Give Thanks

We must give thanks, have gratitude for those things we have and the blessings we receive.

No, this is not some sort of obscure prayer but a mantra we should choose to follow. It’s not lip service to a pie in the sky lifestyle but a way of life we should all follow. It’s the way things should be.

This has been brought home once again by my experiences here at the hospital. I could say I always follow this credo, but that wouldn’t be true. I TRY to be cognizant of the blessings I have and grateful for my good fortune but there are times, such as I have now, when we lament our turns of fate. We will cry “how can I deal with this”, or “my life is so poor” but we haven’t far to look, really, to see those less fortunate than ourselves.

I’m at the hospital, visiting my seriously ill sister, and yet when I enter the building I can see those many other souls whose lot in life is one of missing limbs, significantly damaged bodies or minds, and perhaps the tribulations of ongoing pain.

Are they better off, or worse than I, or does it matter? We each have our challenges, but we only need look around to see those with less.

My mother tells me a quote:

“I complained I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet”

I haven’t found the source of the quote, and would be happy to give credit were due, but have not seen a definitive author. The point is that if we look around we can always see someone less fortunate.

The opposite of that is that there is something good in every aspect of our lives and we only need recognize it, it’s there but for our attention.

So, give thanks and be grateful for those things big and small in your life. If we look there are so many. It may be a beautiful bird, or the scent of a flower. Notice and appreciate.
Cheers

Escape

While “Escape” is the photo challenge of the week I don’t feel prepared to post the appropriate photos at this time, I may later. I do however feel a desire to escape.

The photo challenge description states:

“Depending on your current mood and headspace, or time in your life, this word can evoke different emotions and conjure a variety of images.”

This is so true, your emotions and moods do change, and at this time my mood is one of lethargy, and low motivation, and to grab my camera, escape, and seek out that perfect shot just isn’t a high priority. My heart just isn’t in it.

Perhaps that is the best time to escape though, an opportunity to get out and clear my head, to think of something else and have a change of focus. And why, you might wonder? Well, I am spending the bulk of my day in the hospital with my seriously ill sister and supporting my mother during this trying time.

I’m a bit surprised as to the effect this exercise is having really. Of course I knew it would be tiring but the rapidity with which the debilitating emotions took hold surprised me. It’s a more draining than I first envisioned and that caught me unawares.

We will soldier on though, we will do what must be done. Sis is moving forward, and even though they are baby steps she is taking they are steps in the right direction. She has many praying for her and the results of prayer and the Doctors efforts are bearing fruit.

Stay strong Brenda, feel the love. Escape your bonds and come back to us.

Another Day

Today is another day and the day has begun as the last couple of days have here, here being in Edmonton, Alberta. The coffee is brewing and the mush (porridge) is awaiting our lips.

We are here for reasons not desirable, reasons undesirable in fact, reasons no one wants to have, that of coming to see a family member that is critically ill in the hospital. In this case it’s my sister who had surgery last Friday, and, as a result of post surgery complications has reached what the doctor has determined is “a life threatening” condition.

At this time she is holding, perhaps gaining some ground, but still in a tenuous place. She’s a fighter though and we have the belief she will pull through, pull through to share another day.

Super Sweet Blogging Award

Wow, what an honour, I’ve been nominated for the “Super Sweet Blogging Award. How cool is that?

When I logged in and saw the comment from Kukileaf saying she nominated me for this award I was very surprised, and pleased. Thank you again.

To accept the award I have to do five things:

1. Thank the nominator for nominating me. For sure, thanks!
2. Answer the 5 Super Sweet questions
3. Include the Super Sweet logo in this post. You’ll see it below.
4. Nominate a baker’s dozen other bloggers for this award. I wasn’t sure what a “baker’s dozen” is, had to look it up. LOL
5. Notify my nominees on their blogs

1. Thanks 

Thank you kukileaf, I hope I can live up to the honour.

2. Here are the Super Sweet questions:

1. Cookies or Cake??? - What? I have to pick? Well I’d probably say cookies. I do like my cake but cookies are fast, easily munched with one hand, and can be transported more easily.
2. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate, definately chocolate!
3. Favorite Sweet Treat? Probably one of my wife’s chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. Her Mom’s were yummy too, all in a league by themselves.
4. When Do You Crave Sweets?  Mostly at night, the worst time of course.
5. Sweet Nickname?  Not sure if this is mine, or the cookies. A cookie nickname would be just “munchies”. Mine has just been “Ski” for a number of years.

