians who examine each case under various criteria, in order to prove that a miracle occurred.The massive size of each case folder is a testament to how deeply they study their cases before coming to their conclusions.
Whitaker even had a chance to interview Sister Bernadette Moriau, the 83-year-old nun who is recognized as the recipient of the 70th miracle said to have occurred at the Lourdes Shrine. Sr. Moriau explained that she had a “dark diagnosis” of full paralysis that was completely healed within three days of visiting the shrine. Sr. Moriau explained that while she was at the shrine she heard a voice in her head:
“I really had that feeling that the Lord was walking with us. And I heard him giving me these words: ‘I see your suffering and that of your sick brothers and sisters. Just give me everything.’”
She said that when she returned home she was in debilitating pain for three days until she suddenly felt the strength to walk to the chapel to pray. While in prayer, she began to feel a great heat inside of her and suddenly she felt urged to remove her foot and back braces, which she previously needed to walk. Suddenly her foot was straightened and her back was no longer in pain.
In order to validate the miracle, Sr. Moriau subjected herself to rounds of testing, both physically and mentally, but no scientific or medical explanation of her sudden recovery was ever identified. Her case was eventually recognized as the 70th instance of a miraculous healing taking place at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes.
There’s more packed into the 60 Minutes report than would be possible to cover here, and the expressions of St. Moriau as she explains her miracle are worth a watch on their own.
At 6:20 am on January 19, 2023. he went to eternal rest with his maker carrying him to the end and beyond.
Love is based on an intrinsic human quality that one has to help out in times of need. Valor is the by-product of love; the love for humanity to help those who are in need.
Jesus Gonzalez, left, now 76, is reunited with James Carrington, right, at the Ormond Nursing and Care Center in Destrehan on Monday for the first time since saving his life in 1944.
This is a bitter sweet reunion between the two friends. Mr. Gonzales is right it’s a dream come true! I shed a tear to their reunion knowing that this kind of situation rarely happen in real life.
I have an assignment to put these two statements together or intertwined them in two paragraphs. Somehow, I’m having a brain fog and it’s choking me how to construct it. The statements are night and day. Click on the image for better reading.
I know there are many here that are professional writers and I need your help. I’m tagging the group RDP. Please don’t consider this request as disposable,
First there was the photo booths, followed by Polaroid. Then came disposable cameras, point and shoot, Apple iPad, iPhone 5C, iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 plus. These are photo devices that I used as far as I can remember.
I love the booths and Polaroid. Instant gratification of how the shots turn out. Gather as many peeps in the booth, the funnier the photos come out. For a mere buck, it gives four different pictures. Cheap thrills.
Then it gets expensive.
Disposable cameras are great on a need to have basis. Point and shoot requires rolls of films. Then the films have to be processed, developed and printed. What size do you want? Matted or glossy? Rush or regular? Cost all adds up. The finished product is a surprise. With 24 prints, maybe half is good if your lucky. Over exposure, blurry, or what is this? Storing the pictures into albums and the films in shoe boxes take spaces.
Photography became easier when the digital age came. No more films. Reusable gigs. Store them in the Clouds. Cost effective. Love it.
What do I do with these pictures?
One example is incorporating it with favourite poetry or essay. The prose remains, photos change in time.
Do not ask your children to strive for extraordinary lives. Such striving may seem admirable, but it is a way of foolishness.
Help them instead to find the wonder and the marvel of an ordinary life.
Show them the joy of tasting tomatoes, apples, and pears.
Show them how to cry when pets and people die.
Show them the infinite pleasure in the touch of a hand.
And make the ordinary come alive for them. The extraordinary will take care of itself.
Lucy, my niece, was the first model used for this sage advice. She is all grown up studying in university. Our family is growing rapidly, more children. Death is part of living.
Looking Back as an ending from Albert Camus
“In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love. In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile. In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm. I realized, through it all, that… In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.”
I before E is the best way to remember the spellbinding attention when to use rule of C. The rule is immanent to loosen its grip with autocorrect.
Source: Unknown
English is a confusing language.
