[caption id=“attachment_2471” align=“aligncenter” width=“800”] “Making a big life change is pretty scary. But know what’s even scarier? Regret.” (Zig Ziglar)[/caption] Downsizing has been a big job. I’ve missed blogging during the time that this important life change has been taking place. It hasn’t been one life change really but several, each one hinging on the other. ...
This book found me. “The Grace in Aging” by Kathleen Dowling Singh was staring me in the face on a recent visit to the Yorkville Library in Downtown Toronto. When I started blogging, it was my intention to cover many topics related to aging because of my own age. However, the blog took on a life of its own and evolved in its own way. Today, though, I highly recommend the above book to all the baby boomers out there who have been in the least bit concerned about aging. Notice that this book is not about aging gracefully but about “The Grace in Aging.” The concerns here are not about what’s on the outside but what’s on the inside. ...
[caption id=“attachment_2443” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you traveled.” – Mohammed[/caption] Most of us are fortunate to be able to travel today to many parts of the world. It’s fascinating to meet people, both young and old, who have wonderful stories to share about places they have visited and adventures they have had. As one who likes to travel myself, I always tell anyone who says they’re off to some place to “take lots of pictures.” To have the experience of being in a different place is unsurpassed joy but we also need those images so that when we’re back home, we can relive those moments in a different way - hopefully with happy memories. ...
My Gratefulness Newsletter arrived in my inbox this morning and there were reminders there that the year is still new and full of promise - which I had all but forgotten. It’s hard to believe that twenty-two days into the new year, I would have settled into old patterns and ways of thinking and being. A poem by Anne Hillman called “We Look with Uncertainty” was shared in this newsletter prefaced by these words: “At the beginning of the year, we stand before new doorways, and the vastness of yet unexplored passages stretching out before us, no matter how old or young we are. Beckoning us are all the moments and opportunities of our future lives in ever-unknown measure, and the only response is a wholehearted “yes.” In this spirit, how grateful we are to Anne Hillman for sharing this tender and inspiring vision through her poem: ...
“Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.” ― Rumi I accidentally knocked over one of my favorite vases which has served me well for many years. As you can see in the above collage, it’s a very beautiful one. You can also see that it was broken into many pieces and beyond repair. I was disappointed but not devastated. Whether that has to do with the aging process and the “letting go” stage of life or some other process at work is not quite clear to me. ...
There are always names we have heard of in connection with one thing or the other but never get to find out what they have said or done - until it seems, the time is right. I was familiar with the name “Frederick Buechner” but never read anything he said. Just today I was reading a blog post on the internet in which the blogger referenced a quote by Frederick Buechner that resonated with what I was feeling at that particular moment in time. As one who seems to have been groomed for the “rescuer” role, the quote resonated with me. ...
What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness. ~John Steinbeck This is the time of year when it’s easy to feel “down” with the weather. Christmas is over and all the bright lights, Christmas trees, get-togethers, and festivities of the season have come to an end. The freezing winter temperatures have descended upon us and it’s only January. Winter is a challenging time for getting around especially for those of us who are Senior Citizens. We worry about slipping and falling, getting the flu, shovelling the snow, not to mention all those layers of clothing we have to put on to even go outside. ...
We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden (Johann Wolfgang Van Goethe) As another year comes to a close, it seems like a good time for me to look back on the year past and reflect for a short while on my journey through the course of 2014. It seems that it wasn’t so long ago when I began “Late Blooms” and wasn’t quite sure what I was doing. At the same time that I had the opportunity to make collages, I started writing, scrapbooking, and all the other elements you see displayed in my posts. I`m still learning and evolving as I go along and having fun at the same time. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that there would be 51,727 reads of my posts. It is very humbling and, at the same time, very encouraging. Thanks to all of you out there and especially to my brother of Simply Spectacular Designs who gave “Late Blooms” a totally new look just before Christmas and is hosting this blog. ...
At Christmas-time, we tend to forget that many people are alone. This could be intentional or the result of circumstance - death, divorce, broken friendships, family far away, or an endless variety of reasons. For those who choose to spend the time in solitude meditating or with other plans, there’s joy in being alone. For those who would prefer to be with others but have no others, it can be a very hard and lonely time. ...
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 ...