3. Super Sweet Logo

Super Sweet Blogging Award

4. Now for my 13 nominees:

• Morning Story and Dilbert
• Cast-Light
• A Word in Your Ear
• The Very Best Top Ten
• Veraiconica’s Blog
• Frames & Focus
• 400 Days ’til 40
• Herself First
• Kathy’s Retirement Blog
• Feet First Book
• Life Made Beautiful
• Intentional Jane
• 365 Days of Purpleness

5. On to notify my nominees.

There are a lot of great blogs out there, making the choice was a challenge. In the end I looked for those that exhibited some optimism and a general positive feeling. Good for all of you!

Still walkin’

Well my plan never came together as I first imagined. That plan, of my morning schedule, got kiboshed right out of the gate with the cancelation of my round of golf. That’s ok though, I’ve recovered with a long walk and some refreshments part way.

Is it True Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder?

Is it true that absence makes the heart grow fonder? I sure hope so, I want you to be as find of me as possible, and I’ve been absent for a bit.

It’s been a while since I’ve written. I have missed it, I won’t lie, and there are no excuses, my bad.

You know how sometimes you just never seem to make it to the things you like? Despite your desires things just don’t transpire like you want. It’s kinda like that, and that sounds suspiciously ‘excuse-like’ doesn’t it.

I could talk about the weather (gorgeous), or life with my grandson Madden in it (blessed), or the potentially rich life of a retiree (outstanding), but I won’t. I’ve said enough on that.

I’ll post a couple photos instead, way easier.

Life is pretty good if we can appreciate it.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Up

Ok, I had to do it. Pictures of grandchildren are at some point mandatory. In this case he, my grandson Madden, is standing “Up”. This is not the first time but certainly one of the first. He looks like such a little man.

Also where I thought I might have some difficulty finding something else “Up”ish, in fact I found a number of shots that could be tied to the “Up” concept (albeit loosely in some cases). Enjoy.

The Snowdrops came “Up”

Poppa, pick me “Up”

In this case I’m “Up” the creek, and no paddle

Here’s my Easter basket, what’s “Up” inside it?

Mount “Up”

Look “Up”, waaaayy up.

“Up”side down

This weeks photo challenge is “Up”. As always to see additional posts please go here, to the Weekly Photo Challenge page.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Change

My first thought when hearing of this weeks challenge was how to portray ‘Change’ in my life, that kind of personal ‘change’ was top of mind. For any that have followed this blog you may have noticed some ‘change’, both in the format etc. of the blog but also in my perspective(s).

But that display of change was not to be. In my yen to find that all elusive portrayal of change I elicited the opinion of my wife, and asked her:

“What does change mean to you?”

Of course being a women (kidding!!) she described the monetary kind of change, the visual of coins and paper money, the change that is not only being removed from our monetary system and society but also the changing of  it’s forms as well.

Here in Canada we’ve removed 1′s and 2 dollar bills from circulation and ‘changed’ them to Loonies and Toonies, coins of some uninteresting alloys. These are not official names mind you, just nicknames come about due to their design. We are currently in the process of eliminating the penny. How you stand on that I don’t know.

So below is my (our) interpretation of what ‘Change’ can mean, showing a broader perspective of all change and narrowing it down to just the paper dollar and Loonies. This also gave me an opportunity to play with some of my camera toys, a remote trigger and my extension tubes. I can already see lighting is so important.

Enjoy.

Change, in it’s many forms

So many colours

From paper to alloy

How many Loonies are there?

As always you can check out the other interpretations of ‘Change’ on the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge page.

What Does a New Subaru Have to Do With Flowers?

A friend of mine bought a new car. A Subaru Forester to be exact. What’s the point you wonder? Well, here ’tis.

After I dropped him off at the dealership and he picked up his wheels we decided to hit the local greenhouse. Mistake you say? I think not. He came away empty handed and I bought a Helleborus.

A Helleborus, also known as “Winter Rose”

Pretty, don’t you think?

I Love Mornings

I love this time of day, the cool mornings where all is fresh and the ground is oft covered with dew. I venture forth for my walk and while the last week I have been taking a shorter route I still drop in for my morning joe.

I hesitated this morning however. It’s not that I didn’t want a fix, cuz I did, more so that I’m try to consider my costs. Being on a fixed income I should question that $3 a day for coffee. That’s if I only have but one. And truth be known I had coffee at home before I left.

This AM I stopped at Common Grounds, one of our few ‘real’ coffee shops. Not that Starbucks or Tim Hortons are not real, they just aren’t of the mom’n pop variety. I had my usual Americano, double-shot.

I think I actually prefer Common Grounds. The coffee is more flavourful, certainly has more crema. You get it in a real mug too, and even though it seems to cool faster it’s also more like really having coffee. Know what I mean?

Well my joe is done, time to move on. My morning walk will take me along a nice, quiet, picturesque route. Perhaps a couple photos are in my future.