What I’m trying to say is I love this group, RDP. Easy to remember and spell.
After thought as later:
IMMANENT “a question as to whether altruism is immanent in all individuals or is instead acquired from without.” Another one: to visit a dying person in the hospital to say goodbye or to pray for a peaceful death is a dilemma. Thinking of Tito Jess.
It’s dark and cold rainy day. For a week. A week of blue. But have no fear, there’s always a fizzy or fuzzy way of picking up the day,
Go to your nearest Starbucks and order a sparkling cold brew. Better yet, hit the nearest bar for an effervescent bubbly with an umbrella and a twist of lime.
He is just another man, a real person that I would have very much wanted to meet personally. Unfortunately, he was born way ahead of me and died 20 years before I was born. If you ask him who he is, the response was “I am only a man, just like you.”
– Trait D’espirit / Drawn by the spirit
“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures,” said St. André Bessette.
André Bessette is a native of Canada born frail in a poor family in Quebec. He became an orphan at the age of 12 and had hardly any education at all. In his early twenties, he entered the Holy Cross congregation in Montreal. Nobody wanted him. The main task given to him was menial as a porter, someone who opens the door and greets people who come to visit the Oratory. Yet he did his duty for 40 years accepting the little he had and turning it into a holy act.
One would not think that he lacks formal education when he is an effective teacher of faith by his action, love, kindness, and example. He used the simplest means. It is his complete trust with divine providence is what made him an exceptional person.
His dream was to build a church devoted to St. Joseph. He trusted that if he is really doing the Lord’s will the Lord would bring it to fruition. And it did happen.
How I would have wanted to see him open the door for me when I visited the Oratory in Mount Royal. I felt small as an ant standing at the first rung of the steps looking up at the Oratory.
In a world filled with educated minds and an era of countless celebrity, glitz, and glamour, I am amazed at what a simple man can do.
Brother André is what I call him and has left me a legacy to place my trust in Jesus.
Brain fog is seeing without my glasses. No lenses, everything is a blur.
Henry Miller 1946
I want to remember as much as possible the events of my life be it pleasant or unpleasant as long as I can. There are times that I want to remember less.
Someone told me instead of remembering, remember to forget. And I ponder about this and what came to mind, sooner or latter a time will come, it will happen without even having to remember.
When it comes to FOG, it’s an acronym I made up such as “Focus on Gratitude” or “Focus on God.” pinned on my door to read before I walk out of the house.
I truly enjoy taking photos, there is so much to learn just reading your post. I kept one shot of 2022 as a reminder to pursue and learn. it’s one of the many journals on sale at Indigo/Chapters.
I’m not a photographer nor I own a real camera. I still have no idea how to be in your level. I just want to say thank you for this game.
“I am absolutely have no idea what I’m doing.” is the title of a 17-month 2022 day planner that I fancy. Took a picture just in case I want to buy it.
Animals are such agreeable friends – they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms. – George Eliot
A gallery of pets from cat to dog to bird to snake. What is there not to like living when there take care of pets as companions.
Sometimes life is merely a matter of coffee and whatever intimacy a cup of coffee affords. – Richard Brautigan
Coffee. Who doesn’t enjoy a cup of Java. It really doesn’t matter the status in life: rich or poor, employed or bin diver, never give up going for coffee.
The truest test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching. John Wooden
Butt … everybody is watching …
People watching other people watching … with powerful camera on their iPhones … taking photos all over the place seems to be the norm. So, be on the lookout.
Part of the fascination that photography holds is its ability to unlock secrets kept even from ourselves. Like dreams, the photograph can uncork a heady bouquet of recognition which can escape into the cognitive world. – Jack Welpott
Gardening is a common passion for people. There are many groups of gardeners that are addicted to it and loads of humour garden all over the world. It may be winter here, but on the other side of the world, it’s blooming.
Cat, I’ll let you in on a little secret. We don’t all love our jobs every day. And doing something you have passion for doesn’t make the work part of it any easier…It just makes you less likely to quit. – Kate Jacobs
These are just a few activities that keep my interest going while I will continue trying to figure out the meaning of life.
