Life

One of the first things that comes to my mind when I think of Christmas is decorating the tree. Perhaps you do too! All the collages in this post consist of Christmas tree ornaments. I took these images in a year-round Christmas store that I frequent whenever I go to Niagara Falls. It’s a fun place to visit. They have beautiful Christmas decor. “The Christmas tree is a symbol of love, not money. There’s a kind of glory to them when they’re all lit up that exceeds anything all the money in the world could buy.” ― Andy Rooney ...

“The arrival of a good clown exercises a more beneficial influence upon the health of a town than of twenty asses laden with drugs.” ~ Thomas Sydenham The above photo is of my friend, Inge, who is eighty-six years young and a graduate of Ryerson’s Caring Clown Program. The photo is not mine but was one that Ryerson used on their 2013 Brochure for the Program. For several years Inge’s been telling me about her clowning and especially about her visits with other caring clowns to Nursing Homes. We talked many times about me seeing her all dressed up and taking her picture. It just never happened though. ...

Fall has already officially begun. I was reminded of this when my September newsletter arrived in my Inbox this morning from Gratefulness.org - a network for grateful living. It referenced this beautiful poem called “Equinox” which I’m going to share with you. There are many insightful thoughts here about what our gardens give to us and about life in its raw elements. In so many ways, life is like a garden - sowing, reaping, growth, decay, changing seasons, and changing crops. What a good summer it’s been and this poem lights the way to let go of it - the right way. Enjoy! ...

“Love doesn’t just sit there like a stone; it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new.” (Ursula K. LeGuin) After attending a beautiful wedding recently at which there was bread instead of a cake, the above quote came to mind. This wedding adhered to Ukrainian tradition. As you can see from the above collage, the “Korovai” is prominently displayed. According to the wedding program, “the Korovai is an intricately woven traditional Ukrainian wedding bread that represents the divine gift of life and prosperity from nature and the gift of love and support for the newly-married couple.” ...

[caption id=“attachment_2100” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] “If you think squash is a competitive activity, try flower arranging.” (Alan Bennett)[/caption] Hydrangeas are so beautiful - even when they are all by themselves. Our garden is filled with hydrangeas and my favorite summer activity is to go into the garden, cut a few stems and arrange them to beautify the home and porch. “Each of us is an artist of our days; the greater our integrity and awareness, the more original and creative our time will become.” (John O’Donohue) I’m hoping that my time here will become more and more of a creative endeavor - the enjoyable and fun kind. There’s no competition here because the hydrangeas are so beautiful! ...

Age does not make us childish, as some say; it finds us true children. - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe [caption id=“attachment_2081” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] “The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.” – Richard Bach[/caption] Celebrating life whenever we have the opportunity and savoring all the special moments is an opportunity we should never pass up. Sixty-fifth and seventieth birthdays have their own blessings - because we didn’t ever expect to live this long. To wait for a child to be present for the celebration who also had a birthday we were not present for is a gift beyond words. “Love is, above all, the gift of oneself.” (Jean Anouilh) Our enjoyable celebration took place at Sassafraz in the Yorkville area of downtown Toronto. We savored the food, each other, and the passage of time. ...

 “Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” (Betty Friedan) Life happens. The day has come that I am officially a Senior Citizen. While I’m looking forward to receiving my monthly pension cheques and all the other discounts and perks that come with my senior status, this post contains some of my observations over sixty-five years. Sixty-five years is a long life. From the moment we’re born, the process of learning how to live in this world starts. We learn from our caregivers what are the social and cultural mores we are expected to live up to. Each and everyone of them does the best job they can to impact our positive growth and development. By the time one arrives at age 65, it’s alright to admit to oneself, if not to everybody else, that all these well-meaning and trusted souls were imperfect themselves. This means that I can’t be anywhere near perfect or any kind of saint. In our human nature, there are flaws. “Thinking well is the greatest excellence and wisdom: to act and speak what is true, perceiving things according to their nature.” (Herakleitos) ...

Magnolia tree Attracting me, Gladly blooming. Nothing to prove Only to bloom profusely, Lovely you are with your pink hues. Imbuing all with joy at Spring’s arrival Annulling all the hardship of the winter past. How lovely it was in High Park today. Sheer beauty! The magnolia’s time for blooming has come and irregardless of who’s watching or what anyone’s saying, she’s mesmerizing to everyone. Photographers are there trying to capture her beauty from all angles and positions. Some are taking microcosmic views and others macrocosmic ones. She knows how to be both beautiful and still. ...

“The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." and so in you the child your mother lives on and through your family continues to live… so at this time look after yourself and your family as you would your mother for through you all she will truly never die.” ― Osho ...

[caption id=“attachment_1831” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] “It is fun to have fun but you have to know how.”[/caption] Dr. Seuss wasn’t really a doctor. “Theodor Seuss Geisel, known to the world as Dr. Seuss was born on 2nd of March 1904 in Howard Street, Springfield, Massachusetts. Geisel credited his mother to be his first inspiration. She often chanted rhymes to her children in order to sooth them to sleep which developed the desire and affection in Geisel to create rhymes. His early life in Springfield and the memories of his childhood had an influence on his writings which can be observed in his work.” How fondly I remember reading his books to my little one many moons ago - without even bothering to find out who he was. His stories were delightfully simple and lots of fun. My little one loved the rhyming and the repetition as all children do. ...