What a rag doll. He just folds, flops, and flips over when held. Actually, he didn’t want to be held. He was a loner until he met Maurice and Lucy, my cats.
His name was Adi.
Adi
Ever since he had the pleasure of being with my cats, he wants out. Kicked the door and sounded the blood curling meow. He terrorized his owners to let him out to visit my cats. To simplify life, I gave a written note to the owner that Adi is more than welcome to visit anytime. Here’s a key to my apartment. This way, I won’t be woken up with knocking on my door.
He’s nickname is “dish washer” because he ate all the leftover cat food and licked the bowls clean. He loved Maurice than Lucy. It’s a male bonding thing.
When Maurice died, Adi still came. I loved his quiet presence.
Being a purebred cat, he had many complications. Even when he was sick, he insisted coming to my place. I wanted Adi to die naturally like Maurice instead of being euthanized. But he wasn’t my cat.
He must have been at least 15 years old.
It’s time for me to clean up my iPhone and move all the thousands photos of Adi to the storage. Took me that long to mourn for Adi. I miss him.
Resolution. I think about it. Wish about. Fantasize about. I’d say mañana. But, I still persevere and learn from others. Others would rather play boggle.
Lower my expectations
Goals not resolution
Read more books
Don’t make resolutions
Diet starts tomorrow
Survive the year
Relax at gym
Join a group
Fold laundry later
Aren’t these easy enough to keep? I’ve done these before. Unless, someone comes up with another idea, I’m open to suggestions.
This morning I watched through the kitchen window, a squirrel in a dead tree on the creek bank. No more than a tall skinny pole without any branches. When I first noticed the squirrel, it ran to the top, sat on it’s hind quarters, and appeared to be eating something.
It leaped to the tiny branch of another tree, hanging upside down and exposing the pretty reddish gold fur of it’s belly, until the swaying of the branch slowed. With a flip of it’s tail, it righted itself and kept moving. A second squirrel appeared near the first. I watched the agile creatures, slightly envious. Seemingly weightless, with great flourishes of their fluffy tails, dancing among the treetops.
From the warmth of the kitchen, I watched as a lady cardinal was chased away from the suet block, by a small lady woodpecker. She was chased away by a small male woodpecker, who was expelled by the large male cardinal. Then the little female woodpecker came back and refused to be intimidated by the cardinal, and ate some suet.
I had put the summer’s remaining sweet potatoes in the oven, making the kitchen warm and sweet smelling as I enjoyed the avian entertainment.
I plucked a leaf from the cinnamon basil plant on the window sill, crushed it in my palm, and held it to my face. Herbs are the best kind of aroma therapy. And flowers are the best kind of visual therapy.
Photo by Susie Ford Rohr
There’s a creamy white amaryllis with 2 large blooms, and many more to come. A red one that should begin blooming in the next few days. The pretty red poinsettia has scarcely lost a leaf since I brought it home in November, and there are blooms on the red and white potted geraniums in the sun room.
Nearly everything I need to keep me happy until spring.
Worship by Emma Bonazzi painter and illustrator (1881-1959)
The grandkids were all excited that the Three Kings are coming following Christmas. It means they will get extra gifts. Gifts not under the Christmas tree but in your shoes.
Bring out the shoes and line them up by the doorway, stairs or window.
We follow this tradition and hand it down the generations celebrating the last day of Christmas.
“We three kings of Orient are; bearing gifts we traverse afar, field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star.”
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…
Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
When we were younger, our bucket list included mostly places we want to travel or things we want to do before we die. Now we are older, we travel back in time to check the bucket list for a yay or nay. The question is would we do it again? Which one would you not do ever again? That’s a hard one. But it’s fun to travel down memory lane.
Here’s a compilation of anti-bucket list what some people are sharing:
Camping. My idea of roughing it is walking (to the breakfast buffet) thru the plant filled atrium at the Embassy Suites.
Get married again. Been there, done that 3 times…..
I will never go to the Florida theme parks in the summer again. Hot, 10000% humidity, rain, long lines and crowded, for a 4 minute ride. Never again.
Never wear high heels again.
No more roller coasters and no more waterpark slides.
As a reader, it’s interesting to see how people interact behind the keyboards. There is one particular posts that I enjoyed thoroughly in a group “The Other Side of Art.“ John Atkinson’s artwork was shared without citations. Part of the rule is to provide proper citation. In the comment section, the author was requested to correct it and “admin” was notified.
Next thing I knew, the original post no longer appears and a similar post showed up shared by “admin” V Sco Jabbah.
Wow! This post garnered about 1.3K reactions. Interestingly enough, another comment showed that this post is incomplete and was asked to correct it. Do you think an admin would accept the challenge?
Well! It was challenged by the member who made such comments. The member shared the whole art of John Atkinson. This post went viral and exceeded more reactions, shared all over FB and more comments. Fabulous.
Christmas is not over yet and I was about to share the member’s post since it’s authentic and not the admin.
Lo and behold, the member’s authentic share is no longer in the group but the admin’s post still there.
Well, Mr. Atkinson, sorry that your art fell into the wrong hands of The Other Side of Art.
Bless us O Lord, for this thy gift which we are about to receive from thy bounty through Christ Our Lord, Meow.
It’s Thanksgiving Thursday. I started this Thursday prompt for my own sake that there is always to be thankful for in my other social media to remind me that there is always to be thankful.
It was Christmas Eve at the famed Riverside Church in New York City, and with William Sloan Coffin, Jr. scheduled to preach, the pews were packed. The Christmas Pageant was on and had come to the point where the innkeeper was to say that there was no room at the inn for Joseph and Mary pregnant with Jesus.
The part seemed perfect for Tim, an earnest youth of the congregation who has Down Syndrome. Only one line to memorize and he had practiced it again and again with his parents and with the pageant director. He seemed to have mastered it.
So there Tim stood at the altar, a bathrobe over his clothes, as Mary and Joseph made their way down the center aisle. They approached him, said their lines, and waited for his reply. “There’s no room at the inn,” he boomed out, just as rehearsed.
But then, as Mary and Joseph turned to travel further, Tim suddenly yelled, “Wait!” They turned back startled. “You can stay at my house,” he called.
Once a year, either on Christmas or New Years, food served consists mostly of our favourite dishes.
There’s a few of us looking at the dishes served salivating to taste them with great nostalgia how we consumed so much of these as if there is no tomorrow.
I said to my sister, just try one or two. Then drink lots of water to cleanse your system. It’s ok. I was egging her as if I was the demon behind her.
Some says that the path we take is fate or faith. That it’s already written for us. That it’s only by faith your life depends on.
It’s all a mystery as I ponder about what has been and what could have been. There are so many roads I’ve taken without a thought following that small still voice that only the ear and the eye of my heart can discern.
I cannot, if I would, complain Of a mean lot and curse my luck (Though luck for luck, as gain for gain, I cannot say that I’ve been struck By how much mine exceeds) but hold That this same luck has come to me Never so empty-handed, cold, As my more favored levity: And if it casts off heaviness, This is my burden, none the less.
Good blessed day and welcome to Flight 2023. We are ready to take off into the New Year.
Please make sure your Positive Attitude and Gratitude are secured and locked in the upright position. All self-destruct devices: pity, anger, selfishness, pride, and resentment should be turned off at this time. All negativity, hurt, and discouragement should be put away.
Should you lose your Positive Attitude under pressure during this flight, reach up and pull down a prayer. Prayers will automatically be activated by Faith. Once your Faith is activated, you can assist other passengers who are of little faith.
There will be NO BAGGAGE allowed on this flight.
God, our Captain, has cleared us for take-off. Destination – GREATNESS!
Wishing you all a New Year filled with new HOPE, new JOY, and new BEGINNINGS!
Fall is the best time foraging for wild mushrooms. They come in different colours and sizes.
Want to get high? There are wild mushrooms out there that can provide euphoria. Wild mushrooms may appear to be esculent and you have to be an expert in edible fungus.
Trial and error, you may see God for eternity or maybe in Purgatory or maybe in Dante’s Inferno.
Hi everybody. I have to start by saying thanks Thanks for a wonderful year Not only to you, to God number one To you number two And for all the wonderful things... You know, when I look at a beautiful day, I’ll say, “God is there.” I say it’s happy because birds are tweetin’ ... Sun i shinnin’ ... Wind’s blowin’ ... The leaves flyin’ ...
A fantastic monologue from the show “A Storm For Christmas.” It was perfect flick while viewing it during our snowstorm. Now back to liquid weather.
Let me share this poem by Rilke posted by Robin Bates.
Without your simplicity, how could this have happened — what shines now in the dark of night? The God who thundered over the nations makes himself mild and through you enters the world
Were you expecting something greater?
What is greatness? He moves straight through all measurements we know, dissolving them away. Even the path of a star is not like that.
Behold: these kings standing here are great and drag into your lap rare treasures that each believes to be the greatest.
Perhaps you are astonished at their gifts. But look into the blanket in your arms, how He already surpasses all of them.
Amber that is traded near and far, rings of gold and costly spices that drift for a moment on the air: these are quickly fading pleasures and leave behind a vague regret.
The gift He brings — as you will see — is joy.
Nativity Scene. Carved by Arnolfo di Cambio in the late 13th century on display in Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. Image by Catholic Traveler
I can taste that lasting sweetness what Joy brings. Joy to you all.
As far as business is concerned especially the malls, Yuletide starts as soon after Halloween.
Come Yuletide, the balsam fir is a prime choice for the role of Christmas tree.—Neal Clark
There are so many stories to be told during Christmas gatherings. There is but only one good story written in letter on Christmas Eve 1914 by a soldier…
24/12/14
I have just been through one of the most extraordinary scenes imaginable. To-night is Xmas Eve and I came up into the trenches this evening for my tour of duty in them. Firing was going on all the time and the enemy’s machine guns were at it hard, firing at us. Then about seven the firing stopped.
I was in my dug-out reading a paper and the mail was being dished out. It was reported that the Germans had lighted their trenches up all along our front. We had been calling to one another for some time Xmas wishes and other things. I went out and they shouted “no shooting” and then somehow the scene became a peaceful one. All our men got out of their trenches and sat on the parapet, the Germans did the same, and they talked to one another in English and broken English. I got on top of the trench and talked German and asked them to sing a German Volkslied, which they did, then our men sang quite well and each side clapped and cheered the other.
I asked a German who sang a solo to sing one of Schumann’s songs, so he sang The Two Grenadiers splendidly. Our men were a good audience and really enjoyed his singing.
Then Pope and I walked across and held a conversation with the German officer in command.
One of his men introduced us properly, he asked my name and then presented me to his officer. I gave the latter permission to bury some German dead who are lying in between us, and we agreed to have no shooting until 12 midnight to-morrow. We talked together, 10 or more Germans gathered round. I was almost in their lines within a yard or so. We saluted each other, he thanked me for permission to bury his dead, and we fixed up how many men were to do it, and that otherwise both sides must remain in their trenches.
…
Will try and write more in a day or two. Keep this letter carefully and send copies to all. I think they will be interested. It did feel funny walking over alone towards the enemy’s trenches to meet someone half-way, and then to arrange a Xmas peace. It will be a thing to remember all one’s life.
Kiss the babies and give them my love. Write me a long letter and tell me all the news. I hope the photos come out all-right. Probably you will see them in some paper.
A beautiful autumn day for Dia de Los Muertos. Time to visit the boneyard, rattle and wake up the skeletons, bring food on the sacred ground, blow kisses to the faithfully departed. Honour the dead. Celebrate life. Happy All Souls Day.
Halloween. Trick or treat. Wear a costume. Watch Stephen King’s movie in Netflix. Tell gruesome stories of ghost and haunted house. Better yet, read or watch the news!
STOP!
Hijab
This weekend, rally against Iran all day happened. Traffic was gruelling.
Stay safe. Be safe. Fireworks tonight. Protect your furry friends and love ones.
Photographs and Memories 